When Carl meets his Aunt Carrie at his father's wedding, he little realises he will be quickly transformed into someone he really wants to be, and within a few months, married and experiencing the effects of pregnancy. But pregnancy and motherhood is not much fun, as Carl will find out.

If you're new to my stories, this may sound like fantasy; it's not. Set in Seacombe, a fictional town on the south coast of England, a company called Big Busts can supply garments to those who want to appear to be a different gender.

For those who are not familiar with my stories, a pamphlet is clickable at the appropriate point in the text to explain the range of Big Busts products available. When you get there, have a read before clicking the Back button to return to the story.

Enjoy

Carol's Capers
by Charlotte Dickles

CONTENTS
TRANSFORMATION
INTRODUCTIONS
ENGAGEMENT
MARRIAGE
PREGNANCY
CHILDBIRTH
MOTHERHOOD

TRANSFORMATION

"Don't you think," Caroline said, "that some women should never be allowed to wear pretty dresses?" She was speaking to the young man standing on his own at the wedding reception as they both watched the antics of the three bridesmaids doing a version of the Can-Can, kicking their legs as high as they could so that the world could see their stocking tops, if not, Caroline conjectured, the fact they weren't wearing panties. Fortunately, the world was spared that confirmation as their fat legs just wouldn't go that high.

The young man had been staring, transfixed, not ogling as all the other blokes around were, but clearly as disgusted as she was. "Yes," he agreed, without looking at her. "They're beautiful dresses but those three girls should never be allowed to wear anything as pretty as that."

"You obviously know them," she observed.

He grimaced at her and said, "Their names are Mercedes, Crystal and Tiffany, and they're the daughters of Roxy, the bride. As from today, they're my step-sisters."

"So you must be…"

"Carl," he said. "I'm Kevin's son, and you must be Mum's cousin, Aunty Carrie." He smiled at the middle-aged but not unattractive woman, wearing a very pretty floral dress and jacket.

"You're right," she said. "I'm afraid we've been out of touch for a long time, almost since you were born. I didn't know your mother, Sandra, had died until well after her funeral, which is why I came down today to try and make amends." She paused a little before adding, "But I thought your name was…"

"Don't say it," Carl interrupted. He gave a quick look around to make certain they weren't being overheard before adding, "The girls don't know and Dad admitted he was drunk when he registered my birth and got it wrong. We decided that it would be better if I was just known as Carl to everybody, all right?"

"Fair enough," she said. "I certainly understand the sensitivity with people like your father and now your new step-sisters."

She smiled to show empathy with him but he simply bit his lip with anguish.

"Is it really that bad?" she asked.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," he said. "Living at home. Dad and Roxy are swooning around like love-sick teenagers and we only have a two bedroom house. Those three slappers kicked me out of my bedroom so I'm havung to sleep downstairs on the couch. I'm supposed to be going off to university in the autumn, but I've just heard I've flunked my exams so I can't get admitted. That means I'm going to have to continue living here like Cinderella, packed in like sardines with my stepmother and three stepsisters, and it's going to be hell."

"Is there nowhere else you can stay?"

He shook his head, close to tears.

Again, Caroline paused before saying, "I'm not certain I would want to offer a room to a sulky teenage boy with a chip on his shoulder, but I do have a spare room in my house in Seacombe."

He looked at her, puzzled. "I don't understand what you're saying."

"What I'm saying," she said, "is that I know of several teenage boys and they're all trying desperately to appear grown up by behaving as total yobs. Knowing your father, I don't see why you should be any different – except that, having spoken with you, I think you are different. If you were prepared to let go of all your prejudices and be the person who's really underneath, then I think we could get on with each other. There's a reasonable college in Seacombe and you could retake your exams, or maybe go into other subjects entirely, since the current ones clearly haven't inspired you. And I also think you could help me, as well, if you were prepared to let go."

"Help you. In what way?"

Caroline smiled. "Time enough to discuss that when you've left all your baggage behind, and are on the way to Seacombe. So, what do you say?"

***

"I don't understand," Carl said, as Caroline drove southwards in her beat up Ford Escort. "Why did you want me to only pack my toothbrush?"

"It was just symbolic," Caroline said. "In actual fact, I have spare toothbrushes in the house, but I wanted you to leave the rest of your life behind. You're starting a new life now, with no baggage from your old."

After making his decision at the wedding reception, the two of them had gone up to Carl’s dad, Kevin, and explained what was happening. At the time, he was already three parts drunk, and clearly distracted by other things, barely taking in what they were saying. Then, Caroline had driven Carl back to his house where he'd ceremonially packed his toothbrush, written a brief note explaining he'd gone to live with Aunt Carrie, and they'd departed.

"But I haven't even got a change of underwear or another tee-shirt or jeans."

"I'm terrible about throwing away old clothes. I'm sure I'll have some jeans and tee-shirts which'll fit, and plenty of underwear."

"But…" He flushed a deep red.

"They're all perfectly respectable," she said. "Remember, no baggage."

His aunt clearly meant him to shut up and stop asking stupid questions, but it wasn't only the tone in her voice which kept him quiet; there was also a strange fluttering in his heart. "Yes, Aunt," he said.

***

They drove another twenty miles in amiable silence before Caroline said, "Have you heard of Caroll’s Capers?"

"Caroll’s Capers? What are you talking about?"

"Caroll’s Capers was a cartoon strip drawn by my Uncle Joseph," Caroline said. "It was very popular at one time and syndicated in newspapers worldwide, making him very rich.

"And I," she added, "was the inspiration for it."

He stared at her. "What happened?"

"I was orphaned when I was twelve, a result of a car crash which killed both my parents. I went to live with my Aunt Alice and Uncle Joseph. Uncle Joseph took one look at me and said I was just the inspiration he needed for his new comic strip. I never knew whether he said that just to distract me from the horrors of the previous two weeks or I really did inspire him. Whatever, he started using me as his model and the strip took off.

"Every day I’d come home from school and change out of my school uniform and put on a pretty dress – not too dissimilar to the dresses your stepsisters were wearing today – with frothy petticoats which made them flare out and made a wonderful rustling sound every time I moved. Then I had to pose in different positions whilst Uncle Joseph drew the cartoon. A few days later, I’d see myself in the cartoon in the newspapers.

"Caroll was an incredibly sassy girl. Uncle Joseph always made me wear a padded bra so my breasts poked out – I think that was what attracted many readers – and she always got the upper hand."

"So did life imitate art?" Carl asked. "Did you become a sassy girl?"

Caroline smiled. "I guess," she said. "I became a commercial negotiator, and people say I can be pretty persuasive in my job."

"And out of it," Carl said.

She grinned at him. "Unfortunately, my breasts never grew like Caroll’s did. By the time we were eighteen, hers were huge and mine were still a meagre 34A."

As she felt Carl’s eyes move down to her breasts, she smiled and added, "I’ve had enhancements since, so I can measure up to Caroll."

"Sorry," he said, "I didn’t mean to stare."

"That's rather the purpose of enhancements," she said with another grin. "By the time I was eighteen, the comic strip was reducing in popularity and I was about to depart to university, so it seemed a natural time for it to come to an end and Uncle Joseph went onto other things, but his later successes were founded upon Caroll’s Capers."

She took a deep breath before adding, "I think that’s probably why you were named Caroll, rather than Carl. Your mother was so impressed by Uncle Joseph's fame. After all, Caroll is a perfectly respectable name for a boy. Kevin hated it, of course, and they argued about it, but I think when he went to register your birth he relented and then immediately regretted it."

Carl – or Caroll to be accurate – blushed a bright red. "Dad always said he made a mistake although I felt Mum wanted to talk about it but was too frightened by Dad’s behaviour. He used to bully Mum mercilessly, you know."

She shrugged. "It doesn't surprise me. Let's hope that Roxy doesn't have to put up with what Sandra did. Did he bully you?"

"I guess. He thought I was a wimp because I was no good at sports, and got bullied at school."

"Well that life is all over now. You're going to be the person you want to be when you live at my house."

"You think I want to wear your clothes? Is that what this is all about?"

She glanced at him and smiled. "I think you're uncertain about things which you would never admit to, publicly. I first noticed you in the church, the way you were looking at your stepsisters in their dresses. I couldn't work it out at first and then, when you later watched them doing the Can-Can, it struck me you were envious of them."

Caroll went a deep red and blurted out, "Why should I be? Just because my name's really Caroll? It doesn't make me gay."

She patted his arm. "No, it's not because of your name. Lots of people thought those bridesmaids' dresses were beautiful and would love to wear them, including, I suspect, quite a few males. The point is that when you're with me, it's all right to say that."

When he remained silent, she added, "Uncle Joseph still has that collection of dresses I wore when I was modelling for Caroll's Capers. I reckon the later ones would fit you, and that favour I was going to ask you. I want you to wear some of those dresses for Uncle Joseph."

"What? Is he some kind of kink?"

"He's a lovely old man, but getting very frail and losing the will to live. I think you look very similar to me at that age, and seeing you in one of Caroll's dresses might bring him back to life. Would you do that for me?"

"I'll just look stupid."

"If you do then we certainly won't show him, but I don't think you will. In any case, wouldn't it be worth it just to try on one of those wonderful dresses, with the petticoats which make the rustling sound every time you move?"

He shrugged. "S'pose."

***

They stopped for a meal on the way to Caroline's home in Seacombe so were quite late when they finally arrived at a pair of arched wooden doors in a high, white-painted wall.

"It was once a stable block for the house where Uncle Joseph lives," she explained as she pushed a remote and the doors started to automatically open. "It's quite separate from the main house so we can live entirely different lives, but on the other hand, it's handy to pop in regularly and see him."

She drove the car into what had once been a coach house, and they got out and walked over to the stable block, where Caroline lived

"It'll take me a few minutes to make the spare bedroom presentable so I suggest you wash away all remnants of the old you. But first, I want to put some cream on your skin. Hang on."

She popped into her bedroom for a few seconds then emerged carrying a pair of black bikini bottoms. "Go into the bathroom, strip off and then pull these one.

"It's OK," she said as Caroll stared at them with suspicion. "They won't make your willy fall off. Slip them on and then give me a shout to say you're decent."

