Diego Part 1 free porn video

Chapter 1 The Worcester Hills are a cold and windswept place in the fall. Walking home from school can be tough for many. It's even tougher when you are trying your hardest to not get noticed by the crowds of students walking in the same direction after hiding out all day. Eve Rodriguez hated that walk. She lived a mile from the school and her parents worked full time so she had most afternoons to herself. She often had to cook for herself as well, leading her to oftentimes just not bother with anything big. Her mother barely noticed she was home and her father was always away, often claiming to be working but was really doing something with women or illegal. She hated everything about her life. Her school was a total nightmare to the point that she couldn't go any more out of fear of what would happen to her. Her parents were never home and when they were they ignored her existence. It was about to get worse for her that night as Eve had her first monthly visitor. She was now officially a woman and she dreaded it. She knew that it was inevitable as she had started to blossom up top and had widening hips and a butt that were the envy of most girls in her class. But to Eve, this was the end of the world. She was destined to become what she hated most. She didn't want to become a woman, she was a boy inside. She was supposed to be a man not a woman! It was Friday night so Eve was alone for much of it forcing her to go to the market to buy her own products. It was made all the worse as her neighborhood was all but deserted as many families moved out over the past year and less than 1/3rd of the homes were occupied. It was scary to walk at night as there were few streetlights and no sidewalks making anyone walking in the street easy victims for cars not paying attention. The worst part was that it was yet another long walk for her as the closest store was another mile away. She only had enough money to pay for the cheap knockoff brands making what was already a tough time for her all the more miserable. To top it off, several boys that she knew hung out outside the store and made constant jokes about her as she shopped giving her already delicate psyche a kick. She sighed and bought what she needed, knowing that her mother would scream at her for making a mess of her clothes even if it wasn't her fault or that she was the one who had to actually do laundry. She had enough money to pay for some menstrual relief medicine ensuring that she would endure snickers from the boy who worked the register. She growled at him to just give her her change causing him to back away getting his manager to tell him to take a break before she hurt him. The boys hanging outside made a slew of jokes as they grabbed her bag, tossing it around and teasing her for having to buy them. She ignored them, none of the girls in their year actually had their periods yet so they had no clue how nasty or grumpy Eve felt. They didn't get their satisfaction from harassing her so finally let her pass while turning to other things to do to entertain themselves. The long walk home felt like Eve was going to her execution. She shed a tear as she cleaned her dirty clothes, showered, and went to bed. Her mother came home and went after her for not having dinner made then ignored her the rest of the night while her father quietly crept in before dawn, reeking of perfume and alcohol. The next morning was rough as Eve dealt with her bodily functions while enduring her mother nagging and insulting her about her bloody sheets and pajamas. Eve tuned her out until her father started in on her, causing her to seek shelter in her room. She stayed put until both were gone then sought out breakfast and prepared her lunch and dinner. In the company of her room, she started up her computer and enjoyed some of the many nearly nude pictures online as only a pubescent boy could. She was a heterosexual, so a boy that likes girls was justified in looking at those pictures her mind. She couldn't be a boy, though, so it just appeared that she was trying to imitate the girls and women online. She was just reaching her second orgasm when her father burst into her room in a drunken stupor. He saw the pictures and started spewing hurtful insults about lesbians while smacking her hard across the face. Her mother came in and tried to calm him down, only to then take over herself so he didn't do something harsh to Eve that they couldn't explain to the police. Eve took the beating. She expected it and tried to bide her time before her father passed out drunk and her mother lost interest harassing her. That took almost an hour but once he was down she slipped into his room and removed $100 from his wallet. She then gathered everything she owned and rushed out of the house, not getting a look from her mother who was too drunk herself to notice. Eve ran as fast as she could. The city was spread out so it took a while, but eventually she got to Union Station where a train would take her to her new home. There was no way that she could remain at home anymore, she needed to get to Boston as quick as possible and seek help from people who she was sure would help her. She had a half hour before the train departed. The station was warm yet almost desolate as few were waiting inside. She was lucky that she didn't need to pay for her ticket as the Charlie Ticket machines were out of order that day and the ticket vendors weren't open, making her able to pay onboard the train and avoid awkward questions. In a stroke of brilliance, Eve realized that she didn't need to be a girl anymore. She quickly went to the bathroom and took out a pair of scissors that she had kept in her school bag. A few minutes later her back length brown hair was mostly gone, cut down to just an inch in length and easily covered by her trusty Red Sox cap. Stepping back, she looked like normal 12 or 13-year-old boy. She had to suppress her glee, she had done something she had always wanted to do but it wasn't the time to celebrate. She cleaned up her mess and gave herself another look over, ensuring that she wasn't noticed. Her train was called and made her way out to the platform, joining in with a group of boys about her age who were heading to a Celtics game with their families. The boys happily chatted her up, listening to her views on the Celtics, Bruins, and Patriots. She never noticed the conductor and assistant conductor going by, not even trying to have her pay a fare as it looked like she was part of the family and in reality, she was too young for the fare anyway. 90 minutes later the train arrived at South Station where the group broke apart. Eve spent several minutes studying the map of downtown Boston and in particular the West End. She found the exact place she needed to go to and left quickly. It was roughly a mile and a half to get to the West End condo complex that she was seeking. Thankfully for her, the routing she took through Boston was relatively flat so it was quick work for someone used to walking up and down hills. The traffic was bad but it was to be expected considering the game at the nearby arena. She had a rough address of the person she was seeking. At the door, she was greeted by a doorman who asked where she was going. She gave the name and was promptly told, "He moved out seven months ago. I have his forwarding address if you want." She wrote it down and thanked the man for the information. She hated hitting a dead end but thankfully the address was only across the bridge and only required a single bus to reach. Stealing wifi with her tablet she located the exact house, thankfully close to the same bus she needed to take to get to the city. With renewed vigor, she walked to the nearby train station and got the bus to Winnisimmet, where the man lived. The bus was packed with people but she blended in, paying her fare and sitting in the rear. 20 minutes later when she exited, she was in a whole other world than her old home in Worcester with houses that were nicer looking but still close. She steeled herself and knocked on the door. It felt like hours as she hoped that someone was home and she didn't receive a cold or angry greeting. She hoped that she could get help if only a little bit of it. A man finally answered, looking at her with surprise and curiosity. He was the man she had wanted to meet for years, ever since she learned the truth about his relationship to her. She was going to speak but was told sharply, "What did you do to your hair, Stephanie! Your mother is going to freak out when she sees that you cut your hair!" Eve's stomach lurched. She steeled herself and stated, "I'm not Stephanie. My name is Diego Rodriguez. I'm your son." Ricardo asked Eve to come inside. She felt relieved that he hadn't tossed her out or said something that would cause her to fear for her life. He was being kind, letting her tell her story. Ricardo asked her firmly, "I don't have to a degree in biology or be a doctor to know that your name isn't really Diego. You are the spitting image of my niece Stephanie and can't be much older than her. So please, tell me who you really are and why you are here." Eve felt her chest tighten as she explained, "I was born Eve Rodriguez but I am not Eve. My mother is Sierra Ramirez, she was once married to you. She divorced you five months before I was born and supposedly married the man who is claimed to be my father. His name is Pablo Rodriguez." Ricardo's face went white. The names added up all too well. The time frame added up. He continued to study Eve and didn't see one hint of a lie nor attempt to deflect the truth. She continued, "Pablo has claimed that I'm his daughter but I found out differently last year when my class did a DNA test on our parents. I started to dig into mom's files and found my birth certificate. He isn't on it, but you are. He isn't my real father, mom lied to him. You are my father." Ricardo nodded at what he was hearing but didn't say anything in response. She kept going, saying, "I found copies of his marriage certificate and his divorce papers. He was still married to another woman when I was conceived. He claimed I was a premie but my doctor told me that I was full term. You are the only one who could be my father. Mom was pregnant with me when she divorced you." Ricardo sighed and admitted, "The man who claims to be your father cheated on his wife with Sierra because I came out as gay and my sister supported me. He had been cheating on Alice for years up until that point, but I never had the heart to tell her. Once they divorced and she proved, his infidelities he moved in with my wife. My sister and I moved east to get away from our family so he told them all sorts of lies, you are just another in the long string of them." Looking her over he smiled. He knew the man was shooting blanks as Alice forced him to undergo a vasectomy in order to prevent some young lady from ending up with his child after she caught him with a girl after Stephanie was conceived so Eve couldn't be Pablo's child. Eve, though, shared a lot of similarities with Stephanie and who, in turn, is the spitting image of her mother; Eve was a Ramirez by blood and could only be Ricardo's daughter. He sat Eve down and asked her pointedly, "Why claim to be a boy? You are a beautiful young woman, you can have any boy or girl that you want." Eve acidly replied, "I'm not a girl, I'm a boy! I can't help that I wasn't born with a dick and balls! I hate being a girl and can't live as one anymore." Ricardo nodded, adding a soft, "Alright, I believe you. I have to make some phone calls about you being here so please stay put. My husband and son will be here shortly so be prepared for questioning from them. They are good people and please trust me on this- they know all about kids like you so don't be afraid of their reactions." Despite her attempts to remain under the radar and be inconspicuous to the other travelers, Eve wasn't as slick as she thought she was. She kept to herself in the station but on the train, she had to socialize with the boys. Unbeknownst to her, she was being observed the whole trip by someone who was busy texting another person yet who never took her eyes off Eve. Chloe Miller thought something was off about the boy who suddenly popped up with the other boys sitting in front of her. Just as quickly as he had appeared he disappeared into the station but not heading downstairs to the Red or Silver Lines like the rest of the crowd. Her gut told her that the boy was running away and alerted her office to a possible report of a missing boy about 11 or 12-years-old in case her gut was right. She had to give her gut a rest, she was due to meet with the newest director of the Department of Children and Families(DCF) Eastern region. Anne Connors was her favorite boss so far and Chloe's colleague and new Boston area director, Mark Sylvester, was fast becoming a friend. The two were happy to host her for a