Deja-Vu

Chapter 2

"What do you want me to do?" she asked.

A smile crinkled his face. "Good girl!" Somehow the comment, which once might have angered her as condescending, was anything but that. Instead, it was a high compliment. "I want you to stop him. Three more times."

JJ took a deep breath that she didn't need. "Okay." she said simply.

The man waved his hand again and another man appeared. Young and at the same time old, his pale face was unlined and serene. He was dressed all in black. He nodded respectfully to the old man and then smiled at her.

"This is Seth," introduced the old man. "He is one of my associates and will look after you. Whenever you have a question that you really need help to answer, call for him." The old man raised both hands. Light shone around them, seeming to come from him as though it could no longer be restrained by his facade. Then JJ was lying in bed, curled up on her side and blinking the sleep from her eyes.

She threw back the covers and swung her legs to the floor. Groaning slightly, she stumbled to the bathroom, scratching an itch on her side as she did. Good Lord her mouth tasted awful. She spread her feet before the toilet and braced one arm against the wall. Even as she began to wonder just what the hell she was doing and why her other hand had dropped down in front of her, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror mounted over the sink.

"Holy SHIT!"

"What is it?" came a muffled female voice from the bedroom.

"Errr stubbed my toe, Angela." Somehow the name came from her lips automatically.

"Well, with what you had to drink last night, I can't say I'm surprised. Again," came a tart reply.

JJ examined the image in the mirror. Flush faced and fleshy, with sagging cheeks and a thick neck. She needed a shave, she noted. And a haircut. Will would never allow himself to get this disheveled. Then she looked down, particularly at what she held in her right hand, which was directing a stream into the porcelain bowl. Mostly into the bowl, as she noted the seat was down and her aim wasn't perfect.

"Seth," she whispered. "What the," she paused, Unable to think of an expletive she could use to what she was sure was an angel she simply asked, "What is going ON?"

The black clad figure was beside her in an instant. "Oh, you're awake."

"Damn, I was hoping I was still asleep and dreaming." JJ realized she was still holding her penis and hastily released it. Okay, would you please explain why I'm standing here with a five o'clock shadow, a beer belly and a hangover? I mean, is this some take-off on 'Heaven Can Wait'? Or perhaps this is an unaired episode of 'Quantum Leap'."

Seth didn't bat an eyelash. "A bit of both, perhaps. I won't be tapping on any hand-held computer but you are going to be the only one who can see and hear me."

"Okay, so who am I and why is this happening?"

"You are you, Jennifer. However you are sharing a body with Charley Lightner. Charley is not aware of you, but you are in control, at least for now. He's a nice guy who has let everything get into a rut; his job, his marriage, his entire life. He's a construction worker, he drinks too much, spends too much time with his friends and not enough home with his wife. He actually wants to do better but he just can't summon the determination. So you are going to help him. And in return, come October 31st, IF you have arranged things properly, you will meet and defeat your opponent.

JJ opened her mouth but Seth beat her to it. "NO, you could not and cannot come back as yourself. It is months after your death. Your husband and son are just beginning to come to terms with losing you. Showing up in any shape or form would only cause trouble."

He looked at her sternly. "ANY shape of form. If you attempt to find them and see them, action will have to be taken to prevent it. I'm sorry, but its best for all concerned."

"Okay," reluctantly admitted JJ. "But what am I to DO?" she almost wailed. "I don't know anything about Charley, or Angela in there, anything about his job, his habits," she stumbled, blushing, "Their sex life. ANYTHING!"

"Charley is not gone. Just give him free rein and the daily life will take care of itself. However, you need to give him some direction and get him in shape to handle the confrontation that will take place in six months. Don't just 'Take over' although when need be you can be in control. Work with him." Then Seth was gone.

Following directions, JJ somehow relaxed and let Charley follow his morning routine. She showered, shaved (with only a couple of nicks) and grabbed a cup of hot coffee from the kitchen before sitting down at the chipped plastic table. A few minutes later Angela appeared to serve the breakfast that JJ had seen on the stove.

JJ studied the other woman. She appeared to be a match age-wise with Charley, around 30. About 5'4 she wore a few extra pounds around her waist and bottom. She had light brown hair done up in curlers at the moment and was wearing a bathrobe. The legs peeking out were shapely but in need of tightening up a bit. But then... JJ studied the body she was in and couldn't suppress a groan.

"Serves you right," came the tart reply. "I wish just once you would come home at a decent hour not reeking of smoke and beer..." The litany went on. JJ listened to it with half an ear, which was more attention than Charley gave to it, she noted. Still, it sounded pretty justified to her.

