A New Finn free porn video

Prologue Miles Arnold was only 14. He was tall, skinny, and relatively good looking. He never showed it though; he was shy and quiet and tried hard to go unnoticed by everyone around him. He was friendly with the kids in his classes, especially the Finn Family as the group of 12 friends was jokingly called. Miles was shy and quiet for a reason. Unknown to others, he was constantly in fear that people would find out that his dad was a drug dealer and his mom was dead. He did his best to stay away from his dad and often spent his afternoons at the city's library studying and taking copious notes so he never had a reason for anyone to have to talk with his dad. His teachers were thrilled that he was a model student and often had him helping Jaimie Finn or Scott Nelson tutor other kids, two members of the "Finn Family." As much as he liked them he tried to find any excuse not to be around the others, especially Jaimie. She was able to sense problems and find out what was bothering you without you ever realizing she had done so. Miles respected and feared what might happen if she ever found out his secrets. What was worse was what she might do if she did find out. Jaimie had a way of getting involved that scared him. If she got involved in his life she could be in grave danger from his father or his associates. Felix Arnold was a nasty man and he hated Jaimie's family with a deep passion that would be deadly for Jaimie and her friends if he found out she was close to him. In early August reality set in as Miles came home to find police swarming his apartment and his dad in handcuffs being hauled away to jail. Miles tried to go into his bedroom to get some personal items but was held at bay by the troopers who were guarding the apartment. When he was questioned they were shocked to not know about him let alone that he lived there. The troopers called social services and while he knew the woman who was assigned to his case he was reluctant to talk to her for a very good reason. Anne Connors is the mother of Jenna Connors, one of his classmates and a member of the "Finn Family". He knew that word would get back to her and the other family members and he couldn't face them, his secret was out. His life was over, he was headed for a group home until he was 18. He could kiss his future goodbye, he'd be 18 before he graduated and would be out on the streets before he had his diploma. He'd end up homeless, without a diploma, and without any hope for a better life. Chapter 1 Anne Connors gathered up some clothes and personal items and escorted Miles to his new "home". She felt for the boy, he was a rare personality who was always polite, well mannered, and quiet. She remembered the sweet and lovable Miles from way back when he was a little boy in kindergarten, but over the years he seemed to change. He was no longer the outgoing boy who worked hard to get everyone involved in fun, he was now a sullen, quiet, scared child who shied away from everyone around him and kept to himself until he needed to speak in class. She remembered how he used to be friends with the boys back before 7th grade. Had the arrival of Jaimie and her brother Michael changed him? Surely he wasn't jealous of them and the others, they liked him a lot even if they never showed it. He was never that kind of person, there must be something else going on with him. She needed to seek some advice from colleagues before digging deep, Miles wasn't Miles and she needed to know why. There was a reason for his change and if she could find him the help he needs she was going to do it. It would be tough, but he was worth the effort to at least try to help. Arriving at the group home, Miles was silent. The boys in the home were notorious for brutality towards others, especially smaller boys. He feared having to go there more than having his big secret get out. His dad was on borrowed time, Miles had hoped that Felix's impending arrest did not happen until he was 18, but things had somehow changed. He sucked in a deep breath and headed inside to get processed. Anne tried to comfort him as best she could but she knew it was futile, the place was too well known and Miles was in no condition to accept comfort yet let alone from someone he knew. She swore that she'd find him a home as soon as possible, even if she had to beg and call in all her favors to do so. Miles silently thanked her but didn't expect anything to happen at all. She was good but nobody wants a 14 year old foster kid with a drug dealer dad and a history of being friendly with kids like Jaimie. Anne watched as the boy was processed in and had all of his personal items seized. Miles never said a word beyond "yes" and "no". He accepted his fate without a fight, it was heartbreaking for her to witness. Miles was shown to his room and Anne left with a tear in her eye. At home Anne was silent. Jenna tried to get information out of her but Anne wouldn't talk. She texted her boyfriend George Daniels about what happened but only got an odd "police related" reply. His dad was a state trooper who worked the drug unit and for him to clam up over something related to her mom it had to be directly related. He and his friend Eric Vincent were inseparable thanks to their dads working out of the same barracks and worked as part of the same drug team and when Eric said the same thing about Miles it confirmed that something bad happened and her mother was involved indirectly. Eric was still new to being friends with Jenna's friends so for him to refuse to answer a question it was a big issue he was keeping quiet. The two boys were protective of their fathers and to be so quiet meant that she was asking something that was sensitive or too hard to talk about for them. Jenna wouldn't give up though, her mom wore her heart on her sleeve and she needed to talk about this. She saw Anne crying to herself in her bedroom and refused to leave until she was told the truth. Anne hesitated but Jenna was determined to get the truth even adding that if she was this impacted she had to give up the case to someone else because it clearly was personal and thus she couldn't keep herself partial. Jenna nearly broke down when Anne told her. Miles was a sweetheart and all of the girls loved him. Many of the guys thought he might have secretly been gay but her friends all knew the truth. He had crushes on them but none were serious and even dated Jenna for a few months before he drifted away from the group and she started to fall for George. As Jaimie and Michael came into their lives in 7th grade he drifted away for some reason and barely interacted with anyone, especially the girls. She now knew part of the reason why, but she didn't think it was the whole truth. He liked Jaimie and Michael but he never seemed to warm up to them and even initially pushed Jaimie away from helping him, there had to be a bigger reason why he drifted away and she was determined to find out why. Anne conceded that Miles needed help. After she calmed down, she called around various foster parents on her lists and none could or were willing to accommodate Miles. She tried Leslie Finn but she wasn't able to do it either. She had the idea of asking Sean Berretta but his health was a major concern and he wasn't able to pass the health requirements. She was at wits end and in danger of having Miles stuck permanently in the group home when she received an emergency phone call. Jenna was shaking as she told it was from group home regarding Miles and some sort of medical incident. Anne composed herself enough to listen to what was being said but knew it was going to be terrible news. Jenna could only make out "hospital" "emergency" "new placement" as Anne talked fast and in an authoritative manner. Anne was on the verge of tears as she called in the last hope. Jenna looked at her for an answer and only got a smile as she heard a "yes" from the other end. Jenna didn't need to be told the details, she knew that Miles had a home and it was with people who she could trust and more importantly: help him through his problems. Chapter 2 Miles was in pain but tried to endure it. His ribs were cracked and he was heavily bruised. The boys were vicious and brutal but smart enough not to leave any DNA, they hurt him in a way to leaving him unable to defend himself further while not harming him enough to cause the police to be forced to investigate the attack. Miles knew not to say who attacked him or they would do worse to him. Next time, he wouldn't survive. Next time they would use him as an example and ensure he didn't walk away from it. Anne arrived at the hospital after dropping Jenna off with Gabby Lawrence. Gabby didn't need to know the why but hoped whatever she was up to worked out for the best. Anne smiled at that, Gabby had a way of making you feel better that she instilled in her daughters but somehow missed her sons. It must be something in the female genes because she never taught them to be anything but upstanding citizens only to see them become criminals in a span of two years. Anne was told the bad news by the home's overseer. Miles was singled out by two boys and beaten badly. He hadn't said a single word since Anne left, ignored the taunting and tried to sleep when pulled out of bed and kicked repeatedly in his chest and abs. He was found an hour later by the overseer after he missed dinner and promptly rushed to the hospital. Anne dismissed her and told that there would be an investigation to determine what happened. She didn't like that and asked if it was a threat, Anne stood firm and stated with great authority "it's the rules. A child has just had a major assault happen in the group home and went undiscovered for who knows how long. A mandatory review of policies and procedures will be conducted and I hope you are up to date and up to code because you will be out of the job. As it currently stands it is a department review but that can easily change to a criminal investigation so do not even try to stonewall or hinder it." Anne didn't bother to look at her again. She knew the home was in deep trouble and Miles needed to get out of there fast. She hoped he was willing to accept his placement because it was the only place that she felt he could go that would help him thrive. He was going to be among people he knew and respected, and she hoped it would be a start of him finding a permanent home. This family was everything he needs, he would not be for want and would never be looked down upon by others again. However he wouldn't like the placement as it was going to be among people he feared and respected, but it was the last option for him. The doctors told Anne the extent of Miles' injuries. He had cracked ribs and deep bruises but otherwise he was lucky, he protected his kidneys and liver from damage so he should be able to go home shortly. Anne let out a big sigh of relief, he should be fine in two weeks but needed to keep activity to a minimum. Miles remained silent as Anne talked with the doctor, he knew he was in trouble and if he went back to the home he would be in danger of not leaving it alive. The boys who attacked him were out to get him for some reason, it was a coordinated attack and done at the perfect time to get away without being seen by others. He didn't know them and he didn't understand why they wanted to hurt him, only that he offended them in some way and was beaten for it. Anne told him about finding him a placement and how it was one of her toughest placements. It wasn't easy but she found a family willing to take him in and help him through whatever it was that was troubling him. He was grateful for the hard work she did and hoped it was worth the effort, the last thing he wanted was to disappoint her. A knock at the door startled the three. Miles looked up and saw two people he hoped he wouldn't encounter outside of school, the last thing he wanted was to appear any more pathetic to them. He respected them and hated to think that they would see him as anything but an ideal student but that was no longer the case. Miles looked up and asked weakly, "Mrs. Connors why are Mr. and Mrs. Finn here? I thought you said you found me a foster home." Anne saw the fear and shame in his eyes and tried best to explain "Mr. and Mrs. Finn are your new foster parents. I asked that they take you in and help you as I couldn't find anyone who were willing to step up to the plate and be your foster parents. You know that you can't go back to the group home, and there is no place in the region that can take you. I know you may think you have problems with the others but this is the best thing for you." Valerie Finn sat down beside Miles while John and Anne talked. Anne explained what she suspected was really going on "Miles' father was involved in a drug ring that got broken up today. His mother passed away three and a half years ago and ever since he has been feeling ashamed of his family's condition. Since your son and daughter came along he thinks he lost all his friends. He tried to hide what was going on but is carrying shame and loneliness and fears what the others will say and do when they find out the truth." John tried to take it all in. Miles was a good student but never interacted with anyone, this explained it all. Anne sensed he was thinking long and hard but didn't move or say anything. John would never abandon someone in need and Miles needed them. John finally said what he was thinking, "He is wrong about the others. They will stand beside him and help as much as they can. They can relate to him in more ways than he realizes. They will help him out, and not just because he is in our care now. He will have 12 people who will be by his side from now on." Anne excused herself to allow the three to get used to one another. Miles was ready to leave so the Finns escorted him out to their car. Valerie asked if he needed to get anything from the group home, he told her exactly what he had with him then drove over to it. John stayed with Miles in the car while she went inside. Valerie authoritatively stated she was there for Miles' personal items and when the overseer tried to give her the runaround she let loose with her maternal fury "I'll ask you this one last time, please give me Miles Arnold's personal items. If you refuse I'll gladly file a criminal complaint citing theft of personal property then have a police officer search for and retrieve the items for me. This little attempt to steal personal items from the residents is not going unnoticed and I will be filing it with the state. Now if you would, I have his copy of the personal items that he brought in with him with me courtesy of his social worker and I expect everything to be there." Valerie waited patiently while the overseer searched high and low for the items. She noted that they were hidden, and as the only person who had access to the items was the overseer she was clearly intending to steal them. She called Anne, this was the last straw and there needed to be a criminal investigation. After a half hour of searching Valerie finally left with Miles' items. He thanked her but Valerie smiled back adding, "There is nothing to thank me for, it's part of the job of being a parent." John drove onward to the Finn home. Miles was getting anxious and it showed, this was the kind of neighborhood that he couldn't go into without getting stopped by police and these were people whom he looked up to and felt ashamed to be in the presence of. They had money, he only had the clothes on his back. John helped Miles inside and sat him down on the couch in the living room. Jaimie and Michael were out and their baby brother and sister weren't home either. He heard Valerie talking on the phone while John got his bedding sorted. He fell asleep without thinking about it, his day was overwhelming and the show of kindness from his former teacher was too much to handle. Chapter 3 Miles woke up to the feel of someone tapping his face. He looked up and Mr. Finn's son was tapping him and smiling. Miles smiled back at him and watched him crawl away laughing at the little bit of fun at Miles' expense. Miles felt a lot better after his nap but didn't feel like anything more than a guest in someone else's house. Looking at his watch it was 7 AM the next morning, Miles had slept through the night on the couch. He didn't realize just how tired he was to have slept as he had. He thought about leaving but Mrs. Finn had gone out of her way for him in getting all of his items from the group home. He thought about going home but that was taped off and likely to have an officer stationed to keep people away. He was stuck here with the Finns, he felt all alone again and even worse than he did at the group home. Valerie Finn heard Miles moving after little JD Finn had awoken him. She could see he was in distress and sat down next to him in an attempt to comfort him. He was on the verge of tears, she could see he was feeling all alone and needed some parental affection so she hugged him deeply and let him cry his eyes out. Michael and Jaimie were awake now and saw Miles and their mother in the living room. She motioned them to stay away and be quiet which they abided by without question. The two went back upstairs to their bedrooms to talk about this, their parents didn't do anything without reason and they didn't want to ask yet. Michael quickly texted Eric and George to get the real story. The group knew that Miles came from the low income housing projects and there had been something going on down there the day before. Miles showing up last night couldn't be a coincidence, it had to be connected. Jaimie didn't wait for the responses, she knew already. His father had to have been one of the ones arrested. The fact that he was wincing in pain and there were bruises on his arms and legs showed something happened after he was taken into the group home. Her parents leaving in a rush and their aunt and uncle watching them meant her parents were asked to help Miles. Him staying there had to have meant nobody wanted to house him. He was with them because they had the space and knew him well enough to earn his trust and help him. She told Michael all of this just as he received the first texts from George. They didn't hear about him being there yet so they assumed exactly what Jaimie suggested. Michael didn't know how to react, Jaimie on the other hand was sullen and almost tearful. Jaimie couldn't wait any longer and went downstairs. She hugged Miles deeply as Michael looked on. Michael was still trying to figure out what was wrong with Jaimie then saw the picture of her and her birth parents on the mantle. It had only been two years but he had already forgotten she was once a foster child and knew exactly what Miles was feeling. Miles was all alone and needed people who could understand him as she did. Michael tried to forget the past but Jaimie's horrible life in foster care was needed by them to help Miles acclimate to his situation while the family helped him move on with life. Michael slunk away in shame. Valerie quietly told him, "You know why he's here now. We are the only ones who can help him; Jaimie, your dad, me, and you can help him." Michael was unsure about what he could do. All he could offer was friendship and being there for him. He was happy to be that for him, but he didn't know what else he could do for Miles. Valerie smiled and told him softly, "That's all you have to do. He needs reassurance that he isn't an outsider anymore. Richard, Will, Eric, and George know him best but you and Scott know what he is going through. Be there for him as a brother and a friend." Michael pondered her use of the word, "Brother", his mother never misspeaks so something was brewing that she wasn't telling. He watched as Jaimie and Miles sat in silence, her hug making him look better. Miles was calmer and he was finally able to move about now despite the pain. When Miles saw him he got scared but Michael didn't react negatively, just cautiously. He didn't say anything only offered him a seat while John finished cooking. The three kids ate in silence while John and Valerie fussed over the twins. Miles ate very little but it was expected of him so only a little bit of food was given to him to eat. Michael noted his fear and tried to eat slowly so Miles didn't feel embarrassed while Jaimie ate at her usual slow pace. She did slow herself for Miles' sake but knew he wasn't eating much. Breakfast over Valerie asked Miles if he had anything remaining at his old home. Miles wasn't sure he wanted anything there but all of his mother's personal items and mementos were in his old room and he didn't want to part with any of them. They weren't worth anything but they were still his mother's special trinkets and he couldn't part with them. He gave a quiet nod which got a quiet, "I'll make a few calls and we will collect your stuff in a bit." Michael leaned in and told him softly, "Eric's and George's dads are going with you and mom, they will forced the others to let you in. They know you and mom so it'll be fast." Miles got scared again, Eric and George knew about him and soon the others would know. Jaimie tried to ease his worries adding, "Eric and George knew from the start, they always knew where you lived but didn't want to disturb you. Jenna and Courtney knew from their moms and Stacy knows from seeing you come in last night. None of the others will say or do anything to make you feel worse and if they did none of us will have anything to do with them anymore." Miles slunk back hearing that news. He hated to be talked about by anyone especially those he felt he wasn't worthy of associating with. Michael tried to reassure him but he pulled back and sat on the couch again. Jaimie had to hold Michael back, he needed time alone to think. Michael deferred to her experience and went to his room to change. He hated not being able to help Miles but it was hard to go against Jaimie's logic, she knew what she was doing and he didn't. JD crawled over to Miles and climbed into his lap. He was smiling again at getting attention from Miles. Jaimie motioned for her mother to see what he was doing, JD was fearful of strangers but for some reason Miles wasn't one of them to him. He sat with Miles and fell asleep, holding onto his arm tight as his head pressed into Miles' chest. Miles didn't know what to do, he just sat there with JD asleep while he waited for Valerie or John to remove him. He wasn't hurting Miles or anything, he just wasn't used to young kids. John watched the scene unfold and whispered something to Valerie. She smiled and nodded back. JD was calming Miles and Miles was letting him get close. JD wanted Miles there, the 1-year-old found someone he could finally manipulate without getting upset and was helping Miles without knowing it. Jaimie finally broke the silence and asked when they were going to his apartment. Valerie was waiting for a call back but added, "I'll need your cousin and Pete for a bit to carry some things. We will have to get rent a storage room for the rest." Miles heard what Valerie intended to do and asked pointedly, "Why are you doing that? None of my stuff would fill a closet let alone a storage room." Valerie smiled and shook her head. He didn't realize what was going on. "As your dad's next of kin and seeing that he is facing a long prison sentence it's now your stuff. We are going to store the items for you, you can do what you want with them but we thought it best to store them until you were able to make a decision on your own." Miles was shocked. Everything in his apartment now belongs to him, his father had flashy items yet he wore cheap clothing that barely fit him anymore. He asked about his dad's car. Valerie smiled and gave a soft, "That's yours too, and will be kept safe here until you are able to obtain your license. He didn't buy it with your money but he has you as the owner, he tried to keep the police away from it but it is now backfiring- it's your car through and through, paid up in full and insured through us now." Miles had tears in his eyes. He finally had one over on his father. He could only muster a quiet, "Thank you" after hearing all that Valerie had done for him. She shrugged it off and admitted, "I'm not the one to thank, this was Eric' and George's fathers as they were the ones who found all this out. Valerie's phone rang. She ushered Miles into the shower and handed him some clean clothes to wear. After 20 minutes they left to meet up with the troopers and her moving crew. Sergeant Mike Daniels, who is George's father, and Trooper Alex Vincent, who is Eric's father, met them at the door and escorted them inside. Both greeted Valerie with praise and let them have some time alone. The two didn't bother telling her where to stay out of nor check what she was trying to remove, they knew her well and trusted her enough to give Miles his privacy. Miles found what he needed most, his mother's jewelry box and a box filled with photos of the family in happier times. His clothes were too torn and small for him anymore; none of them would be going with them. He apologized to Valerie for wasting her time over a few items, but she refused to accept it. She looked at him in the eyes and told him, "We will get you clothes and shoes. You got what you needed more than anything and all the rest is meaningless. You need things that bring you a lot of comfort and joy and those pictures and bits of jewelry do just that." As they were getting ready to leave the troopers held them at the bedroom door. Two men claiming to be movers were trying to enter the apartment. Daniels and Vincent let them in and calmly observed as they tried to remove certain items. As they left they were handcuffed and placed under arrest. Miles recognized both of them and whispered to Valerie that they were, "Friends" of his father. They were doing his bidding and had to be trying to remove whatever drugs he had remaining, Valerie stepped out and asked that the officers place someone on the apartment and nobody be allowed to enter without her approval. She signed an affidavit stating she was acting as Miles' lawyer and as everything belonged to him nothing could be removed without her authority. She also handed the name of the movers who would be coming to remove items, any other company was not allowed and anyone removing items were to be arrested for theft. Alex and Mike were all smiles, Valerie was in mother mode and mixed with the law she was unstoppable. Outside Pete and Bryan were listening to what was going on. Pete shook his head at the sheer stupidity of some people while Bryan just smiled at seeing his aunt in action again. Bryan pulled Miles aside and asked him if the twins had caused him any problems, Miles asked why Cat didn't disturb him while JD tried to wake him and fell asleep on him. Bryan almost choked hearing about JD, Miles looked concerned but Pete quickly shot back, "He won't go near anyone who isn't family, and you got him to wake you up and sit on your lap without thinking. He must like you, he never likes anyone who hasn't been vetted by Cat first." Miles pondered what this was all about when Valerie appeared and added, "It might be because he knows you from John's classroom videos. He knows your voice and that is good enough for him. Cat doesn't like them so she crawls away or goes to sleep but he sits on John's lap as he reviews them. He recognizes you, and he likes you. Michael can't get him to sit with him for long, yet he wanted to sit with you." Miles didn't know what to make of that so he let it drop. They left with the few items Miles needed and he didn't look back at his old home. A short time later Valerie slipped out of their home and returned to Miles' old apartment for the loading of the rest of the items. Miles may not have wanted anything but she hoped he would do the right thing and donate a lot of them to people in need. He told her she could do it on his behalf, none of it meant anything to him and if it helped others then it was alright to give to them. John heard the exchange and nodded in approval, Miles may have been very spiteful towards his father but he was still the caring kid inside and wanted what was best for others. Chapter 4 Jaimie and Michael kept their distance but Jaimie forced herself to talk with Miles. She asked if he had been to a counselor yet to discuss his troubles. Miles tried to skirt the issue but Jaimie wouldn't let him, it was clear in her mind that he needed to talk with someone about his issues. She finally couldn't take it any longer and asked if he knew about her past. Miles mentioned her transition from boy to girl that she had told them in school but Jaimie asked about before that. Miles was stumped, he knew the rumors were that she was adopted but other than that her past was murky to anyone outside the Finn Family 12. Jaimie knew she had him at a loss. She told him the truth, "I used to be like you. I was in foster care before dad took me in. My parents were killed in a car crash that almost killed me too and I needed counseling to help me get over my troubles. Nobody would help me, my own doctor refused to allow me to see one. Dad saw there was a problem and forced me to get an examination and they found I had several problems. What they found out saved my life and I know he is going to do the same with you. You need to see Dr. Dane soon, mom and dad won't accept no for an answer. You need help and we are going to help you." Miles was stunned. Everyone knew about her gender problems but nobody knew about her almost dying let alone struggling after. If she was telling him that there was no way he was getting out of talking to the doctor. Miles let out a quiet, "I'll go, your parents won't let me out of going so I don't have a choice." John came into the room and announced, "His appointment is Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Dane knows that you are going to be reluctant but he has experience so we trust he will do what is best for you." Miles was relieved, he at least was seeing someone who was sympathetic towards him. Michael pulled Miles aside and told him that he had seen Dr. Dane in the past as had Scott so none of the group would dare make fun of him for seeing him. He didn't think they would care enough to not tease him, Michael shook his head in disappointment pointing out, "You have a low opinion of us, we aren't snobs who shun people because they aren't fortunate as us. Not all of us are as well off as you think we are, Jaimie and I have money but that's through dad. The others have parents who worked hard and who try to give more than they have gotten before." Miles tried to backtrack but Michael let him in on a bombshell, "Dad, Aunt Karen, and Aunt Leslie grew up poor like you and only through luck avoided being forced to live in the projects like you. They know what you have gone through better than anyone which is another reason why Mrs. Connors placed you here. Trust dad, he does actually care about you and none of us care that you were poor. Just because you have money doesn't make you a good person and just because you don't doesn't make you a bad person." Miles tried to apologize again. Michael shrugged it off adding, "You have nothing to apologize for, we came in and wooed everyone and didn't think that there might be old friends left behind. We should have seen that you were a friend but we got so caught up in our own problems we forgot about others." Jaimie heard the whole exchange and left to text the others. Miles needed reassurance from the group and with the truth out there was no longer a need to wait. Richard was the first to reply, followed by Eric and George. Jenna, Courtney, and Claire were together so all three came at the same time. Stacy, Scott, and Jessica were the only ones who didn't get texts, they didn't need to be involved with this as they didn't know Miles before Jaimie and Michael came. They already knew the situation but this involved settling a two year old issue that they weren't around for. They were waiting for the results and would be there for help anyway. Scott especially felt the need to protect Miles. The two had a lot in common that they never had a chance to talk through. The fact that both lost their mothers to cancer around the same time and both had a father in jail was another big reason to talk. Scott had found a new home in the form of his aunt and uncle but Miles had nobody close to him so he was going to have to get used to the idea of the Finns as his new family. Jenna, Claire, and Courtney were the first of the group to arrive. Eric, George, Will, and Richard were close behind. Their parents didn't say much except to not do anything to provoke Miles. Valerie and John assured them that they weren't going to do anything wrong only have a long needed talk. Jenna took her usual lead and asked the obvious, "Why did you stop being friends with us?" Miles tried not to look at Jaimie and Michael but it was obvious they were his reason. Richard asked him, "Did you think we would dump you for living in the projects?" Miles nodded, trying hard to keep his composure. Eric asked him, "Did you think we wouldn't be friends because of your dad's 'job'?" Miles again nodded, shaking a little as he did. George asked, "Did you think you weren't good enough to be our friends after Jaimie and Michael befriended us?" Miles let out a barely audible, "Yes" then started to break down. Jaimie hugged him and tried to comfort him while the others sat silent. They felt ashamed that they couldn't see the obvious, they left a friend behind while they made new ones. Miles hadn't changed, they had forgotten he existed outside of school. Michael was the first to speak. He told them that Miles needed them. They were his friends first and despite what he felt they never stopped being his friends. If they didn't want others to say things about associating with a drug dealer's son then they could go. None left, he was a friend in trouble and the group always supports their friends. Miles was a friend to them even if none of them realized that he was always their friend and they couldn't just abandon him when he needed them most. With Miles' fears settled the group got down to business. Stacy, Jessica, and Scott came over from next door to be in on the planning. The group knew he was beaten at the group home and the jerks were still at large. School was starting soon and Miles was with them for all of their classes. He was to not go anywhere without one of them with him. The 12 friends were in agreement that he have an eye kept on him at all times and if any trouble brewed they would react. Nobody messes with one of them without all of them coming together to help. Miles was one of them in full and nobody would dare to mess with Miles now. John and Valerie watched the action from the kitchen. The kids did exactly what they expected and Michael took charge as they had hoped. He was acting as a big brother to Miles despite Miles being three months older, he was maturing right in front of them and they were pleased to see it. The kids spent some more time planning before leaving for home. All vowed to keep things quiet and not disturb Miles. Scott said he'd be over soon for a private chat, Miles wasn't told why but accepted that he needed to talk with Scott just as he needed to talk with Jaimie earlier. Valerie then took Miles and Michael to the mall to go shopping. Both boys needed new clothes and Miles had nothing else to wear. Michael complained as he usually does while shopping but Miles didn't say anything. Miles just accepted whatever Valerie showed him and was grateful that she cared enough to buy him clothes. Michael was jealous of her praise of Miles, she pointed out that Miles wasn't able to have things the way Michael has always had them so he learned to appreciate what he was given. It hit Michael hard but it was an earned chastising. That little bit of humble pie hit Michael hard, he keeps forgetting that Miles didn't have a caring family and even worse had someone who only cared about himself. Miles remained silent, not wanting to cause any more trouble. Michael apologized to him but saw his complaint hit him hard. Michael was trying hard to be a good brother and friend but sometimes it just doesn't work out as planned. When they got back home Miles sat in the living room with his new clothes, unsure what to do with them. Jaimie asked that he put his clothes in his room which Miles then pointed out he didn't have one. John escorted him upstairs to what was formerly Jaimie's room, explaining that until they could expand the house Jaimie moved up to the attic office so Miles could have his own room as well as privacy and personal space. Miles was grateful for the bed and hoped he didn't cause any trouble with Jaimie. John shook his head again and explained, "We have needed an expansion for a while. The twins will eventually need separate rooms so it was going to happen anyway. You need your space and Jaimie likes the attic for some reason. I would have preferred the basement room but she prefers to be aboveground. You are part of the family now, it's your personal space and nobody else's." Miles put his clothes away and settled down for a nap. He left the door ajar which led to JD opening it and climbing into bed and falling asleep next to him. Miles didn't notice the toddler's presence and when he woke up JD was still asleep next to him. JD eventually stirred and hugged Miles who took him downstairs to the living room. John was pleased that the two were bonding. JD fights his naps but to have him climb into bed and fall asleep after seeing Miles do it means Miles is not only family but loved by JD. The more important thing is Miles calms down when JD is around him, giving JD attention and care that Michael or Jaimie don't seem to be able to give. They love their little brother but they just don't have that effect on him. Miles was different, the toddler was seeing something in Miles that he loved and felt safe and happy in his presence and wanted to be close to Miles. While they were sleeping Cat was letting it become obvious that she was jealous of how close JD and Miles were becoming. She was used to being the center of attention but to see her brother showing it to someone else and to have someone else have her parents' undivided attention caused her annoyance. She was barely 1 year old but was smart, she could see that Miles was a rival to her and needed to be taken down a peg. Cat cried loudly as she crawled past Miles' room in an attempt to awaken the two from their nap. Neither JD nor Miles woke up despite the noise. She tried crying again but got no response. Michael heard the commotion and saw her outside Miles' room and moved her downstairs quickly before JD woke up. Cat tried to fight him but John told her to stop. Her cunning plan to get back at JD was foiled by her big brother and dad. John shook his head in disappointment, normally it was JD who tried these stunts. Michael laughed it off, stating, "JD and Miles didn't move an inch, either they are deep sleepers or they are immune to her crying." John laughed loudly, Michael had a point. Jaimie heard the commotion downstairs and came up to see Cat giving her usual grouchy face and her father and brother laughing. Michael explained what happened and Jaimie burst into laughter again, adding, "Those two are meant to be siblings." Jaimie stopped laughing as soon as the words came out. She didn't mean for it to sound like she wanted Miles to be her brother but it sounded exactly that way. Michael pulled her aside to calm her down but she was still shaking at the slip-up. He casually said, "Mom said something similar about us being brothers, mom and dad might be hoping he stays with us permanently." Jaimie calmed down now. Michael assured her it was alright and he wanted Miles to stay as well even if it meant he was their older brother. John poked his head into the room and told Jaimie, "We know what you really meant and it's alright. Miles just needs time to get used to us and then we can talk about a permanent situation." The two left to go to their friends' houses. Miles brought JD down and spent time with him in the living room, Cat again tried to get Miles' attention but he was busy trying to play with JD. John watched as Miles and JD tried to build with JD's blocks, he was a natural with JD and the longer they spent together the more Miles calmed down and his anxiety about being with the Finns evaporated. Valerie came into the room and called John over. She had bad news for both him and Miles. She told John that his brother Roland was involved with the drug ring and had been picked up and would be sniffing around for help. John swore loudly. Roland was only a few days out of a yearlong stint in rehab, the first thing he does is get back with his, "Friends" and get involved in a big ring. John was angered and outraged, he stuck his neck out to help him and he got stabbed in the back again. Valerie received the expected plea for help on her phone. John loudly stated, "No more help. None. He burned his last bridge. He made his choice and must live with the consequences." Valerie was in a heated argument then hung up. She looked at John and told him, "His lawyer threatened to have me disbarred for refusing to help him. I pointed out that he violated a contract but tried to act as if it didn't pertain anymore. I told him to reread it and if he still felt like trying to go after me to force me to help Roland he could speak with the bar association as to why he is trying to extort us. He is slippery but he isn't entirely a fool. He would be a fool to try to extort us again." John let out a big sigh of relief but then asked the inevitable, "What about Miles?" Valerie called him into the kitchen, sat him down, then broke the news to him, "Your father was killed in jail this afternoon. He had a large stash of drugs hidden in your room that was finally discovered by the police after we had the apartment cleared out. That was what his so- called friends were really after and once they were arrested your dad was killed. I'm sorry son, I truly am sorry." Miles started to shake but didn't cry. He excused himself and went upstairs to his room. John followed close behind and caught Miles before he could swallow a bottle of aspirin. He held Miles close as Valerie took the bottle away. Miles couldn't hold back any longer and cried deep and hard into their arms. He was all alone now without family and friends who felt sorry for him. Chapter 5 Miles cried for several minutes. When he finally stopped said sadly, "I have nobody left. I'm all alone." John had tears in his eyes as he said, "You have us. You aren't going anywhere, we won't let anyone take you away or let anything bad to happen to you. You need us and we want you here with us." Miles tearfully asked, "Why are you still helping me? I have brought nothing but trouble to you so far." Valerie interjects with a quiet, "You haven't brought trouble. You have done wonders for JD and made Jaimie and the others see that there are other people besides their group. We told you before you are one of us and we meant it. You are part of this family now." Miles shed another tear as he heard her speak. It was painful to think that anyone cared about him but they were trying hard to help him. He liked them a lot and they had shown nothing but kindness and affection, he badly wanted family who cared about him like the Finns were. Miles let his anxieties go and agreed, he didn't want to hide anymore and he didn't want others to feel sorry for him. His dad was dead and the Finns were his new parents until they no longer wanted him. Either way he was going to start anew. John saw a change in Miles and whispered to Valerie, "He's coming around. Now might be a good time to have Scott talk with him." John called Scott Nelson and within minutes he was at their house looking for Miles. Miles knew why he was there and went to his room to talk. Scott didn't waste time and asked, "Are you well enough to go out and about?" Miles was still in pain but never let on that he hurt. Scott noticed the subtle wincing and told him bluntly, "Don't kid yourself, it hurts and you don't have to push yourself to the limit just to make it look like you are feeling stronger than you are. You are only going to hurt yourself worse." Scott then got down to business and asked if he remembered why he had come to Winnisimmet. Miles recalled some rumors but nothing concrete. Scott was pleased that the kids kept it quiet and told Miles his whole story, leaving nothing out. Scott shared his mother's death and how things changed for the worse afterwards. Miles' face grew paler as he listened to what Scott's dad had made him do to others. He felt sick to his stomach when Scott told him about what he had to do to Jaimie and what happened afterward. Scott gave him a minute to recover then told about what the other kids had done for him. He told about what John had done and how he helped change all four of their lives by bringing them all back east. Miles was silently listening, unsure what to say but understanding Scott's reasonings. Scott finally stated that he was adopted by his aunt and uncle and that was likely what was going to happen to Miles. He didn't have any reason not to believe that John and Valerie would not see to it that Miles stayed with them permanently as they were the kind of people who would not let a loved one get away. He was loved by JD, which went a long way in the kids' eyes. Miles again was silent. He contemplated what it meant to him. He knew they cared about him and they put up with his drama to help him but to actually adopt him never crossed his mind. Scott could sense that was struggling with this idea and admitted, "Jaimie and Michael told us about Mrs. Finn's little slip of the tongue as well as JD's affection. They are taking this seriously, they want to adopt you but are waiting a bit so you are more comfortable here. It won't be long until you meet the rest of their family, they are giving you space out of respect to you." Scott gave him one final piece of advice, "Stacy, Jessica, and I talked with the others after they talked with you. We all know you weren't from the greatest of places in the city but we did see you as a friend no matter what. The girls miss the old Miles, the boy who understood them and charmed them. The boys miss the Miles who was great at sports and who could crack a few of the best corny jokes that put Will to shame. They miss the old you, they may have gained a few more members of the group but nobody has changed. They miss the old you." Miles saw Scott out and sat down in the living room again to think. JD again came to him and sat on his lap, this time begging for him to read him a story. Miles obliged and had Cat trying to do the same as soon as she saw the book, happy for the entertainment even if JD initiated it. Miles got comfortable with the twins on each leg and read to them before they fell back asleep. John and Valerie took the twins to their room for their nap allowing him to stretch and eat lunch. He felt better and was happy to have helped keep the twins occupied for a bit. The rest of the weekend went quietly as the twins pestered Miles for attention. He managed to keep Cat at bay most of the time but she still frequently climbed on him, trying to get him to carry her. He was still in pain and JD learned after the first wince not to climb on Miles but Cat never got the hint and caused him to cry out in pain twice before he holed up in his room to escape her unwanted attention. The girls came by to help Miles get sorted out regarding school. He was at ease with them, often joking and causing them laugh uncontrollably. Stacy Lopez and Jessica Nelson were easy to make laugh as they hadn't been his victims before. Jenna and Courtney shared glances that Jaimie understood to be that the old Miles was starting to come back. Claire Peterson tried hard not to smile but she couldn't help it, Miles had always been able to make her smile no matter what. He was such a great person that you were always made to feel better whenever he got close to you. The boys, on the other hand, were tougher to crack. Miles talked with them at length but he was intimidated by them. He was as big and as strong as them but he had a lot of anxiety around them. Will Riley tried to make light of that only to have Scott shut him down fast. The guys were to not make any jokes about those things and not tease him until he was feeling comfortable enough with the group to joke back. Richard Samuels thought about things that had been heard about Miles before. In the past there were whispers about Miles being gay or transgender like Jaimie but none of them were true. That didn't stop Miles from hearing them and causing anxiety he was showing. While Miles went upstairs for his medication Richard laid down the story about the rumors. Scott swore out loud while Will nearly punched a wall in frustration. Miles was an easy target for the vultures in their school and now they would have a field day picking him apart. Eric and George grew red with rage, they knew about the rumors and to hear them in the flesh confirmed their worst fears. Add in that Miles was the pariah of the class now meant he was going to have a terrible year in school. Winnisimmet might be tolerant toward people with tough backgrounds, but these are still kids in young adult bodies and hassling someone because they are different is almost a sport to a few scumbags. The six agreed to keep an eye on him to ensure nobody acted on their prejudices. Even if the rumors were bogus that wouldn't stop people from getting their lumps on him just to show that they could. Miles was the kind of person who would take those lumps without question and the others weren't going to let that happen. Miles heard the pact being made and tried to believe they were doing it for show. He knew Richard wasn't one to mince words so to force the others to do something meant he was concerned. Richard was a good person but this was Miles' fight, he didn't want them involved. On Tuesday Miles and John drove to Miles' appointment with Dr. Dane. Miles kept a stoic face but was a bundle of nerves. John saw through the fa?ade and reassured him everything was alright. Dr. Dane greeted them as they entered and took Miles right away. He got right down to business and asked about Miles' life. Dr. Dane took copious notes and asked a few questions here and there but left it to Miles to tell his story. After about 15 minutes, Dr. Dane started to ask about the last week for Miles. Miles told him everything he could remember about his dad's arrest, his horrible time in the group home, his time with the Finns, his feelings about losing his dad, and what the others were trying to do for him. He vented for the first time since coming into the Finns' care, relieving a lot of pressure. Dr. Dane kept nodding and gave a smile at hearing the kids' antics. He asked if Jaimie had talked with him yet. Miles said, "She told me about her past regarding foster care up to her dad adopting her. Everything else since I already knew as she told us two years ago in school." Dr. Dane explained what he really meant, "Jaimie has the gift of listening to people and making them feel better. She wants you to talk with her but you have to come to her. She cares a lot about people and will get the best out of you. She is giving you space to accept what is happening to you but I know she is itching to sit you down and let you talk things out without fear of judgment. She is the only one among your friends who knows about being an orphan and being in foster care, the others may have had problems with parents in the past but she is the only one who has lost both and been through the horrors you have been through." Miles nodded in agreement. He had been so busy wallowing in self-pity and denying that anyone would care about him that he neglected help that was trying to reach out to him. He thanked Dr. Dane and the two ended their session. He would be back for later appointments but Dr. Dane expected he would only need a few months of treatment before he was fine enough to forgo further sessions. John watched as Miles was led out. Dr. Dane pulled him aside and quietly asked, "How long were you planning on fostering Miles? I'm concerned that him leaving might cause him irreparable harm and could even lead to something." John was caught off balance but answered honestly, "He has nobody else and the only place he could go is out in Lawrence or Brockton so unless he breaks the law or he decides he can't live with us we want him to stay with us." Dr. Dane smiled and offered a semi-serious, "I give it a few more weeks before fostering turns into fathering." John was puzzled but Dr. Dane added, "Jaimie suspects your wife might want to adopt Miles. The way he described your wife's slip-ups makes me believe she had no intention of ever letting him leave your family." John smiled and added, "She never makes mistakes. She hasn't told me yet but I suspect she has already pulled the paperwork yesterday and had her parents file it on our behalf. Do you think this is best for him?" Dr. Dan gave another smile and stated, "There is no other family in the state who could be better for him than your family. You have changed more lives in over two years than most people have changed in a lifetime and now you just started to change another. He belongs with a good family and yours is the best." Miles came back and heard the conversation. He felt some pride knowing that more people were helping him and that John was serious about him staying. He was unsure about the adoption but if it meant he could stay with the Finns he would agree to it wholeheartedly. Chapter 6 In the car driving home Miles told John the truth, "I heard what you and Dr. Dane were talking about before we left." He looked down in shame hoping John wasn't angry. John wasn't angry, only offering a quizzical, "What do you think about possible adoption? Valerie and the others are in favor but it is what you want that matters most." Miles thought for a moment then answered honestly, "I do want to be your son." John took that as a good sign and let it sink in. Miles flushed with embarrassment at his announcement but smiled at having the guts to say it. John gave it a moment then added, "We want you as one. We will see to it that it happens. Be patient and let Valerie work her magic. Her parents, my sisters, and my aunt and uncle will want to get to know you as well so expect to be the center of attention for a while." Back at home the two were greeted by JD rushing to Miles. Cat cried for attention from John who just ignored it prompting Valerie to laugh. John asked her pointedly what she had done while they were out to which she blushed and said, "Pulled out the forms you think I pulled." John shook his head in mock disappointment then added, "And he already said that was what he wants so you don't have to be sneaky anymore." Valerie looked at him oddly, but let him explain about the conversation with the doctor and Miles overhearing them talk. She realized she wasn't as sly as she thought and shuddered at her unintentional slip- ups to Michael and Jaimie. John just laughed it off adding, "You must have wanted everyone to know for his sake, it worked out for the best." John revealed to Valerie that he needed to go to the school to change Miles' records to reflect his new home. Miles would be accompanying him so he got a bit of exercise. Jaimie and Michael had practices that day at the school so they would also be there but would be going with their friends instead of their dad. Principal Jake Bollinger was proud to see the change in Miles as John had the records altered. Miles was embarrassed at this but John assured him it wasn't a big deal. Jake was sympathetic to the reasons why Miles was in John's care and approved the idea of the others keeping an eye on him; the only snag was they couldn't be with him all the time but when they were out of class they were recorded and it would be easy to pinpoint who was behind any trouble that brewed. The three went out back to watch the football and cheerleader practices and talk with the athletic director, Shawn Xavier, about the upcoming fall sports season. The so-called, "Finn Family" dominated both teams with John's niece and nephew, the Morris twins, being the captains of both teams. John tried to downplay their impact citing them as being too new to the teams but Jake pointed out that the others followed the lead of the Morris twins and they in turn supported their family so it was true in a way. The head coach of the football team joined their discussion and watched the cheerleaders with disgust. Miles quietly pointed out to John that he was looking at Jaimie with a look of anger to which John saw and made mental note of. Miles sensed trouble; John nodded in agreement but didn't say anything yet. The discussion got animated and when the girls started to cheer loudly the coach finally snapped. He made a snide remark about the school allowing the, "Tranny kid" onto the team. He then went on to say, "That freak will cause nothing but trouble for those girls and my boys will be the laughing stock of the state. Any of my boys caught around that thing are finished with the team, I won't allow them to go anywhere near that freak." Miles looked at John who was trembling with anger. Miles was about to say something but Jake cut him off with a smile and a simple, "Did you just call a student athlete a tranny, thing, and a freak, and threaten to kick off players who associated with her?" The coach was stunned but bluntly replied, "That's exactly what I said." Jake laughed hard then stated, "She is dating one of your players. She is the cousin of your captain and the brother of one of your freshmen. She is close friends and classmates with another five of your freshmen. You might as well say goodbye to half your team because a total of 15 of them are going to walk off in disgust. The rest will refuse to play for you, nobody in this city is willing to cross the Finn Family especially not when it directly involves Jaimie." As Jake was talking Miles had rushed off to the field to speak with Bryan Morris, John's nephew. Bryan relayed what the coach had said to the other players who promptly took off their shoulder pads and helmets, tossed them on the field and walked off walked off in disgust. 