Star Trek: Theurgy

Lin Kae woke up after another long night of overtime.  His shift had ended at 1900 hours, but he found himself sitting at his desk with a PADD until well after 0300.  With the computer set to wake him at 0700 for another shift in the Holodeck control center working on subroutines for Thea, he was paying for that long night now.  Stretching out as he sat up, the sound that escaped him was one he hardly recognized.  A Yawn, sure, but not like any yawn he had ever given out.  He ran a hand across his head, stopped by the sudden realization that there was far more hair on his head then should have been.  He traced it all the way down to her shoulders, where he wore a tank top.  Weird.  He never wore a shirt when he went to bed.  Looking down, he also didn't remember having breasts last night.

"What the fuck?"  He spoke in a voice that wasn't his own, but he knew it.  No, it couldn't have been.  "Computer, lights!"  He rushed for the bathroom, looking into the mirror at a face that wasn't his own.  The face looking back at him was none other then Skye Carver.

"Shit shit shit shit . . ." he cursed repeated as he searched through Skye's quarters for her com badge, finally locating it on her bedside dresser.  "Li - Skye Carver to . . . Lin Kae?"  She wasn't sure how the hell to say it, but he hoped that it connected him to his own combadge, that he might get an answer that wasn't completely insane.  Maybe this was all just a bad dream.  Sure, he would feel stupid when he woke up, but he might as well play through with it.  If it was a dream . . . he definitely couldn't tell Skye about it!

She had a day off with nothing to do until late morning so Skye had stayed up half the night knocking back a few drinks and dancing around with some of the crew, some of the other pilots in particular.  The girls were rough and tumble and she'd bonded a little more with them all, helping ease that bit of unease she had whenever she was alone.

Stumbling a little into her room, she'd barely pulled off the uniform and had flopped in the bed in her tank and panties then promptly went to sleep.  Oh how hard she slept and without a sexual work out!  Then something started disrupting her slumber ... but ... it sounded like she was calling to herself.  "Nooooooo more tequila," she said with a hand on her face.

"Li - Skye Carver to . . . Lin Kae?"  "What the hell?" she said and it registered her voice was about half an octave deeper.  Shooting up out of the bed, thighs clamped together and suddenly there was a searing pain that knocked the wind out of her.  When she reached down the realization burned through the hangover headache that she was holding a penis and testicles.

"Hooooooolyshitmotherfuckerthathurtsrealbad," came across the link as Skye in Kae's body groaned.  "Please tell me ... this is ... a very sick joke," came Kae's very strained voice.  When she tried to stand, she was still holding the package out terrified she rack herself again.  "How the hell do you walk with these things and ... damn I gotta piss!"

"If it's a joke, it's on both of us," He responded, looking down at Skye's chest and feeling a sudden discomfort running through . . . her spine.  "Does your back always hurt this much?"  Skye was well endowed, and that left strain on her back that Kae wasn't entirely prepared to deal with.  At least it was better then the discomfort she had to deal with between her legs, or his legs at least.  Adjusting to having your sex organs on the outside rather then the inside must have been easier then the other way around.

"Just . . . stay there and I'll be right over," He said, pulling on Skye's uniform from the other night, squeezing into her top before heading out the door and walking at a brisk pace towards his quarters.  The rubbing of her thighs left an unexpected feeling, one that made him walk much more carefully from that point on.  Within five minutes, he had arrived at his quarters, hitting the door chime to be allowed in by Skye.  He had a feeling that she would be in the same situation as her, requiring the need to see the other to truly believe that the unbelievable had truly happened.

Kae's face screwed up in confusion.  "Sometimes I get twinges between my shoulder blades.  Maybe I slept wrong," she offered.  Standing there holding a semi-hard penis, a bit of a snicker erupted.  "See you in a few," she agreed and walked carefully into the bathroom.

When her body with him inside walked into his quarters, there was a very deep yet feminine giggle going on in the bathroom.  "If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a sweetie and wipe the seatie," was the muttering along with the mirth.  "So this is what it's like, huh?  No wonder you guys walk like your pants are full ... because they are, just not what I originally thought."

Walking out while drying hands, Kae/Skye looked at the other and sort of stalked around and paused behind the female body.  "Damn my ass is fine, those work outs paid off."  Back around front, the amusement was quickly leaving.  "Alright, silly time over.  If we're both experiencing this, then it must be real."  Skye poked her own boob for emphasis, seeing if Kae would react.  "And that means ... something's playing with us."

Kae's, or more accurately Skye's face twitched at the sight of his own body leaving the bathroom.  It was just the concept that Skye had seen him down there, personal barriers being destroyed by this unexpected change in their situation.  Then, Skye commented about the quality of her own backside, currently serving as his rear end, and he suddenly felt a combination of self-consciousness and embarrassment.  It was only furthered when she reached out and pressed his finger against her own breast, sending a shiver cascading through the body he found himself in.  "You're taking this too well," he said, her voice coming out like a squeak.  Had Skye ever been as self-conscious about her own body as he was being for it?  There were far too many experiences that were foreign to him, but Skye was enjoying herself.

"Okay, let's just try and think through things logically.  The last time the two of us even interacted was during the Nimbus III away mission.  Did anything happen down there that would explain why this happened?"  It had been a few days since that mission, yet this only happened now.  Had something gone on that might have triggered the switch?  "Since I've gotten back, my routine has always been the same.  I work my proper shift, put in some extra time in the Holodeck control room, and then I sleep.  Did you do anything yesterday different from usual?  Anything that might have triggered something dormant from Nimbus III?"

There was a bit of a compassionate yet firm look on Kae's face as a hand went to his hip and weight was put on that side, giving him a feminine air.  "We're Starfleet so we're supposed to take things well," was the pragmatic response.  "Can't say I'm happy getting switched like this but I'm not ready to freak out just yet."

The body began to move in that feminine stalking sort of way, probably further upsetting the young mind inside of her own body because it was so effeminate.  "Like you, nothing's changed in my schedule other than I'm putting more hours in on the holodeck for training.  I actually partied a bit last night, a little different but I'm trying to get to know more people on board."

It felt strange to shake her head without the usual swish of her hair and the hand went up to the chest, patting and the expression was one of consternation at the missing mounds.  "I spent nearly the entire time in that damn clinic so unless Lt. Jenkins did something to me besides surgery I can't think of anything that affected me."

Those eyes narrowed just like Skye's normally did when she thought about the engineer on the planet.  "You were with that woman for a couple of days.  Maybe she did more than dip your wick."  Suddenly a look of pure disgust took over Kae's features and there was a moment of feminine shimmying.  "Ewwwww ... I'm in a body that did the nasty with that woman!"

"She was a . . . perfectly nice person."  Kae responded defensively, taking a bit of offense to Skye's opinion of the Risian engineer he had spent some time working with and, yes, sleeping with.  He didn't make a habit of it.  Really, she was the first organic woman he had ever been with, most of his romances (and they were romances) being with holographic women.  Kae always worried about his immune system, never took risks with any sort of potential disease, and that included STDs, not that such a thing had truly been a common issue in hundreds of years, thanks to top notch medical care coming in lieu of Starfleet medical uniting experts in all manner of health-related problems.

"Besides, why the disgust towards me?  How do I know you you've been with?"  That was murky territory.  He had never seen a holo-novel go well once a man suggested a woman was sleeping around.  Skye was tough, and maybe he was in her body now, but she still had all the skills to knock him down even with his frail, underdeveloped frame.  He had to quickly backpedal to get out of trouble there.  "Let's just . . . focus on the origin.  It was most likely Nimbus III.  It's the only time we had extended interaction.  So let's think.  Was there anything that both of us did there in common?  Any food or drink or . . . anything?"

It was no use, there was nothing that would explain why this happened.  If it was that simple, there would have been more then just them experiencing problems when they visited Nimbus III.  Kae brought a hand to Skye's chin as he pondered, so lost in thought he hardly seemed to notice how much he was playing with her bottom lip, running her finger across it almost like he was caressing her.  It was a comforting motion to him, enough that it was making her nipples stand on end, again without him noticing.

Skye felt her ire rising and a hand clenched into a fist, the urge to punch strong for the off-handed remark but she was looking at her own body and ended up just stamping a foot indignantly.  "I didn't mean ... not disgusted with you ... it's just ... I'm straight and I didn't like her the minute I laid eyes on her so ... ah hell never mind," Kae's arms flipped up in surrender.

They went over their mission to Nimbus III with a fine tooth comb and while they were both there, pretty much the entire time she'd been resting on that damn medical bed while Eve and Lucan seemed to try every damn position possible and Kae had just confirmed without saying that he had been fucking the Risan.  The lips pressed together in a tight line as she didn't say anything about either couple.  It was their own business after all and she'd never gossip about her crewmates.

Turning back to say something, Skye was a little shocked at the way her lips were being caressed and Kae's mouth fell open.  "Well that's something I didn't realize," she said in Kae's voice.  Kae's eyes had dropped to Skye's chest and then the arms crossed over the flat chest.  "Didn't know touching my lips like that would cause that kind of reaction.  Are they tingling?"  In spite of everything it had made her curious what he felt but then those eyes went wide with horror as Kae's body responded with a very obvious reaction.  "Oh no ... no you don't," she snapped but she wasn't looking at Skye anymore.  Instead, Kae seemed to be looking at his own erection, wagging a finger at it as if it were a naughty puppy.  "Down ... go ... back ... down!"

Kae noticed it when it was brought to his attention, how Skye's perky breasts were currently seeing a handstand by her equally cute nipples.  Instantly, his hand came away from her lips, not even realizing that he had caused that.  He had just been thinking about how nice her lips felt, making it more likely he caused it with arousal then it being some secret, sensitive spot of hers.  He was left speechless as Skye was asking questions, trying to understand what he was experiencing.  From how fascinated she was, maybe she had missed her calling by not becoming a medical officer.  Of course, it would have been a waste of a damn good pilot of she had.

Then she noticed her own reaction, the stiffening of his member in response to seeing a pair of nipples standing erect.  Kae actually managed to chuckle a little, even though his voice was still sounding more female then male.  Unlike Skye, who had mastered getting his voice a few decibels higher, she still sounded very much like a soft spoken version of the female pilot.  "So much for you being straight.  Looks like you have no problem getting a hard on from your own body . . . that's got to be pretty perverted."  It felt good to turn the tables a bit.  Since the discovery of their situation, he felt like Skye was having too much fun, some of it at his expense.

The look of shock and the bright flush on the cheeks were sure to delight the man in her own body.  "That's NOT me!" she protested and doubled up her fist, lashing out quicker than Kae probably ever could but the punch on the arm barely registered to Kae in Skye's body.  To make matters worse, Skye in Kae's body yelped and shook her hand frantically.  "Owwwwww ... that was so pitiful and it hurt."

Turning around so she wasn't looking at herself, she willed that erection to go away but it persisted.  "Snow down my pants ... old Winston trying to shake his wrinkled old money maker ... sitting on a whoopie cushion ..." she chanted with hands on each side of the face.  "And you can't talk about being perverted.  You like the way they tingle, don't you?  Bet you're just wanting to whip off those clothes and feel away."

Peeking over the shoulder, there was a bit of a smirk as the hands went to the backside and started kneading at Kae's buttocks.  "Not bony at least, not bad at all really," she said trying to turn the tables back on him.  He was so shy she figured he'd be mortified and they could get back to trying to figure out what was going on, so she made a little hip thrust and then gyrated his hips.

Kae listened to Skye's attempts to give herself a mental cold shower with some amusement, but as she grabbed his butt, he was left with his smile slipping away from his face.  She was trying to get even with him now, trying to get things back to him being the uncomfortable one.  Damn, and he just turned the tables on her such a short time ago.  With a defiant smirk, he grabbed her own rear end, though quickly found that had backfired on him.  She could have told from his face he didn't expect to enjoy that much, the firmness, the fullness, the roundness of her, quite frankly, perfect ass.

He started to worry that maybe Skye was right.  Maybe he did just wanna strip down, take in the sight of her body, let his hands, or more accurately her hands, explore every little treasure trove of flesh.  Thankfully her nipples were already standing, or they would have been at the sad realization of how right she was.  This was counter productive.  Their focus should have been on fixing the problem . . . but how?  There was no way to explain it, so how could have have undone the issue?

A distraction.  He needed a distraction.  Bypassing Skye, he reached to his dresser drawer and pulled out a medical tricorder.  He had always carried one since his immune system had grown strong enough for him to leave his sterile environment.  He was cautious of possible infections, always afraid that his system might one day fail him.  As a result, he checked himself out twice a day, one in the morning, and once at night.  Today, the tricorder would see some use as he scanned both his original body as well as Skye's.  "Nothing out of the ordinary.  Even our brain chemistry is as it should be.  Whatever caused this is so perfect that it's like we just . . . switched selves.  Biologically, we're exactly how we are supposed to be . . . oh hell."  Skye's head would tilt back as Kae stared up at the ceiling, seeing something in her medical scan he didn't exactly like.

"You're ovulating?"  That would have explained why he body was so easily excited, and to an extent, why her mind in Kae's body was also so worked up.  Even if she wasn't in her body, she was set to a certain biological clock.  Her hormones made her act a certain way, and now he had to suffer for it while he was switched with her.

So her plan started to work, the smile was leaving and she figured now they'd start talking technobabble.  Well, he would while she nodded and agreed probably not knowing half of what he was saying.  But then he smirked and grabbed her ass.  "Uhh!" came the deeper tone of indignancy and then Skye turned to face herself, arms akimbo with shoulders back showing her mental cold shower had utterly failed.

Then there was that look, the look of liking what he felt and Skye could see the wheels turning.  "Don't you dare," she whispered but thankfully he seemed to think of something else and dashed to the dresser.  "You have your own personal tricorder?"  Then she thought of how he tried to keep things so sterile and it made sense which in turn had her peeking around to see the readouts as he explained.

"Ovulating?  But I take shots for birth control so ... oh hell.  Shit shit shit.  I was supposed to go for that check up before the mission but I sort of forgot because of Scosche ..."  Well there was a revelation of at least one guy she'd been with very recently, the celebrity gymnast who was now starting training in security.  "Wait ... I only have one ovary now.  You sure that thing's right?"

"Don't worry, your body is in a state in which you can't get pregnant, but it doesn't change the fact that your body is going through hormonal changes."  Modern medicine had found a way to put birth control in effect without affecting hormones, long considered an issue on earth and among other races.  While it meant that mood swings and other such issues were solved, it also meant that the feelings that came around ovulation time were still present.  Skye's body couldn't get pregnant, but it didn't change the fact that some primal part of her wanted to, making her body react certain ways.  If anything, it likely explained any heightened state of friskiness she might have been experiencing the past few days.