"I'm sorry," she finally said when Angela wound down. She hastily finished eating, went and brushed her teeth and left. Angela was at the door and handed Charley his lunch pail. A brief smack on the cheek was what she was given in return. That wasn't good, JJ thought. Sure, she and Will didn't give each other Clark Gable/Vivian Leigh kisses every time one of them went to work, but they were a lot more affectionate than this.

JJ sat back, allowing Charley to drive his pickup to the worksite. She definitely let him take the lead in the carpentry work that was his profession. She just watched and listened as he spared with and worked with his fellow construction workers.

The only time she wanted to butt in was during lunch. True to form, the guys sat down together and proceeded to eat, and whistle at every passing woman. JJ had got some of that when she first started on the Bureau; the comments, the innuendoes, the outright offers. However by firmly standing her ground she had stopped them and earned the respect of her fellow agents. But she wasn't here to make fellow workers politically correct.

The 5 o'clock whistle blew and everyone scampered for their vehicles. One of Charley's buddies, Joe, yelled to Charley that they were going to Flannigan s. Apparently acceptance of the invitation was assumed. Shocked looks appeared when JJ firmly announced "Sorry guys, I got something I have to do this afternoon."

That thing was to stop by a gym and purchase a membership. JJ considered where to start. Due to his job, Charley had good upper body strength, but no wind and no stamina. His agility was nil, due in a large part to the fat around his middle, and she shuddered to think what his cholesterol count was. That was all she needed, to have him have a heart attack from exertion when she confronted the killer. They certainly were not going to indulge in any of her favorite workouts. By the time she had changed clothes, carefully ignoring the fact she was surrounded by half-naked men, she had decided that she would start with the treadmill.

God, it was even worse than she thought. Five minutes and Charley was gasping for breath. They weren't even running. She pushed him, keeping his pulse elevated to the right level and gave him a good, if limited, workout. She returned to the locker room and decided to take a shower here before going home.

That wasn't the greatest idea she had ever had, JJ decided five minutes later. After all, she had never been in a man's shower room before. Being surrounded by nude male bodies, some of which were QUITE attractive, was more than she had counted on. She closed her eyes, concentrated, washed up as quickly as possible, and fled as soon as she could.

Angela was quite surprised to have Charley home at a reasonable hour, even though he fell asleep watching TV. Dinner was good, Angela making an only slightly barbed comment about "Wasn't it nice to eat it hot for a change". JJ just smiled in return and agreed.

The next morning was almost as bad as the first. This time, instead of a hangover though, the pain was caused from the previous day's workout. A couple of hastily swallowed aspirins helped though along with the coffee, as well as a chance to actually relax a bit and talk with Angela over breakfast.

As Charley drove to work, JJ thought over what she had observed so far. Getting Charley in shape was going to be work, but was something that could be accomplished. Knitting the gap between Charley and Angela was going to be harder. The morning conversation had been pleasant, but impersonal. There didn't seem to be any real connection between the two people. It was as though they were simply sharing the same house, the same bed. Well, nothing good ever came easy.

Charley staggered away from the health club that afternoon, mentally protesting at the sudden drive to get him in shape and wondering where the impetus was coming from. Still, it did feel better to wake up without the usual headache. Even the aches and pains from the exercise that somehow he somehow was almost compelled to do seemed to be lessening. And he admitted that Angela wasn't on his case all the time.

Saturday morning came and Charley cut the grass around their small two bedroom tract house and made some minor repairs that Angela asked him to do. Asked him, Charley noted, not nagged him. Not even when he took a break in the hottest part of the day and watched the baseball game and had a couple of beers, the first he had all week he realized. Well, he smiled, that might make tonight even better than usual.

JJ had been content to simply sit back and watch. She HAD made Charley drink water when he got hot while mowing the grass but that had been about it. She had wondered what the building excitement was all about, but had not delved into Charley's thoughts. It wasn't until bedtime when JJ realized what had Charley excited was that Saturday night was his and Angela's "Do It" night.

"Oh CRAP! Okay, calm down Jennifer," she thought. "Maybe this isn't so bad. Think of it as a learning experience. Something to reflect on, experience the other side. Find out what you could have done for Will to increase his pleasure."

Resolutions were all very good, but JJ nearly screamed for Seth to get her out of this body when she felt Charley's cock start to stiffen. She looked down in amazement as it grew. She felt dizzy. Well, no wonder, as the amount of blood it must take to engorge this thing couldn't leave much at the top.

