:=: Samantha :=:

Stepping out of the theatre and into into the cool night air together, Nikki hesitated for just a second as she scanned the parking lot. Then she was off, pulling a key-fob out of her jacket pocket. Samantha followed silently, trying not to let on just how nervous she was.

As they approached a cute little black hatchback, Nikki thumbed the fob. The doors unlocked, and Sam settled into the passenger seat then reached around to get her seatbelt buckled up.

In the drivers seat, Nikki just sort of slumped a bit, and stared down at the steering wheel. There was a slight frown on her face, and she appeared to be deep in thought.

After a few moments, Sam asked softly, "Uh... Nikki? Is something wrong?" Sam's head was still spinning and she had a cold heavy feeling in her stomach. She didn't know exactly what her spell had done, only that it had had a far greater effect than she could have believed possible.

Nikki took a deep breath, then sighed, her eyes still down. She then spoke, her voice starting out a bit quiet but rising in pitch and volume as she continued, "Yeah, something's wrong. Like, the thing where you're a witch? And you turned me into a girl?" Nikki finally turned to look at Sam. "How's that for what's wrong?" She didn't actually seem angry, but she did sound like she was confused and stressed.

Samantha's eyes widened and the gulped. Now it felt like her blood was going cold ontop of everything else. She hesitated, then asked softly, "Uh... yeah.... So... what do you remember?"

Nikki continued frowning as she replied, "A lot of things... it's like... I have two sets of memories? I remember my whole life as Nicole... but I can also remember my life as Nick..." she considered, then added "The Nick memories aren't as clear though. Stuff's... missing I guess. Or fuzzy... Like, I remember Nick was big into cars, and drove a red muscle-car, but I don't remember what kind. And I'm pretty sure he worked as a mechanic, but I have no idea where..."

Sam frowned as she took this in, then asked nervously "So... you're saying that you and Nick are like... different people?"

Nikki seemed puzzled by that question and frowned more, "Yes? No. Maybe? I mean, I know I used to be him, and I have his memories in my head, but... It's hard to feel like that was me, because I also have all my own memories too. And mine feel more real, even though I know they're not, because I know 2 hours ago I was him. Until you zapped me into..." She gestured down at herself, "Into this."

Samantha went quiet, not sure how to respond. After a few moments of awkward silence, she realized that Nikki had just referred to herself as Nicole a moment ago. She then asked "I hope this doesn't upset you but... what name would you like me to call you?"

Nikki was still frowning, and pursed her lips for a moment, then replied, "Nicole is my actual name, Nikki is a nickname, and I suppose you can use either."

Sam nodded, "Thanks... sorry I just wanted to be sure."

Nikki sighed "Whatever. So now I gotta ask: What the fuck?! What the Actual Fuck?! How did you even do all this? I mean, you didn't just change me... Brooke didn't even notice Nick was gone! You even changed my fucking car! How did you do all this? And what else has changed? Do my folks think I've always been a girl? Do I really have a job selling makeup at the mall? Did you change the whole fucking world somehow?!"

Sam just gulped and shook her head "I'm sorry... I don't know. I have no idea how all this happened... I didn't... I didn't mean for anything like this... I'm... as shocked as you are..."

Nicole stared at her, "Yeah, unless your entire life just changed from being a guy to being a girl, I don't think you're quite as shocked as I am."

Sam looked down, "Sorry..."

Nicole just stared for a few moments longer, then sighed "Ok... So why don't you know what's going on with your own spell? And how do we fix it?"

Feelings of guilt were stirring again in Samantha's gut, and she kept her eyes down as she confessed, "I've never tried that spell before... I must have... done something wrong." She sighed, then took a deep breath and continued, "Ok... I need to figure out what happened. Once I know what happened, then I can figure out what we can do about it. So... lets go and get coffee, like you said. I need some time to think and unravel this in my head. All right?"

Nicole seemed to think it over, then finally nodded, "Fine. I know a place nearby, the coffee's ok, and they do really nice cakes and pastries and stuff. They're licensed too, which is good because I could really use a drink." Nicole finally started the car and they pulled out of the multiplex lot.

As they drove in silence, Samantha started putting together a plan. Once they were settled with some coffee, she could do a little knowledge spell to help her see the truth of what had happened to Nicole. That ought to give her enough information for her to figure out a next step.

After just two or three minutes, they pulled up infront of a small cafe called "Just Desserts." It was still open, but appeared empty.

