4.3 Reflections, Visions
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:=: Kara :=:

Kara settled into the chair with her coffee. It was Monday afternoon, classes were over for the day. Jessica, Carrie, Mike, Orin, and herself, were all gathered in the cafe for their weekly meet-up.

There were a couple jocks at another table, but their group had been pretty much left alone. Kara didn't know if the jocks were still mourning the loss of their friend, or if maybe Scott had just been that much of an instigator and without his influence the others weren't going to bother. She hoped it was the latter. Kara also wondered, suppressing a little smile, what the other jocks would think of their former ring-leader now.

She finally focused on her friends as the conversation got started. Carrie talked a little about her and Mike's music classes, then Orin talked a bit about drama. Then Mike asked Kara how things were going for her.

Kara shrugged and said, "Classes are fine..." She glanced at Jess then said, "I'm worried about Mr. Preston though, one of our profs. He seemed kind of distracted this morning? Did you notice that?"

Jessica sighed, she looked worried. "Yeah. He wasn't his usual self today, that's for sure."

Kara nodded, "Distracted, and kind of unfocused."

Jess sighed again, but stayed quiet.

Kara figured Jess had talked with Nikki and/or Sam, and they must have said no. Her friend hadn't said anything further to her about the subject, and now it looked like Jessica was just worried she'd soon lose her favourite prof.

Conversation soon picked up again, the other three were talking again, but both Kara and Jess stayed quiet. Just listening, watching, and sipping their coffees.

After an hour or so, the group broke up. Orin, Mike, Carrie all went their separate ways. Jessica stayed with Kara for a few more minutes.

"Do you want to come with me back to the condo again?"

Jessica shook her head, "Not tonight." She had stayed over last night after the day working on magic, and she'd be there again next weekend. "I'm going to get some work done, then probably just turn in early. See you tomorrow, Jess."

The redhead nodded, but Kara could tell she was disappointed. "Ok Kara, have a good night. See you tomorrow."

She watched as Jess headed for the bus stop, then turned and made her way back to her room in the Lowenberger building.

Kara got a little work done before she headed back down to the dining hall. It was a bit lonely eating by herself, and she wound up lost in thought again.

It was ten days now, since her miracle. The first four or five days... maybe the first week, she'd been getting used to things. As much as she'd wanted it, there had still been an adjustment period for her. There'd been euphoria, joy, and excitement of course. But there'd also been some stress, some scares and close calls, mostly around her roommate.

Kara thought again for the hundredth time about taking up Jessica's offer and moving in with her.

She didn't really mind being in residence, it was just frustrating that after a lifetime of not feeling comfortable with herself, now she was finally happy with her body but she couldn't really relax and enjoy it.

She still had to hide who she was, and at times that was stressful. She was afraid of showering when Kelly was in the room incase her roommate walked in on her, and had to find creative ways to get dressed without being seen.

And there were some other things she'd know about, but hadn't really grasped till experiencing them first-hand. Like how much it stuck out when she got arroused. Especially when she was in her pyjamas or track-pants. Suddenly she was learning about strategic book placement, purse placement, leg-crossing, and so on.

Once she'd finished her dinner, Kara returned the tray and dishes then headed back up to her room.

Kelly greeted her when she came in. She was sitting at her desk, quietly doing some homework.

Kara sat crosslegged on her bed and picked up her large sketchpad, and started drawing. She was still thinking about her best friend. Beyond the offer of moving in, she knew Jess was still hoping for more of a relationship, but Kara still wasn't sure about that.

She'd thought at first that Jess was a lesbian. The redhead certainly knew Kara wasn't entirely a girl any more, but she was still interested in something more than friendship. Maybe Jess was bi, but Kara wasn't sure.

She started to wonder, to daydream a little, what it might be like. A romantic relationship with her friend. Or a physical one. She definitely found Jess attractive, and it wasn't hard to picture herself getting intimate with her friend.

After a minute or two of fantasizing, she realized her jeans were feeling a little tight at the front. Trying not to be too obvious, she shifted slightly so her sketchpad was positioned more strategically.

Kara focused on her drawing, though it didn't really change much - she was working on a portrait of Jess.

She eventually finished the sketch and set her pencil aside. She left the large pad where it was for now, and picked up her phone. She hesitated, then opened the message app.

>>Kara: Hey Jess. I'm still thinking about your offer, about moving in with you. Is that still an option?

