Leon smiled politely at Barbara as he entered the office Tuesday.  “Thank you for your help.”

“Of course, boss.  Your first appointment is in ten minutes, Mrs. Cunningham again.”

Leon winced.  “Alright, I’ll brush up on her cases.  Thanks.”

The day wore on in its usual way, with Leon called upon to make judgment calls that he often felt were little better than educated guesses.  He brought several of the thornier ones to Barbara for advice, and on all but one she smiled and suggested he already knew the answer.

The one question he was not looking forward to asking got saved until the end of the day.  Once everyone was gone, Barbara once again found Leon in his office.  This time he was staring at the ceiling.

“Time to call it a night.”

“That is the issue, isn’t it?” sighed Leon.  “Robin called.  Wants me to invite you over tomorrow night, to help with a promise I made to Jean before all this blew up.”

“Valentine’s Day,” said Barbara.

“Indeed.  She seemed to think you did not have someone you wanted to be with.”

“Is that how she put it?” asked Barbara.

“Mrh, not exactly.”  Leon closed his eyes, and spoke in a passable imitation of his sister’s voice.  “She’d be spending the night alone.”

“Accurate.  There is someone, but...”

Leon’s gaze dropped to note Barbara’s uncertain expression.  “Complicated?”

“And confidential, and...  Well, hell, you’ve got the files.  Does the name Colleen ring a bell?”

“Colleen... Colleen...”  Leon’s eyes widened.  “Oh!  That was an unusual case.  I remember it because it was surprising to find a rarity like that in our little town.  Wanted to be formally recognized as gender-fluid.  Dad was pissed when it got shot down by the judge.”

“Was he?  He didn’t show it.”

“The topic has come up since then at home, what with me trying to explain Leona to him.  I don’t actually see myself as gender-fluid, more like gender-flexible.  I’m happy either way, but...”

“You like being Leona.  That’s what helped me realize.”

Leon waited curiously to see what else Barbara would say.

Eventually she sighed.  “I admired their strength, putting up with everything.  After that idiot judge ruled that since she was physically female, the county didn’t have to change their paperwork, I took them out for lunch to commiserate.  One thing led to another, but... we haven’t...  And now, your magic could...  I just don’t see how to make it all work.”

“Do you want to bring Colleen over on Wednesday?  We could have a perfectly non-kinky dinner and discuss what we can do to help.  We can do kinky stuff after you’re gone, or some other night.”

Barbara looked away.  “I... badly want to let them reshape both of our bodies.  We’re not... compatible as we are.  That’s why things haven’t gone anywhere.  But if...”

Leon chuckled softly.  “You have some of the county’s best flesh-sculpting artists on call.  There is nothing you can ask for that will make us think less of you.”

Barbara smiled gratefully.  “Thanks.”

“I owe you that and more.  How is it that you’re so good with every other kind of problem, but having trouble here?”

“It is easier to see the heart of the matter when you’re not caught up in it.”

Leon laughed wryly.  “Too true.  So... will you come over Wednesday night?”

“I have no idea how to approach Colleen.”

“Invite her to dinner at our place,” suggested Leon.  “I think the company will speak to what we can do.”

“On Valentine’s Day?  I mean, it’s...”

“Exactly what you want to offer.”

Barbara’s steely eyes met Leon’s.  “When did you get so sharp.”

“Occupational hazard.  That, and spending half my time as Leona, and much of the rest wrangling with three very pushy pets who aren’t afraid of asking for what they want.”

Barbara smirked.  “I am nobody’s pet.”

“Perhaps you should try it sometime.  It’s very relaxing.”

“Relaxing?”

Leon nodded.  “Once you’ve given up control, really given it up, you don’t get to worry about stuff.  Heck, with the black collar, you can’t.  But even with the pink one, it’s so easy to just go with the flow.”

Barbara shook her head.  “Not my style.  Besides, I can’t keep an eye on you if I’m under someone else’s control.”

“Fair.  Though if you ever want to try it, I’d be happy enough to skip the collar that night myself.  I don’t need a lot of pet time, last night will cover me for a long while.”

“I’ll think about it,” replied Barbara.  She looked off into the distance for a few seconds, then shook her head again.  “It would be for the best if I stayed out of your games.”

“You’re right, as always.  Though if Colleen changes your mind, I’m willing to create space for you two to do whatever you want with the collars and ring.”

Barbara smiled at that answer.  “We shall see.  I don’t get the impression Colleen is interested in such things.  Their desires are a bit more practical.”