10 minutes later Bryan, Michael, Richard, Scott, Eric, George, Will, and Bryan's best friend Pete Orleans walked out in street clothes and confronted the coach who had a look of shock and disgust on his face. Jake nodded to the eight in approval of their actions. John asked Jake, "Should we tell him or should we let him continue to dig deeper? I don't know how much longer I can hold my tongue." Shawn Xavier cut in and added, "Did you bother to read your contract? We specifically added morals clauses to it. It was pointed out to you by Jake and I when we hired you." The coach was outraged at his contract being brought up and shouted, "What does that have to do with anything! You just saw my team walk out on me because I won't bow down to some freak who doesn't belong here! My season is ruined thanks to that piece of garbage Tranny!" Shawn shook his head in disappointment then stated, "Your contract states that you are forbidden from violating the school's conduct code. In it contains wording that bars the use of name calling on any student on the basis of race, sex, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender orientation. You violated it three times in the span of four minutes. Your contract is terminated and you are finished in this state as a coach. I'll ensure no school will hire you after what you pulled today." The coach tried to complain stating, "You can't fire me! I'll complain to the boosters and have them have you fired! I won't let you get away with this!" Both Jake and Shawn laughed, then added, "Then we will ask the booster who wrote the contract to see if he believes they will support you. I doubt you will like his answer. He's not one to let people get away with breaking their deals especially for such horrific reasons." John bluntly stated, "I wrote that language specifically to prevent incidents like this. Clearly you either didn't bother to read it or felt you could do what you want. You are history at this school and in this state. You are fired." The coach tried to complain but Jake then added, "You have no idea who this man is do you?" The coach shook his head and bluntly said, "He's one of the teachers here. What he has to do with the team I have no idea but how the hell can he have the power to have me fired is beyond me. I demand to speak with the boosters- the people who actually pay me, not your school." Shawn shook his head at the coach's blatant ignorance and admitted, "Yes he is a teacher here. He is also our largest booster and a former player. More importantly he is the uncle of your former captain and the father and surrogate uncle to seven of your former players, and most importantly the father of the young lady whom you just verbally assaulted." The color drained from the coach's face. He looked at John who now had his anger showing and just shook his head in disgust. John said a simple, "Get the hell out of here, you are done." Miles watched in awe as John held back his anger and frustration. Jaimie came over to talk with him asking what was going on only to herself start to feel sick at what happened due to her. It wasn't her fault yet she still took the news hard, causing Miles to see her in a new light. Miles turned to Jaimie and asked her, "How do you put up with this? Every day you have to hear people whispering about you and you never react. I don't think I could handle that kind of reaction for one day let alone for over two years." Jaimie was speechless. Miles was opening up to her over something that she hadn't thought about in a long time. She tried to find the right words to say to him, but was only able to get out, "It isn't easy. It never gets easier despite enduring it for so long We will talk about this later, I need to calm down Hannah before she runs over and hurts the former coach." Miles saw Hannah Morris turning red with rage. Jenna and Stacy were trying to calm her down but only Jaimie's words stopped her from running over to the three men and hurting the coach. Miles could see she was fighting hard not to lose total control but was losing her battle, she was notorious for her rage and fierce protectiveness of Jaimie so it was going to be tough to keep her from harming the coach even with Jaimie's calming influence. The coach was escorted off school grounds. John was on the phone with someone that Miles didn't know and announced to Jake, "Our replacement will be here shortly. He will have a word with the assistants before addressing the team." Miles watched in awe as a man in his late 60s walked onto the field, met John, Jake, and Shawn, then walked over to the assistant coaches. Miles asked who he was, John smiled and proudly said, "That's our neighbor Sean Beretta. He has graciously agreed to coach the football team this year as a favor to Jaimie. He is protective of her and of all of you kids. He was supposed to be your foster father but his health isn't the best so he would not be allowed to care for you. He knows all about you and we were hoping you might be able to help him as well." Miles let those words sink in. How could he help an elderly man who commanded the respect of John? He surely didn't need his help, he seemed to be the one who helps others. Sean Beretta got into an animated discussion with the coaches. He was blunt and to the point, "I am going to be clear about one thing- anyone who cracks jokes about that little girl will be tossed out on the street. She is off limits to EVERYONE. Make a crack about any kid being a sissy or fag or gay or queer and your butt is out just as fast. I don't abide by the old school intimidation and humiliation as that crap never works. Either you encourage the kids to play better or you show them how to do it right. You lead by example, that is the only way people learn. Angering and humiliating them only leads to more mistakes. They learn nothing. Do I make myself clear?" The four coaches all agreed in unison. Sean made his point clear and concise and none of them wanted to be blacklisted in their hometown. Sean then looked over the playbook and shook his head at the plays, he could see how things were going to be a disaster under the old coach. Most were overly complex and knowing the group they wouldn't work. The younger players would take a while to acclimate to the team and the older players were set in their ways so they needed something simpler to work with. The coaches listened closely and understood exactly what Sean wanted to do and surprisingly all agreed with his ideas. After a half hour the coaches walked over to where the players had assembled and announced the new head coach. Bryan Morris stepped forward and hugged Sean deeply, thanking him for stepping in for the team. He knew what he was doing when he hugged Sean, it was his way of showing to the other players that Sean was a friend and was someone to listen to immediately. Sean addressed the team directly and said, "I know the former coach said some horrid things about a beloved student, I won't abide by that. The coaches have been warned, they will follow the rules and we will adapt things to suit the team's needs not one person's wants. I am proud of all of you for standing together as one, saying you are a team is different than actually showing it and you showed you are one. Tomorrow, we will start anew and you will relearn our new plays. The old playbook is firewood now, a new one will be made that plays to your strengths and hides your weaknesses. Get some rest because it will be a long day tomorrow." Miles listened to Sean?s speech in awe. The man had a force of presence that rivaled John?s and he knew how to talk you up while still showing authority. He didn?t see why Sean would need his help, he was a force all his own. John watched as Miles stared at Sean Beretta in awe. Miles needed someone to look up to and Sean needed someone to listen to. Sean was a great person but he was too private, only opening up to a few select people of which John was one of but not any of the other neighbors. Miles might be able to get Sean to open up about himself thus relax more allowing his stress to ease up. Dr. Samuels, Sean?s confidant and their mutual friend, had wanted Sean to do that for a while but the kids and John had been too busy to do it. Miles might be his ticket to doing so, the boy had respect for the elder while Sean could get Miles to talk freely and without fear. Dr. Samuels knew Miles had a penchant for getting you to tell him things, it was his idea to have Miles come along and it was his idea to have Sean coach. John expected the first day the football and cheerleader teams practiced close by the coach would lose his wits, he had been against his hiring but was outvoted. The coach was a known bigot but as there wasn?t a stronger candidate he was hired, Sean was considered but his health was a concern and he was held off as an emergency replacement with John having him as the first contact for an interim job. Chapter 7 Shawn Xavier and John talked in private as Jake and Miles watched the team starting to put the equipment away. An errant football came towards Jake which Miles caught then punted back, accidentally kicking it 60 yards away. Miles had done this on instinct and nearly fell over doing so, Jake hadn?t had time to react so Miles had saved him from a broken nose. Sean Beretta rushed over to ask why Miles wasn?t trying to join the team but Miles didn?t have an answer. Miles had never played the game and had little interest in sports as a whole, he only imitated what he had seen on television. The fact that it went far as it did was pure luck, his reaction was purely to prevent his principal from getting hurt. Sean smiled and stated, "Son, for someone who never played before that was the best damn punt I ever saw. We need a player like you, even if you don?t play another position you bring something valuable to the team. Please consider joining, it?ll do you a lot of good to interact with the other six and Bryan." Miles decided to let John decide. John looked at Sean who had a smart grin on his face showing he had plans for Miles. John asked Miles if he would give it a shot, adding, "If you don?t like it you can walk away. Nobody will say anything against it and we will support you 100%. Sean wouldn?t mention it unless he felt it was good for you. I agree, especially with Michael and the others by your side." Miles nodded and said, "I?ll do it because you asked me to." Miles walked with Sean to the locker room and had him outfitted. Michael and the others left him alone to finish then joined him outside when he was finished. Miles didn?t say anything, Richard and the others all said, "Welcome to the team." Back at home Jaimie recounted what happened to Valerie. She left out what happened to Miles hoping to surprise her. Michael and Miles came in with John who told about Sean?s hiring and laying down the law with the team. Michael finally added, "And he convinced Miles to join the team." Valerie looked at Miles who was quiet and trying not to be the center of attention. She asked for the rest of the story to which John told with Michael adding parts about the team. John added another bit of news that made everyone shocked, "Sean wanted to bring Miles on anyway, the punt was pure luck. He needed more time around the other boys, this only gave it justification." Jaimie and Miles went to her room for their delayed talk. Jaimie came out swinging asking what he was doing playing football. Miles was almost on the verge of tears as he said, "I wanted to impress your dad." Jaimie didn?t buy it and asked again. She wouldn't let him wiggle out of answering it even if he didn't want to. Miles finally blushed and added, "I wanted to impress the girls too." Jaimie thought back to what Michael and Richard had said about the rumors regarding Miles. He had long hair, was skinny, acted feminine, and got along with the girls better than boys. All of those to ignorant people pointed to him being gay or wanting to be a girl. Impressing the girls and getting their attention might be a way of him curbing the rumors but could be dangerous for him. Her dad didn?t know about the rumors so he unintentionally helped Miles out. It still was a big issue if he felt so strongly that he needed to impress them by doing a dangerous thing like trying to become a football player just to impress them. Jaimie shook her head in disappointment then slowly stated, "I won?t tell dad or Mr. Beretta but you need to be into this fully. Not doing so will only get you hurt. If you are going to play then do it because you want to do it not because you think it?ll stop the rumors. Dad doesn?t need you to impress him, he would rather have you get good grades and be a good son than get hurt trying to play something you don?t really want to play. You have talent but you need guidance. Michael and the boys will help you but you need to be serious about it." Miles wasn?t buying it saying, "You know how the girls are. They will not give me the time or day anymore because they think I'm some feminine guy hiding my gayness. You and the others wouldn?t think twice about me if you weren?t friends with the boys. Hell, Jenna and Claire only dated me because I was 'safe' and wouldn't try anything with them." Jaimie didn?t think they were that vain but there were a few on the squad who were. He had a crush on one of them and wasn?t about to say it. There was only one girl who might be who he liked: the vain, self- centered, snobby Christina Seville. She is Bryan's girlfriend Paige?s sister and their classmate for the past two years. She was mostly ignored by their group because she wouldn?t stop talking about boys or her looks. Even Jenna and Stacy got fed up with her after just a few minutes and only endured her for Paige's sake. Miles had to have a crush on her. She needed to talk with Paige to get her to send out feelers about Miles so they could help him either get over his crush or show him that there were better girls to date out there. Jaimie hated to do that to a teammate but Miles was more important than a person she didn?t really care for. Miles could tell easily that Jaimie knew the truth. He came out with it and admitted, "Yes it?s Christina and please don?t go to Paige. It?s embarrassing and I don?t want it to reflect badly on Bryan." Jaimie was cut down before she could do anything but she wouldn?t give up. Miles needed to learn about girls even if it meant causing a little embarrassment to Bryan. Bryan and Paige would last, Christina would have to either grow up a little and learn a lesson or show her true colors and get ousted from the squad for her actions. As it was, the others barely put up with her out of respect for Paige but even she could only go so far. Saying or doing something against Miles would ensure she was booted. They were not about to let her ruin his reputation nor harm his psyche by speaking badly about him. Michael cut in and asked Miles to work with him for a bit, Michael wanted Miles to be up to speed on the sport so he wasn?t unprepared for the next day. Miles was still in pain and had trouble bending down so he was going to take it easy in practice for another two weeks, Sean had already told Michael and the others that they were to keep an eye on Miles to ensure he didn?t overdo things and hurt himself. He may have some talent but he didn?t know his limits yet and Sean won?t let him get hurt trying to do too much too soon. Richard, Scott, and Will were joining them in the workout, Miles watched as they explained exactly what they were doing and why. Miles picked up the different player stances, positions, duties, and responsibilities easily. He had trouble on the plays but as he wasn?t expected to play much it was alright for now. Scott had the most fun teaching Miles. He was still struggling with his aggression and showing Miles what to do allowed him to go overboard without hurting anyone. The others were laughing at his exaggerations but Miles learned more from Scott than the others. Scott had to admit that he was enjoying the experience and losing his own anxieties over playing. Watching the five of them from inside was Sean and John. Sean was pleased that the five were getting along well while John was grateful that Miles wasn?t trying to go overboard and hurt himself worse. The boys were natural friends and Michael was a natural brother towards Miles. The two were closer than John and Roland were, which Sean seemed surprised at. John just shook his head in shame and admitted, "These two have shame and family issues to bond them together, Roland and I only had blood. We were just oil and water, no matter how much you mix us together we would always end up going our separate ways." Sean walked outside and watched as the five stopped quickly. He didn?t say anything but it was clear that he wanted them to carry on with his blessing. The five continued what they were doing for another hour until it was time for Richard, Will, and Scott to leave. Sean assured them that they had done a good job in helping a teammate learn and hoped they would keep working hard with the others. After their friends left Sean talked with Miles and Michael. He asked Miles if he was still sure he wanted to play which Miles quickly said yes to. Michael was asked if he thought Miles was sincere and not doing it for the wrong reasons to which Michael got silent. Miles slunk inside to let Michael explain, not wanting to disappoint or anger Sean for his careless reasons. Michael told the truth. Sean shook his head in disgust. He understood why he was doing it and saw potential to be a good player but his lack of confidence needed a lot of work. Sean instructed Michael to keep working with him and get him to talk openly. He already knew Jaimie was going to work her magic on the girls but Miles needed to do his part on his own. Sean left him with sage advice, "Stand beside him when the time comes. There is no greater statement than standing your ground with family and friends especially when things are tough for them. He needs you, he won't admit it but he needs you by his side." After dinner Michael called Paige to ask that he, Jaimie, and she have a long talk about Christina. Paige was shocked that anyone would want to talk about her but didn?t press for details. She didn?t even ask if Bryan knew about this, figuring it was personal and didn?t involve him. Paige showed up an hour later and went up to Jaimie?s room. Jaimie laid out what was going on to which Paige fought back laughter. Her sister was a snob and vain, Miles could do much better in her eyes. She hated what the kids were saying about him but if he didn?t learn directly that Christina wasn?t the best girl then he might never learn. She hatched a simple plan- a double date. She asked that Bryan be brought in on the details as it involved him and he would want his future cousin to have a chance at a decent date. Bryan agreed to go along with whatever they planned, not questioning her reasons only asking that she not humiliate Miles. Christina would have to find someone fast and Miles was the only one their age that was available at the moment. The date was set for Friday night. She would tell her parents and would inform them that she had already found Christina a date. Christina would have to agree or else see her love life evaporate. Bryan would drive them all to the movies and restaurant with Miles not having to anything except watch Christina in action. The next day after practice Bryan asked Miles if he would go along with Paige and him on a double date. He claimed that unless someone went with Christina he wouldn?t be able to go out with Paige. Miles was thrilled but cautious. Bryan assured him Paige was pleased with him and no matter what anyone said she knew the truth and would not let any of her teammates talk badly about him including her sister. Miles couldn?t refuse. He liked Christina and needed to get out. Michael and Jaimie helped him get prepared including getting a decent haircut and picking out the best clothes. They let Rebecca Lopez work her magic on his hair, the 7th grader with the eye for styling had been itching to help Miles look like the heartthrob he truly was and add to her cache of debts her cousins owe her. Miles asked if she was including him in that which she proudly said, "The first time is free, it?s the 2nd time that I charge you." He had to smile at that, it was pretty funny. Miles spent two hours under Rebecca?s careful attention and came out with a stylish haircut right out of a Hollywood red carpet event. He looked amazing. If he wasn?t her future cousin she would be drooling over him. Her sister Stacy had trouble focusing on his clothes, she was in awe of his good looks. Their mother and father both laughed at their daughters? reactions, deep down they were still young ladies and their hormones were on overdrive. Jaimie had to pry Miles away from the Lopez sisters which caused Melanie and Dan Lopez to laugh out loud at their daughters' actions. Jaimie gave them dirty looks but they admitted it was because Stacy and Rebecca weren?t acting normal not because of anything Miles had done. He was too numb to the girls? reactions to notice their parents had said anything but Jaimie gave them cautionary glares to stop their laughter. At practice the next day the team gave Miles a hard time about his new haircut. Taunts of, "Hot date" and, "New boyfriend" were frequently heard. Miles started to get anxious and was ready to leave until Bryan announced loudly, "Christina is going to flip when she sees you. She?d be a fool to resist you." The glare he gave the few who were taunting Miles stopped them in their tracks. His look said it all, do it again and they would pay a price. He wasn't one for violence but he would gladly hurt a teammate to protect Miles especially as the idiots deserved it for their horrific words. The team ceased all teasing immediately. Bryan had made his point. The fact that Miles was going out with Christina was not lost on them, the older players knew she was Paige?s sister and they knew it was for her that Miles was really going on the date. The younger players knew Christina?s antics and attitude and felt sorry for Miles, if he didn?t leave her in disgust he might get told off by her in disgrace. Either way he was in for a tough night. Chapter 8 Michael and the five friends kept a close eye on Miles and had him hold off from running several times because he was in obvious pain. When one of the coaches complained Sean shut him up fast with a quick, "He?s following doctor?s orders and my orders and if I hear another complaint about him slacking you can find a new job. I won?t put my players in danger because you think they are slacking off and are trying to flex your muscles at them not showing toughness." Miles hated being excluded from activities but Sean wasn?t going to let him overdo himself in an attempt to prove himself to his teammates. He had nothing to prove, he had done so already. His teammates either accepted the coach?s orders or they could explain to him why they felt someone should hurt themselves trying to overwork for a simple practice. Bryan put at least one older player in his place over complaints and once that was seen being done nobody bothered to say anything again in public. Bryan's word was law and you didn't dare go against Bryan without seeing your school and social life destroyed. Miles was not going to be the target of his own teammates' need to show they are better than him, anyone trying to do so was going to face the consequences of their actions. At home that night Jaimie helped Miles get ready for the date. He barely said two words to her as he was in shock over going out with his crush. He let her dress him smartly but still casual and in tune with his laid back style. Jaimie tried to caution him with words of warning, "She may be your crush but she also could be a terrible person to others. We know how she is in school but outside of it she can be ignorant, vain, and offensive to others. Try not to get your hopes up, remember that you have Bryan with you in case she gets too annoying or intense for you. Mom will be waiting for your phone call in case you need a ride home." Miles heard what she said and her sincerity was obvious, she cared deeply about him and didn't want to see him hurt by Christina's actions. She didn?t want him hurt by his crush but he felt strongly about her and was barely able to listen to her. Jaimie just sighed and said, "Boys, I swear I?ll never understand you." Valerie and John watched as Jaimie talked with Miles. They were hoping for the best but weren?t too enthusiastic. Christina?s reputation preceded her and while they liked Paige they didn?t like her sister?s treatment of others. She may have been a good student in school but she had an arrogance about her that didn?t sit well with John. It took a lot to make John dislike someone, Christina had managed to do that in a short period of time. He knew that deep inside she wasn't really like that, but it was tough to see and took a lot of observation to understand the real Christina Seville buried under her facade. Bryan came by just as Jaimie finished with Miles. He took one look at him and shook his head in disbelief. She had him dressed to impress and looking sharp. He felt underdressed by comparison but it was exactly what Christina would like in a boy. The two drove off and picked up their dates. Christina was complaining loudly as they arrived making Bryan shake his head. She did not like being forced to go out with someone even if it was a favor to Paige. Miles was oblivious to her complaints, he was taken in by her beauty and the gravity of the fact that he was on a date with his crush. Both opened their doors for the ladies and climbed in, with Miles trying hard to be a gentleman for Christina. She barely took notice of him, still seething at being stuck on a date that she didn't get asked out to directly with a boy she didn't like. Christina didn?t say much until they reached the restaurant. Miles tried to help her out of the car but Christina just ignored him and promptly fell out of the car onto the curb. She complained to nobody in particular but Miles took it as a sleight towards him and was feeling terrible for what happened. Christina accepted a helping hand but wouldn?t look at Miles or thank him. That was just the start of a terrible evening. The meal was a disaster from the get-go. Christina ignored Miles and talked exclusively with Paige and Bryan. Bryan tried to steer her towards talking with Miles but she refuted all attempts by him. Paige finally gave up talking and ignored her sister?s attempts to talk to anyone but Miles creating a clear tension between the sisters. Miles hadn?t said a word all meal and was clearly unhappy with how things were going. He was blaming himself for Paige and Bryan?s horrible meal. Christina just sulked in between bites as she was in a self-induced funk. The movie proved to be boring. Paige and Bryan were close and more interested in each other while Miles never moved. He wasn?t the type of person to touch another person without their consent and especially didn?t want to put his hands in Christina?s hands. She made it clear to him that he sat with her only because of appearances and wasn't happy with having to be there let alone with him. She had shown she had no interest in him and had caused him to see that Jaimie was right about what he was doing with the team wasn't right for him. He liked her but seeing the real Christina caused him to feel that she needed a reality check on how to act towards boys and people in general. After the movie Christina was dropped off first. Paige tried to apologize for her sister?s immature behavior towards him but Miles wouldn?t hear it. Paige had tried to help him out and it wasn't her fault that Christina was still a little girl at times. Miles took in a deep breath then said, "I liked her but I see I liked the idea of her more. She needs to grow up a little but she has a lot of time to do it. You don?t have to apologize for her, you tried to do me a favor and help me and it worked somewhat. There are other girls in the school. Be there for her when she finds out the truth, she needs her big sister more than a boyfriend." Paige was too stunned by Miles? statement to say anything in reply. Bryan nodded in agreement and kissed her, whispering, "He?s been hanging around Jaimie too much" getting a chuckle from Paige. It was true, it was something Jaimie would say but it was all Miles' own rationalizing. Back at home Jaimie tried to press for details but Miles was too exhausted to say much. John and Valerie had to intervene on Miles? behalf prompting her to complain. Michael was quick to protect Miles pointing out that she was just jealous that he got to go out while she was at home without Richard. She started to blush but Michael hit on the truth. Miles didn?t say anything the next morning prompting Jaimie to force him to tell her what happened. He was on the verge of tears as he admitted, "She ignored me, she was talking about other guys as if I wasn?t there. She complained constantly about being there and she blamed me for not helping her out of the car right away after she refused my help. Paige was better to me than her sister. She tried to get Christina to talk with me but Christina wouldn't listen." Jaimie saw tears in his eyes, his first date was a disaster and the girl he had a crush on was up to her usual antics. She felt for him, he was forced into a tough situation by them and it backfired. The girls would have to have a pointed conversation with Christina about what she did to Miles, no boy should have to put up with being treated that way. Over at the Seville home Paige ripped into her sister. She had let the events of the night before sink in before having a sister to sister chat but she could hold off no longer. Paige quickly asked, "What did you think of Miles?" Christina tried to find the right words but blurted out, "He was boring." Paige shot back, "How would you know? You were too busy trying to talk with me and never said a word to him all night. He's actually a decent conversationalist yet you wouldn't talk to him." Christina then admitted, "Mom and dad said he?s not good enough for me. He?s just a poor bum from the projects. You know, the drug dealer?s son. Who would want to date me after I dated him? My life would be over in school as nobody would go near m.e" Paige was furious now. Her sister had gone for the worst possible reason. She bluntly asked, "Do you know who he is living with? I can guarantee you that you will not like it." Christina blurted out, "He?s at the group home on Middleborough Street." Paige knew she was not up to date on the gossip and rumors thanks to spending her summer with their parents instead of working the summer jobs program or enjoying time at the beach like the other girls. It was both sad and hilarious, but it showed just how isolated Christina had become as a person. Paige got close and with a quiet fury stated, "He was at the group home, but he was taken in by the Finns. That?s why Bryan asked him to go with us as your date. I can guarantee you that Jaimie already got him to tell her what happened this morning and by now the rest of the team knows what you did and I can guarantee that none of them will be pleased to hear it. He already has gone through hell with his dad being arrested and then dying, having to go to that horrid group home then get nearly beaten to death, and then finally moving in with the family everyone in this city wishes they could be part of. They won't like the news and will let you know it." Christina listened intently and was too stunned to speak. Paige was on the verge of laughter as she waited for that information to process inside Christina's head. The 14-year-old needed a reality check and she ended up getting it big time. And as if on cue Christina?s phone rang. It was Jaimie Finn and along with her were texts from the rest of the team. Christina tried to look up at her sister but she was snubbing her, saying, "You need to account for what you did to Miles and anything less than the truth will not suffice. If you lie to them you are going to find yourself all alone in school without friends or support." Christina answered Jaimie?s call. She listened as Jaimie demanded to know why she treated Miles so poorly. Christina tried to find an excuse but Jaimie demanded the truth. Christina reluctantly told her why she ignored Miles and had to endure Jaimie?s long, harsh commentary. She did the same with Jenna, Jessica, Courtney, Claire, and Stacy as they called. The six were upset at her and for the first time in a long time Christina felt bad about her acitons. The worst was a phone call from Hannah. She knew exactly what happened and demanded her excuse for her treatment. Hannah listened as Christina tried to come up with every excuse possible then replied with a blunt, "Where did you learn to think you were better than other people because your family has more money? You made a harsh decision about someone you barely know outside of class and who you knew was in a vulnerable place mentally and are only sorry that you didn?t know he was staying with the one family who could help him. Good luck trying to obtain a boyfriend after today because once the others heard how badly you acted no boy will want to go anywhere near you until you grow up." Hannah let that rightful ripping sink in. She continued on with, "You don?t treat people like that, your family might have money but it doesn?t make you a good person. Your sister knows this well, I am proud to call her my best friend and have done so since before my uncle had money. You don?t remember that but it?s true. It was only four years ago and you were still Ms. Prince's school but to you that might seem like a lifetime. Your sister has been my best friend since we were in Kindergarten and never once did it matter that mom couldn?t afford top quality clothes or a new car. Where you get the nerve to use that against Miles is beyond belief and I hope you look long and hard at yourself now because you will be alone for four years if you continue to act like you are superior to everyone else." Hannah hung up. Paige knew from the look on Christina?s face that she used the, "We used to be poor" card on her. Paige hoped Hannah wouldn?t do that because she hated remembering those times when she almost lost her friend to another city when they couldn?t afford to live in their apartment anymore. Christina settled down but wasn?t ready to accept defeat. Paige tried to give her some advice but it wasn?t coming. As much as she dreaded it, Christina needed to face the girls on her own and needed to see that she was wrong on her own. Their parents listened to the whole issue and supported Christina?s side of things. Even though Miles had done nothing to deserve Christina?s snub, to them he was wrong for Christina he was still the gutter rat who was unworthy of their princess. It didn?t matter that he had been forced into the date, Christina did nothing wrong and should snub him for being unworthy of her. They were happy with how she acts towards others. Ever since she returned from visiting her mother's dying aunt in California she had acted superior to everyone else, like they now did. With that change Paige and the family had been at odds ever since; Paige was a caring young lady who wanted to help others while Christina was only concerned with herself and unless she needed something form you she ignored your existence. Mr. and Mrs. Seville spoke with Paige about Christina. Paige explained that Christina was on a short leash with the team and should she say or do anything disparaging regarding Miles all of them would boot her off. Paige then stated, "Hannah is furious and we had to talk her back from demanding Christina quit outright. She takes Christina?s snub personally and it could get messy." The Sevilles weren?t too pleased to hear that. Paige could normally control Hannah?s rage but this time it was too personal for her. They cautioned Paige to try to get Hannah to calm down and let Jaimie handle it, she was best able to get close to Christina as she was both in her classes and Miles? new sister and could get through to her without harming her as Hannah would. Unknown to Paige they had other reasons for wanting Christina to remain on the team. If she wasn?t a cheerleader then she had nothing to hold over others, her actions would wear thin and she would have nothing. Paige was different than her sister and refused to act like her family but Christina was their princess and took after them. For her to lose that connection to her sister she would be all alone and only had them, it would be a tough time for her in that dreadful school as they saw Winnisimmet High to be. Chapter 9 Miles tried to avoid anyone at the Finn home. JD was the only one who he let get close, he couldn?t say no to JD's attention-seeking no matter how bad he felt or how much he wanted to be alone. JD forced him to go downstairs to the living room to play with him. He wouldn?t play with Cat, he only wanted Miles. Miles gave in and did what JD wanted and despite Cat trying to climb on him to get him to wince in pain he felt a lot better. The little boy had a way with Miles that somehow caused him to forget about the humiliation the night before and got him to enjoy the solitude of the Finn home while keeping JD out of his parents' hair. Miles didn?t say anything all day Sunday, continuing his self-imposed exile from anyone except JD. JD got him to play with him but Miles remained quiet throughout and only really said, "OK" when he needed JD to show him what he wanted him to do. Jaimie and Michael got the others to give him space while their parents let him have his seclusion, all knowing that it was a tense time and he needed to be alone with his thoughts, Christina?s actions took a heavy toll on him and he needed to sort it out on his own before they could approach him about it. Monday morning the three new high schoolers were quick in getting up and getting ready for the first day of the new school year. John expected them to put up more of a fight but they didn?t want his first day to be ruined by their laziness. They ate in silence as they tried to sort out how the school would react to them. Jaimie was nervous. Practically everyone in the city knew about her gender change, but this was a whole new school with new teachers and they may not take kindly to her trying to become a girl. John assured her that the school was supportive and anyone with a problem had to go to him and Jake Bollinger or else they would be out of a job quickly. Miles was nervous for another reason. He had only been with the Finns for 10 days but the news that his dad was killed in jail got around fast. The news about him being beaten up in the group home spread even faster. He feared what others would say or do to him. Despite support from the 12 plus Bryan and Hannah he knew he was in for a rough time. The kids wouldn't leave him around no matter how much support he had from the 14, they would do as they pleased just to show that they could. Michael was the only one without a worry, he was used to being overlooked in favor of Jaimie. He expected the teachers to be hard on her and not expect much from him. He was more concerned with keeping Miles safe and what he and the others had to do to ensure that. John rallied the three and drove off to the school. Outside the 13 gathered together and bid John farewell while they made small talk. Miles continuously drew odd looks form other students as they saw the group together. He was visibly anxious and needed Claire and Courtney to calm him down earning more looks and laughs from arriving students. The group walked to their first class of the day, biology. The group entered as a whole without anyone taking much notice. The school felt it necessary to keep the new freshmen together among their previous classmates ensuring the students were among people they knew and felt comfortable with instead of being among a group of strangers. In doing so this ensured that the 13 were almost always together, the only concession being that Will and Courtney chose French instead of Spanish as their language meaning they were in another class for that period. Inside they paired off into their normal couples leaving Miles alone to wait for whoever was unlucky enough to be the last one inside. Fate proved too humorous as the last one to enter was Christina, who was forced to partner with Miles for the time being. She tried to change seats but having snubbed so many classmates nobody wanted to help her out making Miles her unwilling partner. He was lucky in that Jaimie and Michael were on either side him so he had allies close by. Christina was visibly sick at the idea of having to work with Miles. He didn?t notice this, he was worried that she would say or do something that would cause trouble for him. Class began quickly and their new homeroom teacher/biology teacher took attendance and read the rules of the school. He paid close attention to the dress code as well as the morals codes. Christina started to get antsy at hearing the rules, she felt that she was being targeted. Miles on the other hand paid close attention and tried to focus on work and not on his partner. When it came time to give out emergency contact information their teacher paid close attention to Miles. Seeing the names and numbers caused him to stop and take Miles outside and demand an explanation. Miles was slow to give one, but Jake Bollinger happened to see what was going on and explained what was going on and gave the teacher a stern warning never to do that again. Miles was humiliated at being called out and had to endure whispers when he got back inside. Christina tried her best to ignore him but saw that he was upset. Miles was silent through the rest of class and fled to their next class quickly. Jaimie had to tell her, "Don?t say or do anything. We will handle him, you have done enough already." Christina was taken aback by her brusque manner. Jaimie never acts that way, whatever had happened wasn?t her fault but she was acting as if it was. The rest of the girls snubbed her as they left, they wouldn?t look at her let alone speak to her. Even Courtney snubbed her, she was always pleasant and said at least a simple, "Hello" to anyone. In their next two class Miles had the same humiliation. He was able to sit between Michael and Jaimie but had to endure the disbelief as he gave contact information. Miles was having a hard time dealing with the constant stares and whispering and started to feel the pain in his ribs. By fourth period he was emotionally exhausted and on the verge of a breakdown. Luckily they had the early lunch period so the first half of the day was soon forgotten as they ate in peace. The whispers were drowned out by the chaos of the cafeteria, Miles was able to relax for a bit and seemingly enjoy his meal. Fourth period brought them to their favorite subject, geography with Mr. Finn. The first thing he said to the class was pointed at his 13, "In here you are to address me as Mr. Finn and only Mr. Finn. I?m not dad or Uncle John to you in here. As for everyone else you remember how we worked last year and for the few newcomers it?ll be a whole new experience for you." Class went by fast and was the most fun they had all day. John had a few minutes to talk with Miles and get him to tell him what happened earlier. John was angered by the singling out of Miles and promised to have some words with the teachers. He praised Miles for holding himself together, adding, "I?m proud of you, son. You don?t deserve any of the crap you are being given. It'll pass with time, as soon as the students realize that it's not a trick or a one-time thing they will stop with the whispering and stares and move on." Miles went back inside while John made a quick phone call to Valerie and asked her to be ready for the last period. Despite the pep talk he could see Miles was on the verge of a breakdown and needed to leave early. As class wore on he could see Miles was hiding his pain making subtle winces, he needed to go home fast before he collapsed. While John was on the phone the other students tried to tease Miles. The 12 tried to kill it before John heard but it was too late. John heard what was being said and let his presence become known loud and clear with a loud, "enough!" He let his utter disappointment be known, especially of the other students he had taught before. They saw pure anger on his face, something they had never seen before. John was notorious for being calm so for him to get outraged they had to have gone overboard by a long ways. John calmed himself enough to assign homework to each of the students who had broken the school rules. He knew exactly who was at fault and who wasn?t. The only surprise among the group who weren?t teasing was Christina, she had been silent the whole class. She had ample opportunity to tease him but didn?t take it. John asked to see her after class, he needed to know why she didn't do anyhting. As the others rushed out in shame and disbelief he asked her, "Why didn?t you tease Miles? You normally would do that. You have done it too many times to count in the past two years." She looked down in shame and admitted, "I had to see him struggling to not lose himself in the other classes. I didn?t want to be the one who caused him to break. I know I am bad but I don?t want him to break down because of what I say." John let her go without saying anything. She was late for her next class and had to sit next to Miles again. She didn?t react at this but saw he was hurt badly by the last class. Miles was wincing more. Christina hadn?t noticed it until now and it explained why he was so anxious all day. She wondered how he was able to deal with such pain and emotional turmoil while remaining silent, she wouldn?t be able to last five minutes let alone six hours. By the end of class it was clear Miles couldn?t go on. Valerie met him at the door, took one look at him, and escorted him home. Jake Bollinger was with her and excused him and explained that he was not likely to be in school the next few days and if there was a problem with giving his schoolwork to Jaimie or Michael he would gladly discuss it in his office. Their teacher, Mrs. Nunez, took the notice directly and didn?t say a word otherwise. Michael and Jaimie collected the homework and gave the notice to their teachers that Miles was going to be out for the rest of the week. Their biology teacher refused to accept the note and told them bluntly that he was going to be penalized for missing classes. Jake quickly explained that he was making a huge mistake and that if he refused to assist then he would find another teacher to teach the class while he found a new job. This wasn't just any student he was going against, it was John Finn's child. He then explained how in refusing to adhere to district, state, and federal policies regarding ill and infirm students he would lose all union backing and thus risk termination which would mean he would be unable to find proper employment for at least a year. That was before Valerie got her hands on him and ripped him apart legally and ensured he paid a hefty price for violating the rights of Miles. That was enough to scare the teacher into agreeing to give the work. Before they left the teacher stated he would pay Miles back for this humiliation no matter what. Jake shot back quickly, "And you are now being given your official warning. I will inform his foster mother and a complaint will be filed with the union shortly on his behalf and with my blessing. If you think that I won?t follow through you must recall what happened last school year with Mr. Poland at the middle school, Mrs. Finn is a lot harsher than her husband especially when it comes to their kids. Miles despite being a foster child is their child now and she will fight you until your last breath and make you suffer harshly. Either lose your bias against him or find yourself a new job. You had your warning, abide by it or accept the consequences. Don?t say I didn?t warn you." Jaimie and Michael witnessed Jake?s barrage and were in stunned silence. Jake just shook his head in disbelief and proudly said, "I meant every word, your mom is the one person in this city I fear more than your dad. He and I are friends and I?ll do the same for any one of the other 1,300 students. I will gladly admit that some of you though I have more affection for, after all you are my future nephew-in-law and his sister." Michael turned beet red and was gasping for breath over Jake?s joke. Jaimie giggled at his reaction then added, "It could be worse. He could be tougher on you for dating Courtney." Jake burst into laughter adding, "That?s the father?s job, I?m an uncle- we are supposed to spoil not scare." The two had to rush to their practices while Jake watched them go. He really did care about those 13 kids and was proud that John had managed to bring together a diverse group. John met him as he walked through the cafeteria and Jake explained what happened with their biology teacher. As they were talking Valerie called John say that Dr. Samuels had asked to see Miles immediately. He didn?t like the sound of the pain and thought there might be something else that was going on. John rushed to the hospital after asking Greta Nelson to pick Jaimie and Michael up. At the hospital Miles was in more pain than he had been earlier. Dr. Samuels explained that he thought it might be problem with his spleen. Somehow it had gone unnoticed previously by the ER doctors during their treatment of his ribs. Miles? sitting upright all day must have dislodge a clot which started causing a bleed creating the immense pain he had endured. He needed emergency surgery to fix the problem or else it could cause him to have a stroke or septic shock. Miles would have to miss the next nine days of school while he recovered. He wasn?t happy to have this happen, he knew the rumor mills would be going into overdrive. Michael and Jaimie saw him in the hospital that evening and told him they would tell the truth- he had to have major surgery and could have died in school. John wasn?t happy with that last part but Valerie told him it was the truth, if he hadn?t gone home the blood clot could have killed him. Miles tried not to hear what was going on but kept apologizing to them for being a nuisance to the family. Ever since he came he has been nothing but trouble to them. John tried to assure him that wasn?t the truth but he was too into his sadness state to listen to reason. John ushered Jaimie and Michael home while Valerie stayed back awaiting the surgery and ensuring he was alright before she left for the night. Chapter 10 Miles? absence was apparent the next day. In biology the class was quiet as their teacher took attendance and noted Miles? absence with disgust adding a joke about him being too delicate to make it through school. Jaimie boldly stated, "You knew he was going to be absent the rest of the week so why are you making a show of this? For your information he nearly died yesterday. Have some respect for your students or did Mr. Bollinger?s warning yesterday not take heed." Their teacher tried to find the right words to say without getting fired. Jaimie stood her ground while Michael stated, "We have it on video, by all means please explain how you intentionally joke about an ill student missing school and whom you already knew was going to be absent. Mom, dad, and Mr. Bollinger will want to hear your explanation." Jake popped in just as Michael made his statement and told the class that it was dismissed and to go to the library. They would have a new biology teacher assigned the next day. Jake then proceeded to call the union and then the city solicitor who both agreed that it was now a pattern and thus warranted being removed from the classroom. Jake uttered one final announcement to the now-disgraced teacher, "I hope you enjoy teaching in-school suspension because you will not be teaching regular classes again. You knew what you were doing and proceed anyway, you have nobody to blame but yourself. Just be glad Mrs. Finn has agreed not to sue the school on Miles' behalf over your actions otherwise you would repay the school out of your salary for the next decade." In the library the students wanted to know