It was only a minute or two before she got a reply.

>>Jessica: Of course! I'd love to have you here Kara. Sam and Nikki would be ok with it too you know.

Kara stared at the screen. She was getting better about her anxiety, but it was still there. That annoying part of her brain was still trying to fill her head with thoughts of disaster and how everything could go wrong. She ignored it, and tapped out another message to her friend.

>>Kara: Just as roommates? Or are you still hoping for more?

This time the reply came much quicker.

>>Jessica: Both? All? Either? Still BFFs Kara, I don't want to pressure you. But if you're ready for more, I am too. I want you to be happy and comfortable, that's the main thing.

Kara hesitated again, then tried not to blush she tapped out another question.

>>Kara: Even now, after I've changed? You'd still be ok with me now?

Jessica's reply was almost immediate this time.

>>Jessica: Absolutely. Kara I don't care whats in people's pants, I care about the person. I care about you. That's what matters to me.

Her emotions started bubbling up again. Kara still wasn't used to the unquestioning support and acceptance Jessica and the others had for her. It was a nice feeling though.

>>Kara: Thanks Jess. I'm still thinking things through. You're the best. See you tomorrow.

She got one more text back - a heart emoji, and a smiley face.

Kara smiled and put her phone away, then just lay back on her bed, letting her mind wander again.

:=: Jessica :=:

Jessica hurried across the campus to the office building. For the second Wednesday in a row, she'd been asked to come and see Mr. Preston in his office at noon.

Last week she'd been worried he was going to kick her out of his class. Today she was worried again, but for a very different reason. She could only think of one thing he'd want to see her about now.

His door was already open when she arrived, and as soon as she knocked he welcomed her in.

"Thank you for taking time out of your lunch hour, Jessica." He motioned, "Please close the door, and have a seat."

Jess nodded, and once she was seated she asked nervously, "What did you want to see me about, sir?"

He smiled slightly, "I keep asking you to call me Doug... " Then his expression became serious again. "I've been thinking a lot about our conversation last week... The things you and Nicole told me."

Jess nodded again, watching him closely.

"I saw Diane and Michael last night, joined them for dinner."

Jessica gulped a little, "You didn't tell them, did you?"

Mr. Preston shook his head, "Of course not... I just wanted to see them once more. They're... They aren't doing well." He sighed, looking upset, worried. "Diane is taking medication for depression, but I don't think it's doing much for her... And her husband's health is failing. Their marriage is falling apart..."

"I'm sorry, sir..." Jessica sighed a little.

Her prof drank some water. He was looking sad, and tired. He then said softly, "It's too late to save Megan... But maybe it's not too late to save my daughter and her husband, and their marriage."

Jess nodded slowly.

Mr. Preston then asked, "If you and Nicole... If you did this miracle, what would happen afterwards? I mean... how would I know what to do, how to act? It wouldn't be much good if Megan were back, but acting like a crotchety old man..."

Jessica considered, then tried to explain. "Her memories, her personality, would be there. And so would yours, all your memories, your personality. The two are kind of merged? You'll remember both, but hers will seem more real to you. Her memories will be stronger and feel more like 'you'... But you won't forget who and what you are now."

Doug asked, "So I'd become her?"

Jessica shook her head, "Not exactly? Who you are after it's done, will depend on how you choose to live going forward. You'll probably be somewhere in between... how much of 'Megan' and how much of 'Doug' will be up to you." She then added, "It can take a little while for all that to sort out. Time to adjust and figure out who you are."

He was watching her intently again, with those sharp eyes of his. "Have you done this sort of thing before, Jessica? To other people?"

Jess hesitated, then replied softly, "Yes. I've been through something similar. Not the same, but similar. So has Nicole."

The old man's eyes widened, and he sat back in his chair, letting that sink in. "So... You were once someone else?"

Jessica replied, "Yeah. In my case, it wasn't that big a difference? I mean, who I was, to who I am now. Most of my changes were on the outside. For Nikki it was a much bigger change, her personality and everything. It'll always be different though, I think. Different people, different circumstances, so different outcomes."

Doug was silent again, looked thoughtful.

Jess watched him, then quietly reminded him, "You have to keep all this secret, remember... Please don't tell anyone, don't write anything down."

He nodded slowly, "Of course, Jessica. I understand." He took another deep breath, then said quietly, "Please tell Nicole, I accept your offer."

