Diego Part 2 free porn video

Chapter 4 Once the five 7th graders were truly out of earshot Valerie admitted, "Diego told me something horrific that happened last Thursday. He was the victim of a sexual assault in school that was perpetrated by four boys. He fought back but his principal blamed him for it." Alice asked, "What did he do?" Valerie shook her head in frustration and admitted, "He got the police and an ADA to go after him. The boys had a broken jaw and noses as well as deep scratches on their arms, all of them caused by Diego fighting back." Dorothy sensed trouble and asked, "Why wasn't the assault on him reported?" Valerie sighed and told her, "He is a total scumbag and one of those 'she asked for it' male views on sexual assaults. The fact that they were hurt while she was relatively unscathed was a big reason. Another was the boys being well connected with one being the son of an ADA. Diego was topless, struggling to keep his panties on, screaming at the top of his lungs, and they had their hands all over his breasts and in his panties yet he still got blamed for the whole incident." Alice was no fool and asked, "Did Joseph and Evelyn go after him?" Valerie smirked and added, "With both barrels blazing. They were meeting with Chloe Miller, a DCF social worker Anne knows in the Worcester office, at the time. She called in the police who then turned it over to the State Police to do the investigation because it was compromised by an officer threatening the assigned detectives." Valerie let that sink in then added, "The officers, though, were smart and got the principal to get caught telling them that he ignored a sexual assault in progress and blamed the victim then threaten them. They also got an eye witness to state that he watched the whole thing and was trying to get rid of Diego for a while. The judge whom they were meeting with was less than pleased and it'll be likely that he gets brought up on criminal charges as an accessory to sexual assault for just watching the whole thing. That's in addition to whatever charges DCF files against him for failure to report a sexual assault." Diego was nearly in tears. Valerie sighed and added, "They already have your records and now that Dorothy knows they may contain erroneous and misleading comments she can ignore them in favor seeing what you need. Unfortunately, you are going to be doing a lot of work. The girls will help you but please keep your flirtations with Polly to a minimum." Dorothy glared at Valerie but Alice snickered. Alice had to tell her, "She has a crush on him. It's likely puppy love but it is still something both could benefit from. She is still finding her footing, maybe going out with someone who is doing the same will help both. Besides, he is still going to be on a short leash thanks to his two fathers and brother." Dorothy sighed and added, "I guess I can give her some slack, she has been doing great in school and it's getting a bit unsettling seeing her look longingly at the three couples. Just no funny business, young man. I know you can't get her pregnant but you two are still too young to do other things that young boys and girls like to do." Diego blushed at that. Alice let out a big smile as Dorothy got up to go outside. When she was gone she told Diego, "She is still getting used to being a mother. That's the first time she has had to endure Polly dating and she took it well. She is serious, though, no funny business. Your brother dated at the same age as you so it's not unrealistic to start now but keep things clean." Out in the back, Dorothy asked Polly to come over. She sat her down and asked firmly, "Do you like Diego?" Polly blushed and tried to deny it but admitted:, "He's cute." Dorothy sighed and asked her, "Would you like to go out with him when the others go on their dates?" Polly's eyes grew wide at the realization, leading her to blurt out, "Yes!" Dorothy gave her a stern, "You know he can't get you pregnant but that doesn't mean you can just do things that you shouldn't do yet. Keep your hands to yourself, no fondling each other. Kissing is OK but please don't go overboard. Eric, Jessica, Raul, Avery, Reed, Jessie, Michael, Courtney, Rick, Thomas, and Rebecca are in charge so you follow their rules. He is still physically like you so you two will have fights when you both experience you unwanted visitors so don't take what he says at times to heart as you yourself are just as bad. Except with him, it carries a lot of unwanted mental anguish." Polly tearfully agreed as the others looked at Dorothy in shock. Dorothy went back inside to tell Diego, "She was told to give you some space and leeway at times. You won't mean a lot of the stuff you say during then and you are going to feel bad about having something happen to you that you don't want. I trust her to treat you right just as I trust you to do the same with her. I hate to think of my little girl growing up but she is 13 and old enough to start dating, albeit only group movie dates." Alice wasn't able to say anything more as the girls came inside to get Diego to go over schoolwork. Dorothy told them firmly, "Dining room only. If you break my trust none of you will be allowed alone with your boyfriends and girlfriends again." Alice gave Trina and Stephanie looks which caused both to cringe. Diego asked, "What was that about?" to which Al retorted, "They got caught kissing in Stephanie's room by Raul. Aunt Alice lets them go upstairs alone but not do anything physical up there. They can only kiss downstairs." Diego's mouth dropped. He muttered, "Pablo would freak out if he knew Stephanie was into girls. He beat me for just seeing pictures. If he knew she was dating a girl he'd come here and try to hurt her no matter what the courts said he had to do." Al shook her head, telling her firmly, "He would have to get through all of us and Ian first. She has a right to be herself, he lost the right to call himself her father when he hurt her mother and brother. He has no idea just who he is dealing with, our dads aren't afraid to protect us and our brothers have gotten into a bunch of fights and won over us. He doesn't have a say in her life, nobody but Aunt Alice does." Inside Dorothy and Polly's house, the six went to work. Diego was shown everything that had been done by their class up to that day and found out that he wasn't far behind. He was quick to get up to speed and had them beat at times with his quick thoughts and different perspectives on things. Trina had trouble focusing. Al had to take her outside and ask what was going on with her. She softly mumbled, "I can't help it. It's like looking at Stephanie as a boy. He's handsome but also cute. It's hard to not think of him as Stephanie in a boy's clothes." Al set her down easily, telling her firmly, "They are cousins. They look alike but are different inside. They like different things and act differently with everyone. He isn't as outgoing and likes more sports, Eric told me that he knows more about the Red Sox than anyone outside Uncle Miguel and beat him handily in his favorite racing game, you know Stephanie doesn't follow sports and is garbage at that game. They are different, they look similar but that's because they are first cousins." Al sighed and added, "You look at me yet you don't see Thomas. You look at Will and Rick but don't see either one in the other. Heck, you look at Cat and JD and can't honestly say they aren't brother and sister. They are cousins but so different that despite looking alike you know them. It's the same with Stephanie and Diego. He might have feminine features but he is not a girl and you need to see that he is a totally different person than the girl you love." Trina had tears in her eyes as she looked at Al. Al rolled her eyes and blurted out, "We aren't stupid, you two are perfect for one another. You have more than friendship going with her. Even if you two don't work out as a couple you two care deeply about each other so yes, you do love her." They waited until Trina's eyes stopped watering and reentered. Stephanie hugged her but didn't go further. Trina nuzzled her shoulder and gave her a kiss on the cheek as thanks. Al didn't say anything, Amy and Polly saw Trina had cried and figured out it was related to Diego. The six finished and waited for the adults to come in. Deborah Peterson came in with her husband Patrick to check on the six and ensured that