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Chapter 1 Amy Lee looked over her classroom with jealousy. She was considered by all of classmates to be as one person pointed out "a bitch." Her classmates shied away from her, giggling and pointing whenever she walked by. Amy was an outcast. She didn't want to be but she was the victim of her own creation., one that she created to keep her darkest secret safe from others. Her mother had high hopes for Amy. She believed that she would grow up to be a famous model, actress, singer, and dancer with the right guidance. From an early age Amy was forced to take singing, dancing, and acting lessons, often multiple times in a week and one after another. She had little if any free time to herself and when not doing anything she was under constant vigil by her mother, making her practice and stretch. Amy was constantly in beauty pageants, spending most of her weekends on the road in one pageant or another across the region. She won many of them, with much of the proceeds supposedly going towards her expenses. Little was actually put towards their intended purpose, that of college. She knew that just enough was put away so that it looked like she was making an effort to provide for her future but really little was. Whatever was left over was spent by her mother on keeping herself looking pretty while Amy received nothing for her troubles. Amy got along well with the girls at the pageants and enjoyed talking with them and became friendly with several of them. They were like her in many ways but they were there by choice, Amy wasn't. She hated that her mother forced her to do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted and left her with nothing for troubles. She hated the pageants and tried hard to get out of them but her complaints never worked. Her mother's obsession with beauty pageants and Amy's looks carried over to school. Her mother wouldn't accept that she wanted to befriend the girls in her class let alone people she felt were, "Below" her. Amy had to refuse invitations to hang out after school from girls who wanted to befriend her and had to refuse an invitation to go to the first dance of the year from several of the boys, including her secret crush Oscar Pierce. He asked another girl and was refused on the spot. Eventually the girls stopped trying to get to know her. There was no point, Amy never reciprocated their offers of friendship. The kids interacted with her but slowly but surely one by one they just gave up trying to speak to her at all. She became isolated and if not for the other two outcasts, Al Samuels and Stephanie Rodriguez, she would have nobody to talk to. Stephanie was the daughter of the principal of the other middle school while Al is considered to be a transsexual even if she never actually wanted be a girl. Both were nice girls and felt that there was something going on with Amy that people didn't know about and Amy wasn't willing to share and neither knew how to broach the subject. Donald Lee, Amy's older brother, tried his hardest to keep Amy out of trouble but he could only do so much. In early April Amy had finally reached her breaking point and rather than go with her mother the next day to yet another hated beauty pageant she ran off, running away in the predawn hours to a place she knew to be empty for two months. She made sure to leave Donald a discrete note, telling him she would be alright and had saved up enough pocket money to buy a bus ticket and survive on her own. Donald knew otherwise. She was going to wait until their parents had calmed down and run away completely. He knew that she had a hiding place but didn't tell her that he knew. He decided to keep the secret to himself, but during school on Monday he was clearly not right. Ben Herman, his biology teacher and his girlfriend's father, confronted him about it. He was tight-lipped and wouldn't talk and despite his girlfriend Francesca trying to get it out of him he still remained silent. That lunch period he broke the news to Francesca that they had to break up. He didn't offer any reason, only telling her that it was best that she find someone else and to quickly forget about him. The others in their small group were stunned into silence but Donald got up and walked away. Rebecca Lopez, the de-facto leader of their group of freshmen, bluntly said, "Something is going on with him and he didn't break up with Francesca on his own accord. Someone is making him do it. Keep an eye on him, don't break off friendship until we know why he is doing this. And above all do not let on that you suspect something is wrong." Ben kept a close eye on Donald all week. By Wednesday Donald started to appear with bruises on his arms that he tried to hide and by Friday he had a broken arm that wasn't fully set. Ben couldn't hold off any longer and called in support, first to his friend Mark Sylvester then to the principal Jake Bollinger. Jake was deeply concerned. Donald was normally quiet but this was different. Donald refused to talk about what happened or why. Mark sensed that he was hiding something big but couldn't get him to tell them anything either. Donald was forced to talk with the school's psychologist for an hour before being allowed to return to class, but was kept a close eye on throughout the day. Over lunch Thomas Samuels, Al's older brother, mentioned that Al and Stephanie were upset over something in school. His friends' interests piqued as he told them about the girls thinking something happened to their friend. The others asked question after question getting concerned looks, something was going on and they didn't like it. Thomas admitted that they didn't say who it was but they were concerned about her. Donald immediately excused himself which caught both Thomas and Reed Pena's interest. Reed texted his dad and asked him to check out Donald's family. They made the connection immediately, but wanted confirmation. Francesca uttered something that none of them noticed, she said, "Amy's run away." After school Reed's father Willie gave Donald a ride home with Reed and his girlfriend Jessie Lawrence. They were met by Mark who knocked on the door and asked to speak with the family. Mr. and Mrs. Lee were outraged at the intrusion and refused to talk with Mark who kept insisting that they speak with him. Donald slipped away in the confusion while Willie tried to calm the situation. Jessie and Reed though saw him and followed. Both watched from afar as he carried a bag filled with food taken from the kitchen to a house both knew well. They waited and watched as he left the food in the back by the upstairs door, slipping away without anyone inside noticing. Reed texted his father and told him, "Ask about their daughter. Al said she is missing." Jessie texted Al and Stephanie to tell them that they knew where their friend was and to not worry as she was going to get help. Both walked back to the Lee home in time to listen to the Lees try to explain Donald's broken arm to Mark. Mr. Lee was adamant that he broke it roughhousing while Mrs. Lee claimed that he broke it falling down the stairs. Willie and Mark looked at one another and saw that they were the cause without saying it. Mark asked about the bruises on Donald to which both claimed to know nothing about marks on his arms and legs. Mark looked to Willie with a nod, then told them, "I never mentioned where they were, I only asked about them. But seeing as you just mentioned two places one of which we know about him having bruises and the other that we don't I am going to have to have to investigate this matter further." The Lees told them to leave but Willie grinned and freely told them, "You guys must really have no clue about your son's friends. You know that our children are friends with him and that we asked to talk to you about him due to his change in behavior but you really don't know what our jobs are, do you?" Willie showed his badge while Mark showed his Department of Children and Families identification. Both stated, "We aren't going anywhere." Mark added, "But Donald is. He is hereby placed into protective custody until such time as our investigation into possible abuse by both of you is completed. Further he will be given a medical examination under the watch of a guardian." Mr. Lee tried to grab at Mark but was pulled to the ground by Reed as Willie told him, "And now you are hereby placed under arrest for assault on a public official." Mrs. Lee smacked Willie telling him, "I'll have your badge! Do you have any idea who you are messing with?" Willie grinned and told her bluntly, "Someone who is hereby placed under arrest for assault on a police officer." Mark then told the duo, "I don't know where your daughter is but I can guarantee that we will talk with her about your actions towards her. Her absence in school did not go unnoticed was was about to be reported to authorities and we know that your son is aware of where she is staying. Additional charges will be filed against you for neglect in additional to the abuse against your son." Willie called in for a cruiser, getting two to show up with a third patrolling close by in case it was needed. Officer Ian Bailey was the first to respond and seeing his chief with a red mark immediately took out his camera and told him to stand still while he documented it. Jessie added that she had the assaults on video to which she copied and then sent one to Willie on his phone to have it downloaded. Ian looked over at Donald and gave a look of disgust towards the Lees. He wasn't too light with his handling of them but didn't cross the line into hurting them or doing something that would harm his career. Inside the cruiser he informed Mr. Lee, "Out of all of the people you could have pissed off, Chief Pena is the last one to do so to. Enjoy your stay at Nashua Street Jail, I am sure they are going to enjoy having both of you as guests until Monday." Mark called his office and notified them about the investigation into the Lees. He then asked for the list of people who could host two children. The list was short and unfortunately none were able to host right away. Jessie saw the look in Mark's eyes and called her mother for help. Gabby Lawrence had never considered being a foster mother before but Mark was desperate to keep Donald away from the group homes especially given his broken arm. Gabby looked over at her daughter Courtney who was listening closely and giving her a pleading look, she asked her mom through tears, "You know how to deal with boys and we have the room." Gabby reluctantly agreed, telling them she would get their rooms ready. Jessie asked about his sister getting a soft, "She's asleep. She won't come out until well past nightfall and the people downstairs are asleep." Mark asked where she was staying getting a quick, "Above grandma and grandpa" from Reed." Donald looked at both of them in shock. Reed told him, "We followed you." Mark called Victoria and Jorge Castillo and told them what was going on and why. He also told them, "I'm calling in Al to help. She and Stephanie should be able to get her to go with us." Al's father Richard answered for her. Mark explained the situation and after waiting for him to stop talking told Mark warmly, "Oh thank goodness. She will go and I'll go with you to the hospital for the examinations. I don't trust them to give them after what happened to Al. They'd give her a quick onceover and ignore a serious problem right in front of their faces." 20 minutes later the two groups merged as Victoria unlocked the door while Al went in alone. After 15 tense minutes Al came out with a visibly crying Amy, telling her father and Mark, "What the hell did they do to her? She's skin and bones under her jacket! Geeze she was always skinny but this is ridiculous!" Amy didn't say anything, she was frightened of what was going to happen to her. Mark asked the others to give her some privacy while telling Al to stay put. Mark led the girls inside and sat them down on a couch, letting Al hold Amy's hand to comfort her. Mark asked softly, "Did you run away Saturday morning?" Amy nodded, saying, "Friday night after my mom and dad went to bed." Mark turned to Al who whispered, "He won't let anything happen to you, you can tell him everything." Amy shed another tear, telling him, "I couldn't take it anymore. Mom kept telling me that I had to win the next pageant or she was cutting off my allowance. She told me she was taking me to easier pickings up in Maine and Vermont, she didn't care that it took hours to get there or how early I had to wake up so long as I won." Mark asked about her slim body. Amy softly mumbled, "She said I was getting fat. She put me on a restricted diet and told me not to eat anything in school. She said it was fine because she talked with my doctor and an expert about it. I know she didn't do that but she said I was getting too fat for my own good and I had to do what she said or she'd make me." Mark asked about why she chose this building. She sighed and admitted, "I'd walk past here coming to and from school and never saw anyone come in or out. I climbed the back stairs and went in through the window and unlocked the door then re-locked it so nobody would notice it was open." Al asked her to tell him more. Mark gave her an odd look but Amy continued, "I left after the first night but kept having to duck away when cruisers drove by. I didn't want to get stopped so I went back. I found a blanket and pillows on the floor near the heater in the living room. The next night I tried to get away I came back and there was some food one the floor." Al smirked as she told Mark, "They knew all along. They didn't say anything." Mark nodded and told Amy warmly, "Jorge and Victoria had to have heard you, any footsteps up the back stairs are heard. They must have seen you asleep and waited for you to leave before leaving you those things. You may be skinny and light but you were heard." Mark finally sighed and informed her, "Due to your parents' actions towards Willie and myself they will be held in jail until Monday. I am starting an immediate investigation into them and until such time as I am satisfied that you are both safe I am not allowing either of you to return to their care." Amy started to cry but Al added, "You are going home with Jessie. Her mom is going to take care of you. She is smart and knows how to handle boys and girls, you will like it there." Mark led them out and drove the duo to the hospital after dropping off Al. Jessie went home with Willie and Reed to ensure that they had a room each before heading back to the Lee home to get clothing for both. Willie phoned ahead and had help waiting as Jake stood outside with Willie's wife Kennedy holding several bags and boxes, ready to get everything they would need for at least three weeks. Kennedy felt terrible over the entire situation. She hated families who would put their own kids at risk for no reason except their own vanity. Jake felt disgusted with himself that he and Ben hadn't stepped in sooner. Both were told that the kids were now safe and their parents locked up which was more important than feeling self pity over the situation. Kennedy looked over Amy's things and immediately saw that the poor girl was not happy in any of the pictures plastered across the living room. In her room it was even worse, she didn't have much of anything personal on the walls and the trinkets scattered throughout the room were haphazardly placed as if to appease someone rather than placement with care. There was no TV, no radio, and nothing that could be viewed as entertainment. She found Amy's schoolbooks and looking inside she got a picture of a girl who had little passion and gave the least amount of effort. She took clear notes but her writing assignments were barely passing with notes of consistent "You can do better" scattered throughout. Her diary was found hidden under her mattress and in it she is clearly depressed to the point that Kennedy was honestly scared for her. Kennedy texted Mark to inform him that she needed counseling for depression ASAP if Gabby didn't notice her improving over the weekend. Mark sent back an acknowledgment saying he'd talk it over with her lawyer in the morning. Kennedy left with multiple bags of clothes and underwear. She was shocked to not find any sort of bras especially for a 12 year old girl, but realized it must have been due to being malnourished. This was another thing to add to the list of issues against the parents, the poor girl was being kept from becoming a young woman by her mistreatment. Kennedy peeked into what was clearly Donald's room and found Jake trying hard not to punch a wall. He showed a journal that Donald kept and in it Donald had chronicled the months of harassment and attempts to break up Donald and Francesca. Kennedy had to console him, it was the first time that he had directly experienced such abuse against a student of his and it was worse as he was close to one of their own. Even when Reed was found abandoned over a year before he hadn't had this kind of reaction. Willie was shown the diary and Journal and agreed that they should be held onto by Mark. The two grabbed last minute items inside the house then locked up, with Willie handing the keys over to Mark when he met him at the hospital. As he left Willie boldly told Mark, "The way Jake was acting if those two get away with what they did to their children we might be looking at a double homicide. He is beyond pissed and I honestly can't blame him." Mark nodded his head in agreement, silently agreeing with Willie about wanting to kill them himself if they got off. As Willie, Jake, and Kennedy were getting their clothes and personal items Mark and Richard were with Donald and Amy at the hospital. Richard gave the lowdown to the resident on duty and got the utmost care for the two kids. Mark ensured that everything was documented as well as ensured that Richard received copies for safekeeping. Amy was examined by the resident with a female nurse standing by observing as required by policy. He saw that she was both malnourished and underweight by at least 20 pounds. He saw