When Jenny finds out her younger brother's son is suddenly an orphan, with no one to help him, she knows she's going to have to help out. The problem is that the boy needs a LOT more help than Jenny can provide.

Note: This is an updated version to correct a continuity issue with this story, The Sub, and Dear Jenny. The updates are minor, reflecting Melinda's presence in Jenny's life (although she is absent at the moment on a fellowship in Europe).

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This story is copyright by the author. It is protected by licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Jenny shook her head again as she reread the e-mail. "Shit!" she swore under her breath.

Anya turned her head, her long black ponytail swishing at the sudden motion. "What's up, Jenny?" she asked, concerned both by Jenny's tone of voice and her own magic sense that something was badly wrong.

Jenny shook her head, making her own long red ponytail swing. "Nothing anyone can do anything about," she sighed.

Jenny and Anya were both taking a break from their jobs at Bikini Beach. As usual, Jenny's shirt had smudges of grease and dirt and she had a few smudges on her cheeks. She was sitting at a small desk in the employees' hut, reading e-mail on the computer that Grandmother had recently installed for her employees.

Grandmother believed that happy employees helped make her customers happy, and she went to great lengths to keep her employees happy. The building was air-conditioned, providing a welcome respite from the brutal heat of the summer sun. A well-stocked refrigerator provided drinks and cool fruit snacks, and comfortable chairs and a sofa allowed the employees to sit down and relax for a few minutes.

At that moment, Anya and Jenny were the only two in the shack. Jenny was taking a break from her duties as chief mechanic of the water park, and Anya, clad in the red swimsuit of the park's lifeguards, was taking her own break.

Normally, Anya didn't work as a lifeguard; it was her grandmother that owned the park, and the old woman was training Anya in the ways of the business. Occasionally, though, one of the regular staff called in sick, and Anya happily substituted, as she was doing that day.

Anya looked to be the same age as Jenny - about twenty-two, and both had their hair held back in ponytails for convenience. There, the similarities ended. Though she looked young, Jenny had an air about her that announced that she knew what she was doing. It was almost as if her wisdom could be seen through her eyes. Jenny was an enigma; she didn't look like a handyman who could wrestle heavy-duty pumps, or rewire circuits. She had the figure of a swimsuit model, but in her eyes was wisdom and experience that far outran her twenty-two year apparent age. In fact, Jenny had been born over fifty years earlier as Jim Michaels. Through grandmother's magic in the park, she'd been reborn as Jenny, the youthful but capable handy-person who kept the park's machinery running. To her, the pumps were _hers_; she was as possessive of the mechanicals of the park as Scotty was of the starship Enterprise's engines.

Anya's eyes, in contrast, sparkled with youthful exuberance. She looked a bit younger than her age because of her carefree, fun-loving air. Unlike Jenny, who had decades of experience at her profession, Anya was still developing her talents. She was also learning the arts of magic from her grandmother, having been born of a powerful magic-wielding mother.

Anya crossed the small room and put her hand on Jenny's shoulder as a gesture of friendship and support. "What's up?" she asked again sincerely.

Jenny shook her head, letting it hang. "It's my ... little brother," she said, her voice choking. "He ...." She bit her lip, fighting tears. "He and his wife ... died in a car accident."

Anya gave Jenny's shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "I'm so sorry," she said softly. "Is there anything we can do? Do you need some time off?"

Jenny nodded. "Yeah. I need to go to the funeral." She wiped her eyes. "Ted and I used to be very close, before ..." her voice trailed off as she recalled the bitter dispute that led to their estrangement. It was clearly still very painful to her, evidence of just how close she'd been to her brother. "We ... used to keep in touch more than most siblings."

Anya drew back in surprise. "You ... kept in touch?"

Jenny glanced over her shoulder, a small smile on her face. "I ... told him that I was Jim's illegitimate daughter," she answered. "I didn't think he would have understood the concept of magic. He'd have probably dismissed me as a lunatic." She turned back to the monitor. "The whole family knows me as Jim's daughter and Ted's niece, so I've been able to keep in touch with them." She tried to laugh through her grief, but failed. "Ted thought I was trying to understand who my father was," she cried. "And now ... he's gone."

"I'll talk to Grandmother," Anya assured Jenny. Seeing her friend sitting, staring at the monitor, she lightly grasped Jenny's elbow and guided her to the sofa. "We'll do everything we can to help."

Jenny nodded. "Thanks." She bit her lip again, staring down at her hands in her lap. "Ted is ... was ... thirteen years younger than me," she said. "He was an 'oops' baby, but he was my little brother." She sighed. "We were all so happy when he met Natalya." She saw Anya's eyebrows rise, and guessed at the reason. "Natalya was from the old country, the Ukraine," Jenny explained quickly. "Ted met her on a business trip, and it was love at first sight. They had ..." Jenny's voice choked. She wiped at her tears again. "They had a son, Alex. Now, he's an ... orphan." She broke down, leaning onto Anya's shoulder as her tears began to flow freely.

**********

With one suitcase in hand and a larger one sitting on the floor, Jenny turned a key in the lock of her condo. She kicked the door open with her foot as she reached inside and flipped on the lights. "Well," she announced to her companion, a boy of twelve, "this is my home."

The boy didn't seem impressed. "If you say so," he carried his two suitcases into the apartment and let them fall to the floor. "This is ... tiny!" he protested, anger evident in his voice.

"It's comfortable," Jenny replied. "This is only a one-bedroom apartment. The sofa folds out, so for the time being, that'll be your bed until we can figure out something else."

"Whatever." Alex strode to the sofa, flopped down, and grabbed for the television remote control. "Do you at least have cable?"

Jenny sighed. He'd been angry from the time they'd met at the funeral. His anger hadn't faded. She retrieved the big suitcase from the hall, set the load down, and closed the door. "I know this has to be hard on you," she began as she crossed to a chair to sit. The flight had been long, and she was tired.

"No, you _don't_ know!" Alex angrily screamed at her. "You don't know how it feels! I lost everything, and then you come in and take me away from everything! My home, my friends - everything!"

"You're right," Jenny tried to reply calmly, "I _don't_ know what you're going through. But I _do_ know that you can't stay with your grandparents. Not with your grandfather's heart trouble." She sighed. "You don't have many other options. You can't stay at the house, you can't live on the streets, and you don't want to go to an orphanage."

"So you move me halfway across the country, to a new town where I don't know anyone, don't have any friends, to live with a cousin that I didn't know I had? That's supposed to help me?" he snarled at her.

"I'm trying to help."

Alex snorted in disgust, but when he got no fight, he started looking around. His eyes were caught immediately by a picture on the dining area counter. "Who's the babe?" he asked.

