Making Of A Family free porn video

Prologue James York was a tall, skinny, weak white teenager. His father worked hard as a distribution warehouse manager. His mother was a nurse who spent long hours working at a major hospital. The family lived in a modest four bedroom home in an upscale neighborhood in Winnisimmet, MA that their combined hard work enabled them to buy. James wasn't the best looking but he had an infections personality that made you instantly like him. He could tell what you were thinking and know how to make you feel better if you were feeling down or make you tell the truth if you were lying. This worked well with the ladies but there was one particular lady that would never fall for his tricks and always made him be himself. Tanya Raymond was an average height, skinny black girl who had all of the guys fighting to date. She only had eyes for one guy though, James York. His tricks didn't work on her because she had already fallen for him through their long talks in class over the years and his natural personality. The two had known each other since their first day of kindergarten and were inseparable while they were in school. They took the same classes and spent hours in the library and cafeteria before and after school studying. It was natural for her to fall for him and for him to do the same. Every student in school knew they were in love yet the two could not openly date. James had some money and a future ahead of him. Tanya though came from the poor part of the city, her single mother worked hard to provide for the two of them and hated anyone who had it easier than her. They were mismatched on paper just due to their family differences. Tanya's mother Ingrid despised anyone who wasn't "From the neighborhood" or, "Looked different than them". Ingrid was fond of saying, "You keep to your own" as her parents had told her over the decades. She had met James many times in school before and although he was a pleasant boy for a "White boy" but she despised him for being "The wrong color", something that deeply upset Tanya and to which James could not counter with his charm. Her views were not held by her daughter but fear of what may happen if her mother found out about James drove Tanya and James apart. James gave Tanya his heart but Tanya could never give him hers. It pained all of their friends to see the two love birds unable to go further than shared time in school while they themselves were out enjoying the movies or skating. As they graduated from high school the two were forced apart. James went on to college, earning a degree in finance and becoming a successful stockbroker. Tanya quickly became a mother who had to live off of her mother's goodwill and government benefits to survive. It was tough and she hated it but she loved her child and could not live without him. At some point in Tanya became pregnant a second time and was forced out of her mother's home for good. She refused to help support her daughter any longer forcing the mother of two out onto the streets. Tanya was devastated and took the shunning hard. Fate would intervene to bring these two young lovers together as it always did. Chapter 1 Sean Beretta was fulfilling a promise made to Miles Finn to help out Olivia Samuels at the local soup kitchen. The boy had gotten him to see that he needed to do more with his life and help those who needed it. He had volunteered several times before and found it to be enlightening as it reminded him of places he had visited before while in the Army decades before. That particular time he had been lucky to not have to go alone as he he found his neighbor and friend James York willing to help out while James took a long sabbatical from work. An hour into the meal service Sean noticed a familiar young woman standing in line. She had her usual forlorn expression, hoping they would have enough food for her young family. Young Virgil was just three-years-old. His older brother Sam was only 12. Both were the spitting image of their mother, from their long hair to their skinny bodies to their faces. Whatever features they shared with their father were so muted that you would be hard-pressed to see them. The line moved slowly. There were a lot of people waiting that November morning to get a free meal and the trio were late to arrive. Despite having kids she was given no special favors, it was, "First come, first served" as always. She had to hope that they had enough left when they reached the front of the line to feed the three of them or she would go hungry. Miles had been right to ask him to go help Olivia, Sean had seen the worst that the world had to offer and made it his job to see to it that others get help. That woman though tugged at his heart more than anyone had in a long time. He felt strongly for the poor woman, he knew she had a hard life but cared deeply for her children and it showed by her subtle calming words to them as they waited. In the kitchen James worked hard trying to cook. He owed Sean a favor and he collected on it that day. He was the closest that Sean had to family, the boys of the football team were good and his neighbors were people he was proud to call neighbors and treated like family but it just wasn't the same. The teens' parents were slowly becoming family to him but they were a bit overwhelming at times. Even Miles was a good friend to him but he and the teens saw him as a grandfatherly figure and he had to draw a line that wasn't ever to be crossed. James was different to him. He was like Sean, all alone in the world and looking for a way to help out. Having James working there that day would did James a world of good, a reality check that would recharge the heart and help James get out of his corporate driven funk. Sean watched as James brought out a new tray of food when the woman standing in line caught his eye. She was the same woman that Sean felt so strongly for. She was dressed in what could only be described as rags, her clothes were torn in several places and were on the verge of ripping apart in others. The woman intrigued James. The way he was reacting it was clear that there was something familiar about her. As she stepped to the front of the line and received food James got a full glimpse of her face and stopped in his tracks. He was visibly fighting back tears and fought for words. He knew her. To Sean he not only knew her, she was the one that got away. He mumbled her name, Tanya Raymond, which Sean knew was her name and caused him to feel something was going on inside James' head. James put down the tray and had to go to the back to regain his composure. His heart was racing, he was starting to get flushed, his eyes watered. Memories came flooding back that made him almost collapse in sadness. He started to mumble more, "Tanya, beautiful Tanya, in a soup kitchen line". It was the saddest thing he had ever seen, James was on the verge of breaking down emotionally at seeing this woman again. Tanya saw the man set the tray down and quickly rush to the back. She caught a brief glimpse of his face but didn't know who he was at first. The man had an odd reaction to seeing her, she thought it was another person looking down on her for being a poor single mother but this was different. The kids didn't notice any of this, they simply ate their meal in silence. She tried to do the same as well but the way he looked at her brought back odd memories of a person she tried hard to forget. The man who had stolen her heart but who couldn't go further with. It hit her hard- that was James York! Her James York! The man she had loved for years but whom her mom would never allow her to be with! She saw James come out again to have another look at her to confirm his suspicions. With a full view of her she could see that he knew it was the truth. She really was there in the flesh. The love of her life was right in front of her and she was in front of him. James finally got the courage to walk over and talk with her. She looked up and saw James walking and was ready for a war of words. That never came, James looked down at her and simply asked, "Tanya?" She looked up at him closer and became embarrassed. He was here in front of her and watching her eat food in a soup kitchen. The boys looked over and watched the strange man trying to talk with their mother, they stopped eating and listened to what he had to say. James tried his hardest to say something. Anything. He just stood with his mouth open gawking at her. She finally broke the ice and asked, "Is there something I can help you with James?" James pulled himself together and asked the obvious, "Why are you in a soup kitchen?" The words were more tense than she had hoped but the meaning was there. She tried to be polite but bluntly said, "Where else would a homeless person go to eat a meal?" The revelation hit him hard. She didn't mean to make it sound bitter or acidic but it was her standard response to people insulting her or making unwanted inquiries about her. James looked at the boys and asked calmly, "Are these your children?" Tanya nodded as James looked boys over. It pained him to see them looking so haggard, he felt terrible about her situation especially as the children were innocents. Tanya nodded and introduced them to James. James looked at both boys and only saw Tanya as a child and middle school girl. He stared at them with tears in his eyes, she could tell he was thinking the same thing she was- looking at them was looking into the past, they were so much like her it was eerie. James offered her a hand saying, "I can't see you like this. I can't let you live out there all alone. Would you like a place to live? Please?" She looked at him like he was joking. James, a man she hadn't seen in 13 years, was offering her a place to live. She had to fight her initial reaction to say yes. She finally said, "I can't do that to you, James. I just met you again." James looked at the kids then at her and went quiet, finally saying, "I can't let my friend stay in a shelter or on the streets. I could not live with myself if anything happened to you or your children. Please? I lost you once before, I can't think of what would happen if I found something happened to you and the kids. I don't want anything to happen to you or them." She cringed at the mention of the kids. She couldn't do that to the kids either. A roof over their heads was better than fighting for another shelter space even if it was with a stranger who she had known years before and hadn't seen since high school. She reluctantly agreed, if only for the kids' sake. James left them to finish eating and returned to helping in the back. She watched as James let out a sigh of relief, as if he was hoping that she would accept. It was almost as if he did care about them, she didn't know why but she felt guilty about thinking the worst about him. In the back Sean asked what that whole talk was about. James told him about their past, how he felt about her, and how her mother kept them apart. Sean listened without judging him, trying hard to picture what was going on inside his head. Sean finally said, "The twinkle in your eye is new, it's a spark you never had before." He then added, "That look is rare. I have only seen it in a couple of people and there is no denying what it is- it's love. Pure love. You are in love with that woman." Sean was sympathetic to James, James had never once shown an interest in another person like that. He looked out and saw the woman and said, "It seems she is happier herself, with the kids smiling at what just happened." James himself felt a lot better, she was tense but not frightened by the incident. James finished cleaning an hour later. Tanya stuck around, not wanting to let this opportunity slip away. Sean pointed out that even if it was misguided lust from someone she knew in school it was still a roof over their heads for the night. The kids would appreciate it, even if it meant sleeping on the floor it was better than the cold, hard ground. James drove the trio to his house, with the kids noticing immediately that it was in one of the nicer neighborhoods. The sidewalks were relatively even and there were large trees lining the streets and in the yards. The houses were single family homes but fairly large, about three to four bedrooms each. Tanya knew the neighborhood, she once told James that it was one of the ones that she tried to avoid as much as possible. She always got stares and weird looks as she walked through to visit friends but this time it was different. She told the boys that she knew people would stare at her but she didn't care, they would never see them again after that day. James showed the trio inside. Tanya noticed the house was sparsely decorated, as if it was barely being lived in. The kids were anxious, it was a nice place but they knew it was only for one night so they shouldn't get used to it. James told them to make themselves at home, turning on the TV and offering drinks and snacks to the kids. As they settled in he took Tanya into the dining room and started to talk. They were overdue for the full story as they needed to catch up on a lot of years. Chapter 2 James broke the ice and told her all about what he had done since graduation: "I won a scholarship to a prestigious business school, Bedford College thanks to your help. I studied finance and went into the world of stockbroking, earning myself a sizable bankroll. I am currently employed at one of the largest brokerage firms in Boston, working on a multi-million dollar account owned by my neighbors. My parents died several years ago so I moved into their home after years of living in a condo in Boston." Tanya wasn't surprised at hearing that. James was a math whiz who knew how to make deals with people to get what he needed particularly for Tanya's birthdays and Christmas. Her helping him was due to him being weak in writing while she was pretty good at it. Tanya was reluctant to tell her story. He waited patiently until she felt comfortable opening up. Tanya finally relented, trying her hardest to keep from crying. After graduating Tanya got a job working as a hostess at a restaurant. She had planned on saving up enough money to attend college but her boyfriend had other ideas. She was left pregnant and alone when he skipped town, forcing her to remain with her mother who watched Sam while she worked. After several years as a hostess Tanya rekindled her relationship with her boyfriend who was by then trying to support her but when she found herself pregnant a second time he left for good. He sent her a letter from a lawyer telling her that he wanted no contact and would never want to see the children. Her mother was angered at her for not marrying the man and kicked her out onto the streets. She was on her own from then on out. She went from shelter to shelter keeping herself occupied during the day trying to find a place for them to sleep and food to eat. James could hardly contain his sadness and shame. He had had things easy while Tanya struggled and suffered. She deserved better, she deserved a place to stay and no worries about being forced out. He did something rash and hasty. He offered Tanya a permanent place to stay for as long as they needed it. He cared too much about her to let her live on the streets and could not in good conscience let the children live that life anymore. She deserved better and they deserved a chance to live normal lives. Tanya tried to decline. He was serious, telling her, "I still love you, even after all these years apart I still love you. I look at you and I still see the beautiful 18-year-old girl with a bright future and a dream. I look at the boys and I see you the first time I met you and you the first time I kissed you. I don't want you to live on the streets, I want you to have a home. You deserve one, you deserve better. The boys deserve better." Tanya looked at him suspiciously, but he was serious. His eyes were watering and tears were ready to burst forth. He had the same lovelorn look in his eyes he had when they secretly dated in high school and he wanted to go public with their relationship to their parents. Tanya tried to find any reason to say no but came up empty. He was offering her a home, a place to stay for her children. He was doing it for the love of them through her. Tanya reluctantly agreed. She told him, "I am doing it for them. I don't know if this is puppy love rekindled or if you are serious but I have to think about them. They matter more than anything else." James burst into tears as she accepted. He asked the boys, "Would you like to live her form now on?" hoping they would say yes. It was a long moment of silence as they thought it over. Sam didn't hesitate in saying, "Yes" but Virgil was scared. He had only known the streets and this was a strange man who was giving them what he always wanted. He just wanted to stay where they could be warm and safe, James was giving them that. James asked if they had any other possessions. Tanya shook her head no, admitting, "We haven't had anything for a long time." That stung James, they needed more clothes and the boys needed toys. He looked at the boys and said, "They need clothes, toys, things to keep them entertained. You need clothes and personal items. Come on, we have some shopping to do." Tanya tried to say no but the boys ran out to the car before she could utter a fraction of a syllable. She reluctantly joined them for the ride to the mall, sitting alongside James. He had a happy look on his face. Tanya couldn't say no to that face, he always made that face whenever she had made him happy. Old feelings started to stir up in Tanya. James was the love of her life that she could never openly have. She kept this love buried for her own sake thanks to her mother's hatred of whites but now it was bursting forth. James cared about them, for the first time in 13 years Tanya had someone who actually cared about her and who honestly wanted her to be around. Inside the stores James bought several outfits for both boys, getting them whatever they needed and a couple that they picked out themselves. He got them shirts, jeans, socks, underwear, shoes, winter coats, spring jackets- everything they could need for the next nine months. The boys were soon getting overwhelmed by what they were receiving. They actually had clothes that fit and ones that they would grow into and more importantly they were warm clothing that could keep out the cold. He let Tanya find her own clothes, but made sure that she had multiple outfits instead of only just one that he knew she would select. He even made sure she had a business suit so she would look proper for a job interview. They made a stop off at the toy section and he let loose Virgil allowing him to get whatever he wanted. Sam held back, he was too old for toys. James made a detour to the electronics department and bought a new X-Box for the house complete with several games that were of Sam's age range and that could be enjoyed by James and Tanya as well. Tanya tried to fight back tears looking at James about to pay for everything. It came to several hundred dollars for the clothes alone but James was proud to pay it so she and the kids were being helped. He was as happy as could be, the kids were making him act like a father and whenever he looked over at Tanya his smile brightened. On the way back to his house James asked about Sam's schooling. She told him Sam was supposed to be in 7th grade but the constant movement meant he wasn't able to attend a regular school since the middle of the last year. He was smart and could do the work but he was rusty. James looked down at Sam and said, "We will get you into a proper school. If need be I know several people who would be able to help get you up to speed academically. How does that sound?" Sam was all smiles. He just wanted to be a regular kid. He was jealous of the kids going to school and making friends. Being homeless is tough on kids especially when you are prevented from going to school regularly as he was. James unloaded the bags from the car. Sean Beretta came out to help, talking with James about what was going on while observing his reactions. He didn't make mention about what James was doing directly but Tanya could sense that he was concerned for James. Tanya listened closely. Sean was concerned that James was barging into this situation head on without thinking it through. James was smitten with her, he could barely contain his giddiness in helping them. Sean tried to caution him but James didn't want to hear it. Sean could see that James was intent on helping Tanya no matter what others thought. Across the street James' neighbors were observing the two as they unloaded the car. They saw the three new people go into his house, two of which looked like kids. It was odd for James to have visitors let alone a whole family so their interests were piqued. James finally made eye contact with his neighbors and waited for the inevitable inquiries. John Finn, the unofficial uncle to a group of two dozen kids, was the first to approach him. John was quick and to the point, "What's going on James? New roommates? You don't normally have anyone over." He knew John's history of being a decent, compassionate person through Miles and his brother Michael so he didn't try to lie. He told him the truth, "I'm just trying to help an old friend get back on her feet. I couldn't let them stay in a shelter knowing I had the space at home for them to live." John asked, "What about the kids?" He knew John was concerned but told the truth, "They are her kids, Sam is 12 and Virgil is 3. Both are good kids but have had a rough go in life." John understood. Of all the people James had come across John understood best. He asked, "I take it you are going to put them in school?" James nodded saying, "Sam will have to go to middle school but Virgil is too young for normal school. I was considering asking Rebecca and the girls help Sam out to get him up to speed." Tanya came outside wanting to see what was going on. John introduced himself to her saying, "I'm John Finn, your new neighbor. I just wanted to see if James needed any help." Tanya was suspicious but James indicated it was alright. John added, "I'm a teacher at the high school but I am close friends with both principals and many of the teachers at the middle school. If you need help getting Sam into the school my wife and I will help." Tanya thanked him for the offer. James told her, "John understands the situation. You don't have to worry about a thing from him or the other neighbors." Tanya was worried. Things were too good to be true and whenever that happens something always occurs to bring her back to reality. It was never this easy for her even with people she knew. As James and John were talking John's next door neighbors came across the street. Melanie and Dan Lopez were close friends of the Finns and wherever John was Melanie wasn't far behind. Dan was his usual close distance behind allowing Melanie some space to work her magic but on hand to help if need be and not afraid to get into a scuffle to protect his wife and friend. Melanie was familiar with the couple from high school. In fact all three of them had been part of the school's student council James and Tanya's freshman year. She knew about their relationship, it was a badly held secret. He reintroduced Tanya to Melanie. Melanie took a few seconds to finally realize what was going on and smiled brightly. James being the loner that he was had seemingly changed right before her eyes. Upon realizing their re-connection Melanie looked at two together. Melanie had a huge smile and was practically giddy, having trouble containing her happiness. Dan realized that she had a revelation and it was going to be hard to keep her away from the new couple. John picked up on what was happening and asked, "I take it you know something I don't?" Melanie proudly stated, "It's about time. You two belonged together." Tanya blushed, it wasn't what she expected to hear from Melanie. James was content and smiled brightly at Tanya who was now starting to accept that this was not the potential problem she feared. At least one person knew them, and if she accepted her others may do the same. Chapter 3 From the living room Sam could hear the adults talking but was out of sight. John and Melanie spent some time talking with Tanya and James about school. Same could only roll his eyes at some of the things his mother had done. Sam was surprised to hear that he was the same age as Melanie's daughter and there was a strong chance that he would be placed in her class. Melanie thought the two of them might benefit from getting to know one another before school so a get together for the two of them was set for the next day. The thought intrigued Sam, but he still held some reservations about her due to past mistreatment by classmates in his old schools. John told Tanya Rebecca Lopez was known for her upfront personality when meeting people and didn't hesitate to give her views on things. She was candid, never lied and was unafraid to speak her mind. James knew this was a big deal for Sam, Rebecca's seal of approval would give him a head start and potential for a built in group of friends if they took to one another. Rebecca had a group of five girls and one boy that she hung out with. Each were in her class and each were different personalities. James knew all of the kids from meeting them at parties over the past year and from what little he could gather from most of them Sam was a good match for them. Tanya said Sam was quiet and protective, which Melanie said was working well with the group's dynamics but unique in Sam's own right. John invited the four of them to dinner. His wife Valerie would want to meet them and they could use some more reassurances. Tanya was very reluctant to accept but James insisted. James quietly whispered, "John wouldn't offer unless he felt it was good for the three of you." Tanya accepted reluctantly, insisting that they have a chance to shower and change first. John happily accepted, knowing that it was needed to calm their anxiety and prepare the kids for meeting the new neighbors, especially the twin. An hour later the four of walked across the street to the Finn house. Sam was surprised that it was so similar to James' house in that it wasn't that decorated. She could see there were two little kids walking around hugging John and Melanie. There were more toys laid about than decorations, the 14 month old twins left them strewn around the house in their haste to get around. Virgil plopped down next to Cat Finn, the younger twin and played blocks while JD, the older twin, watched. Cat and Virgil had an unspoken understanding, he knew where she wanted something placed and she knew what to place next to it. JD was jealous. He had been used to his sister playing with him and ordering him around. Virgil wasn't being ordered around, he was helping and JD didn't like that. He started to whine which got John to laugh at his antics while James and Tanya looked on in shock. John picked up JD and put him in the playpen then explained, "Don't worry about him, he's just jealous. Cat never plays with other kids like that." Tanya was relieved, Virgil didn't do anything wrong and John was laughing about it. John's wife Valerie entered and greeted the newcomers. John told her what James was doing to which Valerie didn't offer any reaction. It did look like she raised an eyebrow and gave John a sly grin but otherwise she didn't react. Valerie let John talk with James while she talked with Tanya. Sam stayed close by so he could hear both conversations. Tanya started to feel at ease as Valerie explained, "John told me what was going on and he wants to help you anyway he can. He has a big heart for people especially ones who have children affected." Tanya quietly thanked her as she continued, "He sees something in your story that strikes him. Melanie knows the two of you so to him that means you are friends and he takes care of his friends. He will want Virgil to be put in daycare so you can focus on yourself for a while, and Sam will be in good hands with the school and if I am so bold I think it will only be a few minutes until he is met by his new classmates. Melanie texted Rebecca already to ask her to help Sam." Tanya asked what she meant when the doorbell rang and seven kids came into the house looking for John. Valerie could only offer a quick, "Dining room" as they marched inside. Tanya was caught by surprise at the suddenness but understood what Valerie now meant. Valerie smiled and said, "As you can see that's what I meant, they are Melanie's daughter Rebecca and her friends Iris, Francesca, Amy, Kelly, Jessie, and Thomas. They are also 7th graders at the middle school. If I may be so bold to assume for her given that you two already know Melanie Rebecca will be taking Sam under her wing as a favor for her mother and John." Tonya didn't know what to say. She knew it was a dream come true for Sam and he wanted normalcy in his life. That girl was going to help him get it. She tried hard to fight back tears. Tanya asked her, "Why are you helping us? I can understand your husband but why are you? I don't even know you and you don't have a connection to us let James." Valerie got quiet and admitted, "I was a single mother until John and I married. I don't want to see someone left suffering when I can lend a hand to help them. Melanie told us the real reason you two broke up and Sean Beretta told us the rest of your story which made me angry and feel like it was the right thing to do for the three of you. You deserve a new start and James is the right person to help you with it, if you let him do that." Tanya asked quietly, "Is he trustworthy? Are you sure this isn't just a passing phase? We only just reconnected, I don't want this to be some one night stand and disappoint the kids." Valerie smiled and proudly said, "Honey, he is in love with you! This isn't an infatuation, this is pure love. He isn't prone to rash decisions, it goes against his very nature. If he wanted you to move in then he did so out of the goodness of his heart. Give him a chance, the way you look at him I can see the spark is still there. Give it time." Tanya looked over at James and that spark lit her face. She was starting to feel that love return and her concerns float away. Valerie softly told her, "He has needed something to anchor him for a while, he is so focused on work and teaching our son Michael the business that he lost who he really was. You are bringing him back to earth and making him see that he can love again." Sam moved to where the kids were talking. The kids told him to sit at the table with them as they introduced themselves to him. Jessie Lawrence, Rebecca's best friend, was asking questions about Sam's past while Rebecca was gauging whether he was telling the truth. He kept eyeing the kids, not sure what to make of the sudden onslaught of girls while watching the only boy as he hung in the background trying to not become involved in whatever he girls had planned for Sam. Rebecca declared, "He's telling the truth." Jessie stopped her questioning and the eight moved outside and sat down at the table in the yard. Sam told them John said he'd help out with getting him into the school and asked about the school then about the teachers. That got the kids thinking hard about what to say to Sam so as to not scare him. Rebecca told him, "Mrs. Eagleson