Inside, as the two of them approached the counter, Sam's attention was drawn to the contents of the large chilled display case. It was stocked with a variety of decadent-looking cakes, pastries, cupcakes, and cookies. Everything looked fresh, and very tempting.

"Good evening ladies. What can I get you?" Sam turned her attention back to the counter, where an attractive older woman was standing. She looked to be in her late 30s or early 40s, brown hair done up in a bun, and wearing dark slacks, a white blouse, a brown apron, and a name-tag that identified her as 'Carys'.

Nicole was looking at the dessert display, and pointed "I'll have a piece of the 'Death by Chocolate' cake. And a large Irish coffee."

Carys then looked to Sam, "And for you, dear?" she looked to Sam.

Samantha eyed the various goodies but wasn't sure she wanted to eat so much sugar. The prices were a little high too, she noted. They sure looked good though. She answered, "I'll have an Irish coffee as well. Small though please." then asked Nicole, "Mind if I just share a bite or two of your cake?"

Nicole made a face, "Fuck off, get your own." then added "Also, this is your treat. I'm gonna go sit down." and with that she turned and stalked towards the back of the cafe.

Carys frowned a little, looking a bit concerned and taken aback by Nicole's tone.

Sam smiled apologetically and lied, "Sorry about that... we uh... had a fight and... I'm trying to make it up to her?"

The older woman's expression turned to a sympathetic smile. "Oh, you poor dear. I'm sure she'll come around. You two look like a beautiful couple."

Sam blushed a little at that, "Uh, thanks... Could I get a piece of the Black Forest cake please?"

"Of course, dear." Carys rang up the order and Sam sighed a little at the price. She fished her bank card out of the pocket of her hoodie, and figured it'd be nothing but packaged ramen next week. Ah well, such was the life of a poor University student.

The payment terminal beeped and spat out a receipt, and Carys smiled "You go join your friend, dear, I'll bring everything over in a moment."

Sam nodded, "Thank you." and headed off after Nicole.

The seating towards the back was quite comfortable and rather private. Nicole was in one of two cushioned wingback chairs, and her purse and jacket were in the other. Facing the two wingbacks was an empty love-seat, and in the middle was a small table.

Sam pulled off her hoodie and settled into the love-seat across from Nikki, dumping her hoodie on the seat beside her.

"She'll bring the food and coffee over in a minute..." her voice trailed off a little as her eyes went over the goth girl sitting across from her. It was the first time she'd really taken a good look at Nicole in decent light, and Sam realized she was just...stunning.

:=: Nicole :=:

Nikki watched as Samantha got comfortable on the love-seat, and suppressed a smile. She felt a little amused, and perhaps a bit pleased, as she realized Sam was checking her out again. Of course, it was their first good face to face look at each other, so she did the same, looking the young witch up and down. Sam was taller than her by a few inches, and had a little more weight on her. Not fat by any means, but pleasantly curvy.

Samantha had a sort of casual / hippy vibe to her, Nicole decided. The long ruffled black skirt looked comfortable, as did the black leggings she had on under that. The v-neck t-shirt did nothing to conceal her ample chest. Sam's wavy brown hair stopped just shy of her shoulders, and her hazel eyes were dark and seemed full of emotion. Though right now that emotion seemed to be a mix of confusion, worry, and maybe some guilt.

Sam wasn't wearing earrings, and it didn't look like her ears were even pierced. The only jewelry Nicole could see on her was that silver pentacle, hanging around her neck by a loose black cord. She noted Sam wasn't wearing any makeup, apart from some hastily applied lipstick.

Still, she decided Sam looked pretty, which surprised her a little. Nick had definitely preferred blondes, and appreciated when they spent time getting their make-up just right. Like Brooke, basically. Her new memories revealed she wasn't as picky about a physical 'type' or style. Sure she had some preferences, but what mattered more was the person. What they were like, and if she had an emotional connection with them.

Letting herself stare a little, she contemplated what it was that she found most attractive about Samantha. Finally she decided, it was probably those deep soulful eyes, and the honesty of her expressions, her emotions. And perhaps the fact that from what Nikki had seen, Sam was loyal and protective of her friends, and seemed deeply concerned with and responsible for Nikki's current predicament.

After a few moments, Nikki came to a realization. Despite this rocky start, she liked Sam and hoped they could be friends when this was all over with.

