:=: Jessica :=:

"Jess. Jessica. Wake up, Jess."

Jess was slowly dragged out of a very nice dream. Someone was nudging her shoulder, and she could hear a quiet voice saying her name.

With a groan, Jess opened her eyes. It was still very dark. She grumbled, "What..." as her eyes gradually focused on the short figure standing beside her bed. "Cindy... What's wrong?"

The young teen sighed, "Tanya's gone. I just woke up, and she's gone. She snuck out during the night."

Jessica grumbled a little, then closed her eyes. "I'm sure Sam will be happy about that... If Tanya wanted to leave, that's up to her..."

Kara was awake now too. "Jess, what if she goes to the police?"

"Ugh... What's she gonna say? We magically turned her into a girl?" Jessica was starting to suspect that she wouldn't be allowed to get back to sleep.

Kara sighed, "Maybe, but they're still investigating Scott Matthews' death, and she if she mentions Scott's name they might come looking. Tanya can identify the five of us, and she knows where to find us."

Cindy then said quietly, "Tanya was never that devious, but she might want revenge. If she winds up with the cops she'll probably send them here."

Jess sighed, "Fuck... Ok, I'm getting up. We'd better get Sam and Nikki up too." She checked the time on her phone. Half past five in the morning... This was definitely not the way she wanted to start the weekend with Kara.

Jessica went into the washroom to freshen up, then into the walk-in closet to grab some clothes. Meanwhile Cindy left the bedroom, and Kara was up now too.

A half hour later, they were all sitting around the dining table, and Sam had a pot of coffee brewing.

"I'm not comfortable with treating her like a prisoner." Samantha said quietly. "Keeping her here against her will... That's extremely illegal, without even considering the curse."

Jessica just sat quietly, watching and listening for now. She was still too tired to help much with the conversation, and kept glancing at the coffee maker, wishing it would finish brewing already.

Nicole shrugged, "She needs help. She's not going to find the kind of support she needs anywhere else. It's as much for her own good as for ours, that we look after her. We should have realized she might do this..."

Kara then asked, "Cindy, do you know where she'd go?"

Cindy shrugged, "There's a couple places. But there's an easy way to find her."

Kara frowned, "What's that?"

Cindy rolled her eyes, "Just a sec." She then got up and went into her bedroom, then returned a minute later carrying a leather belt. She set it on the dining table. "Tanya took her jacket, phone, wallet, and keys. But she left the rest of her clothes. She's had that belt buckle since high-school. You can just use your spy-spell and find her, wherever she is. Right?"

Nikki grinned, "Good thinking, kid. Nice to know at least one of us can think straight without her morning coffee."

Jess smiled and nodded in agreement. "Good idea, Cindy." As soon as the coffee was ready though, she got up and poured herself a cup, followed shortly by the others.

When they were all sitting at the table again, Jessica asked, "So what's the plan?"

"I'll drive," Nikki said, "Jess, you'll be riding shotgun, doing the clairvoyance spell. And Cindy, you'll come along too. When we find her, you'll try to talk with her, to get her to come with us. Ok?"

Jess nodded, "Ok." She then looked to Cindy.

The small teen nodded as well. "I'll go get dressed then." She headed back into her bedroom.

Kara then asked, "What should me and Sam do?"

Jessica smiled, "You can go back to sleep. Lucky."

Samantha sighed, "We'll be here. If she happens to come back on her own, we'll text you."

Nikki took her coffee with her as she went to get dressed as well.

Jessica just sat at the table with Sam and Kara, and had another deep sip of coffee.

A few minutes later, Cindy and Nikki were ready, and the three of them set out. Jess had Tanya's belt with her in the front seat, and Cindy sat in the back behind Jess.

Jess held onto the belt and started to focus as she used the clairvoyance spell. It took her a minute or so, but she got a view of where the girl was.

Nikki started driving, following Jessica's directions.

:=: Tanya :=:

Tanya drifted awake again. It was still dark out, and now it was snowing lightly. Her legs were so cold they hurt, especially her knees. The track pants didn't do enough to stop the cold and the wind. She'd half hoped the cold would take her overnight, but she was starting to think it wasn't going to get cold enough for that.