"No wonder you're so horny," he muttered, crossing Skye's arms as he realized that applied to both her brain I his body as well as her actual body.  He soon pulled her arms apart as the sensation of pressure against her breasts had a  bad effect.  God, he felt like he was standing on a landmine, ready to go off if he made a wrong move.  Was this what women experienced around that stage of their cycle?  Or was he just falling victim to it even worse then she would have simply because it was all so new to him.

"By the Prophets, will you tell me how to fix this?  How do I make this stop?"

"Oh thank the Maker," 'Kae' breathed out with obvious relief.  "That does explain the last couple of days though.  Things have been busy and last night was the first chance I got to blow off some steam but none of the guys around were interested ..."

"No wonder you're so horny."  A surprised snort left Kae's nose as Skye had never really thought he'd say anything like that but it proved he had potential.

"So what if I am horny?!  Just means I'm healthy and ... dammit," she grumbled as the part of Kae that had finally started to droop sprang back up.  "How the fuck to you live with this thing?  It's really like it does have a mind of its own."

It was quite embarrassing and she was starting to see why so many of the younger men sometimes blushed and stammered and even ran out of the room.  "Stop it?" she questioned and then snorted.  "It's not easy and unlike men, dunking yourself if cold water doesn't work.  Sometimes you just have to wait it out and get completely distracted in something else or find someone to help ... or literally take matters into your own hand."

Unable to stop herself, she reached down and tried to press the erection against the abdomen with a bit of pressure hoping it would sort of hurt and go away but the feel of the palm of her hand cupping around the shaft was not painful.  "Geeze Omicron," came the strangled words and stepping a little high, the body turned back away.  "You're a sensitive little bugger ... well, not so little," she said clearing his throat.

Literally take matters in hand.  That was quite an idea, though he didn't know whether to say it was a good one or a bad one.  Kae did find himself staring down at Skye's hand, it trembling under the thought.  He couldn't do that.  It wasn't his body.  If he touched her, it would be no different then forcing himself upon Skye when she could not defend herself.  What kind of man would he be if he did something like that?

He broke from the thought when he heard Skye talking, turning to see she had turned her, or his, back.  With a curiosity, Kae stepped around to get a look at what she was doing, finding Skye pressing his erection tight against his body.  She was touching him, even went so far as to make a comment about his size.  "What are you doing?"  He sounded even more feminine then usual at that point, Skye's sultry voice almost a squeal of disbelief that his body was being abused in such a fashion.

"Just calmed down and stop touching it!"  He grabbed her hands, pulled them away from his member, pinning them like his body had been cuffed.  The result put him close, Skye's bosom pressed into his chest.  It didn't do much for his own futile efforts to fight off Skye's biological urges, and doubted it did much for his hard-on if Skye was thinking about how her breasts felt squished up against Kae's body.  "Don't think about it!  Think soothing thoughts.  Waterfalls . . . babbling brooks . . . beaches."

When she heard her voice almost cracking, asking what she ... he ... was doing, she startled but then strong hands grabbed her ... his ... wrists and the eyes widened.  Skye knew she was strong though not nearly as strong as a lot of others.  It was quite a shock to be in such a weak body though, feeling the muscles bunch to try to get out of that grasp and unable to do so.

"I wasn't doing what you think ... just trying to make it stop," Skye spluttered.  The more her own body rubbed up against Kae's, the stronger certain urges seemed to surge and his suggestion of soothing things were far from soothing.  "Dammit not those things.  Do you know how awesome it is to fuck in the water?  To feel the water running over your body or how easy it is float down onto ... "  The there was a groan in obvious frustration.

The eyes of Kae's body were hazy with lust, the inability to control the urges in a body oh so different from her own making it hard to breathe.  "Okay, this is getting ridiculous and it's starting to hurt not to mention there's no way in hell we can try to go to sickbay or contact anyone.  Have you ever ... masturbated?"  She believed just about every guy did but Kae seemed so innocent.

As she described how the soothing thoughts of water just brought different, far more sensual things to her imagination, he began to question if there was a word he could say that she couldn't even loosely associate to sex.  As he feared, even separated from her ovulating body, Skye's mind was still focused on recreational procreation.  It was the mindset she was in.

The sudden shift in topic left him stammering.  Masturbation?  How did things shift towards that?  "I-I-I . . . don't think I have to answer that!"  Any guy who could be so defensive and so nervous at the same time undoubtedly had masturbated in the past.  It was perfectly normal, though still not something people usually admitted to freely.  The fact that Skye was bringing it up now surely meant that things could swiftly turn even more awkward for him, depending on what she was trying to suggest.  "Why are you asking about that?  Are you . . . asking for my permission or something?"  Did she want to jerk his erection off, try to seek some relief from her sexually charged mind in a very foreign body?

In spite of the frustration, Kae's face smirked and he knew she knew just by his reaction and answer.  "I'm just trying to figure out a fast way to make this stop hurting.  The only other think would be for me to take a cold shower while you go try to find help.  If we're suffering through this, there might be others who have been switched too but maybe someone on this damn ship knows what's going on and how we can fix this."

Skye paused a moment and awkwardly patted her shoulder.  "I'm not going to molest your body, I promise you that much.  Believe it or not, I respect you.  Getting all that stuff down on Nimbus III to help the ship was phenomenal and the little I've been around you, I know you're a good person.  It's why ... why I'm protective of you.  You're part of my pack and you deserve being protected."

It wasn't just that he was worried about what Skye would do.  He was also worried about what he might do.  She was willing to go subject herself to a cold shower while he went to try and find them some help, but he didn't know how much longer he could hold out.  Every motion had her nipples brushing against her shirt, every step rubbed her between the thighs.  What might have been muted a little by years of experiencing it weren't present for Kae.  He was new to this female body, and the sensations it exploded with were leaving him in a state of near madness.

"I don't think I can do this," he said, pressing a hand to her heart, feeling it pound like mad.  The body was taxed, needed relief.  Without even realizing it, his hand had slipped from pressing against her heart to palming her breast, giving it a little squeeze that brought a sharp breath out of Skye's mouth, a sigh that came from Kae's need to see her body receive some kind of payoff for all the teasing it did to itself.  He looked at Skye for answers, chest rising and falling so fast that Skye would have thought her body just finished a lengthy workout.  In this case, the only thing being worked out was Kae's endurance.

"Yes you can, you're brilliant," Skye-Kae tried to reassure and then watched as the hand went to the breast, a look of consternation creeping up on the male visage.  While in the male body, she was struggling for control as well.  Even in the slighter male, the urge was quite strong for release and there was a wince as it seemed to flare to the point of nearly splitting in half.

"Kae," came the soft sultry lilt though much deeper than Skye's normal.  "Just try to breathe normally, it's going to be okay.  Don't freak out but I think we might as well do it and get it over with.  It's weird as hell but I won't tell if you don't."  The expression was worried but there was caring as well as the hand went out to brush the flushed cheek of her own body.  "If it helps, I can probably make you go real quick."  She knew her body better than anyone so it stood to reason she could set off the trigger.

I think we might as well do it and get it over with.

Do it?  What did she mean by it?  Was she suggesting they have sex?  In their reversed state?  It would have been strange enough if they were still normal, given how little they knew each other.  Rihen had placed him in a situation and seduced him into it, but what Skye was suggesting was even more casual.  It was made to sound as simple as there being nothing else better to do, so why not have a roll in the hay with whoever is close by.  He should have been refusing . . . but he wasn't.  He was just thinking about how much Skye's body wanted a release.  Needed one really.

"What did you have in mind?"  He wasn't fighting it.  It was her body, so she should have been the one more horrified then him.  If she was fine, who was he to argue?  Maybe he should have been thinking that it was his own body that was going to invade hers, with him inside it.  It had been strange enough to feel the response Skye's body made to the smallest of touches, but that?  How would be handle that?  Like said, they might as well get it over with, see if it might get them better able to focus again.

Kae could see the flustered state of the mind inside the body, given the wrinkles in the brow and occasional frown.  "I just keep hoping this is a totally weird dream and I'm fooling myself that we're both experiencing this ... freaky damn shit ... probably just my hangover ..."  Skye was started to not believe what was going on, to think it was just an alcohol-induced delusion and started to laugh.

"So there's a few possibilities," she snickered and tried to compose herself again.  "If we really are experiencing this, we've gotta get our bodies toned down so we can seek the help.  If you're feeling wonky about it, you could take care of you and I could take care of me ... just like we're touching ourselves in private.  We can close our eyes if you want and just sort of sit and ... you know ... make things pop."

Another snicker escaped.  "Damn this is ridiculous.  Wake up Skye.  Wake your sorry ass up and no more mixing drinks for you ..."  She waited a moment, scrunching up Kae's face as she tried to 'wake' and found herself still in the dream, still in his body.  "Alright, maybe this is my mind telling me I need to slow down, not be quite so free with my body.  Just have to follow through and wake up, everything'll be fine."

Without warning, Kae's hands were on Skye's face pulling in for an immediately deep kiss.  Using that distraction Skye steeled herself and started massaging a breast, teasing the nipples exactly the way she enjoyed so much.  All the while, it was like trying to move a brick wall over to the bed as she decided this was her body wanting something different.  Rather than the rough stuff she normally got into, she was trying to make love with the knowledge of what her body craved.

Kae tried to look at what she was saying with impartiality, to view it as though it were someone else they were discussing.  He would have been agreeing with her that it was the best course of action if it was anyone else, so he should have agreed with her this time too.  Even so, there was still an apprehension, a piece of him that made him do as she did, and try to wake himself up from what just had to be a dream.  No luck.  He should have known better.  Should have known this was too vivid to be just imagined.

Then, she pulled him into the kiss, something to get them started on the path they had to follow.  At first, he had been so caught off guard that Skye's big, emotive eyes were wide open in shock.  It was only her actions, feeling how skilled a kisser she truly was, that began to soothe him.  He couldn't remember ever kissing a woman that way, even though it was his own mouth that Skye was using.  Her lips felt good, even when he was the one who owned them.  It was a reminder how arousing it had been to just touch them, how that made her nipples stand on end.  No sooner did he think it was Skye playing with them, palming them and brushing along those sensitive little nubs.  Kae's body wasn't strong, but Skye's frame was highly influential, offering no resistance to being relocated to the bed.

He fell back, Skye's hair billowing out over the bed sheets as her buxom frame fell onto it's back, looking up at it's owner, inhabiting the body set to satisfy it.  It felt weird, like looking in a mirror, but the mirror acting far more predatory.  He was willing to bet it was the first time Skye's body had ever laid defenselessly, never put up a fight, be it a real one or a playful one.  She was the dominant in this game, making Kae feel like he might have been in the right body for once.  After all, what kind of man just laid back and took it?  Their role reversal was actually well suited.

Thankfully uniforms were, well, uniform.  With hands larger and fingers thicker than she was used to, she still managed to unzip her own top as Kae's mouth drew toe-curling kisses alternating with nibbles that drifted to the soft area of the neck and ear.  Working rather expertly, Kae in Skye's body found the upper half completely bare and the sensations would increase exponentially as one breast was serviced with a hand and the other Kae's mouth.

Skye had never had an interest in women, never dreamed she'd ever be doing something with one and here she was ... and it was her own body.  Had something blown up the ship and this was her place in hell?  But that didn't make sense either because Kae was such a sweet person.  Of course he was the shy and quiet type and those usually did tend to turn out to be some of the wildest and most experimental in the sexual realm.

The tongue swept around in large circles, gradually becoming smaller until the nipple was firmly flicked and then nibbled.  The hand finally began to roam downward, caressing over the abdomen and then rubbing lightly over the hot space between Skye's legs.  Even through the fabric it was sure to set off even greater surges of need.  She knew if she were in her body at that moment that she would already be wet and wanting to speed things along.

As a guy, being shirtless wasn't something he should have thought that much about.  It wasn't anything too vulnerable, almost expected in many cultures.  However, with him now inhabiting a female body, he couldn't help but feel self-conscious, even in front of the owner of that body.  At the exposure of Skye's breasts, he brought her hand to cover them, only to be easily brushed aside when she was ready to claim them. Moving from wonderful kisses along the neck to touching her own bosom, Kae almost felt like he should have been taking notes.  This was a woman pleasing her own body, which surely meant there were things to be learned from the act.

Her back would arch as Kae's tongue zeroed in on Skye's nipples, sending a jolt of life surging through the female body that could hardly be contained.  This was a far more innocent Skye then she had likely been in a very long time, docile and sensitive to every little thing.  What must that have been like for Skye to witness?  To see such innocence on her face to the touches provided.  Breathing became much more shallow and rapid as a hand pressed between her thighs, Skye rubbing sensually in a manner that made Kae want to squirm his way free, but also to work his way into the touch, to make it all the more powerful.  "Does it always feel like this?"  He had to ask, had to understand if this was what Skye always felt when with a lover, or if he was just getting a heightened experience.  If this was the typical feeling, he could see why she so enjoyed the act of love making.

Well so far things weren't horrible, just ... different.  She'd never wanted to be with a woman but didn't mind that other women enjoyed each other.  It was a very personal thing and she always believed if two people could enjoy themselves that it shouldn't matter their gender.  And yet as she tended to Kae in her own body, she wondered if this was how Andrus had seen her.

Skye knew Kae wasn't a virgin but there was still such an innocence to him which reflected in the eyes.  Breaking through the lustful feelings was a protectiveness, a need to make sure he wasn't scared or overly traumatized.  The way her body was responding was just like her first time and then again with Andrus on his ship and she realized it wasn't always the body that attracted ... but the mind.

Giving the breast a soft kiss, 'Kae' rose up and nuzzled 'Skye's' neck.  "It varies from lover to lover and how it's being done," the soft and reassuring voice floated over the ear.  "I'm usually the one guys like for the rougher stuff but there have been sweet times and it would be a truth to say those were some of the most incredible feelings I've ever had."  A moment or two passed as 'Kae' let 'Skye's' body just simmer, bringing the hand up to softly touch the face and lips.

"I'm sorry I was rushing, just wanting to get through this and try to be me again.  Neither one of us could be prepared for something like this but I don't want to hurt you and most of all I don't want to lose a friend."  Tears actually came to 'Kae's' eyes.  "I know I can go out and get laid without problems but a friend, a real friend, is really special and I don't have many.  If you're not comfortable with this, I'll back off and take a cold shower and you can do what you need to do to help yourself.  If anyone could be put in my body, I'm glad it was you because I know you'd treat it with dignity and respect."