Jessica sighed a little, and nodded, "Ok." She hesitated then said, "I'll miss you sir. You're my favourite teacher."

Doug gave her a little smile, "Thank you Jessica. Now, go and get yourself some lunch."

:=: Samantha :=:

Sam opened the door, and smiled. "Hello Kara, come on in."

The tall blonde smiled, "Thanks Sam." She had her backpack with her as an overnight bag, since she'd be spending the next couple nights with them.

It was the last Saturday of November, and Sam and Nikki had finally decided tonight was the night to celebrate their first year together. Their actual anniversary was about two weeks ago, but this month had been far too busy to think about celebrating earlier.

At the moment, Nikki was getting the table set, there was a fancy cake in the fridge, and now that Kara was here they'd be getting ready for dinner soon.

Jessica and Cindy were on the living-room sofa playing a game on the tv. The teen had finally got bored of her violent shooting game last week, now they were playing something that looked a lot more cute and fun.

Cindy had referred to the new game as a 'platformer', whatever that meant. The characters were cute cartoon animals, dashing around the screen, jumping and running and sometimes flying. Sam wasn't the least bit interested in video games, but she was very happy she didn't have the sounds of gunfire and explosions in her home any more.

Sam watched as Kara dumped her backpack into Jess's bedroom then joined the others on the sofa. She couldn't help but smile. It almost felt like a family.

Nikki slipped an arm around her and gave her a kiss. "You look happy, hon."

Sam kissed her back, "I am... The last two weeks... actually most of this month has been hell. But I'm finally starting to feel better about it?" She added with a sigh, "Still no clue how we're going to introduce Cindy to our families, though."

Nikki shrugged. "That's almost four weeks away. So we've got at least three weeks before we need to worry about it." She grinned, then said, "Let's get started on dinner."

Nicole had originally offered to cook a big fancy meal for the group, but Sam vetoed that. She didn't want Nikki to be working all afternoon on their anniversary. They'd decided instead to order in Chinese food, as a reminder of the first meal they'd shared together. They got everyone to pick a favourite dish, then Sam called the order in.

She ran down the list, General Tsao chicken for Jessica, orange beef for Kara. Cindy wanted chicken balls with extra sweet-and-sour sauce, and Sam enjoyed a chicken and vegetable dish. Nikki of course wanted extra spring-rolls so Sam got a double order of those, and then rounded it all out with steamed broccoli, veggie-fried rice, and pork-fried rice.

An hour later it arrived and they had everything set up on the table, and Nikki was pouring some white wine that she said would pair well with everything. Sam set a glass of cola infront of Cindy though.

The teen pouted, "Hey! How come I hafta drink soda? It's a party..."

Sam shook her head, "You're barely sixteen, Cindy. You can't have wine." She wasn't happy about the fact that Jess, who was still eighteen for another few months, had been drinking wine with dinner fairly regularly.

Nicole however got another wine glass out of the cupboard. She poured a little, only about a quarter-glass, and set it on the table infront of the teen. She smiled, "Cindy can have a little wine, as a treat."

Sam rolled her eyes while the young teen beamed happily.

As the five sat down together and started eating, Cindy asked, "Did you use magic to make the table bigger? And conjure up more chairs?" Their dining table was indeed larger, and they had six chairs around it now, instead of just four.

Nikki giggled, "Yeah. The magic of, the table expands and we had another section in the utility room. And the extra chairs appeared through the power of credit cards and online shopping."

Cindy stuck her tongue out and laughed.

Sam suppressed a smile of her own when she saw the kid take a drink of her wine then immediately make a face. After that, Cindy stuck with her cola.

Even the meal reminded Sam of family. There was friendly conversation, and some more joking and teasing. She even had to make a fuss to get Cindy to eat some vegetables. And when she finally did, the teen coated them in sweet-and-sour sauce first.

Eventually the five of them were all sitting back a bit from the table, everyone looking content. Or stuffed.

Nicole smiled, "I think we could all use a break. Let's tidy some of this up, before we're all ready for dessert?"

Not even Cindy complained about that. After a few more minutes, they all slowly got to their feet and started the cleaning-up. Everyone pitched in, between putting leftovers away, clearing the table, and doing dishes.