She had no way of knowing what time it was, but it felt like it'd be morning soon. She glanced around, and huddled up a little more on the bench. She was in a little park, a kilometre or two from her parents' home. Tears started to flow again as she thought about how badly that had gone.

She'd snuck away from the condo as soon as the others were asleep. She'd stolen a pair of winter boots that were near the front door, they were only a little big on her. Her own boots were miles too big, like the rest of her clothes she'd left behind. She had her wallet and phone, and she'd taken a cab to her parents' house.

She was sure she could convince them. She'd explain who she was, she could tell them some stuff that would prove it. She thought it would be fairly simple. Then once they understood who she was, the three of them could figure out how to fix this.

They didn't listen though. She tried to talk to them, but her dad kept interrupting. She tried to show them her wallet, her ID, to explain who she was, and he'd grabbed it from her. He yelled at her, accused her of robbing their son.

Then mom had tried to call Tom, and the phone in her pocket started ringing. Dad had grabbed that too. He yelled at mom to call the cops, and then he grabbed her arm, so hard it hurt. She'd panicked, and started crying yet again. She kicked him, he let go, and she fled.

She ran until she was out of breath and her legs hurt. When she finally stopped, she recognized the park, and realized she hadn't got very far. Then she'd cried again, at the realization of how much weaker she was, at the thought of her dad hurting her, how helpless she'd been, and how both her parents had yelled at her as if she was a stranger. Then she'd cried when she realized how much she'd been crying, how emotional she'd become.

And finally, she just sat on the bench and waited, hoping she'd fall asleep and maybe not wake up.

Now it seemed like it would soon be morning, and she started to wonder what she should do. If her parents did call the cops, they'd find her easily enough once it was light out. She wouldn't be hard to spot. Girl with long blonde hair, in an oversized Brock jacket.

She was still crying, when the black compact car came to a stop on the side of the road next to the park. She wiped away the tears and sighed. They'd found her somehow. She watched as the redhead emerged from the passenger seat, and then Cindy from the back seat. She could see the one with the long black hair was driving.

Cindy and the redhead approached slowly, then the redhead stopped a few meters back. Cindy walked right up and quietly sat down beside her on the bench.

The small blonde sighed, "Hi Tanya. If you wanna come back with us, Nikki's gonna make pancakes for breakfast. And you can get warmed up... Have a nice soak in the bath maybe? Bubblebaths are great by the way, you should give it a try."

Tanya suppressed a shudder at the thought of a bath, or the bathroom in general. She'd had to use the washroom twice last night and she'd never felt so helpless and humiliated as she had trying to figure out how to pee with this new body.

She tried to keep her voice steady, as she asked, "What if I don't wanna go with you?"

Cindy shrugged, "We're not gonna force you. That'd be like, kidnapping or whatever. It's up to you. But... You look cold, and kinda miserable."

Tanya sighed, nodding slowly.

Cindy then asked, "You went to see your parents, huh? Didn't go like you thought?"

The tears started again. She shook her head, as she sniffed and rubbed her eyes.

Cindy sighed again. "I'm sorry Tanya. It was an accident, ok? I was scared and you were being a huge jerk. I didn't know I could work magic, they told me I couldn't. But I was scared and I said a spell, and it worked... And I'm sorry."

Tanya just nodded again.

"So, let's go get you warmed up, and get some pancakes?"

She hesitated, then nodded again. "Ok..."

Her legs were stiff and sore when she got to her feet. Cindy tried to help but leaning against her threatened to topple the both of them over. The redhead moved closer and helped as well, and the three of them walked back to the car.

They got Tanya get into the back seat, and Cindy sat down next to her. Then the redhead climbed into the passenger seat.

It was warm in the car, they had the heat turned up full, and Tanya closed her eyes as she settled back in the seat. She was crying again, but for now she was too tired to fight it.

:=: Nicole :=:

Nikki watched the girl quietly for a few moments. They were in the office / guest room. Tanya was sitting huddled up on the sofa with a blanket around her, Nikki was sitting on Sam's office chair.

When they'd brought her home from the park, Tanya had turned down the offer of a shower or hot bath. She put on some clean clothes, borrowed from Jessica again, and then with the blanket wrapped around herself, she'd joined them for breakfast.

