Joe_bates_saga

Joe_Bates_Saga________________________________________________________17__

1. Chapter : Learning

It was still dark when Joe woke up. He could feel an arm across his chest. He wondered what time it was, and looked over at the glowing display of the clock radio on the nightstand. It said five a.m. Joe wondered if it was accurate. He decided it must be close.

Joe Bates lay deep in thought. What was it now... Tuesday? He had been this way only five days, and already, here he was, in bed with a man. Not just any guy either, but his best friend, Jay Logan. He thought about last night. Neither of them had planned what had happened, but what did come about was beyond his wildest expectations.

Only yesterday, Joe had signed papers changing his legal gender to match his new anatomy. That alone would have been enough for most guys. Then, that same evening, he ended the day by sleeping in the same bed, and actually having intimate relations with, his long time best friend. What was next? What was happening to him? Here he was, in bed with Jay, and he realized, he was actually enjoying it. Was he now homosexual? He considered the possibility. Of course, he still thought of himself as male, at least in his head. But, there was no denying that his body, and now, even his body image, was becoming quite feminized. He couldn't deny it any more than he could change it. Joe hadn't asked to be this way. He had no control over the new feelings...the new urges that the change had given his body.

Joe peered over at Jay. In the semi-darkness, he could see the faint outline of his friend's face. He watched Jay breathing, and wondered what they might say to each other in the morning. The whole thing was a strange combination of familiarity and curiosity, a mixture of old, and, at least for Joe, very new sensations. He was surprised at how natural everything had seemed. He never thought he would have the nerve to get this near to a man, but now it had happened, and it didn't seem so unusual at all. As he gazed at his pal, he felt a strange contentment begin to overtake him. For some reason, he was glad that he had been able to share this new experience with Jay.

Suddenly, Jay stirred slightly. He coughed, and moved his arm. His hand was now directly on Joe's right breast, and although he was obviously still asleep, he instinctively stroked it once, and cupped his hand over it. This sensation felt strange to Joe. When he wasn't walking or moving around, he usually couldn't really sense the new tissue on his chest. Even when he did, it sort of felt like a lump of soft fat, bouncing and jiggling with any movements that he made. But it didn't feel particularly sexy, or erotic. It was now just another part of his body, if anything, a source of embarrassment, at least for someone who still considered himself a man inside. That was most of the time. As Joe became more familiar with his changed body, he had begun to accept the presence of the soft mounds on his now quite hairless chest. He was even starting to like the way he looked, enjoying the feel of soft, feminine clothing which defined his new curves. At those times, those little fleshy bulges became more... a mark of his new femininity, a source of pride, and sometimes... pleasure. Usually, when Joe touched his own chest, the sensation was nothing special. But, when anyone else touched him there... well, that was different. As Joe lay there, contemplating the touch of Jay's hand, he felt his crotch muscles tighten involuntarily. Strange the way it does that, he thought. He tensed the muscles himself. He couldn't feel any difference there from yesterday, even though he knew he had changed ... perhaps more psychologically than physically ... with what had happened just a few hours ago.

Joe ran his hand over the soft hair on his now somewhat prominent pubic mound. Lower down, between his legs, it was still damp and matted. Touching there felt good, so he kept his hand there, gently rubbing the still somewhat unfamiliar, silky soft, folds of tissue which replaced his male parts. Even when it was your own, a female body felt so different than a male, he considered. Now, everything about it was soft and pliable. His male body had been so much harder and rougher. Even his pubic hair, which was now closely trimmed, felt much softer, finer than before. I guess I can get used to this, Joe thought. Seems I'll have to, in any case. Then, he fell asleep again, the contented smile still on his face.

The sun was shining around the edges of the drawn curtain when Joe woke again. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Jay was awake, watching him. He returned the look, and smiled.

"Who'd have thought this, huh?" Jay said, returning the smile.

"Yeah, who," Joe repeated. He yawned, and raised his arms over his head to stretch. It was only then he realized that he was still wearing the hairpiece.

