A Turn On The Pathway To Citizenship
Part Two Of Three
By

Warm Hearted

Proofed

By

Commentator

Synopsis: Mark now Mara, learns that there is much more to acting like the lady than just a body. If Rob's plan to take down Uros the evil crime lord is to work Mara will have a lot to learn in this second part of A Turn On The Pathway To Citizenship.

( From Warm Hearted, I had planned that this story would be in two parts . As a new writer I am learning no matter how well you outline a story sometimes the story gets a mind of its own. So this story is now in three parts and the third part and conclusion is with my outstanding proof reader and will be posted soon. My dear readers thank you for your patience and as always comments are welcomed and desired.)

I sat there on the floor feeling my body jiggle where it shouldn't but was unhurt although I had to piss so bad my eyes were yellow. I got up and glanced at myself in the mirror. I didn't examine myself closely because I needed to relieve myself so badly. I took a step only to fall again, tripping on my briefs that had fallen down to my feet. I was still unhurt but it was a miracle I did not piss myself.

I kicked off the briefs and got up and my tee shirt slid down to my knees. I did not have time think about that in my mad rush to the john. I did have presence of mind enough to pull the shirt up before sitting down. Then I found out why grandma used to bitch so much about me leaving the seat up. I almost fell in but was able to lower the seat and sit back down before I released my bladder.

I have never personally witnessed a woman peeing, therefore I did't know that they didn't sit flat on the seat. All I knew was women had to sit to pee, so I made a mess of myself. After using half a roll of toilet paper I was dry down there and I got up finally seeing the new me in the full mirror on the bathroom door. The tee shirt was huge on me but did tent some at my chest, showing two points. I thought, “they're my nipples!”

I heard a knock at the door and Rob asked, “you ok in there?".

I called back, “yes. Don't come in. I need to get dressed first. Do you have anything I can wear. All I have is the tee shirt I slept in, That is all that will stay up on me."

The sound of my female voice was strange in my ears but did not bother me as much as Rob seeing my new nipples though the tee shirt. I looked at myself in the mirror, I still had silver-blonde hair, but it was wild and all over my head. I had ice blue eyes, full lips, and my skin was very fair.

Inspecting my face more closely I looked like a female version of myself, but my eyebrows were so light it almost looked like I didn't have any.

Then Rob knocked on the door and said, "I couldn't find anything I had that would fit and all my dead relative's wife's clothes are gone."

There was a long pause and Rob hesitantly said, "well except one thing. I found a box on the top shelf of the closet. It's ... well, it's a costume that she must have worn sometimes, but you may not like it.".

I looked at myself in the tee shirt and thought, "whatever it is it has to be better than this.” So, I said "set it by the door and leave and I will get it."

I stood at the door and after hearing him walk off I opened the door, grabbed the box then shut and locked it. I set the large closed gift box marked, "Halloween" unopened on the bed. I had no desire to see what kind of Raggedy Ann costume I was going to be forced to wear. I always shower before putting on clean clothes.

The bath had a huge steam shower and a separate small tub. Knowing if I got my long thick hair wet it would take hours and skills I did not have to get it dry, I opted for the bath. Finally I had to do the thing I dreaded since I woke up, I had to see myself naked. Taking off my tee shirt and leaving it on the bathroom floor I turned and looked at myself naked. Even with my wild woman hair I was beautiful.

My skin had not one blemish, I was very thin but still curvy with perfect muscle tone. My body hair was almost non-existent except a small V patch of darker almost golden blonde pubic hair. I must be one of those girls that never have to shave, which is a good thing as I hate shaving, even just my face.

I laughed and thought, "until we get this done I won't be needing to do that. What am I thinking? This isn't funny. I don't like any of this. Maybe Rob can figure out how he can find a real woman that he can trust enough to share his plans with."

I looked in the drawers and cabinets, feeling my naked breasts sway with every move. When I bent down I could feel them pointing down, so I squatted to look in the lower drawers. My search came up wit a, disposable shower cap, a new bath puff, CK-1body wash, and matching deodorant. One other item I found I hoped I would never need, a box of tampons.

I quarter filled the tub and washed and got out quickly with my hair shoved in the cap. I dried just as quickly, thinking I wasn't enjoying any of it, but I was fooling myself, it felt good. I took off the cap and my really long hair was once more a tangled mess. When I was on the street my hair had became overgrown, but not this bad. So I did the same thing as then I took a rubber band and pulled my hair back in a bushy pony tail.

Clean now I went to look at the silly outfit I was going to be wearing. I opened the box and laid it out on the bed, becoming more appalled with each piece of clothing I pulled out. It was a sexy maid outfit that was not for Halloween like it said on the box. It was a sex role-play outfit and judging from the tags still attached it had never been worn.

