Chapter 26 Pt. 1: Pay No Attention to The Transparent Chick Behind the Curtain

*REAL HADLEY'S POV*

Before I can let out an resounding Yes!  Capital Y, Capital E, Capital S...Mason blurts out, "No!  Absolutely not!"

I look at him like he's nuts, "Why?  So I have to die again...been there...I can handle it."

"What if something goes wrong?" He brings up, "Baby, I can't lose you again..."

"I'm only going to be dead for a little bit, right?" I offer looking at Melody for some back up.

"Hadley, you know I told you there is always a risk.  I have developed a potion that has a toxic cocktail designed to kill you but I added some "reboot juice" that should move you and Briana back into the bodies you were supposed to be in the first place, then after a little bit of time, you will re-inhabit your original bodies naturally."

"All I hear is risk," Mason interjects.

"Mason, please..." I look at him desperately.

He has an extremely serious look on his face.  I would make fun of him if I weren't pleading for his support.

He shakes his head, "No...no...I can't do it...I...baby, when I thought I lost you the first time...do you realize what that did to me?  I was lost without you."

I turn and look at him sympathetically.  I understand because I would be a broken shell of a person without him too, but I trust Melody...and damn it, I want my body back.

"I have to try babe," I tell him, tears welling in my eyes, "don't you miss me?  The real me?  I hate living in this crap body..."

"So you would rather not live...at all?" He interrupts.

"I have to try, I hate living in this little twig body," I start and then come up with an idea.  It's playing dirty, but...

"I think I know what this is," I start.

He raises his eyebrows, "If it's anything but me trying to keep you in my life, you're wrong."

Shit.  He knows me.  Oh well, gone too far already...

"No, it has to be something else," Cue the hysterical jealous wife:  "I think you have gotten used to me in this blonde skinny body and you like it better than..."

He rolls his eyes and throws his hands up in the air, "You've gotta be kidding me."

I hang my head, "No, I guess I underst..."

"These games are not going to work on me, sweetie," he says, "not this time.  There's too much at stake."

I sigh.  This is getting frustrating.  "So you're being selfish.  You would rather have me here and miserable than back to myself and happy."

"I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE RISK!" He yells.  "If I'm being selfish because I'm trying to SAVE YOUR LIFE, well then I'm selfish."

Melody interjects at this point, "Whoa, guys, let's cool off, shall we?  Hadley, can I talk to Mason alone?  Briana needs to be fed something anyway.  You don't want your body to expire before we can even do the spell, do you?"

"Fine." I glare at Mason as I walk by, but of course it's not as effective as I would like it to be.

*MASON'S POV*

"Am I crazy to be concerned?  Really?" I ask Melody after Hadley heads out of the room.

"Of course not Mason.  I have told her that these types of spells are dangerous, but she has been unrelenting about wanting to get into her old body."  Melody replies.

"If these things are so dangerous, why did you agree to work on a spell?" I am confused.

"Here's the thing Mason," she starts, "there are really several ways to go about this and this way is by far the safest."

"Making her die?" I find that hard to believe.

"Well, you could always kill both women, take them back to the science lab, and hope it works itself out, but that plan is riddled with instability."

"Is there anything else?  Maybe just a switch spell?  Anything..." I plead with her.

She shakes her head, "No, I'm sorry Mason, but both of them have to become completely detached from the body they are inhabiting, then they have to make it back into their original body."

"That adds another concern...what if Briana doesn't want to go back in her body?" I ask.

"I have actually planned for that.  I'm not sure if it will work, but I have bonding spells I might be able to convert that will bond each woman to their right body."   Melody tells me.

Even knowing these things, I don't know if I can do this.  I start shaking my head, "I still don't know..."

Melody looks me in the eyes and says, "Believe me, Mason.  I don't want to lose her either.  I wouldn't be trying to do this if I thought it would kill her permanently, but as prepared as we can be, there comes a point where we just have to learn to have faith."

I sigh, "She's not going to let this go."

"No, I don't think she is," Melody agrees.

