On Vacation - An X-Change Novella Ch. 01

Look...I know that I'm not getting any red H's because this story is too long and it takes awhile before there's any sex. I just let it take me where it wanted to go. I had two goals when I started it, 1- Create a believable way that X-Change could work, and 2- Write a love story. I feel that I accomplished both goals and wrote a nice story as well. Did I mention it's very long?

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I smiled as soon as I saw my best bud Danny standing at the rooftop bar. It had been a month since we had seen each other, which was long for us. Work had been crushing me lately and Dan had been crushing it at the law firm he worked for to keep his mind off his recent break up. We had known each other ever since freshman year when we were on the same dormitory floor. We had instant rapport which turned into trust, friendship and allegiance. We then roomed together for the rest of college and then decided to start out in Seattle. He went with a hi-rise condo, while I was stuck in a studio as my career in CGI went through its apprentice phase.

"Whazzup Jace!"

"Yo Danny Boy!"

We moved in to a bro hug.

"Hey Jason, they have Dragon's Milk on tap. Here you go dude."

I drained half the glass in one big chug. "Oh that's fantastic. Thanks Dan." We fist bumped.

He took a couple of sips from his glass. He had a nervous look on his face.

"So Dan, how's the broken heart?"

"Let's go grab a table. There's some stuff I need to talk to you about."

This was concerning. When it came to the ladies we had always been each other's wingman and confidant. It was easier in college when we would go through a girl or two per semester. Sometimes they cut you off and sometimes we got dumped. A couple of too many shots evenings, a tough midterm, or an important paper later and we were fine. The stakes were low, so no big deal.

Real world, new city, money tight, I tried to keep things casual. I went through a pattern of dating for a month or two, breakup, on the hunt for a month or two, back to dating. I wasn't ready for any real commitments and the woman could smell that on me. In another year or two, I should be pulling down much better bucks, so things would probably change. Danny started out in Seattle in a similar mode, but after a couple of years he began to start talking about settling down. Then he met Pamela. They went exclusive within a month, and she moved into his place a few months later. She and I got along OK, but I was "Daniel's" past and she was his future, so there was always some coolness between us. I did like how she dressed, very classy, very impressive. It seemed that I was heading to best man territory.

About two months ago, Pamela was on a business trip. She ran into an old boyfriend and came back to the ultimate "it's not you, it's me" situation with Dan. When Pam and that guy were younger they weren't ready, but now they were both successful and still in love. She moved her things out of the condo while Dan was at the office and left the key with the concierge.

The weekend after the breakup was the last time I had seen Danny before today. He hadn't been mopey or depressed. He mostly was in shock. One day you're coming home to someone every night and you're thinking about shopping for rings, and the next thing you know, Grub Hub is delivering dinner for one. We didn't even get drunk. We decided last minute to drive across the border and get some skiing in.

We grabbed a table and looked out across the bay while we finished our beers. "Jace, I really screwed up. I wasn't thinking, I didn't want to think. I've been working 70 hour weeks to stop myself from thinking. I forgot something important, maybe I forgot intentionally. Buddy, I need a favor, a really big favor."

"What the hell did you forget Dan?"

"Jason, you know my father's has been fighting cancer, and it has been a real ordeal for my mother. A few months ago, I told them about Pam, and how it was getting serious. A few days later my mother called me back to tell me that Dad's prognosis took a significant turn for the better. To celebrate, she was planning a vacation to Hawaii and wanted us to join them. They were going to take a week long cruise around the islands. She wanted us to come out a couple of days early and meet them. They would then board the ship while Pam and I would be on our own. We would then get back together for the night the ship disembarked. I think she was hoping the romantic setting would inspire me to propose.

Dude, I forgot all about it till a few days ago, when my mother called to tell me everything's been finalized. It's in three weeks."

"Danny, just tell them you broke up. Things happen, they'll just have to deal with it."

