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Newhall, Missouri was a changed place. In the past two and a half months every town agency had been completely torn apart by the state and federal corruption probes. There was rampant nepotism, greed, extortion, conflicts of interest, fraud, and embezzlement throughout the town brought to light by the investigators. It went further to include the County of Hadley which Newhall residents completely controlled. Things were dire in the town. The sheriff's office was torn in half by supporters of the, "Good old boy" system who benefited from the corrupt Sheriff Baker and those who were decent, law abiding, hardworking deputies who were once openly abused by Sheriff Baker. The fire department lost several top brass including the chief, fire marshal, and fire investigator due to the investigations with multiple fires being shown to have been started by members of the department under orders from Sheriff Baker. The regional office of the Missouri Department of Social Services was gutted and employees shifted around to various adjacent areas while the investigation into former regional director Arthur Davis's involvement died down. Once the courts had completed their investigation and found only those that directly involved public officials in Hadley and Newhall the office was returned to normal but with several employees shifted to better locations to better serve the region. Social services, despite being shown to have been directly affected by Arthur Davis alone, were still in a state of flux. Mark Sylvester left them in a lurch as he was their top social worker and cleared more cases than anyone else. His calm, clear thinking was once mocked but when cases started to become complex and mistakes were made his attention to detail which was once the joke of others was shown to be what they needed. The court was another disaster. Hadley County was in a battle over their judge. There were calls for Judge Mitchell to return to the bench for a period of time. Likewise, there were claims that the state had no right to remove the former judge, Judge Hall, despite there being an ironclad case against him. Judge Mitchell declined to return to the bench, he had chosen to retire and he was sticking to it. His new job, helping at-risk youths in Kansas City, was working much better than he hoped. His work was influenced by talking with the Finns and it was having a direct impact on dozens of kids so far. Hadley and Newhall created their own mess and he wasn't going to jump in to save them again, they would sink or swim on their own. The kids mattered more, they deserved help while the town and county didn't. He had already seen the fruits of his labor blossom with multiple kids graduating high school and several others getting their GEDs and earning respectable jobs, he didn't need to abandon them for something he fought against for years. Judge Mitchell need not worry, the state was intervening and had already had the state court's Commission on Retirement, Removal, and Discipline closely examine the criminal case and discretely interview people affected by the misconduct of Judge Hall Within weeks he was legally removed and a new judge appointed by the governor with the statement that s/he would not face election until the next state election. This created a stir but the governor ignored the complaints, almost all of which were from supporters of Judge Hall. Special Agent Michael Jones of the ATF had the luxury of coordinating the state and federal investigations into Hadley and Newhall. His family name seemed to make some believe that they could use him to get their way but this always backfired on them. He may have been related to one of the most influential county employees but he was the polar opposite of his brother. Lance Jones' protectors were long gone and Michael owed nothing to anybody in the county or town. He quickly became the person you did not want to see when asked to answer questions, he was not afraid to have those who foolishly tried to bribe him or threaten him arrested and facing criminal charges. He was feared and being from out of town and always with several agents made anyone who ignored the warnings about him regret it. Michel was an odd choice to lead the investigation. There were some complaints by FBI agents about having an ATF guy to answer to. The US Attorney knew what he was doing, Michael's reputation was spotless and his work with the Boston agents and their temporary appointees was observed and noted and used to put him in as the lead agent into the investigation. Michael was thorough in investigating all angles in the case. He followed the Boston crew's suggestion and found direct links between Sheriff Baker, Judge Hall, Arthur Davis, and Mark Sylvester's former landlord. The landlord and Sheriff Baker were brothers and Arthur Davis's and Judge Hall's wives were sisters. The fire chief and fire investigator for the county were cousins of Judge Hall and the fire marshal was the younger brother of Sheriff Baker. That intermingling meant Mark Sylvester was set up and targeted from the start. He would have been put in prison if not for the support of the Boston office and more importantly Kennedy Pena, Anne Connors, Alex Vincent, Mike Daniels, and Paul Douglas. Their experience outwitted the Hadley and Newhall cabal and caught them red handed. Their work was enough to get the three temporary agents appointed as full agents which Paul Douglas declined. The FBI had to give Michael his due and give in to his leadership; his suggestions about where to go with the case were on the money, both figuratively and literally. Millions of undeclared income for Judge Hall, Sheriff Baker, Arthur Davis, and others was found and all of it adding up to additional federal charges against them. Despite its success, the whole investigation took its toll on Michael. Finding out that he had a nephew, that his nephew was the adopted sister of a distant cousin, and his brother was a total scumbag that was willing to deny an innocent child of her right to medical care for a disorder that needed fixing and knew full well who she was in regards to his relationship with him was a lot to handle. That was before you factor in the whole Mark Sylvester situation that by unfortunate luck had also involved his two relatives. He needed a break and with the investigation over and indictments handed down, he was given one. As soon as Mark, Paul, Mike, and Alex testified for both the state and federal cases Michael would be able to take a much-needed rest, He needed it and it would do a lot of good for his family as well. Early July he made the trip east to prep Mark for his testimony. They were lucky, their federal district was quieter than normal and could handle their case quickly. This also meant that he had less time to prepare counterattacks from the trio but it was worth it to get the case over with sooner. Since it was official business Michael was put up in a hotel rather than staying with the Finns. He had little time to spend with his nephew or cousin, the trial was important. They understood, although Jaimie took it a little harder than the younger Michael as she hated to miss out on seeing someone special to her. Mark was in a good mood when he met with Michael. There was something different about him since they had previously met. Michael didn't say anything but it was as if Mark had found his calling there in Winnisimmet. The two spent hours going over the facts of the case and going back and forth over possible questions and answers. Mark was prepared but Michael thought that he needed to do something to throw Mark off his game. He figured that the defense would go for the ignorant people in the jury and use Jaimie's gender change and his outright support it against him Michael peppered him with questions and eventually, Mark came up with a good defense, telling him, "You would never be able to pick out who was a genetic girl from a transgender girl". This caught Michael off guard and was the perfect answer to a stupid question. Mark showed pictures of various girls, telling him that one of them was transgender and to pick which one. Michael picked one at random, then was told:, "You are wrong." He then told him, "None of these are. You just picked out a lovely young lady by the name of Hannah Smith. The others are Christina and Jenna Connors, Claire Peterson, Stacy Lopez, and Courtney Lawrence." The trick worked. He told Mark to get ready to use it in court. As he left he finally got the courage to ask him what was going on with him. Mark smiled and told him, "I found a lovely woman who has agreed to become my wife." Michael asked who she was to which he smirked and said, "Leslie Finn." Michael just shook his head and smiled at the turn of events. It was poetic that he'd find love with the aunt of the child he had such an influence on. Over the course of the next day Mark was grilled again and again and each time his story was down solid. He grilled Mike, Alex, and Paul as well but with their service records and previous experience testifying in court, there was little the defense could do to sabotage their testimonies. Mark was the biggest fear but he was well prepared. The flight was quiet as Mike and Alex prepared themselves for their testimony. The light banter among the four was focused solely on Mark's upcoming wedding and his crash course in fatherhood. Michael asked Alex and Mike if it was because he was going to be taking care of their sons while they were down in Georgia at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, which would cause them to have to miss three to four months leaving their sons without proper supervision. Both started to laugh and informed him that It was worse than that, Mark was marrying a woman with two teenage daughters in addition to caring for their sons while they were away. Michael shook his head at this, the man was in over his head. The two laughed at his reaction with Paul chiming in with a quick, "They are good kids, Mark just has to not let them wrap him around their fingers." Mike shot back a quick, "Spoken like a man whose daughter has already done that to him." The next morning five were driven to the courthouse in Newhall and met with fierce opposition outside. The majority were ousted public officials who vowed revenge when the case was tossed out. Michael just herded them inside and sat back and watched the foursome get ripped apart by Mark, Alex, Mike, and Paul. Mike and Alex were direct in their attacks on Sheriff Baker's brother. They connected the dots right away and showed that he was behind in his insurance payments as well as his taxes and needed quick cash. They then went on to show that there had been several suspicious fires in the town that could directly be attributed to insurance fraud as a connection to late payments and sudden infusions of cash from insurance claims Paul showed that the investigation into the fire was rife with irregularities and fraudulent claims. He didn't have to do much work to show that the reports were bogus, the science didn't match up, there were glaring errors and omissions, and the files were either manipulated or ignored. What was more, he produced evidence that Mark was nowhere near Newhall when the fire in his apartment started, playing the recorded fire department transmissions that featured Mark's as well as his own in the background. Paul was attacked for being an outsider to the community. He countered by explaining his experience with fires citing the sheer number of responses, from multi-city near conflagrations to small mattress fires and his credentials from multiple nationally recognized training programs including the ATF's fire investigation program. This same program was one that should have been taken by the department's investigator but he had never taken and he was, therefore, was unqualified to investigate any fires in the first place making all of his reports fabrications or not worth the paper they are printed on. Paul's claims were backed up by one of the state's deputy fire marshals who testified after him. He was originally brought in to counter Paul but Paul's record was more extensive than even his and by pure coincidence, the two participated in the same investigation course long ago. The poor man was put through the wringer as he explained that he was brought in by the defense because they thought the outsider didn't have the knowledge that he had. He reluctantly admitted that he was nowhere near experienced enough to do anything but support Paul's testimony. The claims against Mark were fantasies and the evidence proved that it was set while Mark was over 1,000 miles away. Mark was cleared of any involvement. Things got interesting as Mark took the stand. His reputation was put to the test but the defense wasn't ready for Mark's counter-attacks. Mark showed that he had the highest clearance rate among cases which included dozens of false allegations and multiple arrests for abuse. The only cases that were troublesome for him were ones that were shown to have been influenced by Arthur Davis, Sheriff Baker, and Judge Hall. The defense cried foul but Mark produced the evidence that proved him right. The defense tried to have this evidence tossed out but it was shown that they were the actual case files for the cases in question, ones that he had personally saved and put into safe keeping and the trio had sent deputies east to try to steal. The files the defense had were falsified documents, the ones that were the source of the criminal charges against Arthur Davis. Knowing that Mark was untouchable as a professional the defense went after his character. They claimed that he was a sick pervert who tried to destroy families. They then tried to paint him as a weirdo who allowed a child to become a freak by trying to become a girl. Mark let the lawyer ramble on then countered with, "I honestly don't know whether to laugh at or pity you for sounding like such a fool. You are talking about a young woman who has worked hard for four years to make things better for hundreds of people. She is neither a deviant, no a freak, nor a pervert. You are going on the assumption that as she was born male she will always be male and will look like a 16-year-old boy. But you are wrong. You couldn't pick her out of a lineup if you knew she was in one." This challenge caused the gallery to laugh. Mark called his bluff. He accepted Mark's challenge and he produced nine pictures, five contained pictures of Jaimie Finn, Kylie Pena, Nichole Smith, Sam York, and Reyna Toro. The other four were pictures of Nancy Flynn, Jenna and Christina Connors and Margaret Douglas. He had a better than 50/50 chance of picking a transgender girl but 11% chance of picking Jaimie. With trepidation, the lawyer picked the picture of Margaret. Paul burst into laughter as the judge asked him what was so funny. Paul stood up and stated, "Your honor, the defense has just chosen a picture of my daughter Margaret. She is not now nor has she ever been a boy or transgender. She is also too young to be Jaimie, she's only nine years old!" This brought laughter as another picture was chosen and this time Jenna was picked. Mike now laughed and explained, "That young lady is my son's girlfriend. I should know that she isn't a girl, I used to change her diapers when she was a baby." Mark made his point. To add further insult to injury he asked the judge if he could pick out Jaimie from among the pictures. He waited a few minutes and studied the pictures. He hovered over the picture then admitted, "I will be honest and say that I can't. Any picture that I did choose I would be guessing at wildly and I am not about to make a fool of myself by making a choice based on false information and assumptions." Mark then pointed out to the jury, "There are five transgender girls here." He removed the pictures of Christina and Nancy saying, "These two are genetic girls." He then pointed towards the remaining pictures and explained, "This young lady is only nine but has been receiving treatment for four years. Last summer she was brutally stabbed in the groin taking after jumping in front of Jaimie, she had to undergo emergency surgery as there was no way to save her male parts. This young lady came out after years of abuse by her parents and sexually assaulted by a teacher for acting 'girly'. This young lady came out four years ago and last year was kidnapped and shot in the groin with a shotgun resulting in emergency surgery. This young lady was brutally assaulted by her grandmother for wearing ladies' clothes and was beaten with belts and tossed across rooms because she refused to wear boys' clothes anymore." He finally removed all but Jaimie's picture. He drew a deep breath then stated, "This young lady is Jaimie Finn. People in this town and county remember her negatively but what they don't know is she has given millions of dollars to charities that have helped hundreds of children attend school, find employment, afford food and clothes, and find homes. She is a straight-A student and cheerleader. Not one of you would have honestly known who she had been before four years ago. The defense tried to paint me as supporting deviancy and perverts but if what she has done for others is deviancy and perverse then the defense is either ignorant of the true meaning of the words or so desperate to paint me as a terrible person that they would slander an innocent young lady who has done nothing but good for the world." Mark' speech hit the jury hard. His little challenge was a big hit with them. The judge dismissed him with thanks and admonished the defense for straying from facts and slandering both the witness and Jaimie. The defense had no actual witnesses who could counter anything the prosecution brought. Their character assassinations were disallowed and the character witnesses were shown to be either relatives or in the employ of the defendants making whatever they said suspicious. The jury was handed the case and within three hours they returned a guilty verdict. After agreeing to suspend the right to a separate hearing and knowing they would appeal the judge sentenced them to consecutive terms that added up to 50 years in prison each. The next day they did it again, this time with the federal court. The defense this time was unable to put up any real fight, the evidence was irrefutable and the backgrounds of each witness were untouchable. Even Mark was untouchable as the judge refused to have a replay of the previous day's events. He did acknowledge that Mark's record as a social worker was unblemished except for where convicted criminals had intervened to make those blemishes. Mark's testimony was barely needed but as the case centered around actions taken against him his involvement was needed. There was going to be a third day of trials, this time for Phillip and Jason, the two rapists whose act sparked Mark's fleeing east. Seeing that there was no way around the rape charges and with their backers all going to prison their lawyers insisted they take a plea bargain. The two would each spend 20 years in prison for the multiple rapes of Sylvia but would not get charged with causing her suicide. Sylvia's mother was forced to accept child neglect and abuse charges and permanently lost custody of her younger children, both of whom were in the process of being given to her by Judge Hall before his removal. Sylvia's father, in turn, sued successfully on behalf of Sylvia and used the money to help her siblings start over on the other side of the state far away from Newhall and Hadley. With Mark's situation in hand, Michael was told he was going to have a two-week vacation. It was suggested that he take in back in Boston, as he was asked to attend a meeting with the agency's New England regional director in Boston. Michael heard through the grapevine that he was up for promotion and he was considered the odds-on favorite to be appointed to the job. The only snag was it was in Boston and he'd have to move. After seeing Mike, Alex, and Mark off Michael had a sit down meeting with his wife and kids. He told them he was going on vacation and they were going to go east to Boston. His wife Sarah asked if it meant meeting up with his nephew and cousin, Michael told her, "I hadn't considered what we would do, it's one of the things we could do." Sarah sensed something was going on. Michael couldn't hold back and admitted, "I am rumored to be up for a promotion. I have a meeting in Boston with the regional director and it could lead to a promotion. Boston is a hotbed for activity and it would be a big chance for us to start over." Faith wasn't happy to leave her friends and Neil wasn't keen on going away from home at all. Sarah shook her head and was honest with Michael, telling him kindly, "It's a good idea to see what the truth is. If they make you an offer you would be foolish to decline it. The worst that happens is you don't get offered the position. At least you get to see your nephew and cousin. The best is you have an opportunity to start over. The kids will get used to the place, and they would have a chance to be close to a family who are decent people, not bigoted monsters. They seem like the kind of people that you want to have as relatives, ones you can be proud of." It was agreed. Two weeks in Boston for the Jones family. Michael got the exact details from his boss and made flight arrangements for the four of them. He called Valerie Finn to schedule a meetup and after an hour of coaxing Michael was convinced to accept John's paying for their flights and them staying with the Finns rather than a hotel. The kids were less than enthusiastic to stay with strangers and Sarah was unsure how to react. A man who barely knew them was paying thousands of dollars to fly them halfway across the country and opening up his home so they could visit his son. Michael explained it as best he could, John wanted them to see the real family. No filters, just Michael and Jaimie as they really are. Three days later the family was packed and ready to go. The kids complained about going but softened when told there were multiple children around their age to play with. Michael had to tell Sarah that several of the kids and teens were like Jaimie but being a doctor Sarah understood and accepted this fact. It shouldn't be an issue unless someone else made it an issue but Valerie had assured Michael that the girls were the most well-behaved children around. The Jones family was met by Valerie and John at the airport. Michael went off to rent a car and found that John had taken care of the arrangements already, getting him a minivan instead of the sedan he originally was supposed to have. Sarah understood exactly why he did it when she saw their bags piled on the luggage cart, letting out a giggle at their unforeseen flub. Faith and Neil had their eyes glued to the scenery as they drove out of the airport, through East Boston, and across the river to Winnisimmet. They got a treat as they saw tugboats and tankers on the river causing the bridges to rise and the two vehicles to have to wait. Their initial complaints were abated as this city, different than Kansas City, took their interest. Neil was enthralled by seeing a fire raging two blocks away and seeing several different kinds of fire trucks setting up. The fire meant they had to detour halfway around the city to avoid traffic giving the kids a different view of the city and showing them the parts that wouldn't normally be shown to them. Michael recognized a lot of the gloom and signs of drug and gang infestation but didn't let the kids know what it was. The kids saw right away it wasn't the best part of town and told their dad, "It's so different here." Sarah added quickly, "It's not what John wanted to show us, but the fire blocked our way and it was the only alternative route." After another 10 minutes of driving the two vehicles came to a halt outside the Finn home. John was immediately toppled by Cat and JD Finn while Faith giggled. John ushered the four inside and showed them to their temporary rooms. Miles told Neil he had his room, he was going to stay next door while Jaimie showed Faith to her room, Jaimie was staying with the twins as Cat had trouble sleeping if too many people were home. Miles silently crept out with his bags. Sarah noticed a look of sadness on his face as he left, he hadn't said more than five words total to them both times they had met him. Valerie saw the look and asked what the problem was, Sarah snapped out it and asked softly, "Does Miles have any other relatives?" Valerie realized what was going on and was honest, "No. His father died in jail and his mother died from cancer years before that. Both were wards of the state since birth. His father once told him that his family abandoned him but in truth, he never had any." Sarah felt bad about being there now, Miles was feeling lonely without any relatives of his own. Michael and Jaimie at least had them, but Miles had nobody but his adopted family. Michael and Sarah settled into the guest room and talked about the upcoming two weeks. The meeting was in 10 days, everything before or after that was up in the air. The kids wanted to do something fun like an amusement park while their parents were going to make the most out of the city and see the important sites even if to the kids it was boring. Back downstairs the couple talked with the kids about what they wanted to do. Neither had any idea what was available to do. John and Valerie helped the situation by asking them what they liked to see with the kids asking if there was an amusement park or something like that around. Valerie snickered and admitted,, "There's one about 40 miles away, it's not the size of Worlds of Fun but it's got a lot of charm and the rides are about right for kids your age and size." John asked them if they minded if some other kids their age came. Neither said no to which he announced, "At the very least Daisy, Nichole, Kylie, Virgil, and Margaret will go. I'd need to check on Junior and Nancy." The quick spouting of seven names caught both Michael and Sarah by surprise. John pointed out, "Daisy and Nichole are our nieces, Kylie is my cousin's daughter, Virgil lives directly across the street, and Margaret is close with Kylie and Nichole." Sarah asked how old they were. John spouted off, "Kylie, Nichole, Nancy, and Margaret are all nine, Junior is eight, Daisy is six, and Virgil is five." Faith's eyes lit up at hearing someone her own age while Neil was a little apprehensive after hearing there were four girls older than him going. It took a bit of coaxing but Neil relented and the group made plans for a visit in three days. The doorbell broke the kids' concentration. John answered it