Jenny frowned. "That's my ... friend, Melinda." Her voice echoed with her powerful feelings for the brown-haired beauty.

"Is she, like, your lesbian lover?" Alex asked sarcastically.

Jenny spun on him, her face angry. "What of it?"

Alex gulped. He realized that he'd crossed a line. "Uh, nothing." He glanced around the apartment. "So, does she live here, too?"

Jenny reined in her anger. "Not yet," she said wistfully. "She's in Europe for a few months. When she gets back, she's moving in."

"Great," Alex said, half to himself. "As if it's not bad enough, now I'm going to be cooped up in a tiny apartment with two women trying to act like mothers!"

Jenny chose not to respond to his rude comments. Instead, she merely shook her head. "We both had a long day, and it's very late. Let's get some sleep. Tomorrow, things will look brighter."

**********

"Greg," Jenny began slowly, "I need your help."

Greg glanced at Anya, sitting beside Jenny on the sofa in Grandmother's office, and then back to Jenny. "How can I help?"

Jenny sighed. "It's my cousin, Alex."

The frown on Greg's face indicated what he thought of the boy from the few times they'd met.

"I got his transcripts from Wisconsin, and his grades, well, frankly, they suck. Before they would take him in the school here, he needed some remedial school."

"Okay," Greg said hesitantly. "And that means ...?"

Jenny scowled. "He got kicked out of the summer school I had him in."

Greg's eyes widened. "He got kicked out? How?" It was unheard of for a child to be kicked out of summer school; after all, summer school was primarily for troubled and disadvantaged youth, with all their problems and issues.

"He threatened the teacher."

"Oh."

"After he got caught smoking pot in the bathroom," Jenny finished. She shook her head slowly. "I had to go pick him up at the police station," she continued. "So now he's got bad grades and he's getting a record."

Greg started to understand. "So you're asking ..."

Jenny nodded and completed Greg's sentence. "... if you and the guys could help tutor him?" She was referring to Greg's fraternity, the Nu Rho Deltas, or NeRDs. The guys in the fraternity were all excellent students, the reputation of fraternities notwithstanding. Though like all college students, they hosted the occasional party, they worked hard to keep their grades up. She sighed. "I know Melinda would help, but she's gone for a few more weeks."

Greg winced visibly. "I don't know, " he began.

Anya decided to say something. "Come on, Greg," she pleaded. "You know he needs the help."

"Besides," Jenny continued without pause, "his counselor wants to get him some male role models. He says that Alex needs some positive male role models. You guys aren't stodgy, stuffy adults. You might be able to help him out."

Anya continued the sales pitch. "At the very least, he'll get some good tutoring."

Greg sighed, looking back and forth between Anya and Jenny. Both of them had turned on the feminine pleading look. Greg knew it well; Anya had used it on him many times. Being familiar with the look, and being able to resist it, were two different things. Greg failed the second. "Okay," he agreed reluctantly. "We'll give it a try."

**********

Jenny's expression was not pleasant. After glaring at Alex for a few seconds, she turned to the police sergeant. "Can I have a few moments with my cousin?" she asked in a calm but stern voice. She was sitting in the sergeant's office with Alex.

The sergeant nodded. "Sure." He rose and walked from the room, shutting the door behind him with a solid click.

Jenny knew that they were being watched. It was procedure, after all. She turned her full fury on Alex. "What the _hell_ were you thinking?" she said, trying hard to control her voice. It wouldn't help the situation if she lost her temper.

Alex shrank in his chair. He _knew_ he'd gone too far. "I ... don't know," he answered sheepishly.

"You got stoned, hot-wired the park's pickup, went for a joy-ride, and wrecked the truck and a storefront?" Jenny felt her jaw muscles trembling as she fought to control her temper.

"I'm sorry," Alex tried to apologize.

"Sorry? For what you did?" Jenny shook her head angrily. "Tell me why I shouldn't let them take you to juvenile detention!" she asked. "Give me one good reason!"

Alex stared silently at the floor. Even he, apparently, knew that he'd gone too far.

Jenny glared at him for another moment before letting her gaze drop. She set her elbow on the table and let her forehead drop into her upturned hand. "I don't know what to do with you anymore," she said, exasperated. "Maybe I should have let you go to the orphanage."

Alex's eyes widened. "Not that place!" he answered quickly. There was a hint of genuine fear in his voice. "I'll ... I'll do better."

Jenny lifted her head to stare at him. Slowly, she shook it. "That's what you said the _last_ time. And the time before that!" she answered. "I've been down here five times to bail your sorry ass out of trouble. Every time, you promise to be better, and every time, that lasts about two days before you go back to your bad habits. You got kicked out of summer school, you wouldn't let the NRDs help you, you're getting a police record." She sighed again. "Tell me what else I can do."

"I'll try harder," the boy protested.

Jenny shook her head. "It's not working. Do you realize that I'm about to lose my job because I'm having to spend so much time chasing after you and bailing you out of trouble? Do you realize that?"

Alex shook his head, still staring at the floor. "So ... what are you going to do?" he asked cautiously.

"Damn, I wish Melinda wasn't in Europe studying. She's got a teenage little sister, and she might have some ideas of what to do with you!" She shook her head sadly. "I'm out of choices. I called the Child Protective Services before I came down here. We've got an appointment with a case worker next week to talk with you and with your counselor. They'll find a place for you that, hopefully, can help you, because Lord knows I can't." She closed her eyes and let her head droop. "I've tried, but I just can't help you. And I _can't_ ask Melinda to help with this crap, when she gets back, either."

**********

The doorbell startled Jenny; she wasn't expecting anyone. She was seated at the kitchen table _trying_ to help Alex with his homework. Not surprisingly, he wasn't cooperating.

Jenny rose and opened the door. "Oh, hi Anya," she said. She sounded tired and frustrated.

"Hi," Anya replied as she came into the apartment. "I hope you don't mind me stopping by."

Jenny shook her head, giving Anya a quick hug. "Not at all. I was just ..." She stopped suddenly and frowned. "What is it?" she asked, having sensed something from Anya.

"Is my magic rubbing off on you?" Anya asked with a laugh. She shook her head. "I was hoping it wasn't that obvious."

Jenny tried to laugh, but given her fatigue, the laugh sounded hollow. "I've known you too long for you to hide things. What's going on? Out with it."

"We lost power in one of the pump houses," she said reluctantly. "Grandmother had to shut down half the rides in Tropical Paradise."

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Oh, shit," she swore. She glanced at Alex, and then back at Anya. "Okay, give me a few minutes and I'll be over to see what I can do."

"I really hate to interrupt your time off," Anya added quickly. "And normally, I wouldn't, but things ...."

