This version has had some long overdue editing. Thanks to Puddin' for the help.

In this last part, Amy and Stewart adjust to their new lives, and they do an unusually good job of it, maybe too good a job. Read on to see how the story ends. :)

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The Magic of Love
by Terry Volkirch

Part 6

Everyone agreed the name change was a good idea. It reduced confusion and yet still reminded everyone who was who. The switched teens initially came up with the idea to help them get over the awkwardness of talking to their former likenesses, but they had an even greater concern. The two of them feared losing their original identities, so they latched on to their modified first names like a life line.

Living in a different home with a different mother for several months would have to affect them in profound ways, and it would have to make it difficult to switch back to their original selves. The current situation was forced, but switching back would be voluntary. Could they go through it all over again? They'd never be the same two people. That much was clear. But would it all matter?

Being the opposite gender was an enriching experience at least. They'd gain a better understanding and maybe even a better appreciation for how the other half lived. It would certainly make intimate relationships interesting, when they got that far.

The soul searching questions would have to wait a little while though, because Amy and Stewart were too busy to dwell on their situation. They exchanged questions and answers, took notes and recited what they'd learned. Neither one would let the other relax enough to think about what they'd lost, and what they'd gained. So far it was only an abstract learning exercise.

The introspection and in-depth discussion began only after the two of them finished educating Stewart for the day, a task that took a relatively short amount of time. They focused on getting him up to speed since they were at the Benson household, and since his life wouldn't be nearly as difficult as Amy's. He actually felt a little relief about learning his fairly simple role. It made him happy too because it meant he'd have more time to help Amy. He knew she'd need all the help she could get.

"I'm really sorry about this," he said to her as the two of the walked over to Amy's new house. Madeline took Cassandra home by car but the two teens preferred to walk and give themselves a study break.

"You've already apologized enough, Stewart. Really." Amy kept her eyes firmly on her feet as she walked. She still had trouble looking at the boy. His face constantly reminded her of what she'd lost.

"I know, but I feel so guilty."

"Yeah, me too," she admitted.

"You do?"

"Well, yeah. It took both of us to fight, didn't it?"

Stewart had to agree to that, but it didn't excuse his behavior. He'd abused his gift and now he'd be without it for at least several months.

He'd used his gift as a crutch to support a very selfish lifestyle. He finally understood that, but he refused to let it upset him. He didn't really need the Gift now anyway. He'd get his special ability back soon enough, and in the meantime, he had someone who needed his help.

"That's true. We both fought," he said. "But I have another reason for feeling guilty. You're going to have a much rougher time than I will."

"Hey," she smiled. "I can handle it."

"Trust me. You're going to have major problems. I already have most of your life as a boy figured out so I have something to compare to."

"If you say so," she said, looking down again. She trusted he was right and dreaded her destination even more.

***

The two teens arrived at Amy's new home, and after a quick look around, headed for her bedroom. It was the last stop on the tour of the house, but before she could enter, the extreme femininity of the room stunned her. She'd never been in a girl's bedroom before, and even if she had, it probably wouldn't have been as feminine as what she saw. It would take a long time to get used to it, if she ever could.

"Wow," she said, standing in the door way, blocking Stewart.

"Excuse me," he said, anxiously trying to get in. He wanted to remove an embarrassing toy that he suddenly remembered having stashed in his lingerie drawer just last week, but he stopped himself and had to suppress a laugh. What would he do with it? He certainly couldn't appreciate it as much as Amy probably would. No, he'd leave it alone and wouldn't say anything. She'd find it eventually and hopefully enjoy it.

He tried to start the tour of the bedroom but the thought of Amy using a vibrator ran through his mind before he could stop himself. He couldn't get the vivid image out of his head and it spilled over to a part of his anatomy that he found increasingly difficult to handle. In other words, the image aroused him, and no amount of logic or rational thinking stopped the embarrassing result. He'd started a crash course on the effects of testosterone on a very healthy teenage male with a very healthy libido.

The uncomfortable boy quickly sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to hide the tenting of his pants by crossing his arms over his lap. It didn't work very well.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked.

"Nothing," he replied, tight-lipped.

"Oh!" She suddenly shouted when she inevitably guessed what was going on. "Yeah. Uh ... take your time. I have to go to the bathroom anyway." Then she squeaked and stopped cold.