He shrugged and then disappeared into the bathroom. A minute later he timidly called, "I'm ready."

She went in to see he had put on the bikini bottom and had wrapped a towel around his waist. She smiled. "You have a lovely slim body, and it's not very hairy, but I want to spray on some hair-removal cream." She showed him the spray can. "It may tingle a bit but it's not painful. I use it frequently."

He shrugged compliance and she made him step into the bath and remove his towel, before spraying him from head to foot.

"I know you're pensive about all this," Caroline said. "It's perfectly understandable. I expect your dad talks a lot about how men must be brave, but I bet he wouldn't be brave enough to do what you're doing now."

Caroll grinned. "He'd think it was sissy. Ouch! It tingles a bit more than you said."

"But women put up with it," she said with a smirk. "And I reckon you're as brave as a woman, which makes you much braver than your dad."

He couldn't help but smile back. "Guess."

After she'd rubbed off and showered the mix of cream and hair, she ran a bath for him, filling it with lots of nice, smelly bubbles. "Have a long bath," she said. "I'll sort out some pyjamas and a dressing-gown for you, and get your room ready. Then I'll make some cocoa and you can come down and drink it."

***

"This is really crazy," he said, twenty minutes later as he came into the kitchen wearing a white dressing gown over white pyjamas with a happy face motif.

She looked him over and said, "Do you know, you have a nicer smile on your face than I've seen on you all day. You look comfortable in those clothes."

"Maybe. It's just… strange."

"It's bound to be when you've been brought up to accept one thing, when inside, you're different from what your father wants you to be. But in my book, that's an advantage, not something to feel bad about."

He gave another lovely smile. "I guess."

***

"I brought you a cup of tea."

Caroline jerked awake, trying to grasp who might be in her room. Having lived on her own for so long, it took some adjustment to get used to someone else being there.

"Thanks," she said. "I'm not used to such luxuries."

She sat up in bed, well aware that her boobs were protruding more than they should from her nightdress, but what the heck? Carl was now Caroll and was going to have to get used to such things. And that thought brought a smile to her lips. "I've got a present for you," she said. "It's in that box on the dressing-table." She gesticulated towards the thick cardboard box. "But don't open it yet. I need to explain something first. Bring it over here and come and sit on the bed."

Caroline adjusted her attire and took a sip of her tea before continuing. "I told you that Caroll's boobs far outgrew mine when I was a teenager. I became incredibly jealous of her, actually, so as soon as I could afford it, I had a boob job done."

"Right," Caroll gulped, trying not to stare at Caroline's boobs.

"You probably heard a few years ago there was a health problem identified with leaking silicone implants, and I was one of those affected. I had to have them removed, and rather than having the implants replaced, I turned to a local firm here in Seacombe called Big Busts. In the box is my spare Bustlet, which I think will fit you fine. Open it and have a look."

Tentatively, not knowing what to expect, Caroll pulled out the tab securing the lid and opened it. Facing him was the upper torso of a woman with a pair of large boobs, wobbling like jellies on a plate. "My God!" he said.

"They're very realistic," Caroline said. "It fits like a crop top and there's adhesive in those two plastic tubs to prevent perspiration. We'll use the green adhesive to start with which lasts only a few hours, so we'll have to renew it before we go out this afternoon."

"You're expecting me to go out of the house wearing these!" Caroll gasped. "But they're huge. I can't…"

"Lots of girls of your age have D cup breasts," Caroline said. "They're almost the norm now.

"And of course," she added, "it will mean you properly fit into the Caroll's Capers dresses I want you to wear later on. Come on, let's try them on you."

***

"Oh my God!" Caroll repeated for at least the fourth time, as she stared down at her breasts. "They are fantastic."

"After you've worn them for twenty-four hours," Caroline said, "you'll be fed up of both the jerks who stare at them just as you're doing now, and the inconvenience and weight hanging from your chest. Believe me, you'll wonder what all the fuss is about such an awkward pair of assets, and you'll certainly understand why I reverted to a reasonable C-cup after a few months, leaving you my Ds. Now, let's get you dressed. Fortunately, I still have D-cup bras that will fit you, and then we'll get you into tee-shirt and jeans."

Ten minutes later, Caroll stared into the mirror. "My hair will need some styling, I guess," she said. "And I'm sure you'll tell me all about makeup, but I guess I pass quite well. Thanks Aunt. I feel wonderful."

"We can certainly do something about your hair and makeup," Caroline said, "but I'm sorry, to me you will still look like a boy with boobs. You're the wrong shape down below."

"But I've tucked it all away," Caroll protested. "You can't see anything of a bulge."

"That's the problem," Caroline said. "Girls are supposed to bulge around the hips and buttocks. You're straight from the waist down. Here, look at this Big Busts pamphlet (click here to view pamphlet). I think you need a Hiplet to go with your Bustlet. We'll go into Big Busts and get you sorted out. I'll give them a ring; see if we can go in there this morning."

***

"Aunt Carrie. Everyone's staring at me."

"Actually, it's all the men who are staring at you. I think Big Busts have really done a superb transformation. Those voice-changer pills really make so much difference, as does giving you hair extensions and that lovely bob. And Caroll…" She turned to put a hand on Caroll's arm, "I'm really delighted you went in for the red, semi-permanent gel for your Bustlet and Hiplet, rather than the green gel. It will not only be so much more convenient and comfortable, but you'll feel everything is part of your own body, rather than simply garments. Of course, the Sensotouch helps tremendously."

"I think once you convinced me I could look like a girl rather than a boy," Caroll said, "it became common sense to get properly into it. So in for a penny, in for a pound."

"That's brilliant, Caroll, and can I say, you seem so happy in yourself. Now let's go into a café and have some lunch, then we can pop around to see Uncle Joseph afterwards. See if we can persuade him to let you try on some of those pretty dresses. Then you really will be a knock out."

"Yes Aunt."

INTRODUCTIONS

After parking in Caroline's coach house, they walked along a footpath through a wooded area until they reached the large mansion in which her uncle lived. Caroline had a key to the side door and she let them in. "Hi Uncle, hi Maggie," she called out. "I've brought my niece around to meet you."

"We're in the lounge," a female voice called out. "Come on in."

Caroll followed Caroline into the room where Strictly Come Dancing was blaring out on the TV.

"This is my niece, Caroll," Caroline introduced her. "She's staying with me for a while."

"Hello Caroll," the older woman said. "I'm Maggie. I'm the Housekeeper come Carer in the house. It's nice to meet you." She gave a wave of her hand rather than offering a handshake and Caroll waved back."

"Maggie was the live-in housekeeper when I first came to live here," Caroline said. "Then she moved out to get married and bring up three daughters, and, so far, two grandchildren. When Uncle's condition worsened and Tom, her husband died, she moved back in to be Uncle's Carer."

Caroline's attention moved to her Uncle and the TV. "Uncle. You were watching that same episode of Strictly before I went off to the wedding."

For the first time, Uncle Joseph's attention turned away from the TV screen. "You're losing your marbles, young Carrie. This isn't a recording; it's live so I couldn't have been watching it last week. Hello, love," he added to Caroll, before turning back to the TV.

"Hello, Great Uncle Joseph," Caroll said, aware that not only had she lost his attention, but that Strictly was always broadcast live on Saturday evening, rather than Sunday afternoon and that the presenter on the screen, Bruce Forsyth, was now dead.

"Uncle," Caroline said, "have you noticed how similar Caroll looks to me at her age? You wouldn't mind, would you, if she tried on some of the Caroll's Capers' costumes."

He remained staring intently at the TV, and since he hadn't objected, Caroline took that as permission to proceed. "Come on," she said to Caroll. "Let's go upstairs to the attic."

"I'll come, as well," Maggie said, "and help you sort them out. I was struck straightaway how similar Caroll was to you as a girl; just as plain a face, although a bit shapelier than you were at that age."

"Thanks for pointing out I was flat-chested," Caroline amiably said. "Caroll is so lucky to have such a wonderful shape. But I'm hoping that seeing her in one of my old costumes might bring a sparkle back into Uncle Joseph. What do you think?"

Maggie shrugged as she followed Caroline and Caroll up the stairs. "Anything is worth a try, but I haven't seen a sparkle from Joseph in months. I think it's downhill all the way from here. I'm afraid."

"So that's what's behind everything," Caroll said to Caroline. "You inviting me down here to stay with you and… everything else. It's all because you're hoping I can rekindle some spirit into your Uncle."

Caroline stopped climbing the stairs and turned to Caroll. "Caroll, I wouldn't have done it if I hadn't thought this would be a wonderful experience and opportunity for you, as well. But I owe so much to Uncle Joseph. You are justified in thinking I manipulated things to try to help him, but I hope you'll forgive me." She stood up straight and added, "And I suspect that when you're wearing a wonderful dress in a few minutes' time, you'll thank me for the opportunity."

"Aunt," Caroll said, "I'm already so grateful for the last twenty-four hours. Anything I can do to help someone you love, I'll do it, OK?"

Caroline wrapped her arms around her niece and kissed her on the head. "Thanks darling. Everything has turned out tremendously so far. Let's keep our fingers crossed that our good fortune continues."

"And so say all of us," Maggie added, not really certain what the two had been talking about but recognising a good result.

***

When Caroline had led her up to the side of the mansion, Caroll hadn't realised just how big it was. Now as they climbed up the main staircase to the first floor, and then the narrow servants' staircase to the second floor, and then the tiny staircase to the attics above, she realised it was huge and, from appearances, only the rooms on the ground floor were currently in use; all the other floors having an appearance of desolation.

"We all live on the ground floor, now," Maggie explained. "Joseph can't manage the stairs very well and it suits us all to be nearby, in case I'm needed."

When they entered the attic, Maggie made her way over to the corner, where the eaves hung low, and a large, dusty trunk was wedged in amongst all kinds of other junk. "Let's pull this out," she said, "and then we can get it open."

They all heaved it towards the centre of the room, and then Caroline undid the catches on the trunk and threw the lid open. They all gasped a little, at the array of bright, pretty colours which lay before them.

"Oh, how beautiful," Caroll said, reaching forward to touch the topmost dress and lift it out. "Will this really fit me?"

"That one won't," Caroline said. "I think I wore that when I was twelve, but if we rummage down to the bottom, we should find the larger sizes."