is great. Stacy, Miles, Jaimie, Michael, and Courtney had her two years ago and said she was fun. Ms. Vega and Ms. Rodriguez are good principals, they keep the bullies in line so they don't do much beyond get in trouble." He was pleased to hear that, he hated bullies. Being small and looking more and more girlish Sam had been constantly picked on by bigger boys. He hated to think that this new school was another repeat of the other schools, Rebecca made him glad to be attending. Rebecca seemed to notice something and added, "The school has dealt with a lot of different kinds of students since my cousin Jaimie forced them to accept new kinds of students." Sam asked what she meant. Rebecca tried hard to think about how to tell him but Jessie said it for her, "She was once a boy but became a girl." Sam was relieved. Hearing that brought feelings to light that that he had suppressed for a long time. He had felt abnormal and weird since an early age and had no way to vocalize how he felt until then. When he lived with his grandmother the kids used to play dress up and he would often end up in his mom's clothes. His grandmother would hit him whenever she caught him doing that, telling him she would not allow that kind of behavior in her home. He had done it a couple of times later so his mom could get into a female-only shelter, but as he grew taller than normal girls his age it wasn't worth the effort anymore and didn't want her to get into trouble. Rebecca was no fool. She saw Sam's reaction to being told about Jaimie and could see there was a lot more to it than fascination. She had a vague idea of what it could be but left it alone or she may cause more damage than anything. The kids talked about random things for a while. Dinner was served and the eight of them went inside to eat, talking more while the adults talked in the living room. Rebecca kept a close eye on Sam, with John seeing her actions and nodding in approval. The two didn't need to say anything, she was doing just what he expected her to do. Chapter 4 James, Tanya, Virgil, and Sam left the Finns and the kids after dinner. Tanya was feeling better about moving in with James after her discussion with Valerie. James sensed this relief and he himself started to feel better, he feared that the Finns may scare them off with their overwhelming kindness. Sam told them: "The kids are going to stop by tomorrow to help me get prepared for school" which got him even more nervous than he had been all evening. Virgil was the only one who didn't have a care, the Finns were nice people and Cat was fun to play with. He loved talking about Cat, which Tanya tried hard not to laugh at. He made a friend quickly even if her brother JD was jealous of him. Virgil and Sam loved that they had their own rooms and more importantly- their own beds. Sam didn't care that there wasn't much decoration so long as he had his own bed to sleep in. Virgil fell asleep immediately but Sam took some time to calm down. He listened to James and his mom's conversation, blissfully listening to them get closer. James and Tanya thought both of the kids were asleep. They spent hours talking about the past 13 years. There was a lot to catch up on and the two were fighting their feelings. James was the first to admit his feelings. "I haven't felt this way in years. Looking at you has turned me into an 18 year old again. You look simply amazing." Tanya reluctantly admitted, "I feel the same. It's hard to fight this feeling but I did love you then and I can't help feel the same way now. You know what is worse, the Finns saw it before we did." Sam didn't need to know what caused their break in conversation a short time later. The slurping sound that came a couple of minutes later told him all he needed to know. After years apart and fighting their true feelings all day the two kissed! Tanya didn't try to resist, she let him kiss her deeply to which she reciprocated by doing the same back to him. The two held each other in a deep embrace and kissed on and off for a while until tiredness overcame them and they had to separate. Tanya was going to join James in his room but as soon as she got to the door thought better of it, not wanting to send the wrong message to the boys so she instead went to her own room for the night. The next morning Sam was all smiles. James and Tanya shook their heads and both said, "It's not what you think." Ever the pragmatist Sam said, "So you two didn't kiss and hug last night when you thought we were asleep?" James admitted the truth. Sam asked the obvious, "Are you two going to date again? Everyone seems to think that you two are going to do that." James looked at Tanya who tried her hardest not to blush from the embarrassment. James turned to Sam and asked, "Is that what you want us to do? If you don't want us to we won't." Sam felt ashamed and admitted, "I want mom happy and she is happy with you." Tanya grabbed Sam and hugged him tight, saying, "It's alright, we weren't ready for that yet. We wanted you two to get situated before we started anything. You kids come first." James added, "We know you care about your mom but we care about you two more. Once you are in school we will consider our love life. Now why don't we make some breakfast and start the day." The three ate in silence while Virgil was oblivious to what was going on. Sam was uneasy most of the day after the awkward morning. The kids came over and asked what was going on and he admitted his mistake that morning to them. Rebecca tried hard to keep from laughing but gave in and said, "You didn't make a mistake, you just made them move forward faster. They were feeling urges to do more than they did and you called them on it. If it was a mistake your mother would have said something. Mom is hoping they weren't rushing things but she wants them to get together, as does Uncle John and Aunt Valerie." Rebecca and the kids moved onto other things allowing Sam to think about anything but the question. He spent much of the time just watching the girls and listening to what they were saying, adding in a few words here and there. For some reason Sam was observing the girls closely, watching their mannerisms. These glances of Sam's wasn't lost on Rebecca who started to suspect there was something going on with him that he wasn't telling them. Sam had seen that look before from his grandmother when she knew he wasn't telling the truth, he hoped Rebecca didn't think badly about him for doing that. Stacy, Rebecca's older sister, came and got the kids after lunch to go do what they had planned to do that day. Sam was invited to come along, but declined opting to get used to the York house. He had a lot to think about and not a lot of time to let it sink in. He didn't know why he was looking at girls that way but it wasn't sexual nor was it intentional. Sam just observed and took in what they were doing as opposed to what he had seen boys do and thought nothing of his own actions. Rebecca caught them though, she was on to something but wouldn't confront Sam about it yet if at all. Tanya and James spent much of the day inside while the kids were in the backyard talking. They sat beside one another and at one point Tanya had fallen asleep leaning against him. He carefully moved, grabbed a blanket, and put it around her. He couldn't help but smile seeing her at peace asleep on the couch, the beautiful woman he had loved in high school was still there and unmarred by age and a slew of bad circumstances. Virgil started to get antsy so James took him for a short walk around the block while Tanya rested and the kids talked. When they returned Tanya had awoken and was surprised that Virgil had left without her. The little boy normally never let her out of his sight while he was awake. To have done that meant he felt safe with James. To have done so without letting his mother know he was going out meant he wanted her to have time to herself without him. Even at three Virgil was thinking of others and cared enough about James to trust him to keep him safe while his mother rested. James treated Virgil like he was his own son. Virgil held his hand tight and walked alongside him, looking at everything and anything. Virgil was asking questions left and right while James was answering as much as he could. To James' surprise Virgil had a vivid mind, seeing things that nobody seemed to notice and asking questions nobody seemed to ask. James could tell Virgil, Jaimie, and Rebecca were going to have a fun time. Only they had that kind of mind in the neighborhood, Stacy, Miles, and Michael didn't really have the same natural sense of questioning everything and seeking the truth about things. To his own surprise James enjoyed this experience. He had never done anything like this before with any of the kids let alone one in his care. James had brothers but none of them lived close by and they didn't care for him nor his choice to move into their old home after their parents died. They had children but they were spoiled rotten and acted terrible around other people. To them James was a disgrace for not settling down and having a family, even if it was just a trophy wife who spent all of his hard earned money. They kept asking him what good was earning six figure salaries as well as thousands in commissions when all he did was invest it and let it sit in the bank? He was glad to not see them, James dreaded every visit they made and spent the majority of the time counting down the time until they left. The worse came a year and a half before when they went out of their way to insult Jaimie every time they saw her on the street. Jaimie ignored them, it took all of his strength to hold himself back from hurting his brothers but Sean Beretta had a few choice words with them that sent chills down their spines. James kicked them out, fighting tooth and nail with his brothers regarding the right to do so. They believed that he didn't actually own the house since it was their parents' home, but the will was ironclad and James got Ricardo Ramirez, a lawyer Valerie knew, to check it over. James owned it outright, they were close to breaking their own inheritance conditions by fighting him over it. As was expected and no real shock to either James or Ricardo, his brothers sued James over the rights to their parents' house. Ricardo was true to his word, they lost everything and James gained full control of the $5 million estate. He then told them that he would contact them but they were not to contact him. Shaking off those memories James turned to Virgil. Virgil rejuvenated James' fatherly side. He was the perfect child- well behaved, cared about his family, didn't ask for anything that he didn't need, and was pleasant to other children. Cat took to him easily and John told James that JD got the message that he shouldn't act like a spoiled brat to get what he wants. Tanya greeted the two as they came up the stairs. James apologized for taking Virgil without asking but Tanya was smiling at her son's behavior. Virgil immediately started to play with his new toys letting the two of them talk alone, knowing they needed to be serious for a bit. Tanya admitted, "He has never done that before. He normally won't let me out of his sight, not even to go to the bathroom. Whatever you did, he trusts you completely." He didn't know what to say so he told her the truth, "I just asked if he wanted to go for a short walk while you took a nap. He grabbed my hand and led me around the block, asking questions the whole time. He looked like he was bored and wanted to do something for a bit if only until you woke up." Sam came in from the backyard as the other kids left. Tanya was smiling and laughing as she told him about James and Virgil's walk. Sam was happy, he nodded to James letting him know his mom was never like this and was genuinely thrilled at the experience. James cooked dinner and the four of them ate while Sam told them what the kids told him. Tanya cautiously asked, "Can you trust them? I don't want Sam to think he's making friends just to have them do what everyone else had done to him in school." James couldn't contain his laughter, saying, "Rebecca never lies. The kids are following in the footsteps of Jessie and Rebecca's older sisters Courtney and Stacy. They know how to treat kids who come from rough backgrounds. Their friend Will and Stacy's boyfriend Scott came from abusive homes, Miles was the unloved and unwanted son of a drug dealer, and John's kids were once the town's outcasts before they moved here. Rebecca is respected by everyone in school, Sam will be in good hands with her." Sam reluctantly admitted, "They told me about Jaimie. She said that Jaimie forced the school to accept new kinds of students. She said Jaimie was once a boy." James shook his head and softly stated, "When you meet her you won't believe it but it is true. She won over the hearts and minds of more people than you can count. She is the nicest person you will ever meet and goes out of her way to help someone in need. I believe you are a good person but just for the record I never want to hear any of you saying a bad thing about her because I can guarantee that you will end up regretting ever uttering the words. That is not from me but from others who hear you uttering them." Sam was relieved. He needed to talk with Jaimie at some point. James caught him off guard as he asked, "Why the interest in Jaimie?" Sam admitted, "It stuck out. Like I said Rebecca mentioned her forcing the school to accept different kinds of people, and then Jessie mentioned Jaimie. I figured it was because of homelessness but Jaimie wasn't homeless." James said he thought Rebecca had a hidden agenda which the girl normally had with mentioning specific things to specific people. It was clear with her even if her motives weren't. The girl was almost as good about helping people as Jaimie but she did her work with subtlety and from the background nudging you in the right direction whereas Jaimie was forthright and upfront. The more Sam heard about Rebecca the more he both feared and respected her. She could do a lot of good for people but she could also manipulate things to go her way. He hoped that she had his best interests in heart because he didn't want to be hurt by her if she didn't. James looked at Sam as he was trying to figure out why she said it. He told him, "They will be OK with you being homeless and now staying here. John has Jaimie ready to help you get up to speed with what the rest of the 7th grade is doing in school so you aren't too far behind so expect a busy week." The rest of the weekend went by fast as they stayed indoors and got prepared for the upcoming trip to school. James ensured that Sam had all of the supplies that he needed while Tanya signed the paperwork that Valerie had brought over. Monday morning Sam had to meet with the principals. Alice Rodriguez and Dorothy Vega were kind to him and tried their best to keep him from becoming too nervous. It was determined that he would be placed in Mrs. Eagleson's class, the same one as Rebecca, Jessie, and the others. He looked up at them and asked, "Did you orchestrate this? The kids told me that was their class. I don't want you to break any rules or put me where I am not supposed to be just to be with them." Dorothy tried her hardest not to laugh but failed. Alice flatly stated, "Actually this was just how it worked out. Looking over your school records we determined that she is the best fit for your level of learning. The fact that you know seven of the students already is a mere coincidence. Mrs. Eagleson is a fine teacher and you will enjoy her class." Dorothy took him to Mrs. Eagleson's classroom and knocked on the door. She informed Mrs. Eagleson that Sam was a new student and introduced him to the class. Rebecca, Jessie, Iris, Francesca, Amy, Kelly, and Thomas tried their hardest not to laugh at the turn of events but failed. Rebecca finally said, "We are glad you got stuck in here, we were beginning to think one of the other teachers were lucky enough to end up with you." Mrs. Eagleson asked what was going on so Jessie told her, "We met on Friday when he moved into Rebecca's neighborhood." Mrs. Eagleson had Sam take a seat then restarted the class. He was placed between Rebecca and Jessie which meant he wouldn't have to endure other kids' questions and let him focus on class. As Dorothy took Sam to class Tanya finalized the paperwork and added James as Sam's emergency contact. Alice asked about their relationship and was told, "He's my boyfriend. We are living with him." Alice didn't pry. Tanya could tell she had experienced this before in the past and sometimes it was successful family arrangements and others it was a disaster. She recognized the address, it was very close to John Finn's house which meant he already knew about this and Valerie was probably the source of the paperwork. Alice asked, "Did John give you the paperwork?" Tanya blushed and nodded yes adding, "Valerie got someone to track down Sam's school records and told us that the kids would be helping Sam if he needed to catch up. He spent all weekend working with them to get caught up." Alice shook her head at the convenient connection, letting out a laugh. Tanya looked at her oddly to which Alice said, "The Finns go at everything full speed. I expect the kids will be over this afternoon, given the urgency it will be either their daughter Jaimie or Scott Nelson so don't be surprised if they come by. Just have Sam ready to work." James popped his head in and asked if everything was alright. He had been waiting with Virgil outside the office but the long absence caused him some concern. Tanya assured him things were fine and told him that there would be visitors later. James didn't need to know who was coming. He just softly said, "I just hope she doesn't go overboard or he doesn't get him too far ahead. They are good kids but they forget sometimes that not everyone is as quick on the uptake as they are." Alice let out a big laugh, apparently he knew exactly who was coming without even needing to be told. Tanya was the only one who didn't get the joke. James told me, "Jaimie's heart sometimes overrules her head, she means well even if she comes off as a know-it-all and Scott tries to help too much. They are good kids, Sam will be in good hands with them helping." They left the school shortly thereafter and drove to the park so Virgil can get out some excess energy. James and Tanya held hands while Virgil climbed up and down the slides. This did not go unnoticed by the three- year-old as he caught their subtle motion. He smiled at the sight of them holding hands, he could see that James was making Tanya happy which made him happy. In class Sam paid close attention to what Mrs. Eagleson was teaching. He tried hard to listen, writing down quite a bit and noting where he needed help. Mrs. Eagleson noticed all of Sam's writing and gave him a smile. He was trying hard but was behind the others, but already knew Sam was in for a lot of help even if Sam didn't. Rebecca was keeping notes on Sam throughout class. She watched where he was looking and what he was writing and noticed he was always staring at the girls and watching what they were doing. Sam didn't consciously know what he was doing but he was doing it in plain view of her and it was not something that was normal for a boy to do. At lunch Rebecca asked him, "Why were you staring at the girls? Do you have a crush on us already?" It caught him off guard as was planned and would lead to proving her hypothesis about him. Sam blanched. He tried to come up with an excuse. Rebecca quickly teased him to get his mind off of the question but her suspicions were confirmed yet again. She already knew that Sam wasn't a typical boy, and that staring wasn't because he liked them. Being close to Jaimie opened her eyes to actions and reactions of people and seeing Sam doing a lot of things that she saw Jaimie doing when she was their age and just starting to be a girl gave her a gut feeling that Sam wasn't really a boy inside. Sam was a girl born as a boy and she needed their help. Back in class Mrs. Eagleson and she talked about how to get Sam up to speed. Rebecca showed Mrs. Eagleson her class notes and agreed with what needed to be gone over. She told Mrs. Eagleson who was going to help which got the usual, "Don't let them go overboard" to which Rebecca replied, "I can't guarantee it, you know how Jaimie is. I know you didn't have him as a student but Scott isn't much different than her and is even more focused on getting him ahead than Jaimie is." The day passed fast and it was time to pick the kids up from school. They were fast friends, even more so than the prior weekend had shown. Sam was smiling and joking with Thomas while the girls teased them. Rebecca kept off the teasing, she was too busy thinking about what to say to Jaimie to get her to bring about the truth from Sam. She handed Sam her notes to give to Scott and Jaimie, saying, "Don't look at them because I don't want you to start without them. They did this all summer, just let them do the teaching while you listen." After the bell rang Melanie introduced Tanya and James to the other parents. Gabby Lawrence, Jessie's mother, recognized James who nodded in return. The parents didn't mention Tanya's circumstances but did notice the two were close. They silently agreed to hold off the gossip for the kids' sake but it was clear to all of them that the two were either in love or on the road to love, they didn't act like normal boyfriend/girlfriend couples. Chapter 5 After meeting all of the parents James and the Raymonds drove back home where Sam awaited his expected visitors. Tanya and James gave them some space sitting in the backyard while they worked in the dining room. He was nervous, they were respected and by the way the others talked about her Jaimie was practically a legend Scott was the first to arrive, bringing with him spare notebooks and pencils. He was tall and well built, in Sam's view the perfect boy. He could see why Stacy would like him. Sam gave Scott Rebecca's notes which he looked over closely then raised an eyebrow. Scott got down to business and helped him with his science and math. Sam was an eager learner and didn't take long to get to the point that the rest of the class was at, giving Scott a big thank you when they finished. They weren't finished though. Sam wasn't happy that Scott had gotten copies of Rebecca's quizzes and rewrote them for him to take. He was told to have them finished in two days and not to use his notes or the textbook. Sam reluctantly agreed but Tanya was told to keep an eye on him when he took them which he really didn't like. Jaimie arrived an hour later and helped him with his history and language arts work. She inspected all of Rebecca's notes carefully but didn't react the way Scott did. Sam figured she must have known because she had Mrs. Eagleson as a teacher already. Looking at what he had done in class Jaimie saw that he was a decent writer for a 7th grader so she focused on the history portion. He slowly got the gist of what the textbooks were trying to teach him and was up to the point where the others were. Jaimie told him an unenthusiastic, "It's the same stuff all over again, but this book isn't like the ones you had before. Dad got them to find a better one that just covered key things instead of everything at once." Throughout their time together he spent a lot of time looking at Jaimie. He kept trying to picture her as a kid his age and as a boy but all he could see was the beautiful, voluptuous young woman who was sitting before him. Jaimie noticed the looks and didn't react, or so he thought. Unbeknownst to Sam, Jaimie had been tipped off by Rebecca that there was something up with Sam inside of his head that she might be able to relate to better than anyone else. The way he kept looking at her as they worked confirmed it. Sam had burning questions for her but needed a way to broach the subject so they could talk openly about it. When Sam was finished with his work she finally asked him, "What is it that you are holding back asking me? Don't lie to me and say you aren't. Rebecca knows you have questions for me so please just ask them because it's not healthy for you to keep them in." Sam looked down and quietly asked, "When did you start to feel like you were a girl?" Rebecca was right. Her gut feeling was dead on. Sam wasn't a boy, Sam was a girl inside and that girl was starting to want to come out. Jaimie didn't bother to look up and said, "At first, I was about four years old. I didn't start acting on those feelings until I was older and didn't do much about them. I didn't admit that I wanted to be a girl until Dad took me to get help for other things I had wrong in my head and the doctors noticed what I was saying which caused them to get me to a specialist who confirmed I was really a girl inside." Sam tried to look away. He was fighting the feelings. Jaimie couldn't bear the pressure anymore and asked her, "Are you having those feelings?" Sam nodded, trying hard to not burst into tears. Jaimie could see he was fighting for the right words and said, "Have you told anyone yet? I know it's sudden but you need to tell them before you start to change. If you don't it will hurt yourself because you won't like how you look and will get depressed and possibly want to do harm to yourself." Sam shook his head then admitted, "I didn't know there were others who did until Rebecca mentioned you. I still can't believe it is true. I can't tell mom and James, I don't want James to throw us out because of me. I would rather live with being a boy than force mom and Virgil on the streets again." Jaimie shook her head and said, "Rebecca saw some signs. She was subtle, but she was trying to get you to talk with me. I think you should talk with your mom and James about this. You need help soon because it isn't healthy to sit on those feelings and once you start to become a man soon it will be harder on you. James is a good man, he won't throw your mom and brother out because of how you feel. I can see it in him, he is too nice of a man to ever do that to you three. He loves all of you." Sam said he would but not until he was sure he was able to without knowing they wouldn't be tossed out. Even with Jaimie's assurances it was still too tough for Sam to tell them yet. Sam couldn't do that to his mom, no matter how much he needed to admit it. Jaimie reluctantly understood. This was different than her and her dad, Sam had a legitimate fear of being forced out and if they were out on the streets again they might not be able to get Sam the proper help to be the girl Sam was inside. Jaimie would have to ask James about this scenario and see if Sam was safe or if he was going to have to find a new home. Tanya watched the two talking and saw Sam fighting tears. Whatever it was that they were talking about was deeply personal and affecting Sam. He suggested they let Sam come to them, that they prepare for anything that could happen. Tanya asked what he meant to which he said, "If he's talking with Jaimie then there is something going on in Sam's head that he needs help with. It could be anything from him being gay to wanting to be a girl to hating living here. You now I love you and will never let any harm come these kids so whatever it is Sam needs proper help and support." Tanya asked, "And if he is gay or transgender or hates living here, would you be alright with it?" James stared straight into her eyes and said, "I would love him no matter what. I want what is best for both kids no matter what happens." Tanya saw tears in his eyes. She knew he loved the kids. And he admitted that he loved her and now he told her that he loved her kids as well. His overwhelming support was with true love not lust that she has still been suspecting. Jaimie asked to speak with the two of them. She got to the point and said, "I need to know if you care about Sam enough to support him if he wanted to be a girl. I am asking hypothetically so please don't harm Sam." Tanya and he exchanged looks then he answered, "We were just discussing this and I said I would love Sam no matter what. I want what is best for Sam. No matter how he feels we will support him." Jaimie nodded then said, "Then you two need to talk with Sam. And do it soon. He needs you more than he will admit." She left as they walked into the room where Sam was sitting with his head down on the table. James was the first to speak saying, "You don't have anything to fear. You can tell us anything. I promise what you have to say won't cause you to be forced out onto the streets or make us love you any less." Sam looked up and asked, "Did she tell you?" James answered, "She didn't tell us anything. She just asked us a question and told us we had to talk with you as soon as possible." Tanya asked, "Do you feel like you are a girl?" Sam started crying, saying, "Yes." Sam felt tension release but anxiety filled the gap. Taken aback Tanya asked Sam, "How long have you felt that way? You never acted girly or wanted to wear clothes before. Why the sudden change of feelings?" Sam started to tell about the times when he was younger with the kids in the apartment complex that they lived in with her grandmother. Telling how his grandma would hit them for dressing as girls. He told about enjoying dressing like a girl to get into the women's shelters. He told about seeing the girls wearing their dresses and skirts and short shorts and getting jealous. Tanya asked, "Did you dress as a girl because of me?" Sam reluctantly admitted, "I tried to make it look like I did but I loved it. I wanted to be like you." James started to laugh. Sam asked what was funny, still on the verge of crying. He didn't mean to but it was a clear sign that was missed by Tanya but a major one for helping Sam deal with his feelings. James admitted, "You need to thank Rebecca. She knew! She knew you were really a girl. She can tell about you just by watching you and read your mannerisms. She saw how you were looking at the girls and knew you were studying them. She orchestrated this whole thing, and I don't think for a minute that Jaimie herself wasn't watching you closely to see if she was right in her suspicions." Sam asked if James was mad at him and going to make them leave. James cut him off and said, "I could never do that to you or your mother. I am going to have to have a talk with Mr. Finn about this and I think you should thank Rebecca." Sam asked what he meant and was told, "There are special doctors who help people like you. Jaimie sees one, and I going to have to find you one. They can help you out, start you down the path to becoming a girl on the outside to match the inside." Sam hugged him and Tanya. Tanya hadn't said a word, listening to James work his magic on Sam. James could tell she was enjoying what he was doing for Sam. This was James as the dad, a piece of life that Sam had never had before. He now had a dad to go along with his mom. They walked over to the Finn house and talked with John and Valerie about Jaimie's gender therapy. Virgil was blissfully unaware of what was going on and took the little walk to be playtime with the twins. Sam felt like a prisoner walking to his doom but something about James trying to help him made him feel comforted instead of anxious. Inside John asked James the burning question, "Did Sam tell you or are suspicious that he may