that she had breasts developing but the fat deposits weren't what the amount that they should be, almost as it they weren't there at all. Amy was a tall girl with a lankly build like her brother. Even though her mother and father were skinny she was still underweight for someone her age, height, and build. There was no excuse for her being so gaunt, the only reason for her being that way was lack of food which her family could easily afford and her brother clearly had been receiving a proper amount of. He checked out her feet and from the look of them he grew angered as she had clearly been overworking to the point of her toes and metatarsals showing signs of stress fractures that had improperly healed. He ordered X- rays of both feet and asked the nurse to immediately show him the results. The initial examination over the doctor asked about her period which got a tear and terse, "I had one once, mom said I had to lose weight to make sure I didn't have another one. She was pissed that I had one so young, dad said I was getting too old too fast and she had to do something about it." The doctor sighed and told her, "They don't deserve to call themselves parents, that's something to celebrate not get angry about." The doctor had to steel himself then told her, "I examined your feet based on suspicions of you having hidden injuries. You are walking a little oddly, as if your feet are in pain. It took me a few minutes but I recognized you. My daughter competed against you once in a pageant so I know you dance, that's why I checked out your feet. It's remarkable that you have lived with the pain in your feet for so long. I believe that you may have grown accustomed to the pain but it's not right. I am ordering X- rays so we can have proof that you were denied proper medical care and they ignored injuries that could potentially disable you." He paused then continued, "Developing breasts and having had your first monthly it's clear that you are in the throes of puberty and it is being hampered by your parents' actions. You are well behind where you should be, in fact I dare say that their starving of you was almost at the point of being dangerous. If this had gone for much longer you may have been made infertile or even suffered serious medical problems if not outright died from their actions." The doctor sighed and told her warmly, "I am going to tell Dr. Samuels to prescribe a special diet to get you up to proper weight. You are precluded from physical education for at least a month. You are also prevented from taking any of the dance classes that your mother had you taking until your feet heal completely and even then you are limited to one, maybe two classes per week at the most." Amy grinned at him, happy to finally be done with dancing for a while. She enjoyed it but it was just too much pressure on her by her mother and she always hurt after classes. She left with the nurse heading off to the X-ray room and returned within minutes. He was right and there were some cracks that needed to heal but thankfully no complete breaks. The doctor informed Richard who received a nod from Mark. Mark then added, "We are hitting pay dirt this evening. We have confirmation that she is both neglectful and abusive in her care." Donald was then examined and it took the doctor all of two minutes to inform Mark, "He needs an x-ray and even without fully seeing the break I can tell that he needs immediate surgery, the break is clear and unfortunately is complete. Whomever fixed his arm did it poorly, he should be in a cast not just a sling. He is just like his sister, he has a high pain tolerance but eventually this break was going to cause him serious blood and muscle problems." Mark asked about the bruises. The doctor grinned and proudly stated, "The bruises are consistent with physical abuse, the person who did it had a firm grip and big hands. The ones on his legs are consistent with being dragged, I believe the person who did it is the same person. I would hazard a guess but it had to have been his father, his mother's hands simply aren't big enough to cause those size bruises." Mark looked at the pictures of the bruises and agreed. Mark made notes of everything then copied everything he had to a secure server before printing off two copies of the report. Mark followed through and made a call to Ricardo Ramirez and asked that he take on Donald as his client. Once Ricardo agreed Mark then called Valerie Finn and asked her to be Amy's lawyer as Ricardo was too close to Amy due to Stephanie being his niece. Valerie knew this was coming and agreed, but added that her parents would be better fits due to her relationship to him. A quick call to Joseph Johnson got them rolling as Joseph planned to investigate fully Amy's circumstances but Valerie having only an indirect relationship was still Donald's lawyer despite knowing him through Francesca. Mark grinned, the Lees were now toast in his eyes. Mark was handed the paperwork for the surgery but delayed it to wait for Gabby Lawrence to arrive. When she came in she was with both of her daughters, both of whom demanded an update. Mark handed Gabby the paperwork to sign giving her temporary custody of Donald and Amy then had her sign the hospital's paperwork to allow Donald to undergo surgery. She did so quickly as both girls gasped in shock. Donald was wheeled up to an operating room while Gabby waited in a family room for him to come out. She sent Jessie and Courtney home with Amy, informing both of them to ensure that she ate and drank what Richard told her to eat and drink. Both complied with Amy silently following them out with Mark in close proximity. At their home the girls helped get Amy situated in her new room. Al came over to check in on her and was quickly embraced, with Amy thanking her profusely as she cried into Al's shoulder. Al hugged her back, telling her, "We kids need to stick together." Courtney left to pick up food leaving Jessie in charge. Jake stopped by to do his own checkup dragging his son Will with him. Amy didn't know how to react, until Jessie told her, "Don't worry about him, he's housebroken. I'd say we get him fixed but Claire wouldn't allow that." Amy started giggling as Will gave her a glare, adding, "You know you love me. Who else would you get to do all of your dirtywork? Michael is too smart and you only ever make out with Reed." Al groaned and told her, "Ignore my cousin, we think he was dropped on his head when he was a baby." Amy quietly asked, "What do you mean your cousin? Are you related to him?" Al nodded, telling her, "He is mom's nephew, his mom is my mom's sister. His dad is Courtney and Jessie's uncle. We are both related to him but not directly related to each other." Al led her to her room and sat her down on the bed. She closed the door and told her, "Stephanie is worried about you as well. Her mom was going to call Uncle Mark to check on you but Donald canceled all of that. Despite what you might think we like you, you never made fun of us and you were a good partner in school. Your foster mother is going to ensure you are alright and won't let you slack off in school." Amy was nearly in tears but Al added, "Principal Vega knows what happened to you already. If you aren't up to going to school on Monday she won't hold it against you." Amy asked how she knew, Al smirked and blurted out, "Your lawyer told her. Aunt Valerie lives directly behind her. Plus her nephew is married to Principal Vega's daughter so things get around to her one way or another." Courtney knocked on the door and announced it was dinnertime. Amy was told to sit and eat everything as well as drink her milkshake. Amy looked over the cheeseburgers and french fries and couldn't believe she was supposed to eat them. Courtney shook her head and informed her, "Uncle Richard told us to get you that. It's supposed to help you gain weight. I know your mom wouldn't let you touch this food but it is important that you eat what you are told to eat so you can get some weight on you." Amy reluctantly dug into the food. Almost as soon as the cheeseburger hit her mouth she devoured it. She was told to slow down several times but eventually she ate everything and was full. Will tried to crack a joke but Al told him if he said one word she'd shove the shake cup down his throat and ensure he ate through a straw for a year. He immediately told her, "Remind me never to piss you off." Amy looked up in shock but Al just grinned as Will backed away from them. Looking at the time Al called her mom to pick her up. Olivia Samuels came inside and taking one look at Amy asked Courtney to make sure she ate everything for breakfast. She then sat Amy down and told her authoritatively, "These girls are going to ensure that you eat everything. Don't fight them on this, and don't think you have to do it because they force you to. They are following my husband's orders and would be in serious trouble with their mother if they didn't make you do what he ordered." Amy solemnly told her she'd do as she was asked. Al hugged her goodbye, telling her, "We will be over tomorrow, we have work to do for school and you know how Ms. Shriner is." Amy smiled as she left, Olivia silently mouthing, "Keep an eye on her" to Jessie and Courtney. Over at the hospital, Donald's x-ray results showed that the break required a plate and several screws to be inserted. The surgery took two hours but thankfully for Donald he would be alright in six to eight weeks and would have full mobility in about two weeks. Gabby spent the night with him as he recovered, informing Jake who opted to stay at her house to keep an eye on the girls. In the morning Donald wasn't too happy to be wearing a cast and even less happy to know that he would have a scar on his arm. Luckily for him they were able to hide the scar on the underside of his arm so it wasn't readily visible. The nurses kept a close eye on him and ensured that he ate his breakfast while Gabby finished signing his discharge papers, with the nurses assuring him that he was going to be alright after the traumatic afternoon and evening. Gabby finally showed herself to Donald. He knew her from his double dates with Jessie and Reed but never had the chance to talk to her. She sat down beside him and told him warmly, "I'm your new foster mother. Yes Francesca and the others know about what happened and no they will not do anything about it. There are too many of us who have lived through this before, like Reed. They are the best people to help you through this and won't let you go through this alone." Donald solemnly asked, "What will happen to us?" Gabby smiled and proudly told him, "You are going to live with Courtney, Jessie, and myself. I can't guarantee that it will feel like home for you but we will try to make the both of you comfortable. Most of your clothes and personal items are already waiting for you as is your sister. She spent last night with the girls and my brother Jake. Later today you will meet your lawyer, don't worry about what he is charging as this is a special case to him. He is vicious when it comes to abuse especially against children." Gabby silently waited with Donald for the doctor to check him over and give his all clear. The nurse told him about proper care for his cast as well as showed him how to put on the plastic sleeve so he could wash himself. Donald felt embarrassed to have to talk about that in front of Gabby but she showed not emotion, instead watching closely and ensuring that he understood what to do. She softly told him that she would help him, getting a deep blush from him but understanding that she meant well. After finally getting the discharge papers and the once-over from the doctor the two went to Ricardo's apartment where Ricardo introduced himself to Donald and started to ask about Donald's parents and what they did to him. Gabby encouraged him to tell him everything he could, the boy saw that she was concerned about him so he complied. Donald explained, "Ever since Francesca agreed to go out with me dad has been trying to split us up. He keeps saying that I am not good enough for her and that she needs a real man. He keeps trying to ruin my homework to get my grades lowered or get me to react so that I'd get punished and have to cancel the dates. Mr. Finn, Mr. Beretta, and Mr. Herman told him to stop trying to ruin my homework but he ignored them so they let me email it to them instead of writing it out." Ricardo looked over towards Gabby who nodded, adding, "Jake has told them that if they continued to try to interfere with his work that he would take action against them." Donald nodded, adding, "Dad said he would make sure that someone showed me just how much of a man I wasn't. The guy who tried to do that ended up with a broke arm from Eric Vincent flipping him onto his side when he was punching me." Ricardo smirked, telling him, "Eric is my fiance's son and I remember that incident well. He was twice your size and he started saying that your father was behind the incident as soon as it was clear that Eric was going to protect you. Your father threatened to sue his family for slander but they showed that your dad had actually given money to your assailant to assault you, he barely got away from prosecution for criminal conspiracy as the boy's family recanted. We suspect they were paid off by your dad." Donald sighed and started to confess, "Dad has been disappointed in me for years. We moved away from my old home because I was getting hurt every day from dad making me workout because the other boys said I was gay or a girl because I was so slim and weak. Dad tried to toughen me up but I could never put on weight nor gain any muscle mass. He finally stopped when the doctors started to look into why my arms and legs had marks from where the weight sets fell on me from his forced weightlifting." Ricardo seized on this and asked for the name of the doctor and where he was located. He grinned and proudly told him, "Your dad made a mistake, rushing you away like that won't make the concerns go away especially as it was documented that you had those injuries. I'll call him and ask for copies of your medical records and get a statement regarding his concerns, it is starting to appear that a pattern of abuse developed and until yesterday it went unstopped. He crossed a line he couldn't wiggle out of when he went after Willie and Mark." Ricardo then asked about the current injuries, that of the bruises and broken arm. Donald sighed and told him, "When Amy ran off mom and dad blamed me for not stopping her. Dad dragged me out of bed by my legs then grabbed my arms flinging me around. He did it all week until Thursday night when my arm snapped. Dad blamed me for it and told me that if I told anyone what happened he would beam me until I couldn't speak again." Gabby's anger was steadily rising but she kept her cool. Ricardo asked him sharply, "Why did you keep your sister's secret?" Donald looked him in the eyes and told him, "She is being hurt much worse than I am, she is starving and they won't stop thinking that they know what they are doing. We were taught in school about undernourishment and she is like the kids in the books and websites. Mom thought she was getting fat but it was bloating that we saw online of kids starving. She needed to get away, even if it meant going to another city. I had to protect her from them until I knew she was safe." Gabby looked at Ricardo who indicated he was done. Ricardo sighed and told the two, "They are getting nailed for their crimes and I am going to ensure that Donald never has to see them again. You know why I can't represent Amy but she is in better hands than if I represented her. Valerie and her parents won't rest until your parents are in prison and even then they will ensure that they have nothing left to their name." Gabby thanked him for his time and led Donald away. Donald asked, "I thought Eric only had a dad?" Gabby stopped him and told him warmly, "He does, he and Ricardo are gay and they are getting married this summer once the family comes back from England. Is that going to be a problem for you?" Donald had a big smile as he announced, "Dad is a big homophobe. Ricardo is the perfect person to take him down. I just hope that he can handle the homophobes that they will hire to represent them in court." Gabby grinned and assured him, "Ricardo has dealt with worse. He won't be alone either, your sister's lawyer is tough as nails and will not let anyone bully Ricardo and if they try to make an issue of his being gay they will find themselves before the state bar association on ethics charges not to mention a civil suit." Donald looked down and asked, "Why isn't Ricardo representing Amy?" Gabby was honest in admitting, "He is Stephanie Rodriguez's uncle. We felt that it might be a better idea to have Valerie Finn and her parents represent her instead just in case an issue was made over Stephanie being related to him." Donald mumbled softly, "She isn't friends with anyone named Stephanie." Gabby shook her head and proclaimed, "She may think that's true but it isn't. She is friendly with them and Stephanie won't let her ignore her nor Al Samuels anymore. They care about her even if she didn't see it. And before you say otherwise that came directly from the girls themselves." Chapter 2 As Donald was getting ready to leave the hospital Courtney and Jessie were ensuring that Amy was up and ready for the day. The duo helped her shower and change, then made sure she ate her breakfast. Jake was still there and cooked for the four while Amy showered. Courtney had to bite her tongue hard to keep from saying something about Amy's skinny frame. She was beautiful, but she was all bones and what little fat she had was diminishing. Jessie didn't avert her gaze and was visibly showing that she was angry, grumbling under her breathe, "Pure scum for daring to call themselves parents." Amy felt relieved that the girls were actually concerned about her and angry at her parents, not disgusted and pitying her. When Amy finally got dressed and left her bedroom the food was laid out for her. Jake informed her that she had to eat everything