The two were still quietly regarding each other, when Carys appeared next to them with their food. She gave them both a friendly smile as she set down the plates and mugs, along with cutlery and napkins. Then she left as quietly as she'd arrived.

The aroma of chocolate and fudge had Nicole's mouth watering, and she wasted no time scooping up her fork and tucking in to the large decadent cake. Her eyes widened. Did chocolate always taste this good? How had she never noticed before! She sighed a little as she savoured the rich luxurious flavours.

As Nicole enjoyed her cake, she watched Samantha take a few small bites of her own. The two ate in silence for a few minutes, as they continued to observe each other. Then she noticed something strange - an odd little flicker in Sam's dark eyes, as if they'd reflected some strange light from somewhere.

It was so brief Nikki wasn't sure she'd even seen it, but it brought her mind back to the matters at hand. "So, what are you thinking? Any ideas yet on this... situation?"

Samantha nodded slowly, "Yeah...." she took a deep breath and then she began to quietly explain. "I was worried you... worried Nick was going to get violent. I was scared, I guess. I was preparing what I knew was a powerful spell, and I invoked the Goddess... when I actually cast it though, I... well I was vague. I didn't have a specific idea in mind, beyond 'teach him a lesson'. I think... the Goddess heard my words, and I think She decided to interpret my... unclear intentions. And that's how... well that's how everything got changed so much."

She paused, then continued, still speaking softly, "I simply don't have the power to do all this. I think my magic went into invoking Her, and then She actually did the rest."

Nicole nodded slowly, and took another large bite of her cake, waiting for Samantha to continue.

Sam picked up her mug, using a spoon to scoop some of the whipped cream up and into her mouth, before taking a sip of the hot beverage. She then continued quietly, "I don't know why She chose that form for you, or why She made all the other changes... but I do know that the spell stopped too soon. It fizzled before it was done. That's why..." she hesitated, then finished, "That's why you're sort of, 'mentally in-between' I guess? With both sets of memories and... maybe feeling a bit conflicted about things."

Nicole stayed silent through the explanation, frowning as it sank in. So, this wasn't just Sam's doing, but some Goddess was involved? Not only was magic real, but there were Gods and they were real too... it was a lot to take in. She wouldn't have believed it, if she hadn't actually just experienced it first-hand.

She picked up her own mug, and took a few gulps from it. She saw Sam suppress a smirk as she realized she'd got whipped cream on her nose. She rolled her eyes and wiped it off on a napkin, then sighed as she felt the combined warmth of coffee and whiskey hit her belly. It was almost as nice as the chocolate cake.

Nikki continued to cradle the large mug in her hands, sipping it some more as she thought through what Sam had just told her. Processing the information, and formulating her next questions.

Finally she nodded and asked, "So... if the spell hadn't fizzled or whatever... what then? Would I have forgotten being Nick completely, like Brooke did? Forgot my old life entirely and just believed Brooke had set you and me up to meet?"

Sam shook her head slightly "I don't know... I don't know what the Goddess had planned. I'm sorry..."

Nikki then asked, "Do you know why it fizzled? What made it stop where it did?"

Samantha sighed, "Yeah... my fault again, I guess. The whole spell was directed at 'Nick', it was bound to him. At some point, you... your sense of self, sense of identity, shifted and you started thinking of yourself as Nicole, and the magic lost its target, and the spell sort of collapsed."

Nikki sighed and had another sip of her coffee, then asked, "Ok well more importantly, what can we do about it? What's the 'fix'? Can you undo all this? Or...?"

Samantha looked thoughtful for a bit, then finally responded, "Ok, there's a couple options I guess. I'll use an analogy to explain, it'll be easier than trying to describe the actual magic theories. So, picture a boulder, ontop of a hill. It's big, heavy, hard to move. But, once you do get it moving, gravity takes over and it's just going to roll down the hill right? There's some effort at first to get it going, then you just relax as it just keeps rolling on its own, till it gets to the bottom."

Nicole nodded quietly, and took another sip of her coffee.

Sam continued, "In our analogy, I'm the one who gave the boulder that initial push... I put in the effort to get it rolling, but the Goddess is the one who picked which direction it took as it rolled down the hill. And I guess in this analogy She's also gravity, pulling the stone downhill. Anyways, the spell lost its target, lost its momentum. Think of it like, the boulder ran into a tree, or got tangled in some bushes or something. It stopped before it got to the bottom of the hill, right?"