Jenny nodded. "I know. Things have gotten a bit out of hand lately." She turned toward Alex, who was watching and listening. "What do I do about him? You know I can't leave him alone. Not after last time."

Anya nodded, but then a curious smile crossed her face. "Bring him along."

"You're joking!" Jenny exclaimed. She read Anya's expression. "You can't be serious."

"Why not? What can it hurt?"

Jenny shook her head. "Do _you_ want to deal with him running around the park while I work?"

"Do we have a choice?"

Jenny contemplated her options. Like Anya, she didn't see any. "I guess not."

Ten minutes later, they were at the park entrance. Alex watched the girls going into the park with admiration; he was at an age when boys noticed girls. "Why didn't you bring me here earlier?" he asked, forgetting for a moment just _how_ angry Jenny was with him.

"I think the answer should be obvious," Jenny answered icily. She turned to Anya. "Are you _sure_ this is a good idea?"

In answer, Anya handed the boy a pass. "Swipe this through the reader at the gate, go in the men's locker to change, and take a shower before you go into the park.

Five minutes and one scream later, Anya greeted a young lady emerging from the men's locker. "Hi," she said to the girl.

Alex stared at her, wide-eyed. "What ... happened to me?" He stared down at his chest, at the small mounds protruding from his smaller, more feminine body. He looked like a typical twelve year-old girl, a bit gangly and awkward, and but starting to develop toward womanhood.

Anya handed him a bikini top. "Put this on first. Grandmother will get very upset if you don't."

Alex held the top like it was a rattlesnake, staring at the foreign garment.

Anya sighed, then put the top on Alex. "Okay, let's go sit down. This is going to take a little explaining." She took Alex's hand and led him to a bench.

"What ...? How ...?" Alex stammered as he tried to comprehend the changes.

Anya smiled with a twinkle in her eyes. "It's magic."

"Magic?" Alex considered her words for a moment. "Bullshit!"

Anya frowned at the boy-turned-girl. "That's not very ladylike language," she chided. "So, smarty-pants, how do _you_ explain it if you don't believe me?"

Alex started to answer, but found himself sitting open-mouth and at a loss for words.

"Magic," Anya explained again. "Grandmother built this park as a refuge for women. If you run around, which you will, you'll find the park full of women, and not a single boy or man. The magic in the showers changes them into women for the day."

"So you're saying that magic changed me into ... a girl? And I'm stuck like this for the day?"

Anya nodded. "Yup." She stood and held out a hand to help Alex up. "Now, let's go introduce you to the park, and hopefully, you can have some fun."

Anya gave Alex the short tour - looking from the path up to the rides on Pele's Mountain in Tropical Paradise, around the lagoon, and over to the Wild River area, where she showed him the swimming hole and the slides down the mountain. Between the changes and the tour, Alex was speechless.

As they approached the Junior Lifeguard Academy, Anya stopped by a lifeguard station. She gave a quick hug to the young lady at the station, a good-looking blonde woman in a red swimsuit. "Hi, Liz," Anya said warmly.

Liz smiled at Anya, but then warily eyed Alex. "And who is this?"

"This is Jenny's cousin," Anya explained. "She's here for the day ...."

Alex frowned when Anya referred to him as "she". "I'm not ..."

Anya gave him a look that was intimidating to the point of being frightening. "As I was saying," she continued when Alex had been sufficiently cowed, "this is Jenny's cousin. I figured she'd like the Academy to start with."

Liz frowned. "She won't cause any trouble, will she?" She sounded skeptical.

Anya shook her head. "No." She gave Liz another quick smile, then took Alex's hand and let him toward the pool. At the pool's edge, she stopped and turned toward the girl. "You _will_ behave today, won't you?" she asked insistently.

"Yes," Alex squeaked.

"Good. Because if you try to cause trouble," Anya continued in a voice that was very somber and quietly threatening, "I _will_ know about it, and I _will_ ensure you are punished. Don't think about leaving, either, because I put a magic ward on the entrance. You _won't_ be able to get out, but I'll know you tried." She put on a sweet smile. "Do we have an understanding?"

Alex gulped. There was no question but that Anya's scare tactics had worked. "Yes, ma'am," he managed to say.

**********

"Hi." A girl's voice sounded beside Alex. He turned toward the voice.

"Oh, hi," Alex answered unenthusiastically. His fear had waned, replaced instead by resentment at what Anya had done to him. He was seated in a lounge chair, sulking at his predicament.

The girl sat beside him. "I'm Megan. I haven't seen you around here. Are you new?" She was about Alex's age, and rather slender. Her hair was sandy-blonde in a braided ponytail, with her freckles , she looked like a normal, average girl that a boy wouldn't notice on first glance. She seemed to bubble with enthusiasm and friendliness.

Alex wasn't exactly in the mood for conversation. "Yeah."

The girl didn't let Alex's dour mood affect her. "So are you visiting, or did you move here?"

"I'm visiting, I guess," Alex answered nonchalantly.

"Do you like to swim?"

"What?" Alex seemed to not understand the question.

Megan laughed. "Do you like to swim? My friends and I always have a relay race, but since Amber is on vacation, we can't. But if you like to swim, maybe you'd like to join us so we can have our race. It's kind of a tradition."

Alex looked disbelievingly at her. "Are you serious?"

"Sure," Megan answered. "We swim toward the climbing wall, climb to the top, then jump off and swim back. Then the next one on the team goes."

Alex looked at the pool, at the climbing wall that loomed over one end. She saw girls trying to climb, most unsuccessfully. "Uh, I'm not really ...."

"But if you're scared, I understand. Not everyone can climb the wall," Megan continued.

Alex felt like he was being challenged. His male ego couldn't pass on a challenge. "I'm not scared!" he protested.

"Good. You can be on my team. Come on." Megan grabbed his hand and pulled him up, then turned and scampered to the edge of the pool, where she plopped down with her legs dangling in the water.

Alex didn't see a way out. He trudged to the edge of the pool and sat down beside Megan. Counting Megan, there were five other girls around him.

"You'll be on my team, with Kelly," Megan explained. "The other team is Brooke, Lauren, and Sydney."

"Hi," Alex said without enthusiasm as he looked at the girls, trying to keep straight which girl belonged with which name.

"I forgot to ask your name," Megan giggled.

"I'm Alex," he replied.

"Is that short for Alexandra? Or Alexis?" the girl Alex thought was Brooke asked.

"Alexandra," Alex answered quickly.

"Okay, you can go second," Megan directed. "Kelly is great, so she'll start, and I'll finish behind you. That way, you can watch Kelly and see how it works."

Alex _knew_ that he'd do way better than these _girls_. He watched as Kelly started for Megan's team; Megan hadn't been kidding when she said that Kelly was good. Kelly gave Alex a very good lead.

