The Gift

Chapter One

Last orders had been called a while ago and the clientele were draining the last dregs of their drinks before heading for the toilets when Amy realised her watch had stopped. A quick check of the clock behind the bar showed that it was a considerably later than they had all thought.

'We're going to have to get a move on if we're going to catch the last train.' Dan pointed out. 'You lot get going and I'll catch you up, I just have to go to the bog.'

'Why did you say that?' Sue moaned, 'Now I have to go too.'

'I'll come with you,' Amy said, 'We'll meet you outside, Dan.'

'OK, but we're going to have to make it quick,' Dan reiterated.

'Yes, yes, we know. We can read a clock as well as you can,' Sue answered him.

Ten minutes later Dan was impatiently pacing up and down outside the toilets when Sue emerged.

'At last! Now, where's Amy?'

'The queues were too long, and she didn't really want to go, so she went on ahead to the station,' Sue explained.

'Brilliant. Well at least you've got trainers on. You should be able to run. Amy wouldn't have had a chance in those heels.'

'I'm sure I'll be able to keep up with you,' Sue drawled sardonically.

'Yeah, whatever. Come on, this way. I know a short cut.' They jogged down a dark road and across some waste ground. The wire fence around some warehouses had a loose flap, which they ducked under. They were hurrying along the dark corridor between two buildings when the sound of shouting drew their attention upwards. Clearly visible through an uncurtained window, they could see two men struggling. As they watched in disbelief, one man pulled out a gun and fired at the other. He was clearly injured and staggered out of sight of the window. Dan and Sue exchanged looks, shocked by the scene they had just witnessed. Before they had a chance to say anything, there was a high pitched whine and the next moment they were swept off their feet and hurled through the air to land in a tangled heap against a wall.

It was some time later when they regained consciousness. They staggered to their feet, unsure exactly what had happened. The window above them was dark and there was no sign of life anywhere. They limped back through the alleyway and out onto the road. The clock outside the station showed that they had definitely missed the train.

'I don't know about you but I feel lousy,' Sue mumbled. 'Do you think we should call the police or something?'

'Call in the morning,' Dan suggested. 'My head's killing me and I can't focus. I can't face a couple of hours down the police station right now. Let's just get a cab to Amy's flat.'

'Fine with me. She won't mind if I crash on her sofa,' Sue answered. They managed to find a cab, which soon deposited them outside Amy's building. All the lights were out, so she was obviously asleep, but she had left the door unlocked. Still dazed they crept in, leaving the lights off. Dan climbed into bed next to Amy while Sue made herself comfortable on the sofa.

The next morning Sue gradually woke up, only vaguely aware of her surroundings. She was conscious of the remnants of a headache, and was struggling to remember exactly what had happened the previous night, when she heard Amy's voice.

'Morning sleepyhead. How are you feeling?' Amy whispered, slipping under the blanket next to her. Sue was still only half-awake when she became aware of the strangest sensation. Amy's hand had stroked over her stomach and now seemed busy between her legs. Bewildered by this strange behaviour, Sue was completely distracted by the effect Amy's actions were having. The feelings were definitely sexual but not in any way Sue had experienced before. They seemed to be centred outside her body and were growing stronger each second. Then Amy's head moved downwards and Sue stopped thinking and simply let the sensations sweep through her. The warm, soft moistness of Amy's mouth was performing miracles. All her muscles were tightening and she could hear herself gasping as an orgasm unlike any she had ever experienced shuddered through her.

Dan was slowly drifting awake when sounds from the sitting room brought him fully awake. Turning his head he discovered that Amy was no longer besides him and that he had a thumping headache. The moans and gasps from the sitting room were becoming louder so he staggered to his feet to investigate. He opened the door and leaned speechless against the frame, stunned by the sight before him. His girlfriend Amy was giving a blow-job to some guy who was clearly enjoying it. Rage flooded through him until the man turned his head and he found himself looking at his own face. Totally bewildered he clutched at his head and discovered handfuls of long hair. Completely confused he headed for the bathroom mirror. Looking back at him, instead of his own reflection, was Sue's face. He looked down at himself and immediately noticed a pair of breasts that had definitely not been there before. He cupped them in his hands and clearly felt the touch of his hands. If this was some kind of illusion it was a very good one

The sounds from the sitting room had stopped and he could hear Amy moving about in the kitchen. Cautiously he opened the bathroom door and entered the sitting-room. It was definitely his body sprawled on the sofa with a stunned look on its face. Unsure exactly what to do next he went closer.

Sue was totally exhausted, embarrassed and perplexed. She had just experienced an orgasm unlike anything she had ever experienced before. However, her best friend Amy had given created it. Why Amy should suddenly decide to take such unexpected action was beyond Sue. Nor had Sue any idea why she had responded in the way she had. Amy has a very happy and satisfying sex life with Dan as she all too frequently described to Sue. Even more worrying, did Sue's response mean she had sub-conscious lesbian tendencies. To the best of her knowledge she had only ever been attracted to men and she wasn't aware of ever experiencing attraction to Amy. Completely baffled, Sue opened her eyes and the situation became ten times more incomprehensible. Standing over the sofa looking down at her was herself! She gave a startled yelp and sat up. Catching sight of a pair of hairy legs she looked down at herself and saw an unmistakably male body. Stunned she looked up at her body for some kind of help only to find her face smirking at her evident confusion.

'You know, I knew you suffered from penis envy but I never thought you would go so far as stealing my body,' she heard herself say in a sarcastic tone of voice. Sue struggled to comprehend the situation but the only coherent thought she could articulate was her distress at the naked state of her body.

'For goodness sake, put some clothes on me!' she exclaimed. 'What's Amy going to think if she catches me, I mean you, like that.'

'OK, OK, keep your knickers on,' Dan snapped back. 'Or should that be boxer shorts now.' He heard Amy approaching the sitting-room door and dived back into the bedroom. He hated following any suggestion of Sue's but he disliked even more the idea of distressing Amy.

He sat on the bed and put his head in his hands. The only possible explanation he could find was that the explosion last night had created this bizarre situation. He would have to go back to the warehouse and try to find someone to reverse the effect. The fact that the only people they had seen had been busy fighting and firing guns was not reassuring. As himself he would feel confident to handle any situation that might arise, but it was completely different in this puny female body. He felt diminished, unmanned in some way. He walked over to his weights in the corner and with some difficulty managed to lift one. He let it drop, even more despondent. He wasn't a muscle-bound fitness freak but he had always kept himself in shape. He hadn't realised how much he took his strength for granted. Everything about this body felt wrong. The whole balance of the body was subtly different. The hips swung more as he walked, the breasts swayed and pulled at the muscles across his shoulders. Sue's body was about half a foot shorter than his own and the discrepancy added a sense of disorientation to his familiar surroundings.

He heard Amy call out that she was going to the shop to get some milk. As soon as the door closed behind her he heard Sue heading for the bedroom. She stood in the doorway glaring at him. He never realised how intimidating he could appear until he saw his body loom in the doorway, glowering at him.

'Put some clothes on,' he heard his voice say. 'I don't want you of all people seeing me naked.' As usual Sue had managed to annoy him, dispelling the growing self-pity.

'You don't have much choice in the matter,' he told her with some satisfaction. He walked over to stand in front of the full-length mirror and ran his hands over the unfamiliar curves. The skin was soft and satiny under his touch and he was surprised how pleasant such a simple touch felt. He cupped the breasts in his hands, gently cradling their weight. He hadn't realised what a great body Sue had. She was small but slim. Her slight frame seemed to emphasise the length of her legs and draw attention to the generous swell of her breasts.

'Stop it,' Sue yelled, startled by the deep growl of her new voice. Conflicting emotions seethed through her brain as she watched her body pose in front of the mirror. Instead of offering comfort and working towards a solution Dan was, as usual, just being annoying. More distressing then finding herself in a male body was the thought of Dan seeing her naked. She felt exposed and stripped not only of her identity but also of her dignity. With mounting indignation she saw her hands start to caress her nipples and felt ashamed as they hardened. Furious she strode across the room and snatched the traitorous hands away from her breasts. Unused to the strength of Dan's body, she sent her own body spinning across the room to tumble against the bed. Sue grabbed a robe and forced it on her body, tightening the belt with a vicious jerk.

'Temper, temper,' Dan mocked and laughed at her. Sue struggled to contain her anger and attempted to reason with him.

'We need to find out what caused this body switch and get it reversed,' she said patiently. 'I'm guessing that the explosion last night caused this somehow.'