Actually, right at the bottom was a collection of frilly petticoats and a couple of other garments, wrapped around with bundles of cords.

"I think we'll probably need one of those," Maggie said, pulling out one of them and starting to unravel the cords from around it.

"What is it?" Caroll asked.

"I'd forgotten all about those," Caroline said. "The pleasure of having a narrow-enough waist to wear one of these lovely dresses goes with just a little pain from the corset you have to wear to fit into it." Seeing the look on Caroll's face, she added, "I remember, I got quite rebellious when I was your age about wearing a corset, but I'm sure you will simply be magicked away by the wonderful figure it gives you."

Actually, she had misinterpreted Caroll's feelings, whose heart had started beating like crazy at the very idea of wearing a corset. "You made me come here with an open mind," Caroll said, careful not to reveal her true feelings, "so I'm willing to give it a go, especially if it's the only way I can get into one of these dresses."

"Attagirl," Caroline said.

They took a collection of attire downstairs to the bedroom Caroline had used when she had lived here, before departing for university. There were still posters of 1980s' pop stars decorating the walls, and Caroline threw open the windows to allow the warm spring afternoon air to enter, and freshen up the rather musty smell.

"Right," Maggie said. "Strip off then."

Caroll did, realising how fortunate it was she was wearing a Hiplet, so her boy bits were well and truly hidden. She left on her bra and panties, until Maggie said, "You won't be needing those, and from your shape, nor will you be needing the chicken fillets we used to slip down the front of Caroline's slip. Now, let's start by slipping this suspender belt around your waist, then you can put on your stockings and knickers and get into your shoes."

Caroll felt the discomfort in her groin, frequently experienced over the last day, which came every time she was asked to perform feminine actions, but she managed to slip on the stockings without laddering them. Then Maggie held out a pair of the frilliest panties Caroll had ever seen and told her to put them on.

Finally, she sat back on the bed and put on the shoes. Maggie told her the heels were only two inches but they appeared enormous to Caroll.

Maggie then took the frilly petticoat and pulled it over her head, getting Caroll to stand up so she could pull it down her body.

"Stop tottering about like that," Maggie ordered. "Surely you’re used to low heels like that?"

"I don’t think she is," Caroline said. "So many girls today only ever wear trainers."

Maggie gave a kind of a "Tsh," noise, adding, "We’ll have you walk up and down a bit so you can get used to them. It won’t take long."

As Maggie pulled the petticoat down over her tummy, it was quite a tight fit.

"No need to worry about that," Maggie cheerfully said. "That'll be gone in a flash as soon as I get heaving with the corset."

"That's what I'm worried about," Caroll said.

"Huh," Maggie said, "the discomfort is always hyped up, to make it seem worse that it was. That's right, isn't it Carrie?" She was already wrapping the corset around Caroll's waist and fastening the busk at the front. She gave it a little tug, here and there, to get it seated properly, and the action squashed Caroll's breasts upwards.

"No comment," Caroline said, "except to add that I know Caroll has guts and she'll be up for whatever tightening you have to do to wear that dress."

"I may have guts," Caroll said, "but I'd prefer to keep them inside of me, rather than being squeezed so hard I explode like a balloon. I think that's probably tight enough, isn't it Maggie?"

"Tight enough," she scoffed. "I haven't started yet. Now. Let's get going." She gave a long pull on the corset cords, followed by another and another. "And don't even bother to complain, as Caroline always used to," she added, "otherwise I'll pull it tighter still."

"You wouldn't, would you?" Caroll gasped, finding it difficult to speak normally.

"You'd better believe it," Caroline said. "The best thing is just to let her get on with it and then admire the results.

"Assuming you're still alive," she quietly added.

Actually, the greatest discomfort Caroll was experiencing was in her groin, which was being affected by the way her breasts were being pushed up her chest with every pull of the corset cords. They had looked large when constrained by one of Caroline's D-cup bras, but now they looked twice as big.

"Right," Maggie said, temporarily tying off the cords. "Let's see how the dress fits you now." She picked up that wonderful garment and held it over Caroll's head and let it drop down over her, smoothing it down over the flared petticoat. Then she walked around the rear and said, "I'm afraid there's still another inch to go before we can do up the buttons, but it is going to look ravishing on you. Reach as far up one of the bedposts as you can and grasp it, then let your body hang down. That'll make it easier to draw in. It won't take long now."

Five minutes later, Caroll was examining herself in the mirror. OK, the corset was so tight, her breasts were heaving up and down with every tiny breath she could take, but as Maggie had said, she looked ravishing in it and she felt she might explode with excitement.

"OK," Caroline said. "Try walking up and down the landing a few times to get the feel of the heels. Then let's go downstairs and see if we can awake the old fart from his stupor."

The heels were fine, actually, but what was so disconcerting was the way her boobs quivered and wobbled with every movement.

***

"Hi Joseph," Caroline said. "How do you think Caroll fits into Caroll's dress?"

"What?" reluctantly Joseph lifted his eyes from the TV screen, and then over to where Caroline was pointing. "My God!" He leapt to his feet. "Carrie? No of course not, you're standing here. Then who is this?"

"This is my niece, Caroll," Caroline explained. "Kevin and Sandra's child whom I met at the wedding, yesterday. As soon as I saw her, I recognised how similar she was to me at that age. Things weren't going particularly well with her father and his new family, so I persuaded her to come and live with me for a while."

"You look fabulous," Joseph said, then as an extra loud bust of cheering came from the TV, he turned around and said, "Maggie, I really don't know why you need the TV on all the time. Turn it off so we can talk properly to our visitor."

Maggie did so without even raising an eyebrow and the room fell quiet.

"Caroll," Joseph said. "Come over here and tell me all about yourself… No, better still…" His eye drifted out of the window to the sunshine outside. "Let's go for a walk in the garden and we can talk there without these busybodies listening in."

Whilst Caroll looked embarrassed and started to stutter that she wasn't sure, Caroline gave Maggie a look which said, "I told you so."

***

"Come on," Joseph said to Caroll, "let's go."

Seeing Caroline and Maggie smirking at each other, she realised she had no alternative, and sheepishly followed Joseph through the French window into the garden. There was a path leading from the French window across a short section of grass towards a wooded knoll about twenty yards away.

"You can take my arm," Joseph said. "Make certain I don't stumble…" As Caroll's heels trod the uneven path she tottered, and he added with a grin, "Or I can do the same for you."

"Yes, Great Uncle."

"Don't Great Uncle me," he said. "Not only does it make me feel positively ancient, but it makes it seem as though you're just trolling me around like an ancient relative, whereas of course, we're not related except by marriage through my deceased wife Alice. That means we can simply be friends walking through the woods on a sunny afternoon. That all right with you?"

She smiled at him, suddenly aware of his lust for her, even at his age. "Yes Joseph."

"Call me Seph," he said. "That's what my wife, Alice, used to call me, so I tend to reserve it for special friends, and I reckon you're one of those."

Caroll hugged his arm closely, well aware she was pushing it into the side of her breast. "I reckon you're an old rascal, Seph," she said.

The path had entered the trees and started to climb upwards. "Are you OK on this slope, Seph?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "I had these pathways constructed when my wife got ill and was wheelchair bound. When we first moved into this house, there was simply a steep path to the top, but I wanted something that was wheelchair friendly, so I created this little maze of paths, with bridges and tunnels." They had come to a crossroads in the path. "There's only one way to the top," he continued. "You have to guess which is the correct way."

"To the right," Caroll said, since that path led slightly uphill before turning out of sight. Then a sudden hunch made her change her mind. "No. Let’s go to the left."

"Fair enough, let's walk and see where we come out."

As they walked, Joseph told Caroll about his life with Alice; how they had tried for years to have children and then Alice had miscarried, leaving her infertile. Shortly afterwards, Alice's sister and her husband were killed and they adopted Caroline.

"She was the most wonderful thing that ever came into my life," he said. "Well, until I met you," he added with another of his grins.

"Get off with you," she smirked, giving his arm another hug and doing a twirl with her skirts. Actually, she really enjoyed doing that. It was a wonderful feeling, having the air moving between her legs all the way up to her frilly-panties. Even they were quite a loose fit, so the air moved around inside them in a very erotic way.

"So tell me about your life," Joseph said; and she did with almost complete honesty, only leaving out her gender.

"So you're planning to go to college here in Seacombe," Joseph said. "And what? Retake the subjects you failed this year, or switch onto something new?"

"I'm not certain," Caroll said. "Aunt Carrie suggested changing subjects, but to be fair, I really don't know what I want to do."

"Is there any career that attracts you?" Joseph asked.

"I wanted to train as a chef, but Dad said that cooking wasn't a proper career for a b… Well, I mean, it has long, unsociable hours and doesn't pay very well unless you get to be very famous. Being realistic, I'm unlikely to do that."

"You enjoy cooking?"

"Yes, I do. Since Mum died, I've taken over the cooking for the household. Well, until now, and Dad's new wife has thrown me out of the kitchen, saying it's her domain now."

"You'd make someone a wonderful wife," Joseph said.

"Don't be silly," she replied, blushing like crazy. "Oh, we've come back to the same crossroads, but from a different direction."

"Are you certain it's the same junction, or simply another which looks identical?"

She stared around; it was very difficult to be certain. They were completely surrounded by tall trees, all of which looked almost identical. "If this was the same junction and we set off down that path," she pointed, "then we must have initially arrived at the junction on that adjacent path."

"Except that we have been over a couple of bridges as we've walked so we could have crossed over other tracks."

She grinned. "You are an old rascal, Seph. You're teasing me. OK, which way do you think we should go?"

He shrugged. "Maybe we should go to the left."

So they set off walking again, slightly downhill at first and then the path turned and started uphill. "Carrie says your career really took off with Caroll's Capers. What happened when you moved onto other things?"

***

"I can't believe," Maggie said to Caroline as they watched Joseph and Caroll walk towards the trees, "that a modern-day eighteen-year-old girl has never walked with a two-inch heel before."

Caroline shrugged. "It happens, I guess."

"That's when I remembered," Maggie said, "that when Kevin and Sandra named their child Caroll, I thought it was an unusual name for a boy. And I also know that the company you get your breast enhancements from in Seacombe do things for boys as well as girls."