Alex wasn't as good as he thought. He wasn't a strong swimmer, and when he got to the wall, he found that he didn't have the strength that he'd been counting on. Climbing the wall was much harder than he'd expected. By the time he'd gotten halfway up, Lauren had caught up to him

Frustrated, Alex started to push himself. He was _not_ going to lose to a girl! As a result, he slipped, fell, and had to start over. By the time he got to the top, Lauren had tagged off with Sydney.

By the time Alex tagged off with Megan, he was angry at himself. At the same time, he felt so embarrassed that he wanted to cry. He was angry at _that_, too, because he hadn't felt like crying in a long time. It wasn't 'manly'.

"I'm sorry ... I made us lose," Alex tried to apologize as he fought back tears.

Megan gave him a quick hug. "That's okay," she consoled him. "It was fun even if we lost."

Megan and Kelly's consoling didn't help his mood. They were so cheerful and happy! Alex would have felt better if they'd have laughed or yelled, instead of being so nice to him!

"You want to go the mountain slides?" Brooke wanted to find another activity.

"Hey, isn't the coach doing a diving clinic at the pool?" Sydney asked excitedly. "I don't know about you, but I'd like to go over there! I want to get better so I can be on the high school diving team in a few years!" It didn't take much debate for the girls to decide to go to the big pool for some diving.

"You're coming along, too, aren't you?" Kelly asked Alex as he hung behind them.

Alex was surprised. "But ...."

Kelly lightly grasped his elbow. "Come on. It'll be fun!"

After listening to the coach and watching the demonstrations, the girls took turns diving. After only a few dives, the coach walked up beside Alex, who was waiting in line for his next turn.

"I haven't seen you around here before," the coach began. "Are you new?"

Alex nodded uncertainly. "Yeah," he replied.

The coach was an attractive woman in her early thirties, he guessed. She looked perfectly fit and trim. "You've got some talent," the coach said. "You need some polish, but you've got talent. If you're around, I'd like to have you try out for the diving team in a couple of years."

Alex felt his cheeks warm at the compliment. "I'm just visiting," Alex replied uneasily. "I don't think ..."

"Too bad. I think you could go a long way." She smiled. "I have a clinic every Saturday morning. I'm doing one tomorrow, too. I hope to see you there. Even if you don't make _my_ team, you should get into diving." She laughed. "But not if my team has to compete against you!"

Alex felt confused. He could feel that this girl body was more coordinated and agile than his pre-teen male body, but he didn't think he was _that_ good.

Several hours later, Anya found Alex with Megan and Kelly, squealing and giggling as they rode down the Dambuster slide. Anya smiled as she watched Alex. He was smiling, playing with the girls, and having a good time. She gestured toward him as Alex started to climb out of the raft.

The other girls noticed Anya, too. "Oh, oh!" Megan said. "Are you in trouble?"

Alex flinched. "I don't _think_ so," he answered

"Do you know who she is? That's Anya. She's, like, the owner's granddaughter, and hyper-important," Sydney said in a hushed voice.

"Yeah," Brooke answered. "But everyone says she's very friendly."

"What does she want with you?" Kelly asked a little fearfully.

Alex shrugged. "I hope all she's here for is to tell me that Jenny is done for the day and wants me to go home."

Brooke's eyes widened with awe. "You ... know her? And Jenny?"

Alex smiled and nodded. "Jenny's my cousin."

Anya watched the girls with a bemused smile. She knew _exactly_ what they'd been talking about. "Alex," she called, "it's time to go. Jenny's waiting by the gate."

Alex pouted, not realizing that he was doing so, nor realizing how cute he looked as a pouting young girl. "Can you please ask her if I can stay for a while? I'm having fun."

Anya's smile broadened. "I'll tell her. And I'll tell her that I'll bring you home tonight. Okay?"

Alex beamed. "Okay." He turned to the other girls. "How about doing the Otter Run?" he suggested eagerly.

**********

Alex and the girls walked slowly toward the main gate, as if they could delay the park's closing and eke out a little more fun in the waning sunlight. As they neared the gate, Megan stopped and turned to Alex. "Are you coming back tomorrow?"

Alex was surprised by her question. "I .. I don't know," he answered honestly.

"Please say you'll come back," Megan begged. "I had so much fun with you today."

"I'll try. It depends."

"My mom could tell your parents that it's okay," Megan added quickly, hoping to convince Alex to return.

Alex felt his eyes moistening. "I'm ... living with my cousin Jenny," he said

"Oh. Are you just visiting, or are your parents ...?"

Alex turned away as tears started flowing. "You don't' get it, do you?" he sobbed. "My parents are _dead_!" He put his hands up to his face, to hide the fact that he was crying suddenly and uncontrollably.

"I'm so sorry," Megan said sympathetically as she put her arms around Alex. "I didn't know." She felt him trembling as he wept. "I'm sorry," Megan repeated over and over.

Alex let himself cry on Megan's shoulder for several minutes. His tears streamed down his cheeks, dripping onto Megan, but she didn't seem to mind. She just hugged Alex tightly, trying to comfort him.

After a bit, Alex straightened up, still embraced by his new friend. "I'm sorry I'm crying on you," he said awkwardly. He didn't know quite what to say, except that he was embarrassed at having broken down like he had.

"It's okay," Megan answered. "That's what friends are for - to help each other."

Alex looked at Megan. "Are you saying ... we're friends?" he asked hesitantly.j

Megan smiled. "If you want. I like you. You're fun."

Alex felt his tears starting again, and he turned away. "I never had many ... friends," he sobbed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't keep crying like this. I just don't know how to stop."

Megan put her hands on Alex's shoulders. "It's okay."

Alex shook his head. "No, it's not, and it doesn't feel like it ever will be again." He turned and gave his new friend a hug. "I've got to find Anya," he said, still not sure of himself. "She's taking me home."

Megan nodded. "Okay. But you're coming tomorrow, right? Your cousin _has_ to let you come. Tell her we all said, 'please'."

Alex tried to smile through his tears and grief. "Okay, I'll tell her. But I can't promise I'll be here." He watched Megan walk to the women's locker, then turned to see if he could find Anya. He was startled to see her standing a few yards away, watching him.

Anya came to Alex. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Alex nodded mutely.

"I bet that's the first time since ... the accident ... that you've cried, isn't it?" she asked knowingly.

Again, Alex nodded. "I don't know why I couldn't stop crying," he said softly.

"Maybe it's because you've been bottling up your grief, and you had too many tears to hold back."

"I shouldn't cry, though," Alex announced. "I'm not supposed to cry."