The girl was still upset and emotional of course. Both from the shock of being transformed, and from her ordeal overnight. She hadn't said much, but she did tell them enough to know things had gone poorly with her parents, and that she'd spent the night freezing on a park bench.

Nikki decided she'd have a go at talking to her. She thought, maybe she'd be seen as a bit more neutral. After all, Cindy was the one who'd cursed her, and Jessica had been the target of Tom's bullying. Nikki didn't have anything to do with Tom, or Tanya.

After a minute or two of silence, Nikki asked, "How are you feeling?"

Tanya shrugged a little. "Scared..."

Nicole hadn't been expecting that one. She'd figured, sad, angry, upset, depressed, something along those lines. She tried to keep her voice soft and friendly, as she asked "What are you scared of?"

The girl shrugged again. "I know too much? I know about your magic and stuff. I know who you are, where you live. That's why you came after me, right? I know your secrets..." Tanya shuddered a little, then asked, "Are you gonna wipe my memory or something? Mess with my head so I forget everything, or so I can't tell your secrets or something?"

Nikki shook her head, "No Tanya, we're not going to do that."

Tanya's eyes widened a little and she gulped. "You're gonna kill me? Dump my body in the canal, like you did to Scott..."

"We're not going to kill you!" Nicole was a little shocked at that accusation. She added, "We didn't kill Scott either. The body... that was fake. So people would stop looking for him, so his family would have closure..."

The girl frowned, and shuddered again. She then asked softly, "What really happened to Scott?"

Nikki sighed. "He assaulted Jessica, and he was punished for it. He was cursed, kind of like you were, and he became Cindy. Cindy told you that yesterday."

Tanya shook her head. "That's not Scott. She's too different. She knows stuff from Scott's life but... She's not him. No way."

"It's been almost a month, Tanya," Nikki explained. "Cindy adapted, changed. She's comfortable and fairly happy I think, with her life now."

The blonde looked scared again. "And you think that'll happen to me? If I have to wait a month... I'll wind up thinking it's ok to stay like this?"

Nicole nodded slowly. "According to Cindy, she was already getting used it in less than a week. And after two weeks, she didn't want to go back."

She could see tears starting to pool up in the girl's eyes again, and she pulled the blanket a little tighter around herself.

After a minute or two, with her voice wavering a little, Tanya asked "If I agree to the...other option... What'll happen?"

Nikki shrugged slightly, "I don't know the specific details... That stuff gets sorted out when it happens, so we don't know in advance. What I do know is, you'll be a lot happier and you'll feel ok. And your parents will know you and accept you as you are." She added, "You'll still remember your old life, but you'll have new memories, of your life as Tanya."

As she watched, the girl started crying again. Tears slowly running down her cheeks. "My folks are gonna think I'm dead... Or hurt or something... They're probably talking to the cops... Checking the hospitals..."

Nikki sighed. "I'm sorry Tanya. And Cindy's sorry too. But we can't undo what's been done. All we can do now is make the best of it. Cindy thinks, and I agree with her, that your best option is to take the offer. She's speaking from experience, she's been through this already."

Tanya nodded slowly, rubbing her eyes again. "She said... Either way I'm gonna end up staying like this... But it's either... The hard way, and I wind up homeless... No family... Or the fast way... And keep my family..."

Nicole nodded, "Yeah, that's about right. You'll have to decide soon though."

The girl sighed again, and curled up a little tighter in the blanket, crying some more.

Nikki sighed. She knew it was a tough choice. Things had been much easier for her. She'd faced a similar decision, but in her case she already had a day of the 'new life', and her choice was whether or not to keep it. She had the benefit of comparing the old and new.

For Tanya, her mind was probably still mostly in 'Tom' mode, and she was being asked to choose between the life she knew, and something completely unknown and alien.

Nikki also wondered, why the forty-eight hour deadline for this decision? If the kid had more time, so she could feel herself starting to adjust, it might make it easier for her to choose. Pressuring her to make a decision while she's still in shock, of course that's going to be extremely hard for her.

She wasn't really expecting an answer, but she wasn't surprised when she got one. It wasn't quite like hearing voices. It was more like the words and thoughts appeared in her mind, joining her own thoughts. They were distinct enough that she knew they weren't hers.

Fixed points, Nicole. This will be challenging enough as it is. The longer the delay, the trickier it becomes. The changes I will have to make to the tapestry of life will be complex.