"Ah," Caroline said.

"Ah, indeed."

"As soon as I saw Caroll," Caroline said, "I was struck by several things: one was his resemblance to me, but also, that he was very unhappy within himself. And the way he was looking at the three bridesmaids, who were complete slappers, made me realise he was captivated by their dresses, rather than their bodies. So I took a chance on everything and it all seems to have worked out all right. You're not going to spill the beans, are you?"

Maggie touched Caroll's hand. "Carrie, the way Joseph has suddenly come alive again, they can have a love affair and elope to Gretna Green as far as I care. But let's make certain no one gets too disappointed, eh?"

***

"Oh, that's magnificent!" Caroll said, staring around from the peak of the knoll. A short inclined tunnel had suddenly brought them onto the grassy circle, with a pagoda in the centre where they could sit companionably side-by-side and look around. Somehow, they were holding hands and it felt… well, quite nice.

"We can see out through the trees, but this feels a very private spot, here, as though we can't be seen."

Joseph nodded. "If you go to the top of the house you can just see this spot through the trees, and your brightly-coloured dress would stand out, but we can't be seen from the main rooms.

"Why," he saucily added, "did you want to have frolics with me?"

Caroll realised she should have been deeply shocked at the suggestion. Firstly, a cross-dressed male receiving a sexual proposition from another male was shocking enough, but even if she had been a teenage girl, to receive such a suggestion from someone sixty years her senior should have been disgusting. Instead, she couldn't prevent herself from laughing at his impudence. "I think you're a wicked old man," she said. Then on some stupid impulse, she leant forward and kissed him on the cheek.

Surprised, Joseph raised his hand to where her lips had grazed his cheek and slowly rubbed the spot, wondering if such things could give old men a heart attack. "You think I'm wicked," he said, "but I think, it takes one to know one." And his arm reached behind her head to bring her lips on to his.

***

"Better set the satnav for Gretna Green," Maggie wryly observed as they watched the couple from the window in the old servants' quarters.

"Hmm," Caroline said, "you put the kettle on and I’ll go outside and shout up that tea’s ready."

***

"It worked, didn’t it?" Caroll excitedly said to Caroline as they walked back to the stables. "It brought Seph alive again. That’s why you manipulated me into becoming a girl and it’s done exactly what you wanted."

"Yes it has," Caroline agreed, "although I only considered the idea because I thought it would be good for you as well as him. And looking at you, I was right about that, too. You look so comfortable in yourself as a girl."

"I feel it, Aunt. I just feel so good simply dressed in jeans and tee-shirt with my figure making everything seem right, and when I put on that wonderful dress, I thought I was going to burst."

Caroline grinned. "I could see."

Caroll paused a little, as though wondering whether to say something, and then said, "I kissed him. Just a little peck on the cheek. I mean, I’m not gay. I’ve never fancied boys at all, and I am attracted to girls, but it seemed a natural thing to do. Because I’m a girl not a boy, and it seemed OK to give him a little kiss on his cheek to say thank you for his kindness to me."

The silence lasted a few seconds before Caroll added, "Maybe it was stupid of me, because he took my head in his hands and gave me a proper kiss back."

"Were you shocked?"

"More surprised than shocked. I’d have expected a teenage boy to push his luck but not an elderly man. It... It so excited me, to know that I attracted him, that he wanted my body. My heart was pounding. I wanted to melt into his arms and let him have his way."

"And did you?"

"I pushed him away after a few seconds and told him he was a wicked old man. He smiled at me and said that being with such a beautiful woman made him like that."

"I think you were very wise."

"Do you? For some reason, mothers don’t tell their boys what to do under such circumstances."

"Let me try to speak as a wise aunt to her niece, rather than a mother to her daughter," Caroline said. "Firstly, the object of the exercise was to bring Uncle to life; not to kill him with a heart attack an hour after meeting him. That has to be a real consideration with men of that age if things get too physical.

"Secondly, men of all ages tend to feel anti-climax after sex. They have sowed their seed, their body is saying, bugger off now and sow it somewhere else. So there should be something more than physical desire between two people before they have sex, otherwise, it won't last for longer than it takes to ejaculate inside you. Believe me, I've had plenty of experiences like that. Maybe, if I'd have listened to the advice my mother gave me, I'd be in a relationship now. But I didn't and I'm not."

"Are you saying," Caroll asked, "that you want me to get into a longer term relationship with your uncle?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to infer that, but I thought you two could be friends whilst you're living with me."

"I know this is crazy," Caroll said, "but I really enjoyed being with him today – not just as a person visiting an elderly relative – but as someone who I enjoyed being with. As I said, he excited me."

"Even more reason why you don't let things go too far. A little kiss and a cuddle are fine, but don't let it go further. Do you understand?"

"Aunt, when you say, 'Don't let it go further,' I'm not certain how much further I could go anyway with this Hiplet thing. I mean, I know it's got a… thing, but surely I couldn't actually have… well, have sex with a man, could I?"

"Apparently it gives you all the capabilities, and it's supposed to be realistic for both partners, although I'm not certain how much of that is marketing hype and how much reality. But remember, just because you can, it doesn't mean you have to, particularly if you want to continue to enjoy time with Uncle Joseph."

"Do you know, he thinks I should take up Art?" Caroll said. "He's offered to teach me the basics of drawing. I thought I might give it a go."

"I'm sure he'll be a wonderful teacher," Caroline said, "and he'll want to properly thank you for being such a wonderful student. So take care."

***

"Will you be all right on your own, tomorrow," Caroline asked later that evening. "I have to go to work, but I'm hoping to get a bit of time off later in the week, and I can show you around Seacombe."

"Actually," Caroll said, "Seph asked me round for elevenses tomorrow, and he said stay and have some lunch. He said he'd get me started with drawing."

"That's brilliant, Caroll," Caroline said.

Caroll hesitated a little before saying, "I was wondering if you had a dress, say, that I could wear or something a bit prettier than jeans and tee-shirt. You do want me to keep him perky, after all."

Caroline smiled. "OK, let's go upstairs and you can choose something, but just remember that auntly advice I gave you, OK?"

"Yes, Aunt, and thanks."

***

Before setting out for the main house, Caroll knew there was one thing she must do. She'd had no contact from her father since she left two days before and she knew she had to clear the air. She called his mobile.

"Hello Dad, it's me."

"Karl? You sound funny."

"It must be a cold coming on, Dad," she said.

"So, you're all right with Aunt Carrie?"

"Yes, Dad."

"That's great. I must say, it's provided a bit more space around the house. I really wasn't certain how we were going to cope until you went off to university. By the way, you left all your stuff here."

"Aunt Carrie suggested I should have a clean sweep, just bring my toothbrush."

"But what are you wearing? The clothes you left home in?"

Caroll took a deep breath. She could lie, or… "Aunt Carrie's lent me some of her clothes. Jeans and tee-shirts and things."

"But what about… underpants?"

"She's lent me some of her panties. They're fine."

"What!" His voice was suddenly hushed as though frightened he might be overheard. "You're wearing…" another pause as he considered his words "…things like that. You're some kind of weirdo. OK, you're eighteen now, which means you're responsible for yourself. But for God's sake, don't ever appear here dressed like that, otherwise Roxy will wonder what kind of family she's married in to. So, good luck with it all, kid. Bye."

And he had rung off.

***

Not wanting to use Caroline’s key to the side door, Caroll went around to the front door and pushed on the large brass bell push. It was rather disappointing to hear a naff ding-dong from inside.

The front door opened immediately and a woman aged in her early twenties in a gingham overall stood before her, a pregnancy magazine, which she’d clearly just been reading, in one hand.

"Hello," she amiably said. "You must be Caroll. I’m Sharon, Maggie’s youngest daughter, and I do the cleaning here. Mum told me you’d be coming round. I hear you woke up the old man, a bit, yesterday. You’re very shapely; it’s easy to see why."

Caroll smiled at her. "Thank you, but I’m nothing really special." She nodded at the magazine. "Are you expecting?"

Sharon’s face lost its smile and said, "No. I’ve just had my period again. I’ve been trying for a baby for so long, I think I’ll die if I don’t have one soon."

"Oh I’m so sorry," Caroll said. "I hope you’ll be lucky soon."

"Fat chance of that," Sharon said. "Kevin, my partner has left me after I accused him of firing blanks. Best thing really; hopefully I’ll get someone who’s more fertile."

"Hi Caroll," Maggie’s voice came from the hallway beyond Sharon. "I thought I heard the doorbell go. Joseph’s waiting to see you. Don’t let Sharon bore you with her ongoing saga to motherhood. Come on through."

As she led the way, Carroll asked, "Do your two other daughters live locally?"

"Jenny does," Maggie said. "She’s my eldest and she’s married to Keith, who’s a gas-fitter and they have two children. Rachel is a marketing manager in London. She’s living with her partner, Melanie, and apparently they’re waiting until the science will allow them to have children without male input." She pulled a face. "So my hopes are on Sharon eventually finding someone. The problem is she’s so obsessed with having children, it puts blokes off, especially on a first date."

Carroll was still smiling as Maggie waved her hand to indicate she should go through to a study, where Joseph’s face immediately brightened as soon as he saw Caroll.

"Caroll, it's wonderful to see you."

"Hello, Seph." She gave him a kiss on his cheek, considering it safe in front of Maggie who looked as though she was playing chaperone.

"I'll get the tea," Maggie said. Actually, playing chaperone was exactly the part she'd agreed with Caroline on the phone last night.

"Come through into my studio," Joseph said, "and we'll make a start.

"Then maybe this afternoon," he added, "we’ll go down into Seacombe and I’ll show you the delights."

"That sounds brilliant, Seph," Caroll said

ENGAGEMENT

"Carrie," Caroll said to her as soon as she got home from work. "Something significant happened today."

Caroline stared at Caroll’s face, which looked as bleak as when she had first seen Carl at the wedding. "What is it? What’s happened?"

"Seph gave me a drawing lesson this morning and it was really brilliant. He made it seem so easy. In the space of a few hours, he pretty well convinced me to take it up at college and make a career of it."

"OK," Caroline said, "but is that what’s worrying you?"

