=:= Katie =:=

She felt her ears twitch as she drifted awake. There were two voices speaking softly next to her.

"She looks too cute to wake. I could take the bags and you could carry her?"

"She'd absolutely hate that."

There was a quiet giggle, followed by "I know."

Katie finally sighed, "I'm awake, you two. I can hear what you're saying."

Stacey said "Then get yourself up and let's get into the apartment. Or I really will ask Sarah to carry you."

She grumbled as she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. It was somewhere past midnight local time, but she was still on Vancouver time and it wouldn't even be ten o'clock back home. It had been a long day though, and the flight then the large meal then the car ride had left her tired out. She hated to admit it, but since becoming part cat she could fall asleep pretty much anywhere. At least it was dark enough that they couldn't see her blushing.

Her sister was carrying her backpack again, which was another little indignity she was still getting used to. She was accustomed to relying on her strength and her size to get her through pretty much any challenge life threw at her. Now she had neither, and she was struggling to adjust.

They were quiet during the elevator ride up to the fourth floor, then Stacey led them to her apartment and unlocked the door.

"I've already got the sofa-bed set up, so if you like you two can just go straight to bed and worry about unpacking in the morning." Stacey said, stifling a yawn. "When you said over the phone that you'd both just share the pull-out-bed I was worried it'd be a little cramped, but..." She smirked at Katie.

Sarah nodded, "Thanks aunt Stacey. You look like you could really use some sleep too, so why don't we all just call it a night." She added, "Mom your phone reminder went off a half hour ago while you were asleep in the car. Don't forget to do that prep spell."

Katie sighed, "Right." She took her backpack from her sister, and dug her phone out of the side pocket. She had the spell saved to a document on her phone, and went to sit on the corner of the sofa-bed to focus on the spell.

In the background she could hear her sister giving Sarah the 'two-second-tour' of the small apartment. It was just a one-bedroom unit, and would be a little cramped with the three of them here. If they folded up the pull-out bed during the day though it wouldn't be so bad. And they could always get a room at a nearby hotel if they decided it was too crowded here after all.

The prep spell only took fifteen or twenty seconds to recite, then Katie put her phone on the side table and let herself slump over onto her side on the pull-out bed. She was asleep again before the other two had finished the 'tour'.

• • • • •

"Are you going to be ok teaching, if you're sleeping sixteen hours a day?" Stacey asked.

Katie's initial reaction was to feel angry with her sister's teasing, but before she spoke she realized Stacey wasn't making fun of her. Her older sister actually sounded concerned.

"It'll be ok," she sighed. "Seriously, I don't usually sleep that much. I was just worn out from the full day of travelling."

"It's true," Sarah said, sipping her coffee. "She's maybe a little more prone to napping than before, but she's not sleeping her life away or anything. Yesterday was tiring for all of us."

All three of them had slept in today, it was noon before anybody got out of bed. Stacey put on the coffee for Sarah, but Katie and her sister just drank water. Now the three were sitting around the small table in the kitchen, enjoying a breakfast of bacon and eggs. Sarah and Stacey also had some toast with theirs, but Katie was fine without.

Blushing slightly, she commented "One unexpected advantage is I'm saving a ton of money on food..." Two eggs and two pieces of bacon was more than she could manage this morning. "On the other hand, I've had to spend money on a bunch of new clothes since absolutely nothing I owned fit anymore."

"I know that feeling," Stacey grinned. "Then there's all the time spent modifying things to be tail-friendly."

"Yep," Katie nodded.

After they were all finished eating, the three of them did the dishes and cleaned up together. Then the pull-out bed was folded up and turned back into a sofa, and they worked out who'd get the first shower.

Sarah won that discussion, and disappeared into the washroom.

Katie wound up sitting on the sofa with her sister. The two of them were sitting angled towards each other, their tails wrapped around and on their laps. It was their first time alone with each other.

Katie found herself staring at her older sister, inspecting her new appearance. Especially her fox ears and the big bushy tail on her lap. Stacey was doing the same, staring down at her, taking in her smaller features and her feline traits.

After a couple minutes of silence, Katie finally spoke up.

"You know Stace, you actually look really good like that. I mean, it suits you." She paused, then admitted "I was kind of freaked out at first. When I first saw your transformation video, then saw you on the video call... I was shocked, I couldn't believe you'd do something like that to yourself. But now? It suits you. It's actually kind of hard for me to picture you like you used to be."

Stacey smiled, "Thanks Katie, I really appreciate that. I do feel like this is me. Even though it really was a sort of last-minute idea, I've never once regretted it. And I really couldn't imagine going back to being a normal boring human." She giggled slightly, "I think I'd miss my tail too much."

There was a pause, then Stacey added "I've been trying not to get too attached to you like that, since you haven't decided yet whether or not to keep it. But every time we were on a video call, it seemed to me like you were more and more settled into that yourself. It was still quite the shock seeing you in person last night of course."

Katie blushed and looked down at the floor. She could feel her ears were folded down and she unconsciously held her tail a little closer.

Before she could comment, Stacey spoke up again. "I'm sure it's a huge adjustment for you sis, but for what it's worth, you look absolutely adorable and amazing." Her voice was soft and she wasn't trying to tease or make fun. She sounded sincere.

Katie was still blushing as she sighed. "Right. It's a 'huge' adjustment. A 'big' change. It'll be a 'tall' order getting used to this. It's a 'reach' but maybe I can manage it. We're heading into the final 'stretch' before I can fix it."

Stacey was quiet again for a few moments, then finally asked "Katie, have people actually been saying that sort of thing to you? Or are those your own thoughts?" Now she sounded worried.

Finally looking up at her sister, Katie sighed again. "It's just me being over-sensitive. Someone uses a common phrase and I hear it as a taunt or tease."

Her sister was looking at her with a mix of compassion and concern. "I'm sorry Katie. I'll try and be more careful about what I say, what words I use."

She hesitated, then added "You know it's only ten days till the full moon. You're more than half-way there. It might help to remember this is only temporary, you're not really this size. Like a bad haircut or whatever? It might be embarrassing or awkward, but it's not forever. And it doesn't define you, or the rest of your life."

Katie watched her sister for a few moments, then asked "When you used the spell, did you intentionally make yourself shorter?"

Stacey nodded, "Yes. Being a large, tall, imposing woman was an advantage as a cop, but I know it put some people off. I'm sure I scared off more than one potential partner just on my size alone. And it limited me in some ways, that I'm sure you're aware of. Finding cute clothes, or nice shoes, or whatever. Like, it wasn't just helpful as a cop, it also kind of defined me and limited me. I'm not saying I regretted it or didn't like it. But like the fox stuff, I wanted to try being different."

Katie nodded slowly, "I used my height and size in my career too. It let me dominate a classroom, demand students' attention. It meant I was harder to intimidate, but I was able to intimidate others. It meant I could be a bit of a bitch at times, and it meant I could get away with it..."

She sighed, and added, "I was expecting to just carry on like that. That I'd still be the tall imposing hard-ass law professor. I was thinking I'd just be adding some fangs and fur to the mix."

Stacey nodded, "Well, ten more days and that's what you can be. And you're spending seven of those days here on vacation. The last three, I'm sure Sarah will be with you helping out. So try not to let it get you too down. Ok sis?"

Katie nodded, "Yeah... You're right. Thanks Stacey." She forced a weak smile.

Her sister smiled back, looking hopeful. But Katie could see the concern was still there in Stacey's eyes.

Before they could talk more, Sarah emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

"Why don't you go next, Katie?" Stacey suggested.

"Ok," she nodded. "Thanks Stace."

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