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Chapter 31 As John and the Finn teens went north the rest of the Petersons minus Daisy and Claire were getting ready for their own special side trip. Emma was a bundle of nerves for the previous two days and was closely watched by Karen to ensure that she ate properly and didn't get too anxious and end up causing her blood pressure to spike. It was also why she was so sisterly towards Jaimie, she could empathize with having bad parents even if her own had not been criminal towards her as Jaime's were. Lilly arrived just after John left with his group and helped load the rental van with their bags for the trip to Manchester. Emma wasn't too pleased to do so but it had to be done and David insisted that she take Patrick, Deborah, Ian, Sheila, and Lilly with them for support. They would not be intimidated and wouldn't fall for the tricks if her parents tried to get them to give them money. Lilly was actually looking forward to the trip, she wanted to give them a piece of her mind and assure them that they had made a huge mistake in casting out their daughter for trying to better herself. Sheila had to calm her at points while David drove, Ian and Patrick wisely kept quiet but were thinking up what to do and say to people who they figured would be less than enthusiastic to hear that their only child had made something of herself with a group of loving people and had fallen in love with a man, is having his child, and was adopted by a noble family after showing them nothing but care and affection.. The drive took three hours with the group stopping for lunch after arriving to burn off their nervous energy and allow their thoughts to cool. Sheila and Deborah were struggling to keep Lilly and David in check while Emma felt horrible about dragging them so far away from the rest of the family. It took Ian to put it all in perspective, telling all of them, "It's either we get it out of the way or we sit around stewing, I'd rather be as far away from here as possible as soon as possible and back with people who actually give a damn about Emma." Ian's words loomed large as the group got into the van and drove on to the Walker home. Emma rang the doorbell and nobody answered, looking at the time she silently cursed herself for not realizing that they would still be at work. She turned and left, leading the others away and explaining, "My parents are working. They own two buildings in nearby Chiselworks, they won't be home for a while." David suggested that they visit in person so they could have dinner with them. It wasn't easy for Emma but it was the best they could do. Lilly had to reassure her that she was alright and that nobody would harm her if they got out of line with her, not with three intimidating, if a little dumb, guys. Sheila and Deborah joined Emma in a giggle as the guys grinned and grunted at the joke stealing Lilly's thunder. The drive was short. Chiselworks was an old industrial town not far from Manchester along the River Irwell that had seen better days. Some of it was quaint, but there was a lot of blight and places in need of revitalization. The Walkers' buildings were rundown and were among those that needed to be redone. They could see why Emma was in demand by her parents- they wouldn't pay for the proper upkeep of their three properties. Emma pointed out that her parents were sitting inside the shop her mom owned, with her dad talking animatedly with someone. She sighed as she admitted, "That's my former best friend, she abandoned me when I was hired by grandmother." David nodded, putting his arm around her for support as the two walked towards the building. The group silently entered Mrs. Walker's clothing store, catching the trio inside off guard. Lilly was in first followed by Sheila and Deborah with Ian and Patrick keeping Emma from view as she anxiously waited outside. David stood by her side out of view and had his hand in hers with Emma needing him for all the strength he could muster. Sheila was the first to speak, asking, "Sorry to interrupt your lunch but we are here on behalf of your daughter Emma. We would like to have a meeting with you this evening if possible." Mrs. Walker scoffed while Mr. Walker asked her firmly, "Why should we meet with you?" Sheila answered before Lilly could shoot off her venomous reply, stating firmly, "She has finished her year of service that she pledged to Lady Ophelia Smith and is going to start her nursing education in just under two months. She wanted to try one last time to smooth things over with you before she starts her course. She still believes that deep down you aren't as hardhearted as we believe you to be and you would set aside a year of bad blood for her sake." The Walkers knew something was up and asked their relation to her. Sheila grinned and admitted, "We are representing Lord and Lady Smith. Your daughter has made some powerful friends and has been given a 'full ride' as we in the US call an all-expenses-paid college scholarship. Her benefactors are enamored with her abilities and support her education with an eye on her employment with a hospital." She wasn't lying, but she wasn't telling them everything. She didn't say which Lord and Lady Smith, they were there on behalf of all of the Smiths particularly Pete, Paige, Bryan, and Hannah but it was Karen and Nigel who footed the bill for her education with John getting the funds diverted to a separate account for the unborn child's future as he paid for her education in full. Karen and Nigel did a token opposition to that but knew full well that John would never allow them to pay for her education when he could do it without question and with love towards his new niece. Hearing this the Walkers saw pound signs in their eyes and wanted to cash in on their daughter's new windfall. Sheila immediately recognized it and added, "She has also found love with a young man who is himself connected to multiple powerful people in addition to Lord and Lady Smith. Emma has found herself joining several titled nobles and dining with high ranking politicians and that is not including rubbing elbows with dozens of multi- millionaires on a daily basis." Ian had to grin at that, just because they were kids and teens didn't make their personal fortunes any less spectacular. Deborah and Lilly now caught on to what Sheila was doing and wisely kept their mouths shut. Mrs. Walker turned to her husband and told him, "We can at least hear her out." Mr. Walker nodded, then added, "We will meet her at the pub for dinner then discuss things further at home. Emma should know exactly where we will be going already." Lilly wasn't comfortable with that idea and added, "It might be a good idea to meet for lunch tomorrow. This will give you a chance to gather your thoughts and allow us to prepare Emma." The Walkers reluctantly agreed, with Lilly turning the tables on them by choosing a fairly crowded pub nearby that had an outdoor seating area. This both served as a chance to lessen the impact on Emma and force the Walkers to show their true colors to the general public which, in turn, might ruin their businesses when the townsfolk saw what they were really like towards their daughter. As they were leaving Emma's former friend discretely followed behind them. Emma's baby bump was hidden but she was clearly holding onto David tight and sported a fearful expression. The Petersons and Baileys walked to the van with Emma's former friend desperately trying to get a read on Emma in the hopes of using something against her the next day. She couldn't get a thing with Sheila and Deborah shielding her from the sides and Ian's large size and Patrick's slower pace keeping her at a distance she never got a chance to see a thing, only that she and David were holding hands. The group drove to their hotel with Lilly sitting them all down to discuss their plans. David pointed out that they were going to have a confrontation, it was obvious from their reactions that they were not going to let Emma walk away without first getting something for themselves. Lilly just grinned and told Patrick and Ian to hold back and let the ladies handle them directly, they could be close by for, "Moral support" but also ready to step in in case they got violent. Emma told them that her parents wouldn't be the only ones there, her former friend would ensure that anyone they knew would be there or close by to hear the mess. David grinned and sharply added, "So be it, they don't have the guts to go after us directly. You never have to return here again so what do you really care about their reactions? As long as they aren't physical they have no say in the matter. You have real friends, Bryan, Hannah, Paige, Pete, Zoe, Sela, Isobel, Deborah, and Sheila are better friends than those people are." Deborah was thinking deeply. She finally smiled and pointed out, "Your parents have to be on thin ice financially, they will be seeing you as a cash cow. You have the least amount of money among us after Ian, they can try to get it from you but you don't actually have it. It won't take much to get them to be shown to be trying to extort you and it'll backfire on them, just casually mention that you are recording the conversation. They will either keep on their best behavior or they will cause themselves to be in a tough legal situation once their true colors are shown. Either way, you will have them and don't have to think of this place again." The group went to sleep and the next morning Emma showed them around Manchester. She was using the tour as a way of reconciling her past as she showed them her schools and where she had her first jobs before being forced to quit to help her parents as an unpaid laborer. She smiled at a couple of the places but most of the time she was sullen and almost tearful as she recalled the memories of the place. There weren't many good memories that she shared, it was more of her coming to terms with leaving for good than a real tour. She told of trips to certain places and grinned at some of her parents' antics backfiring especially regarding their treatment of her. It was both sad and heartfelt, but Emma needed to relay the stories to them with all of them listening intently. Emma started to feel better as she realized that there wasn't anything keeping her there anymore. Her friends abandoned her, her family treated her like a slave, and she had never had any kind of boyfriend until David and she fell in love. Manchester wasn't home, Winnisimmet, Massachusetts actually was. In her short two weeks in the city, it felt more like home than the place she lived in for 18 years. She smiled as she thought of her new parents. Nigel and Karen were better to her than her own parents and the twins were the siblings she wished she had. Even Nigel Jr. Nichole, and Ethan were younger siblings she had longed for. They were her real family, the US was her true home. Emma hugged David tight, then kissed his cheek. David knew what she was thinking and whispered to her, "This was never home to you, it was just where you lived." Lilly smiled at her son's maturity, then looked at Patrick who kept himself quiet as he watched his little brother turn into a good husband right in front of his eyes. He calmly told the others, "Not one word." With Emma coming to the realization it was time for the showdown as the group finally drove to Chiselworks for their encounter with the Walkers. As expected Emma spotted multiple people trying to catch the confrontation, all of whom were known gossipers. She was also disappointed to see her former friends hanging around watching the, "Fun." David parked and led Emma to the outdoor seating of the pub. Patrick and Ian had digital recorders at the ready and spotted CCTV cameras pointed right at them so they had double support. David didn't need to know that but Sheila and Deborah wisely caught on to the idea by their subtle glances. Lilly led the four in with Sheila and Deborah flanking Emma to keep the baby bump hidden. Mrs. Walker was the first to say something, telling them, "Why are you here and what do you want from us?" Her husband reiterated the same getting Lilly on edge. Emma nodded to David and told her mother harshly, "I am here to announce that I am going to move permanently to the United States. Last Sunday David and I were married during Lord and Lady Smith's weddings. After a brief courtship in February and unfortunate accident with a broken condom, we have found out that we are also expecting our first child in November. I am proud to tell you that you are to be grandparents." Her parents were speechless as David showed their wedding bands. Mrs. Walker tried to turn things around, trying to tell her that she was nothing without them, that she had no life and that she was making a huge mistake in continuing to follow through on her foolish pursuits. Her husband parroted what she said as the gossipers whispered to one another about Emma being a cheap trollop. David grinned and let loose, "I have a full-time job as a Massachusetts State Police trooper. Emma has a job as a teacher's assistant at my aunt's preschool if she chooses to forgo her college education once the baby is born or she can return to school with my aunts happily giving Emma free childcare alongside my mother happily babysitting for us while Emma attends classes. And I also happen to be in line to receive a promotion to detective so I will be earning a pretty good salary on my own and as I own my own home outright thanks to an amazing deal from its previous owner she has no actual expenses of her own. So no, she is something without you. Judging by your actions and words I say she is better off never seeing you two again!" Emma smiled at him. Mr. Walker tried to claim, "She owes us! We paid for her education and gave her money to get to her maid job!" Emma countered with, "You did no such thing. I attended a local council school and you received a subsidy to pay for my uniforms from the government. In fact, Lady Smith loaned me the money to pay for my train ticket. I have the receipt in her files as she has yet to ask for repayment of the loan." Her father tried to claim she still owed him and he would sue her for everything she owed them for raising her and ruining their business. He claimed she caused them to lose business because she wasn't there to help them stay open. He tried to pin every possible reason for failure on Emma leaving town. David put on his best police face and boldly asked, "So you are saying she owes you for your buying basic educational needs that weren't even directly bought by you, for giving her the basic needs that you are required to give her as parents, that because she chose to seek out paid employment instead of working for you for nothing at your shops, you insist that despite the basic right to pay as an employee that she owes you money?" Mr. Walker grinned ad said, "Every cent she cost us she has to pay us back! I'll sue her for everything!" David grinned and added, "We are recording this conversation and if you choose to go to the courts we will seek damages from you for the time she actually worked for you and will seek a review of your books to ensure that what you claim isn't an attempt to cover up your own bad accounting practices or to hide criminal expenditures." He pointed to Patrick and Ian holding recorders and grinning. Mr. Walker swore loudly while Mrs. Walker claimed they couldn't do that. David grinned and pointed out, "I worked with multiple UK police agencies, particularly the Lincolnshire Constabulary, and have worked alongside one of the best solicitors in all of England several times so I know what we can and cannot record. Please try us, Emma's new sister, Lady Hannah, is itching to have her solicitor friend take you two on for what you have done to her so far." The Walkers demanded to know what he meant. David