what Jaimie meant by, "Almost dying." Jaimie didn?t hold back, stating, "You know he was beaten in the group home. The doctors didn?t notice a problem with his spleen when they first examined him. Until yesterday he appeared to be fine but during the day he started to have intense pain and went through class all day without complaining. If dad hadn?t had to talk with him he might not have seen he was hurting and by last period he would have died from the blood clot that was dislodged." Christina was sullen, he was in pain all day and never batted an eye and barely winced. She couldn?t endure a simple scratch but he put up with intense pain for five hours. She felt terrible for what she had done to him before, she was wallowing in self-pity for being snubbed by her classmates and he was dealing with a life threatening injury. She couldn?t understand how she could be so selfish while he could be so selfless. At cheer practice her head wasn?t in the session. Paige had to pull her aside and ask what was troubling her. Christina nearly burst into tears and fled, she didn?t want to explain in front of the others. Hannah signaled for her to go after her whiles he continued the practice. Paige cornered Christina in the locker room and demanded an explanation. Christina?s tears were flowing as she sobbed, "He is dying beside me and I just ignored him. I saw that he was hurt but I didn?t say anything to him. What kind of monster am I becoming?" Paige wasn?t sure if she should be shocked by her sister?s honesty or that she actually seemed to care about someone she felt she was better than just four days before. Paige just let her sister cry herself out then get dressed. They needed somewhere private to talk and that wasn?t in school. At the Seville house Christina told her everything. How she didn?t say anything about Miles looking hurt and she didn?t ask him if he was alright. How she snubbed him in the morning and told about his encounter with the teacher in front of everyone. How she saw he was wasn?t acting the same as the day wore on. Paige let her do all the talking, she just listened closely. This wasn?t the normal Christina, she actually seemed to care about Miles now. She sounded genuinely sorry, almost scared that she caused his troubles. Christina finally stopped sobbing. Paige asked her if she wanted to go see him. Christina nodded, asking her to go with her as she didn't want to go it alone and needed her sisterly support. Paige phoned Bryan and asked him to come too, she didn?t want to breakdown as well. An hour later they were in the hospital with Bryan going in first. He told Miles he had a visitor and ushered Christina inside. Paige held her arm as she tried not to feint at the sight. Christina nearly lost it seeing him connected to tubes and monitors. She couldn?t say anything, just sat next to him and gave him a hug. She apologized for not saying anything, hoping he would forgive her. She couldn?t hold back any longer and burst into tears. Miles couldn?t speak, he was too stunned at her being there to say anything. Christina needed to leave fast. Paige took her out and let Bryan explain what happened that day to him in private. Inside, Bryan waited before admitting this was all Christina?s doing. She wanted to see him, she was feeling terrible all day after Jaimie told them what happened. Miles remained silent, trying not to lose it at the thought that the other students knew he was hurt badly. Bryan told him what Jaimie had done for him against the teacher. Miles was on the verge of tears but Bryan quieted him down saying, "He got off lucky. Hannah and I would have hurt him if he had said that in front of us. Aunt Valerie already has seen to it that he is stuck with the worst job in the schools: teaching the in-school suspension kids. He will be looking for a new job next year if not sooner. We give it a week, he hates in-school suspension kids." Miles drifted off to sleep after hearing that. He could only take so much excitement and that was a bit too much. Christina coming was something he never expected and he was sure it was only for her own conscience that she came not for his sake. Outside the hospital as Bryan and Miles were talking, Christina regained her composure. Seeing Miles like that was more than she could take, she had never cared about him before but this was something different. Knowing that he would carry pain all day rather than show he is hurt struck her hard and she didn't know why it hurt her so much inside. She was used to people being what they aren?t but he wasn?t trying to be anything except a normal person. He was staying with the Finns but he didn?t let anyone know he was one of them. He hadn?t changed, he had a good home and parents with money but he was still the quiet boy who was scared of his own shadow. She was starting to see there was more to people than just money. She barely whispered to Paige, "Why would he endure that? He has the best foster parents and a lot of money and a good home, why would he risk dying to keep quiet?" Paige offered the only thing she could think of, "He is used to doing without and not asking anyone to help. He didn?t want to make a scene or get special treatment, he just wanted to be normal. He cares about them too much to make a fuss when he needed to say something." Christina asked the obvious about Miles, "If he has all that money, why did he hesitate to let anyone know he was staying with them?" Paige shook her head again, saying, "He doesn?t see himself as a Finn, only as their foster child. He didn?t want to accept any gifts or purchases on his behalf. Heck, he refused new clothes and spends his time alone. He is having trouble accepting that someone cares about him let alone someone he highly respects. The money you think he has is all Mr. Finn?s, Miles refuses to accept any of it without working for it." Paige turned things around on Christina. She asked her bluntly, "Do you like him?" Christina tried to avoid her glare but failed. She was trying to fight back her feelings but it was obvious she did like him. She muttered a quiet, "Since 6th grade" among her now falling tears. Paige shook her head and admitted, "He likes you too. We thought you might make a good couple but you made a bad impression on Miles. He doesn?t blame you, but maybe now you will try to change for the better." Christina was silent the whole trip back home. Her parents were aware of where they were and left her alone to her thoughts. They didn?t like her with Miles but they weren?t cruel enough to say something about her visiting a boy who nearly died. Paige was talking with Hannah and told her what happened. Neither sister brought up the subject again, letting it settle for a while. Chapter 11 Miles was discharged Wednesday evening with strict orders to stay in bed for another four days. He was ordered to take it easy afterward and was limited to what he could do physically for the next month. Valerie arranged for someone to keep an eye on Miles during the day so she could do her normal daily routine. Miles wasn?t happy to need someone to look after him but wasn?t in a position to argue. John gave Miles a new laptop and iPad to do his schoolwork and keep him occupied in bed. Miles refused to accept them stating, "I don?t need them" but in reality he was ashamed to be given such expensive gifts. Jaimie and Michael were quick to point out that they were non- negotiable and part of being part of the family. Valerie had to call them off and explain to Miles again that he wasn?t just a foster kid, but rather he was part of their family and he needed to see it that way, Miles reluctantly took both but tearfully made his point known that he didn?t like accepting things from anybody. It was a bit too much in his eyes, he didn't do anything to deserve them and only accepted because he had to. Thursday morning Miles met his babysitter and wasn?t very happy. Sean Beretta came inside and right off the bat had him working on his schoolwork. Miles complied with his instructions without a fight or complaint, he did not want to disappoint his coach or foster parents. Sean, in return, kept close watch on Miles to ensure he didn?t try to move about too much. He felt for the boy, he has had no luck the past three weeks and despite all efforts nobody could break through his hardened exterior. Miles was eager to please but wouldn?t let anyone help him even when he needed it most. Valerie inquired about Miles after lunch. Sean was honest and told how stubborn he was and how much he wanted to please them even if he couldn't vocalize it. He told her that he suspected that he only knew pain and suffering and was starved for attention but tried to hide his feelings for fear of what John and her might do. Valerie was silent as Sean?s words sunk in. Miles just couldn?t accept them as his parents despite knowing they wanted him to stay. She had an idea, Sean would get him to come around just by talking with him. Sean was great with the kids and Miles needed to interact with someone who he didn?t fear would send him away if he said or did the wrong thing. She immediately told Sean, "I think you should talk with him. You are the only person he respects but doesn?t fear. He doesn?t feel the need to please you the way he does us, you might be able to get him to open up more than Dr. Dane or John or I could." Sean accepted her proposal but wasn?t sure it would work. On Friday when Miles finished his classwork Sean asked him about his past. Miles tried to hold off answering but Sean insisted on an answer. Miles reluctantly told him about his past teachers and the schools then told him about his mother. Miles stopped at that point. He didn?t think when he mentioned her. Sean saw he hit a nerve but it was something to work on for Monday. Miles went silent for a bit but asked Sean the same question which caught Sean off guard. Sean was reluctant to talk but Miles insisted that he tell him as he had done so for Sean. Sean reluctantly agreed, it was the only way he could get Miles to talk and it was only fair to him to hear the same. It was hard to talk about his past, but Sean would do it for Miles' sake. Sean told him about being born out in California to farmers. Their family was dirt poor and needed everyone to work hard to keep the family fed. Sean was the youngest son of four and worked hard day in and day out until he got tired of working. He felt horrible memories returning as he mentioned how his dad would often beat them to get them to work harder and target Sean as a way to get the older ones to work harder still. He fled to San Diego and worked on his GED while employed as a chef in a diner. He managed to go into the army when he was 18 and while in there he earned his college degree, eventually becoming an army doctor. Miles was enthralled at hearing his story. Sean surprisingly understood about having nothing and working hard to get over his troubled past. He could see why Sean was quiet about his past, it wasn?t something he wanted to look back on. Sean noticed the change in Miles and told him, "We will talk more on Monday. Your mom should be here soon so why don?t you rest. You did a lot today and have earned your rest." Sean gave Valerie the update. She nodded in agreement about the back and forth stories. She wasn?t surprised that Miles took an interest in his life, and added, "expect him to listen closely for the next part." Sean cringed at the memories but it was for Miles? sake so he had to face up to them on his behalf. At practice Sean was noticeably calmer towards the players. They responded by working harder suspecting that it was a trick to get them to make mistakes. Michael and Bryan knew the truth but kept it from the others. What they didn?t know won?t hurt them, they needed to work harder especially at something of their own doing. The two did ask Sean in private if he had talked with Miles earlier, Sean?s nod confirmed their suspicions to which both stated, "Keep it up." He took it to be a good sign and let it go, not wanting them to pry further into Miles' personal life nor his own. At home Jaimie and Miles talked. She asked if Christina could visit, saying that Paige said that she was concerned about him. Miles shrugged at the idea. It didn?t matter to him if she came or not her opinion of him was already made clear. Jaimie shook her head at his brush off then quietly told him about her change since seeing him in the hospital. What Paige had told her and Hannah surprised the two of them, the vain brat had actually cared about him and at practice she quietly asked for news about him. Miles tried to brush this off as being more of her antics and she didn't really care about him but he felt bad again, he had caused her to act that way and didn?t want to see her in pain. Jaimie called Paige to tell her to bring Christina by the next day. They needed to meet face to face and talk. They had feelings for one another, it was obvious that Christina needed to see him again and he needed to see that she had changed. He felt for her still, despite acting otherwise it was clear that he still cared for her. Jaimie tried to probe Miles for information about what he did during the day. Miles refused to talk, even going so far as to ask her to leave him alone. Valerie had to step in and tell Jaimie off, saying, "He did his schoolwork and talked with Mr. Beretta, what they talked about is none of your business and if you insist on asking you will anger me, your dad, and Mr. Beretta. You don?t have to know everything that goes on around here, some things are private matters that don?t concern you." Miles had never heard Jaimie talked to that way before. Jaimie was angered but held her tongue. Valerie sent her off and before he could even say the worlds Valerie stated, "Don?t apologize, she needs to learn that she doesn?t have to know everything about everybody. What you two talked about is between you two, if he wanted to tell Jaimie he would have done so earlier." Miles understood but still felt bad. At dinner that night Jaimie was still grumpy about being shut out. Michael refused to talk with Miles on her behalf saying the same thing their mother said. John sent her to her room once she started to complain to him, he was well aware of what Sean was talking about and didn?t want Jaimie to become involved. Jaimie took all night to calm down before she apologized to Miles for being intrusive. Miles only told her a little of what they talked about, "He asked about the past, I asked about his past. That?s it. What the substance of it was you have to ask him yourself." Jaimie wasn?t happy with the little information she was given and determined to dig deeper but John again stopped her by telling her in no uncertain terms, "You can ask him yourself but I doubt you will get an answer. People choose who they open up to, he cares for you but some people just have a hard time opening up to the ones they care about. He told Miles because Miles needed to hear his story. If he didn?t tell Miles Miles wouldn?t trust him and wouldn?t talk with him any further. Do you understand now?" Jaimie nodded but wasn?t happy. Valerie and John had a quiet talk about Miles out of earshot of Michael and Jaimie. Michael kept the twins at bay and kept Jaimie distracted. John was in full agreement that Sean was getting a lot of help from Miles without realizing it. Miles, in return, was getting a lot of help from Sean to the point that he was almost ready to accept them as parents. He didn?t question the phrase, "Mom" when Sean mentioned it and used the iPad and laptop without being forced. It was a small start, but it was a big step forward. Saturday morning Christina came over to see Miles. Jaimie and Michael were told to go out and visit friends, they weren?t needed and their presence would only make the two anxious. Jaimie tried to argue against it but Stacy dragged her off to Courtney?s house on the other side of the city. Michael didn?t argue and walked over to Richard?s house without saying a word. Christina listened to the exchange and cringed at hearing Jaimie?s pleading. Valerie took it to mean Jaimie wasn?t justified in wanting to stay, whatever she feared wasn?t happening. She escorted Christina to Miles? room with strict instructions to keep the door open. John nearly fell out of his chair at the realization, she never told Michael that. Valerie quickly pointed out that Courtney was never upstairs in his bedroom so the warning never came up. She cut him off further by adding that Richard was never alone with Jaimie either making his next claims moot and almost laughable as he tried to justify refusing to leave them alone. Christina looked Miles over and was relieved. He looked a lot better than the frail boy with tubes and monitors in him that she had seen on Tuesday afternoon. Miles watched as Christina did her visual inspection hoping she wouldn?t say anything about how he looked. Christina wasted no time and asked how he was feeling. Miles tried to act as if he was fine but he was still visibly wincing when he moved. She shook her head and asked again how he was feeling, this time saying, "The truth this time please, not what you think I want to hear. I can see right through you so please just tell me the truth. I'd rather take bad news about how you are doing than get a lie meant to make me feel better." Miles sighed deeply then explained, "It hurts. It?s a dull throb but when I move too quickly it shoots and hurts a lot. Mrs. Finn won?t let me get up unless I have to go to the bathroom. I haven?t been downstairs in days. Mr. Beretta has been making me do all my schoolwork while Mr. Finn has made me watch our class online." Christina listened closely. Miles had said more to her in two minutes than he had said to her in the past two years. She didn?t see the poor boy she used to know, she saw the tired teenager who was on the edge of boredom. She had a bit of inspiration, feeling guilty for how she acted in school. She offered to work with him on their biology work so he didn?t get too far behind on it. The other classes were easy to make up but biology needed two people to do everything. Miles reluctantly agreed. She would meet with him after school here and bring everything they would need short of the equipment. What he couldn?t do in class would be offset by reviewing with her. Their teacher might not be happy with the arrangement but it was better than having him come back without a clue. She sat with Miles for another hour. She told him about the classes and what Jaimie and Michael wasn?t telling him. He listened and was relieved that the students moved on to other sources of gossip allowing him to fade into memory. JD managed to crawl into the room as they were talking. He climbed into bed with Miles and promptly fell asleep. Christina was surprised that Miles didn?t react, Miles told her, "He does this all the time. He likes to be around me more than Jaimie and Michael. He knows not to climb on my chest and only comes in here to have a nap and get away from his sister knowing she will get him into trouble. As if on cue Cat crawled into the room and looked for JD. She saw Christina and tried to get her to lift her up so she could climb on Miles. Christina tried to ignore her which got Cat to start crying. Miles told her, "Stop crying, go see mom and dad. JD is sleeping." Cat quickly stopped crying and crawled off. She ignored Christina who sat in stunned silence. JD didn?t move, Miles acted as if nothing happened. Christina finally asked, "Does she always act that way?" Miles laughed, replying, "Only towards new people. She won?t try that again on you, she knows you won?t give in to her fake cry. She does it to Mr. Finn all the time, but Hannah says he is a softy for his three girls." Christina laughed at that, asking, "Three girls? He only has two daughters." Miles laughed back adding, "You forget that Hannah is his niece. Jaimie said he treats her like his daughter despite only being her uncle. They can manipulate him but Michael, Bryan, and JD can?t." John popped his head in trying to say it wasn?t true as he picked up JD from the bed to place into his crib. Valerie could be heard laughing at him which got Christina going. Miles just shook his head, it was just another day in the household and for the first time he felt like he was seeing it as an insider instead of a guest. Chapter 12 Christina enjoyed spending the time with Miles, he was nothing like she had expected. She felt better about going and asked if he would like her to come by tomorrow. Miles agreed, he too liked having her there. He asked her to ask John and Valerie first in case they had a problem with it. Both were fine with her coming, but they couldn?t guarantee Jaimie and Michael would be out of the house. It was all but assured that Jaimie would stay home just to ensure that Christina didn't get out of line again. Back at the Seville house, Christina told Paige about the visit. Paige listened intently without a reaction one way or another. After Christina stopped talking she smiled and said, "You really do like him. You technically just had a date with him and are going on another one tomorrow." Christina tried to deny it, she enjoyed her time with Miles but to her it didn?t feel like a date. To her it was being a friend to him and talking about something important. To her a date was going out somewhere different. Paige pointed out that not all dates are outside, sometimes it?s just spending time together and doing something simple as homework. Paige was intrigued when she heard about the twins. The way she described Miles and JD it was definitely like big brother/little brother actions. Christina could barely contain herself telling her about Cat and John?s reaction. Paige nodded her head and told her, "Oh it?s true, I?ve seen it so many times before I lost count". Christina was stunned. She thought it was a joke but Paige was laughing at her reaction. She called Hannah and Bryan about Christina?s reaction and they too started to laugh. Bryan explained exactly what Miles had said being true, and in fact she and Paige had done the same thing to their dad until he learned to fight back. John apparently hadn?t developed that defense. Christina told her parents that she was going by there again the next day. They were pleased that she was doing the right thing for her benefit but cautioned her to not get too close to, "That poor boy". She asked what they meant, only getting no response from them. She took it to mean he was still in pain from his surgery not that he was still that kid from the projects. Paige told her what they really meant when they were out of earshot, Christina nodded in silence, her parents didn?t see the new Miles only the boy they saw in middle school. She really did start to feel for him, something that her sister was noticing from her reaction more and more. Her sister was finally maturing, it only took something bad happening to someone she was forced to get close to. Miles told Jaimie and Michael about Christina?s visit. Jaimie wanted every detail right down to what she was doing with her hands. Michael told her to stop and explained to her, "If you actually listened she just sat and talked with him. She didn?t say or do anything that he didn?t like, and the only one who didn?t like her coming by was our little sister." Jaimie huffed and left the room. Miles just shook his head and asked Michael, "Is she ever going to forgive Christina?" Michael shook his head saying, "She can forgive, but she won?t forget. She won?t go anywhere tomorrow so you will have to put up with her interruptions while Christina is here." Miles rolled his eyes. Michael just smiled and said, "At least you know she likes you now. She wouldn?t have come back tomorrow if she didn?t. Do you still like her?" Miles blushed and admitted, "I never stopped liking her. She is a good person, she just needed a reality check and I guess I gave it to her the hard way. She does care, whatever happened to change her out west must have broken down on Tuesday." Jaimie was listening and texted Hannah about the day. Hannah told her what Paige had said then added her own opinion. Jaimie was the only one who seemed to think Christina wasn?t entirely changed. Michael could see her texting away and bluntly said, "See it for yourself. If you still can?t see she might be different after tomorrow then maybe you need to ask Dr. Eliza about it because either way you will have to support Miles." Sunday morning Miles was up and about finally. He was ordered to take it easy, which John and Valerie translated as, "No long walks or roughhousing". Miles had no intention of doing either, he just eagerly awaited Christina?s visit. Jaimie was grumpy all morning. Michael told her to be careful with Christina and Miles. Jaimie grunted and ignored his warning. John and Valerie sensed trouble and texted Hannah to be ready in case Jaimie did something. Either she would have to settle a dispute with Jaimie and Christina or with Paige and Jaimie. Either way it wasn?t going to be an easy day for them. Christina showed up around 11 AM and spent the next three hours with Miles. They talked about school and about their homework. Miles was actually helping Christina in biology and geography, the latter of which John had to be held back by Valerie to keep from interfering. She explained, "You are a parent in this house not a teacher, let the kids help each other and if she is still struggling then you can help." By the third hour the twins came into the living room looking for Miles. JD climbed into his lap and fell asleep while Cat tried to do the same. Christina was able to grab her before she climbed on Miles earning her a cold stare from Cat but a smile from Miles. They carried on like nothing happened which made Cat angrier to the point of throwing her toys at them. Jaimie got hit by one of her larger toys and proceeded to blame Christina for it. Miles tried to defend Christina but Jaimie shot back with a quick, "can?t you see she?s just using you? You help her with her work, yet you don?t get anything back. She hasn?t changed a bit, she?s the same girl who uses people to get what she wants!" Christina grabbed her jacket and left. Miles could see she had tears in her eyes but was holding back crying in front of Jaimie. JD was awoken by Christina?s sudden movement and Jaimie?s shouting. He proceeded to start crying. Michael came into the room to see what was going on only to see Christina rush out the front door. John and Valerie wasted no time and shouted mutual, "Go to your room Jaimie!" Miles was devastated. He was enjoying his time with Christina only to see Jaimie ruin it. Michael sat down next to him and asked him quietly, "What happened?" Miles mumbled, "Cat threw a toy that hit Jaimie because Christina wouldn?t let her climb on me. We only talked and worked on schoolwork. I don?t know what she did wrong but she didn?t deserve that." Miles couldn?t hold back any longer. Michael reluctantly gave him a hug while he cried himself out. He felt weird letting him do it but he felt he had to do it as his brother needed one. Over in the Seville house Christina, burst into the house in tears. She ran up to her room and within seconds Paige was asking what Jaimie said. Christina could only mumble, "She said I was just using him, that I hadn?t changed." Paige waited for her to calm down. Christina took several minutes but the tears stopped and Paige was able to ask what actually happened. Christina explained what they did and what caused Jaimie to go off. Paige expected the worst from Jaimie, but she didn?t expect her to act that way with little provocation. Paige comforted her sister, telling her she would sort things out. Paige called Hannah and filled her in on what happened. Hannah called Michael and had him tell his parents she was coming by to drag Jaimie off. A half hour later Hannah had Jaimie by her arm and was ringing the Seville doorbell. Paige answered and ushered the two inside to Christina?s room where she was still crying. Hannah gave Jaimie an ultimatum: apologize or else. Jaimie tried to plead but Hannah refused to budge. Jaimie looked into Hannah?s eyes and was scared, for the first time she felt like Hannah would hurt her. She would have, if she had tried to get away from her reckoning with someone she had wronged so severely as Christina. Jaimie tried to apologize halfheartedly but Hannah refused to accept that. She then apologized sincerely to which Hannah stated the two would not leave the room until they reached an agreement. Both Hannah and Paige went downstairs and awaited the agreement, allowing the two to work out their problems on their own. Christina asked simply, "Why do you hate me?" Jaimie shot back, "I don?t hate you, I hate what you do to people." Christina understood why she didn?t believe her. Christina gave a quiet, "ever since I saw him in the hospital I haven?t felt the same. He was in severe pain and all I could think about was finding someone else to sit next to me. He could have died and I didn?t ask why he was wincing and looked to be in pain. I don?t want to see him hurt, I hate not seeing him in class." Jaimie stared at her. She was on the verge of tears again. She could only must, "Why? Why do you feel that way? You never cared about anyone else other than yourself, why now do you suddenly care about him? You ignored him before, you joked about him being poor before, but now you are acting like you care." Christina was crying again and could only utter, "I don?t know." Paige and Hannah were at the door and Paige bluntly said, "She actually likes him. She broke down after seeing him in the hospital and the only time she hasn?t been sad or mopey was when she saw him yesterday. You might not believe her but she actually does care about him." Jaimie looked at Christina who was trying hard not to look at Jaimie. She started to finally see what was happening, Christina had changed. All it took was seeing the boy who she mistreated almost losing his life to spark the change in her. Jaimie sat down on the bed and said, "I?m sorry. I wanted to believe the worst in you. I don?t want Miles hurt again after you hurt him last time." She turned to Hannah and asked if she could go. Hannah drove her home and watched Jaimie beg for forgiveness from Miles. Miles didn?t reply, just walked up to his room. Hannah explained what happened to John and Valerie. She asked that Jaimie not be punished to which they agreed. Miles waited for Hannah to leave before texting Christina. She asked how he was feeling and he asked how she was feeling. The two texted back and forth for hours before John called Miles down for dinner. Jaimie ate in silence and tried to avoid looking at Miles. Michael kept out of the whole situation, only asking if Miles was going to be able to go to the game on Friday. Miles wasn?t sure, John said he would be healthy enough to watch but would need another couple of weeks before he could take the field. Michael told him that the team was going to wear their jerseys on that Friday and he had to wear one as well even if he wasn?t going to play or be on the sidelines. He added, "You are considered to be part of the team even if unable to play. Coach already said you were one of us. Pete just isn?t as good as you, he doesn?t want the job and says it?s yours to have." Jaimie excused herself from the table. She hugged Miles before she went to her room. The message was clear, she was sorry but couldn?t say it herself. Miles hugged her back showing he accepted her apology so the issue was done. Michael just rolled his eyes and asked if Cat was going to learn she can?t control everyone which got Valerie laughing. Chapter 13 Monday morning Jaimie was quiet again. Miles was no better. Michael shook his head at the sight but didn?t say anything. As they were returning to their rooms to change Jaimie slipped into Miles? room and asked him, "Do you want me to ask her to come over?" Miles perked up immediately but tried to play it off as no big deal. Jaimie didn?t buy it. She was in no mood to put up with his fears so just said, "I?ll bring her by, I know you want to see her and she wants to see you." Miles uttered a quick, "Thank you" then closed the door so he could get dressed. John overheard what they were saying adding, "I?ll drive her back, just don?t go overboard waiting for her. Sean will be here shortly to keep an eye on you." At school Jaimie pulled Christina aside and asked her if she wanted to come by and see Miles. She immediately said yes prompting the other girls to question why she was coming by. Jaimie tried to make up any excuse she could find that wouldn?t betray Christina and Miles but failed to find one. Stacy jumped in with a plausible, "They are helping each other with schoolwork, he?s been helping her with biology and geography and she is helping him with math." Jaimie mouthed a silent, "Thank you" to which Stacy winked. Michael had told her what happened after seeing Christina flee in tears and Hannah drag Jaimie off and thought Jaimie might need help. Jenna and Claire were very reluctant to trust Christina and anything other than appearing to be school related would cause trouble. Stacy did ask Jaimie about the fight. Jaimie held her head in shame and admitted, "I was wrong. They like each other and everyone but me saw it." Jaimie questioned how she knew about everything. Stacy smiled and pointed out the fact that they lived next to each other and could see Christina crying as she left. Then she added, "Hannah dragging you out could only mean that you had screwed up badly. Mom and dad had to take away Rebecca and my phones to keep us from interfering, they said that they didn?t want Hannah angry at us or them." Richard piped in that Jenna was snooping regarding Christina. Will was trying his hardest to deflect Claire?s attention from her but eventually they would have to find out. If she was serious about liking Miles and being different now she needed to show it. Friday night was the best chance she had. Sean arrived shortly after the Finns left and immediately put Miles to work on his schoolwork. After that was finished he allowed him to do some light stretching before taking him outside for a walk. It would be the first time Miles had been out in almost a week and even walking a short distance he felt much better. At the end of the block they met up with Chief Willie Pena, the city?s police chief and one of the family?s friends. Willie didn?t bat an eye at seeing Miles out of school and talked with Sean for several minutes. Miles kept fidgeting but wasn?t in any clear pain. Willie gave Sean a knowing glance, guessing why they were staying put instead of leaving at the first sign of discomfort. Miles eventually asked to go back home, to which Sean broke off the conversation. Willie gave him a nod and said he?d see him tomorrow. Miles still didn?t realize it was a setup but by that time he was feeling the discomfort more. Back inside Sean explained what was really going on, "You are so focused on being polite and not interfering that you put others ahead of your own health. Chief Pena is well aware of your injuries and was happy to take a few minutes to test your health and you failed again." Miles apologized. Sean held his hand up to indicate to him to stop and asked him bluntly, "Why do you always apologize when you have done nothing wrong?" Miles had tears in his eyes and confessed, "My dad. He always hit me when I didn?t do exactly what he asked then hit me when I did it right. If I didn?t apologize he hit me harder. I am so used to apologizing, I keep expecting someone to hit me at some point." Sean was stunned. The truth was worse than he thought. He expected it to be because he was told to apologize but this was physical torture. Sean hugged Miles deeply. He continued to cry for several minutes before stopping and trying to apologize. Sean stopped him again and told him bluntly, "You do not have to ever apologize unless you actually have done something wrong. You only answered my question and had a proper emotional response to revealing something painful. You have nothing to apologize for, never apologize for telling the truth when asked." Valerie came home and overheard Miles? confession. She backed out and went over to Anne Connors? office to have a talk with her about Miles. Anne wasn?t surprised, explaining to Valerie the long rap sheet that Miles? father had, he was violent and had been convicted several times of assault. Anne still took the news hard. Miles would never have been allowed to stay with him had she known about his dad. Unfortunately Miles grew apart from the kids so she never had the chance to talk with him. Valerie told her that Sean had to work hard to get that out of him and he wouldn?t have admitted it unless he was forced to. Sean was working hard to get more out of him but needed a while to do so. Anne suggested that she set up a way for Miles to earn some money from Sean. Valerie got the gist of it, Miles would do some housework, gardening, and general assistance and Sean would talk with him. Miles wouldn?t suspect the truth and Sean wouldn?t need to do much except probe Miles with questions. Miles calmed down again and asked Sean about his time in the army. Sean saw the look in his eyes, it was genuine interest. Sean asked him quizzically, "Do you really want to know or are you being polite again?" Miles looked down in shame and admitted, "I want to know. You were telling me about your life and stopped at that point. You should be able to finish what you started, it wouldn?t be right to have you start and not hear you out." Sean saw the opening they were looking for and started talking. He told him about going for the Green Berets and earning a spot with the group. He described the months of physical and mental exhaustion they underwent to get the right to wear the special hat. Miles inquired about what he did with them. Sean grew sullen and mumbled, "We did a lot of things I am ashamed of but it was part of the job. There are things I can?t tell you but it was a job and showed me sides of the world that go unreported and unseen by the masses." Miles understood what he was really saying. Some things were too painful to talk about outside of their group. Miles changed the subject and asked about college. Sean smiled and admitted, "I learned in the army, whenever we weren?t overseas I was buried in a book or training. I got my degree and saved up enough money to go to medical school. After medical school and earning a decent residency I returned to the army and helped people instead of harming. I stayed with them until I retired." Sean left the discussion at that. He shared a lot with him and he didn?t want to go overboard with his questions. Sean saw the interest in Miles and would have talked with him for hours if he wanted but he knew his mother would be returning soon after her discreet withdrawal earlier that Miles hadn?t seen. Miles went back up to his room after a late lunch and awaited Jaimie and Michael?s return. Valerie was the first back and talked with Sean about Anne?s proposal. Sean was open to it, explaining what Miles had done earlier. Valerie was pleased that he was getting him to take an interest and secretly happy that Sean was a little more upbeat after the mutual therapy session. Just before dinner Michael returned followed by Jaimie and Christina. Miles? face dropped at seeing her, she rushed to him and gave him a deep hug. Jaimie and Michael left the two alone and got changed. Christina broke the hug and sat him down to do their homework. He didn?t question why she had come, just happy that she had. John entered after they sat down and didn?t bat an eye. He asked Christina if she was still having trouble with geography to which she proudly said, "No, Miles is helping me. I?ll have it sorted out soon." John nodded and left them to do their work. Miles looked in disbelief, Christina whispered, "He trusts us. Most dads wouldn?t but he trusts you enough to let your girlfriend be alone with you." The words were out before she even realized what she had just said. Miles dropped his pencil and looked at her in disbelief. Jaimie walked past and said jokingly, "Slip of the tongue but not of the heart." Christina was beet red in embarrassment. Miles just continued on but had a slight smile on his face. After an hour Christina had to leave for dinner but before she left she kissed Miles on the cheek and promised to be back the next day. Miles closed the door and had a big grin on his face, holding his cheek where she kissed it. Jaimie had to escort him back to his room before he tripped over the furniture or stumbled on the stairs. Michael tried to play it as if it was nothing but once Jaimie was out of the room he entered and admitted, "That girl likes you a lot. The other girls aren?t sure she is sincere or that she has changed but that slip of her tongue wasn?t a manipulation- she really does like you. Don?t go overboard, take things slow." Miles barely heard him. He knew the girls would be reluctant to accept her changes but if they didn?t that was their problem not his or Christina?s. Jaimie seems to have accepted it and Michael was supporting him so it doesn?t matter what people who barely knew him felt. He liked her and he wanted her to be his girlfriend. The next day in school, Christina was more upbeat and happy. Jaimie and her talked before the others arrived, the first time they talked openly without it being class related. Claire and Jenna questioned her as to why she was talking with Christina, Jaimie got frustrated and told them bluntly, "She is going out with Miles and whether you accept it or not she has changed since the first day of school. If you don?t believe me ask her yourself. He is happy with her and I won?t let my friends come between my brother and happiness." Jenna was stunned into silence while Claire asked the obvious, "Brother? When did this happen?" Jaimie clammed up and muttered, "It?s in the works, I can?t say more yet." Jessica was the only one who didn?t get involved with the Jaimie/Jenna/Claire situation and actually asked Christina what was going on. Christina admitted to her that the two talked a lot over the weekend and the day before and she accidentally called him her boyfriend. Jessica didn?t react, only nodded and added, "That explains why Scott wouldn?t let me go over to see Jaimie. Just be careful with him, he?s got a lot more going on that he has admitted. We don?t know what his dad did to him but Scott believes his father was as bad as Scott?s birth dad if not worse. It'll take a long time to get over what happened to him." Christina stopped short and asked her with a pained look, "Did Scott get over the abuse?" Jessica smiled and proudly said, "He did, it just took a girl who needed a new start." Both looked at Stacy who was blushing but didn?t say anything. Christina got the meaning loud and clear, she would do what she had to for Miles even if Claire and Jenna didn?t like it. Chapter 14 The week flew by fast. Dr. Dane and Miles talked about his trust issues and what his father had done to him. Miles openly admitted he hated being forced to be polite all the time and was glad that Sean told him he didn?t have to apologize for everything and anything. Dr. Dane sat back and listened. He was proud that Miles was breaking through and moving on. He cautioned him about Christina though, not that she was a problem but that childhood dating rarely work out. He was glad that Miles had tried to accept her overtures toward friendship and it was doing great things for her as much as for him. Miles and Christina talked every afternoon and saw their schoolwork improve. John was asked about Christina?s improvement knowing the rumors about her and Miles had spread. He proudly said, "She listened to what he had to say, he listened to what she had to say and they just worked together to solve the problems." Sean walked with Miles each day back and forth around the block and gradually increased the distance to the point where he wasn?t in pain from walking. Miles finished his work early each day in anticipation of the walks and the talk with Sean. Sean told Miles about his life in the army hospitals working on soldiers and seeing the impact of different kinds of warfare on the soldiers. Miles understood why he was reluctant to talk about his past. He didn?t hold back on any of the descriptions and let it known that he didn?t like what was done but knew it was necessary and at time brutal for both sides. He had tears in his eyes as he told of losing a former teammate after he was brought home after a tough assignment. Sean told him about the days afterward that he cried himself to sleep knowing, that he?d never see his friend again. Miles comforted Sean who thanked the boy for his sincerity. Sean had never intended to tell Miles that story but it came out unwillingly. Sean felt some tension released as he was talking, Miles had hit an old wound that never actually healed. Miles didn?t say anything afterward; it wasn?t his place to say anything. Sean could see that Miles was struggling with how to react so he told him frankly, "You don?t have to say anything, this happened decades before you were born and I never got over it. I needed to talk about it with someone who knew what it was like to lose a loved one, I guess I never found the right person until you came along." Sean leaned in and hugged him. He felt better now and hoped Miles didn?t have a negative reaction to hearing the story. Miles hugged back thanking Sean for caring enough to share, adding, "Mr. Finn and Dr. Dane probably hoped that would happen for both of us." Sean nodded. John and Valerie were sly in how they handled Miles and his relationship and it made sense now why Valerie had discretely left for just long enough to force them to talk. Miles realized the same thing and added, "They want what is best for us but I think they care too much at times. I want to please them but I don?t want to disappoint them either." Sean shot back, "You could never disappoint them, especially John. The man is all heart and as long as you try your best he won?t care if you fail or succeed. You learn more from failure than from success, he knows this better than anyone." Sean left Miles to ponder those words as he left to prepare for that night?s football game. Valerie, John, and Miles ate an early dinner before leaving with the twins to watch Michael play his first football game. Miles was silent as he pondered over Sean?s words, he had never seen John angry or disappointed except when Jaimie had run Christina off the previous Sunday or when he had the big confrontation the previous March with his former history teacher, Mr. Poland; but that still didn?t mean he wouldn?t act that way if Miles disappointed him. At the stadium, Miles was mobbed by his teammates who gave him his own jersey. He wasn?t allowed to stand with them yet due to not fully being recovered, but the gesture showed that he was one of them no matter if he was allowed to play or not. Bryan told him, "Three more weeks, we can make due with Pete but we can?t wait for you to take over." Pete sarcastically shot back, "Gee, you say the kindest things" which got the others laughing. Christina saw him and rushed over to hug him and kiss his cheek. Jenna and Claire were visibly disgusted which prompted both Hannah and Paige to say, "Do that again and you can turn in your uniforms. We won?t let you hurt him because you don?t like her." Jessica angrily shot back, "You two are the only ones who haven?t even bothered to talk with her, you are either too stubborn or too vain to talk. Funny, that is exactly what she used to be before Miles changed her. She is trying, why don?t you try to be her friend instead of snubbing her for what she may do." Jenna tried to say something but Courtney said, "She has known her the shortest yet she had the strength to try to ask her directly. Jenna, your mom might have told you some of what happened to him but she actually saw the results. She deserves a chance to make up for what she did to him before, just give her a chance." Christina heard the whole exchange and fled to the locker room, the squad was imploding thanks to her and she didn?t want to be the cause of all the troubles. Paige tried to go after her but Jenna and Claire went instead. If they were going to cause her to leave the team, they decided it would be for the right reasons not perceived ones. Christina was sobbing as she took off her uniform in front of her locker. She looked up to see Jenna and Claire standing over her and collapsed on the floor, covering her head. She expected the worst but the two moved back to show they weren't going to hurt her. Jenna asked her directly, "Do you actually like him or is this a big game to you?" Christina was sobbing as she said, "I like him. I do actually like him. I can?t stop thinking about him. I hate not seeing him in class. I miss being around him." Claire asked, "Did you suddenly realize you like him after you saw him strung up in the hospital or before when you only saw the poor drug dealer?s son?" Christina blurted out, "I always liked him! There I said it. It was my dark secret. I acted like a stuck up brat because my parents demanded I act that way but I liked the poorest kid in class and I was ashamed of it. It took almost losing him to admit to anyone that I liked him." The two helped her up and cleaned her face and let her get changed backed into her uniform. Jenna apologized for being a bitch towards her. Claire told her, "We don?t want our friends hurt and Miles is one of our friends. It is hard to change two years of seeing you as nothing but a big bitch so your sudden change was suspicious. We won?t say or do anything anymore, but please don?t hurt him. He's already been through so much." The three walked out several minutes later and took their places on the track. Christina saw Miles siting and smiled at him to which he did the same. Jenna and Claire saw the change after seeing Miles and nodded, they saw the care between the two so she was telling the truth after all. Miles became the center of attention once John and Valerie sat down. He started to become anxious and fidget and was starting to visibly shake from the people talking about him as they sat. Valerie nudged John who walked with Miles away from the crowd while she dealt with anyone who asked about Miles and his being there with them. The two settled on the edge of the track where Jake Bollinger and Shawn Xavier were standing. Neither said anything just nodding to Miles and John. Miles instantly felt relieved and watched his teammates win a tight game culminating with Bryan scoring the game winning touchdown off a fumble recovery. Saturday Miles was asked to go over Christina?s house by Paige. Bryan drove him, the four intending to spend time together rather than going out. Mr. and Mrs. Seville were eager to meet Miles and see for themselves the boy who made Christina act differently. Once he was introduced Miles was utterly humiliated. The Sevilles went after Miles by making snide comments about him and his father. They made mention of the cancer patient they saw bringing a kid to school which sent Miles over the edge and in tears. He could take someone insulting him and his father but his mother had done nothing to harm anybody before. He walked out, fighting tears as he left. Bryan followed close behind with Paige unable to speak or move due to the utter ridiculousness of the situation. Miles was quiet. Bryan tried to comfort him but he pushed off. He couldn?t escape his father?s crimes nor could he change the past, people just wouldn't let him. Miles walked into his room and locked the door, refusing to come out or eat. Bryan explained what had happened which caused Valerie to try to reason with him but got no response. John told them to give him a few hours then try to talk with him again, this was a huge setback to him and he needed time alone to gather his thoughts before he could speak to them. Paige came over later, bringing the bad news: Christina was barred from speaking with Miles and her parents are going to have her moved to another cluster if not another school. John asked why Paige hadn?t suffered the same fate, Paige told him, "I have money from my great- aunt?s estate. I already told them I would move out and get myself emancipated if they pulled that stunt on Bryan. They know I'm not fooling around, I talked with a lawyer about it last year." Valerie?s interest piqued. She realized there was some shady things going on. She sat Paige down and questioned her about Christina?s inheritance and what they were doing with it. Paige smiled and offered her the whole story, "Mom and dad control it. A lot of what they spend is actually her money. Mom doesn?t have a job and dad barely makes ends meet so the cars, the house, even their clothes are being paid for by Christina." Valerie looked disgusted. Paige read her reaction to mean someone was in deep trouble and asked, "Mom and dad just messed with the wrong person, didn?t they? It figures that they'd do something foolish and get caught by the one person they shouldn't mess with." Valerie nodded, adding, "The wording of the will is key, they might be allowed to do what they are doing but they may also be illegally spending her money on themselves. Do you wish to have it checked out?" Paige smiled and said, "I?ll pay you for doing it, please do what you can for her sake." Valerie called in a friend who worked as a clerk at the probate court and got a copy located and faxed over. Paige read it over and smiled. Valerie looked at it closely and shook her head in disbelief, the amount they had been given was in the millions and wasn?t supposed to be accessed until they were 21 or in dire need. Paige frowned at that but Valerie assured her, "You moving out and emancipating yourself would have counted. It's dire need as you'd need the money to live on your own. Your parents needing to look like big shots doesn?t." Paige told her she?d call Christina and weasel her into a meeting, with Paige suggesting they use Hannah?s house. Valerie nodded and asked her to speak with Miles to see if he wanted to come along. Miles appeared a short time later looking exhausted with bloodshot eyes. Paige had her arm around his shoulders and almost dragging him along but he wouldn?t give up an opportunity to see his girlfriend. At Karen Finn?s house Karen doted over Miles to the point of embarrassing him. Hannah rolled her eyes at her mother?s actions but knew she loved doting on family. Miles tried to pull away and go unnoticed but Hannah and Bryan both laughed at the sight. Valerie finally said, "She is happy to have you in the family" which caused him lighten up and let her have shower him with affection, even if he didn't want it. After what seemed like an eternity to Miles the doorbell rang. Miles perked up when Christina came in, the two rushing towards each other and hugging deep and affectionately. Hannah had to threaten to spray them with water to get them to break the embrace but did so with a smile. Karen turned to Valerie and added, "You weren?t kidding, they are good for each other." With that out of the way Paige told Christina about what she found out. Christina listened closely and swore several times; they had the nerve to insult and berate Miles for having a bad father and making fun of his deceased mother yet they were stealing from their own