night and offered her a place to stay allowing her to go back home the next day. Anne's daughters Christina and Jenna greeted Chloe on the Atlantic Avenue side of South Station then drove over to a restaurant on the waterfront for a quick lunch. Both were all smiles and happy to see Chloe, talking with her as they drove to Winnisimmet after eating. Chloe was surprised that both were home that evening, teasing them about their boyfriends spending time at home with their dads instead of their girlfriends as most would normally do after a football game. Jenna was happy to tell her, "The guys are planning a special trip for the newest married couple so we are giving them the day off from pampering us. Eric and his dad were trying to get Uncles Ricardo's and Alex's honeymoon finalized. It's going to be a romantic trip to the Bahamas." Christina added, "Aunt Alice is putting Eric up for the week so of course the guys are trying hard to plan their week to maximize the time with us while avoiding babysitting the younger kids." The two sisters traded barbs while Chloe enjoyed the sisterly teasing. Anne had a funny sense of humor about her daughters so Chloe purposely started them towards their little battle of wits. It caused the time to pass quickly while they drove onward. Chloe was startled as she saw Eve getting off a bus and walking away, all alone. Her gut was sending her signals that something wasn't right with the boy and someone was missing him. Jenna caught on and told her, "He's ringing Uncle Alex and Ricardo's bell. I wonder what he wants." They drove on and arrived at the Connors home and were greeted by a grinning Anne. Jenna rolled her eyes and told her, "Don't even start, she already had us going it at it in the car." Anne just nodded and led them inside while Chloe kept silent as she thought about the little boy more. Anne sent the two 17-year-old ladies to their rooms while she talked with Chloe. Anne wisely sensed that something was up and needed to talk to her. Chloe tried to evade the questions but Anne had more experience at getting the truth out of people, Jenna had ensured her of that experience early on in life. Chloe finally confessed, "On the train ride here there was a little boy who had to be no older than 12 or 13 sitting in front of me. He wasn't with the group he sat with and was trying hard to blend in among them, doing his hardest to seem normal and keep out of view. A few minutes ago I saw him get off a bus alone and ring someone's doorbell. Your daughters seemed surprised that he was visiting someone they knew so it's not sitting well with me. Something is going on with him." Anne nodded, then told the eavesdropping girls to text Eric or Alex Vincent. Both complied, concerned for the boy knowing that he came 50 miles on his own. Anne tried to think of why he could possibly head to visit Alex and Ricardo but was drawing blanks, whatever his reasons he at least went to two people who would point him to the right help and ensure he got it. They didn't have to text Alex or Eric as Ricardo called Mark who in turn called Anne and Chloe to explain the situation. Chloe sighed and said she was going over there, he was from her area and would likely get assigned his case directly since she witnessed his actual fleeing. Mark asked for Anne come by too, it was sensitive enough to require her involvement. Anne looked at Chloe and told her firmly, "If you feel strongly enough that he is in danger keep him with Alex and Ricardo." Chloe asked why, getting a grin and hearty, "You know Ricardo is a whiz in the courtroom and vicious when kids are at stake, but Alex is a top notch fed with years of experience with kids who have been hurt. They won't let harm come to him." The girls kept dinner warm as the two drove over to the Vincent home. Chloe rang the doorbell and was ushered in by Ricardo. Anne followed behind, then stopped short and asked somberly, "Please tell me Alice didn't hurt you, Stephanie. Your mom is the last person we would believe would hurt you." Eve shot back a terse, "I'm not that Stephanie girl, I never met her before!" Turning to Ricardo, she then asked, "Why did you and that lady call me Stephanie? Who is she?" Anne realized the mistake and tried to apologize. Ricardo sighed and warmly told Eve, "Stephanie is my niece. She just turned 13 and is the spitting image of you. Pablo Rodriguez is her father." Eve sat down and felt horrible about her complaint. She excused herself and went up to the bathroom, crying for a second as she sat down on the toilet. She had to stop and wash her face to remove the tear streaks and quickly take a Midol before going back down. Chloe noticed that she discretely grabbed a tampon and whispered to Anne, "I have a good idea what could possibly be going on." Ricardo caught the conversation and quietly told the two, "He is really a she but is strongly claiming to be male. The man who is claiming to be his father is a notoriously tough homophobe. I suspect that he has had a few rounds with him at some point today sparking this all." Anne sat Eve down and asked what her name was. Ricardo nodded to which she somberly replied:, "I call myself Diego but my mother named me Eve. I'm a boy, not a girl." Anne understood the reason for being included. She sighed and asked Eve, "Why did you run away? You are 50 miles from home, in a city that is dangerous to people who don't know the area, and barely have enough clothes to stay warm during the day let alone the oncoming cold nights." Eve shed a tear and blurted out, "They are going to hurt me worse. Mom never wanted to have me and dad treated us like we are nothing but leeches. He was too drunk to hurt me this morning but he will do worse when he sobers up. I don't want to think about what mom will do as well." Anne wrote everything down while Chloe asked, "What caused him to go after you today? Did he hurt you before? And has he stated that he will do worse to you?" Eve shed a tear as she told them, "He hates gays and actively gives to groups who pledge their support behind hurting people who try to support them. He said if he ever caught me with a girl or acting like a boy he would beat me until I couldn't walk again and use me as a poster child for what would happen to kids who didn't follow the 'right path'. He caught me while I was pleasuring myself to pictures of some of the girls in my class and lost it, hitting me and tossing me around. Mom was no help, she laughed it up until he gave out and lost interest. I had to get away, he was going to kill me if I didn't act normal. I can't take it anymore. I can't become a woman!" She broke down. Ricardo was puzzled to which Chloe whispered to him, "He is having his period. It has to be his first because he endured verbal abuse for months if not years before finally finding a reason to get away. He is emotional and irrational but he is also in danger if he returns home." Sighing, Anne asked to see the marks. Chloe followed her, telling Mark and Ricardo, "He needs help that we can't give. If you know anyone who can do it please call them. He is not going to return home, though, if his family hasn't called the police yet I doubt very much he is missed by them or worse- they don't want the truth to get out." Up in the spare bedroom, Anne and Chloe had Eve disrobe and show them the marks. Eve had multiple scrapes and bruises that had to have come from fingernails on her arms that looked days older than that morning as well as clear welts and bruises that were new. The worst were several large bruises on her upper arms that were clearly from being grabbed. They were almost overshadowed by the marks near her hips that were just below her panties, marks that too were older than the fresh bruises and welts from that morning. Eve realized what they were going to say so she blurted out, "Yes I was naked from the waist down. I was actually naked when it happened. I told you that I was getting off when he burst in. He caught me before I could get my panties on. He didn't molest me, I'd cut his dick and balls off if he ever did." The ladies both looked at her in shock but left it alone. Anne told her that she had to go visit a doctor to get her injuries looked at and documented then speak with a therapist to ensure that she wasn't going through a phase and allow her to live a boy. She then added, "So help me, those two will never see you again. This is clearly abuse and one that isn't going to be swept under the rug by us." Back downstairs, Alex and Eric had arrived home and were talking with Ricardo. As Eve appeared Eric immediately blurted out, "What happened to Stephanie? Don't lie to me!" Ricardo and Alex both calmed him down while Anne explained, "This isn't Stephanie, this young man is Stephanie's cousin. His name is Diego and he is your brother. He is Ricardo's son." Alex had to calm him down further, Eric was fuming and ready to snap. Alex explained, "Ricardo was married before but divorced when he couldn't keep up his facade of being straight anymore. His ex-wife is Diego's mother and he looks to be just about old enough to have been the result of Ricardo trying hard to be what he wasn't. He is your brother." Eric gave Ricardo a sly grin then hugged the scared Eve, who was shocked that they had used her new masculine name. Eric's hug was snapped as he stepped back in shock as he felt two things he shouldn't poking into his chest. Eve flinched while Eric looked at Ricardo and asked:, "Let me guess, he's another transgender girl?" Ricardo shook his head and admitted, "Close but it's the other way around. Diego was born Eve. And honey, that's what we have to call you since you admitted that you are a boy. You are a boy to us, not a girl. We can't honestly call you one without calling all of the others boys and men which they are not." Eric grimaced and pulled back, unsure what to think but knowing he was going to be involved in the situation regardless. He was used to boys who were becoming girls but this was someone who was going to become a boy. He had to let it sink in that there were women and girls who were the opposite of those whom he knew and were just as heartbroken about their biology to need to change their sex. Anne ushered Chloe and Diego out while Mark made a request to the Worcester Police to check out the Rodriguez home. A half hour later the police officer informed them that both parents were passed out drunk and babbling about getting revenge on the little lezzy. Mark asked that they write up the threats and send them to him as it was an open DCF investigation into the couple. Turning to Ricardo, Mark told him sharply, "He wasn't kidding about his parents. They are a definite threat to him and I don't believe they are fit to care for him regardless. Unfortunately, until we have a judge's review we can't permanently remove him." Ricardo grew concerned and asked, "Where will she go until then?" Mark gave him a sly grin and asked, "Would you and Alex be willing to house Diego until then? If my hunch is right, Valerie and her parents will be working on a way of you getting full custody and you acknowledged as his father over a man who is known to be abusive and a danger to him." Alex answered for him, blurting out, "We will be delighted. He is safer with us than anyone else and we have everything on file with your department so there is no excuse for us being denied. That Masters bastard torpedoed many willing couples and soured the community but we can't let Diego get put in a place where he is in danger." Eric added a harsh, "Pops, man up. He's your son. A piece of paper doesn't have to tell you, we all saw just how much he looks like you, Aunt Alice, and Stephanie. He's clearly your little boy." Ricardo gave in and agreed to be Diego's temporary foster parent. He added a somber, "Alison has to talk with him as soon as possible. If he is willing to put himself in danger just to escape Pablo, he could do something drastic if he can't be the boy he has to be." Alison was called and agreed to speak with Diego the next day. She was adamant that they continue to think of him as a boy and to help him in any way especially as they were the few who had made a connection to him. Further, she suggested that he try to interact with the seven kids his age to get him some normalcy even if it was going to be awkward- he needed that more than anything else. Ricardo cringed at that. He dreaded having to tell his sister about what her ex-husband had done to yet another poor unfortunate child. She would understand no matter what, but it was going to be tough. Alice had worked years to get over his betrayal when he turned his back on his children over her siding with Ricardo after coming out to the family. He had frequently assaulted her, getting a jail term and a criminal record for child and spousal abuse. It was the real driving force for them moving so far out to Winnisimmet as Alice got a new job to support herself while Ricardo helped with the