“Of course.  So will we see you Wednesday night?”

“I’ll ask.  I won’t press.”

Leon smiled.  “Of course not.  I trust your judgement.”

Barbara chuckled wryly.  “Wish I trusted mine as much as you do.”

Leon waved that off.  “Just think of what you’d advise if it was Robin and Carrie-Lee.”

“Tell them to get off their butts and propose already?”

Leon laughed.  “They really are the perfect couple.  Sometimes they’re a perfect couple of salt and pepper shakers, but the point still stands.”

Barabara held up her hands.  “That’s more information than I need to know.  You four have fun tonight, hm?”

Leon grinned.  “We will.  And I’ll make sure they know we might have guests tomorrow.  No surprises.”

“I’ll be sure to have your answer for you first thing in the morning.  Now get, I’ll lock up.”

Leon thanked her, and headed home.

When he got there, he found Robin sulking on the couch.  “Aww, now what?”

“I found out what Carrie-Lee did to you on the weekend.  We fought.  She offered to let me punish her to make amends, but I think I fucked it up.”  Robin lept up from the couch and buried her head in Leon’s shoulder, leaking tears.  “Can you fix it?”

Leon looked over to his wife, who just shrugged.  “Okay.  I’ll see what I can do.  First things first, though.  I told Barbara about your offer, and she... might bring Colleen over tomorrow night.”

“So much for a romantic Valentine’s dinner,” sighed Jean.

“No, no, it could still work,” said Robin, perking up.  “If she’s willing to actually ask Colleen out, it could be really, really romantic.  In the sweet sense, not the hardcore kinky shrunken chocolate fondue party sense.”

“We can still do chocolate fondue though, right?”

Leon smiled at his wife.  “Definitely.  And I’ll even serve as Leona, to make good on my promise.  Pink collar and all.”

Jean giggled.  “Ooo.  I’ll keep it PG until our guests go...”  She saw Leon shaking his head.  “Not PG?”

“I’ll only wear it while Barbara’s here.”

“Ah.  Well... I’m sure we’ll have fun even so.”

Robin tugged at Leon’s hand.  “Before we have fun, we have to...  I mean, please fix my mess.”

Leon bowed his head.  “What’d you do this time?”

“Carrie-Lee was all giggly about what you did to us last night.  That was fantastic, by the way.”

“Glad to be of service,” said Leon with a grin.

Robin smirked back at him.  “Glad you got over your hangups.  Anyway.  Carrie-Lee said, ‘if it’s going to be like this, I should trap him more often’.  She wasn’t even repentant!  I got so mad, I, um... kind of turned her into a bug.  Then used the black collar to make her think she was trapped in a spider’s web.”

“You what?  She’s terrified of spiders.”

“I know!” wailed Robin.  “I had to make her feel like you did.”

“She has suffered enough.  Go rescue her.”

“But she’s going to hate meeee!”

Leon pushed Robin toward her room.  “You did it.  You face the consequences.  I’ll help clean up the mess afterward.”

Leon followed along behind Robin, but stopped stock still in the doorway when he saw the scene in Robin’s room.  There on the bed, tangled in an enormous spiderweb, was what looked like a human-sized fly with Carrie-Lee’s head.  “You really went all out.”

Robin giggled uncertainly.  “Some of my best work.  Thank goodness she’s stopped screaming.”

Carrie-Lee stirred at the sound of Robin’s voice.  “No!  Oh God, it’s here...  Save me!  HELP!”

Robin darted forward and unbuckled the collar from around Carrie-Lee’s neck.  “Shh, shh.  There’s no spider.”

Carrie-Lee gasped, staring about herself wildly.  She struggled to free her limbs from the sticky web, but failed.  As her struggles got worse she managed to get even more tangled up, making matters worse.

“Did you have a plan for freeing her?” asked Leon acerbically.

“Um... no?”

Leon sighed, and went to fetch the purple collar and the shapeshifting ring.  By the time he’d arrived, Carrie-Lee had at least stopped thrashing, largely because her six black, chitinous limbs were so tangled up as to be immobilized.  He slipped the collar around her neck, and buckled it.  “There.  Calm down.”

Carrie-Lee took a deep shuddery breath.  “Okay.  Okay.  Thanks.  That’s better.  Can I go back to being human, please?”

“Mmm... I’m going with no.  Robin, put on the ring and get rid of the webs.  Without going spidery.”

“Yes boss.”

Soon Carrie-Lee was free from her entanglement, and glaring down at her ugly black carapace.  “Are you really going to leave me like this?”