As she was drying dishes, Jessica glanced at the time then asked, "You're not gonna make a fuss again about watching hockey tonight, are you Cindy?" Last Saturday the girl had whined and complained until they finally put the Leafs game on tv, then she wound up sitting there watching it alone.

Sam noticed a look on the girl's face, just a brief flicker of uncertainty or conflict. Then she shrugged, "Nah. It's Sam and Nikki's anniversary, I don't wanna distract them with that stuff."

Nikki smiled, "Thanks kid."

A half hour later they were all back at the dining table, and Nikki got out the ice-wine. Cindy actually shook her head when Nikki offered, but Nicole said, "Give it a try. You might like this one." She again only poured a tiny amount for the small teen.

Sam gave Nicole a look. She shouldn't be encouraging the girl like that. Nikki just gave her a smile and shrug, "It's a party Sam. Relax."

Then the cake was served. Sam and Nikki each said a few words about their first year together, how much they loved each other, how happy they were. And about how their lives had changed for the better, thanks to the Goddess. They were happy that their work with the Goddess had brought Jessica into their lives, and Kara, and even Cindy as well.

Then Jess joked about how the speeches were even more sickly sweet than the wine.

In the end, it had been a very good night. Jess and Kara turned in first, disappearing into Jessica's room and closing the door after them. Sam wasn't sure if the two were actually a couple yet, or if they were still just close friends. She knew Jessica wanted more of a relationship, and Sam hoped that however things worked out, both her sister and Kara would be happy and remain friends.

Cindy went to her room next, and Sam followed her to the door. She asked quietly, "Cindy, may I come in?"

The girl nodded, "Sure. What's up, Sam?"

Samantha closed the door behind her as she moved into the room, then sat on the chair by the small desk. She noticed Mo was curled up on the bed next to Cindy's pillows, and wondered if her cat had basically adopted the girl.

Cindy sat at the foot of her bed and looked at Sam, a little curious and a little nervous. She was probably wondering if she was in trouble again.

Sam gave her a friendly smile and said, "Seems like you got your appetite back tonight. You're finally feeling better?" The last four or five days the young teen had been tired and grumpy, and had been dealing with cramps and nausea.

Cindy sighed a little, "Yeah. The past couple days really sucked. But I think it's over now? I was feeling better this morning. And yeah I was hungry tonight." She smiled a little, then frowned. "That's gonna happen every month, huh?"

"I'm afraid so." Samantha nodded. She then asked, "Is everything else ok? I saw you looked a little conflicted, about not watching your hockey game tonight."

Cindy sighed again, then shrugged. "Last week I really wanted to watch it, but... I didn't like it? It was kind of boring, and loud, and I didn't like the fighting and stuff." She frowned, "I guess I don't even like watching sports any more... Same with that video game you hated. It was fun at first, but then it just got kinda boring, and then the violence and blood and stuff started to bother me..."

Sam asked, "Does that upset you?"

"I guess not? Not any more." The teen shrugged. "Like I told you that day Maria was here? I knew stuff was still changing. Who I am was still changing."

Samantha nodded, then asked, "Is there anything else you're worried about? Any other changes that you might be concerned about?"

Cindy shook her head. "I think it's over now? Since the other day when I started feeling sick, I haven't really felt any different any more."

Sam said, "That's good, I think?"

Cindy nodded, then added, "I was scared for a while that I'd... That I was gonna start getting interested in boys." She made a bit of a face at that. "But that never happened. I still like girls? And I know if I was living with Scott's parents, they'd kick me out for being gay." She smiled little, "Don't hafta worry about that here though. It's like a queer commune or something with you guys."

Sam smiled back, "You definitely don't have to worry about us kicking you out for being gay."

Cindy then frowned again. "I'm starting to get a little lonely, though? I think... Especially if Kara's gonna stay here more, then I won't be able to spend as much time with Jess... I think I need to start making new friends."

Samantha considered that, then nodded. "Why don't you think about what you might be interested in? Hobbies, interests, that sort of thing? Maybe we can get you signed up with a club, or evening classes or something. Or if you want, we can think about school again. We could cut back with the tutoring, and get you into the second semester when it starts." She then added, "Only if you promise to behave, though."

Cindy smiled but nodded, "Ok. Thanks Samantha."

Sam smiled back, then got up and headed to the door. "Good night, Cindy." She then left, closing the door behind her as the girl started getting ready for bed.