and showed in a young girl with a tall and skinny teenager. Kylie was bouncing up and down as the door closed causing her brother Reed to complain to her to calm down. Michael whispered to Sarah, "That's Kylie Pena, one of the girls I told you about. I guess we will see how the kids react to meeting one of the special girls right away." The twins came bursting in when they heard Reed and Kylie speak causing Michael and Sarah to look on in shock as the two nearly-three-year-olds almost toppled the teen and nine years old. Cat was climbing all over Reed for attention while JD pulled Kylie along to their playroom. Neil asked, "What just happened?" to which Valerie smiled and told him, "The twins haven't had a chance to play with their favorite people in a few days." John explained the situation to them, "Their parents are heading out west to pick up their little brother from the hospital. Their birth mother is in jail, she was on the run since last August after her husband and sons attacked Jaimie and our niece. Apparently, she was pregnant while on the run so the court has decided to award custody of their newborn brother to their new parents, the Penas." Michael asked about the charges and hearing them Sarah felt sick. Valerie explained, "They disgraced their family long ago and sadly if it wasn't for their house catching fire the two would have starved or froze once Reed's meager savings ran out. They have been able to receive the care and attention they needed. Kylie has literally become a whole new person since then." Neil popped in and asked, "Why is that?" bringing the adults to figure out a way of explaining. Kylie appeared and told him, "I was born a boy, that's what it means." Neil looked at her in disbelief trying to see if she was lying or telling the truth. Kylie just shrugged, telling him, "You don't have to believe me but you aren't seeing what's in my panties to make sure." Neil turned beet red and apologized to her. The four adults were speechless as Kylie walked off, but gave them a big smile. John shook his head and admitted,, "The little minx played him for a fool." Turning to Neil he offered a soft, "She is one of a few girls who wasn't born as a girl. You have met Jaimie and Kylie. Are you mature enough to handle hearing about the others?" This was a challenge to Neil so he said a quick, "Yes, sir." John sat next to him and explained, "Sam and Reyna are the two you aren't going to see too often but they are like Jaimie and Kylie. Reyna had something horrible happen to her and had to undergo surgery to make her into a girl on the outside that matches the girl that she was already on the inside. Sam looks like a young woman but she hasn't had any surgery yet." He thought for a bit to explain Nichole but went with honesty., "Nichole, my niece, is like Reyna in that she had to undergo major surgery after she was hurt badly. She saved Jaimie from Kylie's father and brothers but had to have surgery that made her outside match her inside. It's hard to believe but Kylie really was born a boy and I'll be honest with you, she still has her boy parts but won't start looking like a young woman for a few more years. She is girlier than any of the girls both genetic and otherwise." Neil grew quiet and pensive. He softly asked,, "Why did they hurt them?" John didn't want to lie so he told him the truth, "The Clarence family didn't like that Jaimie was becoming a girl. Reyna's uncle's agent was stealing money from him and wanted him to sign a horrible contract that would have kept her away from him. A lot of people don't like what the girls are doing and want to hurt them but they still are not going to stop being who they need to be." Neil understood. His dad explained about Jaimie before but this was different, this was someone he had seen in person. He slunk off feeling bad. Kylie sensed there was something wrong and asked if he was alright. Neil somberly told her, "The kids in school talked about Jaimie like she was some sort of weirdo freak and made fun of anyone who was different. The kids were scared to do anything but act normal. We don't have any right to complain, we don't have to put up with what you do." Kylie did the only thing she could think of, she hugged him. He had a big heart and didn't want to show it. Seeing Kylie and hearing the truth was causing him a crisis of conscience for Neil to which he admitted, "I hate that school. The bullies rule and the teachers don't do anything. I hope dad moves so I don't have to go back." Sensing what might really be going on Kylie asked:, "Don't you have any friends there?" Neil shook his head no which got Kylie thinking, telling him, "Then you better get in as much fun with us while you can. We may be girls but it's not like we are that different. Besides Junior is a boy and he is always playing with us." Downstairs Michael and Sarah suspected something was amiss with Neil. Valerie shook her head and asked,, "Has he ever talked about what goes on in school?" Both weren't aware of talk about anything regarding the school that wasn't parent-teacher conference related to which Valerie asked:, "Has he mentioned how the kids act?" Again neither could recall anything. Valerie again shook her head and calmly stated, "He took the story hard. Something is amiss with him regarding school. If my hunch is right he is facing bullies and constant teasing. If it's known in the school it may not be handled right by the school if at all. He is suffering and too embarrassed or afraid to say anything about it" This hit Sarah hard. She was concerned about her kids but she missed a huge signal from her son that he needed help. John suggested they talk with him about school in a few days, it gives him time to get used to being around kids who have endured a lot of what happened to him. John was adamant that Neil will come to them. He chuckled as he insisted, "Kylie wouldn't let him leave without talking with them about it. That little girl has a way with people that makes them open up and tell all." Once the situation sank in it was time for dinner. Jaimie and Michael called to say they were eating with their significant others' families so it was just John, Valerie, the twins, Reed, Kylie, and the Jones family for dinner. Reed had little difficulty getting Cat to sit and eat while JD kept trying to get Kylie's attention until Reed got him to eat without a fuss. Reed's actions caused Sarah to ask how he was so good with the kids getting a quick, "He practically raised his sister on his own." Knowing the abuse history she let it go. He was a good brother and acted more mature than he should have to but she felt for him. Reed had little or no actual childhood, he missed out on a lot and endured more than any kid should ever have to endure. With dinner over Kylie went off to play in the yard with Neil and Faith under the supervision of Reed. Next door Miles was settling in with his cousins for a boring night. Sam and Iris were cuddling while Rachel was busy playing on her laptop chatting with her best friend Reyna. The girls tried to tease him about being there but were scolded by their mother for being insensitive. Leslie Finn was no fool, she could sense Miles wasn't enthusiastic about having visitors especially ones who showed he had no relatives of his own other than the adopted relatives. The girls were kept in the dark about that and Miles wouldn't acknowledge it but Leslie could see the real problem. It compounded things that everyone else was out on dates while Christina was home sick with a stomach virus forcing him to stay home and be around the visitors. After about an hour Sam and Iris were getting a little uncomfortable with one another and stopped cuddling. Iris asked what was going on to which Sam complained she wasn't feeling well. This caused Iris to complain which led to a back and forth between the two. Leslie took this to mean they were done for the night and let her presence become known, seeing the two out and telling Sam she wasn't in any trouble and she was entitled to feel off every once and a while. Iris wasn't too happy with the turn of events. Leslie groaned and told her sharply, "She can have an off night as much as you can. If I am not mistaken two days from now you will be acting the same way." Iris quickly apologized getting Rachel and Miles to roll their eyes at the poor girl's realization. Rachel and Miles talked for a while before both turned in for the night. She kept his mind off the visitors but reminded him that it was still his home too and he shouldn't hide out because he felt uncomfortable. He just shrugged and walked away, it didn't help much at all but he was glad she tried. The next morning Jaimie and Michael helped make breakfast while Neil and Faith kept the twins occupied. The elder Michael and Sarah tried to help but were shot down by the insistent teens. John and Valerie tried to take over but received the same treatment. Jaimie called Leslie to tell her to come over for breakfast getting a quick stampede of both girls rushing with Leslie telling them to slow down. Miles was a no-show for breakfast, which prompted Jaimie to ask about him. Leslie had to think quickly and told her, "He's sleeping in, he said he'd have a brunch later." Jaimie didn't buy it but didn't dwell on it with the others there and didn't want to say something to upset anyone without more facts. After breakfast, the girls played with the twins for a bit while Jaimie and Michael cleaned up. Their parents talked quietly in the living room until Jaimie and Michael arrived. Jaimie looked over at Leslie and asked bluntly, "What's going with Miles. Don't lie to me." Leslie was just as blunt and asked her, "How would you feel if everyone else you knew had people who were related them and reminded you that you weren't like them?" Jaimie asked what she meant getting a sharp, "Miles is feeling terrible that he doesn't have anyone else. You all have at least one relative, even Iris and Rachel. They may be behind bars but they are still alive." Jaimie thought it over and had to agree. She threw them for a loop and asked:, "Has anyone bothered to check if his mom and sperm donor had relatives?" John interjected with a quick, "Both were put up for adoption out in Springfield, Felix was eventually transferred east while she remained out west." Jaimie smiled then asked the obvious, "Did you ever check the records? You could have at least tried." John told her they couldn't access them. The elder Michael told him he couldn't locally, but he knew a couple of people who might be able to check on Miles' behalf. He pulled out a phone and made a call to a man out in Western Massachusetts, then smiled and said, "He will talk with the nuns. They were open to helping once I explained why he wished to seek relatives." There was little else to do while they awaited the phone call and the kids were getting restless. Valerie suggested the kids go to the park, with Faith and the twins eagerly saying yes. Neil was reluctant but when told Kylie and her friends were going too he agreed, not wanting to look bad in front of the girls. Kylie was asked if she wanted to go getting a quick yes and rush out the door. Kennedy Pena was exhausted and relieved to have her spend some time away from fawning over the new baby. Reed just slipped out and visited Jessie for the day, telling Valerie the novelty of a baby will wear off for Kylie soon. As they were leaving Tanya York asked a favor from Valerie. Sam was complaining about abdominal pains and feeling unwell so she asked if Valerie would care for Virgil for a bit while she took Sam to the doctor. James was out for a few hours with her parents so she needed a favor. Valerie couldn't refuse it, Tanya never asked for help and it was a good idea for Virgil to socialize with Faith. The six young kids pulled Valerie along with Jaimie dragged along as support. Kylie's friends Nancy Flynn and Margaret Douglas were there and accepted Neil's presence at Kylie's insistence. The kids were lucky that the park was empty so they could run around unhindered by other kids. Kylie had Neil's attention while Virgil was enthralled by the rambunctious Faith. The twins were in rare form as they let the older kids play among themselves while Cat led JD around climbing through the toddler section. They knew to let Neil and Faith enjoy themselves and it was best to keep on their mom's good side while the guests were there. The kids wore themselves out after two hours. Faith had Virgil following her around with wide eyes, the poor boy was either in love or unsure if he should listen to her every word because she was older. Neil on the other hand just followed Kylie's lead and didn't say much outside of the games they were playing. The two were enjoying themselves but Neil was still holding back something. Back at the house Michael had received a call back from his contact and had the information they requested. As both parties were deceased there was little to go on past the grandmother's name. Hearing the name John said they needed to wait a couple of hours, this person wasn't home yet and they wanted both Miles and the relative to be present. Sam returned home grumpier and in more pain than earlier. Her doctor couldn't find anything wrong with her and said it was constipation and sent her on her way. Tanya was sure it wasn't constipation and had a verbal fight with the doctor before leaving with Sam in obvious pain but not saying anything about it. Sarah wasn't convinced and asked if she could examine Sam. She was more experienced than the intern who examined her and thought there was an underlying problem that others had missed. The signs weren't adding up, she thought there was something serious going on with Sam. Inside her bedroom, Sam was examined closely with Tanya keeping a close eye on them. Sarah stopped at roughly Sam's navel and felt around. What she found caused her to shake her head and ask, "Have you had a period before? Surely you have not felt this much discomfort when you had them before." Sam and Tanya burst into laughter. Sam bluntly said, "It's impossible. If you move down a couple of inches and you will see why I can't have one. Aunt Valerie must have told you why already but take a look yourself to see why it's impossible." Sarah shook her head and told her sharply, "I know you are transgender, or rather you are seemingly transgender. There is one small problem, you have a uterus and ovaries. I can feel them. You need an MRI and ultrasound right away, this could be serious. Congratulations you lady, you are menstruating." Sam looked at her like she was joking to which Tanya told her, "I don't think she is kidding." Sarah told her softly, "I have seen this twice before. It's very rare but it happens. We need to have you undergo a couple of tests to confirm my suspicions. If I am right then you need immediate surgery, if I am wrong then I will have to make it up to you for scaring you and your mom." Sarah called Sam's doctor and was given the runaround. She told the doctor bluntly that if she denied the referral she'd do the imaging herself then go over her head and have her explain to her department head why she refused an emergency referral for a patient experiencing what was clearly not constipation or bladder related problems. The doctor relented and scheduled an MRI to be done immediately. Tanya asked the same favor of Valerie again, this time Sarah explaining what was happening. Valerie gave her blessing and told her she'd talk with Iris about this as she would be worried sick about Sam. Virgil was simply told that Sam had another appointment and would play with Faith for longer, getting a nod and smile from him. After Sarah, Tanya, and Sam left Valerie sat Iris down and explained the situation to which Iris burst into tears, happily telling her, "I hope it's true. It's what she always wanted. It'll help her so much." John called Tanya's husband James and then Tanya's parents to let the three know what was happening. All three would meet Tanya, Sarah, and Sam at the hospital. Virgil was kept in the dark but he was no fool, he saw the adults talking about Sam and heard them saying it was serious. He asked John, "Why is Sam going to the doctor again?" John didn't have the heart to lie and admitted, "They need to do a test on her, one that could show she is a big girl now or something else. We are hoping it's good news." He accepted it without asking more, they could tell he was hoping it was good news. The kids played in the yard and playroom the rest of the afternoon while the teens and adults waited for news. It was tough keeping Iris calm while they waited but Rachel had gotten the twins and Faith to keep her mind occupied with Cat especially keeping he focused on her. By mid-afternoon, Sarah called giving Iris her needed relief. The news was good, Sarah was ecstatic to tell them, "I was right, she was menstruating. There is no exterior vaginal opening so they need to do emergency surgery on her to rearrange things down there. She will be laid up in the hospital for a few days and be back to normal in a couple of weeks." Iris broke down in tears. Sam was going to be alright and had the biggest news of her life. She was a woman through and through and their friction was not due to issues between them but something even more amazing. She looked at Jaimie who had a bright smile on her face. She tried to apologize for being so happy for Sam while she didn't have the luxury of motherhood. Jaimie cut her off and told her, "So what. I miss the annoying stuff that goes along with having a womb. I don't mind, and not having one doesn't mean I am going to be any less of a woman or mother." Iris hugged her deeply for that, Jaimie just smiled and admitted, "Besides, I get to help a kid who needs a home. You don't have to have given birth to be a mother. Aunt Kennedy got three blessings and gets to enjoy everything except pushing out a watermelon out of a small hole. I don't think for a second that she isn't glad she missed that." Standing off the side of them Michael asked John, "Does she always act like that?" John giggled and told him, "That's her default setting. She is empathetic to the needs of others and knows what to say and when to say it. She does have her bratty moments and can push boundaries of being nosy but does it for the right reasons. For the most part, she is the shoulder people cry on and knows just what to say to make you happy." Sarah returned an hour later with news that Sam was in surgery and would be out of things for a day as she recovered. As she sat down the doorbell rang and Melanie, Stacy, Rebecca, DJ, and Dan Lopez entered. John called for Miles and told him to come immediately. Once all were assembled John announced to Miles, "We know why you are reluctant to stay home while the Jones are here so we did some digging into your family on your behalf." Turning to Melanie she asked,, "Do you know about any other siblings that you have?" Melanie told him sharply, "You know I am an only child, John." Sensing there was a connection Miles' hands started to shake. Stacy and Rebecca both looked at him then at John who gave them a knowing look. The two were ready to rush to Miles but John's look held them back. John continued, "I don't know if this is good news or bad news but you weren't truly an only child. Your mother had another child, a girl. She was born a year before you were and was put up for adoption in Springfield. Michael called in a favor and found the connection between your mother and his mother. He is your nephew. His mother was your sister. You two never encountered one another because while you grew up here she grew up in Springfield and when you went to live in New York she came to live in Winnisimmet. Given that she was involved with Felix Arnold you would never have encountered her anyway. Sadly you know how things went from there." Miles took out a picture from his wallet and showed it to Melanie. Tears started to well up in her eyes as she softly told them, "She looks just like mom." Tears started streaming down her face as she rushed over to hug Miles. He did the same, unable to hold back the frustration and sadness any longer. Dan turned to John and told him bluntly, "Claire being friends with Jaimie was one thing but this is a hoot. Out of all the possible people in this state, Miles ends up with the oldest and best friend of his mother's long lost sister. You might not be religious but I'll be damned if that wasn't fate. Someone divine wanted him placed with you so he could be close to his blood relatives." Dan and Melanie went off to talk with Miles. He was still in shock but seemed to gradually accept what happened. Michael kept quiet but Stacy asked him, "Why did you do it? You could have wasted a favor for nothing." Michael looked over at his nephew and cousin and freely admitted, "It wasn't fair to him. He needed to know if there was more family out there. He doesn't have to wonder any longer and doesn't have to be jealous of all of you. He knows the truth and can move on." Rebecca told her bluntly, "You know how he is. He would never admit it but he was jealous and feeling depressed. He gives up so much for friends and family it's about time someone did something for him." The two left to join their parents while Michael asked John, "Is she always that serious?" John laughed and told him, "Always." Things broke up after that as the Lopezes returned home while Miles returned to Leslie's house. He was feeling a lot better now, but with so many people he chose to stay with Leslie to give Neil his own space. Neil, in turn, thanked him for the hospitality, getting a smile and nod back from Miles making the young boy content knowing he had the approval of Miles. In the morning Rachel stayed with Valerie and John while Leslie drove the anxious Iris to visit Sam at the hospital. Rachel kept the twins occupied while the adults relaxed in the living room. Jaimie went out with her boyfriend Richard and Michael and Miles with their girlfriends Christina and Courtney. Nichole Smith showed up with her friends Nancy and Margaret and Junior Kelly followed shortly thereafter by Daisy Peterson. The five sought out John and asked him if he had remembered his promise to them John smacked his head at forgetting a simple promise to take the girls to the beach which got the girls laughing at him. Rachel asked him, "Why not take Neil and Faith too, they don't have anything else planned." John did just that, asking Michael if he was OK with them going then asking Neil and Faith. Both quickly agreed but pointed out that neither had swimsuits. Daisy had a spare but Neil was too big for Virgil's spare while too small for Reed's spare. A quick stop at Junior's home netted them his spare which Neil fit perfectly. Kylie opted to stay home to help with her baby brother, giving her parents a little rest. Kennedy took the little four-month-old outside to meet everyone with the girls all fawning over him while Neil and Junior stayed back not wanting to break him. Nichole tried to make a joke about it but Daisy countered by telling everyone she wasn't allowed to hold her baby brother Nigel yet without help setting off the group into a giggle as Nichole blushed. Sarah and Michael helped split the group with Daisy and Junior going with them for the drive. Sarah asked if they were related to John or if they were some of the family by friendship. Junior quietly told them he was friends with the girls but his dad was friends with Karen and Nigel Smith and Paul and Margaret Douglas as well as Nancy's dad Todd. Daisy smiled and admitted, "Uncle John is my real uncle, my dad is his brother." Michael asked if he was the one in prison to which Daisy said:, "Yes, he is in there for a long time after he did some bad things to people." She then added, "It's a long and complicated story, he wanted me to get mom to give him money but it didn't work out that way as Aunt Valerie got him to give up all claims to me. Mom adopted me as her own so I could be with my sister Claire. Mom herself was adopted along with Aunt Melanie." Sarah tried her hardest to contain her intrigue. The family was unique but the more she heard about them the more complex things got. Daisy saw her look and added, "I know you think it's weird but it's even weirder. My real mom divorced her husband and gave up her sons so my new mom could adopt them as her own after she married their dad. My sister Claire is her daughter by birth. She is related to me and I'm related to our older brothers. Claire's dad is my dad but my brothers' father took her as his own when she was born." She was smiling while Sarah sat flabbergasted. Junior chimed in with, "It's all true. Patrick is in graduate school and David is at the State Police Academy. Claire is probably out with her boyfriend Will." Daisy nodded and added,, "She and Will wanted to have enough close time before his baby brother is born next month and Will has to act like a big brother." Junior joked, "Aunt Karen just had one, Aunt Kennedy just brought home one, Mr. and Mrs. Bollinger are having one, and Mr. and Mrs. Herman are having one. The kids are all taking bets on when Aunt Leslie has one." Daisy smiled and joked, "Probably eight months, at least that was what Claire and Mom joked about." Sarah shook her head and asked Daisy, "Are you always this mature?" Daisy batted her eyes and said, "Everyone says I'm six going on 18. They say I'm too smart for my size, whatever that means" getting a big laugh from Michael, Neil, and Faith. Finally arriving at the beach Faith and Neil ran headlong into the sand. Daisy followed close behind while John and Valarie dragged the chairs and coolers. Nichole, Nancy, and Margaret brought the twins and their toys, complaining that they had the tough job enough though Cat and JD walked and helped drag their own bags. The kids settled down for a brisk day enjoying the sand and water. John and Valerie suggested Michael and Sarah take a stroll along the beach for some alone time. The couple found a quiet spot along the wall to watch the kids from a distance while having privacy, enjoying the breeze and sound of waves. Sarah asked him softly if he was enjoying himself to which Michael smiled and admitted, "I like it but the kids might not be. Neil is still wound up tight and Faith is going along with what others want to do." Sarah countered with, "Neil has his demons that he isn't fully open about and Faith is Faith, she trusts everyone completely. Neil will come around and tell us what is bothering him and Faith will find her own way. It'll take time but they will open up." The two continued their walk and as they were halfway back to where the kids were they were met by Stacy Lopez and her boyfriend Scott Nelson. The two couples talked for a bit then continued on