Anya wrapped her arm around Alex's shoulder. "It's okay to cry," she soothed him. "Everyone needs to cry a little bit once in a while."

"No-one understands how much it hurts inside," Alex said.

Anya tried to smile, but it was forced. "You'd be surprised," she said as she felt her own eyes moisten. "My mother ... died ... in an accident ... a few years ago." She escorted Alex to the entrance of the men's locker. "Why don't you change, and we can talk more on the way back to Jenny's apartment."

**********

"Honest, Jenny," Alex said as she ate her breakfast, "I'll be good."

Jenny paused, a bite of cottage cheese halfway to her mouth. She put the spoon back on the plate. "Okay," she relented. "Anya said you were good yesterday." She got a curious expression. "Why do you want to go to the park again?"

Alex smiled. "I had a lot of fun. And my friends are going to be there today."

"Okay, I guess," Jenny replied uncertainly.

Alex jumped up from the table, grabbed his towel and swimsuit, and practically skipped out of the apartment, a bright smile on his face.

Jenny sat at the table, her mouth hanging open in shock. "What just happened here?" she asked herself.

**********

"Oh, he's so _cute_!" Brooke purred as she pulled herself up to the edge of the pool.

Ashley and Kelly nodded their agreement. "Don't you think so?" Ashley asked Alex.

The girls had been talking about the latest teen idol, a boy star that Alex wanted to hit or barf on. But the girls - they were all ga-ga over him. Alex didn't understand. "No," he said simply, trying to be quiet and non-provocative. "I don't think so."

"So, what _do_ you like in a guy?" Megan challenged him

Alex gulped. This conversation was going places that he didn't expect. "I don't know," he stammered. "Daring, bold, and adventurous. Someone with a great, fast car. Kind of a rebel. Maybe, like playing bass guitar in a rock band." Alex was describing what _he_ thought girls found attractive.

"Ewww!" Sydney was visibly turned off by Alex's description. "You probably want a guy with lots of tats, too!"

Alex felt defensive again. "What's wrong with some cool tats?"

"Yuck!" Lauren looked like she wanted to hurl. "How about _your_ body? Do _you_ want a tat?"

Alex shrugged. "Maybe. I mean, they're cool. I don't see what's wrong."

Brooke laughed. "You want to advertise with a tramp stamp?" she taunted. "I know _I_ don't!" She glanced around and lowered her voice. "But maybe a small discrete tat would be okay. Like a rose on my butt, where no-one will see it," she said. "Unless I want them to," she added with a giggle.

"I don't want a guy with a hot car," Sydney changed topics. "I want a hot guy with a car."

The girls giggled. Alex asked, "What's wrong with a hot car?"

"Do _you_ want to be second banana to a piece of metal? I know _I_ don't."

"Yeah," Lauren added, "guys with cars think about their cars first. They spend all their money on their cars. I'd rather have a guy that spends his money on me!"

"You know Michelle? She was going with that creepy Goth guy. You know the guy." Megan shuddered visibly. "He's so ... weird!"

"I heard he smokes pot, too!" Brooke added in a hushed, gossipy voice.

Alex had had enough of talking about boys. He splashed the girls and started swimming across the pool toward the zip slide. Unfortunately, he wasn't a strong swimmer, and Kelly easily caught him. She dunked him in response to being splashed in the face.

**********

"I know you had fun yesterday," Jenny tried to explain, "but you can't change every day. It's very hard on your body. Anya calls it Transformation Shock. I'm told it hurts pretty badly, and it can be very serious."

"But I don't want to hang out around here all day," Alex protested.

Jenny sighed. "Okay, I'll tell you what. The girls said they were going to the mall today for lunch and hanging out. How about if I drop you off while I run errands? Is that okay?"

It wasn't okay. It took less than an hour for Jenny to get a call to come to the mall to pick up her cousin. She felt a mixture of dread and anger as she walked into the management offices.

Alex sat in a chair, staring at the floor. Towering over him was a mall security guard, who looked quite thoroughly pissed.

"What did he do _this_ time?" Jenny asked the manager as soon as he came in. She was fed up with bailing Alex out of trouble.

The manager proceeded to read a list of stunts, pranks, and mischief that Alex had caused within one hour. "And if he ever sets foot in this mall again," he added menacingly, "I'll have him arrested for trespass, and I'll add these charges of criminal mischief to the mix!"

"Did he cause any damage?" Jenny asked wearily. She knew the routine with Alex by now.

The manager shook his head. "Apart from having to clean out the fountain, no."

"At least there's that," Jenny sighed. "All right," she said to the manager. "I can promise that you won't see him again."

The manager nodded, his expression stern. "I'd better not."

Jenny led Alex out of the office. As soon as they were out of earshot of the manager, Jenny turned to Alex. "What am I going to do with you? As soon as I turn my back, you get into trouble again."

"I'm sorry," Alex said without conviction. "I just ... got bored."

Jenny sighed and turned to lead him from the mall. She was afraid that the manager would have a change of mind and decide to prosecute Alex now. "And I have to put up with you for three more days," she grumbled. "The social worker had to cancel the meeting this afternoon and reschedule for Thursday."

**********

"I don't have a choice, do I?" Jenny grumbled. "I'm so far behind in my work that rides are breaking down! I _have_ to go to work!"

Alex nodded. There was something about his demeanor that didn't strike Jenny as genuine. "I guess not." He looked up, trying to smile. "At least I don't get into trouble when I'm with my friends."

Jenny finished getting ready and led Alex from her apartment to the park entrance. "Hi, Anya," she called out as she neared the employees' gate.

Anya smiled, but noted the fatigue in Jenny's voice. "Good morning," she replied. "I take it that Alex is going to be with us today?"

Jenny nodded glumly. "Yeah. I hope he's not too much trouble, but this is the only way I can get any work done. This is the one place he doesn't seem to get into trouble."

Anya smiled at Alex. "We all know how well you behave here, don't we?" she asked in a sweet voice. Behind her voice, however, was an underlying threat that Alex read all too well.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered nervously.

"Okay." She reached toward Alex with a pass.

Jenny intercepted it, shaking her head. "I need a two-day pass, if we can," she said in a firm voice. "I've got so much work to do that he's going to have to come in tomorrow, too."

Anya smiled. "Okay. We can do that." She concentrated on the pass, as if studying its very insides, and then waved her fingers as she spoke a few strange words, causing the pass to glow briefly. "Two day pass it is."

"Wasn't that a little showy?" Jenny asked, laughing lightly for the first time in weeks.

Anya grinned. "I guess, but it doesn't hurt to show off once in a while."

Jenny handed the pass to Alex. "You know the drill. Change and shower. But since the park isn't open, ..."