There was no sign of her girlfriend in the living room, so Sam checked in the bedroom. She finally found Nikki in their bathroom.

Nicole had already undressed and was wearing a big black nightshirt, she was now taking off her makeup.

When Nikki was done, Sam wrapped her arms around her and gave her a kiss, then whispered, "Happy anniversary, love."

Nicole kissed her back, smiling. "Happy anniversary, hon."

:=: Jessica :=:

Jess woke with a smile. She could feel Kara was already awake and starting to get up. It was their third night sharing a bed, and this time was much more relaxed. They'd laid in bed talking for a while, before finally drifting to sleep. She was sure Kara was gradually getting more comfortable with herself, and more comfortable around Jess.

"Good morning, Kara." She smiled as she stretched.

Kara was sitting up on the other side of the bed. She replied, "Oh, uh, good morning Jess. I didn't wake you did I?"

"Nah, it's time to get up." Jessica sat up and stifled a yawn, then asked, "You sleep ok?"

Kara nodded, "Yeah, thanks." She then got up and went into the washroom, closing the door behind her.

Jessica watched her go. Kara's 'pyjamas' were a pair of boy-shorts and a loose flannel nightshirt. The nightshirt wasn't too long, and Jess had a nice look at Kara's long, slim legs as the tall blonde went into the ensuite.

Jess was wearing her dark green flannel pyjamas again.

After Kara was done in the washroom, Jess went in to freshen up. When she emerged, she found her friend was already dressed again. Jess didn't bother, her pyjamas were good enough for now.

The pair emerged from the bedroom, to find Nikki and Sam already up. Sam was in a nightgown and Nikki a nightshirt. There was a fresh pot of coffee on the kitchen counter, and Nikki was preparing a big breakfast.

Samantha said, "Good morning you two. Help yourself to coffee."

Jess smiled, "Thanks sis."

Kara thanked Sam as well, and as she and Jessica were getting themselves coffee, Kara looked to Nikki and asked, "Anything I can do to help, Nicole?"

Nikki shook her head, "No thanks, Kara."

Sam then suggested, "If you really want something to do Kara, you could help Jessica set the table."

Jess sighed and looked at her sister. "C'mon Sam? Why isn't that Cindy's job? I mean, what's the point of having a teen around if you can't put them to work, right?"

She saw Kara smirking at her, as Sam replied, "Yeah. And 'eighteen' is still a 'teen', sis."

Jessica sighed again, realizing she walked right into that one. "Ok, fine." She had a sip of her coffee then started getting the table set. Kara helped, despite Jess telling her she didn't have to.

Cindy was the last one to get up. She emerged from her bedroom wearing a long pink nightie and bunny slippers, yawning and rubbing her eyes as she shuffled to the kitchen. She got herself a glass of juice then shuffled over to the dining table and sat down.

Jess noticed Kara was sort of staring at the young teen, and after a few moments, Cindy seemed to notice it too.

She looked back at Kara and asked, "What's wrong?" She glanced down, "Is my nightie on backwards or something?"

Kara blushed a little, "Sorry Cindy, I didn't mean to stare. I was just thinking, every time I've seen you, you're always wearing such girlie clothes..."

Cindy shrugged slightly, "Cos... I'm a girl?"

Kara just nodded, and apologized again.

Jess smiled a little. She knew Kara was thinking about who Cindy had been, only three weeks ago. It was impossible to think of that guy in a cute little pink nightie, or any of the other 'girlie clothes' the small teen tended to wear.

Finally Nikki had breakfast ready, and she and Sam brought it all over. There was a big platter of french toast, a plate of bacon, a bowl of home fries. There was syrup and butter on the table, and everyone had coffee and or juice.

As usual everything was tasty, and everyone ate their fill. The conversation over breakfast was about their plans for the rest of the day. It was Sunday, and they'd be working on magic and spell crafting again. They were expecting to finish the clairvoyance spell today.

After breakfast, Jessica and Cindy did the clearing up and washed the dishes. Sam and Nikki relaxed, and Jess insisted Kara take it easy too.

Jess smiled at her and said, "You're still a guest here Kara, until you move in."

Afterwards, Kara sat on the sofa with another cup of coffee while Jess and the others all went back to their bedrooms to get dressed.

Then finally, just before noon, they all got to work. Or, mostly it was Jessica, Sam, and Nikki who were working on the new spell. Kara and Cindy watched, helped where they could, and looked at some of the other pages that Jessica had written out over the past few months.