and if she wanted more all she had to do was ask. She was reluctant but she complied, eating the eggs and bacon and toast as well as the smoothie that Courtney noisily made and Jessie demanded some of. Al and Stephanie came by just after Jake cleared the table, bringing with them homework so the three could work together. Jessie and Courtney took the cue to head to their rooms and give the girls some privacy. Jake looked at his phone and told the girls, "Valerie should be over soon, your mom may be a while depending on how much Donald is able to tell his lawyer." Stephanie blurted out, "He's going to court on Monday. He is not happy." Amy asked what she meant, getting a smile and, "He hates people who hurt kids especially ones he knows of if only by reputation. He said your lawyer is just as rough as him if not rougher. He was smiling when he said that so she must be dangerous to your parents" Jake snorted his coffee, Courtney let out a quick, "Not her!" Jake nodded, to which Courtney sighed and asked, "Does this mean I can't see Michael until this is all over?" Jake shook his head, telling her, "It means that Valerie is going to do what she always does. Ricardo declined to have Amy as a client because of Amy's existing connection to Stephanie, but Valerie has never met Amy and neither has Michael. Both have met Donald though, but Donald hadn't met Ricardo. It should be alright but if need be Joseph and Evelyn will take over for Valerie." Amy asked what this was all about. Stephanie chimed in, "Mrs. Finn is your lawyer and her son Michael is dating Courtney. Donald knows them through Francesca, just as Uncle Ricardo knows you through me. He never met you but he knows all about you. I am sorry but I talked with mom and him about you before. She was concerned about you and was going to do something but you never showed any signs of problems before Friday except being reclusive." The girls got to work as Michael texted Courtney and Reed texted Jessie. The three girls look at the teens and whispered about them always texting and giggling. They were so busy working that they never noticed that two hours had flown past and Gabby entering with Donald. Gabby showed him up to his room while Courtney and Jessie tried to drill him for information. Gabby's scold told them to back off or else, but both still eagerly awaited information. Donald tried to ignore them and look over his things while the girls stood close by with the duo eventually getting the message as he checked over his school bag. Gabby sat down with a loud sigh which caught the girls' attention. Amy looked over scared but Al grinned while Stephanie asked, "Is Uncle Ricardo going to rip them a new one? He was angry last night when he got the phone call." Gabby sighed again and told the girls, "That's between Donald and Ricardo. Ricardo can't tell anyone and I won't. If Donald wants to tell you what he told Ricardo then that is his choice, so please don't press him. And Amy, Valerie will be coming over after lunch. She will be with you while I am there but I won't say or do anything to encourage you to speak and only intervene if things get too uncomfortable for you. She won't let things reach that level but just in case I'll be there with you." Gabby encouraged the girls to get back to work getting nods from all of them. Amy kept glancing over at Gabby and noticed that she was tired and falling asleep. Al whispered to her, "She was with Donald all night, mom said it's tough to sleep in the hospital even on one of the pullout sofas." Upstairs Courtney and Jessie came into Donald's room just as he was putting his clothes into piles. They started to put the clothes into drawers for him, not letting him say anything to the contrary to stop them. Jessie then told him, "You need to text or call Francesca, she is worried sick about you. Don't still try to claim that you and her are done, you care about her and she cares about you and neither of you wanted your relationship to end." Donald sat on the bed with his hand in his face as he told them, "Dad mad me do it. He said if I didn't do it on Monday that he'd have someone hurt her. I couldn't let him hurt her and make me take the blame." Jessie smirked, telling him warmly, "That's what we thought. He wouldn't have succeeded, nobody would have gotten near her enough to hurt her without ending up like that boy who had his arm broken by Eric. Call her please, she needs to hear from you. She knows that you were in the hospital and has been waiting for any word, we didn't have the heart to tell her for you." Courtney sat next to him and warmly asked him what really happened to him. He retold the events of the past week and why they happened. Both girls were sickened by what they were told. Courtney gave Jessie a pissed off look that told her that they weren't going to let anyone hurt him or his sister again, until they were moved elsewhere if that ever happen at all. Donald and Amy were family and nobody messed with their family. Donald felt lightheaded so he laid down to sleep. Courtney and Jessie helped him into bed then paid a blanket over him, watching as he fell asleep. Jessie did what Donald had been unable to do, she called Francesca and asked her to come over later, explaining little but telling her, "He was going to call you but he is still recovering from what happened." She didn't elaborate but Francesca told her, "I'll let him tell me himself. I know he would have broken up with me without a good reason. I still like him a lot, even if he has feelings for others I am not going to rush into something with someone else." Jessie had to bite her tongue over that. Courtney saw her reaction and nodded to her for keeping silent. Courtney got the phone and told her warmly, "He's asleep now but once Aunt Valerie is finished I think you should come by just to give him some peace of mind over staying here. You can ride in with Reed if Aunt Kennedy is alright with that." The duo went downstairs to check on the girls only to see them still working hard. Their mother was asleep on the couch, with a blanket draped over her and a pillow under her head. Al saw them and pointed at Amy signaling it was she who had placed both out for Gabby's comfort. Courtney started to get things together for lunch while Jessie checked on their work. The girls were actually finished but were helping Amy get caught up with her missed assignments. Jessie had to hide her grin as she could see Al and Stephanie trying their hardest to be friends with Amy, and looking at Amy's expression she was happy to let them do it. It reminded her of Rebecca trying hard to befriend her four years before. It didn't take long for the girls to exhaust Amy's work and started looking for something else to do. Amy was concerned as she never had any free time for herself so actually being done with schoolwork and not having anywhere to go or some practice or recital to attend was alien to her. Al took the lead and suggest that they go up to her room for a bit while Gabby slept. Both Courtney and Jessie kept silently out of the way while the girls left. When they were upstairs Courtney spoke first, "She looked like she had no idea what to do. She followed whatever they told her to do like she didn't have a will of her own." Jessie silently nodded, herself thinking the same. When she found her voice Jessie added, "She needs someone to talk to, you better tell Rick and Thomas to get Al to talk with her more. She should open up to her more than anyone else." Gabby started to stir and looked for the girls. Jessie called out, "They are upstairs in Amy's room. They finished their work and got Amy caught up with what she missed during the week." Courtney added, "And Amy was the one who put the blanket and pillow on you. Don't ask us why, we were upstairs with Donald when she did it." She asked about Donald with Jessie giving her a soft, "He's asleep. He was feeling lightheaded and went down quickly. He is getting a visit from Francesca later so don't be upset if she comes by looking for him, she is really concerned and just wants an explanation about why he broke up with her and what happened this past week. And no I didn't tell her anything, it's not my place to do so." Gabby started to get up and get ready to prepare lunch only to see that Jessie and Courtney had taken care of it. She smiled at the two but didn't say anything. She asked when Jake had left, getting a grin and quick, "After the girls came. He said he didn't want to be stuck in a house full of girls." Gabby went upstairs to check on the girls, seeing them going over Amy's wardrobe and listening to them talk about what she had and needed. Al's comments were the harshest, telling her, "These dresses make you look like something Daisy and Faith would wear! You need a new wardrobe. You are 12, not 6." Stephanie snickered, informing her, "congratulations, you passed another womanhood milestone. Mom said when you start to critique what other girls are wearing you have finally gone over to the girl's side. There's no doubt about it, you are as vicious as the rest of us girls!" Al stuck out her tongue but smiled. Amy carefully asked her, "Are you alright being a girl now? It's been four months but it's still horrible." Al sat her down and hugged her, then told her, "I have been fine for months. I'm a girl, I can't go back, and I don't want to go back. I see things from the other side and I don't like what I see. I don't like what I would have become and I doubt I would have had a good life since the accident if I was still the skinny, weak boy. I won't have a period or have babies but many women can't. I am a girl now and I am happy being a girl." Amy hugged her, tearfully telling her, "Why are you two being so nice to me? I ignored you all year and you could have done what everyone else was doing but you didn't. Why?" Al drew a sharp breath then authoritatively told her, "We aren't like the others in class. We know what it is like to be all alone and need someone to help. Stephanie helped me, now we are helping you. You need friends and we want to be them. The hell with the others, they don't matter. You do." Stephanie hugged Amy as well and said a proud, "Screw them. They would stab each other in the back to get ahead in popularity. They aren't real friends and they aren't people that you would want to be friends with. We like you, we always have. You need us and we aren't going to let you suffer alone. We loners need to stick together. If we are going to be alone then we are going to be alone together." Gabby smiled brightly at the girls' comments. She had to fight the urge to say something, instead knocking on the door and announcing that lunch was ready. The girls went downstairs quickly but Amy was stopped by Gabby who embraced her tightly in a hug. Amy hugged her back, not saying anything but tears in her eyes signifying that Gabby was right, she needed a hug from her to show that everything was alright and she wasn't upset at being her foster mother. Gabby looked in on Donald and saw him starting to stir. She shook him awake, telling him it was time for lunch. He looked like he was scared but when he realized where he was he relaxed and tried to apologize for falling asleep. Gabby shook her head and calmly told him, "The doctor warned you to take things easy and rest, you were just doing what he told you to do. I'll be right back with some medicine for your headache and dizziness then come downstairs and eat lunch." Lunch was quiet as the girls and Donald ate in silence. Gabby made sure that Amy ate everything on her plate completely and gave her more when she was done. The portions weren't large but the high fat, protein, and starch content was exactly what she needed. Gabby could see that Amy was enjoying the meal and looking over at the others as she ate, sensing that they didn't care about looks or weight only that they were eating something that they enjoyed. As expected Valerie came over just after lunch was finished and Gabby was cleaning up. Amy and the girls were looking over what kind of clothes would be fine for Amy to wear while Donald tried to work on his homework with Jessie serving as his scribe. After speaking with Valerie Gabby informed Donald that Jake had made arrangements for him so that he wouldn't fall behind in his classes due to the cast, with Jessie adding, "Uncle Ben and Uncle John are already saying you can take your tests orally so don't worry about it." Valerie asked to speak with Donald alone which the others granted. After closing the door she hugged him tight, telling him he was foolish to put up with the abuse for so long. He tried to say something but she quieted him, telling him, "We would have helped you. It's Ben and John's jobs to help you students. John is furious at your parents and disappointed in you for not trusting them to do what is right." He had to fight back tears but honestly told her, "I did it to stop them from hurting Amy. I don't care if they feel bad or are disappointed in me, as long as she was safe then so be it. I don't want to disturb any of you. You are all so close and I'm just some random person who only knows you through getting lucky enough to have Francesca accept my request for a date. I am sorry if I caused any of you any problems, I won't do that again." Valerie realized this was Iris all over again. The same feelings of inadequacy and isolation among the group. She hated how close they were at times but she understood why he did what he did. He wasn't like Iris, he kept this to himself for the sake of someone else. Even she had to agree that he did the wrong thing but for the right reason. She hugged him tight, tears coming down her cheek from the realization. He was doing his best to fight back tears but they came anyway. She finally composed herself, started to clean her face and tell him warmly, "We should have seen the signs sooner and did something, but please know that we will help you no matter what. We are going to make them pay for what they did you two, legally and if need be monetarily. You just have to continue being yourself and stop doing what they wanted you to do." Heading downstairs Valerie told the girls, "I think you had better take Donald to Francesca, the two need a long talk. Ben and Beth are expecting you so get a move on." The two went upstairs and got Donald then all but dragged him to Courtney's car. He didn't ask where they were going, he knew already that he had to face his girlfriend and her family at their house instead of there. Valerie tried to shoo Al and Stephanie away but Amy asked that they stay. She saw the pleading looks on all three and grinned, asking Amy, "Are you sure that you want them to stay? A lot of the questions are personal and may be too graphic for you to hear." Amy looked at Stephanie and Al then uttered, "They are my friends, they need to know the truth even the bad parts of it all." Valerie smiled and nodded silently, with Gabby asking, "Girls, are you friends now?" Stephanie and Al gave her a look asking if she was serious with Stephanie grinning and adding, "We wouldn't be here if we weren't." Knowing that she was alright and the girls weren't going to leave her side Valerie started to ask, "Why were you being starved and when did it start?" Amy sighed and looked over at the girls, then blurted out, "Two years ago, when I lost my third straight pageant. Mom said it was because I was getting fat but the other girls were larger than me. I was going up against 11 and 12 year old girls with boobs and butts but mom said I was too fat for my body. The judges wanted you girls, not bimbos as she called them." Stephanie and Al looked as if they were unsure if they should be laughing or yelling. Al finally blurted out, "Didn't anyone teach her about puberty? How dumb is she! The judges aren't going to care if you are big because of breasts, they only care about them if they look fake!" Valerie grinned as Amy saw that they were in full support of her and weren't going to make fun of her. Amy continued, "Mom made me lose weight and kept me from doing anything fun. She had me signed up for any kind of class to improve my talents. Some were fun but most were boring. I liked ballet a lot but hated tap dance and singing. My throat always hurt and my feet ached all the time. Mom said those were what judges looked for most, not something that didn't make a sound and took imagination to understand. She said they looked for multiple talents too, which was why I had so many classes." Gabby told Valerie sternly, "She has multiple small cracks and bad callouses on her feet from dancing. If the doctor hadn't recognized her subtle limp we might not have known about her existing foot injuries." Valerie asked warmly, "Did you say anything to your parents about your feet hurting?" Amy nodded, adding, "Mom said to shut up and deal with it, if I wanted to win I had to endure the pain." Valerie knew she had her parents nailed then and there but was looking for further damages to ensure that everything was dealt with fully. Stephanie surprised them by asking, "Did you ever win? She had you in a lot of pageants, surely you must have been good enough to win." Valerie and Gabby both looked at her with wide eyes, she might have found what they were looking for. Amy nodded, admitting, "I won about one in three, I never placed below third so I always won something. Mom got all of the money, putting it into a special bank account opened in my name. I don't know how much I won, I never saw any of it." Stephanie asked further, "Wasn't that supposed to be for college? They are all supposed to be scholarships and the money going towards your education. That's what they said when I entered one." That shocked all of them. Stephanie grinned and told them proudly, "Girls in my class two years ago were talking about it and joked that I should enter. I did, and I won. Mom put the money away for school. Before you ask I never entered another one again. I didn't see the point in doing another one, I already won one and only entered because the girls were being brats about it." Valerie asked Amy if it is true to which she nodded, telling her angrily, "She