Nicole nodded slightly as she wondered if this would be harder than what they did for Megan.

Perhaps. Rather than seeing it as more or less challenging, better to think of it as different. Each challenge is unique and requires an unique solution.

Nikki was focused on the discussion going on in her head, and almost missed it when Tanya finally spoke.

The girl sniffed and rubbed her eyes again, then said quietly, "Ok..."

"Ok?" Nikki looked at her.

Tanya nodded slowly, "Ok... I... I can't take a month of this. I can't cope. Just do your thing... Fix it, make it better, whatever..."

Tell the others Nicole, and then I will take over.

Nikki nodded, "You wait here a moment Tanya. I'll let the others know, and then we'll get started, ok?"

Tanya rubbed her eyes again and just nodded quietly.

When Nikki emerged from the office, everyone looked to her. Sam and Cindy were sitting together on the sofa, Jessica and Kara were at the dining table sipping coffee. Cindy asked, "How's Tanya?"

Nicole closed the office door behind her and replied, "We had a good talk, I think. She's still upset, and she's scared. But... She's made the decision."

Samantha asked, "She's going to take the offer?"

"Yeah." Nikki nodded. "We should do it now, sooner the better."

Cindy then said, "I wanna be with her when you do it. We were friends, and all this is my fault, but... Maybe she'll feel better if I'm with her?"

"Ok Cindy. I'll get her, she can sit with you on the sofa."

Sam got up and moved out of the way, joining Jess and Kara a the dining table.

:=: Tanya :=:

Her hands were shaking again, and she felt almost nauseous. What was she thinking? She'd just told the black-haired woman to go ahead and make all this permanent.

She was scared of what was about to happen, but she was just as scared of what was happening now. She didn't want to admit it to herself, let alone anyone else, but she'd realized at some point in the park overnight, she'd started thinking of herself as a she, a her. As Tanya.

Cindy had pestered her yesterday to think up a new name and she'd only picked something to get the small teen to leave her alone about it. She never believed she'd actually start thinking that name was hers though.

Everything they'd said seemed to be coming true. She still didn't like anything about who and what she'd become, but she could tell she was already starting to get used to it. The thought that one way or another, in the next hour or next month she'd feel happy with this body was terrifying.

Tanya was thinking about running again, when the door opened. The black-haired woman was there. "C'mon out here Tanya? We'll get you comfortable on the sofa in the living-room.

She just nodded silently, and got to her feet. She kept the blanket wrapped around herself. It felt oddly comforting, and it helped hide her strange new body from everyone's view. Especially her own.

Out in the apartment, Cindy was sitting on the leather sofa while the other three were at the dining table. Everyone was staring at her. She couldn't face them, she just looked down at the floor as she shuffled over to the sofa.

She sat down again, picking the end furthest from Cindy. The girl looked tiny and weak and helpless, but Tanya couldn't forget that she was the one who'd turned her into this.

Then the black-haired woman asked, "Are you ready, child?"

There was something different in her voice, and Tanya looked up. She blinked in surprise, the woman's eyes were sort of glowing somehow. And she was standing a little differently. Even her expression seemed different. It didn't make sense, but somehow she knew this was a different person.

"Who... Who are you?" She asked nervously.

The woman replied, "I am Ceridwen, Goddess of Transformation and Rebirth."

Tanya said softly, "Uh, ok... I guess... I'm ready." She then added, "Will it hurt?"

The Goddess replied, "It will not hurt."

Tanya whispered, "I'm scared..."

She stated calmly, "Close your eyes, and try to relax."

Tanya shuddered a little but nodded. She sat back against the soft cushions of the sofa, and closed her eyes. She felt a wave of tiredness wash over her. It was like after a really hard game or workout, when the adrenaline wears off and you're just left with the weariness. Then she felt like she was just waking up, the sensation of just drifting back to consciousness after a nap, except she was sure she hadn't fallen asleep.

That's when the memories started to flood in. She remembered growing up as Tanya. Birthdays, holidays, going through school. She remembered when she was eight or nine years old, discovering she'd had an older brother. But something had happened and Tom had died before she was born, so Tanya had never known him. Her parents were always extra caring and loving towards her though, and now she understood why. Having lost their first child, their little girl was especially precious to them.