"Oh, no. Taking up drawing seemed to make so much sense. But after lunch, we went into Seacombe and Seph and Maggie showed me around the town. We seemed to be having so much fun. Then, whilst Maggie went to get the car to take us home, Seph and I walked around the rear of the theatre at the end of the pier, where it’s very secluded and there’s a little shelter there with a bench inside. That’s when it happened."

"What happened?" Caroline croaked.

"Seph went down on one knee and proposed to me."

"You’re joking!" Then Caroline said, "What did you say?"

"I said I thought I was too young and we should be just good friends for a while."

"That sounds a pretty good answer," Caroline said.

"Well, Seph said he didn’t have a lot of time left and wanted to marry me quickly so we could have babies."

"Holy cow!" Caroline said. "How did you respond to that?"

"I don’t know how I managed to think of anything to say, but it was something like I wasn’t having regular periods so I didn’t think I could conceive."

"What did he say to that?"

"He said you must take me to a specialist doctor who would sort out my problems. Then we could be married and have lots of babies. I sort of made a fuss then and said we should go home."

"That was quick thinking, Caroll," Caroline said. "Let me have a think about everything. Is that a meal I can smell in the oven?"

"It’s Beef Bourgeon," Caroll said. "I found it quite calming to cook whilst my mind was in such turmoil."

***

"There is a reason," Caroline said, later that evening, "why Uncle Joseph would want to quickly make his new wife pregnant."

They’d had an excellent meal of Beef Bourgeon followed by a wonderfully light meringue, all washed down by a bottle of Merlot. Throughout the meal they had carefully avoided talk of the marriage proposal, and had both chatted noisily about their respective days. Now the conversation returned, as they both knew it must, to the dominant issue.

"Much to the frustration of Uncle's father, Edgar, it was several years after he married Alice before she became pregnant. Shortly after the pregnancy was announced, Edgar contracted bowel cancer. He immediately made a new will, and hoping to avoid death duties, he left the whole estate in trust to Uncle’s first born, giving Uncle and his spouse the right to live here for life. But shortly after Edgar’s death, Alice miscarried and they never had another child. Many years ago, he fought to get me the right to inherit the estate as adopted daughter, but failed in the courts. So, when Uncle dies, the whole estate will pass to the Crown, who no doubt will auction it to the highest bidder."

"So you and Maggie will be homeless when that happens," Caroll said.

"We’ve both saved up for that possibility," Caroline said, "but property prices always seem to exceed savings, so the basic answer to your question is yes, we’ll be homeless."

"Whereas if Seph remarried and his wife became pregnant, then their child would inherit the estate, and the mother would have the right to live here."

"But Maggie and I would still have no rights unless the new wife allowed us to live here."

"Unless," Caroll said, "she was already part of the family and was sympathetic to them."

"Yes."

"But being as I can't have children, that scuppers the whole thing. If only I'd been born a girl."

"Then by now," Caroline said, "you'd probably have a boyfriend, I wouldn't have particularly noticed you and brought you here to introduce you to Uncle Joseph. If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride. It's simply no good saying, 'If only.' Far better to say how can we influence the future for the better?"

"Well, I can't biologically have children, full stop. There's no way around that."

"Could you go and bring down that Big Busts pamphlet I gave you?" Caroline asked. "I think there might just be a way forward."

Caroll ran to her bedroom and came back clutching it. "What is it you think… Oh!"

"They talk about a Pregnancy Torsolet, don't they? Let's enquire in the morning."

"But Aunt, it's no good looking as though I'm pregnant. I have to deliver a baby, and presumably they'll check the DNA against Seph's, so I can't just borrow any old baby."

"Have you heard of surrogate babies? That might be an option?"

"I don't really understand what they are."

"Basically, it would be using Joseph's sperm to create a baby with a surrogate mother, who would commit to giving over the child when it's born."

Caroll looked quizzical. "Would a baby's mother do that? I mean, she might say she would but when it came down to it…"

"We need to investigate," Caroline said. "First thing, let's arrange in the morning to go into Big Busts in my lunch break. You don't have anything arranged with Uncle, do you?"

Caroll shook her head. "No, we sort of left it open."

"OK, until tomorrow lunchtime, then."

***

Caroll took the bus into town next day and spent a few minutes wandering through the shopping area which, as men do, Joseph had rapidly passed by on his introductory tour the previous day. As Carl, he had always been embarrassed at staring into the windows of dress shops, but now she could spend ages simply admiring every pretty dress and blouse. So much so that she suddenly realised it was getting late for her appointment with her aunt. Fortunately, she just made it in time and she timidly went into the downstairs shop. Upon explaining she had an appointment, she was rapidly shown upstairs, offered a comfortable seat and a cup of tea or coffee.

Caroline arrived a few minutes later and they were immediately shown into the same consultation room where Carl's transformation had taken place on Sunday.

"Is everything all right with your transformation?" Susan, the consultant asked them.

"It's wonderful," Caroll answered. "I just can't believe how I've changed over the last few days and how happy I've become."

"That's excellent news," Susan said. "You'd be amazed how many of our first time clients say exactly the same. So how can I help you today?"

Caroll nervously looked at Caroline, who said, "We realise it's a bit quick, but an opportunity has come up and we wanted to investigate the Pregnancy Torsolets you talk about in your brochure."

"Wow, that is quick," Susan smiled. "Can I ask is it just for a single occasion, or do you want to go through several months, or even a full-term pregnancy?"

"It would be full term," Caroline explained.

"Then let me explain about our complete surrogacy package, designed to provide a total pregnancy experience, from conception through to childbirth."

"How would that work?" Caroline queried.

"Well, firstly, I need to say that we are not allowed by law to become involved in any surrogacy arrangement. What we can do is to provide equipment to facilitate any arrangement you may make with others. Is that OK?"

They both nodded affirmative.

"With the surrogacy package, we’d fit you with a series of Torsolets for the full term, and beyond. Obviously, conception is a hugely important moment in your pregnancy, and the vagina in your pregnancy starter Torsolet will have special facilities to collect and harvest your partner's semen, so you would have normal intercourse with your partner in order to start fertilisation. Whereas our conventional vaginas are designed to be realistic but also easily cleanable, this vagina has a Fallopian Tube fitted with a special collection condom so semen will be stored in the Fallopian tube after intercourse until you harvest it."

"Harvest it?" Caroll asked.

"We’d recommend harvesting once a day when you’re having regular intercourse," Susan said. "Essentially it means removing the condom from your Fallopian Tube and freezing it for storage. You’ll have a little tool to remove the condom, then you seal it, rinse the outside and pop it in the freezer. You'd then use the other end of the tool to insert a new collection condom in your Fallopian tube.

"Our company cannot be involved in the arrangements for transportation and insemination in the surrogate mother," she continued. "And we appreciate the relationship between you and the surrogate may be very close or totally remote. So we have built in what we regard as a very nice feature to make you feel much more connected to your pregnancy. We will issue a 'I am pregnant,' button for the surrogate. As soon as she presses it, a message is sent to your Torsolet via the internet; a valve will operate and the bladder in front of your tummy will very slowly start filling. During the first three months, a pregnant woman gains between one and two kilograms. So your first suspicion of being pregnant will be when you experience slight discomfort as the bladder in the Torsolet stomach grows and you start putting on weight."

"Wow," Caroline said. "That is fantastic. It would be your body telling you that you were pregnant."

"Where does the liquid come from?" Caroll asked.

"Liquid?"

"You said the first thing I'd notice would be the pressure on my stomach as I put on weight, so therefore you must be adding liquid to the bladder and I wondered where it came from."

"You're obviously interested in those aspects," Susan said, "but our intention with our surrogacy package is to totally immerse the mother-to-be in her pregnancy, from conception to childbirth and breast feeding. If you go ahead with this package, I would urge you to let us worry about the how, and you simply concentrate upon being a pregnant mother-to-be." She smiled. "Pregnancy is a fantastic experience, and we want you to experience it to the full. So you would come in here for regular check-ups, and with each Trimester we would change out the Torsolet for one designed for your next period of pregnancy. With the Torsolet for the third trimester, you'll be able to feel your baby kicking."

"That's incredible," Caroline said.

"As you and the surrogate approach childbirth, we can make arrangements with the surrogate’s midwife to synchronise delivery. Again, handover from surrogate to mother cannot be our responsibility, but we can make the physical things happen. You will experience a physical childbirth."

"That sounds just wonderful," Caroline said. "Don’t you think so, Caroll?"

"I’m not certain," Caroll said. "It sounds rather scary."

Susan touched Caroll’s hand and said, "It’ll be tremendously exciting, Caroll, but I do understand it’s a huge step for you. Go home and think it through carefully. Obviously, you’ll need to discuss it with your partner and the surrogate; I suggest getting a solicitor involved as well, as there are all kinds of legal issues. But if you decide to go ahead, as far as we know, we are the only company which offers this kind of service."

As Susan watched the two leave the premises, she thought she’d handled that quite well. The surrogacy package was an idea they had tossed around at team meetings. Now they were hopefully going to have to put it into practice.

***

"What do you think?" Caroline asked Caroll as they walked away.

"I just don't know," Caroll said. "Just a few days ago, I was a teenage boy; now I'm a teenage girl which would be change enough; but I'm facing up to marriage and childbirth. It sounds…"

"Yes?"

"It sounds like a dream but I’m not certain whether it’s nightmare or fairy-tale. Then, if I did decide to go ahead, there's also the issue of what I tell Seph? Are you suggesting I cheat on him? Tell him nothing about a surrogate mother?"

"I think it's better if I talk to Uncle about it. I will probably tell him a limited amount and then say it's better for him not to know anything else. He knows he can trust me, and it's then up to him if he wants to hear further details."

"What about if something goes wrong with the surrogacy, like Susan seemed to suggest could happen? It all seems fraught with problems."

"We'll have to make certain the surrogate is someone we can trust."

***

Caroline telephoned Maggie later that afternoon.

"How’s Uncle this afternoon? What’s his reaction to Caroll’s response to his proposal, yesterday?"

"He’s like a cat on a hot tin roof. He’s desperately hoping Caroll will come round here or you’ll have some news. You’d better speak to him in a minute."

"I will, but first I’d better bring you up to date on our meeting at Big Busts at lunchtime."