said all of it had to go towards expenses. She drove to and from the pageants and never spent money on food or motel rooms, there were no expenses. She did my hair and put makeup on me, that came from Donald for Christmas the past three years." Valerie asked if she knew what bank and account it came out of getting a quick, "She has the statements in the house. She spends most of the money on herself, buying clothes for herself and getting her hair done once a week. Dad won't pay for that stuff, so she is using my money to make herself look good for the pageants. Whatever is left over hasn't gone towards me at all." Valerie let out a disappointed sigh, then told Amy, "We are going after her. I am going to demand that they show all expenses for your trips and will show that she wasted what was legally yours. If she deposited the checks in your name into your account she is opening herself up to charges of theft and fraud. She had no right to steal the money, and if my hunch is right she kept the winnings from your father as well as you. He is facing his own legal issues but this will drive a wedge between them." Turning to Gabby, Valerie told her, "Beverly will want in on this. This is her arena of knowledge and she can get around any issues easier than we can. I am going to check on who owns the house and if they are stupid enough to put it in either Donald or Amy's name then we will force them out and prevent them from using it as collateral for their defense and bail." Amy smiled at hearing that. Valerie started to turn serious and asked that Amy follow her upstairs to Gabby's room and had had Gabby join them. She also told the girls to stay there, this wasn't for them to see but Amy told them to come anyway. Amy figured what was coming and stripped down so Valerie could see the emaciated form her body had been reduced to. Valerie noticed the changes in her and shook her head in disbelief trying her hardest to keep her temper in check. Valerie finally had enough and asked her to get dressed again, sitting on the bed to compose herself while holding back tears. Gabby read her mind and asked, "Did you go to the doctor at all? This has been going on for far too long to have gone unnoticed by one especially at the start of the school year." Amy nodded, but told her something unexpected, "Mom and the doctor sleep with one another. I caught him leaving the house after school in the fall. I got pictures of him leaving the house with big smiles on his face and I could see the stains on mom's dresses so I know what they were doing. He never actually examined me before school started, mom got him to say that I was healthy. Whenever I do go to checkups he has the nurse do everything. The few times he did look at me he had the nurse leave the room. He said he was checking on my weight loss and said not to tell the nurse what went on in there." Gabby swore. The three girls looked at her but she told them bluntly, "He broke who knows how many rules and regulations in doing that. A nurse is always to be in the room with a female patient, no exceptions especially for children. And that whole 'don't tell the nurse' is a big warning sign, she should have asked. If she didn't ask she is in trouble as well." Valerie nodded in agreement then added, "We are going to seek her medical records. Their relationship can be verified and his breaking of procedure is highly suspicious. He will take a hit and could roll on her but this will not go unpunished. This is beyond malpractice, this is allowing abuse by him." Amy asked if they could do something about her name, she hated it and didn't want to be called it anymore. Valerie asked what she meant but Stephanie answered for Amy, telling her, "Her name isn't really Amy, it's Amethyst. She insisted everyone call her Amy because too many people couldn't pronounce it right and she had to explain what the heck amethyst is." Amy mumbled, "I hate the name. Mom insisted that I be called something exotic after I was born so she named me Amethyst Garnet Lee. Donald started calling me Amy right away because he couldn't pronounce my name right and I loved it more than my real name." Valerie smiled and replied, "After we get your parents sent to prison for what they did to you and your brother we will get your name changed. The problem is that you could be placed elsewhere by DCF or you could be adopted and your new parents want to keep your name the same. I know that may be troubling but it is a real possibility for you." Amy looked saddened by the news to which both Valerie and Gabby sensed hid her true issue, she was disappointed. Valerie thought it was a good place to end things and head out, with the girls being offered rides home. Valerie then added, "Dr. Samuels has asked to be your new doctor but this is up to you. Gabby has given her blessing but won't sign off on it until you agree." Amy quickly said, "Yes." Valerie nodded then headed out, with Al and Stephanie hugging her goodbye. When they were alone Gabby asked her warmly, "Why were you disappointed by being unable to change your name?" Gabby thought there was more to it than just the name change but had to ask it so she didn't know that she knew something more was going on. Amy shed a tear and admitted, "I was hoping to stay here. Donald likes Francesca's friends a lot and all the kids know about your big family. I don't want to end up going back to doing the same things again, or moving away from here again." Gabby sensed that she needed to ask tough questions but first asked, "Did you want to remain here as my foster daughter?" Amy's pleading look said she hoped for more than that. Gabby felt torn but knew not to offer anything she couldn't back up. She instead told her, "We will have to wait. You surely have family who can take you in." Amy shook her head, harshly telling her, "Mom and dad were told to never bother any of our aunts and uncles or grandparents again. Their parents hate one another and won't accept that they had children. We are all alone, just the four of us now it's only Donald and I." Gabby sighed and looked down at her tear-filled eyes. She drew a deep breath then announced, "You will stay here as long as you want to and if you still feel that you want to stay we can become family. I won't rush into things just yet, your emotions are running on high but I will promise you that as long as you want to both you and your brother will have a home here." Amy hugged her tight and kissed her cheek. She wept into her shoulder and between sobs told Gabby, "You are the best. You actually care about us. I promise I won't be trouble." The dam finally broke as Amy couldn't hold back any longer, Gabby soon followed with her own tears. She knew it was inevitable but she had to tell her the worst could happen so she knew what was possible. Amy thought about something that was mentioned by Al. She asked, "What did Al mean by 'boys and girls like us'?" Gabby said five words, "Jaimie, Miles, Iris, Francesca, Rachel, Kylie, and Reed." She looked at Gabby for a larger answer and wouldn't avert her gaze until she got one. Gabby fought for the right words then told her, "They were in foster care as essentially being orphans. Jaimie lost both parents and suffered PTSD and gender dysphoria. Miles' father was arrested and was facing decades in prison before he was killed. Iris' parents abused her due to their church's teachings. Rachel's parents were mentally abusive to her and helped the church that wanted to hurt Iris. Kylie's and Reed's parents were abusive towards both. His father tried to murder Jaimie but instead seriously hurt her cousin Nichole. She had to undergo surgery to become a girl in body." Amy asked the obvious, "Was she like Al? Was she forced to become a girl?" Gabby shook her head, telling her, "She was actually like Reyna, your brother's friend, or like Jaimie. Both wanted to become a girl but were too young to physically change. What happened to her was what happens at the end of transition where her male parts are made into female parts. Jaimie is still technically a boy down there but has breasts, hips, and a butt like any young woman. Reyna had the same problem, she was hurt bad and had to have surgery to convert her penis to a vagina. She was already becoming one, this only did her a big favor in allowing her to be treated like any other girl." Amy asked more about Jaimie she was ignorant of her or any other transgender girls outside of Al. Gabby saw her curiosity and asked her warmly, "Are you curious because they are different or do you want to know more about them?" She felt ashamed to admit, "I want to know more about them. I can understand Al's situation but not why someone would want to become a different person." Gabby smiled at her, she was trying to understand something that was alien to her but not in the wrong way. Gabby looked into he eyes and saw the pleading look, asking for more information. She led her to the couch and took out some photo albums to show her. Amy thought this was odd but Gabby started to tell her, "There are a couple of other girls I want to show you. They are like Jaimie but they are each different. I don't want to inundate you with this but you want to know and it is best to tell you now rather than have you ask a question at an awkward time." She showed pictures of Jaimie Finn, Nichole Smith, Reyna Toro, and Kylie Pena. Amy asked innocently, "What is so different about those girls?" Gabby smiled and told her, "All were born as boys. This is Jaimie. Valerie is her mother." She pointed at the oldest of the girls and watched as Amy's expression was shock and disbelief. She pointed to Nichole next, adding, "She was born in England and was forced out of her family's home by her uncle and grandparents. She and her father were saved by several members of our family and her father ended up marrying Karen, Jaimie's aunt. There is more to her story but that's for her to tell. The gist of it is she and her dad struggled all alone but did so because she was true to herself and had to be a girl not a boy." She pointed to Reyna and told her the full story. Amy stared at her quietly before saying, "She's pretty." Gabby tried to think of something more but fondly told her, "Your brother knows about her being born a boy but becoming a girl in full, if he never told you it is because he wanted to keep it a secret from your parents. She is the sweetest young woman you will ever meet." Finally she showed a picture of Kylie. Gabby sighed deeply before telling her, "She is the most like you among the girls. She was badly abused by her parents before her father was arrested and her mother abandoned them. Had it not been for a fire in their home we never would have been able to help her or Reed. She came out to her foster mother and got the help she needed to be who she needs to be." Amy stared at Kylie then asked, "What happened after she was in foster care?" Gabby smiled then told her warmly, "Her foster parents fell in love with her and Reed. They understood them more than I can tell you right now. She is a bright girl who is full of love and playfulness. Reed is a strapping young man who is going to be a great son-in-law one day, but don't tell Jessie I said that. Both are amazing kids who just needed someone to love them. Just as you and your brother do." She hugged Amy, sensing that she needed reassurance after hearing the story. Amy looked up at her and softly asked, "Will you adopt us? Please?" Gabby tried to hold back tears but she had to tell her the truth, "I can't just yet. I want to but I can't. Your parents need to face justice and you need to be absolutely sure that you want this. It isn't just you that this will impact, your brother has to agree to it too. I won't split the two of you up, if he says no then I can't honestly adopt you. It just wouldn't be right." She felt bad but Gabby was right. Amy went back up to her room to lay down for a bit as Gabby got dinner ready. She texted Valerie the news regarding Amy's request getting back a quick, "Will get paperwork right away. Might have trouble due to ex-husband though." Gabby cursed herself. Tom Lawrence had been out of her life for 10 years and she had worked hard to support the girls on her own but he still found ways of causing trouble. She sent Valerie back a message, "Need to find divorce lawyer. Never officially dissolved marriage, he abandoned us." Valerie called her direct now. Valerie gave her the information she was dreading, she needed to prove she was unmarried or else the application would be denied because of possible trouble. Gabby asked if she knew a good divorce lawyer but only got a sigh and quick, "I don't. But Ricardo might. I barely made a dent locally but he knows a lot of people, he should have a good idea for whom to hire." Amy listened to Gabby speaking on the phone. She felt bad for causing her trouble. Gabby looked over and saw Amy's upset expression and quickly told her, "This isn't your fault, I should have done this years ago. There is a lot that happened and a lot that he will answer for, we won't let you or your brother become affected by my own stupidity. This doesn't involve you and it shouldn't affect you. Don't give him a second thought, I won't let either you or your brother go anywhere if you don't want to." She herded Amy inside then asked her to sit. She explained to her, "My husband Tom ran off 10 years ago without telling us where he was going. We had been fighting for the previous year over money issues. He wanted me to quit my job but I was earning several hundred thousand dollars a year after taxes, he was earning next to nothing from his construction job. We haven't heard from him since and he never once sent a penny towards Jessie or Courtney's needs." Amy was surprised to hear that. She asked sharply, "Why did he want you to quit your job? What did you do?" Gabby smiled and pointed to her study. She unlocked the door and showed her the multi-screened desktop as well as several smaller laptops. Amy was shocked, Gabby told her with great pride, "I have been a freelance web designer and network administrator for the last 14 years. I have contracts with several different companies to redesign and fix their websites as well as keep a few small corporations up and running while consulting with a few of the large companies in Boston. All of that earns me nearly $500,000 a year after taxes." Amy looked over the computer and smiled brightly. She recognized it from her computer classroom, her teacher said it's one of the best out there. She saw a couple of the laptops and saw the logo and instantly knew they were top of the line as well. Gabby grinned and asked, "Do you want one? I have a few spares that I never use and it would be a waste to sit around unused." Amy nodded quickly, her face brightening with anticipation. Gabby sensed that she needed this more than she let on, it was both a gift and therapy for her. Gabby added, "You can keep this no matter what. You are old enough to need one and this will be good for several more years after all of the upgrades I did to it." She sat her down on a small couch and asked her, "Did you ever get gifts?" She shook her head no, telling her, "Mom didn't like the stuff Donald bought me and always returned them. Dad never bothered, just giving me money which mom took to spend on things 'for me'. Mom told me my gifts were the pageants themselves." Gabby smirked as she announced, "She just contradicted herself. She has no right to claim any of your pageant money now, she said he gift was the pageants so you don't have to pay her back if it was truly a gift. Note she said gift and not loan, a loan you pay back but a gift you don't. She owes you every penny now!" She led Amy out and locked up the room. She grabbed a laptop and power adapter first, handing them to Amy then leading her into the living room to show her how to set it up. She of course put in parental blocks on her browser as well as an administrator password for herself but she let her customize it as she saw fit. Looking at the time the two started dinner. Amy eagerly wanted to help if only to contribute in some way. Gabby allowed her to do so, encouraging her to prepare small things while doing the heavy cooking herself. The two made a nice chicken Caesar salad for two with milkshakes and ice cream for dessert. Amy ate everything on her plate with Gabby relieved that she wasn't trying to hold back eating anymore and enjoyed the meal thoroughly. Chapter 3 Over at the Herman home the fearful Donald was met with a big hug and kisses from Francesca as soon as he set foot on the porch. After finally coming up for air she saw the large cast and sling he was wearing and pulled him inside, insisting he sit down. Donald tried to say something but Francesca asked one question only, "Did they make you break up with me?" Donald nodded silently. Francesca insisted on him telling her everything. Donald hesitated for a few minutes until he found the courage after getting a gentle nudge gesture from Jessie. Donald looked over at Ben and Beth who saw his distress and turned away, saying, "This is between the two of you and you two alone, we will be upstairs if you need us." Donald sighed and began explaining, "Dad has been riding me to get rid of you as my girlfriend since December. Your dad telling him off only made him angrier. He thought your dad was a weakling and had no right to talk down to him about how he treats his son and what he can and can not tell me. I confessed some of what he did to Jessie and Courtney but a lot of it was him constantly telling me that I wasn't man enough for you and you needed a real man to satisfy you. I told him that you weren't that kind of girl and that it was your choice to date me but he said a real man would make you change your mind about putting out- whether you wanted to or not." Francesca laughed at that. Donald looked hurt but she held his hand and told him confidently, "I don't want some musclebound imbecile who only wants to bang me and move on to the next target, I want you. You are more than just a brain, you have a big heart and you actually care about people other than yourself. You more