let out a quick, "Oops, I probably should explain that one. It seems that Lady Karen Smith, daughter- in-law of Emma's employer Lady Ophelia Smith, took a liking to Emma and saw to it to adopt her as her eldest daughter since you two seem to have decided that she wasn't your child but instead your indentured servant. Lady Karen and her husband Lord Nigel legally adopted her as their daughter. She is now Lady Emma Walker, soon to be Lady Emma Peterson as we have to see a judge when we return to legally change her name as it was a bit too chaotic to have done it before the weddings." The Walkers tried to claim she couldn't do that but David countered with a quick, "The Commonwealth of Massachusetts adoption is recognized by the United Kingdom as a valid adoption despite the cutoff age being 18 here. They didn't realize it at the time and our resident lawyers haven't had the heart to point it out but since she started the process before her 19th birthday and it was granted by our courts she is both legally adopted in the United States as well as in the UK through a little quirk of adoption laws. It's fully legal, she is a Smith and a lady so show her some respect. You are lucky Lady Hannah and Lady Paige, Emma's sister and sister-in-law are not here because you would have been thrown out on the street before the ink dried on their purchase of your shops. That could still happen anyway, I honestly don't know how long we can hold them off." David's face was red with rage while Emma barely kept herself from breaking down. The two got up to leave, with David telling them, "Don't disturb Emma again. She doesn't need anything from anyone anymore, she doesn't have to work and if she chooses she may let you have a picture of our child but I highly doubt she will do that after today. We were hoping to bury the ill will but sadly you have proven that she was justified in getting away from your claws." Emma was grabbed by her father who tried to drag her with him, yelling at David that he couldn't do that to them. Emma tried to break away and when Mr. Walker grabbed her other hand David firmly gripped the man's shoulder while Ian and Patrick came in to pull Mr. Walker's hands off Emma. She was left with red marks on her arms but was more frightened than harmed. Mr. Walker tried to claim foul and demanded the police. A constable was nearby and ran over, seeing David, Patrick, and Ian on the smaller Mr. Walker the demanded the release him while Mr. Walker tried to claim he was hurt and acted as if his wrists were broken and bruised. Mrs. Walker tried to claim they were kidnapping her daughter and her husband way trying to protect Emma but the constable could see that there was more to the story than appeared. Once other officers arrived Emma gave her statement, showed the marks from her father, then had Sheila and Deborah point out the CCTV cameras that captured the whole thing and admitted that the whole conversation was recorded with the incident happening after Mr. Walker was told they were recording it. David and Ian were quick to give their statements and told it in, "Cop talk" getting the officers to give them more leeway once both proved they were, "One of them" by showing their badges and identification. Patrick simply told them the truth and produced the digital recorders with the attempted extortion which was the real reason for the whole stunt. The officers listened and grinned, one looked at Emma and asked:, "The same Lady Karen who has the ear of the Lincolnshire Constabulary?" Emma nodded, adding, "David has the ears of some of the ones in the Midlands as well." David confirmed this with the constables proudly saying, "We probably shouldn't judge but given your clean record and history of helping our brethren we are inclined to believe you without the CCTV footage." The Walkers cried foul but the sergeant came over with copies of the CCTV footage, confirming David was defending Emma and Mr. Walker was actually the one who should be arrested. He also added that since Mrs. Walker signed an affidavit she is to be taken in for lying to police. Emma agreed to press charges and told her parents firmly, "Mom and dad, Lord and Lady Smith, will be sending their solicitor after you for what you did. I have to tell them what happened and they will not accept this behavior from anyone. This is goodbye and do not attempt to contact me again. I want nothing to do with you. You would rather hurt me and try to use me than let me leave, I want my child nowhere near people like that." David exchanged contact information with the officers and promised them some patches from their departments for the assistance. Ian pointed out happily, "They probably wouldn't have believed us if we had told them there were a bunch of cops in the country with us." Patrick added, "Why make things more complicated, people outside the country don't seem to get our multi-level government structure much less our own rigid system." David hugged Emma tightly as they walked away, glaring at the people gossiping about Emma. One of them tried to call out, "Lady Emma!" but Emma whispered, "Don't bother, I don't want to see them. They are all just leeches. They only want to gain something from me now that they know the truth." David kissed her and led her to the van with the others grinning at the display. Lilly told the two firmly, "Those people have no right to call themselves parents. You two are going to be 1000 times better than they ever could be. You already are a great husband and wife to one another." Chapter 32 The drive southeast took less time than expected and the group met with the others, enduring a round of 20 questions as Valerie and Melanie refused to let them get away without giving answers. There wasn't anything serious behind this inquisition by the two aunts but Lilly put her foot down and demanded they give Emma a chance to unwind before the interrogation started, prompting Valerie and Melanie to agree. Jorge and Victoria directed the travelers to settle in with a meal while the rest waited, having already eaten before they arrived and simply relaxing in anticipation of the group's arrival. After Lilly deemed them rested, Alice and Ruth were allowed to ask about the trip. Emma broke down and told them everything, including her parents doing their hardest to get David, Patrick, and Ian arrested. Will had to be held back at hearing that but Rick wisely told him, "Let Aunt Karen handle it, she won't let them get away without paying dearly. She has the coolest head among our parents." Lilly carefully asked about what they did, hoping to get them to focus on other things. Will proudly admitted that they simply did nothing except lounge on the beach as the kids enjoyed the activities. Rick had to correct him, admitting, "Sela, Isobel, and Zoe went with us, the rest played games and enjoyed Skegness. We did have some trouble keeping Raul and Avery from being too friendly with one another but it wasn't anything a good whack in the head from their mothers didn't solve." The group had a relatively drama-free two days with not even the youngest four acting up. All eyes were on Todd and Astrid but it was just confirmation that they were clearly enjoying themselves more than just as a couple. The group was taking bets on when Todd would pop the question with nobody allowing Donald to join in since he had won their last pool. Ophelia cleared things with the ladies to allow them to help plan some of the planning for the wedding. Deborah was selected as the one to do the coordinating until Jaimie came back from Scotland with Jenna and Christina acting as her sounding board. Emma was added in as she was the one to be their voice of reason with the other three needing her to smooth over arguments. Right away they spotted problems. Hannah and Paige insisted on a small number of non-family guests that they knew, they conceded that there was going to be people who were too important to Bradford and Ophelia to not have there who would come as well. They could understand the list being like that as they expected someone to take advantage of the event for their personal gain but this was ridiculous, most of the guests would never bother with the brides or grooms and had little reason to come except to rub elbows with the other guests they didn't know. What was even worse than inviting a bunch of people that they didn't know was that the list had many glaring omissions from the guest list that would never be allowed. Nichole was not invited, neither were Deborah, Kennedy, Jaimie or Kylie. There was no excuse for this and the planner had to have known exactly who they were to have gone out of her way to remove them from the invite list. Jenna was furious and it took all three to keep her from imploding and saying some things that the five youngest boys shouldn't hear. She calmed down, but Christina and Deborah had to redo the list for her until she was able to think clearly again. Deborah knew exactly what to do and had Emma help her to check and see if the ones invited were ones who were on Nichole's, "OK" list, not her, "Banned" list. Deborah called Ophelia and asked her to arrange a meeting with the planner immediately. She didn't say why she needed to, but the tone was clear: there was a major problem that needed solving. Ophelia sighed and told her to make the changes and if there was an issue she would see to it that their plans were followed not the planner's. The girls looked over at the schedule and laughed. They underestimated the true number of guests who actually be there, underestimated what was needed to seat guests for both the wedding and reception after, overestimated the costs for food and decorations, and tried to include the press. Deborah looked over things and saw that they even added notes that there would be restrictions on the, "Poor Yankee trash" so that they didn't cause issues for the nobles. Emma thought things over and added that the people who were supposed to be protected from being bothered by the, "Poor Yankee trash" didn't know who the actual guests were, they only cared about the people that Ophelia and Bradford were obligated to invite. Deborah shook her head and wrote down exactly who was coming and why and if the planners had an issue with it they had to take it up with Paige and Hannah when they got back. Planning took an hour but they spent much of it simply removing the unwanted and unneeded expenses and ideas for the ceremony while adding a couple of simple suggestions that the girls knew Paige and Hannah would love. The fact that the garter toss and bouquet toss were omitted was not going to sit well, it was something that they were looking forward to even if it wasn't a traditional UK wedding act. There was no need to say anything, they added it in without debate. Ophelia arrived with the wedding planner and her assistants. The planner reviewed all of their new recommendations and refused to make the changes that the ladies wanted. Deborah insisted, loudly telling her, "This is my two best friends' wedding and the people you blatantly refused to invited are to be there and this is non-negotiable. You are refusing to allow the bride's aunt, cousins, and you most importantly refused to invite her younger sister!. This is an outrage and like it or not they will be there and in the bridal party with Lady Nichole at the head table no less!" Jenna added, "I don't have to even ask my sister what she wants, they are going to be there or there will be no wedding." Christina added, "Lady Paige and Lady Hannah would never allow the idea to even creep into your head let alone allow it. Either you make the changes or find a new job." The planner scoffed at it, telling them they had no business telling her what to do. Ophelia grinned then pointed out, "Actually, they do. They are acting on behalf of Lady Hannah and Lady Paige. Note I said Lady Paige, as the two are already married to Lord Bryan and Mr. Peter Smith. This is just a formality at the request of my husband to uphold family tradition but they don't have to a thing, the real wedding happened last Sunday in front of a reverend who is also a judge and their marriage licenses were issued last Friday. This is all for show, they don't have to have it but chose to do so at our request." Ophelia looked over the recommendations and snickered. She wisely asked Deborah, "Why so little to purchase?" Jenna offered a sharp, "We aren't spending all week here after. This is a simple ceremony, not an all night gala. We have to get back to the hotel and sleep before our flight the next day. And to be blunt: this is supposed to be about them, not the people attending just to be seen and who will ignore the brides and grooms so they can hobnob among others who could care less about them." The planner refused to remove any of the items from the list. Christina thought something was amiss and sharply asked:, "How much are the suppliers paying you to buy all this junk?" Deborah caught on and added, "There's no reason for any of that additional stuff added on, the only one benefiting are the people providing it. Lady Ophelia, I believe you are being bilked She is getting a cut of the profits from the expenses at the places she is buying items on your behalf for the wedding from!" Ophelia grinned and added, "You two have been learning from Miles I see" getting a laugh and a sharp, "He's been learning from us" from both Christina and Jenna. Ophelia shook her head and boldly told the planner, "None of this is needed at all and Chef Farquhar is making a special main dish at the request of the brides. I have a good idea what is needed to feed the whole group and I know what they like to eat and what is needed to make it more traditional. We will forgo any further planning with you, you have proven to be inept and the fact that you purposely tried to exclude my granddaughter, the sister of one of the brides, is unacceptable. You will receive a minimal payment for the work you had done and I will ensure that others know exactly what kind of planner you are." Her assistants got up to leave with the woman snidely saying, "I'll sue you!" Ophelia grinned and then pointed out, "Fine, but I will simply show that you tried to defraud me and broke our contract by acting against common decency by banning members of the bride's immediate family while ignoring the prearranged guest list that I had provided to you weeks ago. Lady Nichole is not only going to be there but she will be at the head table along with her sisters and sister-in-law." Ophelia grinned as the four got back to work, this time with Ophelia overseeing their plans. She called a smaller, lesser know planner that her friends Lady Mabel and Lady Honoria had suggested and were lucky to have her answer right away and head to the hotel to meet them. Ophelia grinned, she was actually cheap and had never let her clients down even with such short notice to work with. The trio was surprised to hear that but Emma smiled at what happened, knowing that the two elderly ladies were pretty sly. Emma asked her warmly, "Did Ladies Honoria and Mabel plan this all along?" Ophelia silently nodded, adding a pensive, "They expected her to do something like this but I didn't believe that someone would be so intent on making things appear so nice and proper that she would deny Nichole the chance to see her sister get married. The anti-Americanism I can understand but not refusing to allow Nichole. That is never acceptable." The girls asked about the traditions that were ignored. Ophelia smirked and proudly told them, "Do as you wish, I ask that they include some of our traditions but it's just a couple of small things. Plus you need a chance to enjoy the moment as well, Emma." All three turned to Emma who blushed and nodded, with Jenna adding, "Just try not to aim for us" getting a grin from her. Thoughts now turned to the