I wasn't really asking because I know my wife.  She will spend the rest of her life trying to get her body back, if it kills her or if that's all she does for the rest of her life.

Being married to Hadley is sometimes more trying than anything.  I know when she really has her mind on something there is no changing it no matter how much I fight - and we have had some major fights.

"Okay, I'm going to put my faith in you Melody." I tell her.

She gives me a friendly hug, "Don't be afraid, Mason.  If I know Hadley, she will come out of this."

I hope so.

*REAL HADLEY'S POV*

When I get back inside after throwing Briana some slop, I find Mason still talking with Melody.

"So what have we decided?" I ask, almost not wanting to know.

"Melody has convinced me to let you try it," Mason tells me.

I start to argue about his use of the word "let" but I decide not to push it.

"Really?!  Oh, thank you baby!  When are we going to do this?" I ask, throwing my arms around Mason.

"I have the potions in injection form.  I figure we won't be able to get Briana to drink this.

Mason sighs deeply, "Okay, so what happens now?"

"Someone needs to administer the potions to both of them."  Melody instructs, "I suppose I will inject either Hadley or Briana and you can inject the other Mason."

"Mason needs to inject Briana," I tell them, "I know my body, he's stronger than it for sure."

So it's settled.  Mason goes down to the cubby hole and brings Briana up restrained in my body.

"What are you all doing to me?  You can't do this!  You won't get away with this!" She keeps screaming.

"Yeah, whatever, bitch." I say as I hand Melody my arm.

"Are you ready Mason?" she asks my husband.  He holds up the syringe in response.

"On my count," Melody continues, "the closest proximity we get to giving them the injections at the same time, the better."

"What is this?  What are you doing?  Stop it, look, I'll stop talking...just..." Briana is yack-yack-yacking away until all of a sudden she's not and I don't hear anything.

"Baby?  Is that you?" I can hear Mason faintly, "Which one is she?"

"Her astral form will look like her actual self - so the one that looks like Hadley." Melody is explaining.

My eyes flutter open and I look around, a bit confused, but feeling okay.  I stand up and see Mason and Melody looking at me - and a very transparent Briana - looking like her old self - or the new me...wow...

She is looking around frantically, "What did you all do to me?  Am I dead?  What the...?  Why do you look like yourself?"

"Your time inhabiting Hadley's body is over Briana," Melody tells her, "in a matter of moments, you will return to your own body and she will return to hers."

"We're going to make sure of that," Mason interjects.

Mason.  I look around and see him, standing there, looking so...gorgeous...

I walk up to him, "Hi...do I look weird?"

"No weirder than you've looked over this last year," he answers.

He stares at me grinning with his wide smile for a few minutes before looking over at Melody, "Hey Mel, how solid are they right now?"

"More solid than you would think," Melody responds.

"Good," he replies.

Before I know what's happening, he is grabbing me and wrapping his arms around me.

...and he gives me the most amazing kiss I've had all year. 

Even though I'm not completely solid at this point, this feels as close to real as I can imagine.

Melody is talking to Briana, trying to calm her down.

"Where's my daughter?  Where's Keely?  Is she alone?  Is she with her father?" Briana is asking a million questions, but they are all about her daughter, so I guess I can't get too mad about that.

Melody brings her a sleepy Keely from our bedroom, "Keely is right here, and I'm sure she misses you."

Keely grabs on to her mother and holds on tight and Briana starts crying, "You know she hasn't been as responsive to me as Hadley...and...I've missed her..."

"That's what happens when she loses her mother,:" I tell her.

"I know *sniffle*," Briana replies, "I was so *sniffle* stupid.  I had *sniffle* everything before...*sniffle, sniffle*...because I had her *sob*."

"Are you going to try and get back into Hadley's body?" Mason asks her.

"No," she replies, "I swear, I'm sorry...I was wrong...you can have your body back.  All I want is Keely."

Even though the entire time I have known her I doubt she has said even one sentence of truth, I somehow believe her.

I look over to Melody and ask, "What now?"

"I'm going to bond each of you to your own bodies." She replies.