'Well, it does seem the most likely explanation,' Dan agreed. 'There probably won't be anyone there on a Sunday afternoon. I was going to stop by tomorrow and try to get this sorted out.'

'That's not good enough,' Sue told him. 'I'm going back today. I can't wait until tomorrow to get my body back.'

'How are you going to get there?' Dan queried. 'No trains on Sunday and my car is in the garage so I can't drive us there.'

'I'll figure something out,' Sue said determinedly. 'Things are going to get far too complicated otherwise. Amy is going to expect me to behave like you and there's no way I'm going to kiss and cuddle her the way you do.'

'You seemed to be enjoying her attentions this morning,' Dan pointed out and watched in satisfaction, as she became embarrassed. 'More to the point, Amy is likely to be hurt if she feels I'm being cold and stand-offish.'

'Good point. We have to give her a reason for your change in behaviour. The last thing either of us wants is to upset Amy.'

'That's about the only thing we ever agree on. You could say you're not very well and you don't want to pass on your germs. Say you've got some kind of stomach bug so you don't have to fake any symptoms. Gives you an excuse to keep your distance,' Dan suggested.

'That's a good idea,' Sue said, letting a tone of surprise show in her voice. 'Won't Amy think it strange if you suddenly start being considerate though?'

'I thought it was too good to be true. You managed to go five minutes without being a bitch. Must be an all time record for you.'

'Whereas you only managed to behave like a responsible adult for two minutes,' Sue snapped back. 'I can't be bothered to waste any more time talking to you. I'm going in the shower.'

'Don't forget to wash thoroughly under the foreskin. I'm sure you'll have fun doing that,' Dan drawled provokingly. 'After all it's probably the closest you've ever been to a naked man.' Sue gave him a withering glance and left, slamming the door behind her.

Chapter Two

Dan paced impatiently across the room. Sue never failed to annoy him but somehow they had to work together to sort out what had happened to them. It wasn't going to be easy trying to behave like each other. His main concern was that Amy didn't get hurt. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him and he didn't know how he would cope if he lost her. It was going to be difficult to restrain himself from touching her as he normally did but she would find it very strange if her best friend suddenly became physically affectionate.

He caught sight of his reflection in the mirror and stopped. He removed the robe and had another good look at the body he currently inhabited. It definitely was a pleasant view. It occurred to him that he had a unique opportunity to discover how a woman responded sexually. He could experiment to find out what stimulated this body and what felt unpleasant, then use his new-found knowledge to increase Amy's pleasure. There was even the added bonus that it would annoy Sue when she found out what he had done.

He lay back on the bed and began exploring. He was surprised to discover how insensitive the breasts were. Although the nipples were hard, they seemed to be responding to the cool air rather than any sense of arousal. He cupped them in his hands to warm them and found that more pleasurable than rubbing the nipples. He drifted his hands around the base of the breasts and found that he enjoyed the sensation. He began gently stroking his fingertips over the entire surface of the breasts, leaving the nipples alone for the time being. It was a bizarre experience to be looking down at breasts on his own body. He had never seen any from this angle before. He soon developed a crick in his neck, so he tipped his head back and closed his eyes, concentrating on his sense of touch. He occasionally let a finger graze across the nipples and this time he felt even the slightest touch. It felt as if the skin was shrinking, bringing the nerve endings closer to the surface. Paradoxically he felt as if he wanted a firmer almost rougher touch. He began squeezing and massaging them in earnest. His insides seemed to be melting into a pool of warm liquid and every fibre of his body seemed to connected by taut threads to his nipples. He was beginning to gasp for breath, his whole body involved in the sensations being generated by his hands.

Suddenly he heard the front door open and close, then Amy's voice calling out that she was back. He listened carefully to discover where she was going, in case she decided to enter the bedroom. There was a muffled response from the bathroom and then he heard Amy go into the kitchen. He returned his attention to his body and discovered to his disbelief that he no longer had any sense of arousal. He tried stroking the breasts again but they were unresponsive. Irritated he moved his hands down between his thighs. It took him a few moments to find a comfortable position. He seemed reasonably wet but he decided to concentrate his efforts on the clitoris at first. He tried a number of different techniques but none felt the slightest bit pleasant. Growing frustrated he pushed a finger inside and winced as a piece of rough skin grazed across the sensitive skin of the opening. He tried another finger but this time the nail caused another wince. He withdrew his hands and carefully examined each finger until he found one that seemed to be the smoothest. He carefully inserted it and cautiously wriggled it around. It felt very strange to be pushing a finger actually inside his body. He soon found that he only had sensation at the opening of the vagina and that further in he could feel nothing at all. He realised that although he found it interesting, it wasn't doing anything for him in the arousal department. As he was racking his brains to decide what to try next, he heard the bedroom door open. Guiltily he snatched his hand away, afraid it might be Amy. He lifted his head and was relived to see his own familiar features.

It had taken severe self-restraint for Sue not to slam the bathroom door as well as the bedroom. As usual, Dan had managed to provoke her into losing her temper and descending to his immature level. She had just stood under the shower for several minutes, letting the water flowing down flush away her anger. Once she had calmed down she found that she was crying. Trying to ignore the tears in the hope that they would stop, she started washing her hair. Still salt tears fell from her eyes to mingle with the shampoo suds. Terrifying thoughts chased through her head. What if they couldn't find the person responsible for this body swap? What if they found them and they said there was no way to reverse the process? She didn't want to spend the rest of her life as a man!

Just as her self-pity was threatening to overwhelm her, she heard Amy re-entering the flat. She called out to let Amy know she was in the shower, then became aware of what she was doing. She had been so absorbed by her dismal thoughts that she had been paying no attention to what she was doing. She had automatically shaved under her arms and started on a leg before the razor had become so clogged with hairs she had cut herself. Now she had a normal hairy male leg with a swathe of hair shaved from it. She debated whether to finish shaving it or to leave it as it was. Either way would look ridiculous but in the end she decided to leave it. She quickly finished scrubbing the rest of her new body. As instructed she carefully pulled back the foreskin and cleaned around the head. It felt strange yet pleasant and the penis twitched in response to her soapy hands. Resisting the temptation to experiment further, she finished washing and got out of the shower. Shaving her face was a bizarre experience and wielding a sharp blade near her newly acquired Adam's Apple was slightly nerve racking. When she managed to complete the task without cutting herself, she felt absurdly pleased. She finished drying herself, rinsed out the bath, and headed back to the bedroom to get dressed.

When she opened the door the first thing she saw was Dan playing with her body. Despite the fact she had made her feelings more than clear, he was sprawled on the bed with a finger in her vagina. At least he had the grace to look slightly guilty. So angry she was speechless, she just glared at him as he collected a towel and robe and headed off to the bathroom.

Dan stood under the jets of water and let the warm flow thoroughly wet his body. He couldn't help remembering a week or so ago when he and Amy had shared a shower. He began working soap over his body, remembering how he and Amy had ended up making love. As he ran his soapy hands over his breasts, he discovered that his nipples were hard and sensitive to his touch. He cupped them in his hands and brushed his thumbs across the nipples, as he knew Amy liked him to do to her. Shivers of arousal spread through his body and he could feel a tightening knot in the pit of his stomach. When he drifted a hand between his legs, he found that he was wet with more than water. Leaning against the wall, he stroked his body gently and slowly as the tension built deep inside him. All his muscles were tense and for an unbearable moment he could feel how close to the edge he was. Then an orgasm exploded deep in the centre of his body and sent shock waves through every nerve ending. Stunned by the intensity of the sensations, he slid to the floor of the bath and took a moment to recover.

When the tremors had died out of his muscles, he stood up and quickly completed his shower. He found Sue's masses of hair exasperating as he tried to work shampoo through it but at last he was finished. Exiting the bathroom, he could hear the sound of Amy and Sue talking in the kitchen so he knew he had the bedroom to himself. He had just dried the last remnant of moisture with the towel, and was searching for some underwear, when Sue came in.

'Amy lets me keep a drawer of my stuff here. It's the bottom one at the end,' Sue directed. Dan opened it and selected a bra and knickers as he tried to contain his annoyance at the evidence of Sue's presence in Amy's flat. Amy had only recently given him a drawer to keep his clothes in and he couldn't help wondering how much longer Sue had had her own space. He pulled the knickers on easily enough but he struggled to hook the bra together behind his back.

'Most people hook it up in front, then swivel it round to the back,' Sue observed, smirking at his contortions.

'Oh, right. Thanks,' Dan said, finding that it was indeed much easier that way. 'I've had a lot of experience taking bras off but I've never needed to put one on before.'