their way. There was something nagging Michael about Scott that he couldn't quite place which was irritating his detective instincts. Sarah sensed his thinking and told him, "He's definitely from out west, somewhere in the Midwest. He's been here a while but not long enough to fully lose his accent. Any further and you will have to ask him yourself. He does remind me of someone that I'd like to forget though." The two let their suspicions go, it would come up again when they could ask him properly. The Finns knew how to collect eclectic people into their family, Scott's story might be an interesting one. Finally, back with Valerie and John Michael's curiosity couldn't wait so he asked about Scott. Valerie drew a deep breath and told him, "He's from our area and endured a lot of abuse before he and his family fled east. That's about all I feel comfortable saying without his blessing. The only thing other things I can tell you is that he and Stacy are a perfect match and it was love at first sight for both of them." The kids were enjoying themselves splashing in the water, hopping waves, and hunting hermit crabs and shells. Junior and Neil gravitated away from the girls and played their own games while the older girls swam. Daisy and Faith weren't strong swimmers so they opted to spend much of their time playing in the sand with JD and Cat, the latter doing her best to help while JD simply made holes in the sand. Junior and Neil clicked immediately when they separated. Junior and he talked about things they did with both enjoying the same cartoon shows and books. Neither of them was athletic and both hung around the girls but only due to being isolated from the other boys. Neil asked about his school which got Junior quiet for a few minutes so he could think. He methodically told Neil, "The boys are a pain but the bullying is kept to a minimum. Thanks to what happened to people who tried to fight against Kylie and Nichole the teachers are afraid to allow it inside the school. The parents don't allow the boys to act up and when they do they get suspensions and detentions. Ms. Prince, the principal of our school, supports us weaker students and forces the bullies to act like good kids or they get transferred away from the school to the alternative school. Mr. King, my new teacher, is great and went head to head with Nancy's mom over her bullying and won!" Neil shed a few tears. It was like a dream to him. Teachers that stand up for kids, principals who don't allow kids to push smaller and weaker kids around, parents who force kids to act decently. He couldn't believe it existed. Junior then told him, "It's just one school. There are four elementary schools so the other three have different policies. We are lucky to have Ms. Prince and Mr. King, the other ones weren't so lucky." Neil shook his head then told them, "My old school had the toughest kids doing whatever they wanted. The boys who were biggest and who could play football and basketball could do whatever they wanted and anyone who tried to stop them got in trouble or beaten up. I hated it, they chased me home every day and constantly teased me in class. Mom and dad don't know about that stuff, the principal and teachers acted like nothing was the matter whenever they had parent/teacher conferences and complained that I caused trouble, not the others." Junior calmed Neil down but he lost his enthusiasm. Neil softly admitted,, "I hope dad gets the job out here, I hate it out there." Junior admitted to him, "I hope you do too, it sucks being all alone with only the girls. You are the closest person I had to a friend." Neil smiled and shot back, "Same with you, but at least the girls are friends with you, even if they are older." Faith looked over at the two boys talking and shook her head. Seeing this Daisy asked what was going on. Faith quietly admitted, "Neil is telling Junior about school. He hates school and the boys who run it." Daisy asked her what went on and was given Faith's observations which were a lot more in tune with what was really going on. Neil was skinny and small, the boys ignored him and teased him for being smaller than them. He didn't like sports so they called him a sissy and gay. He was neither, he just didn't like playing with the boys in his school because they cheated and ignored the rules whenever they were losing. Hearing the explanation Daisy told her, "Anybody would feel the same if they were in his shoes." The older girls had finally had enough swimming and wanted to leave. Neil and Junior did as well and helped pack up all of the things without a fuss. Faith was led to the showers by the older girls and inside became embarrassed at seeing the girls undressed. Daisy giggled and told her, "You knew Nichole looked like us, there's nothing to be ashamed of." Faith blushed and apologized, just getting a shrug from Nichole who told her, "That's probably the best reaction you could give, and I thank you for it." Daisy snickered and blurted out, "Do you always have to be Ms. Nice Girl?" Nichole shot back, "I can't help being what I am, right Ms. Smarty Pants?" The banter caused Faith to ease her anxiety at being embarrassed. Nancy helped her get changed and quietly told her, "You really did do something good for Nichole, she always gets embarrassed at others seeing her. She won't admit it but she is happy that you only saw a girl." Faith whispered back, "I can't help it, she is just so nice I can't see anyone ever hurting her." Nancy shook her head and told her, "That's how she and her dad got to meet her aunts and uncles and her mom, some people wanted to hurt her. She will tell you the full story another time, we have to hurry or Aunt Valerie will want to know what is keeping us." Over in the men's room, Junior and Neil changed in the toilet stalls. They didn't talk at all but when they finished they picked up their conversation about the cartoons from earlier. Junior was combing his hair when he heard three boys come in and start laughing at him. Neil knew they were some of the same boys who loved to make him miserable in school so he ignored them. Neil sensed something was wrong and asked the boys why they were hassling his friend. The shock that someone would dare say that to them and admit to being friends with Junior stopped them cold. As they turned they saw Neil standing tall, showing confidence and anger that he had never shown before. Junior asked the boys if they were really going to act up as it was three on two and not three on one. The boys looked Neil over and saw that he wasn't backing down and slowly backed away, searching for someone else to annoy. Neil breathed a sigh of relief. He was bluffing, they were bigger and stronger than him and he couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag. They didn't know that, and Junior called their bluff perfectly. The two embraced and admitted to one another, "That was close." The two continued what they were talking about before but were stopped by Nichole who demanded to know what happened. Junior looked down, drew a calming breath and admitted, "Carlos Castillo, Adrian Hernandez, and Steven Willis cornered me in the bathroom. Neil asked what they were doing and caused them to walk off when they couldn't take us both out without getting hurt." Nancy hugged the two. Faith asked what was going on to which Margaret told her, "The boys are jerks who like to prey on the smaller kids in school. They didn't know how to act around Neil so they backed off." The kids left it at that, letting the two boys enjoy their victory. On the way home Daisy asked Neil about school. Neil clammed up and refused to talk about it. Junior told her sharply to drop it getting both Michael and Sarah concerned that there was something amiss. Faith blurted out that Neil would talk with them later but not at that time to which both parents swore to get the truth from them. After a round of showers to clean off the salt water and sand the boys spent the rest of the afternoon in the yard. The girls went to visit Kylie and baby Willie Jr. with Faith being dragged along. The parents set up the amusement park visit while they were with the Penas, coordinating schedules. After a half hour, Rachel Douglas suggested the girls have a sleepover to make things easier on them all. Karen smirked as she said, "Since you suggested it, you get to host it" getting universal agreements from all the parents. Paul Douglas wasn't thrilled but he had to admit that it was easier on Karen and Kennedy with the infants being there causing the girls to wake up multiple times overnight. He did have one request, that the younger Rachel come too so she would oversee the girls giving him and his wife a chance to relax. Rachel reluctantly agreed, complaining, "My first actual sleepover and it's with a bunch of 9-year-olds." Nigel Smith asked about the boys to which John said, "Junior will stay here if William agrees. I think the two will benefit from being around one another." Michael and Sarah agreed, it was his house and he knew Junior so it was his call. William gave his blessing and the boys told. Junior wasn't too enthusiastic about staying with the Finns but Neil was encouraging. Neil had never had a sleepover before and this would be the first chance he had to hang out with a boy his own age. Junior, on the other hand, had even less experience with boys as they had shunned him early especially after Mr. Hogan encouraged them to hurt him. After the baby needed a diaper change the girls fled to the Finn home and were told about the sleepover. Faith was thrilled especially when Daisy said she'd be there too. The girls talked back and forth as they helped Faith pack a bag for the night then left, barely taking a second to breathe. John handed Rachel some aspirin and smiled as they left, Rachel swearing she'd repay the favor soon. The teens arrived soon after the girls left. Junior and Neil watched as they kissed their dates goodbye, both giggling and teasing them as they entered. Jaimie countered and told them, "Laugh now, but in five years that will be what you two will be doing with your girlfriends." This, of course, caused Michael and Miles to burst into laughter as the boys blushed and apologized. Miles got the boys settled after Jaimie and Michael kept laughing, driving their point home. The boys knew they were a bit silly but Miles pointed out that the two always acted that way. They weren't used to older teens, they joke rather than retaliate verbally or physically. Miles gave them Michael's DVDs and told them to spend some time enjoying the action, it was better than the stuff other boys liked. He had to give them a quick overview of the show and got the feeling that they liked it as the begged him to watch with them forcing him to stay. He was with them through the first episode then slipped away as they got into the show. His brother asked what he did to which he smiled and told him, "Borrowed something of yours to keep them occupied." He heard the sounds of the DVD and rolled his eyes, but it was better than having them annoy him and Jaimie. Jaimie shook her head and told him, "If they get out of control mom and dad are going to have words with you." Miles just shrugged and told them, "I can live with that, I don't think they are as wild as normal boys though." The boys lasted through three more episodes before they fell asleep. Miles' hunch was right, they were quiet and well behaved. The little show of faith in their maturity paid off. Neil slept soundly while Junior barely noticed he was sleeping in a strange house. The next morning they talked nonstop about the show and what they thought was going on to with Michael filling in gaps for them. Neil and Junior were side by side throughout the day, to the point that one wouldn't go to the bathroom without the other. During the drive up to New Hampshire, they watched another episode on the portable DVD player while Faith and Daisy talked and stared out at the scenery. With Leslie taking Iris to visit Sam in the hospital Rachel went along to help with the kids. She kept the older girls in line while the four younger kids and the twins were the adults' focus. The boys had little trouble following her orders, they were either intimidated by her age or enamored with her beauty. Michael and Sarah thought it was the latter the way Neil kept staring at her. He may only be eight but the boy knew a beautiful woman when he saw one. Due to their height, the boys weren't allowed to ride certain rides. The older girls opted not to ride them either, they didn't like the thrill rides and preferred the more traditional ride all of which every one of the kids could enjoy. They disagreed on what to ride though with Rachel often acting as the tie-breaker vote. The one exception was the bumper cars which all eight kids enjoyed immensely. Rachel made the mistake of accompanying them and ended up being targeted by all of them making her end up bruised and shaken for a while afterward. After a few hours of rides and a forced break for lunch, the kids hit the waterpark portion of the park. The boys again kept close to Rachel, getting the girls to joke about their crushes. The boys ignored them getting giggles from the girls and a wink from Rachel who played up the girls' mischievousness. She didn't mind a crush, it felt good to have someone think of her that way even if they were six years younger than her. As they entered the waterpark the twins fell asleep so the adults didn't have to worry about entertaining them. With Rachel keeping an eye on the eight kids they finally had a chance to sit down and rest. John wasted no time in mentioning Neil's change. Sarah added that he was less cranky and actually seeming to enjoy himself. Valerie asked if he was like that at home. They recalled the sullen, annoyed son who complained about everything and did little except hole up in his room after school. John noticed the change and asked about school which got Sarah to think that maybe that was the problem after all. She admitted to not thinking much of his behavior and not getting any real complaints from Neil other than not wanting to participate in any school activities. In fact, she hadn't heard anything troubling him at all. The few times there was trouble Neil was the one being blamed for inciting others to not pay attention in class. John asked about how things were in school for other kids, Neil might have been holding back and not telling what was actually happening. Sarah thought about it and told him, "He never mentions anything else happening or any kids in his class. He only says what they did in class and that's it." Valerie and John shared concerned looks, it wasn't true. Every school has at least one bully and there is almost always something going on that the kids talk about, even ones who were as isolated as Neil would talk about them. Nothing being mentioned is a big red flag, something was going on at the school that Neil didn't want his parents to know about. Valerie stated the obvious, "He's holding back. I saw this before with Michael and John saw it with Jaimie. The kids are ignoring him or bullying him or both. Part of why he is so close with Junior now are shared experiences. You have to have a serious talk with him about it, he may have to change schools or have someone intervene before it's too late." Sarah let that sink in. Her son was lonely and bullied and she let him suffer through it by sheer ignorance. The Finns had given the kids a chance to get their feelings heard, she just wished it hadn't come so late. The kids finally tired of the waterpark and the park in general and changed from swimsuits to dry clothes. The boys reluctantly left Rachel's side but were told she'd ride home with them to keep them happy. The girls changed quickly, with Rachel being the last one out due to having had to help the younger girls first. On the ride home, Sarah broached the subject of school with Neil. She slyly asked about the kids to which Neil was reluctant to answer. Sensing trouble Rachel whispered to him, "It's OK, they want to know the truth. Aunt Valerie and Uncle John were talking with them about it and want you to tell the truth to your parents about what was really going on." Neil told them the truth, tearfully saying, "The kids are horrible! Every day I have to run home to get away from the bullies. I can't go out during recess and I can't do much during gym because they keep beating me up. The teachers won't stop them and the principal tells us to act like men and tough it out and fight back. Nobody cares! I hate it there!" Rachel hugged him. She softly whispered, "You did a good job, you told the truth. Your mom and dad are going to do something now." Daisy leaned in and told him, "Rachel knows what she is talking about, she used to be the school bully." Rachel shook her head and softly told him, "I wish she didn't say that but the brat knows when to say the right thing. Scott and I were bullies and did a lot of bad things before we stopped. Those kids are only doing what they are doing because they are able to get away with it. Once that stops they are powerless and they will end up suspended, expelled, or in jail." Neil calmed down now. Hearing Rachel assuring him made him feel a lot better. Seeing his parents concerned made it all the better, his parents weren't going to let him go back there if he didn't feel safe. Back in Winnisimmet John and Valerie could see something happened on the drive back. Michael and Sarah filled them in on what happened to Neil and what they were going to do about it. Valerie asked if the school had any sort of policy. She then told them, "No matter what, they are in deep trouble. The state has to know about the problem and fix it. We know some people in the state and a discreet call will sort the school out." Sarah and Michael then asked about Rachel. John drew a deep breath and told them about her sad history. Michael had a look of shock on his face when John finished. He asked him bluntly, "Is she the girl who brought down a multi-million dollar church scam?" John nodded, then added, "Iris was actually the one who got the investigation started. Rachel broke with her parents and saved Iris' and Leslie's lives, choosing to go into foster care over letting someone who at that point hated her get hurt. It was the information that she knew about and provided that ensured convictions." Looking over at the girl Sarah smiled. She asked about Scott and got a quizzical, "That's his story to tell. I don't feel comfortable telling it without his permission, if you meet him and his parents they may tell you but he has gone past what he did in the past and made up for his actions with his helping the others over the years." After the girls and Junior left things calmed down. Eric and George stayed for dinner while Leslie and Mark had a date night. Michael was astonished at how much both boys resembled their fathers to the point that he accidentally called Eric Alex and George Mike. The boys laughed and took it to be a compliment. Neil got to enjoy the boys as they practiced their martial arts in the backyard. The smaller Eric especially caught his attention, it was reassurance that even though he was small he could handle his own which to Neil meant he might have a chance at surviving bullies. When his cousin came home Neil got to see him and Reed spar with Eric and George and see just how good Eric and George really were. Reed showed him a few simple moves that would help him break away from bullies. They weren't really martial arts moves, rather simple self- defense moves that worked well for his abilities. The younger Michael told Neil how Reed had been able to use that move to break away from several attacking teens seven months before and win easily. Reed told him that it wasn't really a win rather it was a draw that ended with the police stepping in but the point was made. Leslie and Mark came back late with a bright smile. The two had Iris with them and all three had big smiles on their faces. Rachel shook her head and asked,, "Am I the only one not making out with someone?" Eric and George shook their heads as Eric complained:, "At least you don't have to change dirty diapers, poor Hannah and Paige are stuck doing that on Aunt Karen's date night." Sarah and Michael fought back laughter as the teens left. Michael shook his head with a smile telling her, "Like father, like son. Those boys are going to be as good as their dads if they ever join the force." Sarah shrugged the joke off then smiled as they saw Neil watching the boys in awe, he had more heroes to look up to if only for another 11 days. The next day was going to be a washout. The weather was going to be bad with forecasts of showers and thunderstorms. The kids entertained themselves while playing with the twins while the adults watched TV. Mid-morning things took an odd change as a tornado warning then a watch was issued for the area 15 miles away. That turned out to be false as it actually hit the northeast corner of Winnisimmet, jumped Grist Mill Creek, and went due north along Main Street in Kensington eventually dying out over Rumney Marsh. The winds and heavy rain were felt in the Finns' neighborhood but there was little visible damage. Kensington took a direct hit though, causing chaos in the city as it was essentially cut in half by the storm. John received an emergency phone call and announced, "I have to go to work. We have been activated by the request of the Kensington Police Chief. He expects things to get nasty and asked for all available help from Boston, Cambridge, the state, and us." He got dressed into the Winnisimmet Reserve Police uniform and kissed the twins goodbye. He was met out on the street by Dan Lopez, James York, and Quentin Nelson. The four drove to the police station and were issued their service pistols then drove to meet the rest of their reserve officers. Michael was surprised to see John going. He was even more surprised that he was an officer. Valerie told him, "He's a reserve officer, they only work when the weather is bad or there are special events. This is the first time they have ever been called to help outside of the city. For maybe 350 days out of the year, he's a regular civilian with a day job as a teacher but the other times when called upon he's an officer of the law." The doorbell rang and Valerie got up ton answer it. She was greeted by Quentin's wife Greta, son Scott, and Scott's sister Jessica. Valerie and Greta made small talk about what was happening trying to keep their minds off the potential harm that could occur. Showing them inside Greta dropped her purse in shock at seeing Sarah on the couch. Sarah asked simply, "Greta?" Greta, in turn, asked, "Sarah?" The two in unison asked, "What are you doing here?" Valerie was perplexed. She asked,, "Do you two know each other?" Greta quietly answered,, "She's my younger sister." Sarah told Valerie, "We haven't seen each other in nine years." Greta countered with, "We had a falling out over Tiffany and her boyfriend. Neither of us liked him but she specifically hated him. When Tiffany started going with him she cut her off. Then she got engulfed in her work, then had to deal with her family. When Tiffany died she didn't even make it to Tiffany's funeral." Valerie asked if she knew about Scott. Greta quickly answered, "No. I didn't have the heart to tell her." Sarah asked what she was talking about to which Greta answered, "Scott is Tiffany's son. When Tiffany died he was left to the mercy of his father. You were right all along to hate him. For years he beat Scott and abused him. When his dad found out Jaimie wanted to become a girl he ordered Scott to hurt her causing her to be brutally beaten and emasculated. Two and a half years ago Scott finally had enough and begged for help from Jessica who got Jaimie and her friends and family to get him away and send the monster to jail. We had to leave as well since Jessica was caught in the backlash of his supporters. We have lived here ever since." Valerie looked at her and encouraged her to say something more but Scott came into the room and asked:, "Mom any word from dad yet?" Sarah pointedly asked, "Mom?" to which Greta reluctantly told her, "Quentin and I adopted Scott as our son. We couldn't leave it to chance that the monster would ever regain custody and force him to go back." Sarah asked what he did to him to which Greta described all of his scars, scabs, and bruises that they saw when the truth came out. Scott looked at Sarah and asked, "What's going on. You are talking about me as if I'm not here. What is going on? Mom?" Greta drew a deep breath then told him, "Scott, sit down. We need to tell you something important. This is Sarah. She's my sister and your aunt." Jessica entered and Scott told her, "We better go. Things are going to get rough. Mom and Aunt Sarah never get along." Jessica asked Sarah, "Did mom give you the letter?" Sarah asked what she meant to which Jessica rolled her eyes and said, "Aunt Tiffany gave a letter to mom that was only to be opened by you. Mom got one that said for her to look after Scott and raise him as her own if his dad didn't or couldn't raise him right. That's why mom and dad adopted him, Aunt Tiffany wanted her to." She walked out and went home returning 20 minutes later with a yellowed letter with Sarah's name on it. Greta asked her how she knew about it to which Jessica snorted and said, "You forget I helped you sort through the documents after we moved in. You showed me your letter and told me you didn't have the heart to read Aunt Sarah's letter." Sarah read her letter and smiled. Tiffany forgave her for everything and explained why she chose Greta to raise Scott. She didn't want Sarah to be burdened with Scott's issues and knew Greta would be the best person to help him get over whatever his dad did to him. She admitted Sarah was right about her boyfriend being a terrible person but the best thing to come out of her relationship was Scott and despite all the troubles he was worth it. Years of pent up guilt and grief came flooding back. Michael embraced her while Scott sat down to take in the situation quietly. Neil came in and asked what was going on to which Jessica told him, "Aunt Sarah read something that needed to be told to her." Neil shrugged it off and was about to leave but turned and asked, "Wait what do you mean 'Aunt Sarah?'" Sarah told him, "What she means is her mom is my sister. Her mom is your Aunt Greta, he's your cousin Scott and she's your cousin Jessica. Your uncle Quentin is out with John and the others." Neil looked at Scott closely. He asked his mother, "First Michael then Jaimie now Scott and Jessica. Are there any other relatives hiding out in this city?" Sarah and Michael burst into laughter at his innocent question