than showed you like me for me and I don't have to justify my reasons for dating you to anyone but myself. Besides, my sex life is none of his business and what I do with you is my own choice not his. You have had chances to take advantage of me, but you wisely chose not to." Jessie gave him another nudge to tell her the worst story so he continued, "Dad hired someone to hurt me but Eric hurt him instead. You weren't there at the time, you were out with the cheerleaders going to the basketball game." She recalled that event but not the circumstances. Jessie nodded to indicate that he was telling the truth and that the others had withheld the information from her on purpose. He looked up at Jessie who whispered, "Tell her". He composed himself for the worst news of all, telling her, "Last week he went after me directly. He kept saying that if I didn't dump you he would start taking it out on my sister. I couldn't let that happen to her, I couldn't let him hurt someone else because of my own stubbornness. She ran away before he could hurt her so he started to threaten me then said to dump you on Monday or he'd ensure that you'd dump me by going after you himself. I couldn't let him do that to you, even though Jessie and Courtney said he wouldn't be able to do any of what he said I would rather you hate me for dumping you than take the chance that you would get hurt." Donald was in tears now. Francesca held him close in a warm embrace until he stopped. He tried to apologize for hurting her but she shut him up, saying authoritatively, "You were only thinking of others and did what any rational person would do if given that impossible choice. I refused to believe that you were dumping me without someone forcing you to do so, it was just too sudden and without the tears that I know you would have shed if you really meant it. Your parents don't deserve to call themselves your mom or dad, they are scum and don't deserve you or your sister as their children." Ben and Beth listened to everything Donald had said. He was texting Ricardo about what Donald had said and got back an immediate, "They are toast. Extortion on top of abuse now going to be filed. Criminal threats charges possible" from him. Beth saw the grin on Ben's face and asked, "What did he say they were doing?" Ben smiled and uttered a happy, "He pissed off the wrong people. Valerie and Ricardo are out for blood and Donald just gave them fuel to burn their defense's case to the ground." Beth could see the anger on his face and had to calm him, insisting, "Let Valerie and Ricardo handle this, we don't need to have you getting arrested for something that the Lees did. They aren't worth it, the kids are." Ben came back in and sat down silently. Donald tried to shy away but was stopped as Ben announced, "You aren't in any trouble. We were listening and we let those who need to know those things know what you told Francesca. We are proud of you. You did the only thing you could given impossible choices and did it without caring one bit about yourself. You weren't being selfish, you were being selfless. That's the kind of man we want our daughter to date, not someone who only cares about himself and sells out others to protect himself." Ben left them to themselves while Jessie left to get some quality girlfriend/boyfriend time in with Reed. Beth did check in on the couple every so often but trusted them enough to not interfere or intrude on their privacy. The only time she did interact was when her son Benny insisted on getting attention from Donald unintentionally causing him to wince in pain as Benny moved his arm too far. Benny saw him hurt and tried again to hug him but could only do so with Beth holding him up and pulling him away before he moved Donald's arm again. The couple sat in front of the TV for several hours before being called over for dinner. Francesca insisted on helping Donald which got Benny smiling as he saw that he was just like him regarding food. Donald just smiled back at him, knowing that Benny didn't realize why he needed help only that he did. The big boy, as Benny saw Donald, was still a little kid at times and liked him even more than he already did which got Ben and Beth grinning as Benny tried to copy Donald's actions. After dinner the couple spent some more time together playing with Benny before it was time to put him to bed. Eventually Francesca asked if he liked staying with Jessie and Courtney getting a meek, "It's nice but I am outnumbered three to one." Ben snickered at the confession until Beth's knowing glare caused him to stop, she though had to grin at his frankness around them. Francesca asked about his sister, noting that he never talked about her at all and only mentioned her a few times in total since he had started dating her. Donald was unsure how to answer her so he honestly told her, "There isn't much to tell since she never had time to do anything for herself and I kept away from mom and dad as much as possible. Mom always had her doing something involving pageants and dance and singing classes and when she wasn't doing those she was too tired to do anything else. We barely saw each other." Beth uttered a bitter, "Pageant mom syndrome" to the surprise of Ben and Francesca. Donald though added, "That's exactly what Amy said. Mom is living through Amy and basking in the spotlight because of her own failed dreams of winning. She wants Amy to be the best at everything and win everything so she looks good in front of all of the other mothers so Amy never had time to do anything that she wanted to do. She never even had much of a chance to eat, the doctor we used to have said if not for school lunch that she would have starved to death last year. When we moved away Amy all but stopped eating at school and starved even more." Francesca moved back in fear. She looked at him hoping he was joking but Beth stopped her, telling her solemnly, "He isn't kidding. Al told Willie and Kennedy as well as her parents. Valerie saw the results herself today. Al would not lie about something so serious and Valerie was fighting hard not to form a posse to go after them ever since she heard the news." Jessie saved them from further trouble. She saw the looks on their faces and pointedly asked, "He told you about Amy?" Francesca nodded, but told her, "He only really told me that he had a younger sister and that she knew Al from school but other than that he didn't mention her." Francesca looked up at are asking, "Is it all true about her? Is she really that badly off?" Jessie let out a sigh and told the trio, "She is skin and bones and losing whatever body fat she had fast. The idiot was so obsessed with her being perfect and skinny that she didn't want to believe that her daughter was growing breasts! Uncle Richard has her eating a specific meal plan to get some weight on her but it'll take a while to fully undo the damage that woman cause to her." Donald thanked them for letting him stay and for the meal and left with Jessie, who got in one last kiss from Reed before crossing the street to get Courtney. Courtney was flushed and breathing hard when Jessie had to force her and Michael apart. Donald had to stifle a laugh but Jessie added, "What are you laughing at little bro, you and Francesca were doing the same thing earlier. But these two make out so much they can tell what the other had for lunch a week ago." Michael stopped short and asked, "What do you mean little bro?" Jessie realized the slip-up and tried to backtrack but Michael sensed something was up. Courtney had to intervene, whispering into his ear, "Miles and Reed all over again." He understood immediately and backed off, letting the two girls go while keeping an eye on Donald. The way Jessie was acting it was clear that she had already made up her mind about having him as a brother even if she wouldn't admit it. At the Lawrence house the trio sat down in the living room to unwind. Amy came over and showed off her laptop which Donald was happy to see she had already made her own. Courtney and Jessie asked where she got it from, getting a smile and, "Your mom gave it to me." Gabby called Donald over and handed him one as well. He tried to refuse, saying that he already had one but as soon as Gabby looked it over she told him harshly, "This thing is years out of date and barely holding on, I know you aren't used to people giving you things without strings attached but I won't let you use something so out of date and underpowered when I have something just sitting around that can be put to good use by you." Donald reluctantly accepted the gift. Gabby booted them both up and transferred everything on his laptop into the new one. She had to stifle a giggle at some of the websites that he visited but she knew from her previous experience with her sons that he was a teenage boy in the midst of puberty and they had needs. At least he was staying away from the hardcore stuff that was riddled with all sort of serious nastiness, not just the images. She looked over at Donald who knew what she was thinking only to be told, "You are too young for nudity but I can't stop you from looking at beautiful women as it's almost impossible to get online nowadays and not see them. I know Courtney and Jessie do the same with guys as I removed a few viruses on their computers from those kind of websites. I trust you to be respectful and only do those things boys your age do while in your own room and the door is locked, understood? Although they'd never admit it but the girls do the same so you aren't alone and I won't make an issue of it." He silently nodded, to which she sat him down and put a hand on his shoulder telling him, "My sons were like this at the same age. I am glad that you aren't treating women like objects, expecting all of them to do whatever you wanted whenever you wanted. I know you will do some things in your room, all boys do. I only ask that you ensure that the door is locked so the girls don't accidentally get to see something they don't want to see. It can get very embarrassing and I don't want you to feel weirded out around each other." He nodded, sensing that she truly cared about him and wasn't demeaning him the way his father or mother would. She understood him, she was a real mother not someone calling themselves one. He hoped that she could one day be his mother, or he at least found someone to call mom who was just as kind and understanding as her. The more he though the more he realized that Gabby had mentioned something unintentionally. She cursed herself for mentioning her sons but it was too late. Donald finally looked up and asked, "You have sons? Where are they?" Gabby had to fight for the right way of telling him. She finally relented and told him, "I have three older sons, twin boys Ezekiel and Pierre and their younger brother Steven. All three are out of our lives for good and I hope you never get to meet them." Donald's look told here that she had to explain everything to him. She drew a sharp breath and started explaining, "They fell in with the Clarence family and didn't like that we embraced Jaimie when Courtney befriended her at the start of 7th grade. They kept getting into trouble until eventually they assaulted an old woman while trying to steal her purse. All three were sent to prison, all were underage but were tried as an adult. I tried to help them but after the second time that they got arrested I cut them off. Since they chose to become common thugs and live a life of crime they no longer needed my help and support. They will have to endure life on their own living with the outcome of their actions." Donald surprisingly smiled at hearing that. She looked puzzled but he proudly told her, "You are what I wanted a mother to be. You do care about them, you tried to help them but they didn't want to listen. You did the right thing and I know you will do the right thing for us. I hope you can be our mother, if only until we turn 18." Gabby smiled at hearing that. She knew her daughters loved her unconditionally but it was great to hear it from someone who needed her. She smiled towards him and softly told him, "I told your sister this but I would love to adopt you two as my son and daughter but it doesn't happen instantly. We have to wait until your parents are dealt with by the courts and the paperwork clears. These take time, but if you feel strongly enough that this is the right thing to do then I'll fill out the forms." She sighed but didn't reveal her other reason. Amy knew already but Donald didn't have to be told yet. He sensed that there was more but didn't press, instead taking his new laptop to his room and getting things tweaked to how he liked them to be. The girls looked at their mother with suspicion as she sat down in the living room with them. Courtney was no fool and asked bluntly, "What is going on and don't say noting." Jessie gave her the same look to which Amy added sadly, "Your mom was going to look into adopting us but since your father was still married to her he could cause trouble for her. She is going to hire a lawyer to get the divorce over and done with so we can be adopted by her." Courtney let out a loud swear then stormed out. Jessie was equally pissed but didn't leave. She turned to her mother and told her angrily, "Does he really think he can abandon us for 10 years and just come back? No way in hell! He can't do this to us, it's not right!" Gabby got up to go after Courtney, asking her to come to the living room to talk about it. Amy got up to go but was told to stay, with Donald being asked to come down as well. Both complied as did the angry Courtney, all seeing the look in Gabby's face showed that she was serious about having this discussion. The four waited as Gabby gathered her thoughts then began, "Valerie told me that my ex-husband was likely to come sniffing around as he is served divorce papers. Ricardo is going to have a friend of his take on the case for me. She is supposed to be really good, which coming from Ricardo means a lot. I know you hate him for abandoning us but I won't let him stop me from adopting Donald and Amy. You two are more important than him and I won't let him hurt you the way he hurt all of us. You two are innocent victims and he has no right to interfere in your life just to get back at me." Jessie hugged Donald, he whispered, "Guess you got your wish." Jessie blushed as Courtney snickered at her. Amy was pleased that they took the announcement well with Donald trying his hardest not to show any emotion but hugged Courtney as she moved towards him. The scene wasn't lost on Gabby. Her three sons didn't care much for their sisters nor did they show any sort of affection towards her after they hit middle school. Donald was different, he craved love and affection and was willing to give the same to anyone who needed it. He wasn't anything like his father thought him to be, he was sensitive and caring not effeminate and a sissy. In her mind Donald was more man than his father or her own sons ever will be. The family love fest broke up as Gabby announced it was time for bed for Amy. She went upstairs without a fight, with Donald following close behind. Gabby tried to tell him he didn't have to go but he told her, "I am starting to get a headache and my arm is throbbing so I should head to bed too." Gabby looked over at her daughters who were both grinning. She asked a simple, "What?" getting Courtney to tell her, "You haven't been that way since Jessie was in elementary school. You love being mom to them." Jessie grinned and added, "They need a real mom, as much as we love you you needed to spread love. I am surprised that you haven't tried to work with at the day care center, but this is just as good." Gabby had to think it through. The girls were right, she did love being a mom and the girls were outgrowing their reliance on her fast. Jessie was 15 with plenty of friends and a boyfriend who doted on her, Courtney would be 18 in six months and had a car and a boyfriend who was always there for her. They knew Gabby would always be there for them but it just wasn't the same reliance on her that they had as young children. In contrast Amy and Donald needed her love right now. Amy would need it for at least six years, but Gabby figured she had a good three years until Amy was up to the level of independence Jessie was at. Donald would take at least a year or more to grow in confidence and maturity to not need her so much. But they still needed her and she needed to love someone. A smile crept across her face. Courtney and Jessie hugged her deeply, planting kisses on her cheeks and telling her warmly, "We will always love you but we will love our new brother and sister too. They need us and you needed them." The girls went upstairs to bed followed quickly by Gabby. She couldn't believe that in the span of 30 hours their lives had changed so much. She was proud of her daughters for accepting new people into their family and happy to be able to help two children in need but she was also eager to move past a horrible low point in her life. Gabby drifted off to sleep with thoughts running through her head about her family's future. In the morning she was the last up and saw the four cooking breakfast chatting away among themselves without noticing her presence. It was only by chance that Courtney turned to see her smiling that they all stopped moving around. Gabby just sat at the kitchen table waiting for them to wait on her as they hurriedly finished up the breakfast preparations. Courtney and Jessie looked at one another waiting for their mom to say something but all she did was start eating prompting the others to start eating as well. The five ate in silence with Gabby smiling in between bites as Courtney and Jessie kept glancing at her trying to see if she was laughing or just smiling. After they all finished eating Gabby helped clean up without saying a word about the girls showing maturity in helping get breakfast started while she slept in. Gabby received a phone call after the dishes and pans were cleaned. The woman identified herself as Katelyn Benson but asked to be called Katie. She was the lawyer that Ricardo