kids. Raul took years to accept men weren't going to hurt him or his mother. This caused trouble in school as his third-grade teacher, Ivan King, had to show he was a good person and not going to harm him. If not for the principal, Yvette Prince, he might have had bigger issues as kids started to tease him over his therapy and lack of guy friends. Raul took to the wrong crowd, getting in trouble multiple times. He followed his instincts and kept out of much of their mischief but did manage to get caught, forcing Alice to punish him harshly. He later thanked her for it after his supposed friends took issue with his defending his sister and her new friend Al Samuels and subsequently ended up assaulting him and his girlfriend, Avery James. Ricardo made the toughest phone call possible and asked Alice to come over, bringing both Stephanie and Raul with her. Al was with them which could help keep things calm but Avery was also with them causing things to get complicated. He hoped that she didn't react poorly to the news but feared her mother or grandfather taking a stronger issue with Diego most. With a wavering voice, he told Alice, "I need you come over with Raul and Stephanie. This is extremely important and can't wait. I wish I didn't have to do it but I have to tell you Pablo has made his presence known in the city but it's not in a way we feared." As Ricardo made his phone calls, Anne and Chloe took the fearful Eve to see Dr. Sarah Jones at her office. Sarah was filled in on what was happening and why and silently nodded. Turning to Eve she had pictures taken of the wounds and bruises then added her suggestion that Alison talks with him. Eve was silent and did what the ladies told him to do. Sarah asked about here menstruation which brought chills to Eve. She told her what he knew and what he did getting a somber, "You did well and you are stronger than you should have to be over all of this." She sighed and added, "You need some different hygiene products. As much as you may not like it, you have to still do things females do until you entirely stop menstruating or your reproductive parts are surgically removed. It's the best we can do for you, you will get proper help but you need to still do things right or you could become seriously ill." She carefully quizzed Eve about her habits and what she had done so far. She cringed several times, writing down notes while trying hard to keep from saying the wrong thing. Anne and Chloe listened in in silence, taking stock of Sarah trying hard to keep her composure. Sarah finally admitted, "Your mother should have talked with you about this months ago. You have been in the throes of puberty for at least a year, you have clear breasts and body definition. Did she at least get you proper bras?" Eve shook her head. She softly told her, "I bought sports bras. She could not have cared any less about me. I saved up enough money and took enough from their wallets to get my own clothes but she didn't notice one bit that I was turning into a woman." The ladies held their tongues but Anne wrote something that Chloe agreed with. Eve was neglected to the point of basic needs not being met by her parents. That coupled with the abuse meant she had to be removed from their care immediately. Sarah was asked point blank, "In your professional opinion, is Diego suffering from abuse?" Sarah shot back a hard, "He was indeed physically abused. And before you ask, yes he was also being neglected as well as emotionally abused. He needs to get away from those people before harm comes to him and I do not in the slightest feel that his parents won't try to harm him." Chloe wrote it all down to which Anne stated to Eve, "Due to your parents facing investigation, I will have to place you in the temporary care of Alex and Ricardo. Before you ask, both are fully vetted and have hosted children before and we trust them fully with you. Further, should your parents attempt to try something, they are more than capable of handling them on their own with Eric being forced to hold off harming them permanently." Eve was in tears. She sniffled, cursing her raging feminine hormones. Anne softly told him, "You are in good hands. Ricardo will make things right. Now that he knows you exist he will stop at nothing to ensure you are with him and Alex as their son. Your so-called father is in for a world of hurt as I doubt he knows just how much trouble he truly is in." Chapter 2 Anne, Chloe, and Eve drove to a CVS to get more feminine hygiene products for Eve. It was surreal but Eve endured the feelings of frustration and embarrassment, in her mind, she had no choice but to. Anne softly whispered to her, "It's for the best that you get them because you will need them to prevent infections that are extremely annoying and will cause a lot of unwanted questions. The guys will all understand, your father is the most caring man I have ever met and Eric is used to being around people who are changing their gender and enduring the unwanted side effects of visitors." Eve's stop at the CVS gave Anne something that she had not had a chance to experience with her own daughters due to a bad twist of timing. Chloe asked her what was causing her to be so giddy getting an odd look from Eve who then started to feel embarrassed and on the verge of tears. Anne felt horrid and explained, "Diego is giving me something I wasn't able to experience with Jenna. She had her first period over a sleepover and John Finn actually helped her out. Christina and Paige had already had theirs by the time I became their mother so Diego is as close as I get to mothering someone experiencing their first. I'm sorry Diego, I truly don't mean to embarrass you but it's just something that I have wanted for so long." Eve tearfully asked, "Is that what you see me as? Another girl?" She was about to run away but Anne hugged her tightly, letting her cry into her shoulder calming Eve down while the hormonally charged moment passed. When she calmed more she softly explained, "I only see Diego, not Eve. I just feel so strongly about trying to mother you that I forgot that this is something that you hate having happen to your body and I deeply apologize for that. It's just that you have given me something I missed out on and I am deeply grateful for it. I'm sorry. I won't make that mistake again. You are a young man and I'll never forget it." Eve saw the tears in her eyes and relented. She didn't want to cause any more trouble for anyone else. The trio quietly drove back to the Vincent home and presented Sarah's report to Alex and Ricardo with Mark signing off on it as Eve's new social worker. Ricardo sat the quiet and scared Eve down and explained to him, "My sister and your cousins are all coming over shortly. They are bringing Raul's girlfriend and Stephanie's best friend with them. They are good people so we expect them to be on their best behavior. You don't have to like them but please try to let them help you if they offer it. Now that you have been checked out and you have had a needed talk with Sarah about hygiene, you are no longer Eve except in body. We won't call you that and we will do whatever it takes to ensure that you are truly Diego in body along with mind and spirit. You are a boy and none of us will let you think of yourself as anything but a boy from now on." Diego was pleased to have his blessing to be himself and went up to his new room to think about a few things. A short time later Ricardo led Alice and the others inside, sitting them down in the living room. Anne and Chloe entered and flanked Ricardo to show that it was serious. Al and Avery sensed something big was about to be told and excused themselves. They went upstairs in search of Eric only to stop short as they saw Diego laying on his bed trying hard not to cry over what may be happening downstairs. The two let out a simultaneous, "Oh my god!" which startled Diego and caused the two to rush in and offer him a big hug which he had no idea how to react to. Al let out a quick, "Well this explains everything. Uncle Ricardo is a father!" Avery looked at her oddly to which Al shook her head and explained, "I swear sometimes you are dumber than your sister. He is the spitting image of Stephanie, we both know she looks like her mom and Uncle Ricardo while Raul looks like his maternal grandfather. Do the math!" Avery shook her head and complained, "I'm a people person, not a face person. Besides, you spend a lot more time around her than I ever will. If you weren't dating Kyle and she wasn't dating Trina I'd swear that you were dating Stephanie." Al apologized to Diego and introduced herself, saying, "I'm Al Samuels, your cousin Stephanie's best friend. This lunkhead is Avery James, your cousin' Raul's kissing partner." Diego snickered at that, Al's joke hit the right spot and smoothed things over. Al sat down next to him and asked, "How long have you been transitioning? Don't try to kid someone who is living the same life. You just started otherwise you wouldn't have such a horrible haircut." Avery was shocked at Al's forwardness. Al shook her head and pointed out, "Short hair but breasts and widening hips. She's well into her transition. She is passing with flying colors." Diego moved back and angrily blurted out, "I'm a boy, not a girl!" Al looked at her with wide eyes and tried to apologize. Avery shook her head and told him, "Sorry for Al's candidness. She is used to boys transitioning to girls that she didn't think that you might be the other way around." Avery replaced Al on the bed as Al tried hard not to look at Diego for fear of upsetting him further. Avery asked, "How far have you gone into your transition?" Diego blurted out, "I just started. I can't take being a girl anymore. I don't want this freaking period or boobs or this damn vagina!" Avery sighed and asked, "Your first?" Diego nodded to which Avery explained, "Its' the worst. It sucks big time but it'll be easier next month and thereafter. Your doctor will help you, but it'll take time. It's not worth it to try to hurt yourself because you aren't getting as far along as you want." Diego looked at Al and asked, "Why is she taking that hard? She's like the third person who made that mistake today. Everyone seems to think I am a boy becoming a girl." Avery looked at Al who nodded so she explained, "Al was forced to become a girl almost a year ago, she was in a bad car accident that mutilated her genitals. She doesn't interact with other transgender people outside our family so she hasn't met a transgender boy before. She knows what you are going through, it's just that she made a huge mistake in her assumption and is taking it hard." Diego closely looked over Al, trying to see any hint of masculinity. Al quietly told him, "It's true. I'm one of three girls who had 'the surgery' because of trauma to the groin. The other two were already living as girls, I wasn't one at all but my therapist and family helped me accept what I am now." Anne came up to get Diego and waited for a lull in their conversation to make her presence known. Al and Avery realized something was up involving Diego if Anne was there too. The two followed close behind, nodding to one another that they would have his back just in case. Alice, Raul, and Stephanie all gasped as they saw Diego. Raul blurted unintentionally out, "He's like her twin!" Al shot back, "He's definitely not the evil one." Stephanie glared at her while Alice looked at Ricardo then at Diego then at Stephanie. When she finally calmed herself, she asked, "Can you tell me exactly what is going on here. You were vague and evasive, only saying it had to do with Pablo. What's really going on, Ricardo and don't lie." Ricardo steeled himself then explained, "You were right, he was still cheating on you. He was cheating on you with Sierra. When we were supposed to be patching things up they were having an affair. He claims that Diego is his son, but we both know that he underwent a vasectomy and was shooting blanks after Stephanie was conceived. As you can see it's a lie no matter what. He looks nothing like Pablo, he looks like our mother." Alice sighed and showed the pictures she had of their parents and of Pablo to Anne and Chloe. Both laughed at the claim, he had a large nose, a long and pointed chin, and big cheeks. It was cute when he was younger but it looked odd to them. It was clear that he had no genetic connection to Diego. Alice asked for the full story. Diego told her, "Dad and mom were banging when both of you were still married. Mom got pregnant by her husband but claimed dad was the father. He wasn't, he doesn't even know that he wasn't. You know that he had a vasectomy but he still thought he was able to make a baby. Once he divorced you he moved us in with him and claimed me as his own but kept mom in check while he went out scoring with any girl dumb enough to fall for his act. Mom didn't care, as long as he didn't bring them home she had everything