She remembered being active in sports since she was young, she played hockey in the winter and soccer in the summer. And she remembered starting high-school. She was an average student, but her focus was athletics. She played forward on the girls hockey team, and in girls soccer she was a winger. She remembered starting grade eleven this year.

The memories finally caught up to the present. She'd met Cindy a couple weeks ago, they were both taking an evening class, learning to make fancy cupcakes. They'd become friends. Yesterday they ran into each other at the mall, and Tanya had wound up coming over to Cindy's place and spending the night. They had pizza last night, pancakes this morning. She'd have to go home soon though. Her parents wanted to make sure she got her homework done today, because tomorrow she'd be busy with hockey.

Tanya finally opened her eyes and gasped, "Holy shit!" She blinked and gasped again as she realized she was wearing her own clothes now, not the stuff she'd borrowed from Jessica. She looked down, seeing her skinny jeans with the big flower appliqué on the right thigh. Her favourite black-and-purple running shoes. And her green t-shirt with her hockey team's logo on the front.

She looked around at the others.

Cindy was still sitting next to her on the sofa, smiling. Nikki was now sitting at the table with the others. She remembered their names now, she knew that Sam and Nikki were a couple and this was their home, Jessica and Kara were friends or maybe a couple too, Jess was Sam's sister. She wasn't sure why Cindy was living with all these people, she knew Cindy wasn't related to them.

And she realized, she still remembered the other stuff too. The Tom stuff. It was less vivid though, less real.

Tanya blinked and repeated herself, "Holy shit..."

Cindy asked, "How're you doing Tanya? Ok?"

"Yeah... Just... Wow!" She shook her head a little.

Cindy then got up, "C'mon, let's go back to my room for a bit, I wanna talk some more before you gotta go home."

Tanya nodded slowly and stood up. She picked up the dark blue purse from the coffee table, recognizing it as hers, and followed Cindy back into her bedroom. Cindy closed the door, then the two of them sat next to each other on the bed.

"Do you remember that stuff too? About us meeting at baking class? And then the sleepover last night...?"

Cindy grinned, "Yeah! It's pretty cool, right?"

Tanya nodded slowly. She opened her purse and found her phone, and checked the time. She sighed, "Crap. There's only about an hour before I gotta head home..."

"Nikki will drive you." Cindy offered. "I gotta remind you though Tanya - all this is secret, right? You can't tell anyone anything. About the magic, about the Goddess, about your old life, about any of that stuff."

"Yeah... I get it. It's not like anyone would believe me anyways, right? I mean... my folks know I'm their daughter, right? They remember the same stuff I do?"

Cindy nodded, "Yep." She then asked, "You're sure you're ok, right?"

Tanya nodded again. "It's weird and I guess I'll be kinda shocked for a while still? But yeah... I'm ok." She looked down at herself again, at her clothes, and how they showed off her curves. "Yeah... it's gonna take a little while... But I'm ok with this now."

Cindy smiled, "Good. I'm still sorry about what happened. But I'm glad you got a new start out of it and stuff, and I'm glad you're ok now."

Tanya then frowned, "How the heck did you go from being an asshole who got cursed into a tiny girl, to being part of their group and flinging magic and curses around with them? And you did all that in like, four weeks?!"

The tiny blonde giggled, "I got super, super lucky. I'm not gonna say too much, cos Sam'll get all cross with me. But... if you and me stay friends and stuff, maybe they'll eventually let you in on some more secrets. Maybe you can even join in too someday."

Tanya nodded slowly, wondering what it'd be like to learn magic.

Cindy then asked, "Hey Tanya? It's none of my business, and you can tell me that, and don't hafta answer if you don't want to. But I'm curious. Do you still like guys? I mean, I'm pretty sure you did before..."

She frowned for a moment as she thought. Then her eyes widened, "Holy crap..."

Cindy asked nervously, "What's wrong?"

Tanya shook her head slowly, feeling confused. "I think I went from being a gay guy, to a gay girl?"

She saw Cindy's eyes widen in surprise, "Really?!"

Tanya stood up and took a step back, as she felt herself starting to blush. "Really... And uh..." She remembered now, back at that baking class where she first met Cindy. She'd made a point of introducing herself and getting to know the small teen because she thought the girl was really cute. "I uh... I think you're kinda cute..."

