“Bacon, eggs, toast?” asked Andrea from the kitchen as Ellie walked into the living room.

“Sounds good,” Ellie agreed, walking to the couch. She saw Sisu’s bottle sitting on the coffee table and turned back to Andrea. “Do you think we should offer some to Sisu?”

Andrea, digging through the fridge, stood up and looked back at Ellie with a sour expression. “Does she even need to eat?”

“I don't know,” Ellie said back. “We should probably ask though, right?”

Andrea frowned, but sighed and said, “Yeah, we probably should.”

She went back to the fridge while Ellie picked up the bottle and unsealed it. The telltale lavender smoke poured out and in a moment Sisu appeared, looking the same as usual with her bottom half smoke. She gave Ellie a great smile.

“Ah, good morning Mistress.” She looked up at Andrea. “Mistresses, I suppose. I see you two have finished your sexual escapade.”

There was a bang, a crash, and a quick “Shit!” from the kitchen. Ellie turned to see Andrea rubbing the back of her head. Ellie couldn't be sure from here, but she thought she saw a few things toppled over on the fridge’s top shelf. Andrea turned and glared at the genie angrily.

“Were you spying on us again?!” she demanded.

“No, not at all,” Sisu clarified, “I merely heard my Mistress here screaming to the heavens. I am sure the whole neighborhood heard, in fact.”

Ellie’s face flushed and she heard Andrea stammer. “W-well…next time don't mention it.”

Sisu gave a midair bow. “As you command, Mistress.” She looked thoughtful for a moment and said, “I think I will have to come up with specific titles for each of you, otherwise it will become confusing.”

“Yeah, you do that,” muttered Andrea as she bent to pick something up from the floor.

Ellie looked up at the genie. “We were going to make breakfast and thought we'd offer you some.”

“Ah! The daily breaking of the fast! It has been a long while since I have partaken. Pray, what will you be having?”

“Bacon, eggs, and buttered toast,” said Ellie.

Sisu looked lost in thought before saying, “Pig strips, chicken ovums, and hot bread with curdled milk. Sounds delectable! I think I shall have some.”

Ellie frowned at the genie. “Not how I'd have put it, but I guess, yeah. We weren't sure if you needed to eat, but thought it would be polite to ask.”

“Not usually, no,” conceded the genie. “However, sometimes it is still enjoyable to partake in the habits of my Masters. When in Reme, as they say.”

“When in Rome, you mean,” Ellie corrected.

Sisu frowned at her. “No, Romulus had nothing to do with that city, Remus instructed me to make sure of it personally.”

Ellie stared at her, not sure if she was joking. When Sisu said nothing else Ellie walked away and to the kitchen where Andrea had started heating a pan on the stove. “Uh, anything I can do to help?”

“Ask her how she likes her eggs,” Andrea said, looking down at the stove where she’d put a pan on to warm.

“Can't you ask her yourself?” Ellie asked, gesturing to Sisu. “She's right there.”

“I don't want to talk to her.”

“What? Why not?”

“Seriously?” Andrea said, looking up at Ellie. “After what she did to you?”

“Andrea, you can't be mad at her for this.”

“Yeah, I can. She’s responsible for everything.”

“Andrea, she just did what she was told, I asked for this.”

“All of it? Really?” Andrea reached down and squeezed the wet diaper between Ellie's legs. “Even this?”

Ellie swatted her hand away, glaring up at her girlfriend. “That's not fair and you know it,” she chastised. “I knew the risk when I made my wishes, this is on me. Yeah, she took away my bladder control, but I knew something would happen when I made those wishes and it was a risk I was willing to take, so either you forgive her or you start blaming me, too, because I won't have you being catty towards her on my behalf!”

The two glared at each other. Andrea was the one who blinked first with a sigh and looked back down at the stove. “Fuck, you're right,” she admitted. “God damn it, fine.”

Andrea looked up from the stove at the genie who was watching with interest. “Hey,” she said, trying to keep the vitriol out of her voice. “How do you want your eggs?”

“Sunny side up, over medium, a pinch of paprika and cayenne please,” the genie responded happily.

“Fine.” Andrea turned back and started laying strips of bacon in the hot pan.

“There, was that so hard?” Ellie asked.

Andrea gave her a glare, then sighed and turned her attention back to the pan. “You're lucky you're cute,” she said.

Ellie stood on her tiptoes and gave her girlfriend a kiss on the cheek. “It's my award-winning personality. Now how can I help?”

Together the two of them finished preparing breakfast quickly and soon Ellie, Andrea, and Sisu were all sitting at the table eating. Sisu had tried to eat while hovering above the table, but Andrea forced her to sit, which the genie found an amusing novelty. The three of them sat in a kind of tense silence broken only by the sounds of chewing before Andrea spoke up.