The dress was black and very short, with a white apron and bra built into it. Included in the box with it were panties, fishnet hose, a white maid's hat, and 5" stiletto sandals. Everything was not cheap but very well made. I didn't care. The tee shirt was better than this. Going back to the bathroom to retrieve my tee shirt I saw it still lying on the floor soaking wet.

So I had a choice, a wet tee shirt or the uniform. I chose the uniform. Picking up the lacey panties first I noticed the sides looked funny. Then it dawned on me they were Velcro. I still chose the panties over going commando. I looked at the tag and it said size 3. They fit but the dress size said size 2 and that worried me as the panties fit but the dress was a size smaller yet they were a set.

As I slid the dress over my head I saw the bra size it was a "30B." To my surprise the dress fit. I thought, "women's sizes are weird. Panties and dresses should say so if they are the same size. I didn't even try the shoes on, but the dress felt fine although, very form fitting and short. I guess what they call the cup was a little tight, I found out later I was a C Cup.

I looked in the full mirror in the bathroom after I cleaned up my mess and was amazed at what I saw. Even with my bush of a ponytail I was a teenage boy's wet dream. Yesterday, if I saw me, I would have had an instant woody, but today all I felt was embarrassed. I didn't care what it took, Rob was getting me something else to wear ASAP.

So, bracing myself I went to find him. He was just coming out of his room all clean and dressed. He turned and saw me and his mouth fell open. I swear I saw his pants tent almost instantly. I looked just at his face so as not to verify that I was giving him a boner.

He finally got over his shock enough to try to hide, how I was affecting him by saying,
"good, I see you're dressed. Let's go downstairs as we have a lot thing to go over and have a lot of preparation to do before we go to New Orleans.".

"That's fine, but first on your list is getting me some damn clothes right now! You make a call, send a text, send an email, or a fucking smoke signal, but get me some different clothes here now. I don't care if you have to steal them, I want them here before we do anything else."

Rob tried not to smile at my outrage. Then I thought about it from his point of view. Rob knew it was me in here, but what he saw at that moment was a small, sexy woman in a sexy maid outfit snapping orders like a drill instructor. If I wasn't so embarrassed I would had laughed at the irony of it myself.

Rob said, "I will take care of it right now." Rob grabbed his phone and made a call and I heard what Rob was saying,

"Hello Helen, this is Rob Bruce. You're welcome Helen you were highly recommended for the job. Helen, I have something I need done that will put your skills to the test. My fiancées luggage was lost and she has nothing clean to wear how fast can you get something hear for her? Wait, I will ask."

He muted his phone and asked, "what do you want to wear?"

Without hesitation I said, "jeans, underwear, a long sleeve tee shirt, socks, and sneakers.".

Unmuting his phone he told her and after listening a moment said, "I don't know I will ask her,"

He looked at me and asked, "Do you have any clue what size you are?"

I answered, "yes, I saw the sizes of what I have on, but I don't know the inseam. I wear a size 2 dress. size 3 panty, and a 30B bra, no, better make that a 30C."

He said, "you're about the same height as my mother and she wore a 26 inseam lets try that."

He gave the woman the sizes and he said, "yes, she is very petite, Thirty minutes would be better. No it's fine Thirty minutes was really unrealistic but I love her and want her to have everything she needs. No, I haven't told her our plans, but I'm sure she will be fine with you. I will expect the courier in 90 minutes and you at 1pm, thank you, bye."

I looked at Rob and asked, "who is Helen and why is she coming?".

He looked at me and said, "after you decided to let the spell change you I got my lawyer to hire her. For lack of a better title she is your Personal Assistant although her duties are much more. She has the responsibility of equipping you with the skills to pull this deception off.

Please don't be upset, because I have one too, named George Hill. He will do the same for me and teach me the skills I need to fit in the rich people's world but you really have a lot more to learn.

Don't think that I'm not fully aware of how your feeling right now. After thinking long and hard on this last night I know this is the only option that stands a chance of success. If I bring in some stranger into this we would be in constant danger of being found out.

Any woman that would agree to act as my girlfriend for money could never be trusted not to sell us out for more money, no matter how much I give her. You're the only one I trust to remain faithful to me and see this through no matter what the danger is, but I do regret that you have to suffer being in a body that is not yours and learn to do things that embarrass you."

I looked at Rob and thought, "how did he get so smart? That ring must have changed him too.".

Then a revelation hit me and I realized that he was doing all this work, planning, and putting himself in personal danger all for me. He could have just let me run and not had to do everything he is doing. He could have just told himself, rightly so, he had done enough for me. Anyone else would had forgot me and lived his life just enjoying his new power and wealth. I was so ashamed for feeling like I am the one making the sacrifices. He is the one sacrificing for no reason other than our friendship. I started wailing and Rob thought it was because I thought he was being mean to me.