but he didn't think it was funny. Valerie asked if she could call Dorothy to which Greta nodded, telling her, "It wouldn't be right for her not to meet them." Dorothy Vega came in 10 minutes and hugged Greta and Valerie deeply. She looked over to Sarah and shed a tear. Dorothy told her softly, "You look so much like her. Faith looks so much like Jessica. And Neil looks so much like Michael the two could be brothers." Dorothy then told Sarah, "Tiffany spoke highly of you. She was so proud of you finishing medical school and earning a place at a top hospital. She only wished that you could have met Scott before she passed and her boyfriend got his claws in him." Sarah asked about Scott since then to which Dorothy smiled and told her, "The boy is becoming an amazing young man and model student. He broke the hearts of dozens of girls when he and Stacy fell for each other right away. The way her sister described it, it was love at first sight and the way they have acted since he started school I don't doubt that claim one bit." Scott and Jessica slipped away and went to talk with Neil. Neil asked him if he really was like him. Jessica snorted to which Scott scowled. Scott told him, "I was smaller than everyone until about age 10. After that, I was ahead of everyone in size. The same is true of Michael. He didn't get bigger until after he turned 12. You are going to be as big as us if not bigger, your dad is larger than Michael's dad and grandpa Myers. The kids are idiots if they think they can bully you around, eventually, you are going to outgrow them and fight back and hurt them if you don't hold back." Neil hugged him and thanked him. Jessica just smiled and told him, "Always the knight in shining armor." Neil asked,, "Is she the same Jessica Eric told me about?" Scott snorted and asked what he said. Neil looked at her and told him, "He said she likes knights but he can't find armor small enough to fit him." Scott snorted as Jessica turned beet red in embarrassment. Scott smiled and told him, "You are definitely our cousin. You have Michael's humor and my wit- that's a deadly combination." This set Neil off and Jessica smiling, Scott had accepted his cousin as one of them despite the drama around Scott. Coming down from the playroom Faith asked what was going on. Neil smiled and told her, "We have two more cousins, an aunt, and an uncle." She looked at Scott then said,, "Oh, the girls said he was handsome when he isn't making out with Stacy." Jessica now lost her composure and fell down laughing. Scott turned beet red to which Faith hugged him. She smiled and told him, "Rebecca told me to tell you that when we met you. She said something about needing to come up for air more often when you are around Stacy." Downstairs the doorbell rang and in entered two young women, a woman with a baby, and Nichole. Nichole went with Faith while one of the ladies sat down complaining to Valerie, "Dad had to rush off to Kensington to help Dr. Samuels and Aunt Anne had to coordinate some of the social services efforts." Valerie just shook her head at her grand entrance. She cleared her throat to get her attention and told her, "Your uncle is up there too. Now if you weren't so rude say hello to the Joneses." Hannah Smith looked around and saw Dorothy, Greta, and the Joneses sitting with her aunt. Her mother and best friend/future sister-in-law were trying hard to hold back their laughs. Hannah played it cool and introduced herself then took baby Nigel for a diaper change. Paige and Karen lost it and burst into laughter as the others looked on, with Greta finally saying, "That young lady certainly knows how to make an entrance." Karen asked what was going on to which Greta filled her in. She reserved commentary, asking instead how Scott took the news. Greta shook her head admitting, "He's on the fence, he isn't happy but he accepts that he has more relatives even if there was some bad history there." Paige softly said, "He isn't here sulking or yelling so he's alright with it. He would have told you right away if he wasn't. He is more concerned about Faith and Neil reacting, he doesn't want to say or do the wrong thing to give them the impression that he doesn't like them being here." Hannah returned with little Nigel and sat down next to Paige. The adults talked for a bit longer before Dorothy excused herself to return home, thanking the Joneses for visiting and giving her a chance to meet them. Valerie discretely told her, "There's a chance they are moving east with a promotion soon, their children are acclimating to being here a lot faster than any other kids. By the sound of things they need the change, I hope that knowing the Nelsons are here is a big influence on the move if it happens." Dorothy nodded, adding, "They haven't had support in a long time. Having his brother exposed as a criminal and having their only other relatives wishing ill will towards Jaimie can't help things either. I hope he gets the job, it'll give all of them a chance to start over." Things quieted down as Greta and Sarah talked for hours, catching up on each other's lives. Michael checked on the four kids every so often but Scott and Jessica had a good handle on them. Jessica and Faith focused on the twins giving them their full attention. Hannah and Paige kept them company as well, Nigel was doted on by Faith who got to see what taking care of a baby involved including the nasty, smelly parts. Scott and Neil sat around watching the DVDs and drawing. Michael saw the same sensitive yet creative spark in Scott that Neil always kept suppressed. Seeing Scott drawing started to bring out that spark which in turn seemed to calm Neil down more making the anxious and cranky boy he normally saw fade away for a while. He didn't want to admit it but the two did resemble each other and acted like each other, Scott was like the older brother he never had before. He was regretting going back if it meant Neil would lose this bond with Scott, especially after his revelation about school. It meant leaving two people who were making Neil be a better person and could be damaging to the kids as they were far away from the only people who showed any real care for them. Leslie returned with news that Sam was being released the next day. Iris, Rachel, and their friends were preparing things for her and were going all out for her. Jaimie, Miles, Christina, and the younger Michael came in next with bright smiles to which Valerie asked:, "Don't go overboard, they are already emotionally spent." Christina seemed shocked to which Valerie told her, "Not you, Christina. I was talking to Moe, Larry, and Curly there. They are itching to smother the kids, it's not what they need." Christina shrugged it off and sought out Paige while Greta told the Joneses, "That's Paige's sister and Miles' girlfriend. Jenna, their other sister, is probably out with George Daniels somewhere." Sarah shook her head and asked,, "Is there anyone else who is going to visit today?" As soon as she asked the doorbell rang and in walked Claire Peterson and Daisy. Daisy went right for Faith while Claire meekly said hello to the Joneses. Sarah took a wild guess and asked:, "Are you Claire, Daisy's sister?" Claire nodded and went off, Valerie shaking her head and adding, "Sadly the only family members who you probably won't meet are David and Patrick. Patrick is doing some work on his master's degree during the summer so he gets little free time and David is out in New Braintree at the State Police Academy. The only ones physically missing are Bryan and Pete and they are out in Missouri at Fort Leonard Wood." The elder Michael asked why to which Valerie said, "Basic training and advanced training, they started last month and won't be done until late October. They joined the National Guard a few months ago and are going through immediate training to fully prepared to help during the winter and spring storm seasons. They chose to forgo their fall semester to do it immediately." Michael had a smile on his face hearing that. The family kept on impressing him. He was proud that Michael had found a father and family that were so caring that they served their community even when they didn't have to and were all trying to educate themselves. These were the kind of people he hoped his kids grew up to be like. Sadly their closest relatives weren't like that and either survived off government support or worked low wage jobs. As the adults talked the teens congealed together into a group and fawned over Nigel while Faith, Daisy, Neil, and Nichole entertained the twins. Dinner turned into a large family meal with all of the teens and kids there. Sarah and the elder Michael were a little intimidated by the size of the group but noticed it was well coordinated and well behaved. Greta smirked as she told them, "John and Valerie were strict when it came to meals so the kids learned how to act and help out without getting in each other's way. Thankfully the training extends to their own homes." After dinner, Lilly Peterson picked up Daisy and Claire with Sarah and Michael getting yet another introduction. Valerie snickered as she admitted,, "The way things are going Courtney, Jessie, Will, and Richard will end up stopping by for a bit." Lilly shot back a quick, "Funny that you should mention that, Leslie was going to do some wedding planning with Olivia, Beth, Gabby, and Beverly. That ought to make everyone coming by." Valerie shook her head and joked, "Why did I open my big mouth?" The younger Michael told her, "We aren't complaining." Valerie glared at him as she said, "You wouldn't, your girlfriend is coming by so you get to spend time with her. For that, I think some time with little Willie would take that smirk off your face since Kennedy will want to be there to help plan and Willie could use a break from the diapers and feedings." Sarah snickered as the younger Michael walked off grumbling about something incoherent. Paige and Christina left next, with Miles kissing Christina lightly as she left. This was followed by Hannah, Nichole, and Karen leaving with Nigel. Greta, Scott, and Jessica remained until late, their concern over Quentin and the others keeping them at the house. Jessica put Faith to bed while Neil fell asleep trying to act as mature as Scott. Scott picked him up and laid him in bed, telling him he didn't need to be like him. After another three hours, John finally called to tell them the four were returning him shortly. The cleanup would take a while but the regular police had been held over relieving the out of city officers. A half hour later he returned with a few bruises but otherwise OK. Quentin though had a black eye and a big grin on his face. Dan annoyingly explained, "A few kids thought they could get the better of him by trying to jump on him all at once. One got a punch in but the others end out getting flung off and landing on their butts. He had them in cuffs before they could react." John added, "He was the only one out of all of us out of town officers who saw any action. The rest of us just stood around bored while he actually had someone try something. Even the Staties were jealous of him, you know how much they love to show off for us lowly reserves." The three asked what happened when they were out to which Sarah told them, "Nothing big, just met up with my sister and her new son." John and Dan looked at each other then waited for Quentin to put the pieces together. He sat down with his head in his hands and asked softly, "You didn't hurt each other, did you? Last time you two saw each other I needed to pull you apart and ended up almost breaking my arm. I still have the scar from your nails on my back." Dan asked if she was OK with Scott being adopted by Greta. Sarah drew a deep breath then told him, "I would have fought it before but there is no point in going against Tiffany's wishes. She explained why she wanted Greta and Quentin to care for him and she was right to do so, he is happy and Quentin is the father he needed. He needed a mother and father not two aunts and two uncles." Quentin hugged her for that while Scott blushed. The Nelsons left telling them they'd were welcome to stay with them if they wanted to. The elder Michael turned to John who smiled and said, "You can stay as long as you like, you aren't imposing. If the kids want they can spend time with Scott and Jessica." Quentin and Greta smiled and said,, "We'd like that." Things were quiet for the rest of the night and the next morning. The Jones family decided to go to Boston to get the obligatory visit in. Miles opted to serve as their tour guide, telling them, "Jaimie and Michael had done the tour enough times, plus you aren't going to get them away from Richard or Courtney today." The group took the bus to Boston with the kids enjoying the view of the harbor as the bus went over the Mystic River Bridge. In Boston, the first stop was the statehouse with Miles pointing out several key places. As they were walking Miles' name was called causing him to turn and apologize for the disruption as he spoke with someone dressed in a suit. It was only a few seconds but when Miles approached the told the Joneses, "We have to hold off the tour for a bit, we have been asked to see someone extremely important." They were led inside a highly decorated office with several people in suits milling about and talking with one another. They waited a minute then were told:, "He's expecting you." Inside another office, Miles apologized to the man sitting at a large desk for unexpectedly taking time from his busy day. The man laughed and told him sharply, "Did you really think you would visit the statehouse and not see me for a few minutes?" Miles introduced the Joneses, telling the man, "This is Michael's Uncle Michael, Aunt Sarah, and Cousins Neil and Faith." The man stuck out his hand and introduced himself saying, "A pleasure to meet you, John spoke highly of your work. I'm Governor Christian James." Neil's mouth dropped and Faith looked at Miles to see if it was a joke, Miles' lack of a reaction showed it wasn't. Christian asked what brought them to visit to which he smiled and said, "I know the agent in charge, I'll put in a good word for you. My friends out in Missouri owe your office a debt of gratitude in reforming that county, your investigation led to many other counties taking a close look at themselves to avoid the same situation and a good many bad apples being culled before t hey spoiled other." Michael shifted the praise to Mike and Alex, apologizing for causing the state to lose two fine troopers. He chuckled at that, adding, "All for the better of this region. Mike and Alex will do wonders with your agency, they just need guidance from someone who can endure their quirks." He looked closely at Neil and Faith and asked, "Are you any relation to the Nelsons? Neil looks quite a bit like Scott and Faith is the spitting image of Jessica." Sarah blushed and told him, "I'm Greta Nelson's sister." Christian smiled and asked Miles if he heard back from his cousins to which he smiled and said:, "The flight was boring, the instructors cranky, and the meals stink." He, in turn, added,, "Well that's the Army for you." With that Miles thanked him for his time and led the Joneses out. Michael was in a state of shock while Sarah had a big smile on her face. Miles explained to them, "He's close with our family and has helped intervene at times to ensure the state doesn't abuse the family to get back at us for causing issues with some people. Jaimie befriended him when she was here for a visit four years ago and he's kept in touch with us ever since. He cares a lot about the family and listens to what Jaimie or dad has to say, at times much more so than his normal advisers and even went against them to follow Jaimie's and dad's suggestions." Miles continued the tour with the kids listening to stories Miles told about the city. They visited the usual tourist traps and buildings but had a few diversions as well with Miles showing where Michael needed to go the following Monday. The kids rushed through the fountains at the Kennedy Greenway, cooling off and enjoying the break from walking. Miles had thought ahead and had them wear swimsuits under their clothes so they could enjoy the water, no kid their ages could resist the fountains and his hunch proved right. A half hour later the kids dried off and they moved on. The walk up the stairs inside the Bunker Hill Monument tired the two kids out while Sarah smartly waited for the four to finish their viewing. Michael groaned that she got off easy which caused the kids to laugh while Miles smartly smiled and told them, "Dad did the same thing when he took us up there in 7th grade. He smartly said he had seen the view enough times to know every bit of dirt on the windows." Back at the Finn home after a walk to the bus stop, Sarah was told that the Yorks wanted to see her. Sarah walked across the street and was immediately hugged by Sam who burst into tears thanking her. Sarah kept saying, "It was nothing" to which Tanya told her,, "The surgeon said it was something, you saved her life. Next month she would have died. You saved our daughter's life." Virgil hugged her tightly, crying into her chest. Sarah just accepted it, trying hard not to dwell on the situation. Michael was behind her and told her softly, "Sometimes you need to accept that you did do some good, you saved her life and made her dream come true." After finally breaking free of Virgil, Sarah and Michael greeted the assembled ladies in the living room. The younger Michael was cuddling with a young lady in the corner while Jaimie was doing the same with a young man. Miles told them, "That's Courtney and Richard." The two were so entrenched with their significant others that they didn't notice anyone else was around. Sarah was asked to join the ladies assembled around the coffee table as they pored over magazines while Leslie inspected their suggestions. Michael discretely slipped away into the backyard and was met by John who was sitting with the husbands. Mark introduced them as Jake Bollinger and Richard Samuels Sr. Michael quickly asked:, "Are you guys hiding out or just waiting for the ladies to finish?" The four laughed to which John quickly said, "Both!" A short time later another guy entered carrying cold drinks. John introduced him, grinning as he said:, "Michael meet Reyna's uncle Miguel." Michael's face dropped as he recognized the name, to which John added:, "Yes he's the same one who played for the Royals, unfortunately for him, his night off meant being dragged here by Lupe and Reyna." Miguel burst into laughter, adding, "Nobody told me that if you tell a lady you are preparing a wedding and she rushes over with a book of ideas. Lupe told me to keep you guys out of trouble but I think it was to save me the misery of the dresses, floral arrangements, and cake designs." This sparked the others which Michael couldn't help but grin at. Miguel and the guys talked about anything except weddings for two hours before the ladies finally had enough for the evening. Miguel offered Michael tickets to the next baseball game, Michael tried to refuse but Miguel smiled and told him, "Iris, Francesca, Rachel, and Leslie were going to attend but Sam's return prompted them to act as nurses for the next night. It's my treat, the kids might enjoy it." Michael couldn't refuse the offer. Faith and Neil came out to see where their father was. The two were bored by the teens ignoring them. The twins staked claim to Reyna as soon as she arrived leaving them with little to do. Miles crept out and said he'd watch them for a bit, himself hoping to get away from the crowd. The two kids quickly asked to go to the park which was fine with Miles. Miles asked the twins if they wanted to go which got a quick, "No" from them. They were too busy playing with Reyna and Jessie to care about the park. The kids didn't mind being by themselves, they rushed to the park at a brisk pace making Miles hurry to keep up with them. To the delight of Neil, Junior was there with his dad. William Kelly walked over to Miles and sat with him, making small talk as the boys played on the equipment. After a few minute, William finally asked:, "Is that the Neil that Junior has been going on and on about?" Miles told him, "That he is, and he's been a lot better since Junior spent the night." Miles asked if Junior told him that he all but made Neil want to move east after hearing about his teacher and school. William shook his head no, telling him instead, "He only mentioned that Neil's school was a bad place and he hated it there. He didn't tell me what he himself had said to Neil only that Neil was jealous of him and the girls." Miles told him about the school and what they knew about it. Unknown to Neil Miles had gleaned a lot of information from Neil when others weren't around, trying to get him to open up about things. As the week wore on Neil was more open with him than anyone else, especially after Miles told him he was like him before he was adopted. William listened closely then told him he'd give his friend a call. Miles asked if this was the same distant cousin of Neil and Jaimie to which William smiled and said, "He is. I won't use names but I will get him to investigate. He has been looking for a decent story for a while to get a promotion out of the fluff reporting and into harder journalism." Miles told him, "Don't let Michael or Sarah know and please keep Neil's name out of things. They have their own people going to work as does Christian. They are hoping Michael gets the promotion he is up for but if not Neil will have to return to that school and doesn't need people harassing him to derail the investigation or worse, going after Michael to get at Neil and impeding his federal investigations." The kids played together for a while. Things turned interesting when a group of older boys came running into the park and encountered Junior and Neil. Immediately the boys started hassling Junior, to which Neil countered causing the boys to do the same to him. Neil and Junior were outnumbered and as they tried to walk away they were followed. William was going to do something but Miles held him off, telling him, "This calls for some bigger guns. You might get them to stop today but these guns will be ones that will send a clear message to the boys to stay away forever." Miles called his brother and Scott, telling them sharply, "Neil needs his cousins, get over here immediately." Michael complained but Miles sharply told him, "Can it, he needs you more than you need to swap spit with Courtney. If she knew you were ignoring him to be with her you wouldn't have her much longer." Michael cursed and hung up, Miles went right for the jugular and there was no way to escape the humiliation. It was the honest truth, Courtney would never allow him to do something like that to a kid let alone a relative. Five minutes later Scott and Michael entered the park and walked over to Neil and Junior. The two explained what was going on to which the older boys tried to claim they were lying. Scott stared them down and shook his head, asking them, "Why would they lie? There's eight of you and only two of them and we know they don't start fights and they were doing their best to ignore you so tell me exactly how they started this?" The answer didn't impress them. One was quick with a, "They are weak sissies, why shouldn't we kick them out?" Another added, "This is our turf, Little Willie doesn't belong here. The other kid is even smaller and acts like a girl! He's probably another of those fake girls!" The joke nickname for Junior made the others laugh but led to Scott countering, "Is that so, Carlos? You really think just because he's smaller than you NOW he isn't going to make you eight look small? You brats have no idea what you are in for. You see us? We were smaller than him eight years ago. We have seen his dad and uncle and know exactly how large he is going to be and it's bigger than either of us. Same goes for Junior. That's his nickname if you aren't going to call him William. Calling someone 'little willie' implies you know what others look like and if you actually knew what the word sissy implies you would never use that joke again because it means you too are one because of seeing other willies which would show that you are the one who may like them, not him." The boys stopped laughing and trying to look tough. Scott hit them hard with that revelation and that insult counter. Michael kept his mouth shut but he was ready to burst into laughter at the trembling the boys were now doing. Scott stared them down then down and told four of them, "We know who your brothers are and we will tell them exactly what we think of your actions. They may not believe us but they won't dare go against our demands. You had better hope that they don't retaliate for being humiliated by our informing them of your behavior." Turning to the leaders of the group, Carlos Castillo and Adrian Hernandez, Michael added, "We will be sure to inform Great-Uncle Jorge just what you are doing to smaller kids particularly ones who are outnumbered four to one. We don't care what your family does in response, they lost all right to use him as a reason to get away with their antics. Screw around with these two again and you will see just how little sway they actually have." Michael then added, "Our cousins are going to enjoy telling all of their friends about how you behave towards new kids especially ones they are related to. They are going to love telling all of the girls how gentlemanly you are towards smaller kids. In fact, I think they will enjoy it so much they will ensure that none of you ever get a chance to show how mature you are to them until you graduate college." The boys, all just barely on the side of seeing girls as something to lust after, were both scared and shocked at the announcement. All but Carlos were fearful of what would happen. Scott just shook his head and told Michael, "That's a bit harsh even for you." Michael countered with, "No, they need to learn. The way they were treating Junior was out of line and beyond bullying. They need to learn words have actions and can hurt. Eventually, they were going to say the wrong thing to the wrong person or go from words to physical violence and with the way Neil was learning from Reed they would have been hurt badly when they hit him." Scott shuddered, telling Michael, "Come on, surely he wouldn't break that many bones?" Michael nodded, then told him, "If he wanted to he could have broken their arms and legs without much of a sweat but he chose the high road. They are lucky. They can deal with humiliation from the girls, they couldn't deal with explaining how they got their casts." The boys ran off scared, most