they weren't making out or doing other things that they were warned against. Deborah offered them a complaining, "That little girl can scream loud and produce unearthly smells causing the others to laugh. Diego quietly told them, "I hope she stops latching onto your chest soon, it hurts." All five girls looked at him oddly while Patrick groaned, "Tell me about it." Deborah offered a terse, "She can't help it if you have bigger boobs than her mother. She just followed the instinct to go for the biggest boobs around." The girls started to laugh while Diego kept silent. Patrick told her firmly, "I didn't hear you complaining about my body last night." Deborah blushed as the girls snickered. Diego asked Al quietly, "Do they always make sex jokes in front of you?" Diego's words were a bit loud and caused both Patrick and Deborah to blush and move off to the living room while the five laughed loudly at them. Dorothy and Alice came inside to get the three going home. Dorothy took one look at the still blushing Patrick and Deborah and shook her head in disappointment. Polly told them, "They got their joking turned around on them, Diego asked if they always talked sex in front of us." Dorothy gave the two adults a warning glare which both immediately apologized to her for. Alice led her three out with Diego being told, "You have school tomorrow. Dorothy looked over your records and once the internal messages were overlooked your progress was satisfactory and you are cleared to start. We were going to introduce you to Mrs. Eagleson tomorrow afternoon but that wasn't necessary." They drove to the Vincent home and dropped Diego, with Trina giving him a hug and kiss on the cheek, telling him softly, "Sorry for being stupid." Diego didn't understand so Trina told him, "I couldn't stop thinking of you as my girlfriend's twin. It's stupid and hurtful. I'm sorry." She got back in the car before she started crying. Alice grinned and told him, "There's a run on becoming women among the girls recently, she's the latest victim of it and is in the midst of her first so she is a little hormonal. You can understand how it feels, you two look so much alike it's eerie but you have nothing to fear tomorrow. She will be alright and see just how much you two are different in school." Diego understood and smiled. It wasn't intentional by Trina and she was trying hard to hold back for his sake. Stephanie grumbled for her to hurry up getting Diego to hug her for everything. She just hugged him back, kissing his forehead causing him to flinch and her to smile. Inside, Eric asked about his day and getting a digest version of it. He snorted at Trina's reaction, adding, "That explains a bit. The girls are complaining about her being crabby yesterday but didn't think about why. At least she likes you for you and is going to be a good friend even if you aren't her type." Eric smirked and asked, "How is your girlfriend? She try anything when you were alone?" He timed it perfectly as Ricardo stopped dead in his tracks at hearing that. Eric laughed and added, "They were in Aunt Dorothy's house but didn't do anything. Did you really think she'd let them be alone if they didn't know the rules? They were warned not to do anything!" Ricardo shook his head at being caught red handed and jumping to conclusions. Alex warmly told Diego, "Don't push the boundaries, but I trust those girls fully. Plus I doubt you were alone for long." Eric added, "Deborah was sent, Sophia gave her a present she didn't want causing her to head out." Diego nodded, then told them what the two had said. Ricardo groaned at the two being so frank with them while Eric added, "She had a point, he is getting big. He needs to get out of the lab and start building but his project is still a couple of months from completion." The family ate dinner then enjoyed the Celtics game on TV. Eric asked, "Did they say if Miguel was going to come around?" Diego was puzzled and asked who that was, getting a grin and, "Miguel Toro, he's Reyna's uncle. She lives next door to Al and is going to say hi at some point." Diego looked at them and asked, "First the governor now a baseball player. Who is next up that you people know?" Eric grinned and blurted out, "An ambassador and a bunch of English lords and ladies." He rolled his eyes and was about to walk away but Ricardo added, "He's not lying to you. You met Emma, her father's family are nobility. She is really Lady Emma Peterson and Sophia is Lady Sophia Peterson. Her sister- in-law Paige is Lady Paige Smith The Viscountess Braintree. Valerie's sister-in-law Karen is her mother and the Countess of Boston, her husband Nigel is the Earl of Boston and future Marquess of Lincoln. Valerie and Karen's uncle is the ambassador to the UK. Tomorrow after school you can see the pictures from our trip to England for Karen's son's and Daughter's wedding." Diego nodded, it sounded like it was a big lie and wanted the proof. Eric shook his head and added, "Trust me, they may be nobles by title but they are normal people. Well reasonably normal, Hannah is a bit wild at times when she can't get her way or someone pisses her off." The trio talked after Diego went up to bed. Alex was furious that someone would intentionally let a student be sexually assaulted especially by four boys. He didn't understand the logic of letting someone nearly rape a girl then shaming that girl in retaliation. He did understand the attempt to cover it up by using people who didn't deserve to wear the badge and who bullied their way to getting someone arrested, it was par the course for many law enforcement agencies to have bad apples in their mix. Eric wanted blood but Ricardo calmly told them, "It'll be taken care of. You know the Johnsons are going to go for the school's throat. They never followed up on their attempts to contact DCF and could have gotten him help but the man felt he wasn't worth the effort. He will pay for that. I think he intentionally refused to follow-up to get rid of Diego." In the morning Diego was a bundle of nerves. Alex and Eric were off early leaving Ricardo to coax Diego to eat and drink his breakfast. The two left and didn't say a word, avoiding all possible talking. At the school the Johnsons met with Ricardo and Diego, introducing themselves while assuring Diego that he was in good hands. Dorothy greeted the four at the office while the staff looked on in shock. She told them firmly, "Mr. Rodriguez is Alice's nephew and our newest student. Please show him the same level of courtesy that you show all of the students." Inside her office, Dorothy told Diego firmly, "We take our students seriously so you will be held to the same standards as everyone else. You will do the work and do it when assigned. Alice may be your aunt but it doesn't give you free reign to do what you want." Diego let out a timid, "Yes, Ms. Vega." Dorothy had Mrs. Eagleson brought in to meet Diego, getting the usual, "Oh my" response to seeing him for the first time. Turning to Ricardo she understood why he looked so much like Stephanie and sat down next to Diego to get the summary of what was going on. Dorothy was frank, telling her, "Diego is joining us as a new student. He had a rough last day in school but the people responsible are currently in jail awaiting arraignment on sexual assault charges. In addition to that horror, young Mr. Rodriguez is just starting life after finally coming to terms with who he is. His legal name is Eve but for ease of use I expect him to be addressed as Diego until his father is able to get all of that sorted out in court." Mrs. Eagleson looked at him and saw some of the signs that he wasn't entirely a boy. She sighed and asked, "Does he need any special arrangements?" Dorothy nodded, telling her, "He will need to use the disabled bathroom because of his plumbing needs but he should be able to join the boys in the locker room for gym. He will have a compression vest which should be able to keep his growths in check until his new hormones kick in." Mrs. Eagleson asked how many knew the truth, getting a hearty, "All who you would expect. The boys are well aware and the girls met with him yesterday to help him get ready for class. Things shouldn't be a problem especially with the seven of them banding around him. Just keep an eye on Polly, the two have hit it off and she may be a bit too close at times for her own good." Mrs. Eagleson smiled and led