she wanted and wouldn't rock the boat. I knew for years that he wasn't my real dad and found out the evidence I needed to prove that he wasn't my father last year then searched through everything trying to find who my read father is. I fled this morning and ended up here hoping that my real dad would help me." Alice looked him over and asked Ricardo, "Did you ask Alison to talk with him yet?" Ricardo nodded, adding, "She knows and he has an appointment tomorrow. We didn't think it was wise to overload him tonight with new people. Plus she wasn't able to get away from Trinity easily and it's too early for the two to meet. You know how she gets when she meets new people, Trinity can wait to meet him." Stephanie and Raul looked at them oddly. Alice explained, "Your cousin is a girl on the outside but a boy on the inside. It's a big reason why he looks so much like Stephanie. He is trying to get help from Ricardo, and your father likely ensured that if he even tried to ask for help from him or his mother he'd be hurt. He doesn't like gays, lesbians, or transgender people, it's why he and I split and why you are not allowed any contact with him at all." Raul was getting angry at all the talk about his father. He grunted, "He hurt mom and me when you were a baby. It's why they divorced. Mom wanted to stay in contact with Uncle Ricardo but he forbid her. She stood up to him and he beat her until her eyes were swollen shut. He went after me for trying to protect mom and almost broke my arm." Chloe wisely asked if she had any proof. Alice blurted out, "Three permanent restraining orders, orders granting permanent custody, and a police report. He was also convicted of two counts of abuse against a child and spousal abuse. He was sentenced to three years in prison but only served one." Chloe looked over at Anne who told her, "We now have enough to get custody revoked permanently. He is a danger to Diego and if need be Ricardo can petition the court for permanent custody on the basis of him having no familial relationship to Diego. We need to investigate his marriage, if he isn't married to Sierra then Pablo has no real claim to Diego." Alice asked about his clothes and other things. Diego grew embarrassed with Ricardo explaining, "He can borrow some from Eric." Alice shook her head then explained, "Ask Graham Pierce if Oscar has any old clothes, he's the same size as Oscar. You should take him shopping tomorrow just in case." Alice and her four left, with Stephanie giving Diego a big hug and adding, "The others are going to want to come by and see you." Al shook her head and added, "You heard Aunt Alice say Oscar may give you some old clothes, well he and Kyle never go anywhere without the other. Amy, Trina, and Polly will wait for the OK from our mothers, they won't want to upset her. They will be good to you if they know what's good for them." After they left, Eric returned with Chinese food and a few packages of chocolate. Both Ricardo and Alex asked why he got so much chocolate, getting a laugh and quick, "Jenna and Christina told me to get it. As much as he may be a boy he still has to deal with some parts of being a biological girl and one of them is a psychological need for chocolate during this time of the month." Diego reluctantly accepted it but didn't eat any until after they dug into their Chinese food. He ate his fill, which was much more than either Alex or Ricardo and almost as much as Eric. Eric gave her a quick, "Don't ever let anyone tell you that you don't have the appetite of a guy because only Reed has eaten more than me and that's only because he's bigger and runs longer and faster." While Alex and Ricardo cleared the food Diego dug into his chocolate stash and was quickly relieved to taste the sweet, milky confections. Eric quietly whispered, "Told you it's a necessity. Believe me, I have seen the girls when they go without it during their time of the month and it's not pretty. I'd rather have you happier even if it's not wanted. It's better for you that way." He sat down next to Diego and turned on a football game, hoping that would give them something to take their minds off things. Diego appreciated the effort and relaxed. Within minutes he had fallen asleep, clearly running on fumes the last hour. After the game ended Ricardo lifted him up and to his shock, Diego cuddled into his shoulder and softly said, "Daddy." It was a sweet moment as Diego's basic instincts caused him to latch onto Ricardo and say what was on his mind as he dreamed. Alex and Eric got his bed ready while Ricardo placed him in it, covered him up, and closed the door, all with a big grin on his face. Downstairs again Eric teased Ricardo with, "Someone is loving being a dad." Ricardo shot back a happy, "I might be able to get this kid right, the last son I had is pretty defective." Alex shook his head in disappointment at his son, Eric left himself wide open for that joke. The three stayed up for another hour before turning in, with Alex and Ricardo talking about their upcoming day. Alex was regretting having to work a lead in a tough weapons smuggling case while Ricardo dealt with Diego's drama. He hated feeling like he wasn't helping as a father as much as Ricardo was and may be missing out on supporting Diego when he needed it most. Ricardo countered with a firm, "You have an important job, you get to arrange the DNA test. I am not leaving anything to chance with the courts. Joseph and Evelyn will be doing the investigating out in Worcester while Valerie handles the legalities here. You are important, Mick and Mike need your help and Diego needs to see that he isn't affecting us because we are here for him." The next morning all four went about their usual routines. Diego showered and had to hold back his tears as he did his hygiene routines as instructed by Anne. He made a big mistake and accidentally left his door open as he changed, giving Eric a full glimpse of his body causing him to almost faint. Eric had to calm himself then explained to Diego firmly, "Close your door. Dude, nobody likes seeing their younger siblings naked! I hoped never to join the 'saw my sibling naked' club but you just gave me membership only 12 hours after meeting you." Diego was about to burst int tears when Eric sat him down and explained, "It's not that you are a girl, it's that I saw some things I only want to see on Jessica and you are my brother so it sucks to see them. Seriously, every single one of my friends has had that problem with siblings- Jaimie and Miles once had a fight over her leaving her clothes all over the place without him noticing he was in a towel and she was in a sheer nightie and both could see the others parts. It's unintentional but now that you know it won't happen again because you will remember to shut the damn door." Diego nodded silently. Alex and Ricardo bit their tongues but Alex added, "He's not joking about that, the kids really have that horrible club. Scott constantly complains that Jessica is a nudist while Cat and JD took a full two years to stop running through the house naked." Ricardo looked over at Alex and saw he wasn't joking. Alex patted his hands and added, "We will set ground rules so this doesn't happen again. He's just not used to others being around him and it's a good thing if you think about it, he is comfortable enough to release his anxiety for a bit and revert to how he normally acts. Plus Eric needed a shock to let him know this is really serious and not some whim." Alex left, giving Diego a hug and quick, "She's a good person, you will like talking with her." Alison Eliza came by shortly after Alex left with Eric making himself scarce with Trinity Eliza taking him for a walk around the neighborhood while Ricardo did some paperwork in his small office in the attic. Alison sat Diego down and explained, "I have known your father and brother for three years but known their friends for over five years. I have worked in the field of gender therapy for close to eight years and enjoy helping kids become who they truly are. I have worked with many boys like yourself, some of whom have become outstanding fathers and uncles and employed in a variety of fields." Diego started to see that she was trying to give him the impression that she was well qualified and experienced with boys like him. It worked, he started to trust her. He asked her candidly, "Why are you here now? Shouldn't you be doing this in a hospital?" Alison smiled and told him, "Ricardo and Alex are close friends. Ideally, I would speak with you in my office but this is personal, your safety is at stake and your dad, aunt, and their friends will need my help to ensure that you are able to fully start life as a boy. That means getting you a nice haircut that didn't use school scissors." Diego's hand instantly went up to his head. Alison sighed and added, "Like I said, I have seen many boys like you before and they have frequently cut their own hair. Most do it out of anger and frustration but you did it because you needed to pass as a boy to take the train to safety. You did a decent job, but I think a simple crew cut or fade will work with your facial structure and make you look a little less like your cousin. It'll be tough to hide the similarities but it'll still help with your confidence as a boy." Diego smiled at hearing that. Alison wrote down some notes and watched him think deeply. Alison asked simple questions to keep him focused and learned why he chose his name and why he chose his clothes that he had on. They weren't too intrusive but she built up to the tougher questions to come. Alison started to ask him about his earliest feelings about being a boy. Diego timidly admitted, "I would watch the boys in daycare and school and want to do the same things as them. I loved running around, playing in the dirt, wrestling, catching mice and snakes, When they got older we'd play stickball and football and soccer and chase girls around with mud and sticks. It was fun until mom got angry at me and hit me hard in front of the principal for cutting my hair short in class." Alison asked about that getting a very somber, "I said that I was a boy to the other boys and they said I couldn't be a boy because I had long hair, so I cut my hair with scissors. When mom saw it she dragged me out outside and kept hitting me, telling me she didn't want a freak for a daughter. The vice principal grabbed her and stopped her, telling her that she was going to report her for the abuse to DCF then kicked mom out of school." Alison asked what happened with the investigation, getting a meek, "Mom told me to lie. Dad hit me hard and told me to lie. I told the truth. The man investigating told me I was wrong and deserved what I got. He said I should have been put in the hospital for trying to be a freak." She immediately asked, "Was his name Masters?" Diego shuddered and shot back, "How did you know? He lives out in Worcester and you live out here." Alison shed a tear and explained, "He tried to take our daughter away from my wife and I in September. He hates anyone who is gay, bisexual, or transgender. He ended up saying a lot of horrible things about us in front of some powerful people including your dad's boss then hurt a girl who was allowed to stay with her foster mother when he tried to take her from her home. He is rotting in prison, he won't get out of there for at least 20 years." Alison grinned and told her, "We have even more ammunition against your parents. Masters is a known homophobe so his ruling in favor of your parents can be called into question. Since it happened within the statute of limitations you can be removed for your own safety and in the care of Ricardo pending permanent removal of their parental rights on the basis of sustained, documented abuse." Diego smiled brightly. Alison added, "And before you ask, you are indeed a boy because all of what you have told me is consistent with what the others have told me in private and what I have observed about you. Your actions, your discussion with Anne and Sarah, and your own look are indicating to me that you are indeed a young man trapped in the body of a girl and we should proceed with treatment." Alison looked him over and added a solemn, "You will need a compression vest, it'll help keep your breasts down. I know it isn't something that you want but it'll be for the best. Hopefully, with the right treatment, we can retard further growth and maybe reduce what has already developed to the point where the vest isn't necessary." Diego nodded. It was more than he expected. Alison smiled and told him firmly, "You demonstrated just how far you are willing to go to become who you need to be. You are of sound mind, you just need a nurturing environment to develop as a person. Now we need to get you to the clinic to get a proper evaluation and blood drawn. Dr. Samuels is a nice guy, he also happens to be Al's father and Jaimie's future father-in-law so he is going