After telling her of the meeting, she added, "I’ve also just spoken with the Trust solicitor and sounded him out about a surrogacy."

"What did he say?"

"Provided we could trust the surrogate, he thought it would work fine. The crucial thing is that it would be Uncle Joseph’s semen which created the baby, so the baby would inherit when it came of age. In the meantime, Joseph’s widow would have right of occupancy."

"But he said we’d have to trust the surrogate absolutely?" Maggie asked. "There’d be no legal agreement we could draw up which would force the surrogate to keep her word?"

"No," Caroline said. "We’d have to absolutely trust the surrogate. What about one of your daughters?"

They chatted for some time about potential surrogates, until Maggie finally said, "It seems to me there’s only one suitable person out of all those we've discussed. Do you agree?"

"Yes," Caroline said. "I suppose you’re right."

"Do you want me to ask her?" Maggie said.

"I guess you’d better."

***

"Hi Uncle. How’re things?" Caroline asked.

"I'm in a turmoil," he told her. "Presumably you know I proposed to Caroll yesterday and she fobbed me off. Said she had some medical problem and couldn’t give me children?"

"Yes, Uncle, I know all about that. I’ve been with Caroll to see a specialist this lunchtime."

"And?" He was desperate for an answer.

"I think there could be a solution to her specific problems..."

"Thank God!"

"But I'm not going to give you many details unless you really want me to and I don't recommend that. You'll just have to trust me. Also, it will be very expensive." She named a price to which he made no comment.

"It will mean you can marry Caroll and have sex, and you may produce a beautiful baby. But you of all people know there are all kinds of risk with pregnancy. And even though it’s possible, it doesn’t mean Caroll will want to marry you at her young age. I mean, why should she? What can you offer her apart from pregnancy, childbirth and bringing up kids? Young people don’t want that nowadays and who can blame them?"

"I think she quite likes me."

"Of course she likes you, but that’s not the same as undying love, the kind you’ll sacrifice the rest of your life for. And we have to be realistic, Uncle, you’re not going to live forever, so what about her financial security? I have checked with the Trust solicitor and he’s happy that if Caroll was pregnant with your baby she could remain living here after your death. But will she have money to live on?"

"I have given that some thought. Of course, Carrie, it would mean I’d have less wealth to will to you when I’ve gone..."

"Don’t be stupid, Uncle. Of course you’ll have to support Caroll and your child or children properly. Maggie and I will be grateful if we can stay living at the house."

"Thanks love. In that case, can you tell her?"

"It would be better if you did. Shall I ask her to come round tomorrow?"

"Wonderful," Joseph said.

***

When she got home that evening, Caroline said to Caroll, "Maggie and I have found a trustworthy surrogate who would bear your child if that’s what you wanted. I’ve also spoken with Uncle about your ability to give him a baby

"What did you tell him? The truth?"

"I didn’t tell him any lies although I was economical with the truth."

"But he needs to know."

"Why? I thought what Susan described at lunchtime was absolutely fantastic. If you choose to marry Uncle, you will have sexual intercourse with him resulting in a baby being born. That’s what he wants to hear. What’s more important to me is how you feel about marrying Uncle and carrying his child. If the idea is repugnant to you then clearly there’s no point in going on."

"Carrie," Caroll said. "What’s happened to me over the last few days has been a whirlwind. I’m so overjoyed at everything you’ve done for me. So I will do almost anything I can to help you and I can’t deny that the idea of carrying a baby excites me like hell. But I’m not going to be able to go to university if I have a young child to bring up. I’d have to put my career on hold for years."

"Uncle is quite wealthy. He will make a substantial allowance for you in his will. Maybe you don’t need to worry about a career."

"Not worry? How much is he talking about?"

"He’d like to meet up with you tomorrow and you can discuss things. Will you do that?"

"Of course. I’ve been feeling I’ve treated him badly. I’d like to make it up to him."

"OK, but remember what I said about not going too far. If you’re really considering marrying him, don’t make him drop dead beforehand!"

Caroll smiled. "I won’t."

***

"Hi Caroll," Sharon said as she opened the front door to her, next morning.

"Hi Sharon. How are things with you?"

"Well, actually," Sharon said. "Things have moved forward a little on the chances of me becoming pregnant. You see there's this…"

"Sharon," Maggie‘s voice cut through. "Don't keep Caroll standing on the doorstep all day. Bring her in."

"Oh sorry, Mum. Yes, come in, Caroll."

"Before you see Joseph," Maggie said, "can I have a quick word with you?"

"Of course," she said, and Maggie led the way to the empty lounge and shut the door.

"I think you know that Carrie and I have been trying to arrange a surrogate mother, to, er… assist matters along to give Joseph and you a child, and it looks like we have found someone."

"Yes, that's so good of you to do this, although I'm still not certain..."

"It's important," Maggie interrupted, "that you don't know the identity of the surrogate for certain legal reasons. So can you promise me that you won't try to find out? If say, Sharon becomes pregnant or you see a pregnant woman visiting this house, it doesn't mean she's your surrogate and you mustn't try to find out if she is. Do you understand?"

"Legal reasons?"

"Don't ask, and we won't have to respond to your question. I know it's a little strange, but it's for everyone's benefit. Is that all right?"

Caroll nodded. "I guess so. Ask no questions and get told…"

"Absolutely," Maggie said. "Now let me take you in to see Joseph."

"Before I go in," Caroll said, "do you think I could put on another of Caroll's Caper's dresses?"

"Oh love! Of course you can. Let's go upstairs to the attic."

***

"Oh God, Caroll." Joseph almost ran across the room towards her, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the lips. "You look absolutely ravishing," he said, once the kiss had ended.

Caroll smirked at him. "Thanks, Seph. That was a nice greeting."

"Look, Caroll. I'm sorry I sprung things on you on Monday, but I'd had such a wonderful day, I felt I couldn't contain myself. Obviously, if you don't want to get married and have babies and things, then I completely understand, but…"

"Seph," Caroll interrupted. "I have thought about it very carefully, and I am sorely tempted, but I hopefully have some kind of a career ahead of me. I need to get qualifications and a job."

"And I'm asking you to put your career on hold for years," Joseph said. "Obviously, I will provide for you, both whilst I'm alive and when I die. So you'll have a dowry when we marry, and a regular income which will increase for each baby born to you." He named the sums and Caroll gasped.

"But that’s huge. If I had four children, I’d be getting more money than most people can ever expect to earn."

"The one proviso is that I can do nothing about your residency here after my death if you don't conceive. As long as you bear at least one child of mine, you can live here for life. And I hope I can depend on you to provide a home for Carrie and Maggie."

"Well if time is short," Caroll said. "We'd better get married straightaway."

MARRIAGE

It was to be a small wedding, everyone agreed. With time at a premium, a larger, more lavish wedding would simply take far too long to organise. From Caroll’s side, she certainly didn’t want to invite her family or step-family, as the truth would certainly come out of the bag. So, the notice was served on the registrar, and everything else was minimised, with only one exception, Caroll wanted a beautiful dress based upon a Caroll’s Capers' design. The original dressmaker was found and she was delighted to design a dress for this occasion. The wedding ceremony, wedding feast and the honeymoon would all take place no further away than Seacombe’s Grand Hotel, and Joseph and Caroll would continue staying at the Grand until the refurbishment of their downstairs master bedroom was complete.

***

"You look absolutely beautiful," Caroline said, as the dressmaker did her final smoothing down of the dress, before they would step outside of Caroline's house and meet the photographer, who would do a series of photographs around the stable block, before getting into the limo to take them to the Grand Hotel.

"Thanks, Carrie. Do I really look as beautiful as I feel."

"More so. You look ravishing. Have a lovely day and the rest of your life."

"Thank you so much, Carrie, for the wonderful way in which you have changed my life."

"I'm just so pleased everything has turned out right," Caroline said. "Now, let's go and have a wedding."

***

It was many hours later before Caroll and Joseph were finally in their bedroom at the Grand. When booking the rooms, they had looked at the Bridal Suite but found it just too ostentatious for them, so had chosen one of the Grand's State Rooms, which they both found much nicer and more comfortable.

"Thank you so much, Seph, for making such a wonderful day. Now, we shall have a wonderful night together," Caroll said.

"Well, actually," Joseph said, "I'm feeling a bit sleepy. Let's get to sleep now, then we can canoodle in the morning."

Caroline, who'd apparently had some experience with older men, had told her what might happen and why, and the way to overcome such issues.

"Seph, I am yours, now, but that also means that you are mine. I'm not after a five minute quickie, but I do want to show my love to you. Now, why don't you show your love to me by sucking on this pair of beauties?"

Joseph gasped as Caroll pulled down the front of her dress, and before he could say a word, she pushed his head down and filled his mouth with her breast.

Later, much, much later, Joseph said with a wide grin on his mouth, "I guess the words, 'How was it for you?' are rather superfluous. I've never given a woman a screaming orgasm before."

"No man has ever touched me down there, before, never mind given me what you just have," Caroll said. Of course, she thought, turning up the Sensotouch on her new Pregnancy Torsolet had no doubt helped with the screaming orgasm, and her Fallopian tube must now have its first dollop of semen inside.

"Why don't we have a little rest now," Joseph said. "Then we can see what comes up, later."

"Just remember," Caroll said, "that what comes up, goes up."

"Love you," he said.

***

Next day, Caroll used the special tool to remove the collecting condom from her Fallopian tube, amazed at how much sperm there was inside the little balloon. She inserted a replacement and had just made herself decent, when she got a pre-arranged text message from Caroline to say she was outside their room in the corridor. Caroll put the condom into a hotel envelope, opened the door and silently passed it to Caroline.

"Wow," Caroline softly murmured, peering inside the envelope. "That's a lot. Those instructions I gave you must really have worked."

"They did, too," Caroll said. "Now, you'd better give that to the surrogate and get me pregnant."

Caroline gave a little grin. "No problem."

"Who's at the door?" Joseph called to Caroll.

"It's the cleaner," Caroll fibbed. "I told her to come back a bit later. Are we going for that walk down to the sea front?"

"You bet," Joseph said. "Then perhaps afterwards we could come back here and have tea and crumpet in the room?"