"I know, I know. I'll hang out around the front until the park opens."

Jenny and Anya watched Alex as he walked into the men's locker. "You know," Anya said, "there are times when he's not a bad kid."

"Oh yeah?" Jenny asked in disbelief. "Like when? My life has been a living hell since he came to stay. And with Melinda in Europe on her fellowship, I don’t have _her_ to help _me_ with my stress!"

"I'll admit he's a little boisterous," Anya agreed, "but you have to admit that he has a _lot_ of issues to work out."

"That's what his counselor keeps reminding me."

Anya smiled. "I bet Melinda tells you the same thing, too!"

Jenny sighed. "Actually, she's kind of stumped, too. Remember, she had a little sister, not a little brother, so some of his behavior is new ground for both of us." She shook her head. "The problem is that I don't have time to wait for him to work out his problems. And the time I have to spend dealing with him and his issues really cuts into time for staying in touch with Melinda."

"Did you notice that when he's in the park, he behaves?" Anya asked.

Jenny's eyes narrowed. "You're not suggesting ...."

Anya laughed. "No I'm not. I'm just suggesting that changing is an escape for him. All his past problems, his police record, and his frustrations as a pre-teen boy - they're all gone. It's like he's on vacation from all of those issues."

"Maybe," Jenny admitted after some thought. She laughed. "I thought you were going to suggest that we could work things out if I got him a lifetime pass."

Anya chuckled. "I wasn't ready to go _that_ far."

In a few moments, the female version of Alex emerged from the locker room. He had no problems with the top of his swimsuit, and he sat down to wait for his friends while he fiddled with his cell phone.

After a while, patrons started coming through the gate, but Alex sat, smart-phone in hand. Presently, six girls came out of the women's locker room.

"Hi, Megan," Alex called cheerfully as he ran to hug the girl.

"Hi, Alex," Megan replied. She turned to the newcomer that Alex hadn't met. "This is Ashley. She's just got back from vacation."

Ashley sized up the newcomer. "Hi," she said in a measured tone. "I heard that you're trying to take my place in the relay races." She didn't sound thrilled to meet Alex.

Alex laughed off the verbal challenge. "I don't think so," he replied with a chuckle. "I'm not very good. Whichever team I'm on always loses. I think they're all glad you're back!"

Ashley's mistrust was disarmed by Alex's admission. "So, where do you want to go?"

"How about the swings at the swimming hole?" Brooke suggested.

Alex knew enough to sense that Ashley considered herself the queen bee, and that Alex shouldn't challenge the girl. "Okay with me, I guess," he replied.

"Yeah, and you'll have to tell us all about Disney World!" Lauren added as the girls started walking.

**********

"You should have been at the mall yesterday," Brooke said as the girls lounged beside the lagoon.

Alex _had_ been there, but the girls didn't know it had been him. "What ... what happened?"

"We were sitting, drinking sodas, when this guy started acting up."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Lauren added. "He was so ..."

Alex couldn't resist commenting. "I heard someone say that he was pretty cool."

"Ewww!" the girls replied in unison.

"He was rude and obnoxious," Brooke retorted.

"And he was a big show-off," Megan added. "Just trying to get attention for himself."

"Yeah. He was acting like he was God's gift to women, like he thought he was the center of the universe!" Kelly commented.

"What about the rebel look?" Alex questioned. He hadn't expected the girls' comments to be what they were.

"He didn't look like a rebel," Lauren replied. "Just a little asshole who thinks
pretty highly of himself."

Brooke lowered her voice and leaned toward the others. "Denise told me that he got kicked out of summer school for selling drugs!"

Alex wanted desperately to correct them, but something inside him made him keep his mouth shut. The girls' stories were wrong, but he couldn't defend himself - not like he was.

"You know Tim? Ryan's little brother?" Megan asked.

"Ryan," the girls cooed. "He's a hunk!"

"Well, Tim told Rachel that the kid's family moved down from up north to get away from the police. Tim said that he's got a record a mile long, and that he started one down here, too!"

"I'd believe that," Lauren observed.

"So, how was Disney World?" Alex changed the subject abruptly.

Ashley smiled. "It was, like, so awesome!" she reported enthusiastically. "It was, like, the coolest vacation I've ever been on!"

Alex was unusually quiet the rest of the day as the girls talked and played.

**********

"Please, Jenny? Please?" Alex begged.

Jenny frowned. "You may most definitely _not_ go to the mall! Don't you remember? The manager said you'd be arrested for trespassing if he caught you there again."

Alex was ready for that angle. "Yeah, but he's looking for a boy. I'm a girl right now! Besides, I'll be with my friends, so I won't cause any trouble!"

"Well, ...."

"They really don't like show-offs! I promise that I'll be good. Really, I will."

Jenny's resolve crumbled. "Well, okay," she finally relented. "But I'm going with you. Wherever you go, I'll be a few steps away. If you even think about doing something stupid, I'll haul your ass out of there before you're even done _thinking_ about it."

To her amazement, Jenny's fears were unfounded, and Alex kept his promise. Jenny watched, stunned, as Alex hung out with the girls from the park. She wondered if Anya was right - maybe Alex needed a chance to escape his problems from time to time.

**********

"I don't need to be walked home," Alex said gruffly to Anya. Like the day before, he'd spent the day at Bikini Beach, and was walking home long after Jenny had quit for the day. "I'm old enough to take care of myself."

Anya smiled. "Maybe you were as Alex, but not as Alexandra. In case you didn't notice, the world is more dangerous for girls."

"Still, it's not like I have to hike halfway across town," Alex added.

"True, but since I live in the same building, and since I promised Jenny that I'd look out for you, I figured I'd better keep my promise."

The two walked for a while in silence. Finally, Anya spoke. "You're awfully quiet today," she observed.

"Been thinking," Alex replied simply.

"About what?"

"I don't understand girls," he said. "None of them thought I was cool at the mall the other day."

"You weren't."

Alex's jaw dropped at Anya's candor. "What ... what do you mean?"

"You weren't cool," she repeated. "Being loud and obnoxious isn't cool. Getting into trouble isn't cool. Doing drugs isn't cool."

"But ...." Alex was even more confused.

Anya smiled. "Being respectful is cool. Treating people nicely is cool."

"Being a boring adult doesn't sound cool to me," Alex retorted.

Anya laughed. "Is my boyfriend Greg cool?" she asked.

"Well, I guess. In a way."

"I didn't say anything about having to be boring. Greg most certainly is _not_ boring. He's a good student, but he's definitely _not_ a nerd. He's got a great sense of humor. He loves taking me to movies, hanging out, going to concerts, and walking on the beach. We go roller-blading, and we go out to dinner. We've gone hang-gliding. We went on a dive cruise. We even go shooting at the gun range from time to time. Does _that_ sound boring?"