She suddenly realized that she hadn't yet seen or touched the more intimate parts of her body. It shouldn't prove to be too difficult since she'd done it as Steph, but she was still nervous about doing the same thing with Amelia's body.

The blonde walked over to the vanity chair and gently sat on it until she'd either work up the nerve or be forced by discomfort to go to the bathroom.

Stewart guessed what was wrong.

"We're quite a pair," he said, chuckling nervously.

"Yeah. I guess we are." Amy blushed and realized that Stewart's current problem was one of the few subjects they hadn't discussed. She hated to see him suffer so she thought she'd go over a few things. It might help distract her from her own problem.

"So ... uh ... doing it right away in the morning or just before bed is the best time."

"Doing what?" he asked.

"You know ... masturbation."

"Oh! Right. Do I have to?!" Stewart had a look of horror on his face.

"You do if you don't want to do it in your sleep or at inconvenient moments like this. You'll need to do it often too, sometimes twice a day or more. Sorry about that."

Stewart blushed. "Please. Can we not talk about it now?" Talking about masturbation only made his erection more urgent, and more uncomfortable.

Amy couldn't help notice and quickly went on to the next lesson.

"Think about your mom," she said.

"Excuse me?!"

"Thinking about your mother will help kill the mood. Come on. Think about it. It makes sense. You're not attracted to your mother, are you?"

"No ...," he said, still not happy with the idea.

"You could also try thinking of something disgusting, like a clogged toilet."

"Ewww!"

"Don't knock it," Amy grinned. "It works."

Stewart finally took the advice and tried thinking about his mother, but it bothered him too much to be aroused and thinking of her at the same time. He switched to the clogged toilet and that slowly worked.

When he finally got his little problem under control, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks," he said.

"You're welcome, but don't be afraid to touch yourself," she joked.

"I could say the same to you," he shot back. "Don't you have to pee?" He could tell she did. It was obvious by the way she squirmed and held her legs tightly together.

"Oh. Yeah," she said, getting up to leave.

"Don't forget to sit down," he said, smiling. "And don't forget to wipe!" he called after her as she rushed out of the room.

Amy relieved herself and didn't think to try any more embarrassing jokes after that. They both had too much ammunition. She just hurried and got back as quickly as possible for the tour of her bedroom.

Stewart first showed off the vanity table set and all the beauty products on it or in its various drawers. Then he moved through the contents of all the dresser drawers, making sure not to pull out the lingerie drawer too far and reveal his former toy. The bed and small computer desk didn't need an introduction so that only left the closet.

The room wasn't all that large, and it didn't have a walk-in closet like Amelia had wanted, but she'd used her gift to enlarge and customize the little closet so it could hold her large wardrobe of dresses, skirts, blouses and slacks. Amy didn't yet appreciate fine feminine clothing but she couldn't help but be impressed by the large quantity filling every nook and cranny.

All of the nice clothing hung on padded hangers in groups organized by type, style and color, in that order. A long rack with dozens of shoes ran the length of the closet floor and the upper shelf held yet another rack of shoes and two large, ornate hats.

"You sure like shoes," Amy commented.

"I used to," Stewart said in a quiet voice. "In another life."

"Oh. I'm so sorry, Stewart."

"It's okay, Amy."

They made sure to use their new names as often as possible in their ongoing effort to immerse themselves in their new roles. Unfortunately, memories of their past lives still haunted them and would continue to do so over the coming days.

***

Amy and Stewart made it back to school on Thursday after only two days of memorizing and studying each other, and they'd survived catching up on assignments and missed lectures in their morning classes. Amy felt a fair amount of stress but promised that after lunch and art class, she'd endure her last two classes while Stewart waited for her in the library. So far, so good.

It was when they sat together during lunch and that they got an unexpected surprise. It wouldn't normally have been unpleasant but they were caught off guard. Lunch promised to be interesting that day.

"Stu! Amelia!" Gordo unnecessarily shouted as he sat next to Stewart. "You two finally got together. Cool. It's about time."

"Hi, Gordo." Stewart had already met both Fred and Gordo as Amelia so he knew their names and faces. The two boys visited Nancy and Teresa many times before they all ran off together and left him alone. He tried not to take it personally but he still didn't like it.

Having a little residual resentment wasn't really the problem though. The problem was having to explain that Stewart and Amy went by slightly different names. They hadn't thought about how to explain it. Stewart wasn't sure what to say anyway so he stalled for time by waiting for the rest of the group to show up, and he shot Amy a quick, questioning glance. She knew what he meant but all she could do was shrug.