Diego to their classroom. She sat him down and told him firmly, "This is a classroom so please keep your hands to yourself and your eyes forward. The others have kept their affections to a minimum so I expect the same from you. Mr. Bollinger will talk with you about gym but you should be fine with everything else." Students started coming in with Kyle and Oscar greeting Diego with big grins. They sat next to him with Polly joining them as a foursome. Mrs. Eagleson asked Kyle and Polly to swap seats so Polly wasn't directly in front of Diego making things easier for them to focus. She wasn't too happy but she understood why with Kyle telling her, "He needs to focus on class not dating." The class went on without much note. The eight sat together at lunch getting odd looks as the new guy was sitting with the established friends. Polly and he were flirting and joking during much of it getting even odder looks as the new guy was hitting on Poly and she was liking it. After school, Diego was confronted about the flirting. He ignored the guys until they pulled him into the bathroom prompting Kyle and Oscar to quickly follow. Both were a little late as they heard the boys threatening Diego over, "Stealing our girl." Diego let them hit him several times, not retaliating. Oscar told them harshly, "He isn't hitting on her, she is his girlfriend." Kyle added, "They started going out on Sunday. Her mom let her date him." The guys didn't believe them until Zeke Bollinger shouted, "They are telling the truth. You boys just proved why she wouldn't go anywhere near you, let alone date you. You are immature and possessive, you need to learn that girls aren't property that you own for your pleasure. The two talked and she liked what he had to say and he treated her as a person not as a sex object. You will have a long time to learn from your mistakes especially now that you have shown that you aren't mature enough for any of the girls in this school." Alice and Dorothy took over, handing the boys a week suspension each. Their parents were called and told just what happened and why. The boys received harsher punishments from their mothers, with their fathers banning them from even thinking of dating until high school. Diego wasn't too thrilled about what happened. He hated that he was seen as stealing something that couldn't be owned. Polly hugged him tight and kissed his cheek, making him blush while telling him, "Thank you, those jerks have been after me for months. They won't take no for an answer." The eight did their homework as they waited for Dorothy and Alice to finish up their work. Alice drove Diego home while the others went to ballet practice and their own homes. Diego asked, "Why ballet?" after hearing the reason for everyone splitting up. Stephanie groaned and told him, "Their parents got them involved but they turned out to be pretty good. Al got involved because Amy asked her to try it and did a good job at it and started to like doing it. I am the only girl who doesn't do it." Diego asked, "Why aren't you doing it too? It looks like a good excuse to be around your girlfriend." Stephanie blushed and shot back, "I have two left feet. Why don't you try it, you can be around your girlfriend a lot as well." The two glared at one another then laughed. Alice just shook her head as she drove on to the Vincent house so they could do their homework before Stephanie went home. They were definitely acting like cousins which were both telling and making her feel great about them being close. Raul met them at house as he had gotten a ride in from Eric. He looked over Diego for several minutes then grinned, offering a nod and soft, "You work fast." Stephanie whacked her brother in the back of the head and dragged him inside, muttering several swears to him that Alice chose to not react to. Inside the five awaited Alex and Ricardo with great anticipation. Alice told the four to get all of their homework done with emphasis on Raul doing his own immediately. The two 7th graders were quick to finish theirs while Eric slowly did his, savoring that Raul was struggling with his English homework and complaining about getting stuck with the most out of all of them thanks to Mr. Stoner hating him. Eric burst into laughter, telling him firmly, "You would know if he didn't like you. He is pretty good and has gotten a lot better since last year. He is one of the best teachers in the school now." Alex and Ricardo entered and showed them the important envelope. Diego was scared of the results but was comforted by Stephanie's soft touch and Eric's arm over his shoulder. Alex refused to go near it, firmly telling Ricardo, "It's all yours, you do the honors." Ricardo opened it and read the results. He showed it to Alex who then showed it to Alice. All three looked at Diego with Ricardo reading, "The quick test indicates that there is a 99.9999% certainty that the child is indeed the child of the alleged father. Secondary subjects show a familial relationship but are not from the same parents. All three share a common genetic grandparent." Diego looked at them for an answer. Ricardo happily told him, "You are my son. The other two tests were to confirm that Stephanie and Raul are your cousins, not your half-brother and half-sister. I am going before the judge tomorrow to get you summarily declared as my son and have you permanently given to me as well as start the process to have Alex adopt you." Diego started to cry. They had the proof that he was not Pablo's child. The man was out of his life permanently. He had a father, a real father who cared about him and wanted him not some man who claimed to be his father but never wanted him at all. Alice asked what their next move was. Ricardo reiterated, "We go before Judge Perez with Anne and Chloe Miller. I would have asked Alison to go but she can't take the time off." Alice looked at Diego and grinned. She told him firmly, "You don't have to go tomorrow but it would be good to have you there. Judge Perez is fair person, she will understand you not being able to attend." Eric tried to go getting a solid, "No" from all three adults. Raul didn't bother trying trying to ask, neither did Stephanie. Raul would get the same reaction from the adults while Stephanie would have to allay talk about what was happening in school. The family had dinner together as one for the first time. Diego was still numb from the revelation and feeling like this was all a dream. Stephanie had to keep him centered, telling him that he was going to be getting a lot of attention from the others the next afternoon. Alice left with Raul and Stephanie, giving Diego a big hug each as they left. He then went right to bed, not wanting to stay up and talk. Eric though told him firmly, "Dad and Pop have your back on this. The judge is a nice lady, she won't let that womb donor lie." Earlier that afternoon Sierra and Pablo were released from jail on bond. They were given summons from Chloe Miller to appear in court in Boston the next day and told to get legal counsel. The two ignored her, telling her, "We will get you back for what you did to us." At their home, both were fuming over what their, "Daughter" had done to them. Pablo was angry and throwing things at walls while Sierra just sat down and drank herself to sleep. The police responded and cautioned them but didn't do anything further once Pablo sweet talked them into believing their story about their daughter lying to DCF and the police. Pablo finally passed out drunk and woke up in a pool of vomit. He and Sierra fought once again but managed to get into the car and drive to Boston for the hearing. They found Chloe and started going at her, threatening her and doing anything they could to intimidate her. Court officers cautioned them to knock off their actions which led both to tell them off. The officers got word to the judge that the two may be taken into custody for disorderly conduct which she told them firmly, "Don't do that unless they get physical. I am reviewing their case and their actions are simply fueling it. If they cross the line, take them out and I'll give the order but only if it's physical." Judge Perez caught sight of Valerie sitting near the two and who nodded at her to indicate she was there for the case involving the two loudmouths. Judge Perez looked over her docket and noticed Ricardo's name as well as the Johnsons, Valerie, Anne, and Alex. She