by Tanya Allan
I almost picked up the phone again, to call the paramedics.
“Hey Mickey, are you okay?” I asked.
He grunted and pointed behind me. I turned round, and hell, I damn near had a stroke too!
Gillian had returned, but she had bought some clothes, had her hair done and had a complete makeover. She looked like a whole different person.
She was standing in the doorway, wearing a white skirt, with a navy blue strapped top. She had stockings on and a pair of high heeled shoes that made her legs look fantastic. She was carrying a white jacket for the skirt, but it was over her shoulder, and she was wearing earrings in both ears.
Her new and exotic makeup accentuated her huge blue eyes, while her mouth looked so damn kissable. Her hair was shaped and framed her face so nicely, that she could have walked into Hollywood and demanded a job on any movie she liked. With her tan, she looked like a million dollar movie star or a princess from Europe. And she went and fell for a grunt like me!
“Are you going to offer me a beer or stand there dribbling all night?” she asked, in that wonderful Scottish accent.
Mickey was still semi-paralysed, so I opened a beer and passed it to her. She grinned and drank from the bottle. She hitched up her skirt, swung her gorgeous legs up and perched on the bar stool next to me.
“You have no idea how awkward this crap is to try to walk in,” she said, grinning.
“Believe me, that ain’t nothing on early nineteenth century fashion,” I told her. “And don’t start me on the damn Romans.”
“Someday, you’ll have to tell me about Jane. I feel she’s my sister. The other one is less distinct.”
“Gigi, the door’s open, just come on in, whenever you want,” I said, now wholly grateful I had kept the memories. They could be shared with someone who’d understand.
Then an idea hit me.
No, it wouldn’t be fair to recruit her to the Time Corps; or would it?
“No, when you’re ready,” she said, interrupting my train of thought and smiling at me in a knowing way.
Hell, I loved this woman!
“You look amazing,” I said.
She smiled and wrinkled her nose delightfully.
“Thanks, but now I know why I didn’t bother with it all. I have had more guys try it on with me in the last hour than the last fifteen years,” she told me.
“That’s because you look hot, girl,” Mickey said.
“But I got my man now, so can I go back to baggy pants?” she teased.
I laughed, and put my arm around her. Mickey was still drooling a little.
“My colonel has asked us to dinner tomorrow night,” I said.
“Oh, is that good?”
“Sure. He wants to come to the wedding too,” I said.
“Oh! Fine, talking of which, who’s going to be your best man?”
I hadn’t even thought about it, so she laughed. It is all very well, but there are disadvantages of having a woman who knows your mind!
I looked at Mickey, and instantly discounted him as they would never let him into Scotland, if they had any sense. You could never have Mickey in the same country as so many whisky distilleries.
“Don’t look at me, Ed, I’m booked up solid through to October,” he said.
“You must have some friends, or your brother-in-law, the policeman in Ohio, is it?” she suggested
I shook my head, he was a nice guy, but not that nice.
“How about your Colonel?” she asked, on the ball as usual. It was a perfect solution. The Colonel wanted to go. Now he had a good reason, and I would have the kudos of having my CO as a best man.
“Smart girl, I’ll ask him tomorrow.”
“Where is this new job of yours?” she asked.
“Parris Island, South Carolina. It is the basic training depot for the corps, here on the East Coast. Why?” I asked.
“Because I’ll have to start looking for a job, so I need to know where to look.”
“I hadn’t thought about that. What sort of job will you go for?”
“Any teaching post, at any level except little kiddies. I have a teaching qualification, but ideally for a University or college, but High School if needs must.”
“I wouldn’t have thought that African languages are the main curriculum,” I said.
“Maybe not, but I can teach French, German or even English. I am not too specialised, you know?” she said.
“What about the Island language, is there anything you have to do with that?”
“Probably, but I’ll have to produce my paper on it and then see what happens. It may be that it will catch someone’s eye, so I may get some good offers. But to be honest, my love, all I want to do is be around for you. I will be quite happy teaching, and then coming home to you,” she said, reaching across and taking my hand.
“Aw, come on you two, let’s go eat, otherwise I may puke,” said Mickey.
* * *
Gillian.
I had never experienced shopping properly. Oh, I had been to shops and bought things, but I had never just wandered and looked for things as I went. I had one aim; I wanted to look good for Ed.
Silly really, but I had never wanted to dress like that ever before, so whatever happened in that village really worked.
It took me a couple of hours, and I spent a silly amount of money on my credit card. I even had my ears pierced. The hair-cut and makeover were nice, if a little wearing for someone like me. They just took so damn long, and I’m not the most patient of women. I did them near the end, as it was lovely just to sit down and relax.
I had not really appreciated how many different clothes were available for women, or the price! My occasional forays to charity shops cost about £10 a time, the white skirt and top cost nearly $300! And then I had to get various tops, stockings and shoes, etc. It was rather traumatic; I can tell you.