"It's okay.  I think it's better if you do it.  You know what you need."  He knew that, wanted to see her body get the release it begged for, Skye's form paining for it.  It actually hurt to hold back, so he was letting go, letting Skye do what she wished with his body to make her own feel relief once again.  Just as she had never wanted to be with another woman, he didn't wish to be with another guy.  He barely dodged that bullet once before during the ship-wide infection.  He had come dangerously close to being taken by an infected male, only for Thea to make a rather timely rescue.  That left a deep aversion in his mind, one that prevented him from doing anything for Skye, from touching even his own body in a sexual way while he wasn't in it.

"Do you think . . . you're ready?"  He knew his body was, could see it from the tent being pitched in his pants.  He was referring to Skye's body, if she suspected hers was primed for the most important aspect.  They could take off the final pieces of clothing necessary, join together and end the needs of their bodies.  Maybe it wouldn't be so bad once they were one, the act might be more enjoyable then the feelings inside them at that moment.  Kae even went as far as to start pushing down Skye's pants and underwear, exposing what laid beneath to her, yet he never looked down himself, being a gentleman about it.  He wasn't using the strange circumstance as an opportunity to get a look at her naked body.

"And what about what YOU need, Kae?"  That street runs both ways you know.  Then he was asking if she was ready and a very Skye-like smirk turned up 'Kae's' lip.  "I'm almost always ready," she stated granting that there were times she might decline the opportunity.

Watching him trying to undress without looking, 'Kae' tapped a finger on 'Skye's' nose.  "I trust you enough to look.  Lord knows I looked at your body but I sort of had to," she stated indicating the need taken care of in the bathroom.  "And you can make fun of my body too, run around giggling and bouncing if you feel the need."

She'd flown solo plenty, especially on Nimbus III when Eve and Lucan were enjoying themselves, so it didn't seem too strange to start touching her body there again.  It was just a matter of position perspective and a little different from stroking her lover's members.  "Just relax and think of it as a science project maybe ... but not too hard or it'll take longer."

Closing her eyes helped and so 'Kae' did as his fingers lightly stroked the inner thigh, inching closer until finally he fingers touched that tender area and slipped in just far enough to start teasing the clit.  Slowly the finger circled it, giving the mind enough time to acclimate to the sensations yet undoubtedly felt the need for more.

Skye's hips bucked with each touch that was given, instinctively trying to fight off the contact.  It was far too easy to lose one's self to the act, Kae already breathing sharp and fast from just that little bit.  "Sorry.  It just . . . kinda freaks me out," he explained, though he didn't ask for it to stop.  Whether it freaked him out or not, it was an enjoyable touch.  "K-keep going."

He tried to relax, to keep still, while Skye continued to pleasure her own body in the way that only she knew.  Her touch was soft, tender, exactly the opposite of how she said she would normally be treated by lovers.  He could see it.  She was tough, she was a fighter.  Most men would have thought she wanted a strong man, not a soft one.  Maybe this was good for her, to make sure her body got what it needed, even if she didn't feel it.

"Mmm," her voice escaped from closed lips, Kae able to get lost in it.  He was just a passenger for this trip, he knew that much.  She was doing so much, it only seemed fitting he returned the favor.  Just as Skye took her own pleasure into her hands, he would do the same, reaching her strong yet feminine hands out to caress along the pants of his body, silently offering to do what shouldn't be wrong to him.  Skye was touching "herself", so he could do the same, provide Skye some relief.

"I understand," 'Kae' whispered and he knew she was pretty much freaking out in her mind as well.  Skye was used to having to fly by the seat of her pants though, had to have that mindset of flying into anything even if it meant death.  Though it was certainly mindbending, this was hardly anything that seemed headed to such negative things and in fact she was starting to enjoy the sensations.

'Kae's' mouth trailed kisses along those lips and cheek, nuzzled the neck and shifted down to gently suckle as a finger teased that pleasure node then touched at the entrance.  The tip of the finger delved in gingerly and the thumb took over the finger's previous job.  Skye thought about how she treated herself and how Andrus had treated her, utilizing both of those to try to ease Kae's need.

So focused on pleasing her body, the grasp on the hard member brought a sensation that nearly made her pass out.  It was like all the blood drained from her face to rush down and she could feel the pulse in the manhood and ears.  "Holy shit," she breathed over the breast.  She had plenty of practice pleasing a man but suddenly she saw an opportunity to better understand what a man likes.

It truly was an exceptional moment that few in the galaxy had an opportunity to experience.  A gender swap allowed them to come to understand the opposite sex all the better.  Skye got to learn what things pleased a man, while kae got to do the same to a woman.  Everyone was different. But the insight was not something that could be easily hushed away as impractical.  From what Kae had felt so far, the female side of the equation certainly did have some things going for them.  The nipples were much more sensitive, as was the chest area entirely, thanks to the generous about of breast that Skye had been born with.  Then there was that clit, which seemed connected to every pleasure zone of her body, stimulating her from head to toe when touched just the right way.  Kae's most significant stimulation came after release, in which further teasing of the tip was heightened after a climax.  Maybe Skye would get to know that feeling, once they had pushed things farther.

Skye was strong, her body having little trouble giving a bit of roughness to the stroking her body was giving Kae's member.  Even though he was himself quite weak, a man's length could take quite a bit, the firmness only adding to the pleasure, so long as it wasn't rubbed the wrong way.  A bit of tension could speed along a man, get him to climax much more swiftly then a woman could.  The build-up had to be noticeable for Skye, but she couldn't have known just when the orgasm would hit, would be left blindsided by the peak of pleasure which ended so quickly, not prolonged like a woman's climax.  Still, it would be enough to make her understand why men sometimes couldn't control themselves, why they so badly wanted to reach that peak.

It was completely overwhelming, no deliriously wonderful drifting about before finally coming back to her senses.  Her own body had released and then was able to focus on stroking that thing which she loved so much only it was sort of attached to her mind now.  Before she knew it, there was a sensation so much like pain in those balls as they seemed to clench and then it was like the life was draining out in violent spurts.  'Kae's' teeth clenched and every time a jet shot out there was a grunt and gasp to get enough breath for the next.

"Daaaaaammmmmn," came a dazed voice from under the hand that had slapped onto the face and then ... giggling.  Very feminine giggling at that.  What little of the face could be seen was flushed not just from exertion but perhaps for the first time since she was a little girl, Skye felt embarrassed.  "Now I see why they say if a guy sneezed when he jizzed that he'd die," she said all the while snickering.  Thankfully though the body was now flaccid and not causing any issues to distract her mind.  "Soooooo ... that little twist at the end ... glad to know I had that one right at least."

Skye was done, her mind freed from the swell of testosterone in Kae's body.  All that remained was her own body to be finished off, which was not far off if he had to guess.  Skye knew her body better then anyone, and even if Kae lacked in physical strength, he at least had slightly larger hands, longer fingers, that she could employ as a weapon against her own body.  With a man, it was a rapid ascension to the peak and a quick drop down, but Kae was finding it was a much smoother trip for women.  The sensations he felt drifted upward at a steady pace, though that pace grew faster with time.  The peak was much longer too, long enough for Skye's voice, sounding even more feminine then usual from Kae, let out three successive moans, spaced a half second apart and lasting a total of about eight seconds before he could call her orgasm officially over.  After that, there was a smooth descend to normalcy, accompanied by a satisfied laugh.  Wow, it was like it was natural for that laugh to escape, not something women just did for the sake of it.  It eased the last bit of build-up out of them, like an exhale would be used to discard bad air to let in more good.

"I think 'Damn' is a fair assertion," he agreed, finding his experience to be as equally incredible as Skye's had been.  "Your body is incredible.  I'm used to an orgasm only lasting about a second before the cool-down.  That one was . . . well, longer."

"It's an incredible feeling but even better if it's with someone you love," Skye stated wistfully, showing that maybe there had been at least one man who'd gotten more than her body.  "Sometimes there's just a release, then times it's really good ... but when you're with someone really special there's nothing that compares."

Part of her had hoped maybe if they did this that they would switch back but she was still there inside his body.  Impulsively, she reached over and kissed her own lips but it wasn't sexual, more of a friendly and playful little peck.  "I have to admit this one was really good though obviously quite different.  Just ... we're still friends ... right?"

"Of course we are.  If anything, I guess we're a lot closer now."  They had quite literally lived in each other's skin now.  Like Skye, kae theorized they might be able to reverse the process by giving into temptation, but it had met with failure.  What if this was permanent?  What if he was going to be in Skye's body forever?  And her in his?  How would they explain to their colleagues, friends and family?  For that matter, how would they ever be able to have a normal relationship again?  Both of them were purely heterosexual, but with a gender swap, things were much more complicated now.

"There's still one more thing we could try.  That."  He had to mention, had to think that Skye was considering it too.  Sure, they both got a release, but they hadn't been joined.  What if that was what it might take.  Just the thought of it had Skye's body heating up again, slowly building up that same need he had been feeling inside her before. By the Prophets, her body is incorrigible!

'Kae's' stomach rumbled and Skye wondered why hers didn't as well until she saw that look in the eyes.  "I was going to say it could be we're meant to do other things, like eating breakfast rather than each other," 'Kae' said with a very Skye-like purse of lips.  "Or I could go down to the hydroponics bay and roll around in the dirt," she teased.

She remembered how he tried to stay so clean and was skittish about being in odd environs.  Maybe she could dash through them and show him he'd be okay to have a little silly fun in a place that wasn't sterile.  It was also stalling rather than saying she thought they broke his manhood since it wasn't even remotely trying to rise again.

Propping up on the elbow, 'Kae' looked down at 'Skye' and had that far away look though was obviously contemplating things.  "If you want to I'll try ... just don't laugh and say I look like I'm trying to hump a butteryfly okay?"  Talk about performance issues!  Her next lover was not going to be molested too soon, leaving him enough time to recuperate.

Her comment about the hydroponics bay brought a look to Skye's face, one she probably remembered as the one she would give her own mother when the woman tried to disapprove of something she was wearing.  "Be careful with my body.  I know I developed an immune system, but I didn't have one for a long time.  I don't know how it would react to contagions or illness."  He still remembered those days spent in isolation, only the holograms to keep him company.  "I remember when I was a kid, my parents would come to see me.  My dad would erect a force field between us, and the only way I could touch my mother was by pressing my hand to same place as he, the force field between us.  There were holographic versions of my parents to take care of me, but when I saw my real mom, I could see she was hurting.  She didn't have a holographic son to love."

He never spoke to people about those trying times, how they had effected him.  The talk brought his mind elsewhere, saved him from the need that had been building in Skye's body.  Maybe she was right, that they should get dressed and fill their stomachs, try to take the sexual element out and focus elsewhere, even if there were no results from doing so.

"Okaaaaaaaay, no rolling in the mud," 'Kae' replied like a disappointed child.  Skye would have teased him a little more but he started to reminisce about his childhood.  She hadn't realized the depth of what he had been through and it made her sad that he hadn't had human contact, especially with his parents.

"Hey, if you ever need an organic to punch on you just call me okay?  At least as long as I'm in my body because I've got a pretty good idea what a punch from it would feel like," she tried to smile and hopefully make him feel a little better.  Without a care, 'Kae' stood and picked up the clothes before going into the bathroom to clean up a little.

"Alright, breakfast time and we'll just wing it as we go."  In another act of silliness, 'Kae' offered a crooked elbow for 'Skye' to take.  "May I escort you to the galley?  And before I forget, what do you normally eat?  I go for the bacon, egg, and cheese croissant and coffee, cream and sugar," she informed him.  Those first few steps were awkward and the hips wriggled a bit sinuously but things adjusted on their own so things didn't get squished again.

Kae also took the time to dress Skye's body properly, compulsively adjusting it until it was wrinkle free.  He knew women valued their presentation, and he wouldn't do anything to cause harm to hers.  A quick glance in the mirror, something else that took getting used to, and her hair was made as close to how she normally wore it as he could get it.  Breakfast did sound good when Skye mentioned it, not realizing how hungry he actually was.  "I usually like to just get some Groatcakes with Syrup of Squill," he told her.  It was the closest Bajoran equal to pancakes, while Syrup of Squill was one of the most favored of toppings on nearly any breakfast food ever devised.  It was good for satisfying any sort of sweet tooth one might wake up with in the morning.

Both ready, Kae linked arms with Skye, helping to keep her balanced as she learned to walk with something dangling between her legs.  Kae had learned to walk with his thighs spaced a bit apart, lessening how much the clothes rubbed against inappropriate places.  "Okay, so something to eat, and then we get back to the drawing boards on how we can fix this problem.  Agreed?"

"Sounds good though quill ... sounds soooo much like squid," 'Kae' giggled and then cleared the throat realizing Kae didn't giggle.  "Agreed," came a closer tone to what the young man normally used.  As they walked along, Skye was muttering quietly to him so no one would really hear them.  "So who do you think we should go to?  The captain or maybe the first officer?"

At one point Skye forgot the switch and 'Kae's' head turned to watch one of the crew walk away, eyes fixed on the retreating derriere.  Then a soft raspberry sounded as 'he' faced forward.  "Forgot for a minute," he grumbled and then looked at 'Skye' with a little grin.  "I know ... is there a particular lady you're interested in?  I might could break the ice a little for you," offering to at least get Kae's foot in someone's door if he wished.

"You never had Syrup of Squill?  It's practically a delicacy!"  As they walked the halls, Kae explained how the Squill trees were some of the finest in the quadrant.  There had been a scare a few years back about a shortage of the syrup, only for it to later be discovered a hoax, devised by the creators in order to drive up prices.  "My mom used to get the stuff shipped in all the time.  She never had time for replicated food when it came to Groatcakes and syrup of Squill.  She was originally from Bajor, but we spent the first fourteen years of my life on a Starbase.  Breakfast time was a point in the day she held onto from back home.  She kind of instilled it in me too; as long as I can have that breakfast, I never have to feel homesick."

Arriving in the galley, they parted arms, walking a bit more casually, as expected of Starfleet officers.  There would be talk if they were seen arm-in-arm like that.  The talk of who to see was left alone until they ate.  They would find someone on duty then.  The other question, about any ladies he might be interested in, brought some blush to Skye's cheeks.  "I'm just . . . keeping my focus on my work.  Since the Captain named me in charge of developing and maintaining Thea's holographic systems, I have been pretty busy, especially thanks to that idea you gave me."  He had mentioned Skye inspiring an idea on Nimbus III, but never went into more then that.  He didn't intend on boring the Ensign, knowing his engineering work wouldn't have been much interest to a fighter pilot.

"Well I may have and just not known it," 'Kae' stated with a little shrug.  "I've tried so many things that sometimes it all just blends together.  Tell you what though, let's get both and split them ... sort of make our own breakfast tradition.  Maybe we can meet more often for breakfast and other times," she offered.