be?" Tanya admitted, "Rebecca suspected. Jaimie got him to admit it to her, then asked us if we would support him if he was. We asked Sam and he admitted he was." John looked over at Jaimie who tried her hardest not to be noticed by them. Michael and Miles made discreet exits to let their sister accept whatever punishment and admonishment she deserved. John coldly asked, "What would you have done if they said they wouldn't support Sam?" Jaimie didn't know. James could tell she honestly never expected the to of them to say that they would not support Sam. She finally answered honestly, "It never crossed my mind, dad." John shook his head in disappointment saying, "You may be optimistic that people are good but not everyone is. Sam could have been hurt by your questions. You should have ensured Sam had help, not gone right to the point and ask. What would you have done if they realized Sam felt that way and kicked Sam out? Where would Sam go then? Sam could be out on the street with no family and feeling terrible, likely doing something to make the pain go away." Jaimie was on the verge of tears. James tried to defend her by saying, "She knows me well enough to know that I would never do that. She wouldn't have asked if she didn't already know the answer. She just wanted us to know that there was a problem without actually saying it." John looked at Jaimie who nodded. John didn't apologize, but said, "Please, next time think about the repercussions first. You have a heart of gold but sometimes you need to make sure it is safe to do something before you do it. This is the second time you have done this, I fear that the third time will be the one that goes terribly wrong for everyone. Getting Scott here was the right thing to do but done in the wrong way and could have turned out horribly if the judge wasn't a decent human being. Just ensure you have a backup plan and help before doing this again. You could have come to me first and asked me to help Sam so Sam had someone to defend him." Valerie got things back on track and asked, "What are you going to do next." Tanya mentioned the gender therapist. John gave her the card for the office and let her make the appointment right away. While Tanya was out of the room Valerie asked James what he was going to do about the kids. She noticed that Tanya wasn't looking well the last few days, she hoped that Tanya had a plan in place should something happen. James was stumped. The thought never crossed his mind. He said, "I hope to be able to look after them in case something happened. I couldn't bear to watch someone else raise the kids especially not that horrible beast that is their grandmother." John asked what he meant so he told him about Sam's dressing and what she did to him. The beatings were bad but Sam kept them from Tanya. The woman didn't belong around children and would do whatever it took to extol the vitriol that she believed in while forcing them to endure nothing short of mental torture. John was visibly sickened. Valerie started to get some ideas together and said, "I need to draw something up with Tanya. If you two aren't married or you haven't adopted the kids their grandmother will take them away from you. Sam will be hurt by this both emotionally and physically. We can't let that happen." Tanya came back into the room and told me, "Sam has an appointment next Tuesday afternoon." John tried to not laugh then said, "Dr. Eliza?" Tanya nodded asking, "How did you know?" John admitted, "She is Jaimie's therapist. And I'd hazard a guess that Sam's appointment is before Jaimie's. It's usually her normal emergency appointment time but it is coincidental in Sam's case." Tanya was stunned. Valerie had her sit down and asked her, "We need to discuss something. I wanted to know if you had any plans in place in case you got sick or hurt and couldn't care for the kids." Tanya looked down and said, "I never made any, I assumed the kids would go into social services' custody. I hate that idea but it's the only real solution to keep them away from my mother." James piped in, "I don't want that to happen. If anything happens to you I'd love to take care of them. I couldn't let them get stuck in that system and I don't want your mother to have them, not with what happened before to Sam." Tanya agreed. She asked, "How would I make that official? James is the only one I could trust with them. Sam and Virgil would be hurt going to anyone else." Valerie shot back, "Leave that to me. I'll put it on paper and have the two of you sign it. You have more important things to think about. Getting Sam help is first and foremost." They walked out back to where the twins and Virgil were playing under Sam and Jaimie's supervision and told Sam, "We have an appointment on Tuesday for you to see a therapist who will help you. She works with Jaimie and comes with Mr. Finn's approval." Sam was happy. He hugged James and kissed his mother. The four walked back home to a nice dinner while everything started to fall into place for Sam. Chapter 6 While Sam was in school the next day Tanya and James had a long discussion about insurance. The questions about what would happen got him thinking that the three needed coverage just in case something bad happened and the state wouldn't cover them. Sam's gender treatment was covered by the state regardless but he wanted them to have more. Tanya tried her hardest to decline, she felt they were taking advantage of James enough as it was. He already provided a home, food, and clothing- adding insurance would be too much to ask. After an hour of talking he did something completely out of the blue and unlike he. The lifelong bachelor proposed to Tanya. It was building up in him ever since he met her but it was what he truly felt about her, she should be his wife. He was serious about marriage. He wanted them to get the best care possible even if it cost him a lot in coverage expenses. It was money well spent in his view. They deserved nothing less than the best. Tanya declined. She couldn't rush into this yet. It had only been a few days in total that they had been together and while she loved him it was just just too soon. She knew that he was serious about their relationship and would say yes eventually but first they had to deal with Sam's problems. He didn't take the refusal as an insult or worse. She knew his true feelings and how far he was willing to go in their relationship but respected her boundaries. She also knew that he put the kids first so it was just a matter of her becoming comfortable with the situation before she said yes. He needed to talk with Sam and Virgil about this anyway. In his view maybe they could sway Tanya or at least calm her fears more. It was worth a shot but she at least knew his true feelings about where their relationship may be heading. In school it was hard to keep Sam's secret from Rebecca. She kept trying to pry the secret out of him but he refused to tell her anything, saying, "All I can say is that your plan worked and it is being taken care of. You just have to wait until next Tuesday to find out more. Please, just wait." Rebecca respected his wishes. Jessie followed her lead and left him alone as well, only engaging in school related things and talking candidly after school. Several times she had to rein in Rebecca, the others caught on and had a few private words with her which prompted her to finally stop and wait for Sam to come to her. Over the course of the week Iris Donaldson and Francesca White-Clark started to become close with Sam as Rebecca and Jessie gave him his much needed personal space. They were nice girls who were intimidated by the others, something Sam could relate to even if it wasn't in the same way. Iris and Francesca weren't as good as the others in school so having someone who was close to where they were at made things a little better for them. Iris would talk about anything and everything on her mind, Sam loved her scatterbrained babbling as it offered a good deal of insight into her mind while while being entertaining and intriguing. Iris enjoyed that he didn't treat her like she was an airhead as the others did. Sam was able to get her to focus, using her fleeting thoughts to create connections that got her to focus on her work allowing her to take in more information thus improving the quality of her work. It was no longer rushed, and by that Friday she spent less time daydreaming in class and started to understand more of what she was learning. Sam and Iris hit it off immediately and there was a spark between them. Neither noticed it, they both felt that it was just friendship but the spark burned bright. Sam was able to somehow reach into Iris and bring out the lovely young woman who the others all knew and whom they hadn't seen before. Sam in turn was very comfortable around Iris to the point of being by her side whenever they weren't in class. It was cute to see and if Sam wasn't so afraid of her secret getting out he would have seen it as almost love. The others didn't tease them about the growing closeness, instead seeing it as Sam and Iris having some form of understanding that the others didn't share. While Iris was scatterbrained before Sam helped her, Francesca on the other hand was solely focused on trying to be like the others. Sam was able to get her on point and focus on learning instead of trying to be what she wasn't. She was so scared of the girls tossing her aside that she did everything they did and second-guessed herself to the point of appearing to be meek and dimwitted. Rebecca and Jessie were their own people, Francesca needed to see that she was her own person and had something to offer the world that nobody else had. With Sam's help she started to understand more of what was being taught and focus that into a new way of thinking rather than, "What would Rebecca and Jessie do" thoughts. Sam learned that trick from one of the previous classes back before his family became homeless. It worked with him so it should work with her. Francesca took to the technique quickly and by the end of the week she was able to participate more in class and thinking for herself and more importantly, coming up with new ideas that the others hadn't thought of. Mrs. Eagleson pulled Sam aside for praise. He had turned two borderline students around in record time, succeeding where all others failed. Not even Rebecca had been able to help them the way Sam had. For the first time they were starting to become top students that Mrs. Eagleson always suspected them to be. He shrugged it off, saying, "All I did was use what my old teachers taught me. It wasn't much. They wanted to learn but were having trouble doing so with other things clogging their minds." Mrs. Eagleson saw the sincerity and said, "Keep up the good work, you are doing well." That weekend Rebecca came over and worked on homework with Sam. Jaimie stopped by and talked with him in private, then told Rebecca, "Sam will tell you when Sam is ready. Just be ready to help. You should know better than anyone that Sam will need it." He knew Rebecca caught the lack of pronouns. Jaimie was deliberately avoiding them, which meant her suspicions were right but he wasn't ready to tell her yet. He could tell by the way her eyes were starting to dart back and forth she was thinking that she would have to prepare the others, ensuring that the duo wouldn't react badly to the news. On Tuesday of the big appointment James and Tanya waited for Sam after school and headed for Sam's appointment. Sam hadn't told anyone else about the appointment and didn't want to tell anyone that he wanted to be a girl until it confirmed by the doctor. Sam didn't want to annoy or anger the kids with personal business just to be told it was the wrong assumption, he wanted the truth first. Tanya was silent. This was something major that wasn't approached lightly but Sam was eager to get it over with. James was supportive while Virgil was oblivious. Virgil wasn't happy to miss time at the park or playing with the twins, whom he had grown to like as friends. Valerie offered to take him while they went to the appointment but Tanya thought it best to have the four of them together so they could deal with it as a family. He would need to know just how Sam felt and it would be best to have his objections out of the way so they could work with him while Sam got treatment. Tanya filled out all of the necessary paperwork and went in with Sam. James waited outside with Virgil who was more than happy to play with his toys. Virgil didn't ask what was going on, only seeing his brother happy and Tanya being concerned. James kept him occupied for the hour until Sam came out again, the little boy knowing to not act up and tried show he was mature to his mother and James. Inside the two were met by a doctor who looked to be about Tanya's age. Tanya almost didn't believe she was a doctor until she saw the badge and picture. Dr. Eliza was almost shocked then let out a small chuckle as they say down to talk. Sam was mostly silent due to the anxiety of the situation. The two went through the usual interview questions before she started to talk with Sam directly. Sam was honest and repeated everything he had told James and Tanya before. She listened closely and jotted down some notes and was observing his reactions to the questions as well as the answers. Sam started to talk about the dressing Tanya had made him do for the shelters and how he really felt about doing it. Dr. Eliza gave her a weird look but Sam explained simply, "They wouldn't accept a boy my age into the shelter, but a girl was allowed. Virgil was too young to know the difference back then." Dr. Eliza and Sam talked candidly about his deepest feelings. Listening to him speak, Tanya couldn't believe how much he had kept hidden from her. The feelings of being wrong and wanting her penis to fall off so he could be like the other girls was heartbreaking. The worst was what his grandmother had done to him out of pure malice and without reason, all because Sam was playing with the girls. She knew her mother was harsh at times but what he described she had done to him was terrible. The worse was explaining how she used her power to hurt him, like how she would beat him with belts and fists and toss him against the wall to make a point. Tanya was on the verge of tears when Sam held her and told her, "She made sure you didn't find out. She knew you would choose me over her and leave her again. That's why she didn't do it when you were around." Dr. Eliza gave Sam her decision. Sam was definitely transgender but Sam wasn't ready to begin the transition yet. They were still new to the family dynamic and since Sam was still just starting in school and developing a friendship base this could do more harm than good especially as they didn't know how the others would react to the news. They were to give things at least two months before Sam could start full-time, likely only after they had their Christmas break. That would mean Sam would not be able to present as a girl until after the new year at the earliest. Sam was going to be able to start on hormone blockers immediately after they found a pediatrician and endocrinologist who was familiar with transgender children and who would work with that endocrinologist, which the doctor expected to be the same one Jaimie Finn used. Sam wasn't happy to hear the news. As they left Tanya explained to James that she had to wait for a bit to start her transition. Tanya didn't even realize it but she had accidentally said, "She" and, "Her" which Sam immediately perked up at hearing. She shed a tear as Tanya tried to apologize but Sam wouldn't hear of it, it was just what she needed to hear. She actually smiled at what she heard. Just from that reaction alone Tanya knew it was the right thing for her. Sam needed to be a girl and she needed them to help her. Virgil just rolled his eyes and dragged them onward, James had a grin to which Tanya gave him a subtle, "Say anything and you will regret it" look but was met with a nod and smile from him in acknowledgment. Before they could leave they had to take some time to let the news sink in and the emotions wane. Sam let what Dr. Eliza said sink in, she was able to start dressing at home during the time before she was able to fully come out. It was a small consolation that Dr. Eliza agreed to, more so for James, Tanya, and more importantly Virgil to get used to Sam being a girl. Tanya tried to keep herself in order but there were tears in her eyes. She saw how Sam reacted when she said, "She" and, "Her" and it started to make her emotional as well. James sat her down to comfort her before Sam started to get upset herself. Sam was about to say something to her mother when she heard a familiar voice behind her. Jaimie Finn walked into the room and asked again, "Is everything alright, Sam?" She had seen the tears in Sam's eyes as well as in Tanya's and was concerned. Sam smiled brightly, nodded and said, "Mom didn't realize she said 'she' and 'her' when talking about me. It made me happy so she started to cry. It's just a shock to us." Tanya looked up at Sam and said, "I was only thinking about you. You were upset that you couldn't start right away and I didn't want to think about what would happen if you couldn't start at all. I'm sorry Sam. I don't like it but it's for the best that we wait." James hugged her while Jaimie asked, "She didn't let you start?" Jaimie had never thought Dr. Eliza would do that to Sam. Dr. Eliza and Jaimie were often of the same mind so her doing something that Jaimie didn't agree with was a blow to Jaimie. Sam shook her head and said, "She said I needed solid friendships and to be better acclimated to school. Even though the kids are nice I am still new to the school and something could go wrong. She didn't want me to get my hopes up only to be disappointed by the girls having a bad reaction to my change. She doesn't know them as well as you do but she has a point, what you see may not be what they are." Jaimie shook her head. She solemnly said, "Talk with Jessie and Rebecca. I know they won't have a problem with you. I don't know about the others four though. You have the seven of us if need be, Miles, Michael, Courtney, and Stacy will be there for you along with Jessie and Rebecca." John tried to say something but Jaimie turned and said, "I talked with them already. I was Rebecca who read between the lines last week and figured it out before everyone. Rebecca doesn't keep secrets from Stacy and I can't lie to Miles or Michael. Stacy told Courtney and Jessie and swore them to secrecy, they weren't going to say anything until Sam was ready. You said I needed to have backup and support in place, well that's what we have been doing for the last week. Rebecca didn't want Sam to go it alone and if the others aren't willing to accept Sam then they aren't going to be friends anymore. If they can't accept someone close to them they aren't the kind of friends the two want." John nodded in approval. Tanya asked if they were OK with Sam becoming a girl. John said, "I trust the five entirely. Miles will give Sam her space out of respect for the girls and Michael won't like another girl in the group but they will help and support Sam wholly. Stacy trusts her sister's judgment entirely, Courtney and Jessie are two of the most caring people you will ever meet and if Rebecca cares about Sam then they will try everything in their power to help her." The four left to allow Jaimie to go to her appointment. When they got home Sam went to the Lopez house and asked for Rebecca. They went to the backyard and Sam told her everything. Rebecca hugged her and told her softly, "I knew it. I know it was rude to assume but I just knew there was more to you and after you talked with Jaimie and you wouldn't talk with me about it I figured you had to wait for your appointment to confirm it. I am glad that your parents support you." Her parents? James wasn't her dad. Sam tried to say something but Rebecca firmly said, "Don't kid yourself, he loves her and she loves him and it's only a matter of time before she stops fighting and accepts his proposal." Sam was perplexed and asked what she meant. Rebecca said, "Dad saw him buying a ring yesterday. He didn't need to say what it was for but I know he mentioned asking her to marry her a couple of days ago before he got the ring." Sam told her what she needed to do before she could be allowed to live as a girl full-time. Rebecca excused herself and called the kids to come over. She was firm in her request, this was important and it couldn't wait and couldn't be done over the phone. A half hour later all six were in the Lopez backyard with Rebecca and Sam. Rebecca steeled herself and said, "If any of you repeat to anyone what Sam is about to tell you you will regret it. What Sam says does not leave this yard. If you say anything to anyone you can kiss our friendship goodbye." Jessie knew what was going on. The others looked at Sam as she said, "I went to a doctor today. She is a special doctor and she confirmed what I had felt for a long time. I am a girl inside, like Jaimie. I need to become a girl. She won't let me start until I have support so I may not be able to do it for a while. If you don't want anything to do with me anymore I understand but I don't want to live a lie anymore." Jessie calmly told her, "Courtney told me Wednesday night. If I didn't help you she would have nothing to do with me anymore because it would be insulting Jaimie as well as you. I can't do that, neither can Rebecca. We'd be insulting family to us." Thomas asked me, "Are you sure that is what you want to do?" Sam quietly said, "It's what I need to do. I can't live as a boy anymore. The feelings are growing too strong and I'm going to start changing into a man like my father was. I can't do that, I have to be a girl." Francesca, Amy, and Kelly looked at Rebecca who nodded in agreement. This wasn't a choice, this was a need and Sam had to do it. The three said, "We will help you out." Iris had reservations. She quietly said, "It'll be hard to think of you as anything other than Sam the boy. I don't think my parents will like having another girl who wasn't born a girl be around us. They aren't happy that I'm around Rebecca and Jessie as it is. They might take your transition badly." Sam countered, "Then don't think of me as that. Think of me as 'Sam the girl'. I may be becoming a girl but I am not changing who I am inside. If you like me as 'Sam the boy' there isn't any reason to not like me as 'Sam the girl'. Your parents don't have to like me or even get to know me, they just have to deal with you being friends with someone who is different. I can't change who I am inside any more than they can change who they are. Either they can accept me or they don't but I don't care what they think, only what you do." Iris didn't hesitate and said, "You have a point. I hope others see it that way. Mom and dad aren't the best people but they put up with Jaimie and never met her so there is no reason for them to be any different towards you. They won't be nice to you but they aren't stupid enough to be hostile to you." Stacy came out and checked on them. Rebecca gave her a nod to which Stacy said, "Are you guys done yet so Sam can go home? She probably wants to get changed out of those clothes." That caught Sam by surprise causing her to run over and hug Stacy. Stacy said, "She". Sam could see that the wordplay wasn't lost on the others, Stacy was eyeing them to gauge their reaction while Sam hugged her. Sam held off just out of sight but not out of earshot with Stacy. She could hear Rebecca telling them bluntly, "We need to watch what words we use when talking about Sam. Until she is ready to come out fully she is still 'he' and her is still 'his'. The wrong thing at the wrong time will mean a lot of teasing from the usual jerks and embarrassment that Sam doesn't need. I don't want what happened to Jaimie to happen to Sam. I especially don't want Rachel Murphy to use her transition against her. We all know she's just itching to get back at us and won't hesitate to use Sam to get it." The group broke up and went back to their own homes. As she was walking through the Lopez house Melanie assured Sam that she and Dan would back her up in school if it came down to it. Sam was worth the fight and Dan protected Rebecca's friends. Back at home Sam told her mom what happened. Sam had seven friends to support her. She had two sets of parents to support her. She had the older teenagers to support her. She just wanted Tanya and James to support her. Tanya hugged her tight and said, "We will get you some girls clothes so you can get used to them. They will be for school and home but until Dr. Eliza says so you can't wear them to school yet. I swear you are going to be a beautiful girl, just try not to grow up too fast." Sam shed a tear and thanked her. Virgil wanted to know what was going on. Tanya didn't have the heart to lie to him so she was honest, "Your brother is going to become your sister. She needs you to be silent about this unless we tell you it's OK to talk about it." Virgil cautiously asked, "Is it because Sam likes wearing girls' clothes? Sam always liked to wear girls clothes." Tanya was puzzled and asked, "Where did you hear about that?" Virgil said, "I saw Sam wearing your clothes before. You made him wear clothes at the shelters too. I don't know why he wore them when he didn't have to wear them but he liked wearing them." Tanya assured him it wasn't the reason. She carefully explained, "Sam's mind and spirit doesn't match her body so we are trying to help her become the girl she should have been. Your brother is really your sister and James and I are going to help her become the girl she needs to be." Virgil seemed to understand but said, "I don't want to be a girl so don't think about doing that to me." Tanya and Sam laughed at Virgil's statement. He accepted what was going on and let it go. In his mind it didn't matter. He didn't know about the difference between sexes yet. He cared enough about Sam to keep her secret and accepted what was going to happen to her without knowing what was really going on. The rest of the week was quiet for San. There were some harrowing moments where she thought Iris or Francesca would slip up and say the wrong pronoun but the two were able to carefully think what they were saying before saying it. It didn't help their confidence any, it seemed to cause them to take a step back which wasn't helping either girl. They held firm to their promise though and kept Sam's secret. After school Amy and Kelly helped Sam with being more girly. Kelly was good with clothes and taught Sam about colors and combinations of clothes, she took to Kelly's advice quickly. Meanwhile Amy was teaching her about makeup and hair care and how to deal with the looks boys would give, complaining about Sam's split ends and blemishes as well as the boys ogling their breasts and butts. Kelly got a clue as to what Sam's style was and found some cuts and colors that went along with it. They accentuated Sam's slim build and brought attention to where her chest would be in the future. Sam was flustered by the amount of information Kelly had told her just by choosing one color or style. Amy was proud to say she wasn't on Rebecca's level with makeup and hair care but said it needed to look like Sam was branching out to more kids than the usual four. Sam didn't mind, she enjoyed her time with Amy. Amy in turn loved to have someone to teach what she knew, being the youngest in her family and an only child she never had this chance to do this with family. The other girls went to see Rebecca first so she was usually stuck practicing on herself. By Sunday Sam had mastered the basics of fashion and makeup. Rebecca started to become jealous, Amy had learned a few tricks that even she had not learned making Amy beam with pride. Sam tried not to notice the jealousy but added, "You can't be the best at everything, Amy just happened to have discovered something that you would have found out eventually." Thomas was the only one of the group to not help Sam. He was usually there with Rebecca and Jessie but didn't try to engage her. It wasn't as if he had a problem with Sam's impending change, he just felt Sam didn't need him to do anything for her as she needed the girls most. The girls did get him involved. He carried clothes and held the mirrors and gave his opinion on a few outfits but otherwise just sat silently watching. They loved to tease him about being a good boyfriend which caused both him and Rebecca to blush while the others laughed. Sam appreciated that he was trying to help in his own way. He knew he would be more muscle than anything, keeping the jerks at bay when the inevitable reveal happened. Besides, he really was being the good boyfriend in helping his girlfriend Rebecca help Sam. The girls were secretly jealous of his bond with Rebecca instead of them, Sam even had to admit that he was a great guy and Rebecca was lucky to have him as a boyfriend. Chapter 7 In school that Monday Rebecca and the others stood close by Sam. Mrs. Eagleson suspected there was something going on with Sam that involved the girls. Rebecca and Jessie rarely went to that kind of trouble for any other students including their own friends. When talking about Sam they were being careful with their wording, as if trying to keep from saying the wrong thing about Sam. Until Sam or another came to her about whatever the trouble was Mrs. Eagleson was powerless to help. She did the only thing she could do, she pushed the situation out of her mind for the time. She did keep a close eye on Sam though, even if Sam didn't notice it Mrs. Eagleson was observing. The girls noticed that and liked that about her, she cared about them and didn't want something bad to happen to them. For most of the day the others were able to avoid the wrong wording. But all good things must come to an end as Jessie accidentally used, "She" when describing Sam. She immediately said the right word but the damage was done. Other classmates heard her and started to call Sam a girl before Mrs. Eagleson stepped in and got them back on track. Jessie kept apologizing but Sam was too busy trying to think of how to react to say anything to respond to her. Mrs. Eagleson reminded the students that the school rules that they all signed off on would be enforced in full and any infractions would not be tolerated. Nobody said anything else to Sam for the rest of the day, but Mrs. Eagleson did whisper, "See me after class" which got snickers and stares from the others as they saw her as being in trouble even if she wasn't. At lunch Jessie tried extremely hard to apologize but Sam was quiet. Rebecca was quiet as well, she was formulating a plan to help Sam. Iris and Francesca were the ones who were doing the most good with Sam, they kept her from feeling too bad and tried to talk about anything but what happened to keep her mind occupied. To their relief Thomas held firm with the girls. He would glare at any boy who tried to say or do anything against Sam. The few who did quickly regretted it as Thomas made it known that she was under his protection. Being the biggest boy in their class as well as the 7th grade went a long way in intimidating the boys and Thomas was using that to his advantage to protect Sam. After the day ended all seven of them refused to leave and demanded to be with Sam. Mrs. Eagleson