apologizing to Scott and Michael causing both to burst into laughter. Their bluff worked. Neil and Junior kept quiet until the boys were out of view then both asked:, "Why?" Scott leaned down and told them sharply, "Nipping this in the bud before it got out of hand. If they were bold enough to do this now they were going to do worse as the school year started. They needed a kick in the butt to get them in line. The girls are going to be told anyway. Those boys don't deserve any attention from any of the girls, they aren't the kind of boys they want to like. We won't tell their brothers, they would get hurt and even though they were jerks they didn't actually harm you. At least the rejection by the girls will heal quickly but their brothers' hurting them won't." Michael then told Junior, "The girls like you a lot and if Neil isn't moving here they are going to try to get you some new friends in your grade." Faith popped up and asked what happened. She was out in the kiddie play area on her own and didn't notice what happened. Michael and Scott smiled and told her, "Just helping out our cousin" to which she rolled her eyes and told them, "Great, I missed the fun." William and Miles just sat back and watched the action, unable to say or do anything for fear of breaking the moment between the cousins. William final spoke, asking Miles, "What just happened? They just backed down without a fight and looked like they were going to pee themselves." Miles shook his head and told him pointedly, "The boys got outfoxed by facts. Michael and Scott are well built and getting bigger, but they were smaller than Neil and Junior at the same age. Then they countered some childish name-calling with facts that caused the boys to realize their taunting was backfiring the wrong way making them look bad. I'd venture that they brought up the girls and telling them just how they treated Neil and Junior which means no girl will go within a mile of them until high school." William started laughing. It was pure genius and off the cuff. The two came over and sat down, with Miles asking them, "Facts of life and insult turnaround?" Both nodded then adding, "With a threat to go to their brothers." Miles cringed at that but had to agree it was needed. William and Junior said their goodbyes and left with Michael and Scott heading back with Miles, Neil, and Faith. Michael needed to make a detour to speak with Eric and George causing the group to walks with them to Mark's apartment. Miles cautioned him that they might be stuck there for over an hour if not two to which Michael shrugged. As they rounded the corner Miles groaned. Scott looked over then told Neil and Faith, "We better call your parents, we aren't leaving here without dinner." Miles knelt down and told the kids, "Michael is going to talk with Eric and George but we probably aren't going to be able to leave until we eat, Uncle Jorge won't let us. Do either of you have allergies to food?" Both said no to which Miles added, "Then you can't say no to what you are given. He's a big kooky but he's a nice man and Aunt Victoria is a nice lady even if she seems like she doesn't like you." Victoria and Jorge caught sight of the three teens and the kids as soon as they turned the corner. The group continued on towards them, with the kids getting scared about what was going on. Victoria asked what they were up to, causing the three to try to find an explanation. Faith and Neil grew anxious and wanted to go which prompted Scott to say, "We took our cousins to the park and only came by because Michael needs to talk with Eric and George." This satisfied Victoria giving Michael the chance to do what he had to do with Eric and George. Miles and Scott remained quiet while the Neil and Faith grew more and more anxious. After what seemed like hours to them Michael came out. Scott complained that he took forever which Michael countered with, "It's not my fault, your sister wouldn't get off the phone." The two bickered back and forth while Miles made their excuses to leave. Victoria sensed that the kids were not in any mood to eat so she told them to leave the two to their squabbling. Jorge though wouldn't let them leave without taking a large plate with them, forcing Miles to carry it while the kids walked with him. Michael and Scott didn't notice they had already left when they finished their little argument, their punishment for their behavior was cleaning the pots and pans before being sent on their way as well without eating. Miles looked back and smiled at Neil and Faith. The two had done something nobody else had done, they got out of a visit early. At home, he told John and Valerie what happened and turned the food over to them to feed the kids, with the six youngest splitting the large play among themselves. All of the teens and adults were eating something else, the youngsters got the treat. Miles didn't eat with the adults, he chose to eat a frozen dinner instead and helped feed DJ Lopez. After dinner, the group dispersed with the kids retiring to bed. Miles retold what happened in the park with the younger Michael finally arriving home just in time to add details as well as complain about being left at Victoria and Jorge's apartment. The elder Michael was concerned about retaliation which Miles and Michael both laughed at, telling him bluntly, "They won't. They are too scared of their brothers and don't want to have all of the girls in school against them. They will steer clear of upsetting Junior, and might even start acting like decent people after a while." Miles left after grabbing some clothes from his room. Next door Sam was cuddling with Iris. He stopped and gave Sam a big hug and kiss, telling her, "Don't overdo things, none of us want you hurt. And tell Reyna and Francesca to go easy on the nursing, they love you to bits but even you need some alone time." Sam smiled and hugged him back, telling him softly, "I'm glad someone is willing to treat me as a person and not an invalid." The next morning things were routine. The kids were prepped for the game, with the elder Michael driving the six to the game. Lupe was able to get a special parking permit for them and give them a chance to get inside earlier than normal so the kids could see the ballpark. At the ballpark, Reyna and Lupe were on a first-name basis with practically everyone they encountered. The Joneses were unsure if they should be impressed or intimidated, but they did enjoy the VIP treatment they were given. Reyna sensed what they were thinking and casually told them, "Uncle Miguel brags about me and mom so much and we come to as many games as possible that most know us already. It helps that Uncle Miguel is well liked and treats the staff like good people and not servants." The tour was routine, the four got to see a lot of the usual things with few people around. Michael knew a lot of the stories and told them to the kids while Sarah and Lupe gave up on the tour after a bit and sat down in their seats. Lupe snickered at Michael's being knowledgeable about a place he had never been to before to which Sarah joked, "He doesn't like to go anywhere without all the facts first, must be part of his federal agency training." This sparked Lupe to laugh getting weird looks from the people all around them. Reyna's tour led them through the bleachers to the bullpen where Miguel was warming up with other players. Before they left the Green Monster Neil got a special gift in the form of a home run from one of the players participating in batting practice. It nearly took his head off and he had to duck out of the way but he was proud to have it land a few feet from him with Michael and Lupe refusing to touch it, it was his to have. At the bullpen, Miguel introduced Michael to the other pitchers while Reyna joked with them. Hearing he was from Kansas City sparked one of them to ask if he knew anything about the huge stink in the adjacent county. Michael drew a quick breath and announced:, "Due to pending appeals and other legal issues I can't discuss the case." Miguel mouthed to his teammate, "He's lead investigator" which got a knowing nod, smile, and quick, "Enjoy the game" as they went back to working out. Over near the dugout box seats, Lupe and Sarah were in the midst of a conversation only to be interrupted by a couple of men seeking female attention. The two considered toying with them until Michael came back but decided to let them down hard. Sarah simply flashed her ring while Lupe stated:, "We aren't interested." The guys didn't seem to take the hint and tried to be suave but made the mistake of saying something lewd while an usher was close by. The usher tapped on their shoulder, told them to turn over their tickets and read the rules. There was a little back and forth but the usher finally explained:, "We were going to give you a warning to back off and leave the ladies alone but given your lewd mouths and causing a scene we are going to ask you to please leave." Security escorted them away as the usher apologized to Lupe for the incident. She just nodded and continued on talking with Sarah, trying hard not to laugh at the sheer gall of some men. It wasn't the first time she had been propositioned at the ballpark but it was the first time the person didn't take the hints that she wasn't interested in what they were offering. Reyna and Michael finished the tour and sat down, asking what they did while they were walking around. Lupe smiled and said,, "Avoided getting picked up by a couple of young men." Michael snickered and asked,, "What did you do?" Lupe snickered and admitted, "We just told them we weren't interested as Sarah flashed her wedding ring. I don't know what they were thinking but they got themselves ejected after not taking the hint." Michael just shook his head and grinned, it was funny but he didn't think it was worth explaining to the kids just what the men wanted from their mother and Lupe. The game was a tight one. After the third inning, the two ejected guys snuck back in and took their seats in the box next to the six. During the bottom of the 4th inning, a foul ball flew directly towards Neil and Faith, landing at their feet. The guys jumped across the dividing bar and snagged the ball from Faith's hands, taunting her as they came up with the ball. Within seconds thousands of boos were heard as Faith burst into tears over losing the baseball. The same usher who had ejected them earlier came over and told them to leave again, this time telling them that their season tickets would be forfeited due to multiple major rules infractions. As they were led away the crowd cheered. Reyna whispered to Michael and Sarah that they had been on TV, and someone from the team was probably going to see them later. The game went by faster after that but in the 7th inning, more drama occurred. A vendor lost his footing as he tripped on some trash and landed hard on the concrete. Sarah was right next to the aisle and tried to help him up only to see his shin was badly broken with a compound fracture. The ushers who rushed sent for the stadium's medics while Sarah kept his leg stable while putting pressure on it to stop bleeding. Sarah directed the medics as to how to immobilize it and keep him from going into shock. When he was finally transported and she was cleaned up she sat down to more attention from the crowd. After another two innings and a win, the group were ready to head home but were stopped by a few team officials who wanted to thank Sarah for stepping in to help. She tried to decline but Reyna got her to accept, telling her, "We were going down there anyway. Uncle Miguel will be expecting us." The reference caught the officials by surprise, Lupe smartly told them, "She is a guest of Miguel's, we were going to meet with him once he got finished dressing." The six were led down through the bowels of the ballpark to the VIP family room and met Miguel 20 minutes later. Miguel smiled at the group, asking them, "How is it I win the game yet you are the ones everyone is talking about? And twice? Boy, you really know how to make a great impression!" Sarah blushed and apologized but Miguel just laughed and told her, "The beat reporters knew you were with Reyna and Lupe and asked if it was alright to interview you. I told them you were just there visiting and didn't want publicity due to your jobs. They got the gist of it and the only ones to bother you are ones who won't be back here again if they are stupid enough to try anything." Miguel handed faith a ball signed by the team and gave Neil a bat. Both immediately handed them to Michael who thanked Miguel for doing that for the kids. Miguel just shook it off, telling him, "It's nothing to the guys, they couldn't let Faith leave without her ball and that same bat hit the ball that almost took out Neil." The seven walked out and headed to the cars. Miguel signed a few autographs but had to apologize to fans as he drove off. At the restaurant, Miguel and Michael talked sports particularly football which Sarah rolled her eyes at. Lupe seemed amused, Sarah complained, "He and the agents in his office spend hours talking about it. It's about the only thing they all had in common since he was the only married agent. They normally see a couple of games at Arrowhead Stadium if they can get tickets." Reyna chuckled and told her, "I guess we know where he will be next fall, Michael and Scott are on the football team and the girls are mostly cheerleaders." Sarah raised an eyebrow at mostly, Reyna shook her head and added, "Rebecca and Jessie are playing volleyball instead of cheerleading, I think Iris is going to be convinced by them to join too. Sam might change her mind now that she had her operation. The only one we aren't sure about is Francesca, she is probably going to join Sam so she isn't all alone in it." Sarah asked her quickly, "What about you? There's no reason not to do either. You are athletic and quick and as much as it pains me to think about it you, are as much girl as the others. Why hold yourself back?" Lupe looked up at Sarah with a bright smile. Sarah was thinking about Reyna and was being open and honest with her, something few have been since her brutal assault. Lupe joined Sarah's question and told her, "I think you should do either one, it'll be good for you and you enjoyed helping the girls. If you don't like it you can always quit, but don't let the fear that someone will not like that you aren't the same kind of girl as others get to you." Reyna reluctantly agreed, telling her mom she will try cheerleading since it at least has Jaimie. Lupe turned to Sarah and mouthed a silent, "Thank you" to which Sarah nodded. The mother to mother communication led Michael and Miguel to nod to one another, the ladies had outmaneuvered Reyna without Reyna even realizing she had been outmaneuvered. The rest of the meal was routine as the kids started to get tired. Faith fell asleep in the car while Neil fought drowsiness himself. Back at the Finn home, Michael had to hold off the teen trio from questioning them as they got the kids up to bed. Miles slipped in and gathered his clothing for the night but before he could leave Neil asked him to stay. Neil didn't want to put him out anymore, telling him quietly, "It's your room, I don't want you to leave." Miles reluctantly agreed, Neil had been on his best behavior and never asked for anything so it was within reason to give in. As he was looking for spare blankets and pillows Miles was stopped by John and had to explain what he was doing. John just smiled and told him he was doing good and let him be. Valerie tried to ask what that was about only to get a quick, "Miles being Miles for Neil" which satisfied her. Miles settled down and fell asleep well after Neil fell asleep. He had to repeat where he was twice to satisfy his aunt and cousins. Jaimie was sent to check on him just to ensure he was actually there, he complained to her to tell everyone else he wasn't doing a disappearing act or running away, he just couldn't say no to Neil's request to stay. She got the picture and left before he actually did what they thought he did just to get away from the annoyances. The next morning Miles was up before Neil and managed to sneak out away from him without him knowing. He was met by the sounds of several people being sick, which was followed by more people groaning at being sick. His brother was the worst complainer, followed by his dad. Realizing there could be trouble he checked on Cat and JD only to see Jaimie looking sick with the twins watching concerned. Jaimie was a late sleeper but even asleep Miles saw the flushed face, sweat, and glossy eyes. No doubt as soon as she woke up she was running for the toilet. Thinking back they all ate takeout food two nights before. He remembered the place well, a few months back after Mark came to stay for good they had some food that didn't sit well with him and he has refused to eat anything from there again. They still got food from there but he refused to touch even the bread from the place. He called to check his aunts and cousins to see if they were getting sick and got the same tired, quiet sickly answer from everyone who had eaten the food. The only ones who weren't sick were the Connors, his cousin Hannah, and the Yorks. Thankfully the five kids had eaten Jorge's food instead of the takeout so the five of them weren't sick either. Sadly, Daisy hadn't so she was sick alongside her mom and sister. Miles thought quickly and told his parents, Sarah, and Michael that he and the kids were going out for the day so they could recuperate. His next call was to Victoria, pleading with her to help them as things were way out of hand with so many sick people at home. He quickly made a stop to pick up DJ Lopez so all of the kids were together, getting a grateful thank you from Melanie who was barely holding herself together. Help arrived quickly as Hannah came with her baby brother, giving Miles a chance to get changed and roust Neil while Hannah woke Faith. The twins were told,, "Mom and dad are sick so we are going out for the day." The twins asked about Jaimie and Michael to which he softly told them, "They are sick too, so we are going to go play somewhere else for a while until it's OK to come back. DJ is coming too so it'll be the five of you together." Neil was dressed and ready when Miles collected the twins' spare clothes and other necessities. Faith took longer, unsure about changing with Hannah with there. Hannah set out her clothes and exited the room, letting her change on her own. As Faith changed Miles and Hannah tried to figure out what to do. Miles asked if Paige and her sisters were alright with helping them out, getting a shrug which Miles took to mean, "Yes". He called Christina and practically begged them to help, which Christina gladly accepted telling her sisters, "We've been drafted to babysit. You better have no complaints unless you want diaper duty." Before Miles could lead the group out he was asked by Willie and Kennedy Pena to look after Willie Junior while they helped with the sick. Miles accepted and took Kennedy's car with Neil, DJ, and Willie Jr. while Hannah drove with Faith and the twins. The two cars were met by concerned looks on Jenna, Christina, and Paige. Their mother Anne came out to help with the babies as the girls herded the five young kids inside. Miles plopped down on a sofa and looked over at Christina, who had a smile on her face. He asked what was going on to which she simply said:, "Just admiring Miles the brother, cousin, and host." He would have kissed her then and there but DJ came walking in asking to play to which Miles herded the kids into the backyard, telling Christina, "You can have some fun with them, I need a break." Jenna asked what was going on to which Miles reiterated the food poisoning story. Listening to it Jenna looked over at Anne and said softly, "Next time I complain about a family night, don't remind me of what might have happened." Anne shook her head and told her, "You would probably have been out anyway." Miles countered with, "You being out saved the five kids from being sick themselves. If Michael didn't make a detour to see Eric and George the kids would have eaten the same food and would be sick themselves." Jenna's bit of selfishness hit hard but Anne comforted her at making the right choice. She didn't have to go but she chose her mother and sisters over a night out with her boyfriend. Miles was relieved too, he would have been overwhelmed at home caring for ten people, all because he would not have eaten a bite of food from that restaurant. Out in the yard, Neil and Faith played with the twins and DJ. The five kids needed little supervision but Christina kept close by. After the twins and DJ tired of playing with the two, "Older" kids they went to play by themselves with DJ leaving Neil and Faith to sit next to Christina as she watched them. Faith finally broke the silence and asked if she and Jenna were really sisters. Christina asked what she meant to which Faith looked down and said, "You don't look like your mom. Jenna looks like she could be your mom's little sister. Paige looks like your big sister but you don't look like your mom." Christina smiled and asked if that was a problem. Faith shook her head, admitting, "I was just curious. I know Miles and Jaimie are adopted and Kylie and Reed are adopted and Miles said Iris is and Rachel is close to being adopted." Christina asked if she wanted the whole story or just the truth. Neil told her, "Just tell us the whole story. It'll be easier on her so she won't bug you for the truth." Christina told them everything. When she was through Faith smiled and said:, "Your mom is the best if she did that for you both." Christina giggled and told them, "When Jaimie became friends with Jenna she stood with Jaimie and lost contact with her family. We have never met our adopted aunts and uncles and cousins, and from what mom told us we are lucky to never meet our grandparents. Uncle John and Aunt Valerie have been closer than her own family and she showed her love for them by starting everyone calling Uncle John and Aunt Valerie as our uncle and aunt." The two were enthralled by Christina's story and her honesty. She treated them like they were equals and not like little kids. Their other distant cousins just treated them like they were nobodies and their parents treated them like they were not worth the effort of getting to know. They liked Christina a lot, almost as much as they like Miles. When the three youngsters wore themselves out and were ready for a nap Christina herded the five inside. Neil and Faith got to help with babies Willie and Nigel, giving them pride in being trusted to help the babies. Jenna took over from Christina and did some kid-friendly activities in the dining room, keeping the two occupied for a couple of hours as the toddlers slept and the babies were fed and napped. Anne kept a close eye on Hannah and Paige with the babies. The two were acting more like mothers than they wanted to admit which got her thinking that it was only a matter of time before she would be a grandmother. They were going to get married in the near future and there was nothing to prevent them from making their own families. Miles tried to keep her grounded with the truth, "Bryan won't do that to you yet, not until they graduate college. He loves her too much to impact her career plans. She is going to be a great mother, but not for at least five years." Anne hugged him for trying to defend Bryan but added:, "She will at least be a great mother with experience before then, I am proud of her for that." Things went well for the rest of the afternoon. The sick group eventually started to feel better but the kids weren't able to return home yet. Miles asked if Neil could spend the night with Junior Kelly to which Junior quickly agreed with his father unable to turn down the request. The twins and DJ spent the night with their grandparents, the Johnsons. Hannah, Faith, and the babies were forced to stay with Jorge and Victoria while Miles spent the night with Eric and George. Mark had suffered from the same food poisoning but thankfully for Miles, it was long since passed when he settled in for the night. Things were better in the morning once everyone was rested and fully recovered. They were lucky that it wasn't a serious case, it just made things uncomfortable for the day. Cleanup took a while but eventually, the kids were able to return and Miles was finally relieved of his babysitting duty. Neil and Junior were tough to separate, the two had a blast and worked William to the bone trying to get them to calm down and get to sleep. In the morning the two were up early and out playing in the park for two hours before Neil had to go back. Junior wasn't too thrilled but he knew Neil needed to go, Neil vowed to play with him again before he left. William, despite the exhaustion, was pleased that Junior had been so fun-loving and energetic with Neil. The Johnsons dropped off the three toddlers and stayed to ensure everyone was alright. This was the first contact they had had with the Joneses and the first time they had seen Michael since picking up the group that had gone west to Missouri four months before. They had stayed away for the week to allow the family to get to know the Finns, in particular, Jaimie and Michael. They also had unresolved feelings towards Lance Jones that Michael's arrival had stirred up. They chose to stay away to avoid confronting those feelings but the time had come to help out and put them aside. They had heard a lot of things from Valerie and their grandchildren with glowing reports from Miles and Jaimie but being there in the flesh to meet formally was entire matter. When Miles drove in with Willie Junior, Faith, and Neil they gasped in shock. Both looked at Neil and had tears in their eyes. Evelyn quickly said,, "My god, he could be Michael's younger brother." Neil asked what was going on to which Miles told him, "These are the Johnsons, my grandparents. I think what Michael and Scott said in the park got confirmed, you look just like Michael." Neil grew embarrassed but Joseph gave him a deep hug. The two sat him down on the couch and showed him pictures of Michael from when Michael was Neil's age. The more they looked the more convinced he was the spitting image of Michael. Faith tried to say something about it but Evelyn countered by telling her, "You shouldn't laugh, you look a lot like Jessica." Miles checked on the six recovering patients upstairs and when they were deemed alright he went back downstairs to where his grandparents were. Neil was asking about Michael and school to which the Johnsons told him stories that kept him listening for two hours. Faith was quiet during this time, trying hard