As Melody chants and sprinkles crap around me and Briana and our respective bodies, I begin to feel a strange pull.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"Don't fight it," Melody instructs, "just let it lead you to where you need to be."

Same process, I all of a sudden didn't hear anything, then start waking up and fluttering my eyes open.

I can hear Mason sign in relief, "I think it worked."

"I know it did," Melody agrees.

I feel a little heavier than I have in awhile (damn it), but I know it's my body.  All of the right joints ache a little and my hair feels the same, thick and dark like my father's.  I feel my face and feel my eyes and skin where my freckles are and for the first time in my life I wish my freckles had some relief to them so that I could feel them on my skin.

I stand up and feel so much better standing at the right height and I look over and see Briana and glare.

For the first time, I can punch the bitch and make it count because I'm not worried about messing up my face.

"Hadley," she starts begging, "I'm so sorry...for everything...I was stupid..."

"Here's the problem, Briana," I tell her, "the damage has already been done.  Mason's reputation is ruined and we have lost all this time of normalcy because of you."

"I know, and I'm sorry.  I don't know what I can do to make it up to you.  I don't have anything...other than Keely." she grovels, "but I am so sorry."

I sigh.

"Look Briana, I just don't want to see you anymore.  I'm done with dealing with you, are we clear?" I ask.

"Of course, I'm probably going to have to leave town anyway," she says, "I don't have anywhere to go..."

"No, you and Keely are going to live in this house...and you're taking that horse..." I tell her.

"What?" she's confused, hell, so am I.  I really don't like the bitch, but I just want to go home and be done with all this crap.

"I'm serious.  I don't want you running around the streets having to look for a place to live with Keely...and I quite frankly don't like horses, so you'd be doing me a favor if you took Pepper off my hands.  We'll have all her crap delivered.  There's plenty of room in the back yard."

Briana tries to hug me, but I pull away, "this doesn't mean I want to be buddies or anything.  I just want to leave.  Just tell people Mason and I got back together and now it's just you in the house."

"This is so generous...more than I deserve." Briana looks at me with awe.

"Yeah, I know, just get out of my face.  We're going home." I tell her as Mason and I walk out the door.

Getting home, I have never been so happy.  I can't believe all that crap is behind us.  Maybe now we can just work on being an old married couple.

Thank heavens for Melody.  I'm going to have to send that chick a fruit basket or something.

Chapter 25: With a Little Help From My Friend

*REAL HADLEY'S POV*

Did I hear her right?  I run outside and see for myself.

As soon as I see her, there's an immediate recognition that I haven't seen in anyone since I have been this way.

"Hadley!" She greets me with a hug.  

Yeah, I'm still confused.

"How do you know it's me?" I ask her.

She pulls away from me and gives me a "duh" look.

"I'm a witch, remember?" She responds.

"Yeah, but I didn't think you could tell..." I start.

"You underestimate me," she continues, "how could I ever believe that woman is you?"

"Hell, I was believing it..."

"That's because this whole process went horribly wrong..."

"Yeah, how does that happen?" I ask her.

Melody looks at me seriously before responding, "I'm actually not sure.  The whole procedure is a mixture of science and magic from what I understand, and that's a combination that can make many problems if done incorrectly..."

"Well, that's great..." I start sarcastically.

"Actually...well, maybe..." She thinks out loud.

"What?" I ask.

"I don't want you to get your hopes up," she starts, "but I might be able to find something to switch you back to your original body."

Huh?

My eyes go wide, "Really?"

"Well, maybe...usually it's something that requires both people to be in agreement and there might be some risks..."

I'm still stuck on getting my body back, "OMG, Melody, I can't imagine how awesome it would be to just be me again..."

She grabs me and shakes me out of my giddiness, "Hadley, listen to me.  This is serious magic.  I haven't been doing any of this long enough to know exactly what I'm doing, and there are great risks involved.  Please understand that."

I look at her skeptically, "How much worse can it get?"

Despite Melody's warnings, I am too focused on the fact that I might actually be able to be in my own old body.  As much as this one is thinner and prettier in a lot of ways, it's just not mine.

