Who: JR and Isabel Where: the beach What: Uncovering magic When: Late Monday afternoon Rating: PG for language, otherwise low. Status: Completed scene
JR was out for a late afternoon walk along the surf after a nap, feeling a little more energetic today than she had in weeks. Hopefully the combination of fresh air and sunshine and nearing the end of the first trimester meant she was also nearing the end of the fatigue that had been her constant companion for most of the last two months.
Her midsection was definitely bulging out now along with expanded ribs and bigger boobs. She was starting to actually look pregnant now instead of just bloated, the gentle curve of her belly leaving no doubt even if she’d worn something more concealing than a bikini top and sarong. If she’d felt a little more energetic she’d almost try going for a swim, but settled for walking ankle-deep in the surf instead. ---
Isabel was in need of some fresh air. There was a lot for her to process and she had to figure a few things out. She didn’t really pay attention to where she was walking when she left her hotel room. She just walked wherever her feet took her, letting her mind wander so she could relax. It wasn’t long before she found herself on a beach. It was nice and so she just kept walking. Just a few yards down the beach she felt what could only be described as a pull.
She suddenly had something else on her mind. It was definitely magical in natural. All she could do was follow the pull and see where it led her. She was a little surprised to see JR walking down the beach. Deciding to ignore the pull for just a moment, she headed to talk to the young woman, though it seemed that the pull was drawing her in that direction.
“Hey, JR.” She smiled as she approached. She was wearing a blue sun dress that didn’t really fit in with the time but she didn’t care just then.
------
JR noticed Isabel walking toward her and smiled, it had been months since she'd actually laid eyes on the genie instead of seeing her as a face on the network. Since before being transformed into a woman practically the same age as Addie and knocked up soon after. It had only been a few months ago, but she’d spent so little time as a man the last year and a half that it almost felt like it had been in a past life as a different person.
Still, it was good to see a fellow islander out and about. Hopefully Isabel was enjoying Cuba as much as she and her family had been so far.
“HI Isabel, long time no see.” -----
“I've kind of been hermiting for a while.” She chuckled. She'd spent so much time in her kitchen. “But I had enough people poke at me I figured I better get out and do something else.” she smiled and looked out over the water. She let out a soft sigh. “It really is beautiful here, isn't it?”
------ “It really is.” JR agreed as she looked out over the water to the horizon, the soon to be setting sun hanging low in the sky. “It would be a crime to waste this door by spending all your time in the kitchen. I’ve tried to get out and enjoy the weather whenever I feel up to it and the kids are cooperating. I remember the last time we had a door here if I wasn’t out enjoying the nightlife I was out on the beach.” ----
“I don't think I went through that door.” She shrugged. “But fresh air is always good.” She smiled. Isabel took a moment to look JR over. “You're looking good. Do you know how many yet?” She indicated JRs belly.
---- “You missed out, but we were still on the island then instead of the giant tincan in space.” So she preferred solid ground at her feet and blue sky overhead, sue her.
“Thanks! “ A beaming smile broke out and she let her hands drop to her belly. “Not yet. My gut tells me it's more than one, but it could be just that I'm so short as a woman and Elyssa was big as a man. I'll know for sure at my next appointment.”
She looked up at Isabel. “In a way I have you to thank for this, I think we conceived on Elyssa's birthday after that fantastic meal you made for us. Though we weren't exactly shy the rest of the time Elyssa was male either.” The phrases ‘fucking like rabbits’ and ‘bitch in heat’ came to mind, and she couldn't help the blush and little sigh that came out at the thoughts.
While she wouldn’t want to admit it aloud, she missed the male version of her spouse. If she had to be the woman the least the station could have done is kept Elyssa as the man.
------
“While I appreciate that, I can tell you my food had nothing to do with it.” She chuckled. “Even the best meal in the world won’t get people who aren’t attracted to each other in the mood. That was all the two of you.” She nodded. Something was going on and she wasn’t sure what it was. There was that pull again but this time, it was aimed in JRs general direction.
“You are pretty short, though. And rather thin. You’ll probably be big as a house and still only have one in the oven.” She smiled.