'Yeah, right. You're such a hunk girls just throw themselves at you, I suppose,' Sue drawled sarcastically. 'Here, do you want me to sort out your hair for you.' She picked up a brush and approached him. She took hold of a tangled hank of hair and gave a cry of horror. 'You haven't put any conditioner on it! You'll never get a brush through it now.'

'I'll manage somehow,' Dan snapped, taking the brush away from her. 'I don't need your help so you can just get lost.' Sue sighed loudly but obediently left. After attempting to sort his hair out Dan almost regretted getting rid of Sue. When he got the hairbrush stuck for the third time he gave up and pulled some jeans and a jumper on. To his relief, when Amy saw how tangled his hair was she offered to give him a hand sorting it out. He sat in a chair smirking at Sue while he enjoyed the feel of his girlfriend's hands gently untangling his hair.

Chapter Three

By the time Dan's hair was sorted and they had all had breakfast the day was half gone. While they were washing up and tidying the kitchen, Dan and Sue used the opportunity to discuss their future.

'There's no way we're going to get this sorted out today so we are going to have to make some plans,' Dan observed. 'I'm supposed to be playing football in an hour or so and it's too late to cancel now. They wouldn't have a chance to find anyone else. Do you think there's any way you could manage to play?'

'I know the basic rules so I could try,' Sue answered. 'If we tell them the same story that you're not feeling well, they should understand if I don't play as well as you do.'

'That's not a bad idea,' Dan admitted grudgingly. 'The same excuse will get you out of work tomorrow as well. What about you? Do you have any plans for tonight?'

'Nothing solid. You can just stay here. Amy won't mind. You don't really need to ask even because I have a standing invitation,' Sue told him. 'That way you won't have to try and bluff your way past my family. It's tomorrow morning that's the problem. I've got a very important meeting that I can't reschedule. It's the final presentation of the project I've been working on for the last four months. If you ask her, Amy will pick up my navy suit so you'll have something to wear. I'll do my best to brief you but there's no way I can't turn up so you'll have to go.'

'Well if you give me all the information you can I'll do my best. What about after that?' Dan asked.

'If it goes well, there's a good chance my boss will let you have the rest of the day off, if you ask him nicely. Just tell him you've got family problems,' Sue directed.

'Right. The only thing I can't cancel tomorrow is collecting my car from the garage. I'm sure Mark will do it, if I ask him, so you needn't worry about that.'

'No, I'll pick it up,' Sue insisted. 'It will be no bother and we might need transport to track down whoever was responsible for this body swap. Now where shall we meet up?'

'My place will probably be best. Here are the keys and I'll take the spare. I should hopefully be there by lunchtime, if all goes well.'

'Right, well that seems to be all the plans we can make for now. I'll get my notes for the presentation so you can take a look and I'll go brush up on my football knowledge.'

About an hour later, Dan answered a knock on the door and welcomed Mark in. Sue was still in the bedroom, changing into a football strip, while Amy packed a towel into a sports bag. Sue managed to stop Amy planting a kiss on her lips by diverting the kiss to a cheek. Still feeling annoyed with Dan, she succumbed to the prompting of her inner demon.

'Have a nice time tonight, just you two girls. Are you going to wax your legs and paint your nails, all those girlie things?' Sue suggested.

'I'd not thought of it but that's a good idea. I've got plenty of wax. I'll have to see what Sue thinks.'

'I'm sure she'll love it if you suggest it. After all it's what you planned to do last week but you cancelled to go out with me,' Sue reminded her.

'How sweet of you to remember. Have fun and I hope you win tonight. Don't overdo it if you're not feeling too well though,' Amy said.

'Don't worry, I'll be sensible. I expect you'll have left by the time I get back, so have a good night at work.'

'Thanks darling. Love you.'

'I love you too.' Sue forced herself to respond.

Mark was deeply engrossed in an animated discussion of the league form of his team but Sue managed to drag him away. He willingly took a detour by the warehouse. Sue banged on all the doors and walked around the building but it seemed deserted. In the end, she peered through some of the windows but there seemed to be no sign of occupancy. Dispirited, she made her way back to the waiting car. Resting next to the fence she spotted an estate agent's board. She made a note of the name and number in the vague hope that there might be a possibility of finding some information from the agent.

The football game was a disaster. She still wasn't quite used to the different balance of the male body and found it even harder to control when she ran. Added to which, she had never played football so had no ball skills. Fortunately, everyone accepted her explanation of not feeling very well. She was relieved when they all adjourned to the changing rooms but soon found herself presented with another problem. All around her, men were stripping their clothes off. Everywhere she looked she could see naked males, most of them with nicely muscled bodies. Inevitably, she was turned on, her body reacted instinctively and she found herself with an obvious erection. Hoping that maybe a traditional cold shower would help, she dived into the showers. Her mouth went dry and she tried not to stare at all the naked flesh on display. Mark was busy soaping himself and she couldn't help but admire his body. He caught sight of her and to her embarrassment immediately noticed her erection.

'And just what are you thinking about?' Mark asked, laughing.

Sue stood under a jet of water and tried to act naturally. 'Amy, of course.'

'You're a lucky man, Dan. Your lass is hot,' someone called across the showroom.

'Yep, I've had a couple of hard-ons myself thinking about her,' another commented.

'That friend of hers ain't bad either,' someone else chimed in.

'Which one?' Sue couldn't help asking.

'Which one? Sue of course,' Mark answered. 'Oh I forgot, you two hate each other. Even so you must have noticed that figure. What I wouldn't give to get naked with her.' Sue quickly turned a giggle into a coughing fit. Mark was naked with her but she didn't think this was quite what he meant. 'I've had some great times fantasising about those two.'

'Do you have them fucking each other, or in a threesome?' someone inquired.

'Both, I enjoy it either way.' Thinking she had heard more than enough about the men's strange perversions to last a lifetime, Sue fled from the showers. At least their disgusting ideas had dampened the enthusiasm of her penis and it had shrunk back to normal size.

She coped quite well with the after match drinks. The rest of the team attributed her quietness either to her illness or to embarrassment over her performance. For the most part she was bored as they rehashed every kick of the ball. She started paying attention again when the conversation returned to the topic of herself.

'Sue was very friendly to me tonight. I think I may have a chance there,' Mark commented.

'Do you really like her?' Sue couldn't resist asking.

'Come on, you know I'm crazy about her. She's so smart and sexy. I know you think she's too clever by half but I like a woman who can think for herself.'

'How's that line go, Dan?' the goalkeeper asked. 'You'd rather shag a cactus then Sue.' Everyone, apart from Mark, fell around laughing. Sue gritted her teeth together as hard as she could and thought of various ways to revenge herself on Dan.

'She's just a bit defensive, that's all,' Mark defended her. 'I'm sure if I could get past that tough front she puts up, I'd find that she's really sweet underneath.'

'Well I'm sure if you got past her clothes, you'd find that she's got a sweet body underneath but that's about it, if you ask me,' the goalkeeper stated.

'Why don't you ask her out, if you like her that much?' Sue asked Mark.

'If she gave me a fraction of encouragement, I would. But she just looks at me as if I had crawled out from under a stone, then ignores me. It would help if you stopped fighting with her all the time. She associates me with you and so she won't even give me the time of day.'

Sue felt slightly ashamed of herself. She hadn't realised she appeared so hostile. She had never really paid much attention to Mark before but he seemed nice enough and she now knew there was nothing wrong with his body. It had been a while since she had been involved with anyone and she resolved next time she saw him to be a bit friendlier. Looking for an excuse to get away from the increasingly lewd conversation, she stood up.

'I'm off to the toilets,' she said. 'Anyone want to come with me.' They all stopped talking and stared at her.

'Do you want us to hold your hand as well?' one of them asked.

'Or we could pretend we're girls and brush each other's hair if you want,' another chimed in. Flushed with embarrassment, Sue fled to the toilets. She almost walked into the female toilets but remembered in time. When she entered the men's toilets she found herself confronted with a row of urinals. Daunted, she surreptitiously tried to see how the other men were using them. Receiving a suspicious glare from the other occupants, she gave up and dived thankfully into the cubicle instead.

She managed to get through the rest of the evening without drawing anymore undesired attention. Everything was in darkness when she returned and she could hear Dan snoring ostentatiously from the bedroom. Ignoring him, she set her alarm and settled down to sleep on the sofa.

