The rehearsal was mostly a basic run through of the plan for the ceremony that was to happen the next day. It also included instructions on where everyone was to stand and move in to the church. It was scheduled to begin with Leona leading her "groom's maids" to a section leading toward the alter and then followed by Jackson trailed by the "bride's men". Apparently the minister had been informed of the plan that Leona and Jackson had, as the ceremony was done in the terms that addressed Leona as male and Jackson as female. Even though they hadn't taken the formula yet.
While all this was going on, I sat in the back pew, which held my weight, much to my relief. While there, I observed the goings on and noted both the women chosen as bridesmaids and men chosen as groomsmen, all likely picked out before the plan to ease Leona's instinctual problems came about. I obviously knew Molly and could recognize Leona's sister. The others I didn't recognize and I guessed they were others that Leona had known before becoming a lioness.
The groomsmen were mostly fellow officers from the Peoria Police Department. A few of them had been at the bachelor party from earlier in the week, though they appeared to be the ones who were fairly supportive of Jackson's decision. My father, however, was not among them. That either meant that he was too busy or Jackson's choices for groomsmen were all fairly personal, which was understandable.
The rehearsal went quietly with no real problems, other then a couple of the "bridesmaids" getting enamored with Leona or Molly's tail and decided to play with the appendage as it swished behind them. I noticed that both Molly and Leona gave rough sigh and tried to ignore the hands gripping the end of their tails. It was a slight surprise, as while from the things Molly had told me, I would expect kids to play with Molly's tail from either curiosity or simply childish excitement and the moving tail was a very attractive target. I did not expect adults to play with the appendage, but they did no harm and made no noise that stopped the preparation that was part of the rehearsal. So, life went on.
"And hopefully things will go as well at the actual ceremony as here at the rehearsal," I spoke with a friendly tone as the rehearsal ended and Leona, Jackson, and Molly slowly approached where I was sitting.
"Hopefully it will," Leona nodded.
"Interesting that you're doing this as a fairly informal type attire," I commented, remembering the instructions given at the beginning, "I'd almost think Molly told you how our wedding was."
"She did tell me the two of you "winged it" as it were," Leona gave a smirk, "but no... this was mostly because of the three of us that will be in fur for the ceremony. Making super formal silk outfits will be costly... and even still... it'll hold heat in."
"At least we aren't pushing a hundred," Molly spoke up, "there were some days last summer when George and I were settling into Bandhavgarh that felt like a sauna... even in the shade."
"Maybe we could invest in a pool we could use for those days," I mused, "something we can lay in and cool off."
Molly nodded.
"Bandhavgarh?" Jackson asked.
"It's the name of a national park in India," Molly answered, "and is part of Project Tiger, the efforts to save the Bengal Tiger. George named the cabin after the park in the idea that it would serve as my private reserve... now we obviously share it."
Jackson only nodded.
"So, are you guys ready, or...?" I asked.
"We are," Leona nodded, "we'll need to walk to the lab, but yes we're ready."
And with that I got up. We then began to make our way out of the church.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
The walk to the lab was fairly peaceful. We talked along the way, but it was mostly on how life in Columbia Falls had been for Molly and I. We explained how the conflict with Beauregard ended, though both Leona and Jackson shuddered at the memory of the gang's attack on the lab. The fact that all of the gang members were now Pit Bulls, as were their girlfriends, was taken with a frustrated sigh, but the fact that the end of that trial essentially secured a more peaceful future for Molly and I.
Molly told them about her work at the school and how much the kids there loved the "tiger lady". Jackson chuckled a little at that. We also told them about our friendship with Dave Choir and his family, and my growing friendship with Officer Barnes. That was all received well.
Leona and Jackson, meanwhile, told us about their relationship and how it had gone from probation officer to a more romantic interest. A lot of it certainly sounded "mushy", but then what love isn't? Both Molly and I let them know that we were happy for them.
We arrived at Leona's lab to find that there was a fair amount of business going on. Things didn't obviously stop when the top scientist was out, and the Animatrix Serum was not the only product that Gen-U-Tech sold. Most customers likely went in to buy some of the other goods. Molly and I were about to head through the front door when Leona stopped us.
"Not the front door," Leona spoke, "since you two are official witnesses for the test, you can come in though the staff entrance over here on the side... and besides, you're with me anyway."
Molly and I only shrugged and followed Leona and Jackson in. This time, Leona didn't lead us to the office sort of space where we had talked with her before on our first visit, but to a large white room that had the large garage-type door. In one corner was a refrigerator and a desk. On the desk were a set of silk shorts and a shirt that looked like they would fit me. I guessed they would be for Leona when she became male. A male lion in a dress would be one interesting sight.
"You have nothing for Jackson to wear," Molly commented.
"Yes, I do," Leona answered and turned to face us, "for the moment, I'm wearing it."
"Wouldn't that be a problem?" Molly wondered.
"The transformations must be done nude," Leona said with sigh, "particularly for me. I'm too small right now for the clothes for what will likely be my male form... but once I transform again... I will be too big for this dress... and it will be too big for Jackson until he becomes Jacki."
"I see," Molly said slowly.
"This won't be a problem, will it?" Leona asked.
"I suppose not," Molly said slowly, "it's just a little odd... that's all."