pre-wedding fun. Ophelia grinned and admitted, "I think a nice evening out is best, nothing too complex." All four were in agreement. Emma suggested a simple bridal luncheon with all of the ladies allowing them to stay at the estate the night before and allow the girls a chance to get their pent up energy out. Ophelia grinned and agreed, with the girls also agreeing. Deborah added, "You must invite Ladies Honoria and Mabel to the luncheon. They have earned a place there and I am sure that Paige and Hannah would not mind." Christina grinned and added, "They did like them when they met them, plus they are your friends and it isn't fair that we have all of our friends there." Jenna joked, "And they sound like fun anyway" getting a grin and nod from Ophelia. The discussion about the guys and what they could do came next. Ophelia smirked and told them, "They can find their own fun." Deborah grinned and added, "So just sitting around watching movies and working out." That set the others off but it was likely what they would do since none of them drank and the teens were not about to do something to upset their parents. The ladies broke for the night with Ophelia thanking Deborah for filling in for Jaimie. Deborah just smiled and admitted, "I just went with what was right, I know she would have had some better ideas but she would approve of what I suggested." Ophelia added a solemn, "I should have listened to Hannah before and just went with a simple ceremony. It's not right to have to put on a big show for people she doesn't know or care about but it is a tradition for us." Deborah nodded but added a cheerful, "She is here because it means something to you. She wants to be part of the family traditions and she wants you to know that even though she is different she still cares about your family and its history. She tempers herself around you and Lord Bradford, she tries hard to act civil but every so often she can't hold back anymore. She does care though, which is why she wanted you to handle the traditional things while we handled the previous wedding her way." Deborah went to her room where Patrick was waiting for her. The two hugged tightly as Deborah admitted that she was glad that the family wasn't into the whole pomp and circumstance that others were. She kissed him for giving her the wedding she wanted not the one that others did making him wince and admit, "You deserved better but given what could have happened I am just grateful that we were able to get married the next day. So long as you love me, that is all that matters. Patrick asked what they had planned and then agreed with her fully about the whole fun time on their own. She kidded him about not getting kidnapped causing Patrick to grin and add, "Don't get drunk either" bringing her up short and blushing deeply. He then added solemnly, "We are going to be too wound up to do anything except enjoy the night. I think we may end up playing video games and eating pizza at the hotel with the younger boys going out with Uncle Mick." The two cuddled until they fell asleep with Deborah grinning widely. In the morning she talked with the rest of the ladies and got their approval with all of them getting excited over a formal meal with two ladies. Jessica grinned and added that they were fun and not your typical aristocrats which all of them seemed to disbelieve. Her smirk didn't let up, Jenna finally had to admit that Jessica wouldn't lie about something like that while Christina added that Ophelia was sly about them the night before. Rick and the guys were told what they were going to be doing and didn't find anything to complain about. He did gripe that he was hoping to have some time with Jaimie but given that she had an important job to do for them it was alright in the end. Will was going to kid him about that but admitted that Rick needed some alone time with Jaimie. He did add that he should at least go to pick up the six at the estate when the ladies were dropped off, but that had to be cleared with their parents first. Their parents were overhearing the discussion and nodded in agreement that the two deserved some time with one another even if it was just a private walk. Lilly smirked and added that Jaimie could do it under the auspices of observing the layout of the tent and dance floor. This got the others laughing as it was just about perfect for Jaimie, and Rick wouldn't need much encouragement to, "Assist" her. Lupe grinned and confirmed that Miguel and the rest of the family would arrive that evening after a brief stop to pick up Walter and Lillian from London. Miguel was going to be roped into doing some talking with the Marines and staff at the embassy but he was happy to do it for them and he could use the quick stop to decompress more. Juan Alvarez was lucky to keep the press away with a simple request for privacy from Miguel but just in case he was going to run interference and hold them to the laws regarding minors and reporting. Talk turned to Katie and Alison. All eyes went to Tanya who grinned and admitted, "They did Alison's insemination on Monday and won't know for another 10 days. It's not rocket science, she won't know if it was successful until she misses her period!" That got the guys cringing and the ladies laughing at their reaction. Alice grinned and admitted, "Juanita is getting anxious about flying in with Christian and Heather. They tried to invite her up for dinner but the poor girl got sick from the shock of meeting her family. Dorothy is loving playing auntie to her, she hasn't told you all that but she can't hide it from me. She loves those girls like daughters even if they are only her nieces." All eyes turned to Astrid and Todd as they came into the room rather late. A smirk crept across Tanya's face to which Astrid blushed deeply as the other ladies tried to fight their looks of shock and awe at the two enjoying themselves intimately while everyone relaxed. Todd ignored it but the message was clear- don't push them. The others didn't say a word but James did add, "Careful or you may end up like Karen and bring home a souvenir that takes 9 months to enjoy." Astrid asked what they were going to do the next day. All of the ladies grinned and proudly told her, "Lunch at the estate!" Tanya added, "Apparently it's a semi-common British bridal tradition and it's the easiest thing to do for all of us. The teens are going to enjoy the horses and pool while we relax and enjoy being alone for the day." Astrid asked what the guys were doing to which she was quickly told:, "Whatever they want." Valerie smirked and added, "The six boys are being sent back here so it'll be a simple video game and TV watching day. If they are smart they will get out and enjoy a park or something." Todd and Astrid finished eating and walked out together. They were then given the task of buying the wedding gifts for the family as the others kept the kids in line. It wasn't a setup so the two could have a date, they were legitimately going out to shop as the parents all stayed back at the hotel with their kids. It being a chance for both to be alone was entirely coincidental. Virgil was getting bored with the city so he asked to go along. Emma was asked to go with them so they didn't have to drive. She grinned happily as the couple unknowingly held hands in the backseat. Virgil noticed this as well but didn't say anything, he was wise enough to know not to make mention of it and hoped that it wasn't puppy love as his dad once called it. Emma asked Virgil about school and was given a soft, "Daisy and Faith said I had to look after the girl in my class who is like Jaimie. Our new teacher isn't a nice lady and she said she won't like her because she is not a real girl. Mom said I had to be good in school but I'm supposed to protect her." Emma grinned widely. He was fighting the urge to defend someone in need against behaving like the good student he normally was. Todd and Astrid saw something in Emma and nodded to one another to let her handle this, she needed it. Emma calmly explained to Virgil, "Your mom meant for you to listen to your teacher and follow the rules but if the teacher is being mean to this girl then she is breaking the rules herself. Daisy and Faith are right to want you to defend her, she needs a friend and you know more about girls like her than anyone else in your class if not your school. If she is mean to this girl then you defend her and tell your mom and dad and aunt and uncle. Uncle John won't let her get away with being mean and Aunt Valerie will make sure that she can't teach another child again." Virgil hugged her carefully while Todd and Astrid smiled wide at Emma. They let the matter drop and focused on the road while Virgil just looked out the window thinking about what was said to him. In Lincoln, the four walked around to the stores that Valerie had listed. The couple looked over the various wedding items and gifts and kidded with one another about them. Emma joked, "You two are almost drooling over the items, it makes me think you two are itching to get married soon." Virgil laughed as Todd and Astrid didn't realize they had set themselves up for the joke. Todd sighed and admitted, "It had crossed my mind but if I ask her it won't be for several months." Astrid grinned then added, "And I accept your proposal. Yes, I will marry you." Virgil was now in a full laugh, Emma tried to apologize to him for the joke but Todd kissed Astrid deeply. There was no turning back, she already knew the truth and told him yes. He sighed and added, "I guess I had better have a talk with your parents over this screw-up. I hope he isn't too rough with me." The gifts were simply an afterthought as Todd was in a daze. The group were kind enough to not text or call them while they were out but Emma had to do much of the collection of the gifts with Virgil happily in tow. He didn't mind one bit, this was a big thing and the gravity wasn't lost on him. Todd was still in his daze when they arrived back at the hotel. Astrid had a big smile on her face while Virgil kept quiet knowing that he had to let the adults handle this. Emma put the gifts in Valerie's room then went to where David was sitting with Lilly. Todd finally entered and asked to talk with Peggy and Joshua. As they walked off Astrid was peppered with questions but didn't say anything. Todd was all business sand admitted to them, "I accidentally proposed to Astrid and she accepted it. She agreed to marry me." Joshua laughed at hearing that, with Peggy trying her hardest to keep a stern expression but she too broke down. She calmly told him, "I take it that the context was something else and she simply didn't bother to be subtle and outright agreed. That's Astrid for you, she is so much like Sam and Virgil it's spooky. Don't worry, she loves you and you are clearly in love with her." Todd told them the story then got a quick, "She was looking for a sign that you were serious about her beyond simply dating her. You both were in sync, you just needed something to spark it." Joshua didn't say anything, simply telling him, "Go tell the rest, they are going to annoy Astrid until she tells them what you two did in Lincoln." Walking out Todd sighed then admitted to the group, "Astrid and I sort of pulled a Patrick. I accidentally proposed to her and she quickly accepted it. You got your wish, you got us together." Chapter 33 While the rest of the family was having their fun in England, Katie and Alison were busy during the week dealing with their own lives. The appointment for the insemination was exactly as Katie had expected, lots of questions and odd looks and a few snide remarks. Alison had to put the nurses and receptionists who made those remarks in their place over their harsh and insulting words after Katie nearly walked out in tears over the comments. Sadly, two were fired for their actions while others were suspended without pay and sent to work in different departments until their probationary penalty was finished. They tried to sue but given that Alison was a patient who was familiar with their hospital's rules and procedures they had no chance against her. The hospital didn't try to defend them, Katie was feared by them due to reputation alone. Louis was eagerly awaiting word of the results but had to be reined in by both Katie and Tamara. He was giddy, this was his daughter and he wanted this to be successful for Katie's and Alison's sake. Tamara was hoping for the best as well, Katie needed this to be successful or else she may end up back in another long bout of depression and even call off the wedding as she blame herself for the failure. To get Katie focused on something else, she asked about the wedding plans. Katie sighed and admitted that they would have few real friends there with everyone else being part of the Finn family. She hated to appear to be without any actual friends but the truth was only Ricardo and Alex were her real friends in her eyes and anyone else going were really going due to them and not her. Tamara burst into laughter at hearing that. She composed herself then scolded Katie for her statement. She smiled as she pointed out, "John, Willie, Paul, Juan, and Melanie will be extremely upset that you said that, let alone thought that way about them. We don't know how much we have to do to prove to you that they are your friends and always have been. It seems that no matter what they do you are just not willing to accept the fact that they do indeed care about and are your friends. Try to rationalize it any way you want but those five care deeply about you and want to be there on your special day. She took a breath and smiled at their reactions at the Smiths' wedding. She sighed and added, "I'd even go so far as to say that the rest of the ladies have added you as friends themselves. They are like their husbands and wife, they care about you and want to help you. You just have to accept that people care about you for you and you don't have to hide anymore. You are our daughter, but you are their friend and they care about you deeply. They don't have to show it, we saw it a long time ago." Tamara asked about Alison's guests, getting a solemn, "Charles Dane and Marion Reidmiller are going to be there as her maid of honor and walking her down the aisle." Tamara snickered and added, "Marion can't come alone, her stepdaughter and niece need to come too. Willie, Alex, and Mike will insist on it and the girls could use some time with Kylie and Nichole to talk about their obvious shared traits." Louis came in and heard that, nearly laughing at what was said. Katie was asked, "Do you know about the trio meeting the ladies?" Katie shook her head to which Louis retold the events of their trip earning a big smile and nod from Katie. This was Marion alright, and the girls being asked would definitely happen despite the meeting if Alison had her way. She honestly had forgotten about what sparked Alex and Ricardo going to the club and introducing Alison to her, but it was simply because they fell madly in love that night and spent days together afterward. Tamara sighed and finally stopped stalling and added, "Are you going to tell your sister or do I have to do it for you? She needs to know and soon." Katie barely mumbled, "She doesn't have to come if she doesn't want to. You know we never got along and she left because of me. I don't want her to feel like she is obligated to come back here because of me." Louis shook his head and admonished her for her thinking. He had to explain, "How many times do you have to be told that she didn't leave because of you? I keep telling you that she left because of her USC scholarship. She was upset and jealous at first that we took you in and adopted you without talking to her first but she understood why we did what we did for you. She got an offer that she couldn't refuse and has been kept busy with her