Nikki nodded again, waiting.

"So, these are the options: We can either give the boulder another push, get it past the blockage, and let it finish rolling down to the bottom of the hill. Or... we can try and push it all the way back up to the top of the hill, where it started. But that's going to take a lot more effort, fighting gravity all the way, to get it back up to the top."

Nicole frowned as she thought it through. "So what you're saying is, turning me back to Nick, undoing all the stuff the spell has changed, is going to be very, very hard. The easier option is to just push it the other way and... let the spell finish whatever it was doing to begin with?" She watched as Sam nodded, then asked "So in real terms, what's the difference? Like in terms of... how possible it is to do one or the other? And are there risks?"

Samantha hesitated, and Nicole figured it was going to be bad news. The cute witch finally spoke, "Ok... getting things rolling again and letting the spell finish... that shouldn't be too difficult. I could probably do that tonight, though it would be better in the morning, after a good night's sleep. The risk I guess, is that we won't know what that will do until it's done. The good news though is I think the spell was almost finished when it fizzled, so I doubt anything much more will happen."

Nicole nodded, and Sam continued, "Trying to reverse everything, back to the way it was at the beginning... would take huge amounts of power. It would take me... three to six months, to store up enough power to do that. Maybe even longer... and the risk with that is that it just doesn't work. We could work at it for half a year, and just have it fail and you're right back where you are now."

"Fuck." Nicole cursed softly. She kept her voice quiet, but there was anger in it as she spoke, "So my options are, let the magic finish doing it's thing, and no idea what that'll actually do to me, my memories, my personality. Or, I'm stuck like this for half a year and then maybe you can undo it, but also maybe not?" She was glaring a bit at Samantha now.

Samantha sighed. She looked sad, guilty, and sorry. Then her expression shifted slightly and became a bit defensive, and she replied quietly but with a little anger of her own, "You know, you did threaten to beat and/or rape me, and you were hurting and scaring Brooke... I'm not the one who started this. I was defending myself, and my friend."

Nikki deflated slightly, and felt her cheeks turning red. Sam was right. She... Nick... had been a complete asshole. She had no right to complain, after the things he... she... had said, the threats that had been made. She just whispered, "I'm sorry..." and then took another sip of her coffee.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes. Eventually, Nicole noticed the pressure in her bladder and sighed. "Watch my stuff ok? I'll be right back."

Without waiting for a reply, she got up and headed to the door marked Washrooms.

Nikki was glad to see the ladies' room was clean and tidy. There were two stalls, both empty. She felt some mild anxiety as she stepped into one and closed the door. On the one hand she had a lifetime of memories of being a girl, so this was all old hat to her. But on the other hand she also knew this was really her first time using a ladies' room. Her first time going to the washroom as a girl.

Still, she had the memories, she knew what to do. Skirt up, tights and thong down, she sat down and relieved herself.

Memories or not, it felt weird as hell to her. She avoided looking downwards, and as soon as she was done she wiped up then stood, flushed, and sorted out her clothes again. All without looking too closely at anything.

She stepped out of the stall and moved to the sink, then stopped in her tracks as she caught her reflection in the large mirror over the counter. There was a slight sense of deja-vu. She knew what she looked like from her memories, hell she remembered spending 45 minutes infront of a mirror doing her makeup this afternoon. But she also knew, this was the first time she'd actually seen herself.

Nicole moved slowly, as if in a trance, keeping her eyes fixed on her reflection as she washed her hands. She pulled a few paper towels from the dispenser and dried off, then dropped them in the bin. Then she just stood there for a few more moments, staring at herself.

Her flawless skin looked paler than it was, framed by her long jet-black hair. Her bright blue eyes almost seemed to sparkle. Her nose was small and cute, and her lips full and expressive.

Her lipstick was a deep plum purple. Her eyeshadow started as a similar dark purple along her eyelids, but faded into a lighter violet shade as it approached her perfectly arched eyebrows. Her lashes were long and thick, thanks to her expertly-applied mascara. There was just the faintest hint of rouge and shading highlighting her cheekbones.

She also realized, her ears weren't just pierced but the holes had been stretched. She had a pair of 10mm plugs in them, that appeared to be made of steel. And that little stud in her right nostril sparkled under the lights.

Overall, she had a definite goth look going on, but not so much that it was like a caricature. Just enough to make her look sexy, and maybe a teeny bit dangerous. She liked how it made her feel, looking like that.