"I don't know about you, but it was quite an experience for me last night," Jay said. "You were fantastic."

"Well, I guess we both just did what comes naturally," Joe replied. "I suppose it helps that I know how it feels like from your side." He grinned with embarrassment.

Jay kept looking at Joe. He reached over, and gently ran a finger along Joe's soft breast, watching its pink tip change from a soft, full cone to a firm point as he did so. Joe found that Jay's light touch tickled the sensitive skin, and he involuntarily shook his chest slightly, which made his breasts jiggle.

"That tickles," Joe said, feeling an embarrassed blush warm his face.

"Joe, I still have trouble accepting what has happened to you," Jay said. "You're so beautiful, it's hard to believe that what happened was caused by an accident."

"But it's still me, Jay, don't forget that," Joe reminded him. "And if that's a problem for you to accept...you should spend a day in my shoes."

"What do you have planned for today?" Jay asked.

"Well, we all have to go to the clinic at about nine. We have some kind of class, or briefing. I think its about hygiene ... stuff like that. We might even talk about contraception too, I think," Joe explained.

"So the doctors think you can actually get pregnant?" Jay asked with curiosity. "How do they know that?"

"I don't know," Joe answered. "I suspect they are making an assumption, based on what they found during the physical examinations."

"What did they find?" Jay continued.

"Nothing, I guess, just that we all seemed to have undergone a more or less complete transition to a female appearance. Apparently, even my chromosomes are now XX, rather than the male pattern XY. That means that even my body's cell structure has become feminized."

"I suppose it's hard for you to live with, but it sure improved your appearance," Jay said, a big grin on his face.

"You're just horny," Joe said, punching Jay's hairy chest lightly with his fist. "Seriously, it is hard to adjust to the differences, but...I will admit, it's not all bad though. And I can still feel changes happening... physical, as well as... I guess... mental. I think it's actually affecting the way I think."

"Well, we both have said, on more than one occasion, that women process information differently from men. Maybe it's really true," Jay said, becoming serious again.

"Yeah, I suspect it is," Joe reasoned. "But I still have the same kind of thoughts... sort of anyway... but I'm certain I'm more emotional now. I still like the same things... maybe feelings about sex excepted... but I know I'm looking at things... reacting to them differently. It's quite a strange thing to experience actually."

"Do guys really turn you on now?" Jay asked seriously. "Did you really want to have sex with me, or did you just want to know what it would feel like?"

"I don't know," Joe said. "Last night, I could feel myself being taken over by something... I don't know what... I just had to do it... I don't know if that's the way it is for all females, or if my male head was having a strange reaction to the new hormones that must be getting to it... I don't know. I can tell you it felt great. It really did. Thanks for being there when I needed you." He grinned.

"My pleasure," Jay said. "If you find you need to do it again, just let me know. I'm always willing to help you with a problem like that," Jay's face displayed a wicked grin.

"We'll see," Joe said, making an attempt at an innocent smile. "We'll see."

"Do you think we should get up?" Jay questioned. "It's almost seven."

Joe modestly pulled the sheet over his chest.

"Yeah, I guess I should." He said. "I have to shower, and it's taking me longer to get ready now. Actually, I haven't even done it all by myself before."

"You can go in first," Jay said. "Can I use your razor to shave?"

"Sure." If you don't mind that I'm using it on my legs," Joe said, grinning. "You can put a new cartridge in, though."

"Ok. I'll do that." Jay returned the grin.

Joe got up, and began to look for his terrycloth outfit. He found it embarrassing for him to be around Jay while nude. Jay reached down to the floor on his side of the bed and retrieved the little light blue cover up.

"Cute," He said, as he handed it to Joe, who quickly stepped into it, and pulled it over the soft mounds of his chest.

"I know, I know. It's hard for me to get used to this stuff too," Joe said. "But I'm a little smaller and shorter now. My old clothes just didn't fit at all, and I've got to wear something. This is what fits."

"You really look great," Jay said again. "If you have to be a woman, at least be glad you're so attractive. It would be a bitch to be changed into an ugly girl."