husband and now her kids. She will come for the wedding, she owes it to you as a sister to do so. I don't know if all of them will come but she will be here for you." Katie bit the bullet and called her sister Lindsay Reagan as the other three looked on in anticipation. It took several tense minutes but Lindsay answered with a concerned, "You wouldn't call unless there was a big problem so what happened to dad?" Katie sighed and had to fight for words but only got a nearly tearful, "Oh god, he's dead! Please don't tell me he died I don't think I can handle that!" Katie fought for the right words then finally blurted out, "He's fine, he's sitting next to mom and made me call you. He wanted you to come east for my wedding. He said I can't get married without my sister being there. I don't want to upset you so I understand if you don't want to come to it." Katie was in near tears saying that. Lindsay was too stunned to say anything but when she composed herself she asked softly, "Who are you marrying and when is it?" Katie gave her the details and waited for her response. She hoped for the best but feared the worst. Her father's assurances aside, she still had little hope that her sister would come all the way across the country for her wedding. Lindsay smiled at hearing the news. Katie may not have been friends with her but Lindsay cared about her and this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to show that she did care about Katie despite not being close. Lindsay asked if the kids could come along as well, explaining that she had finally divorced and she had lost her job so there was nothing to keep her there. She needed a change and the kids needed to get out of a place that held bad memories for them. Katie happily agreed to the kids coming, it wouldn't be right to not have them there as well. She told Lindsay that there was one issue that needed to be addressed, that of the other kids. She stuttered but managed to admit, "There are going to be several kids and adults like myself there." Lindsay was a bit apprehensive about why she was concerned about being told that and asked:, "Just how many?" Katie counted off in her head and blurted out, "Four adults, two teens, a tween, and four kids." Lindsay didn't have an issue with the kids, asking what the kids' relationship to her was as she was more shocked that so many had befriended her than at them being transgender. Katie had to think of how to explain, telling her, "Of the kids one is the daughter and one the niece of Alison's friend, one is my cousin through my former cousin Kevin, one is a friend of our cousin Tanya's daughter, two are related to John Finn." Lindsay could sense there was more to it and got back a solemn, "One is his niece and the other is his daughter." Lindsay snickered at that, adding a happy, "Is that all? Next, you are going to tell me that the rest of your friends from high school are going." Katie sighed and added, "Willie Pena's daughter is one of the girls, she's the one who was Kevin's daughter. The former Melanie Garcia's kids are close with John's five children and nieces, Juan Alvarez is the agent for Miguel Toro the Red Sox pitcher and aunt of another of the girls, and Paul Douglas' daughter is friends with Willie's daughter and John's niece. I only found out all of this through seeing Melanie at Alison's office." Lindsay smiled proudly at hearing that. She remembered her father talking about John's daughter and finally got what he was proud about when she met her before she gave birth to her younger child. She was a lot like Katie, only she had a zest for life that Katie lacked as a teenager. When she let Katie settle down Lindsay admitted she was happy for her. Katie asked if she was alright with the kids meeting girls like her getting a terse, "You should know better than to ask that! I never had a problem with you and sure as heck would never allow my kids to act as anything less than friendly towards them. Besides, both are too young to care about gender yet. I am eager to again meet the girl who stole dad's heart, we didn't get to talk for long the first time we met." She was given the information and Katie refused to let her pay for her tickets, this was a family issue and she would not let her sister pay a penny for the tickets. Lindsay had her father call and explained to him what else was going on, getting a solemn, "You can stay with us for as long as you need" from him. He refused to let her go back, her family was there and her husband made his choice to go off on his own and sign away the kids to her. She rented an apartment so there was nothing holding her there, what little they had would be taken care of. After hanging up, Lindsay sat the kids down and explained, "We are going to your aunt Katie's wedding next month and I have asked your grandpa to stay with him until I can get us settled. There are kids your age there and they are great at being friends with kids who only have one parent. Your aunts will love meeting you and your grandpa will introduce you to some truly amazing people." Tyler, her six-year-old son, wasn't too thrilled but understood. Willow, her four-year-old daughter, was scared. She never had any friends and her mom never talked with her aunt. Willow didn't fight it, she just wanted her mother to be happy. Lindsay herself was pleased to smooth things over with her sister and hoped that the wedding would lead to them finally accepting being sisters once and for all. Willow asked about the kids, getting a soft, "They are several of them and a few are special. Remember what I told you about your aunt Katie? There are several girls like her but they are also with some great people. I really want you to meet John Finn, he and your grandpa are close and his daughter is an amazing young lady. She may have been born as a boy but I heard a lot of what she did for her city and others and I don't for a second believe that she is anything but a good person." Katie's anxiety eased after she ended her call with Lindsay but she wasn't the only one with anxiety issues. Juanita Vega was scared about flying to England with Zoe's grandfather. They may have shared mutual affection but she was unsure about the man himself, he was powerful and if he didn't approve of them she would not let Zoe go against his wishes and date her. Carmen kept Juanita calm most of the time but after her talks with Zoe she became very depressed and cried. Dorothy tried to assure her that all was well and that she had nothing to fear but it was still a lot to process for Juanita. Thankfully, Christian had assured Dorothy that he was perfectly fine with the girls dating especially as both clearly showed affection for one another and Zoe had been trying way too hard to appear to be what she wasn't and since the real Zoe was allowed to show herself she had been a whole new woman. He may be a politician but he'd rather have a happy lesbian who was in love with a young woman for a granddaughter than an unhappy granddaughter in a fake relationship with someone she hated. Anyone who would dare to use her sexuality against him would be in dire straits politically and likely going to be blackballed by every other politician. Even the most die-hard conservatives didn't dare speak ill of the children and grandchildren of other politicians especially those not involved in politics. Carmen managed to get Juanita to focus on their new job. Their bosses were great chefs and the owners knew the family well but had to treat the duo like everyone else. Despite being friends with Patrick they showed no favoritism and the ladies were just as good on the fly as they were before, each pulling together new dishes with the leftover fresh ingredients on hand. They actually created some flavor combinations that hadn't been considered by either chef leading to some jealousy at their innate talent. Juanita was better at cooking but Carmen was skilled at thinking up unique uses for the ingredients. Neither had any training, but their enthusiasm was enough to get them hired for the weekend rush. They needed a little training to work as hostesses and when they were in school they'd shift to menu planning with the chefs. It was a win-win for all and the girls would be paid well for their work. Dorothy and Alison talked about the whole situation with Alison adding her thoughts as a lesbian who had endured the same issues as Juanita. Her story was similar but without the loving support from Dorothy and the James family. There was little that they could do without the girls getting together, Juanita just needed assurances in person from Zoe to quell her anxieties over being with her. She smiled at Dorothy's reaction to Juanita's situation. Even though she was her aunt Alison loved to point out to her that she was treating Juanita as a mother would treat her own daughter. Dorothy tried hard to hide it but it was clear to Alison that she loved mothering the twins. Alison freely admitted that Dorothy missed out on a lot and Deborah was fully grown and was fiercely independent and deeply in love when she met her so Dorothy finally has the chance to act like the mother she should have been all those years ago. Dorothy sighed and added, "I do love those girls, they can never forget their parents but they at least respect me enough to listen to me and show their love." Carmen quietly walked in and tried to act as if nothing was going on but was forced to sit down next to the two as they talked about Juanita. Sensing the need to do something Carmen hugged Dorothy, trying hard not to cry but not holding back any longer. Dorothy quietly told her, "I love you two." Turning to Alison Carmen smiled and asked her how she knew what to say. Alison snickered and told her, "You two have been trying hard to keep on Dorothy's good side, you have never once asked her for anything that you didn't earn, and you have tried to earn your keep at the house. You haven't been able to physically show her but it was clear that you loved her and she loved you. And that was all without using my psychiatric or psychological training. It's parental love, plain and simple." Alison left them to enjoy their evening. She immediately went to Louis's house to pick up Katie and observed her in deep thought while Louis was busy in discussions with someone. Tamara quietly told her what happened and why to which Alison grinned brightly and admitted that she was happy for both sisters for finally getting over their fears and started talking. The two sat down and talked about what would happen, especially regarding the two kids. Alison knew exactly what she would recommend, in fact, it would be hard to keep them separated once the two were introduced. Tamara shared her enthusiasm, Cat Finn needed a friend and would not hesitate to help out Willow especially as Cat was starting to become like Daisy as well as Jaimie. The wild card would be Tyler. He was introverted but protective of his mother and sister. Virgil may be the only one to bring him out of his shell and see things are better than they were before now that all three had family and support instead of just each other. Alison finally asked what happened between Lindsay and her husband, earning a groan and soft, "He had delusions of grandeur that reality couldn't temper. It was your typical LA dreams that failed badly." Taking a moment Tamara tersely admitted, "He got a small job on the crew of a TV show then thought he could turn that into being an actor. He was able to get small parts as an extra until the parts dried up and he was left struggling. He started to work with a local delivery company as an overnight driver between LA and San Francisco spending most nights on the road. Eventually, he stopped coming home and after a month of being away from home he admitted to having found love with a woman in San Francisco and wanted to marry her. He divorced Lindsay and gave up all rights to the kids. She had a decent job but last month she lost it. She was too proud to ask for help but your wedding finally forced her to admit the truth and come home to live with us." Alison asked why Louis and Katie hadn't heard before that day. Tamara sadly admitted, "She is her father's daughter. She is stubborn and thought that she could work things out and when the divorce was finalized and she was truly alone she couldn't bring herself to tell Louis that she needed help. We both know that he would have asked her to come east, well she couldn't do that to the kids while they were in school and she still had a small job that paid the bills and rent. Now that the kids are out of school and she doesn't have a job she has nothing left keeping her there." Alison felt horrible, the kids had to have been feeling terrible over losing their dad and seeing their mom struggle. Tamara smiled at her reaction, proudly telling her, "She will need all of us, especially Katie. She never had an issue with her, they just never had the chance to bond as siblings as they went to different schools and went off to different colleges all within a span of 18 months. Louis will get her a good job, I don't know where but my suspicion is with Zachary Phillips at the printing company." Tamara smiled at Alison's concern and made a bold declaration, saying, "I don't feel comfortable with you calling Louis and myself as anything but mom and dad. Your parents were fools to chase you away for loving women, well we aren't them. You are our soon-to-be daughter-in-law and you deserve to call us mom and dad." Alison hugged her tight and tearfully thanked her for allowing her to do that. Tamara angrily thought to herself, "Some people just don't deserve to be called parents." Katie looked at the touching scene and wisely walked back into the room with Louis, telling him warmly, "Mom gave Alison a gift she has wanted for 20 years, she needed a mom and dad." While Alison, Katie, and the Vegas had a tiring emotional week Christian had a fun one. With the lieutenant governor removed from office after his actions back in January, the Secretary of State had to take over for him during the weekend Christian was away. This caused a lot of shuffling of bills and attempts to curry his favor but it was moot- the man would not sign legislation unless it was a dire emergency and if that was the case Christian would be en-route to the state on the first available flight. Heather was giddy, Christian had found a lot of energy and was enjoying his week as his staff took a more hands-on approach just so they would have four days to themselves. None of them dared to go against Christian's wishes enabling him to do little things like pack his own bag and have dinner with Heather at home. Even the State Police escorts were pleased, people kept their distance and allowed them to do a lot of work updating security protocols while Christian was busy at home. On Thursday night Miguel, Juan Alvarez, and the James, Vega, and Reagan families joined up to drive together to the airport for their chartered flight. Yvette Prince and Ivan King joined them for the flight with Christian grinning as he figured out that Karen wouldn't let her friend and the seven kids' favorite teacher stay behind. Juanita was tense as Christian hugged her tight when they boarded their plane. He sat her down when the plane leveled off and explained to her that he was proud to see his granddaughter finding love and hoped that she would be good with her. Juanita meekly replied, "I try to keep her happy as I don't want to upset you or her parents." Heather snickered and told Juanita firmly, "Paul and Alexandra are happy for both of you. They have not said it to her yet but they can see that she is feeling different than she was before and isn't trying to act differently for the sake of her sisters or parents. You made her happy, we are all proud of her and there is nothing that you two can do short of physically harming