daughter to make themselves look better. What was worse is they ignored that he had a new mother and father who had millions of dollars in the bank and gave away millions in donations and scholarships each year. It was utterly ridiculous. She looked at Miles who tried to go unnoticed as Paige and Valerie talked. She couldn?t believe someone who was making her be a better person would be treated like garbage by them. She wanted them to pay dearly, to give back every cent taken from her and to see what it was like to be treated like trash. Valerie suggested she cut them off on Tuesday. She had someone who would gladly help her create a proper trust fund that they would have no access to and transfer the inheritance money into it. After that she would hit them where it hurt- their wallets. She would file a lawsuit on her behalf demanding they turn over all assets purchased with her inheritance and then repay every cent spent by them. Christina was thrilled. She already knew they would have to turn over their house and car, they would have to work for years to pay the cash difference. Paige looked at her and saw an anger and determination and looked at Miles and saw happiness and pleasure. He had his girlfriend back and she was coming out swinging. Chapter 15 Monday morning brought a cookout with Sean. The coaches, football team, and cheerleaders were attending with their parents. Paige and Christina didn?t tell their parents about the event, refusing to let them make a scene that would hurt both of them in front of friends and loved ones. Miles tried to help with the setup but was forced out by both Sean and John. He felt healthy but neither wanted him to overdo things by lifting any weight. He instead got stuck preparing the food. Bryan and Michael did the bulk of the heavy lifting, neither complaining that Miles got the easiest jobs. The rest of the team arrived on time and started to talk openly and freely among them. Miles kept a low profile, not wanting to interact with them especially since he hadn?t done any practices since officially joining them. Scott dragged him into the conversations, with Will and Eric keeping up a conversation with him. A half hour after starting the cheerleaders arrived which got most of the boys hyperactive. Miles perked up seeing Christina again as Will moved to allow the two to sit next to each other. Those who didn?t know the two were an item were taken aback by the obvious affection they showed for one another, with at least four comments about it from older players. Bryan had words with each of them individually. He let it be known that Miles and Christina were off limits to everyone and emphasized the unwritten rule about stealing teammates? girlfriends. He also let it known that Miles was part of the, "Family" and messing with one of them meant messing with all nine of them. The message was received and the blatant tactical withdrawal went noticed by others, those with an apparent problem of Miles/Christina were known to everyone and would be kept a close watch on. Sean watched the two together and had a smile on his face. John, Dan Lopez, and Quentin Nelson were in disbelief at his reaction. Dan joked, "It?s like watching a grandparent see his little ones grow up" to which Quentin added, "No surprise, he treats them all like his grandchildren." Willie Pena made an appearance and talked with the parents for a while. He had to do a double-take when he saw Miles with Christina. He asked Sean about the relationship which Sean simply said, "Mutually beneficial personality growth" to which Willie said, "More than puppy love, less than marriage?" earning a nod from Sean. The subject of Miles? father came up among the parents prompting John to close it down fast. Dan let the other parents know, "He died, end of story. The boy doesn?t need to hear about that scumbag anymore." The message was lost on a few which got Quentin to add, "I hope you don?t mind us talking about your sordid pasts and your kids? pasts behind your back because you are doing just that." This time the message received entirely and the matter dropped. Quentin rarely got upset but he was looking angered at the way they ignored common decency in favor of gossip. Paige and the girls kept a distance from the boys with Christina/Miles and the inseparable Scott/Stacy sitting together. Jaimie asked Jenna what she thought about the Christina/Miles coupling, getting a happy, "They look good together and she is happier with him." Claire chimed in with, "He could do better but we are all taken" to which Hannah shot back, "No, those two are perfect for each other. They each fill a need in the other". The girls laughed at the unintentional sex joke which got Hannah blushing deeply and Paige to say, "She meant emotionally, and she better not be thinking about the other need yet". This got another laugh. Jaimie and Jenna went off to the side to talk privately. Jaimie brought up Christina again, this time asking, "Do you trust her enough to bring her into the group? We know she has changed but are you comfortable enough to bring her in?" Jenna thought for a moment. She had doubts but seeing them acting normal with other people and without their involvement eroded most of them. She finally mumbled, "It wouldn?t be right to exclude her anymore; she wouldn?t have admitted she liked him for years if she didn?t mean it." Jaimie nodded and told her, "She will need our help soon. Something is about to happen that will require us as friends to support her. It doesn?t just affect her, it?ll affect Paige and Miles too." Jenna feared for the worst but Jaimie assured her, "It?s not what you think, it?s the best that could happen. She needs friends, especially ones who have dealt with this kind of problem before. Just be with us." Jenna nodded in agreement. Bryan and Michael were watching Jenna and Jaimie. Michael asked Bryan what that was about, Bryan got tight lipped and clammed up. Michael looked towards Miles and Christina which Bryan nodded at. Bryan uttered a quiet, "It?s something else but it involved them, don?t worry we have their backs." The phrase, "Their backs" hung heavy over Michael. He called Richard over and asked him to get the other four alone later so they could talk. Richard didn?t have to be told why, Michael only added, "They will need our help, the girls are already doing the same." Richard subtly told Will, Pete, Scott, Eric, and George who all agreed with a nod. The cookout was in its fourth hour when the Sevilles appeared looking for Paige and Christina. Christina noticed them immediately and tried to hide. Paige confronted her parents who were demanding to know where Christina was. Paige tried to lie and give them an excuse but they refused to listen. They barged around back and saw Christina trying to hide. The two rushed towards her pushing several of the boys out of their way causing them to fall on the hard concrete. Christina was terrified, crying and begging for them not to hurt her. It fell on deaf ears as they pulled her up, hit her in the head twice, and dragged her out hard. She gave pleading looks to the parents, hoping that someone would help her but feared none of them would. Before they could leave the yard Willie Pena stood in the way, demanding that they release Christina. He had a look of pure anger coupled with a determination to stop them at all costs. He wasn't one to show that kind of fury but did so whenever he was protecting kids. The Sevilles scoffed and told him to get out of their way or they?d call the police. A laugh arose from everyone else except the Sevilles. Willie calmly pulled out his wallet and showed them his badge then stated, "I am the police. Chief Wilfredo Pena of the Winnisimmet Police Department at your service and you are both under arrest for assault and battery on minors, trespassing, and disturbing the peace." Mr. Seville demanded that he move out of their way or he?d have him fired. Again a laugh arose as Willie instructed them on the finer points of law saying, "I can?t do that, seeing as we have three dozen witnesses to assaulting three minors and I have a complaint from the homeowner that you were not given permission to be here and were specifically not invited to this event. Again, you are under arrest." Mrs. Seville pushed him aside which got her grabbed by George?s father, Sgt. Mike Daniels, who proclaimed, "And now we can add assaulting a police officer to your rap sheet. And if you continue a charge of resisting arrest will be added as well." Mr. Seville raised his arm and was about to make contact when Eric?s father, Trooper Alex Vincent, grabbed it and stated, "And you just earned attempted assault on a police officer to your charges. You are setting a fine example for all of the youngsters here: how not to act as parents and how not to act when confronted by law enforcement." Willie made a quick phone call and five minutes later both Sevilles were in a cruiser heading for the police station. Willie, Alex, and Mike followed behind to make their reports. Anne Connors watched the whole event unfold and immediately told the three, "I?ll make the necessary phone calls for the girls, we will be down later to get their protection orders." The cookout broke up on a sour note but none of the boys or girls said anything about what had just happened. Christina was still in a state of shock and was taken across the street to the Finn home by her new friends while Miles and the guys cleaned up. None of them complained about doing that, the girls were needed by Christina and the adults occupied with the legal situation. Michael asked Bryan if this was what he really meant, Bryan let a quick, "No. But it probably was the basis for it. When we are finished we will have to sit down with your mother to see what will happen now, she has more fuel now than she wanted." The nine gathered together after finally bagging up the last of the garbage and cleaning the grills. Bryan told them the real story, stating, "They are the real reason why she was such a bitch towards everyone, especially Miles. Her parents made her act that way. They are weasels, stealing money from her inheritance and using it to finance their lives. They don?t earn much on their own, so their home and cars were actually bought by Christina. It's why she moved from near George to near us. She started to change when she saw Miles in the hospital, after that there was no turning back. She couldn't be the spoiled brat, not after seeing him like that. Her parents don?t want her to be associating with Miles because they know the truth would mean they are in deep trouble. They were right, Aunt Valerie got involved and won't let them get away with what they did." Michael added, "She needs us to be by her side and help her, she needs all of us not just the girls. The jerks in school will use her past and her parents? actions against her. They know not to mess with us, she is part of us and she needs us. They are our family and we pull together." They looked at each other in agreement. Miles didn?t say anything but Michael added, "You are family whether you want to acknowledge it or not. You know dad and mom signed the adoption paperwork to make it official, but no matter what you are family and you are one of us." The nine walked across the street together while Sean looked on. He saw nothing but brothers there, all nine were brothers. He hadn?t seen that kind of camaraderie in years and felt pride. They were true family. Only family can come together and rally in times of crisis like they had and only family could overlook the past to help a friend and family member in need. He started to believe what Dan had said about them being grandchildren, if that was the feeling that they brought then he would be proud to think of them as that. In the Finn home the seven families gathered together in a discussion. The girls were with Christina, the boys with Miles. Paige was with the parents. The groups were rallying around the three youngsters in a way unseen before. Not even the attempt the previous February to get Scott away from his birth father had they rallied so tightly together. It was a true, "All hands on deck" situation as they worked from all angles to help. Paige pleaded with Anne to allow her to go on her own, she was 16 and independent and could survive. Anne didn?t waste time and told her bluntly, "You would be leaving Christina in a bind. She can?t go home and she is too young to be on her own. I don?t think it is wise to separate the two of you, she needs you now more than ever." Paige fought hard to find the logic against what Anne had said but came up short. She was right, Christina needed her. Paige asked the obvious, "Where will we go? We will be separated as soon as the social worker gets us processed. She won?t last in a group home either." Beverly Riley, Will?s mother, offered the surprise answer, "Why don?t you take them in, Anne? Karen would never allow Bryan and Paige to be in the same house overnight and Leslie has her hands full at the moment with the daycare center. You are the only one who is able to take on the two of them and who has the space for them." Olivia Samuels, Richard?s mother, jumped on the idea adding, "Christina needs someone she knows and to be honest, we believe that Jenna needs a sibling. As great as she is, she needs someone to confide in that isn?t her mother and Claire and Courtney just can?t fill that role." Anne had been so used to being close to her daughter that she never thought she might need someone who wasn?t her parent to be close to. She was on the spot and she cared about kids but this was taking her affection to a whole new level. She had to do it though; it was for Christina?s benefit more than anything else. Anne reluctantly agreed saying, "I?ll do it for her. But I want to ask her first. I have to step back from her case though as I can?t be impartial if I am her foster parent." Paige was texting Hannah about what was going on. Hannah brought Christina in and waited for Anne to speak. Anne looked at Christina and saw the fear and anxiety in her eyes and felt horrid at trying to get out of caring for her. Anne calmed herself and told what was happening, "Your parents will be let out tomorrow afternoon from jail. Unfortunately that means you can?t go back home, it?s unsafe for you and your parents have shown they aren?t afraid to use violence against you. You are too young to be on your own and your sister and you would be split up so the only option is for one of us to take you in. Are you alright with that?" Christina nodded silently. Anne continued, "I am offering you my home for as long as you want to live with us. You don?t have to accept but it will be difficult if not impossible to find you a home alongside your sister. I know you and Jenna have had problems but the other mothers have pointed out that being close to you might be what is best for both of you. Are you willing to come home with us?" Christina nodded again, this time with tears in her eyes. Anne walked over and hugged her as she started crying. Paige brought in Jenna who was told what was happening and who didn?t react to the news instead sitting next to Christina and embracing her. No need for words, the action of hugging her spoke for Jenna. With the situation settled Anne made her required phone calls and signed the paperwork in the family?s office. Christina and Paige were officially in Anne Connor?s custody and her parents were being charged with the assault on her. Anne?s announcement that she was their new foster parent caused a bit of surprise from her office. Anne wasn?t one to get so involved with her cases but it came as no surprise to the others when one said, "We expected this to happen a while ago. You are too nice of a person to have resisted the urge to take the plunge into fostering." Anne countered with, "This time it was personal" which caused them to immediately apologize and state, "We will stand behind whatever course of action you choose up to and including adoption if it comes to that". Anne thanked them and hung up with a smile. The others saw it with Olivia saying, "They mentioned the A word didn?t they?" Anne didn?t respond but her face told them they did. Beverly went one step further into action and contacted a friend in the district attorney?s office and got them to open a case against the Sevilles on Christina?s behalf. He was more than happy to look into the blatant theft of money from a child. She pointed out to the others that the one thing the DA?s office hates more than anything was crimes against children especially when they don?t know they were being victims. Christina watched in awe that the mothers were working so hard for her. Jenna whispered, "Nobody messes with family, especially our family. They are moms, they are much worse than dads when you mess with their kids." Christina looked up in shock saying, "But I?m not family, I?m just friends with you guys." Jenna shook her head and shot back, "Hannah, Paige, Courtney, Claire, Jaimie, Stacy, Jessica, Scott, Eric, George, Michael, Will, Richard, Pete, Bryan, you, Miles, and myself are all part of our small family. Same goes with our mothers and fathers. The joke about us being ?Finn Family? is true. You joined Friday when Hannah told us off and you gave us another chance. You joined when you went to see Miles when none of us had the guts to do so. You are now seeing the family at work." Christina was floored. Her mother and father treated people poorly thinking they were better than everyone else but she was seeing people she barely knew working hard for her benefit. She knew that they weren?t rich, only Mrs. Finn was really rich. The others worked hard and showed love and respect to everyone else. She felt like she didn?t belong with them, they were too good for her. Jenna saw this fear and whispered, "They aren?t too good for you, you are worth the fight." Chapter 16 After a tense half hour things lightened up with Melanie Lopez coming over with the twins and little DJ Lopez. Christina was immediately swarmed by the twins who fought for her attention. Jenna sat back and watched as Cat won the fight and climbed into Christina?s lap giving her brother a smirk and giggle. JD crawled off and found Miles who promptly brought him to his mother for a changing. Christina looked over at Jenna who started laughing and asked, "Did you check her diaper? She has a habit of going while sitting on laps." Sure enough, Cat filled her diaper and laughed at Christina while getting the others to groan at her antics. Christina was horrified but got up and lay Cat down and changed her without saying a word. Miles was standing close by and handed her JD who hugged Christina tightly refusing to lay down. Miles had to change him standing up while he laughed, but it was easier for both of them. The mothers all looked on as the two teens went about changing diapers. Valerie just shook her head in shame at the twins but smiled at Christina?s lack of a reaction to Cat. Cat wasn?t happy and tried to throw a toy at Christina only to have Greta Nelson snatch it and have Olivia pick her up and put her in the playpen. The two teens finished changing JD and looked up to see that they were the center of attention, both becoming embarrassed while JD just smiled away at the attention. Jenna led Christina upstairs to Jaimie?s bedroom to change while Miles sought out the boys, making quick exits before someone said something about what they did. They didn't want to say anything but it was tough to stay in the room with the adults eyeing them closely after doing something on instinct. The mothers burst into laughter after they left. Christina had only met her twice but already knew how to master Cat?s antics while Miles was playing the role of big brother perfectly. Anne asked Valerie, "Does he always act that way with the twins?" Valerie smiled and shot back, "He treats them as his own siblings, much more so than Michael or Jaimie. JD sleeps sounder when Miles puts him down and he can get Cat to clean up her messes without a fight. He loves them, he doesn?t say it but he shows it." Olivia said what the others were thinking, "Have you finally filed the forms? He knows you were going to but actually doing it is something else entirely." Valerie blushed in embarrassment and admitted, "I got held up dealing with other situations, I don?t have any choice now that you all have put me on the spot." Anne quickly shot back, "We will do it together, no need to waste time. They all need this done." The situation resolved the group disbanded and went home. Anne and Valerie drove Paige and Christina home to collect their clothes and personal items. Paige asked Valerie, "If mom and dad are let out and Christina is the rightful owner of the house, wouldn?t they have to pay her rent?" Anne got a crooked smile on her face as she heard that. Valerie thought it over as well and replied, "That is entirely true, now that you two are no longer in their custody they are your tenants and should pay you rent. We will have to talk with Greta and my parents about this, they will be the ones to handle the legal issues because I?m too close to you." Back at Anne?s home the three girls unloaded and unwound. Christina went to sleep early while Paige finished putting away their clothes. Watching Paige help Christina into bed Jenna started to warm up to the idea that she now had two sisters especially an older one. She hadn?t thought about having siblings before but she was secretly thrilled. Anne could see Jenna was happier now that the truth of the situation had sunk in and was pleased that she had taken to the idea so well. She and the girls would get along well together and Anne was happy to help two people who needed family. Standing by as others helped was far different than actually taking part in it, she could see the hurt that still lingered in Christina and the frustration in Paige, both of whom needed someone who cared only about them and not what they had. The next morning the 18 kids braced for the storm that the rumor mill would bring. While their teammates swore they wouldn?t discuss what happened with others that didn?t stop neighbors and officers from gossiping. Christina and Miles were the most apprehensive about the day, but Jenna and Michael held firm showing the school that they were part of their, "Family" and would not be trifled with. Miles suddenly appearing caught the new teacher, Mr. Herman, by surprise. He had thought that Miles had transferred or dropped out, but was quickly put in place by Michael who informed him, "He has been out sick for the past two weeks and the principal is well aware of his absence, you should know of this because he has sent in his work daily with either my sister or myself handing it into you." Miles slunk back in embarrassment as Mr. Herman listened to Michael. He was considering a comeback to put him in his place but when looking at his records it was clear he had done exactly what Michael had said. He ended the discussion by pointing out he needed to be ready for the quiz on Friday which Miles stated, "I am prepared for already and if you do not believe me then you will have to wait and see" which got a laugh and a nod from their teacher who promptly started class. Christina and Miles worked hard in their classes and tried to forget the troubles of that weekend. Jaimie and Michael were great at distracting them when they started to show signs of distress. At lunch the two were able to unwind a little as they ate but were still getting a lot of glances and questioning looks as students saw them together. In geography, John was able to ask them how they were doing which eased more pressure. Miles told about the confrontation in biology which John chalked up to the teacher being unaware of what had happened. He asked Christina if she was still having some problems with her work which she blushed and admitted, "Miles figured out the problems with me." John nodded in approval; Miles simply blushed and sat down. By their last period, Spanish, they were pretty much relieved of the day?s pressure. Miles had to introduce himself to the teacher, Ms. Nunez, as she hadn?t met him yet due to his early dismissal. She kept him as the focus of the class to gather if he was up to date on his work or if he had cruised through the assignments. She was pleased with what she saw in him and explained that she only wanted to ensure that he wasn?t taking the time off to slack off. After school Miles worked with Sean as a coaching assistant as he observed the plays. He added some suggestions to what Sean observed which caused Sean to make immediate changes. Sean kept him close, he didn?t want Miles out of his sight nor getting involved in any of the moving of pads or sleds as he didn't fully trust him to stay away despite his orders not to help. Miles was studying the game as the practice went on and saw how different the skill-sets were for each player especially his friends. Bryan was the best player, George was the worst, Scott held back, Michael overdid things, and Richard overthought things. Each was different and had areas to work on but could be of value in some form or another. One of the coaches questioned why he was still being kept around. Miles was ready to hand in the clipboard when Sean told the coach bluntly, "Any person who can endure hours of pain just to avoid possible humiliation deserves a spot on this team. He was one of us before; he will be one of us again. Until he says otherwise he is part of the team. He has already contributed more in one hour than most coaches contribute in a year. He knows the newest players better than anyone and showed his value here." The message was received, don?t discuss it again. Over at the cheerleader practice, Christina worked with Jenna. The two kept talk to a minimum but after a bit they started to open up to one another. Jenna shared some of the events that Christina missed out on including the fabled sleepovers at the Finn house. Christina?s eyes widened at that thought, she hadn?t had one in years. The idea of maybe having one made her heart flutter, it was something she wanted to enjoy with them. Jenna realized she had opened a can of worms and told her that she?d talk with the others, they needed one now. Paige and Hannah were quiet as well. Hannah was miffed that Paige hadn?t been able to stay with her family but Paige was solid in backing the reasons. Hannah mumbled something about Bryan spoiling the fun which got Paige to shoot back, "It?s ?fun? with Bryan that scared the mothers in the first place." Hannah hadn?t figured out that it probably wasn?t the best idea in the first place but Jenna and her mom were good people and Anne would take good care of them. While the kids were in school, Anne and Valerie alongside Valerie?s parents, Joseph and Evelyn Johnson, were at the arraignment of the Sevilles. Judge Matthews read the list of charges and shook his head in disbelief. Both pleaded not guilty and the assistant DA asked that they surrender their passports as they were perceived to be flight risks. Their lawyer complained vehemently about them being upstanding citizens to which the assistant DA dropped the bombshell: the two were under investigation for grand larceny and they may have secreted money from the inheritance account in their daughter?s name and it is feared they would use it to flee the country. Judge Matthews asked for proof to which the assistant DA produced the will and figures from the account showing steady withdrawals by the parents. Judge Matthews granted the request and to add insult to injury ordered them to be under house arrest and wear ankle monitors. Before they could leave Judge Matthews was asked for another request. The assistant DA stated that due to the fact that they were under house arrest and their daughter was the victim of their assault that she and her sister be granted a restraining order against them and permanent custody of the two be awarded to their foster mother. Judge Matthews asked who the foster mother was and after reading her name with a smile he granted the request, adding, "If she is still seeking what I suspect she is going to seek in one month?s time I?ll grant her request." Anne watched as the Sevilles were stripped of their rights to Christina and Paige with a stroke of a pen. Valerie then signaled to her parents who prompted served both with papers on behalf of Christina. Before their lawyer could object Evelyn fired the first shots and stated, "I hope they paid you up front because their access to their daughter?s account has been fully denied with judicial approval. Any attempt to access the account after 9:05 AM this morning is ruled as attempted larceny and the perpetrator subject to arrest." Their lawyer swore and stated to the Sevilles, "Our firm will no longer have you as clients and you will be receiving a bill which we expect to be paid in full" and promptly left. The Sevilles protested but Joseph stated, "Your daughter has expressed a desire to have her money returned in full. You are to repay all money withdrawn from the inheritance account, you are to sell all property purchased with the money from the account or forfeit it to your daughter, and your home and car are to be handed over to your daughter. If you wish to remain as tenants you will sign a valid lease to which you will pay rent to your daughter. This is nonnegotiable; if you refuse we will begin the process of eviction. You have exactly 72 hours to comply with this request. Do not attempt to talk with your daughters as it is a violation of your restraining orders." Watching from his bench Judge Matthews gave a big laugh. He didn?t hide the fact that he thought this scene was hilarious, as soon as he saw the Johnsons he knew the Sevilles were in for trouble. Anne Connors and the Johnsons were not names to be messed with and he knew that they had something up their sleeves when the issue about the theft was brought up. The Johnsons were known associates of Anne and both were protective of kids and their family. The Seville fun over, Anne and Valerie both went to file the paperwork for adoption. Joseph was proud of the two for doing such a major thing for two teens who needed them. Joseph hadn?t met Miles yet but he knew he was already entrenched as a member of the family. He beamed with pride hearing that his namesake, JD, had forced Miles to be his brother. Evelyn was happy that Jenna had siblings now. She could see some jealousy in her whenever the others talked about their siblings. She was close with Jaimie but this was different. She was disappointed that Valerie couldn?t have a brother or sister so seeing someone have this chance made her realize she had missed out on something special. Evelyn was happy that Valerie had friends who were close to being sisters but it isn?t a substitute for the real thing. Valerie hid the papers until Miles came home. She asked to see him in the office and instructed Michael and Jaimie to stay downstairs and keep an eye on the twins. John was already up there and when she closed the door Miles simply asked, "Do I have to sign or can do you do it on my behalf?" Valerie showed him the paperwork. She said she could do it either way but she wanted him to sign so he could feel that they truly wanted him to be part of the family as their son. Miles asked, "Are you sure this is what you want? I know you care about me but are you sure you want to make this permanent?" Valerie let her fingers do the talking and signed her name. John did the same. Miles stopped. He called down to Michael and Jaimie to come up to the office. When they came in with the twins he asked them, "They signed the adoption forms but asked me if I wanted to sign. Should I sign? Do you actually want me to stay her permanently?" JD broke loose from Jaimie and walked over to Miles, latching onto his leg. Cat did the same to his other leg. Michael shook his head and stated, "The twins have spoken. You deserve a life and dad and mom are giving it to you." Jaimie added, "Why are you asking us, this is all you. If you want this then sign the forms. You deserve a chance at a decent life and not have to worry about being moved to somewhere else." Miles signed. He had tears down his face and his eyes stung but he signed the forms. John and Valerie gave him a deep hug and said, "We won?t be able to have it finalized for a while but you aren?t going anywhere, son." Miles responded with a quiet, "Thank you, mom." Over at the Connors house Anne showed the forms to Christina. She signed without hesitation, as did Paige. Jenna didn?t say much about it, only asking, "How long until it?s finalized?" Anne gave her the bad news of, "Maybe two months, but there is a chance it might be sooner." Jenna didn?t bat an eye saying, "At least they can change their names and put those two pieces of garbage behind them." Chapter 17 The next morning before school the group got together and the two shared their big news with the others. Miles was embraced by Hannah and received a big slap on the back from Bryan while Christina got a hug from Jessica. Paige just stood back and watched the fun. Pete noticed her holding back and whispered to her, "Just wait until you become part of the Finns, Mr. Finn will probably treat you like a princess." Paige shot back, "While you will get his deepest sympathies for sacrificing your freedom for the betterment of mankind in marrying Hannah." Pete gave a loving glance at Hannah who knew they were joking about her, smiled at him and winked making Pete shudder in mock terror as he smiled back. In biology, the group was upbeat and it rubbed off on their classmates. Mr. Herman sensed something had happened among the group and quizzed them, earning smiles but no concrete answer. When he tried to probe deeper Jenna gave a vague, "Family related thing that we can?t reveal yet" which Mr. Herman took as his cue to move on. After class, Mr. Herman held Miles and Christina up for a quick chat. He asked them what was really going on, showing concern over the abrupt change since in them. Miles and Christina both told him, "We know you think it might be something bad so if you feel that you have to dig deeper just ask Mr. Finn, he will be able to tell you about it." Mr. Herman saw John in the teacher?s lounge after class and asked him about what the kids were talking about. John ushered him to a quiet corner and asked him not to tell anyone what he was about to say. Mr. Herman agreed but stated, "If it?s anything illegal or harmful you know I have to go to Jake with it." John smiled and nodded adding, "That?s why I am entrusting you with this. You know about Miles staying with us but Monday Christina was assaulted by her parents at Sean Beretta's cookout and had to be placed in foster care with Jenna Connors? mom. In the ensuing family sit-down among the parents it was discovered that her parents had been robbing her inheritance trust fund blind. Christina and her sister have decided to be adopted by their foster mother and Miles has agreed to be adopted by my wife and I. The two won?t be finalized for at least a month if not two months. That?s why the group is being so happy today, it's the best news possible for them." Mr. Herman understood what was just told to him. He had heard about the cookout having a bad end but not that there was more to the story. He understood why the kids changed overnight. He looked at John and asked, "So are you the reason he is up to date on his work?" John laughed and added, "Partly, the real reason is Christina. The two worked daily on their work. They very quickly became an item and have done a lot of work together since school started." The two broke the conversation when the bell for the end of class sounded. John parted with, "Keep that all under wraps for now." Mr. Herman nodded and decided to take it easy on the class for the time being. They deserved a little break after so many problems so far that year. Out on the football field, Miles was in a great mood. Sean only asked him one question, "Did you sign the papers?" Miles gave a simple, "Yes" which Sean added, "Good, they were scared you didn?t want to. They were hoping that you would want to be part of the family permanently." Miles was a little concerned. He asked, "When did he say that? If I had known I would have asked for the papers sooner." Sean knelt down and told him, "He saw you wavering and didn?t want to disturb you about it. This business on Monday changed things, you saw why they wanted you as part of the family. I think you had to see it for yourself before you came to terms with it, seeing the worst may have finally showed you that they only wanted what was best for you. Plus those twins can be hard to argue with when they try to get their way." Miles smiled at that joke saying, "Hannah was convincing." Sean shot back, "Oh not them, I was talking about JD and Cat. Those two are smarter than you realize and knew to act when they did. Don?t think for a second that leg grab was for attention, they heard what was being discussed and wanted you to stay." Sean laughed at that and started going over plays with him getting him to think about something else for a while. The week flew by fast. Sean and Miles continued to make inroads in the playbook at practice. Miles was a natural at picking up subtle hints from the players that Sean would then correct. The coaches were starting to see Miles as one of them more than an injured player even going so far as to suggest he might be best used off the field. Sean laughed at the idea, they had a point but Miles wanted to be with his teammates. At the game on Saturday the team did better than expected but lost a close one. Miles had gotten the game?s video and with Bryan and Michael spent the rest of the afternoon working on Sean?s house then watching game over and over again. Miles saw some things that they had missed including some foul ups by Bryan which got Michael to laugh, until Miles pointed out a major error by Michael on the ensuing kickoff causing Bryan to laugh just as hard. Sean was taking notes while the three joked and observed, glad that they were spending time with him. John came by to watch some of the film and talk with Sean while the others were busy. Sean had a happy smile on his face to which John pointed out, "If I didn?t know any better I would swear you were acting like a proud grandfather to those boys." Sean tried to protest but John laughed it off. He wasn?t a fool, he could see the affection Sean had for the kids. John pointed out, "We have nine boys that look up to you as more than just a coach, they see you as their grandfather. Michael and now Miles may have Joseph but you are still a grandfather to them in all but blood." Sean gave in and admitted, "It?s nice to have them around and doing things with them. I care about them, they are all good kids who might need a kick in the butt every once and a while but make you proud." John added, "And they love and respect you which is why they are so eager to please you. You are family to them, in the same way they are family to each other." The two watched as the video ended and the boys set out to finish what they started. They cleaned the living room and bedrooms and cleaned the porch and driveway. They didn?t complain about the amount of work, they just did it with an eagerness that they lacked in their own housework. John happily pointed that fact out to which Sean had to agree with, having heard some of Michael?s groans about cleaning the yard. After an expected delay thanks to their inability to get access to Christina's money, on Monday morning Anne received her reply form the Sevilles regarding their tenancy in what was now Christina?s house. The two wrote two simple words: Fuck you. Anne asked Christina what she wanted to do and got a quick, "Boot them out." Christina wasn?t playing around; her parents had not yet realized they were in trouble and Anne was going to war on her behalf. Anne started the paperwork to have them evicted, bringing with her the copy of the deed the court ruling giving Christina full ownership of the house as well as the paperwork showing she was her rightful guardian. The clerk and deputy assigned to evictions looked at the paperwork and thought she was joking asking, "Are you serious? A teenager evicting her own parents?" Anne calmly pointed out the court paperwork and added, "They are also awaiting trial on assault and battery charges against their daughter along with another child, so she has every reason to have them removed from HER home." The order was signed and given to a deputy to post on the door, they had two weeks to vacate or fight the eviction in court. The Sevilles were forced to accept the order from the deputy and pondered their choices. They could sign the lease that was offered to them, leave on their own, or stay and fight. Mr. Seville chose the fourth option- they would go to their daughter. Anne received word immediately from the probation department that the Sevilles had left their home and were likely heading for her neighborhood. She quickly called Paige and Christina and told them to not let them in and to not answer their phones. Anne then called Sean Beretta and asked that he and Dan Lopez go to her house and wait while she brought the police. Anne?s third call was to the police and told them what was going on and got two cruisers dispatched to her house immediately. As she turned the corner onto her street she saw Dan and Sean with the Sevilles trying hard to prevent them from entering. Behind Anne were two police cruisers without lights on. The officers quickly grabbed the Sevilles who demanded Dan and Sean be arrested for kidnapping their daughter. Anne bluntly stated to the officers that both were in violation of two separate restraining orders and were trespassing on her property. The officers asked for her paperwork which Anne showed and to which the officers nodded. The Sevilles continued to demand that Sean and Dan be arrested and hit the officers several times in the chest with their elbows in the ensuing struggle. The officers held on tighter and brought out their pepper spray containers which the Sevilles stopped dead in their tracks and screamed at. The officers nearly shouted, "They were protecting two minors from an attempted kidnapping. You two, on the other hand, are under arrest for assault, violating a restraining order, and resisting arrest. That is in addition to breaking your court ordered house arrest and violating the terms or your bail. Be glad you never made it inside or you would be in for parental interference as well. Enjoy your jail stay, you won?t be getting out for a while." Anne thanked Dan and Sean for their quick action. Sean had a proud look on his face which Dan immediately joked, "I told you before, it?s like you?re their grandfather." Anne added, "First uncles now a grandfather, you guys are adding to the family left and right." Sean grew red with embarrassment but Anne smiled and hugged him relieving the embarrassment. Christina didn?t bother to ask about her parents, instead asking Anne if she could sell the house for her. Anne told her, "You should hang onto it for a few years, you could change your mind about it." Christina looked at Paige who told her, "It?s up to you, it?s your money. Mom has a point though you might want it for your own in the future." Anne had a tear in her eye hearing that. Christina looked at Paige who hadn?t realized she said, "Mom". Anne gave them a warm smile and softly said, "If you feel comfortable calling me that then you can, it?s your choice." Christina hugged her deeply and said, "You are our mom now and nobody can say otherwise." Jenna popped in and asked what all the excitement was about. Christina smiled and said, "We were just talking with mom about selling my house." Jenna?s jaw dropped at hearing that. Paige laughed and apologized to Anne for, "Breaking Jenna". Jenna laughed it off and said, "That?s fine sister, I?ll find a way to repay you for it." Now it was Paige who got caught by surprise. Christina giggled and told Jenna, "Guess you can finally call yourself her sister, you mastered the art of teasing each other." Anne stepped back and watched as her three daughters jabbing back and forth. Jenna had finally become someone?s sister and Christina was now acting happier and calmer. Even Paige had lost her tough skin, showing less instinctive protection and more loving protection towards both of her sisters. Anne couldn?t be happier; she loved seeing three happy girls enjoying themselves right in front of her eyes. Chapter 18 The next morning at the arraignment on their newest charges Judge Matthews was far from impressed. The defense pleaded for bail but the prosecutor insisted they be held as they had shown they were a danger to their daughters and had a blatant disregard for the law. Judge Matthews sided with the prosecutor adding, "You two have shown that you care only about yourself and have no regard for the law therefor I am rescinding your plea agreements and am insisting on the reinstatement of the felony charges against you. I am also seeking your removal from your daughter?s home. I am further issuing a permanent restraining order so when you eventually are released you will be entirely on your own and no future contact is allow." Anne watched without making any show of emotion. Judge Matthews asked to speak with her in private and asked if she had filed for adoption. Anne was surprised at the interest but answered, "Yes" hoping that he wasn't upset at her filing so soon after the girls had been placed in her care. Judge Matthews had the paperwork pulled and signed off on them citing the incident as cause to end the saga once and for all. He filled out an addition two forms on their behalf, this time change of name forms. They were no longer Christina and Paige Seville, they girls were now Christina and Paige Connors. Anne was overcome with emotion. Judge Matthews smiled and added, "You showed you cared about them and brought in help instead of trying to confront them yourself. You showed you are the perfect mother for them. Those girls need someone who cares about them and there is no reason to delay the inevitable. Good luck." Anne drove to the school to make the necessary changes to their records. All information regarding the Sevilles was removed and Anne placed as their sole parent. Jake Bollinger caught Anne in the office and listened to her story. He asked if she wanted to take Christina and Paige home early to celebrate but Anne wanted them to remain for the day. Jake looked at the time and made one surprise suggestion. As it was lunchtime Christina, Paige, and Jenna were all about to eat. She walked over and gave them each a bag supposedly containing their lunches which the girls weren?t happy about. When they opened them up they saw the forms to which Scott and Jessica both started to laugh and tell them to read closely. It took several minutes for the information inside to click with the girls, but it was something they wanted to hear and didn't expectPaige started trembling while Christina looked at the others in disbelief. Jenna grabbed both and let out a quiet, "Oh shit". The others were left in suspense. Neither of the three could speak. Will finally asked what it was all about to which Jessica and Scott said in unison, "They got adopted." Courtney and Hannah hugged the two while Jenna looked at her mother in disbelief asking, "How? You said it would take two months." Anne smiled and only said, "Angry yet caring judge." Anne left them to eat their meals and talk. John caught her as she was passing the teacher?s lounge and asked her, "Still Seville or is it Connors now?" Anne laughed and said, "Connors" which John laughed and hugged her. The kids were overjoyed at hearing the news and were rambunctious. Mr. Herman had to step over and quiet them down. Seeing them all smiling he asked what was going on to which Christina replied, "What you asked Mr. Finn about happened today." After lunch John had to calm the group down when it came time to start class but decided to redirect their enthusiasm with games rather than trying to teach normally. After school, away from the prying ears of the others Miles was sullen. Sean picked up on his down feelings and assured him his time was coming, he should be happy for Christina and Paige and happy that he didn?t have to endure their troubles to get a quicker finalization. Miles felt a little better but the disappointment was still there. The girls were still on their emotional high and overworked themselves at practice. Jaimie had to calm them but she was working against a lot of pent up frustration. It was Stacy who finally figured out a way of redirecting their energy, having them do complex moves that took focus and concentration to pull off. It was never going to make it into their routine but it was a good way of getting them in order. After practice the idea of another sleepover was brought up by Jenna. Christina was eager to attend one even going so far as to suggest her house. Paige rejected that idea as it was too small, Jenna suggested Jaimie?s house which was agreed to. Stacy and Courtney had to see if their sisters were going to come or if they were hold their own, Rebecca normally attended but she was itching to host her own again. Christina asked what that was about. She had seen Rebecca a few times but never interacted with her, she was unaware how close she was with the others. Courtney told her about Rebecca and Jessie being the equivalent of Jaimie and Jenna only with more makeup abilities and fashion sense. The two looked at her then burst into laughter while Stacy, Claire, and Jessica all said, "True". Christina joked, "So they are like we are to Paige and Hannah, only without the attitude." Hannah and Paige both gave a quick, "Hey!" while Jaimie joked, "No, they have their attitude as well. They just don?t have Hannah?s temper. Be glad nobody has that!" Hannah gave a sly smile which the others giggled at. Christina was enjoying this more and more and couldn?t wait for that Friday. The boys were listening to the girls tease each other and zoned in on what the main topic was. Michael gave a sly smile and said, "Anyone up for a guys? weekend?" He looked over at Miles and said, "The girls are invading our house." Miles looked concerned and asked, "Are we being kicked out?" Michael laughed and shot back, "No, but Mrs. Lawrence and Mrs. Connors would probably be a lot happier if the two of us weren?t in the house with their daughters." Bryan chimed in with, "We?ll stay at my house; mom won?t turn away her nephews. I can?t say the same about the other riffraff though. She likes them but might not like them staying over." The others laughed at the joke making Miles feel better about the whole thing. They made their plans for after the game while Miles listened silently. He was happy to hang with the guys but staying at a new relative?s house wasn?t entirely his idea of a fun weekend. The week passed fast. Miles had another appointment with Dr. Dane and expressed his concerns about the adoption. Dr. Dane assured him it was nothing to worry about and to keep focusing on the positives such as his friends and family. He pointed out that it was a good thing that he was meeting members of his future family beyond the eight he already knew, especially ones who are so important as aunts and uncles. He talked about Sean and his work with him which Dr. Dane praised him for and pointed out how he was helping an old, lonely person start to see things differently now that someone took an interest in his life. Dr. Dane pointed out something Miles hadn?t noticed, that he was making Sean act like a parent towards the group. Miles pondered the idea and smiled at that, he was a good person and he did treat them all like they were family. Dr. Dane saw his pleasure and nodded in approval, Sean had broken a barrier in Miles and the kids and John were working hard on the others. He hoped that once the adoption was finalized that barrier was broken for good. By Friday, the group was ready for the game. After school Miles got the all clear from Dr. Samuels so he would be able to play that night if he felt able to. Miles didn?t hesitate and asked to play which Sean reluctantly agreed to. He wasn?t ready or able yet to play offense or defense so his punting would have to do for now. Miles suited up but had to endure some joking about having to wear protective rib pads. Bryan shot down the jokes asking if any of them were willing to play with cracked ribs as he?d gladly help them out. The message was received loud and clear, with quick apologies given. The team left the locker room and hit the field with Miles taking up the rear. Sean made sure all the equipment was secure and tight before letting him out, with John and Dr. Samuels sticking close to the sidelines in case he needed help. Sean gave Miles explicit instructions to not overdo his workout and to be ready to go into the game when needed. Over in the stands Valerie was joined by the rest of the Finn family. John?s aunt, uncle, and both sisters in addition to Valerie?s mother and father were watching the game. They had seen Michael play in the first game but this was special for them, Miles needed to see their support. The group had spoken with Hannah and Jaimie before taking their seats but hadn?t had the chance to talk with Michael, Bryan, or Miles. The game got underway and saw both sides score quickly. Late in the 1st quarter the Infernos were stopped at their own 20 and needed to punt. Miles was sent in and after a snap from Scott he punted it 65 yards downfield. The opposing player caught the ball then fumbled it allowing Pete to recover it for a turnover. The next play Bryan was able to rush for a touchdown after finding a big gap in the defense. They scored the ensuing conversion giving them an 8 point lead. The Infernos weren?t able to capitalize on ensuing punt by their opponent and had to punt again. This time Miles pinned the opponents back in their 15 yard line. The Infernos were able to force a punt themselves and wound up scoring another touchdown and conversion after a short drive. They now had 16 point lead. His third punt was epic. He kicked it perfectly and the receiver let it bounce before fielding it. He found openings in the Infernos? defense after shaking a tackle, gaining yardage and avoiding a few more tackles. The last player before a touchdown was Miles, who came rushing in, caught him by the side, and jarred the ball loose as he made the tackle. The loose ball was scooped up by Scott who ran it 20 yards before too was brought down by the opponents. In a stroke of luck the Infernos were now 20 yards farther than they were before with a fresh set of downs and on their opponents? side of the field. Miles was feeling the hit but he was glad that the Infernos were able to get the ball back and in better field position. After that amazing play the Infernos scored another touchdown and conversion but gave it back on the next drive. By the middle of the 2nd quarter their lead was still 16 points. Miles came in for a fourth punt but this time instead of trying to field the punt the other team went after Miles in force, trying to block the kick. They were too late and Miles kicked it deep downfield, leaving their receiver alone without any sort of coverage. He didn?t try to field it, letting it bounce and was downed by Pete at the 2-yard line. The