Finally she whispered, "Damn... I'm hot..."

She glanced nervously towards the door, but figured the cafe was all but empty, nobody was going to walk in on her. She then tried a few different poses infront of the mirror. Sexy, cute, silly. She experimented with her expressions. Pouting, smiling, glaring, even sticking out her tongue, and finally just giggled at herself.

Then curiosity got the better of her, and with another nervous glance towards the door, she pulled her blouse up and off, to get a better look at herself. The black lace bra she was wearing was rather sexy, and the underwire C-cups accentuated her cleavage. She could clearly see the outlines of her large nipples, along with the outlines of the barbell jewellery that was pierced through them.

Her belly was flat, and her waist was narrow. She looked at her navel and wondered idly how that might look if it was pierced too. Her hips were wide but not exagerated, and turning sideways she could see her butt was shapely but not huge. Overall, her figure was slim but not too skinny.

She then ran some fingers over her head, through her hair, and smiled at how soft it was. She loved the feeling of it moving across her bare back, and how it sort of swished when she turned her head.

She tried another pose, without the blouse this time. One hip thrust out, hand on her hip, chest out a bit, one eyebrow raised. Yeah, she looked pretty damn good. That goddess had good taste, apparently. Still she wondered, why a goth look?

Then it hit her. She remembered Nick browsing his phone at work. He'd been checking out some goth chicks's photos. Nikki wasn't a duplicate, that girl was blonde of course, and looked a lot more emo and had a different body shape. But still, she had to have been the inspiration.

So, Nick had basically been turned into the sort of girl he'd been most recently turned-on by, huh? That was a little poetic justice, she supposed.

She focused back on her reflection again, letting her eyes slowly move up and down over herself.

After a few moments of staring, Nikki started to feel a little tingly. There was a warmth, and a sort of tightness or pressure inside, between her legs, as unfamiliar muscles tensed slightly, and she could see and feel her nipples pushing more at the fabric of her bra. She blushed, suddenly realizing she was getting turned on by her own reflection. She quickly pulled her blouse back on.

As she straightened out her hair and checked her make-up, she whispered to herself, "Is this really me now? Can I just... get used to this?"

She sighed, and frowned slightly at herself in the mirror.

:=: Samantha :=:

Sam watched as Nicole disappeared behind the washroom door, then let out another little sigh. "What the hell have I done..." She bit her lower lip as her mind reeled again over everything that had happened.

Ok, Nick was a violent dangerous asshole, and yes she had acted out of self defence. Hadn't she? But, Nicole seemed nice, and she hadn't done anything wrong. She didn't make those threats, did she? Or did she? Were they two different people, or not? If Nicole did want to go back to being Nick again, could Samantha do it? Should she even try? And was she even being objective about any of this? Or was she letting herself get distracted by Nicole's looks. She couldn't deny she found the girl attractive.

Sam sighed again, staring at her coffee. It was too much. She felt like no matter what she did next, it would be wrong one way or another.

"She'll come around dear, you'll see."

Samantha jumped a little, startled out of her thoughts. It was Carys, standing next to the table, giving her that warm friendly smile again.

"Oh... uh thanks... I don't know... I hope we can work things out..."

The older woman smiled, "You make too cute a couple not to. Have a little faith." She then asked "You're doing ok with the coffee? Would you like anything more?"

Sam was a bit surprised, as it seemed like the sort of place you had to go to the counter for service. Though with it being practically empty, she figured Carys was bored, and she did appreciate the woman's kindness. "Ah, no thanks, not at the moment."

Carys nodded and wandered back to the counter, leaving Samantha alone with her thoughts again.

Another couple of minutes passed, and finally Nicole returned. She had a slightly distant look on her face, lost in her own thoughts as well, perhaps.

"Hey, Nicole? Everything ok?"

Nikki slowly nodded, "Yeah. Just thinking... it's been a lot to take in, you know?" She hadn't looked up yet at Samantha. She continued to avoid meeting Sam's eyes, as she focused instead on the rest of her cake.

Sam watched as Nicole ate the last of the dark chocolate sponge and icing in silence, then carefully wiped a few crumbs from her lips. Finally she sat back in the wingback chair and looked up at Samantha.

"So... Basically I have three choices."

Sam raised her eyebrows, she knew what the first two options were. What was the third? She nodded for Nicole to continue.