Dan lay in the dark and resentfully listened to the sounds of Sue settling down for the night. At first, he had been looking forward to spend a pleasant afternoon alone with his girlfriend. He had found it increasingly difficult to restrain himself from physically demonstrating his affection, which had made him tense and slightly irritable. The sight of Amy parading around in her underwear, even with her face smeared with green goo, was still arousing. The touch of her fingers as she smeared the goo onto his face had been undeniably erotic, and he wanted nothing more than to roll her on to her back and make love to her there and then on the carpet. He had meekly allowed Amy to apply wax to his armpits, legs and bikini line and had followed her directions to daub it on her legs. He had found it hard to obey her instructions when she told him to rip the strips off. Even though he was sure she was over-reacting, he did not like to see Amy in pain, much less cause it. He wanted to cuddle and kiss her until the pain went away.

Despite the howls she gave each time he pulled a strip off, she seemed to recover quickly enough from her ordeal. Then she had started ripping the strips off Dan's body. He had never felt such agony. He could feel each and every hair being ripped out of its follicle. He bit hard on his hand and tried not to cry out. He kept telling himself that a woman's body must have a lower pain threshold but he still couldn't understand why anyone would voluntarily put themselves through such agony. He had more or less come to terms with the level of pain generated by waxing his legs when Amy moved on to his bikini line and armpits. He could not control the anguished cry that emerged from his throat.

Fortunately, his torture was soon over and the last strip had been yanked off. Incredibly, Amy was laughing at their experience as if it was a normal everyday occurrence to inflict such pain. The only positive aspect Dan could find to the experience was that he was no longer aroused.

Their conversation hadn't particularly cheered Dan up either. He had brought up the subject of himself, curious to find out what Amy would say about him. Instead of launching into a lengthy paean about his many virtues, Amy had groaned and rolled her eyes.

'I'm not starting this, Sue. I want to have a fun evening, not listen to you point out every little fault Dan has.'

'I wasn't going to say anything nasty,' Dan replied, wondering exactly what Sue usually said.

'Well, that would be a first. I wish you two would just try to get on a bit better. It would make my life so much easier if my two favourite people would just like each other a little bit,' Amy pointed out.

'I'm sorry. I'll try to be nicer,' Dan replied. 'I know it's mainly my fault. After all he is your boyfriend and I'm just a friend.' To Dan's horror, Amy didn't agree with him as he had been expecting. Instead, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

'I've told you again and again: whatever happens I will always be there for you. The only thing that can split us two up will be death.' Dan couldn't believe what he was hearing.

'Not even Dan?' he queried.

'I promised you and I always keep my promises. If you need me, I'll be there,' Amy said, smiling reassuringly at him. Dan forced himself to smile back even though inside he seethed with fury. Like any other man, he did not like to hear that he occupied second place in his girlfriend's affections.

Now he lay trying to get to sleep and he was sure he could still feel his abused skin stinging. On top of which, he couldn't sprawl on his stomach as he usually did because he now had a pair of breasts obstructing him. However he tried to lie they seemed to be in the way. Sue hadn't even had the courtesy to let him know if his football team had won. He dreaded to think what kind of performance she had given and could only hope that she had not been too rude to his friends.

Chapter Four

Sue was the first up in the morning and she was soon nagging Dan. She nagged him into the shower, even going as far as to join him and wash and condition her hair properly. Then she nagged him into the bedroom where she dried and arranged his hair and covered his face with make-up. Only Amy's return from her night shift at the hospital saved him. Sue was distracted by the necessity of preparing breakfast for the exhausted Amy so Dan was left to finish struggling into his clothes by himself. Amy had collected the suit as requested and he had to admit it suited his body. It felt strange to have exposed legs while wearing a jacket. The only time he usually had bare legs was in summer when he wore shorts. He tried to tug the skirt as low as possible but it still only just reached his knees. It hampered him as he walked, forcing him to take smaller strides. Luckily Sue had some moderately flat-heeled shoes for him to wear so he didn't have to struggle with high heels. Sue had talked non-stop all morning about the importance of this meeting and he felt he was as fully informed as he ever could be. He made sure that everything was safely in Sue's bag and left. As he passed through the sitting room, Amy wished him good luck. Sue opened her mouth to say something, glanced at Amy and shut it again. Dan hurried out the door, glad to have made his escape so easily.

He found the morning's experiences bizarre. He didn't know which experience surprised him most, but at the end he was more eager than ever to reclaim his own body. There was the way that men's eyes travelled up and down his body when they spoke to him, instead of looking in his eyes, which was very off-putting. Then there was also the startled silence in the conference room when he pointed out that, as he had made the first round of drinks for everyone, it was now Brian's turn. For a moment he couldn't comprehend what the problem was, since Brian was the same level of management as Sue but newer to his position. It seemed logical to Dan that Brian should take his turn making the drinks but the rest of the men obviously expected Sue to do it as she was the only woman there. Dan had been more than annoyed by their chauvinism and had stared defiantly at Brian until he had got up and made his way to the drinks corner.

More than a little riled, Dan had had enough of sitting there passively and decided it was time to assert himself. While he knew full well that the whole project had been Sue's inspiration and that she had done the majority of the work, her boss was glibly passing it off as a team effort and giving her no extra credit at all. Little though Dan liked Sue, he knew from listening to her conversations with Amy that she was undeniably talented and yet had been passed over for promotion several times. It seemed likely that she had never tried to push herself forward, as Dan considered she should have. Well, Dan had no qualms about making sure that credit was given where it was due. Whenever possible he spoke up, deliberately using the word 'I' instead of 'we'. By the end of the meeting, the head of the department and the managing director were in no doubts that the project was Sue's work. Feeling very confident, he approached the department head and within hearing of Sue's boss asked if there were any opportunities for promotion in the department. Apparently there were several positions that Sue was more than suitable for and the department head promised to send the details along to her.

As he expected, the moment they returned to their office, Sue's boss offered her a promotion and pay increase if she would stay with him. It was obvious that Sue was the most talented member of the team and he didn't want to loose her. Taking advantage of the situation, Dan said he would consider his offer and asked if he could take some time off work for an indefinite period to sort out some family problems. Sue's boss willingly agreed and even went as far as to insist on giving Sue a lift home.

Feeling more than a little pleased with himself, Dan stood on the pavement waving goodbye to Sue's boss. He hadn't actually wanted to come to Sue's house but it would be easy enough to give Sue a ring and ask her to come and pick him up. It would also give him a chance to change out of the skirt and tights into something more comfortable. The tights were so clingy they made his skin itch, not to mention the annoying bagginess they had developed around his crotch. They seemed determined to slide down and form wrinkles around his ankles and he couldn't think of a discreet way to hitch them up. The skirt was still hampering every move he made but when he hitched it up above his knee so that he could move more quickly some yobbo in a passing car wolf-whistled at him. While he was grateful for the support the bra gave him the straps were being extremely annoying. When they weren't sliding off his shoulders they seemed to be gouging a deep groove in his skin. So he was grateful for the chance to change into some jeans and a jumper.

There was a house key on Sue's key ring so he let himself in and made his way upstairs. He had no way to tell which door led to Sue's room so he cautiously opened each in turn. The second door he tried revealed Sue's parent's bedroom. Both her parents were on the bed and they had obviously just finished having sex. Dan tried to back out discreetly but a betraying creak of the door drew their attention. Dan was hastily trying to formulate a suitable apology when the man rolled off the bed and onto his feet. Before Dan realised his intentions, Sue's stepfather had crossed the room and slapped Dan hard across the face. Taken by surprise, Dan stumbled backwards, looking up in bewilderment at the rage-contorted face above him.

'Where have you been for the past two nights, you filthy slut,' he yelled, swinging another blow at Dan. Reacting instinctively, Dan ducked, then aimed a punch at the other's nose. He connected solidly and for a long moment there was silence. Sue's stepfather looked stunned by this unexpected defiance but soon recovered his momentum. Grabbing hold of Dan's hair he slapped Dan repeatedly. Frustrated by the lack of strength of his body, Dan flailed desperately, trying to ward off the heavier blows. He had a momentary respite when Sue's mother tried to intervene and received several blows for her efforts that knocked her to the floor. Dan attempted to fight back again but finally realised it was impossible. His struggles just seemed to enrage the demented man even more, so in the end Dan dropped to the floor and huddled in a heap. Sue's stepfather aimed a couple of kicks at Dan before stamping out of the room and down the stairs. Dan stayed motionless until he heard the front door crash shut behind him.