had directed to help in her divorce case and took the case on because Ricardo never asked for favors and if he asked then she had to assist Gabby. Katie apologized for interrupting her Sunday morning but Gabby brushed it off, telling her, "We weren't going to do anything today anyway and this is more important than any plans that we might have had. The girls were heading out with their boyfriends and my youngest is just awaiting her friends." Katie sensed that she wasn't holding back anything and got right to work. Katie asked for details about what happened and why regarding their marriage breakdown. Gabby was blunt, telling her, "He walked out on me in the middle of the night over 10 years ago. He never left a note, never sent any messages, and surprisingly never asked for money. He just left. We haven't heard from him since. I know that his friends know where he is and what he was up to but none of them have told me and I didn't want to cause trouble for them by getting them involved in our business." Katie was noting everything that happened. She asked, "Do you have any witnesses to vouch for you that he just walked out?" Gabby quickly shot back, "My brother Jake. He had to help babysit for me frequently because I was left with five kids ranging from age 5 up to age 9. He stayed with me for over a year until I renegotiated my employment contract so that I didn't need to constantly travel to different sites to fix problems or discuss designs that I could easily do from home." Katie listened intently then boldly announced, "He actually committed a crime in abandoning you and the children. Not only do you have enough reason to divorce him and win but you have reason to have all parental rights removed." Gabby grinned, then added, "I don't need any money from him to support Jessie and Courtney, I just need our marriage terminated for the sake of my foster children." Katie waited for to calm down and added a firm, "He will be done as soon as you sign the paperwork. He doesn't have a leg to stand on at all and short of having a prick for a judge he will be lucky to even see them on the streets." Gabby let out a grumbling, "We as a family have been screwed by judges in the past despite solid evidence to the back our cases so I am not holding my breath on that one. I won't take any assurances yet but I understand your confidence." Katie asked for clarification, Gabby explained to her:, "We have had judges twice remove our friend's stepchildren from his care because their grandmother filed a counter claim. Those children ended up being badly abused and one abused enough to consider suicide. We have a low opinion of the courts in custody cases and know not to expect things to go our way until the gavel pounds." Katie thought back and realized she knew exactly the case she was talking about. She had known Ricardo long enough to have been his sounding board for that case and she was right in having bitterness there. That case almost made Ricardo give up law as he fought for ways to help Sam and Virgil York stay with their then-stepfather James. Had it not been for the timely intervention of the kids' biological grandfather Ricardo would have lost, with Katie fearing they would lose on appeal as well. Katie sighed and admitted, "I know the case that you are referring to and I agree with you. I worked on it with Ricardo and saw how badly it hurt his confidence. I am confident that we will win and he won't have a leg to stand on. I just hope that he doesn't try any sneaky legal tricks but he would have to be foolish to think they will work in the long run if at all." Katie told her she would call her in two days with an update. She expected that would be how long it would take for the private investigator to reach Gabby's husband. The man had kept off-grid but you can never be completely invisible in this day and age. He would slip up and she would catch him. Gabby clicked off and felt relieved. She understood her and if Ricardo recommended her then she would do whatever it took to win. Gabby looked over at the four eagerly awaiting word regarding the phone call but Gabby kept silent. Courtney tried to say something but she silenced her, telling her firmly, "This is between me and Tom. I know you want to know the details but there are some times when I have to keep things from you. Katie is going to have people find him and we can get this over with as soon as possible. Other than that, you don't need to worry about a thing." Gabby looked at her phone and saw missed messages from Valerie and Olivia. She grinned and announced, "I think you two need a phone and Al is itching to hang out with you, Amy. Why don't we go out shopping, you need some new cloths and I'm sure Donald could use some more quality time with Francesca." Amy grinned at her brother who blushed as Courtney and Jessie got their jackets. The five drove to the Finn home only to see Donald stopping short, anxious about what would happen. Jessie edged him forward, not letting him get away from this inevitable confrontation. Courtney rang the bell then moved back from the door, immediately kissing Michael Finn as he opened the door. Amy asked how she knew it was him getting a snicker from Jessie who hadn't thought about that before. Michael looked at her weirdly as Jessie added, "I think she can smell his cheap aftershave a mile away. Plus Miles and Jaimie don't answer the door if they know Courtney is coming by and Uncle John is too tall for her to kiss." Amy wasn't sure if she was joking or telling the truth. Michael groaned and added, "It's not that bad, dad uses the same amount." Miles walked by and burst into laughter over the jokes, trying hard not to say something to set Michael off. Jessie ushered the two inside with Gabby behind them, shaking her head at her two daughters' antics. Jessie heard the thundering of four footsteps but before she could warn Donald and Amy Cat and JD Finn were on them, inspecting them closely as they pulled them along. JD looked at Donald's cast and jumped back, not wanting to hurt him. Cat looked and saw it as well and did the same, but switched to pulling Amy along with her. Gabby had to yell out, "Go easy on her" to the kids. Amy wasn't given a choice as the twins dragged her off to their toys while leaving Donald alone. Gabby saw the concerned look on Donald's face and added a warm, "They know you are badly hurt so they won't disturb you. Normally they would have pulled you along to assess whether they like you or not but they knew better than to force you to do that while you are hurt. They will assess you when your cast is gone, so expect their attention in late June." Donald wasn't sure if he should be glad or upset by that but Jessie assured him, "They recognized you. They have seen you with their cousins before and know Francesca likes you so they already have a good idea that they like you. Just don't let Cat get any big ideas about manipulating you, she's cute but very cunning. Think of Amy but without the filter of a 12-year- old." Jaimie Finn came downstairs and didn't say anything about either Amy or Donald being there. She asked her mother if Rick had come by yet getting a quick, "No" from her. She went into the living room where the kids were playing and sat down, keeping an eye out for Rick's car but also discretely observing Amy. Amy didn't notice Jaimie sitting there watching until she got up when she heard the car pulling up. Rick entered with Al and their brother Thomas. Rick kissed Jaimie then told Gabby, "Dad should be calling you later, he didn't sound too happy though." He turned attention back to Jaimie again and didn't acknowledge either the twins or Amy on the floor a few feet away from him. Gabby nodded at Rick's announcement with John trying to ask what it was about only getting a quick, "Later" from Valerie and Gabby. John put 2+2 together to see that it was serious and not for four little ears. He looked at Donald who was trying hard not to be noticed and sitting silently looking at the others. Al asked what they were going to do to which Gabby grinned and told her, "Shopping." Jaimie asked what they were getting only to be told, "Bras and other items." Rick's, Thomas', and Donald's faces cringed while Jaimie and Jessie tried to keep from laughing. Rick told Thomas swiftly, "We better get going or they will end up trying them out on us." That set the girls off with the twins looking at Al and Amy oddly. Donald was going to go across the street but Gabby called over to him saying, "You need to come too. I know we may be a while but we can't get things for you without you actually trying them on. You can see Francesca later, she won't mind not seeing you for an hour or two." He tried to say he'd take anything then he tried to say he didn't need anything but Gabby insisted, telling him, "I can already tell that you are outgrowing your pants and I suspect your shoes are too small for you as well. Your shirts are a bit too short and are starting to show your belly when you stretch. Don't argue or be modest, you need them and you will get them." Donald looked over at his sister for help but she was agreeing with Gabby. He reluctantly gave in, not having the will to fight further. John could see what was going on and whispered something to Gabby, getting a nod then telling him he's coming along too. Valerie looked at him oddly then saw Gabby's look and made the connection. Donald needed a male influence just now and John was the only one available that he knew and trusted. Ben as available but he being his girlfriend's father wouldn't let him open up the same way John would. Jake was the next choice but he was busy with his son Jack making it fall on John to help. John may be his teacher but he was also respected by Donald enough to give him some confidence to open up more easily. Stephanie called Al to ask about the plans. Al gave her the update then asked where they were going shopping at, to which Gabby told her, "Saugus". Al relayed the information with a giggle as she added that Raul was going too. Gabby grinned to John who was needed by default, he wouldn't be so much the influence for Donald as he was now the overseer for both teen boys. Rick, Thomas, and Jaimie left for the high school's baseball game. Courtney and Michael were busy inspecting one another's tonsils with their tongues to notice the others leaving. Jessie slipped out to spend time with Rachel and Iris Sylvester before Reed got home. Donald was left wondering if this was a mistake but Gabby urged him on, they had shopping to do. Donald was told to drive in with John while Al and Amy went with Gabby. John immediately went into asking Donald why he felt so weird going shopping with his sister and foster mother. Donald tried to hem and haw until finally admitting, "Dad said shopping is women's work and only nancy- boys do the shopping for their own clothes. I don't want to be called that if anyone found out I went shopping with my sister and foster mother." John immediately burst into laughter at hearing that. Donald was upset that he found that funny but John immediately told him, "Your father a blithering idiot. He is talking out of his ass and to be frank, I have serious doubts about his mental stability. He is just being lazy, impatient, and taking advantage of your mother. You need to know how to shop for yourself especially for clothes, especially if you are going to spend hours at a time standing or sitting in them." John drew a deep breath then told him, "You need to try on clothes to ensure a proper fit. Your father may be able to get away with the same size due to having finished growing but you are still growing and you need something that is both comfortable and has room for you to grow. And believe me, you are going to grow taller and fill out in your shoulders and pecs more. You are just starting to become a man, your father had his head so far up his ass that he couldn't see what was right in front of his eyes." Donald looked like he didn't believe him but John told him warmly, "I can see he beginning of stubble, I can see that your Adam's Apple is starting to show more prominently, I can hear your voice lowering and I have heard it cracking at times when you thought it was scratchy. He never took the time to talk with you or observe you, I have done so and I can tell that you are just about done with your awkward phase and will start filling outward and upward soon and when it happens you will have a lot of trouble keeping Francesca off of you. You are handsome now, you will be one of the best looking boys in the school by the start of the new school year. If you weren't with Francesca you'd be the biggest catch." Donald was on the verge of tears. Nobody had ever had that kind of talk with him before. John sensed his impending cry and told him, "Let it out. Believe me when I tell you this- you need to let it out. You are sensitive but you are also a victim of abuse, you have a right to cry especially as this is the first time someone ever talked with you as a person and not down to you as a child." He did cry, he felt like John really understood him. John sensed his feelings and admitted, "I've been there before. I know the feeling too well. I was a late bloomer like you. The only difference between you and me is that I was 50 pounds overweight and kept adding on. If not for Melanie I would have been a total basket case and would have quit school in 10th grade. You have Gabby and Jessie and Courtney now in addition to all of your friends. And believe me, they are your friends and not just Francesca's friends who put up with you for her sake. They were at the start but once they got to know you you won them over and impressed all of them. You aren't alone and you have people around you who have been through this and worse." Looking over at Donald he added, "You also aren't the first kid who was a late bloomer who was destined to grow sleek, tall, and muscular. Reed was this way last Spring and Miles was until 18 months ago. Now look at them, they are skinnier than Michael but can outrun him and out maneuver him. He loves Miles unconditionally and Reed is fast becoming his closest confidant. The girls will be that with you, and if let them then Thomas, Reed, and the elder teens will be the same for you. Just give them a chance, they are your friends in full." The duo pulled into the parking lot and got some odd looks from Al and Amy. Gabby asked simply, "Did you talk?" John nodded and nothing more was said. Chapter 4 Stephanie and her brother were already inside waiting with Stephanie's mother Alice Rodriguez and friend Dorothy Vega, who Amy knew as the trio's principal. Gabby assured her everything was alright and Dorothy was also family to them. Amy was still afraid of what may happen but Dorothy didn't say anything nor did she let on that she was aware of the situation. Raul and John broke off from the ladies and headed for the men's section. Gabby told them, "A few sets of everything" to which John added, "I've done this more times than I can count before, you know." The girls started giggling as Gabby added a sharp, "Yes but if given half a chance you would have them dressing in 3-piece suits and look like they were heading to a meeting and not dressing for school." Donald and Raul looked up at John who grinned at them. He started laughing, telling them, "That's for the weddings, this is just for regular wear." Raul shook his head, realizing they had been had by their mothers but Donald was still puzzled by what he was talking about. Raul realized he didn't have a clue so he told him, "His niece and nephew are getting married in July and Uncle Ricardo is getting married in August, unless he decides to get married in June." Donald's eyes lit up, asking, "They are getting married together?" Raul let out a laugh and told him, "They aren't niece and nephew like your friends, they are twins. Bryan is getting married to Paige and Hannah to Pete. Both are marrying the other's best friend so it's going to be pointless to hole two weddings when they are all getting married and both are best men and both are bridesmaids for one another. They are also getting married a second time at their grandparents' estate in England. I don't know how many are going, but Avery said so far only her grandfather and grandmother and a couple of those who can't get the time off weren't going." John popped in and added, "Everyone except Christian James and Louis Reagan are going as they can't accept the gift due to legal reasons. You and your sister will be going as you can't be left alone. We hope that the adoption process will be done by then but we don't know how much legal wrangling will be done beforehand and even so we will make it so that you two are not left behind. And before you say you can't let me do that, it's my money and I'll do as I damn well please." Raul grinned then told him, "You do know he's the richest person in the city, right?" Donald mumbled, "Dad said it was just a rumor and totally bogus. Nobody that rich would ever want to live in this city. Dad only chose Winnisimmet because it was cheaper than the suburbs and close to the highways." Raul shook his head and added, "Next he will have had you believe that most of the family aren't millionaires or his sister isn't an English noblewoman." Donald looked at him like he was lying, then was told, "Think about it for a second, your girlfriend is extremely rich, as is her brother thanks to her own generosity. That's pretty unbelievable yet you know it to be true as you yourself were there when she showed you the legal paperwork giving Benny the money. Well there is maybe a dozen of us who aren't rich due to some bad incident involving family or others and that is probably going to include your sister and you. Your dad likes to trash other people but he really is a moron who has no idea what he is talking about or who you have had the pleasure of becoming friends with." John grinned with pride as Raul told him that. Raul was finally accepting being around the family and helping someone who needed it. Alice had raised him right, he was taking after his uncle in so many ways and like his mother in