Madison awoke feeling like a new woman. She propped herself out of bed and took a moment to appreciate how the blankets hung on her developing form before casting them aside. She opted to not change out her nightie and to instead wander into her kitchen in the hopes of scavenging something edible.

There she found Abigail pouring herself some cereal into a bowl of milk. You know, like a madwoman.

"Oh god, you put milk first?" Madison said.

"Look, you're allowed to realize you're trans after going on hormones, I'm allowed to eat cereal weird." Abigail said.

"Forget literally everything that happened yesterday, because we are no longer friends." Madison said as she grabbed a banana.

"Oh, you don't mean that." Abigail said.

"You're right, I don't but I think it shows just how grave a war crime you're committing right now."

"Wanna watch Gilmore Girls?"

"Gladly."

With that they put on the show and ate their breakfasts in tired silence. By the time the second episode wrapped up they were finished they felt at least somewhat rejuvenated from the previous night, and now Madison could get to asking some questions.

"Ok, so you sad you had a reason for not freaking out over me being trans." Madison said.

"I also said it's a long story." Abigail said. "and now that I'm thinking about it, I might not be the best one to tell it."

Abigail stood up and dusted the cheerios crumbs off her night shirt.

"Get dressed," she said, "there's someone I want you to meet."

 

***

 

The two girls pulled up to a small one story home in a not-great part of town. Abigail stepped out, followed by Madison.

"Welcome to Casa de Summers." Abigail said.

Madison gave the place a once-over. The front brick wall was dirty, and the siding on the other walls definitely needed replacing.

"Yeah, I know it isn't much," Abigail said, "but it's mine." She walked up to the front door and unlocked it. "Well, mine and hers, but my name's on the lease."

"Wait, what?" Madison said.

"Look, it'll all make sense in a minute, ok?" Abigail said. "Just come on in."

Madison followed Abigail into the house. The interior was much cleaner than the exterior would have led Madison to believe, although the style of everything seemed to be stuck about fifteen years in the past. She remembered how those LED light strips that ran along the ceiling had been so in vogue when she was younger. It seemed like everyone had them.

They walked through a narrow hallway until they emerged into a living room. An old sofa with plush cushions was pressed up against one wall, and opposite that was a small flatscreen that had some old consoles hooked up to it. Sitting on the sofa was a woman who looked just a little bit younger than Abigail and Madison. She had a mane of blonde hair that went down to the middle of her back, and she was wearing an oversized sweater that had sequins sewed in. She was wrapped in a video game she was playing; Madison glanced at the TV and saw that she was playing as some Victorian-era woman fighting monsters with a huge saw. Madison made a mental note to ask her the name of the game so she could check it out later.

"I'm home, Goldie." Abigail said.

The woman apparently named Goldie looked up and smiled when she saw Abigail walk in.

"Hey Abby." She said. Her smile faded when she turned to look at Madison. "Is that..."

Abigail nodded. "She finally said it."

"Said what?" Madison said.

"Oh my gosh, welcome to the winning side!"

Goldie threw her controller aside and leapt up to hug Madison.

"Boobs, boobs, sensitive boobs." Madison said.

"Oh my god, sorry!" Goldie said. She let go of Madison and held her by the shoulders."Abigail's been showing me the footage and the texts and everything. I had my doubts but...wow, you're turning out great!"

"I told you she'd get there eventually." Abigail said. "You should listen to me more often."

"If I did that you'd have taken me to go see John Wick 7 for a date night."

"What, action movies can be romantic!"

"Oh you." Goldie said. She wrapped her arms around Abigail's waist and stood up on her tiptoes so she could could kiss her.

"Oh..." Madison said.

Goldie broke off the kiss and looked at Madison with a concerned expression, then back to Abigail. "You haven't told her yet?" Goldie said.

"Oh, uh, no," Abigail said as she rubbed her neck, "I figured it'd be best for you to handle that."

Goldie sighed. "You crack her egg and then except me to pick up the pieces of her shell."

"Hey, she cracked her own egg."

"Egg?" Madison asked.

Goldie sighed again and gestured towards the sofa.

"I'll grab y'all some drinks." Abigail said as Madison and Goldie sat down.

"Ok, but you're telling her your half of the story." Goldie said. Abigail gave her a thumbs up from the kitchen.

"Ok, so, where are you at identity wise?" Goldie said.

"Um, I'm a woman," Madison said, "she/her pronouns."

"Ok, same." Goldie said.

"I do have some questions though." Madison said. "About like, everything."

"Do you want to start with me and Abby, or you?"

"Um, me I guess, but also kind of you, because Abigail said that she wanted me to meet you, but I don't--"

"I'm trans too."

Madison blinked. "Oh, wow, the hormones were good to you."