The group worked at it through most of the day. Around mid-afternoon they stopped for coffee or soda and some snacks, then they got back to work. It was around 5pm when they were finally finished. Nikki said, "I think that's it. Time to test?"

Kara asked, "How will we do that?"

Sam suggested, "We could split into two groups, then each group try to use it to check in on the other?"

Nicole agreed, "Good idea."

They quickly decided, Sam and Nikki would head out somewhere in the car. After half an hour, Jess and Kara would attempt to see what Sam and Nikki were doing, and where they were. Then a few minutes after that, Sam and Nikki would do the same, checking back on Jess and Kara.

Sam and Nikki put on their coats and left the apartment. Jessica relaxed with Kara, waiting for the thirty minutes to pass.

While they were waiting, Cindy was sitting on the floor by the coffee table, still looking over some of the pages Jessica had already written.

She pointed to one, "This is a transformation spell? You use it to change people?"

Jess smiled, "Yeah, that's right. We just finished that one a couple weeks ago."

Kara asked, "That's the one you guys tested on me right?"

Jessica nodded, "Yeah."

Cindy was still looking at it, then asked, "The way its written, the transformation comes from the person you're casting the spell on? Like, what they change to, is up to them?"

Jessica nodded again, "Well yeah, that's the idea. We want to help people, give them the body they want." She glanced at Kara.

Kara nodded, "This way the person who's getting the spell, gets exactly what they want. No questions, no misunderstandings."

Cindy frowned, then said, "Ok. But check this out? If you take this word out, reverse this bit, and then add this word here, then the person who's casting the spell will control the transformation. That would let you zap people, like how I got zapped."

Jessica frowned as well, and looked at what Cindy was saying. She could sort of see it, what the girl suggested would reverse the control of the spell. She finally said, "Maybe... But that's not what we want to do, Cindy. We don't want to 'zap' people, we want to help people."

Kara nodded in agreement, and added, "I'm so glad you can't work magic yet, Cindy."

The young teen rolled her eyes, "Duh, I wouldn't use it on you guys. You should probably write it down though Jessica? And maybe test it, to make sure it works? Just in case."

Jess shook her head, "I don't think Sam and Nikki would like that. It's not the sort of thing we want to do... Maybe best to just forget the idea." She then added, "Impressive work though, Cindy. You might just have a talent for this stuff."

Cindy sighed a little, looking disappointed that Jess didn't want to write out her idea. She then went into her bedroom for now, since she wasn't going to be helpful for testing the clairvoyance spell.

At the appointed time, Jessica and Kara tried the new spell. There were a few different ways to activate the spell, depending on the intention and subject.

If they were looking for a family member, or someone they had a strong emotional bond with, they could just focus on that connection. If they were trying to view a stranger though, they'd need something to help form the link. Some hair or nail trimmings, a favourite piece of clothing, or a treasured possession.

The spell could also focus on places rather than people, but with similar requirements. It would be fairly easy to see into a place that they had a strong bond with, like their home. For places that they weren't as connected with, or places they'd never been, they'd again need some sort of physical link. Like an object that had come from the location, preferably something that had been there a while.

To test the spell, Jessica focused on her sister, using the bond between herself and Samantha.

Kara had retrieved a brush from Sam and Nikki's bedroom, and found a very long, very black hair, and was using that as a physical focus, to connect her with Nicole.

Jess closed her eyes and worked the spell, and within a few moments she could see the night sky, and then lake, and some pine trees. Then a swing-set came into focus, and finally she saw her sister. Samantha and Nicole were sitting on a bench in a park, next to the lake. She could see the couple had their arms around each other, and were kissing.

Jessica smiled a little, figuring they'd planned that. She let the spell sort of zoom back out before fading, to get a view of the park again, and this time she saw a sign and a building, and she knew they were at Lakeside Park.

She then opened her eyes. Kara was sitting next to her, eyes closed, frowning as she concentrated. After another minute or so the blonde relaxed and opened her eyes as well, and sighed. "Wow... That was amazing."

Jessica smiled, "What did you see?"

Kara rolled her eyes, "Sam and Nikki making out in a park."

Jess nodded, "I bet they planned that. We have a few minutes before they're supposed to check in on us. What should we do? Let's stage something!"