Then Charley was rolling on top of Angela, who spread her legs and guided him into her as the couple kissed. JJ made a mental note that Charley's kissing left a good bit to be desired, but at least it was enthusiastic. She could feel Angela's body moving under Charley. It felt good to feel her rounded and soft curves. Quite different from Will's firm and lean body. Her mouth tasted different also. And the feel of Angela's pussy engulfing Charley's cock was amazing. No wonder guys like this so much. It really felt good.

Charley heaved up and down, moaning and gasping as he thrust into Angela. JJ noted that Charley felt increased excitement that he was able to move faster and with more vigor than last week. Angela seemed to be responding also, verbally and physically. Then Charley was yelling and JJ shuddered herself in the throes of her first male orgasm. Shared though it was, it felt damn good too.

Angela had cried out and bucked wildly under Charley and told him how good he was. JJ snorted. "Fake an orgasm there much honey?" She herself hadn't done that in years and even then she was better at it than Angela was. But Charley didn't seem to notice and fell asleep shortly afterwards. JJ slept when Charley slept somehow, but tonight she stayed awake after he was snoring. That allowed her to notice when Angela slipped from the bed and snuck into the bathroom. Straining, JJ could hear squishing sounds and figured Angela was finishing herself off.

No wonder, she admitted to herself. That wasn't much; basically no foreplay, no cuddling and not much time in the saddle either. Okay, she was really going to have to work on this. But, she searched Charley's memory, it wasn't all his fault. Maybe Angela wasn't getting much, but she wasn't helping either. She needed to be a bit more vocal in letting him know what pleased her. She sensed Charley WANTED to sexually satisfy his wife but didn't know how.

Sunday morning came. After breakfast Angela got ready for church. Charley didn't usually go with her, but JJ figured that not only was this a good opportunity for the couple to spend some time together but she herself darn well needed it.

JJ hadn't been much of a church goer but Will was a good Catholic boy and she had begun going to Mass with him on Sunday morning when they were both off and taking Henry with them. She wasn't familiar with the Protestant church that the couple attended but sat back and enjoyed the service. She reminded herself that the roads to God were many, that no one denomination had a lock on heaven by itself. And Angela was happy that Charley was with her.

The next week passed, and then the next. After a while they seemed to blur together, as JJ felt herself doing with Charley. She now thought of the body as "Theirs" rather than "His". Charley was working out at the gym of his own accord now. He had never been an athlete, but he had been active when younger and he enjoyed getting back into shape. Angela also enjoyed Charley's increased vigor. JJ had been subtlety coaching Charley on how to please a woman. Not a lot at any one time. She had to laugh, thinking what Angela's reaction might be if Charley suddenly began to act on everything that JJ wanted him to learn.

First she instructed him in foreplay, how to use his lips and his fingers to excite his wife. She taught him where to touch her. She admitted that the first time Charley went down on Angela she almost started running again. After all, what Charley felt she felt, and the sensation of their shared tongue dipping inside of a woman was just about too much for her straight self to handle. But she did.

The biggest thing she managed to do was to get Charley to talk to Angela about their sex life, to ask her how she felt and what she wanted to do. To Charley's surprise, she confessed that she had always wanted to try oral sex on him, but had always worried that he would think her some kind of slut for suggesting it.

Charley was so excited by the idea that JJ couldn't understand how he could possibly be conscious. His cock had grown to a size matched only by one she had caught a glimpse of in the shower at the gym. He stretched out and Angela bent over him.

Good GOD. Charley let out a moan that rattled the windows when Angela's mouth slid over his raging hardon. JJ chimed in silently. No wonder guys loved this. No wonder Will always had a grin on his face when she suggested this, or simply surprised him by blowing him. The sensations were incredible. It felt completely different than she remembered when Will went down on her.

Angela was a bit clumsy, but determination kept her going even when it looked like she was about to pass out from lack of air. She never stopped, not even when Charley warned her about the buildup that was about to explode. Indeed, she rammed her head down even farther on the straining shaft and rode Charley's squirms and upheavals as his balls emptied themselves in Angela's mouth. After a pause to recover the duo (or was it a trio JJ wondered?) made love, slowly, sweetly, attending to each other's needs.

Of course things weren't always smooth sailing. Sometimes JJ wanted to pound BOTH Charley and Angela's heads together. She also forgot sometimes she was in a male body that didn't move the same way her original one did. Not only did she get an occasional bump and bruise, she once got Charley to attempt a position that she as Jennifer had strained to get into and Angela seriously thought she was going to have to call the paramedics when his back went out. But she persevered.

