(Using the start of Deformo's chapter.)
"I wish DeMorrell was here in this room with us unarmed, without his guards, and willing to negotiate."
There were cries of protest from some of them and everyone shied from the flash of energy. When they could see again DeMorrell was standing there, mouth open in midsentence, " - - return what was taken from me. Wish my manhood healed, whole and complete, and I will trouble you and yours no more."
DeMorrel was using a cane to help him walk and still moved very gingerly. The sight brought an ugly smile to Nora's lips. Jonni knew the next part of her plan would please the young woman even more. Silently praying she had this all properly worked out Jonni lifted the amulet hanging from her neck in one hand and the all powerful stone in the other.
"I'd like to accommodate you, Lucius," Jonni began in a tone that indicated she was glad she could not comply, "But you have already set things in motion by wishing we would be wed and, seeing as you lack the necessary equipment, physically and emotionally, I don't think you would make a very good husband."
Jonni concentrated on the amulet. Lucius could feel something happening to him and it wasn't hard to figure out. "Stop!" he yelled. "You know that's not going to work."
Jonni hesitated, for some reason. The transformation, what little had started, reversed itself. Apparently the amulet wouldn't leave someone partly transformed if the user's concentration was broken.
"I came here with full intentions of negotiationg for real and this is how you repay me?" he said. "It is obvious what you were concentrating on. You were going to change me into a woman. How does it work? A superpower? That amulet around your neck? But you know it will never work."
"You're bluffing," said Jonni. "I'm not arguing this. I have the stone and I have whatever help the stone can give me."
"And I know you're going to become my wife," said Lucius. "I wished for that, long ago."
"You wished we'd be married... oh, god, you're right. You didn't wish we'd be married, you wished I'd be your wife. I wish...." Jonni held her breath.
"Don't panic!" yelled "Nora". "Don't make hasty wishes! Think things through!"
"... that Lucius can't move intil I allow it," continued Jonni. "There we go, Grandpa. We have some time to make real wishes."
"How about us?" said "Jack".
"Okay," said Jonni. "I wish that the mind swap machine is fixed again." Suddenly the machine, which had been written into history to explain Gary's situation, was whole and in front of them once again.
Jack and Nora each put on a helmet, and one button press later, they were back to normal, if being restored to their bodies with all their memories and poast was considered normal. "By the way, Grandpa," said Jonni, "whose baby is it?"
"What?" said the newly himself Jack.
"Luke. Whose baby is he? He was conceived when you were in a different body, and you just body-swapped, so physically the baby's DNA doesn't match your current body's. But if you're talking about family, the baby has to be related to the person who was in the body during pregnancy, even if that person is now somewhere else--that's the only way it makes sense. Otherwise Nora would be my grandfather until a minute ago, and I wouldn't be related to anyone here until we got the amulet and I changed my body partly back."
"So you're telling me that he's still my baby. If you knew the answer, why did you ask?" asked Jack.
"You told me to think things through."
"Think through your problem. You still have to deal with Lucius."
"Yeah," said Jonni. "I was going to turn him into a girl and me into a guy and get married, but that doesn't work if I have to be the wife. I have to think of something. Hmm. I guess that works. I wish..."
