4 comments/ 8383 views/ 2 favorites Make a Wish By: heartgirl14 As thunderous applause filled the arena, Jace slipped out of the crowd to the backstage area. She flashed the plastic badge around her neck to Arena security. He always made sure that every show she could make it so Jace had uninterrupted access to him. She walked into the dressing room area greeted by his manager and personal assistant. "He's gonna be surprised to see you, Jace," his manager said. "He has no idea we sent for you and that you're coming to Europe with him for a week while he records." "Are you sure I'm not gonna be a distraction to him, I mean he has work to do and when I'm around..." "We know that...but the kid's been down lately, he really misses you and he'll be more than grateful to spend time with his fiancée' I'm sure. Well, he's meeting some contest winners and then he's all yours." Jace waited patiently in the background, watching her fiancé' use his charm and sexy smile to make a teenage girl cry and her friend scream as they walked away with their autographed photos and posters in hand. Mark hadn't seen her in three months and she couldn't take watching him stand there bare-chested any longer. His manager nudged her to walk over while his back was turned as he was talking to his personal assistant. Guess who? She whispered placing her hands over his eyes. Noticing her perfume he quickly turned around. "Baby! Oh my soul! What are you doing here?! You said you couldn't...and they said I gotta..." "I had to see you it's been too long. Surprised?" With those words, Mark picked Jace up and spun her around. She let out a burst of laughter right before he brought her down and kissed her softly on the lips. Already her body was warm from being close to him. "I take that as a yes," she smiled. "Jace, if you knew all the nights I didn't go to the all the after-parties and out with the fellas and ignored all the groupies that threw themselves at me ...just so I could call you and say I love you..." "Shh...say no more. I know all of this. I especially know you love me. She felt what she missed for twelve weeks. He pulled her over to a dimly lit corner and hugged her tightly. "I missed you." Jace whispered while he kissed her neck and his hands traveled along her waist and backside. He pushed his body close to her and his hardness pushed between her thighs. Even fully clothed, feeling him gave her chills. "I missed you too, can't you tell?" He kissed her deeply and slowly. Jace exhaled at the sensation kissing him sent through her, it always did. His hands wasted no time going after what he wanted. Jace gasped as his fingers opened her and he teased her clit. She arched her body against his hand and moaned. He let out a low laugh as she whispered, "Yes...I can tell." "Mark...baby...not here...what if somebody..." He licked his fingers pleasingly and bit his bottom lip," Come on." Mark led her down a hall with doors on her left and right. He passed her a smile as he opened a door and ushered her into the darkness. As soon as the door closed Jace was up against it. He wasted no time removing the slip dress she was wearing and taking one of her already hard nipples between his teeth. Every breath left Jace's body when he swiftly entered her with two of his fingers, stroking her slowly and sending her almost over the edge. "I don't want you to come not yet...not like this..." He led her to the chair on the other side of the room and sat her down. While he slowly undressed in front of her she became wetter her breathing harder, she couldn't wait for him to be inside her. Grabbing him by the waist, Jace removed his boxers and took his erect penis into her hand. She looked up at him as she gently stroked his manhood, knowing he hadn't been touched this way since the last time they saw each other. She took him into her mouth and sucked him slow and hard. Taking the length of him in with every move. Mark threw his head back as he moaned his hands entangled in her hair as he moved his hips to join her movements. "Ah, baby....oh, Jace..." he called softly. Before he reached his climax he stopped her. As good as her mouth felt to him, it was not the way he wanted it to end. Leaning down he looked her in the eyes, his breathing was heavy as he put her legs on his shoulders and began to lick her thighs. Mark held Jace's hips while he tasted her slowly and gently as if to savor her every drop. Jace's body shook as he quickened his tongue's movements. He didn't stop until her hips once again relaxed against his hands. Taking Jace by the hands, Mark stood her up and turned her around. Placing one hand on her back he bent her over and in one move placed himself inside her warm wet center. One thing he loved about Jace is that her body fit perfectly around him and he enjoyed ever second of it. A moan left his lips as he moved in and out of her "Baby you feel good...too damn good," he said in a low growl and clawed at her back. "No baby, not like this," Jace said lowly. Her voice almost gone from holding in the screams she longed to let out. "Sit down..." As soon as Mark's back rested against the chair, she straddled his waist and slowly let herself down onto him. They both moaned once he was completely inside her. Jace began to move up and down slowly, his hands trailing her spine. "How do you like it?" she asked. "I...love...it," his answer came in broken words. The sensation was becoming too much for him to handle. He pushed up into her, making her back arch and a low squeal leave her lips. Her body tensed, making her every muscle tighten against him. "Jace...Jace...damn woman why were you made for me?" he whispered with her every move. Their bodies rocked hard and fast together, they were nearing climax and they didn't care if anybody heard them anymore. Jace screamed as she came, his strokes unrelenting as he pushed inside her Jace's body shook as he finally succumbed to the pleasures himself, he moaned and gently bit her shoulder. Catching his breath, he kissed her deeply. A smile formed slowly on her face as Jace looked into his eyes. "I love you," he said resting his head on her shoulder. "I love you too...by the way, Happy Birthday." Make a Wish I'm thinking about you tonight and what I want to give you for your birthday. I have the perfect gift in mind. I'll get the room ready with candles and a few bottles of your favorite. I'm waiting for you in a red silk kimono. I'm already so hot for you, I'm sweating. Your knock on the door excites me, and I tie the kimono loosely, reminding myself that it's your evening. When I open the door, you look so hot, I can barely keep my hands off of you. You smile at me, and that's all it takes. I take you by the hand and lead you to the bed. I lie you down and start undressing you. The heat and scent of your skin is making it very hard for me to control myself. As I draw your shirt off, I can't resist lightly licking your chest. You catch my wrist in your hand. I pull your hand to my mouth and suck the tip of your finger. As you start to wrap your other arm around me, I gently bite the tip of your finger. I answer your look of surprise with, "Tonight is all for you." You relax a little as I kiss your stomach and slowly remove your pants. I lightly lick your inner thigh and say, "Roll over." I climb on your back and I can't resist nibbling the back of your neck before I begin kneading your shoulders, working the tension out of your muscles. I work my way down your back. You are so beautiful I just want to bite you, but I know if I get started, I won't be able to stop. When I get to your lower back, I began using the palms of my hands in a circular motion as I draw your boxers down with my teeth. I slide my hands down, lightly running my nails across your ass to your thighs. I then begin working on the muscles in the back of your legs. When I get to your ankles, I run my tongue along your legs all the way back up to your neck. I let my kimono fall open, allowing myself a moment to lie naked on top of you and enjoy the feel of your skin against mine. I sit back up and whisper, "Turn over." I close the robe. You are so hot, that it's all I can do to control myself. If you touch me, I won't be able to. So I move to your side and begin massaging your arm. I work both arms thoroughly and begin on your chest. I then skip ahead to your thighs, trying to ignore how hard you are. When I finish your massage, I climb on top of you and kiss you softly. I run my hand gently across your forehead. "You're sweating." "So are you." You start to slide your hands up my legs, but I'm not quite ready to give up control. I reach over and scoop up a piece of ice out of the bucket. You look up at me and smile. "You think of everything" " You have no idea." You gasp as I run the ice along your forehead. I lick the moisture off. I suck on the ice, then suck on your earlobe. You clutch on to my thighs. I let you, but I won't let you pull me down. Not yet. I continue, trailing the ice slowly across your chest, then licking you. I put the ice in my mouth to suck gently on your nipples. You bring your hands up to my shoulders and hold me tight. I draw the ice down your ribs. The ice has completely melted by the time I get to your hip bone. I reach over for another ice cube and run it lightly over you then follow the ice with tiny nibbles. You arch your hips up against me. I breathe your scent in deeply and close my eyes to gain control so I can work on your other side. By the time I have covered both sides with my tongue, I can't stand it anymore and lower my head to take you into my mouth. You sigh as you feel my hair drape across your stomach and then you gasp sharply as my cold mouth covers your warm skin. I suck gently, running my tongue over you as you stroke my hair. I'm reveling in the taste and smell of you as you moan deeply. I really love hearing that so I open my mouth wider and take as much of you in as I can, nuzzling my cheek against the inside of your thigh and caressing you softly with my fingertips as I move my mouth up and down, alternating sucking lightly and licking you. It's been such a long time, I can't get enough of you, and I have to have you inside me. I hold you in my hands and kiss the inside of your thigh. You sound a little disappointed so I lick my way back up your chest to your neck, pausing only to gently nibble at your throat and ear. I slide up and lower myself slowly on to you, feeling the full length of you deep inside me. The kimono, slips off of my shoulders and I sit up, running my hands over my breasts as I look down at you. Your eyes are half closed as I slowly began to lower myself up and down, enjoying the feel of you in me. You reach for me and place your hands on my hips. I stroke your chest with my fingertips. I let you guide my pace until I feel your muscles tense under me and you grip on to me for your final thrusts. I lean forward a little and kiss you softly and whisper, "Make a wish." Happy Birthday. I hope all of your dreams come true. Make a Wish © 2009 All rights reserved. * "Miss Morgan?" the nurse said quietly. Julie turned in response, her face pale as she sat between the two hospital beds holding her parents, both in comas. "Yes," Julie said, her voice rough. "Dr. Terrance would like to speak with you, and I'm sorry to say that visiting hours are over." The nurse, Alia Easton, spoke very gently, trying to be as kind as she could to the young woman sitting between the beds. Jim and Ilsa Morgan had been recovered from the site of their plane crash, for what good that did. Both of them lay comatose. To make it worse, their brains had survived just enough for basic functions. They breathed on their own, their hearts pumped blood through their bodies, and IVs kept nutrients in their systems, but they would never wake up. And poor Julie, thought Alia, she comes every day. "Thank you," said Julie. She stood, gave each of her parents a kiss on the forehead, and walked out of the room. Dr. Braydon Terrance was waiting for her, going over a chart at the nurses' station. "Doctor?" she inquired. He gestured her over to a chair in the waiting area. Dr. Terrance felt badly for this young girl. He'd rarely seen a more faithful visitor, even for patients that were conscious and alert. He was guessing that guilt of some sort was driving her, in addition to the love he knew she had for her parents. She sat before him, her dark blonde hair pretty but untidy, her grey eyes surrounded by dark circles. He wished very much she had a sibling or other relative to share the burden, but it seemed she was alone. "Julie," he said. She raised her eyes to him. "I've made arrangements to have your parents transported to a hospice." "But…" she started to say, then stopped. She had no idea what to say anyway, and decided she should hear the doctor out. Some reflex had made her protest, she guessed. After all, hospices were where people went to die. "It'll be a much nicer atmosphere, there," he continued. "Certainly cheerier than here. They'll be in a room together, with windows and fresh air, and you can see them whenever you like; the visiting hours will be much more flexible. The staff there can provide any necessary medical care, and there are always doctors on site and on call. There's really no reason to keep them here." He didn't want to mention that the hospital staff simply couldn't baby sit her fairly healthy but unconscious parents. "All right," she said, somewhat dully. It made sense. Her parents simply lay there, taking space away from people who were probably more seriously ill and had a chance of recovering. It would be nice not to come so often to the hospital so often. The staff were all wonderful, people like Dr. Terrance and Alia tried very hard to keep her informed, to make her comfortable, to work around a rule or two if it helped. But it was a hospital, with sterile white hallways and sheets, the hydraulic beds and that antiseptic smell that you simply couldn't escape. Perhaps a hospice would do some good for her, too. Perhaps if she were in a place where death was prepared for, instead of avoided, she could cope a bit better. Dr. Terrance gave her a small smile. "We will move them over the weekend, probably Sunday when it's a bit quieter. Here's the number of the hospice." He handed her a card that said Fleming Hospice Center, with an address, phone number, and the name of the hospice director. "Give Josie, the director, a call when you have a chance, and mention my name. She's very friendly and would be happy to have you over for a tour and answer any questions." "Thank you," Julie said. "I really do appreciate it." Dr. Terrance nodded. "I have to go," he said, patting her hand, "but don't hesitate to call me if you need anything." He stood up, grabbed some charts, and left to do his rounds. Julie stared at the card in her hand for a few more moments and then stood as well, putting the card in her pocket. Alia came over before she could go. "Are you all right?" she asked, knowing how inane the question sounded. "I guess," said Julie. "I hoped it would get easier, I suppose, but it doesn't seem to be. Maybe a change of scenery would help." She didn't sound as though she believed it. "It will." Alia squeezed the other woman's hand gently. "It's a nice place. We took my grandmother there when her cancer became terminal. It's amazing how a place like that can help you. Now, go on home and rest up. I know you have to go to work tomorrow." "Thanks," said Julie. She sighed and made her way through the brightly lit hallways, down to the dim parking garage. She found her little blue Dodge Neon, and drove home. x-x-x-x "Come on, Julie, let's get a coffee." Julie held a finger up to indicate she'd be ready in a minute, typed a few more keystrokes and saved her file. "All right, I'm ready, I could use the caffeine," said Julie as she stretched. She stood up, grabbed her purse and caught up with Mindy, who was already walking to the elevator. Mindy Rogers was a gorgeous Latina with silky dark hair, lovely eyes, and a name that belied her heritage. She'd never figured it out, she told Julie. Her mother, so traditional in so many ways, somehow decided her daughter looked like a "Mindy" when she was born. Could be worse, Julie had told her. You could have looked like a Bertha. "So how are you holding up?" Mindy asked as they sat at one of the outdoor tables with their drinks. Julie noted with amusement the countless admiring looks Mindy received from nearly all the men in the vicinity, and Mindy's obliviousness of them. It kept her mind off of other things, such as the answer to Mindy's question. "I'm all right, I guess," she said, then shrugged. "What's to say? They're each in a coma and God knows they most likely won't come out of them. It's a strange waiting game." She stared down at her coffee, then took a sip. "The hospice is nicer than the hospital, I'll say that. It's a less oppressive atmosphere, certainly a lot quieter. Luckily the insurance covers it, at least for now." "I have something for you," Mindy said. She reached into her large handbag and pulled out a gaily wrapped box. "My birthday was last month," Julie said, eyeing the package warily. "I know. It's not for your birthday. Go on, open it." Mindy pushed the box toward her friend. Julie took it and slowly unwrapped it. It was tall and rectangular. When she finally got through the ribbons and paper, she opened the box and found herself holding an antique bottle of some sort. Was it wine, she wondered? Finally, she said, "It's lovely, Mindy, but what exactly is it?" Mindy smiled widely. "It's a genie in a bottle." Julie smiled in return, figuring her friend was trying to lighten things up a little, and she appreciated the gesture. "Thanks, then. It really is beautiful craftsmanship. I'll find a place for it when I get home." "No," said Mindy, shaking her head. "I mean it. It's a genie in a bottle. It's been in my family for ages." "You have got to be kidding me," said Julie. Mindy shook her head again. "You mean, this is a bottle and if I rub it or something, someone will come out of it dressed in harem pants and tell me I have three wishes. Min, it's great of you to try to make me feel better, but come on…" "Just try it when you get home," Mindy said. "I don't know about the harem pants, or exactly how many wishes you get, but there's a genie in there, honest to God." "Have you seen it?" "No, but my grandmother has, and my mother." Julie