"Well, I don't think they'd let you have your crumpet on a coffee table in the lounge," Caroll quipped.

***

And so married life progressed, as it does for most new couples. They enjoyed each other's company, went for walks and then enjoyed each other's company again. Once their master bedroom had been refurbished, they were able to move back to the house, and the arrangements for passing on the little packages of semen were simplified. Caroll simply had to put the little packages into a used ice cream box in the freezer, and periodically, Caroline would take them out and pass them onto the surrogate.

Then, a month after their wedding, Sharon came into the lounge, buzzing with excitement. "I'm pregnant!" she yelled. "Yes! Yes! I'm pregnant."

"That's wonderful news," Caroll said to her. "When are you due?"

It was a simple question, but Sharon poured out mass of information: how many weeks she was gone; how she was going for a scan soon and would be able to tell everyone all about it; and how she wasn't quite certain who the father was.

"You don't know who the father is?" Joseph asked. "Are you…"

"We really don't want to know about your sex life," Maggie almost shouted at her, suddenly entering the room. "We're all absolutely delighted for you, but we'd rather not know the details. All right."

"Oh, sorry, Mum," Sharon said. "I shouldn't have said anything. I'll get on with the cleaning. But I am just so happy."

When Sharon had left the room, Joseph said, "You were a bit hard on her, Maggie. I'm sure we can cope with Sharon's sordid sex life."

"Sorry," Maggie said, "but I’d just rather she didn’t blab out personal details."

"Well, she can't hide for long the fact that she’s pregnant," Caroll said. "She can’t keep that quiet."

"Talking of that," Maggie said, "is there any news of your event yet?"

"Not yet," Caroll said, regretting ever discussing the subject, "but we’re really hopeful."

***

The following day, Caroll noticed a slight discomfort in her lower abdomen. It was too early to get excited, but she did wonder whether there was any connection between Sharon’s announcement and her own condition. Wisely, she kept quiet until she’d had chance to have a consultation with her Big Busts specialist.

PREGNANCY

"Seph. I’m pregnant! I’m pregnant! Oh, you’re going to be a father. Isn’t that wonderful?"

"Oh darling. It’s the best news any man could have."

"I must go and tell Maggie and Sharon. I know they’ll be thrilled by our news."

But after telling Maggie her news and being congratulated, Maggie was quite grumpy about Sharon. "She hasn’t come in today. Morning sickness, she says, although when I was working, I always got into work in spite of it. I hope you’re going to bear your baby with pride, Caroll, and not make a song and dance about it, as many women nowadays do." Maggie had never told Caroll she knew her birth gender; indeed, she stoically refused to even consider it. As far as she was concerned, Caroll was a married woman who needed help bearing children, and that was that.

"I’ll do my very best," Caroll replied, trying not to grin.

"And now you’re pregnant, you must keep up the exercise. Take Joseph a walk around the knoll, and make certain you do it every day. And make certain you keep him satisfied. You don’t want him looking around at other women at this stage in your lives."

"I’ll do my best, Maggie," Caroll said, recognising that Maggie had made an important point. It would be far too easy to get totally involved in her pregnancy, real or not, and as far as she was concerned, this was a real pregnancy. "But please don’t be hard on Sharon," she added. "She’s been waiting so long for this pregnancy you can understand why she’s so careful." After all, she thought but did not say, she has got to produce my baby.

***

For the first few months, pregnancy was really fun. Caroline took her out to buy a whole new wardrobe and as she started to swell, Caroll felt an incredible sense of achievement. This was a woman’s most basic purpose in life, and she was doing it. Joseph was incredibly proud of his input and, as Maggie had suggested, Caroll and he continued to bonk like rabbits, if rather elderly rabbits. Caroll continued to harvest his semen throughout the first trimester on the basis that Joseph might be poorly when it became time to start their next child. When it was time to move onto the Torsolet for the second trimester, she and Maggie agreed there was little point in continuing to collect semen since there was now an ice cream box full of it in the freezer; surely sufficient to fertilise Caroll’s pregnancy into old age.

With the excitement of pregnancy, Caroll didn’t notice at first, but her relationship with Caroline seemed to grow more distant. Obviously, now she had moved from living in Caroline‘s stables into the main house, they were not continually on top of each other, but after a while, Caroll noticed Caroline was coming round to the house less often. She suspected that she (Caroll) probably bored Caroline with her endless chatter about motherhood; indeed, she now spent endless time talking with Sharon, which rather indicated how boring she had become.

Caroll tried to make a special effort to re-engage her relationship with Caroline, but Caroline explained that her work was becoming extremely hectic at the moment, which was why they were seeing less of each other. Caroll suspected something rather deeper than that; with Caroline in her early forties, she would see the menopause looming on the horizon and be reaching the conclusion she would never have her own children. Apart from making intrusive suggestions about Caroline’s personal life, there seemed little she could do to help in that area, so Caroll eventually accepted they had grown more distant.

Then, when Caroline said she was being temporarily transferred to her company’s Edinburgh office, Caroll wondered how much Caroline had encouraged the move. In any case, she thought, moving to a new office would bring Caroline into contact with new people; she might find love as a result. So they all wished her good luck and said goodbye, for the time being, with Caroline promising to return hot foot, as soon as the baby was born.

***

It was as Caroll entered her third trimester that pregnancy stopped being fun, and more something to be endured in order to give birth. As a genetic male, she thought she'd be inherently stronger than genetic females, so would have no problems coping with the extra weight. She was astonished at the stamina she needed to carry her bulge around, all day and every day. The gentle curves she'd had until then were now expanded so she looked and felt like a huge shapeless balloon, but a balloon filled not with air but with flesh and blood, which was so heavy to carry around, she just wanted to keel over. She became worn out just walking around the house.

Her lactating breasts made it even worse. During her second trimester, Susan had explained that recent medical trials had shown that genetic males were able to breast feed their babies. If Caroll wanted, Big Busts could include built-in breast pumps in their third trimester Torsolet.

"How would it work?" Caroll had asked.

"Your next Torsolet would be fitted with a pump in each breast." Susan said. They had discussed this very element within Big Busts just before Caroll’s appointment, so she was having to go carefully. "It will take many weeks of pumping before you start expressing milk, but when you do, it will be pumped into sterile bladders connected between your own nipples and the nipples on the Torsolet. So when your baby's born, he or she will have a ready supply of your natural milk to feed on."

"You mean I'll produce milk which will be stored inside the Torsolet breast?" Caroll asked.

"Yes it will," Susan replied. "But until your baby is born, you'll need to express your milk in order to avoid your breasts inflating like balloons. After childbirth, you'll be able to feed your baby from your own natural milk. Of course, you'll need to replace the bladder every day with new sterile one.

"We suggest you start using the breast pump as soon as you're fitted with your next Torsolet. Frequent pumping throughout the day and night appears to be the key to getting even male breasts to lactate, although you may need some hormone enhancement, which we can give you advice on."

"Won’t the pump be noisy?"

"It's reasonably quiet, but not silent, so we recommend pumping in private if your partner is not aware of what's happening."

The idea was exciting both in theory and in practice; she found the act of pumping a very emotive experience. However, it meant going to the bathroom every two hours in order to switch on her breast pumps and try to start lactating. After a month or so, she started getting minute drops of milk, after another month, there were reasonable quantities and in the final month she was producing milk like a prize cow. Of course, creating the milk inside her body was in itself enormously tiring, which was compounded by having to get up throughout the night at two hourly intervals in order to pump.

But the real problem was the increased size and weight of her breasts. For a start, because her natural breasts were lactating, they had grown to a size almost unique for a genetic male without hormone treatment or implants. Then, the milk pumped from them was being stored in the bladders inside the Torsolet breasts. Add that to the original silicone implants which came within the Torsolet and Caroll had massive breasts. She could remember how a year ago, large breasts had been erotic; now they were as erotic as a cow’s udder and were just extra weight which had to be carried around. But then, on the other hand, her natural breasts were lactating, which was tremendously stimulating and moving, knowing that all being well, her new baby would shortly be feeding from them.

Caroll had long ago abandoned any thought that this was a sham pregnancy. She was carrying the weight of a pregnant woman, she waddled as she walked, leaning right back so that the weight of her bulge was carried straight down her legs; her breasts were lactating, and every few minutes, the baby was kicking hard. She had got to the point of wearily looking forward to childbirth in order to have a rest. Little did she know.

CHILDBIRTH

As Sharon approached her final weeks of pregnancy, she gave up working at the house and Maggie’s eldest daughter, Jenny, stood in for as cleaner. As a mother of two, she knew all about the trials of pregnancy, and was initially very helpful to Caroll, without continually talking about it, as Sharon had done. The problem was, as Jenny got to know Caroll better, she started becoming quite bossy about her pregnancy. It got even worse when Maggie told her she was going up to London to stay with Rachel for a few weeks. Apparently, she was off work with some unspecified "woman’s problem".

"Caroll, I can't understand," Jenny said, "why you're not having your baby at the Maternity Unit at Seacombe General Hospital. They have a really good record; everyone says they're brilliant, so why are you going to this other unit which I've never heard of?"

Sharon, of course, had never asked her such questions, presumably because she knew Caroll's pregnancy really was all a sham.

"I've had complications with my pregnancy since before conception. I have every confidence in the team I'm dealing with."

"Well I can't understand why they're not inducing you. You said you've gone well past your due date and you're clearly ready for it."

"My due date was only very approximate since I hadn't been having regular periods."

"Never mind. Dr Shah at the Maternity Unit is brilliant. You shouldn't be messing with these others."

"I'm sorry Jenny, it's all arranged and I really don't want to start changing things."

Jenny sniffed in a way that said it wasn't done at all, but just then the telephone rang and she went off to answer it.

"Seacombe... Oh hi... Really? Oh that’s brilliant news. I’ll tell Caroll. OK. Bye."

Jenny put down the phone and turned to Caroll. "Sharon’s had a little boy, seven pounds, five ounces. They’re both doing well. Isn’t that marvelous?"

"Er, yes. Absolutely fantastic," Caroll said, but was really wondering why she hadn't been summoned to the Big Busts pregnancy suite, as she'd been told she would. Maybe with Maggie being away, a chain of communication had broken. She left Jenny and went to the study in order to ring them up.