to not be noticed. Miles whispered to her, "You are doing a good job, your brother needed this." She nodded and tried to listen politely. When Neil stopped asking about Michael and the Johnsons had little else to tell it was about time that the others had started to feel strong enough to come downstairs. Jorge and Victoria took their leave and gave Neil and Faith a small hug each before leaving. Jaimie tried to make a joke of the situation and seeing his girlfriend to which Miles bluntly told her, "Fine, next time I'll just leave the twins here and you can look after them while you are sick." He stormed off while Jaimie tried to apologize. John told her to stop while she was behind, she was out of line and he was exhausted. The anxiety of the week was finally getting to him and he needed a break, if she kept it up he would have a breakdown. She reluctantly gave in. Evelyn and Joseph went after Miles, checking on Leslie, Iris, and Rachel at the same time. Miles was asleep in the guest bedroom, fully clothed and curled up on the bed. The two told Leslie to keep an eye on him, if he was starting to show any signs of an anxiety attack to send him to their condo. He needed time away, the week was being tougher on him than anyone else. Even with the revelation about being related to the Lopezes and being tour guide he still held a lot of angst and anxiety and was on overload after caring for the kids. He needed a break. Jaimie kept to herself after her admonishment, only venturing out of her room when she needed a drink. Sarah tried to see if she was alright but she was too closed off to speak to her. Downstairs she asked about Jaimie's behavior which led to Valerie telling her about her habit of being too concerned about people at times and not noticing some of the signs that she shouldn't be doing something. Sarah seemed surprised that the bright and cheerful Jaimie had problems seeing that she was pushing things too far. Valerie had to tell her about the times she meant well but caused things to be over the line such as pushing her aunt and Nigel together or forcing James and Tanya to talk with Sam about her wanting to become a girl. She was trying to help but each time it was done without the foresight that it could do more harm than good. Valerie then added a pensive, "She cares a lot and wanted to show Miles he did a good job but the joke was a bad choice and she didn't see that he was exhausted. He still has trouble with you four being here even if he cooled off and treats Neil and Faith like the other kids. It's nothing you have done, it's his own feelings of having to appear to be the strong brother to everyone else as you hear about Michael and Jaimie's lives but not about him. He just needs time away." Sarah asked what she meant to which Valerie admitted, "He is going to go with my parents tonight when he wakes up from his nap. He can't relax here and as much as he loves Leslie and the girls it's not home to him. The only other place he feels comfortable being himself is with my parents. He has spent the last day and a half caring for the kids and endured a mostly sleepless night at Mark's apartment with the boys so he needs a long rest, only that can be found with my mom and dad." John had Miles' bag packed and ready, he already knew what was happening without being told. Neil and Faith saw the bag and asked what was going on. Their parents tried to lie but Neil demanded the truth. John knelt down and told them, "Miles needs to spend a few days away from home. He's starting to have an anxiety attack and is physically exhausted. He has been keeping it hidden so he could care for you two while all of us were sick but he isn't able to fight it any longer and needs some calm before something bad happens to him." Faith surprised them all by asking, "Is that why his hands were always shaking?" Valerie answered that for them, "That's the biggest sign. He hasn't been sleeping right and he hasn't been eating much. Leslie kept any eye on him since he came to her house and he hasn't been eating much and has only slept a few hours a night. He won't complain and won't show that it's bothering him but he is in the midst of the start of an attack and if he continues to suppress it he could become very sick." Neil tried to apologize but Valerie cut him off, telling him, "It's not your fault. He tried to deal with things but it's having a bigger impact on him than he realized. It started out as being the only relative but it's more than that, he hates seeing you being bullied and lonely and called in Michael and Scott because he couldn't stop himself from saying or doing something that would hurt the boys. Having to look after you the past day has drained the last of his energy and he is starting to become sick so he needs a lot of rest and time to relax without anyone seeing him." Faith kept quiet then asked softly, "Does he do that a lot?" Valerie nodded, telling them proudly, "He does it for people he cares about especially those who he doesn't want to see hurt. He wears his heart on his sleeve and always protects people, you two were with him so you were under his protection." Evelyn and Joseph came back in to get Miles' bag and said goodbye to the twins. When Miles came in Neil and Faith went after him, begging him to stay. He calmly told them, "I need to go for a few days. I'll be back to see you off before you leave." Faith was crying now, but Miles broke the hold and left. She went up the room and cried, not wanting to see or do anything else for the rest of the day. Neil wasn't much better, blaming himself for the whole mess even though it was the boys who went after him and Junior. Sarah and Michael grew concerned by the kids taking the events hard. John and Valerie tried to assure them they would calm down but their parents were the ones who needed calming. Jaimie and Michael emerged from their self-imposed isolations to be filled in on what happened to which Jaimie overreacted and tried to go after Miles only to be stopped by Michael telling her, "You will do more harm than good, he needs time away. You know how he is, Neil and Faith need you more. They need us, Miles has grandma and grandpa with him to ensure he is alright." Jaimie went up to her room and talked with Faith while Michael went to talk with Neil. The two spent an hour with them, going over everything that happened to Miles that made him the sensitive, quiet, caring teen that he was while keeping the kids from thinking it was their fault that he left. It took a lot of coaxing but the two finally emerged from the bedrooms and ate dinner with the family, but remained silent. Jaimie and Michael took the two out for a walk to get their minds off of things. The two had to explain to the Lopezes what was going on to which they asked to stand down and let Miles have his space. Melanie tried to reason with Jaimie but Stacy and Rebecca both told her off, a rare situation where Melanie was out of line and put in place by her daughters. Dan wisely kept silent and told his wife and kids to go inside and prepare dinner so they wouldn't annoy or cause more trouble, giving the four a nod to continue onward. Sam came out and asked to join the four. She was getting bored at home and needed a break from the nursing her family was doing for her. Virgil joined them, making Faith happy to have someone closer to her age. The group walked around the neighborhood, heading south towards the middle of the city. Neil watched Sam closely, knowing that she had surgery a week before he didn't want her getting hurt because he and his sister felt guilty about what happened to Miles. Catching his stares Sam smiled and softly told him, "I'm fine, I needed to get out. Thanks for caring though, I appreciate it." After walking two miles the group stopped at a Dunkin Donuts for a drink and snack. Sam needed the break and Jaimie and Michael knew she was too stubborn to ask them to stop. Sensing the need to get out and away from the family for a bit Sam asked Neil and Faith if they wanted to go to Boston with her to visit her grandparents and aunt. Virgil urged them to go, he wanted to spend more time with Faith. The two reluctantly agreed, with Jaimie and Michael mouthing, "Thank you" to her. She just nodded, whispering, "I need a break from the girls" then grinning. Jaimie nodded, knowing that despite their close friendship Francesca, Iris, and Reyna were a bit smothering towards her the past week. Rachel thankfully knew to give her space and kept Iris somewhat grounded giving a little bit of a reprieve for Sam. The only ones who were smart enough to not baby Sam were Jessie and Rebecca who were busy working their summer jobs and didn't want to be in the way of Iris and Reyna who were better with caring for people than them. Back at home, Sam asked her parents if they could go to visit her grandparents the next day. They were reluctant until Sam told them bluntly, "I need to get away from here for a bit. I love you all but I am sick of being pampered! I love Iris but I can't handle being nursed anymore." Virgil asked if Faith and Neil could go to which James and Tanya cocked their heads and gave her their, "I don't believe you for a second" look. Knowing she was outmatched she was honest, telling them, "The girls are smothering me and I need to get away for a bit but I want Faith and Neil to come too. You know what happened with Miles, the two feel guilty and don't want to stay there tomorrow knowing he isn't there. Besides Virgil needs some playtime and he loves playing with Faith and Daisy is busy doing other things tomorrow to play with him." James saw her determination but had to agree with her about the girls. They were so focused on her they barely did anything else the past week. He asked her what she planned to do, Sam smiled and said, "Virgil wanted to go to the zoo and whatever else he can think of. Aunt Astrid can drive us there." Tanya gave her blessing then called her parents to tell them. Joshua Raymond and his wife Peggy were perfectly fine with the visitors especially given the circumstances. Virgil had given them an earful about Faith so they wanted to meet the little girl that had captured Virgil's attention. Neil was an enigma to them but Tanya told them that he was shy and introverted like Sam was so she might be a big help for him and he wouldn't let her overdo things so they wouldn't have to be too much of the strict grandparents towards her. Sam was told they were all set and would only need to ask their parents. She walked with the kids across the street and asked, getting odd looks but assuring them it was all approved and really needed the break from the girls for the day. Jaimie added that the kids were going to keep dwelling on Miles not being there so going out for the day would be a good thing for them. After some pleading looks from Virgil and Faith, Sarah and Michael agreed. After Sam and Virgil left Michael and Sarah asked the kids why they really wanted to go. Neil freely admitted,, "I don't want to stay around here knowing we caused Miles to leave." Faith added, "Sam wanted to get out away from the girls and asked us to go with her. She knows we don't want to stay here." The kids were sounding more mature than either Sarah or Michael could believe. They let them go but swore they would make it up to Miles if possible to ease the kids' and Miles' anxiety. The next morning the kids were up early and ready to go. Michael had stopped off at the supermarket and picked up snacks for all seven. Sam and Virgil met them outside and kept them busy while they waited for Astrid to come pick them up. Astrid took her time when she did get there, hoping the kids would calm down. That backfired as Virgil was too anxious to go and got to the point of begging to leave. Neil and Faith had their eyes peeled as they watched the city turn more and more urban as they drove through the Back Bay Fens, along Columbus Avenue, then down Seaver Street towards the zoo. Astrid had to stifle a laugh but Sam was honest in telling her, "They have only seen a little of Winnisimmet so far, this is a whole new world to them. You live here and Virgil and I are used to the drive but they haven't seen anything like it before." At the zoo, the group was met by Joshua and Peggy Raymond. Sam hugged her grandparents and introduced them to Neil and Faith. Neil was shy but Faith was quick to say hello but quicker to stick close to Virgil letting him show her if it was alright or not. Joshua knew the full story and was glad to help out, especially as their mother had saved Sam's life just a week before. Peggy was glad that Virgil had another friend and was happy to be around her even if she was older than him. Astrid had a wide grin on her face to which her parents quickly told her, "Make all the jokes you want, but we don't see you dating anyone!" The seven paid and walked into the zoo. Neil kept close to Sam while Virgil guided Faith along the paths to the different animals. Astrid just smiled at the change in Virgil, the boy enjoyed being around Faith and was rarely this energetic. It wasn't love but he liked Faith as a friend. Joshua just shook his head and told her, "He's being a good friend to her, he knows she needs this distraction." Astrid countered with, "He is never like that with Daisy" to which he countered, "Daisy is too headstrong to be led around by anyone, he enjoys making the decisions and Faith is too polite not to let him enjoy himself. Your sister told me that she and Virgil were a good pair, it'll be a shame if they are separated." Sam eventually got Neil to talk with her. It was nothing much of substance at first but eventually, she started to get him to open up about things. He admitted that this was the best week he ever had and he was afraid that once they went back it would be the same horrible life. She asked about the kids in the neighborhood to which he scoffed, telling her, "We are the only ones. The other families are older or retired so they don't have any kids anymore or the ones that they do have are all teens. We are all alone back home." Sam knew the feeling. She told him, "I know what you mean. We were the only kids at the shelter and I couldn't make any friends because we moved around from shelter to shelter." Neil felt bad for her but she just smiled and told him, "It'll get better. Don't let things get you down. You know what you will look like so the kids will eventually learn to leave you alone or you will break them defending yourself. Your parents are going to set things right, no matter what you are going to alright. You just have to believe it." He hugged Sam. She didn't flinch, she hugged him back. She saw her aunt looking at her and she scowled, mouthing, "Not one word" to which her aunt backed away. Finally, Sam led him on, telling him softly, "I guess that's what big sisters are supposed to do." Neil shrugged, telling her, "I wouldn't know, I'm not one" getting a giggle from Sam at his honest reaction. With the zoo covered Astrid and Joshua drove to the Raymond home in Mattapan. The kids were again enthralled by the urban landscape. Neil stared at the old trolleys sitting in the Mattapan High-Speed Line station yard getting Faith to complain that he was going to want to ride them once. Sam told her, "Maybe he might get the chance, I'll see if the others want to go out and we will go tomorrow while your dad has his interview." At the Raymond house, the kids rushed to the backyard to play as Sam watched them while the three adults set up dinner. Sam rested on the stairs, telling them to burn off their steam while they could. Virgil and Faith did just that while Neil tired after a few minutes and sat down next to her. After what seemed like hours the two young kids finally slowed down and stopped playing just in time for dinner. Joshua did the actual cooking which surprised the kids but Sam giggled and pointed out that John must not have had the chance as usually, he did the cooking at the Finn home. Neil nodded, telling her, "He usually entertained the twins and Valerie did it. Michael and Jaimie did the serving and cleaning." Sam missed out on a lot the last week so she was caught off guard by that. Miles' name was noticeably absent from the description, to which she asked:, "Where was Miles during all that?" Neil quietly admitted, "He was with Rachel or Christina much of the time. We only ate with him a couple of times in all." Sam saw this as a big red flag, Miles loved meals with his family but if he was missing them then he was really feeling bad. Joshua changed the conversation to spare Sam the guilt trip of missing out on so much. There wasn't much conversation after that as the group ate in silence. After dinner and helping with the cleaning Sam and the kids were driven back by Astrid who kept her mouth shut about the two youngsters being so close while also keeping an eye on Neil. Neil and Faith went inside quick, getting ready for bed earlier than normal. Sam set up the next day's activities, having Reed join them for the trip to Boston. Reed suggested Eric and George go as well, as the two of them would be a tempting target for unwanted advances and the two were looking for something interesting to do during the day as the girls were busy working at the supermarket. Michael and Sarah were a little less than enthusiastic to let them go but John saw Sam's plan without her needing to reveal it. Neil was already a big fan of Eric and George and needed to see that he would be alright if he could defend himself like them. John had previously suggested some self-defense training for Neil and even martial arts but Sarah was reluctant to let him learn something that could hurt someone. She had to be talked into allowing it later on once they were settled in at home which to Michael meant it was, "Wait and see if it's really needed". The kids were asleep early and up early as well. Sam was over early as well, Virgil was too eager to go to keep calm at home. Eric and George were grateful for the opportunity to go and do something interesting with their time. Neil asked where the other girls were. Sam smiled as she admitted,, "Francesca is with her mothers for some promotions for her mother Wendy's new book, Jessie and Rebecca are working for the summer jobs program, Reyna is with her uncle, the older teens are all working, and Iris and Rachel have an appointment in Boston with Leslie." He asked why Eric and George weren't working to which they both admitted:, "We don't start work for another few days." Eric added, "The store we work at had to do some renovations so they couldn't afford to hire us until next week. They gave us paid vacations so we at least earned some money." Sam admitted that she should have been working but her surgery cost her some time off. She then smiled and said,, "I'm going to earn more working with mom and Aunts Leslie, Melanie, and Lupe anyway so I am not really losing much." Eric and George groaned but Reed added:, "She has proven she is good with kids, I don't see you volunteering to help with diaper changes or showing the 3-year-olds their ABCs." Eric countered with, "We don't have babies to take care of." Reed smiled and said, "That can be arranged" which got both to gasp in shock then back off apologizing. Reed was already texting which caused both to groan at getting forced to babysit Willie Jr. for Reed's parents. Sam shook her head and told them, "You walked into that one." Neil and Faith giggled at the whole exchange as Sam smiled brightly. Sam whispered to Neil, "I missed this, the girls are fun but this is different. You two did me a huge favor." After catching a bus and grabbing a train the group were on the Red Line riding towards the old trolleys on the High-Speed Line. Neil was seemingly glued to the windows as he stared out at the old and new stations. Faith complained that he was too much of a train nut which got Reed to counter, "That's not so bad, he needs something interesting to have as a hobby. Besides hundreds of people come to Boston just to see the old trolleys running." Neil silently thanked him to which Reed nodded. The trip took longer than expected as they grabbed the wrong train due to some bad signage and poor announcements but they didn't mind the wait as the kids got to see one of the large commuter rail trains rushing past on the outer track. Neil calmed down a bit seeing the train go by which got the others to tell him they would take one back home, although it would be a short trip. He smiled brightly and hugged Sam for that. The trip went much better after that. Neil was glued to the window of the old train as they made a complete round trip on the High-Speed Line. They took a different route north, taking the train to North Station to catch the commuter rail to Winnisimmet. Neil nearly fainted as he saw one of the Maine-bound Amtrak trains sitting idle in the station on the adjacent track. Reed walked with him as he looked over the train, thrilled to see one so different than the trains that serviced Kansas City. They boarded their train and sat down, then were told which door to get out at. Neil had a huge grin the whole time, making Faith and Virgil joke but also making Sam smile at his happiness. After a quick 10 minute ride, they got off in Winnisimmet and walked to their bus stop. Before they could catch their bus they were confronted four of Neil's tormentors from the park. Eric and George held back while Reed and Sam looked as if they were waiting for a different bus. There was an unspoken acknowledgment between them that they wouldn't get involved directly until the boys crossed the line and started to go after Neil physically. The boys started taunting Neil to which he ignored them. The boys continued on but Neil didn't say anything. Virgil and Faith were going to say something but Neil's look stopped them. The boys finally surrounded Neil and were going to actually harm him when Reed cleared his throat and approached with Eric and George. The boys saw the older boys and tried to escape but encountered someone who scared them more, Louis Reagan. Louis nodded to Reed and had Eric and George back off while he did his work. Louis asked the boys what they were doing which got a terse, "Nothing" response. Louis shook his head and asked, "Do I look like a fool to you? You were harassing a boy who did absolutely nothing to you, not even saying a word to you. I may be old but I'm not a fool." The boys again said they didn't do anything to which Louis countered by saying, "I watched the whole thing and heard every word. I see you have been hanging around Carlos Castillo too much as only he could have such gall to lie to me like that. If you aren't men enough, to tell the truth when confronted with the facts then I guess I'm done with you boys. I taught you better than that but I guess it was pointless. You are through with tutoring, with all sports, and with any field trips my group sponsors. I'll let the word out to the other groups you are part of and tell them exactly the kind of boys you really are, since they all want the best kids, not ones who harass innocent people for kicks." The boys ran off swearing at Louis but he just ignored them. He told Reed, "I'll talk with their parents, those boys are going to have a tough time after this but they needed a hard kick in the butt to set them right and get away from Carlos and his cousin." Reed thanked him for his intervention to which he said, "It's the least I could do for two visitors. I don't want them to have a bad impression of our city. Plus Junior was raving about him so I don't think he'd appreciate his new friend getting hurt." Eric and George called Reed over to show the bus was coming. Louis nodded and told Neil, "Give my regards to your cousins, all four of them." Neil was left asking who he was to which Reed gave a quick, "The most powerful person in the city, and Uncle John's mentor. He also helped get your uncle sent to prison." Neil smiled at hearing that, he was another person that the Finns knew that was powerful yet kindhearted. On the bus, Reed reassured Neil that the boys were in very deep trouble. He pointed out that was the second time they went after him, the third time would mean they go to jail and get barred from going anywhere near him. He kept silent at hearing that, he hoped the boys never got to that point. While the kids were out in Boston enjoying their time riding on the old trains Michael had his long awaited interview for a possible promotion. Leslie, Iris, and Rachel drove in with him as both were going to the federal building for appointments. Luckily for Leslie, hers was before his so he was able to be there for her as backup if need be. Despite having all matters officially settled after a deep audit and legal wrangling Iris and Rachel were called in by the IRS for yet another explanation regarding why they weren't paying taxes on money they earned. After Valerie brought out her legal might before they knew that this interview was one to which agents were just fishing for reasons to go after them further but had to undergo it or else they'd be in serious legal trouble. Beverly Bollinger was at the point in her pregnancy where she couldn't help anymore and Reed wasn't yet mature enough to ignore the intimidation tactics by the investigators so they were essentially on their own without experienced help. The only other option was Valerie and Leslie wanted to hold off on using her until it was absolutely necessary lest some legitimate reason actually cause the meeting and her antics backfire against the girls. Michael entered with them and it was assumed that he was Mark, the man who was known to be Leslie's fiance Thinking quickly the girls didn't correct anyone, as it might cause him to be forced to leave losing their only advantage. Michael kept quiet and listened, intent on only doing something if they needed help lest his actions backfire and cause his own interview to go poorly. Things didn't take long to go south as the investigator knew Iris and was belligerent towards her from the start. Iris wrote on a small piece of paper, "He's a former church member" which Michael then told Leslie to halt the questioning. Michael stood up, asked if he had any connection to the disgraced church then when the investigator refused to answer Michael smiled and said, "Thank you for that, that's all I needed to know. Your inability to answer that question confirms what Iris has told me." He turned to Leslie and said,, "We are done here." Leslie nodded and told the girls they were leaving. The investigator said he'd have them thrown in jail Michael said, "Try doing just that and see where it leads. As you are clearly biased and have no intention of doing your job properly this interview is over. Further, since you have treated this as an investigation instead of