to treat you well." Ricardo led the two outside and had Trinity rushing for them as soon as she saw them. She asked what was going on, getting a soft, "Diego is going to the doctor to have an examination." Trinity looked at Diego then at her mother and got ready to go. Trinity asked her mother quietly, "Is he a boy inside? I see boobies on him but he doesn't have long hair like we do." Alison knelt down and explained, "He is. He feels the same way inside like you do, that he isn't what he should be. He is just starting and is fighting against time so we are going to get him some shots to make him halt becoming a woman and maybe reverse some of the changes." Trinity understood, asking, "Can I go play with Cat and Willow?" Alison smiled at her understanding, she was more observant than they gave her credit for. Eric added he'd take Trinity home if Alison was going to be late, he was going to visit Reed anyway so he'd just walk her over. Ricardo gave him a stern, "Don't overdo it. You two have to get ready for your track meets and Kylie is starting to needle him about it." Alison grinned widely as Diego was puzzled, she softly explained:, "Reed's his friend and Kylie is Reed's 10-year-old sister." The three drove to the hospital where Dr. Samuels worked and after a half hour Diego had his all clear for treatment, had his blood drawn, then received his first shot of puberty suppressors. He had hoped to be able to take testosterone but that was nixed because his new endocrinologist hadn't given the OK. Dr. Samuels was candid with Diego, telling him, "This is serious medication so try hard to control your temper and let others help you. The boys are good boys, I wouldn't let Kyle date Al if he wasn't a good person. I trust them to keep the boys away from you and I know Al will keep the girls in line. Your aunt is a looming figure that will scare some of them but there will always be troublemakers. Don't try to fight alone, let them help you." Ricardo was told, "Outside of the need for a better hair cut he is in fine shape. His abuse injuries are documented and I am seconding Sarah's assessment of them and adding that some are older than 24 hours old and may be from prior abuse. He will be a little grumpy and need to be reminded of some of the basic hygiene needs but otherwise, you have yourself a strapping young lad." Diego resigned himself to having to deal with being female but presenting as male. Alison warmly told him, "You are stronger than you think. The boys will understand and they will make others understand. Al and Stephanie are going to ensure that you are treated well and they will make sure you have a group of seven friends immediately, all who like you for yourself." Ricardo drove home and saw that they had visitors. Alison smiled at the sight and drove on, Diego was in for a surprise from the boys. Their parents were going full on to help him get ready for school. Diego held back as Ricardo spoke to Graham and Riley Pierce. Graham wanted the full story and was told, "He's my son from my ex-wife. He is just getting over being put in his place by the man who claimed to be his father. His mother was nothing but a paper parent and to make things worse he is transgender and just starting out as a boy." He needed a second to cool off while Graham and Riley looked at one another in shock. Graham asked him, "Has he been diagnosed or are you waiting on it?" Ricardo added, "He was just fully diagnosed by Alison and has started suppressors since he already has his first period and breasts. His dad chose the wrong weekend to attack him, the little man walked out and got a train here to find me." Riley asked what clothes he had, getting a head shake a humble, "He left with nothing but the clothes on his back which is why we asked for the boys' cast offs. They will fit him, and hopefully baggy enough to hide his breasts and hips until they diminish." The boys were listening closely. Ricardo turned to them and asked, "Are you two alright with him being like Al? It'll be tough for him for a while especially as he is battling his hormones. He may be a guy inside but he is still a girl outside and it'll be a hard adjustment especially with the boys in your class." Oscar looked at Kyle then shook his head. He pointed out, "Al and Amy would never speak to us again if we didn't at least try." Kyle added, "Margaret would never speak to me either and I don't want to upset Aunt Kennedy and the others." Ricardo signaled for Diego to enter and immediately both boys looked at him as if he was joking. Kyle had to fight for words while Oscar unintentionally blurted out, "He's gorgeous!" Diego glared at him but Kyle added, "Sorry man but it's true. You may be better looking than your cousin." Diego was upset but Kyle added, "The guys are going to be pissed that you aren't staying a girl. Al, Amy Trina, and Stephanie are the best-looking girls in our class and you have them beat. Maybe when whatever it is they are going to give you works you won't be that way but until then you are going to have to work on being more of a boy. We have your back, they won't mess with us anymore." Diego was still fuming but didn't say anything. Ricardo whispered to him, "It's the same reaction to Alex and your brother thinking you were Stephanie. They see you but they see her as well. This is why the boys are going to help you get ready." The boys took the clothes up to Diego's room. He kicked them out to try on the clothes, the two tried to protest but Graham pointed out, "He still looks like a girl under his clothes and as much as you want to give him a hand you ARE NOT LOOKING AT A GIRL NAKED even if she is a boy on the inside." The boys realized their mistake and apologized to all three adults. Diego felt better, it was unintentional and meant that they thought of him as a boy in full. He tried on all of the clothes, they were baggy but not falling off. The worst part was his pants bunched in the front and were sung in the hips and butt. He went downstairs and told Ricardo everything fit except the pants. Riley went back up and asked to see him try them on, getting him to reluctantly try them all on and watch her think. She finally admitted, "A size larger should do the trick. It'll be very baggy but I think if your fat redistributes enough they will fit you better and by that time you might grow into them normally. I'll hem them for you so you aren't tripping over them." Riley took the full lot downstairs and went at them with Alex's sewing kit. Graham raised an eyebrow about that, to which Ricardo grinned and told him, "Old tradition in the Army- learn to sew or pay good money for others to sew for you. He, Mike, Louis, Walter, Willie, Pete, and Bryan all sew. John tried but the less said about his attempts to sew, the better. I think it took three months before his hand healed enough to not need a bandage over it." The boys were laughing with Diego grinning at the zinger. Kyle whispered to him, "Get used to calling all of them 'uncle' because it's tradition. You don't have a real uncle but all of the dads are happy to fill in. Just watch." Riley finished two pairs of pants in a half hour then told him, "I can get the rest done by tomorrow, I take it he won't be in school?" Ricardo hadn't thought of it so added a tentative, "We will as soon as we get custody legalized beyond tentative. Alex has his DNA test being done so we should have the results Tuesday. He will be in class on Wednesday, and I figure Dorothy already knows about him and expects him there Tuesday afternoon for a meet and greet with Mrs. Eagleson." Diego asked who Mrs. Eagleson was. Both boys shot back, "Our teacher." Diego looked at Ricardo who nodded, adding, "Her class is the best in school and she has dealt with transgender students before. Well, two plus one who was supposedly transgender until Sarah caught the big mistake and saved her life." Kyle saw his confusion and added, "Al is in our class and you know about her. Sam York was the girl who was supposedly transgender but who was all girl except for a birth defect that looked like a penis and testicles. And Jaimie Finn was the first and most famous of all." Diego let it sink in. The four left with Riley adding, "We will keep the girls out of his hair but you know how they are." Ricardo shot back, "Stephanie is going to check in on him and Al will get dragged over to Polly's because of her brothers. Hopefully, he is up to visitors but Valerie should have him itching to come home once she gets the school work from Dorothy." When he came back inside Ricardo sat Diego down and smirked. He told him happily, "I think you need a haircut. I know just who to take you to. She charges an arm and a leg but she is great at it." Ricardo ushered him out to the car and drove a few blocks to the Lopez home. Ricardo rang the doorbell and was greeted by a cheery Rebecca Lopez who immediate shook her head and blurted out, "He needs to fire his barber. That looks like it was done inside a bathroom at the bus station." Diego turned away and shot back, "It was." He tried to walk off but Ricardo held him firm, offering a solemn, "She didn't know. She won't make that mistake again." Rebecca kept trying to apologize but Diego wouldn't accept it. He sat down in the back yard and let her put a smock on then clip away at his hair with manual scissors then electric clippers. It took 20 minutes but his hair was finally in decent shape and showed off his new crew cut. She added a little styling gel to spike it, making it stand up. His ears were pierced but some simple gold studs would be enough to make him look more masculine. His only problem was his eyebrows, but they weren't too bad and if he didn't draw attention to them they weren't too noticeable and since they were simply styled they would grow back in two months. Across the yard, Diego was being observed by several people. Polly Vega asked Al, "Who's the boy with Rebecca? He's kind of cute." Al gave her a hard stare then grinned, telling her, "He's Diego Rodriguez, he's Uncle Ricardo's son." The girls kept looking at him with Polly almost drooling. Al asked her firmly, "Do you like him or something?" Polly tried to backpedal but Al shot her a firm, "Back off for a bit. He is going through a rough time and doesn't need you making him uncomfortable with a crush. He may not even like girls." Eyeing her closely Polly asked for his story. Al shook her head, explaining, "That's not for me to say. He will be in school with us on Wednesday. If you see him tomorrow he may tell you what's going on but don't badger him. He is already feeling crappy, he doesn't need you trying to get gossip from him." She gasped and asked, "He's like you, isn't he? He's going to be a girl!" Al shook her head and shot back, "He is like me but he is going to be a boy. You know girls can become boys, you hung out with one until your schedules stopped syncing up." Polly looked at him again and smiled. She muttered a soft, "He's gorgeous. I hope he likes girls." Al looked at her strangely and realized she had a problem on her hands. She sighed and asked, "Can you cool your hormones for a bit? I'll ask him but he might like boys. Not all transgender people like the opposite sex, some like the same sex like Aunt Katie. He may prefer Kyle and Oscar to you and me." Al went downstairs then out back and called over to Diego. She was a bit apprehensive but asked him squarely, "Polly wants to know if you like boys or girls. She might have a crush on you. She has been practically drooling over you since you came out here." He was dumbfounded. He looked at her and asked, "Is this some sort of joke? Why would she like me?" All shook her head and shot back, "She likes guys who are cute and not masculine. She had a crush on a trans boy a few weeks ago that didn't go anywhere so she is alright with you. Yes, you have feminine features but she sees the boy who could be a potential date than a girl who is becoming a boy." Diego smirked, "Is she cute?" Al snorted and told him, "She's the best looking of all of us. The only real reason she isn't dating any of the boys in our class is they were jerks to her and really immature to our friends. Compared to you they are kindergartners." Diego asked if she had a picture which Al showed and was shocked as he was practically drooling over Polly. He grew quiet and asked, "She could have the pick of any guy she wanted. Why would she want to go for the freak without something that could please her?" Al rolled her her eyes and explained, "You aren't a freak. She likes people who are nice and aren't trying to get in her pants." Diego shook his head and added, "If I wanted to get into her pants I'd just slip a hand into mine." Al snorted and hugged him, telling him, "I'll tell her you aren't ready yet but are interested in cute girls and tell her what you said, she will appreciate it." Rebecca looked over at Ricardo whose mouth was wide open. Rebecca casually told him, "He had