poor opponent just walked off in frustration, watching the events downfield and seeing that it was about to turn ugly for his team. Miles? kick was perfect but the opponents were still coming in and collided with him as he was coming down from the kick. He landed hard on his shoulder and hip but thankfully his shoulder and hip pads took the brunt of the hit. He was in pain and couldn?t move his arm. Sean rushed in as did Dr. Samuels and John. Miles was able to stand but needed help walking off as he was still a little dazed and disoriented. The opponents were penalized for roughing the kicker with both tacklers who made contact with Miles ejected from the game. With a new anger in them, the Infernos went on to score another touchdown and conversion to take a 24 point lead. In the locker room, Miles was examined by Dr. Samuels. John watched in silence as he checked for broken bones and torn ligaments. Miles had a separated shoulder and broken clavicle along with a big bruise on his hip but thankfully his ribs were fine and he didn?t have a concussion. Miles looked at John with a look of disappointment. He hated that he let John down and didn?t want to fail him. John could see he was feeling terrible and assured him, "It?s not your fault. And don?t believe I?m disappointed in you because, I am not. It is part of the sport and you tried your best and were playing on a level unseen in high school in years. You don?t have to play another down again and have a record for the longest punts in school history." Miles felt better. Dr. Samuels put him in a sling and had him sit with the rest of the family. At halftime he went to the locker room along with the team and gave Sean the bad news. Sean wasn?t surprised but asked that he stick around as their adviser especially since he had his knack for seeing problems with the team. Miles reluctantly agreed but was told by Dr. Samuels he wouldn?t be able to do it until the next week. He wasn't being pushed away and it was the best way to utilize Miles without him playing. The game went back and forth but the Infernos held on for the win. Miles tried to sneak out with the family but his friends held him up. Dr. Samuels had to save him, saying he wasn?t going to be able to attend their gathering as he needed to rest and recover. The boys relented and wished him luck, joking that he had a house full of girls and he wasn?t able to get out of bed. Dr. Samuels turned red in embarrassment at that. He had forgotten the girls? sleepover. Valerie rescued him by saying, "We trust him and the girls completely, they were more likely to play nurse with him than play ?doctor?" which got a snort then laugh from Dr. Samuels. The boys didn?t get the joke until Bryan whispered it to them which all of them grew red at the embarrassing joke. Dr. Samuels, John, and Miles drove to the hospital to get x-rays of Miles? shoulder to confirm the diagnosis. The fracture wasn?t too bad as he didn?t need surgery, only a sling and aspirin along with rest. At the house the girls tried to help Miles as much as possible, even going so far as to fluff his pillows and lay out his pajamas. Miles tried to do everything himself but Valerie had to force him to let them help. He drew the line at anyone helping him shower, that he would do himself. He took a while but he was able to wash despite yelping in pain multiple times to the horror of the girls causing them to feel even more horrible about his injury. He climbed into bed and as usual JD climbed in with him, both were asleep within 10 minutes. The girls checked in on him before starting their sleepover activities and let out a group, "Awe" as they saw JD cuddled next to Miles who had his arm around him. Jaimie had to pry them away and close his door before they woke up JD and brought Cat?s attention toward them. Down in the entertainment room, the girls set up their camp. Paige and Hannah claimed the couches as their own while the others slept in sleeping bags on the floor. Christina was silent as the girls talked about anything and everything. Concerned about her Jenna asked what was wrong. Christina quietly said, "I don?t know what to do; I?ve never had one of these before." The others stopped speaking and looked at her. Paige curse silently then admitted, "The Sevilles wouldn?t let her go to any. It was probably for the same reason she wasn?t allowed to associate with some of you or Miles." The girls didn?t dwell on the idiocy of her birth parents and set out to make the night fun. Stacy asked, "Did Uncle John stock the emergency supplies?" which got the girls laughing as Paige and Christina looked in in puzzlement. Jenna blushed then said, "Why, were you planning on having one this weekend?" The girls were on the verge of tears laughing at Jenna?s comeback. Hannah relayed the story of the previous October?s sleepover which saw Jenna?s first, "Monthly visitor". Paige nearly choked on her soda while Christina looked over at Jenna who was almost shade of crimson. Courtney added that, "Uncle John showed how much he cared about us that night though, going out in the middle of the night to get what we needed just in case." Christina asked, "Why are you calling him ?Uncle John?? I thought Hannah was his only niece." Jessica beat Jenna to the punch by telling her, "Your mom started it, she said he treats us like we were his nieces and nephews so it?s like he was our ?Uncle John?. Since you are Jenna?s sister you get to call him that now. Paige would have had to call him that anyway, but not for another two more years." That got the others to laugh making Paige blush while Hannah said a quick, "True, don?t deny it." Paige shot back, "Then it must hold true to Pete as well but I don?t think he will call him that unless you give him permission to. He is more afraid of you than Uncle John!" This got the girls laughing again and Hannah nodding in agreement, she was proud to have Pete as her boyfriend. Chapter 19 Miles slept through the night and awoke to JD in bed with him asleep by his side. Miles was in pain and could barely move, JD all but pinned him in place. Valerie happened to hear Miles move around and popped in to see him wide awake but in pain. She moved JD to his crib to give Miles additional space and returned to the room with some aspirin and water. Miles thanked her for the help as he downed the tablets, then proceeded to get changed. The girls were still asleep so Miles ate his breakfast and returned to his room to rest. When the girls finally awoke and ate they went to check on Miles. Miles tried to shoo them away but they wouldn?t let him, forcing him to go downstairs to the living room while they fussed over him. John and Valerie watched them doting over him and joked, "He?s got every boy?s dream of having multiple girls waiting on him hand and foot yet won?t let them help him. He?s more of a gentleman than the other boys. I wish that wasn?t the result of his dad?s work though." Miles asked that they leave him alone so he could do his homework. The girls saw that he injured his right arm making writing impossible forcing one of them to do the writing for him. They switched off who was writing and who was turning the pages while the others watched. Christina was assigned to do the biology portion which he was grateful for. Jaimie took on the English homework while Jessica handled geometry. The rest of the work he had already finished or wasn?t due until mid-week. John had already told him not to worry about his geography homework as he could do it orally. Cat got jealous of all the attention Miles was getting and tried to hone in on it. She grabbed at his arm several times prompting Christina to grab her and sit her on her lap. Cat tried to fight her but after the second forced sitting she gave up. Jaimie watched in surprise as Hannah joked, "She won?t be trying to act up around you again, she doesn?t normally give in to anybody except when she knows she won?t win." Christina shot back a quick, "Good, maybe she will leave her brother alone." Jaimie shot back, "That won?t happen, but she won?t try it with you around anymore." That afternoon Miles was told that his Great Aunt Victoria and Uncle Jorge wanted to see him. Miles was reluctant to meet them, Jaimie told him bluntly, "They won?t take no for an answer." Miles grew scared at that response, John chuckled and added, "They are nice folks; they just want to meet you and ensure you are alright. The only restriction is you can?t say no to his feeding you, no matter how much you refuse he won?t take no for an answer. We have all tried and all failed." The girls all said, "True" to which Jaimie added, "Just don?t let him give you seconds; you won?t eat for a week." As they were getting ready to leave JD latched onto Miles? leg and refused to let go. He wanted to stay with Miles even if it meant he would go too. John dressed him and took him with them with all three saying goodbye to the girls. After the drive to their house John parked and had Miles walk JD while he went ahead. JD laughed at seeing where they were and tried to pull Miles along. In Miles' mind if JD was acting that way then it wasn't dangerous or a place to be feared. Victoria and Jorge met them inside the front door. JD grabbed Miles? leg and wouldn?t let go again, waiting for him to react to Victoria and Jorge. The two saw his sling and ushered him into the kitchen to eat. JD slid along, increasing his grip on Miles? leg. Jorge showed him they were going to eat which got him to let go and sit on Victoria?s lap. Miles didn?t talk, unsure what to say or do. He ate the food in front of him without a fuss. He loved the food; he hadn?t had it in years, not since his mother got too sick to cook. It was a dish his mother used to make ever few weeks and one that his father didn?t like. John saw something was going on and nodded to Victoria and Jorge to take a break giving Miles time to unfurl. It was dredging old memories that were tough to not react to. Miles knew what John was going to ask and quietly said, "Yes I have had this before, I have not had it since mom died. Dad hated it so he wouldn?t cook it or eat anywhere that served it. I love it but I can?t stop thinking about mom and the food she used to cook for us." John saw the tears in his eyes and let him cry. Seeing him with his head down Victoria and Jorge asked what was going on, John whispered, "He loves the food but it?s connected to painful memories. He?s still a kid who lost his mom and this was his favorite memory of her so it?s hard for him to eat without thinking about her." The two felt sad for the boy, the others had had different reactions for different reasons but his was the most painful reaction. Jorge tried to rationalize what was going on, unable to grasp that someone so young could have such pain associated with something that they love. John shared with them what happened to Miles? mother, his father?s handiwork against Miles, and his constant fears about disappointing John and Valerie. Victoria was in disbelief while Jorge swore at hearing about Miles? father. The two saw that Miles was finished eating and stopped crying and hugged him deeply. Miles tried to move away but they wouldn?t let him out of it, hugging him tightly to help him alleviate his sadness. In the car on the way back home, Miles asked John what that hug was all about. John quietly replied, "Your father hit a nerve in them. They understand if you don?t see them at all again, they realize you have a lot of pain and suffering and they won?t let themselves harm you like that again. They care about you kids, especially you now that they know what happened to you." Miles grew sullen again. He hated doing that to people, especially ones who tried to care about him. John fought the urge to reassure him but saw that he had to work it out on his own. Miles finally uttered a quiet, "I miss my birth mom a lot but you and mom are trying so hard to help me. I hate being such a burden on you. All I have done is get hurt and cause trouble, yet you still try to help me. You are too good for me." Miles rushed inside before John could reply. The girls saw him rushing and asked what was the matter, John quickly shot back, "Leave him alone for a while, he needs time to himself." Hannah ushered them back inside then downstairs while John handled JD and Cat. Valerie sensed there was a problem to which John gave her a quick summary of what happened. They tried to come up with a plan to mitigate the problem but noting viable came to mind. John finally gave up and went to see what Miles was doing only to see he was asleep in bed. Christina tried to see how he was only to get ushered away by John with the instructions to the girls to not disturb him. Christina saw the tear stains and puffiness on Miles? face and saw he had been crying. It took all her energy not to cry herself; she hated to see him in pain especially when she couldn?t help him. Jaimie saw Christina?s distress and surmised that she had seen Miles upstairs. She tried to comfort her and asked what went on only to be told, "We can?t disturb him, he needs people and we can?t help him." She finally let herself go while Jaimie told the others to back off. Jaimie waited a few minutes then told her why saying, "He just had to come to grips with something that he hadn?t thought of in years and it brought painful memories. Then he probably had to hear dad reassure him only to feel inadequate and unworthy of our family again. He is also in a lot of pain and you know all too well that he won?t complain about it. You can?t always help him, the big thing for him is that he knows you care about him enough to try to do something." Christina waited another hour and went back up to Miles? room. He was awake again but looked terrible. Christina slipped into the room and put her arms around him. She kissed his cheek and sat silently as he wept into her shoulder. He quietly whispered, "Why did she have to die, why couldn?t it have been him?" Christina whispered back, "Bad things happen to good people but she wouldn?t want you to be sad for losing her, she would want you to be happy. You have people who love you, she would not want you to be sad anymore." She held him tightly as he continued to weep. Valerie and John tried to say something but were waived off by Christina who laid Miles down again and handed him his aspirin and water telling him to try to sleep while she kept the girls away. He listened and fell asleep within minutes. Outside the room Christina tried to apologize for being alone with Miles but Valerie told her, "We trust you not take advantage of being alone with him and he needed you and you got to the heart of the problem. You are more mature than you realize and bring out hidden emotions in him which none of us can. He needed to come to terms with her death, now he can move on." Downstairs the girls tried to grill Christina about what happened. She was tight-lipped and only said, "He revealed why he was feeling so bad tonight" to which the others stopped questioning. Jaimie redirected their attention to something else while Paige asked her discretely what the problem was really. Christina held firm but broke down and told her, "Grief. He feels grief for her dying and guilty for wanting a new family." Paige hugged her and told her, "Now that it?s out in the open he can get the right help. This is a job for his therapist, Dr. Dane will help him." John overheard and talked with Valerie about it. Valerie did a search and found his mother?s burial location and told John, "We have to take him, he needs to do this." John nodded silently and went up to see Miles who was still awake. John told him they were taking a trip the next day and he needed to come along. Miles tried to decline but John insisted, Miles just gave in and agreed. Sunday morning Miles was up early and again found JD asleep next to him. He was starting to get used to having him next to him but wasn?t entirely pleased about it. It was better than having him cry or fight John or Valerie. When he went downstairs he found the girls already awake and eating, each again trying to wait on him despite his protests. Hannah insisted he just give in and let them help him, it wasn?t worth the fight. After breakfast Miles was told to get ready for the trip. Hannah and Paige were put in charge while the twins went with John, Valerie, and Miles. The girls wanted to come along but were told quietly, "It?s a private matter" which they got the gist of meaning, "Miles only". After a long drive they arrived at the cemetery. Miles knew what they were there for and asked to go back home only to be told, "As much as you want to avoid this, it needs to be done. It?s painful but it needs to occur." Miles reluctantly agreed but asked to do it alone. As they approached his mother?s grave Miles slowed down. Valerie held the twins back while John reassured him. He walked the final few yards and saw for the first time in four years his mother?s resting place. John and Valerie stepped back farther away so Miles could have some privacy. Miles looked down on his mother?s headstone and tears rolled down his cheeks. He started to recall the endless hours waiting in the doctor?s office for her to finish her chemotherapy sessions, the stares of people who felt sorry for the two of them, the names of the nurses and receptionists he had to endure, the other patients he saw with scared looks and utter fatigue. He remembered his father?s reaction to her fight, or rather his lack of reaction. He remembered his apathy towards helping her, his refusal to cook or clean, his refusal to take him to school making him walk two miles on his own. He remembered vividly his father beating him for asking for simple things like food and clothes, for looking at his, "Stash" or complaining about being unable to sleep because of a party or sex session he was holding. Miles looked at Valerie and John and shed more tears at feeling that they could be his family. Then he remembered what his mother told him before she passed, "Your father won?t be much help to you so you need to be strong. It?s only a matter of time before your father ends up on the wrong side of the law or worse gets himself killed so you need to ensure that wherever you end up you are receiving love and care. You will find a new family, hopefully one that loves you the same way I love you. You deserve them and they deserve you." Miles smiled at that memory then looked at John and Valerie who were solemnly waiting for him. He spoke quietly to his mother?s resting place, saying, "You told me to find a loving family but they found me instead. I don?t want to forget you, I miss you every day." Miles broke down again. JD saw him crying and broke free of Valerie walking to his side, latching onto his leg in a big hug. Cat saw what JD did and copied him, both not wanting to let Miles go. Miles grabbed Cat?s hand and walked with her while JD held onto his pants. John asked if he was alright now to which Miles quietly said, "She told me to find a new family that cared and loved me. She wanted me to find you." Miles lifted Cat up and let her hug him as he carried her. The three didn?t talk after that. The girls started to get ready to leave as they arrived home. None of them said anything about where they had gone, leaving Miles to get ready for school the next day. When Bryan dropped off Michael and picked up Hannah Michael was told what had happened and nodded, knowing it best to just leave Miles alone to his thoughts. Chapter 20 Miles awoke early the next day with Michael joining him soon after. Michael kept quiet and helped Miles with his breakfast until Miles asked him what was bothering him. Michael admitted, "We were worried about you. Jaimie told us you had a bad reaction to meeting Aunt Victoria and Uncle Jorge." Miles grew quiet and told him what happened. Michael felt bad for not being there for him especially when he needed family. Miles saw the concern and assured him, "Dad and mom overheard what I told Christina and took care of it. No need for anything else." Michael got the gist of what he was saying especially the name drop. He did ask one question, "How did Christina get away with being alone with you?" Miles blushed and replied, "They say they trust us, I don?t know why but they trust us." Michael was jealous of that, Courtney and he had been close for almost two years yet neither was allowed to be left alone in either house. Michael put 2 and 2 together and realized his dad was doing it for a reason, if he trusts him enough to let him be alone with his girlfriend in the house he therefor must care a lot about him. His dad was subtle in his ways but Miles hadn?t picked up on that yet. Jaimie came down and didn?t bother asking about the day before. Michael didn?t fill her in either, she already knew what it was about and could see Miles was feeling better. Jaimie?s only comment about the day before was, "If you have to, talk with Scott or Claire. Claire lost her dad and Scott his birth mom at the same time as you lost your birth mom. The rest of us understand if you don?t talk with us about it, but speak with them if you are feeling bad enough. They understand exactly what you are feeling." The three went off to school once John was finished with his breakfast and met the group who were eager to see how Miles was doing. Miles got a lot of stares as they entered the school. Word hadn?t gotten around about the injury so people assumed the worst about him. The whispers started as soon as he walked through the door with Christina holding the door for him. Michael gave glares to the loudest gossipers who knew not to mess with anyone within the group directly. Mr. Herman saw Miles? sling and immediately asked what happened. Will gave him a quick, "He was targeted by the other team for being too good of a kicker." Mr. Herman still didn?t understand to which Michael added, "It happened during the football game Friday night, he made them look terrible and they took their frustration out on him by trying to hurt him. While they did succeed, they still lost the game." Mr. Herman saw that it was his writing arm and asked if he was able to take notes or write. Christina told him, "We all helped with the homework and will be sharing notes until he can write on his own. Mr. Bollinger has offered to do the writing for him during the test on Friday, with your approval." Mr. Herman didn?t miss the namedrop and agreed to what was being offered. He couldn?t cheat with the principal doing the writing, it was better than having him delay the test or take a zero. Mr. Bollinger came in just before class started and relayed what Christina said. He also added, "Miles was the one to suggest it, he didn?t want to cause you any trouble. The only other class that has a test is Mr. Finn?s class and he will have a tougher time with that than any other, you would too if you were being quizzed by your own father." Mr. Herman nodded in approval, John would not hold back for a student especially his own kids. By lunch Miles was the talk of the school with the game being the center of attention. Most found it hard to believe that he had done what he did during the game while others questioned his special treatment for getting the principal to give him the test instead of doing it in class. Few seemed to care that they were talking about someone who was known to be in close with the, "Finn Family" and how they weren?t ones to lie or exaggerate. John had to quiet his classes several times and once stopped it entirely and laid down the law. When he told them bluntly, "You question whether it all happened as claimed? Well he did make them look like little children and he did get tackled after he made an amazing kick that some pros couldn?t do better. The highlight was shown on the news, it was a state record!" He added, "Were any of you actually there on Friday night?" The fact that none said they were made John shake his head in frustration then point out, "I was. I was with him in the locker room when he was examined, helped him to the emergency room for an x-ray, and helped put him to bed. I did all of that while you were at home Friday night." A question about how he could have done all that brought John?s not-so- secret out in class, "I?m his foster father, in the process of becoming his adoptive father. I was there helping him while all of you were at home or out partying so I can honestly say all this gossip is just simply garbage. It was his first game for our school and he paid a heavy price for being good. Now enough talk, we have work to do. If the gossip continues I?ll have to take it out on the whole class and you won?t like me when I am doing that." The message was received and the talk died out. Mr. Finn didn?t threaten, he promised and he carried through on his promises. Word got out that Miles was John?s foster son after class which meant to mess with him would be even worse for students as Mr. Finn was the most beloved teacher in the school and would bring about the wrath of the faculty on someone. Miles was to be left alone by all means, only an idiot would go after him or talk disparagingly about him. Miles decided he needed to get away from the school and left with John. Sean didn?t bat an eye when Michael told him why he wasn?t there, adding, "He earned a few days off." Sean told Michael to keep an eye on him at home and then instructed Scott to talk with him. He wouldn?t leave it to Miles to approach Scott; Scott would get more results by going to him. At home Miles tried to work on his homework but couldn?t. Valerie saw him struggling and went next door and brought back Rebecca Lopez to help. Rebecca didn?t hesitate and copied the notes Miles dictated followed by writing out the answers to assigned questions. For a 7th grader, she had little trouble keeping up, especially when it came to the geography homework. Miles asked her quizzically why she was so good with that homework, Rebecca gave him a sly smirk then said, "Who do you think helped Uncle John design the lectures?" Miles looked confused to which Valerie shot back, "She and her friends told your dad what he was doing wrong and how to fix it, she knows exactly what he is trying to teach just by looking at the work. It?s no joke, but a bunch of 6th graders told a teacher how to teach a 9th grade class!" Miles looked stunned to which Rebecca smiled and nodded. She then added, "Ask Mr. Bollinger and your dad, Mr. Bollinger was the one that approved the changes after seeing our notes." Miles couldn?t grasp that it happened but he knew Rebecca doesn?t lie, not according to what Jaimie, Stacy, and Hannah had told him. Rebecca got back into the groove of things and helped him finish up all of his homework to which he reciprocated with hers. She told him that Mrs. Eagleson would be happy that she got help which made him embarrassed. She saw the look to which he apologized for helping her. He told her the truth, "I didn?t do so well in her class, not even Jaimie could help raise my grades above a D+. I almost failed three quarters, if not for Jaimie's help I'd have repeated 7th grade." Rebecca shot back, "She will know I had help, and you have two years on me so you have more experience with it. Plus you had a lot going on, don?t lie because I know you weren?t in the best state of mind the last two years." Miles grew embarrassed again but she was right. Rebecca shook her head at his lack of confidence. She could see he was a smart kid who just keeps getting dealt a bad hand in life ruining his confidence. She decided to be brutally honest and bluntly said, "You are smarter than you think, you just need to see that yourself. Your scumbag sperm donor was jealous of how great you could be and kept putting you down so you would not see how good you really are. He?s gone, history, buried in a pauper?s grave. You are alive, living with the best family in the city, with friends who care, and a girlfriend who loves you. You need to see that you are better than you think you are. Christina sees it, Uncle John and Aunt Valerie see it, and even Michael and Jaimie see it. You don?t. You are allowed to be smart; you are allowed to be who you are." Rebecca didn?t wait for a reply and left without saying another word. Miles was left to think over what she said carefully. She didn?t bother to protect his feelings; she went right for his throat and told him off. Miles looked at Valerie who heard the whole thing and had a smile on her face. She only said one phrase, "She is right." Miles just nodded and said a quiet, "I know. I am trying to fight what dad kept telling me. He always said I was dumb and would never amount to anything. I know you all want to help me but it?s so hard to see anything but the dumb poor drug dealer?s kid." Miles was now on the verge of tears which caused Valerie to embrace him. He finished wallowing and went up to his room to think to himself. John went to see him later and saw him staring out the window. Miles told him softly, "I am tired of feeling like crap because I like living here. I hate thinking you deserve better than me. Every time I try to feel comfortable I hear him telling me I am not good enough for you." John only nodded and sat beside him. He tried to find the right words or story to tell him but he couldn?t find it. When Valerie walked by he finally had his story. John gave her a big smile. She realized what he was about to do and mouthed, "Tell him". He turned to Miles and asked if he had heard the story of how he and Valerie would up together. He quietly answered, "No". John smiled and told him, "Your mom and I first met over three years ago in a small town called Newhall, just outside of Kansas City, MO. She and Michael helped me when I became stranded in town. We started talking and got along well, going so far as to become neighbors. Eventual we became close friends over time and I was looking after Michael as if he was my own son. We spent so much time together that we were a couple in all but name. Michael tried to get us together but I was too scared of saying or doing something to scare her off. I thought I was inadequate, not good enough for her. Here was a beautiful woman who could have any person she wanted and she kept close to me. She kept dropping hints that she liked me as more than a friend and eventually she kissed me." John had him enthralled. He smiled at that memory then continued, "When I became Jaimie?s foster father she helped me a lot and eventually the two kids along with the twins forced us together. They knew that unless we were forced to confront our love that I would never declare my love. She told me that I was the perfect man for her as I cared more about others than I did for myself. She stood by me when she could have saved herself from humiliation. She kept me going through a tough ordeal to keep Jaimie. All that time I felt she was too good for me but she refused to leave me, going so far as to force me to see that I was good enough for her." John was growing redder from the frustration of the story and love that he had was showing, "You need to see that you are good enough for our family, you are one of us and you deserve a good home and loving family. You are our son, and we love you unconditionally." John had tears in his eyes and hugged Miles deeply. Miles had never seen a grown man cry and seeing John doing so after telling him that story made him hug John deep. Miles looked at John who by now had stopped crying and quietly said, "I?m sorry dad, for causing you pain. I know you and mom care and I care too. I love all of you." John let him hug him back and ended the chat. Michael and Jaimie watched the whole hugging scene then whispered, "Newhall story" to one another. John gave them a nod which was returned, the duo walking off to let the story sink in. Valerie ushered the four downstairs for dinner which they ate in silence as the moment still hung heavy over them. After dinner Jaimie gave Miles a deep hug followed by Michael, both telling him, "You are good enough for us." Miles hugged back then told them, "I love you guys." Miles got odd looks the next day regarding his homework which Stacy had to smooth over. The fact that Miles had a 7th grader help him raised eyebrows, but when told Mr. Finn had approved of it was enough to get their approval. Miles sheepishly admitted to Mr. Herman that she was responsible for helping change Mr. Finn?s geography lectures the others looked at him oddly but Mr. Herman laughed and admitted, "Ah, those girls. We all thought he was joking." Courtney laughed, "That was no joke, we had to hear about for a month!" Mr. Herman looked at Courtney and saw the rolled eyes and frustration at recalling that memory. The rest of the class was giggling to which Mr. Herman added, "I?ll be sure to note to double check her work when they are here in two years, they have already shown they can do it." The kids all laughed at that, allowing him to start the class. Miles breezed through the day and reluctantly watched football team practice. He started to lose interest in the game after getting hurt, there wasn't much urge to help them anymore. He liked being with his friends but it just didn?t appeal to him. He walked away and watched the cheerleader practice which he found he enjoyed watching. The girls were fine with him being around, especially as he saw some suggestions to fixing minor problems that they were having trouble working out. They were happy to have him there watch them perform, especially as he wasn't leering at them. Their coach paid him little attention but Paige and Hannah ignored her complaints and made the changes Miles suggested, solving several of their troubles. Paige asked him how he was so gifted at problem solving; Miles simply replied, "I don?t know, I guess if I know how something is supposed to go I can see little things making it go wrong." Paige laughed and said he would make a good quality control person while Hannah suggested he?d be a good director. Jessica suggested he?d be an architect while Claire suggested an engineer. All of them were serious about their suggestions, Miles wasn?t ready to decide on what he wanted to be yet, he just wanted to help people out. Christina walked home with Miles instead of being driven by Paige. Miles talked about what happened the day before and asked her quietly, "Do you think I?m making a mistake? Am I good enough to be part of their family?" Christina stopped and looked him in the eyes and said, "You are good enough to be part of any family. They are pleased to have you join them and they love you for who you are not what they think you are. We all love you, you stole our hearts." Miles came back with a quick, "They felt sorry for me, if I wasn?t hurt when I came here they wouldn?t have wanted to be around me." Christina shook her head and told him what the girls had said about him, "You are the brother they all want. You are honest, caring, and brave. You are perfect for the family." She almost hated doing it but she told him about the boys? thoughts about him, "Michael is proud to be your brother and will tell anyone that; Eric and George are acting mature and asserting themselves more in the group and in school; Scott has started to become the group?s voice of reason while Richard is becoming a leader. All of them are better because of you. They love you, I love you." She leaned in and kissed him on the lips. He stopped in his tracks and looked at her as she had tears in her eyes. He leaned down and kissed her back, stopping to say, "You always know what to say and do. I love you too." A cheer was heard behind them. They turned back and Jaimie and Stacy were walking up. Christina and Miles blushed but Jaimie shot back, "We were wondering when you two would finally stop kidding yourselves and kiss." Stacy added, "Hannah won the pool, your moms won?t be happy though." Miles and Christina both asked, "What do you mean?" Stacy laughed and said, "They both had next week!" Chapter 21 After that kiss Miles released a lot of tension and let himself relax. He no longer felt like an outsider at home. He had a girlfriend who loved him. He had friends who respected and cared about him. He had girl friends who cared about him and would do anything to help him. He had everything he could want and need. In school he was doing well. His sling made writing impossible but he was able to get around tests with the help of trusted scribes after school under the guidance of another teacher. There were some complaints about him being able to see the tests ahead of time but when shown that he had to take a different test those stopped immediately. Mr. Herman went so far as to allow Christina and him to work on their lab reports together with each sharing the same grades. He could tell who added what part to the report just by comparing their homework assignments to the reports so neither was doing all the work. For their tests he simply had Miles do an online test which he had set up with the IT department at Mr. Finn?s suggestion, it was easy to do for all even if it was boring for the proctor overseeing the test. Miles took the test in front of a trusted colleague who thought the idea was a little unwieldy until shown how he could grade it in a second. It wouldn't work for history, English, or languages but it was fine for math and science. Miles simply shrugged and said, "It would work well from home too but you wouldn?t get honest answers" to which both teachers laughed and agreed. John didn?t bother with a written test, it wasn?t a proper way to show what he did or didn?t know. John just gave him simple multiple choice, true/false, and fill-in-the-blank questions all of which he answered verbally. He had Rebecca and Courtney's sister Jessie do the asking and marking while John watched from the rear of the room. Miles aced all of the questions and earned big smiles from the girls, they were happy that their time was well spent the year before. Mr. Herman looked at John and saw two younger girls with Miles and stopped him to ask what was going on. Miles smiled and told him, "These are two of the girls Courtney told you about, her sister Jessie and Stacy?s sister Rebecca. They just oversaw my taking of dad?s geography test." Mr. Herman looked at them in disbelief as they smiled and walked on. John got a good laugh and said proudly, "The rumor is true, they really did help me redo my geography lectures. These two are brutally honest and respected for being so." Mr. Herman shook his head at John?s antics and simply asked, "How are you a teacher here? You should be teaching one of the high priced prep schools." John smiled and said, "I had offers, none were as enticing as helping my hometown and my school." Mr. Herman got the picture and allowed them to go on with a nod to the girls. The second Friday in October Miles was able to forgo his sling. He was able to move his arm freely and write his own work. Despite his teachers? suspicions his writing was exactly as it was when he wore a sling and as Miles saw their disbelief he shook his head and bluntly stated, "I never lied about doing my own work, I am sorry if you did not believe me but even if I had someone transcribe it that was all my own work." Mr. Herman was pleased to have him back to normal. John didn?t play the lack of a sling any heed and just went about class as normal. His last period class saw him having the most trouble as he had to write faster than he was used to. He was able to do the assignment but it took him longer than expected. He told Ms. Nunez that he was rusty which got him a weird look. Miles could no longer hold back and shot back, "You try doing three things at once in two languages after not using your arm for a couple of weeks and see if you can do things as fast as normal." Miles? comeback got him a lot of laughs and earned a detention for him. He was silent for the rest of class but got his revenge through the others questioning every detail that Ms. Nunez was trying to teach and wasting class time. As he showed up for detention Jake Bollinger questioned why he was there then walked him back to class to question Ms. Nunez for her actions. What he heard caused him to nearly blow a gasket. He kindly explained that Miles was neither lying nor was he milking his injury and to suggest that he was in front of the class was inexcusable. He asked to see the assignment, ask what was wrong with it, and asked did he complete it in the allotted time. She was angry that he was there and questioning her actions against someone whom she viewed as being in the wrong. She tersely said, "He took a full five minutes longer than I allowed and snapped at me causing the other students in class to waste time." Jake asked again what was wrong with it to which she replied tersely, "He had several errors in punctuation." Jake shook his head and bluntly told her, "Are you aware that by law he is allowed to have additional time due to medical reasons, and thus by your actions you have violated his rights? Normally I would give you a simple warning but seeing as you tried to humiliate him I will go one step and suggest you apologize to him in front of the class tomorrow and to not question any student?s ability like that again. Do I make myself clear?" Ms. Nunez reluctantly agreed. Before Jake and Miles could leave John came into the room and wasn?t happy. Ms. Nunez demanded to know why he was there to which John shot back, "I want to know why you chose to humiliate my son." Jake intervened and told him, "I just took care of it and you will hear from Jaimie and Michael tomorrow about her apology in front of the class." Ms. Nunez demanded to know what her actions had to do with John. Jake glared at her and stated, "He is his foster father, soon to be adoptive father. He has the right to ask about this punishment from you as his guardian and now that he is aware of it he will ensure that his son Michael and daughter Jaimie, who are Miles? classmates as you are aware, ensure you do exactly as I have stated or you WILL face the consequences. Do I make myself clear?" Ms. Nunez quietly agreed. Miles left with John trying his hardest to not show he was upset. John didn?t have to see it to know he was upset. After a few minutes he finally said, "You didn?t do anything wrong, you were being bullied for no reason except ignorance and you stood firm. I am proud of you son." Tuesday went by without incident. Ms. Nunez made her apology to Miles in front of the class and asked Jaimie and Michael if it was to their father?s satisfaction. The two gave her a cold stare and replied bluntly, "It was." Michael added, "But our mom might have words with you about knowing the state's rules and regulations for teaching". Ms. Nunez tried to stay stoic but to have Valerie Finn on her back was asking for trouble. She knew to think twice before acting in a harsh manner towards any of the students in the future. Sean was keenly aware that Miles was avoiding the football field. His coaches were asking about him hoping he would be able to solve some of the problems that kept popping up but Sean was adamant that they back off. Sean wasn't going to make him return and he had reason for staying away from the field until he chose to return. Whenever on tried to question why he was so soft on the boy Sean bluntly said, "That isn?t being soft on him, that is understanding him. That boy has been through a mental hell that few know or understand and fewer have come out of on top. DO NOT and if repeat DO NOT attempt to intimidate or harass him into rejoining because it will backfire. Do I make myself clear?" Sean?s words were loud and clear and the team stopped what they were doing waiting for the reply. There were halfhearted replies of, "Yes" which few believed. Michael nodded to the others who looked at Sean who nodded back. The group was in agreement to watch the coaches around Miles. Sean could sense that something didn?t smell right with a few of them. They were old school coaches but at least one of them had more up his sleeve that he didn?t like. Miles needed to be kept an eye on. Michael was approached by one of the coaches as he tried to enter the locker room. Michael heard him out and let out a terse, "You heard Coach Beretta and I?ll say this once and only once: ask me to bring back Miles again and it?ll be the last time you ask anything. If you think I am joking, you saw what happened to the old coach. Back off." The same thing happened the next day with Richard and Scott. Both gave blunter answers. Scott went so far as to say, "If you try to ask another one of us you will regret it." The coach asked if it was a threat, Scott shot him a cold stare then said, "It?s a promise." Each incident was logged by Sean. He saw a pattern and didn?t like it. He had made some inquiries regarding the coaches to some friends who knew the coaches. Sean was told the coaches were all friends who associated with people from Miles? old housing projects. He saw trouble coming and asked Eric and George if they could have their dads hang around practices for the next two weeks. Both boys were no fools and waited to give their replies when the coaches were walking by them, "Our dads are proud to help the team out as your newest assistants. We will ask them tonight." Sean gave them a knowing wink, they weren?t the boldest of the group but they were eager to help out. The two arrived home and each relayed what was going on to their fathers. Eric wasn?t happy to hear about what they suspected, his father sat him down and explained what he did was probably the greatest act of friendship that he could have done and to let him handle things from now on. George was harder on himself, his father shared stories about what went on in those buildings. His father saw him growing more concerned about Miles and smiled inwardly, happy that the boy was acting like the strong person he wanted him to become. This wasn?t friendship, this was brotherhood and Miles was part of it now. Sean made John aware of his suspicions and brought in Willie Pena. Willie knew exactly what the racket was and thought he knew their next move once they failed to get him to come back. Sean and John looked at each other in disbelief; Miles was just a cheap pawn to them. Valerie sat in on their meeting and offered the only solution they had: take away their leverage. She made a frantic phone call then set up a big meeting the next day saying there would be seven people there. She named Sean, herself, Anne Connors, Chief Pena, Sgt. Daniels, and Trooper Vincent. She didn?t say who the other person was but assured them it would be important that they explain exactly what was going on to this person. Sean and Willie agreed, John asked if he needed to go to which Willie and Sean both said a quick, "No" adding, "You must keep up a normal front, don?t let on that anything is happening. The less you know the better for this overall. You would take the initiative on your own and destroy this before it happens. It's best to leave you out of it for the sake of both of you." John tried to refute that but Valerie shot him down adding, "We know you better than that, Alex and Mike may not be close but they know of you and know you will do whatever it takes to protect Miles. Listen to us, step back and let us handle it. Just keep an eye on Miles in school, it?s the one place we can?t be." The kids arrived home late. The three had gone to the twins? home and ate dinner with their aunt Karen. They were intentionally left unaware of what was going on but Michael could see his father wasn?t entirely there that night. He waited until he was able to be alone and bluntly asked, "Are you guys going to do something about the coaches harassing us about Miles? Don?t lie, I can see there?s something going on." John dropped his head in shame then said, "I can?t tell you, not without compromising things. I am being left out of the loop so I don?t even know what is going on. You will find out when it happens, just keep a close eye on Miles in school. All of you keep an eye on him." Jaimie popped in behind them to ask what was going on. Michael had to shoo her away with a quick, "Guy talk." Jaimie didn?t buy it but seeing the look on her father?s face told her all she needed to know, either she backs away or she gets punished. The next morning Jaimie tried to press Michael for information, only to be shot down again by John. She pouted but John sternly told her to back off. Valerie had to pull her aside and tell her bluntly that some things were private and not of her concern yet. She tried to ask what was really going on without revealing anything but Valerie tersely said, "Some things are kept from you for a reason, do I make myself clear? We know you want to help and you love Miles. You are a good person but you do not need to know everything going on about everyone all of the time." Valerie saw the four off to school then called Anne Connors to confirm the appointment. Sean joined Valerie for breakfast followed closely behind by Willie. When Leslie Finn picked up her niece and nephew and saw the two neighbors with Valerie she didn?t even bother to ask what was going on, only asking, "Do you need me to keep the twins later or will this be over before your normal time?" The two looked at her sly expression in surprise. Leslie just shook her head as she was leaving saying quickly, "After putting up with Roland for years I know only to ask what I need to ask and that alone. Whatever you are doing doesn?t affect me directly so I don?t want to know about it until it?s over with." The two nodded at the realization that she was right, the less that she knew the better. Valerie just shook her head and cursed her brother-in- law yet again. It was a rare time that the black sheep of the Finns had given them experience that benefited them in such a way. The three made their way to their meeting, which was revealed to Anne to be inside the judge?s chambers in the courthouse. Alex and Mike were waiting outside with a look that Valerie knew was trouble. The guys weren?t happy but told Valerie they were proud of their boys acting like grown men towards Miles? situation. Valerie shot back, "They are more mature than you realize, they just have to have the right motivation at times to show it. We saw it firsthand last June, they earned their place among their friends and earned the love of the girls without question." Both nodded knowing she was right. Once inside the chambers Judge Matthews asked what the problem was to which Willie took the lead, saying, "We believe that Miles Arnold is in immediate danger. Several coaches on his football team have been trying to get him to return to play despite injury and mental distress he is currently suffering from. We believe that they are being motivated by people associated with his birth father, Felix Arnold, who owed them money. Miles may be forced to pay his debt plus whatever interest they decide he owes." Sean added, "They have been trying for several weeks to get at Miles. This week they have tried to get at him through his foster brother and friends. I asked that Sgt. Daniels and Tpr. Vincent join our staff to observe them. We have also instructed Miles? foster brother and friends to keep an eye on him but fear that is not enough." Valerie steps in and adds, "We believe that when their indirect coercion fails they will try to go after him through social services by having him removed from our custody. We know the only place he will be able to be placed in is the group home which has several known associates of Felix Arnold living there and who we believe to be behind Miles? assault in August. Once he's there, whatever they want from him will be obtained and if they don't get it he may be killed." Alex chimes in with, "They have at least one member of social services in their employ, they will use that person to get the removal ordered. This will occur after another assault which will likely happen on school property. This will then be the basis for the claim that the family is unfit and he needs removal. We ask that you remove that hurdle thereby removing a corrupt public employee and protect a child in need." Mike goes one step further to say, "We know who will likely conduct the assault, we believe we know who is going to be the one to order the removal, and we have evidence that they have already set the date for the following Monday. Normally we wouldn?t go to you in such a manner but this is a matter of life and death, he may not survive the attack at school or on the street or even in the group home as the two who are going to conduct it have a strong grudge against the Finn Family." Judge Matthews asked what their proposed solution is. Valerie asked if he could speed up the adoption process. She stated, "We only ask because without it being finalized Miles is under constant threat of being removed from our care. The toll it is taking on him has been immense and the source of a lot of his problems and should they actually succeed in his removal we fear he might not survive. He tried to kill himself once due to his fears and failed due to our intervention. Without someone keeping a close watch on him he might succeed in his second attempt." Judge Matthews asked Anne if what she was saying is true. She redirected it to Sean who answered, "The boy is scared that he will lose his new family and despite knowing they are in the process of adopting still shows signs of distress. For his own health I ask for this to be finished. Judge Matthews asked for what basis does he have for this diagnosis. Sean replies with a quick, "I?m a retired medical doctor who has referred dozens of patients suffering from similar mental health issues. His councilor Dr. Dane will verify what I have stated if need be." Judge Matthews thought over their plan and added a new wrinkle, "I would like you to phone me Friday after the assault or the attempted assault. The reason being is simple- I will be handling the request for removal next Monday. I want to see firsthand the results so he is protected from claims of abuse. If possible try to capture it on video so there is no doubt any injuries come from the attack and can?t be claimed otherwise. Furthermore I think it might be a lot easier to set them up if Miles isn?t there over the weekend, I recall Mrs. Finn that he now has two cousins now that would be itching to entertain him." Valerie looked at him oddly but Judge Matthews quickly shot back, "I know you were trying to forget that horrid town but for some of us it was a case we will never forget especially when two teenagers are able to chew out a doctor and prosecutor so eloquently." With a last smile Judge Matthews signed the forms and made the name change as well. Miles? status was going to be hidden until the trap was sprung. Miles? dilemma was all over, he was now Miles Finn and finally and forever part of the Finn Family. Chapter 22 Sean hurried over to the school, accompanied by Mike and Alex. The two spent an hour getting up to speed on the playbook while Sean looked over plans for the practice. Alex and Mike were novice coaches but they had played on peewee and high school teams so they knew the game. John was silent during his 2nd period break. Mr. Herman noticed that he was agitated but thought best to not ask too many questions. John could tell that Mr. Herman was itching to ask what was going on but had to whisper a quick, "I?ll tell you Monday" which he reluctantly accepted. John was still agitated until midway through 