"You know, that's an unusual thing about it," Joe related. "When I first see myself in the mirror, I don't always immediately recognize that it's me. I guess I'm not used to what I look like yet. But when I see myself as I dress... put makeup on, or whatever, I don't really feel all that attractive... I just feel like me. Sometimes, when I put this stuff on, I feel like I'm just dressing in drag."

"Well, trust me, old buddy, you're a looker," Jay said.

"I'll try to remember that" Joe said, and turned and walked into the bathroom, pulling the door closed.

In the bathroom, Joe looked at the items on the counter. There were little complimentary bottles of shampoo and conditioner. Also, there was a packet of bubble bath, and soap. Joe remembered the pleasant feeling when he soaked in the tub with Linda, and decided he would try a bath rather than a shower. He put the stopper in the tub, and started the hot water running. Pouring the packet of bath beads into the flow, he watched the bubbles begin to form. While the tub filled, he decided to use the toilet. He removed the little terrycloth coverup and dropped it to the floor. He sat on the stool to relieve himself. He was curious if the changes to his body caused by losing his new virginity would change the way the flow left his body, but decided that he really couldn't tell any difference. The procedure required to urinate was already much different than when he had a penis. He didn't... he couldn't aim... but just sat there, and sort of let it happen. But the result was the same.

He quickly finished, and saw that the tub was almost filled with warm water thick with bubbles. He looked at the tub, and thought about what he was doing. This time last week, he wouldn't even have considered doing anything like taking a bubble bath. But then, last week he didn't have this soft, sensitive body to deal with. He stuck a toe into the water to feel the temperature. It felt hot, but tolerable, so he went to the counter, took a wash cloth and the bar of Caress bath soap, settled into the bubbles, and let the warmth engulf his body.

Joe took the soap and begun rubbing it over himself, making his soft skin soapy slick. He soaped his chest, enjoying how his breasts felt when they were covered with the sudsy water. Suddenly, he realized he was still wearing the wig, and carefully removed it with wet hands. As carefully as he could, he tossed it over onto the counter top. With the wig off, his scalp felt cool, since it was now covered only by his relatively short, male, hairstyle. He scratched his head. The shorter hair now felt unfamiliar. He went back to soaping himself, and carefully washed his genitalia. When his soapy fingers found his clitoris, he spent perhaps a little more time than necessary making sure that the little nub of flesh, which now seemed to contain all the sensitive nerves that had been in the head of his penis, was spotlessly clean.

When Joe felt he was finished, and the bubbles were waning, he got up, and hopped out of the tub. His slick, wet, hairless body was still covered with soapy suds. Joe wondered how he could get the stuff off. He remembered why he liked showers better, and reached for one of the large, thick bath towels on the rack. The absorbent towels quickly took the water off, and the soapy residue actually seemed to make his skin softer. As he dried his legs, stubble, which had formed since the last time he had shaved, could be felt. What would he do about that?

He decided to let the water out of the tub, and when it was gone, he took his razor, and shave cream from his kit, and stepped back into the tub. He put some cream on his legs, and then a little under his arms, Then he started the shower and began shaving. From longtime habit, he felt his face, and the softness he felt there reminded him that he no longer had to worry about shaving that part of his body. The hair on his legs didn't seem to go as high up as the first time he had shaved there, either. He had some sharp stubble on his calves, but only light down was forming on his upper thighs, in sharp contrast to the hairy legs he had as a man. Then, of course, he had also had a dark thicket of hair on his chest too. That had been replaced by firm breasts, with only a few hairs around much larger areola. Joe had plucked those out when he first saw them, and they had yet to return.

When Joe finished shaving his legs and underarms, he rinsed the shave cream off under the shower and turned the water off. He got out of the tub and again dried off with the thick towel. When he finished, he looked at himself in the mirror over the sink.