took it to be a sign that there was more to the slip-up in pronouns. She calmly and quietly knelt in front of Sam's desk and asked, "Jessie didn't make a mistake, did she?" Sam nodded and said, "It wasn't supposed to come out this quickly. Dr. Eliza said I wasn't ready yet. I wasn't supposed to fully come out until after Christmas vacation." Rebecca told the story to Mrs. Eagleson. Mrs. Eagleson comforted Sam, telling her, "We need to talk with Ms. Vega so you are protected. The damage is done and even if the doctor said you aren't ready yet I believe you have more than enough support now than you could hope for. She may not have wanted this but it has to be done, if only for your safety and well-being." The nine of them walked down to the principals' offices. Dorothy Vega took a look at them then at Mrs. Eagleson and asked, "I take it there is a problem with Sam? Has Sam been bullied by the boys?" Mrs. Eagleson asked that they all go inside for some privacy. Inside she told Dorothy, "The girls and Thomas accidentally let slip something about Sam that Sam wasn't ready to reveal yet. Unfortunately it needs to be addressed right away for Sam's safety. Sam is informing you that he is in fact she and is female and would like to attend as female." Dorothy looked down at the scared Sam and asked, "Is this true?" Sam meekly said, "Yes mam. I was diagnosed last Tuesday but wasn't supposed to start as a girl until Christmas vacation" Dorothy smiled at Sam and said, "Alright, you have our protection now. We will do whatever we have to do to ensure you are protected regarding the rules and regulations of the school district and the state. I'll need to speak with your mother to ensure this isn't just a phase." Mrs. Eagleson left and returned with Tanya who was informed about the situation. She told Dorothy about the treatment Sam was starting but she wasn't ready yet to come out as a girl. Dorothy asked a few questions, knowing that Dr. Eliza or at least Valerie or John prepared her for the inevitable outing. Dorothy filled her in on what happened in class. Jessie's unintentional slip-up was going to be a problem the next day as the boys and some of the girls started in on Sam again. Unless Sam was informing the school that she was going to transition the teasing would not stop as it didn't cross the line yet. Tanya agreed to officially start the transition despite Dr. Eliza's refusal. Sam mattered more and her safety was more important than the doctor's recommendations. Sighing, Tanya told her, "Sam is going to transition officially as of tomorrow. We had her evaluated by a gender therapist and she confirmed that she is indeed transgender. We ask that she be given whatever protections and assurances the school can offer her." Dorothy informed her that although they had experienced a transsexual student before this was a whole different scenario and would require different treatment. She would have to use the staff restrooms for relief and to change for gym class. Other than that she was to be treated as any other female student. Tanya was relieved. The secret was out and her friends were willing to help Sam. They all left and met with their own parents who were told about Sam's impending transition. None seemed bothered by it as they had already shown they were standing by their friend. Iris' parents were apathetic and distant to the others. They weren't being openly hostile to her but they weren't approving. Iris let it go and chose Sam over their objections and would stand by her friend even if it alienated her parents. Tanya and Sam left school to meet up with James who was filled in on the details. Dr. Eliza was called and told what happened. Naturally she wasn't pleased, but she couldn't stop what was going on any more than the kids could. She agreed to err on the side of caution and start right away now that Sam's school knew and her friends were still supporting her. To Tanya's shock Dr. Eliza wanted to see Sam at her regular time to talk about getting her started on hormonal treatments. She was fighting against time now and should begin as soon as possible to allow development alongside her friends. Sam heard the word, "Hormones" get mentioned by Tanya and squealed with delight. Dr. Eliza stated, "As you can hear Sam feels strongly enough that I believe that waiting any long will cause more mental anguish than she needs. The earlier the better for her as male puberty should come along shortly if it hasn't already tried to poke its head in." The four of them went shopping for Sam's new clothes. They went to a distant store than the family's usual Saugus store to avoid any chance that someone from her school would notice them, but it was worth it to Sam to finally be able to wear girl clothes. Virgil didn't say a word, just giving her a happy smile as he saw Sam's happiness at the whole turn of events. The family shopped for two hours as Sam got a total of 15 outfits, multiple sets of undershirts, panties, socks, and shoes. James decided to donate her boys clothes but held back a few just in case something happened. He didn't want to tempt fate and would be more than happy donate them later on. As they returned home Sam ran over to the Lopez house and asked Rebecca to come over. Inside her room they carefully chose a dress for the next day. If Sam was going to come out as a girl she was going to show that she was as girly as she could be. Rebecca loved it and showed a picture to her sister who approved of it too, saying she might get one like it. Hearing Stacy approve made Sam smile brightly. Rebecca hugged her and told her, "She is girlier than anyone in this city so if she likes it enough to copy it there is no denying you are a true girl." The next morning she dressed and ate in silence. She was anxious and scared. Rebecca came over and styled her hair for her into a girly style that accentuated her feminine beauty. She put on some light makeup and clip-on earrings then pronounced Sam, "Ready for the world." Tanya shed a tear seeing Sam emerge from the room. James embraced Tanya who could only mutter, "My little girl." James softly added, "She is you at 12. Same eyes, nose, cheeks, lips. She definitely will be beautiful when she gets older." Virgil looked at Sam and shook his head saying, "I am not going anywhere near a dress." That caused the four to laugh at him. Virgil was joking for Sam's sake and she loved him for it, giving him a kiss on the cheek which he blushed at receiving. With the shocking introduction to the real Sam over James and Tanya drove to the school in silence as Sam tried hard to keep her fears in check. At the school she stepped out and was mobbed by her friends who complimented her beautiful look. Even Thomas was complimentary saying she was stunning and to him the second most beautiful girl in school, next to Rebecca. Dorothy came out and greeted Sam and again assured her that she had the full support of the school behind her. They walked to Mrs. Eagleson's class where Sam was met by glares and gasps from other students. Mrs. Eagleson didn't say anything about Sam's change, nodding as she took her seat. As more students trickled into the class Sam felt fear. She couldn't hide who she was anymore and the kids had little to hold them back. She expected the worst from most of them. It didn't take long before someone said, "Hey look, Sam's in a dress!" which brought laughs from a few boys. One said, "What a sissy, are you one of those fags?" Prepared for that kind of statement and ready to make a dramatic start, Mrs. Eagleson loudly dropped the school's rule book on her desk. They all looked forward at her as she said, "The first day of school we read through this rule book. Each and every one of you signed it accepting the rules of the school. Within it contains specific rules pertaining to behavior regarding treatment of other students. This includes the harassment of student because of religious, ethnic, sexual orientation, and also their gender identification. Can anyone tell me rules were just violated?" Thomas raised his hand to which Mrs. Eagleson said, "Thomas, if you would." Thomas stated, "Rules regarding gender identification and sexual orientation, Mrs. Eagleson." The boys who had made the insulting remarks knew what was going on and grew red in embarrassment and fear. She nodded and said, "Thank you Thomas. One of our students has done the hardest thing anyone could possibly do and come to terms with her true gender. We at this school support her for that and will offer her the same protections we offer every student. If any of you have a problem with this then by all means please head to the main office and call your parents because you will not be allowed to stay. We will not tolerate any form of bullying, teasing, harassing, or excluding of other students in this school." Nobody said a word, Mrs. Eagleson had a stern look on her face that she had never had in class before and looked right at the instigators. They knew that she was targeting them but the rest of the class were listening closely as they would be subject to the same rules that were broken. She reiterated, "If I hear the words 'sissy, fag, gay, tranny, dyke, homo, shemale, weirdo, freak, retard', or any other variation of offensive terms from any one of you again for the rest of the year you will not be suspended, you will be expelled. This is serious, you are not only harming a fellow student you are putting the school at serious legal risk and I will not tolerate it." Mrs. Eagleson stared at the boys until they slunk down in shame. She made her point. With a look of relief from Sam she started the class as if nothing was out of the ordinary. As lunch rang the kids filtered out of class. The seven friends and Sam hung back. When they were alone they asked, "Did you do the same for Jaimie?" Mrs. Eagleson shook her head and said, "Jaimie was different, it was the first day of school and she and Michael were new to everyone in class. It was easier for her to start with a clean slate than beginning as a new person after the start of the year. She met some great friends that first day before class started and had other people looking out for her from the start. You are different than Jaimie, though. She had something terrible happen to her at her old school that I hope never happens to you. You better go and get lunch before the kids start talking." Lunch got Sam stares from everyone in the cafeteria. She ignored as many of them as she could but the whispering was hard to ignore. She tried to drown them out and eat in peace but it was tough. Jessie put her arm around her and reassured her followed by Rebecca doing the same and daring others to say something. The two scolded their classmates who could see that Sam was under their protection. Anyone who tried to mess with Sam risked the wrath of both Rebecca and Jessie which then brought a worse wrath from their older siblings. She could fight but more importantly she could tear you down with just her words making you get yourself into trouble over what you were saying and doing. Still, the wrath of Miles, Michael, and Richard, Jaimie's brothers and boyfriend, was well known and feared despite Rebecca's own prowess with words and actions. Rebecca being their unofficial cousin brought a level of respect that was tough to deny, even though they were in high school their legacy still loomed large among the kids in 7th and 8th grade. The rest of the day went without incident. The whispers didn't stop but Sam tuned them out. On the way out Mrs. Eagleson told her how proud she was of Sam. That day was the worst day but once the kids got used to her they would accept her for whom she really was. Outside word reached the other parents fast. Sam was the talk of the school and the school's typical bigots weren't happy that, "Another one" was in the school. This led to a war of words among the parents both defending Sam and outraged by her. Alice Rodriguez and Dorothy came out and confronted the parents. They told them bluntly that Sam was going to attend the school as a girl whether they liked it or not and the school was supporting her rights. Should they feel otherwise they were free to take their kids out and educate them in another way but they would not accept any kind of bigotry or foul language from anyone including parents to be spoken about one of their students. They drove the message hard by booting the ones whom they knew for a fact were the ones who had instigated the argument. Penelope Clarence, Jaimie's longtime detractor and one of the worst offenders of sewing bigotry at the school was told that she was in violation of her restraining order for being on school grounds and escorted off with the school police officer sending word to her probation officer about her violation. Her husband threatened to sue the school and ended up having to recant once Alice told him he had no legal reason to but the school did have it against his wife. The others who objected and who sparked the near fights were told they would not be allowed to be on school grounds again. Seeing that the principals were willing to risk everything for one student the rest of the arguments ceased and the complaints were left to the privacy of their own homes. Sam would not be discussed in such a way outside again or they would be booted in the same manner. The kids came out shortly after the ejections. Sam was stared at but Jessie's mother Gabby Lawrence was the first one to say anything, stating, "You look beautiful, honey." That sent a clear message to the others, Sam was accepted by prominent members of the most famous family in the city. Dan Lopez gave Sam a big hug and added, "I hope your mother let you wear that makeup because if not Rebecca is in trouble." Francesca's mothers Wendy and Belle White-Clarke gave Sam big hugs as well, telling her they were happy for her being true to herself and was stronger than any of the other kids in school for that- big words that resonated to her as they subtly nodded to her that it was the truth. Sam was on the verge of tears at hearing all of that from the parents. Tanya came over and walked with her to the car where Virgil and James were both patiently waiting. She discussed the day and said Mrs. Eagleson was proud of her. Sam started to cry. Tanya asked her what was wrong only to be told, "I'm just so happy to finally be out. I don't want to hide anymore. I can't go back." Nobody said anything for the rest of the drive home. Virgil did mention Sam's eyes were puffy which got Sam laughing and smiling. Virgil knew just what to say to make his sister happy. Chapter 8 Sam went through the rest of the week at school without incident. Fear of expulsion was strong and the kids weren't going to let their parents' complaints get them into trouble over something they didn't care about. Most had no intentions of befriending Sam and Sam didn't bother them so it was no problem. They would let her do what she had to do as long as it didn't affect them they didn't care. It helped that Sam had Rebecca and the others supporting her fully. Those seven paved the way, their reputation for being protective of one another didn't go lightly so Sam being with them meant trouble for anyone who tried anything stupid like harming her. That was even before you factor in the 14 older teens who were protective of the eight middle school kids. The following Tuesday Sam had her usual appointment with Dr. Eliza. It was a routine appointment but the highlight was Dr. Eliza giving her a referral to visit an endocrinologist to start her on hormones, once she had a visit with her new doctor that is. Sam was to also receive testosterone blockers and a small dose of estrogen to start her off, she was smiling the whole time despite the pain from the blood draw and injections. Tanya surprised Sam with the announcement that she had a doctor's appointment right after Dr. Eliza's appointment. It wasn't planned that way but Dr. Samuels, who was the usual doctor for the teens and kids, wanted to see her immediately. Sam was reluctant but agreed to do it, if only to start her hormones all the more sooner. Dr. Samuels did a cursory glance at Sam and determined her to be healthy, albeit a little underweight. He didn't critique her but did say to continue her healthy eating that James had been providing to them. Her examination was routine and he didn't make mention of her, "Vestigial parts" as the nurse referred to her male parts as. Dr. Samuels gave her a referral to a trusted endocrinologist who worked with kids like her and who was discrete regarding her condition. She was expecting Sam and took her right away, with Dr. Samuels giving his best of luck to her. The doctor simply read the notes then drew blood and gave Sam her first shot, followed by a prescription for estrogen and testosterone blockers. She wished her luck, telling her firmly, "Don't fool around with these, take them at similar times daily and don't miss a does. Your health could be damaged if you fiddle around. It'll take time for them to have an affect so please be patient. Only take the required amount until I tell you otherwise, more or less will hurt you and cause irreparable harm that could impact your future plans should you seek the final surgery. It's one part that doctors seem to neglect to tell their patients- trying too hard to become a woman or man backfires on you. Don't do it, it's not worth it in the long run." Once back home after the three doctor visits Rebecca was the first to congratulate her. Sam told her that she had to take the pills every day or else she would become sick, to which Rebecca joked, "As if you would ever stop taking them. These are more valuable to you than anything in the world and you have a bunch of us keeping an eye on you to ensure you do this right." Tanya watched the two from inside the house and felt good about what they were doing. Sam was happy, she had friends who supported her, and had Rebecca as her biggest and most vocal supporter. Her daughter was feeling alright with the world. Tanya wasn't feeling well though. Over the past three weeks she had been starting to feel worse and worse. She tried to hide it from James and the kids but he could tell she wasn't feeling well. He knew she didn't want it to seem like she was taking advantage of his generosity so she kept her struggle quiet. He saw the signs once Valerie pointed them out. She was looking paler and sluggish at times and it concerned him. He didn't know how to ask her about it, but if it continued he would need to. He loved her and if she was sick he would be by her side until she recovered. To her needed credit Valerie Finn spotted Tanya's issues right away. She could see she wasn't looking well and asked her to sign some paperwork to ensure that should she become sick that James would be able to take care of the children until she recovered. Tanya read it and signed it, saying, "You didn't have to do this for us." Valerie shook her head and looked her in the eyes saying, "You aren't fooling anyone, I know there is something wrong with you that you need to get looked at. I just wanted to ensure that the kids were looked at by the person who needs them as much as they need you. If this didn't happen James will be a nervous wreck and Sam could end up being forced to become a boy again. He can take care of himself and the kids, this lets you focus on yourself. I know he will say exactly the same thing so there is no need to argue a moot point." Tanya called a doctor and set up an appointment. James would take the kids while she was examined, not telling them what was going on and not letting any of the three know she had been suffering for a while. James signed the agreement making it official as Tanya talked, hoping that it wasn't needed but preparing for the worst just in case. The group were optimistic. However when Tanya didn't come back home right away the three grew concerned. When the hospital called and asked to speak with James they were distraught. James was given the bad news. The doctors examined her and had found that Tanya had a small heart defect that caused irregular heartbeats and had a risk of throwing off clots that could cause a stroke or worse. Surgery wasn't necessary yet but it might be in the future if her condition didn't improve with medication. The problem was she was not going to be able to leave the hospital for quite some time while they waited to see if medication worked. The worst case situation happened, just as Valerie had feared would happen. James asked about her coverage and was told it wasn't fully covered. The state would pay for the medication treatment but if need be they would deny the surgery. James regretfully said he understood and would be there shortly. He hung up and the three drove to the hospital as fast as possible. When they reached Tanya's room James told Tanya, "We discussed this before and I am just as serious now as I was then. If need be I'll give up half of everything I own to you but I can't let something happen to you. You need surgery and have a long recovery, the state won't pay for everything you need but my insurance will. So please, if you won't do it for me do it for yourself." Sam had tears in her eyes and said, "He means it mom. He had Mrs. Samuels check it out for him. Dr. Samuels and Mr. Beretta are going to ensure that everything right is done for you. Please stop fighting this and just do it for yourself. We need James as much as you do. We need a dad now more than ever." Tanya watched her daughter fighting back tears. She couldn't say no anymore. She had to do this. Tearfully she said, "I accept." The hospital priest performed the ceremony with Valerie Finn and Sean Beretta signing off as their two witnesses. Valerie had the hospital note that James was now the children's stepfather and that there was a previous agreement that he would be their guardian while Tanya was ill. James was her husband and her only next of kin and would be contacted immediately if there were any problems. One person in particular was barred from any contact with Tanya: Mrs. Ingrid Raymond, her mother. Dr. Samuels and Sean kept a keen eye on Tanya's progress while James was home with the kids or at work. Dr. Samuels was a pediatrician by trade but had experience with cardiac issues in the past. Sean was a retired general practitioner but like Dr. Samuels had experience in cardiac cases. If James wasn't by her side Sean was there looking over Tanya's chart to ensure she was getting the proper care. Sean cared for her as much as the others. She had grown on him to the point that she was like the daughter he never had, which matched up with James who was the son he always wanted. The two of them were the closest thing Sean had to family and he was proud of them and would fight tooth and nail to ensure that Tanya got what she needed when she needed it. Over the next six weeks Tanya was bedridden and forced to endure the boredom of hospital life. James was by her side and Sean was carefully noting the progress. He was concerned; while it looked like she was improving it wasn't at a rate they would expect. Her doctors didn't seem concerned but it was only a matter of time before something happened. Sadly that happened on the sixth week inside hospital on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Tanya threw a clot that caused a small stroke but the doctors were able to stop it from causing any further damage but not before she went into a coma. She needed the surgery as soon as possible. James was with Sam and Virgil keeping them occupied at the park. The Mystic River Bridge closed for a liquid natural gas tanker delivery so James had to drive through the tunnels into downtown Boston. Traffic was heavy inside the tunnel so it took almost an hour to reach the hospital. In that time he missed the phone calls from Sean Beretta. The nurses didn't know who else to call and grew concerned at the lack of communication with James. They looked into Tanya's medical history and found a family member listed as a contact- her mother Ingrid Raymond. Despite the warnings never to contact Ingrid Raymond, nurses on duty called Ingrid and let her know about Tanya being there and in critical condition due to the stroke. Ingrid rushed to the hospital and took charge of her daughter's care immediately. She signed off on whatever care was needed without it being allowed and the doctors hesitating to follow her orders. Sean Beretta was out of the room at the time and when he returned he was ordered to be removed by Ingrid. The kids and James arrived at Tanya's room and both gasped in shock. A short, angry black woman was sitting in a chair by the bed with a scowl on her face and caused both kids to cower in fear. Ingrid got up and demanded to know who James was and why he had her grandchildren. James tried to do the same to her, telling her she didn't belong there. The woman told him to shut his white mouth and screamed, "Whoever you are leave now and don't come back. I don't want your kind around these kids." She looked at Sam standing in her dress and screamed at her, grabbing her arm and hitting her in the face sending her running for the door. Virgil ran after Sam who were toppled by the security people called in by the nurses at the desk. Both were in tears and demanded to be let go, kicking the security guards forcing them to release their grips allowing the two to get away At the room the security officers tried their best to get the situation under control but Ingrid's yelling was getting them nowhere. She demanded that James be removed immediately, continuously trying to hit him while being restrained by one guard. She said James was a stranger who took the kids and his daughter didn't know who he was. James tried to explain but was placed in handcuffs and removed just as Sean arrived. Despite his pleas James was thrown into the hospital's holding cell awaiting the police. He was struck several times by the guards while being put into their cell, enduring their laughter as they taunted him about getting a promotion over stopping a kidnapping. Sean couldn't believe the idiocy of it all as he watched James dragged away. He had only left for a half hour trying to get in contact with James and all hell breaks loose thanks to a couple of self-righteous nurses. He was furious and barely kept his temper in check. James never had a chance to explain what was going on. The security thugs grabbed him and removed him before asking him his version of events and even considering that he might belong there and that the woman inside was the trespasser. Even worse Sam and Virgil ran past him with Sam clearly having the beginnings of bruises on her arms and shoulder from that lady! He bluntly told the nurses that they had made a huge mistake. They tried to tell him that he was wrong but they almost fainted when he said that the woman was barred by order of the patient and they had just removed the patient's husband. Further they had allowed a felony assault to be carried out on their watch while allowing another assault to be carried out downstairs by security. Dr. Samuels arrived and quickly had the nurses relieved of their duties with intent to terminate for their violating proper procedure and ignoring written safety protocols. Dr. Samuels sent a quick phone call to Valerie Finn who set off for the hospital in James' aid. Sean told him that he needed to contact Anne Connors to get her involved because of the abuse the kids had just experienced and just in case the boneheads in security already had James arrested. Things were bad, really bad for the Raymonds and James. Sean feared for James now, that horrible lady now knew that James had a relationship with Tanya and would use everything possible against him to get back at him just because she could. The kids were just her innocent pawns, she was going to make him suffer through them. Sean had seen those kinds of people before, they are just pure scum who hate the world and want to watch it burn around them. Virgil and Sam fled the hospital in fear. It was their worst fears come true. Their grandmother had hurt her bad and as they ran to the bus to Winnisimmet Sam's bruises and scratches started to sting. She was used to her grandmother hitting her but James didn't need to see that happen to her. She don't know where they were going but she refused to stay with her grandmother. She would rather live on the streets than remain with her. She knew she was in for more hitting and he didn't want to relive what she did to her before especially with Virgil alongside her. Virgil would try to protect her which would cause him to be hit and hurt as well. She loved him too much to let that happen to him, he is too young for that kind of pain. Sam could endure it, but Virgil didn't deserve it. They were able to get on a bus back to Winnisimmet immediately. Thankfully for them nobody noticed that a 12-year-old girl and her 3- year-old brother were all alone. They just saw two kids returning from school, albeit a little later than normal. They kept out of sight until they reached their home. She grabbed whatever clothes and food she could fit into their backpacks and tried to leave. Unfortunately they never made it off the front porch. Dan Lopez stood looking down at the two trying to figure out why they were in such a hurry to leave. Virgil burst into tears at getting caught, hoping he wouldn't hurt them. Sam tried quickly to think up a lie but Dan was no fool. Dan calmly asked them to explain what was going on, he wouldn't let them leave until they told him everything. He admitted that he was concerned since James hadn't returned any phone calls and seeing the two all alone that late into the evening meant something was going on. Virgil blurted out, "Grandma had dad arrested!" Dan looked at Sam, all she could do was nod. The truth was out there, she prepared for the worst from him. Dan ushered the two of them across the street to his house and made several quick phone calls. It was now serious. It called for everyone they knew to help the family. James needed help and Sam and Virgil needed protecting and only they could ensure the kids and James weren't hurt by Ingrid. Chapter 9 Melanie Lopez tried to comfort the kids, getting them to tell her exactly what happened to the three of them. She saw a large red mark on Sam's face and bruises on her arm starting to appear. As soon as she heard Sam's grandmother gave her the marks she nodded as Anne Connors took over asking questions. This was Anne's territory now and nobody hurts a kid and gets away with it on her watch. Over the past two years she had become a close friend of the Finns through her daughter Jenna then more recently through her newly adopted daughters Christina and Paige both dating members of the Finn family. She had worked as a social worker for years but the Finns had managed to make her job a lot more interesting with all of their love and devotion to helping people and recently in taking in several kids who had nowhere else to go. Jaime spent years in the system and through her Anne could see there was hope if they just took some time to look closely at some of the more complicated cases. This devotion led to initially placing Miles Finn with Jaimie's family then inspired her to take in Christina and Paige, ultimately adopting both as her own daughters. Then there was her placing Daisy Peterson with Leslie Finn, who turned out to be her aunt and yet another member of