Dan stiffly straightened up, dazed more from the unexpected nature of the attack than the blows. He could taste blood in his mouth from a cut on the inside of his cheek and a lump was rapidly rising on the side of his head. Otherwise, he seemed to have escaped with some reddened skin and a few bruises. Sue's mother did not appear to have been so lucky. She had struck her head against the foot of the bed as she fell and for one awful moment Dan thought she was dead. When he knelt besides her she moved slightly and her eyes flickered open.

'Has he gone?' she whispered. Dan nodded dumbly, unsure what to say. 'Are you OK?' Again Dan nodded. Sue's mother pushed herself slowly upright.

'Give us a hand to the bathroom would you love? Might as well inspect the damage.' Bemused by her calm acceptance of her husband's violent behaviour Dan helped her to the bathroom. While they both tended to their hurts he thought the situation over.

'He could have killed you, you do realise that?' he asked.

She sighed. 'He didn't mean to. It was just the way I fell. You know what he's like, he hates being embarrassed. Doesn't know how to handle it so he lashes out. He'll be back tonight with a box of chocolates or a bunch of flowers to say sorry.'

'How many times has he 'lashed out' now?' Dan inquired, slowly putting the pieces together.

'Don't start, love, please. He never means to loose his temper. He's getting so much better too, you have to admit that.'

Dan gazed at her in disbelief. 'So it's OK because he hits you less than he used to. Next you'll be saying you deserve to be hit.'

'You don't understand, Sue. When you fall in love you'll know what it feels like. No one's perfect but you love them despite their faults. My husband's fault is a bad temper, other husbands gamble or sleep around. I just have to learn not to annoy him, that's all.'

'Well here's a tip. I think it annoyed him when you tried to stop him beating the living daylights out of me. So next time don't try to stop him, just sit there.'

'There's no need to be like that,' Sue's mother replied defensively. 'He had no right to get angry with you. He knew full well that you had been staying at Amy's place.'

'So let me get this straight. It's not OK for him to hit me, but it is OK for him to hit you.'

'Yes, no. It's not that simple.'

'Yes it is,' Dan pointed out forcefully. 'He has no right to hit either of us. He came close to killing you today. If the bed had caught you on a different part of your head then we wouldn't be having this conversation, I'd be explaining to a policeman instead. Next time one of us might not be so lucky. So we are leaving right now. Get packing.'

'I can't leave him,' Sue's mother protested. 'He's my husband.'

'He forfeited any loyalty you owed him the moment he hit you. This is not a discussion. One way or another you are leaving. You have ten minutes.' Sue's mother gaped at Dan in surprise.

'We've got nowhere to go,' she said weakly.

'I know a shelter for battered wives where you can go. Don't worry about me, I have a friend he doesn't know about I can stay with,' Dan responded, thinking of his spare room.

'Battered wives,' she echoed in disbelief. For a moment Dan thought she was going to argue some more but she caught sight of their bruised reflections and the basin of bloodied water. 'Battered wives,' she repeated with a note of acceptance in her voice. Without another protest, she turned and went back to her bedroom to start packing.

Sue's day had not been quite as eventful. She had followed Dan's directions and prepared Amy's breakfast and tucked her into bed. She had found it difficult to remember to be affectionate but luckily Amy was so tired she didn't notice anything different in her boyfriend's behaviour. Once Amy was drifting off to sleep, Sue washed up and tidied the flat. When all the chores were done, she found the piece of paper she had written the estate agent's number on the previous evening. The phone was promptly answered but the estate agent's staff didn't really have any information to give Sue. She managed to persuade them to give her the address of the present tenant but they would divulge nothing further.

Dan had very reluctantly given Sue directions to the garage so that she could collect his car. It was quite close to Amy's flat and as it was a pleasant day Sue decided to walk. The sign of imminent Spring were abundant. There was still a chill to the air but the sun was shining and touches of young green were everywhere. Normally Sue would be stuck in an office hard at work so to be strolling along the street instead was an unexpected treat. She felt almost as if she was playing truant, which gave her enjoyment an extra fillip of excitement. Dan's boss had accepted her explanation of a stomach bug and given him a few days off without any hesitation. Despite a throbbing headache and the misfortune of being trapped in someone else's body, Sue was enjoying herself. The body still felt unfamiliar though. The hips seemed to be stiffer and it felt distinctly odd to have genitalia swinging between her legs. She soon discovered that there was a reason why men were constantly rearranging themselves: it was because they were uncomfortable. She tried to adjust her collection of dangling bits discreetly but nothing subtle did the trick. In the end she gave in and just grabbed hold of them and moved them until they were comfortable again. A woman gave her a disgusted look but Sue found it was easier to ignore disgusted looks than an uncomfortable penis.

It made a pleasant change to find that the mechanics at the garage didn't sneer and patronise her. Even though she still had limited knowledge of the inner workings of the car, they seemed to find such ignorance quite acceptable in a man. More amused then annoyed, Sue signed on the relevant dotted lines and eagerly accepted the keys. Dan was jealously possessive of his car and she couldn't really blame him. A shiny red MGF, it crouched in the grubby garage as much out of place as a peacock in a coal mine. Although Sue could drive, she only rarely had access to her mother's vehicle. She was looking forward to the chance to drive and to have the use of such a car was an added bonus. The soft-top was folded down, since it was such a nice day, and Sue reverently slid inside. The turn of the key produced an instant snarl from the engine, which settled to a steady purr as she eased up on the accelerator. She drove cautiously out of the garage, giving herself time to become accustomed to the way the car handled. Once she was out on a dual carriageway with an empty road ahead, she put her foot down. The slightest pressure on the accelerator and the car leapt forward like the Millennium Falcon with the entire Empire fleet after it. Sue revelled in the responsiveness of the car, dropping into a lower gear and throwing it around corners. The address she had obtained from the estate agents was in a little village quite a way up the valley so she had a thoroughly enjoyed swooping up the hills and round the bends. The wind tangled her hair and the sun shone down, giving her an irrational feeling that everything was going to work out all right.

When she finally arrived, she found the address she had obtained from the estate agent corresponded to a tiny terraced house that showed no signs of life. Still, Sue hammered persistently on the door. Getting no response, she walked round to the back door on the off chance that the occupants were outside hanging washing and so couldn't hear her knocking. Sue was just closing the rear gate behind herself when an elderly woman opened the back door. Instantly, the woman tried to duck back inside but Sue was too quick. Jamming a foot against the door, she smiled reassuringly down at the woman.

'Mrs Foster?' Sue inquired.

'Yes. What do you want? I'm not buying anything so you're wasting your time.'

'It's OK, I'm not selling anything,' Sue responded. 'I was actually hoping to speak to your husband.' As soon as Sue mentioned the word 'husband' Mrs Foster looked frightened and tried fruitlessly to pull the door closed.

'He's not here,' she whispered. 'You can't see him. Now go away.'

'I really have to talk to him,' Sue insisted. 'Do you have a 'phone number or can I arrange a time to come back when he will be here.' Mrs Foster was becoming agitated. She tugged again on the door and, to Sue's horror, tears started forming in the corner of her eyes.

'You can't see him, I tell you. You just can't,' Mrs Foster repeated. Sue crouched down so she was on the same eye level as Mrs Foster. Sue felt terrible to be harassing an elderly woman but this was their only lead.

'I really hate to bother you because I can see you are upset but this is very important to me,' Sue explained earnestly. 'I have to find the person who was conducting experiments at the warehouse rented to your husband last Saturday night. Whatever they were doing affected both me and a friend and we have to find out who was responsible or our lives will never be the same again.' Mrs Foster gaped at her in astonishment.

'Whatever do you mean?' she asked. Sue sighed. Mrs Foster would probably think she was crazy but she couldn't just give up.

'My friend and I were caught in some kind of experiment and it made us swap bodies. We have to find out who did this to us so we can be swapped back.'

'Swapped bodies?' Mrs Foster echoed.

'Yes, swapped bodies. I'm actually female. Look I'll prove it.' Sue pulled up her trouser leg. 'You see, I automatically started to shave my legs this morning. That's not something a man would do normally.' Mrs Foster looked down at Sue's leg with an unreadable expression on her face.

'You'd best come in,' she said finally. Taken by surprise Sue dumbly followed her into the kitchen. 'Fredrick!' Mrs Foster yelled. 'Get down here. There's something you need to sort out.'

The sound of feet on the stairs was soon followed by the appearance of a tall young man in the doorway. Sue sprang up with a cry of horror as she recognised the man she had last seen firing a gun.