------ “Oh I know.” JR’s grin was a bit rueful as she looked down at her stomach. “Like I said we weren’t exactly shy, I’d almost say I couldn’t get enough of Elyssa while she was a he. It was just a magical night that first night is all.”
“We’ll see I guess, it’ll be what it’ll be.” A shrug accompanied the comment. It was beyond her control and the idea of having more kids didn’t bother her anymore. “As long as they’re healthy I don’t care how many there are, we’ll make it work. I mind being so damn short more than anything else. It’s a royal pain in the ass.” ----
Isabel laughed softly. “I remember those days. I definitely like this body better.” She’d been a couple different heights since becoming a genie. The second body was barely taller than JR was now. She looked JR over again. “I think it’s definitely one, though.” She smiled, then tilted her head. “When’d you get that?” Her eyes had been immediately drawn to the tattoo that appeared just above the swimsuit.
------ “Yeah you would, wouldn’t you? I’d forgotten you’ve had a couple different faces over the years.” JR chuckled. All she really remembered was the current one, it had probably taken place before her time. “And we’ll find out in a few weeks if you’re right.”
She furrowed her brow at the other woman’s question. “Get what?” Looking down at herself she tried to figure out what it was Isabel was talking about. --------
“That.” Isabel pointed toward the tattoo. She came very close to touching it and then immediately pulled her hand back. It was almost like an electric shock and she blinked a few times. “I….how long have you had that?”
------ “Huh.” A tingly sensation swept through her and she shivered for a second until it passed and shook her head. That was weird. She glanced down toward where Isabel was pointing. “Oh that. It showed up when I turned girly, I keep forgetting it’s there.” It certainly wasn’t her usual style of ink at all considering the only other tattoos she had were ones she’d gotten during the War. ------
“So it wasn’t there before you changed?” Isabel tilted her head and kept looking at it. That was the pull. That mark. She reached out and once again got the shock. “That’s….very strange.”
---- “Nope. The only ink I had as a guy are the two I got in the Corps,” she pointed to the Marine Corps Emblem on the opposite boob and the 1st Marine Division patch on her right shoulder. “They shrank down with the rest of me but they’re in the equivalent spots.” The tingly sensation happened again as if her whole body had gone to sleep. She shrugged. “It’s strange but so is turning into a woman and getting knocked up. That’s the island or the station for you, weird shit just happens. Elyssa had all kinds of tattoos as a guy, didn’t seem to mean anything.”
“Why? You think it means something?” -------
“I’m not sure.” Isabel shook her head. “I know that it’s strange.” She reached her hand out again and once again the spark was there. “It’s….magical.” She frowned. She didn’t know exactly how, though.
-----
When Isabel’s fingers actually brushed against the tattoo JR staggered, swept up in a wave of vertigo and blurry vision so strong she almost fell over. The events of the last few minutes vanished from memory and she blinked up at Isabel in confusion, wondering where the other woman had come from. -----
Isabel put her hands on JRs arms to steady her. She had concern written all over her face. “Hon, are you okay?”
-------
JR shook her head. “Dizzy.” She managed as she tried to clear her suddenly foggy brain. Everything felt fuzzy, and the fatigue was back with a vengeance. She carefully lowered herself to a sitting position while holding onto Isabel’s hands to help her balance. Her mouth opened in a huge yawn as she tried to understand what happened. Last thing she remembered was walking along the surf alone, and now Isabel was here.
-----
“Do you want me to call anybody?” Isabel was definitely worried now. Of course she could just pop JR back to wherever they were staying, if she knew where that was. She looked up and down the beach.
----- “... No.” The dizziness and blurry vision were starting to clear up and the rest of the family would never leave her alone after this if they heard about it. “Just give me a minute.”. She would have to gather up the energy to walk back to the house they were using while in Cuba, and then she'd probably sleep until midmorning tomorrow. It was if whatever energy she'd had when she started walking had been drained away and some more on top of that for good measure.