the Finns. Her job was complicated. She seemed to get the toughest cases where kids needed a delicate hand and special foster parents. Right now Sam's case was going to be as complicated as could get and required that tough and delicate handling Anne was known for. Composing herself Anne asked about the marks to which Sam confirmed it was her grandmother's doing, given to her after she saw her in her dress. Anne asked if she had done that before to which Sam recounted their previous encounters back before Virgil was born. Anne listened intently as Sam explained her history in depth. She looked toward Melanie who told her, "Rebecca told me this before when she told her she was transgender. It's a big reason why she buried her feelings for so long." Anne shook her head in disgust. This wasn't new abuse, this was old abuse revisited. She would do whatever it took to ensure that woman never saw the kids again. They were in danger if being placed with their grandmother, if she was willing to assault them in a hospital room there is no telling what she would do in the privacy of her home. Anne's phone rang, she was expecting the phone call from her boss at any moment knowing this would be the kind of case she would be assigned. She looked at Melanie and said, "Do you have access to the initial statement Tanya signed?" Melanie nodded pulling out a copy and saying, "Valerie figured that something like this was a possibility." Anne started talking and stated, "I just want to be clear on this, you are saying that the grandmother is claiming abuse by Mr. York and that he in fact caused injuries to the children. And you are stating that he has no right to claim custody of the children. OK, I understand. I have the children here with me. We will be at the office shortly with their lawyers. Yes, they have retained counsel and who have their own records and the children have already given me their statements so I hope you have everything on the up and up because this will be brutal if it isn't. I know these lawyers and I know they will ensure their clients are going to be cared for by the one who is actually supposed to have the children and not one who may abuse them further." She hung up and stated calmly, "Call Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. Valerie can't represent the children due to her closeness to James and Tanya but her parents can. Valerie can however represent the interests of Tanya since she was the one whom she confided in about this situation." Melanie got the gist of what she meant. Valerie was too involved but her parents had never met either child or Tanya or even James. They were perfect for this situation. And what is more, they both had experience it in the past with Jaimie and Michael and knew the ins and outs of the laws regarding proper care and treatment for transgender children through their relationship to Jaimie. She asked that Valerie get as much documentation as she could to show Sam's transgender status and that she was receiving treatment before she went into the hospital Anne was taking no chances, she had Sam covered from both angles in case that beast tried to claim abuse for allowing Sam to wear girls clothing or found someone who was ignorant of transgender people. Melanie got off the phone with the Johnsons and told Anne to expect a phone call soon. Anne answered quickly and told them exactly what had happened and what the agreement was and why they needed to represent the children. Joseph was glad to do it and Evelyn was already preparing countermeasures just in case their interests were ignored by Anne's bosses. She drove the kids to her office in Boston. Sitting in the room was Ingrid and her supervisor. Anne stated, "I have been in contact with the children's attorneys and they are en route. They have stated that they will fight any attempt to remove the children from Mr. York's care and they have evidence that Mrs. York gave full custody to him in the event that she was to become temporarily incapacitated." Ingrid was furious. She lashed out stating, "What right does that man have to claim the children! He doesn't even know her!" Anne stated bluntly, "He is their stepfather. He has been married to your daughter for six weeks. Your daughter signed a statement and filed it with her attorney stating he would get custody of the children in the event that she should become ill and need to go into the hospital. She specifically stated it was to avoid them going to you to avoid further physical and mental abuse." Her supervisor questionably asked, "What is this about abuse? Mrs. Raymond never mentioned any previous allegations of abuse against her. You are treading on thin ice already, Anne." Anne sternly stated, "Mrs. York stated clearly in her document that Mrs. Raymond has been in the past physically and verbally abusive to Sam and she feared that should Mrs. Raymond be given custody she would continue this abuse. Both children stated that Mrs. Raymond assaulted Sam in the hospital today upon seeing them. I have not had the chance to speak with the eyewitnesses from the hospital yet but I have confirmed that Sam has a hand shaped mark on the face and bruising on the arms consistent with an assault and no such marks existed prior to entering the hospital room." Her supervisor asked her to step outside. As expected she had hit a sour note with him. He warned her, "You have stepped out of line. This isn't for us to decide, this is for the courts. Our job is to ensure the safety of the children." She bluntly shot back, "That is exactly what I am doing. You are ignoring a legally binding document in favor of supposed familiarity claims and the safety of the children. These allegations are strong enough to deny placement with her. You are ignoring what we are supposed to be doing in the first place!" He was displeased with her. He told her that he didn't want the extra work that she was forcing them to do, that he wanted the easiest solution and it was to hand the kids over to their grandmother. Stepfather be damned, she was their closest blood relative and in his view that was good enough to put the two in her care. Whatever happens afterward was someone else's problem. Joseph and Evelyn Johnson walked into the office and right to the supervisor's office just as he started that statement. They were not in the least bit happy with any of what he had just said. He was about to face the full wrath of Joseph and Evelyn Johnson for harming their clients. They stated who they were and why they were there. They handed over the documents and demanded charges be filed against Mrs. Raymond for assault. They then stated that if DCF removed the children from the care of their stepfather they would file a complaint with the court for endangerment and seek the supervisor's termination for gross negligence and willful disregard for the law. Anne stated, "Are you aware that Mrs. Raymond has claimed that Mr. York abused Sam. Further that she disputes the claim of having custody. And are you aware of the custody agreements put in place before Mrs. York took sick?" Evelyn spoke first and stated, "We are aware of that abuse allegation and we have located multiple eye witnesses who have stated that Mrs. Raymond verbally and physically assaulted Sam as soon as she saw her enter her mother's room. Mr. York was physically removed before he could even enter his wife's room. The only assault related to him was the physical assault given to him by security as they removed him from his wife's room." Evelyn handed over a document to the supervisor. He examined the documents in front of him. He saw three signatures: Tanya Raymond, James York, and Valerie Finn. Within it stated that in the event that Tanya become sick and incapacitated that James get full custody of the children until she was able to care for them. It read further that due to past abuse witnessed by Tanya under no circumstances would Ingrid Raymond receive custody. She was to be barred from visiting her and specifically stated that she was not to be contacted by Mrs. Raymond in any way or that Mrs. Raymond to be contacted on her behalf. Evelyn stated, "As you can see, Mr. York is their legal guardian. You have no right to refuse granting custody to him. The allegations against him have been proven false and point directly to the person who is trying to gain custody of the children, someone specifically barred from getting them by their mother's own wishes." The supervisor wasn't convinced stating, "Why would she hand over custody to a man she just met?" Anne was getting angry and had to hold her temper in check. Evelyn had to look always of else sh ewould burst and scream at him. Joseph handed him another document. It was a marriage license signed by both Tanya Raymond and James York and witnessed by Sean and Valerie. The two were legally married, not total strangers. Joseph stated, "He is not only their legal guardian he is their stepfather. He is their next of kin whether Mrs. Raymond likes it or not. She has no right to claim the children and your agency has no right to put them in danger by giving her custody of them." The man read over both documents again and stated, "There has been an abuse claim against Mr. York. We cannot grant him custody with that allegation. My decision is standing." Joseph expected this and produced another document that he had. It was a statement from two nurses who witnessed the incident in the hospital room. Neither tried to do anything at the time but after they spoke with Valerie and the hospital's legal staff and being told that they broke multiple rules in not intervening on the children's behalf, allowing an unauthorized and barred visitor, and not intervening when an authorized visitor was being forcibly removed they told everything. Joseph bluntly stated, "We have the statement of multiple eye witnesses. Mr. York is innocent and Mrs. Raymond is the actual abuser. If you still feel that you have to give her custody I now advise you to seek legal help because I will be filing suit against the department for ignoring the children's rights. That will follow a state police investigation for negligence and accessory to abuse as the children's neighbor is taking a close look at your response and is not in the least bit happy with your actions." Evelyn went one step further and threatened to go over his head and speak with the director of the Department of Children and Families. She added that she would not hesitate to contact the governor if need be. The man scoffed at both claims but Anne, through gritted teeth, stated, "Those aren't threats, they actually do know both of them. Hope and pray that my daughter hasn't contacted him directly as it will get back to him that we are involved in a case and he won't be the list bit happy." Anne fought a smile. They all knew he was whipped and had to comply with proper procedures or face having himself fired. Her supervisor bluntly stated, "She doesn't get custody. Call Mr. York and inform him to pick up the children. I am however not going to give up on this, I don't believe he has a right to custody. The kids don't belong with him, they belong with their own kind." Joseph demanded to know exactly what he meant by that. The supervisor stated, "The man may be their stepfather but he isn't family. Just because he married their mother does not mean he gets to keep the kids. Their grandmother wants them, she should get them. They are better off with their own kind." Evelyn stated, "You have no legal right to refuse the custody claim. There is no abuse, no coercion, and you have stated your own bias is behind your decision to fight Mr. York. We will not let that stand. We will be petitioning the court to summarily dismiss your claims the second you file it and we will seek damages against you personally. You will lose. This is not an empty threat this is the truth." Anne bluntly stated, "You are putting yourself ahead of these children. Don't do it. You will be out of the job and the department will be under fire yet again. I am aware of who Mrs. York's lawyer is and who her family is friends with and I can guarantee if he hears what the department is trying to do to a friend of that family it will get ugly fast both for the department and for you. That threat of knowing the governor and director are not threats, it is the truth. He will fire you without a second thought." He looked at Anne like she had three heads. He laughed at her saying, "Do you really think that threat will work on me? I'm a freaking political appointee! I can do whatever I want and get away with it." Joseph laughed and said, "You have no idea who she is talking about, do you?" He scoffed and stated, "I could care less. I don't care if she is the President, nobody tells me what to do!" Joseph bluntly stated, "You have to be a fool not to connect the dots here so let me say for the record that you will be fighting an unwinnable battle. You are playing games with the lives of two innocent children for no reason other than your own bias. You will lose." As expected word traveled fast around the office. On the phone was Anne's supervisor's supervisor, the regional director and the #4 in the agency. He was screaming at him for what he had tried to do and for what he was saying to the Johnsons. The man was going to struggle to get out of his own arrogant web while Anne would get a stronger standing in their office. The Johnsons were recognized by several of Anne's colleagues from a previous battles with them, the result of which led to the perpetrators being fired and losing their licenses and several others ending up in prison. They were not to be messed with and them just being in the building meant someone was in deep trouble and would cause their entire agency to come under gubernatorial scrutiny. There was no further discussion. After a brief phone conversation to which they could tell his job was in jeopardy Anne's supervisor gave in. He stated he wouldn't fight the custody as there was no reason to do so in light of the written order from their mother. He stated he would fight the custody later, he could care less what the threats they were making against him were. That was garbage, he knew if he tried to fight further he would be summarily fired but he had to appear to be a big man to the Johnsons. Anne gave the kids the good news while Mrs. Raymond was placed into police custody conveniently called for by one of the bystanders in the office who overheard the conversation. She swore she would be back and the kids will pay for their insolence. Anne bluntly stated, "We will make note that you have threatened the safety of the children as you were being removed by police." While Anne and her parents were getting the children away from their grandmother James was stuck down in the security office at the hospital in handcuffs. He was silent the whole time, knowing there was nothing he could do until he was brought before a judge. He kept replaying the whole turn of events in his mind, trying to figure out what went wrong and why. Almost two hours into his forced stay the door opened and Valerie came into view. She was angered and stated bluntly, "I am here on behalf of Mrs. York, the daughter of the woman who claimed Mr. York was a stranger who took the kids. She was in fact trespassing in her daughter's room against her orders and Mr. York is in fact was the legal guardian of the children. Please release him this instant." The security guards laughed at Valerie. She wasn't amused. She told them bluntly, "Release Mr. York or you will be lucky to get a job at a mall after I am through with you." The guards laughed again. She shook her head in disgust and stated, "So be it. Officers if you would." Two large police officers entered and placed the two security guards under arrest. She looked them square in the eyes and said, "You not only placed Mr. York into custody without reason but you refused to allow him a phone call to his lawyer and when you were told to release him you refused. So enjoy your own forced confinement gentlemen because you won't be detaining anyone ever again." The two were hauled away after being read their Miranda Rights. Both claimed they were doing their jobs but the two officers explained, "You illegally detained that man, never informed us that you had taken him into custody. You have no right to even handcuff him let alone detain him. You will be lucky if you only face assault and illegal confinement charges, you are equally guilty of kidnapping and impersonating an officer." James asked about the kids, asking if Ingrid had hurt them further. Valerie turned to the officer and said, "Mrs. Ingrid Raymond has assaulted my client's children, we would like to have her placed under arrest for assault. We would also like a protection order in place against her on behalf of both children and my client. She will be found at the Winnisimmet DCF office." The officer complied. He called in the request and was told that Mrs. Raymond was now already under arrest at the request of DCF. He then stated, "We are contacting the on-duty judge, we should have three protection orders within an hour." James was silent. He watched the action but couldn't say anything. He could only think about the two children. Valerie sat down next to him and assured him, "They made it home and told Dan and Melanie what happened. Our friends closed ranks around them and got them away from her. My own parents are looking out for them as is Anne Connors. I expect Sam and Virgil will be waiting for you when you get home. They are going to be rattled and dazed but will be alright once they see you." James could only ask, "Why help us? We barely know you. This goes beyond helping Sam become a girl like your daughter, you are standing up for me and getting criminal charges against me removed." Valerie saw the tears in his eyes and said, "New or not you are our friend and we help our own. You have been our neighbor for a while and taught our son your trade without a second thought or charging him a penny. You have helped my other son get over some of his anxiety and kept him from fathering Sean too much. You are worth the fight to us, you are family even if you don't see it yet." The two left to pick up the children. Anne met them and gave them big hugs saying, "I'll try to help you two in any way I can. This should never have happened in the first place and I have a strong suspicion that this isn't over yet." Sam was scared stiff. She knew her grandmother would stop at nothing to get them back. This was just the start. They had James for now but this was a short victory in a long war. Her grandmother wasn't one to give up without a fight and would be back at it tomorrow. Chapter 10 Ingrid got off easy. She got the charges dismissed due to the nursing staff's hesitation and was told to stay away from Tanya and the kids. The delay in reporting the abuse was key to the judge but Ingrid used her usual racism claims to scare the judge into letting her go. The prosecutor didn't even bother to talk with Sam or Virgil, it was as if they didn't matter to them. Valerie expected this and had the Johnsons renew the restraining orders in front of another judge, one who had no qualms about protecting the rights of a stepfather. Judge Matthews cared about what they had to say. He even asked the kids about what she did in the hospital and did in the past. Joseph told Sam and Virgil Judge Matthews just happened to be the same judge who presided over John's custody case two and a half years before and helped protect grandson Miles and his girlfriend Christina Connors from people who wanted to harm them. He respected the Johnsons and was willing to hear them out before making a decision, even if it went against the decision of a colleague. He was outraged that the prosecutors didn't do anything about the abuse but couldn't reinstate the charges, only renew the restraining orders. As Ingrid was leaving she swore at James, stating that she was going to get the kids from him no matter what. Valerie and Anne didn't take this threat lightly. Valerie assured him that he had nothing to fear but when she thought he was out of earshot told Anne, "Get ready for a custody fight. She is crazy enough to follow through on her threats." James tried his hardest to keep the kids occupied and their minds off of their grandmother. Sam knew what he was really doing and appreciated it. Virgil sensed that something was off but humored him just the same. He was breaking down every time he saw them, thinking it could be the last time that he saw them. He could barely get to sleep, thinking it was only a matter of hours until an officer came to collect the kids. It wore him down, leaving him restless and feeling sick. Dan, Sean, and John kept an eye out for Ingrid. Their vigil wasn't lost on the kids who all spent more time outside paying attention to who passed through the neighborhood. Ingrid came around every so often, but she knew she was spotted as soon as she turned the corner onto their street. She didn't try to push the limits, she could see they were ready to call the cops on her as each showed cell phones and made a show out of getting ready to dial. Days passed and there was no change in Tanya's condition. The kids and James visited her every day after Sam got out of school. Rebecca and Jessie tried to keep her focused on school but it was hard when she was concerned about losing her family and herself. Christmas came and the kids tried hard to focus on other things. Sam and Miles spent a lot of time together when she was in a deep funk and none of her friends could get through to her. Miles was looking for an excuse to not be around his cousin Daisy Peterson, using Sam as a way out while still trying to help her out of her funk and help himself indirectly. Miles and Sam talked more candidly than the others. She understood his fears as nobody else had seen poverty that he had seen. Sam liked that he was legitimately trying to help and was not doing so out of pity. The fact that she offered him some therapy and a way out of seeing Daisy was beside the point. Christina joined them and helped Sam work on some of her girly skills while Miles played with Virgil. Sam learned a bit from Christina, including how to deal with the humiliation of abuse while seeing that she was stronger than she believed. James kept clear of the three when they spoke, it was something that they needed to do and he appreciated their involvement. The second week after James was given custody Ingrid tried to get at Sam while she was just getting out of school. Sam ran inside and called James immediately, begging him for help. Alice Rodriguez saw her running and talking on the phone and asked her if she needed help. Sam was in tears by this point. Alice heard her say, "Grandmother" and notified the school officer who confronted Ingrid. She swore up a storm and walked off, but since she was not actually stepping foot on school grounds and was far enough away from Sam when confronted she wasn't arrested. However she was doing enough to alert both principals and the officers that she was trying to get at Sam. At her normal appointment Dr. Eliza tried hard to keep Sam's spirits up. It was difficult to do for a person who knew that they are one signature away from being forced to be someone else or face harsh physical punishments. She tried hard to put on a brave face but Dr. Eliza could see the hurt behind the mask and tried hard to help her endure the pain and keep hope alive. Jaimie tried her best to talk with Sam. She tried to push her away but Jaimie wouldn't stop. Jaimie came over every night and tried to get her to talk, she wouldn't leave until she knew Sam was alright and wouldn't do something, "Stupid". It was greatly appreciated and Sam loved her for that, but this was Sam's fight and she didn't want Jaimie to become involved. It would hurt her too much to know she might never see Sam again. She was the only person in their city who understood what was going on in Sam's head, even if she didn't say it she knew. They shared a special bond that nobody else understood, one that not even Miles and Christina shared with Sam. Jaimie tried to explain that what her dad went through was so much like what Sam was going through even if he wasn't transgender like they were. Sam kept trying to say that John and Jaimie had the law and a lot of support on her side, Sam had ignorance and familial pressure against her. James was a great man but that could only go so far against blood and ignorance and people who wanted to use her as an example of what they could do. John tried to explain things to her but the more Sam heard the less it was like her situation even if it was similar in a lot of ways. The days turned into a month. Christmas saw the kids feeling horrible about their mother not being there but happy that James was being the dad they always wanted and showed them nothing but love and affection that they badly needed. It was the first time James looked forward to Christmas, with the kids keeping him grounded in just what he holiday meant. John and his kids joined him in keeping things grounded. James steered clear of the Finn Family's own personal drama regarding Daisy Peterson while also helping Michael and Miles deal with their demons that Daisy's arrival had brought about. James' devotion to the boys' mental well-being was rewarded by John bringing over Daisy Peterson to meet Sam in John's own subtle way of helping her feel better about Tanya not being able to join them for the holiday. As soon as she saw Sam Daisy gave her the present she needed, saying simply, "She's beautiful." Sam and she hugged then went inside to open more presents. Virgil and Daisy hit things off, getting close because of their shared pain but also expanding on their familiarity from daycare. Sam was relieved that John had been so kind as to bring his newest niece over. She cried into his chest while hugging him. James wisely smiled and let her cry herself out, with John offering a warm, "She didn't mean to but she says what is on her mind and she meant every word of it." After Christmas vacation ended James had to return to work. He had taken it just before he initially met Tanya hoping that it wouldn't be long and allowing the new hires to get experience without having to compete with the established star of the office. But with Tanya's illness James again needed to earn money to ensure that should anything happen to the insurance she would have something to cover her medical expenses as well as cover the family while he looked for a new job. Virgil continued to go to daycare with Melanie Lopez and Leslie Finn. While he hated to see James leave for the day he knew Mrs. Lopez and Ms. Finn were fun people and he enjoyed playing with Daisy, JD, and Cat. Even little DJ, Melanie's toddler son, was fun although he didn't like that he liked to slobber on him. A week into restarting at the firm James was called into his boss's office. It didn't take much for him to know that it was about the insurance claims and was ready for a fight. Tanya was his wife and he would fight for her rights even if it cost him his employment. The meeting went as expected. James was told to stop filing his claims and get rid of the woman on his claims forms. His bosses suspected that she was just a gold digger after his money and didn't want him associated with someone who was like that. James tried to reason with them and argued that she was the love of his life but they refused to believe it. His immediate supervisor, Allan Barker, asked him, "You expect me to believe that this homeless black woman with two kids actually gives a damn about you? Did you ever consider that she was stringing you along to get what she needs then take everything you have? Here you are the supposed love of her life but what she really sees is this young, dumb white guy that she could score money from? We know you James, we know you are a good person but have you considered that she was only interested in your wallet and nothing else?" That went too far. Insulting him was one thing. Insulting someone he has never met, has not a single clue about their personal connection, and who is incapable of fighting back against the claims against her at that time caused him to snap. James lost it. He replayed what was said and it was clear that they couldn't see past her skin color. They just couldn't accept that the two had a shared past. That was too much, it was an insult on an astronomic scale and James would not st and for it. James shouted, "Who the hell do you think you are questioning my wife like that! You have no idea how long I have known her or how long I have loved her. She is not after my money, she doesn't want any of what I have. If you can't see or accept that then I am sorry but you need to look beyond her skin and take a good long look at what you are saying. I have never been so sick in my life listening to a bunch of people talk down about someone who can't defend herself. It's disgusting. How would you like it if someone talked about your wives that way? Or your mistresses? Oh, sorry about that. You try hard to keep them a secret but all of us know about them! How would you like it if someone questioned their motives in marrying you? I guarantee that all of your wives aren't exactly as 'honest' as you believed them to be and are stringing you along in the same way you are accusing my wife of- only they are doing it with your full knowledge. You have the balls to insult my wife's integrity based on the color of her skin yet your wives are goldiggers and proud of it! If you can't accept that we might actually love each other then you sicken me. I want nothing more to do with you people, you are disgusting and need to be put in your place." A knock at the door was accompanied by John walking into the room. He looked at James and nodded as James left the room. He didn't need to say anything to him, James saw the look in his eyes and knew that trouble was brewing inside the conference room for Barker and the other former superiors. James sat at his desk while Michael walked over to talk. Michael was accompanying his father for the afternoon while his sister and the babies went to the doctor and Miles went out with Christina. He liked spending time with James and learned quite a bit from him, this was just like their meetings at home only more formal and with James clearly upset. Michael was looking over his father's portfolio for him to which James had to smile at. Michael had a growing interest in finance, something that he started to gain after learning about it in his algebra class and taking up thanks to his brother's suggestion. His earnings from his summer job was simply sitting in the bank so he decided to start trying to earn more money and it worked so far. James had helped him some, teaching him a few tips and tricks that he learned when he was starting in finance. It grew to the point that Michael could correctly predict trends and was well ahead of the curve even for someone who had spent years in the business. He had a bright future ahead of him, Michael had found his calling in life at the tender age of 14. James was glad to see it blossom, all thanks to his brother being kind enough to suggest it a few months before. Looking at his father's portfolio he asked James, "Do you work with Dad's account?" James quietly stated, "I used to. I just quit thanks to my bosses insulting Tanya." Michael then pointed out