“Yep.  Shrinking you to bug size is on the table, if you’d like.  You’d probably be able to fly.”

Carrie-Lee considered the offer for a bit, then shook her head.  “I’d be afraid of getting squished.”

“Oh, yeah.  Especially after...”  Leon glared at his sister.  “What am I going to do with you?”

“Turn me into something awful.”

Leon rolled his eyes.  “Would that really help?  Because it’s tempting to turn you into another bug like your sweetie here.”

Robin looked over at Carrie-Lee guiltily.  “Do you hate me?”

“Sort of?” she replied calmly.  “I think the calming order is helping.  I’m... annoyed.”

“But did you learn your lesson?” asked Leon.

“What lesson?”

Leon sighed and shook his head.  “Maybe I should make you put the black collar back on, and send you back to the spider for a while.”

Carrie-Lee squeaked.  “Please don’t.  I’ll do anything.”

“Do you understand that what you did to me was at least as bad?”

“But I didn’t throw you to a spider!” protested Carrie-Lee.  “I just...”

“Left me to stew for hours with my deepest fear,” interrupted Leon.  “I feel the same about immobility as you do about spiders.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“It doesn’t have to,” growled Leon.  “Fine.  You want the full deal?  To really understand my fear?”

“Um... as long as it doesn’t involve spiders?”

Leon handed the black collar to her.  “Put it on.”

Carrie-Lee struggled to do so with her clawed limbs.  Leon held it in place, and arranged the clasp so Carrie-Lee only had to push on it to close it.  When it locked in place, she fell limp to the bed.

Robin sighed softly to look at her.  “She seems at peace, finally.  Can you erase her memories of all this?”

“Not persistently.  But that’s a good idea.  Ring, please.”

Robin grabbed one of the transformation-blocking ribbons and tied it around her wrist, then handed over the ring.  At her brother’s curious look she grinned.  “Don’t want a big mess of spiderwebs to reappear.”

“Right.”  He hooked the ring over one of Carrie-Lee’s claws, then ordered her to change back to human.  Then he told her to forget the events since that morning, before waking her up.

“Oh, hey Leon,” said Carrie-Lee brightly.  “Thanks for last night.  That was incredible.”

Leon smiled wryly.  “No guilt about what triggered it?”

Carrie-Lee shrugged.  “You had fun, despite the little bobble.”

“Little bobble?  I was traumatized.  I loathe the idea of ever wearing that collar again, because of you.”

“Traumatized?  By being a slip?  Get out of here.”

Leon’s brows knitted.  “Fine.  You hate the idea of immobility.  Spiders are cute.”

Carrie-Lee looked confused for a moment.  “Oh.  Oh shit.  I am so sorry.”

“Not sorry enough.  Turn yourself into a satin slip for Robin to wear.”

Carrie-Lee started to hyperventilate as her body slid away into a pile of satin.  The collar tumbled away from her, but the insidious nature of that dark band kept her mind trapped, still subject to it until it was opened.

Robin snatched up the satin pile.  “What are... you’re going to traumatize her.”

“Not if you keep her moving.”  Leon tugged the ribbon free from his sister’s wrist, and tied it around the shoulder strap of the pretty green satin slip Carrie-Lee had become.  He pocketed the ring.  “I charge you with keeping her sane until morning.”

“How?”

“Wear her, of course.  And keep moving.  If you fall asleep...”

Robin nodded.  “Okay.  I can pull an all-nighter.  I take it something horrible happens if I pull her ribbon and turn her into a mindless slip?”

Leon smiled at her wickedly.  “Yes.  I’ll deny both of you access to the ring for a month.”

Robin squealed.  “No!  She’d be stuck, I’d be...  Are you serious?”

“You fucked up, sis.  This is your penance.  Do it right.”

“Am I at least allowed coffee?” begged Robin.  “Staying awake without it...”

Leon considered the request for long enough to make his sister squirm in agitation.  “I will grant you this boon.  But you owe me.”

“Yessir!”

“Now go wear your sweetie.  Do it right, and she’ll actually enjoy this.”

“Slavedriver,” muttered Robin, but there was a hint of a smile on her face when she said it.

“You voted me boss of the house.  And asked me to fix this mess.”

Robin’s smile bloomed once she had Carrie-Lee settled on her body.  “I hope this works.  If it did, I’ll owe you big time.”

“If you can help with Barbara, I’ll consider the debt repaid.”

Robin nodded sharply.  “I’ll do my best.”