Cindy suddenly blushed as well, "Oh..."

Tanya gulped, "Sorry! I hope that's not gonna ruin our friendship..."

She was surprised when Cindy suddenly giggled a little.

"What's so funny?"

Cindy grinned, "I still like girls, Tanya." Cindy then blushed again as she added, "And like since yesterday I've been thinking how you're really kinda hot..."

Tanya blushed a little more, "Oh!" Then she frowned, "Why would that goddess person do that? I mean, if she left it so you still liked girls, why wouldn't she leave it so I still liked guys?"

Cindy thought for a bit, then seemed to get an idea. "I think... Maybe it's cos you had a crush on Scott? I'm just guessing, but maybe She figured, cos I used to be him... it'd be better, or easier, or whatever, for you?"

Tanya asked, "So, instead of gay crushing on Scott, now I'm gay crushing on you?" Then she felt her cheeks going brighter red as she realized she'd just admitted to having a crush on her friend.

She could see Cindy was blushing more now too, as she shrugged, "Maybe...?"

Tanya finally sat down on the bed again. They were both still blushing, and Tanya was pretty sure they were both feeling about the same amount of awkward.

After a minute or two of silence, she felt a small hand ontop of her own. Tanya turned to look at Cindy.

Cindy gave her a hopeful smile, as she held Tanya's hand. "Friends?"

Tanya gulped a little, but then smiled back, and gave Cindy's hand a light squeeze. She nodded, "Friends."

Cindy then frowned and asked, "Will your folks be ok with you being gay? I know you... I mean, I know Tom was in the closet..."

Tanya thought for a few seconds, then felt a little surprised as she answered, "Actually, I kind of think they'll be ok? They seem way more chill towards me, than they were to him." She then added, "They might even already suspect? I mean, I'm sixteen and I've never been interested in boys. And I spend most of my free time with girls right? Hockey, soccer, baking, that sort of thing."

Cindy nodded, "Good. I'm glad you won't have to keep hiding and stuff."

The rest of the hour went by a little too quickly. There had been a few more awkward moments as the two of them compared notes about how their lives had changed, but finally it was time for Tanya to go home.

Like Cindy had promised, Nikki offered to drive her home. Cindy came along as well, the two of them riding in the back seat together.

As they neared her house, Tanya frowned, "Hey Cindy, I just realized I don't have your number or anything. How can I get in touch with you?"

Cindy sighed, "I don't have a phone." She sort of glared towards Nikki in the front seat and said a little louder, "It sure would be nice though if someone got me one."

The small blonde then shrugged, "I'll see you at the baking classes still. You could maybe try to reach me on Jess's phone? Text her and tell her you're looking for me?"

Tanya nodded and added the number to her phone when Cindy gave it to her. Soon enough they were in the driveway. She and Cindy both got out of the car, and Cindy walked around to say bye.

"Take care Tanya, see you again soon... Sorry again for how everything got messed up."

Tanya smiled a little, "See you Cindy. It's been a weird day..." She glanced at her parents house and added, "And I think it's about to get weirder. But I'll be ok."

Cindy suddenly stepped closer and gave her an awkward hug. Then she got back into the car, into the passenger seat this time.

Tanya waved as they backed up out of the driveway and watched them drive off.

She then braced herself as she walked up to the door.

:=: Samantha :=:

Samantha sat quietly on the sofa, sipping her coffee. It was early, everyone else still asleep. In a few hours they'd all be up having breakfast. And then they'd get to work on their usual Sunday routine, working with spells and magic. They were going to start on the teleportation spell today.

For now, Sam was alone, sipping her coffee in the dark. She'd woken up at around three in the morning, and hadn't been able to get back to sleep. There was too much on her mind.

It was unsettling enough, discovering that Cindy could work magic when she'd accidentally cursed her former friend. And then learning that Cindy had created the curse herself, by modifying the transformation spell, that was just as surprising.

Sam had another sip of coffee, and thought about the Goddess's response to the situation. She'd refused to help Tom, refused to give Cindy the power to let her reverse the curse. But then, She had changed all of reality again, to accommodate Tanya and give her a new life. Why?