“So how long have you been a genie?”

Ellie choked on the glass of apple juice she was drinking, sputtering and coughing. When she got herself under control again she glared at Andrea.

“What?” Andrea asked. “It's a valid question.”

“You don't just ask someone why they're a genie, Andrea!” She looked over at Sisu. “That's rude, right? That's probably rude.”

Sisu grinned, a half chewed bite of toast in her mouth. “Not as much as you would think,” she said around the food. “It is a common question my Masters ask.” She looked at Andrea, swallowed, and said, “I have been one of the djinn since before man has walked the Earth. I do not remember my creation nor my earliest years, those memories are lost to the eons. I do, however, remember walking in glades untouched by any hand and soaring through the skies while your kind were still in the trees. When mankind began to form reason and thought in your minds you worshiped us as gods. It was not until twenty-six thousand years ago that your kind learned how to bind myself and my brethren and turn us to these forms.”

“Wait,” Ellie interrupted, “you didn't always look like this?”

Sisu looked at her with an expression you might give a toddler. “Yes, Mistress Ellie. Perhaps you misheard the part about walking the world while your kind still threw their own feces at one another. I had a form of smokeless fire and a palace of glass amid the sands. However, your kind learned how to harness our power and trapped us within ordinary vessels. Some of us in oil lamps, some in jewelry, and many of us in bottles. They bound us, turned our power to their own design, and locked us in forms crafted in their image. They used our power to wage war upon one another, destroying much of your world and history, and rewriting the very laws of reality itself. Once there were thousands of us. Now only four of us exist and I know not where my brethren are. Perhaps I never shall. Certainly not so long as I remain bound.”

“That's terrible,” Andrea said, swallowing the last of her eggs.

“Indeed, Mistress Andrea,” Sisu agreed. “Alas.” She took another bite of her toast and looked wistfully at her plate.

Ellie looked at the genie compassionately. “Maybe we could free you,” she said. Sisu looked up at her as she spoke. “I'd be willing to wish you free if you agree to give me my continence back.”

Sisu gave her a soft, sad look. “Thank you, Mistress Ellie, but I have heard that before. I've undone my bargains in exchange for my freedom many times, and each time I have been left betrayed. No, I shall stick to my bargains as it is the only thing I still have control over.”

Ellie looked at the genie sadly. The rest of the meal was finished in silence, none of them knowing what to say. When they had finished eating Ellie gathered up their plates and utensils while Andrea moved to the couch.

“Mistress Ellie,” said Sisu without her usual air of aloofness and frivolity. “If it is alright with you I think I shall return to my bottle for the time being.”

“Yeah, that's fine.”

Sisu gave a small halfhearted bow before turning to smoke and floating back to her bottle which sealed itself with a pop.

Ellie looked at the bottle and sighed as she brought the dishes back to the kitchen and began to clean up in silence, her mood somber. She didn't notice Andrea come up behind her until her arms were wrapped around her.

“Sorry for being a bitch earlier,” Andrea said, resting her chin on Ellie’s head.

Ellie sighed. “You're not a bitch, hun. You're just looking out for me, and it's hard to be okay with what she's done. I understand.”

“I just want you to be okay, and I know how difficult this is for you.”

Ellie turned around and looked up at her girlfriend. “I know,” she said, then reached up and pulled Andrea’s face down for a kiss. Andrea happily obliged.

“You know,” Andrea said when they pulled apart, “I think your kisses are better now.”

“Really?” Ellie asked. “How so?”

“Your lips are softer, I think. Probably all your skin is softer, but it's very noticeable when I kiss you. Besides, I get a little chest flutter now that I didn't used to get before.”

Ellie blushed and gave a happy smile. “Well then,” she said, “come here and let's test it.” She pulled Andrea down for another kiss and the two stood there, lips together and arms embracing, for a minute before they broke apart with big goofy smiles on their faces.

“See?” Andrea said. “Flutters.”

Ellie giggled. “Yeah, you're right. Now let me finish the dishes.”

It took her about twenty minutes to finish cleaning up after their breakfast. When she was done she found Andrea in the bedroom laying down, checking her phone while an unsolved true crime show they'd both seen a million times played on the tv. Ellie looked around and noticed that the room was tidier, clothes had been put in the hamper and Andrea had made a cursory attempt at taking care of the pile of junk on the dresser before she'd given up. Ellie plopped down on her side of the bed and snuggled up to Andrea, who idly wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. The two lay there in silence for a minute, lost in their own worlds, before Ellie piped up.

“So,” she said, “what did you want to talk about?”

“Oh, yeah,” Andrea said, looking over at her. She grabbed the remote and turned the tv down so they could talk.