Kae would be able to tell it was a genuinely friendly overture, a chance to just have a good friend to share some time with now and then.  The lips pursed when 'Skye' let go of the arm and then a snicker sounded.  "I don't care what people say and neither should you.  Friends back home walked around like that all the time."

After they ordered their meal and sat down, 'Kae' gave a very Skye-like look implying "I swear I'm gonna smack ya."  Taking a sip of coffee, those eyes were a bit hawk-like until finally she said "You work entirely too hard and deserve to have some fun and unwind, especially with someone who catches your eye."

"You know you never really said what it was I inspired," a fork wagged at 'Skye'.  "I may not be up on all the techno-babble but I'd like to know.  It's not often I inspire a great mind."  Thankfully the voice was pitched low so no one would be alerted yet to the strangeness of their situation.

Sharing a meal with someone sounded nice.  Most days, he would have replicated something and eaten it in the holodeck control room, just so he didn't have to stop his research or his experiments in holography.  The days he did actually eat in the galley, he took one of the smaller tables, usually only having to share when the place was full, during which conversation was normally kept to a minimum.  It was quiet, gave him time to keep thinking, even when he wasn't near a console to keep working.  "I don't just work to escape from everything.  I enjoy my work.  I grew up with holograms, see them as no different then a flesh-and-blood human sitting across from me.  I don't like that they are just meaningless things that people turn on and off, use for enjoyment.  They can be so much more.  Look at Thea, all that she does on this ship.  A light doesn't turn on, a door doesn't open without her having some effect on it.  Since I freed her from her programming, all those things became taxing on her.  I had to reprogram all these things to be like stimulus to her; she can do them without even having to think about it any longer."

When Skye asked about his inspiration, he decided to let her in on the secret he had been working on.  "Remember the Voyager EMH?  How they acquired that 29th Century technology that allowed him to be present in places without holographic emitters?"  It was one of the biggest pieces of talk to come from the ship once news of them had reached the Alpha quadrant.  The infamous Mobile Emitter had become as storied as the advanced nature of the Doctor it was attached to.  "I think I figured out how to possibly make one of those.  The version I came up with is a lot more primitive, but if it works, then it would allow Holographic beings to move freely.  No more being confined to areas with active emitters.  They could even leave the ship behind and take part in away missions."

'Kae' nodded, clearly understanding his feelings about holographic people and even she hadn't actually thought of Thea too much as something to shut off and turn back on whenever needed.  "Trust me I understand and have had more than a few runs through holodecks that weren't flight simulations.  It's just ... you're a really nice guy and some of us organics would enjoy spending time with you."

He was definitely passionate about Thea and it brought a bittersweet smile on 'Kae's' face.  "I think Thea has probably surpassed a lot of people's expectations and I sure as hell was glad she could help when I made it back to ... that mess.  I've always wanted to sit down and have a drink with her to thank her though I know she's far too busy for something that ... trivial."

The hesitancy over his idea brought a hand over to rest over 'Skye's' hand, a reassuring pat encouraging him.  When it was all out, 'Kae' smiled brightly.  "That would definitely be wonderful and what an accomplishment when you make it happen."  Forgetting herself for a moment, 'Kae' wriggled girlishly in his seat as he took a bite of his favorite breakfast.  "Mmmmygodthisissogood," 'Kae' mumbled and started to lick the syrup off the fork in an unconsciously seductive manner.

Kae took a bite of the groatcakes, savoring the flavor of a long tradition.  It never quite compared to the homemade ones he used to get, but it was enough to set him down memory lane, to remember the happy times spent with his parents.  "I never did make too many close ties in my life, but if you are asking to spend time with me after all of this is over, I wouldn't say no."  Skye had been kind to him, more then most anyone he could think of.  It wasn't that he was mistreated, but he was ignored for the most part, something he had been comfortable with before.  It left him more time to himself.

"Ensign Carver."  He used her name professionally, like what had happened between them, the very fact that they were in the opposite body, hadn't truly occurred.  They had never actually discussed whether they were on a first name basis, so he kept it as it would have been otherwise.  "I have to ask because I don't really know much about interaction with organics . . . is this a date?"  They were out together, sharing a meal, and though it had come at the start rather then the end, there had been some sexual release for the two of them.  It was, in many ways, a reasonable question to ask.

There was nothing like a few weeks of complete isolation to make one appreciate the company of others though Skye usually wasn't one to let someone go too long without approaching them in some way.  'Kae' smiled in a way that showed how pleased Skye was that he would wish to spend time with her.

It all led to a question she hadn't anticipated though and the fork remained resting against the tongue for a couple of moments.  "Huh ... I hadn't thought of it as a date but I guess you could say all the components are there to call it one.  I haven't had a real date in so long I guess I forgot what they were like."

A rueful lopsided smile formed then.  "Things might be a little weird but I have to say this is probably one of the nicest dates I've had and you're certainly a nice guy ... you know what I mean," 'Kae' said and then chuckled at the irony.  "Of course it doesn't have to be a date if you don't want that.  We're friends and friends do this all the time."

"I think . . . I want to call this a date.  I've never been on one before, at least not without a holodeck . . . and a hologram."  Skye would have been the first organic person he had ever gone on a date with.  Though he did want to keep a friendship with her, not push things beyond that, he did like the idea of her being his first date.  She was someone he felt comfortable with, someone supportive.  Besides the obvious problem of their bodies being switched, it was also worth noting that it was a pretty successful date.  They went out to eat, they talked and neither of them got bored by what the other was saying.  As far as dates went, that was pretty successful, especially considering how dull his work could be to people asking about it.  It was flying through space like a daredevil, not like Skye's life.  It was just a computer and lines of code.

He hadn't thought of Skye as someone he would date before.  It wasn't that she wasn't attractive.  No, it definitely wasn't that.  He just felt like their worlds were too different.  Of course, most organic women seemed different to him, and maybe that was out of fear.  It was easy to change programs or alter personality subroutines when things didn't work out.  With flesh-and-blood humans, you only got one shot to make the right impression.  But here was Skye, reaching out to make a connection.  He had to try.  "When was the last time you were on a date?"  It seemed as good a place to start a conversation as any.

'Kae' smiled even bigger and gave an emphatic nod.  "Then it's a date and a sweet one at that," said with a stab at another bite of ... whatever the yummy stuff was again.  Skye contemplated Kae, of course looking at herself as she did so.  He was a really neat guy and his quietness hid the passionate part of him.  What he needed was a little confidence.  Maybe just having a good friend, a female friend, would help.

The question caught her off guard and again 'Kae' sat there with the fork tines held between his teeth.  "Damn it's been a long time ... back at the Academy I'd have to say.  My second year.  Really nice guy named Rick, very studious and going into stellar cartography.  He asked me out and I said yes, took me to a nice Italian place, and then we took a shuttle up to get a closer look at the stars.  Things were going really nice until we both got sick ... food poisoning ... imagine that.  So the night ended entirely too early and we just never really got back together."  'Kae' shrugged then, taking it all in stride.

Kae laughed a little at the misfortune of Skye's last date.  Food poisoning wasn't exactly the way to end a night, and might have been one of the aversions to having another date.  She had certainly had her share of lovers since then, but none of them had been considered a date by her.  Not until him.  She was willing to say that theirs was a date too.  "So which one would you say was worse?  The date where you and your date got food poisoning, or the one where you aren't even in your own body?"  It would have been easy to label their own date a disaster, considering Skye was in Kae's body and he was in hers.  A new perspective on life, maybe a fascinating scientific study, but not exactly what either of them would have woke up wishing that morning.

It might surprise Kae that she chuckled and had an immediately answer.  "Hands down the date with Rick.  I hate being sick, absolutely loathe it as anyone in the medical field whose had to deal with me will agree.  You have to practically drag me to sickbay for even a physical."

'Kae' looked at 'Skye' and his head tilted slightly.  "I know it's kind of weird and you aren't as strong as I'm used to ..." Skye said while looking at the hand again that had stung when she tried to punch Kae's arm, a bit of pout forming.  "... but there's something about you that's kinda comfy, at least once I figured out how to move my legs without hurting certain things."

That made her snicker at herself and then 'Kae' propped his elbow on the table and then his chin in his hand.  "You know, since we're calling this a date, we can drop the designations.  Just Skye and Kae from now on, best buds I'd say since we've walked in each other's shoes."

"More then just shoes.  I'm just thankful for the modest dress code of Starfleet going down to underwear."  As far as underwear went, the only difference between a male and a female in Starfleet was that they were a bit shorter in the leg.  Boy shorts they had been called on 21st century earth, and he was considering it a blessing that he didn't wake up this morning in something much more scantily clad.  A woman who looked as good as Skye no doubt had some much more sexually enticing undergarments for when she was off duty.  If Kae had woken up this morning in her body and it had been a thong on her, he didn't know if he would have been able to handle walking in one of those.

"I just want you to know . . . I haven't looked."  he felt he should add that on, let Skye know that he hadn't been ogling her body like some hormone struck teenager.  The most he had seen of it was when she had been using his body to tease her breasts, and even then he only took the briefest of glances, nowhere near enough to truly perceive them.  He was of the opinion that a woman's body was something sacred, to be invited to witness, not something for stolen glances.  Maybe that was a bit of the religious nature in him that his mother tried to instill.

Skye didn't have a shy bone in her body so she snickered, well Kae snickered.  "There's no telling what you could have woke up in but I'd drank quite a bit last night and didn't bother changing ... or completely undressing," she added with a wink.  She could well imagine how he'd have reacted if she were only wearing that little red g-string and nothing else.

"I just want you to know . . ."  That brought her attention straight to the eyes.  The next words brought a soft smile, not lewd or teasing but comforting.  "I wouldn't have minded if you did but thank you for being such a gentleman.  I wasn't nearly so well behaved I'm afraid but certain things require attention and I didn't want to have to clean up the bathroom," she added sheepishly.

Leaning in a little close, 'Kae' whispered to 'Skye'.  "For what it's worth, you've got nothing to be ashamed of my friend."  Easing back, hoping she hadn't embarrassed him too much.  "If you wouldn't mind taking a little time out now and then, I'd like to work on some weight training and a little more hand-to-hand with you.  I was lucky you were on Nimbus III and you could use your brain to take out that guy but there aren't always chandeliers available."

Somehow, he knew that Skye wouldn't have minded, not only because she would have understood if he was in a similar situation as her with the bathroom, but because she had that level of comfort, of confidence, with her body.  Skye knew she looked good naked, knew both because she wasn't blind and because she had probably had men lined up around the block for a chance to be with her since she was eighteen.  Still, he was respectable, didn't want to steal a glance.  A proper gentleman accepted one when it was given, but he did not steal one.  The mention of him having nothing to be ashamed of, however, brought a blush to "Skye's" face.  He had never heard compliments about what he had to offer before, other then Rihen back on Nimbus III.  From a Risian, it just felt like flattery, but when Skye said it, it felt true, honest.

Nimbus III.  It brought up the situation in the bar, where brains had beat brawn with the use of a chandelier.  Skye was right that he was lucky it was there, that he found a way to use his intellect.  "I guess I never really had much use for muscles before.  If I'm going to be on more away missions like that one, maybe I should be learning what to do."  He was part Bajoran.  His mother's people fought a brutal war against the Cardassian occupation.  Maybe some of that fight was passed down to him, would serve him well in becoming a better man then he was currently, a man who could impress a woman like Skye with more then just intellect.

Sometimes Skye could be honest to a fault.  She would put things out there that others would rather have their fingernails ripped off than say so when she had said that to Kae, it was bare honesty.  Everyone had a certain type of build they liked but she could appreciate many different types of men.

A sort of relieved look came over 'Kae's' face when he agreed he might need some more physical training.  "Don't get me wrong.  There's nothing wrong with being smart and figuring out something like that but if we'd been out in the desert they would have been all over us with nothing but our phasers and hands.  If my dear friend, Kae, is going to be going on away missions, I want him to have a few tricks up his sleeve."

She didn't think of it as a way for him to impress the ladies.  It was a way for him to protect himself because she thought he mattered and not just for his intelligence.  She was a Wolf for a reason, fierce determination and absolute loyalty.  The entire crew was her pack but there was an inner circle and Kae was finding out she included him in that small group and had even before this gender bender.

"That was my first away mission," he admitted, though it was probably painfully obvious.  He had been so nervous during it, eyes always looking around for some sort of danger, not just from phaser fire or environmental disaster, but even just the stray bacteria which his immune system might not have been able to handle.  "Usually, the closest I would get to an away mission is being the transporter chief when necessary.  I know the only reason I was there was because I was the only engineer who could be spared during the repairs, that I would be able to identify and check all the parts that the engineering department had requested.  If a more senior officer would have been available, it would have been him or her going rather then me."  Coming from Skye, his words seemed so wrong.  He was timid, shy, everything that the rough and tumble Skye Carver hadn't been in quite a long time, if she ever was.  It was a docile Skye, a gentle Skye.  In many ways, it was quite attractive, albeit a departure from the woman that Skye herself had become.

"It may have been your first away mission but you handled it beautifully," 'Kae' said with a tone that fairly rang with pride.  "We're all up to our ears in mess right now but you took that opportunity and came back to the ship with a helluva lot more than they wanted and quite cleverly bent the rules.  Give yourself the credit you deserve.  You ..."  'Kae' beeped 'Skye's' nose and raised an eyebrow with that look like "don't even think about arguing with me."

It was Kae looking confident, challenging, almost cocky, perhaps just as perplexing for Kae to see but hopefully he would like how that looked on him.  That could really be him if only he would let himself, would stop being afraid of germs and not measuring up to others.  Skye believed in him, of that he had no doubts.  "... are intelligent, resourceful, compassionate, and altogether too cute for your own good.  Stop selling yourself short because you are a total package, someone who is a great friend and could be more with just about anyone if you let yourself."

"You were pretty amazing too on Nimbus III."  Maybe it didn't seem that way to Skye, who had spent all of her time laying in a hospital bed, but Kae would remember the bar fight, how she fought to hold on, to not die then and there.  A wound as rough as she had gotten could have been the end of her, yet here she was.  She had paid a price when she lost one of her ovaries, but that she was already back on active duty after what she went to was a testament to her toughness.  "A admire all you accomplished down there, Skye.  I don't know how much you could see, but even when you were injured, there were still people who didn't look like they wanted to mess with you.  It was like drawing blood only made you something more frightening to them, just because of your refusal to lay down and die, like others would have.  You showed a lot of spirit."

"Mom always did say I was full of piss and vinegar," 'Kae' chuckled but there was no real mirth in the eyes.  "Getting hurt's just part of the job sometimes but ... I feel like I failed on that mission.  I got careless and as a result I wasn't able to watch out for you and the doc the rest of the time.  If they'd had decent medical equipment down there it wouldn't have been a big deal, coulda been up and running again after a night."