narrowed her eyes at her friend. "You're serious." Mindy nodded. "Fine, I'll take it home. It's lovely. But I'm not going to be making any wishes." "But, Julie," Mindy protested. "Think of how you could make things better. You could wish for your par--" "No," Julie cut in, more sharply than she'd meant to. "I mean, thanks, but no. I don't believe in making wishes." Mindy looked about to say more, but Julie pointed out the time and they hurried back to the office. x-x-x-x-x Julie cleared a spot over her fireplace for the bottle she'd received from Mindy. It was the size of a wine bottle, with a light blue tint, but with a body sort of like a snowman -- three globes stacked on each other. There was lovely etching and other decoration on the glass. She wondered how old it was, and figured it had to be at least fifty years old, if it dated back to Mindy's grandmother. Genies, she thought, right. x-x-x-x-x A couple of weeks later, Julie was cleaning the house. It wasn't her favorite thing to do, but it had to be done and it kept her mind off her parents, still sleeping -- it was hard to think of it as anything else -- in the hospice. She would go over later, as she did nearly every day, but she needed a break. She wanted to believe that they heard her when she talked to them, discussing the mundane details of everyday life, but she didn't, not really. She couldn't, not when she knew there was no higher brain function happening in either of them. Still, she visited, not sure what else to do. Mindy had been after her constantly, asking if she'd rubbed the bottle to bring out the genie. Every time, Julie gave her a dour look and changed the subject. How could Mindy believe that, she wondered. Sure, perhaps her grandmother was into mysticism, and had told it as a bedtime story. Her mother passed it on. But Mindy was adamant. Julie considered that she might have to rub the bottle while Mindy was there if only to show her how ridiculous it all was. As she began to move items on the mantle to dust it, her elbow hit the bottle. It teetered in what seemed like slow motion, then fell into the bucket of water Julie had next to her. Relieved there was only water on the floor, and that the bottle wasn't broken, Julie retrieved it and used a towel to dry it. Suddenly there was a small flash of light, a strange little sound, and a man was standing next to her. Startled, Julie backed away and nearly tripped over the coffee table, saved only by the stranger grabbing her arm. Tact deserted her. "Where the hell did you come from?" she demanded. A soft chuckle came from the stranger. He was tall and lean, which made him look even taller. His hair and eyes were dark brown. His nose was… Roman? Not just Roman, Julie thought, but Roman like the pictures of Caesar on ancient Roman coins. "I came from the bottle," he said, gesturing at it. Julie stared at him silently for a few minutes. "I'm hallucinating," she said, finally. This brought an outright laugh from the man. "No, no, you're not, although I can understand the reaction," he said, after he had settled down. "Let me guess: you're a genie." Julie took short-lived refuge in sarcasm. He nodded. "Yes, I am." This woman was quite something, he thought. Very different from most people who came into possession of his bottle. She was, perhaps, the first one who did not really think there was a genie inside it. This should be interesting, he thought. "You don't look like Aladdin," she said, realizing how ridiculous it sounded even as the words came out. He simply nodded again. He was wearing blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a denim shirt, unbuttoned, over that. His feet were bare. "Yes, that's true. But Aladdin wasn't the genie in the lamp, you know. He was just a street waif who got lucky." "Do you have a name?" Julie asked. "Marcus. Marcus Antonius." She stared at him again. "Marcus Antonius. Marc Antony. Like Caesar and Cleopatra, that Marcus Antonius?" "Well," he said, looking a bit sheepish. "I did admire Marc Antony. He was quite nice to me when I was a young soldier in his army. So after a while, I took his name, I liked it better than my own." He paused. "I never did meet Caesar or Cleopatra, although I did see her from a distance. She was quite a woman." "I need to sit down," said Julie, letting herself collapse on to the sofa. "It's hard to take in, isn't it?" he asked, moving over to sit in a chair opposite her. "Oh, no," she said, waving her hand dismissively and affecting nonchalance. "I run into people who are thousands of years old, named after famous Roman generals, who claim to be genies all the time. You're the third this month." Marcus laughed once again. He liked her spirit. He could tell she was trying to digest it all, and that the sarcasm was her attempt to do so, not a means to offend him. "I can prove this to you," he said. "Or at least, I can perhaps do something that would lessen your doubt." Julie nodded cautiously. Marcus held his hand out towards the flowers on her kitchen table. She'd bought them nearly a week ago and they were starting to brown and wilt. As Julie watched, a soft light surrounded them like an aura, the brown faded and the flowers came back to life. "So Mindy was right," Julie said in almost a whisper. "Her grandmother really did see you…" Marcus nodded. "Oh, yes. Miss Guadalupe was a wonderful woman. She never abused the privilege of her wishes." "I need a drink," said Julie. She went to the kitchen and got herself a drink of water. She had considered some wine, but figured that wouldn't help. Hallucination or not, she wanted as clear a head as possible. "So, I get three wishes?" she said, returning to the living room. She didn't sit, instead leaning against the wall, arms crossed over her chest. "Well," said Marcus, admiring her as she stood by the wall, "there's no real limit on the wishes. It's more to do with the quality of them. At least, I think so. Anyway, there are rules, of course. No wishing for mountains of gold, or world peace, or that sort of thing. Each one must be prefaced by 'I wish…' I can tell you before hand if your wishes are grantable." Julie shook her head. "There's no need. I don't make wishes." Marcus stared at her. "What?" "I don't make wishes," she repeated. "But, but…," Marcus groped for words. Never before had he encountered someone who wouldn't wish. Some had been greedy, others amazingly altruistic, but none had ever refused outright. "But that's not possible. Everybody wishes for something." "I don't," she said firmly. "Why?" "Because for one thing, I'm sure there's a catch. If I asked for a raise at work, someone would be fired so I could have it. If I asked for a new apartment, someone would be kicked out of theirs." "You've read too much Poe," Marcus told her. "Maybe." She shrugged. "But whatever you may think, I don't wish for things anymore." "But why?" Marcus was still baffled. Julie was getting angry. "Because," she snapped, "the last time I wished for something -- and there wasn't even a genie around, mind you -- I wished for my parents to get back in time for my birthday. Next thing I know, they're being retrieved from the site of a small plane crash, and I got to spend my birthday in the hospital with them while they were each in a coma." She had to fight back tears now, and took a deep breath. "I'm very sorry," Marcus said softly. He wanted very much to put his arms around her, to let her rest on him for a while, but he didn't. She wouldn't appreciate it, he was sure, and he couldn't quite figure out where the impulse came from. Genies obeyed their masters, of course, and there was often an implicit love in the situation, but this was different. He found that for the first time in centuries, he genuinely cared about someone. It was a bit unsettling. "So," she continued, staring past him at the far wall, "if I were to ask for them to be home, they'd be home in the same vegetative state they are now, with no prospect of recovery. If I were to ask for them to be better, the question would be 'better relative to what,' and I would probably end up with zombies who could function but not talk, or something like that. I'm not clever enough to phrase things to prevent a loophole. So, no, thank you for the wishes. It would only come back to hurt me." The words all came out in a rush, and when she was done, she found she was out of breath. "It doesn't have to be like that," Marcus said, after considering her words. "I mean, I can't work miracles, but really, Poe had the wrong idea." "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction," Julie said. "There's a price for everything. I won't chance it." "You're going to make my job very difficult," he said, "if you won't wish." "I'm sorry," she said. "I could give the bottle back to Mindy, perhaps. She could wish for things." Marcus shook his head. "It doesn't work that way. You released me, you have to wish. I can't leave or go to anyone else until you do." "Can't I just pass?" Julie asked, feeling a little desperate. She didn't like having Marcus beholden to her when he hadn't done anything. It smacked of slavery and made her very uncomfortable. "Can't I just refuse? Isn't there a time limit or something?" "No," Marcus said gently. "Look, why don't you leave it be and think about it. Perhaps you'll find small things to wish for, that you'd be comfortable with." "And in the meantime, what?" she asked. "You're my roommate?" He grinned. "I suppose so." "Do you need a bed, or do you stay in the bottle?" she asked, dryly. I give up, she thought. Maybe I'll wake up in the morning and find out this is all a dream. "Either," he said. "You can make that choice, if you want." "Can you cook?" This time it was Marcus who nodded warily. "Good, you can do that to earn your keep." "Are you serious?" he asked, incredulous. "You've got someone at your disposal who's hundreds of years old, with magical powers, and you want me to cook?" "You bet," she said. "I've had a hell of a last couple of months. I'm exhausted and I can barely think. I've been living off of Starbucks and store-bought sandwiches. It's not doing much for my physical or mental health. So, you can cook." Besides, she thought, if this is my dream, I might as well go for the things I'd really want. What she really wanted, even though she couldn't admit it to herself, was someone to rely on, someone to take care of her. Mindy was being as supportive as possible, but there was only so much even a best friend could do. "How do you know I can even use your cooking appliances?" he asked. Julie gave a short laugh, and Marcus found that it warmed him. She should laugh more often, he thought. The sadness, the depression that he saw in her was not the way she should be. "For one thing," she said, "you called them 'appliances,' so you've at least seen them. You're wearing jeans, which tells me you're not unacquainted with some of the more modern aspects of the world. Besides, I can show you how it works. Surely with all you've experienced, you can adapt to a gas stove." "All right," he said. "Show me where everything is." Julie cocked her head at him, raising an eyebrow. "Really? You'll do it?" "I don't have much of a choice," he said. "You're my master, or mistress, or whatever you'd like to call it. Aside from granting your wishes, I'm at your command. I'll do what you tell me." Now Julie reddened and bit at her bottom lip. Marcus wondered why her demeanor changed so suddenly. "I didn't realize that," she said. "I don't want to take advantage of you. You don't have to cook. I'll try to figure out what to do to end your obligation as quickly as I can." Marcus was stunned. No one -- no one -- in all the time he'd been a genie had ever not taken advantage of this situation. Julie's concern for his well-being, his captivity and freedom, touched him as nothing had before. Julie turned to go to her room. She was mentally drained and needed to rest. Needed to close her eyes and try to clear her mind. This was all too much, and she had the suspicion that she was, in fact, not dreaming. She hated the idea of having this kind of control over anyone, genie or not. It wasn't right. She liked her relationships to be equal, or at least as equal as possible. Most relationships were a little unbalanced, she realized, but there was no reason to consciously abuse the difference. Make a Wish "You, um, you can take the guest room, if you'd like," Julie said, not looking at him. "I don't know how comfortable that bottle is. I guess… I guess feel free to do what you need or want to while I'm work and at the hospice. I'm going to lie down for a bit now, I…" but she ran out of things to say and began walking slowly towards her door. "Wait." Marcus swiftly crossed the space between them. He wanted to lay a hand on her arm, but was afraid of being too forward. "Thank you," he said earnestly. "I can explain more about this, later, if you want. But I don't mind cooking… as a genie, it's in my nature to help wherever I can, or do whatever I'm told. In fact, I'd like to. You're the kindest master I've had in I don't know how long. Thank you." "You're welcome," she whispered, then dashed into her room and shut the door, leaving Marcus to stare after her and try to make sense of his new situation. x-x-x-x-x A few days later, Julie sat with Mindy at the same coffee shop. She chose a table outside even though it was cool, because no one else was outside. She'd finally accepted that Marcus was real, that he was a genie, and that she had to figure out what to do. She hoped Mindy would be able to help. "I told you so," Mindy said, teasingly. She was so excited. Julie had had such an awful time lately, and Mindy was sure that the genie was the key to fixing everything. "Yes, yes, I know," said Julie. "I believe it now, okay?" "So what will you wish for?" Mindy asked. "I told you, I don't make wishes," said Julie. "That's why I need your help. I thought maybe your mother or grandmother would have an idea. He says he can't go to anyone else until and unless I make my wishes. But I don't want to. There has to be a way out of this." "You're kidding!" Mindy couldn't believe this. The answer to Julie's problems was at her disposal -- at her command -- and she was refusing it. "You aren't going to wish for your parents to be healed?" "Absolutely not," Julie said firmly. "I told Marcus and I'm telling you, there would be a catch, a price that I'm not willing to pay or have anyone else pay on my behalf. So I need to find another way out. I can't wish him free, that's against the rules. There's no time limit, so he's here indefinitely." "Is he cute?" Mindy asked. She winked. "My mom said he was terribly handsome." "What does that have to do with anything?" Julie asked, amazed. Mindy simply waited and she sighed. "Fine, he's very good-looking." "So why don't you wish for him to sleep with you?" Mindy asked. That seemed like an easy enough way out of it. "Because I don't want anybody that way. If he -- or anyone else -- wants to sleep with me, I want that to be their own genuine desire." Julie surprised herself with the honesty of her answer, but Mindy's question had startled her and she had replied without thinking. "Do you think he wants to?" "I don't know. I haven't asked. And I won't." "So what is he doing, anyway?" Mindy asked, sitting back and sipping her coffee. "He's cooking," said Julie. "I told him he didn't have to, but he said he liked to, so…" she shrugged. "Beats having subs all the time." "I'll ask Mom and Nana," Mindy said, "but I really think you're stuck with having to make wishes." "I know," Julie grumbled. "But I need to explore all the options." x-x-x-x-x Marcus adjusted the heat on dinner -- a simple but filling chicken soup, and fresh biscuits -- while he waited for Julie to return home. He found the cooking to be quite fun. The appliances Julie had were amazing -- the blender, the food processor, and his favorite, the toaster. So much easier than doing everything over an open fire. Julie had taken to coming home for a meal after work before going to the hospice to spend time with her parents, so he tried to have things ready to eat when she got home. He laughed at himself, too, for that. In his time, it certainly wasn't the men who had to worry about having dinner ready. Although Marcus didn't begrudge Julie the visiting -- he couldn't even if he wanted to -- he found that he wished she would stay home one night. He wanted to talk to her, to get to know her. That was happening slowly, since you couldn't live with someone for over a month and not learn some things about them. But he hoped that one night she'd simply stay in so that they could talk. He imagined how he could massage her shoulders, or her feet, to help reduce her stress. Then he sighed, wondering at the irony of a genie wanting to make wishes. He heard the door unlock and reached into the cabinets for soup bowls and plates for the biscuits. Julie came in and he heard the familiar sounds of her purse dropping to the floor and her keys to the tray on the small table she kept in the entryway. "Hello," she said, stepping into the kitchen. "Hi," he said, giving her a smile. Julie smiled back. She had discovered that Marcus' smiles always made her feel warm inside. They made her feel special. Then she would shake her head at herself. Surely, with all the experiences Marcus had had, there had been women, and no doubt that smile had been used on many of them. Still, it was a killer smile, and she didn't mind having it directed at her. "Dinner smells delicious. Thank you." Marcus found that her gratitude for his efforts gave him the same warm feeling as her laugh. He loved it. "I hope you like it," he said. "I kind of made it up as I went along. Based it on what I had sometimes in the army." "So I'm eating an ancient Roman soup, made by an ancient Roman?" She gave him a small, teasing smile. "Well, I guess so," he said, setting a bowl in front of her, "although I have to say, it sure dampens my ego to think of myself as ancient." "They say you're only as old as you feel," she said, breaking off a piece of biscuit and dipping it in the soup broth. "This is wonderful." "In that case," Marcus said, sitting down with his own bowl, "I guess I feel no more than, say, four hundred years old." As he'd hoped, that won a laugh from Julie. At first, she'd had to tell him to sit and eat with her, and finally had told him that it was silly for her to say it every night. He'd