I have no idea how the real Briana is handling having my body.  Just walking is a struggle for me.  She has these light feet that make me feel like I'm ballet dancing all over the place.  I'll be she feels like she's carrying around cinder blocks on her feet.

Either way, Melody gets to studying everything she can find on the subject of soul switching and body snatching and whatever else...I ask her what I can do to help and she keeps telling me she just has to study.

At one point, I think she gets tired of me bothering her so she asks me to mix some things and stir them into her cauldron.  

Of course, I hear laughter behind me.

"Baby, what are you doing?" my husband asks me.

"I have no idea," I tell him, "just what I'm told."

"Why?  Do I look witch-y?" I ask hopefully.

"Maybe, if you weren't stirring together the ingredients for play dough."

I look down and sure enough the bubbly mixture is firming up.

"How did you know what this was?" I ask him.

"Did you never pay attention when your mom used to fix this stuff for us when we were kids?"

"No..."

"Oh, that's right," he is remembering, "you and Evie were too busy putting it in my hair...."

"Woops..." I reply sheepishly, "I'm sorry honey..."

"No, it's okay," he replies (not bitter at all), "going into the fourth grade with no hair was a character builder."

While Mason and I chat about frivolous old times, Melody is still hard at work looking for a spell.

It's really starting to get to her...

"Hmm...maybe if I use this spell to find a lost object along with a spirit summoning spell..."

"Why do we need to summon anything?" I ask her.

"We need to get her here first, or do you think it will work if we just call her up on the phone?"

"Yeah, no..."

Melody is still talking to herself, "Okay, maybe if I do this...well, at least I can get her here."

She turns and walks away from her spell book and starts chanting stuff about finding what is lost and bringing it back along with spirit summoning.  Shoo, I think this is a good way to get possessed. 

Just when I think it's not going to work, something starts happening - bright lights start spinning around Melody and she starts chanting faster.

So something is working and I can only hope she's not summoning a rodent or something.

Suddenly I hear a loud pop and can't help but flinch and turn away.

As I do, I hear, "Where in the hell am I?"

Sure enough, it's Briana in my body.  Well, damn.

Mason is prepared and grabs her.

"Let go of me!" she screams.

"Where are we going to put her?" He asks.

"The bomb shelter on the property." Melody replies.

"The what?" He is astounded, but she points in a general direction, and sure enough, there's a little opening that goes underground.

"Wow, Mel, that's amazing!" I compliment my talented friend.

"I'm glad that worked," she replies.

"What's the worst that could have happened?" I ask.

Melody raises her eyebrows and looks at me, "it's a spell to move whole groups of molecules through the air - she could have gotten here in a pile of slop."

"Eeeek," I yelp.

"I told you that this is serious business, Hadley," she cautions again, "Are you sure you want to pursue it?"

Without question I answer, "Absolutely."

As Melody goes back to her spells, Briana is locked in the bomb shelter.  There's really just a toilet in there, but we keep her fed.

As Mason and I sleep, Melody stays up all night looking for a solution to our problem.

The next morning, I am startled awake by a knock on our door.

"Who is knocking so loudly?" Mason groans.

"Who is it?" I ask.

"It's Melody, I need to talk to you...but I don't want to walk in on...well, you know..." the voice on the other side of the door responds.

"Give us just a minute," I yell to her.

"Okay," Melody responds.

I roll over and pathetically try to push Mason out of bed to get him motivated.

I get, "Come on, baby, let me sleep a little bit longer," as a response.

I slap (pathetically) his arm, "You can sleep when you're dead, come on, get some clothes on or I'm just going to let Melody in, and then you'll be embarrassed."

He rolls over on to his stomach mumbling, "I don't embarrass easily."

I sigh, grr, what if Melody has some sort of news?

"No, you don't get it, you'll be in-bare-ass."  I yank the covers off of him and swat him playfully (sort of).

"Yowch!  Oooh, you're going to be sorry!" He rolls over like a freakin' tiger and pins me down, but he's got a big grin on his face.