Alex shook his head. "No."

"I don't think so. The great thing is, that in all of that, he treats me with respect, like I'm important. When we're together, I know that I'm the center of his universe." She smiled at Alex. "Does that make sense?"

Alex walked silently for a while longer as he contemplated Anya's words. "I've got a bad rep, don't I?"

Anya nodded, a gesture barely visible in the fading light. "Yup. Very bad."

**********

Jenny came home from the grocery store later than she'd planned. She wanted, no, needed, to be home earlier than Alex - just in case. He _was_ a trouble-maker, after all. When she opened the door, it was quiet. Jenny frowned - had something happened to Alex on the way home? She felt a surge of panic as she scrambled to put the grocery bags down so she could call Anya.

As she picked up the phone, Jenny heard music. Unlike Alex's usual taste, the volume was low, and it wasn't some obnoxious group that Jenny couldn't stand. Curious, she walked around the corner into the living area.

Jenny was so stunned that she nearly fell over. Alex, still in his female body, was sitting without his headphones, at her desk, studying!

"What's ... going on?" Jenny stammered.

Alex looked up from his books. "I figured I should get my grades up a little," he said softly.

"Oh. What did you do today?" Jenny was confused.

Alex shrugged. "Just hung out with friends." He looked up from the book. "Can I go to the park again tomorrow?" he asked.

Jenny's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Why?"

Alex shrugged again. "I don't know. It's something to do. The diving coach is going to be there for some private lessons, and she wanted to see me diving again."

"And?"

"I just want to have some fun, you know, hanging with my friends."

Jenny thought for a moment. This was _so_ unlike Alex. She knew he had to have something up his sleeve. "Oh, I think I get it," she finally said. "If you hang out with the girls, you can get to know them, so you can smooth-talk them when you're a guy again, right?"

Alex looked up at her, his eyes wide with some emotion. His lower lip trembled. "No," he said, obviously fighting back tears. "That's not it."

"So what _is_ your angle?"

Alex stared at her, with tears now flowing down his cheeks. "I don't _have_ an angle," he wailed, before he bolted from the chair and ran from the apartment.

"Alex!" Jenny called after him as he fled. "Come back here!"

Alex had already darted into the fire stairs and was running down them. In moments, he was in the lobby, heading out the door.

"Whoa!" a familiar voice called as someone grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

Alex turned and recognized Anya. "She ... doesn't trust me!" he cried.

Anya realized that Alex _had_ been crying. "Slow down," she tried to calm him. "What do you mean, she doesn't trust you? Who? Jenny?"

Alex nodded. "She thinks I've got some angle to get the girls - that's why she thinks I go to the park."

"It looks like you really could use someone to listen to you right now." Anya's voice was soothing, sympathetic. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

Alex stared at her for a moment, and nodded.

The two walked silently back by the park entrance, to the edge of a construction site. "We're building on," Anya explained. "We're going to add two new areas, and Grandmother has a deal with Ronnie Harris to build a gym for women, too." She sat down on a dirt pile, and patted it to indicate that Alex should sit down as well. "What's bothering you?"

"Everything," Alex replied softly, still fighting his tears. "My whole life is shit!"

Anya shook her head. "No, it isn't. It just looks like it to you right now."

"I lost my parents," Alex argued, "I've got shitty grades, so I'll never get into college or get a good job. I've got a police record. I've got a shitty reputation. No one trusts me. I don't have any friends. Everything is crap!"

"I think the girls at the park are your friends," Anya commented.

"That's only when I'm a girl," Alex said. "They think I'm a creep when I'm a guy. I don't have any friends."

"If that's true," Anya noted, "then why am I sitting here in a pile of dirt talking with you?"

In the dim moonlight, she saw his face turn up toward her, and she knew his eyes were wide with surprise at her words.

"Alex, what you don't realize is that people _do_ care about you. The problem is that you're too hurt to let your shields down so they can get through."

"I've screwed up everything," Alex said again as he wiped at his tears. "I wish I could start all over again."

"Would you really?" Anya asked, a curious smile on her face. "I _could_ help you start completely over, but do you realize what you'd have to give up?"

"You mean ...?" Alex's eyes were wide with fear. "But ... that's too much!"

"What have you got to lose? From what you've told me, not a lot."

**********

Jenny was no longer panicking over Alex's absence. Anya had texted her saying that he was with her, and that they were talking. She knew Anya would take care of Alex, so she had a moment to call Melinda. The knock on the door, then, was no surprise. "I've got to go, love," she said into her phone. "Alex and Anya are back. I love you and miss you." She made a kissing sound at the phone, and then reluctantly hung up and opened the door.

Alex stood, looking very humbled. "I'm ... sorry," he said softly. "I shouldn't have run out."

Jenny stepped out of the way so that Alex could enter. As soon as he stepped inside, she saw Anya standing in the hallway. "Thanks," she said to her friend.

Anya smiled. "It was nothing. Now, just listen to him. Please?"

Jenny was startled by Anya's advice, but she nodded. "Okay."

After she'd said goodnight to Anya and shut the door, Jenny turned back to Alex.

"I'm sorry I've been such a pain in the ass," Alex continued his apology. "Anya said I was too busy feeling hurt and sorry for myself to realize that you really _did_ care about me."

"Pretty good advice, if you ask me," Jenny said carefully. She wasn't quite sure what direction this conversation was going to take.

"I wish I could start over," Alex said.

Jenny's eyes widened with surprise, and then she smiled. "Okay." She stuck out her hand. "I'm your cousin Jenny. It's nice to meet you."

Alex stared at her hand for a moment, and then laughed. "That's not what I was talking about," he said. "Anya said there was a way I could _really_ start over."

Jenny's jaw dropped. "You're ... serious?"

Alex nodded sadly. "I've really messed up my life pretty badly. I figure that I don't have anything to lose. I don't have anything to look forward to as things are now. I don't have any friends, my grades suck, I've got a police record. I kind of think that kids my age don't like me very much — as Alex. Anya said that she can make the magic permanent, and that I can start over."

"Do you have any idea just how big a step this would be for you?"

Alex winced. "No," he said uneasily. "But it's not easy being me right now. At least if I change, I'll have some friends my age that listen to me and like me."

Jenny nodded slowly. "Maybe tomorrow, we should go talk with the boss, to see what she thinks."

Alex nodded. "Okay. I'm going to go study, if it's okay."

**********

"You both know how big a step this will be, don't you?" the old woman asked Jenny and Alex.

The magic of the previous pass had worn off, and Alex was back to being a boy. He nodded. "I talked with Anya last night. She told me it's going to be hard."