been uneasy the first night he'd sat down without her gentle permission, but his discomfort lifted as he saw that she meant it. This was the first time, he realized, that he'd had a relationship. In the army, he'd been a low-ranking soldier, with no real hope of rising to the officer ranks. Then he'd become a genie, and that meant that every relationship had him in the inferior position. Until Julie. "Are you going to the hospice tonight?" he asked. She nodded. He was silent, working up the courage to ask his next question; he'd thought of it only moments before she'd come in. He didn't think Julie would take offense, but centuries of following orders made it difficult to ask questions. "Could I… could I go with you?" He held his breath, waiting for her reaction. Julie stopped eating, leaving her spoon in her bowl. "You want to go to the hospice?" Not even Mindy had offered to do that. "Only if you want me to," he said, suddenly very interested in shredding his biscuit. "I just… I guess I'm kind of curious… and it must be hard for you to go alone all the time… and like I said, it's in my nature to want to help…" He stopped as he started babbling. "Thank you, that would be very nice," said Julie. He looked up to see tears glistening in her eyes. "It is hard." Once more, Marcus fought the urge to pull her into his arms. He'd gotten this far, but he didn't want to push. He smiled and touched her hand, then went back to finishing his soup, although he didn't taste a drop of it. x-x-x-x-x Julie laughed as Marcus explored the car as best he could. He'd never been in one before, but she began to think there must be something inherent in men that came out when they were around cars, even if the man himself pre-dated automobiles. She had to look away before she laughed too much as he nearly twisted himself in knots trying look around in the back. "Really, Marcus, all of the gadgets are up front here," she said, gesturing at the dashboard and console. "The only thing in the back seat is the back seat." "This is amazing!" he exclaimed. "I've heard about them, of course, and I've seen them, but I've never been in one before." He had unintentionally delayed their departure as he started randomly fiddling with knobs, and Julie had stopped him to explain what everything did. She showed him the radio, the CD player, the AC and the heater. She also pointed out things like the hazard lights and noted that he should not touch any of them, especially when the car was in motion. Luckily, she had the foresight to demonstrate the volume knob before they started off, or he would have probably blasted both of them out of the car. "Do the armies have these?" he asked. What a way to move troops! So much faster than horses. "You bet," said Julie. "They have all kinds." She did her best to explain trucks, jeeps and tanks, before moving on to helicopters and airplanes. Marcus was about to press her for more information on airplanes when he remembered what she had said about her parents and how they had come to be in the hospice, and decided it was better not to. Besides, she had begun to show him how to use her computer to find information on all kinds of things. He could learn about airplanes there. She grew quiet as they reached the hospice. Marcus took in the building. It was one story, with a brick front. It looked like a house, but much larger. It reminded him vaguely of some of the larger villas he'd seen in Rome. There was even a fountain in the front courtyard, something only the richest nobles could have afforded back then. "Are you sure you want to come in?" she asked him. He turned, startled. He still wasn't used to Julie asking for his opinion, checking on his desires. She misread his hesitation and continued. "I mean, I know it's probably an odd place for you, and it's hard to be around people who are all here to die, so if you want to wait in the car…" She hoped he didn't. She really wanted his company. "I do," he said, reassuring her. "I was just taking it in. There was nothing like this when I was growing up, and most of my past masters didn't exactly want to take me sightseeing. But this… this seems like a good idea. I've lived a long time, but I know that death is a part of the life cycle. It's better for it to be accepted, to help prepare people, than to just shove them away in asylums or something." "Come on, then." They stepped out of the car, Julie smiling slightly as she allowed Marcus to use the keychain to engage the keyless lock. She led him into the building, signed the registry, and began to walk down the hallway to her parents' room. Unconsciously, she reached back and took his hand. Surprised, Marcus said nothing, but let her continue to keep his hand in hers as they walked. He couldn't remember any previous master doing anything like this… even such a common display of affection felt intimate to him. He really didn't know what to do about the fact that he was falling for her. Those thoughts went out of his head when he saw the two people lying in the beds as Julie opened the door to the room. He'd never seen anyone in this state before. Julie had explained how except for things like breathing, their brains no longer worked. That was difficult to accept, even for someone like Julie, he realized, who had grown up in this time and was accustomed to such things. Spying a chair in the corner, he sat down, watching as Julie pulled a chair up between the hospital beds and began talking to her parents as if they could hear and understand. She might have fooled anyone else, but Marcus was a genie. He was a magical being, and as such was attuned to more than just what he saw and heard on the surface. He could feel the guilt gnawing at Julie. He could also feel the spirits of her parents, as though they were tethered to the beds. They wanted to go, to move on, but Julie wasn't ready, and so they stayed. Their love flowed out of them, but he didn't think Julie could feel it; she had closed herself off from it, thinking herself unworthy. But if only she knew how worthy she was, he thought. How much her parents loved her, how proud they were, and how very much they wanted her to be happy. x-x-x-x-x Julie began speaking to her parents as she always did. Hi, it was a dull day at work but here's what happened, you'll never guess what Mindy wants to do… but her heart wasn't in it. Not that it had ever fully been, but tonight… tonight she wished she had stayed home with Marcus. She'd become quite used to him, although she'd chided herself for it, and reminded herself she was supposed to be looking for a way to free him, it was difficult. She was still opposed to wishing, but her vehemence was fading, probably worn down by the sheer futility of coming to the hospice for so long. Marcus had been, aside from Mindy, the best friend she'd ever had. He never made demands, and always tried to help. Even though she knew that was his nature, she sensed that it was also his genuine desire to be helpful to her. The idea of spending an evening with him, talking to someone who could talk back, was amazingly appealing. She didn't realize that she had let her talking trail off, nor that Marcus was watching her closely. I can't do this anymore, she thought. I just want them to be at peace, but I don't know to make it happen. Then a little voice popped in and said, yes, she did, she just didn't want to. Oh, God, she thought to herself, feeling her heartbeat speed up in panic. I almost made a wish. I can't do that. I can't use Marcus like that. But, oh, it was so tempting. Tears welled up and began to fall down her cheek. In a blink, Marcus was next to her. "Julie, what's wrong?" He cupped her face in his hands, lightly brushing the tears away. "Please, tell me, please, what is it." She stared into his dark eyes for a moment before finding her voice. "I almost made a wish," she whispered. "I'm so sorry." "You don't have to be sorry for that," he told her. "That's why I'm here. That's what I am." "No." She shook her head. "I can't. I won't. It will go horribly wrong, I know it." "Julie," he said, forcing her gently to look at him. "I know what you want. I can tell you this -- your parents are here. They love you. They are sorry to leave you, but they are ready to move on, but they are waiting for you to be ready. If you wish for it, I can help you and them. I promise, no one will be hurt." "They're here?" she asked. He nodded. "They can see me?" He nodded again. "Can they hear me?" "Yes, they've heard every word," he told her. She watched as he closed his eyes, as though he were concentrating on something. "They want to me to tell you they're sorry. That it isn't your fault." Her eyes widened. "But I wanted them to come home…" she said. "They had already planned to come back early and surprise you. One of their friends advised against it, but they decided to go anyway. It was their mistake, not yours. Nothing to do with your wish. It was all just a terrible coincidence in timing." Julie listened intently, wanting desperately to believe him. Her hands gripped his, savoring the strength and warmth in them. "I don't know if I can do it," she said. For now she knew she was afraid for them to be gone. She had told herself that they were, that these bodies lying in the beds were mere shells. The important parts of them were gone. But part of her clung to them being here. She didn't want to lose her parents, and said so to Marcus. "You won't lose them," he told her, brushing her hair away from her face. "You'll be helping them. And they will always watch over you." She swallowed. "Do you promise?" "I promise," he said, placing one hand over his heart. Then he placed both hands over hers. "It's all right, Julie. Just wish." Julie closed her eyes. I wish my parents could be at peace. Then she waited. A calm feeling gradually swept over her, taking away her fears and sadness. This was right, she suddenly knew. It was time to let her parents go. Of course she wanted them to stay, but it wasn't to be. For whatever reason, this was their time. She opened her eyes and for a moment, saw her parents, or at least their presences, hovering in the room. They reached out with gauzy hands and caressed her face; she closed her eyes and felt a cool sensation run over her cheeks. She opened her eyes again. Her mother and father smiled, then faded slowly away. When she could focus on the present again, she looked at the beds and saw that both figures were no longer breathing. She looked down to find Marcus still holding her hands. "That's it?" she said softly. "Yes, that's all," he replied gently. "They're at peace now." The next couple of hours until they arrived home were a blur for Julie. The nurse came in, and then the doctor. There were questions to answer, papers to sign, cards and papers to take home and phone numbers to dial later. Marcus stood quietly aside while she attended to the details, but she never felt that he was abandoning her. He just knew there was no place for him at that moment, and so stayed nearby but out of the way. Julie drove them home carefully and quietly. She wondered at one point if Marcus was using his magic to keep her from being distracted, or to keep them out of danger while she drove. She'd have been worried if their positions had been reversed; after all, to say her mind was occupied was an understatement. At last they arrived, and she welcomed the warmth and comfort of the house when she stepped inside. "Are you all right?" Marcus asked, after she dropped her purse to the floor and locked the door. She looked up at him, nodded. Without warning, surprising herself as much as him, Julie wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. Startled, Marcus slowly let his arms come up to her back, pressing her gently against him. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you so much." She buried her face in his shoulder, trying to keep her tears at bay. x-x-x-x-x "Thank you," she had said. Marcus was dumbfounded. She'd said that before for so many other things, but this was different. No one had ever really thanked him for fulfilling a wish before. But then, he wondered if any previous wish had benefited someone else, as Julie's had her parents. Certainly no one had ever hugged him like this. He never wanted her to let go. "You're welcome," he finally said. They stood there quietly for a few more minutes, then Julie self-consciously removed her arms and moved toward the couch in the living room. Marcus followed, able to think only of how much he wanted those arms back around him, but he said nothing. "I feel like I should feel sadder than I do," Julie said, staring at her hands. "You have had some time to adjust to this," Marcus pointed out. "You've probably been mourning since they were in the hospital." "You're most likely right," Julie agreed. "But it still feels odd. Part of me thinks I should just be crying my eyes out. But I feel… relieved. It's like a cloud has passed or something. I wonder now why I didn't let go before this." "You weren't ready," said Marcus. "I was being selfish," said Julie. "Now, no wallowing in self pity," Marcus admonished her, then realized that he'd very nearly issued a command. He couldn't do that to his master; even though Julie had never acted as a master, he cowered a bit after his statement and said no more. "Marcus, what's wrong?" Julie asked. She was no genie, but even she could sense the change in his demeanor. Make a Wish "I'm sorry, I overstepped my boundaries," he said. "I'll go." With that, he disappeared back into his bottle. Julie watched, mouth agape, as Marcus faded in a flash of light and then saw a glow from within the bottle. He'd gone back in but she couldn't figure out why. He'd seemed almost… scared? Ashamed? If so, she wondered why. He hadn't said anything to offend her, but perhaps he thought he had. I could command him to come out again, she realized with a start. No, she couldn't. She thought of Marcus as a friend, and Julie simply did not order her friends about. Marcus was worried, and she didn't want to him to fear her, but she thought perhaps it would be best to wait until the morning, when she had a clearer head. Right now, she was completely emotionally drained. There were too many thoughts spinning in her head. x-x-x-x-x Marcus sat in his room, inside his bottle. Well, not exactly inside the bottle. He had heard someone, ages ago, in India, he thought, explain the magical physics about this place, but he lost the thread of it before the man had even begun. All he remembered was the more succinct summary, that the bottle was a system unto itself, and the space inside it was actually on a different plane of existence. Following those thoughts for too long made his head hurt, but it was better than wondering whether Julie was mad at him. He had had previous experiences with angry masters, and none had been pleasant. All of it because wishes had either not been possible, or not fulfilled in the way the master had anticipated. Marcus was helpless in either case. His power was limited, despite what others might want to believe. Many made their wishes carelessly, with no thought for implications or consequences, and then blamed him afterwards. However, Marcus discovered that all of this paled in comparison with the idea that Julie was angry with him. He hadn't meant to say that, at least not in that manner. He was trying to help her, to reassure her, but his statement was an imperative and that wasn't done. So -- and he'd be the first to admit it -- he had panicked and fled like a coward. Julie could, of course, make him come back, and part of him hoped she would, although he feared her reaction. Sighing, he lay down on his bed. He wouldn't sleep, he was sure, but he could pretend. x-x-x-x-x The next morning, Julie stared at Marcus' bottle. She was trying to think of how to get him to come out of the bottle. She hated the idea of ordering him, so perhaps she could ask. She supposed it amounted to the same thing for him, but she would feel better if it was phrased as a request. "Marcus, would you please come out?" she asked quietly. For a moment, nothing happened, but then there was a glow inside the bottle, and then Marcus was kneeling in front of her. She couldn't understand why, and was suddenly at a loss for words. After a few minutes, she took a deep breath. This was silly, she simply needed to talk to him. There were things she needed to understand, issues she needed to sort out, and sitting here staring at him wasn't going to get them anywhere. "Marcus, please look at me," she said gently. He did raise his eyes, but only after hesitating for a few more moments. Julie wondered at the apprehension she saw in his face and almost before she knew it, she reached out a hand to stroke his cheek. "What happened last night?" she asked. "Why did you disappear like that?" Marcus couldn't answer immediately, as he savored her touch. But she was his master, and so he had to respond. "I almost… I almost gave you a command," he said. "I can't do that. It's against the rules. You can… you can punish me, if you like." Not that he hadn't punished himself over and over during the night. "What are you talking about?" Julie was genuinely puzzled. "What command?" Marcus explained how he had warned her against letting herself sink into self-pity. "And, because you are my master -- even though you've never acted like that, and you're the kindest master I've ever had -- it's your right, if you choose, to punish me." Marcus dropped his eyes to the floor. "Marcus, please, sit next to me," Julie said. He did, but kept his eyes lowered. Finally, Julie put her fingers under his chin and gently forced him to look at her. "That wasn't a command, that was good advice." Marcus blinked, realizing she wasn't angry. She continued, "You were right, I can't beat myself up over how things happened with my parents. It solves nothing, and it keeps me from moving on with my life. You weren't giving me a command, you were a friend, giving me good advice." Julie looked at him intently, pleased to see some of the tension leave his face. His eyes, she noticed, were a dark, dark brown and she could easily get lost in them. That thought made her take a breath and drop her hand from his chin. She shouldn't let herself think like that. Over the past few weeks, she'd become so used to Marcus being there, she had come to consider him a friend. She couldn't even think of him as an employee, which was about as