Kara seemed a bit cautious, "I don't want to do anything too weird Jess, we don't need to upset them or anything."

Jessica sighed, "Yeah but if all we're doing is sitting here talking, that's not really a good proof that it worked. We need to do something unusual."

Kara sounded reluctant as she asked, "What do you have in mind? You're not thinking of something crazy, are you?"

Jessica then grinned, "That's a great idea! Something crazy is perfect!"

Kara shook her head, "I don't know what you think I just suggested, but I'm pretty sure I was thinking of something else."

Jess couldn't stop grinning. She knew this would shock her sister, and probably Kara as well. She wasn't exactly going to streak, but it would be funny and silly and Sam and Nikki definitely wouldn't be expecting it.

She stood up, then pulled her t-shirt off and dropped it on the sofa where she'd been sitting.

Kara's eyes widened. "Jess? What are you..."

Jessica's bra came next, leaving her naked from the waist up.

Kara looked at the floor, her cheeks going red, "Jess! What are you doing?!"

Jessica giggled, "Giving Sam and Nikki something to talk about! C'mon!" She then went to the sliding glass door, and opening it up, she stepped out onto the balcony.

She was giggling again, the late November air was cold and had the expected effect. She looked back inside and said, "C'mon Kara! You don't have to go topless, but at least come out and keep me company!"

Kara got up and walked slowly towards the balcony door. She was still blushing, and stopped just inside the door. "Jessica, someone's going to see you! Come back in here and put your shirt back on!"

Jess shook her head, "We're five floors up and it's dark out, nobody's gonna see. This will be funny! Come on Kara, loosen up a bit!"

She watched as Kara hesitated, then it looked like she was about to step out onto the balcony. Then Kara smiled and slid the door shut, and flipped the lock.

Jessica's eyes went wide. Her best friend had just locked her out on the balcony, and she was topless!

Jess knocked on the window, "Hey! Kara! C'mon that's not funny!"

Kara just grinned, "I don't know Jess, I think it's kind of funny from where I'm standing? And it'll definitely give Sam and Nikki something to talk about."

Jessica started laughing, realizing Kara had a point. Still, it was getting cold out here, and Jess started trying to force the door open. As she was tugging at it, she felt a little tingle of magic in the air. She glanced around, then realized it was from her sister. Sam was watching her now, as she stood here shivering on the balcony, half naked, and trying to get the door open.

Jess couldn't help herself, she started giggling again, knowing Sam was probably either freaking out right now, or scratching her head in confusion.

After another minute, Kara finally unlocked the door and let Jess back in. Before Kara could apologize, Jess wrapped her arms around the taller girl, giving her a tight hug.

Jessica said, with exaggerated shivering, "Y-y-you k-k-kept m-me o-out th-there so l-long...Y-you got-ta w-warm m-me up..."

Kara was blushing brightly of course, but she didn't pull away. Instead she let Jess hug against her till she'd warmed up.

Finally Jessica put her bra back on and then her t-shirt. A few minutes later, Sam and Nikki returned. Samantha was frowning, but Nicole had a smirk on her face. Pretty much exactly the reactions Jess expected.

"Hey sis, hey Nikki." Jess grinned at them.

Samantha just sighed, "I don't even want to know what that was all about, Jessica. If you catch a cold though, I don't want to hear any complaining."

Jess giggled.

Kara then asked, "Did you two enjoy the park?"

Nikki smiled, "It seems the spell worked all around then? Let's get the last of it written up, and then we'll have dinner."

Jessica just giggled again, and sat down to finish writing the last details of the spell.

Once it was completed, Jess cleaned the pens then put them away along with the ink, while they left the fresh page out to dry.

Nikki then got to work in the kitchen. They were going to finish off the leftovers from last night, but there wasn't quite enough to feed everyone tonight, so Nikki was making another dish.

Cindy emerged from her bedroom, and she and Jessica got the table set while Sam and Kara were getting the leftovers warmed up in the microwave.

Soon Nikki had a pork and rice-noodle dish ready, and all the food was set up in the middle of the table, and then the five of them sat down to eat.

As they were eating, they compared notes about the spell.

Jessica went first, "I focused on Samantha, and was able to see you on a bench at a park overlooking the lake. I also sort of 'zoomed out' and spotted a sign, 'Lakeside Park'. So I figure that's where you two were?"

Kara nodded, "I saw pretty much the same thing. I used a hair from your brush, Nicole, and it worked the same."