had to hold back her grin, whatever it was that was going on it would be interesting and one for the memoirs. In Winnisimmet that morning Eric drove off early, giving Diego a hug and telling him, "Expect a lot of visitors later. Jessica and Dad's partners want to meet you. I'll try to keep the others away but it'll be hard to keep Jenna and Christina from checking up on you- they were the ones who got Chloe and their mom to know that you were here in the first place and have wanted news every day.' Diego ate quietly while Ricardo got his files together. He had Diego go and change into one of the suits that Oscar gave him, then handing him a compression vest that Diego was all too happy to don. A few minutes later he came down smiling, his chest was flat but he still had some bulging in his hips and but that couldn't be helped yet. The drive to Boston was in silence as both were lost in thought. Alex met them outside the courthouse along with the Johnsons and two men who Alex introduced as his partner Mike Daniels and their boss Mick Jones. Mick and Mike were all smiles as they both nodded, they didn't need to know the results to know that Diego was indeed Ricardo's son. Valerie alerted them that Pablo and Sierra were there and were with a group of people who were clearly looking for trouble. Mick spoke with a court officer who looked at Mick, Alex, and Mike's badges and nodded at what he was saying then spoke into his radio to alert others of what may happen. Ricardo caught the whole thing and whispered to Diego, "Whatever you do, don't react to them. They are going to say a lot of hurtful things about me and Alice but don't let it get to you. It's all for show to try to get even with us for supposedly humiliating them." He nodded and let them lead him inside. Mick and Mike took up the rear just in case, with two court officers joining them. Pablo and Sierra could be heard yelling loudly at someone who was revealed to be Chloe, who ignored their threats and just sat down awaiting the group. Inside the courtroom, Judge Perez called the court to order. She was told, "Your honor this is a custody case involving the biological father of a child laying claim after discovering the child existed. Further, there is a request by DCF to permanently remove custody by the man claiming to be the father as well as the biological mother. A third and fourth petition is a change of name as well as adoption by the husband of the biological father." Judge Perez asked DCF to speak. Chloe stood before her and stated, "Your honor we strongly have reason to believe that Mr. Pablo Rodriguez and the former Mrs. Sierra Ramirez have been physically and emotionally abusive toward Sierra's child, that they have been neglectful to the point of physically endangering the child, and that they have not been able to provide the child with basic human needs such as food, clothing, and personal hygiene." The judge read the report and nodded. Noticing the Masters report she asked, "Why was this previous investigation not finished? By the looks of it, the child should have been removed from the parents' custody prior to the current abuse allegation." Anne inserted, "The caseworker assigned immediately showed a bias against the child and refused to investigate further. This is the same man, if you recall back in September, was arrested on civil rights violations against a lesbian couple and two minors. We believe that this case was part of a concerted effort by him to deprive certain minors of their basic rights thus he never bothered to forward the case to the proper authorities." Judge Perez said the word, "Masters?" to which Anne replied, "The same man. He was assigned the case and had enough evidence to remove the child, but never did. As a result, the child was subsequently assaulted by Mr. Rodriguez and Mrs. Ramirez." Chloe added, "We have evidence to show that last Saturday Mr. Rodriguez physically assaulted the child while Mrs. Ramirez sat by and did nothing to stop it. When placed under arrest on Monday, both declared in the presence of arresting officers after they were issued their Miranda Rights, that they would physically harm the child with Mrs. Ramirez stating that she would have her child raped to show the child what real men were like. Based on that, we are asking that all parental right be terminated and the child placed with the next of kin- Mr. Ricardo Ramirez, the biological father." Pablo shot upright and shouted, "I'll kill that pillow biter if he goes anywhere near my daughter!" Sierra added, "I'll kill her before I let him so much as look at her!" Judge Perez shook her head and told both, "Your threats will be logged and used against you in a court. Court officers, please remove the two from my courtroom and have the ADA charge them with criminal threats and disorderly conduct." She paused then added, "Mr. Rodriguez, I see that you have three active restraining orders against you. DCF should have removed the child right away based on the initial convictions a year ago. Further, I am seeing that you are not actually listed as being the father, you have no record of ever claiming the child as your own, or even being married, and you have no real job so I am strongly believing that you are more of a danger to the child than is known. Your claimed job is truck driver yet I see no companies claiming you as an employee so I strongly believe you are involved in illegal activity and thus ask the state to look into your life outside of the home." Turning to Sierra she added, "You have to be the worst mother that I have come across in a long time. To say such horrible things about your child, all just because your ex-husband is offering your child a safe and loving home is beyond disgusting. To threaten to have your child raped and impregnated- a 13-year-old at that! I have encountered his husband several times before and each time he amazes me with his record of bringing justice. Your ex-husband has found someone whom he belongs with and dodged a bullet in you. Your child will never see you again. You are hereby permanently barred from contact with your child and custody awarded to Mr. Ricardo Vincent." The court officers escorted the two away. Looking at Ricardo she asked, "Where is Ms. Eve Rodriguez at present?" Ricardo pointed at Diego who was silently sitting between Ricardo and Alex. Judge Perez looked over the forms and notice the name change. She looked closely at Diego and realized just what was going on. She asked, "Do you have documentation to support the need for the changes?" Ricardo quietly said, "It is in the package below the DCF reports. We would have had Dr. Eliza come but she is unable to take the time off from work." Judge Perez read over the notes and nodded to herself. It was all there, with Anne's and Mark's approvals. She calmly asked Diego, "Are you sure that you wish to change your name? This is a big step towards changing yourself and not one to be taken lightly." Diego stood up and proclaimed, "It's what I need to do. I carry the name of someone who always hated me, never wanted me, and who wants me dead. I would rather carry the name of someone who loves me and who accepts me for myself. I have to be Diego, I was never Eve." Glancing at Ricardo and Alex she pulled up the adoption forms and stated, "One form is needed only. As you are named on the birth certificate as being the father and you have the DNA test results confirming that you are the biological father, I am declaring you to be the full and legal father of Diego Vincent. Mr. Alexander Vincent, you are now to also be the father of Diego Vincent. This is done with the best interest of Diego in mind and with the full consent of all. Congratulations, Mr. Diego Vincent." The three hugged with Diego in tears. He was now and officially a boy. The family walked out but were immediately surrounded by Pablo's supporters. They were angry and were going to attack Ricardo but were held back by Mick, Mike, and Alex showing their badges and loudly stating, "Back off or go to jail. Your choice." The group advanced, brandishing several guns and knives and threatening the three federal agents if they didn't move away from Ricardo. The group was backed into a corner but flashing lights of a dozen police cruisers outside with officers from Boston, Transit, State, and Environmental police along with multiple Suffolk County deputy sheriffs flooded the