one another will upset us. She is old enough now to date someone and make her own mistakes about it. Dating you isn't one of them, it's a big step forward for her not a mistake. She found love and she found it with you." Dorothy had her arm around Juanita and softly told her, "I wasn't kidding about you two being alright. Christian won't lie about this and your cousin has talked with the girls at length about Zoe. The only ones who will do anything about your relationship are yourself and Zoe. Just keep things decent, as open as we are we still have limits to what we will let you two do at home." Talk turned to Yvette and Ivan. Dorothy just grinned as Louis tried his best not to ask about the two of them. Tamara finally broke up the stalemate and asked:, "When did this happen?" Ivan sighed and told the three of them, "Last fall. We've been close friends but we finally decided that it wasn't worth putting off dating any longer. We kept things quiet because of appearances. She didn't want anyone to think that she was letting me use our relationship to curry favor over other teachers. You know how office politics can be- any little bit of favoritism is used against you for others' sake." Dorothy asked about the ring getting a cringe from Ivan and blush from Yvette. Heather turned and saw the ring and asked for more details. Louis laughed hard and Tamara blurted out, "I guess it really is true- a Prince really does want to become a King!" Chapter 34 The plane landed the next morning and the group was immediately met by Walter and Lilian with Addison close by Lilian's side. Louis smiled at the young lady, offering his hand and explained, "It's so nice to see someone who benefited from Jaimie's foundation in the flesh. Don't let Jorge and Victoria intimidate you, they are great people but take a while to adjust to." Carmen was introduced to her with the explanation of, "This young lady will be your mentor at UMass. She is incredibly bright and her grades are high so listen to her advice and you should do well." He grinned as the two shook hands and were timid around one another, they were not so much afraid of each other rather they feared the reaction of the elders. Carmen and Addison went off to the side to talk while they gathered their bags for the others. Walter eagerly led the procession to the embassy with Lillian grinning at Addison's sudden relieved reaction. Walter snickered, telling her warmly, "She is going to be just fine with them. You are doing the right thing encouraging her to go back to school. She is wasted as an assistant, Karen needs her more." Dorothy watched her niece and the young lady deep into a discussion and felt relief. The poor girl had been so anxious about everyone else that she was bordering a breakdown. The hug and cry earlier in the week were a help but this was something more important that she needed- friendship. It took a while to get them cleared to enter the embassy but Walter had everything prepared ahead of time. Addison went in ahead of the group and had the staff prepared with the canteen ready for their brunch. Carmen and Juanita were unsure about the whole situation but Louis assured them that there was nothing to fear as it was just routine security checks done on everybody meeting Walter. Miguel's being there caught the staff off guard but it was no big deal to Miguel or Walter's PR person. Juan talked with the chief of staff and smiled as his wished had been followed, with the Marine guards being asked to meet with Miguel but not told what was going on. To Miguel, this was a great thing to do and the Marines appreciated the meeting especially as it was done for them, not for anyone else. Walter finally wrangled Miguel away from the autographs and photos with the Marines happily joking away. The staff acted as if it was no big deal, and despite restrictions on talking to the press the Marines could gloat and enjoy their selfies with him without care. Juan already informed the Boston press about the visit and what Miguel would do so they would handle their own people and the freelance hacks. Walter introduced Louis to his staff with an enthusiastic, "My brother." The chief of staff asked for an explanation, getting a hearty, "If you recall my treatment of the Finns earlier in the week, well Louis here is the same. He has been as close to me as a brother for decades and back in the day together with Brent Finn we three were inseparable. I love this man as family and have helped him out as much as I could over the years, and has helped me out more times than can be count." Turning to Christian Walter grinned and asked if the state was in good hands this weekend or if he had to have a plane standing by. Christian laughed, proudly explaining, "Nothing will get passed without me there and unless something happened with Mother Nature, the Secretary of State is purposely twiddling his thumbs to keep the vultures from trying anything stupid. You have to love the guy for that!" Lillian snorted at that. The man had no intention of doing anything, he could have won the office years ago but chose to stay put. He loved his job and it got lots of attention but he didn't want Christian's job. Louis informed Walter about Lindsay coming back east and why. He was upset and angry, but he also understood that she needed a fresh start after the disappointment. He looked over at Katie and grinned, telling her strongly, "She will need her sister now more than ever. The kids will have friends and support but Lindsay needs you and the others to help her out. I know she is stubborn like her old man but she is still your sister and you have a group of mothers ready, willing, and able to help her out." He turned to Alison and asked if the appointment went well. Alison blushed and replied, "It went just as well as it could. We won't know for several weeks." Lillian patted her hand in support, adding a soft, "Give it time. If it isn't meant to be then there are alternatives. There's plenty of little kids who need a loving home and there aren't two people who are more deserving or able to support one than you two." After brunch, the group headed north with Walter leading the way with Katie and Alison joining them in their car. Addison drove the van with the others, happily telling them that she was used to driving back and forth to the estate. All eyes were glued on the scenery as they drove north, Miguel tried his hardest not to make light of the prior trip but Addison told him, "I won't get lost like your driver did." After three hours they arrived at the hotel and were greeted by a happy group. Walter led the procession inside but was almost trampled by Zoe rushing to see Juanita. Seeing her grandfather she stopped short and tried to find the right words to say to him, only to be told:, "She missed you too." The group checked into their rooms then were told about what happened during the long week. Louis, Miguel, and Christian were outraged but the ladies told them to calm down and let Valerie finish telling the story. She had a big smirk which they didn't notice and when she was done they were quick to apologize for their outburst leading to the others to snicker and add, "We expected as much from you." Walter asked where John was, getting a big smile and happy, "He is fulfilling his dad's dream." Both Walter and Louis nodded to one another in approval. Walter happily told her, "Brent would be proud. John already made him proud but this is beyond normal. The man is smiling down on him for doing this with the kids especially Bryan, Hannah, and Claire." There was little for them to do except await the Scotland group's arrival. Zoe and Juanita were in each other's arms with Sela and Isobel happily talking with Juanita, Addison, and Carmen. Deborah was happy to see that the two were actually an item and that they were getting more comfortable with one another but wisely didn't say a thing, opting to give a quick smile whenever she caught sight of them. Mid afternoon the Scotland group arrived and gave the others their presents with Iris, Sam, Reyna, and Rachel going to a table to talk privately and exchange their special presents. Claire's request for more information about the Peterson trip caused everyone to quiet down as Melanie explained what almost happened. Claire burst into laughter at hearing the story, John just shook his head while Hannah cursed herself for missing the fun. Jaimie was the most pragmatic, telling them that they did better than anyone else would have done had they been there with all of them. Noticing Addison, Hannah immediately pulled her aside and asked her to go to the wedding so that she didn't have to spend the day at the hotel just waiting for the call to pick up Walter and Lillian. Addison tried to refuse but the others laughed, with Brian having to tell her, "Hannah won't take no for an answer and Paige would drag me and Pete here by the ears to get us to carry you there. This isn't a joke, she did it to Jaimie once before!" Addison was backed into a corner and turned to Lillian for help. She nodded to her that it was alright with Walter insisting that she had to heed the bride's request. Jaimie added a swift, "You are technically seeing your new boss' children get married, not to mention your current boss' cousins." Addison was caught in a no-win situation and agreed to go, to refuse would upset too many people. Hannah asked if she had a dress as she couldn't wear skirt suit like she had on. Addison sighed and informed them, "I don't own any dresses, I never needed them before." Hannah grinned widely as the other girls all but blurted out, "Shopping trip!" The ladies except Jaimie dragged Addison away leaving the adults to talk. Bryan was informed about the plans for the next day, simply getting a nod of approval. He added a terse, "Watch Camille. She has to be there tomorrow but I don't trust her one bit. She will try to make things difficult for Hannah." All eyes turned to Michael who added a strong, "It's a matter of 'when' not 'if' with her. She is the kind of person who takes revenge seriously and after what happened at Christmas and seeing her husband all but tell her that she's going to be divorced no matter what she has nothing to lose. She can't let the prior embarrassments of being put in her place go. Lord Alistair can only keep her on a leash for so long and it's the last chance to get at Hannah since she can't get at me without it hurting her worse." The mothers weren't sure what to do but Michael grinned and simply stated, "She will ignore Daisy and Faith, and Cat is sneaky enough to go unnoticed and keep a close eye on her. Use them for what they do best, have them keep an eye on her at all times. She won't dare hurt them or she'd end up hurt herself. She can't lie her way out of it as not one of them will lie to you." All of them agreed and turned to see what Jaimie and Rick were doing. The two were sitting on a couch in a deep embrace with Jaimie's head on his shoulder. Valerie and Olivia were in full agreement that Jaimie needed the time alone with Rick and suggested to the two that they take a short walk to have some alone time before dinner. Rick was reluctant to do that but Richard quietly informed him, "Jaimie needs some time with time with you, she hasn't had much if any time with you since we arrived." He tried to refuse but Jaimie's hand on his caused him to give in. They were followed by Will and Claire with Emma and David keeping close to ensure they didn't have any problems. The group left with Jaimie hanging Rick's arm over her shoulders and her arm around his waist. Rick was fighting the urge to be a gentleman and keep his hands off of her but Claire whispered to him, "Just let her kiss and hug you. She really does need this, she needs her boyfriend." With three couples out John finally asked about Astrid's ring. Astrid blushed deeply while Todd tried to look away. Louis himself was shocked to see it but Tamara snickered and shook her head. She turned to Dorothy and asked her calmly, "How can someone who is so wise and caring be so oblivious at times?" Tamara embraced Astrid followed by Todd. Joshua finally spoke about it, telling them, "He did his best imitation of Patrick in accidentally proposing to Astrid while talking about proposing in the future. He was man enough to accept the mistake and let Astrid do as she needed to do even if it meant that he now has to endure Nancy's scrutiny for not asking her permission first." Todd cringed at that but the others laughed at his discomfort. Louis asked if he was going to do the right thing with Nancy, getting a solemn nod and quiet, "She already demanded it. She has taken Astrid as her mother more than her birth mother and she wanted us to get married. I don't want a repeat of what happened with Virgil and Sam. Nancy needs someone to care for her in case something ever happened to me and Astrid is that person." They left Todd alone after that, they got what they wanted from him. He was going to avoid another custody fight, and Nancy already made her point about Astrid being her new mother. They just wanted to know if he was still serious about marrying her after the reality of the had finally proposal sunk in. John saw an opportunity and turned things towards Katie and Alison. They expected this and let him get his questioning out of the way. John simply asked, "Did you call Lindsay about the wedding yet?" Katie sighed and admitted, "I talked with her a few days ago. She is in a tight spot and has to move in with dad. The kids are feeling bad about their parents' breakup and need a fresh start." John asked how old they were. Valerie was all smiles as she heard that Willow was the same age as Cat, especially as the two were both in need of friends. Tyler was a bit of a wild card as he usually likes to keep things private and was at the age when showing emotion was deemed, "Too girly." Louis was quick to tell Valerie, "He and Virgil should be just fine together. JD may have to work to get himself a friend but DJ and TJ should have learned by then to ignore what that boy Liam has to say and act like the boy we know him to truly be. He'll be fire, just give it time." The little boys were still doing their best to keep out of sight of their parents after they were told off for listening to what Liam said about their relatives. TJ had leeway in that he was still unused to the family despite being part of it for almost three months but DJ knew better. He had some issues with being the youngest and getting his parents' attention, ever since he could comprehend what was going on around him they have kept him close but being the mix of Stacy and Rebecca had its drawbacks. The three couples returned after a half hour, each of them were smiling and keeping close to each other. Jaimie looked to be very relieved now that she had her closeness to Rick, almost as if a giant weight had been lifted off of her. Will looked the same as Jaimie, although he controlled himself more than he had the previous days now that he knew how Claire felt about what was going on with him. David was asked what they had done only getting a soft, "They didn't do anything except walk and hug. Jaimie kept Rick close and while they did stop to have a quick kiss, she just kept him close by. Same went for Will, Claire was wilder than him. I think a week of diaper duty is needed to quell her libido." Claire blushed deeply as David said that. Lilly shook her head and told her firmly, "I know you haven't seen him in two days but keep yourself calm. You didn't like Will being so affectionate so you shouldn't be acting the same. It'll give the wrong image, you need to control yourself more young lady." Turning to Jaimie, she hugged her and told her warmly, "We need you to do a quick walk around to see the tents and seating for the wedding. Rick can go with you, it'll be just you two and we trust you