close to the master/servant relationship as she could comfortably get. No, she was growing more attached and attracted to him, and that wouldn't work. He wouldn't be able to stay. Maybe I can just never wish for anything, and then he can't leave, she thought. Immediately, she rejected that. That was unfair to Marcus, and for all she knew, there was a statute of limitations on wishes. "I'd like to be your friend." Marcus' voice brought her back to the present. "You've been much more a friend to me than anything else." Julie nodded, not quite able to speak. She gripped his hand in hers and leaned against his shoulder. She didn't want him to leave, that much she knew. So for the moment, she simply let herself take some comfort from his presence. x-x-x-x-x After that conversation, Julie and Marcus fell into a comfortable routine for the next couple of weeks. Julie took care of the funeral arrangements, grateful for the time off work that her boss insisted she take. Mindy helped as best she could, mostly listening when Julie was frustrated with paperwork, or simply sitting quietly with her friend as they sipped coffees on their breaks. Once the funeral was over, there was the will to execute, although that was fairly simple. Her parents had left everything to her, aside from a few charitable requests. Their house, where she'd been living, was paid off with funds from the estate, and she decided to stay there for the foreseeable future. Both of them felt an undercurrent of tension, but by common agreement, did not discuss it. Julie still searched for a way to release Marcus without having to make wishes, and he calmly bided his time, hoping that the release didn't come too soon. x-x-x-x-x "Marcus, have you ever seen a movie?" Julie asked him. Just the other day, a thought had popped into her head that he might enjoy a certain movie. Then she wondered if he even knew what they were. Who knew what went on in those bottles? Did he even stay in it those times when she wasn't around and he had his time to himself? She'd have to ask him. "Sure, I've seen movies," he said. "We have a lot of time to kill sometimes, us genies." "Do you, really?" she asked. "I mean, I've been wondering about that. I don't mean to be nosy, but it does seem like it would get lonely and boring, cooped up inside that bottle all the time." "I can't explain it all," he said as he cooked dinner. He'd gotten quite good at it, using her stove and equipment. He found he could easily do a much more varied menu. Well, he could have conjured things up magically, he supposed, but it was so much more fun to do it by himself. Plus, he had to admit, he loved it when Julie praised his work or thanked him for his efforts. "But someone once told me that the genie world, when we're in our bottles, it's sort of another plane of existence. Parallel, slightly overlapping, something like that." He lifted his pan and flipped the mushrooms and onions he was sautéing. Julie quelled the urge to applaud but couldn't hide a smile. "So, I actually do have friends I can visit," he said, putting the pan back down and reducing the heat. "And we talk and trade stories and we can even see what's going on in the outside world." He grinned, remembering. "A friend of mine, Josta, he tried having electricity in his bottle." "Could he do that?" Julie asked, surprised. "Well, wiring the place didn't go to well, and he tried everything," Marcus told her. "He tried magic, he tried having cords all over the place. Finally he settled for stocking up on batteries." Julie laughed. "It worked okay, although he couldn't play the video games he liked so much." "Can't you power things, I don't know, magically?" Julie asked, genuinely curious. I've come a long way, she thought, from someone who dismissed all of this and is now talking about it like it's rational. "It takes too much effort," he said, adding the vegetables to another pan containing browned ground beef. "It wears you out, you'd be surprised. There are books, libraries probably, devoted to this stuff, but it just makes my head spin." "So how do you watch movies, then?" she asked. "Well, I've actually been to theaters," he said. "When movies first came out, my master at the time was almost obsessed with them. He was always wishing to get in for free and get the best seats and things like that. Silly things, and I didn't like the owners losing his admission price, but unfortunately, I didn't have much choice. So I've seen movies from the ground up, so to speak." "Oh, well, then, never mind," she said, disappointed but trying to hide it. If he'd seen movies from their inception, surely he'd seen the one she wanted to show him. It was a nice thought, she guessed, but how do you surprise someone who was hundreds of years old, had lived and watched so much of history, and was magic, to boot? She'd have to think of something else. Marcus finished building his shepherd's pie, sensing something was amiss with Julie. He didn't know quite what to say, not knowing what was wrong. He cursed the fact that he could only react, only respond when ordered or questioned. Julie had told him he was a friend, so he could probably speak first, but centuries of conditioning -- no of his nature -- held him back. Despite not being a generally introspective person, he found himself thinking about his dilemma nearly all the time. It was straightforward -- he loved Julie but didn't know if he could or should tell her. So why wasn't the solution so easy? If he was human, it would be. But he was a genie, and so it wasn't. He had spoken with some of the friends he'd mentioned to Julie, but none of them were able to help, since they knew of no similar situations. Like Marcus, they'd been genies for centuries. They'd been that way for so long that any desire to question their being or situation had pretty much died out. No thinking outside the bottle for them, he realized. He would have to figure it out himself. What would happen, he wondered, if he simply told her? Would she order him away? Would whoever watched the magical world smite him down? He sighed and put the shepherd's pie in the oven. Perhaps, he thought, he would simply have to take a chance and see what happened. He looked over to see Julie sitting at the table, chin in hand, staring out the window. She was beautiful, he thought suddenly. She was beautiful, he loved her and he didn't ever want to leave. He was going to have to take that chance. Marcus went over to the table and sat next to Julie. "Is everything all right?" he said. She smiled at him, a little ruefully. "I found a movie I thought you'd enjoy, but I wasn't sure if you even knew what they were. I forget… I forget what you are, how old you are. Of course, you know what movies are. I should have realized that. I'm sorry." "Sorry?" Marcus was taken aback. He couldn't remember the last time a master had apologized to him. Marcus wasn't even sure why she was apologizing. "For… I mean…" Julie sighed. "I can't explain it exactly. I don't want you to think I thought you were stupid, or ignorant. I just forget, like I said. I have a hard time wrapping my head around it. It's hard to guess what you might know or not know and I should give you the benefit of the doubt." You are incredible, Marcus thought. "It's all right," he said. He was touched that she thought about him so much and cared about his feelings. He smiled. "It is hard to get used to, let alone understand. I don't even try that hard to understand it myself. Besides, it's hardly insulting to be thought of as younger than several hundred years old." Julie smiled at that. "And it's not like I've seen every movie ever made or anything. Which one did you find?" He was genuinely curious. Julie blushed and slid a DVD case over to him. Marcus picked it up, read the title and began laughing. Soon he was roaring, throwing his head back as he laughed. As he settled down, he realized he should have guessed. He looked down again at the movie. "Cleopatra" was written in ornate gold letters across the top, with a picture of Liz Taylor in heavy makeup and short, severe dark hair underneath. Rex Harrison and Richard Burton also figured on the cover, as Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, respectively. She remembered, he thought, still chuckling. At their first meeting, she had caught his name and recognized it. She'd never said anything since, and he thought it had gone out of her mind. "You've probably seen it," she said. What had possessed her to do this? It had seemed like a good, fun idea, and now he most likely thought she was crazy. She dearly hoped he hadn't taken it as any kind of insult. Maybe, if I'm lucky, he'll just not get it at all, she thought. This was so dumb. Marcus had just been so good, so kind, and so very nice to her this whole time and since her parents died. They'd become friends. Julie found herself wanting to do something for him, to spend some time with him, to just have a little fun. When she'd seen the movie on the shelf at the mall, she couldn't help herself. Now she was regretting it. "No, no, I haven't," he said, sensing her fears and anxious to assuage them. "Really, I haven't. It looks like great fun, though. I'd like to see it." She finally looked at him and Marcus found himself lost in her gray eyes. He didn't know if he'd ever seen eyes like that before. "Okay," she said, feeling relieved. "It's kind of campy and over-long but I think it's a lot of fun. If you get bored, though, just say so and we'll turn it off." Marcus refused, though, to let her turn it off. He loved the movie, howling at some of the more egregious historical inaccuracies. At times laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes, he begged Julie for the remote control so that he could review scenes that struck him as most ridiculous. Julie couldn't help but smile as she watched him. She had wanted so much to do something for him, even something as silly as this, and now that he was enjoying it, she couldn't help but be pleased. After it was over, Marcus kept chuckling to himself while Julie ejected the disc and turned off the DVD player. "So," she asked, "did Richard Burton really look like Marc Antony? Did Liz look like Cleopatra?" She was mostly joking, but also curious. "He looked more like the General than she looked like the queen," Marcus said after a moment's thought. "It's been a long time, though. I can't say that I remember exactly. I don't think Julius Caesar looked like that, though. Harrison was taller." "You were really there?" Julie asked, sitting on the floor and looking at him, a little awed. "You really saw them, met them?" She shook her head. "That's just… amazing." Marcus colored a little. "Well, you have to remember that I was just a lowly legionnaire. Fodder, really. I saw things from a big distance if I saw them at all; I certainly wasn't friends with them." "I know," said Julie, "but still. I remember being at a rally when I was in high school, and the governor came to speak. My friends and I thought it was so cool, so amazing. That's about the closest I've come to celebrity. I think Caesar and Cleopatra trump the governor." "I actually did speak to the General once," Marcus said. His eyes lost focus as he tried to go back through his memories. "It was before a battle. There were a bunch of us, young, barely trained, scared to death. He spent just a minute or so with each of us, and I don't even remember what he said, but I felt so much better afterwards." He shook his head to clear it. "I was still sure I would die, but I felt better." "I'm guessing you didn't, though," said Julie. "No, not that time," he said. Her expression became puzzled. "It was actually in Egypt," he said. "I was with the army, we were camped outside of Alexandria. This was before that whole love triangle thing broke out," he said with a half-smile. "It wasn't a battle. There were thieves in the desert, and my friends and I were incredibly naïve about such things. We weren't educated, or anything like that. We were sitting around a fire and then suddenly we were surrounded by men on horses. "One of them took out a bottle and rubbed it, and then there was another man there." Julie's eyes were wide, but he didn't notice. "The first man wished that we would lose our voices, so as not to sound an alarm, and then we couldn't talk. He wished us to be tied up; I guess he didn't want to bother taking the time to do it himself. They took our horses and any valuables, and our food. We didn't know what to do. Then one of the original men came over and decided to slit our throats. To show they weren't afraid of Romans, I guess. "Before he got to me, the genie came over and said we could switch places. I just needed to say some foreign words, I didn't understand them at all. That sounded a lot better than dying, so I did it. I don't know what happened to that genie, I never saw him again." Marcus fell silent. He hadn't ever told anyone about it, and he hadn't meant to do it now. "I'd thank him if I saw him," said Julie, coming over to sit in front of him. "Why?" Marcus asked. "Because otherwise I would never have met you," she said, gently running her fingers along the line of his jaw. Marcus closed his eyes and savored her touch. "May I ask you something?" Julie asked after a few moments of quiet. Marcus looked at her, surprised. "Of course. You don't need to ask me that… you're my master." "I know, but it's a personal question, and I want you to know that you don't have to answer if you don't want to." Marcus simply nodded. He would have to answer, regardless. "What's your name?" she finally asked. "Your real name. I don't know why, but… I'd like to know." Julie hoped she hadn't made him uncomfortable. "Cappius," he said, slowly. "They named me after my uncle. I came to find out he wasn't a very nice man, so after I'd been a genie for a while, I decided to change my name." "I like Marcus," she said. "It's a strong name." "Thank you," he said. Then, "Thank you for the movie, for everything." He raised his eyes to hers. "I can't tell you how long it's been since someone has done something like that for me. I guess, being a genie, I got used to it. But… well, it means so much to me. A master doesn't have to do those things for a servant." "But you aren't a servant, not to me," Julie said softly. "You're Marcus. You're my friend." He remained silent, too stunned and choked up to speak. How will I ever be able to leave her? He wondered later that night. He'd long since taken to sleeping in the guest room instead of his bottle. It will kill me. Make a Wish x-x-x-x-x At long last, either won over or beaten into submission by Mindy's incessant pleading, Julie arranged for her to meet Marcus. He was gallant, as Julie had expected, and she did get a laugh out of Mindy nearly drooling over the genie. Then the two women left, both reluctantly, to attend a seminar for work. "Oh, my God, he's gorgeous," Mindy exclaimed, fanning herself with her hand. "Yes, he's quite handsome," Julie agreed, smiling as she drove to the conference center hosting the seminar. "I can't believe you just didn't wish that he'd sleep with you," Mindy said. "Seems like that would just take care of everything." "We've been over this, remember?" Julie said. "I already made one wish. I don't want to make any more." Julie had explained about her parents to Mindy at the funeral. "Well, I think you'll have to," Mindy said. "Mom and Nana couldn't think of anything." Julie sighed. "Well, then, I'll figure it out." "You know," said Mindy, after a few minutes of quiet, "you wouldn't have to wish for him to sleep with you anyway." Julie spared a glance at her friend, raising an eyebrow. "Why not?" Mindy stared at her. "You can't tell me you don't know." Julie shrugged, keeping her eyes on the road. "Julie, he's totally in love with you." If they'd been at a red light, Julie would have turned to stare, mouth agape, at Mindy. However, a horn behind her warned that she'd already slowed down too much and the light was green. "What… what are you talking about?" she finally managed, grateful to turn into the parking lot. "I could see it," Mindy said, exasperated. "And you're falling for him, too, if you haven't already." Julie thought for a moment, putting the car in park, then dropped her forehead to the steering wheel. Mindy was right. But it didn't matter, and she said as much. Mindy was about to protest, but Julie pointed out that they'd be late, so they rushed inside. Julie couldn't concentrate on the droning presentations, preoccupied with Mindy's statements. Her friend was right, she didn't even fight that. But what could be done about it? Once she made the final wish, whenever and whatever that was, he'd be gone. Nonetheless, being with him would be preferable to being here. At last, there was a break, and she stood up to stretch and get a drink. She saw Mindy flirting with someone at another table and smiled slightly, hoping Mindy would have some fun. Stepping out into the hallway, she checked the signs for the restrooms and walked to her right. It was empty and she was grateful for the quiet as she used the toilet and then washed her hands. She slowly dried her hands, wondering if she could find a way to skip the next session and deciding it probably wasn't feasible. Sighing, she tossed the paper towel in the trash and started for the door. God, I wish I was home with Marcus, she thought idly. She felt a small tug in her stomach, then her surroundings blurred. When they came into focus again, she was standing in her living room, Marcus looking at her with a somewhat surprised smile. "What happened?" she said, staggering a little. Marcus reached out to steady her. "You wished you were home," he said, "and so, here you are." Inwardly, he was extremely pleased. He realized she hadn't meant to wish, but apparently she did want to be with him. That made him feel somewhat better about his feelings, although he still wasn't sure how to tell her. Or even if he should tell her. "Oh," she said, then sat down. "Oh, no… I didn't mean to." She put her head in her hands. One more wish granted, one more wish closer to losing Marcus. The worst part was that she didn't know how many wishes she had before she was done and he had to leave. "What's wrong?" Marcus asked, sitting next to her. He gently rubbed her back. Normally he'd never take such liberties in touching his master, but he knew Julie needed some comfort and wouldn't object. "I didn't