So I told him the real reason for me crying, "Rob you always just give to me and don't even realize all that you do for me. I'm crying because I realize what a selfish asshole I am, bitching about what I am going through. You know without you I would already be dead. Please forgive me, I will do what everyou tell me I need to do, because I know you're only doing it for me."

To break the tension he said, "I need coffee."

I followed him to the kitchen and his phone rang and he said, "I need to take this."

"I will make the coffee since I'm dressed for the part.".

Rob went to his office evidently to take notes and I saw the coffeemaker. I then started searching for the coffee and cups. I found the cups. Rob and I drink our coffee black, so all I needed now was filters and the coffee. I found them in the cabinet over the coffeemaker.

I took a filter off the bottom shelf, but the coffee was on the top shelf. I reached for it on my tiptoes but was still to short to reach it. Frustrated I yelled, "DAMN IT!" In my searching for the coffee I had found a broom closet that had a folding stepstool in it. I placed it and had to get on the second step to be high enough, but I still couldn't reach the coffee.

The house had wide custom stone counters and my arms were not long enough, being set even further back by the stepstool. I had to set one foot on the counter and leaned forward to reach the coffee when I heard Rob entering the room in a excited tone saying, "WHAT IS........".

I looked over my shoulder and saw him staring at me like a deer in the headlights. I wondered why, untill I noticed how I was standing. I thought, "I must look like one of the girls on the calendars in small auto shops giving him a clear view under my short dress of my sheer lacy covered butt."

Blushing beet red I got the coffee and got down quickly. I when looked back he was still staring at me but with a different look. One that I knew very well from the times we went to the bar together. I knew I was right because I definitely saw his pants tent and he quickly covered his woody with the legal pad he was holding.

Rob red-faced now too, quickly said, "When our coffee is ready bring it into the office. There are some major things I need to fill you in on."

While the coffee was making something strange happened, my embarrassment faded away, replaced with, a new feeling I never had before. It was almost like pride but it was laced with a sense of power. Similar but not exactly like when I learned how to protect myself on the street. It was like I had a secret weapon that I could use when I needed to.

I poured the coffee and carried the two cups to the office. Rob said, "please sit down Mark. We have more to go over than we have time for right now. We need to get to it. Right now though it is more important for me need to tell you what is going to take up most of our days for the for the next two weeks.

First, I need to ask for your forgiveness. I picked out a new name for you and changed your age to 21 without asking you. You're Mara Bagas now, a second generation Serbian born in the USA. The Bagas family have been strong allies with Babic's family for centuries which will help us. I magically created new documents for you, showing you as the only child of two naturalized Serbians parents. For all intents and purposes they are real and you're in every agency and school file.

Your new birth certificate, passport, school and college transcripts are in a locked safe. Your new driver's license and Social Security card are in that envelope on the desk. You now have a Bachelors in General Arts from UNCC. They're all foolproof, even your classmates and teachers will remember you, but not well.

I said, "there's no need for me to forgive you for taking care of me. That all sounds great and necessary and as for the name Mara, I like it. You can't keep calling me Mark can you although there are two things I don't fully understand; how did you get so smart at this sort of thing and why make me a college grad?"

"Well I'm learning everything I need to know magically. What I do when I need to learn a new skill is Google it and through my magic I can learn as fast as the computer can process it. The answer to your other question is simple, you need to be 21 so everything will be legal.

In the circles we are going to be traveling in someone that is 21 usually has a degree. Liberal Arts seemed to be a good major for you. I am giving you some powers magically so you can learn quickly. Not same way I magically teach myself though. I really wish I could because then you would not have to go through what I need to tell you next.

I need to start calling you Mara even when we are alone so you will get used to answering to that name and since I can't teach you what you need to know your new PA Helen will be here at 1 PM today with a team of professionals. They will teach you all that you will need to know so that no one will think you're anything other than what you appear to be.

Mara, in the near future you may feel that I have forgotten who you really are, but I will always know my best friend Mark is inside you. I promise once I secure our safety I will change you back. Remember this is just an act to catch your parents' killer.

Do you believe that you will always be Mark my best friend to me?"

I nodded my head and said, "I know you're doing all this just for me Mark. You'rw my best friend and I trust you with my life."

My eyes dampened but so did Rob's. Wiping his eyes he continued what he was saying.

"As long as you understand that I am going to ask you to do something that will be very hard and probably emotionally unpleasant for you. Helen is a professional image maker. She takes normal women and remakes them into cultured and elegant social butterflies.

You will have to put yourself totally under her control and work very hard so she can perform a metamorphosis on you. When she is done you will appear to be the perfect fiancée of a very rich and powerful man. You will have all the skills you need to perfectly maintain that deception no matter the occasion.