It couldn't have been about the power. Surely it took several magnitudes more power to change reality, than it would have to simply undo the curse. Was it to ensure Tanya would keep their secrets? That didn't make sense either. They knew from Cindy's case that the Goddess could have used magic to prevent Tom from talking about them.

Sam didn't like the idea, but she also suspected the Goddess could have just wiped the incident from Tom's mind so he wouldn't remember it, that would have kept their secrets too.

She finished her coffee and sighed. Sam didn't know why she was the only one of their group who worried about these things. Kara seemed at least to be aware of the issues that Sam was concerned about. Jessica and Nikki though, they seemed very cavalier about the way the Goddess tossed magic around and kept changing things. Cindy too, though at least the girl had been remorseful about the changes that had been her responsibility.

Samantha got up and moved to the kitchen and fixed herself another cup of coffee. Then she returned to the sofa and sat back with a quiet sigh.

She had one idea about why the others were less concerned about these things than she was, and it troubled her.

Of the five of them, Sam was the one who was least touched by magic. Both Nicole and Jessica had had their entire lives changed, reality rewritten around the two of them. Cindy hadn't, but her body had been completely changed, and some aspects of her mind had been changed, and her personality. Kara had experienced less magic than the other three, her changes were comparatively minor, and hadn't touched her mind, memories, or personality.

Sam knew her own memories had been affected of course, when Jessica became part of her family. But of the five of them, Sam was the only one who still had the same body she was originally born into. She wondered if somehow that made a difference. Or, was she just looking for problems where none existed?

She sighed again. She wished there was someone she could talk to about her concerns. She couldn't discuss it with Nicole, anything she said to Nikki would be heard by the Goddess. Kara seemed like the most likely to listen to her and take her seriously, but she knew Kara might tell Jessica, and Jess would probably tell Nikki.

Sam bit her lower lip and frowned. Was she just being paranoid? Or was she right to be concerned? She had to admit, there hadn't been any actual problems or fall-out from the reality changes. Maybe she was letting herself get all worked up for nothing.

She finally got herself a blanket and just relaxed on the sofa with her coffee.

• • • • •

The others all slept in, and it was ten in the morning before everyone was starting to move around. Cindy got herself some juice, the others had coffee, and then Nikki started getting things started for breakfast.

Sam noticed Jess and Kara were looking a little pleased with themselves this morning. Sitting a little closer together, sharing little glances and smiles. She suspected their relationship had moved another step forward last night, but she wouldn't press. She figured Jess would say something soon enough. Her sister wasn't great with secrets.

Nicole announced they'd be having french toast this morning, since she'd made pancakes yesterday. Jess and Kara set the table, while Cindy ended up sitting next to Sam on the sofa.

While she was cooking, Nikki asked, "Hey Sam? Everything ok this morning? You got up pretty early..."

"Yeah, I'm ok love. Couldn't sleep though, and I didn't want to disturb you. So I came out here and had some coffee."

Nicole nodded. After a few moments she asked, "You're worried about the Tanya thing?"

Sam sighed a little. All of them knew she got uptight about reality changes. "Yeah... I'm fine though. It was just a lot to deal with, the last two days."

Cindy looked up at her and apologized again, "I'm sorry Samantha. I really didn't mean for that to happen."

Sam nodded, "I know Cindy."

When the food was ready they all sat down together and dug in. At first the conversation was about the work they'd be doing later today. Jessica was really eager to get started on the teleportation spell, and Cindy was a little excited that she'd be able to actually help more. The past few weeks when everyone thought she couldn't work magic, she'd mostly just been watching.

Sam liked the idea of teleportation, and it had been her suggestion originally. Now that it seemed that it might be a reality in the next couple weeks, she was a little more cautious. There was a lot that could go wrong with this sort of magic.

As they were getting near the end of breakfast, Nicole said, "Before we get on with cleaning up then dive into the spell crafting, I need to talk with all of you about something." Her voice sounded serious.

Sam frowned. She had no idea what was on Nikki's mind, and her girlfriend hadn't told her there was anything unusual or important going on.

The others went quiet, as everyone looked to Nikki.

She then said, "There's two things I guess." She looked to Sam and said, "A couple weeks ago, Samantha had a conversation with the Goddess..." Nikki smiled a little, "Sam gave our Goddess a bit of a lecture, and told Her there were some things She needed to change, in how She was interacting with me."