'It's all right, my dear, things are not as they seem,' he hastened to reassure her. 'I too am occupying someone else's body. When that hooligan shot 'me' the only thing I could think to do to save myself was to activate the machine. Industrial espionage can be such a violent thing. I know they'll stop at nothing to steal what they want but I never expected he'd shoot me. I had no way of knowing that anyone else was in the vicinity so I thought there would be no harm done.'

'Can you reverse the process?' Sue asked anxiously. When he nodded she gave a sigh of relief and sank back down on her chair. Mrs Foster pressed a mug of tea into her hand and the odd couple smiled down at her as she sipped it.

'Of course, there's still a couple of minor details to sort out but it's a fairly simple procedure,' Mr Foster told her.

'What kind of minor details?' Sue asked cautiously.

'Well, the machine is still in the experimental stage, you understand. In all my experiments so far I always had the same bodies placed in the same positions relative to the machine as they were originally when I transferred the minds,' Fredrick Foster explained. 'I've had a hundred percent success rate so far. We'll need you and your friend to stand wherever you were on Saturday night and that thug and I will have to be placed the same distance away we were.'

'I can get my friend to come along easily enough,' Sue said. 'But do you know where your body is right now?' Both Mr and Mrs Foster shook their heads in unison. Sue slumped in her chair. 'That's just brilliant.' They discussed various ways and means to locate Mr Foster's errant body while Mrs Foster kept them supplied with continual mugs of tea. Finally they agreed to try everything they could but if they couldn't find Mr Foster's body they would try to reverse the process on Sue and Dan alone. Awash with tea but full of optimism, Sue made her farewells and promised to keep in touch.

Chapter Five

Back at Dan's flat, Sue was surprised to find there had been no message from him. She rang her office only to be told that Sue had left for the day. A phone call to her home received no reply and Sue was left to wonder where he could be. She pottered around his house preparing some food for tea and watching silly talk shows on the TV. She hadn't realised how late it had got until the phone rang. Expecting Dan, she was surprised to hear Amy's voice.

'I just rang to see how you were feeling,' Amy explained.

'I'm still not feeling to well,' Sue responded quickly.

'I'm sorry to hear that. Do you want me to come round and cook you some tea?' Amy offered.

'That's really nice of you but I don't think I'm up to eating. I'm just going to get an early night. You stay there and relax a bit before you have to go to work again.'

'OK, if you're sure that's what you want to do. I picked up the samples for the wedding invitations today. We need to choose which design we want.'

'Wedding invitations?' Sue queried.

'Yes. We have to give people invitations or they won't come to our wedding.' Sue couldn't believe what she was hearing.

'Does Sue know about this?' she asked. Amy sighed.

'I was going to tell her last night but there just didn't seem to be the right moment.'

'Why is it so difficult? I thought she was your best friend? One of the first people you would want to tell,' Sue said.

'If you two would just got on better, it would be so much simpler. I just couldn't take it if she was upset or angry. It would spoil everything.' Sue felt extremely ashamed. Her best friend was afraid to tell her about her wedding plans because of her behaviour to Dan.

'Amy, if Sue is your best friend she will be happy for you. If she isn't, she's not much of a friend. Just tell her,' Sue instructed Amy.

'You're right, I'm just getting myself worked up over nothing. You two were almost civilised to each other this weekend,' Amy remarked.

'Well, we've been trying to see things from the other one's viewpoint,' Sue explained, smiling ironically to herself.

'About time, if you ask me. Ok, I'm going to get myself some food. If you don't feel better soon, maybe you should get something from the chemist. Stomach bugs can be nasty things.'

'I'm sure I'll be fine,' Sue reassured her. 'Have a good shift tonight.'

'I'll try. Oh, that reminds me, what was the message about Mr Foster?'

'What message?' Sue asked.

'You must have taken a message about Mr Foster. You've written his name on the telephone pad and drawn a box round it. He hasn't died or anything, has he?'

'Are you saying you know Mr Foster?' Sue asked slowly.

'I wouldn't say I know him. He's one of the patients on the ward. He was brought in on Sunday morning with a gunshot wound but he also seems to have mental problems. Wouldn't stop raving about someone stealing his body so they are keeping him sedated while they try to contact someone who knows him.'

'Is he seriously ill?'

'Well, he wasn't when I left. As far as I knew he was due to be transferred to the day ward tomorrow morning, after breakfast. So what was the message?'

'It was just someone wanting to tell you they had made a mistake. He's going to be transferred before breakfast,' Sue answered, thinking fast.

'Is that all. Well, that hardly concerns me, I'll be left by then.'

'I think they wanted you to make sure he was sedated. They didn't want him to wake up while they were moving him.'

'Right, I'll make sure he gets an extra strong dose. I don't see why they couldn't just leave a message at the hospital for me,' Amy pointed out. 'What if I hadn't asked you? You would never have remembered to pass on the message.'

'It's a good thing for everyone that you remembered,' Sue said, weak-kneed with relief at how close they had come to missing the chance to locate Mr Foster's body. As soon as she had finished talking to Amy, Sue rang Mr Foster with the good news. They arranged to meet outside the hospital with some white coats so that they could sneak in and remove Mr Foster's body. Thanks to Sue's quick thinking, it should be an easy enough operation. All Sue had left to worry about was where Dan had got to.

When Dan eventually walked in the door, she nearly hugged him with relief.

'Where have you been? I've been worried sick!'

'I've had a long day,' he replied. 'Can I get through the door and sit down, if that OK with you?'

'Sorry, sorry,' Sue apologised getting out of the way. 'Make yourself comfortable and I'll make you a drink. I'm just really excited. I can't wait to tell you my news.'

'That's nice,' Dan said, collapsing stiffly into a chair. 'Don't bother making a hot drink, just pour me a whisky. Get one for yourself as well. You're probably going to need one before we're through.' Her mood slightly dampened by his lack of enthusiasm, she complied with his orders and poured them both a generous whisky. He cheered up a bit when she told him about her encounter with Mr and Mrs Foster and their plans for the morning.

'I'll be glad to get my own body back, I can tell you,' he said, draining his glass and holding it out for a refill. Sue obliged while she inspected his weary state.

'You do look a bit haggard. What have you been doing?' she asked.

'I hardly know where to start. There's good news and there's bad news. Which do you want first?' he asked, rubbing wearily at his forehead.

'You don't look like someone with good news,' Sue observed apprehensively.

'It hasn't been the easiest day ever and I've had a splitting headache since I woke up. I think I might get some painkillers actually,' he said, suiting his actions to his words.

'Could I have some too?' Sue asked. 'I don't know about you but I've had a headache ever since we swapped bodies.'

'I hadn't really thought about it but, now you mention it, I have had a headache since then. Here are your painkillers. Whisky probably isn't the best thing to wash them down with but I'm past caring. I suppose it's not that surprising that our heads hurt. After all our brains have been moved into new bodies.'

'Do you think our actual brains have been physically moved somehow or do you think it's just our thought processes?' Sue pondered.

'I'd rather not think about it, thank you all the same,' Dan replied. 'The whole thing is totally unnatural.'

'OK, I won't mention it again. Why don't you give me the good news instead,' Sue suggested.

'Well, the good news is I was a success at your meeting. You now have a pay rise and several offers of promotion waiting for you.'

'What?' she exclaimed incredulously. 'I've been passed over for promotion so many times I'd given up hope. 'This is wonderful! I don't know how to thank you. How did you manage it?'

'I just stood up for myself. I mean I stood up for you. Oh, you know what I mean. If you want to be a successful businesswoman you have to be a little aggressive now and again.'

'That's male macho rubbish,' Sue told him indignantly. 'Things run smoother and more is achieved if people co-operate with each other instead of getting pushy and trying to outdo each other.'

'You may be right but you're working with a load of old fashioned macho men and if you want to get ahead you need to behave like them sometimes.'

'Who cares, I've got a promotion,' Sue said smiling widely. 'Where have you been this afternoon though? I tried the office and they said you had left at dinnertime.'

'That's the bad news. I ended up at your house and I met your stepfather.' Sue stopped smiling and looked at him fearfully. Dan pulled back his hair and displayed the bruise on his head. Sue closed her eyes and gulped down her whisky. Fortified she opened her eyes and tried to look Dan in the face.

'Was my mum there?' she whispered.

'I'm afraid so,' Dan answered gently. 'She's all right now though.' Sue got up and walked over to get some more whisky, unable to face him.

'I'm sorry,' she said softly. 'If I had thought there was a chance you would meet him, I would have warned you.' Dan walked over and hugged her.

'Hey, you're as bad as your mother. It's not your fault, so you have no need to apologise. I practically had to drag your mother out of that house.'

'You got her to leave,' Sue asked, turning around with a look of hope on her face.