mean to make a wish," she said, dropping her hands. She wanted to be strong but found herself talking around a lump in her throat. Raising her eyes to his, she said, "Every wish I make is one wish closer to you leaving, and I don't… I don't want you to leave." She didn't know what he would think about that, but she felt better for saying it. "I don't want to go," he admitted, desperate to wrap his arms around her and comfort her. "I just wish I knew what to do about it." He looked down at her, stroked her hair back. "I love you, Julie." She stared at him in surprise. Whatever she thought he might say, that wasn't it. "It's all right, you know," he said with a gentle smile. "I don't expect you to feel the same way. I mean, I hoped, but…" He shrugged. "Being what I am, I just have to wait for you." Julie couldn't speak for a minute. Did she love him? She'd been thinking of so many other things -- like how to release him -- that she had never considered it, nor the idea that he might love her. Finally she said, "Marcus, I don't know quite what to say. I don't know what I would have done these last few weeks without you. You helped me so much… I know you had to, but I'm so glad you were here." Marcus tightened his arms around her. "Whether I had to or not, I wanted to." It was true. And even if she didn't love him, for a just a moment, he could pretend she did. "Marcus," Julie said softly. "I hate to say it, but I need to get back to the seminar. People will wonder what happened, and Mindy will be waiting for me to drive home." He pulled back, looked at her and nodded. Then she frowned. "I'll have to use another wish, won't I? To go back? Damn." She put her head in her hands. "It's all right," he said. "Remember, I told you it's not a three-wishes and out kind of thing?" She nodded. "I can feel when it's time to move on. A weird sort of intuition, I guess. Sometimes it happens after one wish, sometimes after ten. I don't feel it now. Sending you back won't be the last wish." At least he desperately hoped so. What he told her was true, but still, he didn't want to be wrong. He was no expert on the metaphysical implications of genie-dom. "All right," she said. "Funny, though. Will it work even though I don't really want to go?" She tried to smile. "It will," he said, "because you do want to go. I know what you mean, but you do want to go and straighten everything out. Just wish, then I hope you come home on your own soon after." "I will," she said. She stared at him for a moment, then leaned in and kissed him. Astonished, Marcus could only sit and relish the feel of her lips, soft and warm, on his. He wanted to respond -- to hold her, to deepen the kiss, to let his lips run over her neck and shoulders -- but he couldn't. It killed him, but he needed Julie's express permission. She seemed to realize this, slowly ending the kiss and pulling back. "When I come home," she said shyly, "I'd like you to kiss me." Marcus nodded, smiling. Julie blushed and looked away while Marcus unconsciously stroked her hand. She didn't know quite what was going on, but she couldn't figure it out until she fixed the situation with the seminar. "The sooner I leave, the sooner I can come back," she said. Marcus only nodded again. Julie took a deep breath. "I wish I were back at the seminar." There was the same tug, the blurred vision, and then she was back in the rest room at the hotel. Whew, she thought, glad it was empty. She looked at her watch. She hadn't been gone more than ten minutes. She'd have to find Mindy and convince her to leave early, or at least as soon as the talk was over. She walked down the hall and quietly entered the conference room. It was large, and thankfully the lights were dimmed as the presenter discussed the slides on the screen. Julie managed to quietly slip over to Mindy and sit in the empty chair next to her. Mindy looked over, then smiled, relieved to see Julie. "Are you okay?" Mindy whispered. "Yeah, sorry," Julie whispered back. "I was, um… something came up." Mindy gave her a puzzled look. "I'll explain later," Julie continued. "But I need to leave as soon as this thing is over." "Leaving now would be fine by me," Mindy sighed. "This is the most boring thing I've heard yet. It's like someone took all the office buzzwords from Dilbert and mashed them up into this presentation." Julie stifled a laugh. "But I guess we need to stick it out." Suddenly, Mindy seemed to get an idea, and narrowed her eyes at Julie. "Does this have to do with Marcus?" "Yes," Julie said, still whispering. "But I'll explain later." "Don't bother," said Mindy. "I'd want to get back to him, too." She winked at Julie. Julie smiled and shook her head, then turned to the presenter. Mindy was right, it was boring, and she suspected some of the words like "eventalating" were made up on the spot. At last, on the dot of eight o'clock, the presenter finished. Mindy stood up and practically pulled Julie out of the room. "Okay, what's going on?" Mindy asked. She was all but sprinting to the exit. "I accidentally wished I was home," Julie said in a low voice, looking around to make sure no one heard her. She didn't know why, but it was instinctive. "Then, I was. I talked to Marcus and… well, I need to get home." Julie wasn't sure how much she wanted to say just then. It all seemed too unreal, as though she'd dreamed it. "Well, then, let's get moving." Mindy picked up her pace and they nearly ran to Julie's car. "Come on, lady, get driving," Mindy said, sliding into the passenger seat. "Can't keep true love waiting." "What are you talking about?" Julie asked, trying to keep her expression calm. "Come on, Julie," said Mindy, latching her seat belt. "You can't fool me. You love him. Does he love you?" Julie sighed and leaned her head back against the seat. "He says he does. I believe him. But, Min, I don't know what to do. He's… he's a genie. He'll go away. I can't wish for him to stay, it would be against the rules." "Maybe that's what's supposed to happen," Mindy said. "You've been so lonely for so long, Julie. Maybe you needed someone to remind you that there's more out there. Other people that you can love and who can love you." "I don't want anyone else," said Julie as she put the car into gear and left the lot. "I guess I should be grateful for the time, but…" she swallowed against a lump in her throat. "I just lost my parents, damn it, I don't want to lose him, too." Mindy didn't know what to say, so just reached over to squeeze Julie's shoulder in sympathy. "It's cliché, I know," said Mindy as she stepped out of the car, "but it'll work out, Julie. Somehow it will." "Thanks," said Julie, with a half-hearted smile. Mindy watched as she drove off, desperately wishing she knew what to say or do to help her friend. She could think of nothing, and could only hope that either Julie found the solution, or that it presented itself. x-x-x-x "Hi." Marcus turned at the sound of Julie's voice. He took a moment to look at her. He'd seen plenty of beautiful women in his service as a genie. His bottle had been found by peasants and royalty, and he'd seen poor girls who would melt the hearts of the coldest men, and royal women who could make a room go silent merely by walking in the doorway. Julie was prettier than any of them. Her blonde hair was pulled back on one side by a simple silver barrette, with gentle curls resting on her shoulders. Her grey eyes seemed almost blue. Marcus wanted nothing more than to go over and pull her into his arms, to feel her warm body against his, to run his hands over the curves of her body. But he waited. "You're back," he said, smiling. "I wanted to be here sooner," she said, "but that last talk seemed like it would never end." "Are you all right?" Marcus asked. Julie stood just inside the living room, her arms crossed in front of her, and her eyes darted all over the room. It seemed like she felt awkward, and Marcus felt badly about that. "I'm fine, I'm…" Julie started, then stopped. She stared at him before continuing. He really did look like a Roman god, she thought. His hair was dark and curly, his features chiseled, and his eyes dancing with mischief. I'm in love with him, she thought helplessly. The one man I can't be sure will stay, and I fall in love. It's not fair. "Do you still want me to kiss you?" Marcus asked, walking over to her. Julie nodded. "Oh, good," he said. He leaned down and touched his lips to hers. Julie lifted her hands and rested them on his chest, but aside from his lips, Marcus didn't touch her. Julie pulled back. "What's wrong?" she asked. "I thought you would want…" she trailed off. "I do," he said, and now he felt awkward. "But I need your permission. You're still my master. You only said you wanted me to kiss you." "Oh." Julie stood, her hands still on his chest, considering what to do. Then she looked up at him. "Do you still love me?" "It's only been an hour and a half," he said, with a laugh. "I'm not that fickle. Yes, Julie, I love you." "I love you, too," she said, her heart warming as he grinned widely. "I know," she said, speaking before she lost her nerve, "that you'll have to go sometime. Part of me says I should stop now and avoid the hurt, but I can't. I love you, and if there's pain later, I'll just have to deal with it." "I wouldn't hurt you, Julie," he said. She saw the sincerity in his dark eyes. "I know," she said. "But I also know it's just the nature of things, of who and what you are. You'll have to go sometime, but I don't want to regret not doing anything." "So, what do you want to do?" he asked, his heart beating quickly in nervous anticipation. "I want you to take me to my room and make love to me," she said softly. "I want you to kiss me and touch me and help me forget about everything else for a while." "I don't think I have ever wanted to do as I was commanded as much as I do now," he told her. She smiled as he kissed her and then gasped as he scooped her up and began carrying her down the hall. "What are you doing?" she asked. "I'm too heavy…" She tried, wiggling carefully, to get him to put her down. "You're no such thing," he told her, holding her tighter. "And besides, you said you wanted me to take you to your room. I'm only doing as you asked." She laughed and he kissed her forehead. He loved to hear her laugh. Once in her room, Marcus gently set her down to stand in front of him. Her head reached to his shoulder, which he found the perfect height for holding her and stroking her hair. His body felt tight. He was dying to touch her, kiss her, and she had said he could. But it was so difficult to do anything without direct permission. He had had sex with previous masters on occasions, but it was always in response to a wish. It was never because they wanted him for himself. This was entirely new to him and it was hard to process his thoughts and emotions. "Julie, I… I'm not sure what…" he stopped as his tongue stumbled over the words. "It's okay," she said, reaching up to place a small kiss on his lips. "I've thought about this a bit, and I hope I say the right things." She took his face in her hands, and looked into his eyes. They were so dark they were almost black and she could get lost in them. "I give you permission," she said. "You can touch me, hold me, kiss me, make love to me. For tonight, we aren't a master and servant. We're lovers, we're equals." Julie bit her lip, waiting for his reaction. She hoped what she said would work. Although she acted as though they were equals, she knew they weren't, and it bothered her. For now, at least, she wanted to lose that part of their relationship. "Thank you," Marcus breathed. She had set him free, at least for tonight. He wrapped his arms around her and lowered his mouth to hers. She gasped in slight surprised, but quickly brought her arms up and around his shoulders. As it sank in that she really had meant it, that she did want him to act on his own feelings, Marcus gently touched his tongue to her lips and squeezed her more tightly as her lips parted in response. Julie felt herself getting almost light-headed. She tangled one hand in Marcus' thick, dark hair. He tasted exotic, she thought. How had she managed to deny or deflect her attraction for so long? Now she needed him like she needed air. The thought of how she would feel when he had to leave flitted across her mind and she pressed herself against him harder to banish the idea. Marcus' hands ran up and down Julie's back before he realized it. Her body was amazing. She was soft, and warm, and he wanted to feel her next to him, with no clothes in the way. Slowly, hardly daring to believe he had her permission, he moved one hand and began to carefully pull her top out of the waistband of her pants. When his hand slid underneath and felt the skin at her waist, he couldn't hold back a moan of pleasure. Julie laid her head against his chest as he slid both hands under her shirt. She'd never felt this way before, and she couldn't even describe it. She wanted him so badly it was hard to think. Her body seemed to be trembling, but she wasn't sure if it really was or if it was just her emotions running wild. She decided it didn't matter as his hands moved in circles on her back. He began trailing kisses down her neck, pulling aside the collar of her shirt for better access. She gasped at the pleasure. Enough of this, she thought, and began unbuttoning his shirt. When it was open, she ran her hands over his chest and shoulders, delighting in his reaction. He seemed to want to pull away and get closer at the same time, so Julie leaned forward and kissed his chest. Marcus stood very still, unable to move. Never had anyone cared so much about his pleasure and it was a heady feeling. "You feel good," she said quietly. "So do you," he said, his throat suddenly dry. "You have no idea." He swallowed. "I need… I need you…" He wasn't sure what he needed, or wanted. His mind and emotions were all in a jumble. His body wanted hers, and she had given him permission to act as he wanted, but it was so hard, to break from what seemed like eons of habit, of servitude. "It's all right," she said. "What do you need?" Julie finally understood how difficult it was for Marcus to act first, to do something without being told, or at least asked. Her heart was breaking as she saw him struggle. "Shhh. Never mind," she soothed him, stroking his hair. "You wait until you're ready." Kissing him all the while, she helped them both shed their clothes, and guided him down to the bed with her. "Just put your arms around me," she whispered. He complied, pulling her as close to him as he could. Her body was like nothing he'd felt before and he couldn't get enough of it. His desire began to win out over his fear and habitual submissiveness. Julie sighed as his hands began to explore her body, moving from her shoulders down beside her breasts, over her hips, and along her legs. She loved the feel of his hands, warm and slightly rough against her skin. As he tentatively released his desires, Marcus quickly gained confidence that this was what Julie wanted. That knowledge aroused him intensely, and he began to focus on her body, although the feel of her hands along his back and in his hair threatened to distract him. He raised his head and looked into her eyes, relishing the love that he saw. "I'm ready now," he said quietly. Julie nodded and let her eyes fall closed as he kissed her. Marcus allowed himself to give in to his needs and emotions. He kissed her face, then her neck, nipping softly along her shoulder line. Her sighs and gasps were the sweetest things he thought he'd ever heard, and he moved down her body, trying to make them continue. He ran his lips and tongue over her breast, her nipples, her stomach and down to her sex. She gave a short cry when his tongue delved between her legs and made her come in waves. Make a Wish "Please, Marcus, please," she whispered, urging him back up. "Of course, mia bella," he said softly, and moved so that he lay gently on top of her. "I love you," she said, then found his lips for an urgent kiss. "And I love you," he replied breathlessly when they separated, and drove himself into her. The warmth and wetness surprised him and he released a soft, inarticulate shout. He lost track of everything else as their bodies moved and lips met. When he could not hold it back any longer, he wrapped his arms around Julie and held her to him as his body shook with release. Rolling to his side, he cuddled her close, almost desperate in his refusal to let her go. Julie let him hold her, wishing she could get even closer. No one had ever felt so right to her, or with her. She would never love anyone like she loved him. In fact, she wasn't sure she would ever love anyone else at all. Why? She wondered once more, tightening her arms around Marcus. Why, after all this time, with all the people in the world, did she have to fall in love with the one person who wanted stay but wouldn't be able to? But she wouldn't change anything, she knew. She wouldn't have missed this. She must have drifted off to sleep, for she didn't remember when Marcus' hand had begun stroking over her body again. Opening her eyes, she leaned her head to face him and melted under the intense but tender expression on his face. "Can we, please…?" he asked softly, leaning down to kiss her. "Oh, yes," she said, returning the kiss more fervently. x-x-x-x-x For a week, Julie was almost blissfully happy. She loved Marcus, he loved her, and coming home to him every day made work fly by. Mindy had probed gently, pieced things together from Julie's noncommittal and semi-evasive answers, and was thrilled for her friend. Julie deserved some happiness, she thought. The only thing Mindy regretted was the knowledge that Marcus would have to leave. Julie never mentioned it, though, and so Mindy let it be. As happy as she had been on Friday when leaving, Mindy saw that Julie was depressed the following Monday. Oh no, she thought, as her throat tightened, Marcus must have left. She went over to Julie and touched her shoulder. Julie didn't even look up as she held Mindy's hand while letting her head drop to her desk and crying. Mindy let her sob for a few minutes, then decided to take action. "Julie," she urged softly, "come on. Come with me." She set Julie's coat over her shoulders, grabbed her purse, and led her out of the office. With no real plan, she found she'd led them to their usual coffee spot. It was as good as