*** *** ***

Dinner that night was strained.  While Jean did not say anything against Leon’s plans for Robin and Carrie-Lee, her expression spoke volumes.  Once the meal was over, and everything cleared away, Leon sighed.  “Out with it.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” answered Jean sweetly.

Leon snorted.  “Yes you do.  You think I’m being far too hard on both Robin and Carrie-Lee.”

“What does Leona think?”  Jean tugged the ring off her finger and offered it to her husband.

In a moment, a petite catgirl stood where Leon had been, his human clothes puddled around her paws.  She chewed on the problem, and shook her head.  “I’m still angry.”

Jean’s hand went to her white collar.  She hesitated for a moment, then slipped it off and offered it to Leona.  Leona studied the collar for a minute, then looked to her wife with a questioning look.

“Try it.  It’ll help.  You know it can’t give you any orders.”

Leona bobbed her head, and handed the collar back to Jean.  Before her wife could protest, Leona turned around and presented her neck for the collar.

“It doesn’t matter who puts the white collar on.”

“I know.”

Jean smiled indulgently and buckled the collar around Leona’s neck.  “Shall I fetch your name tag?”

Leona giggled.  “Oh!  Could you?”

Jean scampered off to dig the box of name tags out from her bedside drawer.  They hadn’t been touched since Christmas.  She returned with Leona’s tag.  “Do you want the license tag, too?”

“May as well go all out.”

Jean tied the two tags to the white collar with a bit of silken cord, then yelped and sucked her finger.

“Are you okay?” asked Leona solicitously.

Jean nodded, and waved her hand about.  “Yeah, I just felt a little shock.  Are you okay?  Did something happen?”

Leona shrugged.  “I don’t feel any different.”

Jean studied her husband’s posture.  “Something has changed.  I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s like you’re the same, but also different.”

Leona tilted her head and canted her ears in puzzlement.  “Different than what?”

“That.  That right now.  You’ve settled way further into Leona than you usually do this soon after changing.”

“Changing?” asked Leona curiously.

“From Leon.”

“Who?”

“My husband, Leon.”

Leona looked cutely puzzled.  “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

“You are my husband.”

“No I’m not, I’m your pet.”

Jean’s eyes narrowed.  “Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be?  Fine, play your bloody games!”

Leona hung her head and started to sniffle.  “Why are you yelling at me?”

Jean immediately crouched in front of Leona.  “Sorry, I’m sorry sweetie.  Are you really serious?”

Leona nodded frantically.  “I’m confused.  I’m not trying to trick you, I’m a good pet.”

Jean patted Leona’s head, and the kittygirl immediately perked up.  “I’m not mad at you.  I was just surprised.  Do you remember what you did to Carrie-Lee and Robin?”

Leona nodded, but her cheery smile soon faded.  “I wasn’t very nice to them.”

“And what should you do about it?”

Leona bounced up and down.  “I know!”  She darted out of the kitchen and through the great room.  Jean followed her to Robin and Carrie-Lee’s bedroom.  Leona barged in to find Robin lying on her bed.

Robin sat up abruptly and hid her hands behind her back.  “What?”

“I wanted to apologize.  I was mean to you earlier,” said Leona.  “Change Carrie-Lee back whenever you like.”

Robin blushed.  “Um... would you be upset if I wanted to keep her like this a little longer?  There’s something about this emotional high-wire act that’s, um...”

“Turning you on something fierce?” asked Jean from the doorway.

“Uh, yeah.  That.”

Leona giggled.  “That’s great.  I’m glad you two are happy.”

Robin shot Jean a questioning look, and Jean just shrugged.  She tugged at Leona’s wrist.  “Come on sweetie, let’s leave them to their fun in private okay?”

“But...”

“I’m sure we can find something fun to do, just the two of us.”

“Yay!”

Once they were back in the great room, Jean sat on the new couch, and patted her lap.  Leona curled up in it cutely.  A few minutes of skritching left her purring and woozy, and she barely noticed when Jean’s fingers found the collar.

Leona sighed softly as the collar came off.  “Why’d you go do that?”

“Because it was messing with your head.  Weren’t we told the white collar couldn’t do that?”

Jean slid the collar around her neck and blinked at Leona in confusion.  “What?  Why are there two of me?”

Leona giggled.  “Oops.  Now I see.  Come here, pet.  Let me check your name tag.”  It took Leona’s nimble fingers no time to untie the knot, then the name-tags settled into her paw.

Jean shook her head.  “Wow.  I was convinced I was Leona for a moment there.  I thought you said the silk meant it wouldn’t interfere with the collar.”