to not do anything. You earned some alone time, and you haven't had the chance yet to make any changes so we need your keen eye to do so." Hannah and the ladies were having fun with Addison as they helped her shop for her dress. She was extremely reluctant to shop, citing an inability to pay. The girls laughed this off, with Iris, Francesca, Rachel, Christina, and Reyna fighting over who would pay for it. They finally stopped when Deborah told them she'd do it, not letting the others overrule her especially when she pulled out the mom card. Addison looked as if they were joking but all of them proudly admitted:, "We can afford it!" Deborah had to explain solemnly, "The girls have the money, it's all from inheritances and settlements but it's still money that they should be saving up for their future. Francesca has a lot more than she will ever need but it is still money that she shouldn't have to spend yet even if it's on someone she likes spoiling." Addison was extremely apprehensive about changing in front of the younger girls especially as she was still, "Intact" and had only recently begun taking hormones. None of the girls said anything about seeing her bulge, in fact, they ignored it completely. It was as if they treated it like it didn't exist at all. Inside the cubicle with Deborah, she asked why they never said anything about seeing her, "Little thing." Deborah snickered and proudly proclaimed, "We have all seen them before. Sam was born with an elongated clitoris and pseudo testicles where her vagina should have been, Daisy was born with a birth defect making it look like she had a penis and testicles, Kylie is still 'intact', Jaimie still has her penis but not her testicles, and Reyna, Nichole, and myself have undergone our final surgeries. It's not a big deal because most of us have seen them already on girls and having one doesn't change who you are as a person. It's just a birth defect that can easily be fixed in due time. And it will, your bosses won't let you do without having it done We're not a normal group, you have something extra that is going to be removed in the future so why should we shy away from seeing it when we all have seen it before?" The talk helped ease a lot of Addison's anxiety. The girls looked at multiple dresses in various styles with different lengths and cuts. Addison had no idea what to make of the dresses, only that she didn't like the daring styles and with her tiny bust, tall height, and thin frame it was hard to get the right size. The ones in her size were ones that showed too much skin or were too racy for a wedding especially at an estate with aristocrats present. The girls finally found one at a small boutique in town. The owners were very accommodating to the ladies, helping Addison find the right size and style while also adhering to her wishes. It wasn't too high of a price and it cost much less than the ones from the high-end stores in the city. They appreciated the business as the group told them that they were all going to inform Lady Ophelia about the boutique and with luck she might be able to get some trusted friends to be clients. The owners looked a bit surprised and admitted that they might not be the best place for her to shop. When asked why, the owners admitted, "Most of our clientele are drag queens and pantomime performers. We have a tough reputation and it wouldn't be prudent for a noble of your grandmother's status to shop here." Hannah laughed loudly. She turned to the others who were shocked then looked at the owners and freely admitted, "So what if you have a reputation. Your merchandise is exquisite and it fits our larger frames. Grandmother isn't some skinny twig, she is full breasted, plump, and a bit on the tall side as are some of her friends. And it is no secret that my sister is like some of your clients, my grandmother has no problem with her so she should have no problem with them." Turning towards Addison she smiled. Hannah added, "You know how to treat customers and have given us respect and prompt attention. We would rather spend our money in a place that respects customers than in a place that has a 'better' reputation but is quick to stab their customers in the back and insult them as soon as they think they are out of earshot." Christina snorted at hearing that, adding, "A year later and you still haven't gotten over how they treated you in that store. You are right, Paige and Aunt Karen will enjoy this store as it has their styles on hand already and in their sizes no less. We'd probably end up leaving with half a dozen dresses if Paige was here but that can wait for another day." Deborah paid for the dress and shoes then went with the ladies to a nearby jewelry store for yet another purchase. Addison again tried to dissuade them from buying such an expensive item but all of them laughed, this time Hannah explaining, "It's tradition to have one. If you came back without a pendant mom and Aunt Valerie would be angry with us. Just go with it, please?" The ladies found the perfect pendant for Addison. It was silver with three small diamonds, which were her birthstone. The ladies all agreed that it was perfect for her and it wasn't that expensive as it was an old piece that had been sold back to the store so it was a tidy profit for them. Addison accepted it with tears in her eyes. Their little gesture of tradition meant more to her than they could understand. Hannah grinned at seeing the tears, telling her warmly, "You are one of us now. Sorry, but once you accepted the job with mom and the apartment over Uncle Jorge and Aunt Victoria you became part of this big, crazy family. Besides, we college students need to stick together." When they returned to the hotel Addison had to show off the dress and the pendant to the adults, just as Hannah had predicted. Her dress impressed them, especially Anne who was quick to point out how it looked better than the dresses the others were wearing. Hannah was about to say something but stopped when Leslie and Valerie gave her a glare which caused her to stop short- especially as they were right. The ladies went to dinner with the plans for the next day being talked about in full. Hannah heartily approved the plans and was even happier to hear that Deborah, Jenna, and Christina knew exactly what she would want to be done for the wedding without having to ask her. Hannah was even quicker to point out that they could have easily called her to ask but the thought never crossed their minds leaving them blushing at their unintentional flub but happy that they knew Hannah so well. Addison was silent throughout dinner. Lillian sat with her and asked about the silence getting a soft, "They have things well in hand and I don't have anything to add. It's their wedding, I'm just a guest." Lillian snorted then added, "Even so if you had something to add they wouldn't hold it against you. Hannah is brash but she listens when it is reasonable. You are in good hands so you should just enjoy yourself tomorrow and don't let anything that vile woman says to you affect your fun. She will be digging herself deeper into trouble and she won't like where she ends up." Chapter 35 The next day the guys had nothing planned and were left to do as they pleased for the day. Rick went with Bryan and the ladies to pick up Pete and the younger boys. Pete was immediately engulfed in an embrace by Hannah getting laughs from the kids as he happily kissed her back. Jaimie and Rick did their walk out back to, "Check on things" at Valerie's urging while the boys gathered their things together. Jaimie loved the layout of the seating and the tents for the reception were perfect. Even the makeshift altar looked good making their little inspection unnecessary. She didn't mind the privacy and sat Rick down to hug him tight then kiss him deeply. The two just sat and kissed for a long 20 minutes before getting up to go where the others were and say goodbye. As the others were out Paul Douglas took Will and Raul to check out the fire station in Boston to get some pictures for his crew and have a chat with colleagues about the business. This turned into a laugh at his expense when he was texted pictures of a large fire that his department was fighting at that very moment. It was all in good fun and the crew learned a lot from Paul and loved seeing their namesake city at work even if they were working in another city at the time. The guys got together and went for a run when Will, Raul, Bryan, Pete, and Rick got back to the hotel. It was no big deal but it took up an hour and left them ready for their lunch followed by a long gaming session that all of them took part in, even JD, DJ, and TJ. The younger boys were good but had to play an easier, less violent game but had mastered faster than John, Dan, or Willie had giving them some sense of pride over being better than their dads and uncle. The guys were at it for the entire day, and only broke for dinner and forced to head out to enjoy a movie while the grooms were off at the estate for the official bridal shower. Willie and Mark took the younger kids to a kid movie while the teens went to a more mature movie. Kyle and Oscar tried to protest but Graham Pierce and Paul shut them down fast with the other fathers grinning widely at the two dads having a rare forceful moment while the younger boys say that there were still limits in place. The whole lot were asleep early as they didn't want to think about the next day. Kyle and Oscar showed off the guys to their classmates at home while enduring questions about the girls. Neither knew what the girls were doing and got laughs about that. In fact, none of the guys knew what the ladies were up to as they hadn't called or texted since they were dropped off at the estate which meant that they were busy all day and nothing that required bail money or a lawyer had occurred. At the estate, things were quiet for much of the day. When they arrived and milled about Francesca noticed the books again and smiled widely at them. Ophelia reluctantly asked about her reaction to which Francesca told her about her. Ophelia apologized for bringing up bad memories but Francesca just thanked her for doing something nice for the books as it honored her mothers more than anything. Francesca added a happy, "The last book is coming out next Spring but I get an advance copy this November along with special copies to give to select people, you will get a special copy only given to people of my choice." Ophelia tried to refuse but Francesca grinned and added, "Most just go to other authors and key PR people but I get to choose a handful of special friends and family who get one and I want you to have them. None of my cousins nor my parents nor my teachers will accept one so it is best to go to a fan of their works that I know personally than some random fan who may sell it. You actually already have a copy of one of the special ones, the first book is one of the special copies so it would be a nice bookend literally and figuratively." Ophelia had to blush at that. The book was a gift as a token for investing in the UK publishing group that sold the books in Europe. Francesca smiled and pointed something special, it was #3 in the series with the first two being given to her parents. Ophelia accepted the gift, it was meant to be in her eyes and Francesca happily insisted on doing it forcing her to do it for the teen's sake. After the talk in the lounge with Ophelia, the teens went off with their parents' blessing to sunbathe. The maids and groundskeepers were told to stay back from the stream area but they had no plans of being down there anyway. Hannah and Paige nearly fainted when Karen and Anne gave their blessing for them to sunbathe topless, Nichole was gong to make a joke but saw just what they were doing and told them, "Mom just wants us to get it out of our system now. I think we better have good tanning oil and sunscreen though." The adult ladies lounged around the pool and enjoyed some quality time away from their husbands and now their daughters. Ophelia joined them, enjoying the companionship of the ladies and taking part in their discussions while acting as hostess for the group. Karen found herself relaxing more than anyone else, she had not had the chance to do so with Nigel Jr. by her side since they arrived but with him with his father she was free to let loose. The girls being allowed to go topless had the mothers snickering at the girls' reactions especially from Hannah and Paige. Anne grinned widely while Karen proudly told the others, "They were on their best behavior all week and without the boys here they have no reason not to. Besides, we are alone here so there isn't much chance of someone complaining or taking pictures." Nichole, Nancy, Kylie, and Margaret were relieved to take off their tops but seeing the teens they felt very self-conscious. The teens and tweens didn't make mention of it, they just laid down and relaxed allowing the younger girls to see that it was alright. Paige and Hannah were the most reluctant but once all of the others had done it they took the plunge, first ensuring that Nichole didn't say a word about it but seeing that she had done it already they pulled the strings and pulled off their tops. The sunbathing lasted two hours with the girls getting nice tans while ensuring that nobody got burned. After they dressed and ensured that they kept quiet about what happened they went back to the house to change for some horseback riding. The seven younger girls opted to swim with their parents while the teens rode, they had enough of the horses and wanted to get some swimming in before lunch. Jessica stuck close to Jaimie. Jaimie was doing better but Jessica wanted to ensure that there wasn't a repeat of the flashback induced anxiety and depression. Claire also kept close, she was more concerned for the horse as Jessica could handle Jaimie but the horse may get startled if she had an episode. The ladies took turns riding the horses with poor Marion having to work hard to ensure that they were all knowledgeable about the horses and followed the rules. They took it easy on him, teasing him less than they normally would. Marion was quick with his jokes, going toe to toe with Jessie and Rebecca much to the amusement of them and the others. He enjoyed the two teens and they liked that he was treating them just like Hannah and Paige and not as special guests. The time finally came for the girls to all get showered and changed for their luncheon. They all wore skirts and blouses while Addison wore her normal business attire but leaving off her jacket. Her skirt was a little longer than theirs but matched what they were wearing so she didn't feel overdressed. Showering took a while so Addison was peppered with questions while they were waiting. They all focused on her studies with the girls finally admitting that they were going to be forced to start looking for good schools soon so they wanted to know about them before making a choice. Addison was happy to help but her knowledge was limited due to her isolation. Deborah, Paige, and Hannah were just as good at what they wanted to know as her but they used the questions to help get to know her more. After everyone was finished they made their way downstairs to the dining room for the meal. Ladies Honoria and Mabel were already there, surprising Hannah and Paige but getting big grins from them as Ophelia announced:, "We didn't want to make you rush. There are a lot of you, you know and we wanted to enjoy a talk first." The girls nodded as Paige and Hannah happily hugged the two elderly women. Cat ended up getting the most attention from the ladies as she was the youngest and the one with the biggest reputation among the guests. Her being completely different than they were led to believe had caught them off guard but a kind, "She has matured a lot in