the rude humor down, at least she is a good person. Aunt Dorothy won't mind her dating if it helps him cope with his change and get in with the others. He will also temper her libido a bit and give her something else to think about other than a long, hard object." Ricardo glared at her but saw Diego feeling great at someone finding him attractive. The two walked out with Melanie and Dan Lopez asking, "How much is she charging this time?" Ricardo shook his head and groaned, "Some new clothes. She charged less than normal." Rebecca gave him a quick, "There wasn't much to work with. Plus I needed those new clothes more than anything. Unless you wanted to get me a new car?" All three adults shot her a loud, "No!" making Diego and her laugh at them walking into the joke. Eric was finishing up with Reed and met them on the curb. He had a big grin as he told Ricardo, "Dad and Uncle Willie talked and Uncle Willie is keeping a close eye on what happens in Worcester. If that guy gets out he will have some nice friendly visitors from the police." Ricardo let it go. Diego was getting upset by the talk which Eric didn't notice. The trio was joined for dinner by Alex who announced, "The results will be in on Tuesday night. Wednesday we officially file for full custody. The Johnsons also have official requests for copies of the marriage license and birth certificate, from their initial searches they don't think he is on the up and up so it should be interesting." Diego went to bed quietly, letting the three older guys talk. Alex asked him firmly, "What's this about him having a girlfriend already?" Ricardo countered with, "Polly Vega watched him getting his hair cut and has fallen for him. He likes her as well, so it could be hormones or it could be two who are seeking a relationship with someone who understands them." Eric rolled his eyes and countered with, "She's just jealous of the others and he is overcompensating by trying to be manly. They need some time together and you don't know if Aunt Dorothy will even allow them to date. I doubt she will, she didn't let Polly do it in September so she may not let her do it now." Alex looked at Ricardo who was thinking deeply. Alex offered a calm, "It would be hypocritical to let Eric date early but not Diego. We don't know what Dorothy will say but he is more afraid of her than she will be of him." Chapter 3 The next morning Eric caught a ride in with his beset friend George Daniels. He didn't flinch at seeing Diego, only telling Eric to hurry up so they could get the girls. Diego gave them odd looks to which Eric corrected, "We always drive in with them, and no we don't make out or do anything more. Scott would rip my arms off and Christina would skin George alive if we did." Alex kissed both boys goodbye as he left, causing Diego to blush. George and Eric left next, with Eric tussling Diego's hair while George kept quiet. Diego said solemnly, "He doesn't like me, does he?" Ricardo laughed at that, telling him, "He is trying to be on his best behavior. His dad is Alex's partner and his girlfriend is Anne's daughter so he is in fear of doing anything to upset you. He's a good guy, he and Eric are practically one and the same with both being two of the best guys you will ever meet." Sitting him down, Ricardo added, "I know you have seen nothing but anger and venom towards people but not everyone is out to get you. These kids are used to dealing with people who are battling mental, physical, and emotional abuse. Alex is like me, he lost his wife when he came and couldn't live a lie anymore. The same is true for Mike and George. George supported their friend Jaimie against his mother's wishes and saw his parents' marriage dissolve. The four of them will fight tooth and nail to protect you even if it means not saying a thing to you. They care, all of them do." Diego asked how many were like him. Ricardo did some quick calculations and admitted, "Among your generation Jaimie, Reyna, Kylie, Nichole, Trinity, and Deborah are transgender. Reed, Iris, Scott, Kylie, Amy, Donald, Deborah, Daisy, Sam, Virgil, Nichole, Ethan, and Neil suffered physical abuse. Jaimie, Miles, Scott, Iris, Rachel, Willow, Tyler, Kyle, Al, Thomas, Amy, Donald, Deborah, Polly, and Sheila suffered neglect, mental and emotional abuse. That's just your generation, John, Leslie, Karen, Alice, Katie, Alison, Alex, Mike, Kennedy, Dorothy, Gabby, Todd, Astrid, Tanya, and Sean suffered all or some of that among the adults." Diego's jaw dropped. Ricardo nodded, explaining, "All of the kids banded together then forced their parents to band together until they formed one big, cohesive, and accepting family. John and Valerie Finn are at the center if it. I am going to drop you off with Valerie while I take care of some things at the courthouse. If you want, you might even get to help babysit the two newborns. Little Sophia is cute while little Louis is a bit of a crier." All Diego could do was nod. He didn't have any interest in babysitting, but the distraction was worth it. He didn't have parental instincts but he liked babies. Ricardo grinned and added, "They won't make you change diapers, just get the diaper bags and water to make their formula. They are still too small for you to hold and the ladies are a bit controlling when it comes to who handles the babies." Ricardo dropped off Diego as Valerie Finn greeted them outside. She was all smiles and ushered Diego inside, telling Ricardo, "He is in good hands. Nail those bastards and make them regret hurting him." Inside, Diego was greeted by the sight of two women and two sleeping infants. Valerie introduced them as Tanya York and Emma Peterson with the little ones as their children Louis and Sophia. The babies were causing Diego a little discomfort as he felt that they were too cute to not like while trying to maintain his cool exterior. Both ladies just smiled at seeing Diego. Tanya told Valerie, "He's certainly Ricardo's son, he's almost as handsome as him." Emma added, "As long as the girls don't get too comfortable, he will have a tough time keeping them from fighting over him." Valerie sat Diego down and went over where he was in school. He asked why she needed to know that, getting a sly grin and swift, "Because your teacher would expect me to have this information for her. Mrs. Eagleson has known me for over five years and we all of the kids except Reyna, Scott, and Jessica have had her as a teacher." Diego grew quiet at the mention of school. Valerie sensed something was wrong and asked him, "You don't have to tell me what happened if it's too painful. But I have to warn you, I'll have to tell Mark that something might have happened so he has to investigate on your behalf." Looking down in shame Diego tearfully admitted, "Last Thursday four guys in my class invited me to hang out after school. We were playing basketball when two of them grabbed me and started to feel me up. I tried to get away but they grabbed me and ripped my shirt off. They started saying that I wanted it or I wouldn't have come with them. I kept screaming and fighting them. I ended up kicking one in the face breaking his nose and another broke his jaw. They had my shirt off and were taking my pants off when the principal came in and caught them. They held me so hard I had cuts and bruises from them." He was shedding tears but kept going, it was the first time that he had told that story to anyone. He continued, "He yelled at me for leading the boys on and allowing myself to be put into that situation. He blamed me for hurting them, saying he was going to expel me for harming the boys. I ran off scared. I didn't go to school on Friday because I saw him waiting for me with a police officer and ran off. The school is blaming me for everything." Valerie's face tensed. Both Tanya and Emma were shocked beyond belief at hearing that. Valerie had to excuses herself and walked out of the room, telling Diego firmly, "He is going to prison. This crossed the line and Kennedy needs to hear about it. She works for the Attorney General's Office and will get him thoroughly investigated by the State Police since he lied to the local police and broke multiple laws in neither calling the police right away and detaining all of you for them to get to the bottom of what happened and for going after you instead of the boys in the first place." Diego was visibly frightened. Tanya assured him, "Valerie is going to call her parents and have them make a detour to the police department for information. If he had them standing by they have to have a record of it and if not then he is in trouble for lying to them to get them there or trying to intimidate you. Either way, they will hear about it and they will investigate." Emma asked, "Do you think Mr. James will be getting involved?" Tanya smirked, adding a hearty, "Ian or Avery will tell him. There's no way Raul doesn't tell Avery when he finds out and you know Ricardo won't keep it a secret from Alice. Whether she tells Raul or not is anyone's guess." Diego was left speechless. Tanya added, "You just happened to br part of a law enforcement family, although only a few wear the uniform regularly. All three of our husbands are officers, and you met Dan who is another. Your cousin's girlfriend just happens to be the granddaughter of the governor so he will know and more importantly: he will ensure that what happened to you is investigated thoroughly." Valerie reentered and told Diego, "My parents are on it. They have been less than pleased with what has been happening to you and are going to ensure nobody gets a chance to get at you again. Your principal is about to have a meeting with some folks in suits, none of whom are happy to hear that a sexual assault on school grounds wasn't reported and the victim was about to be arrested for assault." Sophia's shrill cry broke the tension as Emma changed her diaper. Emma offered Sophia to Diego, helping ease his anxiety and fear and focusing his attention on to handling her safely. Sophia tried to latch onto his shirt and make for his breasts causing Diego's tears to well up again as he felt insulted that she thought of him as a girl. Emma snickered and softly told him, "She does that to everyone, she doesn't know any better yet. It's just an instinct, she does it to my husband a lot. It was really funny when she did it to his brother, the poor guy has been trying to lose weight since then." Emma handed him a bottle so he could feed her. She immediately latched onto it and once finished, fell back asleep. She nuzzled into his arm, resting her head on his shoulder forcing him to sit back and relax once again. The same was repeated with Louis as he gripped her shoulder and arm tight then let go when he noticed the bottle. He had to admit that they were cute even if they were trying to get something from things he hated having. He sat still with Louis happily snoozing in his arms while he relaxed, letting time fly and unknowingly falling asleep. Over in Boston, Ricardo talked with Anne and Mark about Diego. He presented all information he had with both glancing over it and giving their approval. They asked about a DNA test, which he happily said, "It's being done, the company tried to call in their debt regarding Daisy but Alex shut that down since it was private not business. You will have the preliminary results tomorrow, full results in two weeks but there isn't much chance it'll be negative." Anne read the possible laws he had to invoke to get Diego permanently placed with him as his son. It looked like it all depended on what Pablo Rodriguez did in Worcester. If he was legally married to Sierra then he is legally Diego's father, if he wasn't then it comes down to Diego's birth certificate and whether he signed it. Diego said Pablo didn't and Ricardo's name was on it, so the Johnsons needed to check in person to get a copy from the city to verify the truth. Anne added a firm, "You may have no legal rights to Diego if he is married or is on the birth certificate. But as his next of kin biologically and with the two going to jail for who knows how long you will have an easier path than you think. We agree that you are his best placement with or without paternity, so if he isn't your son start the legal process for adoption because you are not going to let him get away." Ricardo just nodded as Mark added, "Masters messed up big time. We have Diego covered in full, what happens next is simply getting him into school and getting his life back to normal. Just go easy on the girls, Polly is nice but may not be what he needs at this time." The trio worked for hours as they awaited the call from the Johnsons about Diego's case. When they did call they weren't happy and asked that they start an investigation into the school by DCF. Anne just shook her head, telling them firmly, "It's making sense now: systemic abuse with no support. If he didn't flee he would have killed himself to make the pain go away." Earlier, the