courthouse, all with weapons drawn. The group tried to leave but were corralled at the exit as officers sealed off the building preventing escape. Mike and Mick gave the all clear to the officers that their group wasn't hurt. Todd Flynn came over with his fellow deputies to check on them personally, getting a tease from Valerie, "The best action you see in a while and it's because of us." Todd grinned and shot back, "I am not the least bit surprised that it involved you four, just what are you guys teaching this poor boy anyway?" The group were escorted out by Todd and his fellow deputies while the other police officers and state troopers took Pablo's thugs into custody for multiple felonies. One of the security guards was also taken into custody by State Police for accepting a bribe to let them through without going through a metal detector. Judge Perez had to hold herself back from laughing, Pablo was one tough son of a gun but he was nothing compared to a well-connected family of law enforcement officers. Looking at the time Diego was told they were getting lunch then going to school. He wasn't thrilled but he accepted that it was better than staying home. Alex, Mike, and Mick went to work while Valerie ensured that Diego's other situation was handled. His home situation was settled but the school assault was still being investigated. The Johnsons were taking a meeting with Kennedy and her people while they worked on the assault case. They were adamant that the group look into other assaults at the school and into the boys' records. Something was off about all of it, there were too many things that had to have happened just right to get them alone with a girl and at school. Kennedy caught a break as she noticed that the boys were quite familiar with the principal, Nate Rice. One was his own son, another cousin of his son making the ADA, Clarke Burke, related to Rice. Two were the sons of senior police officers. Kennedy had enough to delve deeper into their records. She had her counterparts in Worcester do the dirty work while she went after Burke and Rice. She saw a pattern emerge that was extremely troubling and was more than just one assault. Girls would be charged with crimes then see their cases dropped before going before a judge. These same girls had taken meetings with Burke before this was done and often resulted in the girls being shamed publicly by Rice for falsely accusing boys. At least one girl sued the school and saw the case quietly settled with the school department demanding the records sealed. Kennedy got a court order to unseal them and had just what she needed to go full-on after them. She just needed time to get the right connections to take them down. It was clear that the school systemically went after anyone who accused the boys of assaulting them or acting inappropriately towards them. She found that these girls were not disciplinary cases yet had a sudden suspension and multiple detentions after the run-in with Burke. The one who challenged the school had several teachers on her side stating that she was being abused by the boys yet they saw no action taken against them, she had her hook. It was a clear attack on those who tried to stop the boys. The group would meet with students the next few days while the city suspended the principal without pay pending investigation. The media was not going to be alerted yet as they would cause a fury of activity hindering the case. Kennedy prepared statements just in case one of the parents went to them, with the facts that were proven being cited all of which would take down any arguments. Kennedy's #2, Angela Victor, was going for blood. She hated anyone who blamed people for being assaulted especially those who were in power. It was why Kennedy chose her to lead the municipal crimes subdivision of her public integrity division, she'd seek the truth and prosecute the guilty. Angela worked with Anne and Chloe to get all they could from the school and school department. What they couldn't get directly, they would use Angela's subpoena powers to get. Angela made great use of that, getting all of the details of the court case along with the original statements to police and Rice's claims that were countered by multiple eyewitnesses. The only thing left was to speak with the kids affected. They had a good idea who they were and would speak with dozens of girls and boys in the school to mask just who they were really aiming for. There was nothing that Rice could do, they had a subpoena for his phone records just in case he tried to contact the kids' parents to threaten them and as he was suspended he had no right to call them anyway so the noose was tightening. They just needed to wait to strike. Friday they would strike, hard and fast. They weren't fooling around and would have state troopers ready to assist in removal of the four boys known to be behind Diego's assault along with Rice. Chapter 5 As the law arm was working their magic, Diego ate then went right to school. Ricardo and Alex happily presented the court orders with Alex telling Dorothy, "Diego is now officially Diego Vincent, our son and is legally male and asks that the school continue to accommodate his needs." Dorothy just smiled and congratulated them. Once the paperwork was finished she led Diego to class and spoke with Mrs. Eagleson, telling her, "Diego is now Diego Vincent and will be addressed as such. His situation has been settled and he is now the proud son of his biological father and his husband, complete with a new brother and a future sister- in-law." Mrs. Eagleson had to think a minute then gasped, "Vincent? As in Eric Vincent?" Dorothy nodded, then telling her, "His father Alex married Diego's father Ricardo in June. Eric was adopted by Ricardo to prevent another Sam York situation. Alex did the same with Diego. And yes, he really is his son as the test came back almost 100% that he is Ricardo's son so he will be kept a close watch in the class by his cousin Stephanie." Diego was used to the complexity of the situation but was happy when Mrs. Eagleson finally said, "Congratulations, Alex is a great man. Don't let Eric get too lazy or fool around with the girls too much." Diego grinned and added, "He isn't like that." Dorothy snorted and added, "He used to be." In class, Oscar patted Diego on the back then finished his assignment. A short time later at lunch, Diego had to tell everyone what happened with all looking at him in shock. Al grinned and told them, "Rick once said 'don't mess with cops or their families', Uncle Alex was there with Uncles Mick and Mike so it was three feds against a group of thugs making all those cops rush to help them out." The news had the story as they were eating lunch. Everyone looked at Diego who didn't say anything. Finally, someone pointed out, "That's Diego!" which caused their classmates to rush to him to get the story. They waited for the others to finish eating so he could tell them all at once. Diego finally admitted, "They all know my former mother and the guy she was dating whom she claimed was my father. I was there because my mother and he were getting their rights to me stripped away for what they did to me. My real father and his husband were given custody of me and I was adopted by my father's husband so I now have a dad and a father instead of a mother and some guy claiming to be my father. Those guys who know my supposed father threatened my dad and father and wouldn't let us leave. My dad and his partners showed them their badges and told them to back away from us but they didn't move. They started to threaten us with knives and guns which got every cop in the area to rush to the courthouse to help us. They were facing two dozen cops, deputies, and troopers and tried to run away but got caught. So yeah, I was there. It was for something important and had to be done." Stephanie grinned and told them, "He's my cousin and the guy who claimed to be his dad is my dad. He was a total monster who hurt mom and my brother before going to prison. His former mother hated that his father was gay and hooked up with my dad and was the reason he hit my mom and brother. You all thought it was odd that he looked like me well he is my cousin as I told you already. My uncle just needed to prove he was his father to get him away from those animals permanently." There were questions about his dad which Al admitted, "He is an ATF agent