"First off, I can walk out that door, get in my car, and never have to see you or your fucking witchy magic ever again." Nikki paused, then added "Downside is, I'm stuck like this, inside and out... I'd have to just get used to this new life as Nicole."

Samantha felt her stomach go cold at that. The thought of Nicole just walking away and leaving forever suddenly upset her more than she wanted to admit. She nodded slightly though, "Yeah... I guess that's one option..."

If Nicole noticed the conflicted emotions in Sam's voice, she didn't let on. She continued, "Second off, I wait maybe half a year, and try to not get used to this in the meantime, while I hope that you can do your magic whatever, and eventually undo all this stuff. Downside, maybe it doesn't work and I've been stuck for a half year in this weird identity limbo. Upside, I guess, is maybe all this is undone and things to back to the way they were..." her voice trailed off, as if she wasn't sure that 'upside' was actually all that positive.

Sam just nodded quietly.

Nikki then finished, "Last option, you do some magic tonight, or in the morning, and finish whatever stuff that goddess of yours had in store for me. Downside... we have no fucking idea what that might actually lead to. Upside... I guess whatever it is, it's over quickly. Kind of like, tearing the bandaid off fast?"

Sam nodded again, "Yeah... that's about it." she bit her lower lip, hesitating, then asked "So... do you know what you want to do?"

Nicole looked thoughtful again. She picked up her mug and stared into it for a few moments, then drank back the last of her coffee in a few deep sips.

"Yes." she finally answered, as she set the empty mug back down. She looked up, her brilliant blue eyes locked on Sam's. "We're going to go back to your place. We're going to have sex. Then we'll get some sleep. And then I'll tell you my decision in the morning."

Sam blinked, "Wh...what?" She could feel her cheeks going red.

Nikki smirked a little at her, "Oh don't act all shocked and embarrassed. We've been checking each other out on and off since the movie ended. I know you think I'm hot. I think you're hot. We're both gay. We'd be stupid to pass up the opportunity." She then added quietly, and with a blush of her own, "And I'm... curious to try out the new 'equipment'. So why not?"

Sam could feel her cheeks burning even more, and her mind reeling a little again in surprise, but she found herself nodding slightly as she quietly agreed, "O...ok..."

Nicole smiled and stood up. She pulled on her jacket and grabbed her purse and strode towards the door. Sam quickly grabbed her hoodie, struggling to pull it on as she hurried to catch up.

As she passed the counter, Carys just smiled at her, "Have a good night, you two!"

 

:=: Nicole :=:

Nikki had driven them both back to Sam's place. It was an older low-rise apartment building, actually not too far from the mall where Nicole worked.

They had chatted a bit during the short drive. Samantha had told her about being a student at Brock, and that she was interested in history, languages, and literature. As well as being a student, Sam also worked as a T.A. at the university, and occasionally she had some extra work as a tutor. None of that payed very much, but she was partially supported by her folks, who lived a few hours north near Lake Simcoe.

Sam led Nikki into the small 1-bedroom apartment on the 2nd floor, and turned on the lights. "Sorry about the mess..." she looked embarrassed, but Nicole remembered Nick's room was a lot worse. This was just a little cluttered with books and notes scattered around. There was a small kitchen to the right, a small living-dining area to the left, and two doors, further down to the right. First was a small bathroom and second was the bedroom.

Samantha told her "I'm just going to get changed, ok? If you like, help yourself to a drink. There's stuff in the fridge. Or there's some red wine on the kitchen counter." With that, she disappeared into the bedroom.

Nicole wandered into the tiny kitchen and towards the fridge. She noticed two bowls on the floor in the corner, one filled with water, the other half full of small kibble. Probably a cat, Nikki thought. Of course the witch had a cat.

The fridge was nearly empty, but in addition to some jars of condiments and a few leftover slices of pizza, there were a couple cans of cola, some bottles of spring water, and two bottles of white wine. On the counter she spied 3 more bottles, of red.

Nick never drank wine. She remembered that. Beer was his go-to beverage. Nicole though realized she preferred white wine. She checked the two bottles then selected the Gewürz, putting the Chardonnay back in the fridge. One nice thing growing up in 'wine country', you had a lot of options around to experience some really nice wines. She smiled a little, thinking to herself, Nick didn't even know how to pronounce Gewürztraminer, let alone appreciate it.