"I'm sorry," Susan said. "We've had no notice that the surrogate's given birth, although obviously it will be soon. But don't worry, Caroll. Even if the surrogate has delivered early, we can still go through your own childbirth a day or so later, as long as the arrangement with the surrogate is still intact. Have you spoken with Maggie or Caroline? They were coordinating arrangements with the surrogate."

Caroll tried telephoning both of them, but Caroline's phone was switched off and Maggie didn't answer hers. She tried several times over the course of the afternoon and into the evening, without success. Joseph kept asking what was wrong with her, but she obviously couldn't tell him anything, so she just worried on her own.

***

Jenny was upstairs when the doorbell rang so Caroll went to the front door and opened it.

"Caroll," Sharon greeted her, holding a little bundle in her arms. "I've brought little Randolph to see you."

"Oh," Caroll exclaimed. "Isn't he wonderful? But shouldn't you have…" She broke off as she realised Jenny was coming up behind her, admiring the baby and listening to their conversation.

"Shouldn't I have what?" Sharon asked.

"I mean," Caroll flustered, "you shouldn't really have named him. That's for us to do, surely?"

"Caroll. Have you taken leave of your senses? Why should my employer name my baby?"

A sense of dread swept through Caroll. Something had gone horribly wrong with the surrogacy, and she was on the point of childbirth without a baby to be born.

"Sharon," she said, "you're looking awfully worn out after what you've gone through. Why don't you come in and lie down for a little and I'll look after Randolph?" What a terrible name she thought; we're certainly going to name him something else.

"I really am fine," Sharon said. "Anyway, I couldn't bear to be parted from Randolph. I'm never separated from him."

In any case, Caroll thought, if she ran away with Randolph now to the Big Busts pregnancy suite, surely the police would come looking for her. But further thought on the subject was pushed aside as the first contraction ripped through her body.

"Aagh-aagh-aagh!" yelled Caroll.

"It's all right love," Jenny said, comforting her. "It's only the first contraction. You're just in pre-labour. No need to do anything yet."

"That contraction," Sharon said, "lasted for almost a minute. She's moving into active labour. She needs to go to the Maternity Unit now."

"There's plenty of time," Jenny countered. "No need to panic."

"Aagh!" Caroll yelled, as a second contraction ripped through her.

"My car's outside," Sharon said. "We'll use that. It will be quicker than waiting for an ambulance."

Between her and Jenny, they manhandled her towards Sharon's car. Sharon ran back to get Randolph and then, as Caroll went into another contraction, Jenny dashed back to get Caroll's ready-packed suitcase.

"I need to go," Caroll said, "to my special birth unit on Edward Street."

"Right, no problems," Sharon said, getting behind the wheel of her car. She hadn't a clue where Edward Street was but she knew where the Maternity Unit was. They could sort things out there.

***

"Aagh-aagh-aagh!" yelled Caroll as the car rolled up to the Maternity Unit.

A couple of porters near the door ran over with a stretcher and helped her onto it. She was wheeled into a bay inside the Maternity Unit and slid onto a bed.

"Aagh-aagh-aagh!" yelled Caroll.

"Let me just listen to the baby's heartbeat," a midwife said, sweeping into the bay, stethoscope in hand. She placed it onto Caroll's stomach and listened, moved it slightly, and then again. "Doctor in Bay Six," she called out.

Within seconds, an Asian doctor came in. "I can't hear a heartbeat," the midwife said.

"Thank heavens," Jenny said. "It's Dr Shah. Don't worry, Caroll, he'll sort it."

"Where am I?" Caroll asked, looking around for the first time.

"You're in Seacombe General Maternity Unit," Dr Shah explained as he used his stethoscope all over Carroll's tummy. "What's your name?"

"Aagh-aagh-aagh!" yelled Caroll.

"It's Mrs Caroll Harper," Jenny said.

"Mrs Harper," Dr Shah said. "We can't find your baby's heartbeat. We're going to have to do an immediate Caesarean Section, do you understand? Do we have your permission?"

"Aagh-aagh-aagh!" yelled Caroll.

"Go ahead," Jenny and Sharon said, almost simultaneously.

"What relation are you to the patient?" the midwife asked.

"We're the cleaners," Jenny explained.

Dr Shah shook his head. "Mrs Harper. Can you understand me? I need to do an immediate Caesarean section. Do I have your permission?"

"What?" Caroll's eyes suddenly shot wide open. "No! No! N… Aagh-aagh-aagh!"

"Mrs Harper. You will lose your baby and maybe your life unless you allow us to do…"

"Aagh-aagh-aagh!" yelled Caroll.

"If only she'd pass out," the midwife muttered, "we could take emergency action and get on with it."

"Who's her next of kin?" Dr Shah asked.

"Her husband, Joseph," Sharon replied. "I've got his mobile number here." She put Randolph into her other arm and searched her mobile with her one hand. It's 07790…"

"That's his old number," Jenny said. "He's changed it now. I'll find it."

"Can we get everyone out of here?" Dr Shah ordered the midwife, and she unceremoniously bundled them all out of the bay.

"I've got the number here, Dr Shah," Jenny shouted from outside the bay.

As soon as the last of them had left the bay, Caroll still bent double, slid off the bed and crawled on her hands and knees beneath a curtain into the neighbouring bay. There was a woman screaming on the bed, her legs splayed wide facing Caroll whilst a midwife called "Push! Push!" Caroll continued moving on her hands and knees around the bed and then out into the corridor. By the time Dr Shah had managed to speak with Joseph, she was climbing into a taxi outside.

"Are you all right, love?" the taxi driver asked her. "It looks like you ought to be arriving here, not driving away."

"Edward Street," she said. "Number twenty-one." Then, "Aagh-Aagh-Aagh!"

***

The woman who helped Caroll out of the taxi wore a label saying 'Midwife', but in fact she hadn't been a midwife for several years. Now she was employed by Big Busts to go through the motions of it.

"I've lost my baby," Caroll said to her between contractions. "She was so close. But I simply couldn't pull her out of the surrogate's grasp."

"Don't be silly," the midwife said. "The surrogate is here now and she's just going into labour. I'm afraid it will be some time before your baby is born."

"The surrogate is here?" Carol’s mouth dropped open. "But I thought... Who is it? Can I see her?"

"I’m sorry, love. There’s no contact with the surrogate allowed. But your friend, Maggie’s here, as well. I’m sure she’ll come through when you’re about to give birth."

"Maggie’s here?" Relief flooded through her. Of course! Everything made sense, now, especially the surrogate's identity. "Oh, that’s wonderful. I’ll just wait here until things are about to happen."

"I think things are happening..."

"Aagh-aagh-aagh!" yelled Caroll.

"…now," the midwife concluded "I’m afraid it’s going to be slightly painful."

MOTHERHOOD

"I still can’t get over just how much milk you produce," Caroline said, as three-month-old Josephine slurped noisily at Caroll’s breast. Caroline had wangled some sabbatical time away from her job in Edinburgh so she could help Caroll with her newborn, although Maggie had provided most of the help whilst Caroline had hovered around as a virtual grandmother. "Josephine is such a big girl, now, and you're still feeding her from your breasts. Many genetic females have switched to formula by now."

"I guess it’s the frequent pumping," Caroll said. "It's every hour, now. Seph prefers to sleep separately so he’s not disturbed by Jo waking in the night. It means I can have my breast pumps on automatic, so I don’t even have to wake up properly to express milk, so it’s all there ready for when little Jo wants it. Isn’t it my lovely darling?" Caroll smiled down at Jo and she smiled back at Caroll.

Caroline couldn’t help smirking at the pair. "I’m so glad everything turned out all right," she said.

"The only thing," Caroll said, "well, this morning, I felt a little pressure against my abdomen, the same as I did when I became pregnant."

"You mean you may be pregnant again?" Caroline grinned.

"I can’t understand why," Caroll said.

"Aren’t you and Joseph having sex?"

"Yes, we are, but..."

"That’s fine then. You’re not on the birth pill, since it wouldn’t work for you. Even if you were using condoms, there’s still a relatively high pregnancy rate."

"But it’s not about me, is it? We’d need to get the surrogate involved again."

"The surrogate was tasked originally," Caroline said, "to have up to four babies. She’s received all the semen you harvested, which should be sufficient for dozens of babies so we don’t need to do anything for her to become pregnant again. As far as you're concerned, it will just happen and then all she needs to do is to push her 'I am pregnant' button, again."

"But I don’t think I’m ready, just yet, for my next baby."

"Then get used to the idea," Caroline said. "Women everywhere have to accept the fact that pregnancy happens.

"And I think," she added, "that it’s wonderful news. I’m so pleased for you both."

"But Aunt," Caroll said. "That means I may have my next baby and then become pregnant again, a few months after that."

"Now you understand what it means to be a woman," Caroline said. But at the same time, she couldn’t help thinking back to that conversation with Maggie, a year previously, about choosing the surrogate mother.

***

Maggie had said, "It seems to me there’s only one suitable person out of all those we've discussed. Do you want me to ask her?" and she had replied, "I suppose you’d better."

"OK," Maggie said. "Carrie, you said just now that you've always wanted to have babies."

"Oh yes," Caroline replied, "Lots of them. But the problem was I never wanted to put my career on hold whilst I brought up a family. In any case, there was only one man I ever loved sufficiently to want to have his babies."

"And the irony was," Maggie responded, "he was the one man you could never marry, even though you weren't biologically related to him."

"Yes," Caroline said. "And he would never have felt comfortable having a sexual relationship with his adopted daughter, so it was always sexual love unrequited."

"So, Caroline, will you be the surrogate mother for Joseph and Caroll?"

"Maggie, I think that would be illegal, so I must reply 'No' to your question. But what I will say to you is that I know someone who will do it, and you can leave all that side to me. Caroll will be the mother on the birth certificate and no one but me will know who the surrogate is. OK?"

"Absolutely," Maggie replied. "The name of the surrogate will be known only to you. I’m so pleased that you’ve made the right decision. Joseph has said he’s thinking of having up to four children. How would the surrogate feel about that?"

"Well I’m..." Caroline broke off with a laugh. "Better get it right. I'm certain the surrogate will be absolutely delighted."