It was obviously the result of some sort of spell, but who was behind it? At least her brother seemed happy...and her parents didn't notice anything wrong. Dan was squealing in delight as his father said "There's my Princess! Come give me a hug, Danny." The large, muscular boy-girl wiggled over and hugged his father, and the two of them laughed.
Mom said "My goodness, you look wonderful Dan." and Dan giggled and blushed "Thanks, mom. My sorority has a total 'No Cows' rule. Us Eta Pi girls gotta diet and take aerobics classes and everything. Besides, I'm on the cheerleading squad. I might even make Captain next year!"
"That sounds great..." said Athena, and Dan turned to her. Dan looked like he was going to burst into tears, then he ran to her and hugged her tight. It wasn't the sort of hug he used to give her. A crushing, bearhug that turned into a swoop, followed by him saying "So how's my little sister been, hmm?". Instead he wrapped his arms tenderly about her and burst into tears of simple joy. Fibally he sniffed, dabbed at the corners of his eyes with a tissue, and said...
"So how's my little sister been, hmm?"
And in that face - That painted, tanned, pretty yet still somewhat masculine face - she saw her big brother shine out. Her brother loved her, and would defend her to the death. Her brother would listen to her problems and give her advice without judgement OR the threat of telling their parents. That love was still there, and it gave Athena hope that Dan would be alright.
The next few hours were spent listening to her brother gush and giggle about collage, boys, cheerleading, boys, campus life, boys and boys. Her newly minted sister-brother seemed intelligent, but also seemed somewhat scatterbrained. The classes he was taking seemed to have nothing to do with the Law (his former major) but music, dance, cooking, Liberal Arts, Teaching, French and French Poetry. He always seemed to be taking a nightclass in The History of Modern Wicca, so he could "Understand my sister more."
He said this with no malice, and gave Athena a sunny smile. He often got caught up in who was the cutest boy in class, and he'd disolve into giggles as he mused about one or another. Finally, Athena and he went to his room. As she'd have guessed, the room was nolonger the mancave that Dan had left, but a fluffy pink palice meant for the girliest of girls. Dan sat down on his white Princess Canopy bed, with it's plush, pink coverlet, and sighed. Dan looked depressed, then said "I really need your help, sis. I need my little sister to be here for me right now."
Tears glistened in his eyes, and Athena realised...he must know something had happened to him.
"I understand. In fact, I knew from the start." Athena said, and Dan looked shocked. "Really? How could you tell? Do I look...bloated? Do you think daddy suspects?"
Athena blinked, than said "Maybe we aren't talking about the same thing, Dan. What did YOU want to tell me?"
Dan stood and paced the room. He paused to open a window and remove a hidden ashtray from behind the dresser. Dan had been smoking on and off for years, and Athena never told her psrents. She couldn't violate the trust he had in her. Instead of his Marlboro's though, he removed a pack of long, thin Virginia Slims andlit one, holding it between ring and middle finger and looking like he'd been doing so for years.
Then he looked hard at the cigarette, drew in again...then cast it out the window. Dan waved the smoke away, and said "Athena...I think I'm pregnant..."
Athena was stunned. She looked between Dans legs, and saw that though he'd still had his male genitalia when he'd arrived, now...under the denim miniskirt his skimpy thong clearly concealed nothing masculine. Her brother was now physicaly her sister, except for Dans still quite muscular shape. Athena remembered the pendant around her neck had grown warm a few minutes ago, but she'd seen nothing to disturb her. Now...she knew her brother was the target of some kind of malicious magic. Was it directed against him? Or was an enemy of hers doing this to hurt her?
Whatever it was, it didn't matter right now. Even if he was now her sister, Dan needed her help and support. She took her new sister in her arms, and Dan cried and babbled about how her period was three months late...