Fred soon showed up, followed by Teresa and Nancy, and that's when yet another problem surfaced. Teresa and Nancy expected Amy to make introductions between themselves and Stewart, but Amy had never met Teresa and Nancy. She didn't know their names. As Stu, he'd avoided the girls out of petty jealousy, thinking of them as stealing his friends. Now Amy sat at the lunch table, looking back and forth between the two girls, trying to make herself invisible. Luckily, Stewart quickly realized the problem and came to her defense.

"Girls, girls," he crooned. "I already know your lovely faces. They've been pointed out to me often enough. Nice to meet you, Teresa," he looked at the tall, slenderized girl, making sure Amy noticed who he was looking at. "And you, Nancy," he looked over at the short, shy girl. "I'm Stewart. Nice to meet you." In his haste to cover for Amy, he forgot about his name change and let it slip.

"Stewart?!" Fred and Gordo shouted in unison, startling everyone.

That left it to Amy to come to the rescue. She didn't like lying, but by then she had a partial truth ready. She explained how she and Stewart decided to no longer use their old names because the names reminded them of all the wasted time and energy they'd spent fighting each other. They wanted to put it all behind them and using new names helped them do that. The explanation satisfied everyone so they could move on and do some catching up, but the problems continued.

They first covered what the two pairs of boyfriends and girlfriends had been up to and the four of them confessed they'd been avoiding Stewart and Amy. They couldn't very well ask one of them along without upsetting the other, and they were afraid the two of them would fight and get the group thrown out if they invited both of them. They had a good point. What could the two former troublemakers say? The two of them simply shrugged and talk moved on to another awkward subject.

The four old friends grilled the switched teens about how they got together and were about to get more hastily prepared partial truths for their trouble when Stewart took the easy way out.

"You know how girls can get guys to do anything," Stewart said. "Amy finally stunned me with her beauty and I had to give in."

Gordo smiled at Teresa. "I hear that."

"Me too," said Fred as he gave Nancy a fond look.

"So does that mean you two are going together?" Nancy had to ask, hoping to clarify the situation. Stewart had certainly implied they were and all four of the old friends wondered about it.

"No!" Amy said a little too forcefully. "I mean, we're just friends. What makes you think we're going out?"

Stewart had a wistful look on his face, while Gordo looked disgusted, thinking his old buddy was screwing up yet another chance with a hot babe. Fred believed her denial too. However the girls both had a knowing look.

"No reason," Nancy said with a faint smile, effectively ending the subject.

They finished the difficult part of the conversation and ended with some small talk before making a move to go to class. Stewart couldn't resist telling a quick joke though. He'd been thinking about it after his comment about how girls can get guys to do anything and he figured it would be in character. Stu always had been a bit of a smart aleck.

"Hey guys. You know what? Amy might have brainwashed me with her feminine charms but I found a cure."

"Oh?" Everyone responded, leaning forward to make sure they heard the punch line.

"I just wear her clothes," he said with a silly grin.

Everyone laughed then, except Gordo, and Amy laughed hardest of all.

"I don't get it," Gordo said.

Teresa got up and led him away. "I'll explain it to you later, Big Boy, or maybe I'll just dress you up in my old clothes and show you." She smiled and turned back to the rest of the group. "We'll see ya later."

Fred and Nancy soon made themselves scarce too, leaving the two switched teens alone at the table.

The meeting of friends turned out well but after giving it some thought, the awkward situation scared Amy and Stewart into working even harder to make sure another similar situation didn't happen. They went over lists of classmates, friends, teachers and relatives that might suddenly appear without warning, further reinforcing their new roles and leaving their old selves farther behind.

***

After several weeks of intense study, everything about Amy's new life still seemed far too complicated. She often felt overwhelmed, and if not for Stewart and her two mothers, she would've collapsed from the strain. It wasn't any one thing, it was a whole lot of them. She had a lot more school work, had to learn about makeup and clothes, and had to adjust to a more complicated regimen of personal hygiene. It all added up and threatened to send her screaming into the night, especially when she woke up from a nightmare and found herself in a strange bed in a strange house. She thought she'd never get used to living with Cassandra.

Her original mother taught her about personal hygiene and offered some fashion tips, but it was still Cassandra who made the biggest difference. Amy lived with her new mother so naturally they spent a lot of time together. They couldn't help it.