"Thank you," Goldie said, "although I will say I'll jealous you got the accelerated stuff. I had to go the long way around, but hey, got there eventually."

"So, um...how did you know?" Madison said. "Because, well, I don't think I had the typical trans experience."

Goldie giggled. "Well, you want to be a girl, so I'd say it's pretty normal. But as for me, I just kind of....never fit in with boys growing up. They were just so....bleh, you know? I mean I know a few good guys but hanging out with other girls was just so much less draining. And, well, eventually I kind of got jealous, because like, why do girls get to do makeup and nails and stuff? Not that guys can't do that sort of thing, but for me personally the idea of doing that sort of thing while having like, my guy bod was just...ick."

Madison nodded in solidarity.

"But, um, I lived with my mom and she's not, the most supportive of trans people, and so, I had to hide it for a while. Then I moved out, met Abigail and well..."

Abigail sat down next to Goldie and set a tray of various sodas and beers on the coffee table. Goldie smiled and kissed Abigail again.

"We met, she helped me get me started on hormones, and thing was, um, I didn't tell my mom. And then I went to tell her after a few months on the 'mones, and uh, she didn't take it well. Called me...all sorts of things, and then she sent me, like, a whole playlist of Muckraker videos because she said they showed 'what's really going on' and they proved how I was just...ill, and we haven't really talked since."

Madison's stomach went straight to her feet. She suddenly felt so cold, so empty.

"Were...were my videos..."

Goldie didn't respond.

Next thing she knew she was wrapping her arms around Goldie.

"I'm, I'm so..."

Madison couldn't finish her sentence. She felt hot tears pouring down her cheeks, and she became racked with sobs. She'd spent years not caring about what she said on her show, caring only about her fame, her sub count, and now the effect of her words was staring her right in the face. This girl's mother had disowned her because of her, because of the company she worked for, and it was so stupid, because she'd spent years hurting people like Goldie without having known anyone actually like her, without even realizing that they were just alike. Why had she put up with manhood, with Stone, with the whole Muckraker enterprise for so long? Why?

No, she shouldn't act like she'd stumbled into this. She knew why.

She managed to separate herself from Goldie. She wiped away her tears as best she could and then he took some deep breaths.

"Maddy..." Abigail said.

"Years ago," Madison began, "I...I never felt that much like a boy. But one time, years and years ago, I was hanging out with these guys, playing video games, and one of them complained about how the women in the game weren't wearing skimpy enough outfits. And the guys started laughing, and so I said that they should have added like, a nudity mode or something, and then they started laughing, and I thought I was doing it, I was being a man.  I was always just trying to do what they did so I wouldn't get made fun of. And it was so dumb, but when they started laughing I thought, this is it, I can do this, I can just do this and it'll be enough, so I started looking at what guys were angry about and yelled into a mic about it. And more and more people listened, and I kept going, and then somewhere in there I think I just...stopped thinking about it. Started actually believing in it. And next thing I know I'm on the hormones, and, and--"

Goldie put her hands on Madison's shoulders.

"I don't know how many people I've hurt." Madison choked out.

"Madison," Goldie said, "I'm not going to say that what you did was OK. I'm not going to say that you have nothing to make up for. But I want to tell you that the fact you feel bad about it, the fact you want to do want to make up for it, that is worth something." Goldie moved her hands down and clasped her hands around Madison's. "When Abigail told me about what you were doing, I thought it was gonna end terribly. I only knew you as the old you. But I'm so happy to get the chance to know the real you."

Madison tried to say something, cried instead, and embraced Goldie. She dug her face into Goldie's shoulder, and she felt Abigail wrap her arms around the both of them.

The three women eventually separated, and Madison wiped her tears away.

"Wait, hold on, I don't..." Madison said; she realized her voice was shaking and she tried to regain her composure. "Abigail, why are you..."

"At Muckraker?" Abigail said. "Well, after Goldie told me about her mom and how she'd fallen down this right-wing rabbit hole, how they turned a mother against her kid, I was just...livid. But then I got an email from one Mr. Stone. Said he saw my little rink-a-dink YouTube channel and thought I'd be worth something to Muckraker. And then I thought 'Someone should take them down a peg'."

Madison's eyes went wide. "You're like...a spy?"

Goldie groaned. "Don't get her started, she made me change her name to 'Agent Summers' in my contacts."

"Look, babe, it's a grade A bit." Abigail said. She turned back to Madison. "But yeah, I've been trying to ingratiate myself to Muckraker to see if there's like, some skeletons in their closet. Then I'll bring those to the real press and the whole place will come tumbling down. At least, that was the original plan..."

Abigail trailed off, and she and Goldie looked at her expectantly.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Madison said.

"Girl, you're it!" Abigail exclaimed. "You're the new and improved plan! Can you imagine what'll happen to Muckraker's rep when we show the world this 'documentary' and show that you're...you?"