That led her to frown slightly. Was she smarter than him? Was that even possible? Or was she just more prone to introspection and inquisitiveness? Her mind drifted a little, high-school memories, report cards. Nick barely squeezed by, scoring low 60's most of the time. Nicole's grades tended to be high 80s. But that didn't necessarily mean she was smarter. Maybe Nick just didn't apply himself...

She was still pondering that while she hunted up the glasses. It took two tries before she found the cupboard with the wine glasses. There were a half dozen, and two of them even matched. She took the matching pair and opened the bottle, pouring them each a glass. As she set the bottle down, she heard movement behind her.

"Ooh, good choice! That's one of my favourites." Samantha was wearing a knee-length dark red nightgown and had a pair of fuzzy slippers on her feet. She picked up one of the glasses and took a sip. She then gave Nicole a slightly nervous smile and asked, "Do you want to relax a bit? We could put the tv on, or just talk?"

Nikki considered, and had a sip of wine as well. It was cool, crisp, a little sweet in the mouth but with just enough acidity to balance, and a slight hint of green apples afterwards. Yeah, she'd made a good choice with the wine.

She then looked back at Samantha and replied "Actually I'm uh, feeling a little overdressed now..."

Sam nodded "Right, ok. If you want to get more comfortable you're welcome to borrow something." She gestured towards the bedroom door, "Bedroom closet, nightgowns and nightshirts are on the far left. You can change in there too. I'll be in the living-room."

Nicole nodded "Thanks." and walked into the bedroom, carrying her wine glass. The bedroom was a fair size but was actually rather cramped. The bed was queen sized, and most of the available space around it was taken up by a bedside table and a dresser on the right, and a bookcase and desk on the left. The bed was unmade, a thick duvet and blankets sort of askew. Laying ontop was a somewhat large black cat. It was awake, and its eyes narrowed a bit as it watched Nicole.

"Hey kitty..." she mumbled. She set her wine glass down ontop of the dresser and had a quick look in the closet, and soon picked out a large soft navy-blue cotton night-shirt.

She didn't want to sit on the bed and disturb the cat, so Nicole moved around to the desk and sat on the chair next to it. She quickly untied and removed her boots, then one by one removed and folded the rest of her outfit, leaving everything neatly piled on the chair.

She still felt a bit embarrassed and awkward with her new body, and avoided looking down at herself for now. She quickly pulled the nightshirt on, and only then did she notice the front had an image of a large full moon, behind the silhouette of a black cat. She smiled at that, and finally picked up her wine glass as she headed barefoot back out of the bedroom.

Nikki saw Samantha was sitting on the left side of a well-worn indigo-coloured sofa. There was lots of room for her to decide how close she wanted to be when she sat down. However, before joining Sam she went into the washroom next.

She wasn't even entirely sure what she was doing, but at the same time she didn't have to really think about it. She found the jar of cleanser in a drawer under the sink, and quickly removed her makeup, so it wouldn't get smeared anywhere later. When she was finished, Nicole looked at herself in the mirror once more, finally seeing herself 'au-natural'. Her face was still cute. She looked a little more girl-next-door now, though the deep black of her hair continued to made her face look paler than it was. She briefly wondered if her hair was dyed that dark, but no, she remembered that was her natural colour.

She considered her piercings again. She decided the sparkly little nose-stud was kind of cute. It accentuated her little nose rather nicely. The plugs in her ears were a bit chunky, but not so much that they made her ears look misshapen or weird. She could see how they gave her options. She could look kind of tough and punk if she wanted, or a bit sexier and more risqué perhaps.

Nicole gave her reflection a little nodd, then she emerged from the bathroom and moved to join Samantha on the sofa. For now, she sat on the far end, leaving an empty cushion between them. She was equal parts nervous, excited, and curious. And Sam still seemed to be dealing with some mixed emotions of her own at the moment.

Nikki raised her glass and said, "Well, cheers?" with a nervous little smile.

Sam smiled back, "Cheers." they clinked glasses and sipped their wine.

"Your cat has a slightly threatening aura..." Nikki smiled a little, trying to ease her nerves with some light conversation.

Sam apologized "Yeah, sorry, I should have mentioned. She gets a bit nervous around new people. Oh, you're not allergic are you?"

Nicole shook her head "Nah, it's fine. I saw the bowls in the kitchen, I knew there'd be a cat around here somewhere."

"Her name's Mo. Well, Morwenna, but Mo for short." Sam smiled, "And don't let her bully you. She can act like a little prima donna, but she's really just a big old suck."