"You don't understand. Planning this trip was my mother's way of coping. Ten days in paradise, healthy husband, grown son, and a possible daughter in law as well. She would be devastated. She might even cancel the whole damn thing and be depressed and angry for weeks or months. I'm not sure if my father is ready for that."

"So, how can I help Danny?"

"I want you to replace Pamela. Go on the trip with me."

"How the hell will that help? I've never actually met your parents. I've only talked on the phone with them a few times and accepted their Facebook invites. Other than their knowing their boy wouldn't be alone for the week, I don't see any benefit. It might even piss your mother off more."

"I said replace Pamela. Replace. After completing an X-Change process."

"X-Change? What is that?"

"It's a very safe medical procedure that's been around for a few years. They've haven't publicized it too much because of all the insurance ramifications, plus it is currently pretty expensive. They temporarily or permanently rewrite your genetic code. Turn your Y chromosome to X or an X into a Y. Overnight they can turn a man into a woman or a woman into a man. It can be effective for a few days, a few weeks, or for the rest of your life.

I want you to come on this vacation with me and pretend to be my girlfriend. I can tell my parents that Pam and I split up, but I met someone new. I think our natural rapport with each other will show. I can sell that. A few weeks after we get back, I tell them that we're better as friends and I go back to looking for a wife. I really think this will work."

Now, I was in shock. I couldn't speak, I couldn't even look at him. I grabbed a waitress and asked for another beer and a double shot of Four Roses as well. Every time Danny tried to speak I just held up my hand and shook my head no.

I did the bourbon as soon as it was brought to the table and then had a couple of sips of beer.

"You want...you want to turn me into a girl for ten days?

"Two weeks. They have a two week program. And it's on my dime. My parents are paying for the actual trip. You get an all expense, first class trip to Hawaii and get to spend it with your best friend. We can hike, try surfboarding, go diving, see the sights. What's wrong with that?"

"But I would be a girl Dan. A girl."

"Yeah Jace, I realize that. That's why I said I needed a BIG favor. But remember, you were always the adventurous one."

Jeez, did he really have to bring that up? When it came to sex, I have always been open to new experiences. If the girl wanted to do a little S&M, I was OK to give it a try. Hands tied, blindfold, what the hell. In a hot tub, out in public, role playing, I'm game.

A couple of years ago, this girl I was seeing brought me to a resort for the weekend. We took ecstasy and the next thing I know we're in a large suite where an orgy was going on. From what I could remember, my dick was only inserted into several snatches. However, I could not swear that every mouth I kissed was female, nor that every mouth that licked and sucked my schlong left lipstick marks. I am sure that with all the touching and caressing, a cock or two did find a way into my grasp. And of course, I revealed that to Dan.

"Holy crap Danny. Because I got stoned once and grabbed a couple of dicks that were not my own, you thought I would be ok with turning into a girl and spending a vacation with you in the same hotel room?"

"Is that what's bothering you bro? Look, three things...first, I said this was first class accommodations. We're going to be in one bedroom suites the entire time. You get the bedroom, I sleep on the pullout sofa. We'll share a bathroom so close the door when you're using the facilities. Second...you're my best friend. No matter what you look like, I will know who you are, especially when you're doing me such a solid.

Lastly, I know how hard you work and how small your bank account is. How long will it be before you could splurge on something as great as this? Five years? Ten years? Dude, I'm talking Halekulani. I'm talking about hopping over to Maui. Doing the big island right. And none of it will cost you a dime. I'll even pay for any Hawaiian shirts you may want to get as souvenirs.

Look, I know that I sprung this on you out of the blue. I don't expect an answer right away. Can you at least go for a consult at X-Change Corp? They can tell you how they do what they do and what you can expect. After you've talked it over with them, you can give me your final answer, yes or no. Would you at least do that for me?"

Five days later, I'm sitting in a small room that overlooks the Space Needle. I'm sitting on a very comfortable couch and there's a matching easy chair facing it at a ninety degree angle. The room looks like a psychiatrists office, which considering what they do here is probably not too far off.