It normally would take a lot more time than we have for you to learn all you need to know. I can't not make you learn the way I can, but I've given you a photographic memory and the ability to perfectly mimic anything you are shown or see a diagram of.".

Babic's fund raiser is in 7 weeks and we need to be down there in three weeks. We will need that extra time, to be seen around in the right places and make some good contacts. Oh yeah, we have our invite, for Mr. Robert Bruce and Miss Mara Bagas.

You need to know the back story I gave Helen as the reason for your inexperience at womanly things. I told her that I worked at Wendy's and you were a street person that I met there and we became friends.

I told her that you were on the streets because your family were killed in a gang related shooting when you were very young so you never learned how to be a girl and that story also helps with Babic. I inserted the file of their unsolved murder, naming one of Babic's rival gang as suspects for the killings, a gang that Babic wiped out later in a turf war. I told her that we became close and I moved you in with me. I helped you get your GED and college degreeand now you are my fiancée"

I thought about the back story Rob came up with and I liked it. There was enough truth in that I could relate and I did know the streets if anyone asked any questions. It was a perfect excuse for not knowing what any normal woman should know. I know I can sell it well enough to keep Helen from thinking anything different.

Then the door bell rang and Rob went to answer it. He returned with a large bag from Nordstrom's. I grabbed it and went upstairs to change. In the bag I found everything I asked for. a soft pink crewneck long sleeve tee, a pair of jeans, a plain white bra, a pink belt that match some high styled pink sneakers, white cotton panties, and pink socks with a little lace at the top. I took off the maids costume and threw it aside.

I remembered how the women I took home would quickly dress after we had sex, so I dressed like they did. The bra felt a lot better than the one in the maids dress and so did the panties. The tee felt a little tight but not uncomfortable. Then I pulled on the jeans and thought, "size two must be the wrong size for jeans," but when I looked in the mirror nothing looked too tight, just normal for a young woman.

After I putting on my socks and shoes I went back downstairs. Going to the office I found Rob staring a computer screen that was flashing pages like a strobe light.

I said, "Rob, take a look What do you think?"

He looked up and just said, "WOW! You look great.".

I smiled and said, "thanks. I'm hungry and going to find something to eat . Do you want anything?"

Rob looked at me kind of funny and then smiled, "Yes. That would be great."

I went to the kitchen to see what I could find. In the fridge I found a honey dew, fresh strawberries, and fresh blueberries and thought fruit would be nice. I found two bowls and washed the berries and capped the strawberries. The honey dew seemed awful heavy. I thought, "I guess I am a lot weaker now," and that thought triggered a chain of thoughts.

"The discovery of my loss of strength should have had a hell of lot more effect on me than it did. Oh shit, I didn't have any problem at all in wearing a mostly pink outfit. I never even hesitated and worse yet I liked how the jeans showed off my butt.

FUCK! I wanted Rob to like how I looked, I even spun around so he could see all of me. No wonder he was giving me that weird look while I was fixing something for us to eat. I passed up all those cold cuts and cheeses to fix fruit, just like a woman would do.

What is that damn ring doing to me? I need to ask Rob just how far it has changed me. I'm acting more and more like a woman without even noticing it. I am doing it without thinking. I'm just doing it ....like it's natural. Well one good thing when this is over Rob can change me back."

Knowing Rob can undo these changes I finished the fruit and found some fresh croissants and put some on the table with the two fruit bowls. All set I went to get Rob and found the office door shut so I knocked.

Rob opened it and said, " I was in a tramce talking to the ring and I just came out of it.".

I responded, " I have fresh fruit and croissants if that is alright. I can fix you something else if you like."

"No that actually sounds very good."

Then I asked Rob, " I need to ask you something while we eat."

"That's fine and I have some things I need to tell you too"

We sat and started eating and I asked Rob, dreading what his answer will be, "how much did the ring change me, I know on the outside I look like a woman but how much else did it change?"

Rob put down his spoon and looked at me sympathetically and said, "I was wondering the same thing after you gave me that little fashion show wanting my approval. That was the purpose of the communication trance I just had with the ring.

I will start by telling you, always remember I will change you back after our mission is completed. With that being said, the ring explained completely what you have been changed into. First of all, physically, internally and externally, you are a healthy almost 20 year old female.

You have all the natural organs, just as if you were born a girl, except in one aspect. The ring makes the Wizards wife infertile, and you will not have a period. The old Wizard did that so his heirs and their wives wouldn't go through the pain of watching most of their children grow old and die.

To offset the sacrifice of the never having children he .....well ....sort of ....kind of, oh Hell, he made it so we can have world record, killer sex. Since sex is not happening with us it really shouldn't matter, but it was part of the spell.