any place, Mindy thought. She guided Julie to a chair, went inside to get the drinks, and hurried back out, relieved to find Julie hadn't left. "What happened, Julie?" Mindy asked. She hated seeing her friend like this. Julie seemed even more broken up than when she'd received the news about her parents. Mindy had known Julie was an intense person, that she tended to extremes in her emotional commitments, but she'd never seen her like this. "He… he's gone," Julie said, her voice flat. Mindy nodded and reached over to squeeze Julie's hand. "I told myself it would happen," Julie continued in the same stilted tone. "I said I would do it anyway because I couldn't help myself. But, oh, God, Mindy, I didn't think it would hurt this much." She closed her eyes, remembering their last contact. Saturday night, then been sitting quietly on the couch, Julie curled up on his lap, when suddenly she felt him stiffed. Oddly, she thought at the time, she also felt something shift within herself. She didn't know if she would be able to describe it, but something had… changed. "I have to go," Marcus said. Julie's head snapped up to look at him. He was looking at her with a mix of love and sadness. She was on the verge of protesting, but let the words die. She'd known it would happen and there was nothing to do or say to prevent it. "Can I… can I make one more wish?" she choked out. He nodded, winding one hand in her hair. "I wish for you to be happy," she said, reaching up to kiss him. That was the last thing she remembered, kissing him. When her eyes opened again, she was alone on the couch. "Even the bottle was gone," she told Mindy, her voice breaking. Mindy shift her chair closer, keeping an arm around Julie's shoulder and wishing she could do something. Frustrated tears crept down her own cheeks. x-x-x-x-x A couple of weeks later, Julie was feeling somewhat better. She wasn't back to normal, Mindy knew, and probably wouldn't ever be quite the same, but she would continue to heal. Mindy knew how it hurt to lose someone you loved, and now Julie had experienced it three times in just a few months. Mindy entered the code for her apartment building, started for the elevator, then remembered the mail. Turning, she walked back to the wall of boxes and dug out her key. Among the bills and junk mail was a slip indicating a package waiting for her at the desk. Puzzled, she took the slip to the security guard. She couldn't remember ordering anything, nor could she think of any occasion for anyone to send her something. "Here you go," said the older man with a smile, handing her a medium-sized box. It had a little weight to it, but the plain brown cardboard gave no indication of source or sender. "Thanks, Tom," she said, heading back to the elevator. Her curiosity rose higher and higher, and when she locked the door behind her, she didn't even take her coat off before finding a knife to cut the tape on the box. Buried under Styrofoam peanuts she found a blue bottle. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the three globes stacked like tennis balls in a can. It was Marcus' bottle. Why had it come to her? Her thoughts were chaotic as she sat on the sofa, the bottle on the table before her. How had it come? What was she supposed to do? Mindy stared at the bottle as though afraid it might break or explode. Then she shook herself. This was ridiculous. Nothing would be resolved unless she brought Marcus out of the bottle. Determined but a bit unsure, she reached out and ran her hand over the bottle. There was a soft glow, and then suddenly Marcus stood in front of her, looking a bit bewildered. "Mindy?" he asked, startled. "Hello, Marcus," she said, still surprised. "Please, sit down." "How is Julie?" he asked anxiously. "I'm sorry to be forward, but I need to know." Marcus had long since lost his fear of retribution from a master, as long as he could learn about Julie. "She's all right," Mindy said, smiling as she heard the love and concern in his voice. "She misses you terribly." "Oh, gods, I miss her, too," he said, dropping his head into his hands. "Well, you can certainly go see her if you'd like," Mindy said. "Truthfully, I don't know what to do with you." "No, I can't… not yet," he said. "Why not?" asked Mindy. "I don't mind, really." "No, I mean, thank you," he said, "but that isn't the problem." "So what is?" she prompted gently. "Julie's last wish," he said. A tightness formed in his chest. "She wished…" He wiped at his eyes. "She wished for me to be happy." Mindy felt tears gather in her own eyes. "That sounds like something she would do." "The thing is," Marcus said, "what I need to be happy is… her. I need to be with her." He looked at Mindy hopelessly. "I've spoken to other, older genies. They say it's possible for us to be together, but it isn't in my control. I don't know what to do. Julie can't wish anymore, and she couldn't wish me to be free anyway. I have never hated this so much," he said with quiet vehemence. Mindy sat silently for a while, wheels turning in her head. Julie couldn't wish it, he'd said. And obviously Marcus couldn't, either, since he was in the business of granting wishes and not making them. But Mindy… she didn't see why it wouldn't work. At least, it couldn't make things worse, she thought. When she was younger, and her mother and grandmother had told her of the genie, she had often thought of the wishes she would make, once they'd explained the rules they knew. They were silly, teenage girl wishes, for the most part. Pretty clothes, a good figure, passing grades on her math tests, possibly making the cheerleading squad. She had also thought, though, how she might wish for someone else. That her mother might get a job easier than cleaning houses; that her grandmother's eyesight would improve. Both older women had smiled indulgently when she'd talked about it with them, but said they had no need for her wishes. If a genie ever came to her, she should wish as she saw fit, they told her. Now, here it was. Her chance to wish. She could wish for a better car, fancier clothes, a home in the suburbs. But it wasn't what she wanted, she realized. Cars were cars, and as for the rest, she'd rather earn it herself than wish it. There was only one thing she could think of to wish for. "Marcus," she said, drawing him out of his thoughts. "Yes?" he said. She took a deep breath. "I wish for Julie to be happy." It was difficult not to close her eyes and hold her breath while she waited to see what happened. For a moment, Marcus stared at her, uncomprehending. Then a wave swept over him. He couldn't define what happened, but he felt different when it passed. Both he and Mindy jumped when the phone rang. Mindy reached over to the end table and grabbed the receiver. "Hello?" she said. "Mindy, it's Julie." Mindy smiled at Marcus. "Hi, Julie," Mindy said. "What's up?" "I don't know," Julie sighed. She curled up in the corner of her couch, pulling a blanket over her legs. "I guess I just wanted some company. I was hoping we could get together for dinner or something." "Or something," said Mindy, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice. "Stay right there, I'll be over in fifteen minutes." She hung up before she said anything else. "Come on, Marcus," she said, happily. "What is it?" he asked, puzzled. Mindy's mood seemed have changed on a dime. He realized he couldn't sense it, he was only reading the clues in her voice and body language. That was odd. As a genie, he'd always been able to sense emotions. "I think my wish worked," she said with a wink. She'd seen an aura, or light, or something, sweep over Marcus after she'd made her wish. It had been a risk, she knew, but she'd had to take it. Instinctively, she had known that the light wave meant Marcus was no longer a genie. She could only hope Marcus wasn't angry when he discovered he was merely mortal. On the ride over, Marcus held his questions back. He desperately wanted to find out more, but Mindy only smiled at him like a mischievous child. "What are we doing here?" he couldn't help but ask as they stopped outside Julie's house. "You'll see," she said. "Come on." He followed her up to the door, but Mindy gestured for him to stand down and to the side. Still confused, he obeyed. Mindy rang the door bell. Julie came to the door, wishing she could lose the lethargic feeling she'd had since Marcus had left. She was functioning, going to work, eating, even taking walks, but she always felt as though she was carrying a weight with her. She knew it was emotional, that she would have to find a way to let it go, but so far she hadn't been able to even ease it. She sighed once again and opened the door. "Julie!" Mindy squeaked. Julie stepped back and narrowed her eyes. When Mindy squeaked, she had something planned. Probably to cheer her up, which she didn't really want. She knew she couldn't wallow like this forever, but she didn't feel up to pretending to have fun. "What's going on?" Julie asked warily. Mindy was practically jumping up and down. "I've brought you something," Mindy said, grinning hugely. She grabbed Julie's hand and pulled her out onto the porch. "Look." She stepped aside and pushed Julie in front of her. "Marcus?" Julie whispered. "But how… I don't understand." "Mindy made a wish," he said, smiling as he climbed the steps to the porch. Mindy backed away quietly. Part of her hated to leave their reunion, but she didn't want to intrude. "A wish?" Julie repeated. He nodded and reached up to brush her hair back. "You wished for me to be happy. She wished for you to be happy." He kissed her gently. "I'm free, Julie. I'm not a genie anymore. I'm human and I want to spend my time, my life, with you." Speechless, she threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. He chuckled softly, holding her close. Riding over, with Mindy's happy silence, Marcus had mulled over what he knew. Then it dawned on him that it felt like something was missing. He tried again to focus on Mindy's emotions and found nothing. When the stopped at a red light, he tried to work some magic on a piece of paper he found on the floor. Nothing. Gradually he pieced it together -- Julie had wished for him to be happy. For him, that meant being with Julie. But apparently that wish wasn't enough. Then Mindy had found him, wished for Julie to be happy, and released him. Julie needed him to be happy, it struck him. She needed him to be with her, to stay with her. He couldn't do that as a genie. But he could do it as a mortal human. As they stopped near the house, he felt something in the pocket of his jeans. He reached back and pulled out a wallet. Dumbfounded, he opened it and looked through the contents, finding a driver's license in his name and some money. At last he grasped it. He didn't know how it had worked, but he was now human, mortal and in love with Julie. "I love you," he said, over and over, holding her close. "I love you, too," she said, looking up at him with happy tears. "Come on," she said. "Let's go inside." She turned to say something to Mindy, but to her surprise, her friend was gone. "We'll thank her later," Marcus said. He couldn't read her emotions as he had before, but he didn't need to for this. "Let's go in and I'll tell you what I can." He kept her close to him as they went inside. "I wish Mindy could find someone," Julie said, leaning against him. "It doesn't seem fair." x-x-x-x-x Mindy sighed as she parked her car. As usual on a Friday, all the spots were taken, so she had to park across the street and down the block. Maybe I should just go out myself, she thought. No, she decided. She wasn't up for solo socializing tonight. As happy as she was for Julie, she couldn't help feeling a little jealous. Oh well, I've got lots of good, mushy movies, she thought as she got out of the car. She checked left, right and left again, but lost in thought, she didn't register the small car coming down the street. As she moved to step into the street, she let out a short shriek when an arm grabbed her at the waist and pulled her back. The car sped by, oblivious to her or any speed limits. She leaned against the nearest car, slightly out of breath. "Sorry," said a deep voice. "I didn't think you saw them." Mindy turned and found herself facing a pin-striped wall. She looked up. "My name's Finn," said the owner of the voice, holding out his hand. He was tall, with dark hair and startling blue eyes. "I'm Mindy," she said. "And thanks." He also had a killer smile. Then she smiled on her own. "Can I get you some coffee as a thank you?" she asked. "Sounds great," said Finn. "I know a nice little place," she said. He took her hand as she turned and they began walking. Make a Wish Disclaimers and Notes: Note: "My Erotic Fiction", meaning you cannot use or post it without permission, it may be illegal or immoral for you to read, and none of it is real. * Part 1: Discovering the Power 1. What the heck? I have no idea where the power came from, or what its limits are, but I DO know when I first learned about it. A co-worker and I were taking a break and I was listening to her complain about her love life. Now, this frustrated me to no small degree, because I would have LOVED to contribute to her love life, but as a middle-aged, overweight, near-sighted tech, I was out of her class and nearly twice her age. Susan was just twenty one or two, a perky, cheerleader-type brunette with the cutest 'girl next door' features and a tight body. Her latest boyfriend dumped her with the old 'it's not you, its me' spiel and she was depressed and full of self-doubt... again. Whenever this happened, she began to figure it was her fault, and her most common target of self-loathing was her flat chest. There was some bulging, but she rarely needed a bra and it rarely made much of an impression on her clothing. I figured her biggest problem was her self-image, but who was I to say anything? 44 and unmarried, not even any real female companionship in my life? I was giving her a backrub (my backrubs had a great reputation in the office, but I tried to downplay them because they generally leave me too horny and frustrated to deal with!) As I massaged some kinks out, I said something like "Well, you know if I had a wish to make for you, I would wish that you had the kind of big, beautiful breasts you have always wanted, but..." and lapsed off into some meaningless but well-meant chatter. Now, the odd thing is that when I made the wish statement, I felt something happen- something flowed out of me through my fingertips. It felt like some sort of fluid rushing inside my fingers, almost the way sperm does as it travels through your cock. It felt terrific, but very, very odd. I swear I felt her 'absorb' the flow as well- something under my fingers seemed to sense that the flow continued into her and I swear I felt her shiver just a bit. Well, all too soon, it was time to get back to work, and I forget about it as I buried myself in work. The next day, Friday, Susan did not come in, having called in with a touch of flu or something. I was disappointed, but kind of relieved- I really did not want to talk to her again after that weird sensation... pleasant though it was. Oddly, she called me about an hour before quitting time. She asked if she could come over and I said yes. She said she'd bring supper. My heart fell. All I could think of was I was in trouble for something- inappropriate touch, thoughtless comments, something. Somehow I had offended her and she wanted to talk to me about it. On the other hand, she did not sound upset... Oh well, I'd know soon enough. She had been to my house a couple times as I repaired stuff for her, but supper was something new- usually, it was just a quick drop and run, sometimes she would stay for a soda or we would talk while she waited for me to fix it. I got home to see her car already there. As I opened the door, she came out in a long coat carrying some containers of take-out Chinese food from a place we often for the office. She swept by me as I opened the door for her. She went directly to the kitchen, saying she would serve us supper before we talked. A minute later, she came out with two steaming platters of food. As we ate, she asked about work and made small talk, but I was distracted by the fact that she never removed the long jacket and I had the oddest feeling that she was naked under it. After she cleared the dishes, she came out to the living room and sate beside me and asked if I remembered our last conversation at work. I admitted that it was a bit unthinking, but I had not meant to insult her... She shushed me with a hand on my lips and laughed. "Insulted? Believe me, I am not insulted! You made a wish, and I felt something odd where you were touching me- something warm and electric somehow. Whatever it was, you got your wish!" With this, she stood and dropped her coat in one fluid motion. Wow! She was gorgeous! I knew she had a great body, but now it was topped with two beautiful, firm, round breasts capped with smallish but rock-hard nipples. "What... where..." I was stammering and drooling- total idiot mode! "Do you like them? I woke up this morning with them! I spent the day shopping for new clothes to fit and touching them to be sure they were real! Not only are they real, but they are incredibly sensitive! Now, you wonderful man, I have to reward you properly!" With that, she pulled me into the bedroom and slid off my clothes as I stood there in near total shock. My penis, however, was responding pretty normally-it was steel hard and hurt! She struggled a little to pull my pants and underwear down off me- it got hung up on my erection some. Now, my cock is not big by any standard, but it still made getting my clothes off a bit tricky. Susan reached in my pants and cradled it like her hand was a living, soft, warm shoehorn and she slipped everything down. She kept holding me and began to caress it. Then she knelt and breathed on it, cooing and talking to it as she slowly drew it into her warmer mouth. God, this was heavenly! My body began to respond and I started to gently rock back and forth as I stroked her soft hair. After a couple minutes of this, I exploded into her mouth and she swallowed every drop, even licking my cock clean afterwards. I was weak-kneed as she pushed me back onto my bed. "Now that we have that one out of the way, it is time to show my full appreciation!" She knelt again and engulfed my limp dick in her new breasts. Her pillowy cushions pressed against me and I began to grow hard once more. As it stiffened, she pressed her tit-flesh against it and massaged me with her new boobs. She licked the tip whenever it appeared, and I was soon rock-solid. She squealed with glee and shifted herself above me and positioned herself directly over me. She nuzzled her hot, wet pussy on my cock's head for a moment, lubricating me with her juices, then she dropped fully on me in one plunge! She rested there for a moment as we grew accustomed to the sensations. She was so tight and hot and that nearly came just from being in her! She began to rock and lift, slowly pumping herself up and down on me as I finally began to take an active part in the proceedings. I started to play with her incredible breasts and nipples, feeling them swell under my fingers. "Oh, God, yes! Do that-I LOVE that!" She shivered through the first of what was to be many orgasms. "My nipples are SOOO sensitive now... uhhh, ohhh, yeeaahhh... suck on them, please... suck..." She did not have to ask again. I fastened my mouth on first one, then the other nipple as if they were dispensing the very elixir of life. She was squirming in ways that felt incredible as she ground on my cock. We both erupted together in an explosion of noise and hot fluids, and she collapsed on me in a most unlady-like manner. I rolled us over and let her rest as I slipped out of her with an audible plopping noise. As she came to, she smiled and was literally purring as she played with my hair with one hand and tickled my sticky cock with the fingertips of her other hand. I had already come twice, and she had come about four or five times. I was done for the night and pretty exhausted, but it looked like she was ready for a little more. She rolled me on my back and gave me a massage that was probably illegal in many states. I don't know if she was trying to arouse me for another round, and God knows, I tried to rally... well, the spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak. I fell asleep. After some incredible dreams, including one about a coworker suddenly growing breasts and fucking my brains out, I woke to an incredible sensation of warmth and suction. My eyes popped open and I was looking into Susan's deep green eyes as she looked adoringly into mine while giving me a 'wake up' blow job. If I was still dreaming, fuck real life! I came and she swallowed greedily, licking off each stray droplet. "Wow!" Was my witty early-morning reply. She laughed in a carefree way that sent my heart soaring, then she pulled me up and informed me that she had our morning planned. First, I was to take a shower. 