so many others. John finally got the duo to look over the clothes that the store had in stock. Raul had his own idea as to what he wanted and Donald flicked through the clothes to see that they were much nicer than the generic polos and cheap cotton t-shirts that he had been bought by his mother the last few years. Knowing he could choose his own clothes he didn't feel the need to continue the same style he had been forced to adhere to, and thinking it over he came to realize that it wasn't the style for him. He found a few button-up shirts that had nice patterns then found some slacks that went well with them. John had him double check the sizes and told him, "Get a size larger. Trust me on this, by the time you get around to wearing the short sleeve ones you will need the extra room. If not then it'll give you a little bit of breathing room with the warmer temperatures." Raul found the same ones in the larger size then found a few more in different shades and patterns but the same cut. John had Donald go to the changing room to try them on, telling him it was to check the fit and movement as different styles and brands run differently and he needed to be sure the fit him. Once he had them on he understood what he meant as he could feel a shirt rubbing one way while another bunched and rubbed in the wrong spot. Plus there were some that wouldn't fit over his cast so he had to forgo those. He eventually found the right ones, coming up with a group of eight shirts and slacks. John added a couple of packages of undershirts, informing him, "It'll help with any chafing and give a little warmth and wick away any sweat. It also helps when the shirts get too hot in the summer, even being short sleeves they get hot." Shoes were next with John telling Donald, "You needed new shoes two months ago, I can already tell that they are too small for you. You are lucky you haven't broken through the sole or hurt your toes bumping into things yet." Donald found a generic looking pair of shoes which were a half size too big but John agreed with him about getting. Raul thought it was odd to get shoes that didn't fit but John added a swift, "They will fit before school gets out." John took the two over to where the ladies were. Not too surprising to John they were engrossed in the styles and comparing colors and cuts on the girls before choosing what to try on. The thing that caught Donald by surprise was that the three adults were looking as much for themselves as the girls. John pointed to their piles and proudly announced, "These two have finished finding what they need. You can take their piles while we go on to electronics stores for the other things needed." Gabby inspected Donald's pile and smiled at seeing his choices. She didn't say anything but he could tell that she was pleased with what he got. Looking at the undershirts she added to John, "You forgot underwear as usual." John blushed as he told her, "That's something that I would rather not know nor would I want to have to explain to someone else how I know." Dorothy and Alice added, "He's got a point, don't forget he is still his teacher." Donald was quietly asked his size to which Gabby rushed over and grabbed two packages for him while John walked off with Donald and Raul. John and the boys walked out to the adjacent electronics store and John immediately bought two new iPhones and two iPads. He told Donald, "I actually own all of the phones and iPads in the family so there is never any question about ownership. I allow them to be used by all of you children and teens but they are a privilege that can be easily taken away due to bad grades and misconduct." Donald understood, looking down in defeat at feeling singled out. John sighed and told him warmly, "It's only happened a few times before and each time that person had rebounded and shown that they learned their lesson. I have done it to Jaimie and Michael at least three times each and Courtney once. I know you haven't experienced that kind of love before but it isn't malicious nor is it meant to be anything except punishment for bad behavior. The only ones who haven't received either of these are Cat, JD, DJ, Jack, Benny, Willie Jr. and Nigel Jr. They are too young for them. Reyna, Al, and Nichole owned their own iPads already. The youngest kids won't get cell phones until they reach 3rd grade." Donald started to see what he meant and thanked him for allowing him the privilege to have them. John then handed him a heavy duty case for both, with Raul chuckling at his expression. He was about to ask why to which John told him, "Benny is lovable and I can guarantee you that you and Francesca will be roped into babysitting him soon. Same goes with Jack although he is a little big calmer than Benny. Plus the twins will be after you when your cast is off and they have been known to cause phones and iPads to get dropped in their excitement. It's just a little big of preventative measures just in case." As the guys were buying the iPads and iPhones for Donald and Amy the ladies were busy finally going over clothes for Amy. Al groaned at the mention of her needing a bigger bra, insisting, "I have only been on hormones for four months and had a training bra for two months, mom said I don't need another one until they grow even bigger." Stephanie snickered at that, but she was told to try new ones on as well, she was due to need a new one soon too. The trio went inside the largest cubicle and started stripping off their shirts. Al had no problem doing so but Amy was reluctant. Stephanie pointed out, "You need one whether you think you do or not. I can see you do, as can Al." Al nodded, adding, "Your nipples are larger than mine, the only reason your boobs aren't bigger is because that witch wasn't feeding you." Amy looked over at Al and saw what she meant. Al was slightly larger but Amy's nipples were more pronounced. Stephanie was the smallest of the trio but from looking at her mother she was likely to be the smallest overall no matter what. Stephanie mumbled a soft, "I won't get that big but mom said my grandmothers were big breasted so maybe I might get some of her genes." Amy reluctantly put on one of the trainers and was surprised at the tight fit. The girls started to see that she needed help and asked for Gabby. Gabby looked over at Alice and Dorothy who both grinned, the two urging her on. Alice whispered, "She's been through this twice before but she is more nervous than either of us." Dorothy added, "She is afraid that she might make a misstep and lose them. She doesn't have a thing to worry about, there are too many powerful people in her corner and that's not counting the governor when he hears about this from Avery." Gabby entered and found the girls unsure what to do. Stephanie explained, "She's too big for the trainer." Gabby nodded, then took one of the small AA-cup bras meant for Al and handed it to Amy, telling her warmly, "You are too big for the training bra. This is a big milestone for you. Congratulations you lady, you graduated to needing a real bra." The girls grinned at her as her face started to digest what she was just told. Gabby asked the girls if they still needed to try others on getting a quick, "No" from both to which they put their own back on then put on their shirts and left. Gabby sat down and showed Amy what to do. Amy was a quick learner and after finding three that fit she went out and found four more. The girls were all smiles as Stephanie whispered, "She's too big for trainers, she needs regular ones now." Alice and Dorothy started smiling as Amy came out, with Dorothy rushing to the register with one of the bras so Amy would have the proper support she needed. Gabby sighed and told Alice, "That was tougher than Jessie or Courtney. I am just happy that she took the news well." Dorothy came back quickly and told Amy, "Put this on, it's all paid for." Amy reluctantly left then came out a few minutes later looking at the others for guidance. Neither of the girls said anything and Gabby only told her, "You are a growing girl, you will get used to wearing one and others looking at your body. It'll take a while but you get used to it." John, Donald, and Raul finally returned as Amy was leaving the changing room. Donald's eyes nearly popped out at the shock of seeing his sister now clearly having breasts. John whispered to him, "She can't stay young forever. The shock of seeing them on her will pass, just keep an eye out for all of the boys she will end up attracting." Amy thought she had done something to upset Donald but Gabby knelt down and whispered to her, "He just noticed that you were no longer a little girl. He's reacting like a big brother should, he is scared for you and concerned about the boys who will come sniffing around. It just means that he loves you." Amy's eyes lit up hearing that. Donald pushed the carriage towards the register to allow Gabby to pay while Raul did the same with Stephanie's and his clothes. John just sat with Dorothy and watched as the two mothers paid for the clothes while the two brother and sister duos waited alongside them. Dorothy eventually commented on John's actions asking, "Am I seeing John the high school student there?" John nodded, adding, "I wasn't abused, but I know the isolation and fear of my own shadow." Dorothy grinned and added, "He has what you didn't have: he has people who know what to look for and know how to deal with it. It's fitting that five years ago you were doing the same with someone like them. My how things can change yet they still stay the same." John had to ponder it for a minute but grinned at the thought. He added poignantly, "All I ever wanted to do was help people. I helped one person and it turned into helping dozens more. I am just happy that there are more people who are being helped by those who have been given as we go on, all thanks to you and Mark and really Michael and Valerie." Dorothy nodded in agreement, adding, "Even when you didn't do anything direct, you did something. You brought me my daughter and now two amazingly bright nieces who are trying to do good in the world without their parents' influence, all because you gave some money to a scholarship fund. Things happen for reasons, you are the closest that boy had to what a real father should be and showed him that being a man means being a good person first." John had to think that over but he told her she was wrong, adding, "Jake should have done this. If he is going to be in Gabby's life this should be Jake's job as Gabby's brother and Donald's future uncle. I was just a convenient choice because I was there but he needs to be around Jake." Dorothy grinned, adding, "I am sure he will try to make time to be that as well as having Will and the boys give him a lesson on what real guys do not what that overgrown child masquerading as a father said they should do." John gave her a sly grin, she countered with, "What, you don't think that I can dislike someone? I met him when Amy was first enrolled and I could not stand him then. There was something off about him, like he thought I shouldn't be principal. And he had the nerve to ask if I was the secretary and when the principal was getting in, just because I am a woman. If Zeke Williams hadn't been there I might have slapped him. Zeke caused him to nearly wet his pants in fear over telling how wrong he was about me." John grinned and added, "He said just that to me at the parent/teacher conference last October. He all but said that no woman should be a principal as it's a man's job. I then pointed out that five out of the eight principals in the district were women causing him to mutter a few unflattering things about this city. I don't think any of us liked him and I think Justin Stoner kicked him out of his classroom for his stupid remarks and boorish behavior." Gabby and Alice led the six over to where John and Dorothy were talking and caught the last bit of the conversation. Alice bit her tongue but Gabby let out a big grin over hearing that. Dorothy tried not to laugh but she had to admit, "Gabby the man is going to explode in court. I wish we could be there to see it. Valerie and Ricardo are going to be doing their best not to break into laughter but I think Judge Matthews is going to know to treat the Lees with the respect that they earn." The four youngsters didn't ask what they were talking about so the adults didn't dwell further. John pointed out to Gabby, "Jake needs to spend some time with Donald." Gabby looked at him oddly to which John mouthed, "Guy thing". Gabby instantly got what he meant returning it with a nod. Stephanie and Raul went with Alice and Dorothy for a family day while John drove back with Donald, who was lost in thought. Donald asked him, "Do you have sisters? You seemed to handle that whole bra thing easily for someone with just a daughter." John sighed and admitted, "I have two older sisters. Karen is three years older and Leslie is nearly seven years older. And yes I also had to go through this with Jaimie when she was in 7th grade and was with Dan and James when Rebecca and then Sam needed theirs. No matter how much you prepare yourself the reality of your little girl growing up hits hard. Sam was toughest among the girls as James had to substitute for Tanya as she was in a coma at the time and none of us had any idea what to do. If not for me I think both Dan and James would have had breakdowns in the store." Donald thought he recognized the name Leslie. John grinned and added, "Before you ask, yes Leslie is Iris and Rachel's mother and you met her several times since December. They are adopted like you will be. I'm sure you heard it already but Iris was badly beaten by her religious zealot parents and Rachel's parents were into a fraud that involved Iris' parents' church. Quite a few of the teens and kids have been through abuse and other issues so we know how to deal with it." Donald asked about school. John informed him, "Miles had a broken collar bone that kept him from writing like your arm keeps you from writing. We have a separate test that you can take. It will impact your English work but we know how to handle Mr. Stoner. If he knows what is good for him he won't cause a problem, he already had a warning back in December and another one could be the end of his teaching career. He is a tough nut to crack but I don't think he's going to be a problem for you." Donald snorted at that, asking, "The one when Benny spit up on him?" John nodded and grinned, adding, "That's why took it easy on you guys for so long after it. Ben really went at him over what he said about Francesca and he seems to get that being a teacher is more than being the all powerful overlord of the classroom. Sometimes you need a dose of reality to see you are in the wrong about you kids." They arrived at the Finn home with the teens immediately asking to see the clothes. Al encouraged Amy to do it, but Donald hung back and didn't want to show them. Gabby had to get them to leave him alone, sitting with him while the girls and teens moved next door to do the modeling show. Mark came over with Marcus complaining that they didn't want any guys in the house as they did their fashion show. Marcus took one look at John and started screaming, forcing Mark to sit down with him. To their surprise he saw Donald and immediately stopped. John loudly complained, "Seriously? Is it something in the blood with you babies? Do you really have to take after Bryan, Hannah, and Nigel in that way?" Gabby laughed at that adding, "Well at least JD and Cat liked you." John added a quick, "Like they had any choice. It's a running gag now that Finn babies treat me like I'm some scary stranger." Donald was puzzled so Gabby told him, "None of his nephews nor his niece liked being around him when they were babies. Hannah and Bryan didn't like being around him until they could walk, Nigel Jr. is the same way but is starting to get over it since John bought him a bunch of toys. But Marcus here won't even look at John without crying. We think he is trying to be funny since he doesn't really cry all that hard, he just like to get John annoyed and see our reactions." Mark gave a weird look then handed Marcus off to Gabby before going off to the bathroom. Marcus started stirring as if he didn't want to be in her arms so she handed him off to Donald. He settled down, gurgling and cooing at Donald. Donald held firmly onto Marcus with his good arm, not wanting to move the wrong way while Marcus fell asleep in his arms. John came by and shook his head, mumbling again, "All of you kids don't like me until I buy things for you" setting Gabby off laughing again. Valerie and the twins entered with the twins immediately going for Marcus only to stop short as they saw he was asleep in Donald's arms. Valerie chuckled and asked, "Is he upstairs whining about being snubbed by the kids again?" Gabby nodded while Cat and JD giggled, each saying, "Babies hate daddy." Gabby countered with, "You didn't hate him." Cat grinned and pointed, "He's our daddy. We aren't allowed to hate him, he is good to us. He isn't bad to him like Donald's mommy and daddy." Valerie led them upstairs then came back down to sit with Donald and Gabby. She asked about the shopping trip getting a hearty, "One got a new wardrobe, the other saw just how mature Amy really is." She then asked how Donald took it getting a warm, "About as good as Jake took it when he saw my two additions. Probably the same as when Michael saw Jaimie's permanently sticking out for boys to see." Mark came down and saw Donald holding the sleeping Marcus. He shook his head and told him, "Don't get too comfortable doing that, last thing you need is to have to do that for your kids." Both Gabby and Valerie shot back, "They won't worry about that for years!" Mark realized his error and quickly backtracked but the ladies had him blushing and apologizing much to their amusement. Donald didn't understand what he meant so he asked. Gabby gave him a stern, "He meant you and Francesca becoming parents. That won't be for several years, and we hope not until after you graduate high school and have some college under your belts." Donald