'Eventually. She's in a shelter now. Here's the address. I told her you would be staying with me until things are sorted out.'

'You don't have to do that,' Sue replied proudly. 'I don't need your pity.'

'I don't feel sorry for you, I admire you,' Dan told her firmly. 'You stayed with your mother when you could have just left. Even though you knew he would hit you, you stayed.'

'So would anyone else in the same circumstances,' Sue said. 'I couldn't leave her alone with that bully. I tried to get her to leave so many times but she wouldn't. I don't know how you managed it.'

'I guess I bullied her a bit. I didn't know what else to do.'

'Well it's one more thing I have to thank you for,' Sue said, forcing a smile. 'You don't have to offer me a bed though. I'll be fine on Amy's sofa.'

'I want to,' Dan stated firmly. 'Besides, where's the first place he's going to look for you? It's best all round if you stay here. I just hope I meet your stepfather again when I've got my own body back. I'll give him a taste of his own medicine then.'

'I don't normally approve of violence but in his case I think it's deserved,' Sue commented, shivering at her memories.

'I know we don't normally get along but a lot of that has been my fault,' Dan began hesitantly, 'I found it hard to accept that you had first call on Amy and I resented you because of it. Of course now I understand why.'

'It's not all your fault,' Sue replied. 'I could see how important you were to Amy and I was scared you would take her away. She's always been there for me and it made such a difference knowing I could cry on her shoulder whenever things got too much. So I suppose I resented you too and I've been pretty horrible to you. I'm sorry.'

'Hey, lets call it quits and forget about all about it,' Dan suggested.

'I'll drink to that,' Sue said, smiling. They refilled their glasses and stood silently for a moment, both feeling slightly awkward. Then Sue caught sight of the counter-top in the kitchen and remembered that she had been preparing tea. Dan offered to help and proved himself useful, as he knew where all the pans and seasonings were kept. He opened a bottle of wine and they soon relaxed and started a friendly argument about the best way to make spaghetti bolognese. In the end Sue stood back and let Dan cook, considerably impressed by his unsuspected culinary skills.

By the time they settled down to eat they had finished the bottle of wine so Dan opened another to go with their meal. Relaxed together for the first time, they had an animated conversation ranging over a wide variety of topics. They were surprised to discover they agreed on many things and even had similar senses of humour. By the time they moved from the table to the sofa, they were so at ease with each other they could laugh together about their strange experiences in each other's bodies. Sue told Dan about her experience in the showers after the football match and he laughed so hard he nearly fell off the sofa. He told her about the difficulties he had encountered trying to turn her body on and she had been equally amused.

'What would you have done if Amy had caught you playing with yourself?' Sue asked curiously.

'I have no idea. Asked her for tips maybe. The female body is not an easy machine to use, I can tell you.'

'You just have to know how to handle it,' Sue told him impishly. 'You see I know that body likes this.' She gently drew a spiral around one of Dan's breasts that ended with a brush of the nipple. Dan gave a tiny gasp as the nipple hardened in response.

'Well, did you know that your body likes this?' he asked, leaning forward and gently running a nail along the bulge of her penis. Sue shuddered and her penis twitched and lengthened.

'I have to say, when Amy gave me that blow-job it was like nothing I had ever imagined,' Sue confessed. She turned to look at Dan and found that their faces were very close.

'We have an unique opportunity here,' Dan observed slowly, his gaze fixed on her lips. 'We can find out what sex feels like to the opposite sex.' Sue frowned for a moment as she worked out his meaning.

'I can't imagine what it would be like to push part of my body inside another person,' she said at last.

'I can't imagine how it would feel to have part of someone else's body pushed inside me,' Dan answered.

'It can feel wonderful if it'd done right,' Sue told him. For a moment they hesitated, both unsure of their next move.

'We shouldn't do this,' Dan said, 'It would be betraying Amy.'

'These are not exactly normal circumstances,' Sue replied, focusing on his mouth. 'We would be doing it in the interests of science, not because we fancy each other.'

'If I knew more how it felt for Amy, I would know how to make it better for her,' Dan added, leaning closer.

'Exactly,' Sue agreed, swaying forward. 'In a way, we're doing this for her.' Their lips met in a slow kiss. For a long moment they just savoured the sensation of their lips pressing together, then they began tugging at each other's clothes as their tongues entwined. By the time they tumbled from the sofa to the floor they were both naked. The combination of alcohol and drugs in their systems helped to dispel any inhibitions they felt about making love to someone of the same sex. Seeing and touching their own bodies in ways they had never been able to before, gave a feeling of unreality to the situation. They were both concentrating in generating the maximum amount of pleasure for the other and they soon lost track of how many orgasms they had experienced. Knowing how each touch felt for the other they derived almost as much pleasure from watching each other climax as from orgasming themselves. When they finally abandoned foreplay and Sue penetrated Dan for the first time they both froze, fully absorbing the new sensations. When they finally stumbled into the bedroom and collapsed exhausted on the bed it was the early hours of the morning.

'Don't forget to set the alarm clock,' Sue mumbled. 'We only have the one opportunity to grab Mr Foster's body.'

'Good job you remembered,' Dan answered. 'OK, I've set it for half six.'

'We're only going to get a few hours sleep,' Sue sighed. 'Well at least I won't have to lay in the wet spot for a change.'

'What wet spot?' Dan asked.

'You'll soon find out. Goodnight'

Chapter Six

Sue was the first up in the morning. She was washed and dressed and busy fixing breakfast before Dan had even made it to the bathroom. Sue took him a cup of coffee as a subtle hint to wake up. He was sat on the side of the bed clutching his stomach.

'Do you always feel like this after you've had sex?' he asked.

'I usually feel great the next morning. Relaxed and energised. How do you feel?' Sue inquired

'At the moment I would welcome death. It feels like someone is trying to claw my insides out with red-hot hooks.'

'Do you think my stepfather could have damaged something when he kicked you?' Sue asked anxiously.

'He never hit me anywhere near my stomach,' Dan replied. 'Besides wouldn't it have been hurting last night? This has only started since I woke up. It's agony!'

'Maybe we should call Amy,' Sue suggested. 'She might have some idea what it could be.'

'She won't be home yet.' Dan told her. 'It would be a bit ironic if I have picked up a stomach bug after all. I've never had one that hurt this bad before though.'

'Why don't you go to the toilet? That might help.'

'I hope so. I don't know if I can straighten up.' Sue watched with concern as he hobbled to the bathroom. Not only was she worried about what was wrong with her body but also there was the added problem that they had to meet Mr Foster outside the hospital soon. She was wondering if they would be able to manage without Dan's help when he gave a panicked cry.

'Sue, I'm bleeding! There's blood everywhere!' Sue ran through to the bathroom.

'Are you sure?' she asked fearfully 'Where is the blood coming from?'

'I don't know,' Dan wailed. 'Inside me somewhere. Call an ambulance, quickly.'

'Hang on a minute,' Sue said abruptly. 'What's the date today?'

'What the hell difference does the date make?' Dan yelled. 'I'm dying here.'

'Hang on, my diary should be in my bag. I think you left it in the hallway last night.' Sue said, leaving Dan for a moment. She returned with a relieved smile on her face. 'Thank goodness for that. You had me totally freaked out for a minute. It's just my period starting. Does Amy keep anything here?'

'What?' Dan asked stupidly.

'You must know that women have periods,' Sue said.

'Of course, but there must be something else wrong,' Dan insisted.

'Oh, it's always like that when it starts,' Sue told him cheerfully. 'Get cleaned up and I'll make you some hot chocolate. That's what I usually have, and a couple of painkillers. I'll make you a hot water bottle too. The warmth helps to ease the cramps a bit. You have to get a move on though. We can't be late.'

'You're not being very sympathetic,' Dan groused. Sue laughed.

'Women have this happen to them every four weeks and I've yet to meet a man who was the slightest bit sympathetic. I know it hurts but it's something you learn to live with. Just think, if all goes well in a couple of hours time it will be me who has to endure the cramps. Oh by the way, I found these on the counter top this morning. Do you know where they came from? I'm sure they weren't there last night.' She held out a packet of indigestion remedies for Dan's inspection. He looked horrified.

'Amy!' he groaned.

'What do you mean, 'Amy'?' Sue asked.

'The only other person with a key is Amy. She must have dropped them round last night on her way to work,' Dan explained.

'Last night!' Sue echoed, horrified.

'Exactly. You know what she would have seen when she walked in?'

'Her best friend and her boyfriend having sex,' Sue said slowly. 'She would have been devastated.'