'Shower' is not the right word for what Susan did to me, but 'standing aquatic semi-sex' is too awkward to say. She served me intimately and professionally- running warm water over my body, washing my hair, soaping my body (even in the places it tickled), rinsing me, drying me, anointing me with lotions and deodorant, and then shaving me like she had done it all her life. All the time, she touched, kissed, licked, rubbed, caressed, and feather-touched me with nearly every part of her body, keeping me constantly aroused and near orgasm but not letting me cum. I shivered with mini-orgasms often, and a couple times she grabbed my penis firmly seconds before I was going to erupt, but she would not let me cum. She dried herself off (she had showered earlier, and gaily told me she came twice just playing with her new tits), and escorted me to the bedroom. There, she dressed me in comfortable, casual clothes. She managed to achieve an excellent effect with my terrible wardrobe. Next, she led me to the kitchen, where warm muffins, juice, and fruit were waiting for me. She stared at me as I ate with these incredible, adoring eyes, like I was the most fascinating thing she had ever seen. It befuddled me, and yet seemed oddly... familiar. I could not quite place my finger on it, but I felt like this since she nearly raped me last night, even before I thought it was all just a dream. It also aroused me to a degree I would have dreamed possible. This gorgeous girl really, really wanted me! 2. Experimentation As I finished eating, she said "Now what?" "Now what, what?" I asked. "Now, what else today? Now, what about us? Now, what about the rest of our lives? Now, when can we make mad, passionate love again?" She giggled. "How about all of the above? First, however, I am curious about how this happened. Have you always been able to grant wishes? Have you done any others?" "I have no idea what is happening here. As far as I know, it never happened before and until you came over, I had no idea anything happened this time either." She said she had been thinking about this since she woke up yesterday. She was incredibly curious about it and had been thinking about it a lot- a lot more than I had, in fact. She had even thought up a series of experiments to try to learn more about this. "But, we have to be careful", she said. "What if you only get three of them or something? You could even have used others up and not known it." I asked her what her plan was. "Well, my first thought was that even though I love you dearly, you could stand a little enhancement yourself." Susan said, with a little blush. I agreed, laughing. I KNEW exactly what I tried to avoid looking at in the mirror every day. "OK," she started, "make a list of what you want to improve in your body and wish it to be so." We worked for a few minutes. I had thought about this on and off on various 'self-improvement' jags that never went too far, and she had been thinking about it all night- and had in fact been toying with what she would do to me for the last couple years as we worked together. More as a home-improvement/what if exercise than because she really cared. With a list in hand, I began "I wish I was ten years younger, weighed 180 with rock-solid muscles, was perfectly healthy, had a metabolism that kept me trim and healthy, a 9 inch-long two-inch around cock capable of multiple orgasms and ejaculations..." and so on for a couple more minutes. Nothing. I urged her to take the list and touch me- maybe SHE was the source of the power. Nothing. We tried various combinations and got nowhere. I was rather depressed by it- both hearing my shortcomings over and over, and apparently having used my only wish. "OK, it seems as if you cannot change yourself. Now, for the next step. Let's wish for money." We went through a series of experiments to try this, monitoring things with my on-line account and other sources. No results, no new ideas in this direction. Susan took a list and crossed off a couple things. "Maybe the power only works on other people. If it is OK with you, I would like to try an experiment. I have a girlfriend I want to use as a guinea pig." I asked why not just make another wish for herself, but she argued that if the wishes were limited, she would rather use them this way. I decided to go along and she called her friend Betty. It took some work, but Betty came over a couple hours later. She was incredibly shy and pensive about all this (gee, imagine that!), and she was... welll... to be very charitable, she was ugly. Not deformed- but almost. She was short, fat, terrible stringy black hair, pug nose, tiny eyes, nasty looking oily skin... she was nearly Susan's perfect opposite! I greeted her and we three sat to talk for a bit. Betty did not really quite believe us, but she kept staring at Susan's new breasts to bolster her courage. After a bit, she agreed to be part of the experiment. The next step was designing her new body. She admitted to a secret desire to look like Elizabeth Ann Hilden, from Penthouse a few years back. I did a quick Internet search and found pictures of a gorgeous woman, tall, slender, well-built- but with two very different looks. Riotous golden hair, and straight platinum hair. Betty preferred the platinum look. On a whim, I had Susan take Betty's picture with my digital camera and I ran a morphing program between the two best matching images. As I twiddled with the morpher, I was amazed to find a look about 3/4 of the way to Elizabeth that was gorgeous, unique, and still had touches of what there was that was attractive in Betty. As I looked at her, I imagined a whole life, a new identity for this person. I copied the image over to a paint program and touched it up a bit (OK, I added a couple bits for my own libido. Sue me.) I pulled up the word processor and began to type a short biography for "Brittany Elizabeth Newman", 'Brit Beth' to her friends. The words flowed quickly, and before anyone could do anything, I touched Betty on the head and said "I wish for Betty to take on the looks, persona, and life of the person I created for her". I don't know why I used those words, but it felt right. For a long second, nothing happened, except Susan and Betty were both staring at me as if I had gone mad. Then, Betty's hair began to grow out and she began to grow a bit. With every heartbeat, she was changing- subtly, but steadily. If you closed your eyes for a moment, you could see the changes better when you looked again- her skin would e more clear and becoming radiant. She would be a bit taller and straighter. Her hair would be longer, thicker. Her figure would be a bit more slender, except for her chest. The changes were coming faster now. Her hands were long and slender, matching her dainty feet. Her nose was becoming delicate-barely upturned at the tip. Her clothes fit terribly and Susan started to remove them- Betty herself was in a daze looking at herself and in the nearby mirror. You could almost hear her skin moving, muscles changing, and hair growing. Without the clothes, the changes seemed to speed up again. She had grown 6″, from 5′1 to 5′7 and lost dozens of pounds to reveal a trim, athletic body with a gently rippled belly flaring out to wide hips supporting a bubble butt and incredible pillars of sculpted legs. Her breasts were firming and filling to about a DD cup with pert nipples. Her face was becoming exquisite- a perfect oval with high cheekbones, a sensual mouth, and incredible blue-violet eyes. Her hair had become a waterfall of raven black silk. As I looked at her, I was reminded of some of the pictures of a character called Vampirella when I was a kid. She stood there, proudly naked, breathing hard and sweating as if from a tough work out. Well, I guess that degree of change would burn a lot of energy. I noticed something else odd- her discarded pile of clothes had changed as well. Her old, worn and comfortable clothes in nondescript colors was now more colorful and made up of finer fabrics. Her sneakers had changed to heels. Her over-sized white cotton panties were now a lacy red near-thong, and her plain bra was a matching creation of red lace designed to support and display her new build. Her purse changed from a cheap cloth bag to a small shiny leather handbag. I opened it to find a driver's license in the name of Brittany E. Newman with her picture. I noticed with a smile that today was her birthday! What a present! "So, Betty, how do you feel?" She started, like waking up. "Huh?" Her new voice was light and musical! "Betty? Oh- yeah! That was... is? WAS me! It is strange, but it is like I have had two lives! I remember my boring job at the bank, being teased and abused at school, the looks on the bus, and other depressing things about my life. I also remember having a lot of fun at school, being on the cheer leading squad, being Miss Jackson County at a beauty contest at a fair one year, doing some modeling to pay for school- even getting an offer from an adult magazine. I remember going to college and getting a great job where my co-workers respect me. Wow! This is really, really cool! "And look at my clothes!" Betty/Brit-Beth squealed! "I remember buying this blouse, but I have never seen it before. My purse, it's totally unfamiliar to me, but I know exactly what is in it at the same time. This is... just so... incredible!" She sat down gracefully, but heavily- as if exhausted. Whew. I was suddenly drained. I had been having some déjà vu, and now I was pooped as well. This bigger 'spell' or whatever it was drained me deeply somehow. I felt like I had been doing my taxes while running a marathon, but something niggled at the back of my mind. She... she was having memories that I only THOUGHT of, but did not write. Her clothing changed into what I was THINKING of, but had not pictured. Suddenly, something popped into place- my mental imagery was what the wishes were based on! Of course! Susan looked JUST like what I thought she would look like- AND she was acting 'properly appreciative' as I thought she would when I made the wish! And... Oh, my God... When I made both wishes, I was thinking about them loving me and serving me! Not really slave-like, but because they would want to. I did not write a single thing down or say a word about Betty or Brittany loving me, so if she did, it was either her own free will, or because of what I was thinking. I had to ask! "Betty..." I began. When she did not turn I switched to "Brit-Beth?" She turned and smiled a million watt smile at me. "Yes?" Her voice was like sex set to music. My God! "Tell me, what do you think about all of this and about me?" "Oh!" She exclaimed. "I forgot to thank you, lover!" Instantly, she was on my lap, kissing me. A lap full of eager, naked, gorgeous woman is a new problem for me, but I tried to deal with it. I kissed her back hard and was about to play with various accessible body parts when I broke the kiss. "Lover?" I asked. "Wha...?" I was almost stammering now. "Silly! I have been in love with you for months... or at least, Brit-Beth has. We just met an hour ago, didn't we?" Betty was a little confused, but Brit-Beth was pretty insistent and started kissing me again and ground her pert bottom deliciously into my lap. Susan looked on with a bemused expression. She and I were fully dressed, but I could see her nipples sticking up, and I swear I could smell her sweet scent rising in the room. Brit suddenly seemed to notice Susan in the room. "Oops!" She giggled. "Susan, I'm being rude by not sharing. Please join us!" Make a Wish Susan laughed and stripped quickly, then both of them decided to divest me of raiment in the most erotic and ticklish ways possible. By the time I was nude, I was rock hard and laughing my head off. I had discovered that both girls were ticklish in some delightful places. I stuck my cock in Brit's mouth to finally get her to stop licking me where I was most ticklish, and I was kissing Susan while I fingered and massaged both girl's hills and valleys. Brit was a masterful cock-sucker, a wonderful blend of enthusiasm and artistry. I swear she was writing naughty things on my shaft with her tongue, then writing replies with feathery strokes on my balls. I blew a wad into her nice and deep just as I managed to bring both of them off with my mouth and fingers. Brit moved me a bit and mounted me, positioning herself above me with her newly powerful thigh muscles and began to lower herself onto me, inch by trembling inch. Susan demonstrated a similar skill by squatting over my head when I pulled her to me. Brit reached around her and played with her nipples as she craned back to kiss Brit. Soon, we were a tangled mass of limbs and body parts stuck into other body parts. I almost lost track of where my cock was at times, but when I came again, it was Brit who came with me big-time. Man, three times so far today and it was not even 1:00 pm yet! I was wiped, both from the sex and from the exertion of the spell. I tried to rally, but I fell asleep. 3. I had an idea... I guess I slept longer than I thought. It was morning before I revived. The girls were naked and entangled in a sweaty, contented mass on the bed while I had dropped off on the couch. I noticed they had pulled a blanket on me and even apparently tucked me in. Somehow, I knew they gave me a good-night kiss as well. From the looks of things, they had cleaned the house, had supper, and moved in a bit before they decided to get into bed together. I got up and stretched. I felt great! I also had an idea. Susan gave one of the wishes to a friend of hers, and I wanted to give one to a friend of mine. I left them a note and took off. Even thought it was Sunday morning, I was pretty sure Tammy would be home. Tammy was an old friend from school. We were two of a group of geeks that hung out together. She was probably my closest female friend- well, before all this other stuff happened. Tammy also had a secret dream to be Barbara Eden in "I Dream of Jeannie". I bet she doesn't even know she told me that at the party she was drunk at, but I DID remember... and now I could make it happen for her. Tammy answered the door and was glad to see me. It had been a couple years, but we still saw each other periodically. "Hey, how's it going?" She greeted me. "Not bad. You?" I replied according to our traditional script. "Eh. You know. Summa this..." "Summa that" we said in unison. It was an old bit from school. It wasn't that cute then, but now it was traditional. You know how it is. "Jean, I have a surprise for you, but first you have to tell me a couple things. Be honest, OK?" She looked confused, but agreed. "OK. Do you have anyone special in your life right now?" "Just Bill, why?" Bill was her pet rock. "How's work going?" I asked, ignoring her question. "Rotten. I hate my job. You know that. Why?" She asked a little more bewilderedly. "Lastly, do you still like "I Dream of Jeannie?" I asked, smiling. "You bastard. How'd you know about that? Yeah, but... WHY? What's going on here?" I touched her head, closed my eyes and made a wish. Tammy was a BIG girl. She was my height, weighed nearly 300 pounds, had brunette hair she kept in a pony tail, and had a rather coarse face, but other than her size, she was not ugly- well, not -quite- ugly! This was gonna be good! A pink smoke rose up with a whooshing sound, like from the TV show and totally enveloped her. At first, it seemed to be holding her as she struggled and coughed. After a long moment, she settled down and the smoke began to 'dance' slowly and sinuously. As the smoke dissipated, it left something very different in its wake. You could see the slender silhouette of a young woman in the thinning smoke, then the smoke began to settle. The first thing I saw was a topknot of thick golden hair