Drinking down the last of the coffee, that almost shamed expression lingering, 'Kae' looked at 'Skye' and sighed.  "I wasn't so worried about the doc.  That ones got a mean streak in him," came very hushed tones.  "I caught him looking at me once and I swear I expected him to throttle me but why I haven't a clue.  You though, when I woke up and you were gone ... I was terrified something bad had happened to you and I was ready to rip things to shreds to find you."

"After seeing what you went through on Nimbus III, I knew I couldn't just sit around.  You protected us, and got hurt for it, and you were gonna spend the rest of the mission laying in that hospital bed.  I figured the sooner I could complete the mission, the sooner we could get you back aboard the ship."  It was sort of sweet.  Kae was basically saying he tried harder for Skye's sake.  They were fellow crewmen, and when she had done her part, he knew he had to do his.  "I know you probably don't have much respect for some of the stuff I did there," he was of course referring to Rihen, who had made quite a spectacle of herself when Skye and Lucan had arrived to meet with him, "But I completed the mission as capably as I could.  You got back here, safe and healthy . . . for the most part."

She had lost an ovary in the fight.  Part of him wondered if maybe it could have been saved if something had gone differently.  If he'd been able to fight too, would he have been able to help her, help avoid Skye's injury in the first place?  Maybe it didn't bother her now, but if the day she ever wanted to have kids came, that would prove to add difficulty to her situation.  Would she look back on the away mission with regrets when that happened?

Skye could read between the lines and rested both arms on the table, giving Kae her full attention.  "I hold nothing but the utmost respect for you and what you did on Nimbus.  Hell the way she acted I'm surprised you managed to get what we needed let alone all the extra stuff.  I'd say you certainly went above and beyond the call of duty, my friend."

The mouth twitched, obviously Skye was thinking about saying something lewd but fighting herself to behave.  "I didn't much like her was the problem.  She's the type that uses and cares mostly about her own satisfaction.  Maybe it's 'cause I feel protective of you but I wanted you to have an experience better than just gettin' a little and giving a whole lot, not a fair trade so to speak."

"I'm glad you didn't get hurt though.  She could easily have lured you down, made sure you did all the mods needed, and then killed you.  No one was there with you to watch your back while you did all that repairing ... I was not there.  It doesn't matter you didn't get hurt, the fact was you could have and I failed to do my part.  It hurts even worse now that we're really good friends.  My life wouldn't be nearly as good without you in it, you know.

"It was good for me.  I made it through an entire away mission with breaking in two.  No sickness, no injuries . . . I think I needed that."  He would have noted that he even managed to get some experience with an organic, but that didn't seem like proper talk, especially when they decided to call this breakfast a date, especially when Skye admitted to not liking Rihen much.  Skye had given him some experience too, showed him the female perspective when a part of the intimate dance.  Just the thought of that had him blushing, something he tried uickly to hide before she picked up on it.

He was about to distract himself with breakfast when he took a look and found both their plates empty.  The two of them had been casually eating while talking, the plates running out of food without them even noticing.  "I guess . . . breakfast is over.  That means we should be trying to find out what's going on."  Kae tried the combadge, but couldn't get in contact with either the doctor or the Captain.  Finally, he was patched into Commander Rez , who explained their case wasn't the most unusual she had seen on board.  The Trill commander had been divided in different bodies for each of her former hosts, while Skye's direct superior, Miles Renard, had also been split between the different forms of his Vulpinian nature.  The ship was in disarray, leaving no clue how to proceed.

As the call came to an end, he looked to Skye, or rather to "Kae" with an uneasy look.  "Looks like our situation is just one of many.  At least it means it wasn't something that affected us down on Nimbus III . . . unless we brought it back with us."

'Kae' started to grin.  "I'm still going to get you to go tromping through some mud puddles with me some day," said with a finger wag and a hearty laugh.  She didn't know if Kae had ever laughed a lot but there was certainly a happy sound through his vocal cords.

Looking down at the plate, Skye realized she'd eaten about twice what she normally did and she was still hungry.  "Damn ... you got a decent stomach inside of you.  I'll be right back with some peaches."  Again Kae would see those hips start to sway in quite a feminine way, the fingers of the left hand snapping as if to a tune.

Sitting back down then kicking back while scooping out bites of the rich fruit, 'Kae' listened to the report and the head rolled back.  "Awwww mannnnn.  This is bullshit.  If this is what I get for my ovary, I want it back."  Realizing belated again she was in a man's body, a snort and then another belly laugh erupted though 'Kae' was trying to look apologetic.

"Look on the bright side.  It isn't just us with problems right now."  It was a small consolation, but misery did indeed love company.  It also meant that they didn't have to feel more like freaks because of the situation, as who knew what else was happening on-board that hadn't been reported.  Theirs could have been one of the more normal cases for all they knew.

"So, we know we are stuck like this with no real explanation for how it happened.  If there's nothing we can do to fix it . . . what are we going to do?"  In their current state, they couldn't easily fulfill their duties.  Sure, Kae could have taken Skye's body to work, but after years of typing keys in his own body, a new set of fingers might prove a handicap.  The same could said of Kae's body for Skye, not possessing her hand-eye coordination or sharp reflexes for piloting a Valkyrie.  That effectively made him unfit for duty, and forced them to, as humans would say, take a sick day.

"True that," 'Kae' said but grumped a little anyway.  "We're sort of stuck aren't we?  In more than one way.  I'm not used to your body so I really can't do my normal job.  I should report to Miles and let him know of our mix up.  At least he'll understand.  I guess we just sort of take a holiday?  Maybe just kick back and have some fun?"

That smile quirked up again.  "Mud puddles," came the teasing whisper.  "Or ... maybe we could use the holodeck for some rock climbing.  I could teach you if you don't already know," she offered.  It sort of felt like being a kid again and playing hookie from school though they would of course check in with their superiors first.

"From what Commander Rez said, you might have some trouble getting in contact with your own commanding officer."  Edena had been talking to Miles, who also reported experiencing a split of his own.  Even if Skye did contact him, which one would she have gotten?  Perhaps it was better to just consider themselves on a sick day and just move on with it.

"The holodeck?" That was his comfort zone.  Within the confines of that virtual space, he left safe, secure.  It was enough to make him feel comfortable trying just about anything Skye wanted to do there.  "I've never tried rock climbing before.  Seen a few holo-novels which included it, but can't say I've experienced it, on location or in the holodeck.  Is it hard?"

"I could always blame it on temporary insanity I suppose," 'Kae' said and then snerked.  "Only problem is most people think I'm always insane."  She figured with all the mix ups he was right and they should just go about their business.  "I just hope they really don't need me out there before we figure out how to get us back to normal."

She knew by that look she'd hit on something good for Kae and given he was in her body, it would make rock climbing a lot easier for him.  She just had to worry about herself in the weaker form.  Not that he was puny ... she was just used to her more bulky self.  "It's not always easy but we'll start out with the easier setting and of course the safety protocols will be on ... I seriously don't want to be an idiot and get your body hurt."

"Well, I'll be counting on my instructor to walk me through it then," kae agreed, as they parted from the galley and headed to the holodeck.  The first one they tried was sealed, obviously already occupied.  No matter, they just moved on to the next one, where Skye was able to tell the computer which program to run.  It would result in the basic training program, starting with an indoor rock wall, where he could learn the basics of putting on the safety gear and practice on a straightforward wall only twelve feet high.  After he had the basics, Skye could activate any number of programs she had, covering all the best known rock climbing locations in the Alpha Quadrant.

Following her instructions, Kae set up his harness, adjusting it to the ideal tightness for each strap, while Skye had to learn what was the best setting for a guy, no doubt finding her first guess to be a bit too cramped between the legs.  Once set up, the rope's carabiner was hooked into their d-ring, providing their controlled fall if they lost their grip.  "So we just . . . climb?"


((How useful that the climbing equipment share so many common terminology with safety equipment I use for work lol))

"My mother loved teaching people to climb and probably hoped I'd stick around and keep it going when she couldn't.  Loved to fly too much though," 'Kae' said as they strode along.  "She always thought I was fearless but there were a few times things got a bit scary, especially when I was a lot younger."

Ordering the program and stepping inside, it was definitely not an easy thing getting all the equipment in place.  At one point Kae would see his own face go a bit crosseyed and a long breath blown out as straps were adjusted ... along with a few mumbled curses that weren't quite understandable.  Standing a bit spraddle-legged, the hips waggled as if letting things settle into place.

When 'Skye' looked ready, 'Kae' nodded.  "Pretty much and just make sure to keep your line straight," he instructed and started leading the way, showing hand and foot holes along the way though for Skye even the easy setting was a bit of a challenge though not just about strength.  The longer arms and legs certainly took a bit of adjustment.

(Oh hush you!  I have no idea what I'm doing here!  *laughing*)

Kae pressed his hand against the first hold, and after a few hesitant motions, lifted Skye's foot onto the first hold from the ground.  The other hand went a little higher then the first, the same for the second foot.  He was on the wall now, though it had been quite a long time since Skye Carver looked quite so uncertain on a climbing rope.  "There's no chance the ropes are gonna fail . . . right?"  After getting some reassurance, he started to climb, impressed with how easily Skye's developed muscles pulled her body weight.  This was a woman who didn't have trouble performing push-ups, pull-ups, or any number of physical exercises.  He envied her a bit, realizing how she was strong yet graceful, physically powerful yet still so beautiful.

He kept climbing, each step getting a little longer the farther up they went.  He kept glancing down, where the height began to unnerve him.  It was weird to think that just six feet off the ground could be so paralyzing, but all he could think was if he lost a hold and the rope didn't catch him, there was a risk of broken bones upon impact.  It wasn't just his life that was played with, but Skye's health.  What if he got her injured in a way that ruined her career?  Sure they had safety protocols in place, but did that cover a fall?  That wasn't the holograms hurting him, but himself causing his own injury.  Him causing her injury.

This wasn't as easy as before but Skye was determined to, perhaps, show Kae that he could to more.  He had decent strength and agility and she was proving with his body that if he just believed in himself he could truly start experiencing life.  Looking back, there was a cocky expression on Kae's face.  "Don't worry, I put in the extra safety and if one of us does fall, it will be onto a nice big puffy cushion.  You're my buddy and I'm gonna keep you safe," she promised.

Now and then Skye would look back on herself to make sure things were alright, calling down to ask if Kae needed to stop or keep going.  "You're doing really good," Kae said with obvious admiration that the mind was determined.  Once they were at the top, a good distance up by all appearances, Skye contemplated something and once her body was up addressed the mind inside.  "Feel like being a little daring?" Kae asked with a little wriggle of the nose.  "You can either climb down or we can just freefall a bit."

As Kae finally reached the top, he was grabbing tight, pulling himself up more like a toddler into a chair then the season-hardened rock climber that was Skye Carver's body.  He laid face up, not bothering to look down at the ground, at how far up they can come.  Skye's chest was beating heavily, prompting Kae to put a hand there and feel the racing heart.  It was a reminder of those big, fleshy pillows that Skye had.  Damn they were some of the finest breasts he had ever known.  How strange it felt to be in temporary ownership of them.  "I thought I . . . already was being daring," he said, panting in the middle of the sentence.

He sat himself up and felt the vertigo the second he saw the ground.  In his mind, they were at least twice as high, his point of view stretching the distance to the crash pad below.  Looking up at Skye, lighting up his face with a mischievous grin, Kae dropped Skye's jaw.  "You aren't suggesting what I think you are, are you?"  Of course she was.  Skye Carver knew no fear, especially when she had as much control over it as the safety protocols of the holodeck allowed her.

'Kae' was smirking, watching that hand twitch as if ready to fondle the breast.  He was such a gentleman though that he wouldn't do that or stand in front of a mirror topless shimmying for all he was worth just for the sheer fun of it all ... at least not in front of her.  "You are being daring, enough to get that heart racing and make you breathless but trust me that body's used to a lot more."

As 'Skye' sat up and looked over the edge ... eyes nearly bulging out like a cartoon character, the mischief only seemed to grow stronger in 'Kae'.  "Yes indeedie I am," 'Kae' almost crowed.  "C'moooonnnnnn .... it'll be fun and I'll even hold your hand," came the teasing-pleading sing-songing words.  Then there was a wicked grin.  "I dare ya ... no ... I double dog dare ya."  Standing up, 'Kae' unhooked the cable and held out a hand to 'Skye' with a saucy wink.

He looked up at her, that strong confidence in Skye reflected upon his own face.  She was so sure of herself, and it was intoxicating.  "Next time, we do something I want to do," he said weakly, as he took her hand and stood up, mere inches away from the edge.  He held tight to her hand, as though they were about to fly, but he would only fall if he lost his connection to her.  It was a dizzying feeling to be up there, yet Skye kept him grounded.  ironic, considering she was the one trying to get him off the ground.

"If anything bad happens . . . you owe me," he told her, making her agree to that.  What he would use that favor for, he didn't know, but he felt like having that in the air would make sure that no harm came to either of their bodies.

"Of course next time is your idea," 'Kae' replied.  "That's only fair after all."  He took her hand, or she took his hand ... damn this was still so freaky!  Still Skye was proud of him, willing to step out of his comfort zone.  "Computer ... make sure there's extra cushioning at the bottom for the free fall," she ordered just to give him a little more security.

Once 'Skye' was unhooked and both their bodies were clear of the rigging, 'Kae' walked back a few steps still holding 'Skye's' hand and then turned back to the edge.  "Alright, a few running steps and move like you're diving into water.  The only way we might get hurt is if you pull up at the last moment and we don't control the fall.  I'd rather not smack into the side but if you get too scared, just tell the computer to end the program."

The most they would endure would be a drop of about five feet ... probably a belly flop that wouldn't feel great but they certainly wouldn't ge injured.  Kae would be able to experience something thrilling yet was still perfectly safe, something Skye was doing her best to ensure.  "On the count of three we go ... one ... two ... three!"  'Kae' squeezed 'Skye's' hand and took off, leaping off the edge without hesitation.

As they jumped, Kae remembered coming to the brief conclusion that Skye must have been at least partially insane.  Who else but a crazy person would throw themselves off a high place just for the sake of excitement?  He knew there were plenty of people who sought those thrills in life, but Skye was the only one he had ever truly met who fit the description.  Whatever his thoughts, they became shelved as the ground approached rapidly, the few seconds of free-falling giving weigh as they fell on the padded floor.  Safe and sound, just as she said they would be, but Kae's heart, or Skye's heart more accurately, was pounding like a jack hammer.