“The guy just said that metal blocks magic... oh.  Oops.  I may have misunderstood.  That, or the collars just have a thing for name-tags.  Which would make sense, I suppose.  Want to try the Goldie tag?”

Jean laughed softly.  “I thought you’d be mad, getting turned into a pet when you didn’t want to be.”

Leona tilted her head in curiosity.  “That bit was...”  She looked down to the tags in her hand.  “The pet license.  I wonder what else we could come up with.  I... find the idea of a pre-programmed change appealing.  I liked being your pet, but if we got a tag with ‘maid’ on it, would that work?”

“Or ‘I am Jean’s maid, and may not be further changed’?”

“Oh!  Hm.  Some changes would be okay.  Taller or shorter as needed for my duties, or utility changes to my hands or tail...  Having a built in duster in my tail would be convenient.”

“We’ll figure something out,” reassured Jean.  “Are you still okay with the change to Robin and Carrie-Lee’s punishment?”

Leona nodded enthusiastically.  “I was a bit heavy handed at the start.  It’s a little disappointing that they’re having quite such fun with it, but... well, I guess that will always be the dynamic.”

“You could ask them to come up with something suitable.  Restitution, instead of punishment?”

Leona fidgeted with the ring, then slipped it off.  Her body expanded to the familiar masculine lines of Leon.  Jean looked at her husband curiously.  He shrugged.  “I need both sides’ input.  This felt like the clearest way to see it.”

“And?”

“I like the idea of asking them for restitution.”

“Restitution?” asked Robin as she sauntered in.  “I heard my name, and...”

“Finished already?” asked Leon.

Robin blushed.  “I... yeah.  And I really want to know she’s okay.”

Leon opened the black collar, then handed Robin the ring.  Before long, Carrie-Lee was returning to what passed for normal – she was rather scalier than typical for a human.

“Do you hate me?” asked Robin before Carrie-Lee had finished changing.

Carrie-Lee shook her head.  “Never.”  She turned to Leon and held out her hand.  “I am truly sorry for putting you through hell.  I had no idea.”

Leon shook her hand gravely.  “I know.  Intellectually, I know.  Emotionally... still working on it.”

“Which is why we should become your dress!”

Leon blinked at his sister.  “What?”

Carrie-Lee looked at Robin oddly as well.  “Why?”

“Restitution.  You enjoyed Leon’s punishment, right?”

“Well... maybe a little.  Okay, more than a little, once you got going.”

Leon sighed long-sufferingly.  “It is exceptionally difficult to come up with anything that will punish you without making me feel monstrous.  And the last time I tried to withdraw ring privileges the sad eyes...”  He shot a playful glare at Robin.  “Let’s just say I shan’t be repeating that threat.  I know what it all means to you.  There just has to be a line.”

“You specifically said there were no limits and no recriminations at Christmas,” started Carrie-Lee, but Robin put a hand over her mouth.

“That’s part of the problem.  We all have limits.  This is fun, but Leon didn’t try to get you stuck in a spider’s web, did he?”

“No, you did.”

Robin winced.  “This is why we need to be a dress.”

“I still don’t exactly follow your logic, sis.”

“You can’t punish us for it.  Not in the shocking, traumatized so badly we’ll never do it again sense, anyway.”

“That’s not what I want,” growled Leon.  “I just need...”

“Restitution,” said Robin.  “We become the most fantastical dress you’ve ever seen, something so perfect that you’ll have to wear us tomorrow when you have guests.  Bonus points, we won’t do anything stupid to mess up things for Barbara.”

“I...”  Leon shot a glance at his wife, who made encouraging motions.  “I have to admit it is a tempting offer.  It’s just the idea of being stuck, even if it’s someone else...”

“You know we love it.  We’re not going to suffer.  We’ll enjoy every moment of being worn.  And when the night is over, and you decide the dress is too pretty to give up... pull the ribbon.  Keep us.”

“What?” protested Leon.  “You’d be...”

“You remember.  You were a mindless slip.  It’s a good way to go.”

“Sweetie,” Carrie-Lee murmured, “this is starting to sound a little scary.”

“We have backups.  We won’t be gone-gone.  But these bodies?  These selves?  These are the versions of us that fucked up.  They need to go.”

“Holy... you’re actually serious?” asked Leon.  “You want to become my dress... forever?”

“For a fairly specific and limited sense of forever, yes.  One that takes the part of us that did you wrong, and gives it to you as something special.”

Leon bowed his head.  “I accept your terms.”