the past few weeks" got them to see that Cat was acting just as the older girls had done when they were her age. Cat didn't mind the attention as they were ladies that she had heard before and knew that Hannah and Paige liked them a lot and Claire had a high opinion of so she let them give it to her. The group talked among themselves as Chef Farquhar brought out the sandwiches and fruits. The ladies were impressed by the manners of the girls and how they acted as they ate. Victoria had a wide grin on her face as all eyes turned to her with Ophelia carefully explaining, "Victoria doesn't let them act as anything less than ladies and gentlemen when they eat at her home and should they not act in such a manner they find themselves having to scrub pots and pans and wash the dishes after the meal." Both ladies burst into laughter at hearing that. Mabel happily admitted, "I wish my own children would have had that happen." Honoria joked, "I have known some finishing school graduates who have fewer manners than these young ladies. You have done a great job with the children." The ladies didn't notice the time passing by as they ate their fill and enjoyed Chef Farquhar's delicious desserts. The maids helped Chef clean the table while the ladies all moved on to the sitting rooms to let the meal settle. The two elders grinned and pointed at the time, telling Ophelia, "It's almost showtime. We sort of gave Camille the wrong time and location of the luncheon so you all could have a nice meal before she ruined your day with whatever she has planned." As expected, Camille came inside in a huff and complained to Reardon, the butler, about the time being wrong. He ignored her complaints, nodding to Lord Alistair who just shook his head in disappointment. Reardon slipped him a piece of paper and watched him smile, then let him be led to the office where Lord Alistair made a phone call in private. Camille was loud and obnoxious towards the maids as she made her way through the manor. When she appeared in the drawing room and saw the sheer number of teens and other women she nearly fainted. Ophelia grinned widely and informed her sister, "How nice of you to show up. I do hope that you will be on your best behavior as I would hate for these ladies to see you as the person they had heard about. They may not be as nice with you as their relatives have been as they don't need to put on a facade like Ladies Hannah and Paige usually do." Camille took a seat on one of the chairs and watched in anger as Hannah and Paige opened up multiple gifts from the family while thanking them for getting them special items. They were simple items like picture frames, jewelry, and stationary with their crests but they were meant more for show and to give them something to open up making it more like a bridal shower than just a simple gathering. The simplest items, charity donations, made both smile as their cousins knew what to get them and gave both Honoria and Mabel big grins over the thoughtfulness of the youngsters. Camille was less than impressed and barely controlled her frustration and sneered at the charitable donations, especially ones that were to help poor and homeless girls. Cat sensed that Camille was up to something and kept an eye on her prompting Valerie and Karen to smile and nod to one another as she was doing exactly what they hoped she would do. Cat wouldn't let her make a mockery of the gathering and if Camille stepped out of line Cat would speak up and loudly put her in her place for doing so, much more so than her cousin would have. Mabel and Honoria gave the brides necklaces with their new crests, ones that would be official the next day. This set-off Camille who had to excuse herself to go to the toilet prompting Cat to get up and go as well. Nobody said anything, Cat was on to something and she wouldn't let Camille out of her sight and they knew that Camille wouldn't notice her but would notice the older girls. Camille had her purse with her and on the surface this wouldn't be a big deal. but she had no reason to take it with all there being trusted. Honoria shook her head and boldly told the others, "Turn on the telly, the real fun is about to start." All eyes turned to the younger Rachel who had the camera setup ready to go and a big grin on her face. Upstairs their hunch was right as Camille went right for Hannah's room and upon seeing her dress she quickly tried to splash it with paint. Cat followed right behind her, asking her what she was doing in her cousin's room then getting a loud, "Get out of here you little brat!" Cat said she was telling her aunt which prompted Camille to toss the paint and grab Cat's wrists to smear the paint on her hands. Cat swiftly moved out of the way, causing Camille to lose her balance and fall onto the dress. Camille's hands ended up covered in paint with Cat running downstairs to get Karen and the other parents to help her. Ophelia smiled widely at her and told her they'd take it from there, with Valerie hugging her tightly and telling her how proud she was of her for doing something so brave for her cousin. Ophelia and Karen walked upstairs and upon seeing Camille shook their heads in disgust. Camille tried to claim that she had caught Cat trying to smear paint onto the dress but Karen just smiled and pointed out, "Nice try, but we literally caught you red handed!" Ophelia then added, "She came down and loudly confessed to catching you in the act. It's hard to blame her for doing it when there's paint on your hands and dress and not a drop on her." Karen shook her head and angrily called Lord Alistair. The man softly swore and solemnly proclaimed, "Inform my wife that she is hereby disowned and divorced. I have spoken with Lord Bradford and he will happily ensure that our affairs are in order and that Camille is completely cut off. If she has issues she is to be told that she broke our prenuptial agreement by having multiple affairs over the years and that after four decades I am enforcing the clauses of it." Karen silently nodded her head as he made his proclamation and parroted the news to Camille what Lord Alistair had just stated. Camille was shocked and didn't believe a word of it and blamed everyone that she could think of for her troubles. She was about to strike Karen in retaliation but was stopped by Ophelia's strong hand gripping her wrist pulling her back. Ophelia stood over her and boldly told her sister, "You created this mess yourself! Those children didn't make you sleep with your gardener, your chauffeur, your masseuse, or your footmen. I thank Alistair for sending Reardon our way allowing him to get away from your clutches before you sacked him for spurning your advances. You are arrogant, immoral, and try to push around anyone who doesn't do your bidding and Alistair has finally had enough of it! The man is as patient as a saint and loved you deeply but he finally had enough of your antics." Ophelia escorted Camille out while the maids and ladies all watched. Camille tried to reason with her, begging her to let her stay there but Ophelia confidently told her, "You tried to do something horrible to my granddaughter on the eve of her wedding and then had the gall to try to blame it on her 4-year-old cousin after she caught you in the act. There is no excuse, you have dishonored our family. Please do not contact me again as I am done with you. I am disowning you as my family, dear sister." Mabel and Honoria hugged Ophelia tight as she shed tears over having to finally disown and turn her back on her beloved sister. It was tough but it had to be done for her family's sake. They were lifelong friends but they were closer to her than Camille ever was. The two were proud of Ophelia, as were all of the parents there- all understood why she did it and were proud that she did it for her family's sake. Evelyn summed up their feelings by explaining to her, "The measure of a mother is what she will do for her children and grandchildren and you have done the toughest thing possible. She is your sister but she wanted to harm your family. She feels no remorse, only embarrassment at getting told the harsh truth. She refuses to learn her lesson and would never try to change her life if you don't force her to. It's tough but it had to be done and you deserve praise for doing the right thing." The teens gave Ophelia her space as she moved to her private study to calm herself alongside Mabel, Honoria, Danielle, Peggy, Evelyn, Victoria, Heather, Tamara, and Lilian. Only Victoria had experienced what Ophelia had done and somberly told her, "The pain will fade but there is always hope that you can reconcile. She will be given the chance to redeem herself but it's up to her now. She isn't gone for good, just being forced to reevaluate her life. Give it time, she may change herself and return to you." Honoria and Mabel were now smiling at Victoria as Ophelia started to come around. She may have done something drastic but her sister was still her sister and she could only do so much for her. It took a bit but she finally got the energy and nerve to reappear with the teens and ladies not making mention of the discreet exit to the study, they simply relaxed and let the ladies do the same. A short time later Lord Alistair led the procession of John, Bryan, Pete, and Bradford along with some of the other fathers to the estate and met with the ladies in the dining room. The group hugged Ophelia for what she had done and when it came to Alistair she burst into tears but he simply told her warmly, "It's for the best. She still has her inheritance to live on and will receive her state pension for the work she had earned a salary for. She can afford a flat and live a humble life, I just hope that you are willing to allow her to be part of your family again if she actually learns her lesson." Ophelia agreed to do that but only if she had truly changed. Karen and Nigel both agreed that she should be given a chance to learn but if she was going to harm the kids they didn't want her around. They hammered out a deal that would let Camille keep a single flat but she would be responsible for everything from the council taxes to all utility payments. Alistair had it ready and would give her the only option left, accept it or be out on the street with nowhere to go. The family had a big dinner with Chef Farquhar happily talking with John and Bryan about the trip to Scotland. The group eventually exchanged more gifts with Bryan and Hannah giving big blushes as framed baby pictures were added to the family pictures in a prominent place in the drawing room. Pete and Paige were glad to have avoided this but a framed picture of all four in fourth grade was put on the shelf alongside the pictures of the twins as babies making them blush as well. Alistair kept to the perimeter, happy to see the four getting all of the attention while avoiding it himself. John stood by his side, silently nodding to him to acknowledge his presence but avoiding talking with him. Eventually, John was given a signal to move off so Sarah and Richard could go near Alistair with both seeing something that disturbed them. Sarah wasted not time and asked Alistair, "How long do you have left?" Alistair didn't lie to her, telling her somberly, "A month if I am lucky. My heart just can barely take it anymore and any excitement will cause me to go at any moment." Richard looked at Sarah and shook his head. Something wasn't sitting right. He asked Alistair pointedly, "Did you clear the legal issues yet?" Alistair nodded, adding a happy, "I was sure to have a copy ready to sign when we left this morning. I knew that she'd pull a stunt despite warnings for the past five months. My will was updated on Friday with my solicitor getting the blessing from my doctor that I was weak in the heart but not feeble of the mind, Camille gets none of my assets save my flat in London for her infidelities. The boys know that they are inheriting my entire estate and my titles, I just hope that I am able to see the wedding tomorrow without causing the girls to worry." Both nodded to one another. They assured Alistair, "We won't tell Hannah or Paige but we have to tell John to make plans for them. They won't be returning with us to Boston, they will stay here for a week before returning. I am sure that you know why but we hope that it's just being pessimistic." Alistair was happy to hear that, they wouldn't have to worry about him the next day. Chapter 36 The maids had tried their hardest to prepare Ophelia's wedding dress for Hannah while the family ate and held the bridal shower. The housekeeper had been keeping the dress hidden from Camille's view and when asked about it, she lied and said it was in storage elsewhere. She wasn't entirely lying, she just didn't tell her that the storage was in her own room in the one place nobody else was allowed into except Ophelia and Bradford. It was a stunning dress. She and Ophelia had worked for months to get the dress altered to fit Hannah's body. It needed some extra material added to compensate for Hannah's additional height but the bodice and skirt fit perfectly. The veil and train were long but the tween girls were going to be utilized to carry it behind her. They would save the dress for a big surprise the next day, not letting Hannah know about it but assuring her that they had something special planned for her. Hannah was upset at having her dress stained but trusted her mother and grandmother fully. Both were saddened to know how she felt but knew it best to surprise her, she'd find the new dress to her satisfaction and worth the anxiety. The guys were forced out with the girls snickering at being left behind. The younger teen girls were booted out as well with the college-aged ladies staying behind to help. Zoe and Juanita promised to not do anything while there but were told they didn't need to give their assurances. Sela and Isobel shared a room, as did Carmen and Juanita, with Addison and Zoe taking the third room. It was awkward for Addison but Zoe didn't care one bit about her extra parts. Zoe simply warned her that she sometimes snored which got Addison to snort and smile breaking the ice between them. Zoe did snore a little but Addison was just glad that she didn't make any mention of her birth defect. Zoe surprised her in the morning as she entered the bathroom while Addison was showering and simply handed her a towel while she herself got undressed. When Zoe came out she just smiled and admitted to Addison, "Before you even think of it, you look amazing and your small breasts make your body look beautiful. If I didn't already like Juanita I would ask you out in a heartbeat." Addison blushed and left that unanswered. She liked women but kept her thoughts clean, it wasn't the place to have sexual feelings for a girl she wasn't able to date. It was tough as she knew a beautiful woman when she saw one and Zoe was beautiful. It meant the world to Addison that Zoe had told her that she was beautiful and Zoe seemed to understand just how the words made Addison feel. The others went downstairs slowly. Paige and Hannah were the last downstairs, the maids quickly got them coffee with Chef Farquhar getting them breakfast. The six were shocked to see them moving so fast but had to giggle as Chef Farquhar informed them, "They are not nice ladies before their cup of coffee. I pity anyone who angers them before they have their caffeine fix." The ladies kept themselves busy by packing up the girls' things and getting all of their dresses prepped for later. Nichole led them over to see the horses a final time, giving them treats for being good with the girls during the week. After that, they simply played with Nigel Jr. until it was time to get ready. The guys had an easier morning. They decided on an early meal before heading to the estate for the wedding. John delayed Pete and Bryan with