"Prophets save me," he said with an uneasy laugh, as his hand came to feel the surging force of Skye's heart again.  The uneasy laugh turned into a more hearty one, as though releasing it all might help stabilize the overstimulated body.  She was crazy, and he was going to tell her just that.  "You . . . are . . ."  but he didn't finish.  Instead, he only caught the reflection of Skye's face in his own eyes.  Her face was glowing with excitement.  It made her all the more beautiful.  Skye was truly like a bird in the way she flew.  She was only free when the skies were open to her.  Theurgy was a cage she could come home to, the Valkyrie her wings.  He understood her much better now.  She wasn't crazy.  She just lived what was the right way for her.

It was a glorious few moments as they plummeted, 'Kae's' eyes open and the biggest smile seeming to keep growing as they landed with a huge flumph on the cushion.  A big belly laugh began and he rolled over to lay on his side looking at 'Skye' as they both caught their breath.  With face flushed and a happy and confident look, 'Kae' would see just how handsome he really was.

"I know," came the almost snickering voice.  "I'm crazy, always have been and always will be.  Life's not easy and there have been some really dark times in mine so ... when I get the chance like now ... I try to remind myself to have fun and just feel alive."  A rueful grin evolved then and there was a soft sigh.  "I spent three weeks all alone in my Valk, no one to talk to even on the comm system.  Now it's hard to be alone but at first I couldn't reach out to anyone because of what happened with the virus.  Thought I really was going crazy until ..."

Skye knew Kae didn't want to hear about any sexual escapades so refrained from speaking of that night with her fellow Wolf, Isley.  They had both served to lessen certain physical pressures they were feeling but it was actually staying the night with him that had helped her more than anything, having someone near that she could touch when she woke from a bad dream.  "Well, I started reaching out more and trying to make friends.  Gotta say I'm having a great time with you," 'Kae' said and beeped 'Skye's' nose.

"Is it weird that I can't believe you're the same person from Nimbus III?"  That went beyond just the change in their bodies, to something much more complicated to explain.  "When I first met you . . . I just thought of you as a fighter pilot.  A woman, sure, but a strong one.  No nonsense, tough as nails, needs no man to help her.  Spending this day together made me realize that you're not just a tough woman, but . . . you're also a girl."  It was the best way to describe it.  She could be sweet, she could be silly, all the things that little girls were; sugar and spice  and everything nice.  She was a surprising vulnerability to her, one which reflected the original image of her and showed it as something softer, more tender.

"Without being too much of a guy . . . I think today showed me that you're not just hot, but also beautiful."  To be hot was something purely on the surface.  Skye had always been sexy, there was no denying that.  Now, coupled with the surprising reveals about her personality, he saw she was a beautiful person inside too, and it only made him admire the face he was currently borrowing all the more.  "As scary as some of this has been for me, I'm having a great time too, Skye.  I'm flying far out of my comfort zone, but I feel safe with you.  I know you aren't gonna let me fall without a safety net."

"Computer, play program Lin 054."  Their setting changed to that of a school.  It borrowed elements from several different preparatory schools on both Earth and Bajor, and had served the holographic location of Kae's early studies when he was still in isolation for his immunities.  "This is where I went to school," he told her straight out, the two standing up and walking the grounds.  "My father references about sixteen different schools, trying to get bits and pieces to make something I could enjoy.  My mother insisted there be some of her religion present, so he added parts of a Bajoran temple where I learned her ways as well as my fathers.  The school was populated with a random set of school mates, the ones I spent the most time with being fleshed out the more I spoke with them, giving him their own histories and personalities.  My dad was pretty brilliant at holography, spent a lot of hours making this somewhere I could feel safe, stimulated."

The two ended up at a small garden, a mixture of beautiful plants surrounding the seating area in small planter boxes.  "I know it isn't as exciting as your program . . . but I like it here.  Sometimes I just wander the halls, and sometimes I have them computer load old classmates so I can speak to them again.  The program updates them with histories to explain what they have been doing since the last time I saw them.  My first girlfriend was an Orion whose working for the embassy on Mila V.  She was so worried that the best she'd ever do was work some exotic night club with the history her race has for being slave girls."

"I don't think it's weird at all," Skye said.  "Most people have an image they portray and the more you act it, the more it becomes reality.  I have to be tough to do what I do but it is nice now and then to let some of the real me out.  Believe it or not, I like wearing sexy girlie clothes and cuddling."

All too often the words hot and beautiful meant the same thing but when Kae said what he did, she felt the difference and tears shimmered in 'Kae's' eyes.  "I don't think you're being a guy at all, but a man ... yes."  Real men cared and respected and Kae, though young and still somewhat innocent, had a maturity about him that a lot of guys half his age again didn't demonstrate.  A compliment for sure.

That soft look was still there when Kae spoke of being outside of his comfort zone and a hand reached out to touch 'Skye's' face.  "In a very short time, you have gone from someone in the pack I must protect to a dear friend who I hope I never let down," she said before leaning in without reservation and kissing those lips softly.  Kae was one of only a handful of people who had managed to get behind her wall.

The scene changed and she realized he was going to give her a glimpse into his life and giving 'Skye' a hand up 'Kae' looked around with an approving look.  "I really like it ... definitely gives a feeling of safe."  The garden brought out a bit of that girl in Skye though it was Kae's body squatting down to touch the flowers with a delicate touch.  "Excitement comes in many forms and not all of them are the daredevil type.  This is a peek into your past, freely shared with a friend so how can that not be exciting?" she asked him. 

He was pleased to hear that she wasn't bored with the simulation at least, could find herself interested in it enough.  "The dormitories are modeled after the ones from Starfleet Academy in San Francisco, the gardens from the Kai private grounds of Bajor, and the setting itself is placed on Teti Alpha II's colony, famous for some of the most beautiful sunsets in the known galaxy.  My father was proud of his work, and I feel blessed to walk these grounds and know the effort he put into them."

As they walked along, he was still thinking about that kiss they shared after the jump.  It was so warm, not something filled with raw lust, which had been what Rihen had given him so many times while he was on Nimbus III, nor was it the lifeless ones he experienced from the holographic dates he had in his youth.  It left color in Skye's cheeks for a while, as they toured the campus, soon ending in an arrival at the dormatory, where she was shown his room.  It was far more spacious then anything at Starfleet academy, but it was designed for his comfort.  This was the room he lived in for the entirety of his education from age 5 to 14.  It was like a small apartment, with a bedroom and bathroom attached to a spacious living and dining room.  "meals would be beamed in from the outside, filtered through several layers of scans to assure nothing harmful reached me from outside.  On the plus side, I never had to do any cooking or cleaning.  Beam in, eat, beam out the plate."

"Well I hope you'll let me watch one of those sunsets with you," 'Kae' said with a wistful tone.  "I used to climb up one of the smaller mountains back home and set up a small camp just so I could sit and watch the sun set.  Then there were the stars at night.  When Mom would go with me, we'd make S'Mores and talk for hours.  Of course I'd still make the S'Mores when it was just me," she chuckled.

His room brought a warm smile and Skye thought it was really nice though the more he spoke of how food was beamed in going through several filters and everything kept sterile she felt that bit of pressure in her chest.  It was like being isolated and he'd been through that for so long and as a child.  How had he turned out so good without enjoying the pat on the shoulder from a father or kiss on the forehead by a mother?  She ached for him, for what he didn't have.

"Well I could certainly enjoy not having to cook or clean and the place is very lovely," she stated.  "I'm glad you had holofriends or it could have been very lonely."  Her curious nature was getting the best of her and after a bit of throat clearing she broached the subject gently.  "I know it's really personal and you don't have to answer if you aren't comfortable, but what happened that made your immune system not work that you had to be in an environment like this?  And how did they find something to help you be able to come out of it all?"

"It's a sort of genetic throwback.  Loss of immunities was something seen in humans back in the 20th century, but with improvements in health it was eliminated almost completely by the late 21st.  The risk with cross-species children is that it can activate old genes like those, and mutate them with alien physiology.  With a Bajoran mother, my immune system was effective inactive until I was fourteen, my medical care handled by holographic avatars and eventually by Emergency medical holograms when the technology started becoming relevant.  When I hit puberty, my genes went through a slight shift, which slowly activated my immune system at age twelve.  Two years later, it was considered strong enough to leave containment, though to this day I still watch my health, just because medical health is touchy enough that you never do know how the body will react."

It was a long-winded speech about something he wasn't sure he explained all that well, but when it was done, he felt better.  He didn't talk about those things with friends, just with doctors.  Sitting on the sofa in his living room, he laid his head back and stared up at the ceiling.  "After so long, I guess I never really thought about the organic world all that much.  Photonic worlds felt just as real to me as the one beyond the holodeck.  Maybe I needed to believe it, so that I didn't have to accept that every friend I had was made of light and forcefields, that every girl I dated was the same way, and not just until I was fourteen.  I kept my relationships after that, was even . . . intimate with a couple photonic girls."

Skye listened intently, though it was Kae's eyes watching and there were nods now and then proving she understood what he was saying though when he spoke of things shifting when he hit puberty there was a smile that was quickly covered.  "Well ... puberty has a way of making things shift," was the only remark made at that point though Skye could think of hundreds of things to say in that vein.

It was when Kae spoke of needing to believe they were real that a hand reached over and brushed through the long locks.  That was a little weird but Skye knew that sort of thing comforted her so it should comfort Kae within her body.  "I can understand that and thankfully there was the technology to make sure you weren't lonely.  You're really strong where it counts ... inside."

Nothing the hesitancy and fear of possible ridicule when he said he had been intimate with holos, a light chuckle slipped.  "Oooooh the joys of sex with holograms," came a rather lusty sounding voice.  "More people do that than you might think and I'll have you know I've indulged more than once in an absolutely wonderful program I had someone make for me ... Tom Paris AND Harry Kim ... now THAT'S a program."

"At the same time?"  Kae revealed just how innocent he was with that comment.  His relationships had always been monogamous.  The idea of three people together was a foreign one to him.  Of course, once Skye had mentioned it, his mind started coming up with how it could have worked, and he found himself shaking those thoughts away, mostly because he imagined it happening to Skye herself.  That was a serious threat to his gentlemanly ways to be imagining that sort of thing happening to her. 

"You . . . like that sort of thing?"  Maybe that was crossing a personal boundary to ask, but they had already ventured into that territory.  Somehow, they did manage to end up talking about sex, and they should have been able to be adults about it.  They had stimulated each other already, and Skye had revealed that she had at least one holodeck fantasy come true for her.  Surely there wasn't harm in exploring the conversation . . . was there?

Skye had to fight to keep from laughing, not just at the words but the completely lost expression on her own face.  She could also tell he was actually starting to think along those lines and a very mild expression took over 'Kae's' face.  "Yeah, both at the same time and sometimes the need to be with someone is too great and flying solo just doesn't cut it so ... if no one is around who wants to mess around with me I run my little program."

Sitting sideways on the couch with the head propped in the hand resting on the back, 'Kae' gave a look.  "You know you can ask me anything and I'll be honest with you, right?  I can see you wanting to ask things but look a little scared.  We're friends, really really close friends," came a lopsided grin.  "I'm not gonna smack you, well not hard at least and only being silly, so ... don't be shy and if I don't know something I'll figure out who to ask."

"I guess I never realized until now that I haven't exactly lived all that much, even in terms of . . . sex."  The blush that was covering "Skye's" face when that word was uttered was hard to miss.  He wasn't a virgin by no means, but he failed to realized how limited his imagination had been all these years.  His acts were confined to the bed, and even then were mostly simple positions.  Then came Skye, talking of multiple lovers at once, and he was feeling quite outclassed.  "I guess I'm just wondering . . . what kind of daring things you have done.  If that question is a touchy one, or too personal, then forget I said anything.  I suppose I'm just feeling a bit . . . plain right now."

Plain.  That was a good way to put it.  Skye was the one of them who had truly lived, not just in the bedroom but the excitement of everyday life.  Things she did everyday were the sort of things he thought of as an adventure.  The more she spoke about herself, the more he realized how mundane he had lived.  He explored intellectual pursuits, but nothing he  could be proud of to tell someone at the end of the day, for fear of boring them to sleep.

Skye embarrassed ... that was a look she hadn't seen on her face since she was a young teen.  She listened to the concern and at the end those masculine fingers caressed the cheek.  "You are far from plain, Mister.  Your mind is absolutely brilliant.  Look at all you did on Nimbus III ... and you've had reason to not stick your toe in a lot of waters."

There was that pursing of the lips too, the rueful expression taking over.  "And I did say ask anything.  I'm sort of an open book, sort of like my legs as some might say.  I've had sex in the cockpit, doubled the fun with the holograms of famous Starfleet officers, and had quite a few partners.  Most of them like it rough so it's a little Klingonish sometimes."

"One thing I'm starting to see though, with our little switch going on here, is that maybe I should slow down a little.  I've been going balls to the wall for as long as I can remember but some of the best times, when I've felt truly alive, were when things were quiet and sort of still.  Sitting under the stars eating S'Mores for one thing and the quiet time after sex ... just sitting here talking with you ..."

There was a deep sigh as Skye thought about her life.  "I hadn't really realized that intimacy was an issue for me, guess it's because of my parents.  Andrus helped me to see there could be so much more and he offered me to stay with him.  I almost did too but my duty to Starfleet came first and as soon as they repaired my ship I was gone in search of Theurgy and my pack."

"Just like my father, I put duty before my own needs.  There's been a lot happen in just a few short months but for all I've already done, I think the most daring thing for me is yet to come.  Letting you this close is actually a little scary but I know you aren't going to take anything I say and use it to hurt me."

A corner of the mouth quirked up then.  "Trust is daring and you have that in spades so no, you are definitely not plain.  You have courage and conviction that shows through your intelligence and more gentle demeanor.  That's just as daring as me trying to fight off the troll on Nimbus or antagonizing certain security personnel to try to keep her from infecting the only sane person I knew of aboard Theurgy."

"You really do sell yourself short but you can bet I'm going to keep poking at you, keep you testing your limits to a certain safe point.  You are the quiet and smart daring which will get you a lot farther than I'll ever go.  Of course that just means I'll always be behind you ... guarding your back," 'Kae' winked.  "And they always say it's the quiet ones you have to worry about," came with a wicked grin.

Skye was too passionate to argue with.  She made him feel good about himself, yet his doubts didn't exactly disappear entirely.  He still thought of himself as rather plain, that he had never truly lived before.  Maybe he would have to try a holodeck program where he was with a couple females he found attractive, see where that led.  That thought had him blushing again, quickly realizing he had to get back in his own body before anything like that happened.  Skye, within his own body, had relieved the need for an orgasm once already, and he certainly didn't want to touch her inappropriately like that for the sake of release.  It was better that she did it, so he didn't have to feel like less of a gentleman.