Robin cheered and hugged Carrie-Lee tight.  “This is going to be amazing.  C’mon, give him the ring so he can become Leona again, and we can start planning the dress.”

The two of them put their heads together and discussed clothing designs and artistry while Leon returned to Leona’s shape.  “Which version?”

Robin looked up, then glanced at Jean.  “Which would you prefer for dinner tomorrow?”

“New one,” said Jean confidently.  “Exactly my height, not ridiculously busty.”

Leona grew herself taller, and cupped her breasts with her paws.  “Just a handful?”

“A healthy handful.  More than that... I’m not so fixated on them as you are.  But sensitive.  Deliciously so.”

Leona sighed happily.  “Mmm, okay.  Starting to like this.  What else?”

Jean hummed softly and shook her head.  “I’m good.  But... what do you want?”

“Hm?  What do you mean?”

Jean strode around Leona, to study the nude catgirl from different angles.  “You’re comfortable like this.  You’ve been Leona so many times, at varying sizes.”  Jean cupped her hand in front of Leona’s crotch suggestively, “And with lots of different equipment.”

Leona blushed.  “Some of those were... very fun.”

“So.  We’ve been vacationing by the lake, but so far it has all been rentals.  Build your dream cabin.  Be the Leona you truly need to be.”

Leona snuggled up against Jean, purring happily in the hug.  Her height dropped a few inches, then rose again, settling a touch taller than Jean so that her wife’s head would nestle perfectly into her collar.  She nuzzled into a kiss, and again there were little adjustments, flattening her usual muzzle slightly and padding her lips until once again, the fit was just so.

Then Leona stepped back, and pirouetted in place, tail flicking out for balance.  She went up on the toes of one foot, balanced a moment, and then thickened her legs slightly, adding muscle as well as just a little rounding.  She flexed an arm next, and lean muscle corded under the fur.  “Take my hands,” purred Leona.

Jean did so, then whooped as Leona scooped her into her arms then tossed her into the air.  Strong arms caught Jean and steered her back to a graceful landing.  Leona led as they danced about the room, and drew to a halt in front of the couch where the others were conspiring.

“Done?” asked Robin.

“Nearly.  Think your design can accommodate...”  A sheath emerged between her legs, with a hint of pink peeking out of it.

“Can you keep it under control?” asked Robin, glancing to her sweetie.

Leona closed her eyes and took a calming breath, and the little bit of pink hid away once more, leaving her lines sleek as ever.  “There.  Perfect.  Could you be a dear and ribbon me?”

Jean did so, tying it into Leona’s tail near the tip.  “There.  How do you feel?”

“Purrfect.”  Leona handed the ring to Robin, then swished her tail in front of her.  She studied the ribbon, then gave it a tug.

“Leon...”

Leona shook her head.  “No.  Not Leon.”  She prowled to one of the mirrors they’d installed by the fireplace.

Jean slipped up beside Leona, and snuggled up against her.  “Penny for your thoughts?”

“I don’t know yet.  I just... this feels different.  Special.  Right.”

Jean kissed her husband.  “Good.”

“Good?”

“You’ve been lost for a while.  But now...”  Jean glanced over to the couch.  “Now Leona needs to try on her new outfit.”

Where Robin and Carrie-Lee had been sitting was a surprisingly small puddle of something shiny and dark.  Leona picked it up curiously, and it rippled and flowed in her hands as if made of something more liquid than fabric.  “How do I even wear it?”

“I suspect it stretches.”

Leona tugged at it curiously, finding that the dark fabric lightened as it stretched.  She explored until she found what she believed was the skirt, and wriggled her arms into it.  Getting the outfit on required no little amount of tugging and squirming, but when it finally settled into place, Jean gasped.

“What?”

Jean just pointed at the mirror.  Leona slunk over to it curiously, then her eyes widened.  The dress flowed from a high neck to a short skirt that swirled to mid-thigh.  Where her body stretched it out, the dark fabric became a glowing, deep amber that made it look as though her fur was showing through.

“So beautiful...” she breathed, then started to cry.

Jean was by her side in a moment.  “What’s wrong, sweetie?”

“I can’t...  I can’t...”  Leona shook her head.  “Sorry.”

“Shh, love.  You have nothing to be sorry for.  Why are you crying?”

“Happy tears,” squeaked Leona.  “Promise.”

Jean hugged her husband tight.  “Good, good.  Let it out.”

“I can’t go back,” gulped Leona.  “I can’t turn them back.”

Jean put a finger to her wife’s lips.  “I would never ask you to.”