Every now and again Jane's family had noticed that she got a bit odd. Usually when she was stressed or had a lot to do. She got a bit stiff and jittery. They had put it down to stress, which was technically speaking true. Even though that was only the beginning of it. Usually once a fortnight she'd slink off to have some private time locked in the basement or if she was on vacation, lock herself in the Hotel Room while her wife Mei took the kids out for the day. Mostly they'd assumed that she'd just watch TV and let the weight of the world leave he shoulders. This war partially correct. In truth she was reverting to her true form to rejuvenate herself.
It had been a busy month and she had not had any of the private time. Jane was feeling raged and she feared that she might falter and fail. Even so there had been an upset. A pipe had broken in the night and flooded the basement that would not be fixed until tomorrow. She had strained with the effort, but she could not hold it for as long as she hoped. At 10:24 at night she'd given Mei a polite nod and left. Stiffly made her way to the living room and let the spell collapse. By the time she'd settled down into an arm chair the skin on her hands had already begun to give off a light glow, harden and she watched as separations formed on her fingers at the joints, sighing with relief as she let go.
She watched as her skin became pale flawless living ceramic, as smooth as fine china though stronger, steadily growing up her arms. Beneath it she felt her muscles and her bones do the same. Her elbows become articulated ball joints, then her shoulders. Similar changes happened to her legs and it crept onto her Torso. As this happened, her clothes change as well. Her simple green blouse and dress pants shifted and remade themselves into an elegant dress while a pair of white stockings and black leather shoes formed on her feet. She'd sell all of them through a special service when she was done, but right now she was giddy about the prospects of being her true self again after too long a delay. She giggled and sighed with relief. Hopefully this would all work itself out.
About half way through it her 5 year old daughter Alice wandered downstairs with her doll Stacy in toe. "Mommy Jane, I can't get to sleep!" She said. Usually Jane was all too eager to help Alice to dreamland and made sure that she as well as Terry, Susan and little Joan would be sound asleep (or, in the case of Susan, alternately be out of the house for a while) before she had her 'special Jane time', but that was when she had the leeway that she simply did not have now. She'd hoped against hope that she'd overlook her.
Alice soon noticed the the odd glow from the living room and wandered over. "Hello?" the little girl asked as she saw a strange thing lying on the armchair and stared to her face. "Mommy?" She asked, more confused than anything. "Why are you in that dress? Why are you arms like that."
"Oh hi Sweety." Jane said nervously as she felt the skin the based of her neck solidifying and her brown hair begin to style itself into a neat bob. She'd known she'd have to explain this someday, especially from what her Sisters at School had taught her, but she'd always put that off for fear of what could happen. "This...is just something I have to do every now and again. I'm a bit different from most mommies."
Alice began to tear up. "Mummy I'm scared!" With that she began to break into sobs and there were sounds of commotion from upstairs.
"Don't be afraid!" Jane said as she got to her feet. Her movements were naturally jerky, but they had a grace to them regardless. "I'm just...like Stacy. And like Stacy I'd always love you." She said as she picked up the girl and patted her gently, which soothed her.
At that moment Mai, Terry and Susan came downstairs and saw her. Their was a bit of clamor but they saw her and Alice together. They first noticed the odd clothes. Then they noticed the seems and the joints. She noticed them. "Oh golly gosh, your all awake and here." She said as she set Alice down. "My Mai, you know that special letter?" The words got quieter in the last sentance as the living ceramic moved over her face and her mouth movements became smaller and more stiff while her lips became pink and glossy.
"Yeah..." Mai said, understanding.
"It's time for that." Jane managed to get that out before her lips closed and her mouth sealed shut. Soon afterwards her nostrils were filled in, her cheeks blushed, her eyebrows became painted features, her eyelashes lengthened, her eyelids became hinged and the changes were completed as her eyes became vivid glass. What stood before them was still recognizably a loving wife and mother, but rather than as a flesh and blood human she was an exquisitly made china doll. Tears rolling down her flawless porcelain face.
Shortly after her marriage to Mai, Jane wrote her a special sealed envolope and trusted her to only open it if the worst happen or Jane asked her to open it. Inside was a few old photos and a few pages of text explaining Jane's nature and her past. Jane was not born a human, she was made and brought to life by a secret society of living dolls, who raised her, educated her and taught her how to temporarily assume human form. One day she ventured out into the world with a set of documents and a diploma from the all girls school the society ran, went to university where she met Mai, fell in love and the rest was history.
Then of course there was the stinger. Since she'd either carried or provided the eggs for her children (which living dolls could do) that meant that sometime before their twentieth birthday their children would inevitably become Living Dolls themselves. There was also a chance that Mai herself could become a Living Doll herself.
"I'm sorry about the deception" Jane said in a tinny voice came out from her chest. "I always wanted to get around to it, but...I was afraid."