Georgina was devastated.

She’d been given six months to live, at best. She cried as she heard the news…

The brain tumour was inoperable; it was in such a place that any attempt to get at it would have irreparably damaged the brain itself.

Then, a doctor came to see her; she stood over her, reading her chart, nodding to herself.

“I think I can help you”, she said. “There is a catch, however…”

“Yes?”, asked Georgina, hopefully.

“It’s not exactly ‘on the books’ yet. People will have to think you have died…”

“You mean I won’t see my family and friends again?”, she asked.

“I’m sorry, but no. It’s live as a stranger, or die for real, I’m afraid. I can’t tell you any more until you agree to the programme.”

Georgina didn’t know what to do.

The only person she was really close to was her sister, Eliza. The rest of the family were all a waste of space; they hadn’t even cared she was ill or visited her in hospital. Only Eliza had kept in touch, and she visited as often as she could.

That night, Georgina had another of her blinding headaches…

The mysterious doctor visited her again the next day.

“Is there any way I can still see my sister Eliza?”, Georgina asked, plaintively.

“Actually, there might be”, said the doctor. “How about you having a long-lost cousin?”

Georgina was intrigued.

“Tell me more…”

After a fair amount of discussion, Georgina agreed to the ‘treatment’, and signed the papers, which the doctor promised would be kept confidential. She then slumped back as the doctor gave her an injection into her IV…

Eliza was devastated at her sister’s death. It really hit her hard, and she was disgusted when the rest of the family didn’t seem to care less.

Then, a few weeks later, she got a mysterious email…

Hi Lizzie,

I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for caring about me. I’ll really miss you.

I know this is a bit short notice, but could you please do me one last favour?

My long-lost cousin, Shana, was supposed to be living with me; she’s very timid and has real problems making any sort of friendships or relationships. She’s got a place to live, as I’ve left my flat to her; but she doesn’t know anyone here.

Could you please keep an eye on her? Just until she finds her footing; I’d really appreciate it.

By the way, I’ve left the car to you in my will…

Miss you, kid.

Georgina.

Eliza just dissolved in a heap…

After she had recovered, Eliza tidied herself up, then decided to go round to Georgina’s flat. She knocked, and waited…

The door opened to a vision. A gorgeous, statuesque redhead. She must have been at least six feet tall, and the legs…!

Eliza went weak at the knees. This was the person that was having trouble making friendships and being timid? Bloody hell…

Eliza realised she was staring and shook herself.

“Ehm, yeah, hi! I’m Eliza.”

“Of course you are”, the redhead said, holding out a hand. “Pleased to meet you. Come in!”

Eliza went in, then looked around.

The flat hadn’t changed at all; apart from the coat and some other clothing strewn about, it was exactly as Georgina had left it.

“I fell in love with it as soon as I arrived”, Shana explained, guessing what Eliza was surprised at. “Why change something if it’s perfect?”

“Can I get you something?”, Shana asked. “Green Tea?”

“Thanks”, said Eliza.

Shana soon got the drinks, and the pair sat in the living room. For some reason, Eliza was feeling very comfortable around Shana. She then decided to mention Georgina’s letter…

“You don’t look like someone who would have problems meeting people and getting on with them”, she said. “My sister said you might need help with that.”

“You’d be surprised”, said Shana. “I’ve always been a bit self-conscious; some people think they’ve not got a chance with me because of the way I look. I also find it very awkward to interact with people in general; I… was abused as a child. I’m only managing to talk with you because Georgina sent me a photo of you. I really wish I’d met her…”

Shana stopped, staring off into the distance. A tear ran down her cheek…

Before she knew she was doing it, Eliza was hugging Shana. Shana cried on her shoulder…

“I think we’re going to get on ok, though, at least I hope we do”, said Shana, quietly, into Eliza’s ear…

Eliza had no way of knowing that Shana was Georgina. Nobody would have. The doctor’s ‘process’ had been to make a perfect copy of Georgina’s brain patterns, her thoughts, then implant them into a brain-dead patient that had been at her clinic. There had been nothing physically wrong with her, apart from the fact that all of the electrical activity in her brain had been disrupted when she had accidentally electrocuted herself at her home. She had been a loner, with no family, so it had been easy to make her a long-lost cousin of Georgina. Georgina had been very willing to take part in the experiment, as she was well aware that she didn’t have long to live.

Her original body had died during the transfer; there was a long pause as the doctor had paced back and forth, praying almost for Shana to wake up. Then Shana had sat up on her cot…

There was a few gaps in Shana’s memories of Georgina; some areas around the tumour couldn’t be scanned. Shana said that when she hit one of those missing memories, all she could think of was a kind of static. There was also the occasional memories from Shana still there, intact.

“She was a wonderful woman”, Shana said to the doctor, talking about the previous ‘occupant’ of her body. “She would have been glad to know she was helping someone live on.”

The doctor was overjoyed. Her first ‘whole body’ transplant had worked almost perfectly…

Shana then stepped into the life that had been created for her by Georgina…

There was a slight complication…

The condition that she had stipulated as part of her co-operation in the experiment was that she didn’t lose touch with Eliza.

She had thought she knew her sister well; however, she had no idea that she was gay. She also had no idea what Shana’s body was doing to her sister…

Eliza had fallen for her, big time. Having a six-foot redhead as her girlfriend was her idea of dying and going to heaven. Shana’s feelings for her, as well, were anything but sisterly…

After a fun day shopping, as Shana was very short of things to wear, they had both come back to Shana’s flat.

“It’s a bit late for you to start back, it’s a long drive and getting dark”, Shana said. “Would you like to stay the night…?”

“Oh, let me think…”, said Eliza, with a giggle…

They ended up in bed together.

Eliza resting her head on Shana, feeling her chest gently rising and falling as she slept, Shana’s hand tangled in her hair.

“You comfortable down there?”, came a quiet voice.

Eliza looked up at Shana.

“Never been happier…”

Shana was walking past the bedroom next morning, on her way to get breakfast, when she heard Eliza saying something, so she stopped to listen…

“Thank you, Georgina, for bringing Shana to me. She’s my life, now. I love her. She’s made losing you easier to cope with, but I still miss you, love…”

A tear ran down Shana’s cheek. Should she tell Eliza about who she was? No, that was in the past now. Besides, telling her might drive her away, and she definitely wanted that beautiful woman in her bed. Besides, Georgina was dead, really. She was just a memory of her…

Suddenly needing company, she went back and went into the bedroom, struggling not to cry.

“What’s up, love?”, asked Eliza, instantly concerned.

“I don’t know”, Shana said, with a sniff. “I’m just feeling weepy for some reason…”

Eliza held her as she cried…

Eliza was worried about Shana. Something wasn’t right.

She couldn’t believe how fragile the woman was. She looked like a total bombshell; she shouldn’t have any problems at all. Yet, she’d sometimes cry at the tiniest of things…

One example; she’d been cooking for both of them, and she’d managed to get distracted by something and burnt the roast.

She absolutely howled.

She was on the kitchen floor in tears when Eliza got in. She just pointed at the cooker…

Eliza just cupped Shana’s head in her hands and kissed her.

“Get your coat on”, she said.

She then took Shana to the best restaurant in town. The pair then had a really enjoyable dinner.

Eliza then got out a small box…

“Shana Maidenvale, will you marry me?”

Shana dissolved into a heap, just managing to say “Yes!” first…