So, the ring did something that is really earth-shaking for both of us. Since you were the first male to shed blood and pledge the oath, the ring had to do more than just change your body to fulfill the spell. The ring is changing the way you think, it instantly changed your sexual desires.

When you changed you immediately lost any sexual urges concerning women, but more slowly it is changing your feelings towards men. The ring is slowly moving you towards being completely and totally a heterosexual woman. One day you will desire a man and not just any man, just me.

The ring included me in that part of it's plan to honor the old Wizard's wishes. As long as I don't change you back, I will want you sexually more and more. I tried and I can't change it so we need to be careful, but in the future it will get harder and harder not to give in. The ring is also making you think like a normal woman in everything so I need you to do your best to think clearly and answer this question. Is getting Babic worth it, now that you know the what full cost is to you?"

My first impulse was to say "NO!," but then thinking further, I thought of my good grandparents and how they died for me. I also felt the rage build in me concerning the death of my parents making me an orphan and what I suffered living on the streets because of him.

In an immovable sense of purpose that transcended all else I answered, "yes, I want him dead at any cost to me."

Rob nodded and said, " I knew you would say that even if the ring had not changed you. So, I'm with you 100%. We need to do this."

"I have plans in the works and I am actually proud of the web I am weaving to catch our fly. I am setting up a reason for Babic to wish to have me as an ally legally. The plan looks like a normal business deal with no other purpose. Let me tell you about it."

I stopped him to ask a question that hit me.

"I would love to hear this plan, but first tell me why Babic will not connect you to me since his men came here to kill me."

"That's a very good question, You see Babic's organization did most of that work for us. Once one of his soldiers get his orders to do something he is not to contact his boss again until it is done.

This way much less information is shared. Mone in the Babic network knew where you were. They just had the information on you that Mr. Gomez gave them and he knew nothing about me. He told them when you would be on the job and that is all the higher-ups know.

As we found out all the rest of the ones that came here were hired help and didn't even know where they were going until they got here. I changed the filed flight plan showing you went to Alexandria VA. and I magically sent the rentals they were driving to the Charlotte Airport Long Term Parking after changing their GPS'. So the new whore's boss has no idea we know each other.

Now back to my "genius" plan. Babic buys his opium from terrorists in Afghanistan and then trucks it to a processing plant on the Baltic. He then brings the heroin into the country by ship hidden in seafood. Babic has a shell company that owns about 25% of the shipping line he uses. The shipping line only makes a little money on those shipments, but Babic owns enough of the company to keep the route open.

So I will have my brokers buy 35% of that shipping company, informing the board that I am going close the Baltic route. My lawyers will tell the board my plan is to move the Baltic route resources to shipping the pumps an Irish Company of mine makes which would be much more profitable.

I will have Babic shitting bricks thinking one of his major sources of income is in jeopardy. So, I'm sure when we show up at his fundraiser I will not have to approach him, he will come to me. I am sure he will learn all he can about me. He will learn about my unexpected inheritance, but that is the only true thing he will find out.

Any pictures he will find will show me looking like I do now only at the appropreate age, just like yours. They will find that I have no criminal record, but the word on the street about me very is different. Some of the criminal element thinks that my Wendy's job was just a cover. That I really had three very profitable gambling houses and I was very good at creating "accidents" for anyone who crossed me and that I didn't mind personally doing "wet work."

When Rob finished sharing his plans with me I said, "damn Rob you just simply amaze me."

Then the front doorbell rang and I went to answer it. The woman standing there said, "Hello I am Helen and you must be Miss Bagas. I see you got the things I sent. Are you ready to get started?"

I said, "I guess.".

"Great, our first tasks, are hair, makeup, personal hygiene, skin treatments and fragrances. This team will work with you making sure you learn how to do what you need to do."

Then she stepped aside and a rush of women came in and ushered me upstairs. Rob came out of the kitchen and I looked at him in shock. He just smiled and waved bye at me as I was just about carried upstairs to my suite. Then women started stripping me with Helen snapping orders at them. Looking back at those three weeks, things were a blur from that point on.

For the next three weeks, I spent fourteen hour days, seven days a week being totally remade much as the ring's magic had done, only normally. My days would start at 6am and end at 8pm. The first week's effects were astounding.

My silver blonde hair was styled to a perfect frame for my face. My hair has a natural wave but it was shaped and cut to take best advantage of its wavy thickness. It reached just below my shoulders. The stylists were shocked how fast I learned to care for it, thanks to Rob's magic help.

Likewise my makeup was designed to bring out my natural good looks. Like my hair I learned how to do it myself after being shown one time. I learned what style of makeup to use for the time of day and occasion and had a vanity that was soon filled completely with everything I needed.