'We have to go to her and try to explain,' Dan said.

'She'll be finishing up at work about now,' Sue pointed out, looking at her watch. 'We can't miss this chance to get Mr Foster's body. Otherwise we're stuck in the wrong bodies until the hospital releases him and who knows how long that could be.'

'But what about Amy. I can't just let her go on hurting. I have to explain.'

'I'm sorry but we have to sort our bodies out first. You must see that.'

'I suppose you're right,' Dan acknowledged, sighing.

'I know I am, so get a move on.'

Due to Sue's chivvying and nagging they were only a few minutes late to their rendezvous with Mr Foster. Inside the hospital everything went smoothly. The patient 'Mr Foster', heavily sedated, was handed over without a single question being asked. They had a few awkward moments getting him out of the hospital and into the car but they managed. Within a short period of time they were inside the warehouse, huddled around a strange contraption.

'What are we going to do about him?' Mr Foster asked. 'Once we swap bodies back, I'll be sedated and you'll be outside. He could steal my invention without anyone knowing.'

'We came prepared,' Dan said, producing a pair of handcuffs. He took one of Mr Foster's hands and handcuffed it to the metal table. 'This bench is welded to the floor so he isn't going anywhere. You can still reach the knobs to activate the machine can't you?' Mr Foster stretched out his hand.

'Only just, but enough to do the job. Can you just turn that green one round to the right? That's perfect.'

'Right. Once we've swapped back, we'll 'phone the police and say we saw something suspicious going on here,' Sue said. 'When you wake up you can tell them what happened on Saturday and tell them that he kidnapped you from the hospital today. If this works that is.'

'Lets synchronise watches. I'll activate the machine at exactly half past. That gives you over ten minutes to get into position.'

'That's more then enough time,' Dan told him. 'Good luck. I just hope this works.'

As before there was a high pitched whine and they were swept off their feet and hurled through the air. Knowing what to expect they had braced themselves and wrapped their arms over their heads to offer some protection. Slightly dazed they scrambled back to their feet and faced each other. Their faces both broke into broad grins.

'I've never been so happy to see your ugly mug in all my life,' Sue said.

'I can hardly believe it worked,' Dan observed, running his hands over his body just to make sure.

'No offence, but it feels wonderful to have my own body back,' Sue exclaimed, throwing out her arms and spinning around.

'I know exactly what you mean. We still have some things to sort out though,' Dan pointed out. 'Come on, we have to 'phone the police first, then try to explain to Amy.'

They were both nervous as they knocked on Amy's door. When she answered it was plain to see that she had been crying and when she saw them fresh tears started following the tracks of their predecessors down Amy's cheeks. Instinctively Dan stepped forward and folded her in a hug but she pushed him angrily away. Dan and Sue followed Amy into the sitting room, unsure how to begin their explanation.

'Things aren't the way you think,' Dan began.

'Oh, I think they are,' Amy retorted. 'I had a pretty good view last night, thank you very much, and I could see exactly what you were doing.'

'You don't understand,' Sue tried to explain. 'We weren't ourselves last night.'

'Really! So who were you?' Amy asked sharply.

'We were each other,' Dan answered.

'Oh well that makes everything all right then,' Amy said sarcastically. 'It's my own fault, I suppose. I've spent hours trying to get you two to be civil to each other. I should have known that the moment you stopped hating each other you'd start loving each other.'

'I don't love Sue,' Dan protested. 'I understand her a lot better now but you are the only woman I love, Amy. You have to believe me.'

'You seemed to understand her very well last night,' Amy cried.

'We're trying to explain,' Sue said. 'Something happened on Saturday night and we swapped bodies. We've only just swapped back this morning.'

'That's your idea of an explanation?' Amy asked indignantly. 'Do I look stupid enough to believe that fairytale?'

'It's the truth,' Dan insisted. 'I spent Sunday afternoon with you. You put me through agony waxing me. And on Monday I met Sue's stepfather and now I understand why Sue can always call on you whenever she needs to.

'And I know you two are getting married because it was me you were talking to about wedding invitations,' Sue chimed in. Amy looked from one to the other of them, totally bewildered.

'You could have found out any of those things by talking to each other,' she observed at last.

'I suppose so,' Sue admitted. 'But what about the mistakes we made? I know nothing about football yet I talked to Mark about it for ages on Sunday. Dan forgot to put conditioner on my hair, which was why it was such a mess.' Amy still didn't look convinced so Sue racked her brains trying to think remember anything else. 'I know!' she exclaimed. Roll up your trouser legs, Dan. Look, I started shaving my legs. If you check under his arms you'll find I did shave them.'

'You did what!' Dan exclaimed. He looked down at his leg, then checked his armpits to confirm what Sue had said. 'You've made me look a total idiot. The lads are going to kill themselves laughing when they see this. What the hell were you thinking?'

'I'm sorry,' Sue replied defensively. 'I didn't do it on purpose, it was just habit.' Dan was about to say something when Amy recalled them to their reason for being there.

'Are you seriously telling me that you swapped bodies?' she asked slowly.

'I know it's hard to believe but it's the truth. It was part of an experiment someone was running and we just got caught in it.' Dan explained. 'If you want confirmation, ask your patient Mr Foster. It was his machine that did this to us.'

'It's hard to believe but for the moment I'll accept it,' Amy told Dan with great dignity. 'However it makes no difference. Whichever body you were inhabiting at the time you slept with someone else. To make it worse it was my best friend. Up to a point I can understand what Sue did and even forgive her. But I don't see how I can ever trust you again. If you really loved me you would never have done such a thing. I want you to leave and I never want to see you again.'

Horrified Sue tried to intervene but Dan silenced her with a gesture.

'You're right, Amy,' he said, swallowing hard to choke back the unmanly tears. 'What I did was unforgivable and I don't deserve you. I just want you to know that I'm more sorry than I can ever say that I hurt you. I feel like a louse, I'm so ashamed of myself. I love you so much. I always have and I always will. If you ever need anything I hope you'll call me. Now I'll just get my things and I'll go.' As Amy started sobbing again, he hurried into the bedroom. For a moment Sue stood in silence, then she knelt in front of Amy.

'Listen to me Amy. You are making the biggest mistake of your life. That man in there loves you like nothing I've ever seen before. I used to think that all those songs and stories about love were just wishful thinking, until I saw you two together. Are you really going to throw that away because of one mistake?'

'You don't understand,' Amy replied.

'No I don't, because I've not been lucky enough to fall in love like you two yet,' Sue agreed. 'But I do understand why he did what he did. We were both drunk and high on painkillers, which is no excuse I know. But it did deaden our consciences. Can you honestly tell me, Amy, that if you had a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience what sex was like for a man you wouldn't take it? Can you?'

'I don't know,' Amy admitted.

'Anyone would have been tempted. Under normal circumstances Dan would never so much as kiss another woman. If you can understand and forgive what I did, you can understand and forgive Dan.'

'It's different. You're my best friend; in fact you're more like a sister. We've been through so much together: being bullied at school and my dad dying and your stepfather hitting you and all the rest. But Dan was my boyfriend. How can we possibly get married if I can't trust him?' Amy asked.

'You know deep down that you can trust him. You're hurting at the moment and you're not thinking clearly,' Sue pointed out. 'The reason you can forgive my betrayal more easily then Dan's is because you care more about him. Do you really want to lose him? If he walks out that door you may never see him again. Are you one hundred percent sure that's what you want?'

'No,' Amy whispered.

'Well get in there and sort this out,' Sue ordered. I want to be chief bridesmaid at your wedding as soon as possible.'

Amy stood obediently.

'Who would have thought that you would be the one to keep Dan and me together?' Amy observed. 'This body swap thing seems to have done you both good.'

Copyright Vickie Morgan, May 1999

This story is part of an experiment in collaboration, known as Writer's Swap '99. Partners were randomly assigned and given two months to come up with a story working together. I was partnered with Dave 437.

He suggested that we write a story about a man and woman who swapped bodies and we would each write one character's story. I made various suggestions to add to his basic idea some of which he liked and some that he didn't like. While we were still discussing details his computer broke down. So I began writing and, since I didn't hear from him, I used most of my ideas to change his original plot. I was trying to make the deadline and didn't really have time to write Dave's half so it ended up a bit one sided.

I found it much more difficult then I expected to collaborate. Usually when I have an idea for a story it's like a film running in my head. While writing this story the film wasn't there, but it's not that bad a story. Anyway, it was an interesting experiment.

Let me know what you think

Vickie Morgan

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