3rd period when he had Sean Beretta signal for him to come outside and told him that something will happen today and keep a close eye on Miles, he will know what is happening when he sees it. He also told him to talk with Valerie as something important happened that he will need to know about. During practice the two new coaches were side by side with their targets and never let them out of sights. Sean introduced them as new specialty coaches. This wasn?t actually a lie; they were coaching certain position players alongside their other coaches. The fact that they were being brought in mid-season was not brought up as it lessened what they had to do. Mike and Alex were actually enjoying the jobs and Sean had planned on keeping them on after he got rid of the rotten coaches. Their sons and friends were learning more from them than they were from the other coaches which in turn helped the team. Sean saw the difference immediately and made note to thank Willie for the suggestion. The practice went smoother and the only ones who weren?t entirely pleased were the ones who were being targeted by Alex and Mike. The players were all but ignoring their instructions while listening closely to Alex and Mike. The two had to strongly advise the coaches to back off the players at different times, reminding them that Sean had told them what they could and couldn?t do towards players. Those instructions fell on deaf ears which Alex and Mike noted and passed on to Sean, who had all but ensured the guys were gone for good that day. Once again at practice Miles was nowhere to be seen, opting to join John in the library sorting tests for him. John caught him watching the practice but saw that he just didn?t feel the urge to join them like he had before. John whispered quietly to him, "Not one of them blames you for giving up after what happened to you. You tried to play, helped out immensely, and you moved on. It?s what you do and do best. It?s your knack and we are proud that you have found it." Miles just nodded and went back to sorting the tests. Jake kept a close watch on Miles during the day and saw that John was watching him even closer than normal. When Miles was out of earshot he quietly asked what was going on. John quickly shot back, "Not here, in your office." Jake had John and Miles come down to his office so John and he could talk freely and without any interruptions from the staff. Miles was left waiting outside, but spent the time finishing his homework. Jake gave him a simple white lie telling him he had to discuss some new curriculum issues with John which Miles accepted as being true. Jake closed the door tight and asked John bluntly, "What is really going on?" John told him what was happening and what he expected to happen. He added that there was a lot more going on behind the scenes and that he knew they wouldn?t tell him adding, "It?s for the best that I don?t fully know in case I accidentally tip someone off. What I don't know can't hurt their plans." Jake?s face grew red with rage, to have that happen in his school by people who represent them was inexcusable. John nodded in agreement then told him the plan of action which Jake couldn?t help but smile at. Jake stood up and told him affectionately, "If it were happening to any other person I?d have intervened directly without question but for you and your group I know to leave it to the people who know best. As long as the school isn?t in danger or liable I won?t interfere, just let Sean know that I know." At home Valerie gave John a nod indicating it was done, whispering that Miles was officially their son. She then sat down next to Miles and asked him, "Would you like to spend the weekend with Karen and the twins? She has been meaning to have you over for a while." Miles reluctantly agreed, knowing she wouldn?t ask if it wasn?t something important like his previous visit with new family members. Valerie excused herself while Miles entertained the twins. Karen was more than willing to host Miles and went so far as to suggest that Bryan and he go for a night out on Saturday with the girls. When Valerie asked if he wanted to go out with Bryan, Paige, and Christina Miles? eyes nearly shot out in surprise, Karen took the shocked response as a yes and told Bryan about it. At the school the coaches were at it again, this time with clear view of Mike and Alex. They didn?t even bother to stop while the two were right behind them, asking Will and Pete to get Miles to come back. This time they heard and saw something that needed a response. The coaches held them by their shirts and shoved them into the wall and threatened to slam their heads into the wall if they didn?t get him to come back. That was all they needed to take them in. Pete and Will gave the two troopers a nod while both coaches were placed in handcuffs. Pete calmly stated, "We told you already we were not going to force him to come back no matter what you said." Will shot back with, "Just be glad you weren?t stupid enough to try this with Eric or George, you would not be breathing." Both coaches laughed, Alex calmly replied, "Both boys hold black belts in martial arts and are trained in self-defense. They may be smaller and weaker but they would have broken your arms and legs before you could react." The two were herded off to an awaiting cruiser. Willie was appraised as was Anne and Valerie. The next step was coming on Friday, and they weren?t going to like it. Miles could get hurt and worse they could lose him if things don?t go according to plan. Anne had a discrete meeting with her immediate supervisor about removal processes, she had to be absolutely certain that John and Valerie were covered and this whole charade doesn?t backfire on them. She knew the procedures that they normally used but had to be sure that what she had been told in the past hadn't been changed without her knowing. Her supervisor wasn't happy to have her asking questions that she felt Anne should have known, but had to answer her inquiries. Anne covered every angle short of corruption. She then double-checked what she had been told and what the proper process was. She was becoming a nuisance but Anne told her bluntly, "I was asked specifically by one of the children assigned to me about this as he needed to know. I want to be absolutely certain that I have everything covered." There was no further complaining; there were stiff penalties towards those who made mistakes and worse for their supervisors if they claimed ignorance. Anne asked specifically about social workers working someone else?s cases. This threw her supervisor for a loop and stated, "This can?t be done without express written approval of a supervisor. Without it any orders are invalid and place the agency in deep trouble with the governor and the courts." Anne was working her over hard and finally got that a judge needed to sign off on any permanent removal and even then they needed explicit proof or a valid threat to the safety and welfare of the child. Anne had her ammunition, both inside and outside the agency. The Finns were going to be protected even if it meant she lost her job in retaliation. The rest of the week went by fast. Mr. Herman kept an eye on the kids after his impromptu talk with John. Jake hovered close by during period breaks and observed Miles from a discreet distance. John was the last into class and the first out during his geography classes, ensuring nobody was hovering near the classroom. Miles was oblivious to what was going on. At home John and Valerie kept his mind on the upcoming weekend with warnings and tips regarding how to handle his new cousins and aunt. Michael and the boys kept their eyes firmly on Miles in and around school and kept his mind constantly occupied by talking about various topics between classes. Jaimie tried to keep Miles busy by probing him about his date on Saturday which he tried hard to avoid talking about. The girls kept joking with Christina about the date which got her to blush each time Miles brushed off their jokes not intending to bring attention to himself, but he was as nervous about their first official date as a couple as she was. Friday afternoon the group gathered for the game that night at the school. Miles was staying at the school with John while John worked on his assignments for Monday and kept Miles from being alone for too long. By 4 PM Miles got up to go to the bathroom which John followed discreetly behind along with Jake, both men not wanting him out of their sights and hoping that it was just a precautionary move. Michel, Eric, and George were close behind Miles, having themselves appear to be heading to the bathroom as well. As Miles entered the bathroom two supposed classmates quickly followed close behind at a pace that was too fast to not be anything but trouble. Michael saw them grab Miles as the door closed and told Eric and George to speed up as he filmed. Inside the bathroom the two guys were shouting at Miles, threatening that if he didn?t give up the money that his father owed to them that they would do worse than they did in the group home. Both punched him in the stomach several times, not giving him much of a chance to fight back as he lay on the floor protecting his head and stomach. Eric and George rushed in and knocked both attackers down with quick kicks to their knees, causing shrill yells of pain. The two got up and tried to rush them but were grabbed by the wrists and flung over, snapping them and causing nore screams of pain. Eric and George stood over Miles as he lay in pain on the floor as Jake and John grabbed the two and dragged them outside where Alex and Mike were waiting. Michael showed them the video and both smiled saying, "Gotcha. Two counts of assault, criminal threats, and criminal conspiracy. Thanks for also giving us the ammunition to close the assault case from August." Jake didn?t bother with formalities, just got their names. Neither were students at the school so he proudly said, "Add criminal trespassing to the mix, these two were expelled last year and barred from the school. We will happily press charges against them alongside your charges." John called Valerie who then called Judge Matthews. He would meet them at Karen?s house shortly. Jake was told, "We have to take him to see someone important. If we don?t we do so we risk having him removed from our custody either tomorrow or on Monday." Mike told John, "That video should be more than enough to satisfy him, and Anne will be have something up her sleeve for her colleague on Monday." Miles asked what was going on. John couldn?t answer him directly only saying, "We have to take you to your aunt?s house for the weekend, there is something going on involving you that is being sorted out. You have done nothing wrong and in fact everyone you see is trying their hardest to ensure nothing bad happens to you. Please just trust us, I know you have a problem with trusting people but please just trust us. If we don?t do this you could be removed from our care and something terrible will happen to you." Miles looked at John and sees that look of concern that he had never seen before. He sighed and agreed to trust him. Michael tries to go with John but is told, "We need you, Eric, and George here. Nobody can know what is going on not even your sister or your friends. They will find out on Monday. Sean knows what happened already and will be expecting you shortly. Sgt. Daniels and Trooper Vincent will be there as soon as possible, if anyone asks where they are, tell them they had to do something for work." John left with Miles and immediately headed to Karen?s house where they are greeted by Karen, Anne, and Valerie. Inside, Judge Matthews asked if they captured it on video. John shows it which gets Judge Matthews angry but fades as he sees the smaller boys? response. They had a good 30 pounds and almost a foot in height on each of the boys but were brought down easily. John pointed out quickly, "They are Eric Vincent and George Daniels, sons of Sgt. Daniels and Trooper Vincent who I assume you already met. They really did a number on the two and ensured that they spent the weekend at the Shattuck Hospital getting treatment." Judge Matthews just smiled and asked, "Were they supposed to be there or did it happen to be them that were there?" John shook his head and smiled saying, "The boys were switching off who was keeping an eye on Miles. It was their turn to keep an eye on him, it was just pure luck that those two were the ones to be there. Their dads were already close by but were unaware that their sons were involved. It probably ended up being worse for the two, they tried to strike at the boys and ended up with broken wrists and arms alongside their torn knee ligaments." The humor aside, Judge Matthews asked Miles to remove his shirt to see the damage the two had done to him. There were two red small welts that were fading fast but no bruises. Miles had braced himself for their punches so they hurt but didn?t leave deep marks, this saved him from the bulk of the blows. Judge Matthews took photos of the marks and had them emailed to his office along with the video. He asked that Miles go into the spare bedroom and give them a few minutes to talk without him. Miles didn?t question what was going on, just nodded and started to remove his clothing for the weekend from his bag. When Miles left, Judge Matthews made a phone call to the court clerk on duty and asked that the two being held be held until Monday have their arraignment postponed until the afternoon and that they have no contact outside of their lawyer due to impact on another case that they will receive early Monday morning. There was no argument only a simple, "Yes your honor." Judge Matthews turned to the few assembled stated, "Those photos are to be used both for the prosecution of the two who attacked Miles and against Anne?s colleague. When that person files for the removal I?ll deny the removal and instruct the court officers to place them under arrest for filing a false document, criminal conspiracy, and attempted kidnapping. Anne I just need you to verify that they visit tomorrow morning, I know that the department has to go through you to remove Miles so anyone other than you visiting or appearing in court for the removal are involved. Hopefully it?s only one person." Anne agreed quickly. Judge Matthews asked for Miles to come back in then tells him, "Monday you can go to school without a care in the world. Nobody will remove you from the school except your parents, your principal already knows about what is happening as I am sure John already told him some of what is going on. I won?t play games, and if need by I?ll order the whole department put under review to ferret out the corrupt workers. But know this: these are your parents and you are not going anywhere." Miles stood stunned by what Judge Matthews had said. He honestly didn?t know how to respond. Karen ushered him out of the living room into the kitchen to eat while the rest left. She didn?t try to understand what happened or why, she just let him eat in peace. Later that evening Bryan and Hannah returned with Bryan not even batting an eye at Miles being there. Hannah gave him a quick hug then went to her room. After eating a late meal Bryan asked Miles what he wanted to do before the movie. Miles didn?t give him an answer only saying, "I?ll let the girls decide." Bryan laughed and added, "You must be taking lessons from Hannah." Hannah shot back, "He?s smart enough to know to bow to the superior sex." Miles blushed and sat down in the living room with his aunt while the two traded scowls. Karen looked over at Miles and asked, "Is it too late to trade them for your brother and sister?" Miles started laughing and shot back, "It depends. If you want the twins you are better off without Cat?s temper and need for attention but if you want Michael and Jaimie you are better off without Jaimie?s sharp tongue and need to know everything all of the time." Karen rolled her eyes and said, "I?m doomed to having both! And that?s just Hannah!" Hannah gave her a hard glare while Bryan rolled his eyes. Miles was now rolling around laughing. It was the most fun he had had in a long time. Bryan and Hannah went off to their rooms while Miles and Karen stayed in the living room. Karen grew serious and asked him how he was feeling. Miles honestly answered, "Do you three always act like that? They are always fighting when they are with each other." Karen smiled and nodded, adding, "All of us, including your dad and mom and Aunt Leslie, act like that towards one another. It?s just how we show we love one another. You haven?t seen it yet because the others have held back, not wanting to upset you. We talked after you met with Aunt Victoria and Uncle Jorge and felt that you weren?t ready yet to see the family as it normally is but unfortunately events have transpired to force you to have to stay with us which gives you a view of how things really are among us. Hannah and Bryan can barely contain their banter, but that was not full force. You might see it before the weekend is out." Karen saw that he was thinking about what she was saying and told him something the others hadn?t, "The twins, Michael, and Jaimie haven?t acted that way directly with you but you have seen it with how they act towards your friends. That isn?t because they weren?t including you, it was because they were worried that if they did so you would think they were doing it to make you feel bad. They didn?t want you to feel like you weren?t part of the family or you weren?t their friend. They care so much about you that they changed how they act around you. It?s a lot to take in but it?s the truth." Miles thought back long and hard about what she had said. Whenever he was with the others they joked and teased each other but never him. They included him in everything except the teasing, directing it away from him. The closest they came was Jaimie and Stacy and that was more towards Christina than him. He thought about what Eric and George had done for him earlier, what the others did towards the teachers, what John and Valerie had done from the start. Everything finally made sense. His friends did care about him. Most importantly to him, the Finns did love him. After tonight seeing the real Finns he liked having them as relatives, he didn?t think he?d like it but he really did. He was starting to love the idea of having a real family. Karen saw Miles? smile and knew he had his epiphany. She excused herself and texted Valerie with the simple message, "He is already trading jabs better than Bryan." She showed John the text who smiled and said a simple, "That?s my boy." Chapter 23 Miles slept comfortably that night in the guest room. He was up before the others, watching TV until his cousins and aunt woke up. Bryan was the first down and told him they were set for the night with Christina and Paige coming by around 5PM. Hannah popped in and told him, "No funny business in the back rows" which Bryan shot back, "Nah, that?s what you usually do. I prefer to sit in the middle and watch the movie instead of swapping gum all night." Miles just sat back and watched the two go at it. He asked Hannah if she was going out with Pete which got her red and speechless. Bryan nearly choked on his cereal when Miles said that, his cousin had disarmed her without thinking. Karen was the last to come in and seeing Hannah stumbling for a retort she joking asked Bryan what he said. Bryan pointed at Miles who shrugged and told her, "She was joking with Bryan and all I did was ask if she and Pete were going out later." Karen burst out laughing then told him, "You just stopped her in her tracks, she can?t rightfully tease Bryan without having her own date which apparently she doesn?t have. I think this is a new record on outwitting Hannah, your dad and aunt are going to love this!" Hannah gave him a glare which he returned. He wasn?t about to let her push him around for something he didn?t mean to do. Bryan stepped in to say, "Don?t blame him for leaving yourself wide open. He asked an innocent question, it?s not his fault that just happened to be the only question you didn?t have an answer to." Karen ended the little squabble by asking her if Pete was busy, Hannah nodded saying, "He?s visiting relatives." Bryan and Miles spent the day together going out with friends. Michael wasn?t with them having been asked to hang back at home for the day. The guys didn?t question why he was missing, just noting that it was for a reason. Will was in top form, cracking jokes about anything especially the school. Miles asked if it was illegal to torture the students by cranking the air conditioning so high in the fall or was it deemed a motivator. Bryan cracked up laughing, countering, "If you think that?s bad, wait until you roast in the winter and spring!" The seven of them went back and forth for an hour before Bryan and Miles had to head back for their dates. The five others wished them luck with George joking, "Now that she?s Jenna?s sister I have to say ?don?t do anything that she could take out on me!?" Miles countered with, "OK, I won?t be a perfect gentleman so she won?t be expecting you to be one as well." This got the others nearly wetting their pants with laughter and George turning red over the just embarrassment. Bryan gave him a nod of approval and in the car simply said, "Remember what mom told you last night? George has laid down the gauntlet, the kid gloves are off, expect no quarter to be given next time. They are going to give the same to you as they give to each other. You are one of us through and through now." Miles gave him a big smile. He wanted this to happen for a long time but it?s official now. He hoped he lived up to the hype, but it felt good to fool around like that with people he cared about. Bryan laughed at his smile and added, "You are a natural, not even Hannah could have given him a better comeback." Back at home Bryan was quick to tell about Miles? quick put-down of George. Karen gave him a big smile and said, "I told you so." While Hannah was in her room and Bryan out of earshot Miles asked her, "Why didn?t you get considered for fostering me?" Karen sat down and grew quiet, telling him softly, "To be honest I would have loved to have taken you in but there were few options and Mrs. Connors felt that John was best suited to help you recover. Did he tell you his full history?" Miles shook his head no, only saying, "I know about what happened in Missouri but that?s it." Karen took a deep breath and told him, "When was your age he was just like you. He shied away from making friends, afraid that he was never good enough for them. He was great in school but socially awkward. If not for your Aunt Melanie he would have been completely alone. He never got over that isolation; that is until he was stranded in Missouri and met Valerie and Michael. Those two changed him for the better and since then he has been a whole new person. Jaimie just completed what they had unintentionally started, giving him the child he never actually had but it all started with Michael and Valerie coming to him." Miles looked up at her and asked, "So that?s why he kept trying to reassure me, kept everyone from trying to making jokes about me? He knew what was going on inside?" Karen nodded, then added, "He paired you up with Sean Beretta for a reason, he saw that Sean could use your help as well. We all see what you are doing for him and thanks to you he is starting to see you kids and your parents in a whole new light. He?s seeing you all as his family." Bryan interrupted and told Miles they needed to get ready. Miles gave her a hug and went off to change. Hannah grew serious and asked, "Would you have adopted him if Uncle John hadn?t been able to take him in?" Karen shot back without thinking, "In a heartbeat". Hannah gave her a quick, "Damn, it would have been nice to have a brother who wasn?t a vain slob." Bryan shot back, "It?s no picnic having a pushy smart mouth who has more clothes than a department store." Karen just sat back and shook her head, mumbling, "Miles might think I am certifiably insane by tomorrow night for keeping those two." While Karen, Miles, and the twins were jarring at breakfast Anne came by the Finns to do her stakeout. She instructed them on what to ask, including asking for identification and reading their paperwork. She instructed them to also photograph both to show that the person tried to show them false paperwork. The final piece was to tell them that you were recording the visit including the answering of the door. Anne slipped over to the Lopez home to watch. Melanie was fighting back the urge to tear the false social worker a new hole while Dan was having trouble holding Melanie back. Anne had to calm Melanie down, thankfully their son DJ woke up requiring Melanie's attention distracting her for a while. On schedule at 9AM Anne spotted the person. She recognized the woman as one of the workers from her office, specifically the person who was to oversee her daughters? case. Anne had to hold back her anger at the blatant disregard for all that they are supposed to uphold. Anne noted that the woman was there almost as if she was expecting something to happen the night before. It didn?t take a rocket scientist to see that she had been tipped off and this wasn?t a normal home visit, she had to have known about the events beforehand and was acting according to a plan. The fact that Miles was Anne's client made the visit pointless as she'd be the one to be there if there was a complaint, even with a potential conflict of interest she'd have been involved directly and would have to officially hand-off the case on Monday. Over in the Finn home John filmed while Valerie answered the door. The person identified herself as Miles? social worker and demanded to be let in for a surprise inspection. Valerie asked for her credentials and Miles? paperwork to verify that she was who she claimed to be and that it was for what she claimed it was for. Valerie also told her that this visit was being filmed for legal reasons. The impostor objected to that until Valerie stated, "We are within our legal rights to protect ourselves from invalid claims so if you have a problem with this please feel free to assign another social worker. We will also fight any attempt to remove Miles for refusing based on being filmed. We have no problem showing you our home, but we will not allow you to do so without being filmed." Valerie called her bluff perfectly, if she was going to try to get Miles she would have to play along with Valerie and Valerie had her red handed doing the visit. She was shown around the house and acted like she was taking notes, writing down some things but not saying much to the couple. Valerie could tell the scribbles were just gibberish but didn?t let on. After the impromptu tour she demanded to see Miles. Valerie stated that he was visiting with their family for the weekend and was unavailable. The impostor stated, "We received word that Miles was being abused by you and your husband. I need to see him to verify that he is not being abused. As you have refused to produce him I am hereby forced to remove him from your care. Considering that this is not the first time that he has been hurt while in your care we will be seeking permanent removal." Valerie sensed there was more going on there. She asked, "Just how many times has he been supposedly hurt while in our care?" She gave back a quick, "Three times" which Valerie gave a false, "Damn, alright then if you must seek removal then so be it. We will fight it, though." She said she would be back with the police to remove Miles on Monday. Once she was out and in her car John told her, "Got it all on camera. She just accidentally admitted to being part of the conspiracy thanks to you." Anne came over and reviewed the video. Anne was laughing at her inattention; she never once looked at the twins who were standing in their playpen staring at her. She didn?t ask Jaimie or Michael any questions, just glanced at their rooms and moved on. Anne shook her head and said, "If she was actually here to check on Miles she would also have been required to check on the twins as well as she claimed it was due to abuse allegations. It's a serious omission." Valerie hadn?t even thought of it, she just gave them more ammunition. John mentioned the, "Three times". Anne nodded saying, "That was a big mistake. She should never have told you that and she would have seen that the first time was before he was in your care and was the reason why he was placed into your care and the second was related to a missed diagnosis due to the first time. Further, she should also have returned later on when Miles was around or demanded to know where he was and gone to see him personally. Our supervisor either didn?t know how badly she was trained or didn?t train her well enough, but she is going to be in deep trouble herself as I have to report her to the regional director." Anne waited for Karen to call with an update on Miles and as she told Valerie all three were laughing and smiling. Anne gave them a sly smile and asked, "Is there something in the water at you houses or is it a learned trait? All 11 of you Finns are bonkers." John gave her a sly grin and said, "Once you join the family, your mind starts to go." Anne quickly shot back, "Does that include in-laws?" Valerie joined in and said, "Sorry, it infects them as well. Don?t worry, you will enjoy being as bonkers as us." Anne laughed then smiled adding, "At least I have two years to get used to the idea." John just nodded his head and joked, "One of us, one of us." Anne loved the banter and enjoyed the idea of being part of the family in the future now that she had two potential suitors for her daughters. The three were joking back and forth while Michael just sat back and watched. Jaimie shook her head and said, "I think they have finally gone off the deep end." Michael shot back, "Mom and dad went overboard a while ago, Mrs. Connors is just getting sucked in now. If Jenna has any sense she will save herself before it?s too late." Jaimie looked at their dad and asked Michael, "Do you think Aunt Karen got him to calm down?" Michael asked, "Does this answer your question" then showed Jaimie what Bryan had texted him which got the two laughing. Jaimie smiled and said, "He?s one of us alright, and he?s already getting his licks in good." Michael texted the others about what Miles had done to Hannah. Richard and Will gave him a quick, "No mercy" which they both giggled at. John finally came over and asked what was going on which Jaimie explained, "Aunt Karen told him the truth about the rest of us and he accidentally got Hannah good now the others aren?t taking it easy on him." John giggled and told them, "If he can shut down Hannah by accident those boys don?t stand a chance." Back at Karen?s house, Paige and Christina stopped for an early dinner with their boyfriends. Hannah was grumpy but didn?t say much to either of the couples. Paige gave her a sympathetic pat on the back but Hannah was still obviously jealous. Christina was antsy, she didn?t know how to act with Karen observing her closely. Miles was the same way, trying hard to not do anything to upset his aunt. When all four were finished eating they set out for their movie date. Karen noticed Miles and Christina holding hands as they walked out, Bryan and Paige simply had their arms around each other at the waist. Hannah quietly said, "Those two don?t even notice their hands, it?s almost automatic." Karen shook her head and said, "They are taking things very slow and obviously love each other, you didn?t say anything about Paige and Bryan who were about ready to suck each other?s faces off." Miles held the car door for Christina while Paige got in the front seat and drove. The two again held hands which they finally noticed. They blushed at one another and pulled back but within a minute were back together. Bryan just shook his head as he saw it, Paige giggling and whispering, "Your mom saw them doing that in the house. She had the look that she had when we first went out." Bryan whispered back, "Don?t remind me, she practically had us picking out wedding rings by our third date." Christina and Miles were silent as the car drove. They knew they were holding one another?s hand but liked the feeling it gave them. At the theater Miles bought Christina?s ticket and food for which she gave an odd look. Paige leaned down and whispered, "Just go with it, never pass up free food from someone you care about." Christina just blushed and walked on. Paige shook her head and again cursed her parents for making her so self-conscious. Bryan whispered to her, "Give it time. You can?t undo bad influences in a month, some of them take a long time." Looking at Miles who was carrying both of their popcorn, candies, and soda she whispered back, "Maybe she just needs the right person." Bryan shot back a happy, "She found him, she just doesn?t fully know it." The movie was your typical overblown comedy, nothing that they hadn?t seen before. Christina had held onto Miles? hand throughout. At some point she leaned her head onto his shoulder, Miles didn?t seem to notice until she laughed and he felt her hair brush against his neck. She didn?t move when he noticed, he just left it alone and let her feel comfortable. Miles had no intention of trying any moves on Christina and she had no intention of doing the same. The two were the only couple in the theater who weren?t groping or kissing. The fact that they could see Bryan with his arm over Paige and her head snuggling into his shoulder wasn?t lost on them, they just didn?t bother doing anything more. After the movie was over they had time to kill so relaxed in the lobby. Bryan and Paige went to the restrooms while Christina and Miles waited. They were talking quietly when two boys walked by. Christina recognized them as former classmates whose parents moved out of town, Miles knew that they were kicked out of their housing projects for getting behind on their rent. The boys immediately recognized Miles and stopped to laugh. One asked, "How could they let cheap trash like him into the theater? What did you do, sneak in through the back door?" The other shot back, "He probably sold some of his dad?s stash, I hope he got a profit or his daddy will be beating him again." Miles ignored them, continuing to talk with Christina. Christina didn?t even bother to acknowledge the two, focusing solely on Miles. The two saw Miles and her deep in conversation and started to hassle her saying, "Girl you can do better than that garbage. Get with a real man." The other added, "I bet she doesn?t know he doesn?t have a penny to his name." The two continued to ignore the boys which was causing them to get frustrated. By now their loud voices was attracting attention from others who were watching the action and impending fight. Bryan and Paige were by now out of the restrooms and walking over towards the couple. Paige held him back saying, "This might not be a good idea just yet, let them make the mistake of doing something more than taunting." Paige?s prediction paid off as the two started to shove Miles as they taunted him. He just continued to talk with Christina, not giving them any attention. Bryan had seen enough and grabbed the two by the shoulders and pulled them back. The two cried in pain as Bryan asked authoritatively, "Why are you two hassling my cousin and his girlfriend?" The two looked at him with fear in their eyes. Bryan was taller, larger, and had them firmly in his grasp. The larger of the two shot back, "He doesn?t have any cousins, all he has is that drug dealer loser father." The second shot back, "And he doesn?t have a dime to his name, that kid probably snuck in here." Bryan turned the two around and bluntly said, "He paid for his and his girlfriend?s tickets with his own money. He has a mother, father, two sisters, and two brothers. And unfortunately for you, he has a cousin who is a split second away from snapping your arms. If you ever hassle him again you will regret it." The two ran off scared, Bryan was turning redder as he said each word and was tightening his grip before he released them. The two tried to complain but were told to leave, their pushes had been seen and recorded on video. Bryan nodded to the security officer who nodded back. Miles apologized for the troubles but was cut off by the officer who shot back, "You didn?t do anything, your cousin had every right to defend you and those two are lucky they aren?t in handcuffs." He turned to Bryan and said, "You had more restraint this time. The last time you stopped a fight you nearly broke the kid?s jaw." Bryan blushed and added, "Proportional response." Christina tried to get an answer about what he meant by, "Last time." Paige looked at Bryan who nodded and said, "Stacy was being felt up by a boy who wouldn?t take no for an answer so Bryan ran over and punched him. He ended up knocked out and in pain for weeks." Miles tried hard to forget that incident as Stacy was severely traumatized by it and he had to shy away from the others after. He was there as Jenna's date and saved Stacy's reputation but it was tough to date her for a while due to bad memories. Stacy recovered but Miles reverted to being an outcast again, only dating Jenna again at her pleading request. Miles looked at Bryan to see if he remembered him being there that night but Bryan was too focused on driving. Paige added a quick, "He never did ask for a second date with me after that." Bryan shot back, "How could I, you saw how bad I could get." Paige shot back, "No, it showed you cared" then let the matter go. Chapter 24 Miles and Christina were exhausted by the trauma of dealing with those two boys and the anxiety of going on their first true date as a couple. Both fell asleep in the backseat with their heads leaning on one another. Bryan had to ask Jenna and Anne to help them with Christina. First though, Paige took a picture of the sleeping couple both for their own record and for future sisterly blackmail. Anne and Jenna both laughed at what she was doing, letting her have a little fun to ease her own tension. She needed it, she was nervous all day despite her calm demeanor. That fun out of the way Christina was barely able to walk, leading Anne to ask about what happened. Paige blurted out what happened to which Anne hugged Bryan. She kissed his forehead and thanked him for doing that for them. Bryan shrugged it off and added, "I didn?t do anything that he wouldn?t have done for me and Paige." The two got back into the car and drove off as Anne smiled at the idea that those two were perfect as family. He cared about Miles more than he let on and his actions showed that he was proud to have him as his new cousin. At Bryan?s home Karen and Hannah had to help with Miles. He was just as bad as Christina at walking making the three of them work hard to get him to his bed. Hannah asked about what went on to which Paige recalled the events. Hannah shook her head. When it came to explaining Miles being sound asleep Paige showed them the photo of the two asleep in the backseat. It was sweet, the two were holding hands and had their heads together. Hannah joked, "Technically they could say the ?slept together? as they slept in the car." Bryan gave her a look that made her shut up immediately followed by her mother saying, "I know you are joking but that kind of joke can ruin lives. This impacts two of them to be exact, and two very vulnerable ones in fact. I swear that there are times that you have all the brains in the world and no common sense." Hannah slunk off to her room in shame. Bryan shook his head then asked, "Don?t you think you were a little hard on her?" Karen shot back a quiet, "Some things just shouldn?t be joked about with kids so young. They have a lot of work to do to tear away what their birth parents had done to them and something like that would give the wrong impression that ruins their reputations and hurts them emotionally and mentally. It may be in jest but it?s a reputation killer especially for girls." Bryan understood what she meant now. Karen was still awake when Miles woke up from his impromptu nap. He didn?t realize he was at his aunt?s house until he saw the furniture. He went downstairs for a quick drink and was motioned to sit with Karen. She looked him over and couldn?t see any trace of the anxious, quiet, frightened boy who had come to her houses on Friday night. Karen asked him politely, "Did you two enjoy the movie?" Miles said a quiet, "Yes". She asked, "Did you act like a gentleman towards Christina?" He again said, "Yes". Karen smiled and told him, "Then you two are already doing better than you realize. She had fun and enjoyed being with you, Paige could tell without having to ask her." Miles quietly said, "I am afraid that she will think less of me for what happened in the lobby." Karen shot back with, "What happened in the lobby wasn?t your fault and she doesn?t think any less of you for choosing to avoid a fight with people looking for trouble. She isn?t that kind of girl anymore, she saw you were only thinking of her and took the abuse rather than respond. You are a real gentleman and she loves that about you." She let him think about what she just said. She dropped the, "L" word on him on purpose, she could see he loved her and she wanted him to know that Christina did as well. Miles slunk off to sleep with that thought bouncing around and actually smiled at the thought of her thinking that way about him. In the morning Karen drove Miles home with the twins going out with friends. She didn?t waste any time and retold John and Valerie what happened on the date. Miles couldn?t handle the embarrassment and went off to his room to put his clothes away while awaiting the inevitable Jaimie interrogation. Jaimie saw Miles? door open and went right into her questioning. Miles sighed then told her everything that happened except the lobby incident. She giggled at him falling asleep in the car and at the whole hand holding thing. Miles grew embarrassed and told her, "If you are going to make a fuss I?m just going to stop now. It?s hard enough dealing with Hannah?s jokes I don?t need your laughing." Jaimie stopped and saw he was on the verge of tears. She immediately grew cold and asked, "What did she do to you?" Miles mumbled, "It?s not her, it was me." She sat him down and shut the door then asked him to tell all, not to leave out anything. Miles told about what happened in the lobby and how neither of them said or did anything and how he left Bryan to do what he felt he should have done. Jaimie shook her head and bluntly said, "You did the right thing and she won?t blame you for anything. You are too much of a gentleman to fight people unless they leave you no other choice. Bryan has no problem defending his family and friends when they are in trouble and he saw that you were trying your hardest to protect Christina so he jumped to your defense to even things out. He does this for everyone he considers family. Just ask Stacy, but I know you remember him doing that for her two years ago- you were there for it and saw it yourself." Jaimie waited for him to say something. He just let it go and asked, "Do they always have to joke about every little thing over there?" Jaimie knew he was starting to let things sink in and told him, "They are twins, they fight over everything and anything." Miles joked, "Aunt Karen wanted to trade them for you and Michael" Jaimie shot back, "Let me guess, you said I always want to know it all and have a sharp tongue?" Miles nodded his head and said, "And told her the twins weren?t much better, especially with Cat?s temper and need for attention. Aunt Karen said she?s doomed to both no matter what with Hannah" to which Jaimie said, "Good, you already know how things work in this family." The two were laughing hard now bringing Michael in to see what was going on. Miles relayed the story and laughed too adding, "You could have just offered JD and me but those three in one house would be a nightmare for you!" Jaimie glared at him then said, "Don?t be jealous of our inherent greatness" which got Miles laughing hard again. Michael just took it, letting Miles enjoy the banter before he had to participate in it himself. John and Valerie could hear the three laughing upstairs. The two just looked at one another with knowing glances and smiled. Their newest son was getting into the spirit of being part of the family and enjoying himself. The next day was going to be a big one for him emotionally so they hoped he could muster the strength to accept that it was finally over for him, he was officially part of the family now. Over dinner John asked what all that laughing was about. Miles turned red while Jaimie just smirked. Michael finally told them, "Miles shot down Aunt Karen?s offer to trade the twins for JD and Cat or Jaimie and I for Hannah and Bryan." John and Valerie looked directly at him and asked, "What did you say about it?" Miles quietly replied, "Jaimie knew it all and had a sharp tongue and Cat had a temper and need for attention." John and Valerie now burst into laughter as the two saw Jaimie grow angry at their reaction. John patted him on the back and Valerie hugged him saying, "You really do understand your sisters." John added, "No matter who we traded for, we get the short end of the deal. We wouldn?t trade you five for anyone." The three blushed as John gave Valerie a big smirk at that big ego boost to the three that they needed. Monday morning John and the three were at school early. Their friends were pressing for information about their dates but neither Christina nor Miles were saying much. Pete knew exactly what went on and misdirected the group as he blurted out, "Nothing happened during the date, not unless you count hand holding which they are doing right now." The two quickly separated their hands to the amusement of the others. Pete gave Miles a nod saying he had him covered, Miles expected him to know through either Bryan or Hannah so he wasn?t about to tell without making either of them angry. Christina and Miles kept to themselves much of the day, it wasn?t that big of a deal to them and once class started all eyes were on their work. During lunch they were talking about other things such as the upcoming Halloween dance and parties that they might want to go to. Miles was quiet about things, he wasn?t about to go to a party even if it was with friends. He wasn?t interested in partying and he just didn?t trust his classmates to not annoy him or worse confront him about his past. He just wanted to spend time with his loved ones even if it meant that he would watch the twins while his parents did something on their own. While the kids were in class that morning, Judge Matthews awaited his chance to nail the conspiracy to extort Miles. He was supposed to be impartial but since this is an attempt to misuse the judicial system for illegal means to extort money from a child he in good conscience couldn?t allow it to happen. As he was involved he would have the case moved to another judge who would arraign the defendants later on in the day. He looked forward to being a witness instead of overseeing matters, he could handle both prosecutors and defense lawyers so he was ready for that challenge. It had been years since he had to face a judge himself and had a newfound respect for them, seeing the worst in people and dealing with both overzealous prosecutors and slimy defenses earned that respect. It also helped that he wanted justice done for Miles and help put a dent in local crime, lessening his workload. At just before 9AM his clerk informed him that he was going to be visited regarding an emergency removal by social services. The clerk nodded to the judge, he had handled the request on Friday so he knew this was important to the judge. He had in his hand what the judge had requested on Friday and handed both the initial petition and copies of the pictures and video from Friday which Judge Matthews accepted and smiled at receiving. Evidence in hand Judge Matthews kept a straight face as a woman was led into his chambers and requested that one Miles Arnold, 14 years old and currently residing in the Finn household, be removed. Judge Matthews asked for the particulars and was handed a sheet of paper to which he read over. He knew it to be a standard application for removal that required his signature. It was already signed and dated, he just had to sign off on it. Judge Matthews signaled his clerk with a prearranged signal and stalled a bit by asking the woman to tell what this was all about. He started to hear about claims of Miles being physically abused and being put into the hospital twice by the Finns and on the previous Friday being seen abused at the school by John. He asked if they had witnesses to those incidents she said a quick, "Yes, two of them". To his surprise she showed him a pre-written statement giving the names of two people. Judge Matthews recognized the names as the two who were caught in the act assaulting Miles in the bathroom before being stopped by Miles? friends. He asked if she was submitting that to the court as proof and she said another quick, "Yes." A knock on the door and the clerk nodded. Judge Matthews gave a quick, "Send them in" to which four people were escorted inside the chambers. Judge Matthews handed the documents over to one of the people and watched as the woman turned around quickly. Her face sunk low as she recognized two of them and let out a quick, "Fuck!" Anne Connors spoke first and asked her if she had cleared this removal with her supervisor. When the woman claimed, "Yes" Anne handed the sheet to a woman standing next to her who claimed, "This is not my signature, it?s my name but it is not my signature." Judge Matthews nodded then nodded to the man who had the papers originally. Anne asked her specifically, "Did you go to Miles Finn?s home on Saturday with the intent on doing an inspection?" She answered, "No" to which Anne handed a video to the judge and stated, "This is video taken by John Finn of this woman inspecting the Finn household. She has no right to do so and as you can hear on the video she threatened to remove him today." The man asked specifically, "What reason would there be for objecting to a fellow social worker visiting the home of a child in foster care?" Anne smiled and said, "Two reasons. First she was not the social worker assigned to his case, I was. Second he is no longer in foster care at all, he is legally their son by adoption through an order of the court. In fact he isn?t even legally Miles Arnold, he is Miles Finn. She had no right to visit nor did she even make any attempt to make it look like an official visit." Judge Matthews? curiosity piqued and he asked, "Why do you say that?" Anne smiled and came back with a quick, "There were four other children in the house at the time, two teenagers and two 14-month-old twins. If she was making an actual visit she would have been required to check on all four of those children as well, especially the toddlers. She did no such thing, she was only looking for Miles and left once she finished searching for him." Judge Matthews had heard enough. The man with Anne introduced himself to the social worker as an assistant district attorney and said, "All that evidence coupled with the fact that she just filed false statements to the judge that we know to be false she is to be arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, criminal conspiracy, submitting false documents, perjury, accessory after the fact regarding criminal assault, and trespassing." Judge Matthews nodded and the second man standing came forward with handcuffs reading the woman her Miranda rights. Judge Matthews and Anne talked for a minute about what just happened and Judge Matthews grew pale. He started to think that maybe there was a backup plan in case this one failed. The only other place they could get Miles was in school. He grabbed his phone and dialed the school to warn Jake Bollinger that they might try to get him directly with forged paperwork. Anne dialed John directly and told him to tell Miles? teachers to refuse admittance of any person who wasn?t a student or not escorted by Jake. Judge Matthews called Valerie to inform her about what was going on. He nearly fell over hearing Valerie mention she had to inform Governor Christian James about this to allow him to have something prepared. Valerie laughed then told him sweetly, "You remembered the Newhall thing, you forgot that Jaimie met him her first weekend as a girl. The two have become friends and he deserves to know in case the press start making inquiries." Judge Matthews started to laugh and added, "Now I remember and you guys really enjoy looking out for one another. This could get bigger though and he might have to tell them that it?s an ongoing investigation. I just hope that this doesn't turn into a circus when word gets out about it." At the school Jake Bollinger was in a meeting with Chief Willie Pena regarding the school?s resource officer postings. What was supposed to be a routine meeting turned into a worried moment. Jake hung up with Judge Matthews he gave Willie a quick synopsis of what might go down. Willie made a quick phone call and had a cruiser dispatched to the school to backup him and the school resource officer. A knock came to his door and three people were escorted into the room. The first stated that he was with social services and they were there to remove, "Miles Arnold" on order of a judge. Jake asked who the other two were to which he said, "They are police officers who are to assist me in the removal to prevent anyone from intervening." Willie was not amused and was fighting anger. Jake gave him a subtle, "calm down" look which Willie abided by, he sensed something was up Jake?s sleeve and let it go. The supposed social services worker?s tone was meant to intimidate Jake but only served to give him an idea. Jake asked to see the order and their identification as he could not legally allow them to see Miles without verification. He presented an order but right away Jake saw the signatures and knew they were bogus. He knew Anne Connors? signature and at times in the past had seen Judge Matthews? signature, both of which were on the document and both were clearly fake to the point of being laughable. The other two showed police badges which Willie had asked to see. When they showed them to Willie he shook his head and asked, "Which department do you gentlemen belong to?" The two quickly replied, "Winnisimmet Police." Willie?s eyes lit up and asked if they knew the chief to which both said, "Yes he?s the one who suggested we try to remove the child at the school." Willie had to hide his laughter as the two dug themselves into a deeper hole. A knock at the door and in came three fully uniformed Winnisimmet Police Department officers. Willie simply said, "You three are under arrest for attempted kidnapping, criminal conspiracy, impersonating a police officer and probably several other crimes." The two tried to protest claiming they were police officers which Willie shot back, "Yeah and I?m the Easter Bunny. Those two gentlemen behind you are actual police officers as am I. You guys really have to be fools to not know who the chief of police is in this city." Willie