What he saw was now familiar to him. Only the short hair was left as a reminder of his former appearance. To be sure, his face still had some resemblance to his male look, but now his reflection was more like that of his sister, if he had a sister. His trim, shapely body looked much younger than its thirty years. He wondered why, and decided that since he had just developed feminine secondary sexual characteristics, time and gravity hadn't done their work on his new shape yet. Everything...his skin, his hands...everything about him seemed to have shed ten years. He even felt younger, much more flexible. But, he could tell that he had lost significant strength. His body was still well toned, but the large chest and shoulder muscles he once had were replaced with the thinner, trim, upper torso of a young female. Examining himself in the mirror, Joe was again amazed at what he had become. He bent his left arm like a muscle man, and looked at his small bicep muscle. He reached over with his other hand, and felt it. It was not big, but it was still firm. He had no flab on his body anywhere.

Joe took the cosmetics out of the bag, and carefully tried to fix his face. He intentionally made sure not to use much makeup, preferring a well scrubbed, healthy look.

When he was more or less satisfied, he was ready to dress. He looked at the underwear that had dried overnight. Should he put the same stuff back on, he wondered? What would he be wearing today? He couldn't remember what Linda had packed for him, so he put the terry romper back on, and, taking his clean underwear, he went back out into the main room.

Jay was still lying on the bed. He had turned on the TV, and was watching CNN. Joe went to the closet, and looked over what he had to wear today.

"Are you finished in the bathroom?" Jay asked.

"Yeah, you can go in if you want. I'm trying to figure out what to wear today. Linda picked my clothes, and I guess she expects me to wear this dress. I don't have anything else here but a suit, this, and some shorts," Joe said, holding up the red-orange sundress.

"That looks like it would look good," Jay said, getting up, and walking naked into the bathroom.

Jay went in, but didn't close the door behind him. Through the open door, Joe watched his friend stand in front of the stool and urinate. It reminded him that he wasn't like that...he wasn't a man anymore, and he felt a slight twinge of envy.

Well, if I'm going to wear this, I'll have to find the right stuff to wear underneath, Joe thought, trying to take his mind off things he couldn't change. He went to his B-4 bag, and located the bra with the wide set straps, which wouldn't show from under the straps of the sundress. He then found a matching panty, and took the things over to the bed. He didn't remove the cover up, but pulled it down to his waist as he put the almost transparent bra on. Wearing it felt strangely sexy, just as when he had tried it on in the store. Joe found that wearing women's clothing, even underwear, sometimes seemed so frivolous. But, for some reason, it made him feel good about himself again.

Next, Joe stepped out of the romper, and quickly pulled on the nylon, nude colored, panties. He found a half slip, and pulled it over his hips. He decided he would see how he looked without nylon hose, since that would be much cooler.

Slipping into the red dress, Joe struggled to fasten the buttons at the back. When he finally got them closed, he checked his reflection in the mirror. The dress fit his shapely contours, and was quite feminine looking. Without the wig, his face seemed somewhat out of place above his attractive figure. He needed the hairpiece to give him the look he wanted. Joe carefully moved his own hair around, trying to find some way to comb it that might make the length seem even a little feminine. He decided that, at least for a while, he would need the wig.

Joe walked over to the open bathroom door. Jay was in the shower, and the curtain was drawn. Joe went into the bathroom, grabbed his wig, and quickly left the steamy room.

He placed the hairpiece on his head, and found that it needed a little brushing to get it back into the shape it was in yesterday. The steam had caused the wig to get slightly curly, and it was difficult to get into place. Joe needed his hairbrush, which was in his shaving kit.

With the disheveled wig on his head, Joe went back into the bathroom and began looking for his brush in the little cosmetic bag Linda had prepared for him. As he was doing that, Jay turned off the shower, and slid the curtain open. He looked at Joe, who felt a bit embarrassed, standing next to his wet, naked pal. Jay looked at him, and grinned widely.

"Hey, you look good in that, Joe," Jay said, as he stepped from the tub. "The hair makes you look even more beautiful. I even like that unruly look."

"I'm trying to get rid of the 'unruly' look," Joe said. "I left the wig in here, and the steam hasn't helped it any. I hope I can get it back into shape."

"Don't worry, I know you'll look fantastic either way," Jay advised.