something to James. It was a history of every transaction that James had made for the account. James was the sole person assigned to the Finn account so his signature was on every single transaction but something was off about it. He was the only person assigned, but there were more signatures on it. Michael had spotted them right away. Something was wrong with the account and it wasn't sitting well with Michael. James explained, "I signed off on all of the transactions. I didn't receive any commissions though. I only drew a salary regarding the account, there were no direct commissions for it. Any commissions that I received came form other accounts that I helped on." Michael had a confused then angered look on his face. James assumed the lack of commissions was due to the fact that most were micro- transactions that didn't bring enough to give a commission for. It was typical for the largest accounts like the Finn account and was standard practice since he started working under Barker and the other department heads. Michael asked, "If you signed off on why haven't you received any money from them? They pay out a normal commission for each transaction. See, they paid out money for every single transaction as each of them netted a large enough gain." James looked over and saw the statements. James was working for peanuts on a multi-million dollar account that netted others several million in commissions paid directly to them rather than paid to him. Michael saw his surprise and excused himself to talk with John. This his father had to know about right away, and knowing John this would just about cause him to snap. Michael entered the room and whispered something into John's ear. He showed his what he meant and pointed to multiple places on the sheet. John grew furious. His son was learning a new profession and had found something that made John's blood boil in anger over seeing and hearing. The past month and a half had been extremely trying for John. Daisy Peterson had joined their family and had been forced to endure multiple setbacks because of ignorant, egotistical, and apathetic hospital administrators. Then the whole Ingrid Raymond situation made his already volatile temper start to boil over. James being defrauded out of millions of dollars in transactions by the very people who had just outright insulted his beloved Tanya for being a golddigger fraud was the final straw. John wasted little time and stated, "Gentlemen, I wish to thank you for making this meeting fast. I heard everything my neighbor and friend James said. I was already going to pull my accounts from here in solidarity with my friend as a show of how to treat people with respect." He let his rage falter for a second while he composed himself then continued: "That was until my son has pointed out that you actually owe James a substantial sum of money for doing work on my behalf. Don't try to deny it, I had it written into our contract that whomever actually made the trades was to be paid the commission for those trades. I see his signature on all transactions and I highly doubt any of these other people actually touched the account before rushing to put their name down. Looking at the signatures I notice that they happen to by you three. Expect a hefty lawsuit to be filed shortly on James' behalf by my wife and expect your board of directors to be told exactly why I am pulling all assets from your firm. I would start updating your resumes because I highly doubt you will have jobs tomorrow. Good day gentlemen." John walked out with a smile on his face. James was already finished and approaching the elevators when John was called back with pleads and shouting. There was a clear panic setting in as the three got on the elevator and left. An hour later, as expected, John's cellphone rang. It was the board of directors begging him to keep his account at the firm. He told them in no uncertain terms, "Your employees violated your contract when they stole commissions from your best broker and have the nerve to insult his wife's integrity while she is lying in a hospital bed fighting for her life. Thank you but no thanks, I would rather risk it all with people I know and trust than with people who lack the moral compass to have compassion during times of crisis nor the integrity to hold themselves to their word. Good bye gentlemen." James tried to plead with John, saying, "You didn't have to do that for me. Your account is too important to too many people to risk it because of me. Keep it there, this is my fight and not yours." John countered with, "Yes I did. If they did it to you then there's a strong likelihood that they are doing it to others and you don't deserve any of what happened to you. Now that you don't have a job and it'll take a while before they are forced to give you every cent you earned I have a proposal for you. As you know my good friend Greta Nelson is running a small finance firm and is in need of a partner. You are perfect for it. Her biggest account is about to be the account you previously managed, I want someone whom I can trust to manage it with her. Are you interested?" James asked simply, "Greta Nelson? As in Scott's mother? Are you sure this will work?" John nodded, adding, "My sister is also employed there as a jack of all trades sort of employee so you are going to be with two people who are as close as family as you can get and who both know of your situation and will gladly help you at any time." He accepted the job on the spot, happy to have it. Back at home James told the news to Sam and Virgil who were equally happy. Sam told him, "Rebecca told me they are really good at their jobs so you should be fine." Virgil asked, "Why did you leave your job in the first place?" James took a deep breath and said, "Some people were being mean to your mom and calling her names. I didn't like that and told them to stop. I didn't want to work for people who did that. I love your mom and I love you two." Sam asked something that threw James, "It's because we are black isn't it? In school nobody wants to believe that you are in love with mom. They won't dare say it in front of Rebecca or Jessie but they whisper it whenever they aren't around." James told her the truth, "That's what they were saying without saying it. I told them that they had no idea about our past nor did they know about our love. Some people just can't accept that two people love one another for who they are. Sam and Virgil hugged him, both saying, "We love you too." He had tears in his eyes. It was the first time the two had admitted loving him. He only wished it was under better circumstances. The next day he met with Greta Nelson. He wasted no time and admitted, "I am not too familiar with other forms of investing, I focused solely on the stock market once I started at the previous firm. It's been ages since I had to invest in in anything else especially bonds and businesses." Greta smiled and said, "Good, because we are clueless about that field. John is a shrewd person who knows how to bring together good things, you are exactly what he was looking for here. If you didn't already guess John got me started in this business and over the months helped grow it into what you see today. It started with just his accounts but grew to include many other accounts such as his kids' as well as a few local millionaires. You bring to us something we haven't had before and something that some of our clients wanted: stocks. They know about them more than anything else and want to go with the familiar form of investments. I am too busy with the other kind of investments and Karen is years from being able to do this on her own but you are perfect." James was floored. John had planned all along to bring him in on this. What happened at the firm with him was just jumping forward ahead in the plan. Michael finding the commission thefts gave him the final nail and full justification for removing his accounts. Greta and James spent hours going over the plans. He had great ideas for some investments that Greta hadn't thought of and Greta had all of the information that the clients requested regarding various stock purchases. It was a good match for the firm. He didn't care that he was not going to make as much as he used to, this was a job that he loved again with people that he enjoyed talking with. Karen was a quick learner and could talk up potential clients while Greta and James did the hard work. Karen earned a percentage of the commissions that Greta and James earned from the various clients she brought in on top of the work that she was doing for the firm such as bookkeeping and serving as their de-facto receptionist. Karen and he spent so much time together they were the best of friends by the end of the first week. Karen's son Bryan would often babysit Virgil for him when James ran late. Virgil loved Bryan, he was fun to play with and enjoyed doing kiddie things that Sam didn't want to do anymore. Virgil acted like Bryan was a cousin, Karen was so much like an aunt that in his nearly 4-year-old mind it made sense. Chapter 11 As time went on Sam felt a lot better now that James had custody. She was glad that James was there for her and Virgil, he was the dad she had dreamed about and she couldn't be happier. James loved them as his own and spent as much time with them as possible when he wasn't working. Her friends were fixtures in the York home after school and on weekends. James was trusted by their parents enough to take them home with him giving them their afternoons free. Francesca and Iris were practically over so often that they kept spare sets of clothes there just in case they needed to change thanks to the snow and slush that the Winnisimmet winters brought. Jessie was over every day, her sister dated Michael and was a friend of Miles and Jaime meant that she could easily get a ride home with her sister whenever she was over. Jessie looked up to James. Her own father had run off when she was five and her older brothers sponged off her mother until they were run out of their house by her and had hated Jaimie and now Sam for being different. Recently her brothers had been sent to prison for robbing an elderly lady showing just how bad they truly were causing Jessie to appreciate James as the father figure to be looked at in awe. Seeing James trying hard to make a life for himself and make Sam and Virgil happy gave Jessie hope that guys weren't all the same and that there were some great ones out there. Sure she had her sister's friends as role models but James was an adult and she idolized his work. Sam saw this in her and told James, "Jessie thinks the world of you." James was embarrassed and asked what she meant, Sam told him the whole situation. James blushed, it meant a lot to him that someone cared like that. He told Jessie, "You may look up to me but you should look in the mirror. You helped someone be who they needed to be and you put your own friendships on the line to do it. I might be successful but what you did is beyond success- it's the true measure of a person. Standing by a friend in need says all you need to know about a person, and you stood by Sam." Sam nodded and hugged her. Jessie had tears in her eyes and was embarrassed but Sam assured her, "You made his day, and he means it about you. I love you for being yourself and being my friend." The good times didn't last for long, though. In mid-January Ingrid got her revenge on James. She went before a sympathetic judge claiming what James was harming Sam by letting her become a girl. The judge was known as one who hated transsexuals and anyone associated with them and ruled against him even though he had no right to do so based on nothing but his own personal views on transgenders. Valerie, Evelyn, and Joseph had their work cut out but it proved fruitless. They had lost before they had even set foot inside the courtroom. Not even warnings by the clerk that he was making a mistake had dissuaded the judge's views. The judge ignored their pleas and all but tore up Tanya's custody agreement. Without a conviction for abuse Ingrid was granted immediate custody of the kids claiming, James was abusing Sam. The judge even went so far as to void the marriage license and bar James from any contact with the children and Tanya, putting four restraining orders in place against him. James was not allowed to speak at the hearing. His lawyer was denied a right to speak. The judge had made up his mind before anything was said. Legalities didn't matter, he was getting his way no matter what the laws and judicial precedent said. All Ingrid really had to do was state she was their biological grandmother and custody was awarded to her. Joseph, Evelyn, and Valerie demanded an imediate reversal but the judge refused, giving no reason and stating if they said one more word they would be held in contempt. He had no right to do that and it only caused them to become infuriated. The four lawyers objected and were removed from the courtroom. There was nothing they would be allowed to do with that judge on the bench. He was a long tenured judge and had many powerful and influential political allies who didn't want to touch either the racial or transgender issue even if it was an open and shut case of judicial abuse. He thought he was untouchable and let his opinions fly freely regardless of the rights of those they infringed upon. When James told Sean Beretta what had happened in court he screamed, "This won't stand. I'll get you help that the judge can't bully around. Christian James won't be able to help this time because this is a court matter, but there are others in this state who can. There is more than one way of making a judge regret stomping on the constitution!" He has never been this outraged before. Not even when Dan Lopez insulted Jaimie when he first moved into the neighborhood two years before had Sean lost his cool like that. This went beyond his normal outrage, Sean was going to bring hell on earth to that judge. Word spread fast about James York losing custody. Dorothy, Alice, and Mrs. Eagleson knew there was going to be trouble for Sam. Ingrid's reputation was well known among people in the city and her temper was one you did not want to mess with. They genuinely feared fro Sam and Virgil. Ingrid Raymond immediately went to the school and removed Sam. She tried to resist but her Ingrid bluntly said, "Keep this up and you will get it." Sam stopped fighting but the words were heard by Mrs. Eagleson and several students, not counting all of Sam's friends. Mrs. Eagleson excused herself and went right to Dorothy. She stated that Sam was in immediate danger and the threat was repeated. As much as she wanted to do something, Dorothy's hands were tied. Until she was either caught in the act or Sam showed up with bruises there was nothing she could do. It would be another, "He said/she said" and it would cost the school dearly if they lost. She hated to do it but Dorothy couldn't do anything yet. Mrs. Eagleson cursed. For the first time as teacher she felt that she had failed a student in need. She had experienced students who suffered abuse but this is the first time that she could not help until it was already too late. Sam was going to be hurt and there wasn't a thing she could do to stop it. There was just one thing she could do that worked in their favor. Word was spread around to the other teachers to be on the lookout for Ingrid and keep a close eye on her at all times. They didn't need to know why, they just knew that she had to be watched for Sam's sake. Mrs. Eagleson only hoped that Ingrid was stupid enough to try something with one of them observing, If not Sam would have to come to them for help and by then it might be too late for her. They could only wait and watch, hoping for the best but prepare for the worst. Rebecca and Melanie and were filled in on what happened at the hearing. James was was emotionally drained telling them about the brutal treatment by the judge towards Valerie, Joseph, and James' lawyer Ricardo Ramirez. He felt like he failed Tanya and worse, left Sam and Virgil to the mercy of a hungry wolf ready to rip them apart. Ingrid came by the Lopez Day Care Center and forcibly removed Virgil. He was crying the whole time and she upset all of the children. She was yelling the whole time, "Shut your traps you little brats!" Leslie Finn tried to eject her from the building but an officer with Ingrid intervened to stop Leslie. He warned Ingrid to stop saying anything to the children or she would be placed under arrest for verbally assaulting them. Ingrid laughed her butt off at what she was doing, it didn't matter who she harmed so long as she got what she came for. James was at wits end after hearing that. Ingrid had caused nothing but pain and heartbreak. She clearly could not care less about the children, she wanted to stick it to James and used the kids to do it. He was making her daughter happy and could provide for her a life that she had deserved. On the other hand Ingrid was content to live in her own little hellhole with people who couldn't care any less about her. She didn't care about anyone's feelings, she just wanted to make James' life miserable for trying to make Tanya's life better and the kids were simply pawns to get what she wanted. Sam came to school the next day in boy's clothes. She barely slept the previous night and didn't eat that morning. She mumbled to Rebecca, "I can't see you guys anymore. Grandma said you are all trouble and I need to be around 'my own kind.' She found us a new apartment and are moving this weekend. We have to go to school in Dorchester starting next week." Sam was shaking as she said that. She hated to tell them that but it was what her grandmother had told her to do. She tried to stop crying and breaking down but failed. The girls tried to comfort her but she pushed them back, this was too painful for her and she needed a clean break. Mrs. Eagleson had a word with her during a break. She assured her, "Your stepdad will fight this. You have to be strong. The kids will give you the space you need but you have to know they love you and care about you. She won't win, not if Valerie and her parents have anything to say about it." Sam told her what her grandmother was forcing them to do. She could see Sam didn't want this and tried her hardest not to show it but Sam could tell her heart was breaking. It was too much for her, she was a kind teacher and what was happening to Sam was almost too much for her. Even though Sam had just started to show in her chest she still looked like a boy who had long hair if she styled it a certain way. Outside of Mrs. Eagleson's class nobody noticed the change in her. Word had gotten around about her grandmother and what she did to her. Sam took her seat in silence as none of the kids said a word about her sudden change in clothes. Jessie and Rebecca kept quiet and didn't bother her all day. It pained them not to talk with her but Sam was adamant that they keep away. Dan managed to get a few seconds with her after school. He asked if she had her medicines to which she sadly said, "She flushed them all down the toilet. I don't know how much longer it'll take before I start to become a boy again. I just hope I am not far enough along so I don't suffer problems like my doctor said I could suffer if I stopped taking my hormones." Dan grew furious but held his tongue. This was serious now. It was one thing to force Sam to wear boy's clothing, but to deny me my medication was taking things to a dangerous level. He mumbled Anne and the Johnsons needed to be told. Sam asked that he not do anything rash but he didn't seem to hear it. He told her firmly, "This is your health at risk, you can't just stop taking hormones. You have to be weened off them, if you stop suddenly it can shock your body and cause major damage. Sam saw her grandmother coming in the distance and ran off before she saw that Sam was talking with someone else. She'd hurt Sam and sue the school if she found out Sam was talking to someone against her orders. Dan understood and watched her run off, vowing to fight for her even harder now. Sam hid in her new bedroom the entire afternoon. She ate her dinner as quickly as possible then ran back to the bedroom. She hugged her favorite blouse and skirt, hoping Ingrid didn't find them. Ingrid burst through the door and saw the skirt. She immediately grabbed Sam by the hair and flung her against the wall and screamed, "I told you no girls clothes! You will pay for that you little faggot!" Sam hit the floor hard, banging her elbows and scraping her hands. Ingrid grabbed one of her brushes and whacked her hard on the bottom, causing Sam to scream in pain. She left Sam sobbing on the floor as Virgil looked on scared that Ingrid would do the same to him. Sam barely slept that night, she didn't want to move for fear of Ingrid returning for more. Virgil slept in her lap as he tried to comfort her. He was as scared as she was. He whispered to her that Ingrid said she was going to hurt him if he did anything out of line. The next morning Sam was told, "If you tell anyone what happened I will make sure you can never talk again! I mean it, I'll cut your tongue out and feed it to the dogs! Get the hell out of here before I do it anyway! You'll get your punishment after school!" Sam ran from her as fast as she could, getting into class before anyone noticed. She wasn't alone in the room though. Mrs. Eagleson was already there, writing the day's assignments on the board. She hoped to talk with Sam to reassure her but that was not going to happen that day. Mrs. Eagleson saw the marks on Sam's hands and arms and walked out. She returned a few minutes later with Dorothy and Alice and said bluntly, "You said we couldn't do anything until we have proof? I know for a fact she did not have those bruises or scratches yesterday. They are new and sure as hell aren't from playing outside! Dorothy, these are from abuse!" Dorothy nodded and put her arm around Sam She asked her quietly and sincerely, "Who did this? If it was your grandmother we can help. We want you way from her, but we need the truth." Sam nodded, saying, "She found my skirt. She said if I told anyone what happened she would make it so I could never talk again. She said she would cut out my tongue and feed it to the dogs and that I had more coming after school. She's going to do it too, she never jokes about hurting someone." Sam broke down as Dorothy led her away from the classroom. Mrs. Eagleson made a phone call to the Johnsons, they expected the call to come at any moment and their hunch came true. They drove to the school as fast as possible while Sam tried to calm herself. Dorothy called the appropriate authorities. The school's police officer took her statement as well as Mrs. Eagleson's statement then waited until the Johnsons came to take Sam's. She told them about everything, from throwing out her pills to flinging her around the room to threatening to cut out her tongue to doing worse later. Sam tried to hold back tears but failed, breaking down again. Joseph asked, "Do you have enough?" The officer stated, "It's her word against her grandmother's. She will say she hurt her arms playing outside or something and will deny she ever threatened her." Sam calmed down enough to say, "Virgil saw everything. She left him alone in the house when she drove me here. He's still there, she won't go home right away." The officer made a quick phone call as Evelyn ran for her car. Thankfully Ingrid lived nearby so she was met at the house by the officer dispatched and identified herself as Virgil's lawyer. The two walked up to the apartment and knocked on the door. Right away Virgil answered as Evelyn said who she was and why she was there. Virgil opened up the door and told Evelyn and the officer, "Grandma hurt Sam! She hurt Sam! She said she wants to hurt me too if I told on her!" The officer walked inside and looked around for who was watching Virgil. As they had been told he was there all alone. The boy was only three, nearly four-years-old and all alone in the house. Virgil burst into tears and hugged Evelyn as she stated, "This boy is just three years old. I am taking him with me and you can inform DCF to meet me at this location." She handed him the business card to the Lopez Daycare Center to which he nodded. As they were leaving Ingrid came through the door. She immediately demanded to know who they were and what they wanted. She saw Evelyn and screamed, lunging towards her and grabbing Evelyn's arm pulling her to the floor. She then start going after Virgil, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. The officer quickly grabbed Ingrid's arms and handcuffed her, placing her under arrest stating, "You are under arrest for negligence, abandonment, and now assault on both this woman and a minor." He read her her Miranda Rights and placed her in the cruiser outside. Virgil and Evelyn left, with her saying, "We won't know how long it will take but I have arranged for you to go to Mrs. Lopez's daycare for a while. If this isn't cleared up by this afternoon we will have you stay with Ms. Finn and you will go back to the daycare tomorrow with her. Is that OK with you?" Virgil realized what was going on tried his hardest not to cry saying, "I want dad back." Evelyn quietly said, "You will have him back. It might take time but you will have him back." Anne met with Sam and Joseph at the school. She was beyond pissed. She let them know, "This should never have happened. Your grandmother may be your closest relative but there is no reason that any of this should ever have happened. She wanted James to have the kids so much it hurt. Ingrid Raymond was terrorizing them. They were clearly in danger and that idiot on the bench ignored every valid legal document that stated James had to have custody to give the kids to that monster. There was a problem. Without another judge agreeing to overturn that scumbag's ruling she couldn't hand the kids over to James. They were only going to allowed into DCF custody until the matter was resolved and until another judge overruled the previous one James wasn't a viable foster parent. With a heavy heart she had to tell them, "I truly am sorry but until your stepdad can sort this out the two of you will have to go with a foster family." Sam started to cry again. Anne looked at Joseph who nodded to her that things were already arranged on their end. Anne told Sam, "We have arranged a foster mother for you. Her name is Leslie Finn, I am sure that you know some of her family already." Sam looked up and asked, "Jaimie and Rebecca's aunt?" Anne nodded, adding, "This isn't the first time that she has helped out kids in need and it probably won't be the last. She will look after you and your brother until your stepdad wins." Sam started to become scared, asking, "What about my clothes and school?" Dorothy told her, "You can be excused if you want. Your work can be brought home to you by your friends." Joseph added, "Your clothes are being collected at this moment. Dan Lopez expected she would hurt you right away and had your stepdad gather everything. It'll be waiting at Leslie's house for you." Sam added, "Grandma will come after us no matter what. I don't want to stay home from school. I don't want to hide anymore." Dorothy hugged her again. Joseph added, "Your doctor wrote a new prescription for you. Leslie has the pills waiting for you. Your grandmother made a major mistake in throwing them out, he is going to go after her for medical abuse in addition to the abuse we already know about. Now come, we need to get you to the doctor to take pictures." Sam thanked everyone especially Joseph. The three of them spent the next two hours at the doctor's office while pictures were taken and every mark documented. The fact that Ingrid threw away her hormones angered Dr. Richard Samuels who as expected added it to his report for the police. Ingrid was in deep trouble and would not be allowed to escape charges now. Chapter 12 Sam and Virgil got adjusted to Leslie's apartment as soon as they arrived. Virgil knew her well but Sam had only met her a couple of brief times. She hoped that being John's sister would smooth things over but that wasn't happening, not with Sam's instincts telling her to be on the alert just in case. Sam just didn't quite trust Leslie. She was a foster parent, Sam had only had bad experiences with kids in foster care with all of them telling horror stories. Leslie was nice and all but Sam was still thinking with the homeless mindset coupled with her already existing bad memories. Leslie introduced them to her aunt and uncle as soon as they arrived. The two elders didn't press for information about what was going on, seeing Sam upset and noticing the bruisers were enough to stop any questioning. Sam was quiet and answered in hushed, "Yeses" or, "Noes" so they kept their usual banter to a minimum, she was clearly in no condition to be cheered up by their playfulness. Virgil was more open and hugged Victoria Castillo, hoping this might prevent anything bad from happening to Sam. Victoria didn't waver, letting him get it out of him while Sam got settled in. Jorge Castillo kept an eye out outside, Leslie figured that he already knew the kids were trying to get away from someone dangerous or traumatic to them. Leslie wasn't offended by this almost silent treatment from Sam. She had learned to give kids their own space when they needed it and let them build up their trust. It worked with Daisy Peterson, with Scott Nelson, and with Will Riley. Realizing that they needed an ice break she asked Sam, "Did Joseph and Evelyn tell you about Will or Scott or even Daisy?" Sam asked what she meant, not knowing what she was talking about but still responding to her question. She had found her way of getting through to Sam. Leslie shook her head and said, "Daisy's story is complex and you may know some of it but clearly you don't know the other two's stories. You met Scott. The tall, muscular boy who helped you prepare for school. Well last year he and his friend Will were in my care after they went through their own separate abuse by their parents." Sam was shocked, asking, "Greta and Quentin hurt Scott? They are such nice people! Why would they want to hurt Scott!" Leslie sat down on the couch and indicated to Sam to sit beside her. She softly told Sam Scott's story, the whole story. She didn't leave out any details, including the ones about Jaimie. She needed to know that the family cared about her and would help her in any way. She then added, "Greta isn't his birth mom, she was his aunt but she adopted him as her own son. Her twin sister is Scott's 'real' mother but she died years ago causing his father to become an abusive animal to him. The point is Scott and his sister spent some time with me, as did Will after his dad hurt him in front of a hundred people. That's why Anne placed you here, because Virgil trusts me and I know how to deal with kids like you. Both abused and transgender kids. I know you don't trust me yet but I won't let anyone hurt you. Even if your grandmother gets out I'll fight tooth and nail to keep her from you. " Sam asked, "How are you going to do that?" clearly not believing her. Leslie knew that she was still a bit skeptical but had been thinking about what she was told about Will and Scott. She needed a bit more assurance and wanted to cover herself from all sides before giving her trust to