At the station, a car was waiting. To Kendra’s amazement, the two women both saluted her. She and Ruby were then motioned to the back of the car.

Kendra would have gasped, if she could have. Peter was sitting there, waiting for them…

“Hi, you two”, he said, kissing both of them.

They sat down, and the car moved off.

“I know this is confusing for you”, Peter whispered, quietly, in Kendra’s ear, “but bear with me. Everything will come clear in time and, yes, I know who you are. I also know who you really are…”

Kendra couldn’t help it. She still loved Peter, despite everything that had happened to her. She found herself snuggling up against him, as Peter stroked her head. It still amazed her that she could feel everything through her new skin, even Peter’s hand through her hair…!

All the time, however, things were becoming more and more familiar. Ruby’s mother’s name was Kate…

As the limo pulled up outside a building, more people were waiting for them, uniformed and plain clothes. Peter got out of the car, then stepped aside. As Kendra and Ruby got out, they all snapped to attention and saluted…!

“My wife has been returned to us!”, Peter said. There was a big cheer…

At the same time, Peter took something from his pocket and fitted it round Kendra’s neck.

“What the hell…?”, Kendra ‘said’. She then gasped. She had spoken!

“A surprise for you, darling”, Peter said. “I thought you’d like your voice back…”

Kendra had been dumb since an infection in her youth. Peter’s ‘wife’, Kate, had had the same affliction. He had been working on a solution to surprise her…

Ruby squealed again with delight when her mother ‘spoke’ to her…

“That’s not the biggest surprise, though”, Peter said. “Are the memories coming back?”

“I’m starting to remember Ruby’s childhood, if that’s what you mean”, Kendra said.

“Yes, that’s exactly it.”, said Peter. “You see, you’re not actually Kendra. You really are Kate.”

Peter then showed Kate pictures of her, as she looked now, being sealed into a ‘Kendra’ bodysuit…

“We couldn’t just change you back”, he explained. “These suits have to have time to settle. Also you’d been so traumatised by it all you’d actually started believing you were Kendra. I deliberately started dating you, as Kendra, then got someone to ‘attack’ you and force you into a ‘Kate’ suit, one of ours this time. This suit was specially treated to biodegrade any artificial materials inside it and repair the existing skin. It’s not replaced your skin, it’s rebuilt it. That’s why everything feels right. It is your own skin.”

“Welcome back, Kate. Or, to give you your full title, Madam President…!”