Joe quickly left the bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror, and brushed the hairpiece until it was as close as he could make it to how it had been.

As he examined himself critically, he remembered the little ear rings. He found them, and snapped them on his ears. He didn't like the way they felt, but they did set off his face. The little golden disks contrasted well with his tanned skin. He smoothed the dress down his hips, and adjusted the way it fit around his bosom. He was doing that when Jay came out of the bathroom.

"I know I'm impressed," Jay said. He had seen Joe feel and squeeze his boob while adjusting his bra.

Joe didn't say anything. He was too embarrassed.

"The dress looks good on you," Jay said. He came over to where Joe was standing. Coming up behind Joe, he reached up touched one of the small earrings Joe had carefully snapped on, which were just visible below his hairpiece.

"These are nice too," Jay said. "Where did you get them?"

"Linda sent them with me," Joe said. "I wore them yesterday, too. They're hers. I don't have any of my own, so far."

"Are these your clothes?" Jay asked.

"Yeah. I bought this the other evening, before we came out here. Karen helped pick it out," Joe said. He spun around, so Jay could look at him.

"She has good taste," Jay said. "Is Honeybone paying for all this new stuff?"

"Well, no, not so far. I haven't given it much thought. I've just been getting what I need...whatever I need. I haven't thought much about who should be paying for it," Joe answered.

"I think, if you keep the receipts, and keep a record of all the expenses you incur, you'll probably find them more than willing to cover them. I'm sure they're worried stiff about the legal ramifications of what has happened to you guys... er, girls... ah women." The attorney in Jay was again struggling to come out.

"I guess I've still got most of my sales slips," Joe said. "I'll ask Jim about it when we get back."

"I really think you should," Jay said. "Especially if you're going to stay this way."

"What does that mean?" Joe asked curiously. "If I'm going to stay this way."

"You know... if you're going to remain a woman... you might find that a lot of things about your life are going to change... and you might be needing all the financial help you can get."

"Jim said that he thought Honeybone would let us keep our jobs," Joe said. "Whatever I look like now, I still have the same skills... the same education, as I always had. I may not be quite as strong as before, but I can still do everything I have to do." Irritated, Joe heard his voice rise as he spoke.

Jay quickly dressed wearing the same clothes as he came with. When he was ready, he turned to Joe.

"Are you going to check out this morning?" Jay asked.

"I guess we should," Joe answered. "I'll see what Karen thinks." He went to the phone, and dialed the room next door.

"Karen, Joe here. Are we going to leave from the clinic?" Joe asked.

"Yeah. I think so," Karen said. "I don't know what they will want to do with Tim, but he can probably leave with us, too."

"How's he doing?" Joe asked. He wondered how the newest victim of the change was adjusting.

"Well, I think ok," Karen answered. "He took a shower, and now he's trying on some clothes. I think he's facing the same problem adjusting as you are. I think he likes some things, but is having a problem accepting it, especially if it might be permanent."

"Yeah, I know exactly how he feels," Joe said knowingly. Everything was much easier to take, if you could think of it all as temporary.

"I think we should bag up," Karen said. "If we do have to stay tonight, we can check in again."

"I'll call Dave and Mike," Joe said. "I'll see you in about a half hour, for breakfast." He hung up the phone.

Joe called the others, and told them to get ready to check out. He hung up the phone again, and got his things together. He picked up the B-4 bag, and was starting to carry it out, when Jay took it away from him.

"I'll carry that for you," Jay said.

With a bit of irritation in his voice, Joe started to object. When he looked at his friend's face, he saw a strange expression ... one he had never seen before.

"I... I can carry this. Joe said faintly.

"But, you know I can do it easier," Jay said, the look still in his eyes. "And anyway, I want to."

Suddenly, Joe realized that the relationship with his best friend was now very different. They may still have the same interests, and hobbies, but now... there was at least one big difference... they had slept in the same bed. They had made love... as a man... and a woman. They had been close friends, but now, they were also lovers. It was very obvious that Jay could not ignore the fact that his best friend was now an attractive woman.