coming out of a fez-like cap or holder. A beautiful face with wide eyes and impeccable but thick make-up came next- a lot like Barbara Eden... but sexier. Her eyes were closed, covered with a rich blue shadow and thick lashes. Her mouth was small with moist ruby lips. Her shoulders were slender, flawlessly creamy, and covered with a bright pink gauzy material. Her upper body was trim and willowy, except for two jutting breasts that seemed to almost float in spite of their size. The gauze was stretched thin here, but it managed to cover and support the incredible breasts. Her arms were long and lithe, adorned with dangle bracelets and armbands, her waist was tiny with a jewel set in her navel- a smaller jewel was set on her forehead, I suddenly noticed. Her hips flared out and were barely covered by more pink gauze covered in other veils and ribbons which did not quite hide her heart-shaped ass or exquisite legs. As the last of the smoke cleared, her tiny feet appeared, clad in pink felt slippers with tiny bells on the toes. She looked like a sexually enhanced version of Jeannie- exactly like I was hoping for. She opened her eyes and smiled at me. "How may I serve you, Master?" She whispered, voice dripping with lust. Dear lord- it sounded better than I had hoped. "Tammy, blink me up a nice light supper. Something we can eat as we talk." She nodded, and blinked hard enough to send delightful ripples coursing down her plump breasts. A table appeared laden with fruit, jugs of light wine, cheese, breads, and more. Perfect- both her taste in food and in the fact that she did indeed have magical powers! "So, Tammy, what do you think?" I asked. Tammy blinked a couple times and a subtle change came over her face. "Wow. This is wild! Its impossible, isn't it? I'm dreaming, right? Dreaming or crazy!" I laughed. "No, it is real- as far as I can tell." I quickly filled her in on the two back home. She asked a lot of questions about the power and I told her about the experiments so far. Now, we were both anxious to try HER powers! After a few hours of trials, we found that her powers were rather limited compared to those on the TV show. She could levitate objects that weighed quite a bit more than she did, but the heavier the object, the closer it had to be, the heavier it 'felt' to her, and the less control she had on it. She could materialize things, but only to a limited extent in regards to mass and complexity. She could not create money or anything too valuable- she claimed she could not 'visualize' it or 'grasp' it somehow. She could vanish things a little easier, and could cause things to vanish and reappear within certain limits (size, weight, complexity, distance, etc. played factors in how far this worked.) She could change things within reason- adding or removing a decent percentage of the original mass, but no 'mouse to elephant' transformations were possible. She could not affect my memories or thoughts, or her own, but she was reasonably confident that she could indeed do this. As we experimented, she called me 'Master' a few times. When she realized she was doing it, she became embarrassed, and she would blush beautifully, all the way down to the top of her creamy breasts. She also reddened if I slipped and called her 'Jeannie'. In fact, her breath would come a bit faster, her nipples would harden, and I began to smell a light muskiness as I 'slipped' and called her that a few more times. For the final round of experiments this afternoon, I asked if she could change me. She concentrated, crossed her arms with authority, and blinked hard. I felt an odd wrenching accompanied by a shivering heat- if that makes any sense, and looked at myself to see... almost no change. Yeesh. What good is a genie if they cannot make you a physical god? Tammy was smiling, however. "Master", she began, and blushed as she said this, "I could not change you much, but I was able to do a few things you might appreciate." I perked up at this. "Please take off your shirt and pants." She was blushing furiously and sounded a little out of breath at this. I slipped off my shirt and jeans and felt... good. I felt more balanced, poised, graceful somehow- not bad for a guy weighing over 300 pounds. I also felt powerful and flexible. Normally, bending over to undo my shoes was a bit of a chore- now, I just lifted my foot halfway and balanced easily on the other leg. Hmmm... strength, agility, balance... not bad! As I slipped off my pants, I felt another change- my cock was bulging my underpants out massively. It was like I was smuggling a thick, heavy, solid summer sausage or something in there! My balls felt like big old plums or small peaches in my briefs, and my God- the head of my cock was sticking out the waistband! I slipped off my T-shirt and briefs quickly, seeing, feeling, and sensing other changes. I went to the mirror to catalog them. My body was shaped a bit differently now- instead of a pear-shape, it was chestier, more evenly distributed. I had been very hairy- big patched of hair on my shoulders and back, arms and legs. Now, my skin was smooth and hairless, except for patches on my chest, crotch, and forearms. My arms and legs looked more defined. My face looked like I had a great makeover somehow- it was obviously me, but a lot better than I think I have ever looked. Even my hair looked better- from a dark sandy brown with gray streaks to a lighter 'sun-kissed' color. I looked dignified, mature- even wise! My eyes- hey, my eyes had gone from a medium brown to a twinkling hazel! I looked less like a lump and more like a bear- in a good way! The impression I had of my body was 'solid, strong, and tough'. Jeannie also informed me that she had boosted my cardiovascular system, immune system, and so on to improve my overall health, and boosted my metabolism so I would burn off the excess weight over time. She also admitted that she made me multi-orgasmic and able to erect, cum, and fertilize at will. As she was telling me this, I noticed that she was a bit flush and breathing a bit heavily. I asked if she was OK and in reply, she launched herself against me and crushed her tits against my newly solid chest. Sometimes, even 'I' could figure out what a woman wants, and I lifted her oh-so-easily and took her into the bedroom. She squirmed out of my grasp (which felt quite delightful) and pushed me to sit on her bed. Music swelled in the background and she began to do an incredible, sensuous dance to the mid-eastern rhythms. She rang small cymbals I had not noticed her holding before and tiny bells on her shoes and clothes began to jingle as she swayed her body. The music slowly picked up tempo, and she began to dance faster- mixing some belly dancing in the mix as she unfastened one of the large colorful veils she was wearing. She tossed the veil on me as she wriggled her tummy in my face. I licked her navel and she giggled and playfully pushed me away as the dance continued- faster and slower, loosing one veil at a time. Sometimes it was an energetic belly dance, other times it looked like raw sex as she twisted and moved like a cat. Sometimes she would let me touch or kiss her sweaty skin, other times she would hold it tantalizingly just out of reach. The music swelled and her dancing took on a feverish pitch as she was down to last few veils and pieces of clothing- she was looking pretty hot and bothered as she stared at my naked and very erect cock. Suddenly, she launched herself at me like a missile, bowling me over and kissing me furiously. Her hot sex was directly over my hard cock and she was twisting it on my cock's head as her lips parted and began to engulf me. She sat up on me squatting back on her haunches, and lowered herself onto my meat with a delicious roll of her hips. Her pussy seemed to have a life of its own as her internal muscles gripped and pulled me in inch by electric inch. Her entire body was slowly settling on top of me as I reached up to play with her buoyant breasts. As I caressed and kissed her big tits, I swear her pussy got hotter and tighter- it felt so good, but I was afraid my cock would be squirted out like a watermelon seed under the pressure! I repositioned her a tad and began to try to hump upwards into her as she instinctively took up the opposite rhythm. Soon, we were in a groove and her pussy was making incredibly loud slurping noises as we slid apart and slapped back together. I was playing with her tits and clit, and she was playing with my balls with one hand and supporting herself with the other. She leaned back some more and I was rubbing her G-spot as I moved in and out- she was shuddering with pleasure and making odd little yipping noises every time I shoved back in. I could not hold back much longer and soon blew a massive wad of sperm deep into her womb. She screamed as the hot juices exploded in her and she came violently and wetly, her own juices squirting out under pressure. We managed a couple more energetic pumps before the bed broke and we lay there exhausted, but chuckling about it all. I fell asleep for a bit, and when I woke up, the bed was not only repaired, but the room was different- draped in gauze and lighter, sweet smelling and immaculately clean. (Tammy was not exactly a domestic goddess. I did not mention that her bed was several layers deep in clothes and stuff strewn on it.) I was clean and refreshed, and Tammy looked magnificent in a simpler outfit, more like that worn on the TV show. God, I wanted her again- and this time I wanted to explore the possibilities of a magical mate further than just some background music. But... a quick look at the time reminded me that Susan and Betty were still home and probably wondering what happened to me. 4. Back at the ranch... Tammy and I drove home and we talked more about the situation. She was excited to meet Susan and Betty, and in no time we were there. I entered the room first to find the two bustling about making a wonderful smelling dinner, humming to themselves as they choreographed their efforts. God- I had almost forgotten how beautiful they were! Betty was so tall and graceful- her raven tresses sparkling in the lights. She was wearing a black silk tank-top that showed her navel and black leather hip-huggers that accentuated her curves gloriously. She had forgone shoes and her nails were a brilliant red that matched her fingernails and lips. Odd... for some reason I was thinking of her as 'Betty' again, when I had been thinking of her almost exclusively as 'BritBeth' before. Betty was such an ordinary name for a creature like this! Susan was wearing a simple denim shirt tied under her glorious breasts and a pair of far-too-tight short shorts that she had left the top button undone on. A large expanse of her trim tummy was showing, tantalizingly close to her womanhood. She had a simple country farm-girl look going compared to Betty's more exotic and sophisticated appearance, but both were incredibly sexy. They squealed when they saw me and put down what they were doing to come over and kiss me. The led me to the table and sat me down, asking where I had been. Incredibly, the only tone in their voice was pleased curiosity- no anger or irritation over my having been gone for hours with no hint as to where I was or when I'd be back. I had been unforgivably thoughtless, but they were showing none of it! I told them I had been out on an errand. "Watch this!" I said dramatically, pointing to the ground. As arranged, a puff of pink smoke burst forth, with familiar theme music coming from nowhere. Her face and upper arms formed from the mist, and Tammy did an equally familiar little dance and kissed both of the other girls rather demurely on their cheeks. They stood there, stunned, mouths agape. Susan broke first. "She's GORGEOUS! Jeannie? Wha...?" Susan was all smiles and excitement as Tammy stood in a mockery of the 'hands behind your back, head down' slave pose, a sexy smirk on her face. "Susan, Betty..., ah, BritBeth, meet Tammy." I quickly outlined who she was and now is. Betty exclaimed "Can she do magic too?" Tammy looked at me as I told them that she did indeed have some pretty impressive powers to match her impressive looks. "Can WE ask her to do things?" She wondered. "Sure," I replied. "I already told her that we are all basically equals in this and that she should listen to you, just as you would listen to her... as long as you don't ask her to do something that would hurt or negatively affect any of us, especially me." Tammy nodded and smiled. "Sweet!" Betty exclaimed. She went over and whispered in Tammy's ear and Tammy smiled, looked at Susan, and blinked in her direction. "What?" Susan burst out. "What did you do to me?" Betty/Brit smiled. "You'll know in a second, dear!" I 'felt' that Susan now felt all warm and excited by the idea of being 'with' Betty and Tammy- feeling their tongues on her pussy, kissing theirs, touching their beautiful breasts... hold it... Wow. Susan had never had these sorts of thoughts before. Sure, she and Betty had both had me at the same time, but Susan had not touched Betty all that much during the episode. Susan walked up to Betty and gave her a big, wet, probing kiss, then licked her ear and whispered "Thanks, I can't wait till later! My pussy's all wet for you." huskily in it. "By the way, I have already taken advantage of Tammy's powers" I announced, opening my trousers to show one of my main new enhancements. "Oh, sweet mother of God" Susan exclaimed, gazing at it. She began to step towards it, like a moth to a flame. Betty/Brit stood stunned, staring for a long second as Susan knelt before me, as if to an alter, and gently, worshipfully, took me in her mouth. Her jaws stretched almost to their limit to accept it all, and I felt her try to deep throat me, working to overcome her gag reflex, massaging my sensitive head with the back of her throat. She was playing with my balls with her free hand as her other hand wrapped around my waist to support her and allow her to pull her face further along my cock. I had my eyes closed so I did not notice that BritBeth had joined Susan. When I felt another tongue on my shaft, I looked down to see Brit licking my shaft when Susan pulled back. One of Brit's hands was caressing Susan's crotch through her skin-tight sorts and her other hand was playing with Susan's rock hard nipples. It was affecting Susan, and me through her. As she shuddered through an orgasm, her moans vibrated on my meat and brought me over the edge. My balls filled and I felt them pump their load down Susan's slick throat. Some of the semen was escaping to be captured by Brit's waiting lips. Tammy was watching with glazed eyes, touching herself tentatively as the two cleaned off any last drops from me and each other. It was so sexy to watch these two gorgeous women lick and suck my cum off each other's faces! Their hands drifted to the other person's breasts, and they each lovingly removed the other's top so they could continue their play flesh on flesh. My penis stirred watching them as they drifted to the couch and their bottoms began to slide away under the other person's probing hands. Brit must have been lusting after Susan for a long time, I figured. Probably even as Betty. I figured they would be busy for several minutes, so I pulled Tammy over and just plain took her. I bent her at the waist, tore off her filmy panty shorts or whatever they were, and just jammed my cock in her sopping pussy to the hilt. She burst out with a laughing moan in surprise and pleasure, then began to work her hips like she was dancing again. Make a Wish I reached up and grabbed her plump breasts, kneading them and grasping them almost roughly, and she squealed and pushed her bottom harder against me. I got rougher, harder, deeper, more aggressive and she just seemed to get hotter and hotter, panting, moaning, ramming herself back against me. I came with a growl- I had never been this animalistic in sex before. Tammy came with a series of loud moans as my spunk blasted its way through her. After I pulled out, she sunk to her knees and cleaned me off, gently and tenderly, one hand over herself so as to not leak anything on the carpet. God, I shivered seeing her so subservient like that- my cock twitched just thinking about it. When Tammy and I returned to the kitchen, Susan and Brit were serving supper. Tammy seemed upset that she had not done it, but she WAS a bit busy a minute ago. We ate in a pleasant cloud of conversation, sexuality, and satiation. Susan and Brit told about their day. Brit had set up some portfolios of investments and figured out a few ways to get some income so we would not all have to work-although she confessed that she loved her new job enough that she was planning to go back. Susan announced that she was going back as well, tentatively, but had taken the rest of the week off to 'recuperate' from the 'flu' she had Friday. I figured what the hey, and called myself in for the next couple days as well. Tammy had already quit over the phone before we came home. Susan announced that she had been working on a place for us all to live and had decided that her house would be the best choice. Unless, she asked, Tammy's would be better? I assured her that Tammy's was not adequate for our needs, and that she had already sent a note informing them that she was moving out. I had planned on her living here with me, but had not counted on Susan and Brit having the same ideas! Susan and Brit caught the implications immediately and were stunned that I had even considered that they were not living here. Neither of them could envision a life without me, they both said, and had assumed... I assured them it was OK, I just had not counted on it, or really even thought that far into the future about it. Brit let out a sigh of relief. She had also already sent notice of closure on her apartment and was thinking about what she would have to do to take it back. Wow- I had really set something in motion here! After supper, no one could dissuade Tammy from clearing things up, but we did all pitch in a little over her protestations. I went to watch some TV and unwind. Tammy knelt at my feet and leaned on my legs. Brit leaned against me on one side and read a book, while Susan was on the other reading a paper. After a few minutes, I had a hand on Susan's and Brit's breasts, and a toe was playing with Tammy's crotch-and everyone was sighing and snuggling up a bit tighter. Ah... what a life!