inane tasks until the others got dressed making them dress last forcing the others to wait for them. As they arrived in the lobby Christian gave a signal to Sean who in his best military voice announced, "Attention!" causing Pete and Bryan to stand at attention and salute him on instinct. Sean grinned and waited for them to move but neither moved a muscle until given orders from him. Christian looked them over and shook his head. He authoritatively stated, "Soldiers, you are both out of uniform. Major, please hand them this package from the acting Adjutant General." Opening the letters Pete and Bryan grinned. Christian parroted what was in the letters, telling the others, "Due to four of your fellow soldiers undergoing a court martial and after fulfilling over a year of service to your state you gentlemen have been promoted to the rank of specialist. Congratulations Specialists Smith and Smith." Christian handed Pete his new name badge and added, "The paperwork for the name change was included in your marriage license. As of this past Friday Judge Perez granted the name change as she saw no reason to deny it and it was done in good faith for a good reason. My chief of staff handled the paperwork on your behalf as a gift to you two." Louis and Walter took their jackets and did the honor of sewing on their rank patches while Christian pinned their other patches onto their shirts to be sewn on next. When the duo were done sewing the patches Louis and Walter hugged the two, telling them that they were proud of them. John and Nigel just grinned widely, happy that the two had allowed the two elders a chance to do something so personal for Brent's grandson and the future father to his great-grandchild. Christian himself beamed with pride at seeing the two former soldiers performing something so unexpected but necessary. John joked, "There are some fools who call that women's work. I would dare those guys to say that in front of any of the old school soldiers who learned that skill in the military at the hands of some of the toughest drill instructors ever to enlist in the Army!" The guys laughed with Louis adding, "Don't feel too bad John, not everyone can sew. Just be glad that the pricks didn't leave any permanent marks or nerve damage." John blushed as the other guys looked at him for an explanation. John mumbled, "Dad tried to teach me once, I sewed my fingers to Roland's pants then stabbed myself a dozen times trying to thread the darn needle another time." The guys laughed at that as Louis and Walter finished, giving the jackets and shirts a final inspection before handing them off. Both put them on and saluted Christian, getting a salute and handshake back. All of them moved out with the rest of the ladies meeting them outside after they finished eating. The 11 officers, deputy, and state trooper turned heads as did Paul in his fire department uniform and Astrid in her Boston EMS uniform. Several guests commented, "It's like a bloody Yankee invasion" getting a snicker from the teens. Will joked that they had more cops in the hotel than probably were in the city at that time. Jake shook his head but added, "Probably true but still not nice to say, son." The ladies didn't have their dresses on yet but the guys were all dressed up when they arrived. The teens groaned about them making them look overdressed but Valerie added, "You could wear one of our spare dresses if you want" getting them to quickly apologize while all eyes turned to Will who wisely added, "Thanks but I'd rather be early than wear one of those things, I don't want to make you all jealous at looking better in it than you do." Will grinned brightly while Valerie nodded in approval at him turning the joke around on her. He also understood without saying it, they had their reasons and it was a good one. He actually noted that the ladies were avoiding talk about their clothing the night before and knew about Camille from Claire and Daisy, it wasn't hard to get why they were doing things that day. The ladies went off to change with Daisy's spare dress being brought out by Lilly. Hannah never asked what was going to be done about her dress, she assumed that it would be dry cleaned or washed by the maids but there no way to get the paint out. Ophelia led her into the master bedroom and opened a door, showing a dress hanging in its glory and telling her, "It has become a tradition in my family that the eldest daughter wears this dress. Camille tried to get her hands on it but I kept it safe. With no daughters of my own but as my eldest granddaughter it is your dress now by right so please honor myself, my mother, and grandmother by wearing it today." Hannah was in tears. It was beautiful, like the dresses she dreamed about wearing as a little girl. She felt the material and it was so soft and silky, the lace so thin and beautiful. She absolutely loved it. Ophelia helped her undress then added her garter at the last second. Hannah was too mesmerized to say anything but the gesture meant a lot to her. Ophelia hugged her and told her warmly, "It's tradition to wear it and you deserve to feel connected to your tradition alongside ours." Hannah carefully pulled the dress over her head and had Ophelia button her up. She tried her hardest to keep from crying but finally let loose. Ophelia let her cry herself out, hugging her tightly. She asked Ophelia about the dress but was shocked to hear, "I was pregnant with Nigel at the time and had to hide my growing bulge. My mother wasn't happy about me being pregnant but it was hypocrisy as she herself was pregnant with me when she wore this dress. She was a big boned woman so you never saw her bulging womb until several months later but it still managed to hide the result of her little dalliance. My grandmother was very plump which is why it was custom made for her wedding." They were finished and had Rebecca come in to do Hannah's makeup. Rebecca was speechless at seeing the dress, it was perfect for Hannah. She didn't ask about it, instead doing the makeup for both Ophelia and Hannah then moving on to Paige and finally her own. Paige walked in and almost cried. Her exact words were, "It's just as you drew it back in fifth grade. It's funny that I joked that Pete would be marrying you in that dress too. I am jealous of you!" The ladies hugged and tried their best not to get makeup on one another as Anne and Karen entered to see the sight. Karen smiled and whispered to Anne, "Funny how fate has a way of playing pranks on us. She really did draw a similar dress and Paige always joked that she and Pete would get married." Anne nodded and added a soft, "They were always meant for one another, their hearts always knew it." The ladies were moved downstairs to where the rest of their cousins were already dressed and waiting. Jaimie was speechless while Claire grinned widely at the sight. Christina simply shook her head and complained that Hannah had to be the luckiest girl in the world to get to wear her dream wedding dress because of someone ruining her original dress. Nichole and Jenna came over with the veils and trains and helped put them on Hannah and Paige. Ladies Mabel and Honoria stopped them from going further and had Nigel put silver sixpence coins in Hannah and Paige's shoes for good luck while Victoria gave them each a small blue aquamarine angel charms to wear around their necks alongside their, "H" and, "P" pendants. The stones were the birthstone of Harold Morris Jr. Hannah and Bryan's biological father and were meant to signify his being there in spirit even if he couldn't be there in body. The group was ready to walk out and needed only word from the guys that they were all set. Ethan was serving as the gopher for both sides and was alerted that they were ready but had to tell the ladies to wait for a few minutes while they had everyone seated in the right places. The guests weren't happy to be so far back or that they weren't able to mingle with Bradford but the family just ignored them allowing them to just focus on getting the wedding going smoothly. John had them ready to go once they arrived and only Bradford needed to get himself dressed. Miles coordinated the seating with the family being firmly entrenched behind the three sisters, Ethan, and Michael. John happily patted his shoulder for letting Michael take the seat at the front as Bryan's best man but Miles explained that Michael knew him longer so he deserved to be there up front. Miles had a grin as he said that. Michael had no plans of sitting there and as soon as Alistair arrived Michael moved alongside Miles with Alistair taking the seat in front. John shook his head at the two, they were sneaky but loved doing that for Alistair. Alistair accepted the honor and talked freely with the boys while the other guests arrived, not bothering with the other guests. Bradford fielded complaints from his guests about the seating and after the fifth complaint asked if the family of the brides and grooms were not allowed to be in front of guests who are not related to them. This shut up some complainers but Bradford tersely told those who persisted, "I am not telling any of them to move because some person that neither my granddaughter nor my grandson has ever met or cares one bit about wants to be seen close to them. Sorry but their family and friends are far more important than any of you and will sit in the front. You can always leave, but they stay put." Alistair smiled at hearing that. The man had grown to steadily hate these events meant only to give each other face time for the cameras and was proud to see his brother-in-law acting this way. He may be dying but he was going to go to the grave a happy man at the new respect for Bradford. Once everyone was settled and all complaints snuffed out Bradford was ready to take his place in the front row. Pete and Bryan were standing proud and both had to ensure that the other was alright before signaling that they were ready. Ethan rushed back and alerted Ophelia with Nigel standing up and taking both ladies by the hand towards the door to the garden. Al, Stephanie, Amy, and Trina were told to grab the trains as the veils were draped across Hannah's and Paige's faces. Cat went out ahead of them followed by Daisy and Faith with Nigel Jr. and Billy carrying the rings on pillows. All conversation ceased as the door opened to allow them out to make their way forward and all eyes turned to see Nigel appear with Hannah and Paige. Nigel carefully led the duo with the four tweens holding the trains behind them. They all had matching dresses in a white color but not as white as Hannah's or Paige's dresses. The bridesmaids had similar off-white dresses but were meant to be subdued in comparison with Hannah's and Paige's dresses. They made their way forward with all eyes on them. Bryan and Pete didn't look back, keeping their eyes on the vicar as the ladies moved forward. Nigel finally handed off the two to Bryan and Pete giving the vicar a nod and taking his seat alongside Karen and Anne. The service was quick and precise. The vicar didn't waste time preaching and performed the ceremony flawlessly. The four kissed and walked up the aisle together with everyone following behind. The reception was tense as the guests tried their best to get time with Bradford and ignored the bride and groom. Ophelia was happy to entertain the family but Bradford was devoted to the couples and interested in showing them off to the other guests. He did his best to smooth things over but it was all for nothing as they were clearly not interested in the couples, only Bradford. They took little interest in Bryan or Hannah and outright ignored Pete and Paige. Bradford carefully told those who were rude to the couples to sod off and that they would never be invited to the estate again. Most didn't believe his claim but he was quick to tell them that they were insulting both of his grandchildren on the day of their wedding and in doing so was insulting him. He'd rather take another blow to his social calendar than allow them to be insulted. Mabel and Honoria were quick to get face time with the couples and happy to congratulate them in front of the assembled guests. Both were vocal about doing this, letting others know that they would not tolerate any snubbing and were happy for the two couples. Both, in turn, were just as quick to thank them for their lovely gifts and for being there for their grandmother after having to send away her own sister for what she had done to Hannah the day before. The ladies grinned as the couples turned the tables on the guests and had Camille the center of attention as her antics were made known. None of them dared make another rude comment nor attempt to get Bradford's attention at the expense of the couples after that. Camille herself was ostracized and would find herself without any support from anyone connected to Ophelia, Honoria, or Mabel. The guests were told about the upcoming fun and cleared way for the group to take part. There were some rude grumbling about the Yanks making a mockery of British weddings but Ophelia loudly and authoritatively pointed out that they were indeed American wedding traditions and that would be taking place as the couples had done so with British traditions without complaint. She happily let the couples do their thing while noting that she had finally tired of the aristocracy scene once and for all. The bouquet toss ended up going as a surprise to Courtney and Jessie with all of the girls staring at them and laughing while making jokes about Courtney being a marriage magnet. Reed and Michael tried to hide as the guys kidded them over the tosses. Will told the others that they still had to do the garter toss with the guys stopping cold and apologizing for teasing them. The garter removal was done carefully and tastefully as both sat and kept their dresses down with Pete and Bryan blushing as they removed them. Both tossed at the same time with one landing on Rick and the other on Miles. Christina and Jaimie just smiled back while both took their ribbing from Will and George while Eric, Scott, Thomas, and Donald breathed a sigh of relief over not catching them. The couples got together and kissed and didn't say a word about the events. There was little to be said, they were destined to be married anyway so it was no big deal. Will kissed Claire's cheek and told her warmly, "We don't need a tradition to confirm what we already know, I love you deeply." Ophelia and Bradford understood why they wanted this tradition, it was good clean fun especially among the teens. The teens were mature enough to accept the inevitable and playful enough to laugh at each other. The thought was what mattered most and they all thought it was fun. Watching all of the action Alistair smiled at his great-niece and nephew. It was a load of love and fun that was lacking in many of the guests' lives and the family exuded it in droves. He was happy to see that his legacy was going to be intact for generations to come and his gift to them would improve in time. Bryan and Hannah's lives were different than his family had been but they were the kind of people he was proud to call his family and their new titles would be worn with pride. He carefully moved forward and gave both brides kisses then hugged both grooms. He quietly told them all goodbye and that he was proud of them, smiling as he did so. None knew why he was heading out early but they were happy that he cared enough to tell them goodbye as he left. Alistair slipped into his car and drove on to his hotel. He made one phone call and told the person that it was time and to follow the instructions carefully. As he hung up he lay down to sleep and minutes later breathed his last breaths. Alistair died with a smile on his face as thoughts of the happy couples went through his mind before a blinding light overtook him.