Joe and Jay found seats in the lobby. Before long, Dave joined them, and he was soon followed by Mike. Dave was wearing another jumpsuit, this one in a yellow color, which fit his new shape quite well. Although Joe was becoming familiar with what had happened to his own body, it was still always a little shock when he saw what had happened to his friends.

Mike was still wearing his male clothing, but his braless chest was now quite evident, his prominent nipples poking at his shirt, bobbing as he walked toward them. Joe wondered if Mike was still changing and developing, or if it just seemed so, now that he knew what his friend looked like. Mike seemed oblivious to his appearance.

Mike greeted them, and found a seat on the couch, next to Joe. "I don't know," Mike said quietly to Joe. "I was watching ESPN, and I found myself feeling strange... I was actually watching the guys... they... I had trouble concentrating on the game... what the hell is happening? Am I turning queer? I don't know what's going on with me." He looked at Joe, as if he had the answer to the confusion.

"Yeah. I know what you're saying," Joe agreed. "I guess we're all finding new things about ourselves every day." It was hard to put into words, what was going through his mind.

They had sat there only a minute or two, when Karen walked into the lobby, followed closely behind by a very self conscious looking Tim, who was wearing a feminine looking top, and pants which were almost too snug around his now larger hips. The clothes were probably Karen's, and it was apparent that Tim was a bit more well endowed than she was. He had never worn a bra before, and he self consciously tried to conceal his bulging breasts, which now seemed even larger, supported by the bra, by awkwardly holding an arm across his chest.

Tim stood next to Karen and greeted the others, who remained seated.

"You look real good, Tim," Joe said, trying to build the young guy's ego, but not really knowing how to go about it.

"Yeah. Real good. I feel like Dolly Parton," Tim said, cupping a breast with his hand for emphasis.

"It isn't that bad," Joe countered. "It just feels that way because you're not used to having them yet. Before long, you'll forget they're there."

"Do you?" Tim asked simply.

"Well...no, I guess I don't," Joe answered truthfully. "But I think I have adjusted to them being there."

"Then maybe I will too, sometime," Tim continued. "But right now, it's embarrassing as hell." He took a seat on the couch.

"Let's get something to eat," Joe suggested. "We can discuss what we want to do as far as checkout."

"Good idea," Jay said. "I know I've got to get to the airport, and see that the plane is fixed. I have to be in Phoenix by this afternoon."

They went into the hotel coffee shop, and ordered breakfast. As they waited, they decided on the plan of action.

"Ok then, as soon as we're done here, we all check out, and then we drive Jay to the airport. I'll call Dr. Krell, tell him what we have planned, and confirm the best times," Karen said.

"What will they do with me?" Tim asked. He had no idea what was in store for him.

"I think you'll find out what it's really like to be a woman today." Dave said, breaking his now customary silence.

"They'll probably give want to take some blood samples, and give you a physical." Karen explained to the young man.

"Yeah, and I'm sure you've never had one like they're gonna give you," Mike said. " They'll be poking things into openings you probably don't realize you have."

"Don't worry, Tim," Joe said. "We've all survived it. It's not that bad." He was trying to quell the look of concern that was on Tim's quite attractive features.

"Will I have to get undressed around people?" Tim asked.

"Well, yeah, but don't worry, you'll find that Dr. Krell won't think you're strange, or do anything to embarrass you. He'll only try to help you to cope with what's happened," Joe explained.

"I hope he can do more than help me cope," Tim said. "I don't want to have to get used to the way wearing a bra feels, I want him to make me not have to wear it." He pulled at the straps, which apparently were digging into his shoulders.

"If he can, he will," Karen said. "And if he can't, nobody can."

"Well, let's get going," Joe said. "We have a lot to do today. Go up and get your things and check out. I'll meet everyone at the desk in fifteen minutes."

They all went back to their rooms. Joe and Jay, since they had already brought Joe's bag down, went out into the waiting area.

In a few minutes, they all met and checked out. Then they took their things to the car and drove Jay to the airport.