One day on the way home from the gym, JJ noticed a sign in front of a stand-alone building in the local mall's parking lot. Intrigued, she got Charley to slow down and take a look. The sign advertised couple's ballroom dancing lessons.

JJ had always loved to dance. It was something in common that she and Will had discovered during their courtship. She missed it. Granted, the majority of their dancing had been to country music, two-stepping and line dancing. JJ had briefly considered trying to get Charley and Angela interested in that, but had discarded the plan almost immediately. What if she ran into Will? She wanted her husband to be happy but the thought of him dancing with someone else was too much to bear, let alone the idea of him doing other things. But now this different type of dancing might be fun.

Charley broached the subject and Angela threw her arms around him and nearly carried him off to the bedroom right there and then. The next evening they went down and enrolled. JJ was relieved to discover instructor didn't go in for fancy dress ideas. The thought of being in a tux was a little more than she was willing to accept. Shared body or not, JJ felt she was and always would be female, and some things were just not going to go down with her.

The classes were fun. Charley was much more agile then before and Angela kept up with him step for step. The closeness between Angela and Charley was wonderful. JJ felt that no matter what happened in the near future, in this part of her mission she had succeeded.

The other part weighed heavily on her mind as the months went by and it became October. She shifted her efforts in the gym to kick-boxing, sparing with several other novices and improving rapidly and introduced him to a mix of other martial arts. Then, finally, it was the night before All Hallows Eve.

When Charley had arrived home, Angela met him at the door with a huge kiss and a hug. Pulling him inside she fairly danced around the room.

"Guess what?"

"What?"

"We've been invited to compete in a competition tomorrow night at the studio. There will be other couples with about our same level of experience. Won't that be great?"

"Oh, my, yes." JJ was in full control right now. Giving Angela a smile that she hoped wouldn't be recognized as phony, she rushed into the bathroom.

"Seth!" she whispered fiercely

"What is it JJ?" asked the black clad man as he appeared beside her.

"Tomorrow night, Angela wants Charley to go to a dance contest with her! Shouldn't I, we, be out searching the city?"

"Where are you going to look Jennifer?" asked Seth.

"I don't know."

"Then don't worry about it." For the first time he touched her and she felt his calm peacefulness. "Take no care for tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself." He was gone.

She quickly walked back to the living room, finding Angela there, trying to stifle tears. Charley took her in his arms and kissed her. "Of course we're going,' he smiled. Don't be silly."

Angela wrapped her arms around Charley's neck and kissed him. There was no subtlety in her movements, her tongue was in his mouth and she rubbed her body against his. JJ felt the instant stirring in Charley's groin that never ceased to amaze her. He picked his wife up and carried her to the bedroom, shedding his clothing as he went. Standing her beside the bed, Charley slowly stripped Angela of her clothing next, pausing to kiss and savor each new part of Angela's body as it was revealed, from her white neck all the way down to the curve of her calves. He scooped her up in his arms and lifted her into the air. Responding, Angela wrapped her legs around her husband and lowered herself onto his jutting shaft.

JJ' head swam. The sensations were incredible. She had grown accustomed to feeling with Charley's body, sensing what he sensed and incidentally enjoying what he felt. But when Charley turned and fell backwards onto the bed with Angela impaled on his cock she almost passed out from the sheer pleasure of that. Angela's weight buried Charley completely inside her and she arched and let out a strangled moan of delight. She braced her knees on either side of Charley and began to ride him.

Charley was going crazy. Angela was going crazy. Jennifer was completely lost in the actions of Charley's body. She wasn't guiding Charley, not any longer, she was one with him and glorying in the strength of the male body she was sharing and the delight of satisfying the woman on top.

"Charleyyyyyyy," cried Angela. "Fuck me, oh FUCK me darling. Oh GOD you feel so good." She bounced harder and harder on him, her face twisted in glee. Charley grasped her hips and pulled down hard, thrusting up into his wife with all his new found strength. The couple moaned, cried, called each other's names and when their orgasm took them, when Charley flooded every inch of Angela's womb with his cum, there was no faking the wild exultation they both felt.

They slept late the next day. Charley had called early in the morning to arrange to take the day off and then collapsed back into bed with his wife. That afternoon they simply relaxed before showering, together, and preparing for the dance contest. They arrived a few minutes early. Charley guided Angela around several taped off areas where the pavement was being repaired. They carefully warmed up as the music started. Dance pair after pair performed and then it was their turn.