"What?" Madison said. "I mean, me, I'm just-"

"Someone who still had some pull with conservatives when she took a 'health break'." Goldie said. "And who's now a happy girl."

"It destroys the whole freaking premise Stone is using!" Abigail said. "Anyone who looks at you now and you back then is going to see that you're doing better, and it'll show them that hormones aren't just something guys take to get one over on girls, they're something that can save lives."

Madison wiggled in her seat. They weren't wrong; if the plans behind the documentary ever got out, and then Madison showed the world who'd she'd become, then all of Muckraker's assumptions about trans people might as well be gone with the wind. She thought about the snide remarks that Stone would make about how trans people (like me, she thought) were sick, how they didn't know what they were doing, how he wanted to stop people giving the medicine that had made Madison feel like a human being again. And then what she had to do became obvious.

"Let's burn em to the ground."

 

***

One Week Later

Madison sat slumped in her chair, staring directly into the camera. She put on her best depressed face and pressed record.

"Honestly, the boobs are getting to be a pain." Madison said. "They're really doing a number on my back, and I got to wear this bra all the time. And the SWEAT, woof, you wouldn't believe it. Underboob sweat is real, friends. But, uh, I think that's all I got for today. Can't wait to see what fresh hells await me tomorrow."

Madison pressed the stop button, went to the mirror and hugged her chest as tight as she could.

"Oh, I'm SOOOOOO sorry I said that about you girls, it was all just acting, I promise." Madison said. "You gals know I couldn't do anything without you."

Once her guilty conscience felt better, she let go of herself and looked in the mirror. The Hyper-E was still doing it's job nicely. Her chest was filling out, and she was starting to get some real substance to her hips (to the point she'd started bumping into things she didn't bump into before). She was very happy with what the hormones were doing to her, and she could only hope that her acting skills would lead Stone to believe otherwise.

It was all a part of the plan that the trio of girls had come up with that day at Abigail's house. They'd send Stone footage of what he'd expected, a cis guy suffering from getting the wrong hormones. But privately, they were filming Madison having the time of her life; going clubbing, hanging out with Goldie, going clothes shopping, getting mani-pedis, the works. Then, when she made her debut as her girl self in a few months, they'd put out all the footage and show the Muckraker audience all the fun she'd been having.

Madison pulled herself away from the mirror and began uploading her video diary to the Google Drive folder where she kept all the other entries. As she watched the progress bar tick away, she felt her phone vibrate. She picked it up and saw that it was none other than Stone himself. She took a deep breath and picked up the phone.

"Hey, Mr.Stone, what's up?" she said.

"Hey Owens," Stone said, "just wanted to check in on ya. The footage you've been uploading is a bit worrying."

"Oh, I'm pushing through." Madison said. "It's for the documentary, after all."

"Hmmmmm." Stone said. "You know, I was thinking of sending Nathan over to your place to do a wellness check, so to speak. Give you a break from Abigail and dealing with women."

Madison was frankly amazed at how casually misogynistic her boss could be sometimes. "Uh, yeah, that sounds good, actually."

"Great! I'll send him over in just a bit." With that, Stone hung up. Madison pulled up her group chat with the other girls.

Madison: OK guys, bad news

Madison: I think I did too good a job

Madison: Stone is sending Nathan Emerson over for a 'wellness check'

Goldie: It's ok, just keep doing what you've been doing.

Madison: Yeah but like

Madison: what if I screw up

Abigail: Based on what you've told us I think it'll be easy for him to buy that youre not liking the hormones

Abigail: Just don't go overboard with it

Abigail: chill with him for an hour and then you'll be fine

Madison: OK

Madison: I can do this

Madison: Thx girls

Madison put away her phone and got to work. She threw on some sweatpants and a baggy white t-shirt over her sports bra and boyshorts, wiped off her makeup and messed up her hair just a little bit. By the time she was done she had a created a very tomboy look for herself, like she was a guy who didn't know how to be a woman. She hoped it'd be a convincing act. Then she sat on her couch and waited for Nathan to arrive. She hadn't seen him in person since that day in the elevator weeks ago, and she hadn't watched any of his new episodes (or any of Muckraker's shows; she didn't want them to get her views anymore). She hoped that he wouldn't be too freaked out by how much she'd changed. She say nervously watching episodes of Gilmore Girls until she heard a knock on the door. She paused the show and went to answer it.

She opened the door to find Nathan standing there in surprisingly casual clothes. He wore a baggy black hoodie and cargo pants. A light coat of stubble covered his chin.

Madison watched as Nathan's eyes went wide as he took in her new body. "Oh, wow," Nathan said, "You look...good."

Madison couldn't help but smile, but then remembered she wasn't suppose to be enjoying this too much. "Yeah, but it takes a LOT of work to look this good."