"Amy? Are you home?" Cassandra called one evening. She'd just arrived home from work and she wanted help carrying in some groceries.

"Just a minute, Mom!" Amy called from her bedroom.

The girl soon hurried down the stairs to find Cassandra giving her an odd look.

"What?" the confused girl asked. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"You called me Mom."

"Did I? Well you are like a mother to me. Is it okay if I call you Mom?"

"Yes. Of course. I just never thought I'd hear you say it. Thank you."

The woman started crying, and her tears threatened to trigger the same reaction in Amy.

"Why are you thanking me, and why are you crying?" the girl asked.

"I ... I miss my little girl. I see you and want to think of you as a daughter, but then you call me by my first name and remind me who you really are. It hurts."

"Hey. It's okay," Amy put her hand on the woman's arm. "I really am your daughter. I mean, I'm in your daughter's body."

"Right. But you don't usually call me Mom."

"Well, I can fix that problem, Mom." Amy smiled and it was a like a ray of sunshine to Cassandra.

"You know ... Mom," the girl continued. "I don't mean any disrespect to ... Mrs. Benson, but you really are more of a mother to me than she is now. You provide for me and do more for me than she can. I don't have a problem calling you Mom. In fact, I insist on it."

"Oh, Amy," Cassandra hugged her daughter and cried. They both cried, and Amy slipped farther from her former self and edged into new territory. She was quickly becoming all girl, in body and spirit.

***

It really didn't matter that Stewart had lost his gift. He had a surprisingly easy time getting used to his new body and new life. School was a breeze and outside of school, he got into a fairly easy and comfortable routine, walking Amy home and then studying with her for a few hours before going home and helping his new family. After he ate dinner, he studied with his little brother for a couple hours and called Amy to make sure she'd made it through another day. It all went like clockwork.

He got along extremely well with his new mother. It probably helped that he'd been a girl before. He could relate to her very well. He knew when she needed company and knew very well when she needed to be left alone. His long experience as a girl made it seem to his mother that she gained both a new daughter and her original son in a single package. She couldn't be happier.

Stan had a little trouble adjusting to the situation but his new brother and adopted sister made up for it by giving him a new name. They both called him Steph whenever they were in private. He also got a few additional perks that helped make up for years of suppressing his feminine self.

Stewart kept up the old study habits but he helped his younger brother with more than just schoolwork. Borrowing money from his original mother, he took the transgender boy shopping for girls clothes. Amy tagged along too so she could gain some much needed shopping experience, and all three of them actually enjoyed themselves.

The former girl felt bad that he didn't have a job to help his new family with expenses, and he felt guilty enough that it wouldn't have mattered what type of job he got. That made a big change from the time he'd only consider getting a job as a lab assistant. He just wanted to do whatever he could to help.

Though he wanted a job, he felt he didn't have time for one at the present time. He still needed to devote too much time to helping Amy. He'd try to get a job eventually though, just as soon as he felt Amy could manage without him. It would take a while, but the day would come when Amy could be independent and happy.

***

On one particular Saturday with spring in early bloom, Stewart came over to visit Amy after dinner and the two teens ended up in Amy's bedroom to study like they usually did. Amy sat at her cute little white computer desk with Stewart lying on his stomach across her large pink bed, reading a computer book.

They'd finally exchanged every bit of knowledge about their lives that they could think of so it was no longer necessary to spend so much time together. They just did it because it was nice. Once they got to know each other, they found they really liked each other, enough that they became the best of friends. It surprised Amy at first, but she soon got used to the idea.

Both of them had made great progress academically, and they totally immersed themselves in their new roles. No one would guess who they really were. It didn't really matter anyway, because they'd virtually lost their original selves. They couldn't explain it but they'd never been happier, never felt more comfortable.

Many memories of their former selves still lingered, occasionally causing some confusion. It bothered Amy the most. She still fought herself a little, especially when it came to her sexuality. Being attracted to boys bothered her. She'd never been attracted to them before. Why now? It bothered her enough that she finally brought up the subject with her best friend.

"Stewart?" She slowly pivoted on her chair, turning to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"Do you like girls?"

"Uh ...," he blushed.

"I'll take that as a yes," she grinned.

The boy totally accepted his feelings. He knew quite a lot about physiology and knew about all the testosterone coursing through his body. He figured it was just natural, at first, but her question got him thinking he might be missing something.