as are his partners. Kyle's dad was supposed to be one of them but he didn't want to join them." Kyle grinned and added, "Sure, remind him again how he gave up becoming a cop. As if he didn't get enough ribbing from his fellow firefighters over that." The diversion worked as talk about Diego shifted to other things as they finished eating. Once lunch was over Dorothy asked about what happened, getting a simple, "My mother tried to pick a fight with the wrong person. Dad had more friends than them and those friends had badges and handcuffs." Dorothy snorted at the joke. He had Ricardo's sense of humor and ability to make you feel better. She just smiled at him as he walked with the other seven to class, chatting away with Kyle and Oscar. Back in class, things were calmer as the kids got back to work. Diego kept up with them and had no problems speaking when they were discussing topics in class. He felt normal now, the first time he had any kind of normalcy in years. After school, they were holed up in the library doing homework when they noticed a commotion outside. The saw multiple news vans with reporters trying to get into the school. Diego slumped in his chair, he knew why they were there: they wanted him. Dorothy and Alice were on top of things and told the reporters that they would not get a statement or interviews. The usual complaints and threats were heard but Valerie appeared and issued a statement from all involved that left them unable to get around. The gist of it was that since this was a criminal investigation they would taint the case by trying to interview the victims and as there were multiple sources of video of the incident they didn't have to say anything to them to describe what happened. The usual reporters left but a few freelancers remained. One shouted, "What about the fact that the kid is a girl dressed as a boy." That stopped other reporters who pulled him aside with the most experienced reporter telling them, "You just assured that you never work in this region again. That is one avenue that you do not want to go down. You know what sparked the group, you also know that crap had nothing to do with it. So report that bullshit and you guarantee you are out of a job permanently. Nobody will hire you or buy your footage, not with that kind of tabloid reporting." Valerie just grinned, challenging the remaining few to say something. For good measure, Ian Bailey had their cars towed as two were blocking a fire hydrant and two were parked in handicap spaces. He just smirked as he told them, "Threaten all you want, but we take these violations seriously. But please keep up the threats, my fellow officers will be happy to help you enjoy quality time inside a jail cell." Stephanie grinned and told Diego, "One of the perks of the family. Aunt Valerie is going to take you to her house for a bit. Eric is with Reed so he will take you home." Valerie led Diego out to her car and drove to her house. As soon as they were inside she told him sharply, "Homework." He didn't fight, just sat and did it without saying a word. He was lost in thought coloring with Cat and JD after finishing his work when he heard a group of teens coming inside. Eric was the last in, not noticing Diego was there until Michael Finn asked:, "Who is that?" Eric's face changed into a smile as he told them, "That's my brother." Jaimie Finn rushed over with Jessica Nelson to get some time with Diego. Cat and JD were all but pushed out of the way forcing them to go to their playroom to finish. Eric rolled his eyes and told them sharply, "He's not a toy, don't smother him!" Diego was unsure what to do. Jessica hugged him while Jaimie just smirked at him. Eric just shook his head and told her, "Dad and pop got everything cleared so there isn't any fear of him leaving us." Jaimie gave him an odd look to which Eric explained, "He's adopted in full. Dad adopted him this morning and pop was recognized as his father so we are brothers in full." Jaimie nodded with Jessica telling her firmly, "Let it go, they didn't need your involvement this time." Jessica asked about his date with Polly which caught him off guard. Eric slapped his head and told her, "I didn't have the chance to tell him yet!" Turning to Diego he muttered, "The others are going out on Saturday and Polly wanted you to go with her too. I guess Al and the others forgot to tell you today." Diego got up and told him, "I can ask her myself, I don't need them to make my dates for me." Eric was going to say something but Jaimie stopped him. Jessica got up to go after him, indicating that they stay put. She'd handle it. Diego saw her and told her firmly, "I don't need anyone's pity." She didn't say anything, just told him, "And they aren't giving you that. They are trying to get you and Polly together so neither of you is left out. Al wouldn't do it without knowing that you wanted to do it and knew that Polly was waiting for you to go out with her. It's what she does, it's why all of the others listen to her and follow her lead." Diego sighed and asked her, "Why tell me this?" She just grinned and admitted, "I'm stuck going because Raul and Avery aren't going. The others have plans and Deborah and Patrick are too forceful with Polly. Besides, you are my boyfriend's brother so I have to be good to you." The two walked back with Jaimie being told quietly to back off. She caught on that it was a bit more than just wanting to be left alone which Jessica nodded at. Jessica texted her, "Coming off period, his hormones are still playing tricks" which Jaimie cringed at but understood. Valerie told the teens to get their homework done which prompted them to get to work while Miles Finn came in with Christina Connors. Christina did a double-take at seeing Diego prompting Miles to ask what that was about. She whispered, "I didn't recognize him from Saturday, he looks so much different than when we saw him." Miles left it alone as Diego didn't appreciate the whispering. Jaimie whispered to him, "She saw you when you were ringing your dad's doorbell. Her mom is Aunt Anne, the one who took you to the doctor Saturday evening. She's surprised at how well Rebecca made you look." Miles took Diego downstairs to the entertainment room and had him relax away from the others. Diego appreciated it, which Miles sensed he was too proud to relate to him. He stayed with him until Eric finished so the two could go home, expecting that there had to be something was going on that kept him there instead of going home. As they watched the news Miles understood. They watched as Evelyn and Joseph gave a statement about what happened at the courthouse and why. Once they finished there were no questions as the reporters simply ran with the fact that two people tried to use a mob to exact revenge because the court ruled in favor of the child's protection. Miles asked what really happened, getting a somber, "The guy who my mom claimed was my dad got his friends to try to get at me because he couldn't shut up or get at me himself. Mom was no better, mouthing off to the judge and getting sent to jail beside him. Mrs. Finn said they won't get out now, they broke their bail and the court won't allow them out because they are a danger to people." Miles nodded, adding a solid, "Mom is right. Those two really screwed themselves over with what they said they'd do to you. She won't let them get away with it and grandma and grandpa won't let anyone go after you because of it. Uncle Todd and his friends are keeping a close eye on them, letting their fellow deputies know just what they tried to do to your dad, Uncle Mike, and Uncle Mick. You don't mess with a cop's kid, especially how they wanted to hurt you." Jaimie came downstairs to get Diego. Miles told her, "He isn't the same as you so don't think that you need to be his protector. He doesn't want to be a girl, you do. He is feeling terrible at what you would feel great having happened to you. Give him space." Diego asked what he meant. Jaimie blurted out, "I'm not a real girl. I haven't had my surgery yet. Miles thinks I am trying to be close to you because we aren't normal like the others." Miles rolled his eyes and told her firmly, "He is a boy, you are a girl. Get over yourself already. Not everybody wants to know everyone and not every transgender wants to know all others like them." Jaimie saw Diego trying to figure out what was going on and left the two. Diego