Johnsons drove out to Worcester for a meeting with the Worcester Police. Evelyn handed over the documentation regarding Diego and got them to seek out an arrest warrant for both Pablo and Sierra. They were also alongside them as they made the arrest, with Evelyn tersely explaining to the complaining officers, "We are here to serve notice on behalf of DCF as well as ensure that you don't give those two to a slap on the wrists." Pablo and Sierra were already drunk at 9 AM. When asked where their daughter Pablo blurted out, "That dyke can die for all we care!" Sierra added, "When I get my hands on that little muff diver I'll show her what a real woman does." One of the officers asked firmly, "What would that be?" Sierra acidly said, "Get knocked up. That little thing deserves a good fucking to learn what a real man is like and get off women." Joseph had to hold back Evelyn and handed the couple their summons as well as the removal orders from Anne. The officers asked what that was all about to which Evelyn stated, "They abused our client, forcing our client to flee east to our client's next of kin. It's now in the hands of DCF and the courts so your involvement is done." Valerie called them just then, earning a swear and terse, "Who is assigned as the police officer at the Bancroft Middle School?" The officers shot back, "They rotate, why?" Joseph added a swift, "That is not your concern. We will be by later with something for your department." Evelyn and Joseph left, heading right for city hall and the clerk's office. Both stated what they wanted but didn't offer a reason. The assistant clerk tried to refuse to which Evelyn stated:, "We are here on behalf of our client and will be back with subpoena from the court if need be." The birth certificate was found and Diego was correct, the name of the father was given as Ricardo Ramirez. To go along with that there was no marriage license for Sierra and Pablo, only ones for Pablo and Alice and Sierra and Ricardo. The man could now be officially excised from Diego's life as he had no connection to Diego except as being the person who housed them. Anne, Mark, and Ricardo were told the news. All three were happy to hear it with Ricardo letting out a big sigh of relief. Anne added that she was going to get a copy of the police report, it was now a pattern of abuse, neglect, and clear intent to intentionally harm Diego. She was scheduling an immediate hearing before Judge Perez that afternoon to permanently strip the duo of any rights to Diego. Their next stop was to Chloe's office. Chloe shook her head in disappointment as she reread Masters' files, explaining, "He was offensive as you can get. He didn't care the least about Diego or his rights, he wrote him off as deserving whatever he got. We will revisit the case now that we know that he knowingly put Diego in danger and seek charges for neglect and abuse by Sierra." Evelyn sighed and added, "You need to open an investigation into Diego's school. Diego alleges that he was sexually assaulted last Thursday and ran before he could be arrested Friday morning for assaulting the boys when he fought back. The two boys who were hurt by Diego fighting back are alleging that he assaulted them and is being supported by the principal who witnessed them assaulting him. He claims that he asked for it and wanted them to grope her and do more." Chloe growled, "I'll get right on it. This is going to be tough on Diego, but it needs to be done to ensure that nobody else is harmed by those boys. The bastard is going to get the full weight of the law brought down on him. The media will have a field day with him but it'll be worth it to remove someone who committed who knows how many crimes with his statements." Chloe phoned the police and demanded two detectives to respond to her office. Her tone prompted the lieutenant in charge to send his two best, a female sergeant and a male rookie. A half hour later both were in the office listening to the allegations and what Chloe intended to do. The sergeant wrote down everything and asked for a moment alone, something was troubling her. She returned a few minutes later and admitted, "An arrest warrant was issued for one Eve Rodriguez based on the statement by the school principal. However, due to the severity of your allegations and given that at least two boys were involved and this happened on school grounds, we are going to investigate this as a serious crime." The rookie looked at her oddly then grinned. He asked firmly, "Is the officer who took the statement related to one of the victims?" She nodded, adding a firm, "Internal affairs will be notified. Something stinks about this whole situation, the man never bothered to alert us immediately and is going heavy on the girl as being the assailant." She got another phone call. This one caused her to state, "I have you on speaker." The man told her to take him off speaker immediately or else face the consequences. The sergeant calmly told him, "You are threatening me and are calling me about an investigation that we just started a few minutes ago. You have no right to do so and I will ensure that you now face what is coming to you." The Johnsons made their presence known with Joseph stating, "We have witnessed your threats and are aware that only one person was told about this investigation. You just ensured that you as well as your department are going to be investigated by the State Police as your department has been compromised." Evelyn calmly told the sergeant to hang up. She then told Chloe, "Valerie has called Kennedy and she will have the DA back away from the investigation due to local issues compromising it. Her own team will take over from here as it is above local level now that it involved the courts." The sergeant asked what was going on so Joseph explained, "Our client told Ms. Miller's boss about the assault on Thursday which is how Ms. Miller knew. Our daughter and her primary lawyer is related to the #3 at the Attorney General's Office and had to alert her about this case. Due to the principal trying to get around the laws and his own investigation by having our client arrested, the state has become involved directly and as you have just witnessed- it was justified. This isn't a mark against you or your partner, this is against those who are actually perverting the course of justice." The four left Chloe to get her part of the investigation started. They then drove to the school with the officers going to meet with the principal while Joseph and Evelyn got Diego's records. The secretary was eager to get rid of Diego, happily telling them, "Your client hit a lot of raw nerves here, her parents are just about as rotten as you can get and I honestly feel the poor girl deserves to be taken away from them for her own safety." Evelyn asked, "Why?" getting a firm, "She has old, worn out clothes that are barely fitting her, has never worn a bra despite needing one for over six months, has unkempt hair that should have been cut months ago. She barely bathes, looks like she barely sleeps, never has her homework done, is always in trouble in class. The vice principal stopped bothering to call them about her and the principal waited for her to break the rules to get rid of her even if it wasn't her fault." The two shared a knowing look. They thought they might have had their real reason for the reaction by the principal. They got the rest of the records then advised the secretary to get her resume in order as things were going to get tough for the school. Inside the principal, Nate Rice's, office, the sergeant and rookie were listening to Rice explain what had happened on Thursday. He told them firmly, "That girl is a menace. She is unkempt, ill-mannered, and lazy. She has done nothing but cause trouble for us since she came here." The rookie asked him to continue. He blurted out, "She has caused the vice principal to seek out DCF help multiple times because she was lacking basic things such as clothing and was often unwashed and had trouble even doing the basic school work. She then has the gall to blame four of my best students when I caught them together in the gym." This was what they were waiting for. The sergeant asked about the incident, being told, "The boys were playing basketball as they usually do and she barged in, demanding to play. After a while, she started to fondle the boys then told them what she wanted to do to them. She was leading them on a while then finally, it worked. When they reciprocated she started to scream at them to stop and kicked two of them, breaking their noses and in one- his jaw." He didn't realize the had just made a huge mistake. They weren't informed of an assault like that and by his own description, it should have been investigated as a sexual assault with all parties detained and at least one of them being arrested. He was being arrogant and had fallen into the trap perfectly. She asked him pointedly, "Did you witness her 'leading the boys on' as you claim?" He nodded, telling them, "I watched them playing for an hour." He further added, "She never showed up on Friday and hasn't been seen since. I had police ready to arrest her but she never showed." The sergeant grinned then informed him, "We were never told about such and assault. You were required by the laws of this state to report the assault and have us handle it, yet you handled it on your own. By your own words, you have shown a strong bias against her and took the word of the boys over hers. If what you saw is true, then you should have stopped her well before it happened- but you didn't. That makes me believe that you made that part up. I'll pull up the phone records and speak with your school secretary to get the truth, but I can guarantee that your actions will be investigated by the state as by your own words allowed a sexual assault and physical to take place in this school." She got up to leave. Rice wasn't done, though, telling her, "I'll have your badge for that! You think you can protect that slut? She had what was coming to her, she deserved what she got!" The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the sergeant pointed to the digital recorder. She calmly told him, "Your statement will now be questioned. We will be turning this over to the State Police for further investigation and seek your removal for actions detrimental towards the student body. Further, your use of the police to attempt to extort or intimidate a material witness to a sexual assault that you failed to report will be investigated." The two walked out, joined the Johnsons, and told them, "He is dirty. He blamed the whole thing on her and admitted to getting the police involved while ignoring the required notifications. She needs to get out of here and fast. We will go to the judge and get the warrant rescinded and the proper ones issued." The group walked out and watched as Rice furiously called several people trying to get them to cover his tracks. The secretary casually told the group, "He was watching the game on Thursday and let her get molested by the boys. I don't care what he does to me, but what he said about her is unacceptable. No girl deserves what happened to her especially not in a school." The sergeant grinned and asked her to state what she saw for the record. She told the two officers everything, including the phone calls to the boys' fathers and an ADA friend of his. In a couple of minutes, they had enough to bury the man and those involved. The drive to the courthouse was done in silence as they awaited their turn before the judge, Judge Olson. The ADA, Clark Burke, insisted on being there, with the sergeant happily letting him sit in. The man was unknowingly being set up for a big fall, with Judge Olsen a known tough- on-corruption judge. Judge Olsen seated them then asked what was going on. The sergeant carefully told Judge Olsen, "We have been asked by DCF to investigate a sexual assault at one of the schools allowed by the principal, Mr. Nate Rice. We have found that the allegations have been proven true and that the crime was never reported by Mr. Rice" Burke asked for details. The sergeant smirked but held off on the big bombshells. She stated, "Upon discussing the manner with my supervisor I received a phone call immediately after from another officer who threatened myself and my partner if we didn't kill our investigation." Judge Olsen asked for witnesses. She grinned and stated, "Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are representing the alleged victim and heard the threats, as did Ms. Chloe Miller of DCF. He has since sent additional threats to my voicemail which you can hear." She played them, the officer stated, "I am not kidding about this. Drop the investigation of you two will regret it. I have friends in high places and low places, they won't find your body. Drop it or you will be dropped, by bullet or by knife." Judge Olsen nodded then asked her for what else she