A refined and attractive older woman dressed in scrubs and a lab coat came into the room holding a tablet. "Good afternoon Mr. Dixon, I'm Doctor Peter Jacobs. I'm one of the founders of X-Change Corp."

"Peter?"

"Well, I go by Peri when it's my turn in the rotation. We have several associates who utilize our services for research purposes. It gives us a better understanding of what our clients will be experiencing."

"Are you married Doctor?"

"That's one of the first questions I'm usually asked. Yes, in fact, I am married to a very lovely, understanding woman who has had a chance to live out a few fantasies. We are partners, best friends, girlfriends and lovers. I would say it's a fantastic marriage."

"And the staff members who go through the process, they're all volunteers?"

"Of course. Mr. Dixon, we have found that no one is 100% anything. Men have their feminine side and vice versa. Under the right circumstances, many people would try some homosexuality.

Our company is currently setting up offices in most major cities in North America and Europe. We've been keeping the promotion of our services to word of mouth, but when we decide the time is ready to publicize, we expect an overwhelming demand for our services. Especially for the temporary switches that you're looking into.

For the time being we can give a level of service and attention that we may not be able to sustain in the future. So, I can sit down with you and explain procedure and see if it is something that you can take advantage of. Today's session will be a verbal exchange of information. Should you decide to proceed, there will be a decent amount of paperwork. We already have some preliminary material given to us by Daniel Armstrong. So here's how this works.

We take a DNA sample from you. We then edit the strand and replace the Y chromosome with an X and introduce the strand into an inert virus. To prepare for the procedure, you take similar steps to preparing for a colonoscopy. No food or water after midnight. In the morning you take a strong laxative and in the afternoon you give yourself two enemas. Otherwise, the process can be a bit messy. You come into our facility in the early evening as the process happens overnight. Generally, it takes eight to twelve hours to complete.

You remove all your clothes and put on a hospital gown. We will insert an intravenous line which will be used to deliver medication as well as the virus. We will put you under with propofol but that will be switched to regular sleep medications after the process has been started. The changeover can be quite uncomfortable and you would likely pass out anyway. Once you are under, we will attach TENS devices to all of your major muscle groups. This will stimulate the muscles during the process and will avoid any prolonged soreness the next morning. We will also give you some mild pain medications before you awake.

Once prepped we introduce the virus. You will become feverish. We have cooling equipment that will be used to keep your temperature at or below 102 degrees. Your body will then begin to conform to exactly what you would have looked like had you been conceived with the X chromosome originally. You will lose body mass and height. Your hips will shift and expand, you will grow breasts. Your penis will shrink and become a clitoris and vulva. A body cavity will form, and your scrotum will revert back inside your body and grow into a set of ovaries. Some of the mass that you lose will burn off as the power source for the change, some of it will grow out your hair. You can expect five to eight inches of growth.

Once we detect that the change has completed we will stop all medications and remove the line. You will likely wake up within an hour. You will be thirsty. We will leave a bottle of Gatorade beside your bed. You will be alone but we will ask you to press the call button to let us know you're up. You will be a bit groggy so we will remind you to take a shower. You will be a bit rank because of how much fluid you sweated out. During the shower you will find yourself energized. When you're ready, there will be a robe for you to put on.

The virus can be manipulated so that its effects can last one day, three days, one week, two weeks, one month, or permanent. I was exposed to the one month virus. With all programs except the permanent one, your body will not have a female cycle. You will not ovulate or menstruate. With the permanent program the cycle starts immediately, but the body takes several cycles before eggs are produced. Even the permanent process could be reversed by going through a second program with one exception. Once the female becomes pregnant the process will no longer work. The process will not work on birth females that want to become male but have become pregnant at some point, even if they did not carry to term. We continue to work on that, but there's something about progesterone that locks the DNA.