“That was weird.” ------
“That definitely was.” She was still worried. “Maybe you should get checked out just to be safe? You can tell everybody it's a routine visit.” She had a feeling that's why she wasn't to call anyone. Especially after how JR found out she was pregnant in the first place. ------
“I'll message Dr. Cuddy tomorrow.” JR promised, more out of fear she'd be ratted out than worry about her health. The last thing she needed was everyone hovering. “I guess I should thank you for suddenly showing up out of nowhere like you did, nothing like that has happened to me before.“ -----
At that comment, Isabel shook her head. “I'm taking you to the doctor right now.” She looked around and cursed a couple of people being on the beach so she couldn't just pop them back to the station.
------ “What? Why?” JR got to her feet now that the dizziness had passed. “Isabel I'll be fine. “ -----
“JR. We've been talking for several minutes. I didn't just pop in.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “Whatever caused this has affected your short term memory.” -----
“We have?” JR blinked at that revelation and furrowed her brow, trying to remember anything and came up blank. “The last thing I remember is walking along the surf alone.” ------
“Which is why I'm taking you to the doctor now.” She started walking back in the direction they came. ------
A heavy sigh escaped her lips as JR nodded, resigned to visiting the doctor. Isabel could magic her there if she wanted to so there was no way she getting out of it. She couldn't help the smidgen of concern at the memory loss but she was dreading the reaction of her family when they found out, the overprotection would be crazy. “I feel fine, honestly.” The protest had barely escaped her lips before a deep involuntary yawn followed on top of it, and JR knew it wouldn’t help convince the genie to leave her be.
------
“Oh yeah. Totally fine.” She shook her head. “We’ll get you looked at and you can tell your family anything you want.” She smiled and stopped a second. Isabel had a thought. “Let me try something.” Rather than just lightly brushing the mark, she intentionally touched it. The spark actually pushed her back enough that she landed on her ass. “Shit.”
------ This time when she came to, JR found herself kneeling on the sand staring up at Isabel. Who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. “Isabel? Are you OK?” The genie was looking a bit frazzled and JR wondered what caused it.
And so much for her energy being back. She could barely keep her eyes open all the sudden. —---
“Yeah, I'm fine.” She nodded and sighed. “We’re still getting you checked out, though.” She got to her feet and brushed herself off.
------ The only response JR had to that was a yawn as she forced herself up. “I think I need sleep more than I need to go see the doctors.” She told her, bringing a hand up to cover another yawn. “Guess I'm not as done with fatigue as I thought. I'm honestly more worried about you, you showed up out of nowhere and you look like you stuck a finger in an electrical outlet.” ------
“I didn't appear out of nowhere, JR. There's something going on with that mark. It's messing with you.” She sighed heavily.
----- “Mark?” JR looked at her blankly, then down at herself. What in the world was Isabel talking about? She had a few tattoos sure, but there wasn’t a mark on her aside from the ink and her scars from the war.
But the inspection was cut short with another yawn. She was so sleepy she could curl up on the beach and nap right there on the sand, but people would worry. And it probably wasn't the smartest idea anyway.
“Are you sure you're alright? All I want to do is go back to the house and curl up in bed.” ------
Isabel sighed heavily. “You don't remember anything.” She shook her head. There was really no point in getting JR examined. Obviously what was going on was magical. And trying to talk about it just made her forget. “Think about where you're staying, I'll get you home.”
------ “Remember what?” She asked sleepily, and yawned again, eyelids fluttering just on the edge of falling shut as her body threatened to fall asleep on her feet. “What’s going on?” JR tried to understand what the other woman was talking about but it was all she could do to keep her eyes open. Critical thinking was going to have to wait until after a nap, and she gave up. “All right.” ----
“Don’t worry about it.” She said. Isabel put her hands on JRs arms and in a blink they were standing in the living room of the place they were staying. “Go get some sleep.” She smiled.
-----
“Thanks Isabel.” The couch looked plenty good enough for a nap and she sank down on it, curled her legs up, and put her hands under her head as she closed her eyes. Another yawn and a sleepy mumble about catching up later and she was sound asleep. Whether she’d even remember how she got to the living room when she woke would be anyone’s guess.