"Oh, um, yeah." Nathan said. "Can I come in?"

"Oh yeah, come on." Madison stepped aside to let Nathan in. She couldn't help but notice how he seemed so nervous. He was moving as if everything in her apartment was made of glass, and whenever he glanced at her she noticed a sort of look in his eyes, like he was sizing her up.

"So, how are you?" Nathan said as he sat on the couch.

"Right now it's not too bad." Madison said. "Abigail dragged me around town last week and made me try on all these girl clothes, but for now I get to just kind of slum it."

"Did you like, pick out a new name?"

"Oh, uh, I'm thinking Madison, but I haven't gotten used to it yet."

Nathan nodded, then noticed the TV. "Gilmore Girls?"

"Oh yeah, Abigail got me into it." She said, unable to hide how much she'd been enjoying it.

Nathan just nodded. Why did he look so sad when she said that? Was he like, mourning his old self, lamenting how another man had realized she was a girl?

"So y'all like, do each other's makeup and stuff?" Nathan asked.

"Um, yeah sometimes." Madison said. "Abigail said I should learn how if I want to be like, a convincing woman."

"Well, I'd say you're pulling it off." Nathan said.

That comment took Madison aback. "Thank you." Madison said.

"I mean, even your whole like, posture and stuff is different." Nathan said. "Before you were always like, hunched over if you weren't on camera, and it seemed like you were always just awkward, but now you're confident and you...you look..."

Madison sat up as she noticed a tear roll down Nathan's cheek.

"You're pretty." Nathan said, before wiping the tear away. 

Ok, something is up. Madison thought. Why is Nathan Emerson of all people about to break down on my couch?

"Hey, Nathan, are you ok?" Madison asked,

Nathan mumbled something she couldn't hear, and then he said "Have you seen my show lately?"

Madison shook her head no. When Nathan didn't respond, she took out her phone and went to the Muckraker YouTube channel and scrolled till she found the last episode of Nathan's show. The video was titled "GENDER RADICAL ADVOCATES FOR FREE HRT". She scrolled further. "FATHER COMES HOME TO FIND SON IN DRAG". And on it on it went; for as long as Madison had been taking hormones, Nathan had been taking shots at trans people.

"Wow, guess hearing Stone's plan made you really wanna go after the gender mob, huh?" Madison said.

Nathan shook his head. "Oh my god, you still don't get it."

Madison frowned. "Get what?"

Nathan steepled his fingers. He seemed to be considering his words carefully. "I...I wanted to try and do what you were trying to do with the documentary."

Madison put her hands on her hips and did her best to look annoyed. "Well, yeah, I figured as much. Trying to cut into my turf, I see how it is."

"No, it's not that," Nathan said, his voice more tense now, "I just, I didn't want you to like, actually become a girl. Because...because if you did it, and you liked it..."

Whatever animosity Madison had towards Nathan didn't matter at that moment. Not when he was looking at her with such a desperate look in his eyes. She stood still as he looked into her face.

"You do like it." Nathan said. "I can tell."

Madison's thoughts became a cartoon dust cloud of swear words as she tried to formulate a plan. If Nathan told Stone about how she liked being a girl Stone would definitely blow a gasket and shut down the whole thing, and Abigail's effort wouldn't mean anything, and Goldie-

Wait.

Was Nathan sobbing?

Madison pulled herself out of her own brain and looked at Nathan. He had his head in his hands, and he was crying into them. Madison had no idea what to do; of all the things she expected to happen today, this was near the bottom of the list. She stood there awkwardly, not knowing if she should try to hug him or give him space, when she heard him muttering something. She leaned forward just a bit to listen in.

"I didn't think it was possible," he muttered, "I thought, I thought I could make it go away, I thought if I got angry enough it would stop, but it hasn't, it just hasn't, why didn't I say yes to Stone, why, why..."

Yes to Stone? About what?

Wait.

Wait a minute.

Could it really be--

No, that'd be---

Well, she did kind of do the same thing.

But what if she was wrong?

She had to try something, Nathan was having a full on breakdown.

She sat down slowly on the couch next to him. Nathan was trying to take deep breaths, which were occasionally broken by more sobs.

"Why didn't I just say yes in that stupid meeting?" Nathan said. "Why did you have to be braver than me?"

"Nathan..." Madison said as she put a hand on his shoulder, "do you want to be a girl?"

That did it.

Nathan stopped sobbing and looked at her like she was a wild animal, then he got up from the couch and bolted out the door, slamming it behind him as he went. Madison sat on her couch in shock for a few moments before she regained her senses. She whipped out her phone and sent a message to the group chat.

Madison: Emergency situation. Nathan's in trouble. Will update shortly.

With that done, she tucked her phone into her sweatpants, grabbed her car keys from the hook by the front door, and ran after Nathan.