suddenly asked, "She's like me? How?" Miles started to explain her story then added, "She lost her testicles about five and a half years ago so she developed as a girl quickly. You would never know she had anything in her panties unless she took them off. You are the first TG boy she has met, she doesn't get involved in the community because she doesn't have the time and dad had some problems with other parents not liking that Jaimie's story was too different and inspiring compared with their troubles." Diego understood. He asked quizzically, "How many does she know?" Miles started saying, "Our cousins Deborah, Nichole, Kylie, Reyna, Trinity, Al, our aunts Kennedy, Amanda, and Katie, and our cousins' friend Addison." Diego mumbled a soft, "I thought dad was lying about so many other people knowing what I'm going through." Miles sighed and added, "None of us know what it's like to be a boy trapped in a girl's body. They know what it's like to be a girl in a boy's body but not the other way around. That doesn't mean that they can't understand what it's like to look in the mirror and see parts of themselves that they hate having or thinking that they would rather die than go through puberty. It's different but it's the same." He thanked Miles for being so wise. Miles just grinned and admitted, "It's my job, I have to be the voice of reason for Jaimie's eagerness and Michael's zealousness. Plus I have spent far too long reading up on the subject after your brother told us that you had come seeking your dad. Jaimie really didn't mean anything by wanting to know you, she is a born psychiatrist who wants to help everybody, you just happen to be the newest person she is trying to get to know but you aren't ready yet." The two went upstairs to join Eric and the others. Jaimie tried to look away but Diego gave her a hug goodbye. She understood that he realized she needed to help and this was his way of saying it's alright. Eric drove home and told his fathers about the dates. Both shook their heads at it being done without Diego's approval and suspected Stephanie was really the cause of it, not Al. Al would gladly take the blame so Trina wouldn't be affected, Kyle would understand and it would be a date at home with Rick or Thomas watching them as punishment. Diego sighed and admitted, "They didn't mean anything by it. I'll ask her myself tomorrow." Eric added, "Let me know so we can get it cleared with Jessica or you will end up with Jaimie and Rick doing the chaperoning and that's just going to lead to Al being snippy about it." The family ate in peace then went to bed early, none wanting to watch the idiocy on TV again. Alex did relay to Diego, "Sierra and Pablo's friends are in deep trouble for weapons charges for carrying knives into the courthouse with the security guards getting arrested for letting them through. The two are also getting a nice welcoming from Todd Flynn's friends as they let it known that they hurt a kid." Diego didn't care. The two did it to themselves. He only cared about his fathers and brother now. In the morning, Eric dropped him off at school and was immediately met by a grinning Alice who gave him a hug and kiss, making him blush. Eric tried to laugh but got the same from her, with Alice leaving a big lipstick mark on his cheek that he didn't notice causing the girls to laugh at her sneakiness. Eric drove off with Mrs. Eagleson admitting, "He certainly grew up a lot, he's become a looker." Alice nodded, adding a happy, "And he is all but engaged to a fine young lady. Who would have thought that the smallest members of your class five years ago would now be some of the best looking boys in the city? Miles Finn, George Daniels, and Eric Vincent have all of the girls in school drooling over them and each has a strongly committed relationship." Her interest piqued, she asked, "Miles Finn? When did that happen?" Alice shook her head, admitting, "You didn't know? Three years ago he was adopted by John and Valerie. It saved his life because of some shady things John's brother was doing because of deals Miles' father had done. That young man has become someone respected in the high school and sought after by multiple colleges." Alice's conversation was overheard by Diego who looked at Al for the truth. Al nodded, adding, "He is a nice guy but he had a lot happen to him before he came into his dad and mom's care. Your dad told you about all of us, many of us have the same issues you do. Hell, I even had a bunch of people who wanted to kill me because I saw what they did and knew what they were doing." Diego decided not to go any further. Al shook her head and muttered, "We really need to get you the family atlas so you can read all the backstories of all of us." Diego shot back, "It was all a bunch of names to me, it's hard to see how so many can be impacted by so many others. I still find it hard to believe that you all were with English nobles." Al smirked and pointed out, "Don't worry, you will meet them at the football game. Bryan, Hannah, Paige, and Pete never miss a game, your dad is coaching, and your brother is playing so you have to be there. Plus we all go anyway, it's the only time that we can be with each other without our parents or brothers or sisters around." Al was asked several times about the guy was who dropped off Diego. Al grinned as she explained, "He's Diego's brother, Eric Vincent. He's been friends with my brother and Amy's sister for years." Name drops were intentional and had the desired effect. Their relatives were well known and often the cause of jealousy among the others. Diego being close with them meant Diego was already one of the family making him a solid, "Do not mess with" beyond the fact that he was the niece of Alice. Mrs. Eagleson gave him a bright smile which he didn't let bother him. When they were seated he asked Kyle and Oscar about the football game getting nods and simple, "We are watched but our parents let us sit alone. The most we can do is hug and a quick kiss. The girls can only sit on our laps, nothing more." School went fast the rest of the week with only Zeke Bollinger, the gym teacher, offering any kind of hassle. He had to redirect Diego to the staff lockers which caused a stir but Diego ignored. Zeke told the few who said something about it, "He has his reason for not being alone with boys in his class. I'd love to beat the ones who caused him to change elsewhere senseless." The boys asked Kyle and Oscar what was going on. Neither knew what but they suspected something happened when he was still a girl. Oscar thought up the plausible, "They beat him badly and tried to do more to him, stuff that would get you sent to prison. They got away with it too so he doesn't want to be around us alone. Just deal with it because his dads won't hesitate to get Ms. Vega involved." The class didn't notice anything out of the ordinary with Diego. Kyle and Oscar noticed that he had a looked like a shirt on under his loose fitting shirt but both didn't ask about it. They did notice that he was completely masculine in his movements to the point that unless you ripped his shirt and pants off you wouldn't know he was anything but a boy. After school, they thought about the weekend with the guys talking about the dates. Diego realized he forgot to do something and walked over to Polly. He timidly asked to speak with her alone, getting a nod from Dorothy who knew what he wanted. He asked if she was going with the others on Saturday. She hesitated but admitted, "They are going out on their monthly dates but I don't think I should go this time." Diego grinned, they hadn't set her up yet. He asked her warmly, "Would you want to go?" She nodded, adding, "But I don't want to assume you would like to." He smiled, then told her, "I didn't want them to make my date for me but I do want to go. Do you want to go with me?" Polly blushed then hugged him. She had gotten what she wanted, she had a date with a cute boy. Polly asked her mom if she could go, getting a, "Yes" then quick, "As long as his fathers say he can go too." Ricardo picked up Stephanie and Diego while the others went their separate ways. Diego told him he had a date Saturday getting a sly grin and quick, "Don't do anything." Diego rolled his eyes and insisted, "I'm more worried about pissing off her mom than doing something to get in her pants." They went home and did their homework early while killing