Sam gulped a little. Since she'd done that, there hadn't been any further discussion on the topic. Nikki seemed to be feeling better though, her mood had picked up a lot a few days after that conversation.

The others were quiet, though Jessica glanced at Sam with a smirk. Samantha knew her sister was probably imagining Sam lecturing the Goddess.

Nicole then continued, "A few days after that, She summoned me to Her for a face-to-face meeting. We talked, and She agreed to your requests, Sam. Since then, She and I have been working together much more closely. Things have been a lot better for me. Thanks for that, hon." Nikki gave her a smile, and the look of gratitude and adoration in Nicole's eyes melted Sam's heart a little.

Samantha smiled back, "I'm glad things are better Nikki. I noticed your mood's been much better for the last couple weeks."

Kara then asked, "What's the second thing? You said there were two..."

"Right. The second thing is much bigger." Nicole paused and took a deep breath. "The Goddess has something to offer us. All of us. She's offering us land. Space. A place to build a home of our own, a spiritual retreat. A place we can live and work and help people, away from prying eyes of neighbours and city officials. She's offering us wealth, so in her words, 'we need never again toil for the benefit of others'. We'd be able to pursue our passions and interests, without concern for money. Whether education, art, wine, whatever. She wants the five of us to be happy."

Sam's eyes were wide. The others were all equally stunned, everyone was just staring at Nikki in silence.

After a few moments, Samantha asked, "How? Is this another... Would she be changing things somehow, to give us all this?"

Nikki shook her head, "Actually I don't think so. I'm not sure how she's planning to get the land, but the rest of it I think she's planning to just pay cash? She told me... She's spent the past several months accumulating money, and hiding it in various accounts. I don't know how, or where it's coming from. She did say, in the past she'd have just conjured up a pile of gold and silver. Today though, she said its easier because it's all just numbers on a computer?"

Jessica asked, "Where would this land be? Like, how far would we have to move? Would we still be able to go to Brock?"

"I don't know exactly, but I'm sure it'd still be in Niagara Region." Nicole replied. "She ah... She said the land would have grape vines on it."

Jess giggled, "Aha! She's tempting you with wine!"

Nikki smiled and nodded, "She is, yes. But She's offering all of us a chance to follow our passions, not just me."

Samantha sighed. Once again this felt wrong. She thought the monthly stipend they'd started getting after they wound up with Cindy was too much. This was way over the top. Money, land, not having to work, following their dreams. It felt dangerous. She just wasn't sure why.

Jessica then asked, "When does She want us to answer? What's the deadline?"

Nicole shook her head, "There's no deadline on this. It's taken me over two weeks just to figure out the best way to tell you all. I'd like all of you to think it over. Neither the Goddess or I expect an answer right away. Take as long as you need. If you have questions, by all means ask."

Kara then spoke up. "Why? Why does She want to do all this for us?"

Nikki replied, "I asked her that too. She explained, it's in Her best interest? She's tied to us, the same way we're tied to Her. She benefits from all of us living a long and happy life. She wants us to be inspired, so that when Sam and I... When we're getting towards the end of our lives, that we'll have passed on Her teachings and everything to another generation. So when the two of us are gone, there'll be others who perform the ritual and continue working with Her."

Jessica then shrugged, "That makes sense to me. The whole thing sounds pretty cool. I'm all for it."

Kara nodded slowly, "I'll have to think more, but for now I think I'm for it."

Sam expected Cindy would be all in as well, but the teen seemed uncertain. "It sounds good but there's stuff I gotta think about first."

Nikki nodded, "Like I said, I don't expect answers today." She then looked at Sam. "You've been quiet there hon... You're worried about all this, aren't you?"

Samantha sighed and nodded, "Yes love. It worries me, but I can't give a good reason why. It's just another one of those things that feels too big, too much."

"I understand, Sam." Nikki gave her a comforting smile. "Like I said, think about it. If you want to talk more or have questions, we can do that." She then added, "If you want to question Her directly, that would be fine too. Like I said, it's in Her best interest. She wants us to be happy."

Sam nodded again, "Ok. Thanks love..."

Finally they got to work clearing the table and doing the dishes, and the five of them got started on the teleportation spell.