Because all people are different we add a little cushion to the length of the change. Someone on the one week program may not naturally change back until nine days. The reversion can also be uncomfortable so we prefer you return to our facilities at a scheduled time which will allow us to initiate the change back and put you to sleep. Going from female to male, we will also introduce protein during the change but you will wake up hungry. Even though you will be back in your male form, you will likely have lost weight from before the original change. In the rare chance that the change back starts naturally before you can get back to us, it would start out with you feeling crampy and you might be lightheaded as well. You probably will have two or three hours before it gets real bad.

That's our program Mr. Dixon. I'm sure you have questions but first I have a few for you. Are you sexually active?"

"Yes."

"Hetero, Homo, or Bi?"

"Hetero."

"Do you know what gender dysphoria is?"

"Yes. It is the belief that you were born into the wrong body. That you're a female trapped in a male body or a male trapped in a female body."

"Have you ever been treated for gender dysphoria?"

"No."

"Do you believe you have gender dysphoria?"

"No."

"Have you ever felt the urge to dress up in female clothing? Even as a Halloween costume."

"I dated this girl who was into role playing. One time she wanted to pretend we were lesbian lovers. She shaved my legs and chest and dressed me in stockings, a garter belt and a bustier. It was a fun night."

"Did that become part of your regular sexual activity with her?"

"Nope. The next week I was a doctor and she was my nurse."

"Mr. Dixon, why are you interested in our services?"

"Danny Armstrong is my best friend. He was recently dumped by his girlfriend and he thinks his mother will not be able to handle the news. He wants me to pretend I'm his new girlfriend for a family vacation they're about to take. He thinks our compatibility will convince his mother that everything is fine. I know that seems like a dumb reason when so many people have a legitimate reason for your procedure, but I trust Danny wants to do this for the best of intentions."

"Mr. Dixon, we have been doing these procedures for years. I have seen men who have been living as a female, taking hormones, complete woman's wardrobe come in, take the one month process as a trial run, change back, grab male clothes and never come back. I have seen men change to woman because they fall in love with a lesbian. The biggest surprise I have had is how many people do this to help out a friend. Pretend to be a girlfriend to help their buddy get into a frat. Be a date for their friend's high school reunion. Make another woman jealous. We even have nerd pacts. Two friends who have trouble meeting girls trade off and pretend to be each other's girlfriends. They're hoping that when other girls see them, they will be more likely to go out with someone who is a little popular."

"So, this can work?"

"Yes, and we can help. I see that the vacation is ten days and that you would want the two week procedure. So, you wake up and it's day one. When you come out of the shower you will be greeted by our birth female counselor. She will be your guide in all things female. We will then send in our team. They will take your measurements and get you a basic set of clothes. Then you will get a manicure, a pedicure, and a hair styling.

Your counselor will show you how to put on a bra, walk in heels, and sit with your legs crossed properly. She will teach you how to put on makeup. When you're ready she will show you how to wipe. Then she will take you out shopping. She will provide a checklist of what a normal woman will pack for a ten day Hawaiian vacation. Mr. Armstrong has already approved these charges should you decide to go ahead with the process.

We have a guest suite on premises where you will sleep. You will not be returning to your apartment until you are male again. Day two we bring in Mr. Armstrong. Together we will review videos of normal couples and go over their body language. We will have the two of you practice things like hand holding and sitting with his arm around you until it isn't awkward. We will go over subtle things that couples usually do like eye contact and a quick squeeze of an arm.

These will be long days. We want you to be successful. Day three is when you leave for Oahu. We would rather you come home a day too soon then a day too late.

That's our program. Do you have any questions?"

"Well Doctor Jacobs...my main concern, um, well do you think any differently? Behave any differently?"

"Because you're not a gender dysphoria patient? Because you're a healthy, sexually active, straight guy? I can speak to that. I volunteered to be part of our ongoing research because I believe in our project and I believe in the science. If we hadn't been successful, I could easily see myself not having a need to put on lipstick or pee sitting down.

There's one school of thought that once your brain is bathed in estrogen, you start taking on female thinking and actions. I can tell you that I still love my wife and still find her desirable. I still watch sports and I continue to be the main bug killer in my house.