I wiggle to get loose but it's really no contest.  Damn this little weak body.

"What are you going to do now?" He asks laughing, "You're stuck."

As exciting as play time in the morning with Mason is, we have business to attend to, "Melody is right outside," I spoil the fun breathlessly.
He gets an "Aww, darn" expression on his face and climbs off of me.

I stand up first and he's sitting on the edge of the bed looking at me strangely.
"What?" I ask.
"Come here, I think I see something...turn around," he takes my arm and guides me into a twirl.
Just as I'm about to ask him what it is, his hand comes into contact with my backside, leaving a stinging retaliation swat.
"Ouch!  Damn it, Mason!" I squeal, "You got me way harder than I got you!"
He smiles broadly, obviously proud of himself, but he grabs me around my waste and pulls me toward him.
I wrap my arms around his neck as he keeps me steady for our morning kiss.

After another few minutes of us not getting ready, we finally get dressed and get Melody.

"Took you all long enough," she joked, "I was starting to go gray out there.  I certainly hope that newly-wed spark is still there for J and me when we've been together as long as you have."

This makes me grin.  I don't know how, but I am jonesin' for him just as much as I was the first time he kissed me.  Maybe we have an over-flow of hormones?

"What have you found out, Mel?" Mason gets down to the point.

She looks seriously at both of us before replying.

"I found a spell that will get the bodies switched back, Hadley will have to die again."

Chapter 24: Just As Free, Free as We'll Ever Be

*REAL HADLEY'S POV*

...Over time...

Ugh...I have never been a big fan of all these rags, but now I can't stomach them at all.

Mason has really taken the majority of the heat for the "Madley Split" as the paparazzi has dubbed it.  He has been called a cheater, philanderer, a liar, a bad father, a bad person, an asshole, pretty much every name in the book.  I have been called a home-wrecker, a tramp, a slut, pretty much any derogatory name you can think of as well, but I didn't have as much notoriety, so I have been able to avoid the paparazzi - at least a little bit.

"Hadley" on the other hand has been all over the media - giving interviews, articles, television shows, she has become the jilted divorcee' turned Phoenix rising from the ashes and overcoming adversity.  After everyone got over the initial shock, of course they wanted to hear what happened, and she was so kind to oblige.  

Huh, best of luck to her is all I can say.

We might not have much, but this is what we have to look at every evening - and that's what we do.  We sit out on our back porch in the quiet, calm, serenity of nature and be together.  After all that has happened, that's really all we want.

Aunt Z found us a great little plot of land that overlooks the river and we are more than content to live in a little one bedroom, one bath house.

We have become boring over time, Mason still goes to work, thank goodness all the bad publicity has done wonders for fans in the stadium, even though they all hate him, they all want to see him and when the wives are booing, the husbands are realizing what a kick-ass football player Mason is and are secretly cheering - which is enough for me.

Even though it was shaky at first, our sex life has returned with renewed life and fire.  I'll admit it was weird for Mason being with me because I'm not in my old body anymore, but he got over it after awhile.  I would say he got over it a little too quickly, but what at least I'm the one benefiting.

I guess it's safe to say we're pretty happy in our life and we have been content to just keep going as is.

Until one day, we have a visitor...

We normally never have anyone visiting and certainly no one rings the doorbell.  Our family has a strict "walk right in" policy - even our threats of walking around the house naked haven't deterred them, so it was startling, after not hearing the doorbell in months, suddenly hearing it one afternoon.

"Who on the planet could that be?" Mason asks as he heads to the door.

I just shrug.

"Mason, it's so good to see you," I hear a familiar voice ringing like a pleasant song.

"Oh, uh, hey," he replies.

I peak out the window and see that it's Melody Sky - a challenge mother friend of mine, or of the old me.

I brace myself because we have had a couple friends of mine that didn't realize what was going on show up and clock Mason good, but nothing like that happens.

"Melody, how have you been?" He asks, obviously surprised at how not piping hot angry at him she is.

"Well, I was wonderful until I came into town, Mason," 

Her we go...

"Who is that wretched woman in Hadley's body?"