utter a quick, "I would never do that. I couldn't do that to her." He handed Marcus off to Valerie and started to walk out but Gabby stopped him, held him tight and kissed his forehead explaining, "We know you wouldn't. I forgot how sensitive you are about that. I didn't meant to upset you." Valerie tried to diffuse the situation but Gabby softly stopped her. Donald sat back down but didn't say anything. Gabby felt horrible about what happened and hugged Donald tight, then got up to go to the bathroom downstairs letting tears flow down her face as she tried to think of how to make it up to him. Valerie compassionately told Donald, "She didn't mean anything by that. She is so used to telling Pierre, Steven, and Ezekiel to not have sex that she forgot that you are nothing like them. She never had to worry about Reed nor Michael, but all of her experiences with being a mother to boys told her that she has to be heavy handed about it just in case. She trusts you two not to do it and to respect Francesca's wishes about it, we all do. She cares about you deeply, she honestly didn't mean to upset you." Gabby composed herself and came back with a pleading look in her eyes. Donald sighed and asked, "Mrs Finn told me that you are used to being heavy handed with boys. Why were you so heavy handed with your sons?" Gabby gave Valerie an odd look but Valerie's urging meant it was for a reason. Gabby looked down at the floor and quietly told him, "Just before they were arrested for the final time I caught my twins in bed with girls three years younger than them. Both were in the throes of sex and didn't bother looking up at me when I yelled at them. I drove the girls first to the pharmacy to get them morning after pills since the boys couldn't be bothered with condoms and gave he girls a lie about not getting pregnant the first time they did it then we went to their homes and explained just what they were doing. Their parents were rightfully upset and I asked that they blame my sons not the girls as they were smooth talkers and charmers and the girls were at an age where they would do anything for a boy who showed them any sort of attention." Valerie nodded to her so she continued, "The girls learned their lesson but my sons' reputations took a big hit thanks to the girls' older brothers. They blamed me for them losing any shots at girls in school but I knew that they would get one of the girls pregnant before the year was out. They were already in their downward spiral and as you know they ended up in prison soon after. I keep forgetting that you aren't them but it's hard to remember at times especially when talking about certain things. You aren't them, you are the exact opposite of them. You are the kind of boy mothers dream about their daughters marrying and not the boy mothers warn their daughters to avoid." Donald hugged her, apologizing for jumping to conclusions. Valerie had a big smirk on her face, she had diffused the situation without doing much at all. Mark strolled in to check on Marcus only to see the end of the forgiveness scene and headed right back to where John was holed up, telling him, "If Valerie doesn't have the forms ready by Monday afternoon I'll pull them myself." John held up the forms, grinning at Mark for doing so. John swiftly pointed out, "We had copies leftover from Al's and Thomas' adoption and Valerie never got around to shredding them." Mark nodded, filled it out but leaving certain parts blank for Gabby to fill in, adding, "She's becoming more maternal the longer the kids are with her." John countered with, "She has the most experience among us but this is the first time that she had a son that actually listened to her let alone needs her." Over at the Sylvester house the teens and girls were having a ball. Mark's quick exit meant they could move the show out to the living room where they didn't feel crowded. Once Rachel drew the blinds the three teens marveled at the collection of clothes. Al and Amy stripped and started to model the blouses and t-shirts. Leslie sat silently, looking at Amy's thin arms and legs and noticing that the girls made no mention of them. She did notice her wearing a larger bra than Al to which she asked her about it. Amy grinned as she told her, "Mom said I needed it since I was now too big for training bras and was going to get bigger once I was back to normal weight." Al raise a surprised eyebrow as Amy's hands immediately went to her mouth in shock. Jessie knelt down and told her sharply, "If you want to call her mom then call her mom. Mom isn't going to let you go anywhere and you already told her that you want to be adopted by her." Al whispered into Amy's ear, "Mom said all of the paperwork was being put together for adoption. She means it, you are not going anywhere." Amy looked at Jessie who smiled and nodded, then handed her another blouse to try on. The girls modeled for the others until there were no further combinations of clothes to be made. Amy even tried on several of her bras to color coordinate with her new blouses and learned about how to coordinate bras and panties while the girls snickered at her surprised response. Leslie eventually called it quits and packed up the clothes. Amy walked over silently but Jessie stopped her and told her, "It's alright to call her mom. We want you as our sister and I accidentally called Donald brother yesterday. Mom loves you two and she will make you her son and daughter even if it takes the next few months to do so." As they entered Amy was still scared of Gabby's reaction. Jessie blurted out to her mother, "Amy's a bit concerned because she accidentally called you mom." Gabby quickly shot back, "I've been called a lot worse, that's probably the best thing I've been called by someone." Amy looked down and asked, "You aren't mad?" Gabby grabbed her and pulled her towards her, sitting her in her lap as she told her, "If that makes you feel comfortable then you can call me that. I don't mind it, I already told you that I was going to try to adopt you and your brother and it would be odd having you as my daughter and you calling me 'Gabby' or 'Mrs. Lawrence'." Mark popped out and handed Gabby the forms. Valerie snorted, asking, "Did you just happen to have them on hand?" Mark countered with, "I didn't have them handy, you did. They were leftover blanks from Thomas' and Al's adoptions." Gabby signed the forms and filled in the relevant information. She didn't need to ask Donald any of the key information like date of birth and full name. Gabby knew that information already from Friday's paperwork. She did need Amy's help in spelling Amethyst but otherwise she had it all filled in quickly. She turned to Donald and asked him, "Are you able to sign?" Donald nodded, turning in a tough angle so he could sign as best he could. It wasn't his normal signature but it was legible. Valerie countersigned for him as a witness. Amy did hers quickly with Valerie doing the same countersigning. Mark grinned and announced, "Valerie and Ricardo can file these in the morning before your parents' arraignments. They have to file the restraining orders at the same time as well as the lawsuits against your parents." Amy and Donald hugged Gabby who had tears in her eyes over their affection. Valerie smiled and added, "We also found out that your parents thought they were being smart in putting the house in Amy's name. Not only did they do that they actually claimed to have sold the house to you. You own it outright. Legally, it's yours. They are still stuck with their mortgage payments but have no legal rights to the house." Mark asked what she meant. She smirked but Gabby told him, "The mortgage is in their name but the house legally belongs to Amy. It's separate from the house, he had to have used something else as the collateral for the loan. I have to assume that Mr. Lee is in financial trouble or he wanted to get around some legal hurdles by putting it in Amy's name. Mrs. Lee could leave him but as long as he had control over Amy he had a house to live in. It essentially means that his wife could never leave or she would get nothing and have no place to go, it was stick with her husband or be out on the streets." Donald snorted, telling them, "Dad told mom she is nothing without him. He said that if she left she would get nothing since she had no job and he would kick her out of the house. You are right. That's exactly why he sold it to Amy on paper, it was so he controlled mom." Valerie smirked as she added, "That bit of chauvinism just cost him dearly. He has nothing now. He will have to pay off the damages to you and your sister before the bank gets at him for the mortgage. He can kiss whatever job he had goodbye as no business will hire a convicted felon with those charges leveled against him. He's toast in just about every career field." Valerie looked at the time and told Gabby, "You had better take Al home. Olivia is expecting you for dinner. A phone call won't due for what she has to tell you, this needs to be done in person. And sorry Donald, but this is more important than whatever you and Francesca were going to do. She will understand, we will tell her if she asks what you were up to today." The five got into the car and headed to the Samuels home. Jessie saw the big smirk on Donald's face and couldn't believe how he had changed with the talk of sticking it to his parents. She had to admit that she couldn't understand the pain that he suffered but she did remember Reed's actions after his mother was caught. She understood now, Reed wanted her to face justice for what she had one and Donald was feeling the same way. Olivia and Richard met them outside as they arrived. Al dragged her bags inside, telling Olivia, "She's bigger than me and Stephanie." Olivia had to think then saw what Al was referring to, nodding to her and adding, "You will catch up soon, she had a longer head start." Richard quietly whispered, "Is she talking about what I think she is?" Olivia nodded, adding, "Our little girl is growing up and getting jealous of her friends' development." Richard wasn't sure what to say but Olivia added, "She's done wonders for Amy, she followed your instructions to the letter. You can't ask for a child to do anything better than Al has done." Gabby grinned as Amy walked past Olivia and Richard, not saying anything nor noticing their subtle stares. Donald walked in after followed by Jessie while Gabby grinned and matter of factly told them, "We signed the forms." Olivia hugged her tightly as Richard nodded at the achievement. Once Amy was inside Richard asked, "How has she been eating?" Gabby smirked and proudly told him, "She has eaten more than my sons did when they were bulking up for their failed MMA try-outs. She understands how thin she is and has not fought me or Jake or the girls when eating. In fact the girls have started helping out more since Donald and Amy came, it's almost a blessing in disguise." Richard was proud of them, telling her, "She is looking much better. It'll take a few days before the caloric intake starts to show signs but she is looking less gaunt and dare I say more womanly." Olivia smiled as he said that, telling him, "You are right, she is starting to look improved." Richard added, "Keep it up for the next few weeks, but I think she is starting to see that she is doing alright." As they went inside he asked Gabby, "Did she really need the bra or did Al and Stephanie talk her into wearing one?" Gabby nodded, telling him, "She really did need one as she was too big for the training bras. She looked smaller than she really is. Al was the one who got me to check her out, she saw the difference between herself, Amy, and Stephanie and knew that she was going to be bigger than we all thought. I was too upset to notice yesterday when she showed Valerie but she is definitely in the throes of blossoming and needed one right now." Olivia turned to Richard who shook his head, Olivia smiled and proudly told him, "She isn't so little anymore, we knew she was going to start to mature but she is taking this is emotional maturing in addition to physical. The three girls are about as close as Jessie and Rebecca or Courtney, Claire, and Jenna were at the same age." Gabby smiled at the memories. She playfully told Richard, "Slumber parties and fights over bikinis are coming up soon." Olivia snorted as Richard's face turned white at the revelation. Olivia shook her head and quietly told him, "It's alright honey, at least we don't have to fight off boys until next school year. Unless of course the girls get dates to the dance." Richard quickly went inside to avoid further embarrassment much to the amusement of Olivia and Gabby. Al and Amy asked what was going on to which Jessie added, "They were talking about the two of you and I think your dad had a dad moment." Al gave her a funny look to which Donald told her, "His little girl isn't so little anymore and our moms are needling him about it." Al's eyes went wide hearing that. Jessie snickered and told her affectionately, "He's a dad, it's how they react to their daughters getting older. Uncle Jake had the same reaction to Michael asking out Courtney or Reed asking out me." Gabby and Olivia snickered at the girls' expressions to which Donald told them, "It's hard to understand but first come the boobs then comes the boys. You are probably going to have some fun toying with him as the April dance this week gets closer." As Olivia and Gabby walked away to let the four settle down Amy reluctantly asked Al, "Do you like boys?" Al blushed and quietly told her, "I do." Al led her upstairs to her room to talk privately then sat her down on her bed. Al asked Amy, "Do you like boys? It's alright if you like girls, Iris and Sam like girls and we like them a lot." Amy blushed and told her, "I like boys. I just don't like what they do." Al snickered and shot back, "I know that better than anyone. They talk big games but they don't know what they are really doing or what to do if they did land a girl. Girls know more than boys." Amy felt ashamed to ask but asked her, "When did you start to like boys? Was it before the accident? It's fine if you don't want to talk about it, I know it's embarrassing." Al shook her head, telling her, "I never really liked girls or boys. Once I was told that I didn't have to follow my original dad's rules and be manly I stopped trying to be tough and saw that girls were more than just sex toys, they were smart and funny and can enjoy the same stuff as boys. I saw my former classmates and heard them talking about me and what they wanted to do to me and realized that it was the same stuff I heard for years. I hated all of the vulgar and stupid comments they made before but I saw how some of them were better looking than others and how they were better built in their chests. Amy listened intently. Al continued, "Before you ask, yes they really are different than girls. Stephanie never talked that way and although she talked about boys she never talked about their penises or length or other stuff. She talked about their looks and I started to agree with her about some of the boys in our class. Remember the day I came back to school in a dress? I could see the boys stiffening at seeing me especially the boobs my bra made me look like I had. I liked looking at them and I wanted to kiss them. It clicked in me, I realized that I liked boys not girls." Amy smiled. She told her warmly, "The girls are all jealous of you but you really are a great person. I am jealous that you look so nice." Al took out a picture that she hid in her room and showed it to Amy, Amy nearly cried at seeing it. It was Al when she was a boy but Amy kept staring and couldn't see any trace of a boy in it. The person looked like a girl, only with short hair and boy's clothes. Amy hugged her, telling her, "You really were a girl. Maybe you were like Sam, Donald told me once that she was a girl who had boy bits." Al shook her head, telling her, "Maybe I am in some level but I was a boy internally. Sam was lucky, I wasn't. I'm just a girl who was born a boy and never wanted to be a girl but who now loves being a girl." Amy hugged her, kissing her cheek. Al smirked and asked her warmly, "Just who in our class do you like?" Amy moved away in shock, but smiled as she told her, "Oscar Pierce. He has dreamy eyes and a cute nose even if he is a little on the chunky side." Al smirked and told her, "I like Kyle Douglas, his best friend and the only one who can make the girls shut up about us. He's funny and he has style and he always looks at me like I am a person and not meat or a freak." Amy grinned as she added, "And he has a big you know what too, I've seen his bulge". Al snorted at hearing that. She nodded silently as she pictured him. She muttered, "He sure does. But they get bigger as they get older." Amy looked at her wide eyed but Al insisted, "I was looking up stuff online, it's part of puberty in boys. We are supposed to learn it next year but I had to know." Amy blushed but Al led her back downstairs. Jessie and Donald asked what they were talking about. Al grinned and told them, "Boys." Jessie snorted and asked, "What were you really talking about." Al again grinned and told her, "Just that boys' penises get bigger and longer as they get older." That caused Donald to cough up his water. Jessie looked over at the girls to see if they were joking but Amy's blush told her they weren't. Jessie shook her head and admitted, "I don't even want to know what brought that on." Donald said, "I do. Aren't they a little young to be talking about that? Sex ed is next year in this city." Amy mumbled softly, "We were talking about her dad's reaction to her mom's jokes. I asked her if she liked boys so she told me when she knew she liked boys. She said when she started looking at their penis differently then we talked about who we liked and it led to that joking." Jessie whispered to Donald, "Let it go, she's starting to like boys that way. It's just harmless talk, she won't do anything and Al was telling her the truth." Donald told both, "Don't go rushing into boys." Al grinned and hugged him while Amy hugged Jessie.