Leslie. Leslie didn't beat around the bush, she told her, "The nice people downstairs are my aunt and uncle and anyone who comes here are immediately looked over and if they don't know who they are they are asked. They know what her name is and what she looks like and if she tries to come here they will have plenty of surprises ready for her. Our neighbors are going to do the same, nobody comes and goes from this street without being seen by multiple sets of eyes, even you two are known and I can guarantee that they are already getting phone calls about you and when the nehighbors hear the truth not one person in this neighborhood will allow your grandmother to do a thing while you are here." Sam started to laugh. Leslie shot back, "I'm serious. They hate people who hurt kids, especially ones who are friends of ours. If your grandmother tries anything she will regret it. If she gets violent she may not leave the neighborhood able to walk again or if she does something exceptionally stupid she will leave in a coffin. They are deadly serious about protecting you." Sam started to feel sleepy and went to bed. Before she was about to though Leslie handed her Sam's favorite nightie and said, "I didn't think you wanted to sleep in those clothes." Sam smiled and thanked her. Leslie could tell this little gesture went a long way towards Sam trusting her. When Virgil went down for the night she went downstairs and told her aunt and uncle everything. She told them what Ingrid Raymond was doing and why. She spared no detail, they grew outraged to the point of wanting to hunt her down themselves. Jorge made some phone calls. Within minutes a dozen of his closest friends in the neighborhood were in the apartment being told the situation and all agreed to watch out for her. Jorge emphasized that she wasn't to be hurt unless she was actually hurting the kids, but the second she laid a finger on either of them all bets were off. It was classic Jorge Castillo. He was the kindest man you would ever meet but mess with children and you were going to pay dearly. Sam was safe in that house, she would be protected no matter the cost. The next morning Leslie drove Sam to school. She was wearing her favorite dress and put on a little makeup just to feel pretty again. Thomas was the first to greet her, saying, "You look beautiful." Thomas just had to go for her heart right away, to which she loved him for. Sam blushed and quietly thanked him. Iris and Francesca came over and hugged her as well. When they finally broke it they asked if she needed help with the schoolwork but she declined, saying, "Rebecca's aunt already gave me the homework yesterday." Rebecca gave her a big hug. She tried to make a big fuss but Sam calmed her down saying, "Thank your dad for the help, he got everything for me. I just hope he didn't get into any trouble in doing that." Rebecca laughed saying, "He didn't do anything wrong, he was just collecting some old clothes and just donated them to a foster parent who needed them." She gave me a wink, while the others giggled at the flaunting of the whole situation. James can't contact them directly but he didn't need to, as long as he didn't know where the clothes were going he is innocent. The eight of them walked to class together and sat in their seats as Mrs. Eagleson watched with a big grin. She was happy that Sam was back in her normal clothes and was feeling better. It stunk that she may not be with her stepdad but she was with someone who was caring and would help her until they were back with him. As other kids came in they noticed Sam was back to dresses. They seemed to want to ask but looking at Mrs. Eagleson they didn't say anything. Sam just acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary and let the day begin without any further discussion. Over in Boston James was meeting with his lawyer, Ricardo Ramirez. Ricardo was a young yet highly experienced lawyer who had won dozens of custody cases for his clients. He was as feared in Boston's courtrooms as Valerie and the Johnsons but kept a lower profile than them, often working alongside more experience lawyers who took the lead in court yet weren't as legally keen as him outside of it. He had little experience with transgender children like Sam. In fact, the closest he had experience was representing Daisy Peterson's interests in both her custody battle and subsequent lawsuit against the hospital that was supposed to be treating her for ambiguous genitalia. What he lacked in experience in that area he made up for with a keen legal mind and a strong ability to get the best out of the situation without the opposing counsel knowing they were beaten. He was present in the courtroom when the initial ruling against James was handed down. He drafted a formal complaint to the Governor's Council regarding the judge's conduct but didn't expect much from it. He was furious over the treatment of Valerie and the Johnsons as well as the sheer gall of the judge in ignoring valid legal documents particularly a marriage license. He had spent the previous evening working with Valerie and her parents regarding Sam and Virgil's custody situation. Valerie showed him everything she had to support James' claims to custody and to his surprise showed old photos that she had been able to obtain from the high school. There was no denying the two knew each other but had a strong relationship with one another before Tanya's illness. John had been able to work with the current yearbook staff to search through the archives and find dozens of old photos from across the years that showed that James and Tanya had a loving relationship dating back 17 years. The two were voted cutest couple, most likely to get married, and even prom king and queen with James being mentioned as buying her prom dress. That was in addition to the various statements from every teacher who knew them in the school as well as parents of John's students who had been classmates of the two. It was overwhelming evidence that they had a preexisting relationship and their relationship wasn't a quick infatuation as Ingrid had claimed. The Johnsons had with them the police reports from the two previous assaults as well as the statements from everyone involved. They had witnesses to the assaults as well as the doctor who examined Sam. Evelyn also brought the statements from Sam's endocrinologist as well as Sean Beretta who would attest to Tanya's statements about the custody of the children and the impact of forcing Sam to stop taking hormones would have on Sam's health. James' mind was on the children. He had trouble focusing on what Ricardo was saying, his mind kept wandering to and from how Sam was faring and if Virgil was traumatized. He didn't care about his own well-being, all he cared about were the kids' well-being. Ricardo knew he was not up to being at the hearing and told him, "I think it is best that you go be by Tanya's side. Your mind is out of it and it would do us a world of good to have you with her rather than looking like a zombie in the courtroom. Please, it's for the best." James tried to protest but Ricardo bluntly said, "She needs you now more than ever. Be there for her. You can't help here, this fight is too important. The best thing for the four of you is to have you by her side. Now go, she needs you." James tried to say something about the restraining order against him on Tanya's behalf. Evelyn shot back a quick, "We talked with Judge Matthews and got both the order revoked and the marriage license reinstated on the grounds that the judge had no authority to take it out in the first place. She is over the age of 18 and you are her husband, you belong by her side whether Ingrid likes it or not." James reluctantly left. The group drove to the hospital and sat down beside Tanya, telling her all that had happened over the last few days. They watched as James cried on her chest, furiously apologizing to her for losing the kids to Ingrid. He calmed down after a few minutes but sat silently watching his beloved. Ricardo and the others silently left so he could have his private time with his wife. Over in the courtroom Anne Connors' supervisor gave his statement to the judge followed by Ingrid. It took a few minutes and they rested their case. As soon as the state was done the judge dismissed James' claims out of spite. He didn't even bother with the evidence, didn't even care about the facts. He had made up his mind and refused to hear otherwise. The Johnsons were outraged and stated they would appeal to a higher court but the judge ignored it, threatening them for throw them in jail for contempt of court. Ricardo shot back, "Do that and we will have you suspended from the bench and brought before the Governor's Council for threatening counsel and abusing your power." The judge relented, but still refused to change his ruling. Anne's supervisor tried to give custody back to Ingrid. The Johnsons argued furiously that should the children be placed with her the state would be intentionally putting them in immediate danger. The supervisor tried to act as if he could care less but Joseph reminded him that he had an obligation to the children's' safety and to purposely ignore that would be cause for immediate termination by the DCF and an investigation by the state over his willingly putting two children in harm's way. Evelyn stated, "Doing so would show that the state ignores their basic human rights and we are prepared to file an injunction with the supreme judicial court as well as the Federal District Court to prevent it. The state has seen that this woman has twice already assaulted one child and who has stated openly and without provocation that she will not hesitate to continue this abuse. We would rather they continue to stay with their appointed foster parent until our appeal to a higher court is heard." The supervisor agreed to continue as it is until the hearing. Sam and Virgil would stay with Leslie until then. The judge tried to sway them against it but Anne Connors, who was acting on behalf of the rest of DCF at the request of Governor Christian James, bluntly stated, "It isn't your butt on the fire, your honor. You can save your own bias for your rulings. This is the only alternative and if you rule against it it's your job on the line not ours. That is not a threat, that is a direct statement from the governor and the attorney general. He is expecting my phone call shortly and will be seeking an investigation into the outcome of this case including your own actions. Do not hinder it or you will be placed under arrest." The judge took offense then agreed but stated, "Mr. York is to stay away from the children. Mrs. Ingrid Raymond is also to stay away pending the outcome of her criminal cases. I will hear this case again and I will rule the same as I could care less about your threats against me. I am appointed for life, threaten me again and you will regret it." Anne shot back, "That wasn't a threat. Expect to be called before them shortly. Per order of DCF I am in control of this case on their behalf and my supervisor is hereby suspended pending inquiry. I'd answer the phone when it rings, the chief judge will be having some words with you regarding the laws." James lost again. No matter what he tried he kept losing the kids. The one person who actually wanted them for their own safety and out of love couldn't keep them. Sean heard the bad news and was sick to his stomach over the events. He had friends in high places and seeing that travesty of justice made him call in favors. He knew several local judges who had strong influences on the courts, they were paying attention to the case and as soon as he told them they filed motions on James' behalf with demands that the case be removed from the current judge's docket due to blatant bias and disregard for jurisprudence. This wasn't a joke anymore, this was serious. Sean was bringing firepower and lots of it, James was getting help from within and from people who weren't afraid to stand up for justice against one of their own. Sean placed another important call. This one was personal, one that he didn't want to make unless he had to. After James lost badly yet again and had an uphill appeal process Sean had to now, and James would not forgive him for it. Louis Reagan had known Sean since they were both in the military back in the 60s and 70s. They had been friends for nearly 50 years and had rekindled the deep bond once Sean retired from the Army and had moved to Winnisimmet. Louis knew James as well as Sean did, only he knew him when James was a child. James would never ask him for help, but Sean needed to on his behalf. Sean met Louis for lunch at their usual spot. He started off with their usual pleasantries but then got around to saying, "You know me well enough to know I'd never ask for help or a favor, well this time I need both. I need to help my neighbor, the man who is like a son to me. He is caught in a nasty custody battle with the grandmother of his wife, a woman who is in a coma and slowly recovering. I need your special brand of help. I need the might of your friends and colleagues to get him justice." He told Louis about the situation regarding the kids and James. Louis had heard that James had guests and was dating someone but nobody knew who she was. When Sean told him that her name was Tanya Raymond he swore loudly, taking several minutes to calm down before he could speak again. Louis was blunt, saying, "This won't be a favor, this just turned personal. This is a family matter. Tanya is a distant relative and the fact that she is married to James makes this extremely personal. I know who to call, and expect a visit tomorrow. He will want to know everything and will bring enough firepower to ensure that James not only gets the kids but they never have to worry about leaving him again." Things were serious now, not just angering John Finn to the point of him giving a verbal beating to someone serious- more like blood was likely to be shed by someone serious. Louis had a fire in his eyes that Sean had not seen since a terrible tragedy decades before when they first met. Ingrid was in trouble, if Louis made a guarantee then it was going to happen! Sean had to think about why Louis was so angry. Then it hit him. The name Raymond. He forgot Tanya was a Raymond. As in an old acquaintance that Sean didn't get too close to years before but who was friendly with Louis and his crew back in their military days. It made sense now and Louis would ensure that Tanya and James had overwhelming firepower incoming at the right moment just in case things started to go south on the four lawyers Chapter 13 At Leslie's apartment Sam was told the bad news and promptly broke down again. Virgil tried hard to console her but even he failed. She tried hard to keep her composure but any little item triggered a slew of memories and brought back tears. Ingrid was no help. She immediately made bail and went right to Leslie's apartment. She walked past Jorge and Victoria without looking and banged on Leslie's door. She was screaming, demanding that she give her the children. Jorge laughed at her sheer stupidity. He had to hold back his anger, telling her, "You have 3 seconds to leave before I call the police. That is the only warning you will ever get from me." Ingrid bluntly told him where he could shove the phone. He looked her right into the eyes and dialed 911 and told them exactly what was going on, saying, "An unwanted woman is banging on my niece's door demanding to remove the foster children inside. Both children inside have an active restraining order against her and she has already assaulted them so we will protect the kids if need be." Ingrid saw he wasn't bluffing and left just as an officer was stopping outside the buidling. She ran as soon as the officer pulled out her handcuffs and walked towards her. His neighbors came out and saw the lady run off with the officer taking down her information. Jorge explained what happened and said, "She will be back with help." His neighbors didn't seem phased saying, "She will need it. It's one person against 100. We aren't taking her crap or letting her hurt the kids." Leslie, Sam, and Virgil came home and were told what happened. Leslie asked, "Was Aunt Victoria here?" Jorge laughed, saying, "If she was their grandmother would be in the morgue." Sam asked what he meant. Leslie tried to phrase it right but Virgil beat her to it saying, "She would have beat grandma senseless" pointing to a bat next to the chair that Victoria normally sat in. Leslie chuckled and nodded, telling him, "You are right, she would have done that for you." Sam asked, "Why would she do that for us?" Victoria came out and proudly said, "You live here, that big witch doesn't. You are with Leslie so you are family and nobody messes with our family and gets away with it unscathed. She tries to lay a finger on you she gets a broken arm." Ingrid tried again the next day but Victoria brandished the bat when she tried to climb up the stairs. She swung it down making a loud clang on the metal railings right in front of Ingrid. She held the bat firmly in place, not letting Ingrid pass. Victoria looked Ingrid squarely in the eyes and stated, "Strike two. " Ingrid tried a third time, this time with four hired goons from her building helping her. They knocked over Victoria and broke open the door and got inside the apartment. The kids were heard screaming at her while she and the thugs tried to drag them out. They made a huge mistake. Jorge was on the phone with one of the neighbors and within seconds got the word around fast. It was mid- afternoon so most of the families were home and just about all had heard the situation within seconds of Jorge telling them what was happening. He called the police right away, there would be no escaping this time, Ingrid was going to jail. When they dragged Sam and Virgil outside they were met by two dozen neighbors armed with bats, chains, and tire irons. Victoria had her bat ready, she would not let her get away without some chunks of retribution. Victoria took one swing and hit Ingrid in the leg, causing it to have a loud crack and delaying their exit as she hobbled down the stairs. Her thugs tried to go after her but were hit in the chest and back by weapons stopping them from getting close. Ingrid released Sam and Virgil then tried to get away but they were surrounded as were the thugs. The group held Ingrid and her goons until the police came, conveniently losing their weapons but holding onto her. The officers took the five into custody without saying a word, knowing that they would likely need EMS to check them over for injuries but nobody had seen how they had gotten them. The officers gave a nod to Jorge to show that they'd ensure Ingrid faced every possible charge that was on the books as they drove away, no questions asked of the group only nods of approval. Sam and Virgil were told to stay put while a phone call was made. This had to end, next time they would come armed with guns. Leslie finished her call and drove the children to the Johnsons' home for safety. It was sad for Jorge and Victoria to see them go. Jorge assured them they would be back in the future and he swore that he would make it special for them. Leslie hugged her aunt and uncle as she left, the kids were sad and scared but Leslie wouldn't let harm come to them. Valerie was told immediately what happened and went to work with Sean Beretta and his friends to get the case finished for good. It wasn't a matter of, "If" but, "When" Ingrid hurt someone else to get at the children. Leslie, Victoria, and Jorge were in danger along with whomever else got in Ingrid's way. Sean's friends were able to get a hearing with another judge. They also drafted a foolproof appeal showing how badly the case was handled by the previous judge with every breech of protocol, every law and judicial precedent ignored, and every point of bias that both the judge and DCF supervisor had shown. To add insult to injury a judicial inquiry was scheduled at the same time as the hearing meaning the previous judge couldn't interfere in the case by trying to influence the new judge. The final piece was Sean saying, "We have some more fun in store for this new judge to ensure no funny business." Valerie assumed they had surprise witnesses but she wouldn't put it past Sean to have found something special and fitting to benefit them. The man wasn't a lawyer but he was intelligent and had enough connections in the right places to get things done. The hearing was set for the next day. The severity of the situation meant they were given the closest possible hearing and even pushed two other hearings back. The fact that a kidnapping attempt had been made against the kids was a strong incentive for the judge to schedule it so close with Sean being so friendly with the judges keeping an eye on the case being beside the point. The first person to say something was Anne. She furiously argued against granting custody to Ingrid, stating, "You have seen multiple police reports all showing a consistent pattern of abuse and ignoring the rights of the children. You have multiple blatant violations of an active restraining order against the children. You have an attempt to forcibly remove the children that was only stopped by their neighbors trying to protect the children." The judge rolled his eyes but Anne continued, "It's not a matter of if but when Ingrid Raymond does permanent harm to Sam. Denying her her medication is the first step, assaulting her multiple times is the second. Sam has stated that she fears for her life, if you place her in her grandmother's custody she might do something drastic to stop the abuse. The fact that she would go against protection orders and physically try to kidnap the children multiple times show that Ingrid Raymond does not care about their well-being, she just wants to prevent Mr. York from obtaining custody." The judge looked at Anne as if she was joking. Anne bluntly stated, "After the most recent attempts to seize the children Sam is on the verge of being suicidal. The abuse will only continue and Sam can't take much more before she decides to end the abuse herself. Last night she had to have an emergency session with her therapist. Here is the report from Dr. Eliza that states exactly that. You can ask her yourself to verify if need be." Anne was excused. Next up was Dr. Samuels, Sam's pediatrician and the hone who treated her abuse injuries. He stated, "The bruises were clearly from someone grabbing and tugging. The marks on her elbows and palms were defensive wounds. There were other bruises on her buttocks and back that were consistent with someone slapping hard with an object. It is in my experienced medical opinion that she was being abused and is in mortal danger if grant her grandmother custody of her." The judge asked if the wounds could have been from something else. Doctor Samuels stated, "No. Those scrapes are consistent with the wood paneling in Mrs. Raymond's apartment. The buttocks bruising is consistent with a hair brush known to be own by Mrs. Raymond. There was also a mark on her back that is consistent with the edge of a dresser as well as scrape marks in the shape of Mrs. Raymond's fingernails. I'd venture that if you scraped Mrs. Raymond's fingernails you will find skin cells." Sean Beretta was called to the stand. He stated that he witnessed multiple discussions between Tanya and James regarding the children and was witness to their wedding showing the signature on their marriage license. He added that he encouraged Tanya to talk with James about the kids and had Valerie draft the custody paper due to his suspicions that her health might deteriorate. Tanya always intended that James care for the children until she got better, and specifically stated that her mother was to be barred from all three of them. The judge didn't seem impressed. Sean called him on it saying, "I may have been retired for several years but I am still a physician and I know when someone is lucid and of sound mind. You are going against the wishes of their mother in keeping the children away from James. Black or white, he is their father in all but genetics. The kids love him as their father and have openly called him that." The judge asked what he meant. Sean bluntly said, "He didn't donate the sperm but he treats them as his own son and daughter. He loves them like his own. He cares for them as his own. He has been broken up ever since they were taken away and he is on the verge of a breakdown. The only reason he is not here today is I told Mr. Ramirez to send him to be with Tanya as she may be the only one still keeping him from completely losing it." Sean was excused and Sam's endocrinologist was called. She was right to the point and stated, "Mrs. Raymond's throwing out of Sam's pills put her in great danger. She can't just stop taking her hormones, she has to gradually stop because the damage to her body could be catastrophic. As you are I am sure aware, denying legitimate medicine is a crime in this state especially when it is being done under careful observation by a team of doctors. Sam is under my care and Dr. Eliza's care and we both are in agreement that what was done is a clear case of abuse." The judge tried to argue against it but the doctor shut him up stating, "Your own ignorance is beside the point, the law is clear. Mr. Ramirez, Mrs. Finn, and Mr. and Mrs. Johnson can quote you the proper laws if need be. What Mrs. Raymond did was abuse in the eyes of the law. She will do it again and this time Sam may not be able to handle it." Chapter 14 In the back of the courtroom a man was quietly ushered inside. Louis was careful to bring him inside without notice before the hearing started. He had not been briefed on what was going on and only told to try his hardest to remain quiet until the time was right. None of the other witnesses noticed him throughout the proceedings. The more he heard the more he wanted to strangle Ingrid. Louis just nodded in agreement, quietly whispering, "Now you see why I told you to keep quiet? They have it in the bag but are fighting a losing battle against idiocy." Louis listened to what was going on with just as much fury as the other man. His increased when he heard how much the two loved one another and almost lost it over the disrespecting of his friend Sean. The man knew Louis well but this is something he had never seen before, the mild- mannered man was a ball of rage that he hope Ingrid wasn't stupid enough to cross again- that is if she ever got out of prison before she got shanked or beaten senseless by other inmates. After the doctor stepped down the three lawyers looked at Louis who nodded and handed them a paper. Joseph stated, "Your honor I am going to call our final witness and the one who has the most say in this matter and whose opinions on this case must be heard. We are calling Mr. Joshua Raymond, Tanya Raymond's biological father and the paternal grandfather of the children." The judge was pissed. He expected all of the others and it was clear to everyone that he had already formed his opinion to rule against James again so Joshua being there was going to ruin that. Joshua didn't care, James York deserved justice and he was going to deal it. Joseph went right to work and asked Joshua, "What is your relation to the children?" He proudly stated, "They are my grandchildren through my elder daughter Tanya." He asked, "What is your relation to Mrs. Ingrid Raymond?" Joshua muttered an indignant, "She is my ex-wife and the mother of our daughter Tanya." Joseph asked him to state the reasons for why the two had been estranged. Joshua pulled out several sheets of paper and multiple pictures. The judge looked at him angered, he knew that Joshua had just given Joseph damning evidence. Joshua bluntly said, "Ingrid was abusive towards me and Tanya when we were married. She assaulted me multiple times before I filed for divorce from her. The final time Tanya tried to intervene but was hit by Ingrid. Police were called and witnessed Tanya being hit by Ingrid. She was convicted of assault on a minor and I received a restraining order against her." Joseph asked if he had gotten custody of Tanya. He looked at the judge disgusted and stated, "The judge didn't feel that Tanya was in real danger and refused to grant me custody. To make things worse I was told to not contact them again. Tanya was never told what happened to me so as far as I know she still believes me to be dead or that I had abandoned her." Joseph asked about after the divorce. Joshua hit with the biggest ammunition he had, saying, "Six years later she came around demanding money from me. I told her I couldn't give it to her as she had gotten an order stating I couldn't contact them. She refused to listen to me then physically assaulted my new wife and young daughter trying to get the money from me. My neighbor, a Boston Police Officer, saw the whole incident and arrested her on the spot for three counts of assault. She was again convicted of assault and my wife, daughter, and I have permanent restraining orders against her that we have kept renewed annually since that day." Joseph went for the jugular and asked, "Do you have any support for your claims?" Joshua smiled and handed over all that he had. The judge tried to hide his outrage but couldn't. Joseph bluntly stated, "You just heard every possible piece of evidence that Mrs. Raymond is unfit and will harm the children. You have a written agreement in your hand and you have multiple police reports all showing a pattern of abuse and willingness to assault people to obtain what she wants. You have given us more than enough to appeal any ruling against Mr. York regaining custody. Now kindly rule in Mr. York's favor before we have to walk upstairs to the appeals court." The judge ruled in James' favor, ordering that the kids be placed with him and the agreement honored. Finally the judge issued four permanent restraining orders against Ingrid so that she was to stay away from the children, James, and Tanya. The DCF supervisor tried to object but the judge told him firmly, "It's not your ass on the line and I can see from the people in the back that your time with the agency is finished. I doubt those state troopers are here for another case." Joseph blurted out, "You did the right thing." The judge shot back angrily, "I did the only thing. I am no fool, I know who your son-in- law is and I know how much clout he has. This would never survive an appeal and my future would have been crushed. I was assigned this because I was seen to be somewhat sympathetic but you make me out to be ignorant and idiotic." In the back of the courtroom several people walked forward and stated, "Your honor, plan for this to be your final post. You mentioned ignorance but you yourself are ignorant- you did not ensure a thorough screening had been done on the grandmother and you were willing to ignore preexisting good faith agreements and you were belligerent to witnesses with impeccable credentials. We were considering you for a promotion but after seeing you in action we will withdraw the nomination and the governor notified as to why. I would expect that you will be asked to retire or resign, but your time as a judge in this state is all but over from this point on." The judge looked up and recognized two faces. I knew they were members of the Governor's Council, the people whose main