He looked up at the clock on his wall and smiled.  "It's almost sunset.  Want to go see?"  He stood from the sofa and gestured Skye to follow him out onto the balcony of his room, another redesign of Starfleet Academy dorms for his sake.  A small planter box of Bajoran flowers sat on either side of the balcony, but left the front open for him to lean on, alongside Skye.  The sun began to fall over the horizon, and streams of brilliant gold began to fill the sky.  As the day turned into night, the gold streams tuned blue and green, matching the imagery of the Northern Lights on Earth.  "Charged ions in the atmosphere react the intensity of the sunset.  It creates the gold streams that natives of Teti Alpha II call the tears of the sun.  After the sunset, the streams fade into the darker colors and remain for a couple hours.  At sunrise, the streams return for an hour or so before losing visibility in the morning sky."

It was a daily occurrence, greeting both night and day with the most beautiful rotations of the sun ever conceived.  It was no wonder that Kae's father had decided to incorporate it into the simulation for his son, to give him something beautiful to gaze upon.  "You know, this is the first time I ever watched this with another organic," he confessed.  Skye had been allowed an intimate look into his life.  It felt right, considering how deeply they had gotten to know each other that day.

He was definitely on the right path, she could see it in the expression.  Yes there were still doubts but Kae had gotten a small taste of something different, something that he was starting to like.  A knowing smile formed and she thought when he was a few years older he would realize and be comfortable with the wonderful man he is already, but be even better.

"Oooo, I'd love too," she responded and tried not to swish out to the balcony.  As he explained everything, there was simple joy in the eyes of the body where Skye's identity resided.  "It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen and to think you get a double dose, that you can see that at sunrise too ... it's just incredible."

Then a deeply touched expression formed at Kae's admission.  "Well this organic is very honored ... thank you for sharing with me."  Though she was in a male body, she reached out to embrace her own and leaned down to softly kiss those lips.  It was meant to be chaste but Skye couldn't deny the attraction which soon enough made itself evident.

He could tell her kiss was meant to be innocent, but it couldn't stay that way.  Something was happening between them, whether they fully realized it or not.  That kiss grew deeper, pushing far past the modest concept of chaste and into a sensual territory that Kae hadn't known before.  Like with Rihen, it was passionate, but with him and Skye having gotten so close, it was so much more powerful, like it could have swept him off his feet entirely.  When it finally parted, he could still feel the tingling sensation on Skye's lips, like a surge of energy was running through him. 

"Wow," he said, touching her lips, like he had done once before in his quarters.  Like it had back then, it created an effect on her body, arousing it with hardened nipples.  There was that pounding heart again, and this time it didn't require a climbing wall or a daring jump.  It was pounding so hard he started to wonder if maybe, just maybe, Skye could hear it.  He looked at her, literally, by staring into the eyes of his own body, to see Skye's frame reflected in them.  Again, she looked so beautiful, so much more innocent then he had ever seen her before.  "Your body . . . it's feels so strongly.  I'm almost overwhelmed by how it reacts to things like that."

That kiss was entirely too sweet and ultimately left Skye reeling a little bit herself then the last comment actually brought a blush to Kae's cheeks.  "I've always been a physical person and in a way it feels like if someone wants me that way, maybe I actually really matter.  There's only been a couple of times though I thought the sex might lead to something more, something deeper emotionally."

'Kae' held 'Skye' in a light embrace, looking up at the stars and sighing.  "When it comes to men, I sort of feel I'm never enough.  My own father never stuck around so why would anyone else?  So I guess I just keep trying, hoping one day I might be just what someone needs for more than a romp or two.  Still I guess you could say I'm sort of conditioned to respond though the intensity it does vary on the level of attraction and that's more than just the physical.  I gotta admit that kiss was pretty damn special."

"I never would have imagined a kiss with me would be special, with all the kissing you must have done in your life."  He was still being modest, but Skye had already told him how he was different.  He treated her like a delicate girl, a way that so few men did.  They saw how tough she was and treated her like some Klingon swordmistress, when deep down, she just wanted to be romanced, treated as a lady.  It wasn't much to ask if one thought about it, but it so easily slipped by unnoticed.

"Skye," he started, looking to her with more of that eye contact that seemed to do nothing but make him blush anymore.  Maybe her feminine hormones were starting to get to him, make him girlier then he had ever been before.  "I know we said we were going to be really close friends and all but . . . do you think it would be wrong if we . . . ?"  Part of him wanted to give her a tender experience, and to know what it was like to share that with an organic woman.  Rihen had plenty of passion, but it was lust fueled.  It was affection he felt for Skye.  Not love, but genuine feelings of attachment at least.  If that was enough for her, then maybe they could give it an honest try, and not just seek release like they had earlier.

That look like Skye was thinking to swat him crept up but a little twist of lips turned into a smile.  "There are many kinds of kisses, Kae, and given how special you are there's no way any kind of kiss with you wouldn't be special," she asserted with another gesture called an Eskimo kiss, her nose flicking side to side against his which made her giggle in that deeper voice of Kae's.

There was definite affection between them, something now so comfortable and comforting that there was a soft expression in the eyes.  She felt she could talk to Kae about anything and he wouldn't think her weak or stupid and that she realized was something she had desperately craved along with the great physical escapades.  Andrus had started her on that path of self-awareness but this gender switch had truly forced her to look at a few things more deeply.

His question and more so the sweetness with which he asked brought hands up to cup 'Skye's' face.  "Would it be wrong?  Not at all and actually it would probably be one of the most right sharings I could ever have because I care about you.  Sooooo," a sultry little lopsided grin formed as a bit of that predatory heat warmed the eyes.  "Let's see if I can do your body justice."

If Kae thought that last kiss was almost overwhelming, Skye used the knowledge of what made her body respond the most.  A long languid kiss ensued, one that was patient and promised Kae that every possible need was about to be met though Skye was feeling a bit overwhelmed herself by how Kae's body seemed to throb with every beat of his heart.

Kae knew he was in trouble before she ever brought their lips together again.  So effortlessly she had managed to get her body worked up, and now she was actually going to try.  He wished he could have done the same for her, but he had never thought of such things before, didn't even know what affected him more then anything else.  To him, weak spots were never something he considered, yet he had to try and repay Skye's attention with some of his own, even if it meant it was on a male body.  She was, after all, tending a female body, despite not having interest in women.

Skye's hand pressed to Kae's chest, noticing for the first time he was broader then her.  Sure, he was still lacking compared to someone like a male member of the tactical CONN division, but it was something.  He was male, something he needed to remember if he ever got his body back.  He was always so timid, yet he had at least enough presence that a woman could fall into his arms, and that was what Skye's body did, pressing forward into Kae, closing a gap between them which ended with her ample bosom pressed up against Kae's chest.  He wondered if that felt good to Skye.  It felt good when he was the one getting pressed against, and it felt good to be in Skye's body doing it, so maybe she would like it too.

"I know I've never been the most manly, but this is still pretty weird," he laughed, his laugh sounding so much nicer with Skye's lilt and alto.  Her hand moved to touch his chest, her head turning to lay against that chest like Kae's body was some sort of vertical bed for Skye.  He already felt tingling in Skye's nether regions, a sign he took as arousal, leaving him to question if it was biological or if he had truly just been turned on by touching his own body.

In Kae's body, Skye was considering a lot of things about her host.  In her own body, in this situation, she would have gladly stripped and tumbled him into the bed without preamble.  While he might have some sexual experience, she couldn't help thinking he could get overwhelmed and given she was in a different body it was enough to hold her in check.

Now and then Skye could actually be patient and not drop the pedal to the metal and drag her shoestrings along the road, which she did now with a slow and searing sort of kiss.  When they pulled up for air, she used Kae's arms to wrap around her own body and hold it close.  One hand went to stroke through her hair as the other gently played up and down her back.  It was hard to admit it did feel pretty damn good to feel those breasts pressing against Kae's body.

A good natured chuckle joined the lilting sound bubbling from 'Skye' and pulling back to look in those eyes, she gave him a look of complete understanding.  "I've always been forward and agressive enough for both of us but you're more than enough man and don't you ever forget it ... plus you just inspired me."  There was that definite Skye-like look in the eyes, that daredevil sneaking back to the fore.  "I know what my body can take and I have no doubts your body can dish out the good stuff."

Kae had a bit more understanding of why so many guys would have wanted Skye.  It wasn't just her stunning good looks or that adventurous, creative personality of hers.  It also had to do with how she treated her partners.  She had done nothing but compliment him, try to stroke his ego and raise his self-esteem.  She made people feel better about themselves in a world where most would have only worried about boosting their own.  It was enough to make kae smile even more, reflecting it with his eyes and his lips, or at least with Skye's eyes and lips.  She really was radiant when she smiled genuinely, something she would come to know about herself from seeing it through his eyes.

"Is it alright?"  Despite what they already agreed to, he still felt the need to confirm as he put his hands on the hem of the shirt that covered Skye's body.  When permission was given, he pulled it up and tossed it aside, leaving Skye's upper body covered only by the deep blue standard issue underwear, a small tank top which ended just below the breasts.  It supported and covered and not much else, but it was at least comfortable enough that Kae had nearly forgotten all about it.  He stripped that away too, leaving his female body topless as he pressed back into his original form, granting that same feeling as before, though with far more visual stimuli then before.  He still hadn't looked at them, still playing the gentleman, even if the temptation was much greater now then it had ever been before.  All he had to do was look down and he could see those glorious orbs in all their splendor.

Skye was a lot better around men than women, preferring how they thought about things and dealt with them in a more straight forward manner.  Too often women were catty and backstabby, something she absolutely detested.  More than one woman had been stunned to find themselves nursing a black eye rather than the typical attempts to ruin self-esteem.  It made her think of Ida actually, how she'd stooped to cajoling the blue woman though she had to admit there was the whole infection thing going on and she couldn't get near the woman to simply try to knock the shit out of her.

Pulling her thoughts back to the young man in front of her, well the mind at least, she was starting to see him instead of herself as she spoke.  It was like superimposition and it helped to keep things from feeling too horribly awkward.  "Yeah, we're okay.  Friends with bennies," she quipped and watched as her body was disrobed.  She'd felt her breasts and woman bits plenty but it was definitely odd to look at them in this way.  Just like when she'd looked at her own ass, a cheeky grin formed.  "Got a decent pair there ... and you can look at them.  I know you want to," she teased and then groaned when Kae pressed her body up against him.

The blending was getting to be intense for her at least, the blurring of gender and heading into acceptance becoming easier.  Kae's body reacted strongly to the feeling of breasts against clothed chest, making her grit her teeth to keep from truly pouncing.  Instead soft lips touched the temple and the large feeling hands smoothed down Skye's back until it reached the ass and started to knead which of coursed sort of ground their hips together in a slow burning fashion.

At Skye's permission, Kae looked down, spacing himself from her just enough that they were well in view.  It was certainly a new perspective, seeing them top down rather then front on.  They were full enough to obscure the body beneath them when Skye's chin was tilted directly down, while her nipples stood off straight and firmly.  Damn, if he were in his own body right now, he would no doubt have been hard as a rock . . . which brought an odd feeling to him as he looked back up at his own body.  He wasn't hard, but he certainly felt something.  "I . . . think I'm wet," he said, no doubt leaving Skye to understand what he meant.  He felt arousal in her body, which had led to it having the standard reaction that felt as alien to him as an erection did to her.

He pushed down Skye's pants to her knees, exposing the matching blue boy shorts that went along with the already discarded tank.  They were tighter then the briefs worn by males, but without any exterior plumbing, they seemed a good fit.  Those soon went down as well, but Kae wasn't looking.  Instead, he looked to his own body, where Skye currently resided.  He didn't say it aloud, yet the look on his face asked her if it was normal, if he had truly gotten wet, as women did, or if something else had happened that shouldn't have.  By the prophets, being a woman was confusing!

If it had been anyone else, Skye would have lost every drop of desire and been too busy laughing hysterically at the reaction but this sweet man who had managed to break through so many of her barriers already ... she couldn't laugh.  "Yeah, it's a perfectly natural response," she replied.  "Trust me you want it wet when it counts because dry entry hurts like hell."

Since Kae was stripping her body, Skye started stripping his though she did it with a bit of heat.  Placing her mind firmly on what guys looked like when they stripped for their lovers, she started a slow motion of removing the uniform.  There was desire burning in the eyes, a seductive way the lips pursed though in a masculine way.  Kae could be quite sexy if he would let himself.

Reaching out, 'Kae' touched 'Skye's' neck and stroked softly with the fingertips, feather light and something she knew would cause the breasts to tingle and the nipples to harden more.  "I'm guessing it's normal to feel a bit light headed as Junior rises," she stated as she found herself gazing at her own breasts and licking her lips.  Before she could lose her nerve, she leaned down and flicked a tongue over the swollen nipple to just give Kae a little jolt of pleasure.

He must have sounded like a fool when he asked about it, yet it wasn't so much the wetness that shocked him as it was the feeling.  He now knew what that sensation felt like, and it made him appreciate all the more when a woman said she was wet.  It was a powerful thing, especially if it was done without any sexual stimulation.

Of course, Skye didn't let that last long, as fingertips brushed along sensitive nipples, causing a hitch in his breath as Skye attacked her own weak points.  She had just sent a photon torpedo into Kae's shields, aiming for the chink in the armor of a ship she knew better then anyone.  Not only did she have complete mastery over her own body, but she managed to make better use of his then he did.  When she stripped out of his clothes, she made him look more manly then he probably ever had, proved that he truly could be that sort of person.  It was gratifying, but not as much as what she did to him.

Kae started searching for his own weak points, wondering where they were, his hands moved along his chest, his shoulders, his neck, until he found a sensitive spot he hadn't considered before.  He remembered massaging it in the past to soothe pain, but had never thought of it for pleasure.  Once homed in, Skye's body pressed to his again, lips kissing that weak point, repaying her for her own attack, though he found himself rubbing her breasts up and down on his chest anyway, something he hoped might be mutually beneficial.  "Damn.  I'll never look at a woman the same way again.  What you feel is just so . . . it's incredible."

Well she must have done something right because for a split second she could see Kae in her own eyes looking a bit surprised and yet hooked, knowing he could be very devastating with the combination of sexy and innocent look.  What woman wouldn't want him?  He had what it took ... and now he could see that for himself.

That bit of strangeness zapped her though when she licked her nipple, the straight girl in her resisting but the male body definitely took notice as she felt the erect member bob a bit.  As much as she loved for a man to work his mouth over her breasts, it was easier for her to fall back on using her hands on them and let the mouth trail up to the neck and ear which she nibbled and sucked lightly.