Jenny nodded. "I know. But it beats the alternatives, don't you think?"

"You're going to be raising a teenage girl. You and _Melinda_ are going to be raising a girl. It's going to be harder than either of you imagine," the older woman spoke from her own experience.

Jenny smiled. "Worse than it is now?"

"Touché." The old woman shrugged. "It may be a _little_ more difficult than raising a teenage boy. You know this will be a learning adventure for all of you?"

"Yes," Alex answered. "But I have to start over. I don't have anything left in my life."

The old woman seemed sad. "This won't solve all your problems. You'll still have a lot of grief from losing your parents to deal with, you know."

Alex nodded. "But at least I have good friends my own age."

The old woman turned to Jenny. "You know this will cause some conflicts from time to time. I hope you'll be less ... distracted ... from your job now. You're too important to me and to the success of the park."

Jenny nodded. "I've got Anya and Liz to help me," she said confidently.

“"And Melinda, when she gets back,”," the old woman added.

“"Yeah,”," Jenny said, thinking of how much she missed her girlfriend — especially with the stress she’d been under. "And I hope you'll offer advice from time to time."

The old woman got a pained expression that lasted but a moment. Still, Jenny had seen it. "I'm not sure that I'd be very helpful," the old woman protested.

Jenny smiled. "You're more help than you know."

"Okay. One last time, Alex. Once you get the membership card and shower, I can't change you back. Are you sure this is what you want?"

Alex gulped nervously. "Anya said that Grandma and Grandpa would remember me, but as a girl."

Grandmother nodded. "That's right. The spell remakes the whole world, so it'll be as if you were born a girl. Everyone will recognize and remember you as a girl."

Alex nodded solemnly. "Okay. Then I guess I'm ready."

Grandmother smiled at his politeness. "Okay, then." She turned to her computer and entered some data.

Before she could press the button to process the pass, Alex spoke again. "Wait a sec," Alex interrupted., The old woman and Jenny turned to look at him, startled by the interruption. "What name are you putting on that card?" he asked.

The old woman glanced at Jenny, and then looked back at Alex. "Why, Alexandra, of course," she said. "Isn't that what you're going by?"

Alex smiled enigmatically. "Anya said that you can change reality so I have a different name."

"Yes. Why?"

"Can you give me the name Natalya? That was my mother's name. I think it would be nice."

The old woman smiled. She quickly corrected the data, and then pressed a button. In moments, a machine spat out a card. She handed it to Alex. "This is a special pass," the old woman said as she held it out. "Normally, I'd either not change your memories from the present reality, or I'd overwrite your memories with those of the new reality." She watched as Alex digested her explanation. "But for you, I'm going to make sure you have both. You won't forget being your parents' son, but those memories will fade a bit. Soon, you'll start remembering doing things as a girl. You'll touch both realities, so you don't forget the most special memories."

Alex nodded, not quite certain of what she'd said. "I think I understand."

The old woman smiled. "You'll understand more as time goes on. Now just go shower, and you're Natalya."

Alex looked almost fearful as he took the card, but slowly, a smile crept over his face. "Thank you," he finally burst out saying. "Thank you so very much!" He ran around the desk and gave the old woman a big hug, and then scampered out the door toward the showers.

“"Having a teenage girl around the apartment is going to be a burden on your and Melinda’s relationship,”," the old woman prompted. “"She _is_ going to take time that you two would spend together — especially after Melinda moves in with you.”."

Jenny nodded. “"The good thing is that Melinda has a little sister, so she’s got experience with a teenager.”."

"I hope she won't mind. You know, you've got a lot of work to do, you know?" the old woman asked Jenny.

Jenny smiled. "Yeah. I've got to get _her_ records transferred and get her enrolled for the next school year. I've got to get her a physical, so she can start diving lessons. We're going to have to do some shopping for new clothes. Oh, and I've got to cancel the appointment with the social worker, too!"

"And someday, you're going to have to tell him that his dad was your brother," the old woman said softly. "But I wouldn't do that right now. He's already got enough to deal with." She smiled. "But then again, you and Melinda are _uniquely_ qualified to help Natalya adjust to being a girl now."

Jenny laughed. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too."

"Do you need any help with the estate?" the old woman asked. "I can ask Ronnie for some legal help if you do."

Jenny thought for a moment before nodding. "That would be good," she answered. "The insurance company is dragging their feet because Alex - Natalya - is a minor. They want some kind of trust or something set up. And I'm going to have to sell the house and their property." She shook her head. "Handling an estate is pretty complicated."

"I'll ask Ronnie next time I see her," the old woman replied easily.

"Thanks. I'll swing by the bank at lunchtime so I can pay for Natalya's membership."

The old woman smiled. "How about if we just consider it your Christmas bonus - a little early?"

Jenny felt her eyes watering. "Thank you," she said. "You've done so much for Natalya"

"We all help our families," the old woman said warmly. "And you're family."

Jenny felt embarrassed. She changed the subject abruptly. "I feel like I've got a million things to do for Natalya and the estate."

"There's one thing you'll need to do first, though," the old woman cautioned Jenny.

"Oh? What's that?"

As if on cue, the door opened and Ronnie Harris walked in. "Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt," she said when she spotted Jenny. "I can come back in a moment."

The old woman smiled. "No, your timing is perfect. That deal on the condo that we were talking about last week — is everything coming together?"

"Deal? Condo? What are you talking about?" Jenny asked, stunned.

"You and Melinda may have been able to share a one-bedroom condo, but since your cousin moved in with you, your boss knew you were going to need a larger apartment," Ronnie Harris said simply. "We made some ... business arrangements last week and got a deal moving on a fast schedule for you to have a larger condo in the same building."

The old woman nodded. "So you can quit wasting your valuable time trying to find a two-bedroom apartment, and stay in the condo building you love."

Jenny's mouth dropped open as she stared at the old woman. "You ... knew? Last week?"

The old woman smiled. "Oh. Did I forget to tell you?" Her feigned innocence wasn't convincing.

Jenny started to speak, but she closed her mouth. "Yeah. I should have known." She shook her head. "Next time, though, could you give me a little advance warning? These last few weeks would have been _so_ much easier if you'd have clued me in!"

"Well, dear," the old woman said in a maternal way, "I _knew_ that things were going to work out, and that Alex would be staying with you. I didn't know quite _how_ it would work out, though. His decision to become Natalya was a ... surprise, even to me." The old woman grinned. "Next time, I'll try to remember to tell you about these things!"

Jenny shook her head, trying to stifle a chuckle. "You forgot, my foot!" She turned. "I'm going to work. At least my pumps don't _forget_ to tell me what they're up to!"

**********

FIN