showed them his badge and made sure they saw the big, "chief of police" written in an arc across the top. The two cursed and lunged at Willie for setting them up but were grabbed and handcuffed. Willie smiled and said, "And now this adds assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest to the list of charges you are already facing." Jake just sat back with a big smile, things involving the Finns were never dull and he enjoyed every bit of it. John was his friend and colleague and by extension his family and he would do whatever it takes to help them. Willie knew exactly what he was thinking and said, "Dan Lopez once said you don?t have to be blood to be family, you just showed it there." Jake nodded and added, "You did the same." Valerie was kept appraised of the situation over at the courthouse and swore that she would give Judge Matthews a big hug when she saw him next for his quick thinking. She already owed Jake one after Willie stopped in to see her after leaving Jake. Willie got a big kiss on the cheek which he blushed and blurted out, "Keep that up and you will make Kennedy jealous!" Valerie shot back, "I already texted her and you are getting a big one and more from her for what you did today!" Willie blushed deeply as he drove to work and Valerie laughed. Anne stopped by to have lunch and keep Valerie calm. Anne was a bundle of nerves hoping Miles didn?t find out what almost happened until they had a chance to tell him. John had already told her he was taking him straight home along with Michael and Jaimie. The twins weren?t coming with them, Karen told them that it was something that didn?t involve them. Bryan was the first to realize what was going on, then Hannah who blurted out, "It?s finalized?" Karen nodded as the two let the issue go, not wanting to tip anyone else off. Anne and Valerie chatted away about the kids and how different things were the last few weeks. Anne smiled at the idea that she was a mother of three with three suitors who cared deeply about her daughters. Valerie was happy that she had a son that deserved a new life and a big family. Anne had a funny thought adding, "Our kids just weaved a big web among themselves. We have families from different walks of life all connected through our kids. They have so many positive influences just through their friends that they would have a hard time finding a reason to not find success in life." Valerie smiled at that and added, "That?s why we are so close. Gabby, Olivia, Beverly, Greta, Lilly, Melanie and us are close because they are so close. John, Dan, Quentin, Sean, and now Alex, Willie, and Mike are getting close. Those guys just followed the lead of the kids." Anne nodded in agreement, those kids were something else. Chapter 25 School ended and the three Finns hopped into the car with John to head home. Their friends didn?t ask what was going on just letting them go without an explanation. Sean told the boys a quick, "Family issue, nothing to be concerned about" and herded them on. Jaimie and Michael had their suspicions. John gave them a glare that told them, "Keep quiet" to which they nodded. Miles didn?t notice it, he was lost in his thoughts as they drove home. Valerie greeted them at the door alongside the twins and Anne. Miles immediately grew suspicious and asked what was really going on, getting anxious and ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. John and Valerie guided him to the dining room and sat on either side of him. He suspected trouble and was starting to quiver as his anxiety levels rose. Anne smiled and handed him a sealed envelope. Miles unfastened it and pulled out the paperwork. Valerie gave him a quiet, "Please read those." Miles nodded silently and carefully read every page. When he was finished he looked up at Anne and asked softly, "Is this official?" Anne nodded and said, "It was as of last Tuesday. You are no longer a ward of the state in the temporary care of the Finns. You are officially and legally Miles Finn, son of John and Valerie Finn." Miles looked at John and Valerie who both leaned in and hugged him. Jaimie and Michael walked over and hugged him as well. Anne just sat back and smiled at seeing them come together finally after all the drama he had to endure to get to that point. Miles got up and hugged Anne as well, saying softly, "Thank you for doing this." Anne quietly said, "Don?t thank me, it was my job to ensure you were safe and healthy and find a home. It was just good fortune to have found it with friends." Anne left the family to themselves and drove home. Christina was concerned when neither Jaimie nor Michael showed up for their practices and asked her right away what was going on. Anne smile and told her sweetly, "Just closing out a case for work." Christina didn?t buy it and asked, "What?s really going on, those two aren?t under your care. Oh no, did something happen with Miles?" Anne saw the fear in her eyes and moved in quickly to hug her then kiss her forehead. Christina had tears in her eyes as she asked, "Is he alright? Did something happen?" Anne took a deep breath and explained, "He is perfectly fine, he just learned that he won?t have to worry about being placed in another foster home again." Christina still didn?t realize what happened. Paige shook her head and said, "Think for a second. It?s obvious." Christina looked at Anne and quietly asked, "It?s finalized? He?s their son now?" Anne nodded then added, "It happened last Tuesday, we waited until today to tell him. That?s a big reason why he went with his cousins over the weekend." Paige hugged her sister to calm her down as she realized what had happened. Paige also added, "Poor guy didn?t know what he was getting himself into." Christina looked at her with shock. Paige laughed and added, "He?s never seen Hannah first thing in the morning nor seen the twins going back and forth. He survived the weekend with them he can live through anything." Anne and Christina were both laughing now, she liked the twins and were glad to have them as family if only unofficially. Jenna walked in to see what the commotion was and was told the news. She nearly dropped her drink hearing it which the others laughed at. Jenna took the low road and joked, "Does he know not to mess with Hannah in the morning or to never let Michael help you with your math homework?" Christina shot back, "He learned that the hard way." Jenna and Christina went upstairs to Christina?s room to talk. She still wanted to know about the date, she knew Paige wasn?t going to tell her but Christina might. Christina took a deep breath and told her all about the incident in the lobby and how Miles didn?t react. She told her about Bryan?s actions and the security guard?s joke. Jenna asked if she was told about Stacy?s assault there. Christina nodded and added, "Bryan was quiet about it but Paige told me. She was his date that night." Jenna tried to think back and barely noticed her there. She asked Christina, "What do you really think about what Miles did? He saw that incident with Stacy and saved her reputation, then kept away from us afterward. He has to have been beating himself up over not standing up to them." Christina took a deep breath and quietly said, "I have never been so impressed before. He ignored them right up until they pushed him around. He didn?t show any sign or paying them attention, he was just focused on me and me alone." Jenna smiled and proudly said, "He loves you. No way to deny it, he would rather put up with two bullies than take his focus away from you." Christina blushed to which Jenna shot back, "No way- you love him too!" She hugged her and kissed her cheek. Jenna walked back to her room with a big smile. She had just had a big heart to heart with her sister and she loved it. Paige saw her smirk and teased, "The novelty wears off soon. Trust me, I?ve been a big sister for years." Jenna laughed then shot back, "And now you get to redo it with me, only this time you might get it right." Paige let out a laugh as Anne just watched in contented silence, there was definitely no denying those three were sisters. Jenna loved them and it was showing more and more. The next morning the others were let in on the big secret. Miles was immediately embraced by Stacy and Claire while Courtney gave him a big kiss on the cheek. Christina caught them all by surprise by giving kissing him on the lips in a deep kiss. Miles nearly fainted afterwards; Eric and George had to hold onto him to keep him from falling over. The group was all smiles as they entered biology and greeted Mr. Herman. He immediately asked what was going on as they had never been so enthusiastic before. Miles didn?t waste time and proudly said, "It?ll be on the attendance sheet." Mr. Herman looked down and saw, "Miles Finn" to which he giggled and shot back, "Guess it finally went through, just remember no special favors for children of teachers." Michael and Jaimie let out a joint, "Aw man!" which got the others laughing. Miles shot back, "We already know that he finds out about everything that happens in class, we heard the horror stories from our cousins." Mr. Herman burst into laughter and gave them a quick, "It?s not our fault Hannah can?t keep from verbally jousting with us." The three gave a simple, "True" which got the rest of the class laughing and led to the start of class. By lunchtime Miles was the talk of the school but it was a warning to everyone instead of gossip. Now that he was adopted nobody wanted to mess with him as it brought the school?s beloved teacher down on them. His English and geometry teachers simply gave him a, "congratulations and our condolences" which meant they had already had Hannah as a student. The others got a laugh out of her reputation but Miles, Michael, and Jaimie were the ones who knew it was well earned. At lunch Miles got a visit from Jake who issued him his new student ID card. Miles asked about his records which Jake informed him were changed that morning before school. Jake decided to ask if he was still shying away from the football team which Miles hadn?t thought about. Miles shrugged, simply saying, "I?ll see if I feel like it, Mr. Beretta doesn?t mind either way." Michael thought about Miles? talent and asked him, "What if you just watched and see if you could fix some things. You don?t have to go to the games or play, just do what you do best. You do it with the cheerleaders and it?s better than sitting with dad all the time." Miles looked at Jaimie who nodded. She thought for a minute and added, "Mr. Beretta seems to be happier with you around on the sidelines. At least you would be more than helping the team, you would be helping him too." Miles thought for a bit then agreed, he owed it to him for trying to help him before. After school Miles got bad news from John. It was Tuesday so he had to go with John and Jaimie, he had an appointment with Dr. Dane. Miles shrugged it off and told Michael he?d be there tomorrow. Jaimie just said, "It?s just one day, he won?t care either way." In the waiting room Miles was anxious about talking with Dr. Dane. He knew the news was going to go over well but he was hoping that he didn?t make a big deal out of it. Dr. Dane sensed he was thinking hard about something and asked, "What happened." Miles told him the news and about previous weekend including the date and what Bryan did. Dr. Dane tried to hide his pleasure. Miles had come a long way and in one weekend he had his biggest breakthrough yet. Dr. Dane summarized what Miles was feeling with a blunt, "You saw how a family works and experienced what it is truly like to have siblings and parents who love you. Your cousins went out of their way to give you the sense of family with their antics and your cousin Bryan showed you how much he cared about you by protecting you." Miles nodded then said something that threw the doctor for a loop, "Bryan and Hannah?s antics weren?t a show. Those two really are like that all the time. All of the family are like that with one another, Aunt Karen told me they didn?t treat me that way because they didn?t want to upset me. She said it was why the others didn?t do that when we hung out." Dr. Dane was puzzled. He asked, "They tease each other, snipe back and forth, and borderline insult each other all the time?" Miles nodded his head and said, "Aunt Karen told me about it. They do it only to those they love and those who they know can dish it as much as they can take it. It?s something the family has always done, and when it is serious they stop and back each other up. They know the limits of what each person can handle and keep to within them." Dr. Dane touched on something Miles didn?t think about. He asked, "Do you regret not being part of your Aunt Karen?s family? You enjoyed your time with them a lot." Miles smiled but shook his head. He proudly said, "She is a great mother but I am happy with dad and mom. The twins are great older siblings but their rivalry got old fast. I love them but I wouldn?t want to live with them all the time. Jaimie can be nosy and know too much about everything but she knows how to leave you alone. Michael may be protective but he doesn?t pry and lets me do things on my own. I am even happy to be JD?s plaything and Cat?s attention magnet." Dr. Dane smiled and agreed. He explained that Miles was the counter to Jaimie and Michael, being the counter to their faults. Miles added something that was missing; he added a voice of reason. With his cousins he was a third wheel that upsets their precarious balance. Miles finished his session and waited with John for Jaimie to finish her session. Miles asked him quietly, "Do I act as their voice of reason?" John thought about it for a minute and nodded, saying, "You sometimes unintentionally do that, you don?t go for the drastic instead go for the needed. You aren?t as emotional as the other two can be, you have your issues but you don?t lash out or go overboard as they do. It?s also why you are good at finding solutions to others? problems, you can step back and see things differently from a fresh set of eyes." Miles tried to think of an excuse why that wasn?t true but it came back with the cheerleader issues he fixed, the player movements he changed, and the way he helped Christina with homework. He was able to help where others weren?t. He had to admit it was hard not to agree when the evidence is there. Jaimie came out with Dr. Eliza who smiled at Miles offering her congratulations. Miles blushed then asked, "Is there anyone who doesn?t know yet?" John acted like he was thinking then laughed at the joke. Jaimie wanted to know what they were talking about before she came out, Miles answer with a shrug, "Apparently I?m the voice of reason with you and Michael." Jaimie rolled her eyes and groaned, then added, "As long as you agree with me then you are right. Otherwise you are wrong." John had to try hard not to burst out laughing. Jaimie had gotten Miles without him knowing it. Miles shot back with, "I can?t help it if you are wrong more than you are right, then again Michael is the same." Jaimie gave a glare while John patted him on the back and said a quick, "That?s my boy." From a short distance away Dr. Dane and Dr. Eliza were both seen laughing at the little exchange, John looked over and smiled at them as he ushered the two off. Back home, Valerie and Michael listened to what Jaimie had said and tried hard to keep from laughing. Michael failed miserably and had to run off to let it out. Valerie asked what brought on the retort which Miles then went on to tell her about his visit with Dr. Dane. Valerie gave him a big smile and proudly said, "Well it?s true, those two need a third party to get them back on track. And the twins have something going on between them that only twins know, so you wouldn?t have that effect on them." Jaimie groaned at needing Miles? inspiration which Valerie ignored, adding, "We love her unconditionally but sometimes she can be a pain when she thinks she is right. At least now she has someone who can tell she is wrong without it sparking a fight. If there is one thing about you that stands above all else it is your honesty. Michael is honest but he can be irrational, you are honest no matter the consequences." The kids ate dinner in silence as Jaimie sulked and Michael gave Miles time to think. Michael confronted Miles about his request before regarding rejoining the team, Miles shot back a quick, "I said I?d do it. I?m not doing it because you asked me but because I think Mr. Berretta would benefit too. It?s for his sake more than anything." Michael grew quiet and said, "I thought I was pushing you towards that, I didn?t mean to." Miles thought about it and shot back, "You wouldn?t ask if you didn?t think I could help and you wouldn?t have mentioned Mr. Berretta unless it was to really help him. I wouldn?t have agreed if I thought you were doing it for selfish reasons." After school Miles walked over to the locker room and asked to speak with Sean. Sean didn?t even bother to wait for what Miles had to say, he gave him a quick, "Grab the clipboard and get a good angle." Miles asked how he knew, Sean laughed and shot back, "Your friends kept asking Michael where you were, Michael told them you had an appointment but it didn?t take much to put together that he asked you to help out and you said you would. You never have to ask, you are part of the team no matter what." When the practice started getting going with full squad plays Miles was on top of it suggesting some player changes to certain plays. The biggest one was having Eric in on one. He normally got in for a couple of plays to give their main receivers a breather. The biggest thing about him was that he was the shortest player but had a burst of speed that couldn?t be matched, something Sean realized Miles wanted to take advantage of. Two plays in a row Eric cut through the defensive players. Two times in a row he made big gains. Sean and Alex looked at each other and realized Eric was going to make a big impact that Saturday thanks to Miles. Eric was still unable to see why he was getting used that way. Michael tried hard not to laugh but finally gave in and said, "Your size and speed! They don?t have any information about you and won?t compensate until you have done the damage and then as they start focusing on you they leave Pete and the others open." The team looked at Miles who was focusing on another play. Scott was the one to say something adding, "Never underestimate people, especially your friends." Miles came over with another play and the others just listened as Alex explained what they were doing. Scott whispered a quick, "You are a born consultant" which Miles shot back, "I just like fixing things" earning a fast, "exactly what that job is." Miles spent the rest of the practice alongside Sean and tweaking plays to better utilize their finer points. Even with a scouting report about their opponent Miles thought he saw some flaws in the defense. He saw a pattern emerging and asked to have a new play drawn up that used Pete and Eric while having Bryan being the main target for a pass. It would take some work getting the blocking right but Sean was convinced it was going to work. After practice Miles rode home with Sean. Miles talked with him for a bit to get his perspective on things that had happened. Sean tried hard to avoid letting the information about his near kidnapping escape and barely succeeded. He also noticed that he felt better talking with the boy, he hadn?t felt that way in weeks especially not since the two stopped having their walks. Miles had a way of making calming you and giving you a sense of purpose, which Sean loved. Sean actually missed having him around. Miles got him thinking about things and it was always interesting how he could change your perspective on things. He started thinking about what Dan had said before and it rung true, he did think of the kids as grandchildren even if he didn?t want to acknowledge it. Before he left the driveway Miles stopped short and asked, "Do you still need a cleaner?" Sean took this as the signal that Miles wanted to stick around more often. Sean nodded and added, "You and your brother can do it, no reason for you to get all dusty by yourself." At home Miles told Michael he hired them out to Sean. Michael let out a fake groan but added, "Better than nothing." John wanted to know what spurred that on, Miles just shrugged and said, "It?s been a while since I cleaned, I don?t want him getting allergies." John didn?t buy it but smiled at the thought of him caring about Sean enough to do that for him. Michael told him while Miles as out of the room, "I told him he missed Miles by his side, I knew Miles missed being around him as well." John gave him a big hug saying, "Son, that?s why I said he is the voice of reason, you act more mature around him and Jaimie learns to be a little more humble. You showed it today. Sean needs the company and Miles is helping him through some tough memories and experiences. It's very personal to Sean so don't ask about them, just know that you have done something great for him and he appreciates it immensely." Chapter 26 The next day Miles and Michael talked about what they needed to do at Sean?s house. The others politely declined invitations to join them, Scott carefully letting them know it was something for just the two brothers. Will got his jokes in saying, "When you are done you can do my chores for me" which Miles quickly retaliated with, "No thanks, I?d rather not get lost in the mess you call a bedroom." The others cracked up laughing as Will stumbled for a comeback only to be told, "Don?t blame me, your mom was the one complained our mom about that!" After school, Miles joined the others on the football field and spent much of the time talking with Sean about anything as the team underwent special teams drills. Sean was having trouble with their punt return which prompted Miles to do the kicking to get them working with something close to realistic punts as possible. They quickly improved and adapted to the different scenarios from muffed punts to last second laterals to basic deep end zone returns. Miles hadn?t lost a step, his injury had healed and he was able to play but he just didn?t want to. Sean was in no way going to ask him to and the coaches had seen what happens if they disobeyed his orders so they did not even try. Miles had enjoyed the kicking but steadfastly refused when questioned by the teammates, he just said, "Sorry, my playing days are over." Sean and Miles talked on the ride home, this time with Michael in the back seat. The three were in a deep discussion about school with Miles and Sean doing most of the talking which prompted Sean to ask why Michael didn?t take an interest in anything else except what his friends were doing. Sean had a smile on his face, he hit something that Michael hadn?t thought about. Michael?s friends had talents and interests. He knew Scott was artistic, Richard helped his mom volunteer, Will was into sports, Eric and George were great martial artists. Michael, though, wasn?t into anything. Miles joked, "You could just be something boring like a stock broker" which Sean raised an eyebrow at. Michael didn?t shoot it down, instead saying, "I asked Mrs. Nelson about what she was doing and didn?t understand." Sean shook his head and said, "It?s entirely different, investments take bigger risks, stocks you can take smaller calculated risks. James York could help you out there, he does that for a living." Michael?s eyes lit up. He asked, "If he works in that field why does he live here? He should have a condo in Boston." Sean shook his head and smiled, saying, "He used to before his parents passed on. He inherited his childhood home and decided to get back in touch with his roots. I know he loves the career but I don?t think he likes what it does to people." Sean called James to set up a meeting with Michael. Michael hugged Sean and ran home to talk with his father about it. Sean smiled at Miles and jokingly said, "The problem solver does it again." Miles blushed then added, "Nah, I just figured he wouldn?t remember he did well in math last year- it dealt with percentages and statistics, I know they use them in their line of work." Sean knew the boy was humble, but he was also right. Miles cleaned up some of Sean?s yard before leaving for dinner. He asked him, "What do you do when you aren?t on the field?" Sean thought for a minute and quietly said, "Nothing really, which was why I was able to keep an eye on you for your parents." Miles had an idea and asked, "Have you thought about helping Richard?s mom? She complained that there were never enough people to help at the soup kitchen." Sean smiled and said swiftly, "I?ll ask her, I hadn?t thought about it before but it'd be something good do to after the season." Miles went off to home as Sean smiled at the boy, he must have been thinking Sean was lonely and needed something to do. Which was actually true, he was looking for something to occupy his time once the season ended. If things go well he might drag James York along with him when he has some time off, the guy could use something to do with his free time as well. The rest of the month flew by and despite good grades on all of their progress reports the kids were working hard. Miles and Christina were excited about the school?s Halloween dance on Friday night, their first as a couple and part of the group. The others weren?t concerned, they were going as one big group and by now dances were just part of being together. The group decided on group costumes instead of 14 individual ones, especially as the girls would have gone overboard and Jaimie and Michael would have spent too much on their own. The guys were decked out in pinstripe suits with fedoras, looking like stereotypical 1920s gangsters. The girls were dressed as flappers with matching dresses and headbands and even wigs. John also shockingly joined the fun, wearing his costume all day for the night?s dance. John got plenty of jokes from the staff as they saw him throughout the day. The funniest were from Mr. Herman who asked, "Did you finally decide to start living the high life and leave us peasants behind?" John thought for a second then shot back, "Nah, weekends in the Hamptons and Newport is too dull. Mingling with the plebeians is just too much fun." Mr. Herman himself had worn a costume, that of a classic mad scientist. John giggled and asked, "Should we have pitchforks and torches at the ready?" Mr. Herman didn?t miss a beat and shot back, "Not just yet, I?m still waiting for the right storm before I proceed with my experiments. My assistant Igor has found the perfect body for us to use." The two caused the lounge to burst into laughter as they took a bow. Nobody on the staff topped their antics nor their costumes that year. That night at the dance itself the group descended in one large wave. All in attendance took notice of them right away, with most of the boys staring at the girls? costumes with lust in their eyes. Several snide jokes about Jaimie were said but replies of, "That doesn?t stop you from drooling over her" which led to laughs and the jerks fleeing the dance in disgrace. John made his way over and took several pictures of the group as a whole and the couples individually. He joined them for a few as well as ones with just he and the twins as well as him, Jaimie, Michael, and Miles. Jake came over and was taken aback by all of their costumes, smiling at how much effort the girls had put into their makeup and hair to make them look authentic as possible. He gave Courtney a big kiss on the cheek and said, "I know your mom has a picture of a relative in similar clothes. I swear you look just like her." He smiled at the memory of the old woman. Courtney grew embarrassed as the others started to text her mother Gabby to find that picture for them. Jake saw the frantic texting and immediately started to blush as John added, "You realize Courtney will get her revenge?" Jake sputtered and saw Courtney winking at him, his niece was not going to forget his little joke. Miles and Christina kept close together for much of the night. The others gave them some space so they wouldn?t feel crowded and could enjoy their time together. The fourth song in one of the sophomores tried to cut in on Miles demanding a dance with Christina. She tried to say no but he refused to listen, saying, "Why are you dancing with that loser? Get with a real man." Christina quickly told him, "No thank you, I have the best one already." Miles looked at Christina who nodded in approval and bluntly stated, "If you don?t mind, my girlfriend and I are trying to dance in peace." The two moved off from him before he could say anything else, trying to ignore him and get back to dancing. The boy didn?t take the hint and grabbed Miles and blurted out, "You will pay for that you little wimp." Miles just ignored him and moved further away, inching towards Jake who had been watching what was going on. The others were watching as well and Jake signaled them to hold off for a bit. Miles was doing the smart thing in getting space from the suitor, it would be on the boy to go away or initiate first contact with Miles thus necessitating their intervention. The boy made a big mistake and tried to strike at Miles only to have his hand caught by Jake who in turn coldly announced to him, "He told you to back off and seeing as you didn?t take the hint you can spend the next two weeks at home thinking about what you just tried to do." Jake escorted him off as Miles and Christina continued dancing pretending nothing had happened. After the song the two sat down with the group as Miles started to shake. It had taken all his energy to remain calm and not give in to his urge to give in to the punk or worse to fight him. Christina had her hand in his hand and her head on his shoulder as he calmed down. The group sat out one song then got up as one and went back to dancing, Miles and Christina were hand in hand showing everyone that they were together regardless of what others may want. John waited for Jake to return then quietly asked, "Did you see him straining? He was trying his hardest not to do anything either way. The others would have stood their ground and fought back, he chose to ignore him and let him make a mistake." Jake nodded, adding, "He chose the high road and avoided a fight alright, he put Christina ahead of his own needs. The others can only hold back so much but that poor boy can endure a lot of stress before he breaks. I hope he doesn?t break at the wrong time." John had a horrible feeling that Jake was right, only he hoped Miles didn?t get hurt when he did. The dance went on uneventful after the near fight. Nobody tried to cut in on Christina and Miles, it was made clear that they were too close to be separated and were a genuine couple. The others had dances with other classmates, especially Hannah, who used them to make Pete jealous. Bryan was nearly rolling on the floor laughing at the look Pete was giving one of the boys who got close to Hannah, with her enjoying the fun of making him jealous. Hannah gave him a deep kiss after that dance with the others watching as Pete nearly collapsed from the shock, she knew the boy was gay and hadn't come out yet so he wasn't a competitor for her. John just shook his head, telling Jake, "I swear that girl will break that boy?s spirit if she doesn?t break his legs first." The dance broke up and the couples waited for their parents to take them home. Christina was waiting with Miles alongside Jaimie and Michael when her booted suitor ran up to Miles and proceeded to knock him down and punch him multiple times in the face. George grabbed him off of Miles while Eric helped Miles stand up, both prepared to protect him from the boy. Eric and George stepped between the two and assumed their ready stances awaiting an attack. When he came at them Eric sidestepped making him fall onto the ground, hurting his hands as he landed. He made another lunge which George sidestepped and produced a swift kick into his backside causing him to collapse in pain. By now John had run over and grabbed the boy, handing him over the officers assigned to the school dance detail with instructions to review the CCTV footage of the assault. Miles had some swelling and a bruise on his cheek forming along with a headache. He didn?t say anything while the others waited for their parents, he couldn?t look at them without feeling shame for ruining their night twice. Christina tried to cheer him up but not even she could do it, just getting a quiet, "Please, I don?t want to ruin things more" from him. Miles walked inside, changed out of his costume, and went right to bed. John tried to check on him an hour later but he as out cold. Michael and Jaimie were told bluntly, "Keep an eye on him, I don?t think he is in the best state of mind and I don?t want him to do something foolish." The two grew scared at what he meant, John shook his head and quietly said, "He won?t harm himself but I don?t think he plans on sticking around here. He is adopted but he may still feel like he is nothing but trouble for us. He is irrational and may run off." Miles awoke in the middle of the night and felt bad about what happened after the dance. He hated that he had caused yet another problem for his mom and dad. He tried to be the son they wanted but all he brought was trouble no matter where he turn. He couldn?t handle it anymore, they deserved to live in peace and he wasn?t giving them that. He had to leave, it was all he could do to stop the problems. They didn't deserve his constant drama. He dumped his books out of his backpack and grabbed a couple of changes of clothes and his heavy jacket, sticking them inside then putting jacket on over himself. He wrote a quick note telling them, "You deserve peace and quiet not someone who brings nothing but trouble. You don?t need my drama. I love you all, Miles" The only place he could go was New York and the only way to get there was by bus. The bus terminal was seven miles away and at this time of night it was only reachable by walking so he set out for it on foot. He kept out of sight of any police cruisers that were driving by, trying hard to appear to be older than he was and look like he was just another homeless person walking the streets searching for a place to sleep. John woke up after he heard the front door close. He tried to go back to sleep but felt that there was something wrong. He checked on the kids only to see Miles? note on his bed. He ran to his room and woke Valerie. John got dressed and rushed to the car driving around the city looking for Miles. He was irrational as well, going around in circles looking for Miles. Valerie called Sean and Willie Pena. John might be out driving but she knew Miles wasn?t about to be found the normal way. The two men could think clearer and knew Miles? inner thoughts better than John, John wasn't thinking clearly and wouldn't find him before Miles left the region. Willie and Sean both agreed that he had only one place to go, that was the bus terminal. Willie called the security desk at South Station to alert them of Miles? impending arrival hoping that the ticket clerks weren?t stupid enough to forget to ask for identification. Willie doubled down and called a friend on the Amtrak police and had their officers looking for Miles in case he tried to grab a train instead, even if it was a couple of hours before the first departure it was worth doing. Sean and he drove to Boston as fast as they could. A state trooper tried to stop them but once Willie showed them his badge and explained the situation he gave them a full escort into the city. At the terminal, the two rushed inside while the trooper stood by to await word from them just in case one of his colleagues had to pull a bus over on the adjacent Massachusetts Turnpike. Willie met with the officer on duty and was told he was there and had already bought his ticket. The two immediately spotted Miles sitting on a bench near one of the gates looking tired and trying hard not to get noticed. Sean had Willie back off from approaching Miles, this was something Sean needed to do alone. Sean sat down next to Miles and asked quietly, "Nothing that happened in the last two months is your fault. We keep telling you it over and over again but why do you keep thinking you are trouble when it?s not your fault?" Miles looked up and tried to explain, "I keep causing problems. Someone gets hurt or ends up in jail because of me. I don?t want that to happen, but it keeps happening. Mom and Dad don?t need those problems, they deserve to be left alone in peace." Sean shook his head and looked at Miles directly in his eyes and bluntly said, "Those two care about you no matter what goes on. They fought for you, kept others from trying to hurt you more times than you realize. They would do it over and over again without question. I know those two well and one thing they will fight for without a thought is family especially their children. You didn?t cause any problems, people who wanted to hurt you did. You never look for trouble, they did. You were never at fault for those problems, they were. You have to stop beating yourself up over this, your parents love you and you running off only hurts them not helps them." Miles had tears in his eyes as he heard that. Something Sean had accidentally struck him hard. He asked, "What do you mean more times than I know?" Sean shook his head and told the truth, "The day you were told you were being adopted there were two attempts to remove you illegally from your parents? home, once in the courthouse and once in school. Those same guys who beat you in school and in the group home were part of a group who wanted you to pay your birth father?s debts. They were going to kidnap you and hold you until you told them where your dad hid money or someone paid them off. We stopped them, your mom, Mrs. Connors, Willie, Mr. Bollinger, Sgt. Daniels, Tpr. Vincent, and the judge who you met at your aunt?s house. We never told you because we wanted you to remember that day for good reasons not for avoiding being kidnapped." Miles looked up in disbelief. He couldn?t believe that happened without him knowing. He asked softly, "Why is Roland trying to hurt me? Dad never had money and the car is the only thing he ever spent it on." Willie shot back, "Roland Finn?" Miles shook head, head saying, "I don't know his last name." Willie asked if he could show a picture to Miles, and upon seeing him Miles nodded and told him, "That's him. That's Roland. Dad and he were business partners. Dad got his drugs from him." Miles then asked, "Why the interest in him? He's just a local thug." Willie shot back quickly, "We were looking for the ringleader in the drug trade and you just unintentionally gave him up. What is more important is you gave us a way of breaking them up for good. We know exactly who he is and more importantly, we know his family. You just helped us immensely." Miles looked at Sean who nodded; he couldn?t believe what was going on. Willie smiled and told him happily, "Roland is in custody already but has been active with his old crew in some way. As he hasn't gone to trial yet for the past two months he has been in jail not prison. What you just told us will not only give us reason to review records of who he hung around with, who visited him, who he contacted, but also who the people he came in contact with contacted. Son, you just made a dozen troopers and officers happy. You broke open their case." Miles just nodded wearily and asked to go home. Before they left, Sean and Willie walked over the ticket counter and demanded that Miles? ticket be refunded. The clerk refused and got into an argument with Sean only to threaten him with calling the police. Miles winced at what he was seeing; once again he was causing problems. Sean called over to Miles, "Once again, you aren?t in trouble someone else is." Willie?s friend, the transit police officer on duty, walked over and told the clerk in not so nice terms that she had illegally sold a ticket to a minor and asked to see her manager. The clerk disappeared out back and brought her manager out who tried to refuse the refund only to give it and apologize. Miles watched nervously as the officer explained that he would be informing his fellow officers to keep a close eye on this counter and that they would be informing the state police to be on the lookout for their buses for possible violations. The manager's face turned white at realizing that this wasn't going to go unpunished. The officer went further to say the state would have to review this incident and would inform their corporate offices about the lack of adherence to the laws especially for late night travel. The two now realized they were in deep trouble and fired for a serious legal violation and incoming bad PR. Sean led Miles out to the car and thanked the trooper for his help. When he saw Miles he looked at Willie and asked, "Is he one of Alex Vincent?s son?s friends?" Sean nodded as the trooper laughed and added, "That guy won?t stop talking about what his son did on the field, like he never thought the little guy could do much beyond filling the roster." Sean shot back, "This young man is the one who suggested using him. He even drew up the play himself." Miles cringed at the praise but got a surprising, "Better keep him close, any school with half a mind would want to have him." Sean and Willie laughed while Miles just sat back exhausted. Valerie was waiting for them as they arrived home. Willie?s wife Kennedy was with Valerie trying to keep her calm while John came back looking frantic. Kennedy had to hold John back from Miles, allowing the boy to go to his room to sleep. John sat down and let Sean explain the situation. Miles knew everything now and gave them the missing piece of the puzzle in their case. Valerie punched the nearest wall when she heard who was responsible. Kennedy and Willie looked at John who hadn?t said a word upon hearing Roland?s involvement. Kennedy asked him, "Are you going to tell him who he is trying to hurt?" John tried to calm himself then responded, "After they get enough material to send him away for good. I don't want that piece of crap to ever get out of prison. He's not my brother, he's an animal." Kennedy thought things over and gave him a solution, "Why don?t you get him to admit he was gunning for Miles. He wasn?t told directly about Miles being with you so maybe you can use that against him. If he does find out, he won't dare go after your family as he knows not to mess with you, especially with your wife able to destroy him legally." Willie looked at his wife and kissed her full on the lips. She had killed two birds with one stone. Roland is vain enough to admit to going after Miles and John holds the ability to push Roland?s buttons. She was simply brilliant! Chapter 27 After a few hours of sleep Valerie and John were awoken by the twins. Jaimie and Michael were already up and eating while Miles was still asleep. Jaimie didn?t bother to beat around the bush and bluntly asked, "Where did you go last night and what was that secret meeting about?" Michael just shook his head and asked, "Do you ever think that maybe there are things that we shouldn?t ask questions about?" Jaimie gave him a quick authoritative, "No, not when it comes to all of you." Valerie tried to keep the peace but John came out with, "Miles felt terrible about what happened after the dance and tried to run away. We were out looking for him. The meeting was about stopping your uncle from having him kidnapped to get his father?s money. Does that satisfy your curiosity?" Jaimie and Michael dropped their spoons and stared at them with their mouths wide open. Valerie shook her head in disappointment but John retorted, "They wanted the truth, they got the truth. And if you really must know since you two were indirectly involved do you remember the visit from a woman from social services?" Jaimie and Michael both said, "Yes" John shot back, "And do you remember the assault on Miles in the bathroom?" Jaimie looked at John with a worried look, she hadn?t been told about that only that he went to visit their aunt that night. She asked sadly, "He was assaulted in school?" John nodded then said, "That was part of their plan, as was the visit. They wanted to take him then, then they were going to get a judge to get him removed, and they even tried to have him removed at school. Both those happened on the day we told him we had finalized the adoption. So now you know the whole story or as it pertains to all of us. There is more but it's an active police investigation." Jaimie looked at Michael who didn?t hold back any longer swearing, "What the hell is wrong with him? How the hell can you two be brothers? He is pure evil, the man is dead and he goes after his son? No person in their right mind would do something so horrible!" Michael was now starting to cry at the rage he was feeling, hugging Valerie to keep himself from breaking something. Jaimie just looked lovingly at her father and quietly said, "I?m sorry dad, we were worried about you. When we saw Mr. Pena and Mr. Beretta we thought something bad had happened to you." Jaimie was now crying, John kissed her forehead and let her cry herself out. Miles slunk down and tried to back away seeing the two crying. Valerie waived him into the kitchen and forced him to eat. He didn?t say anything, trying hard not to look at the others. Michael finally calmed down, turned to Miles and said, "Dad told us what happened. Uncle Roland finally went too far." Miles shot his head up and looked at John and asked, "Uncle Roland? What do you mean uncle?" John sighed and calmly said, "Roland Finn is my younger brother, the black sheep of our family." Jaimie added, "He?s the exact opposite of dad in ever way. Dad's the uncle you want, Roland is the person you don?t want as any kind of member of your family." Miles nodded, adding, "Dad tried to claim he was my uncle but I refused to call him that." Miles stared at Valerie and said, "Mom hated him and hoped dad would get away from him before something happened to him, guess she was right about that." John hugged him and quietly said, "We will get him for what he did, no matter what he will pay for the crimes he committed." The three spent much of the morning inside with Cat and JD. Christina came by to check on Miles, Valerie forced him to go outside and take a walk with the twins hoping it would be good for him. Dan Lopez saw Miles and immediately asked what happened to his face. Miles retold the events, asking at the end, "Didn?t Stacy tell you?" Dan shook his head, adding, "She was a little down last night, I guess that explains why." The two walked over to Christina?s house to kill some time over there. Jenna fussed over Cat which made Cat happy. JD latched onto Paige and sat in her lap, staking his claim to her. Miles and Christina just relaxed while the other two kept the twins? attention. Anne didn?t bother to keep an eye on Miles; she knew there was no way he would do anything ungentlemanly towards Christina let alone in her home. She gave the two space while an eye on the twins. Eventually Miles asked to talk with Anne alone. Anne suspected something had happened and agreed, telling the girls not to disturb them. Miles asked bluntly, "Did you know about the multiple kidnap attempts against me?" Anne lowered her head and quietly explained, "I was the one who helped expose the social services worker, Sgt. Daniels, Tpr. Vincent, Chief Pena, and Mr. Beretta were the ones to make the connection from the coaches to you. It?s why the two joined the team as coaches; they wanted to stop them from getting at you through your friends." Miles? next question threw her for a loop, "Did you also know my Uncle Roland was involved?" Anne gasped and quickly answered, "Is he involved?" Miles nodded, adding, "He?s the one who ordered them to go after me, he and dad were working together for years." Anne didn?t know what to say. The man was a notorious scumbag but this was something that was on a whole new level. And to boot he was doing it from jail. Anne asked him quietly, "Does your mom and dad know?" Miles nodded, adding, "Mr. Beretta told me all about the plot this morning, I knew it was him who was after me and by accident said his name. Dad told me about him when I got home." Anne was confused. She tried to figure out what he was saying then it hit her hard. She softly asked, "Why were you trying to run away?" Miles dropped his head and barely above a whisper mumbled, "I didn?t want to cause them any more trouble. The others can?t go to a dance without something happening because of me." Anne shook her head and quietly said, "Not one of your friends or relatives had a bad night. The only one who did was the jerk who tried to ruin it for you. Paige and Christina told me what happened and I have little doubt that the jerk had nothing but bad intentions for Christina. You stood your ground and protected her and stopped her from having a bad night. You can?t stop people from doing bad things but you can stop blaming yourself for what happens. None of what has happened to you is your fault, not one thing." Anne hugged him. She hated what his father had done to him to make him scared of constantly disappointing people who have shown that they love him unconditionally. She wished she could have gotten to him sooner but sadly things might have been much different for him if she had. She hoped that with time he could learn to accept that things happen and he isn?t at fault because he deserved peace of mind which is the only thing his father couldn?t buy him despite all of his millions. Christina saw Anne had shed a few tears and tried to ask what happened. Anne indicated for her to stop, Christina nodded and went back to watching TV. Miles looked at the time and gathered the twins for their walk home.Paige offered to drive them but Miles thought it best to walk. Christina walked back with him and finally asked what was really going on. Miles grew quiet then mumbled, "My dad?s old partner tried to have me kidnapped to get me to give him money dad supposedly owed him. Your mom was one of the people that helped spoil the plot. The worst part is dad tried to make me call him my uncle but turns out after mom and dad adopted me he really is now my actual uncle." Christina stopped in her tracks and stared at him. She couldn?t believe what he told her. She started to mumble then finally asked, "Is that why you tried to run away?" Miles shook his head, quietly replying, "No, it was what happened after the dance. I hate bringing trouble." Christina kissed him full on the lips and proudly said, "You don?t bring trouble, you bring out the best in people." Valerie and John coughed as she kissed him again. Miles immediately blushed and apologized for being late. Valerie tried to joke, "Was that all you did on your walk?" John shot back, "You aren?t setting a good example if that was all you did." Christina had a full blush now and tried to explain, Valerie giggled and explained, "Your mom texted that you were on your way here. We figured that was the only place you were likely to go with the two of them." Christina kissed Miles goodbye while he went inside and faced the interrogation from Jaimie and Michael. Neither bothered, they had seen enough through the window. Jaimie asked him, "Does that count as a second date or is it your third?" Michael added, "Is it really a date when it?s just a walk then watching TV while her sisters play with the twins?" Both started laughing while Miles just sat back and took it. He figured he might as well give them a salvo and asked, "How come you didn?t go out with Courtney or Richard?" Both shot him glares then tried to fight for a response. John just laughed it up and added, "Don't get mad at him, you two set yourselves up for that one". The two sat down and killed time for an hour. Michael looked at the time and had to scramble to get to the school to get dressed for the football game. Miles opted to go with him; he didn?t want to end up having to face his aunts who were bound to want to see him after last night. John offered to drive him to the game instead, he wanted to keep an eye on Miles and enjoy seeing the group play. Sean was fine with Miles going along and helping on the sideline. John was invited to assist knowing the real reason why he wanted to be there. Sean smiled as he said, "Might as well put you to use, I know you remember how to inspect the equipment and ensure everything is tightened and strapped in correctly". John?s jaw dropped at the players laughed. Sean explained, "Mr. Finn wore the equipment and knows how they should be fastened and knows how lax you can become by the end of the season. Don?t fight this, you will not play unless he gives the all clear." John spent the next 10 minutes checking everything and they were cleared to go. In the car Miles asked what that was all about, John shot back, "One of my concussions when I played happened due to mishandled equipment. It cost me a chance to start because my memory was foggy afterwards. Jake must have told him about them at some point." Miles started to ask about his playing days to which John shared the same stories he had told Michael and the boys. Miles didn?t question the authenticity, John had no reason to lie or exaggerate to him. Miles couldn?t believe John had been a player let alone someone who got hurt, John shook his head and quietly said, "I was the worst and I hold no shame in admitting it, just ask Mr. Bollinger or your three aunts." Miles shot back happily, "You were better than you think but I can understand why you think you were bad, you are way too humble sometimes." John smiled and added, "Now you know why I am so up front with you about not apologizing, I understand you more than you think I do." Miles took John?s honesty to heart, he always did seem to understand him. The game was back and forth for the Infernos. Sean, Alex, and Mike kept them on their toes with their play calling. Miles was always by Sean?s side and giving his observations. When Eric was targeted by the defense Pete and Bryan made them pay with big gains leading to touchdowns. When those two were being targeted Eric and his quick, short routes exploited their openings. At halftime two men approached John asking him about the boy hanging around Sean. John explained who he was and what his role was. They approached Sean and asked to speak with Miles but were denied with him adding, "Before you try to ask anything, the answer will always be no. Save yourself the favor and don?t go asking questions about the boy because his parents can and will take action against you." The two were undeterred and walked over to John and tried to persuade him to let them talk with Miles. John could see they wanted something and asked who they were and what it was all about. They explained, "We represent an elite boarding school that is looking for prospective students of that boy?s abilities. We saw him playing in September and heard about him coaching the team as a player-coach while recovering. We could see his raw talent and want him for our school. He is too good for Winnisimmet, he belongs in a proper school where his abilities can be honed and utilized for a better future." John nearly laughed at them. He asked, "What did Coach Beretta tell you?" The two looked at him like he was odd and stated, "He told us our answers would be no without knowing what our questions were." John then asked, "What were your questions going to be?" The two thought he was joking and said, "We were going to ask him if he wanted to play for a better team and get a better education than he could get from those rejects from Clown College at his school." John smiled at that. He proudly said, "Well the truth is he is right. He will refuse your offer outright as would his parents." They tried to use economics and said, "He wouldn?t have to pay a penny for anything, his books, school supplies, and electronics would be free to him. He would have the best teachers possible. To be blunt his family would be fools to refuse." John shook his head and finally dropped the bombshell, "Money is no object for that boy, his family is probably richer than most of your student body combined. As for his education, he is a star student who is receiving top quality education from people I know are among the best in the state despite the supposed handicap of teaching in a public school. As for his parents being fools, well I believe you are not only mistaken but are actually the fools as you clearly did not do your homework on his family if you are ignorant about who they are." The two looked at him like he was joking. John shook his head and stated, "Who did you think his family was?" The two stated, "He?s and orphan in foster care, he has been for months. His family is just some random foster family." John again shook his head and stated, "Your information is woefully inaccurate. He was adopted recently, in fact it was by my wife and I. As for his education, well I was courted by your school this past summer to become a teacher and I refused. I found it to be lacking in personality and students to be condescending and lacking common sense; I see it holds over to the people associated with it as well. And as far as money goes, I was not joking about having more than most of your student body combined. I only teach because I enjoy teaching and am proud of it. A simple Google search of 'John Finn' will turn up how much I am personally worth, which is well over $200 million at this point." John took a deep breath and looked directly at them and stated with strong force, "Please save yourself the trouble and let your fellow private schools know that he is off limits. If he wanted to play the game he would be out there today playing alongside his brother, cousin, and friends. He chose to sit out and help in other ways and wants to be by his family?s side not by some stuck up brat who would not hesitate to talk down to him. Good day gentlemen." John stopped and took a deep breath then stated, "Before you make claims otherwise, my wife is going to love sending a complaint to your school regarding your attempt to talk with a minor without a parent present. The fact that you not only left yourselves, but your school as well, open to a lawsuit will not sit well with them. And before you cry foul and claim strong lawyers I can guarantee they already know who she is and how she is in the courtroom, in fact she worked alongside some of your school?s finest graduates and earned the highest respect they could give so save the garbage and spread the message that Miles is to be left alone." The two were dumbfounded to be put in their place by John but John just didn?t care, they could care less about Miles. To them, he was a money maker not a student or child. Sean walked over to them and told them bluntly, "If you or any of your colleagues from any school tries to approach one of my players without authorization I?ll not only have you removed but will file a complaint against your school on their behalf. You see those two gentlemen eyeing you over there? They were ready to handcuff you and escort you off the property for your stunt. We have our reasons for being protective of that boy and any other member of our team and are not afraid to use force to remove someone who we feel may be a threat to one of them." Mike and Alex showed their badges which caused the color to drain from the men?s faces. One thing they knew, never anger a state trooper and there in front of them were two. The two made a quick retreat and were frantically phoning their school to head off Valerie's retaliation, but when the name, "Finn" was mentioned the men learned just how much trouble they were really in as the school fired them on the spot and drafted a formal apology to Miles and the Finns. As Sean took care of business with John outside, Mike and Alex were trying to work with the other coaches on a solution to their troubles inside the locker room. They were doing well on offense so their only problem was their defense and it was apparent that they needed a solution. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't stop the big gains by the opposing offense, causing the team to struggle to keep the other team from overtaking their lead. Miles thought it over and suggested that Michael might be able to use his quickness to give a fake opening and break up their passing game. Michael was their 3rd string safety and had limited playing time but Alex and Mike realized they would see it as a weakness in the Infernos and play into their hand. He was too unknown to be seen as a threat until it was too late, he could create chaos in the passing lanes causing the defensive linemen to put pressure causing the offense to either accept sacks or try to throw around him making for easy interceptions. John watched as Michael went to work breaking up two passes in a row. The third time he tipped the ball and in the ensuing midair collision wound up catching the ball on rebound from the opponent?s helmet for an interception. Miles had stopped a late scoring run to save their lead and secure the win for the Infernos Miles refused to take any praise, saying, "I just suggested it, you guys did the actual work." Sean and the coaches let it die a quick death as they diverted attention to Eric, Pete, Bryan, and Michael. George whispered into Miles? ear, "You can refuse it all you want but not one of us believes it was anyone but you responsible for this win." John and Miles drove home in silence. Miles asked, "What did those men want?" John asked how he knew about them, which Miles replied, "They were eyeing me all game." John took a deep breath and told him, "They wanted you to go to their school. I told them you would say no." Miles gave a quick, "I don?t want to leave my family and friends to play for someone who just wants me because I can help them out." John smiled and said, "That?s exactly what I said you would say, as did Sean." John thought for a second and asked, "Do you think you could get a better education there?" Miles shook his head then said, "It?s not what you teach it?s how you teach. Mr. Herman and you are great teachers and all of us love your classes. We have learned everything we could that others are learning yet I doubt many are having the fun we have while doing it. Even Mrs. Nunez is OK but she just doesn?t have the spark that you have. She tries but she reverts to the same stuff she uses over and over again at times." John was pleased, Miles was being open and honest with him about this without any fear or anxiety. John asked, "What about the students? Surely you would want to be around people who are on the same level as you are learning-wise." Miles again shot back, "The kids there are from money, we learn the same things as them but we also learn how to treat people from all walks of life because we come from all walks of life in our school. I?d rather be in classes with foster kids and children of fast food workers who want me around than lawyers, doctors, and business people who only see me as a charity case." John looked over at Miles and smiled wide, the boy had made his day. Miles asked what was going on, John nearly had tears in his eyes as he said, "You just showed you are an amazing person, one I am proud to call my son and hopes that others model themselves after." John hugged him while Miles just shrugged and said, "I was just being honest." John shot back, "Exactly." Chapter 28 On Sunday morning John drove over to the Nashua Street Jail, the current home of Roland Finn. With him was Anne Connors and Kennedy Pena. Kennedy was orchestrating the meeting?s fallout and eventual investigation, Anne was there to get the dirt on social services, while John was there to get Roland to speak as a whole. Roland was shown into the interview room along with his attorney, both looking like they were getting John to finally pay for his legal defense and get Roland off. When they were seated, John announced to the attorney that their meeting was being recorded by audio and video. He either ignored that part or didn?t care. Roland had his customary smirk, acting like he had an upper hand in the situation and believing he could push John around again in hopes of getting released. He knew that John had refused to bail him out and John's wife had told off Roland's lawyer, but yet John was there in the flesh. It was the best thing to happen in Roland's eyes, John had to want something from him in exchange for bailing Roland out but he had no clue just what John really had in store for him. Anne could not believe how much alike Roland and John looked. Kennedy whispered the same but added she could see the telltale signs of drug abuse and life behind bars. John just remained stoic, not letting Roland intimidate him and kept up a vacant expression. He had learned long ago to think before he speaks when talking with Roland, every word got twisted if you didn't do so. John was the first to speak almost roaring, "We had an agreement. We spend thousands of dollars on trying to get your clean and within days you toss it out the window. In a week no less!" Roland shot back, "I got clean, it?s not my fault my crew didn?t." Kennedy jotted down notes to which Anne smirked. He had already admitted to breaking his parole right off the bat. John started again after letting Kennedy finish, saying, "Our agreement was that you would stay away from your old life, that included your associates and further law breaking. What were you thinking getting involved with your old crew? You were required to stay away from them." Roland shot back, "Felix was like a brother to me, a real one not some fake one like you. That kid of his was like a nephew. That guy owed me money and I had to see to it that he returned it. It?s not my fault that he tried to get me to use my old connections so he could sell a new stash to pay me back, I only took a couple of kilos with me and handed them off to others. I never meant to keep them, just pass them on." Bingo. Roland just admitted to having the kilos in his possession. Those were the same ones he was caught with. He also admitted to being owed money and to knowing Miles. He slipped into a trap already and ensured he wasn't getting out of a long prison sentence. John calmed himself then asked, "Why did he owe you money? You never had a job before so how could he owe you money? There's no way you could have loaned him a penny legally." Roland rolled his eyes and said, "You know why, don?t play dumb. You know I pushed for one of the biggest hustlers in the city. He owed me money from selling my stash to him. He sold it off and never repaid me. He owed me almost $500,000." John knew that figure from somewhere. He scribbled a quick note to Kennedy who excused herself and was escorted out by one of the deputies. John decided to go after the Miles angle by saying, "He was picked up with you, how can he repay you if he?s in jail too. Or rather he would have, but he's been dead since August." Roland wasn?t thinking and spurted out, "That kid of his, Miles I think is his name. That kid has the money. I'll get it from him. He has to know where Felix hid it." Roland had already doomed himself. John decided to go for the throat and asked, "Just how were you planning on getting it?" Roland smirked and said, "I'll make him give it to me. The kid?s in foster care and I got people on the inside of the house, they are going to send them to get it from him. I even got me a lady in social services to steal the needed forms and go before a judge to get him back. He?s staying with some rich family, if he doesn?t have it I?ll get it from them." Anne had heard enough and asked, "Are you aware that Miles was adopted by a family and without an actual valid reason to investigate social services have closed his case? It'll be tough to go after him if there's no reason to investigate him anymore." This didn?t deter Roland, who shot back, "I?ll get him. They will try him at school, at home, on the way home. He will give me my money back no matter what." John wanted to strangle him but he needed to get him to open up once more and asked, "How are you talking with your people? You are not likely to stay here for long once the state decides that you violated your parole. Hell, it's a miracle you are still here at all." Roland smiles and just blurts out, "I have a few guards on my payroll and my lady friend at social services is a frequent visitor. There?s nothing that can?t get out if I need it to. I'm pretending to be a witness for the state, they think I know something about Felix's murder and can gt them the real killer. I know who did it, but they aren't going to get anything from me and once I get Miles to give me the money I'll just have one of my junkie stooges cop to the murder." John glared at his attorney who didn?t bother to defend him. Anne just shook her head and bluntly said, "Do you want to give him the bad news or not? There's nothing else that he can say, he's already going away for 50 years if he's lucky." John asked his attorney, "Are you a public defender? If not then you are going to find that Mr. Finn will be unable to pay you because all of his assets are nonexistent. Furthermore whatever amount he claimed he would pay you would be out of his illegally obtained money." His attorney shut Roland down and swore at him. He looked at John and said, "He told me that you were going to foot the bill for him, that you would cave and have him bailed out." John shook his head and said, "As my wife told you before, that is not going to happen. But he can pay you out of whatever money he earns in prison but given what Roland has just told us that won?t be allowed and likely will end up in a specialized segregation unit down in Walpole." John smiled and said, "By the way, the boy you were going after? You are right he did land with a rich family, he ended up with my family. You made a huge mistake, you went after my son. Worse you tried to KIDNAP MY SON. Enjoy rotting in prison because you aren?t staying in here much longer." Roland?s face turned pure white as he realized John was angered to the point of violence. Anne had to hold him back from going after Roland, his attorney had himself curled up as John started to shout. The deputies outside entered and saw Roland pushing back in fear, as he stood there was a large patch of urine visible. Roland, the big tough thug, had pissed his pants at hearing John?s furious statement. As the deputies quelled the situation Roland?s attorney tried to plead with John that nothing said there could be used against Roland but Anne shot back, "You two were warned at the start that this was being recorded. It is not John?s fault that Roland told the whole plot. Sir, I?d advise you to pay closer attention to what is being said because any attorney worth his weight would have advised his client to shut up after he started to admit to breaking parole and committing crimes." John and Anne walked out without saying another word and watched as Kennedy came with Sgt. Daniels, Tpr. Vincent, and several deputies. John watched as Roland was handcuffed and taken out to be transported to the Essex County House of Corrections in Middleton to await his arraignment for his role in the whole conspiracy. Kennedy led John to the sheriff?s office for the prearranged meeting with the sheriff. Kennedy didn?t even try to explain what happened, she simply notified him that there will be a full investigation by the state police and attorney general?s office into the jail. Kennedy also angrily informed him that the governor was in full agreement with whatever is about to happen and if need be a change in management will occur. The sheriff wasn?t happy, claiming to be untouchable and nobody in the state could remove him without it hurting themselves. He threatened Kennedy with going to his friend the attorney general, claiming to be owed multiple favors for getting her elected to office. John laughed at his arrogance and dialed a number, informed the person on the other end what had just happened, then waited for the inevitable call to the sheriff's personal phone. Seconds later the sheriff?s phone rang to which he quickly answered and swore, claiming, "You can?t do this" to which Kennedy pointed out, "Yes he can, and yes he will. You may be an elected official but you still have to abide by the same laws as everyone in the county and state and once word gets out that there was a kidnapping conspiracy involving several deputies under your watch and you threatened the investigating assistant attorney general your career is over. Expect to be called to the State House within three days, there are plenty of people who will want to hear what you have to say regarding your notorious and well- documented mismanagement." Outside the jail, Kennedy and Anne both swore at the utter hubris of Roland. John just shook his head and quietly said, "If you ever wonder why I am so patient with Miles, it?s because of living with Roland. Growing up with Roland did a number on my self-esteem so I understand what he is going through. That was him trying to be suave, he is much worse than that when he is trying to be devious. Just be glad he didn't know who you are or he'd have used your personal lives to his advantage and gotten you to do something to get his charges tossed out by claiming assault." John could barely say those words before he started to shake. Anne put her arm around John and led him out to the car while Kennedy drove them home. Both understood another piece of John, one that he had tried desperately to keep hidden but had sadly arisen a few times already. In the Finn living room, Kennedy was thinking deeply. Valerie could see that something Roland had said was bothering her and it might be important. Kennedy finally asked, "Felix isn?t exactly smart but he is conniving enough to hide the money where people wouldn?t think. Did you ever ask Miles about bank accounts? He might have one out there that went unnoticed by officers." Valerie had an idea what happened to it. She called Beverly Riley to check on Miles? account then asked her to check Miles? car?s depreciation value over time. Valerie calculated the cost of rent, utilities, cable for his father over the course of several years. Beverly had the numbers in a few minutes and made Valerie smile. Kennedy was a genius yet again! Miles was called into the living room and asked to sit in a chair. Valerie knelt beside him and asked, "Did your mother ever have life insurance?" Miles gave her a weird look then quietly replied, "No, mom could never afford something like that and dad could care less about us to take out one on her. He'd have gloated about getting money from her death if he had." Valerie smiled and proudly told Kennedy, "We know where the money is. His father put it into the bank in Miles? name. The whole amount went into the bank, all $500,000 minus the cost of the car, rent, and utilities. Felix hid this fact from his son, but Beverley found the money in one of the smaller banks in Boston." Kennedy looked at Miles and smiled. She proudly said, "Your mom solved a mystery for us. The people who are going after your uncle for his attacks on you no longer need to look for the missing money. Your mom has to talk with investigators about it but it might turn out that you can keep it in full. You are wealthy, it?s all yours." Miles looked at Valerie in disbelief. He asked, "What will you do with it?" Valerie smiled and said, "The same thing we did with Michael, Jaimie, Bryan, and Hannah?s money. All of them have their own trust funds plus their own settlement money. You already have a trust fund thanks to your dad, the money went into a separate one that is solely for your use with some restrictions. You can only access a little at a time and anything over a certain amount needs your dad?s approval. It?s your money, we just don?t want you to waste it frivolously." Miles kissed her then hugged Kennedy deeply. He barely knew her but she had helped him a lot. Anne hugged him as well, adding, "This is all over. You don?t have to worry about them getting you again. Your dad made sure of it this morning." Miles grew scared and quietly asked, "What did he do?" Valerie smiled and said, "Nothing but ask a few questions, Roland just couldn?t stop talking. The problem was the answers got him sent to prison and facing a lot of felony counts and caused several other people to be arrested." Anne also added, "When your dad told him that he had been going after his own nephew he nearly wet his pants. Your dad made his point loud and clear that he was messing with the wrong boy, that he was messing with John Finn?s new son. John was furious and made his point to Roland loud and clear- he tried to harm his son and he'd pay the price for doing so." Kennedy just chuckled at Miles? stunned reaction. His only words were, "Roland is never scared." Valerie leaned in close and quietly admitted, "That?s not true. There is one person he fears more than anyone: your dad. He always has been, always will be. Your dad is the one person who he can?t intimidate or manipulate and without that he is just a lazy bully. When he said he was your dad he was scared for his life, Roland is not going to mess with you in the future lest your dad bring his wrath upon him. John isn't afraid to battle Roland, and he had the means to ensure that Roland's life is a living hell for the rest of his life- all to protect you." Kennedy added, "He won?t like me saying this but you need to hear it. It took all of your dad?s strength not to hurt your uncle, that?s why he is sound asleep upstairs. Roland saw his hands trembling and actually backed away from him in fear. He got so scared that your dad would hurt him that he peed his pants. You and your dad are so much alike, I know he hasn?t told everything but you two have the same reactions and same responses. He just learned to control his over time dealing with Roland; you will learn it as well if you give yourself the chance to try." Miles nodded and agreed. His dad was looking out for him and he owed it to him to try to control his feelings. He tried to endure but eventually he gets close to snapping, like John had that day. Upstairs John was trying to sleep but he heard the whole conversation between the four. John was proud that Miles was finally seeing the light and accepting that they loved him, wanted him, and he wasn?t to blame for all the problems. He was proud that he was being honest about Roland and the money. He was making great strides to be a better person without realizing it. John slunk down to see Miles still dazed by the events. He sat next to Miles and asked him if he was alright. Miles nodded and hugged him deeply, saying a quiet, "Thank you, dad." The twins decided to get in on the action and hound John and Miles for attention. Cat ignored Miles and went for John, JD climbed up on Miles? lap and hugged him deeply while Cat did the same to John. The two sensed that they need hugs and helped them calm down. The four sat together for an hour before Jaimie came back from Richard?s house and Michael from his day with James York. Jaimie didn?t bother to ask what was going on, seeing the four on the couch she just walked away. Michael saw the four together and only asked, "Is dinner done?" which got Valerie to laugh and comment, "You really know how to ruin a family moment." At dinner Jaimie asked John, "Did Uncle Roland really need a change of underwear?" John groaned and complained about Valerie's little revelation. Michael giggled and added, "His lawyer probably needed one too after dad got through with Uncle Roland." Miles just laughed along, adding, "Here I thought Uncle Roland wasn?t afraid of anyone, boy am I wrong!" All of them couldn?t help themselves and burst out in a group laugh, Miles had topped them all with a blush from John after his joke. Monday Miles and the group spent their day finishing up their assignments before marks closed. Miles and Ms. Nunez were still at odds over his Spanish work, he was struggling to finish his work on time each day which was infuriating Ms. Nunez. His work was fundamentally sound and earned at least a, "B" but she just didn?t believe that he was doing his own work. She wasn?t too shy at making remarks about Miles? slow pace nor that his work is always better away from class than in it. Miles confided in Sean about the constant complaints. Sean read the work and couldn?t see any problems then asked him if she did that to the other students. Miles lowered his head in shame and said, "No, she only does it to me when I can?t finish with the rest of the class." Sean?s face grew red, one thing he hated was a bully and Ms. Nunez was a bully. Miles saw his rage and asked that he not do anything, she would take it out on him if he did. Sean thought about it and said bluntly, "No. You are working hard and she is purposely causing you problems. She was warned about that, I think it is time to do something. You should have come forward sooner so we could have gotten you into a different class. Leave it to me, I think I might have a solution that will end this once and for all." After practice Sean phoned John and asked to meet with him at his house. He then called Dan Lopez and Jake Bollinger and asked them to come as well. Ms. Nunez needed to be stopped and he thought of the perfect solution. Sean laid out what Miles had told him. Jake swore at her sheer gall, complaining, "That woman is asking for removal but I can?t get rid of her without causing problems I don?t have a solution to." Dan asked, "If she is targeting him, wouldn?t it be best to remove Miles from her class along with reprimanding her?" John figured out Sean?s idea and asked him bluntly, "We have to catch her in the act. That is why Dan is here, she knows me already but not Dan." Sean nodded then added, "They have a test coming up, we have Dan observe her actions as a fellow teacher. He then can give Jake the ammunition against her. She is bold enough to go after Miles despite the warning, I have no reason to doubt she won?t go after him again even with someone in the classroom." On Tuesday the kids were let in on the plan the next day. On Wednesday afternoon Jake led Dan into the room and told Ms. Nunez about his purpose and left him to observe. None of the group said a word, those outside the group who knew Dan suspected there was something going on and kept silent for the group?s sake. Ms. Nunez handed out the tests and specifically told Miles when the tests would need to be completed. Dan watched as Miles ignored her and started working on his test. Within minutes it was clear that he was struggling to translate the words, moving his eyes around and mouthing silently as if he was speaking before writing the translation. Dan could see clear as day that it wasn?t his fault, he had a legitimate reason for being slow. As he looked at her Ms. Nunez just wasn?t paying attention to her students, instead she was reading a book. She should have seen that he was having a problem and worse should have picked it up weeks ago. Dan watched the clock and saw that time was up for the test and could see Ms. Nunez heading right for Miles. He had just finished work as she reached him, he had just under a minute to go. Ms. Nunez let out a sneer saying, "congratulations Miles, you actually finished on time for once. A shame you can?t do that all the time, but then again your tutor or whoever that does your homework aren?t here to help you." Dan looked right at her and asked her to please repeat what she had just said to Miles. Ms. Nunez tried to backtrack saying, "I was just explaining to Miles here that tests are different than homework." Dan shook his head and excused himself, making sure to kiss Jaimie and Stacy as he left. Stacy calmly told Ms. Nunez, "You made a huge mistake. Dad does not like bullies especially ones in the classroom." Jaimie shut Ms. Nunez down before she spoke saying, "Before you cry foul, he is an instructor at the regional vocational high school and was here to observe on their behalf as they are trying to include some language classes for their curriculum. What he saw will not bode well for you." Ms. Nunez heard the knock at the door and looked up to see Jake standing with Valerie and John. Michael bluntly said, "Oh, now you are so screwed. Mom being here is never a good sign and dad with her? That's double trouble and goodbye to your career as a teacher here." Jake asked Ms. Nunez to step outside. Valerie handed her a complaint to be filed before the city solicitor on behalf of Miles. Jake bluntly told her, "You were warned. Jaimie, Michael, and Miles Finn are being transferred and all of their grades for the quarter are going to be tallied by one of your colleagues per our standards. All of their work is going to be reviewed to see if you have unfairly graded Miles prior to today." Ms. Nunez tried to complain, "The boy didn?t do his own work! His classwork doesn?t match up with the tests! He is using somebody to do his homework I'm exposing him as a fraud!" Dan shot back, "Mam, you have no idea what is actually going on during your tests. You were too busy reading a book to see that boy struggling in multiple ways to translate. It only took one minute of watching him to see it. You should have intervened weeks ago to get him help that he needs, instead you choose to berate him in front of his classmates and ignore all of your students during tests. You have no idea what is actually happening right under your nose." Valerie added, "As for him not doing his own work, he has a lot more time at home to do his work right. If given the same amount of time you too would have similar results. The fact that you did not take that into account shows that you have a bias against him which we will correct." Jake dismissed the class early but asked Jaimie, Michael, and Miles to stay behind. The three were given the option of retaining Spanish but being put into another freshman cluster or transferring to French with Will and Courtney. Jaimie asked, "Will we be allowed some leeway to get up to speed with the rest of the students?" Jake nodded which led all three to agree. Ms. Nunez wouldn?t have to deal with a slow student again, but did have to deal with the school?s lawyer. She was done as a teacher in Winnisimmet and likely done in the state, all by her own doing. At practice Richard, Scott, Eric, and George were told what happened. All four weren?t happy at losing them in class but were glad Miles wasn?t going to be pushed around anymore. Sean let them know that he?d help them out, it was one of the languages he learned in the Army. Both took him up on the offer with Miles being told to expect to learn a few tricks that the school didn?t teach but worked well. The next morning the Finn Trio headed to the main office and got their new class schedules to show to their new teacher. Courtney and Will were happy to have the three of them in the class, Michael now had all his classes with his girlfriend and Will would get the other girls off of his back. Jaimie reined in the duo's couples moment joking, "You won?t be smooching all class so it shouldn?t matter." Both gave out a fake groan setting off the others. Mr. Herman let Miles know that he heard what happened and would give him any extra time needed if it was required. Miles nodded; Mr. Herman had won them over as their second favorite teacher. Mr. Herman didn?t argue with that, he joked, "I?m happy being in your top six." That of course set the class off, he loved joking with them and knew he would always be second to John Finn but at least it was well earned by him. The last class of the day, French, saw the trio in front of their new teacher anxiously awaiting her response to them being moved to her class. Ms. Helena simply looked over at the forms and nodded, pointed out their seats, and began class. The group tried hard to listen and pay attention, they knew things would be different and from the sound of things it was. After class Ms. Helena asked to speak with them. She had heard the rumor about them being moved and wanted to know the truth. Jaimie spoke for them all and told about Ms. Nunez?s bullying of Miles and Dan finding out that he had a legitimate reason for being slow. At the accusation that he was cheating because of the difference between homework and tests she cringed and shook her head in disgust at her colleague's idiocy. Ms. Helena drew a deep breath and asked Miles if he was having a problem directly translating. Miles nodded then said, "I know what it is supposed to say but can?t directly say it." Ms. Helena nodded and agreed to give him time as he had shown that there is a problem but not one that some extra time can?t solve. She also said, "I?ll go easy on your for a few weeks, some of what you are learning will have translated over indirectly from what you were doing in Spanish but a lot is new. Don?t hesitate to ask for help from me or one of your classmates. I'd rather you ask for help than endure alone. You aren't the only one who is having that problem, it's tough to learn a new language." She asked if they were going to have help, Michael pointed out they were close with Will and Courtney and had a standing offer from Sean Beretta. She asked who he was and how he could help, Miles told her, "He?s the football coach and our neighbor and knows the language from the army. He said he knows some tricks that would help." Ms. Helena nodded, adding, "That?s one of the few sources for outside help I trust, so if you listen you should be up to speed with the others soon. And no funny business, Michael, your father already told me that you and Courtney were an item and to not allow anything in class between the two of you." Michael immediate blushed as Miles and Jaimie laughed. They thanked her for being easy on them. At home John asked how it went. The three were happy that she was being easy on them. Michael complained about what he said about Courtney and him which got Valerie laughing and adding, "Well it?s true, you shouldn?t be thinking about that in class." Chapter 29 The grades closed on Friday and group did better than they expected. There were a spattering of, "As" and, "Bs" with a couple of, "Cs" for Michael and one for Miles, but nothing that couldn?t be rectified in the upcoming quarter. Miles was given a provisional, "C" in Spanish but was changed to an, "A" upon inspection of his work by Ms. Helena and her colleagues. They were blunt with Jake about Ms. Nunez targeting Miles without merit and the review had confirmed it. Valerie was enraged and only avoided a lawsuit when Jake got Ms. Nunez to agree to leave the school at the end of the school year without a recommendation and with a strong reprimand in her file. She was finished in their state and likely as a teacher overall. Ms. Helena worked with Sean during the few hours she was free to come up with a plan for the trio to get up to speed and was more than impressed with his ideas. Miles wasn?t happy that Sean would break into French at times during practice to get him to go over some the pronunciations and grammar drills. The coaches at times were on the verge of laughter but seeing Miles trying hard to think what needed to be said quenched their laughs, Miles working that hard meant it wasn?t fun and Sean was doing it for school not for pleasure. Saturday morning after the game the trio was out with Sean at his house working on their French homework. He treated them as he did Miles and got the same reactions out of them that he gave. After a few runs through the major words like numbers, days of week, months, locations, body parts, and family members they worked on the grammatical breakdown of words working their way through several times. It was harder than Jaimie or Michael thought but Miles started to get the patterns and understand better than he had with Ms. Nunez. The three noticed their mom had gone out that morning which concerned them. By mid-morning they found out why their mom had gone out. The news had hit the family about Claire possibly having a younger brother and that her dad wasn?t her birth dad. Miles tried to stay back and watched as Jaimie and Michael texted among their friends. He had texted with Christina but tried to keep out of things, the two were concerned for the others but didn?t feel they should speak about it as they were too new to them. His aunt Leslie was going to be helping Claire?s possible brother out but Miles was hoping the boy was her brother, he needed a big sister and a mom and Claire was a great sister. Valerie returned home after finishing working with Anne Connors regarding little Dale, Claire?s supposed younger brother. Jaimie and Michael tried to act like nothing happened so she went directly to Miles who told her the truth. Miles dropped his head and blurted out, "They have been texting and talking with the others about Dale and Claire." Valerie asked if he had done that too, Miles quietly replied, "Christina and I don?t think it?s our place to do that, we just want to let the others handle it. We are happy for Claire and hope Dale is her brother, she could use a younger sibling." Valerie hugged him and told him he was a good person for doing that then added, "We might have a job for you, he suffered a bit thanks to his bad upbringing. He could use someone who has been through that before." Miles nodded and added, "I hope he has someone like you as his foster parent." She nodded, adding, "Your aunt is a good person to help him, and Mrs. Peterson is already showing signs of wanting to help him in the long term." Miles was happy, his few times meeting Aunt Leslie were ones he enjoyed. She was different than his dad and Aunt Karen, almost always calm and quiet and caring. He hoped to meet Dale soon, if he is like Claire he might be in for a bit of a shock at meeting the other kids. Sunday morning Miles joined Sean to fulfill a promise he made to him. Sean had agreed to go with Olivia Samuels to the soup kitchen and Miles was going as well to help out and keep out of the Dale situation. Jaimie and Michael were visiting him but he still felt it wasn?t his place to visit yet. Sean had heard the news as well and offered a simple, "She wouldn?t have asked you if she didn?t think you would help him greatly." Miles nodded and went to work washing dishes in the kitchen while Sean helped cook. The few times he was able to go out front he was on the verge of tears seeing so many people especially a young woman with two kids. One of them was just a bit younger than him, it was heartbreaking. Sean eventually had to keep him in the back or else he would have lost it completely. Miles wore his heart on his sleeve and not being able to help someone was the one thing he hated most. Sean asked if he could take James York instead of him next week, explaining, "This is too stressful for you." Miles nodded explaining, "It?s like seeing how things could have been. I see that woman with her sons and I think it could have been me there with mom." Sean just nods and agrees with him. He saw her too and couldn?t help but hope she finds a way out of this horrible situation in the future. When we got home that afternoon Michael wasn?t feeling that strong. He confided in Miles that he hadn?t felt that bad about something since he was younger. Miles asked, "What brought this on?" Michael quietly returned, "Seeing Claire and Mrs. Peterson and thinking about mom and I before dad came along. I told her to adopt Dale if only for his sake." Miles nodded adding, "I was hoping someone would say that, I want him to have a family close to people who know and understand him." The drama with Dale got interesting but Miles tried to stay back away from it. He was told about the abuse done to Dale and nearly burst into tears at the news. To do that to someone so young was unacceptable. Then to be told that Dale was intersexed and wanted to be a girl not the boy they told him he was, he lost it. He asked to be able to talk with her whenever his mom and aunt felt it was possible. She needed someone with experience and he was determined to help. Miles met Dale while they came by to talk with his mom. Mrs. Connors and Mrs. Peterson were also there, Miles tried to keep the twins at bay while they talked. Miles saw some resemblance to Claire but the biggest shock was that it wasn?t just Claire that he recognized, he saw some of his new aunts and uncle in her. She looked like she was a cousin of the twins! Miles didn?t want to say anything but he seriously hoped it wasn?t who he suspected as her father. It could also mean that he was Claire?s real father which would make things a whole lot more complicated. By the weekend things had quieted down among the family. Leslie had a handle on things with Dale, or rather Daisy as she had dubbed herself now, and she was becoming one with the family as a whole. Miles and her had little direct contact which was alright but he hoped she would accept his talking with her. Miles came home on Friday to find Sean had taken James York with him to the soup kitchen and he had brought home an old friend and her children. Miles recognized them immediately and smiled. He hoped they would be alright and it looks like they will be. James is a good person and he doesn?t do rash things so she must have been close to him to let him open his home up to them. Hearing that they knew his dad and Aunt Melanie in high school was a big help, his dad would help those he knows and his mom would help his dad help others even if she had just met them. During dinner with James York and his guests, the Raymonds, Miles kept a low profile to let the family handle what was going on. Miles ate in his room and listened to the conversations going on below. He was surprised that this was a long lost love rekindled, it was almost too good to be true but James was clearly acting in a whole new manner around the Raymonds. Over the weekend Rebecca Lopez and her friends came by and talked with Sam Raymond while Miles was just over the fence working with Sean in his yard. Rebecca was being sneaky in her questioning and Sam seemed to be fascinated with Jaimie for some reason. By the middle of the week the reason for the fascination with Jaimie was revealed and Miles could understand wholly, Sam was transgender like Jaimie. Miles had to do a double take on her at times, he could swear that she was just as beautiful as Ms. Raymond already and hadn?t started to transition yet. As the month dragged on football started to end and only the Thanksgiving game remained. Miles had to do something he didn?t want to do, he would suit up to play in the game. The team needed someone to punt after their original punter was hurt in the previous game and Pete was being used too often on offense to allow him to punt. Miles donned the pads and uniform again and caught the opposing team by surprise. His punts were long and deep with great hang time pinning the team deep in their half of the field. He was better protected this time, the first attempt at taking him out ended with the player tearing ligaments in his knew as Scott blocked him hard at the last second. Scott told him to tell his team the next try like that he goes for their groins, which led to their coach complaining with Sean bluntly saying, "He doesn?t threaten, he promises." Miles? next kick had a perfect bounce leading to a pin at the 1-yard line and causing a 2- point safety for the Infernos on the first play for the opponent. The infernos won the game and Miles? kicks were the key to the win. He refused to accept any praise, this time saying, "I am here only because someone got hurt, it?d be insulting for him if we celebrate me instead of all of us." Sean nodded and told the group, "This has been a fun year and you deserve a big hand for sticking it out. Enjoy your meals and the rest of the day." Sean had tears in his eyes as he said that, he had not had so much fun in years and was proud of all of them. Miles went home with Paige and Christina after a quick stop at his home to shower. He would be eating with the Connors instead of the Finns, he felt that it would be crowded there with Daisy, Claire, Mrs. Peterson, his aunts, and the twins joining them. Anne was pleased that he was coming and welcoming him fully. They were in the middle of dinner when Jaimie phoned Miles. She wasn?t sounding too happy and gave him the blunt news that he hated to hear, Roland Finn was Claire and Daisy?s father. Miles swore loudly and told Anne and the others the bad news. He had suspected he was their father from first meeting Daisy but this was terrible news. Christina and Jenna looked at him in disbelief. They waited for Jaimie to text them the bad news and got ready to keep Claire occupied. Christina opted out of going with Jenna the next day, choosing to stay with Miles at home. Anne nodded then added, "No funny business, I know you won?t but I still have to say it so it looks like I am trying to be a mom." The two giggled and agreed, hoping that things went well for the girls the next day. Miles finally got to talk with Daisy over the weekend. She was bright, energetic, and quick witted. It was like talking with a mixture of the best qualities of Jaimie and Hannah without their arrogance, temper, or inquisitiveness. She asked what he knew about her dad and he told her the truth. She accepted that he wasn?t a good person better than he had hoped. He talked about also being yelled at, forced to stay in his room while bad things happened outside the door, getting hit for saying the wrong thing. He asked if she had to also work for her food which he nearly broke into tears over hearing her response. He wanted to hurt Roland for what he had done to her, she should have been with his dad and aunts not left with that woman in Chicago. Miles hugged Daisy deeply but couldn?t be around her. He wanted revenge on Roland and Daisy seemed to pick up on his anger. She hugged him saying, "Dad was bad to you, Uncle John will be good to you now." Miles perked up and thanked her. Through December things were going smoothly for the group. Miles got to know Sam Raymond and was frequently helping her with her homework after Sean helped him with his French. He became a sounding board for how to handle things in school, taking his advice to keep up with Rebecca?s group and even get closer with Iris and Francesca. She appreciated his honesty with her especially where she couldn?t ask Rebecca or the others without feeling embarrassed. Miles saw it as his duty to help the newest to join the extended family out whenever possible. By Christmastime there was a big fight over Daisy?s required surgery that saw the bulk of the group missing school. Only Christina and Miles would be attending school and it was due to being the ones to lose the lottery within the group. Mr. Herman asked him in private what was going on and with John?s permission he revealed the truth which angered Mr. Herman and got him and the others a free pass for their work for the next three days. He was proud of John for what he was doing for his family and the benefit of many. Jake Bollinger talked with Miles over lunch and told him about the results of the meeting. He was overjoyed that his dad had beaten them so soundly and they were out of their jobs and others were losing theirs as well. Christina had to calm him down but she was just as happy. In geography Miles had to endure a bunch of questions that he wouldn?t answer. Their substitute, Mr. Leeds, taught what John was going to teach and did a great job. Miles asked how he could imitate his dad so well, Mr. Leeds laughed and told about being John?s adviser the year before. He was proud that they had thought highly of his imitation which caught both off guard and caused more blushing. Mr. Leeds admitted that he was happy to borrow from John?s style for the day, especially as it helps keep them up to speed in case John was ill. It was something that the other teachers had been afraid of but had just been proven to be able to be handled well. At home John told him what happened and Miles tried hard not to laugh. Valerie shook her head as Miles joked, "How many times did you give them an out and they refused to see it?" John added, "You did great for your friends today, we know you wanted to be there but you earned more respect from them for sitting out and getting notes for them than being there. I don?t think you could have held your tongue given how much you care about Daisy." Over the next week Miles kept to himself as he awaited his first true Christmas. The family knew he wanted to not make a big deal out of it but still went overboard in buying him presents. He opted to ignore them and join Sean at the soup kitchen letting Daisy get all of the attention instead. The family didn?t fight him over the idea. He had his reasons for being there, Sean enjoyed the company and was pleased that he was giving back. Olivia and Richard Samuels joined them with Miles and Richard getting stuck with the dish washing duties. Richard wasn?t entirely pleased to be dragged along but seeing Miles there with him got him to feel better about it. Richard and Miles talked much of the morning and Richard learned a lot about his friend. Richard could see he felt bad for having hit the lottery in being part of the Finns after always being a few dollars away from being in that line. Richard?s dad made great money as a leading pediatrician and his mom saved a nice sum of money before she quit nursing so he had never been for want. However, seeing someone who had never had anything and now had everything he could want and more at his disposal humbled him. Richard admitted that he was sorry for ignoring him in the past. He liked him but never thought to befriend him. Miles shrugged it off, saying, "I wouldn?t have let you get close anyway, you had everything and I had nothing. We wouldn?t have had anything in common." Sean cut in on their private conversation adding, "You two going to keep digging up the past or see that you two are practically brothers-in-law already?" Both apologized and just let it go. Later on at Christina?s house, Miles endured the attention of the three girls. Jenna kept making fun of Miles and Christina being the only couple together that day to which Christina shot back, "It?s not his fault you are too lazy to walk across the city to see your beloved George." Paige shot back, "And besides, you would want to get out after a while with Hannah and Bryan as well. I love those two deeply, but even I could use a break from them." Anne was pleased that her three girls were having such a great time together. Miles shared with her that the three were holding back their true feelings, all three were happy that they had each other and a mom that cared so much about them. Anne just blushed and hugged him. Epilogue With the drama that involved Daisy and later James York and the Raymonds? custody fiasco the Finns had to hold off expanding their house. In the late Spring the family finally got the work started. It took two months but Miles had a new room and Jaimie had her old room back. John had expanded the basement and attic so he had his own office as well as two guest bedrooms and a larger utility room. Miles and Christina grew comfortable with their new families. They would eventually lose their fears about being the, "New kid" in the family and join their rightful place alongside the others. Paige and Bryan were inseparable and Hannah eventually started to get closer with Pete, losing her sharp edge around him allowing him to show he is the gentleman for her. John kept the kids in line at school and ensured they were working hard and earning their good grades. Miles, Jaimie, and Michael caught up with their classmates in French and even exceeded them by the end of the year. Ms. Helena was extremely pleased with Sean Beretta's tutoring of them and got him a special commendation from the school for it. Mr. Herman proved to be a huge influence on the kids. They all earned an, "A" in his class with it being the only, "A" for Eric and George. Mr. Herman would grow into a trusted friend of John and was often seen with Jake Bollinger and John before and after school. The three were slowly turning the school into a respectable public school which brought the attention of the state who encouraged other public schools to copy their methods. Anne Connors became involved with Sam Raymond and James York after Sam?s mother took ill and a custody battle ensued. Anne had earned the attention of the governor who sought her opinion on helping reform some of the policies and procedures within her department bringing her more praise and eventually a promotion replacing her former supervisor. She could now oversee and direct many more cases and have a direct hand in helping more kids. Jenna, Paige, and Christina were pleased that their mom was doing more than just reacting, she was helping turn the lives of many children around. Christina?s house and car were retained by Anne at the request of Christina. Anne had Dan Lopez do some repairs while Karen Finn took over as landlord and saw to it that the house was rented out. Christina saw a modest income coming in from the rent once all taxes and fees were paid for. Whatever she didn?t need for spending money went into her trust fund with Greta Nelson and Beverly Riley keeping on top of the amount coming in and going on out on her behalf. Roland Finn was sent to a maximum security state prison the day after his arraignment on charges relating to the Miles situation. His admission that he was the ringleader and involved multiple public employees brought the attention of the federal government who were investigating a larger criminal ring. Roland?s admissions allowed them to charge him with violating RICO laws and led to the breaking up of a much larger regional drug ring. Roland swore revenge on John but was now in constant fear of his former associates taking revenge on him for his role in getting their racket broken up. Sean Beretta took a job with the high school teaching health classes after his involvement with Jaimie, Michael, and Miles caught the interest of Shawn Xavier and a sudden vacancy occurred. He taught the class through a different perspective than had been done before: that of a doctor and not as a teacher. The group of 14 treated him with high respect, leaving the joking they normally had with teachers outside allowing him to focus on all of the kids instead of just them. Sean had never been so happy to see so many eager faces willing to listen and learn. He understood how John felt every time he taught and looked forward to teaching it in the years to come. It gave him something new to do and more importantly something to enjoy. The End.