Leona only shrugged and was soon beginning to disrobe while Jackson did the same beside her. As they finished, Leona's new assistant, Harry came into the room.
"I see everyone is here," Harry said calmly, "your friends here are to be the witnesses for the test?"
"Yes," Leona nodded.
Harry then turned and pulled a syringe from the inside of the refrigerator.
"Okay," Harry spoke, "Leona, we will run the first test with you."
"Will this work?" Jackson asked nervously.
"Yes," Harry answered, "we've run a lot of tests, and your wife to be, soon to be husband to be, has double checked everything. I wouldn't be administering this test if we weren't one hundred percent sure it would work."
He then stuck the needle into Leona's arm and depressed the "plunger". Leona flinched a little, but did nothing that would damage the needle as Harry withdrew the needle from her arm. For a few moments, nothing seemed to happen. But, as Molly and I watched, something did begin to happen on Leona's body. It began as the outer folds of her sexual organs began to close together and grow "larger". Her clitoris seemed to swell larger, as though in time with her heartbeat. At the same time, much of the soft tissue began to wrap around the growing organ to become the sheath for what would be Leon's penis.
"Looks like it's working," Leona said slowly, though her voice was also beginning to drop into a lower register.
Her shoulders began to widen, and she began to put on more bulk muscle. Her breasts began to retract into her chest and were replaced with male pectoral muscles. By this time, her ovaries had completed their journey and had become male testicles. Officially, Leona was now Leon, and what had been her clitoris was now a developing penis with a sheath around its base.
Leon then began to grow a little in height. As he grew taller, the additional muscle he had grown began to fit his frame better. At the same time his long blond hair began to wrap around his neck and upper chest, becoming a fairly impressive looking mane. After a few moments, Leon stood there, now close to my height and weight with a blond mane that circled around his head, neck, and upper chest and back. Only his face, muzzle, and ears were not covered in the longer hair that made up his mane.
"Leona..." Jackson spoke, "how do you feel?"
"It's Leon now," Leon said with a soft smile, "and strangely enough... I feel complete now."
"Good to hear," Jackson said nervously as Harry approached with the second syringe.
"Are you ready, sir?" Harry answered, "Your paperwork is in order, and you do have the option to back out."
"I suppose," Jackson nodded, "I've come this far, and I've done this for Leona... now Leon. I love his personality... and I suppose once I am Jacki, I will become attracted to his body as well... Go ahead."
Harry nodded and gave Jackson his injection. Jackson's body began to react to the serum almost immediately. He began to fan himself almost immediately as his testicles began to retract into him, preparing to become ovaries. Molly and I also observed as reddish colored fur began to grow on Jackson's body. It wasn't the same color as the reddish orange fur on Molly and I, but it seemed closer to that then Leon's fur which was more of a yellowish color.
Jackson was also beginning to put on additional muscle and grow in size, but unlike Leon, who's shoulder's broadened. Jackson's hips widened more then anything else, a clear sign that he gender changing portion of the formula was working. Claws were beginning to form on his fingertips and toe-tips.
"Arrrrrrrrrgggh!" Jackson gave a grown in a register that was moving toward Molly's or the way Leon's had been as Leona. At the same time, his feet were beginning to lengthen and he was rising into the same digitigrade stance that Molly, Leon, and myself were in.
"It'll be okay, Jacki," Leon moved over to Jackson's side and sounding protective, "I'm here..."
And by that time, the alterations to Jackson's gender had completed. Between his legs was very feminine vagina. Jackson was now Jacki, and a pair of firm breasts were beginning to push out on her chest.
"Bones... hurrrrt," Jacki gave a pained groan and ended up gripping her head in her hands.
Her human hair had fallen out and was replaced with the reddish shade of fur that her whole body was covered in, though her belly, breasts, inner thighs, and the underside of her arms was a lighter shade then the rest of her. This part I recognized easily. It was the same sort of discomforting feeling as bones in the hands and feet altered, and as Jacki's head prepared to push out into a lioness's muzzle and as her spine prepared to lengthen into a tail.
"I know," Leon told her, "I know, darling... it happens to all of us in this stage of the transformation It happened to me when I first became a lioness."
"It woke me up when I became a tigress," Molly added.
"I have to admit I was too distracted to really notice," I said weakly.
"Or buzzed," Molly snickered.
I glanced at her as I heard a loud "crack" go through the room. Jacki's muzzle was forming and the bones of her face were snapping and cracking to reform in the new leonine position. Her round ears were pulled back and under her paw-like hands.
"Almost there, Jacki," Leon informed her, "almost there."
"It's growing," Jacki announced after a moment. And a few moments later, Molly and I noticed a lion's tail swishing slowly behind the new lioness, tipped with black fur.
"I did it," Jacki then spoke, as she stood up properly. She was a little bit taller then Molly, but Molly seemed to have more muscle to me. "I'm a lioness... it worked."
"Yes," Leon nodded, and nuzzled Jacki, who soon returned it, "It did... and soon we will marry and we will have our pride of two."
"Maybe more if you and Jacki have cubs," Molly commented.
"We'e still too old to have kids," Leon replied.
"Then be happy," I offered.
"We are," Jacki smiled and lay her head on Leon's shoulder, "thank you for supporting us."