job is to nominate and oversee selections for major positions within the state government- specially the judges. He blew it, and he had to live with the outcome. He was finished as a judge in Massachusetts and likely living out his life as a tainted judge. Over in another room the initial judge who granted Ingrid custody was told his fate. The transcripts were clear, he overstepped his boundaries and ignored the rights of the children and their stepfather. What is more, he ignored legally binding documents in his ruling. His own words were used against him, which he could neither deny nor refute. Sean Beretta watched from behind the scenes as the judge was all but told to resign, leaving the bench in disgrace before word about what he did got out to the general public- it did get out and it wasn't pretty when Ricardo went after him on others' behalf. After he himself was told what happened James called Leslie and let her give Virgil the good news. He then drove to the daycare and had a happy Virgil ran into his arms giving him a big hug. He told Virgil, "It's over, I'm never letting you two go." Virgil happily asked, "Does this mean I can call you daddy?" which James nodded at. Virgil started to cry which caused James to cry. They walked hand and hand to the car as they drove to the middle school to await the last bell. Gabby Lawrence was the first to greet him and was barely able to contain her smile. Dan slapped his back telling me, "Better get ready. You will be lucky if she doesn't knock you over." As if on cue the doors opened and the kids flooded out. Sam looked around for Leslie but didn't see her. She saw Virgil and then saw James. She ran right at him, knocking him back as she jumped into his arms. Sam was starting to cry as she asked, "Did you win?" James nodded and said, "We have to go. There is someone who needs to meet you." Sam ran towards the car as James and Virgil followed behind. Rebecca and the others looked on, happy that things were working out for Sam and James. They were hopeful that this was the end of their troubles. In the hospital the kids had to be calmed down and quieted. They came into Tanya's room and hugged her deeply. Sam started crying yet again while Virgil held onto James' legs, afraid to get closer to Tanya's comatose body. Joshua knocked then slowly walked into the room. Sam looked up and got scared. Virgil clutched James tight hoping that the man wasn't there to take them away again. James motioned for him to sit as he told Sam, "This man is your grandfather Joshua. Your grandmother did a lot of bad things in the past that should have prevented her from even going near you but a lot of people who should have been told this were unaware of them or worse too lazy to look into them. He came to help and I want you three to get to know one another." Sam asked, "Is he OK with you being white? Grandma hated you for being white. I don't want to lose you again if he doesn't like you because you aren't black." Joshua smiled and told her, "If I was two very important people would be angry with me." He leaned down and showed her what he meant, an alabaster skinned woman and a light brown skinned lady in her late 20s." James told Sam softly, "That's your grandmother Peggy and Aunt Astrid. They know that your grandfather was going to help you and will want to meet you at some point." Sam looked up at him and had tears in her eyes. She asked quietly, "Does he know everything about me? I don't want to be around someone who doesn't want me to be a girl." Joshua nodded and said quietly, "I know about it and I don't care. I would rather have a happy and healthy granddaughter than a sad and suicidal grandson. Your dad made it clear that he loved you and that you needed to do this so I can't deny you what you need to do." He leaned down and took her hand. He looked in her eyes and said softly, "You look beautiful. You are becoming a stunning woman and will be even more beautiful than your mother." Sam hugged him deeply and started crying into his shoulder. Virgil didn't want to leave his mother's side. He kept an eye on Joshua but didn't move. Joshua understood, he was a stranger and nearly lost his father several times. The boy needed time to adjust to having a grandfather now. The family spent the next few hours together. Joshua said he wouldn't come by without James, he didn't want Tanya to become upset if she saw him there without James. James was fine with that, but insisted that he, Sam and Virgil spend some time together. The three spent weekends at Joshua's home. Joshua's wife and daughter were told about Sam's condition and seemed to either ignore it in her presence or not care. Virgil won their hearts right away, Sam took time to let them get close but started to accept that she had more family now. James' sister-in-law Astrid was glad to finally have more family. Joshua told her about Tanya long ago but she grew to believe she would never meet her. Her mother Peggy took to James quickly as a son, happy that Tanya found someone who loved her and got her out of the hell that Ingrid created. They were well off thanks to Joshua's hard work as a plumber and Peggy's work as a teacher. Hearing that James almost laughed but asked if he had heard of, "Lopez Contracting". He stopped in his tracks and gave him an odd look, asking, "How do you know Dan?" Sam popped in and said, "He's Rebecca's dad and Virgil goes to his wife's daycare center. They live across the street from us." Joshua almost lost it, smiling at the revelation. He told James, "Dan and I have been working for months on an apartment complex, he told me about Sam without telling me her name. I suspect those lawyers were none other than his new sister-in-law and mother and father-in-law." Sam and James both nodded. They let things settle for now, but they all knew that was the start of something great. Dan had outdone himself without even knowing it. Sam asked the obvious, "How did you find out about the case?" Joshua didn't want to reveal who told him but James did, telling her, "Sean Beretta called in a favor of Louis Reagan. Louis must have found the truth from his sources and got your grandfather to help." Joshua looked over at Sam and admitted, "Louis is my cousin. He kept an eye on your mom all of these years but couldn't do much when your grandmother was around. When he told me that your dad needed my help and why nothing short of the National Guard outside the courthouse could keep me away from helping your dad." Two weeks after the hearing Tanya started to come around. James held off telling her about her father and the custody battle until she was able to cope. Tanya received multiple visits from the Finns, Sean, and Dr. Samuels, all of whom tried hard to keep the bad news away from her. After three days James filled Tanya in on what happened since her coma, everything from her mother's visit to her room to her attempts to take the kids by force to the incident in the brokerage firm. The last thing he told her was about her father and what he did for him. She broke down crying at that, mistakenly believing he didn't care about her all those years. She had held out hope but her mother wore it down and eventually she gave up, falsely assuming that he didn't actually care. She came to terms with being wrong about Joshua then went over events again. She looked lovingly at James as he told her, "Yes I did quit my job for you. No I don't regret it, I'd do it again to preserve your honor. I do love you and the kids and would give up everything for you." Tanya started to cry. She said, "I love you too. The kids love you. Virgil won't stop calling you daddy. Nobody has ever stood up for me let alone given up millions of dollars for me." James smiled and said, "About that...I didn't give up a penny. They actually owed me several million dollars which my new partner invested and turned into $10 million. I'm better off now than I was before, thanks to you..and well Michael Finn. Just don't tell him that, John doesn't want him getting a swelled head." He then handed her a ring. She looked it over and said, "But we are already married. You don't have to do this for me." He shook his head in disgust saying, "That was in haste. We didn't have a proper wedding. One with friends and now with your father, stepmother, and sister." Tanya started crying again, saying, "Yes, yes, 1,000 times yes." He kissed her on the lips and hugged her. It was the real proposal that he needed to give to her, one that she deserved. Chapter 15 Tanya was finally released a week later. She was still weak but well enough to start taking care of the children again. James did most of the work, not wanting her to push herself too much. He treated her like a queen, caring for her every need while the kids helped with the housework. Her stepmother, correction her new mother, Peggy and her sister Astrid came over frequently to help. They were glad to do it, Tanya didn't have the heart to deny them a chance to be with the kids. She was extremely surprised that they were eager to get to know her as well, After years of only hearing second and third-hand information their interests were piqued. They were deeply sorry for ignoring her all those years and wanted to make amends for it. Tanya was more upset that she didn't see the truth, that her mom was truly an evil person who lied about her father and kept her away from the man who should have raised her and would have helped her when she needed it. Virgil was happy to have them over, he loved having more family. They were so good with him, he was bringing out their parental side that had been lacking in recent years. Astrid was a model aunt, doting on him to the point of spoiling him much to his mother's annoyance and joy. Virgil knew how to manipulate her and she gladly let him do it. James had to scold her several times getting big laughs from Peggy and Joshua. Tanya had to fight tears whenever she saw her sister with him, she looked so much like him that at times she could be mistaken for his mother. Sam was happy to be around them, and they were happy to have Sam be herself. She had grown taller and curvier and was starting to noticeably blossom up top which caught Tanya off guard when she saw just how large her breasts had become. She felt horrible that she missed so much of her change that it was almost like meeting her daughter for the first time again. She had finally accepted that her son was long gone. In his place was a young woman whom Tanya had never seen so happy before. She was beautiful, simply beautiful, and would have her male classmates drooling over her in the near future. Tanya didn't fully recover for another month. She spent a lot of time at the Lopez Daycare Center volunteering during their busier periods to help with the kids. She was good with children but her real talents lay with people. Tanya was a decent receptionist and was able to handle multiple tasks at once to the degree of being an expert. She was great with parents and handled just about all phone calls into the office while signing in and out the kids as they arrived and departed. Her time working as a hostess worked out well her, she never lost the skills despite being several years out of practice. Melanie said she saw a jewel and hired her to do the work full-time. The good news was the stress was manageable and she could keep an eye on Virgil and the kids. She naturally tried to decline but Virgil demanded that she take the job when he heard Melanie offer it. He was attempting to throw a tantrum while also trying not to burst into laughter as Tanya smiled at his sincerity. Melanie and Leslie refused to let her decline, they could see that she loved the job and the parents enjoyed talking with her. She was the reason that several changed daycare centers to Melanie's, Tanya's glowing reports about Melanie to the other parents outside the middle school got them talking which got them seeing the competition was only in it for the money whereas Melanie and Leslie were in it for the children. With Tanya in a good place finally Melanie had a suggestion that Tanya was embarrassed to have not thought of herself. Melanie suggested allowing James to adopt the kids making any further attempts by Ingrid pointless. James would be their father officially and legally, their biological father had already given up all rights and the two loved James as their father already. In her usual bit of timidity she tried to refuse, not wanting James to have a burden. Melanie wasted no time in saying, "Look at the Finns. John did this with Michael and Valerie did this with Jaimie. It worked out well for both, the kids are secure in never having to worry about having parents God forbid something happen to either one of them. After this whole mess Sam and Virgil need this." Tanya tried to say, "But will James want this?" Tanya honestly didn't know how he would react to the request. Both Melanie and Leslie laughed at the question, not meaning to offend Tanya but thinking that she was joking about it. Leslie pointed out, "He was the one who suggested that we bring it up. He is no fool, you wouldn't let him do it unless we helped you along. Just do it for them, he is their dad in every way except on paper and this just makes it official. He loves them, they love him. Just do it for all three of them." Tanya spent the next day taking out the proper paperwork. Anne and the Johnsons were there alongside her to ensure there were no hiccups. Back at the house James was called into the dining room and the four presented him with the documents with a big smile on their faces. James dug right in, reading and rereading every part of the document and asking me, "Is this what you really want?" as he prepared the final signature. Tanya smiled and said happily, "Yes." James stopped short of the final signature. He looked around and said, "I can't sign yet. Not without Sam and Virgil. As much as I want to I need to hear it from them first. They should have the final say before I put the final signature down." Anne, the Johnsons, and Tanya knew what he meant. This affected them and this would be permanent. He wanted to show them that he truly loved them and there was no turning back anymore. When he signed the forms he was going to be their dad. Tanya drove to the middle school and James drove to the daycare center to pick up the kids. James told Virgil he had something important he needed to do at home and needed him there to watch. Tanya told Sam there was something important that needed to happen at home and she had to come along fast. Tanya was smiling. The other parents were concerned but her smile showed it was something else. Rebecca quietly said, "Adoption papers" to which the others let the issue go. This was something they would wait to hear the news on, not wanting to spoil a special evening for the new family. At home Sam and Virgil were on pins and needles. They saw the others waiting for them outside and knew something was going on. James showed them the paperwork and asked them the important question, "These are forms to adopt you two as my own children. Your mother has given the blessing already and all of the forms are filled out but need three final signatures. I wanted to wait to sign mine until I heard from you two directly. Do you want this?" Sam grabbed the pen and signed. She didn't need to read it, she didn't need to say anything. She signed and that was enough for her. She immediately kissed James and hugged him tightly Virgil held his pen and tried to sign but only managed a small, "V" with a line next to it. It was good enough, there isn't anything more you could expect from a nearly four year old. Anne and Evelyn signed as witnesses. James hugged Sam and Virgil then signed his own signature. It was done. Due to the nature of the situation it would be expedited. James was going to officially be their father now and forever. Sam hugged James and called him, "Dad" for the first time. She had to go to her room to cry herself out as she started breaking down more. Virgil hugged Tanya, crying, "You gave me what I always wanted." Sam called her grandfather and told him what just happened. Joshua came over with Peggy and Astrid and the seven of them celebrated together, as a family. Both kids were hugging and smiling happily all evening, with Virgil sticking close to James' side throughout. Joshua and James had really hit things off well. Louis Reagan, Tanya's unknown cousin and unseen observer, smoothed their closeness. Louis told Joshua tales about Tanya and James from their childhood that had him laughing and making James cringe. Joshua loved hearing them, James showed how much he loved Tanya by enduring all of the torture and to which Joshua appreciated him doing that. Louis was happy that the family were finally all together and he could look at the family with pride. Tanya had tears in her eyes every time the three of them were together, it was like the past 14 years never happened. One month before the wedding Ingrid's trial started. She was facing kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, assault and battery, child abuse, child negligence, and a variety of other charges. The DA had petitioned the court and gotten the earlier dismissed charges reinstated making her face assault charges as well as the charges relating to the later serious charges. Joshua and Tanya were there for the whole trial. Ingrid was smug, she expected that she was going to get everything dismissed or at least get off with another slap on the wrist. The problem though was that the all three kidnapping attempts were caught on camera, with the third showing her dragging the kids down the street before the mob of angry neighbors stopped them. There was no way to get around the charges when there were dozens of witnesses to the third attempt, all willing to testify against her. Leslie, her aunt, and her uncle were unafraid to go at it with Ingrid's attorney. He tried to bring up Sam's gender issues to get the jury on his side but that backfired when the judge admonished him and threatened to have him removed as Ingrid's lawyer if he even attempt a stunt like that again. Sam's custody case still stung the judges in the county, nobody was going to make another mistake lest they too run afoul of the judicial conduct commission and Governor's Council. Ingrid's attorney tried every dirty trick in the book but Ingrid's own arrogance on the witness stand did her in. She openly stated she would beat the children if they didn't smarten up and listen to her and shut their traps about what happened to them. She admitted to trying to take the children multiple times to, "Keep them with family". Even worse were her remarks about why she wanted the kids in the first place, bluntly stating she, "Wanted to get them away from that that white boy and show my daughter who is really the boss of her." The jury scoffed at hearing all of her garbage. Her attorney couldn't save her from herself. The jury deliberated for less than an hour, not even trying to watch the videos again, only rehearing her testimony. She was found guilty on all charges. The judge took no pity on her, sentencing her to a minimum of 30 years in prison giving her a slim chance of getting out before she died. Joshua and Tanya left in silence. Ingrid was out of their lives for good. Sam and Virgil would never have to deal with her again, she couldn't hurt them anymore. After the whole custody battle ended Sam still endured the humiliation of the kids talking about her behind her back. But seeing who she had protecting her made most of those whispers go away after a day. The adoption was now a big topic for some reason. James was, "Different" than her but the kids didn't seem to get that he actually loved Sam and Virgil as his own children. Her friends closed ranks and bluntly set the biggest gossipers straight, asking them, "Are you racist? Because you must be if you can't see that her dad went through hell to try to keep Sam as his daughter. He didn't care about the color of her skin so why the hell should you. I'd expect nothing less from some of you, especially you, Rachel Murphy." Francesca added, "It would be a shame if your dirty secrets got out because you shoot your mouth off about someone's parents. You of all people should have the least to say, Rachel." That eased almost all of the rumors and gossip but a lot remained. The others just ignored it with Dorothy and Alice stepping in to shut down some of those who were vocal. Iris and Francesca helped Sam deal with a lot of the school drama. The three grew closer, Rebecca and Jessie were always there for her but Iris and Francesca and Sam had more in common overall. They told her all about Rachel Murphy, the biggest critic of Sam, and how they were in the same situation where people talked about them and mocked them because of Rachel until Rebecca and Jessie got the two in with the group and away from Rachel's influence. Rebecca liked the three being close, the two were part of the group but being so different they always felt like they were riding the coattails of the other four instead of being full members. Sam brought out the best in them and the other four girls were finally able to relate and understand them on a whole new level. They were all friends but they now had a deeper understanding of how Francesca and Iris thought and understood. Mrs. Eagleson and Dorothy kept a close eye on Sam during much of the next two months after the battle ended to see if she was alright. Even though she was back with James for good and Tanya was out of the hospital they wanted to ensure she wasn't having any after effects of Ingrid's torment. Mrs. Eagleson wasn't surprised that Sam's grades improved, she was however surprised that she had some disciplinary issues with talking with Rebecca and Jessie when she was lecturing in class. She kept apologizing and Mrs. Eagleson seemed to let them slide but when Tanya heard about it she made sure the three of them kept in order in class or face punishment for that. Melanie and Gabby broke down laughing as all three of them were told that they had to change diapers for the next two weeks to make up for their talking in class. DJ, Cat, and JD were all too happy to make sure their jobs were messy and smelly. Cat in particular enjoyed making Sam suffer, she made sure to save her best ones for when Sam was on duty- just like she did for Jaimie the year before. With all of the girls getting along Thomas was feeling like the odd man out until Rebecca and he finally stopped beating around the bush and kissed. Sam instigated it, asking Thomas, "Why do you two always act like you are friends when you are more than friends? Your crushes are clear, you like her and she likes you. Just stop fooling around and actually date." Her frankness prompted four of the other girls to do the same with other boys. Sam and Iris didn't try to. Iris was reluctant to do anything with boys yet while Sam was too new at being a girl and too much drama would come from asking out a boy. Besides she had bigger things to worry about, like the school's semi-formal that was coming up soon. Peggy, Tonya, and Astrid worked hard to prepare Sam for the dance. Rebecca gladly let them handle Sam's makeup and hair that night. She and the others wanted them to have as much bonding time as possible and this was something that they needed as much as Sam did. Rebecca was proud of their work, the girls each trying to hide their own pride hoping Rebecca didn't take it as an insult to her hard work. She set them straight, she loved it and was not afraid to say they did a better job than she could have done. Sam actually found a date for the dance and to her surprise he didn't make a fuss about her. He just wanted a good time and was kind to her about her whole situation. He honestly admitted that taking her was better than staying home alone. She smiled and said a simple, "I don't mind, I am just glad you asked me and are treating me better than the other boys are treating the girls." She danced with several boys and had a long dance with Thomas with Rebecca's blessing. He was a perfect gentleman, she was happy that Rebecca and he were finally together. Rebecca was the best friend you could ever want and he was the best boyfriend you could ever find. Thanks to James Sam had the best dress that evening, earning jealous looks from many of the girls and mothers. Rebecca tried to find one that was similar but decided to just let her have her moment, opting instead for a simpler design. Sam hugged her deeply, she said it was worth giving up the spotlight to see her reaction. The other girls agreed, they wore simpler dresses allowing Sam to be the most belle of the ball all on her own. The boys were practically drooling over her dress, it accentuated her natural beauty and newly forming curves filling out the dress in all of the right spots. It would have been scandalous had she had a bigger bust but for her small size it was perfect. Even Thomas leered a few times, making Sam smile and laugh and getting Thomas a quick elbow from Rebecca. She may be her friend but she draws the line at him drooling over her! Still, even Rebecca admitted Sam was a stunning beauty who was getting more beautiful by the day. Sam's 13th birthday came around in early May. James threw a big party in the backyard with all seven of her friends plus all 18 of the older kids and their parents plus Sean, DJ, and the twins. Peggy, Joshua, and Astrid were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who were there for Sam but quickly adjusted as they met each of them and connected with them.. Tanya and James tried hard not to laugh as they explained the whole concept of all of them together. Jaimie was the one that pointed out that they acted as one family, all in it together and helping out each other. Joshua seemed to understand, especially when Dr. Samuels, Valerie, and Anne introduced themselves formally. Joshua was in for a shock as Jorge came to the party with a big tray of food that he had cooked. He wasn't able to be there when Joshua testified so he didn't know that he was involved with the kids. The two old friends embraced and grinned as it was a fitting reunion for them. Dan told James about the two and got a big laugh as Joshua had unknowingly met most of the kids before without remembering that he did! Joshua just took it in stride, he knew the kids were great kids so it just sealed his faith that Sam was in good hands with them. The next week at Jaimie's birthday party up in the amusement park Sam got to wear a swimsuit for the first time. The girls helped pick out a two piece with a sarong that hid what Sam didn't want seen. The girls told her about the tradition and even though Sam had dark skin they would not let her out of wearing the traditional water shirt. Astrid drove some of the girls to the amusement park allowing Tanya and James some time alone. The girls kept a close eye on Sam and the boys did their best to show they were protecting her but thankfully for them all it wasn't needed. The kids went on a bunch of rides and got soaked many times on the water rides. Rebecca and Thomas kept close to each other with giggles from Stacy and Jaimie every time they were caught hold hands. The day turned into a huge party back at home with many visitors and guests. Sam tried to keep a low profile but Jaimie wouldn't let her leave her side. She wanted Sam to interact with everyone, it was her way of showing that she was truly part of the group. Even if it was her day she wouldn't let a friend fade into the background. After the party Jaimie and Sam spent a lot of time together. She helped Sam deal with the stares and snide comments, getting a good grasp on who was all talk and who was someone who could actually harm her. She understood Sam's fears, working with her to go around them and enjoy her life. She had a way that makes you understand and empower, she didn't know how she does it but she does. Epilogue Wedding planning took several weeks and many hours to finalize. The ladies had dress fittings and orders were placed for flowers, cakes, catering, and chair rentals. Peggy handled most of the planning, gushing every time someone mentioned the wedding as she loved mothering Tanya. Peggy thought she might never get the chance to plan a wedding for her daughter. She envisioned doing it for Astrid but the way she was so focused on her job as a paramedic that it was unlikely that she would ever settle down. Tanya gave her what she always wanted, with Tanya loving the opportunity to talk with her mother about just about anything especially once they found so much in common with one another. Sam suggested that the girls all wear matching dresses that were the same color as the bridesmaid dresses. Virgil did the same with the boys, who wore tuxedos that matched the groomsmen. Both boys and girls wore their special pendants, Peggy and Astrid chuckling at the tradition and loving that Sam was truly part of the group when she was given hers just before the wedding. Astrid worked with Valerie Finn on the bridal shower. Sam was disappointed that the ladies wanted to do something special for Tanya that Sam was too young for. The two were giggling every time they talked which got Sam more upset and jealous at being excluded. Rebecca had to explain what they probably wanted to do which got Sam blushing in shame and the whole group laughing. They made it up to Sam by booking reservations for makeovers before the wedding. She, her mother, aunt, and grandmother were treated like princesses for an afternoon and looking even more beautiful than before. Two weeks before the wedding the adoptions were finalized. Sam and Virgil petitioned for name changes to reflect their new father which was immediately granted. They were now Samantha York and Virgil York, daughter and son in name as well as by adoption. They were James' children in all ways. The wedding plans turned into a big event. Tanya wanted to keep it small but she underestimated the impact that being a member of the Finn clan would mean to the plans. There would be more guests than she realized just from the children's, her, and James' newfound friends. That was before she added in her father, sister, and mother. The wedding took place in a local function hall. Sam was the maid of honor alongside her aunt, Valerie Finn and Melanie Lopez. Virgil was the best man alongside John Finn, Dr. Samuels, and Dan Lopez, who held little DJ Lopez for the service. Cat Finn was the flower girl while her twin brother JD was the ring bearer. Sean Beretta gave Tanya away. Halfway down the aisle Sean stopped and handed Tanya off to her father with a hug and blessing. Sean whispered, "I may believe you to be the closest thing I have to a daughter but Joshua deserves to be the one to walk you down the aisle." Tanya shed a few tears, hugged him and took her father's hand and walked the rest of the way. At the reception after James couldn't help but toast Valerie and John for being the one to make it all happen. They helped Sam and James and was the true heads of the whole clan that James, Tanya, Sam, and Virgil were proud to now be part of. All of the attendees agreed. Valerie and John were the heads of the family, the best friend of all of them. He was the man who cared when nobody else did and she tried everything in her power to help everyone in need. They were the hope where there was no hope and the love that was missing. They were the Finns. The End.