"What about you, Amy?"

"Well ... I don't understand it, but I really like boys."

At that moment, when she thought of just how much she liked boys, her nipples tingled and she had to fight the urge to touch herself. The worst part for her was looking back at her former face. Stewart's smile made her knees go weak. She found him so incredibly attractive, it scared her. It also caused an extremely pleasant sensation between her legs that distracted her to no end.

"Now that you mention it," he said. "I'm wondering about that too. I've studied the human body a lot to help me use my gift, but I haven't explored sexuality all that much. I haven't been motivated to before now." He blushed again.

"You're cute when you blush," she blurted, and then blushed along with him.

Stewart had to force himself to look away from her. He found girls very attractive, especially Amy. It seemed wrong to lust after his former face but he couldn't help himself. Her face and body drove him wild with desire, enough that she inspired more than a few sexual fantasies in the privacy of his bedroom.

"I'm wondering something else too," Amy said, trying to change the subject. "Why are we so comfortable in our bodies? Why aren't we more like Stan?"

"Another good question." Stewart turned back to face her, grateful for the distraction. "It seems I have a duplicate of your original brain, including the parts that determine sexual preference and gender identity. I don't have your memories but I still seem to share your former taste in girls, and I like being a boy. I suppose the reverse is true for you."

"I suppose you're right," Amy said quietly as she shyly turned away.

Stewart had an epiphany then. He suddenly understood why she'd started the conversation, and he couldn't let the opportunity slip away from him. The way she moved and acted held his gaze in a vice. Everything about her captured his heart, her look, her voice, her scent, and he couldn't help himself. He had to do something.

"Would you like to try an experiment?" He put his book down and eagerly sat up.

"That depends," she said, still looking away. "What did you have in mind?"

"How about a kiss? You know ... just to see what it's like."

He couldn't see but she blushed again and bit her lower lip. She'd dreamed of kissing him but she found it so hard to forget that she'd once had his face. She didn't know if she could bring herself to kiss her former self.

"Come on," he persisted. "Just close your eyes and pretend you're kissing someone else," he said, understanding her reluctance. He'd say anything to get the beautiful girl to kiss him.

Amy hesitated for a minute, thinking it over. It wouldn't be so bad. Just one short kiss to see how it felt and they could get on with their studying. She had to admit she felt a certain curiosity, and more than a little attraction.

"Have you ever kissed anyone before?" He felt her resolve crumbling. He wouldn't give up until he had her in his arms with his lips pressed against hers. "I never have, and I want to see what I'm missing. Come on. Please?"

"Okay," she finally said. She went over to sit next to him on her bed, and they kissed.

The kiss lasted far longer than she planned but she didn't mind one bit. She enjoyed it and in fact, lost herself in that kiss. It felt like a dream.

Could she really be a girl? Yes. Yes, she could. She was a girl, especially at that moment. She even saw through Stewart's deceit and knew exactly what he hoped to gain through the experiment. Boys could be so transparent sometimes ... and so wonderful.

***

Stewart gave Amy a thrill when he tried out for the varsity baseball team that spring and succeeded on his own merit. He had the original Stu's strength and hand-eye coordination so he only had to learn the rules, and they were relatively easy. He played second base as Stu had and did a fairly good job of it, especially with Amy cheering him on in the stands. He loved knowing she was there and she loved watching him play, and they couldn't help falling in love.

The two switched teens became boyfriend and girlfriend to end their senior year on a high note, and Stewart couldn't have been more pleased. As Amelia, he'd wanted his last year of high school to be perfect, but even looking back at all the trouble he caused, he wouldn't change a thing. The good far outweighed the bad, with the bad making the good seem all the better.

It wasn't long after graduation that Stewart slowly began to regain the use of his gift. In another six months or so, he might absorb enough energy to switch back with Amy, but in the meantime, he'd enjoy every minute he could with her. He might even consider staying a boy if he continued to feel the way he did when he was around her, and he knew she felt the same way whenever he saw her longingly looking back at him. They loved each other more with every passing day and neither one could imagine life without the other.

They almost forgot their genders had been switched -- almost. It didn't matter though because love has a way of making one forget everything else, and making everything okay. As always, the magic of love conquers all.

*** The End ***

 © 2008 by Terry Volkirch. This work may not be replicated in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the Author (copyright holder). All Rights Reserved. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental.