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Change of Course 4 By Julie O. Chapter One: The Anniversary It was February and Beth's sixteenth birthday was approaching quickly. That should have been a time for celebration, that is, if Beth had been a normal teenage girl. However, a year earlier she had been a 26-year-old male naval officer. Then she was transformed by the Martz Process into the young woman who was now known as Beth Clark. When the government created her new life history, they used her transformation day as her new birthday. At the time Beth didn't mind, but as the date approached she was filled full of memories of her transformation; she thought it might have been a huge mistake. Part of her was happy, because the day allowed her to apply for a driver's license. The loss of independence was one of her biggest complaints. Then there were the feelings of grief and loss for her original family. Her emotions were also complicated because she truly loved Maggie, the woman who had adopted her. She also loved her mother's fianc?, Steve Williams. Beth herself wasn't blind to the fact that she was fighting depression and mood swings. Beth didn't mind being female, her transformation process produced a sense of acceptance. It was the combination of mourning her loss of her old family and the government cases that seemed to keep popping up, related to the process that transformed her. The stress of the past year was finally bubbling out. Even her friends at school noticed it and tried to help her. She finally accepted that she needed help and was seeing one of the agency's therapists. Her therapist was named Jenna and she was very cool. Because Jenna was an employee of the agency, Beth could be completely open with her. During the first sessions, Beth poured out much of her fear and frustration. Beth felt better about seeing Jenna when she learned that many other adult agents also sought therapy, and they had never had their gender and age changed! In fact, Beth looked forward to her weekly meeting with Jenna, as if she was meeting a good friend. Only a few people at the agency knew that Beth had once been a man. While it may have been odd to see a teenager, with a security clearance walking around a government intelligence agency, no one openly criticized her presence. It was well known that she was a favorite of the Director. However, she had also proved herself in two important missions in the past year and performance was more important that age. Beth was also dealing with some personal problems. The gray, misty weather matched her mood as she arrived home from school. She was surprised to see her mom's car in the driveway. Maggie usually didn't get home so early, she thought. "Hi, I'm home!" announced Beth, without much emotion. "Hi, Kiddo," greeted Maggie, using her nickname for Beth. "How was school?" "Okay," replied Beth softly, almost without emotion. Maggie immediately noted the less than enthusiastic response and decided to find out the cause. She followed Beth upstairs and found her sitting on the edge of her bed. Her head was hanging down and she seemed very sad. "What's wrong, Kiddo?" she asked. Beth looked up and appeared to be holding back tears. Maggie walked in and sat down next to her and slipped her arm around her and she could feel her daughter trembling slightly. Maggie was still amazed at how vulnerable Beth could be at times. "Kyle is moving to London, this week. His parents were transferred to the US Embassy," Beth responded sadly. Her eyes were welling up with tears. Kyle was Beth's boyfriend. Granted they were both young, but Maggie didn't downplay the devastating aspect of their impending separation. Many of the students at Beth's school had parents in the government, so moving was common. She pulled Beth close and let her cry. Maggie's hand caressed the back of Beth's head as she cried. Kyle had been the first boy to kiss her and a girl never forgets that. She let Beth work her grief out without saying a word. In some ways it was a relief that Beth was depressed over a real world issue and not some mad scientist or conspiracy. When Beth stopped, she looked up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thanks, Mom," sniffed Beth. Maggie handed her a box of tissues and smiled. "No problem, Kiddo. I remember what it was like when I lost my first love." "It wasn't this hard the first time," quipped Beth, as she wiped her eyes. "So, what do you suggest now?" Maggie sat there and tried to come up with some motherly advice. "Ice cream!" They both laughed and went downstairs so Beth could drown her sorrows in some Ben & Jerry's. Maggie noticed that Beth seemed better. Her ability to rebound was amazing, thought Maggie. She wondered how much of it was genetically enhanced by the Martz Process. "I know you don't want to make a big deal out of your birthday, but Steve wants to take us out to dinner tomorrow. Steve is planning something big and he won't even let me know what it is!" stated Maggie, in mock anger. "I don't mind that. I talked Kelly out of throwing me a big party. I told her that my birthday was too close to the anniversary of the plane crash," replied Beth. In her government created biography, her parents had been killed in a plane crash. Kelly was Beth's best friend at school. "I feel bad about lying to her, but I can't exactly tell her the truth either." Maggie nodded in agreement. "Steve hasn't given you any hint of where we are going?" asked Beth "No, but he will have to give us a hint, if we are going to look stunning for him," laughed Maggie. "Ohhhh, I hadn't thought of that! I love getting dressed up for a fancy restaurant!" beamed Beth. Maggie smiled and remembered how much Beth enjoyed their dinner at the Hotel Del Coronado back in June. She smiled at the thought that Beth had better marry well! "It's hard to believe that it has almost been a year," stated Beth. There was no need to say what "it" was. Maggie nodded in agreement. Tomorrow it would be the one-year anniversary of Ben's transformation. They both sat there in silence for several minutes. "I don't think that I could have survived without you," Beth said softly. She then looked over at Maggie and gave her a long hug. "Kiddo, you've made my life so much more complete. I can't imagine what it would be without you," replied Maggie, as she returned the hug. The phone interrupted their bonding. "Hi, Maggie. I was wondering if you and Beth would like to go out and grab a pizza," suggested Steve. "Its not very nice out, why don't you come over and we'll order out, my treat!" she replied "Sounds like a plan! I'll be there in fifteen minutes," stated Steve. "See you soon, drive safe. I love you," answered Maggie. "I take it Steve's coming over," remarked Beth. "Excellent deduction, Holmes," laughed Maggie. "Cool, we can team up on him for the dinner info!" replied Beth. The pizza arrived at the same time as Steve. Maggie had a glass of wine and Steve a beer; Beth had to be content with a diet cola. "Just five more years!" joked Beth as she eyed Steve's beer. "It's really not that good," quipped Steve as he took a long sip. Beth stuck her tongue out at Steve and laughed. Maggie was pleased to see her spirits were better. "I suppose that Maggie told you that we are going out to dinner tomorrow night,' remarked Steve. "She did and it is very thoughtful," replied Beth. "How should we dress?" "Formal," answered Steve with a smile. "That's it?" asked Maggie "Sorry, I don't want to spoil the surprise. But FYI, I'll be in a tux!" answered Steve. "Did 007 loan you one of his?" quipped Beth. "We shop at the same tailor. We get the spy discount," laughed Steve. "Looks like we have some shopping to do tomorrow, Kiddo!" announced Maggie. The evening was the perfect medicine for Beth. Chapter Two: Dinner Both Maggie and Beth had their dresses by mid-morning and by the afternoon they were getting their hair styled and nails done. Maggie noticed that Beth really loved being pampered. When they were alone, she leaned over and whispered, "Did you ever pamper yourself like this when you were a guy?" Beth laughed. "Oh no! I had a girlfriend who wanted me to try a facial, and I refused. Real men don't get facials! What an idiot I was!" They both laughed. "So where do you think Steve is taking us?" asked Beth. "I have no idea!" replied Maggie. "But I think it'll be pretty spectacular!" Beth's curiosity was working overtime, but she couldn't remember anything that Steve had said that might give it away. They arrived home and finished getting ready. Both Beth and Maggie were in black evening gowns. Steve had told them that would be perfect. Maggie helped Beth with her makeup. She loved these moments of normalcy with her daughter. "I can't believe how nervous I am!" admitted Beth. "I must admit that I am excited too. This better be good!" joked Maggie. Beth looked at their reflections in the mirror and smiled. "I think we look smashing!" Steve arrived a few minutes later. He was wearing a classic tux and looked very dashing. "Williams, Steve Williams," he announced in an awful British accent. "Not quite the same ring, but you still look great," quipped Maggie. "Well, old James never had two women as lovely as you two to take out. You both look spectacular!" complimented Steve. He was stunned by how beautiful Beth looked; she was going to break a lot of hearts he thought! "Thank you," replied Beth. She began to blush. "OK, ladies, your ride a-waits," announced Steve. They headed into downtown Washington DC. Beth loved the way the city looked at night. She noticed they were heading down past the monuments. Then she saw the White House. She always loved looking at it at night. She saw all the limos pulling in, must be another state dinner tonight, she thought Then to their surprise Steve pulled up to the entrance and showed his ID and what looked like an invitation. The guard saluted and they drove in. "Surprise!" announced Steve. "Don't be too impressed, there are several hundred other people here tonight." Beth was speechless as they walked in and joined the reception line. Her eyes were huge as she took everything in. Maggie was pretty impressed too "How did you pull this off?" she whispered to Steve. "The Director pulled a few strings and got us on the list," whispered Steve. Maggie nodded. The Director continued to surprise her. They moved slowly through the line. Beth was still star-struck as she looked around. They took their seats and she leaned over and kissed Steve on the cheek. "Thank you so much," she smiled. "You're welcome, Beth," replied Steve. At their table there were the ambassador from Denmark and several other dignitaries. Beth scanned the room and saw several celebrities. Their table was near the back, but she could easily see the President and the First Lady. Politics aside, it was pretty cool to be so close to the President. Dinner was, of course, excellent! Beth kept pinching herself to make sure this was real. She even got a kick out of seeing the presidential seal on the plates and silverware. The evening went by way too fast and soon they were driving home. Beth was beaming the whole way home. Back home Maggie made a pot of coffee and they sat around and talked about the evening. "I was actually talking to the Secretary of State!" boasted Beth. "I take it you had a good time," joked Steve. She leaned over and kissed him again. "Thank you so much!" Steve smiled back. "Well, I'm going to bed. Thanks again both of you. I love you both," exclaimed Beth. She got up and hugged and kissed both of them and floated upstairs. "I doubt she will sleep much tonight, she is still floating two feet off the ground," observed Steve. "That was a lovely thing you did tonight," remarked Maggie, as she took his hand in hers. "You think so?" smiled Steve. Maggie got up and led Steve upstairs for his reward. Chapter Three: D?j? vu All Over Again Beth was standing outside the school with Kelly and some of the other girls. They were waiting for their carpool ride home. The school was located in an upscale neighborhood. The weather was cold and several inches of fresh snow lay on the ground. "I am so jealous that you got to go to the White House!" smiled Kelly. "I still can't believe I was there," beamed Beth. She still had a hard time believing it herself. A Black Mercedes pulled up to the sidewalk next to them. Beth paid it no mind; it wasn't unusual to see a luxury car pull up to pick up students. The door opened up and a large man with a black moustache quickly stepped out and lunged at Beth. What saved her was that he slipped on the snowy sidewalk and fell to the ground. That chance slip allowed Beth to escape. The girls scattered and screamed, as did Beth. The man got up and started towards Beth again, when his partner yelled for him to get back in the car. A local police car had turned the corner and was being frantically waved to by the scared students. The man glared at Beth and jumped back into the car, which sped off. The police car took off after it. Back inside the school, the police questioned the girls. Maggie and Steve showed up and talked to the detectives. "You okay?" asked Maggie, as she hugged Beth. "Yes, I am just a bit shaken," she lied. Inside she was a bowl of Jell-O. Maggie nodded, "Well, as soon as the police finish we'll go home." Beth knew that meant they were going back to the agency. "We think he grabbed at Beth because she was the closest. This might have been an abduction attempt. Many of the students here are wealthy," interrupted the detective. "You can take her home, Ms. Clark." "Thank you," answered Maggie. She knew that he was wrong, but saw no need to correct him. They were soon on their way back to the agency. Beth was replying what had happened in her mind. Once inside she told Maggie and Steve everything, including giving excellent descriptions of the two men. The sketch artist used her detailed descriptions to compose some images and entered them into the agency's computer. "You sure they were armed?" asked Steve. "The one with the moustache had a Glock in a shoulder holster under his left arm. The one in the car had what looked like Beretta on the seat next to him," described Beth. She then went into a detailed description of the weapons. "Beth, your memory is amazing," remarked the sketch artist. "I think I have your two men." They looked at the screen. "That's them!" announced Beth triumphantly. Steve read their histories. They were both independent contractors. They worked for whoever paid them. They had a reputation for being very professional. Steve was surprised that they had screwed up. The question was who were they working for. The sketch artist got up and walked out, closing the door behind him. Steve picked up the phone and called the Director. He had given them strict orders that he was to be notified if there were any future threats to Beth. Steve talked for a few minutes and then hung up the phone. He had a worried look on his face. "Two of the survivors were kidnapped this afternoon. The other five are in protective custody," announced Steve. Beth began to tremble slightly and sat down. "No, not again," she said softly to herself. An emergency meeting was called and Beth was allowed to attend. They arrived in one of the secure briefing rooms. The Assistant Director was talking to a man in a black suit. Once they sat down the meeting started. "What do we know so far?" asked the Assistant Director. "Two of the remaining MPV's are missing," noted the man, in the black suit. Beth looked at his Power Point slide. MPV stood for Martz Process Victim. Beth didn't care for that title; as it seemed to make them seem less than human. She had never seen the man before and she wondered who he was. She also decided not to waste time and to start disliking him now. "James Thompson, 26, formerly Jasmine White, 19, was snatched from his job in Hartford CT. There were three witnesses to the abduction. Tracy Isaac, 22, formerly Martin Abbott, 27, was grabbed in a student parking lot at Michigan State University. Again, we have witnesses to the abduction. All other MPV's are in protective custody. Two other abduction attempts failed, including one here in Virginia at a private school," read the man in the black suit. "Are we tracking the two who were abducted?" asked the Assistant Director. "Intermittently. They are being moved west right now. If the Director had authorized my plan, the Martz Process wouldn't be a threat right now!" complained the man in black. Beth glared at him. She knew of a plan that suggested the elimination of the remaining persons that Martz transformed, but it had been immediately rejected. Martz had confirmed that it would be impossible to reverse engineer the formula. He also stated that, with the deaths of the earlier two, the genetic instructions for the process, partially encoded in each MPV, would be incomplete. So this was the jerk whose idea it was to kill her, thought Beth. "We know that the men who tried to abduct Beth, are professional criminals. Both have long criminal records and are well known free-lance operators," added Steve. "Beth?" asked the man in the black suit, he was looking through his papers. "That would be me, MPV, formerly LT Ben Carlson, 26, now Beth Clark, aged 16, of Alexandria VA," interrupted Beth. She felt Maggie's foot firmly tap her in the leg. She also saw Steve holding in a laugh. The man in black seemed caught off guard and mumbled something. "Dr. Martz is also under a 24-hour guard. He is presently in a medical facility, recovering from the poisoning last November. I doubt he will be of much use. His mind seems to be slipping," reported Maggie. "What about Dr. Parker?" asked the Assistant Director. Dr. Jeffrey Parker had once worked with Dr. Martz and later poisoned him, as part of a plot to steal the process. "He's in prison, serving life," answered the man in black. "Let me go and talk with him," asked Maggie. "I think he still might know something." The Assistant Director nodded. He stood up and nodded and smiled at Beth and walked out. "I hope you don't take my recommendation personally. If the roles were reversed I am sure you would agree that my plan would be acceptable and prudent," the man in black explained to Beth. As if the logic of his plan would make Beth understand. "Who are you?" asked Beth, with a disgusted look on her face, ignoring his recommendation. "Beth, this is Randolph T. Kendrick III. He is in the internal security division," explained Steve. Randolph T. Kendrick III was a third generation intelligence agent. His grandfather had been in the OSS, the precursor to the CIA, back in WW II. His father had been a top agent during the Cold War. RT was expected to live up to his family's heritage. "My friends call me RT," he said with a slight smile. His smile seemed forced, as if he didn't do it often. "You have friends?" asked Maggie, in a very sarcastic tone. She didn't like him either. RT glared back at Maggie. Steve stepped in. "Okay, this needs to stop NOW! I am the team leader of this operation. It is obvious that we have some personality issues, so let's keep it strictly business in here. RT, continue to track the abducted, and keep me informed. If we find out where they are being transported, we might be able to figure out who is behind it. Maggie, you will visit Parker, I doubt he will talk to me" "What about me?" asked Beth. "You have a choice of being placed in custody or sticking with Maggie," offered Steve with a smile. "I'll stick with Maggie," replied Beth, in a flash. She had had enough of being locked away! RT shook his head in disgust. As they walked out of the briefing room, RT asked to speak to Steve alone. "She is a liability and you know it," growled RT. "Put her in custody. I'll have my people protect her." "Beth is not a liability. Have you read her file? I suggest you do that before you say one more word. By the way, stick to your job and let me worry about Beth," warned Steve. RT was about to say something, but backed down. He just shook his head in disgust. "I'll let Marion know they're coming." Steve nodded and walked away. RT had good potential, but was very zealous. His insistence that he was always right had kept him from being assigned as a team leader. His personality also seemed to rub everyone the wrong way. He joined Maggie and Beth in his office. "How are they tracking James and Tracy?" asked Beth. "Through micro-transmitters in their bodies. Before you ask, yes, you have one in you too," answered Steve truthfully. "Oh, I guess it makes sense. What is their range?" asked Beth. She had suspected that they had bugged her. Steve was relieved to see that Beth wasn't upset. "Depends. Max range is around five miles. Usually we get two to three." "Umm, where is it?" smiled Beth. "Initially they were swallowed, but eventually they work their way out of the body. So they are now implanted in the body. It was injected in your left leg, above your knee by Doctor Stevens last year. We felt that it was best kept a secret. You also swallowed a second one back in November," informed Steve. "I don't mind, as long it was done to protect me," answered Beth. "Thanks again for everything." She rubbed her leg, involuntarily. Steve gave her a hug. "What is RT's problem?" asked Maggie. "He is a little put off that he wasn't placed in charge of this operation. He's very good at his job, even if his personality is lacking," explained Steve. Beth was surprised that Steve was so kind in his description of RT. Normally someone like that could earn Steve's instant disdain. "Well, we'd better get going, Beth. I arranged a flight first thing in the morning out to Marion," announced Maggie. "Marion?" asked Beth. "Marion, Illinois, home of the Super Max Federal Prison," added Steve. This was the new breed of prison where the worst of the worst were locked away in near total isolation. It was viewed as either revolutionary or inhumane depending on your point of view. "Gee, Steve takes me to the White House and you take me to a prison in Illinois!" quipped Beth. "See, you do spoil her!" joked Maggie. Chapter Four: Redemption Maggie and Beth flew into St. Louis and then caught a charter flight to Marion, in southern Illinois. A rental car took them the rest of the way to the prison. Special arrangements were made to allow both Beth and Maggie to meet with Dr. Parker. Beth was shocked by his appearance. He looked several years older than the last time she had seen him. She felt sorry for him, even though he had almost gotten her killed twice. He had thrown his life away. Parker was dressed in bright orange coveralls and his legs and hands were cuffed. Beth could tell that the restraints were unnecessary, Parker was a broken man. "Hello, Dr. Parker," greeted Maggie. He looked up and smiled slightly. "Hello Agent Clark and hello Beth." "We need to ask you a few questions," stated Maggie. She didn't offer him anything yet. That would come later. "I want to tell you that I am sorry. I didn't realize how bad everything would become. By the time I knew it, it was too late; I was in too deep," he apologized. Maggie nodded. Everyone is sorry once they are caught, she thought. Were you sorry when you poisoned Dr. Martz? Were you sorry when you assisted in the murders of five people? Were you sorry when you almost got Beth and I killed? "Doctor, who else might have known about your attempt to duplicate the Martz Process?" "No one else. Wilkins is dead, he got off easy..." answered Parker bitterly. "Did Wilkins confide in anyone else?" asked Beth. "No, not that I remember," answered Parker. "No... wait, there was someone else." "Who?" asked Maggie. "I can tell that it is important to you. I could offer the information in exchange for a transfer, but I won't. I know what I did was wrong. Every night, I have nightmares of that poor woman screaming as her body liquefied, those horrible unearthly screams that I can't get out of my head! I was there when she was injected. It was the worst thing I have ever seen. That, Agent Clark, is my real punishment," he moaned, as if he was in a confessional. "If you don't help, two other people may suffer that same fate," remarked Beth. There was no pity for him. She paused a moment, then added. "They tried to grab me too." Parker looked at Beth and his eyes widened. "No! Dammit, this must stop! Wilkins had a sister. She ran some of his more illegal operations. She was in the lab several times during its construction," explained Dr. Parker. "I never talked to her. One of the guards told me about her." "What's her name, Doctor? You could save many lives by helping us," asked Beth. "I have already caused five deaths. I don't want any more blood on my hands. Her name is Paula Harkins. From what I remember, she lived in San Diego, but I'm not sure. I hope that helps you," he stated. "If she is trying to repeat my actions, make sure she doesn't take the easy way out. I want her to sit in a cell like me for the rest of her life." "Do you know of any leaks in the agency? Wilkins and Evans were getting information from someone," added Maggie. "I don't know about that. They really didn't trust me," remarked Parker bitterly. "Thank you, Doctor. We'll be in touch," stated Maggie as the got up to leave. "I hope it helps you," repeated Parker. Chapter Five: Betrayal On the flight back Maggie called Steve and told him about Paula Harkins. Steve seemed pleased. As they approached Dulles Airport Maggie got a call from RT. "Steve said that you struck out with Parker, too bad. Do you think he is holding something back?" asked RT Maggie wasn't sure why Steve lied to RT, but she played along with it. "No, he doesn't know anything else. It was a wasted trip. Anything on the two missing MPV's?" "We have gotten a few hits heading west. The next-to-last was near Salt Lake City and then one near Las Vegas. Too bad the transmitters are so weak," replied RT. "FYI, the roads are icy, be careful when you get back. Don't drive too fast." Maggie's alarms began to go off and she turned to Beth. "Something is up. Be alert." She called Steve, but got his voicemail. She would try again when they got on the ground. She still had no luck, so she resorted to paging him through the office. They left the airport around 1:45 AM and headed back home. The roads were almost deserted. Maggie picked up the trailing car as soon as they got on the highway. Maggie's phone suddenly rang "I got your page. Sorry, I guess my cell phone died," explained Steve "I need some assistance myself. I am being followed by one, maybe two cars," stated Maggie. "OK, where are you?" he asked. His voice was calm, but inside he was furious at himself. Maggie gave her location and handed the phone to Beth. "Keep him informed at every mile marker," she ordered. Beth nodded and watched as Maggie took out her gun. "You know how to use this?" she asked, as she handed the gun to Beth. Beth looked at the gun. It was a semi-automatic 9MM. Ben had used one similar to it several years ago in another life. "Yes, I do," she replied. The gun suddenly felt very heavy. "OK, Kiddo, I need you to chamber a round, but keep the safety on...for now," explained Maggie. The sound of the round being chambered was deafening. "Beth, tell Maggie help will there in ten minutes," informed Steve. Beth did as she was ordered. This was a matter of life and death for both Maggie and herself. Maggie hoped they had ten minutes. Beth was also amazed at how calm both Maggie and Steve were. Beth had seen people under stress when she was in the Navy, but they had nothing on her parents! According to Steve, the help would pick them up near Falls Church, Virginia. Maggie wondered if the help would arrive before the people following her made their move. Steve told them to drive the normal route. They were able to pass back descriptions of the two cars. One was a dark SUV and the other was a black Mercedes. The Mercedes got close enough for Maggie to see the men inside as they passed under a highway light. There were two men inside and one had a moustache. Neither man seemed worried that they might be recognized. The Mercedes suddenly accelerated and sped past them. It would be happening very soon Maggie knew. Suddenly the SUV sped up and tried to ram them from behind. But the driver was sloppy and Maggie was able to avoid the move. She floored her accelerator and opened up some distance between them and the SUV. The Mercedes was also caught off guard by Maggie's aggressive move and tried to block her escape, but was too slow. Now Maggie was ahead of both of them. Beth was relaying the info to Steve, as if she was giving play-by-play coverage. The cavalry was only a few minutes away, but now Maggie had another problem, the slick roads. If she slowed down she would be run off the road by her pursuers; if she continued to drive fast she would do their job for them. Suddenly a third car entered the mix! Another Mercedes tried to block her path, Maggie swerved to miss it and in doing so lost control and went into a spin. They hit the guardrail hard and skidded to a stop. The windshield and rear window were blown out by the crash. Maggie was dazed and was slow to respond as Beth frantically tried to get her out of the car. The SUV pulled up and blocked their path, around 100 yards ahead of them. The Mercedes stopped the same distance behind them and several men got out. The second Mercedes drove by and Beth could see the smiling face of RT. A feeling of horror swept through her body. Beth had lost the phone but still had Maggie's gun and she slipped off the safety. She knew the odds weren't good, but she wouldn't go down without a fight. There were at least five of them and she only had fifteen rounds. Beth didn't know where Maggie's other clip was. Besides, it was unlikely she would get a chance to reload anyway. "Kid, come out and we'll let the woman live," shouted a man from the front. "Yeah, right!" exclaimed Beth, to herself. She knew she could only stall another few seconds. Just before she had dropped the phone, Steve had told her that help was almost there. The men approached from two directions, two from the back and three from the front. They all had weapons drawn and none were wearing masks. That meant they would definitely kill Maggie. Beth focused her rage and took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Shoot for the center mass of the body, thought Beth; that way you might hit something. She watched them approach, she lifted up Maggie's gun and took aim on the lead man approaching from the back. She slowly squeezed the trigger when suddenly he jerked forward and fell to the ground, as did the man next to him. Help had arrived!! Beth swung around and saw the three men from the SUV hesitate for a second. They hadn't heard any shots, so they weren't sure what happened. Their momentary pause proved fatal as they were each struck by a silent hail of bullets. They appeared to be dead before they hit the ground. Beth turned her attention to Maggie, who was now unconscious. Beth called frantically for help. She looked up and saw several agents, in all black combat gear approaching swiftly out of the dark. Each had a nasty looking submachine gun fitted with a silencer. One of the men approached and radioed for medical assistance. The team quickly cleaned up the bodies, and in a moment it looked like a single car accident. The SUV and Mercedes were quickly driven away. "She will be looked after, but you need to come with us," ordered one of the men. "No, way! I'm not leaving my Mom!" growled Beth, defiantly. The agent smiled, "You're Steve's daughter all right! You're as stubborn as he is." "How soon will the EMTs be here!" demanded Beth, as she looked at the unconscious Maggie. As if on cue, the silence of the night was pierced by the sound of sirens approaching. "Here they come now. I have to go, but I won't be far away and put the gun away, please," he smiled. He then laughed and Beth felt instantly at ease. He winked at Beth and jumped into one of the vans. In an instant they were all gone. Beth slipped the safety back on and put the gun in her bag. The EMTs immediately assisted Maggie. She was slowly regaining consciousness when Steve arrived. He hugged Beth and took Maggie's hand in his. "Ohhhhh, my head hurts," complained Maggie as she regained consciousness. "Looks like a concussion, not too bad," said an EMT named Sam. It was on his helmet. "Are you okay, miss?" Beth nodded. Steve pulled out his ID and talked to Sam. They would take Maggie and Beth to Bethesda Naval Hospital. Steve assured Sam that it would be okay and he wouldn't get in trouble with his superiors. Maggie was feeling better, especially since Beth wasn't hurt and Steve was there with her. "I'll follow you there. Don't worry, we have lots of friends around here," whispered Steve to Maggie and Beth. Beth smiled, thinking that guardian angels sometimes dressed in black. The doctor insisted that Maggie stay in the hospital overnight for observations. They were very lucky; Maggie's concussion was the only injury either had suffered. Steve talked to Beth and her observations confirmed that RT was involved. "What will you do to him?" asked Beth. "If he cooperates, he'll live," growled Steve. He hated traitors with a passion and found it hard to hide his feelings. "Doc Parker could use a neighbor," Maggie added from her hospital bed with a slight laugh. Steve's phone rang. He listened for a few minutes and then said "OK". "I have to go. I'll be back soon," stated Steve abruptly. He leaned over and kissed Maggie and hugged Beth. He was still angry with himself for underestimating RT. Steve drove back to the agency. RT was in custody. Steve debated how he would handle it. Steve entered the cell and glared at RT, who was sitting in chair. "Hi, Steve, can you believe this nonsense," he quipped. Steve was standing in front of RT, his back to the door. "You going to cooperate?" asked Steve, ignoring the small talk. "What will it get me?" he smirked. "If we recover the two captives, you get to live," answered Steve, trying to control his temper. "Too late. That's why we grabbed the girl. I'm sorry about Maggie, but she was in the way," he explained, as if Steve would understand that it was business and nothing personal. "You let me go, and I will return your freak." Steve grinned. "Your team is dead and Maggie and Beth are safe. If you call her a freak again, I'll break your neck." Steve glared at RT. RT stared back at Steve and tried to see if he was kidding or not. Steve smiled a wicked smile. "RT, you're working with Paula Harkins, sister of the late Robert Wilkins. We figure her duplicate lab is somewhere in the San Diego/Tijuana area. Now, if you tell us the location of the lab and Ms. Harkins, then your precious family name won't be dragged through the mud and little RT the fourth won't grow up the son of a traitor. What will it be? I am tired and I'd just as soon shoot you and go to bed. By the way, you are here because my ?freak' saw you at the attempted abduction." "You won't shoot me," smirked RT Steve's face got instantly serious and he quickly pulled out his gun and fired two silenced rounds just to the right of RT's head. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" His gun was already back in the holster. RT was shaking and felt his head to see if he was bleeding. "A trial would be messy for you and the agency, not to mention the fre... I mean Beth." "Who said you were getting a trial? RT, you have no cards to play. We have had you under investigation the last eight months. We knew there was an insider; it was just a matter of time until we got you. You're the lowest of the low and I could kill you right now and feel no more remorse than I would for swatting a fly. If you cooperate and talk then at least your name will be unstained, at least to the general public and your family," explained Steve. RT sat there and tried to think of an out, but there wasn't any. He thought about his family and knew Steve was right. He could tolerate the pain and humiliation, but he couldn't do that to his family. "Okay, what do you want to know?" They talked for several hours. RT explained that the reason he did it was for the money. He wanted to set his family up so he could quit the agency. He didn't want his son to be raised the same way he was. There was a lot of bitterness in his voice and anger directed at his own father. Steve almost felt sorry for him, and promised RT that his family would never know the truth. Steve had a plan in mind to eliminate Paula Harkins; it was dangerous and he wondered if the Director would approve it. He also didn't like it that Beth was crucial to the plan's success. He really hated his job sometimes. Chapter Six: Spider or the Fly? Beth sat in the secure briefing room with Steve and two other agents. She recognized both of them as members of the assault team that had saved her the previous night. "Beth, before we go on, I want you to understand that you don't do have to this," explained Steve. "I know. I want to do this," she answered. Steve nodded. Inside he was very proud of Beth and disgusted by his plan, although he knew it was the only way to smoke out Paula Harkins. RT had confirmed that he had been the source of the leak. He had hired Evans and Dr. Parker and made the initial contact with Wilkins and later Harkins. He knew that they had the money to try to duplicate the process. They were also doing a lot of illegal activities on their own, so he knew they would be open to his plan. However, he didn't know the exact location of Paula Harkins. He did confirm that she was a very twisted person. He confirmed that the lab was in the San Diego area. That narrowed the search down a bit. Harkins Industries owned ten properties there. Paula Harkins, 36, was the twin sister of Robert Wilkins. Research showed that they might have been even closer than that. Somehow the research department missed her when they did their initial report on Wilkins. She ran several companies, most of which were used for money laundering and smuggling. Law enforcement agencies had tried several times to investigate Harkins Inc., but never came up with anything significant. Beth cringed when she heard that Wilkins and his sister might have been lovers. There were some things that one didn't need to know! The last hits from the transmitters placed the two abducted persons somewhere between Orange County and the Mexican Border. A more detailed sweep was presently underway, but Steve wasn't too optimistic. Something told him that RT wasn't lying when he said they were already dead. If they had been liquefied, the transmitters would have been detected and destroyed. The plan was for the two security men to act as some of RT's goons and escort Beth to the facility. Once the lab facility was located, it and all personnel would be eliminated. Beth learned that the two men were called Madison and Tom. Beth wasn't sure if those were their real names or not. But she had seen them in action and she felt very safe. Steve had personally selected them from his "Dobermans", the nickname he gave his security team. Tom was 5-foot-8 and built like a linebacker. He had short brown hair and a goatee and mustache. She remembered how he had smiled at her after the shoot out and she was instantly happy he would be with her. Madison was a large African-American. He was 6-foot-1 and very muscular. His head was shaved and he had a very comforting smile. He also had a deep voice that reminded her in some ways of Barry White. RT contacted Paula through their secure Internet connection and informed her that they had Beth. She would arrive in San Diego in three days with two of his men. He requested a rendezvous point. She gave RT directions to a small industrial park near Chula Vista. She then asked RT if Beth was the one whose parents had killed her brother. He told her yes and she replied, "Excellent!" Beth felt a shiver run through her body. "We can't hit the facility until we know that Harkins is in there. I want the assault teams notified, but no ground surveillance yet. We don't want then to get suspicious. Use satellite and air for now. We don't want the rats to escape. The border is only a few miles away," informed Steve. Beth was both nervous and excited to be included in the operation. The whole revenge factor added a new level of danger. Steve said that it could work to their advantage, as people seeking revenge often let their guard down. She hoped he was right. Beth wished that Maggie could accompany her to California, but the doctors ruled that out. She now realized how much strength she got from her Mom. "Beth, here is an improved transmitter. It will take seven days to work its way through the body," explained Steve, as he handed her what looked like a super-sized vitamin. "You don't expect me to swallow this?" she asked as she took it from Steve. He nodded. "Now?" she asked. He nodded again and handed her an open bottle of water. She put the transmitter in her mouth and swallowed it down with a big slug of water. "We'll be able to track you at a range of ten miles now. We already have tracking stations in place, so we'll be able to triangulate your location very accurately," said Steve. "I don't want to take any chances with you." Beth smiled, "Thanks." She then gave him a long hug. Steve could feel Beth trembling as he hugged her back. After this she was out of the business he decided, at least until she was an adult. He suspected that Harkins wanted Beth, more out of revenge for the death of her brother, than for the process. But he saw no need to make Beth anymore more worried. She had enough on her mind. "So, how am I getting to San Diego?" asked Beth "Driving with us!" interrupted Tom. He was the one who talked to her after the shootout on the highway. "We have to make it look real. Details are important," added Madison. "Does that mean that you will be tying me up the whole trip?" she asked. "In a way, yes. Here, put these on," said Steve. He handed her what looked like bracelets. They were in actuality parts of handcuffs, minus the chain. "I get it! I wear these and get nice bruised wrists. What else?" answered Beth as she clicked each bracelet on her wrist. "You stay in the clothes you are wearing. A real abductee wouldn't bring a change of clothes. We will be driving out in a RV, so you will have freedom of movement," stated Tom. He was impressed with Beth. She was acting like a veteran agent. "Makes sense, but I don't want to hear any cracks about my appearance when this is all over!" laughed Beth. Luckily, she was wearing comfortable clothes. A long sleeve t-shirt, bra, panties, and a pair of denim overalls. They all laughed. "OK, Beth, I'll see you in San Diego," smiled Steve. "I love you, Kiddo." Beth hugged him long and hard. "I love you too, Dad," whispered Beth. "Don't worry, Steve, no one will hurt her," stated Tom firmly. Steve nodded. Chapter Seven: Harkins The trip went by surprisingly fast. They only stopped for gas and food. Beth became very fond of the two men entrusted with protecting her life. Both had been in the Special Forces and had been recruited by Steve. She also found out that Madison's name was actually a nickname. He was from Madison, Wisconsin and he wouldn't tell her his real name. Her only complaints were that her wrists hurt and that she desperately wanted a long hot bath and a change of clothes. They played a lot of gin and Madison taught Beth how to pick the lock of the handcuffs. She became quite proficient at it by the time the trip was over. They drove across the country in less than two days and were approaching the meeting point. Tom pulled off at a rest area, just north of San Diego. "OK, Beth, we need to change to the real cuffs," apologized Tom. "I understand. Let me get these off." In a few seconds the two cuffs were off her wrists. Beth held them up triumphantly. Madison smiled. "The kid is a prot?g?e!" "I'm impressed!" smiled Tom. Are we going right to the meeting point?" asked Beth as her hands were cuffed behind her back. "Yes, you ready?" asked Tom. Beth nodded. "You will have lots of back up. The teams will arrive as soon as we confirm that Paula is there. Steve is here and so is Maggie," reported Madison. "I know that you guys are going to insist that you stay with me until you turn me over to Paula. How will you let everyone else know?" asked Beth. "We can't use a standard bug, but we each have a transmitter that will give off a tone. That will be the signal to the teams to attack," explained Tom. "If we feel that they may back off unless we turn you over to them, then we will let them take you. We will switch to tracking you at a distance," added Madison. "What happens if we get separated?" asked Beth. "How will I signal?" "We can't risk them searching you and finding a bug. As soon as you are stationary for more than one hour, then the assault will begin. Sooner, if we get conformation of Paula's location. You will have to stall and count on the rest of the team. I promise that we will be there," pledged Tom. "I trust you," smiled Beth. "Kid, you can be my partner any day!" exclaimed Madison. Tom nodded in agreement. "Thanks," smiled Beth. Tom drove towards the meeting point and dialed the number given to them by RT. Madison finished tying up Beth. Her ankles were tied together and a blindfold was placed over her eyes. Beth made a joke about how would they explain this if the police pulled them over. Madison joked that at least the meeting spot wasn't in the south. They arrived at the spot and Beth strained to hear Tom and Madison talking to someone outside the RV. She heard the door opening and she went into her "frightened child" act. She tried to pull back as she heard the people enter. "This is the one the boss wants so bad? She doesn't look like much," said one of the men. He grabbed her wrists and checked the cuffs. "You kept her cuffed the whole time?" "Yes, we didn't want any problems from her," explained Madison. "We'll take it from here. Your money is the car," stated another voice. "No way. My boss said that we deliver her to your boss no middlemen, no offense," argued Tom. "My boss says that we take over and you go back home," reiterated the first man. "No way," said Madison firmly. There was a long silence. "Why not call your boss and let him know that the package was delivered. Trust me, man, I know his reputation. We won't screw you. But our boss is a real bitch and can be very unreasonable," suggested the second man. Beth knew the plan. The RV was bugged and could be tracked by a variety of ways, including by satellite. So she would be depended upon to stall and use her wit, until help arrived. Tom and Madison agreed and left in the car. The RV was driven back onto the highway. Beth wondered how long it would take until they reached their destination. She found it interesting that the two men paid her no attention at all. Beth tried to keep track of the time. She estimated that they had been driving for twenty minutes when they stopped. One of the men picked her up like she was a sack of potatoes and carried her out of the RV. From the sounds, Beth guessed they were inside a garage. "Take her to Ms. Harkins' office," ordered a man. "Yes sir!" replied the man carrying Beth. He carried Beth for a few more minutes before depositing her unceremoniously on a couch. "Is that her?" asked a husky female voice "Yes, Ms. Harkins!" he replied. "Leave the key for her cuffs and go," she ordered. Beth heard him leave. She was mentally keeping track of how long she'd been there. She hoped the teams were close. "Sit up," ordered the woman. Beth obeyed and felt the woman unlock the cuffs and then remove the blindfold. Beth adjusted her eyes and stared at the woman, she also rubbed her sore wrists. Beth stared at the woman standing before her. It was obvious she was related to Robert Wilkins. She was wearing a dark suit and white blouse. Her hair was short and slicked back and she wasn't wearing any makeup. Her look was strangely masculine. "Who are you?" asked Beth, falling back on her innocent teenage girl fa?ade. "I am Ms. Paula Harkins. You're my guest, or should I say my bait," she remarked. "Bait? What do you mean?" asked Beth. Drag this out and wait for help, thought Beth as she continued to rub her wrists. "Yes. I will be sending a message to your parents, the people responsible for my beloved brother's death. I will use you to lure them here and kill them. They will think that I will be using you to reverse engineer the Martz Process, but I have already accomplished that," explained Paula. Just like the movies, thought Beth. The villain tells their plans to the hero or heroine. Beth would laugh if this weren't so serious. She also cringed at the way Paula said "beloved brother"! "The process won't work," stated Beth earnestly "Oh? Are you a genetics expert?" laughed Paula. "No, but I talked to Dr. Martz, and he told me that the process was impossible to reverse engineer. It has to be started from the beginning to fully work. Anyone you give your serum to will die," explained Beth. Obviously, Paula accepted Beth at face value, all she saw was a frightened young girl, thought Beth. "I think you are lying. I hope so, as I would hate to think James and Tracy died for nothing!" she smiled. Her smile was pure evil. Beth stared at her in horror. "Well, I hope that you are wrong, otherwise they died for nothing. Well that's not true; their deaths provided me with great entertainment. Their deaths were exquisite! It was so exciting to see them die. The liquefying process is excruciatingly painful, judging by their reactions. I had an orgasm just watching it!" she laughed manically. Paula was totally depraved, thought Beth. And two more of the original ten had been killed. "So, have you had a real orgasm yet? No, I doubt that. You are too young and innocent. I will change that. You see I have no intention of using the Martz Process for blackmail. Rather it is for myself. I have always hated being a woman. Men have the real power and soon I will have that power! You my pet, will be my first conquest after I am truly a man!" she exclaimed. Beth figured she had to draw this out another 30 minutes. "The original process is very painful. I almost died from my transformation. The last group to get the copy all died within hours," informed Beth. "I know. We have made corrections to fix the problem with our copy. I am confident it will work," she stated. "Besides pain is a lovely sensation. It is a wonderful way of achieving pleasure." "It's your life," replied Beth softly. This woman could keep a whole team of therapists busy, she though. "You don't want a shot at being a man again or would you rather stay a little girl?" taunted Paula. "I accept that I am female. What I miss is my old life, and no serum can give that back, so I accept my life and move on," replied Beth, honestly. "So you don't feel the pain of knowing you are the wrong gender? I was cheated at birth and will soon be the real me!" she exclaimed! "As a male, no one will stand in my way or underestimate me just because I am woman." "You'll be dead," added Beth frankly. Paula didn't want to be a male, she just wanted power, thought Beth. Paula laughed. "So, since I've got you here, I hope you don't mind answering a few questions. How did they find my brother's lab? My contact lacks the access to the files." "They had a spy in his operation. I don't know who, but she was close to him," lied Beth. Why not create some confusion in the mind of Paula, thought Beth. "Probably that bitch, Tina. Well, she was killed too, so something good happened that day. Too bad, she was pretty good in bed," laughed Paula. "Your parents are going to pay for what they did to my brother and I plan on making you watch as I test my serum on them. Then I will kill them." Okay, thought Beth, Paula is totally nuts! Paula looked at her watch. "I would love to talk to you longer, but I have work to do," remarked Paula, as she pushed a button. "I will question you longer later this evening." Almost immediately two guards came in. "Lock her up, but don't hurt her," ordered Paula. "That's my job! I like to save the fun things for myself!" She then began to laugh. The guards grabbed Beth off the couch and cuffed her again. They led her out of the office. They escorted her through several hallways to a door. Beth offered no resistance. The first guard unlocked the door and was about to push Beth inside when the lights went out. The guards paused for a second, as if to figure out what happened. Dim emergency lamps lighted the hallway. Beth figured this was her chance and she sprinted down the hallway. The facility was like a big maze and she ran down a darkened hallway and worked frantically at the cuffs. Within a second she had them off. Thank you, Madison! She thought as she heard the muffled sounds of gunfire. However, Beth wasn't about to see if it really was her rescuers. She knew that her best bet was to find a place to hide and to do it quickly. The guards can running in her direction and Beth searched for an open door. After two straight locked doors, she found one that was open and quietly slipped in and locked the door behind her. She heard the guards run by a few seconds later. Beth turned around and was greeted by a horrible sight. She had to hold in her scream. In glass tanks were the bodies of several people, all in various stages of gender change. There were at least eight bodies in the cylindrical tanks. Some had been operated on. It was ghastly! Beth stared at the grotesque figures. She couldn't take her eyes off them. Some were fairly far along in their transformation. So this was how Paula was perfecting her serum, one person at a time, thought Beth. The sound of gunfire snapped Beth back into reality and she quickly ducked down behind a desk. The last thing she wanted was to be shot accidentally. She looked up and saw the tanks again. The figures in the tanks were so horrible. There was what once was a young woman who was nearly half way through the transformation to male. The look of pain on her face was horrific. My God, what kind of monster would do such a thing, she though. Whatever sympathy Beth had for Paula disappeared; after seeing this room of horrors, she only wanted her dead now! Someone was trying to get into the lab. They frantically tried to open the door. There was the faint muffled ripping sound from a silenced machine gun and the person at the door fell to the ground. Beth took a chance and got up and walked towards the door. She eased close to the door, straining to hear something that said friend! Beth then heard the deep booming voice of Madison It had to be him! "Madison!" she whispered. "Beth! You OK?" he responded swiftly. "Yes, I'm in here," Beth replied joyfully, as she unlocked the door. Madison was in full combat gear and radioed that he had Beth. Within seconds two other agents appeared and formed a shield around her. "Paula was in her office," informed Beth. Madison nodded and passed the info over the radio. He glanced into the lab and gasped. "What the hell is this place?" "The work of a maniac," replied Beth, not wanting to look at it anymore. They moved to get her out of the line of fire. Twice Beth heard the soft ripping sound from the guns of the agents behind her. She knew they weren't just shooting at shadows. One of the agents guarding Beth was a woman and she wasted a guard that stepped out in front of them. There was a lot of confusion and shooting. It was amazing that Beth or any of her protectors weren't hit by the wild shooting of Paula's guards. As badly as Beth wanted to get out of this house of horrors, she also wanted to make sure that Paula was caught. "Madison, Paula's office is through that door," she exclaimed, as she pointed at a doorway. He radioed the info and continued to move Beth out to safety. "You're not going in?" exclaimed Beth in disbelief. "No, our orders are to get you out safely, along with any other hostages," he replied firmly, "Don't argue with orders, kid!" In a few seconds, they were outside and Beth was hustled into an RV. Inside was Maggie along with several other agents. Beth ran to her Mom and hugged her tight. It was wonderful to see her. Beth then turned to thank her rescuers, but they were already gone. "Mom, that place must be destroyed, you cannot imagine the nightmares in there!" exclaimed Beth. She thought about how many sessions with Jenna this event would lead to! "We have Paula blocked in. She is in a small bunker next to her office. There is no other way out," replied Maggie, as she brushed Beth's hair back out of her face. "Kill her! Kill her now and end this nightmare! She is a monster!" exclaimed Beth angrily, remembering the bodies in the tanks. Maggie just pulled Beth close and hugged her. She wondered what sort of horrors Beth had seen in there to cause her bloodthirsty rage. Twenty minutes later Steve came in. He was dressed in similar black combat gear. Beth instantly jumped up to hug him. "It's over," he said in a flat unemotional tone. "Where's Paula?" asked Maggie. He shook his head and had a sickened look on his face. This caught Maggie off guard as Steve didn't spook easily. "Apparently she injected herself with her serum and was in the process of transforming into a male when she died. Her face was locked in ecstasy, as if she was enjoying her death. I've never seen anything like it," commented Steve. He looked disgusted. Beth told them about her bizarre conversation with Paula and about the tanks in the lab. Several other captives were found. Apparently they were local runaways. They were being debriefed to see what they knew. The lab itself would be destroyed. There were no survivors from Paula's team. Steve looked relived when he saw that only one member of his teams had been injured, and that was a minor wound. The mission was a success. Tom and Madison swung by and said their goodbyes to Beth. "Beth, I hope you'll consider joining our team someday," smiled Tom. Madison nodded in agreement. Beth hugged them both and promised them that she would never forget them. She also thanked Madison for teaching her to pick the locks of the cuffs. "What else did they teach you?" joked Steve. Beth just smiled and hugged her family. Conclusion A few days later, Beth was back in school. Her absence was explained by a death in the family. Beth joked that if this continued, her immediate family would be wiped out before she finished the school year! She was happy that she got to spend a few last days with Kyle before he left for London. Beth had many interesting things to discuss with Jenna. It felt great having a way to release her stress and free her mind from the nightmares of the lab. Steve sat in his office and reviewed the final report on what he hoped was the last time he would hear of the Martz Process. RT was "killed" in a car accident a few days later. In actuality he had committed suicide. The Director believed, that for the good of the agency, that the truth should never be told about RT's duplicity. Paula Harkins and 15 of her employees were reported killed in a tragic industrial accident. CNN reported that the explosion and resulting fire burned many of the victims beyond recognition. Dental records confirmed the death of Paula. Dr. Heinrich Martz passed away from natural causes a day after the whole incident with Paula Harkins. With all the deaths caused by his actions, Steve found it ironic that the Doctor died in his sleep. Dr. Parker was transferred to a better prison and was assigned to the prison hospital. He eagerly jumped at the opportunity to work with sick and dying prisoners. Steve thought that Parker really wasn't a bad guy, just corrupted, just like RT. He wondered what his price might be and he shuddered. No one likes to think that they may have a price. The other five original victims of the Martz process were assured that they would not be threatened again. Apparently RT had been the one from the beginning who was trying to sell the process. They were also compensated generously, as were those killed by Paula and her brother. They were all offered new identities, but none accepted, they seemed content in their new lives. Additionally a fund was set up to provide money to the families of the ten, who had been killed. It was small compensation. Steve felt good in knowing that Beth's future was financially secure. He was still a little concerned by the Director's interest in her, as he wasn't sure he wanted his daughter to join the agency. He smiled as he saw himself as her father. He decided that he had delayed the wedding long enough. That evening he proposed to Maggie that they get married as soon as possible. She quickly agreed, afraid that he would change his mind. Only Beth seemed upset, as she had had her heart set on a big formal wedding! Three days later, in a small civil ceremony Steve and Maggie got married. Their wedding present from the director was the formal adoption papers making Beth Steve's daughter. For the third time in a year, Beth had a new last name. She didn't mind one bit, as it meant she had a complete family again. The End