As the dance went on, it seemed to JJ that she was drawing away from Charley somehow. It was Charley who was moving to the music, who was spinning Angela around. He, not her, was reveling in the speed and grace of Angela's movements and the response of his body to his wife was all him. JJ felt almost like an observer now. Still inside Charley and feeling what he did, she was no longer the one in control. She was just watching.

The music rose to its climax. Charley spun Angela away, then back to him, He dropped to one knee and she stretched out over him. Her arms reached past her and one leg rose. She laid across his thigh, trusting completely on the support of it and of his arm under her back to keep her from falling.

The music ended. There was a moment of silence, then applause. The couple rose and Charley crushed Angela in his arms before he bowed and she curtsied to their friends and fellow dancers.

When they left, over an hour later, they walked out of the dance studio with Angela clinging to Charley's arm and beaming up at him. For his part he couldn't seem to keep his hands off her. All he wanted to do was touch her and hold her. When they reached their car he swept her up into a long kiss.

The kiss was broken by a scream. The couple looked around and saw a young woman running across the parking lot, a dark figure in pursuit. Automatically, Charley shoved Angela through the car door he had just unlocked, tossed in the keys, and slammed the door.

"Stay in the car and call 911," he shouted as he took off across the parking lot. Neither the fleeing woman nor the man chasing her noticed him until he slammed into the pursuer with his shoulder, both men tumbling to the ground. He bounced back to his feet and then froze for a moment as the other man produced a long knife.

"Get out of my way," the dark figured screamed.

JJ tried frantically to take control. "Don't freeze up," she tried to cry mentally to Charley. It was no use. JJ no longer had any semblance of power over Charley's body. It was all up to him.

Charley came unstuck. "Fuck you," he shouted defiantly. "Pick on someone your own size you bastard."

The man made a swipe at Charley, who dodged the blow handily. The two men circled. The man with the knife cast frantic glances past Charley, who never took his attention way from the knife-wielder. He assumed the woman had fled towards the dance studio and tried to keep himself between the madman and her, and also between him and Angela.

The man made several more feints and passes at Charley, moving the knife in circles. He thrust and when Charley jumped back, he found himself teetering on the edge of one of the holes dug in the concrete. The knife wielder grinned and lunged.

"NO!" came a scream. The man paused and looked around as Angela continued. "Charley. Catch!" He turned just in time to pick a flying piece of rebar out of the air as his wife threw it to him. She shrank back and the killer turned his attention back to her.

"You should have stayed out of this," he snarled. "I would have simply done the other one, but now you'll do instead."

Charley caught his balance. "The Hell you will." He dove forward towards his wife, swinging the metal construction rod. The killer tried for Angela but Charley was between them. He used the rebar like a sword, driving the man back.

There was a distant boom of a church bell. The clock was striking midnight. The killer threw caution to the winds, desperately trying to get past Charley. Catching the sight of Angela out of the corner of his eye, Charley was roused to fury. The man took his eyes away for one moment to look at Angela and Charley swung the bar with every ounce of strength. Without a sound, the man fell to the ground, his skull crushed.

JJ felt light-headed, even as the rebar fell from Charley's hand and he rushed to take Angela in his arms. Then she was no longer in Charley, instead standing there with Seth beside her. She looked at the angel.

"Well done Jennifer." he complimented.

"But I didn't do anything," she objected. "It was all Charley."

"Yes, but had you not guided him on the path you did, he would have not even been here, much less have been able to take the actions he did." The two watched as police cars, an ambulance and even a TV van arrived. JJ watched the blonde female she remembered as one of the hosts of the early show begin to interview Charley. Well, some things don't change. She scanned the responding police officers, looking for someone she knew.

"Now JJ, come on, none of that," reproved Seth. JJ blushed, or would have had she been capable of it. It was NOT easy having someone around who knew what you were thinking. "It's time for us to go."

"Will Charley be alright?" JJ inquired as the parking lot faded away.

"Better than alright," smiled Seth. "He and Angela risked their lives for each other, and for a stranger. They will spend their lives together and their children will be an important part in the scheme of things to come." He studied JJ. "Are you ready for your next step?"

JJ considered the question for a moment. There really was no decision to make. As interesting and instructive as it had been to share a male body, she had really had quite enough of that. She wanted to ask Seth if she could be female again this time, but was afraid of the answer. So she simply nodded and said "Yes."

(To be continued)