During first week the only time I could see Rob was at dinner and he became more and more complimentary of the changes taking place. He started to just stare at me while we ate and act increasingly different. Then one night he stood when I came in the room and pulled out my chair for me.

I was surprised, but without saying a word, I just sat down and let him slide my chair in for me. He sat back down and the maid brought our dinner, We talked about our different days just chatted like any normal couple. I laid down my napkin and he rushed over to pull out my chair.

I said to break the tension, "you're learning to be the perfect gentleman."

He smiled, but then our eyes met and we were locked in a gaze that made me feel strange.

I thought, " Rob is giving me warm butterflies in the pit of my stomach."

Breaking the stare we both seemed embarrassed and I said I needed to get to bed.

"I have to get up 5 am to be ready when Helen and new team arrives at 6 am. I will start learning about clothes in the morning."

I went to bed fighting the desire for Rob to kiss me good night and maybe do much more. I knew it was the ring working on me, but it didn't make me want it any less.

My clock went off at 5 am and I bathed, applied day makeup and did my hair while wearing just a pair of panties and my bra under a robe as instructed by Helen. Today I start with clothes and they're bringing them. Just before they arrived the morning maid gave me a note from Rob.

"Mara,

Something came up last night that required me to leave tonight for New Orleans. I will call you about 8:30pm.

Your BFF,

Rob."

Disappointed and a little depressed that I would not see Rob for two whole weeks I thought time would drag, but time flew by. I learned to properly dress, walk gracefully in any height heel, to sit, eat, and just stand doing nothing, but doing it elegantly. Helen was ecstatic I was such quick study as she had time to add more skills to my reconstruction.

"Usually takes years to come as far as I have in two weeks, so we have time to do the most advances training. Normally this is reserved, for highly placed politician's wives or new royalty."

So the last week we started with me learning to speak using perfect grammar and using my voice like a musical instrument. To play the right tune for most occasions and events. The voice coach let me keep my southern drawl, but toned it down. It sounded like old southern money, and sexy.

Then Helen brought in an event planner to teach me how to do small dinner parties knowing for anything larger I would hire caterers.Still having time left Helen asked if I had any musical skills and I told her I took piano from my grandmother and could play a couple of songs by ear and as a kid I sang in the church choir.

That was all it took. The last three days I leaned to read music and play and sing like a professional. Helen had a grand piano brought in for me to play and one sent to the house in New Orleans. Sending the last of the teams away she hired a ladies maid for me. Helen, as worn out as I was, was glad to scale down to just her duties as my personal assistant.

We were leaving for New Orleans in the morning but it was still early. Helen finished over seeing the packing of my eight very large trunks and had them sent to Rob's private jet. All I had left of all the things that I had gotten over the last three weeks was a nightgown, one outfit and a small makeup kit to get ready in the morning.

So I sat and played some on the piano which I really loved doing now that I played so well.

Rob had called me every night and we talked about our days, but he would not talk about his plans over the phone. He hinted he had a lot to tell me when I got there. I was excited about our reunion but a little worried because over the last six nights I have been having increasingly erotic dreams about him.

As I was playing and thinking about Rob, Helen came in the room and asked if she could join me.

"I think that would be lovely, may I play something for you?".

She thought for a minute and said, "Someone To Watch Over Me.".

I pulled it up on the tablet on the piano book ledge and played and sang. I had never heard the song before and was almost in tears at the end of it. That song described how Rod treated me almost exactly.

Helen said, "I think that is the best I have ever heard it done. You could be a professional. I think I am going to take a long bath and catch up on some sleep. Good night Miss Bagas"

"Now that sounds like a plan, I think I will do likewise.".

In the morning I got ready, thinking only of Rob's and my reunion. I had chosen a simple medium blue sundress with a tastefully low cut V back with a scoop neck that showed a slight bit of cleavage above the bra was built into the dress. The shoes I chose were matching blue, open toed pumps with three inch heels. Everything was suitable for travel and the temperature in New Orleans in late April.

The heels made my hips sway perfectly as I walked to the car. The drive ro the airport took longer than the flight, but soon we were touching down in New Orleans. I saw Rob waiting on the tarmac for me and my heart started pumping and I felt warm all over.

I walked gracefully but quickly down the stairs and greeted Rob with a big hug and he responded with a tender quick kiss. We both were surprised at what we just did without thinking. In the limo, Rob rolled up the privacy window between us and the driver. Rob looked at me with his eyes devouring me but saying words that didn't match his stare.

" I'm sorry for kissing you, I was not thinking."

"It wasn't your fault. I hugged you first automatically, but I have missed you so much. I need to tell you the ring is has been working overtime on how I feel about you."

Rob nodded and said "I know exactly what you mean. Have you been having dreams?"

I said "YES! Very erotic ones concerning you."