Kae returned the volley and when her strong fingers worked at a bit of a sore spot, a moan from deep in the throat rolled out and as those nipples raked along the chest Skye felt a surge go through the body that made her tighten the hold for a moment and crush her body to his.  "Shit that was strong," she muttered and felt a little moisture at the tip.  She'd nearly exploded ... thirty seconds would certainly be a record!

"I don't think either one of us will think the same again," she whispered in that deeper voice.  "Both of us can be short fused it seems and this is making us just like teenagers in the back seat of a car for their first time," she chuckled then ran those manly hands down to her ass again and gave it a light smack.  "Why don't we get you more comfortable and let me figure out how to properly treat our bodies?"

Her analogy was accurate.  Kae didn't know how much he could endure in his current state, with so many new feelings to sort through.  It was just like puberty,. When the body became so different that it was like living in some foreign nation.  To be switched as they were, it was the same thing on an even grander scale.  All he knew for sure was that it felt good to be close, and he had no intentions of distancing himself from her.

Kae bent down to finish stripping the pants and underwear from around Skye's knees, allowing him to walk to the bedroom with her.  The room featured a queen sized bed, a viewing window to either side displaying Earth and Bajor from orbit, a beautifully captivating sight to behold as he sunk onto the comfortable mattress, Skye's body bare of anything but a pair of standard issue black socks just barely going past her ankles.  "I think it's best we skip foreplay.  I'm sure you want to put your mouth on your nether region about as much as I want to on mine."  It would be uncomfortable for them both, and unnecessary, considering that they were both aroused more then enough for the ultimate act, the one that both of them might have been needing more then they realized.

Kae nervously parted Skye's thighs, offering a place for his own body to slip between, to unite them both in what might have been the ultimate act of their experiment.  Manual stimulation of each other was going to be nowhere near as powerful as what would come next.  He waited for her, half sitting up thanks to elbows planted on the mattress beneath Skye's glorious naked body.  He caught a reflection of it in one of the viewing windows, thinking how much she resembled a model.  Skye was gorgeous, more then she might have realized herself.

Now it was Skye's turn to feel more than a little foolish as she followed along, catching a glimpse of the almost predatory look on 'Kae's' face.  Did she always look like that or was it just because she was in a masculine form?  Turning back just in time to see her own body easing back onto the bed, she took a moment just to ... well ... admire herself.  She'd always exercised and tried to take care of herself and knew she was attractive but she had to admit she looked pretty damn good.

"Oh I don't know," she replied about the foreplay as Kae's feet gradually worked off the socks and his hands reached for Skye's feet.  "Are you sure you wanna skip to the main course?"  Slipping the sock off, she nuzzled her own ankle and grazed upward to the knee before setting that leg down and doing the same to the other.  There was that glint in the eyes again as she crawled between her own legs, disorienting a bit given she would normally straddle but was easing between thighs for a change.

Leaning down, she nipped along the pelvic bone and nibbled up a little to the waist where she knew she was ticklish.  "I kinda like to play around a bit," came somewhat muffled words as that mouth nipped and nuzzled over to the navel and hands smoothed along her outer thighs until she was lightly gripping her hips.  "Sex can be lots of fun, not just wham bam thank ya ma'am."  Traveling up between her breasts, 'Kae' grinned at 'Skye' and started kissing playfully.  It was certainly a side most never saw, the gentle and playful side that she seldom got to enjoy.  Of course moving that far up meant the erection was rubbing against her nethers, grinding lightly against the clit.

Kae hadn't expected Skye to resist the idea.  He would have thought the idea of foreplay on her own body might disturb Skye, yet she reveled in it, choosing to focus upon sensual areas but not sexual ones.  She trailed kisses all along the form Kae inhabited, rousing small pleasurable moans as they came closer and closer together.  He reached out to embrace her, to let Skye's slim yet firm fingers trace along the flesh of his own body, to seek stimulation for Skye.  Shoulders, back, hips, her hands moved along, Kae trying to think of it as Skye and not as a male figure which he held no interest in.  He wasn't attracted to males, but he was certainly feeling attracted to Skye after all they'd been through.

When familiar stiffness pressed against Skye's clitoris, a surge of life jolted through her body, an incredible gasp leaving Skye's lungs and leaving Kae almost out of his mind.  He had heard how sensitive that little bud was, but never imagined it could be that remarkable.  He buried her face into the shoulder of his body, stifling the moans while occupying Skye's mouth with kissing at the flesh in front of him.  Arms tightened around, creating a deep embrace that seemed unwilling to separate again.  Even the hips of his borrowed form were subconsciously moving, gringing his member against her smooth slit and swollen clit.    "I want this . . . worse then I ever thought I would," he admitted, hoping that Skye might feel the same, that he was not alone in feeling such deep, powerful desires.

Skye wasn't interested in females anymore than Kae was to males but she was starting to understand the appeal of same sex pairings and more so realized that it didn't matter what form the body took, that it was something deeply personal and mentally intimate that made the acts so wonderful.  It simply didn't matter the 'plumbing' as long as the couple enjoyed each other and treated each other with dignity and respect.

Of course making Kae and herself giggle might not be considered dignified but it seemed to bring them closer mentally.  Closing the eyes did help a lot, allowing Skye to simply enjoy the moment of intimacy with Kae.  There was a little bit of awkwardness as she adjusted to the male form but her own need, enhanced by the throbbing of Kae's member left her breathless.  "I want it too," she panted and reached between their bodies.

Grasping that pulsing rod, she rubbed the head against the clit a few more times before tilting it down and when she felt the opening started to press forward slowly.  Damn but she wanted to just plung in and bang away but for a change, understandably, she didn't have enough confidence in her abilities.  Instead she gritted teeth and started inching in, taking hold of her hips to sort of brace herself.

"Holy ... hell," she groaned as those velvety walls slowly engulfed the hard member and once it was completely buried paused for a moment.  "You feel so good," she groaned and backed up slowly, starting to move in and out carefully until she felt she had the rhythm.  Her words sort of encompassed both of her, the way Kae's body felt in that moment as well as how she felt to a man's body.

Now wasn't the time to analyze how she sort of liked being on this end of things though and soon those hips were rolling, bringing Kae's member continuously back and forth though she did eventually bring a thumb into play, circling that little nub while trying desperately not to explode just yet herself.

Holy hell didn't seem to even scratch the surface of what he was feeling.  When he first felt the pressing against Skye's entrance, there had been a moment of fear, where he sucked in a breath in preparation for what was to come.  When she started sliding inward, however, the breath was knocked out, replaced with a deep, wanting moan.  Just as Skye experienced love making from the male perspective, he was experiencing the female side of the equation, the sensations so new and unexpected that he was left leveled.  Thank the Prophets he was already laying down or he might have lost all ability to stay upright.

"Nothing . . . could feel this good," he said, Skye's voice near breathless.  It seemed impossible that sex could be that powerful, no matter who it was with, yet it was beyond imagination.  It had been built up so powerfully in his mind that Skye's body reacted to it as though each motion was a small orgasm of it's own, making question if he would even be able to survive when the real thing struck at the point of climax.

Just as she found her rhythm, so did he, Skye's powerful hips motioning to meet his own.  The way they fell together was almost too perfect, like they had been Starfleet Academy sweethearts and had been making love every day since.  Had their bond grown so powerful from the day spent in each other's shoes.  Were they going to be finishing each other's sentences from now on too?  All he knew was that he was moving the right way to compliment her motions, and she was doing the same to him.  It was beautiful, a word he;'d never thought to use to describe sex before.

"When you really care about someone ... there really is nothing better," Skye replied in a deep breathy voice.  As she'd experienced with many guys and Kae had experienced with Rihen, sex could be damn good but when there was a true emotional connection it made it the most incredible joining.

From the moment Skye had laid eyes on Kae, she'd felt a protectiveness of him and the more she got to know him the more she cared about him.  As things stood, Kae was the best friend she'd had since before she left home.  That they were sharing this unique, awkward, yet beautiful moment was simply a bonus.

Testosterone surged and Skye shivered, the need for release welling quickly but she couldn't just yet and would do her best not to until she brought Kae and her body to that point.  Leaning forward with one hand braced on the mattress, she lifted her hips and supported them as she pumped faster and ground their pelvic regions together.  "So goood," 'Kae' murmured and set about kissing 'Skye' senseless.

The farther along they got, the more her body to clung to his, Kae clutching her tightly.  Arms wrapped around Kae's neck, while legs did the same pulling them tighter and tighter into an unbreakable embrace, which only served to intensify the act between them.  Skye's heart pounding against Kae's chest, moans and rapid breaths rising more capably as their bodies became slick with sweat.  He wished the moment could go on endlessly, but he was already feeling the build-up.  It was a slow rise to the top, slower then most men ever experienced, but when the peak was reached, he clasped tighter, the muscles of Skye's womanhood clenching tightly around the length buried inside it.  It was different from the orgasm he felt when she was stimulating with just a hand, so much more charged with life and energy.  There truly was a difference when emotions played into it.

Kae rode the high of the prolonged climax until Skye had achieved one of her own, their tangled, warm bodies able to ride down from the mountain top together.  The heart in his chest was still pounding, but it was beginning to slow, feeling less like it would burst from his chest.  "That was . . ." Maybe the blood hadn't been able to reach his brain, but he couldn't find a way to end his sentence.  He just swallowed to try and rid the dryness of Skye's throat.  He had learned plenty about women thanks to Skye, and the unusual situation they found themselves in.  Part of him was thankful for it, but mostly, he just wanted to cuddle down, to enjoy the closeness with another human being.

Skye was finding herself completely unable to think as the body took over, in out up down until she felt like the balls were going to explode.  Then there was the rush again though this time it was even stronger as she felt her body tighten around Kae's member.  A feral growl started deep in Kae's throat and soon both arms encircled Skye's body as those final erratic thrusts were made, the overwhelming sensation of the balls pumping hard to empty bringing that growl to a primal yell muffled by placing the lips on the neck and clamping down though not too roughly.

When it was over, 'Kae' collapsed on top of 'Skye' and pulled one hand out from under to caress the other's face.  "No words ... can describe," she agreed.  The one thing she missed in that moment was the feel of a man on top of her, still buried within her as she held him between her legs.  Still it was nice sort of resting there like a sultan on top of such nice cushions.  "I can say without a doubt you are quite incredible."  Slipping off to the side, she had Kae's body pull her own close and simply lay there snuggled up.  "I dunno about you but I ... this being switched ... well it's not so bad.  Not when it's with you.  Most of the guys I know wouldn't have handled all this as well as you I think.  You're awesome," she grinned and gave him a few sweet kisses.

"I think most guys who would wk up in your body would just lock the door, strip naked and never leave the bedroom all day," he said with a grin.  Few men would have been able to resist the call of Skye's body.  To have free reign to touch and pleasure it while they were inside was a powerful temptation, one Kae avoided by being far too freaked out, and by having far too much respect for the woman after their mission to Nimbus III.  It had meant far more that she had accepted him, had shared herself with him, and allowed both their bodies to experience something wonderful, something powerful.

"Let's just . . . sleep like this for a while," he suggested, snuggling down beside Skye, the mutual warmth between them something far too comforting to give up just because the coitus had come to an end.  A little bit of rest, until they heard from someone that there was a solution to the crisis on-board.  They were content, so why be in a rush to fix things when there were plenty of other issues to be found?  Skye Carver's eyes fluttered closed, her breathing began to smooth out, a hand resting against the chest of  Lin Kae.

Everything was fine for the time being.


((End of scene))

A faint chrip was heard in the background, emanating from a hidden control panel on the holodeck - a small sound repeating itself. If checked upon, a flashing message would be seen once opened:

[ SECURITY ALERT. LEVEL 04 SECURITY ALERT. ALL HANDS TO DUTY STATIONS ]

Because it was a silent alert, Thea's voice was not proclaiming it loudly over the intercom for everyone to hear.

---

OOC: Either of your characters might try and contact the Bridge, but without answer, they both head there, since neither of them would belong by their regular duty stations any more, would they? Could Skye fly a Valkyrie safely with an unfamiliar body? Perhaps, Kae should try and find Nicole Howard, his Chief Engineer, on the Bridge... and Skye follows along to help explain things (both having to be present for that?). That way, both your characters will be there for the finale. If further incentive is needed (up to you), Captain Ives will contact Kae and tell him what has happened to Thea, and that he is needed on the Bridge as support staff to deal with the situation. As much will become evident if they head for the Bridge anyway.

Skye could normally sleep through just about anything but after a while that annoying little chirping sound registered enough for her to lift her head.  Well, lift Kae's head it seemed.  A part of her had hoped maybe when they went to sleep they'd wake up in their own bodies again but it seemed not to be.

"Dammitall," she grumbled in that lower voice and dragged out of the bed to go look for the source.  Once unconvered, she looked at it and groaned before tapping the forehead against the wall lightly a few times.  "Kae," she called out not too loudly but with a bit of urgency.  "Security alert and they want us to our stations."

She tried the comms and other means of contacting their superiors but again there was only silence.  A snort then as she started to gather up their clothes.  "I doubt they'd let me go out in Kestrel like this.  So what now?  Think you should head to the bridge?  I might as well tag along," she pouted.

Like Skye, Kae was awakened by the chime, though she was the one who reached it first.  He stretched out tired limbs and ran a hand through Skye's long blond locks.  When she told him he was being summoned to bridge, he looked down at Skye's bare breasts.  "Which me do you think they want?  The mind or the body?"  With a grin, he rose from the bed and started getting dressed, making certain he was in proper uniform, even if that uniform was white instead of yellow.

"I would think it best for us to stick together, both in case this problem gets solved and to cut down on confusion a bit."  He threw her some of Kae's own clothes, so Skye could start getting his body dressed.  When they were done, he gave a couple quick adjustments to her to rd any wrinkles in the uniform.  "I guess we better not waste any more time and get going to the bridge."

Skye had turned to look at herself, a smirk forming as Kae looked at her breasts.  They were both somewhat more comfortable in each other's skin but she dearly wanted her own body back and knew he did as well.  "They want your mind of course and now they get boobs and brains," she snickered.  "Don't let just anyone giggle 'em though," she added with a wink.

It didn't take long to put on clothing, funny how that one garment less could actually make a difference in time.  Once they were dressed, they helped each other get wrinkles out and look presentable.  "I never really appreciated my hair much before," she said as Kae's fingers ran through it to make it not look like they'd just crawled out of bed.  "I might just have to start playing with it a little more, maybe ... if I get my body back ... start trying some more 'girlie' things."

Gesturing Kae to go before her, they stepped into the hallway and headed for the bridge.  "At least we know some others have been going through some changes.  It's still going to feel pretty weird ... and this'll be my first time on the bridge.  Got you to thank for that one, my friend."

[Think we can skip over to the bridge thread now?]