I returned shortly before eight, still wearing the white suit with a nice little navy top. As I walked back to the Flying Fish, strange men kept coming up to me and asking me if I wanted a drink, or a meal, or just to say hi. It was all rather disconcerting, as I was not used to high heels. I discovered if I walked slowly, there was less likelihood of falling arse over tit!
I walked into the bar and stopped by the door. Mickey’s reaction was worth the whole effort. But when Ed turned round, his mind catapulted us both into bed!
Poor old Ed, this whole marriage business was a bit deep for him, he hadn’t even thought of a best man. He thought about Mickey, and I was able to press a negative into his subconscious. I liked Mickey, but he and my mother would not be the ideal in any wedding party.
The others all drifted in, and I was amused at the general reaction to my appearance. I actually found that I loved the way I looked and felt, but there would have been no way that I would have done so before the trip.
We had a very pleasant meal with the whole team, which was to be our last dinner together, as the others were returning to London in the morning. As I looked round the table, I realised that we had all become good friends, and I even heard Ed ask Craig to take the photos at our wedding.
One by one, they drifted off to bed, and I found myself on the deck in the arms of the man I loved. It was a lovely night, so we sat with our legs dangling over the edge, just content to be together. He slipped this lovely little ring onto my left ring finger, so I hugged him. It was a beautiful ring, so I burst into tears. His thoughts were a mess of things to do, and I smiled. He was getting into organisation mood, which was something at which he excelled.
I, on the other hand, for the first time in my life, was completely unconcerned about my future. I had already written my letter of resignation to the University, so would hand it in when we got to Edinburgh. I was already out of any commitments for the next year, so they weren’t paying me in any case. So it was a mere formality.
I would have to sell my flat, or perhaps put it up for rent. There would always be people around the University needing good
accommodation. But I would have to clear out my room in the University. Oh, I would probably have to sell my bike, but I planned to buy another one when we had settled down.
‘What kind of bike?’
‘That was sneaky. I didn’t know you were peeking.’
‘I’m sorry, but I just picked up the bike bit.’
‘It’s a Kawasaki 900.’ I told him, and he grinned.
‘I might have known. Yeah, I can see you on something like that.’
‘So what do you drive?’
He stood up, held his hand out and helped me to my feet. We walked off the deck and into the parking lot. There was the most perfect twenty-five year old, black Ford Mustang convertible, almost straight out of “Bullitt”. I half expected Steve McQueen to step out of it. It was in mint condition, and was gleaming under the lights.
He unlocked it and started it up. The deep and powerful roar of the engine made me grin.
“I can see that we have yet one more thing in common,” he said, so I kissed him.
We went to our room and lay naked together in the warm air. We had the window open, so a gentle breeze played across our bodies. We made slow and superb love. I just loved to feel him next to me. We even held hands as we drifted off to sleep.
I awoke with a familiar feeling in my tummy, so swore silently. I had a very unwelcome and pain of a visitor. I went to the bathroom, when it dawned on me that I was not pregnant. I smiled, for at least my mother would be pleased, and I wouldn’t have to explain away the short pregnancy.
I returned to the bed, and Ed woke up.
‘Are you okay, hon?’ he asked. ‘I woke up with a belly ache, and I sensed it was yours.’
I laughed, as he was the first male to experience a period, even if it was second hand, so to speak.
“It’s only the curse,” I told him, so he gave me a cuddle.
“I remember them. I have to admit, I don’t miss them.”
“May I?” I asked.
He nodded and smiled.
He permitted my mind to merge with his. He had no blocks in place, so I managed to simply follow threads and travel at will. I gasped in surprise, for my husband to be had spent over sixty years as a woman in the early nineteenth century. He had done similar for a shorter period back in the second century. I sensed there were blocks in his mind that weren’t of his making. However, I soon learned all I could, and came out again. I saw it all; the Time Corps, the work he undertook, the risks he faced and the remuneration. We had never mentioned money, so it came as a complete shock to find he had millions of dollars in the bank.
I had wrongly assumed that he was a man of sufficient means, for whom money meant little and the acquisition of wealth meant even less.
‘You’re right, it means nothing. What is important is health and those you love. Without them money or the lack of it is meaningless,’ he thought to me.
“Did you ever follow up on Lady Jane?” I asked, out loud.
“Sure, she was quite a figure in her day. The historians got some of the facts wrong, but I get a kick out of reading about her.”
“How about Layla?”
“I never let her fall as hard, so I was more focussed on the job at hand. It was still tough.”
“Did you regret coming back from either of them?”
“From Roman times, not really; it was a barbaric time to be a woman, even an empowered one such as I managed to be. But from being Jane, sure, I regretting coming back at first. But you have to realise that I had a full life and had a ball. After Roger died, the whole point seemed to be gone, particularly as I was getting old.”
“This is so weird.”
“It’s old news, honey, so don’t worry about it,” he said, dropping off to sleep again.