"I was afraid you were having the same sort of dreams. Damn, I have not had a wet dream since I was 14 and I have been having them for the past four nights. We are going to have to be very careful or we will do something that we both will regret when I change you back."

I agreed and he caught me up on some very strange twists we did not count on.

"Mara the reason I picked the house on Barracks St. was it was next door to a man, whose family was an old New Orleans family. Rene La Blank and his wife Katrina, they're very connected and are major movers and shakers in New Orleans. My hopes were to become friends with them and they would introduce us around.

But I had the wind knocked out of me the day after I arrived. While I was trying to think of someway to meet our new neighbors Rene showed up at my door. He greeted me by asking, "are you a good Witch or a bad Witch".

I laughed, thinking he was joking and invited him in. I told him he had a great sense of humor, but he was not kidding. Rene is a very distinguish looking middle-aged man and he looked at me and said, "Answer my question. I felt the greatest magic power I have ever felt when you showed up yesterday. So I need to know if you're a white or dark Witch."

I looked at him and told him, "I am not a Witch. Although you know about magic and felt it from me,I guess I need to tell you I am a Wizard so you can stop wondering if I am a "food Witch or a bad Witch."

He just about turned paper-white and whispered, "A true Wizard. My God, no wonder your Magic looks like a search light. I hope my ignorance has not insulted you. I will leave you to your business. Be certain I or my household will do nothing to get in your way. I know what you're capable of."

"Mara, I am telling you it took me almost begging the poor guy not to run out the door to sit and talk with me. After about two hours of talking with Rene he finally loosened up and started laughing about how bad he and his wife were when I moved in. He asked if he could call his wife and tell her to stop hiding in their basement. I told him of course and to invite her over because I wanted to meet her.

We had a fun evening, ordering a pizza. They stayed until 2 am telling me about Witches and me telling them how I became a Wizard. I found out there are about 600 powerful witches in the world and 16 of then are right here in New Orleans. About half are White like Rene and Kat his wife, but Rene said he was more a light gray than a white Witch and that Dark Witches were not very dark, just unsociable, and stayed out of things.

I told him you were to join me in two weeks and Kat can't wait to meet you. Rene and Kat are having us over tonight so they can meet you. I really like Rene and I think we can trust him. He and Kat are powerful as Witches go but there's no Witch in the world 1/100th as powerful as a Wizard. Rene informed me I was the only one he had ever met or known."

We got to our new home and I loved it. It had Spanish influences but was done up in traditional New Orleans style. It had a court garden and large spacious rooms. In my bedroom I found all my things placed where they needed to go and my huge closet had my clothes pristinely hung and organized.

Rob said, "The La Blancs are expecting us in about thirty minutes and they said to dress very casual and comfortable. They were preparing a traditional outside shrimp boil to welcome you." So I dressed in a scooped-neck cotton top, shorts and sandals.

We arrived on time and when Rene let us in Kat ran to me and gave me a big hug and said, "welcome to the Big Easy, I know I already love you because your dear Rob has grown so special to us so quickly and he loves you so much."

Kat backed up and looked at me strangely and said, "Rene look at Mara."

Rene looked at me and a smile lit up his face up his face and questioned Rob, "Rob why did you lie to me when you said you didn't know about witches and your fiancée is such a powerful one."

I looked at Rene and said, "I'm sorry I am not a witch, powerful or otherwise."

Kat said in a fake scolding tone, "No need to play coy with us Mara, the blood never lies ,but I don't know of a Bagas line of Witches. So what is your real name."

I looked at Rob and he looked at Rene and you could see the struggle Rob was going through trying to decided if he could trust Rene and Kat with the truth.

Rene told Kat to get a parchment, a pen and a needle and Kat looked at Rene hesitantly but did what he said.

Rene looked at Rob and said "I have grown to like and trust you quickly, I am gifted with the ability to see someone's true heart. You heart is true and you will always protect your friends so we are going to make you a Witch's Oath that we can never break that anything you tell us in confidence will never be spoken by us to anyone else without permission."

Rene wrote the oath and let Rob read it and then when Rob handed it back to him Rene and Kat signed the oath and pricked their thumbs and pressed their blood on the parchment and it disappeared in a flash of light. Rob then looked at his ring and went into a short trance that lasted a few seconds and nodded.

Rob, looked at me and said, "What they said is true you can tell them what you're comfortable in sharing."

I thought for a second and told them most of my story leaving out the part concerning my transformation.

Kat said, "you poor dear," and hugged me hard and long and we both started crying.

Then Rene angrily said, "That son of a bitch Babic has been a blight on the city since he came here. If it was not for those damn Sigils I would have killed him myself years ago. Rob please let me help you in ridding my beloved city of this blight."

