D4

"Dee, you stink. Second we're home you need to take a shower."

I stared grumpily out of the car window. "We're alone now, you can call me by my real name." Everyone was treating me like an irresponsible child. Well, except Masuka who spent half his time treating me like a sex object. If I could just kill someone I knew I'd feel better, feel in control of my life again.

"Right, sure Dex." She turned onto the side street that led to the apartment. "Have you thought about what might have changed you?"

"Nothing could have in the course of one night," I replied. "This whole thing is scientifically impossible."

"Well, it happened, so think back to what you were doing last night."

She was going all detective on me which freaked out the serial killer in me but it wasn't a bad plan. My memories of the previous night were hazy but as I focused they began to clear. I'd been at Rita's, the kids were staying with a friend of hers from work. We'd had a nice dinner, one that many would call romantic. She'd skipped the wine but we still had sex afterwards. It wasn't as satisfying as killing but it was nice and it helped take the edge off. It was a reminder that even if Doakes was ruining my extra-curricular activities I still had a life outside of that which wasn't entirely hollow.

I laid on the bed afterwards, tempted to nap. Pondering again whether I could have genuine feelings I poked at my proto-feelings for Debra and Rita and the kids. I wasn't human but I had some small bit of hope that I might someday become a real boy. Then Rita turned to me and said, "Dexter, I'm pregnant."

"... Dexter, Dexter!" Deb slapped me, hard. I became aware that she'd already parked and walked around to open my door. Had I been hyperventilating? Undoing the seatbelt I stood, dazed.

"Rita's pregnant." I grabbed my sister in an awkward hug to stay standing as I lost feeling in my legs.

"Dex, keep it together." She kicked the car door shut behind me, remarkably keeping her balance while holding us both up. "Are you saying-"

"I'm going to be a father."

"Or something," murmured Debra. She helped me back into the apartment and plopped us on the couch. Thankfully I landed on the side with the kill tools. I didn't want to think about how things might of gone if Deb had landed on the lumpy cushion. "So basically you got so freaked out last night that you turned yourself into a woman?"

"Maybe?" I wasn't sure of anything anymore.

"Let's get you in the shower. You'll feel better when you're clean." I considered protesting when she started pulling the dress over my head but I felt drained of energy. Besides, we were both women. Nothing strange about this, women got naked together all the time. I just had to resign myself and step into the hot shower.

The steaming water filled me with strength and vigor but it was a bit too hot. I jumped back out, water splashing Deb (still clothed). Something was different. I felt - "I'm me again."

"Christ Dex, cover yourself." Eyes averted she tossed a towel at my crotch and rushed out of the bathroom.

Needing a minute to recalibrate I decided to finish the shower. When I finally left the bathroom I was relaxed, refreshed, and had a towel securely fixed around my waist. All was right with the world. I still needed to kill somebody but otherwise I felt much calmer.

Deb was back on the couch. I needed to move those kill tools sooner rather than later. I couldn't believe I'd been so careless. I stayed calm though, face more or less expressionless as was my usual.

"So," she said, pointedly keeping her eyes above my neck. "I guess you're definitely Dexter."

"You doubted me?" I'd thought I convinced her.

"Of course I did. It's not every day you see bloody magic."

"Well, I'm back to normal now," I replied.

She grimaced. "Dexter, this isn't all just going to blow over. We're going to need to make a paper trail for Dee, come up with a story for where she came from and why she left; hell, we don't even know if you'll transform back into her."

"I won't. It was a fluke."

"You don't know that."

I ignored her, moving into the kitchen area. It was time for an extremely belated breakfast. Not wanting to wait for anything to cook I grabbed an apple and washed it under the faucet. As the water ran over my hand my fingers seemed to thin, fingernails glistening like pearls through the stream. It wasn't a trick of the light. I withdrew from the water, apple clasped in too-slender fingers.

Deb came up beside me, taking my hand in hers. "Is this what I think it is?" she asked, examining my hand by touch as well as sight. Its skin was far more sensitive than my other hand, every slight touch from Debra clearly registered. I couldn't remember if I'd had nail polish as Dee before but they were sparkling now. "What triggered it?"

"I don't know." I was… a bit freaked out. An alien appendage sat at the end of my arm, mocking me with its weakness. A machete in place of my hand I could maybe get used to but this was just absurdly feminine. And not a strong butch feminine like my sister but rather the sort that could break a nail from lifting a gallon of milk. How could I strangle a man with hands like these?
"Think about what you were doing. What was running through your brain?"

"Nothing," I replied. "I was just hungry and started washing the apple."

Deb filled a small glass of water. I was surprised she'd given up interrogating me already though I didn't blame her for wanting a drink. Personally I was favoring the idea of something stronger but I knew Deb had been off alcohol of late.

I spluttered as she threw the water directly in my face. "Deb what the he-" I clutched my throat, voice suddenly high and girlish again. I could feel long wet hair pasting itself to my neck. Looking down I watched, hypnotized, as drops of water ran down my chest. Wherever they passed, my tan and hairy chest swiftly turned golden and smooth. My eyes grew hot and blurry.

"I knew it!" squealed Deb. "Water turns you into a girl." Wetting her finger she drew an 'S' on my shoulder, skin changing as she went. "Woah, Dexter, are you crying?"

"I'm a freak."

"You're not a freak." She awkwardly patted my shoulder. "It's gonna be okay. Come on Dex, you know I can't deal with crying chicks."

I giggled but it was half sniffles. "That's not funny."

"It sort of was." She turned, switching the faucet on again. "Put your hand under it again, I want to see something." Obediently I moved to do so. "Not that hand, the one that's already changed."

The water was quite hot, stinging slightly just before my hand retook its manly form. Strangely it didn't feel as right as it should. My whole body felt off like an ill-fitting hairy suit. Was it because my head was currently female? That suggested the change was doing more to me mentally than I wanted to believe. Maybe I just felt funny from accidentally using Deb's soap. Yeah, that was it.

"I'm on a roll today," said Deb. "Cold water makes you a girl and hot water changes you back. That doesn't sound so bad." Easy for her to say. "Why do you smell like mint?"

I took two quick steps away from her sniffer, arms crossing over my chest. "I'm going to take another hot shower." I pulled my arms to my side despite feeling a little uneasy. Something in the back of mind was telling me I had boobs even though I most certainly did not.

"I'm going back to the station," said Deb. "You going to be alright for a few hours alone?"

"Totes."

"Totes?"

I wasn't sure why I'd said it but I knew what it meant. Short for 'totally', obvious enough to anyone not a square. "Like, yeppers." That wasn't what I meant to say. "You know, err, perfecto - nevermind." I rushed into the bathroom to escape her eyes. I was starting to flush in embarrassment. Somehow everything I tried to say was coming out ditsy.

"See you in a few," she called to me as she left.

Waiting on the water to heat up again I watched my wet hand anxiously. The water had cooled significantly and the hand underneath was looking quite effeminate. I toweled it off quickly before it could become fully female. Drying off might be as important as hot water in the future if this didn't go away. I might have to consider buying more towels.