I lay awake and thought about everything that had happened. It had all happened so fast, I had not really had a chance to take stock. I was strangely disappointed that I wasn’t pregnant. But I realised that it was on an emotional level. Practically, I was pleased, as being pregnant right now was hardly convenient, nor was I really ready.
As I lay next to a snoring Marine, I thought about the part of me that was now gone. For all my life, I had always had that drive to be different. It was an ever-pervasive part of my life, so hardly a day went past without me earnestly desiring to be something other than what I was.
But as I lay here, feeling content to be a complete woman, for the first time in my life, I did not miss the missing element to what I considered to be the real me. In a way, I was envious of Ed, for he had had an opportunity to be the woman inside for a complete lifetime. I had often wondered what it would have been like to be a man for a while. I would still be interested, but there wasn’t the same burning desire deep within my soul.
I was now the person I wanted to be, so as I gazed at the slumbering man, I hoped that he felt the same way. It was a horrible feeling to be so discontented with your lot that you would consider expensive surgery and courses of treatment, social leprosy and family schism. I had researched transsexuality, and found that it was far more widespread than anyone thought.
I was exceedingly pleased to no longer have those feelings, so I reached out and hugged Ed. He moaned in his sleep, and I found myself engulfed by a large muscled arm, as he drew me closer to him. I smiled. His huge feet were hanging off the end of the bed. He would have never have made it as a big, burly T-girl.
I let my mind drift through the memories that I had acquired in the transition. Somehow, in receiving that part of Ed that gave him the desire to be female, I also got his memories. I assumed that he acquired mine in a similar fashion. I was able to see the struggles he had undergone, and the tough childhood. But, as with me, I could not discern any specific incident or reason for the feelings, it was just something that was there from the earliest times.
I woke at eight, feeling pretty shitty, but I knew that it would only last a couple of days. I got up and showered, and Ed joined me after a few minutes.
‘I missed you.’
‘You big softy.’
‘Let me scrub your back.’
‘Only if I can do yours.’
‘You have one sexy butt, lady.’
‘You’re not so bad yourself.’
He did things to me that under normal circumstances would have led to other things, but I had to just kiss him and leave him alone. I was aware that we had a long day, and that we were doing a bit of travelling, so I slipped on a summer dress, which I had bought the previous evening. It was white and gold and showed my tan off beautifully.
I was really pleased with my hair. The girl who cut it had told me that it should grow out really well, and that it was in lovely condition. She had shaped it beautifully, so it was so easy to brush through. I actually wanted to grow it quite long, so that was another first.
I spent some time over my makeup, as I wasn’t very proficient at the art yet. I kept it simple, a little eyeliner, mascara, and some lipstick. I put a little highlight on my eyelids, so was quite pleased. Ed gave me a squeeze, as his mind was already doing things to me. I tickled him and pushed him away.
We went down for breakfast and joined the others. Everyone was very subdued. As they piled into the van, real tears were much in evidence. We all promised to keep in touch, but as the van departed, I began to look forward to a new life altogether.
Ed slung our bags into the Mustang and put the top down. I gave Mickey a big hug, and we were off.
I had slept when we had driven south from Miami, and that seemed a lifetime ago. This time I really enjoyed the ride up through the tip of Florida.
Ed said that the trip to Fort Benning would take us the best part of the day. We had to do the length of Florida, and then some of Georgia.
“What was your old job?” I asked him.
“I was an instructor on the Jumpmaster Course at Fort Benning. That is static line parachuting, for your information,” he replied with a smile. “I took a rough landing, and twisted my knee once too often.”
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“Do you want to go back to it?” I asked.
“To be honest, I’m not really that bothered anymore. This trip has changed my life so much that if you wanted to make a life in Scotland, I’d give up the Marines and come with you,” he said.
I stared at him, as I knew how much the Marines meant to him.
“There is no need for that. Not yet anyway. I am more than happy to make my life wherever you are,” I said.
“How many kids are we going to have?” he asked.
I laughed.
“As many as I can bear, literally, if the first one is a little bugger, then only one,” I said.
We sat silent but communicating our feelings on a different level. Although it had occurred to us that our special gift could be used for profit, we had both come to the conclusion that it was always going to remain our secret.
The sun shone, and the road was clear, so as we passed the sign for Orlando, Ed asked if I fancied dropping in on Disney World.
“Let’s wait until we can bring the kids,” I replied.
The time was after one and I was getting peckish, so Ed pulled over at a diner.
I had never been to a real American diner before, and the menu with pictures amused me.
A plump waitress came over and told us what the special was and took our drinks order. Everyone was so friendly, it seemed almost false in some way, but they actually were genuine!
The portions were enormous, so it dawned on me that obesity was a real problem in the States. Now I knew why.
As we left the diner, Ed threw me the keys to his Mustang.
“You drive,” he said.
“You trust me with your baby?” I asked, surprised.
He nodded, getting in the passenger seat. I slid behind the wheel, but had to bring the seat forward and adjust the mirror.
I started it up, grinning as the powerful throb of the engine rocked the whole car.
“How many others have you let drive this?” I asked.