"Your help would be most welcomed. Mara, did you know Witches live 600 years and Rene is almost 300 and lived here his whole life? His help will be invaluable."

I let go of Kat and said, "thank you Rene. I am sure we will be friends a long time. Due to Rob, I will live over a 1000 years, but I'm not a Witch."

Kat said, "Mara since you were orphaned you may not know it, but you are a Witch, the blood doesn't lie. Let's find out what your last name is,maybe we're related."

Kat went into another room and brought out a wooden box. In the box was a large quartz point.

Kat explained, "this is a divining stone, Magic activates it, the more magic a person has the brighter the glow and the color of the glow tells what family the Witch is of. Let me show you."

Kat, took the stone and it glowed bright dark red and she explained, "Dark Red is the color of the La Blanc's and no we don't inbreed. Rene is a distant cousin, there are a lot of La Blanc's and most marry other La Blancs, but rarely we will marry outside the family. My youngest sister did, but no one in the family has seen or heard from her for years. Now you give it a try.".

Rene stopped me and said, "I want to see if the legends are true about Wizards. Rob, there are a very old legends that when a Wizard holds a divining stone it will glow brighter than the sun in pure white light. I want to see if that is true, but just in case it's true the rest of us need to look in other directions not to be blinded."

Rob agreed to give it a try so the rest of us turned our backs to him and soon the room was very, very bright. It reminded me of an arc welder but brighter and pure white, but then the room went dim again. We turned around and the stone was back in the box.

Rene, broke the silence and said, "I guess the legends are true. Now Mara it is your turn. Lets find out what your real last name is."

Excited and scared at the same time I picked up the stone and it glowed bright burgundy, much brighter than Kat's, but nothing like Rob. The La Blanc's just stared at it like they were hypnotized so I quickly laid it back in its box.

Kat said, "she glowed burgundy. OH MOTHER GODESS, SHE GLOWED BURGUNDY!"

Kat ran to me and grabbed me and held tight crying uncontrollably and Rene just sat down. Rob and I looked at each other wondering what just happened.

Rob got a very worried look on his face and looked at Rene and asked, "is there something we need to be concerned about?.

Rene shook his head and said, "It all make sense now, the blood feud with the Babic's, unrelated grandparents, and everything else. It all makes sense. You see Mara's surname is Zduhac'. Their color is dark blue and, as you saw the La Blanc's is dark red and burgundy is what you get if you mix the two.

Kat's tears are tears of joy not sadness. You see, we think her youngest sister, Marie married the last Zuduhac', Gore Zuduhac' twenty-five years ago. Marie was volunteering in Serbia, helping with the orphans there, She wrote to us that she met Gore and they fell in love and Gore and she were coming home to to get married.

Shortly after that letter, they disappeared and Kat's family tried their best to find them. After being missing for four years we felt her light go out, meaning she died. Kat still morns her loss. As Kat was 150 years older she was more like Marie's second mother than a sister.

We knew of her sister's death but had no idea about Mara or her life would have been very different. When you told me about the blood feud with Mara's family I never made the connection. The Babic's came from minor nobility and they have had many blood feuds, some of which are still active. The only thing I regret about us finding our niece Mara is Kat's mother died last year in a sudden car wreck and she will never meet her."

Then, after it all sank in, I held Kat as hard as she was holding me and started crying too. Finally we both stopped crying for joy and still holding each other's hands we sat on the love seat together.

I looked at Rob and Rene, Rob was still standing looking at me with loving concern. Rene was still sitting in his chair, but the huge smile turned quickly to a look of pure hatred and rage. In a forced control voice he said, "Rob, I was going to tell you tonight that, you could kill Babic's whole family anytime you wanted. You know how to use your great magic like a sledge hammer, but you have not had it long enough to learn to use it subtly. The Babic's Sigel protects only the person from Magic not their house.

Babic built his fortress to keep people out, but its construction also keeps him in. You could wait till you know his whole family is home and just explode a gas line under it and set fire to the rest with no problem. I could not do that unless I could see it but you have Wizard sight. You can as you already know see and hear anything in world without moving.

With only one way in or out you could easily block it and let them all burn to death, but please don't. After hearing what he did to my wife's sister and our niece, I want him to suffer first. So I beg you as new family please help me make him bleed before you kill him. The Babic's will be dead soon, but please I want them to suffer first."

After hearing what Rene said in my own rage I said, "I want them to suffer too and I want to be part of it. Before he dies I want him to know who I am and that he failed and I won blood feud." Kat in agreement said, "You're not leaving me out of this, I need to be a part of this too or I will always regret it."

Rene said, "Good. We are all in and now let's celebrate Mara's return to us. We will start planning first thing in the morning. I will clear my schedule, the Babic Project is my only priority until it is done."