clarifying the situation as you claimed in your letter to the girls and neglected to mention that anything they said could be used against them by your agency. This means you brought them here under false pretenses. You should know that you violated her rights to have an attorney as well as failed to notify them what they said would be used against them. That violates their 5th amendment rights and any action against them from this point forward is entirely moot as any further questioning will not be allowed into court." He smiled then added, "You went one step further in that you failed to disclose to your superiors that you have a personal connection to this case. You should have been removed immediately and assigned to another case. In other words, when their aunt gets here your supervisor and your agency's lead investigator better be here because you will not be." Leslie called Valerie and told her what just happened. She was there within 10 minutes and told the investigator, "We will no longer deal with you and will file a formal complaint regarding your actions." Turning to the supervisor and lead investigator she stated, "Your people never bothered to work with the FBI, you could have freely had a list of who was involved and who wasn't and you would have seen that these two ladies were both cleared of all wrongdoing and they were awarded the money without tax penalties with full knowledge of your agency so the only possible reason your stooge there could have gone after these girls was personal. I expect a formal apology from your agency and a review of who has been handling this case because I doubt they actually went after who they were supposed to have. At least one if not several members of this agency are involved directly and have worked to cover themselves from scrutiny while trying to set up my nieces for a criminal investigation. And a word to the wise, if you aren't quick with apologies you are facing additional problems that your bosses won't save you from." The five left the office with the staff scrambling to fix the problems the five uncovered. They headed up to the ATF office where they saw Michael off. Michael said hello to the few agents and staffers he had previously met then sat down to wait for his interview. There was light banter and praise for the Newhall/Hadley investigation's results with Michael turning it around towards praise for the ones in Boston who had a huge part in it as well. When he was called in the agent in charge of the New England region asked about the incident downstairs in the IRS office. Michael asked swiftly, "Does news always travel that fast out here?" This led to a laugh to which Michael explained what happened and why. This led to questions about the Finns to which he proudly said, "They have graciously offered to host my family during our vacation. We have a personal connection that is on record and whatever liberties they have taken with us is above the board and documented should there be any question about improprieties." He didn't explain further and didn't feel the need to do so. He knew they already knew his nephew was Valerie's son and they were friends with his sister-in-law and her family. Even the sister-in-law connection was easy to uncover given Quentin's background check was on file. The questions that were part of the interview he was there for were mostly centered on previous investigations that Michael had been lead agent on. There were some tough questions about leadership calls that impacted the team some of which were controversial but all of which were shown to be the right choices. Michael's handling of the Newhall and Hadley County case was the one that they focused the most on as it was most recent and had the largest working relationship. Michael was brutally honest about the investigation and focused on the facts. He praised Mike, Alex, and Paul for their work then praised the FBI agents who went after the fraud angle. He downplayed his own role to which Michael stated, "After the Quantico, VA lab confirmed the accelerants used and the fingerprints came back to those already in custody my agency didn't have much involvement until the trial so I didn't have to do much with the agents doing all of the work in the field. As the lead agent I settled some disputes and encouraged some angles of investigation but the agents did the bulk of the work. I hoped it wasn't too upsetting to the FBI or IRS investigation but I tried to do what was best for the case and despite some hurt feelings I feel I did my best for the government and all agencies involved." Michael's understated modesty was acknowledged and then confirmed by letters from the IRS, FBI, and ATF agents in charge, essentially his superiors but in reality not people he answered to. All had praise for his levelheaded leadership and acknowledged that his discipline kept the investigation together allowing the shared resources to help the multiple investigations. Essentially they set him up for the promotion. There was a clear message being sent to Michael. After finally dropping the pretense the agent in charge told him, "We have an opening for a new supervising agent. Given that you worked well with our newest agents we believe you would be best suited to lead the team. The job is yours if you want it." Michael accepted it. He was told, "You realize you have to move here" to which Michael shot back, "There's nothing left for me and my family out west. The kids already want to live here and my wife has found her own family resides here as well so it's not a big shock to them." He then added, "Besides, I wouldn't let Daniels and Vincent go around without someone to keep them in check. Someone has to break their state police mindset." That got the agent in charge chuckling as he had Michael sign the paperwork starting the official transfer. He started in two weeks. Outside Valerie and Leslie were waiting. The two tried to get a sense of what happened but Michael wasn't letting anything show. Once in the car Rachel blurted out, "Just tell them you got the job already, mom is going to bug you until you tell her." He asked Rachel how she knew, she smiled and blurted out, "You had a sly grin, the others didn't see it and you let it drop as soon as you saw us." At the house, Sarah was the first to be talked to. She hugged and kissed him, telling him how proud she was. He told John and Valerie next, with John just nodding while Valerie tried her best to hide her wide grin. They held off telling the kids until they were back, they wanted them to wind down from their fun before they broke the news. Over lunch, Valerie asked if they were going to rent or buy a home. Michael thought it over and said he'd buy one. John grinned and stated,, "There are a couple of houses that you two should look at, the owners are real pains though." A quick, "HEY!" was heard from Iris and Rachel to which Leslie, John, and Valerie laughed at. Valerie explained that they owned the houses and would rather sell to people they knew rather than strangers. Michael wasn't clear on the legalities of it which Valerie assured him, "She can sell it for whatever price she wants and she is selling it to you at market rate instead of at a profit. I think Rachel's house is most fitting given that there is a safe and it's the closest to here. Iris' home is farther away and there a bit too many fanatics living around there." Rachel told her to tell them the best news. Valerie rolled her eyes and said,, "And Junior lives across the street." They agreed to look over the house and get things finalized, but had to get money in line first. Rachel smiled and said, "You can move in right away, Uncle Dan didn't have much to fix. We need to get a plumber in though." Valerie snickered then said,, "I'll call Joshua; he is the best in the business." The group knew the kids were coming back soon so kept quiet after they arrived. Neil and Faith knew not to pester their father but Sam wasn't so laid back and asked as soon as they entered, "Did you get the promotion?" Neil and Faith both looked up at her with shock but turned to their father to await his answer. Sarah tried her hardest to keep a straight face but Eric, George, and Reed picked up on the twitching and smirked. Michael knelt down, and with a deep breath proclaimed, "I'm sorry to have to tell you, kids, but it looks like you won't be going to the same school." The two looked around for answers, puzzled by the response. Michael finally said, "You will be going to different schools. I believe Daisy said the 1st graders are in one school while the other elementary grades are in another." This brought the others to a fit of giggles as Michael tried and failed to keep a straight face. Neil broke down in tears, it was the news he had been hoping to hear since they left home. Faith tried to act calm but she too shed tears, hugging Virgil who said:, "We are going to the same school!" Sam and the others walked to her house to give them some privacy, not saying anything but all knowing it was a big relief for the kids. After a bit, Neil asked about the move which prompted Rachel to tell him, "As soon as your dad's promotion is approved officially you can move right in. You already have a new home and your dad is going to sell your old one once you get back." Valerie added,, "You can visit it in a bit, we need to make a quick phone call to arrange some things first." After a quick lunch, the group headed for the new Jones home. Rachel handed the keys to Michael to have him do the honors of opening the front door. Neil immediately commented, "This is right up against Sam and Virgil's house" which got Faith rushing to the backyard. A small fence with a rusted gate separated the two yards which Faith squealed at seeing. She could play with Virgil at any time! She called out for Virgil which got him running towards the gate. Sam groaned at the realization that her brother was going to go in and out all the time. Reed joked that they probably should cut the limbs back from the windows so Virgil wasn't sneaking off in the middle of the night when he gets older, stopping Sam in her tracks as she realized what he meant. Reed burst into laughter and told her, "Mom said the same thing about the limbs near your window." She glared at Reed but had to admit it was pretty funny. Inside Rachel showed off the room that had once been her father's office. It was smaller than the other bedrooms as it was beside the stairs to the attic but inside the closet was a decent quality safe. All it needed was to have the codes changed but that could wait a while. The office was large enough to act a, "Man cave" for Michael so he could have some privacy. Michael was smiling as he toured the room, with Sarah and Valerie sharing, "He loves it" looks. Sarah whispered, "Guess this means he'll be watching his football up here freeing up the living room" getting a smile and nod from Valerie. The house was spacious with a master bedroom and three bedrooms in addition to the bedroom/office. That didn't include the furnished attic and basement which were nicely renovated the previous summer. It wasn't much different than the Finn's house but it was different enough to them. Neil immediately claimed one room while Faith claimed another. Michael made note to have a second bathroom installed at a later point, knowing the kids were going to need a separate one. Neil was so busy walking through the house he never noticed exactly what street it was on. John suggested he look outside and after staring out the window he squealed. Junior was going inside his house with his dad glancing over and noticing the cars giving a big smile towards the house. Michael suggested Neil go across the street, but be quiet about it to which Neil quickly agreed. Ringing the doorbell and seeing William Neil indicated to keep quiet about him being there. William casually called out, "Junior come meet the new neighbor." Junior complained then walked downstairs and to the front door, squealing as he saw Neil. The two embraced as Neil said,, "Dad got the job and is going to buy the house across the street." William had them come inside so they could settle down, telling Michael and Sarah they weren't going to let each other out of their sights until after dinner. The two just grinned as their son was still hugging Junior with a big smile on his face. Back at the Finn home Michael and John talked about the move. John insisted on paying for it while Michael tried to refuse help. Sarah shook her head and said swiftly, "He won't take no for an answer and he wouldn't offer if it wasn't legitimate. Just take his help." John then told him, "I expect your in-laws will be coming with you, if only for some family time. Scott especially will want to help." The matter was settled and the only issue was how the others would respond. Jaimie and Michael took it in stride, with Jaimie asking if they were going to help. The younger Michael just shrugged it off, admitting, "We didn't expect that they would have you come all this way just to refuse to give you the promotion." He did ask one thing, to call him something other than, "Uncle Michael". He already had an Uncle Mike and didn't want to confuse the two. Jaimie asked,, "Do you have a nickname?" Sarah snickered and blurted out, "We used to call him 'Mick' and Lance would call him 'Mickey'." The elder Michael groaned at that but the younger Michael told him, "Good, you are Uncle Mick. I sure as heck am not going to let anyone call me 'Mickey'." Jaimie snorted saying, "Mickey Finn" which John yelled at her, telling her, "The name is something no young lady should ever joke about given that it's the name of a drug that too many young men used to do terrible things to girls." Jaimie meekly apologized for her joke. Michael turned to his newly dubbed Uncle Mick and stated:, "If I ever hear someone call me Mickey you are to blame." Mick nodded, then explained, "You don't have to tell me, I lived it. I hated the name and only those closest can call me that. In fact, only your grandparents and Sarah were allowed, Lance treated it as a way of putting me down so I don't blame you one bit for rejecting it." Michael smiled and said,, "OK Uncle Mick" getting the newly dubbed Mick to nod showing Michael was close enough to be given the honor. With that little bit of family, issue solved the only issue was Miles. He slept soundly and ate more while with his grandparents but how he reacts when he hears the news that the Joneses are moving is another matter. Miles and the Johnsons came by for dinner and immediately they were told what happened. Miles just smiled and asked if they took Rachel's house or Iris' house to which John grinned and told:, "Rachel's, and both kids have found the benefits of it already." Miles asked one more question, "When are they moving in?" John shook his head and stated,, "As soon as they get packed up and have their school records." John then told him, "You don't have to come with us if you aren't comfortable, we can manage. You can stay with Leslie or Sean Beretta while we go." Miles shook his head and admitted, "I didn't want to get too close to them, you know how much I hate seeing people hurt. That was then, now they aren't going to leave us. They need all the help they can get and I know mom, Grandma, and Grandpa are going to rip the school to shreds over what the allowed to happen to Neil. I don't want to have to continue to answer the same questions from everyone else or be treated as differently because I couldn't handle things. I want to help." John knew he was back to normal, this was the caring Miles talking. He wasn't sure whether the boy was foolish to let someone else's problems cause him anxiety or not but Miles was the voice of reason for the family and his voice had spoken. John told him softly, "You will handle your brother and Scott, Jaimie has Jessica to keep her in line." Miles smiled and nodded, his dad understood him completely. It was a token gesture but it was his way of showing Miles they'd leave him alone regarding his anxiety. The move was discussed in depth. As Miles expected the Johnsons and his mother were going after the school with Greta helping Sarah settle the banking and money issues. Sarah had managed to fax over her resignation letter, with the expectation that she'd find a job in the Winnisimmet area easily. Dr. Samuels had conveniently called and told her that his bosses were seeking a doctor with her credentials as well as seeing her in action on TV and would be eager to meet with her as soon as she returned from out west. Jaimie smiled and winked, Sam had already texted Richard, Olivia, and Dr. Samuels after they left to view Rachel's old house. Things were quiet over the next day and a half as Joshua fixed the plumbing and Dan conveniently oiled the old gate making it easier for Virgil and Faith to play. Junior and Neil were always together, the two being almost joined at the hip. Faith and Daisy were in the same boat as they were always together with Virgil. Sam used their constant togetherness to get out of the house and oversee Virgil giving her a break from the girls. Iris would always join her on her walks as the two used the time for their own enjoyment. Rather than packing up all of their clothes the Joneses just stowed everything in their new home. They basically took back empty bags which got them weird looks but they proudly said:, "We are moving east so they won't be empty when we fly back." That was met with more weird looks but when the joke finally took hold they got a big laugh. Miles was his usual quiet self during the flight west. Neil was concerned that he might not be fully over his attack but Miles softly explained, "I am just trying to figure out how to coordinate things. Rebecca is usually the one who organizes these things and she is busy working." Scott explained further, "Rebecca is our resident organizer, along with our makeup artist." Faith giggled and asked, "Can she do my makeup" which got Jaimie and Jessica to both say, "You are too young." That got a pout from Faith and laughs from Neil as well as smiles from the parents. Once in Kansas City, the group went directly to the Jones home. Miles was deep in thought as they walked through it, making notes on his iPad while looking over every nook and cranny of the place. Mick was shown his notes to which he asked:, "All that from just a quick walkthrough?" Miles nodded, adding, "That's being conservative, giving you more time than you probably need. You have less than Aunt Leslie had when she moved." The three families ate together before the Finns and Nelsons left for their hotel. Neil insisted that Miles stay with them, Miles didn't have the heart to say no so he remained behind. Neil wouldn't go to sleep until Miles was settled into the guest bedroom, with both he and Faith doting over Miles. When Neil finally fell asleep Miles showed Mick and Sarah the plans in depth. He figured on Neil and Faith being in the way most of the time with Scott and Michael having to take them away so they could pack. Miles had a big smile as he pointed out all of the different things that could be packed away and what could be donated. He left no stone unturned and after an hour had much of it cataloged and ready for packing. When things were finished the three sat down and rested. Sarah asked Miles kindly, "Why did you really shy away from us? You found more relatives but you still remained distant." Miles tried to act like he didn't know what she meant but Sarah insisted, telling him, "I may not be a psychologist or psychiatrist but I know when someone is lying to me. You were keeping your distance from us for a reason. I'd just like to know why." Miles drew a calming breath then admitted, "When my birth mom was sick her doctors kept lying to her about improving. She always got her hopes up but she was clearly getting worse. After she died my birth dad told me 'don't get your hopes up, you are never going to get anything good to happen.' I didn't want to know Neil and Faith because I didn't want the two to feel bad about saying goodbye if the promotion didn't go through. I couldn't see their hearts broken. I'm not related to you guys, you don't have to ever see me again and it isn't a big deal to you but to them, it would be. The others may be overly optimistic but I am not. I wanted to keep away to keep from getting attached and only stepped in to help when the kids needed to get out and I couldn't leave them with everyone sick." Miles was now in tears. The boy had let it all out and couldn't hold back anymore. Sarah calmed him down while Mick kept quiet, she was better at doing that sort of thing than him. Sarah assured him, "You didn't have to do that, but that was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for them. Neil adores you, even more so than Scott and Michael. Even if Mick didn't get the job the kids would not have let us cut off ties entirely. He had some influence and could have gotten a regular placement or get seconded to one of the inter-agency task forces in the area. We talked about this at length when you were with your grandparents and we couldn't stay here anymore, not with our real family back east. We were coming no matter what." She hugged him tightly and he went off to sleep. Mick whispered,, "He's different than the other two." Sarah nodded, adding, "He had it tougher. Jaimie endured a lot of mental hell after the accident but eventually she found John. We know his dad wasn't all that good but he's had nothing but disappointment and struggles until John and Valerie took him in. Even so he still struggles." Miles slept soundly that night. Neil woke him up the next morning after allowing him to sleep in while some packing was done in the other rooms. Miles felt a lot better, the mental burden of trying to be aloof and distant was gone. Neil, in turn, was close by him, helping him pack and following Miles' instructions to the letter. Mid-morning saw the rest arrive to help pack. The kids' rooms were first with Neil's room being handled by the guys while Faith's room was handled by the ladies. Neil had little on the walls and few decorations, most of his items were old toys that he didn't play with or books he had read multiple times. He had little he actually wanted to take with him, much of his was just boxed up to be taken to a Goodwill or Salvation Army store. Faith, on the other hand, had dozens of stuffed animals and dolls making Jaimie joke, "She is going to make Kylie jealous with all of those." She was deeply embarrassed but Jessica added, "Kylie has only had seven months as a girl, you have had six years. She goes overboard but she has slowed down a lot. She still loves her color pink and fairies and unicorns, more so than most girls." This got Faith to ease up and decide what to take with her. She parted with a lot of broken dolls and gave away a lot of unwanted ones many of which still had tags. Mick and Sarah did their own room and removed several of Sarah's old blouses and skirts. They were perfect fits for Jessica so she ended up with most of the clothes. Mick's work suits were another matter, Scott was too large for them and Michael too small but Quentin was just right. Greta joked, "Guess we should call you baby bear" which had the adults giggling and Quentin getting flustered. The family had all their personal clothes and items packed within three hours allowing for a free evening. Mick knew Sarah and Valerie wanted to hit the school the next day so they went out to downtown Kansas City for the afternoon. The kids were easily bored but there was plenty to do in the afternoon. John volunteered to oversee them but was turned down by Mick, this was something they had to do on their own with each other. The teens and kids were dropped off at Union station and walked through the Science City exhibits. Neil went right for the train exhibits which caused Miles to tell the others to back off, he needed this excitement. Michael tried to make a joke but Scott cut him off, telling him bluntly, "Don't even say it, he doesn't need his cousin making fun of him especially when he is acting normal and not scared." Michael backed off, Scott was using his, "Don't fuck with me" tone that only came out when he was not going to let anyone get away with causing trouble. Neil's enthusiasm rubbed off on Faith as she went through the other exhibits. They spent two hours there until closing then walked to the Crown Center to check out the mall. Jessica and Jaimie went shopping while the guys enjoyed the storefronts and the fountains. Neil stayed by Miles' side, giving Michael the impression that he and Scott were more intimidating that he realized. Scott told him sharply, "The two have more in common with each other than either of us has. It doesn't help that you and Jaimie crack jokes all the time making it look like you are going to laugh at anything he says or does." Michael took that hard but he couldn't argue, he did have a habit of joking too much. Their parents finished their own entertainment and gathered the two groups for dinner. Jaimie had a big grin as she showed the shopping bag to her mother and father. John groaned and asked,, "Did you think that maybe he's a little young for one?" Jaime nodded, telling him, "It wouldn't be right to get one for Faith and not for him." Neil asked what they were talking about. Jaimie opened her bag and showed him a box then told him to open it. Inside was a gold, "N" pendant with a gold chain. Faith smiled and showed her, "F" pendant that the girls had also bought her as well. Neil tried to give it back but Scott and Michael both admitted, "We all have them, all of us received them. We don't wear ours too often, but the girls love wearing theirs." Neil looked over at Miles who nodded. He accepted it but with great reluctance. John had to explain what just happened with Greta adding, "Jessica gave Michael a big kiss after he gave her one for her 13th birthday." Jessica corrected her quickly admitting, "He kissed me!" Jaimie snickered as Michael blushed deeply, Miles quietly explaining, "Jessica was the 2nd to get one, after Michael started the trend by giving one to Courtney." Michael blushed again, this time Jaimie adding, "And everyone has gotten one since, it's our own little tradition." With the novelty worn off and Neil feeling better about the gift the three families went off to eat. Miles was practically joined at the hip to Neil but nobody dared to say anything. Miles himself seemed to be feeling better, with the adults keeping close watch on him and seeing no signs of anxiety building up again. The meal was joyous as the teens joked with their parents. There was plenty of embarrassing stories in retaliation for zingers by Jaimie and Jessica. Michael and Scott had to endure some of the