Samantha then said, "I did the same as Jess, used our connection as sisters. I... don't really want to describe what I saw, except to say it was unexpected and foolish, and yet somehow I'm not surprised."

Jess started giggling, and Sam rolled her eyes. Kara was blushing a little, and Nikki was smirking again.

Only Cindy was out of the loop, she frowned and asked, "What happened? What'd I miss?"

Jessica grinned at her, "I accidentally got locked out on the balcony... without my t-shirt and bra."

The small teen stared at her with a befuddled look on her face. "How... how does that happen by accident?!"

Sam answered, "Jessica was being silly. That's how."

Jess giggled again, then Nicole said, "I used my connection to our home, rather than focusing on any one person. I could see Jessica on the balcony, Kara in the living-room, and Cindy, I saw you in your bedroom at your desk."

Jessica saw Cindy looking a bit surprised, but then she shrugged, "I couldn't do anything to help you guys with your magic, so I was just staying outta the way."

Samantha then said, "Well all in all I think that was very successful. Next week, we can start trying to figure out a teleportation spell."

Jessica grinned, "Yes! No more taking the bus to school!"

Sam smiled a little, "Don't get carried away there, sis. We're just going to start on it next week. It could be a few more weeks till it's ready, then we'll have to test it..."

Nicole then said, "We also have the holidays coming up. We have to figure out what we'll be doing about visiting our families."

Jess sighed. She looked at Kara, "Will you be going back to Essex over the break?"

Kara sighed as well, as her expression fell into a frown. "I... My family will be expecting me, of course..."

Jessica didn't know the details, Kara had never elaborated, but Jess knew her friend's family weren't very supportive, and that things had been stressful for her at home. Kara had even admitted at one point that she'd come to Brock because it was so far away from home.

Samantha then said, "Kara, you're more than welcome to spend the holidays with us."

Kara had a distant look on her face, but slowly she started to smile, then grin. Then she chuckled. "Oh my Gods... I'd almost want to be there to see the look on my folks' faces, when I tell them, I'm not coming home for winter break, I'll be spending it with my girlfriend and her family."

Sam and Nikki both smiled, but Jessica was grinning, and she could feel a little flutter in her chest. Kara had just said she was her girlfriend!

Jess knew Sam had noticed, but her sister didn't say anything. For now Jessica just sat grinning quietly, enjoying her little mini-swoon.

Nicole then suggested, "Well, with five of us here for the break, here's an idea. Instead of us all packing up to Innisfil for a Carlisle xmas, or over to my parents' place for an Elliot xmas, why don't we all just stay here? We can invite my parents over one day, and Sam and Jessica's parents another day."

Samantha seemed to think that over for a few moments. She then nodded, "I'll talk to mom and dad and see what they think. Mom will probably be a bit sad, but I think she'll go along with it. Do you think your parents would mind, Nikki?"

"Nah, my folks haven't made a big deal about it in ages." Nikki shrugged. "If it's an important holiday for your parents, then how about we invite them over on the twenty-fifth? Mine can come either the twenty-fourth or twenty-sixth."

Sam nodded, "Ok. We'll all be celebrating the Yule solstice on the twenty-first, so that'll be out of the way before either of our families come by.

Finally, they all got up from the table. The dishes were cleared and cleaned, and then they piled onto the sectional sofa to watch a movie before bedtime.

Later that night, Jessica was settling into bed next to Kara. She was still smiling, as she turned to her side facing her friend. "Hey Kara?"

"Yeah?" Kara turned to her side as well, facing Jess. "You've been grinning like that all night, Jess. What's got you so happy?"

"At dinner... You called me your girlfriend." As soon as she said it, Jess regretted it. What if it was a slip of the tongue? What if Kara hadn't meant it?

They had the lights out but Jess could imagine Kara's cheeks were going red during the few seconds of silence. Jess was holding her breath now, and starting to wonder if she should say something.

Kara finally said softly, "Yeah, I did... I uh... I hope that's ok?"

Jessica ended up biting her tongue, she didn't know whether to laugh or choke or gasp, she was so relieved and happy. Finally she whispered, "Of course it's ok! I'm just... Really happy!" She then pulled Kara into an awkward hug as they lay together in bed.

Jess still had a happy grin on her face as she and Kara drifted to sleep together, both of them cuddled up close.

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