Nikki just smiled and nodded as she took another sip of her wine.

The two of them chatted a little more, getting to know each other a little better. As they gradually emptied the bottle of wine, they also slowly moved closer together, till they were sitting with thighs and shoulders against each other. Nikki enjoyed the gentle warmth Sam's body seemed to radiate.

After an hour or so, Sam nodded towards the empty bottle and said "Ok... we could open another bottle... but we'll probably regret it in the morning... or we could head to bed..." she looked towards Nicole.

Nicole blushed a little. She knew Nick wouldn't have waited this long. He probably wouldn't even have waited for the first drink, let alone the third. But she wasn't him. It wasn't that she was scared, as such. She just felt less... demandy. Less take-charge. She realized, she wanted Samantha to make the first move, to make the decision. She wanted Sam to take control. "Uh... what would you like to do, Sam?"

She watched a little nervously, as Samantha looked at her for a moment. It was as if she was evaluating Nikki's mood or something. Then the decision was made. "Let's go to bed. The wine was good, but another would be too much."

Nicole just nodded and stood up after Samantha. The empty glasses and the bottle were left where they were, and she followed behind Sam. Stepping into the bedroom, Samantha gave the cat a nudge, "Out you get, Mo."

There was a little grumbly "MrrrrRrrr" noise but the cat jumped off the bed and dashed out into the living-room, and Sam closed the door after her.

Nicole felt her heart-rate jump a little as she felt Sam's hand on her arm, guiding her onto the bed. Then Sam sat down next to her, and leaned in closer. She felt the warmth of Samantha's face next to hers, and closed her eyes. Their lips touched, and they shared their first kiss. Soft and gentle at first, but then quickly growing more passionate, intense.

Nikki could feel her heart racing a little faster, as the anxiety gave one last little push, then started to fade, as her excitement and curiosity grew stronger.

From there, she just let Samantha take over completely. She felt Sam's hands on her body, gently lifting the nightshirt off and letting it fall away. Sam's nightgown soon joined it on the floor. She felt Sam's hands again, caressing her smooth, soft skin. Her breath quickened as she felt Sam's hands move to her breasts, fingers tracing circles around her hardening nipples.

"I've never been with someone with pierced nipples before... are they painful?"

Nikki moaned softly, "No... once they're healed they're fine. And fun... piercing makes them more sensitive..."

Sam's fingers brushed over them and Nikki let out a little gasp, as her nipples stiffened further, pushing the metal barbells outwards, away from her aureolas.

Sam asked, "How long have you had them?" Her voice held a mix of curiosity and arrousal.

"About 3 hours." Nicole answered, then corrected herself, "I mean... year and a half I guess.."

Sam hesitated at the first answer but then just nodded. She leaned in and gave Nikki another deep, passionate kiss.

They lay back together, kissing more. Nicole was on her back, Samantha above her. She felt Sam's large breasts pressing against her own. Then Sam was moving downward, kissing Nikki's neck, then chest. Her legs gently pressed in between Nikki's knees, guiding her legs apart, making room for Sam's in between them.

Samantha paused there, kneeling between Nikki's spread legs, leaning down to gently kiss and lick her breasts, and light playful bites on her nipples, while her hands carressed Nikki's sides.

Nicole just gasped at the sensations, no longer able to form words. Her body felt almost electrified, each touch of Sam's hands, lips, and tongue adding to the charge. She wanted, needed more. Sam obliged, and moved further down, kissing her belly, around her navel, then her mound, and then finally she reached Nikki's sex.

The sensations were nothing like Nicole had ever experienced, nothing like anything she could have imagined, in her old life as Nick. She had the new memories, she knew this wasn't her first time, and yet it really was. She felt Samantha's tongue run along her labia, and she let out a soft moan. Her hands moved to her chest, cupping and squeezing her breasts, then rubbing and pinching her nipples as Sam teased more with her tongue. Then she bit her lip to stifle a cry, as Sam's tongue reached Nikki's clitoris.

Nicole lost track of time. Her entire body was consumed with waves of ecstasy, and when she finally came, the sensations were overwhelming.

Finally, when it was over, Nikki found herself curled up in Samantha's arms. She was the little spoon, Sam the big spoon. She felt safe, warm, peaceful, and above all, she felt happy.

As they drifted to sleep together, Nicole had a smile on her face.