had, sensing something was up. She continued, "We proceeded to go to the victim's school and spoke with Mr. Rice. He stated that he watched the incident and claimed that the victim initiated it. He stood by as it all occurred, intervening when the boys assaulting the victim were harmed. One ended up with a broken jaw, two with broken noses. Two more had scrapes on their arms from her thrashing about trying to get away." Burke was on the verge of saying something. Judge Olsen gave him a dirty look, she had finally figured out what was really going on. The sergeant then added, "As we were leaving we informed Mr. Rice that due to the fact that he never reported the incident they would have to investigate further. He threatened both my partner and I. As you are now aware from the previous phone messages, our investigation is compromised so the State Police is taking over, and DCF had already been alerted and are well aware of the incident and are performing their own investigation into the school separate from this one." Burke finally blurted out, "That girl is lying!" The sergeant shook her head and told him flatly, "We have an eyewitness who stated that he watched the whole incident and allowed them to do it. Further his own words showed that he knew full well what they were doing and did not get involved until she had to fight back. He then subsequently blamed the victim. Your honor, he let the boys go and then had the police obtain an arrest warrant for her for when she returned to school the next day. She realized what was going on and fled before they could get at her." Judge Olsen nodded, adding a terse, "That is highly unusual and I will look into the matter personally." Turning to Burke she harshly told him, "Just what is your connection to the boys? You just ended your career with the DA's office over this and are going to be lucky if you don't end up behind bars yourself so start talking. This is a matter of a few years and a few months now." Burke angrily told her, "That slut has been leading my son on for two years! She has done nothing but tries to get in his pants and when he finally gives in she screams that she didn't want it." Judge Olsen grinned, asked, "Your son?" then told him, "You made a major mistake. You have used your office to intervene on your family's behalf in a felony investigation I don't know just what is going through your mind but no woman, girl, man, or boy deserves to be sexually assaulted- especially no when it appears to be a concentrated effort to railroad an innocent victim of said crime." Judge Olsen didn't fool around, she issued an order to rescind the arrest warrant then told Burke, "I'll speak with the DA personally. Middlesex or Norfolk will be prosecuting this case as you have tainted it from the start. Further, I am placing you under arrest for obstruction of justice and filing false claims against the victim of a sexual assault." A court officer was brought in by the clerk and placed handcuffs on Burke then led him down to the holding area. Judge Olsen waited until they were alone then asked what else was going on and where the child was. The sergeant had no clue and all three looked at Evelyn and Joseph. Joseph steeled himself and stated, "Our client's parents are currently in police custody due to multiple pending counts of negligence and child abuse. The charges are both current and previous ones. DCF is fully aware of where our client is and our client is safely out of this jurisdiction under the care of the alleged biological father. Our client is receiving proper medical and mental health care and is going to remain there regardless of the outcome of the criminal cases." Judge Olsen looked up the docket and saw two in custody waiting for arraignment on abuse and neglect charges. She asked their relationship to their client, getting a solid, "Our client's alleged father is friends with our daughter who is our client's primary legal advocate. Her family is ensuring that our client is to receive proper care including an education and support for our client's needs." Judge Olsen left her gut feeling alone. She thought she understood what was going on but didn't want to say anything. The whole thing smelled funny but it wasn't her place to pry. Joseph added, "Our client's paternal family are well aware of the alleged abusers and has taken steps to show his connection to our client. Regardless, he is in agreement with our client's known next of kin to house our client with intent on making the placement permanent." Judge Olsen was now intrigued. Evelyn knew the question and stated, "Our client's alleged father is actually the father of the biological father's niece and nephew. Our client's mother is the ex-wife of the biological father. The alleged biological father never knew of his child's existence he was sought out to help our client escape additional physical and mental abuse." She was getting an earful and enjoying it. She asked about the issues between the biological father and the others getting a solid, "He is gay. When he came out his wife was already pregnant with their child but never informed him of the pregnancy. The alleged father was still married and assaulted his wife and son over her support of her brother. They fled and the alleged father lost all rights to his children." Joseph added, "There is no record of him ever being the father of our client. In fact, the father is listed as the alleged biological father. From our own eyes, we can see that the paternal lineage of our client is extremely strong to the point that our client and our client's cousin are practically twins. Both cousins are closer to their than grandfather in appearance. Our client's biological father has initiated steps to legally lay claim to his child and has achieved a hearing in court to do so." Judge Olsen nodded, this was a serious civil matter but had all of the right things in motion. She asked, "Is the father still unmarried?" Evelyn grinned and added, "He is married and has adopted his husband's son as his own. His husband is a federal agent, previously a highly decorated state trooper, and their son is a highly trained martial artist, all-conference football player, and varsity track record holder with a girlfriend who has been seeing him for three and a half years with a commitment to marry him." She chuckled and added, "You make it sound like they are part of the Finns." Evelyn smirked and added, "That's exactly what they are part of, which is why DCF was so involved as the eastern region director and both the Winnisimmet office supervisor and a member of the Worcester office were involved with our client's situation from the start. And yes, he already knows. His granddaughter is dating our client's cousin and was present when our client met with the alleged biological father's family." Judge Olsen grinned and nodded, adding a quiet, "I'll expect some keen interest from him but I won't let it affect my decisions." The two nodded, adding, "He wouldn't dare think of doing that." As they left the sergeant asked who they were talking about. The rookie realized and blurted out, "They know the governor. He's the only one who could cause a judge to rethink their stance on anything." Evelyn added, "He knows and knows where not to tread. The DA, though, will get an earful if he thinks he can sweep what Burke did under the rug." The two finally left for home. They had to allay any attempts to get any information about Diego, only saying, "Contact us and we will arrange something. Our client needs a chance to be normal again after a traumatic situation." A few hours later Sierra and Pablo appeared before Judge Olsen for their arraignment. She noticed that Burke was still there and told her clerk to hold up proceedings until he was removed. Burke protested until another ADA came in and stated to the judge that he was there without consent as he had been suspended pending an inquiry. Judge Olsen just grinned and told the court officers, "Place that man under arrest for obstruction of justice and contempt of court. I'll deal with him later." She turned tot he newly assigned ADA and told her to proceed. The ADA read the charges against the couple then added, "DCF wants a restraining order placed in the name of their daughter. Further, they are seeking additional neglect and abuse charges against them from prior instances. As Mr. Rodriguez is a known abuser having been convicted of child and spousal abuse in the past and has no legal ties to the alleged victim, they are seeing a full permanent restraining order against him alongside seeking to revoke custody of victim from Mrs. Ramirez." Judge Olsen nodded, adding, "I understand that there are three permanent ones already?" The ADA admitted, "Yes there are and they have been renewed annually. DCF has stated that they are aware of this and the recipients have been notified of what is going on and are supporting the victim." She nodded again then stated, "Bail is set for $25,000. A permanent restraining order is hereby granted to one Eve Rodriguez against Pablo Rodriguez and Sierra Ramirez. A hearing is to take place regarding the custody of Eve in Boston and at that time results of a paternity test will be presented. Mr. Rodriguez and Mrs. Ramirez, I advise you to have counsel represent you." Sierra snarled, "That fag is never getting my daughter!" Pablo stated, "I'll kill her before letting him get her! That girl will learn her lesson and stay away from that fag or both will get what they deserve!" Judge Olsen shook her head and stated, "You were read your Miranda Rights and as this is an open court every threat you have made will be noted and passed along to my colleague. Further, I will be adding my own statement that you two are unfit and a danger to the child. I advise you to seek immediate legal help as I know just whom you are going to face and she is not going to take any prisoners." In Winnisimmet, Diego was awoken by Louis' stirring and handed him off to Tanya. He didn't realize that he had slept for two hours until hunger took over. Valerie started to make lunch and had to forced Diego to sit while the two mothers attended to the infants' smelly diapers. The Johnsons had called and told Valerie just what happened and why. She had to hold her tongue but was pleased that the Rice had shot himself in the foot and was on borrowed time. She asked about the parents, getting a happy, "Did the same, making it clear that they are an imminent threat to his safety." Valerie sat down next to Diego and explained, "My parents have come up big in Worcester. Your parents blurted out that they would harm you to both the police then in front of a judge and then your principal admitted something he can't take back about what happened to you. You won't have to worry about any of them, we'll ensure it. We're going to go before a judge and get their rights removed while getting Ricardo acknowledged as your father so he can take full custody of you allow Alex to adopt you." Diego asked a solemn, "Why?" Valerie shook her head while Tanya told him, "In case anything were to happen to your dad Alex would take care of you. My husband had trouble after I got sick and we were married, my mother ended up getting control of our kids and hurt them. They don't want you to be put in that situation again even if Alice would be the one to get custody of you as your paternal aunt." Diego understood. Valerie kept him occupied for the next two hours while they waited for the kids to come by for him. Emma waited with Diego while Valerie and Tanya went to get their kids. Diego busied himself feeding an eager Sophia who cuddled with Diego when she finished her bottle. Valerie returned with her son JD and daughter Cat. Both immediately went for Sophia, both cooing and trying to get her attention. They didn't notice the timid Diego until Cat saw him move to a better sitting position then nudged JD who gasped at seeing him. JD hugged him tightly. Cat rolled her eyes and walked away. Diego asked what she was upset about, getting a laugh and happy, "JD is just trying to be nice. He knows about your past and doesn't want to make a bad impression. Cat heard everything about you already, she was playing with Willow when you were getting your hair cut from Rebecca." Shortly after that Al, Polly, Stephanie, Amy Bollinger, and Trina Phillips stopped by bringing with them what Diego had dreaded: schoolwork. The girls were joined by Dorothy Vega and Alice, both of whom were greeted by hugs from JD. The girls rolled their eyes and told him to go play with Virgil and Tyler sending him off running at the strong suggestion. Valerie sighed and told the girls to give them a few minutes alone, they had something very important to address with Dorothy and Alice. The girls ran off but kept close. Valerie had to tell them firmly, "Go out back and keep an eye on Cat and Willow for a bit", causing the five you get the strong hint that it wasn't for them to hear.