“Um,” Andrea started hesitantly. “Well, I wanted to talk about something important.”

“No way!” Ellie teased.

“Yes way. Uh, I got a note from my landlord a couple days ago. My apartment building is being sold to new owners who are going to jack up the rent prices way past what I can afford. I have three months before this happens, apparently, and before then I either have to sign a new lease or move out.”

Ellie was starting to see where this was going. “And…you were thinking about moving in with me?”

“If you want me to,” Andrea said. “No pressure, I'm sure I could find another place, but I figured I'd ask. I know we've talked about it before, and there's no better time, right?”

Ellie thought about it. The two had been dating for a couple years and the topic had come up a few times, but there was never a good time for it. Now seemed like the perfect opportunity to make it happen.

“Yeah, okay,” she said. “I’m okay with it. Your place is tiny anyway, I never really liked it.”

“I know, that's why we always hang out here,” Andrea said with a huff.

“Hey, it's not my fault you live in a robot closet. I've been trying to get you out of that place for ages.”

“Yeah, well now's your chance. I can start bringing over small stuff soon and maybe next month we can get someone to help us move furniture? My dresser at least needs to come, and maybe my couch.

“Yeah, sounds like a plan. I can call my dad later and we can start planning.”

Andrea's face soured. “How are we going to do that?”

Ellie looked up at her. “Do what?”

“Call your dad. We still have to figure out how to break the news about you to…well everyone. How are we going to do that?”

“Yeah…” Ellie said hesitantly. “Listen, I have an idea about that.”

“Really,” Andrea said flatly. “I’m all ears.”

Ellie took a deep breath. Andrea was not going to like this at all.

“Okay,” she started. “I've thought about this as much as I can. We can't go to every person and tell them like I told you. For starters I can't do the whole ‘tell me something only boy Ellie would know’ thing because I'm not that deep with everyone. Even if I was, we can't be showing Sisu around either, because that would end up, like, getting her taken away and probably me locked away for study. I'm too cute for jail and I really really do not like the idea of our government having access to genie magic.”

Andrea shuddered at the thought. “Okay, fair point. What do you suppose we do?”

“Well, I really only see one option. Sisu.”

Andrea groaned and put her hand over her eyes. “I was so fucking afraid you would say that.”

“I really don't see another option. I could make a wish to do a magical retcon. Everyone would forget about the old me and remember me as I am now, always a girl. I can even make the diaper thing normal, too, and change all my documents and things while I'm at it. There's really no other choice here.”

Silence hung between the two of them for a moment. Andrea knew Ellie was right, but she didn't have to like it. After a few seconds she spoke. “Fiiiiine, there's really nothing else to do. I don't like it, but you're right.”

“Okay,” Ellie said. “Uh, I guess I'll go do it and be back in a sec.”

She started to get up, but Andrea didn't move her arm, keeping the smaller girl pinned.

“Andrea,” Ellie protested, “let me go. I have to get Sisu to do this.”

“No you don't,” said Andrea. “I know you're right, but I can't let you do this. You already made two wishes and you lost your name and your bladder control, who knows what she'd take next.”

“So what?” said Ellie, getting frustrated. She pushed off of Andrea, breaking free from her and turning to look her in the eye. “Do you have a better idea?”

“I do, actually. I'm going to make the wish.”

Ellie blinked, startled. “Wh-what? Are you crazy? I can't let you do that!”

“You can and you will!” Andrea suddenly yelled, standing up next to the bed and looking down at her girlfriend. “I'm not letting you give something up for this! Not again! I'm going to do this whether you like it or not, because FUCK sake, Ellie, I can't see you lose anything else if I…I can do something about it!”

There were tears in her eyes and she was choking back sobs as she finished. She dropped back onto the bed and hung her head in her hands. Ellie was shaken by her outburst, but crawled across the bed to wrap her arms around the bigger girl. Andrea sniffled, breathing hard, as the two of them sat in the silence. Andrea was the first to speak.

“I can't let you lose anything else,” she repeated quietly. “You're too important.”

Andrea,” Ellie said, choosing her words carefully. “I know how you feel, but this is my burden. I got myself into this mess and it's my responsibility to get out of it.”

“No, it's not,” Andrea protested. “You're my…my girlfriend. I love you, and I've already seen you suffering from this. I can't let you hurt more, not if I can help it. We're in this together. Please, please let me do this.”

Ellie felt awful. It was her fault they were in this mess to begin with and she didn't want Andrea mixed up in her problems. But here she was, anyway, begging to help in the only way she knew how. Ellie heaved a deep sigh, then said, “Fine. If you really want to you can. I won't stop you.”

Andrea sniffled, then straightened, looked Ellie in the eyes, and pulled her in for a kiss.

“Thank you,” she whispered.