worst stories, with Quentin and Valerie enjoying telling the stories while Neil and Faith kept trying their hardest not to laugh at the two. Miles was the only one not included but he was perfectly fine with that. He accepted that they didn't want to pry into his past and there were things that are best left alone. He enjoyed hearing the stories and they enjoyed telling him, it helped him learn more about his siblings and cousins while also making him feel like a greater part of the family. After dinner Miles was again asked to stay by Neil. He accepted, but pointed out that eventually he would have to get used to not having him sleeping in the same house as him. Miles knew Neil liked him immensely, probably more than any of the other teens but he needed to get used to not having Miles there. After Neil was asleep Miles asked about Neil's attachment to him. Mick seemed to think that he wanted to be close to Miles to make up for all of the problems back in Winnisimmet but Miles wasn't entirely sure. Miles countered with a question, "Do you two do much together?" Mick couldn't honestly answer to which Miles nodded, adding, "Then he is starved for attention. He knows you are focused on your jobs and work hard to earn your money but he feels neglected. Add in the bullying at school. He is latching on to the closest positive figure he knows he can go to. He could be close to Scott and Michael in time but he is sticking close to me for now." Miles thought for a minute then smiled, telling Mick, "Dad took Michael on a trip once to get closer to him when Michael was feeling neglected over the constant Jaimie drama. Maybe a day or two away from Faith and Sarah would do the trick for you two. He needs his dad to understand him and talk with him, to show that you are there for him. I also think you should go ahead with the martial arts lessons for him, it's more for his confidence than anything else. It'll protect him but it'll also show that even though he is smaller he can do amazing things. Plus he already wants to learn from Eric, George, and Reed and if he is quick enough he might even be on Michael's level." Sarah looked at Mick and finally told him, "Alright, he can take lessons. I'm willing to risk injury for his long-term mental health. Just make sure that he knows never to use it on anyone." Miles smiled and told her, "That's rule #1 and they always repeat it before and after each lesson." With that Miles went off to bed leaving Sarah looking at Mick concerned yet relieved. The next morning Miles was up before Neil and helping prepare breakfast for the kids. Miles suggested that they get to the school early to get their records so the kids didn't have time to get anxious about being there. Mick agreed, telling them, "I need to get back to the office to get my files in order and that would take much of the morning." The Finns and Nelsons arrived soon after Mick left. Sarah loaded up the car and headed to the school, Neil reluctantly going as Valerie knew his presence would lead to the staff acting out of line and showing they had allowed bullying and abuse to occur. She was prepared for it, her parents were in contact with the city officials who were eager to settle any claims against them and had themselves been trying to remove the principal from power over prior complaints. At the school, Faith went right for the tot lot causing Jessica and Jaimie to watch over her. The rest went towards the main office where they were told to wait until the principal was free. Valerie nodded to Sarah and Greta and took the lead, she knew what to say and do to what was going to happen and had briefed them before entering the school. Neil grew anxious and upon seeing the principal stirring in the office, asked to go outside. Michael and Scott needed him to stay close by so they asked for him to show them around the school. The real plan was to stay close by so the adults would make a big mistake regarding Neil, but he didn't need to know that. To him, it was just a walk through the school. As soon as he left the principal was able to see the assembled group. He saw Neil leaving and purposely waited until he was out of earshot before seeing the group. Sarah slipped out and made a quick phone call, then handed the phone to Valerie without anyone noticing. Sarah herself was out of sight but within earshot, awaiting the right moment to make herself known. The principal asked about the purpose of Valerie's visit to which Greta smiled and said, "I'm here to obtain the school records of two students, Neil and Faith Jones. The two are moving to Massachusetts and their principals would like copies of their records to know how they are as students." Greta gave him enough rope now she waited for him to hang himself. As expected the principal had some harsh words about Neil, saying sharply, "I for one am glad to see that little shrimp gone. He has been nothing but trouble since he started here. He constantly brings complaints to the teachers about the other students treating him badly and won't accept that he is just a wimp and needs to toughen up. He has the gall to go after my best athletes, they bring our school awards and accolades and all he does is whine about them picking on him." Valerie had him but she needed more. Greta asked,, "What exactly have you done about those students that he was complaining about?" He snorted then stated, "There is nothing to do. They are kids, they need to know that some people are better than them and they need to learn that some people deserve better treatment. Little brats like Neil Jones need to learn their place and accept their beatings like a man. If he can't fight back and win that's his own fault. I'm not going to stop them from doing what is natural and putting him in his proper place." Greta asked if that was against the state's and city's guidelines for behavior and he scoffed at her, telling her, "I don't care what some bureaucrat says. This is my school and I'll run it as I see fit. They want to protect the sissies, the shrimps, the fags, the trannies, the dykes, and every other group from the people who should be keeping them down. They deserve what they get and as long as I'm principal they will get just what they deserve." Greta quickly asked,, "And what is that?" He smiled and said, "Beaten within an inch of their life until they learn to get in line and stay there. Not to rock the boat and don't complain about being mistreated when they deserve their treatment." She had him now. She asked a more damaging question, "Is that what you did with Neil? Let the kids beat him up?" He scoffed and said, "He got off lucky. If his dad wasn't a federal agent he'd have been beaten senseless a long time ago. Some of the kids don't want to anger a cop but thankfully there are some who could care less about his dad and aren't afraid to show they are his betters. His teachers held the kids off but I told them to leave them be and let Neil learn his proper place. So what if he gets hurt, he needs to learn. Shrimps like him deserve the beatings they get and Neil got beat good." Sarah had heard enough and barged in, asking Valerie, "Did they hear it all?" Valerie nodded, breaking her silence and telling the principal, "You might want to answer your phone in 3...2...1." The phone rang and the principal's face went pale. He answered it and tried to plead but there was loud yelling and threats between the two ends. Greta and Valerie turned to leave but the principal lunged after them, screaming at them for setting him up. Before he could connect Michael grabbed him, flung him on his stomach, and pinned him to the floor. The principal screamed that he would call the police but Michael smiled and said, "It's all on camera, the whole attempted assault on my mother and aunt", pointing to a man with a TV camera who had followed him into the office. Michael shook his head and asked sharply, "Did anyone ever teach you the facts of life? Just because he is small does not mean he will continue to stay small. You obviously never saw his father before." He got a close look at Michael and Scott and swore loudly. Michael proudly stated, "Our cousin is larger than we were at his age, and if you had ever bothered to get a good look at his father you would have seen the man could break you in half if he wanted to. Neil is small now, but he will be tall and built like a truck in five years." Valerie and the rest walked out of the office without saying another word as the TV news crew started asking questions about the allegations of bullying and assaults that the school had allowed. Then they asked about the attempted assault on parents who questioned the treatment of students. Outside the Johnsons were with Faith, Jaimie, and Jessica, all grinning and waiting for them to emerge. They smiled at Neil and told him, "We just came from a meeting with the superintendent and the school district's lawyer. A funny thing happened, Sarah called and said they should listen to what the kids' former principal was about to say. They heard and didn't like one bit of it and excused us, telling us that they will settle our upcoming lawsuit against the school on behalf of Neil without a fight. Neil is the proud recipient of a $4 million settlement and a public apology." Neil looked down in shame. Miles wrapped his arm around his shoulder and led him away for a quick talk while Joseph and Evelyn entered to retrieve copies of the kids' school records alongside a representative of the school district's legal team. Miles sat him down on a swing and told him softly, "You didn't do anything wrong, in fact you didn't do anything at all. Your principal opened his big mouth and couldn't resist going after you for no good reason against the one person you never want to anger. Funny thing is it was supposed to be mom who did the questioning but Aunt Greta did it." Neil looked at him with suspicion. Miles knelt down and told him, "Mom and grandma and grandpa set this up so more kids are protected from people like your principal. He had no right to do what he did and he flaunted it in front of anyone who would listen. You never have to think about this place again, this school is over for you and your new school awaits. If I know Aunt Karen I know she is already on the phone with Ms. Prince arranging for you to be placed in Mr. King's class with Junior." Neil hugged him, Miles hugged back. He was being honest, he knew exactly what his mom had done and why. What's more he knew his grandparents knew just who to talk to and when. As they walked back the reporters were finished with their story and filing out, with Neil hiding back away from their gaze. Miles noticed one reporter slipping away unnoticed, which Neil pointed out as being their cousin. Miles looked at his grandparents who winked, then whispered, "He called in for the TV crews after he had talked with the school officials. His story is going to run tomorrow and the principal is going to face stiff questions from the city and state tomorrow afternoon. He found a lot more kids who were hurt by the bullies here, Neil's story just happened to be the one that was caught on camera. That part was entirely coincidental and being at the right place at the right time." The three families drove off to the Jones home to start the rest of the packing. Neil needed a nap so he was saved the trouble of packing. The group coordinated with Rachel, Iris, and Sam regarding what to take and what to donate. Rachel's house was fully stocked and in reality only the bare necessities were needed. A lot of the pots, pans, plates, cups, and flatware were just simply donated. Special items were kept, as were trinkets that Sarah had collected. Faith decided to part with more of her dolls and stuffed animals, knowing that they would go to a home where they would be appreciated more. The furniture was a bigger problem. This was solved when Mick came home and announced, "I found a buyer for the house. My replacement is willing to buy it from us. He doesn't have much so I figure why not just sell it as is so we don't have to drag everything with us. Everything here we bought secondhand or from antique shops years ago so there's no connection, and it'll save him a lot of money." Sarah smiled and told him, "He has a deal. We will need to get a loan to cover the cost of buying Rachel's house but he has a deal." John told them, "I'll loan it to you. There's nothing in the rules and regulations you can't accept a loan in good faith from a family member, I had Kennedy double check that for me before we left." Sarah hugged him for the generous offer, giving a wink to Mick who then mouthed, "We will repay you." With a smile, John mouthed back, "Don't bother." The packing was finished and the Jones booked a moving truck to ship their items east. After loading the items there was little else to do but rest. For the first time in weeks, the Jones family finally had a chance to sit down and not think about things. Neil and Miles walked through the neighborhood with Michael and Scott while Jessica and Jaimie kept Faith occupied drawing and playing on their laptops. Sarah commented,, "This is the best the kids have acted in a long time." Mick nodded, then told her, "They know things are at an end here and they have a new life back east." The next morning all of them loaded the truck and sent it on its way. Mick drove his agency issued SUV to the federal building and handed it over for good then took to the road with Neil in the family's minivan. This would be the father/son bonding the two needed at Miles' insistence. The rest got on a plane and flew home, knowing that Mick and Neil were going to be doing a lot of talking during their drive east. That evening back in Winnisimmet the twins rushed to meet their parents with Jorge and Victoria relieved to have them returning to their parents. Iris, Rachel, and Leslie were there to help with the bags and ensure the Joneses were settled in for the night. At their new home, Junior rushed out to greet Neil only to be disappointed by the news that he was driving with Mick. William realized what was happening and told him, "The two need some father/son time, they will be here in two days. He wouldn't have gone with his dad if it wasn't important to both of them." After they were settled in at their new home Leslie asked if they were going to attend the wedding. Faith quickly said yes with the girls eagerly showing her some dress designs they wanted to try on her. Sarah realized she was set up and couldn't refuse now. Leslie nodded, telling her quickly, "It wouldn't have been right not to include you four. Everyone is going, and Mark is going to ask Mick to be the best man as John is going to be doing the honors of walking me down the aisle." The next morning Leslie took Sarah and Faith to get their dresses. Faith's dress was lavender and pink with white trim. It was a duplicate of the one being worn by Daisy, Nichole, Margaret, Nancy, and Kylie. Sarah's dress was similar to the other mothers' dresses and a shade darker than the dresses worn by the girls. Hannah, Paige, Claire, Jaimie, Rachel, and Iris had matching all lavender dresses and maid of honor Karen had a white trimmed lavender dress. The wedding was in six days but surprising to Sarah they had their sizes ready to go. Sarah was mystified that they had their sizes already but somehow knew that Jaimie and Valerie had snuck a peek at her clothes to get the size right. Faith smiled and told her, "They told me last week this was going to happen so I helped them get the right sizes" which got Sarah smiling and telling her, "Don't make keeping secrets from me a habit, but I appreciate you doing this." The next day and a half were quiet as everyone awaited Neil and Mick's arrival. Sarah had a couple of small tweaks done to the dress to make it perfect while Faith had hair fixed up nice. Sarah didn't need much done, she didn't like to style her hair and only needed a trim. Mick and Neil came in mid-afternoon, both tired from the drive but anxious to get settled in. Neil's first stop though was to Junior's house which saw the two hugging deeply as Neil proclaimed, "I'm home for good." Junior had tears in his eyes as he said, "I'm so happy, I missed my best friend" getting an even quicker, "Me too." Mick and Neil weren't happy to have to get fitted for tuxedos but they weren't the only ones who had to get them. Michael, Miles, and Scott had to get fitted as well. They were joined by Will and Richard, the two getting their first real chance to meet Mick and Neil and both making a strong impression on Neil as he saw the two cousins acting more like brothers. John complained loudly that he had to walk Leslie down the aisle but Jorge told him it was the duty of the brother to do that in his father's place. Neil asked what happened at his wedding which got a quick, "We didn't have a normal one, we did it in front of a judge after your uncle was hauled away in handcuffs." Neil smiled and told him, "At least you don't have to stand by Mark's side like Dad does, you can take a seat after you finish." John rolled his eyes as the others burst into laughter; he had been outfoxed by an eight-year-old. Mick couldn't fathom why he was chosen to be the best man. Mark was honest, telling him, "I flipped a coin between you and Nigel and it came up in your favor." Mick rolled his eyes but then Mark revealed that Mick was closer to Mark than the others and he had secured his freedom with the investigation so he earned the honor. John would have been his choice but he was walking Leslie down the aisle so it was Mick who got the nod. The wedding day came and the families arrived in full force. The groom essentially had nobody there for him but in reality he was one of them so they were there for him as much as for Leslie. She herself had a few dozen friends and former coworkers but 75% of the people in attendance were part of the family. Everyone was shocked when Pete and Bryan showed up in full uniform, complete with patches and awards earned so far. Hannah and Paige ran to them and almost knocked them over, both hugging and kissing them deeply. The two were there just for the wedding and were due back late that evening. They explained that the training regimental commander was asked by the governor to release them for the day to attend the wedding, a request he couldn't refuse. The next surprise was Alex Vincent and Mike Daniels. They were embraced by their sons and took their places alongside the other fathers in the wedding entourage. The last one to appear was David Peterson in full State Police uniform, leading Christian James and his small escort entourage. David hugged and kissed his mother and sisters then took his place alongside his brother in the group. John led Leslie down the aisle with Mark standing proudly at the altar. She kissed John as he handed her off to Mark and took his seat next to Jorge and Victoria. Iris and Rachel were both beaming with pride as their adoptive mother was crying and smiling as she and Mark said their vows. After a quick service by Judge Matthews and a round of kissing and hugs, Leslie tossed the bouquet and garter with Gabby Lawrence catching the bouquet and poor Patrick Peterson catching the garter. Gabby blushed and tried to offer the bouquet to the other single ladies but was turned down with laughs. Patrick tried to bribe his brother and other males to take the garter but the guys refused with David telling him, "That's twice now, this is a sure sign that the next wedding will be your own!" Neil stuck close to Miles. Miles looked across the room and had a sly look, telling him to follow him. Miles stopped and introduced Neil to Yvette Prince, who Miles proudly said was, "Your new principal." Neil looked up shocked and afraid, Ms. Prince just smiled and told him, "I know all about you and we have made it so that Mr. King has you. You come highly recommended and your teachers left glaring praise for you, once we removed the commentary that didn't belong on your records." Neil excused himself, smiling as he left. Miles told him, "I told you Aunt Karen had it settled. You deserved a chance to start over and Mr. King is the best person to do that for you." They turned and Mr. King was there talking with the girls. Neil asked who that was, Miles smiled and said, "That's Mr. King. The girls loved him and he's actually pretty fun." Miles introduced them and watched as Neil and Mr. King talked while the girls watched with pride. Over in a corner, Sarah and Mick were watching Miles and Neil. Valerie snuck up next to them and told them, "He's met Ms. Prince and now is talking with his new teacher. He's in good hands and with Junior, the two are going to have a great time." Sarah nodded, watching as Neil's face was smiling brightly, with the girls giggling at Mr. King showing off for Neil. Leslie gathered everyone around and told them they had an announcement to make. They called Rachel up and produced an envelope, telling her to open it. Rachel opened it and read through it carefully, then hugged Leslie and Mark. She showed Iris who hugged her as well, both with tears streaming down their cheeks. Mark announced, "Rachel's adoption was finalized. On Monday the four of us are going to have the additional step of my adopting the girls as well as making a couple of name changes. Sorry John, but it looks like there are three fewer Finns now." John shot back, "The names change, but they are still family" getting a big laugh and round of applause." Mark then announced,, "We have more news, it appears that Leslie and I are expecting, with our bundle of joy coming sometime in February." There was more applause and cheers as the kids and teens all hugged the couple, Iris, and Rachel. Lilly Peterson collected some money from the ladies as they shared a laugh over the baby announcement. Faith and Daisy spent much of the reception together. Bryan and Pete came over to see Daisy and greeted Faith with a hug and joked, "I hope she hasn't had too much of a bad influence on you. She's cute and all but she's devious. She knows how to trick Uncle John into doing whatever she wants." Daisy glared at him then burst into laughter, telling him, "Faith has already done that to Uncle John, as well as her own parents. She's doing fine all on her own." Pete added,, "Keep an eye on Daisy in school, she's a good kid but may have some words with her teacher if she doesn't agree with her." Daisy blushed as Faith's mouth dropped. Bryan and Pete both burst into laughter watching Daisy try to explain what he meant. The duo moved on and asked to speak with Neil. Bryan told him, "You look so much like your cousins it's eerie. Style your hair one way and you look like Michael when I first met him. Do it another way and you look like Scott when Uncle saved his life in the pool." Neil looked at him oddly to which Bryan smiled and told him the story about the pool. Neil snickered at Hannah's part but when Bryan added, "They weren't much larger than you are. You are actually normal sized; don't let those idiots let you think otherwise. You are your own man and you don't have to take crap from them. Stand up for yourself and your friend. The two of you together are a good combination; you will be together a long time...well as long as no girl gets between you." This caused Neil to blush as Bryan pulled him into a hug. Pete did the same to him, telling him, "You have a bunch of cousins now, not just blood cousins. People in this city know not to mess with us so if someone is causing trouble they will instantly regret it." Neil asked what he meant to which Pete smiled and said, "We heard what Louis Reagan did, that's just one of the ways. All of the teens knows their older siblings and the parents know the other parents. Things get around, problems don't last. People learned quickly that if you mess with one of us you mess with all of us." Neil saw the pride in his face and thanked him for saying that. Pete hugged him then Neil went off to find Junior. Bryan snickered and told him, "You really are taking this big brother thing seriously." Pete countered with, "I'm marrying your sister and am going to have two younger in-laws, of course, I'm taking it seriously. Hannah told me what Paige did during the food poisoning situation, she's already doing the same thing and she's even acting like a mom." Bryan's face dropped as Pete burst into laughter. He added,, "Don't worry, Miles explained it to Aunt Anne, she's just being a great big sister." Patrick and David Peterson made their way through the crowd and found solace next to the Joneses. Both made their introductions and congratulated them on their new jobs. Mick and Sarah were impressed with the two especially Patrick. Mick asked what the whole thing with the garter was about causing David to double over in laughter as Patrick tried to explain. David finally saved him by telling them, "Mom has been dropping hints for two years that she wants him to settle down with a nice lady. We think she wants grandkids but he's so focused on school he won't give love a chance." Sarah snickered as Mick nodded, adding, "It could be worse, she could have screamed at the thought." That got Sarah and David laughing as Patrick made a quick exit. Pete and Bryan finally made it through the crowd after David and Patrick left and introduced themselves to the couple. Mick was surprised at the sheer size of Bryan, asking if he took after Nigel or Karen. Bryan was quick to tell him, "Neither. I take after my father." Sarah asked what he meant, Bryan told her, "Dad adopted Hannah and I last year when he married mom, our real dad passed away when we were babies." Mick tried to apologize to which Bryan smiled and told him, "It's alright, you would never have known unless you were told." The four made small talk as Mick got to know the two. Sarah grew to like the two, especially Pete who was a stark contrast to his fiance. After a few more minutes Bryan and Pete made their way to Hannah and Paige to spend some more time with their fiances. Mick and Sarah just sat back and watched the group congratulate the newly cemented family. Faith came over with Neil and all four watched the others talking and joking and hugging. Sarah smiled and asked if Mick enjoyed the large family to which Mick nodded. Sarah then told him, "Then you won't mind me telling you that ours is growing too." Mick asked,, "When is the baby coming?" Which Sarah smiled and said, "March or early April." The kids smiled and hugged their mom. Looking over at the large group celebrating the new family Neil asked:, "Is this how things were with your cousins?" Mick shook his head, proudly admitting, "This is unique. This family is more than just a family, they are a whole culture. One we are now part of, for better or worse we are part of them now." The End.