time before the game. Kyle and Oscar were dropped off by Oscar's dad Graham so the three boys could go in together. The two sat with Diego and watched TV while Ricardo made dinner and Stephanie moped at being there. Stephanie groaned that they were getting too close getting a grin from Oscar who added:, "And how is this different from you and Al and Amy?" She immediately clammed up while Kyle added, "We like the same things and he is going to be around us a lot so why not do things we all like. Besides, it's not like he is trying to force us to do ballet like you girls do." Diego shuddered at the thought. He mumbled, "I hate it. Mom made me do it for years but my teacher wouldn't let me do the boy parts. She kept saying I was good but I hated it." Stephanie added, "Polly, Al, Trina, and Amy do it. It's only a matter of time before Polly makes you try it with her." Oscar and Kyle rolled their eyes but added, "Aunt Amanda needs more boys so you could be put to work helping in the Christmas production. If she hears that you have dancing experience she will want to use you." Diego tried to protest but Ricardo added:, "She wouldn't ask unless she needed you to and if it makes you uncomfortable she won't do it." He told his father, "I don't want to dance girl parts, all I know is the girls' moves. I don't want to look foolish out on stage." The boys tried to laugh but Ricardo's look stopped it. Ricardo sighed and told Diego, "It's not that much different. I doubt you were as advanced as the girls are so you would be doing basic things that your larger size and strength would help greatly with. Besides, these two just volunteered to help too." Stephanie grinned as she texted Al and Amy. Both tried to plead but were ignored. Diego shook his head while Ricardo added, "I'll talk with Amanda, she will know what to do. She is good with kids and should be able to quell your fears. Besides, you are going to be wearing a costume so what you have will be hidden. At least you don't have to wear a dance belt like they do." Stephanie laughed hard. Diego looked confused so she whispered, "It hides the bulge in their pants so you can't see when they get excited" causing him to blush. Stephanie nodded, with both boys trying to not shudder as they knew what they were. The drive to the game was in silence as the boys tried to concentrate on other things. They met up with Dorothy, Alice, Polly, and the others. Alice asked, "Did you tell him yet?" Stephanie nodded, adding, "He isn't happy but he heard what the others have to wear and isn't too angry." The boys walked inside while Ricardo went off towards other adults. Polly put her hand in Diego's hand causing him to clasp tight in fear but only got a smile from Polly. She told him softly, "Thank you for being man enough to dance for Aunt Amanda, she really needs more boys and you are more of a man than any of the boys who make fun of you for doing this for us." The two walked over to where Al, Amy, and Trina were sitting while the boys took their time getting to them. Diego wanted to be angry but he understood why they were doing it. He sighed and told her, "As long as I don't have to dance girl parts. I hated doing ti before, I don't want to do it again." All five looked at him in shock. Diego blurted out, "My mother made me do it. She hated that I acted like a boy. She thought that if I was around girly-girls I would start acting more like one. I didn't mind it but I hated not being able to dance like a boy." The girls understood him. Al confessed, "You don't have to do anything that you don't want to do. Aunt Amanda just wanted more boys but she will understand why you don't want to do it. Trust us, she knows more about this than you think." The boys finally sat down with their girlfriends once they stopped talking with Diego. Nothing was said further and they watched the game. Diego was surprised that Eric was doing well, so much so that he was causing the other team to make mistakes allowing the Winnisimmet Infernos to win. During halftime, Diego and the boys wandered over to where Ricardo was. This prompted a few more introductions for Diego as more parents said hello. Ricardo asked Amanda Kelly to have a minute with Diego which raised some eyebrows but wasn't questioned. Ricardo explained to her, "You keep telling us that you always want more boys for the Christmas show, well Diego just happens to have a bit of experience with dancing. Polly and Stephanie asked him to do it for them but he said he would only if he didn't have to dance any girl parts. He has his reasons for not wanting to do any girl parts so please don't press him." Amanda Kelly looked over Diego intently. She smiled and told him, "I can't do that to you, you already danced as a girl enough. I hate that someone was put off of dancing because their parents just couldn't understand that they weren't meant to dance certain things. Besides, you may look like a girl physically but you don't act like one and I don't think you would appreciate the confusion." Diego looked up and asked 'how did you know?" Amanda smiled and pointed out, "I know compression vests when I see them. Plus the girls were talking about you in both of their classes and Amy let slip that you were just starting to be a boy. Your secret is safe with me, my stance on boys and girls like us is known and the parents whose children attend are good people." He looked at her oddly. Amanda nodded, adding, "I had my surgery in college. You have met a few of us already but who else is isn't for me to disclose. Just be careful and try not to overdo being a boy. I know it is thrilling to be your true self but you could overdo things and get yourself in trouble trying to be like the other boys. I knew a boy like you who got sent to prison because he thought it was fun to joyride, he got the full blame because his friends used his change to get the DA to go easy on them while hard on him. Just be careful, Oscar and Kyle are good boys but others may not be." Kyle and Oscar came over to ask what went on. Diego retold what she said then told him about a friend of hers that got into trouble. They felt horrible but knew there were a few guys like that in their school and who were eyeing Diego for some time and talking like they could use him. The boys sat Diego down and told him firmly, "There are guys who will do that to you in school. Don't trust them. They see you as a rube and won't hesitate to turn you in while they get off with nothing. Your dads are good but their dads are slimy and know who to go to to get them in trouble." The boys sat back down and watched as the girls chatted with the cheerleaders. Kyle pointed out Amy's sister Courtney, who kept looking at Diego. Diego asked why she was looking at him, Oscar snorted and blurted out, "You seriously don't see how much you and Stephanie look alike? Shave her head and put the vest on her and she would be your twin." The boys watched as the girls chatted up before going back to sit with them. Amy teased, "Courtney can't keep her eyes off you." Trina joked, "If she stared at you anymore you would think she was going to dump Michael for you." The boys let them tease for a few minutes before ending it by asking, "Aren't you girls going to your big sleepover tonight? Don't you have something better to do than tease him over something he didn't want to be done? You know he can't help it if he looks like his grandmother." That stung them while Polly shot back, "And what are you doing, besides jerking off?" Kyle and Oscar's mouths dropped while Diego glared at her. She tried to apologize but Diego got up to go. Both Kyle and Oscar followed, telling them to stay put. The boys sat away from prying ears and asked if he was alright. Diego nodded, trying hard not to think about what he didn't have or that Polly would say such hurtful things to him. Oscar offer a soft, "She didn't mean it, she meant it for all three of us and it's a good thing too because she thinks of you as nothing but a guy. They act like they don't do it but I know they do because Amy, Trina, and Stephanie blushed as she said it. Al didn't because she has to do it and they all know that she does." The guys walked over to where the parents were and sat there. Ricardo asked what they were doing after the game which got no response. Oscar told him, "The girls were getting together and joked we were doing the same" which prompted Ricardo to say, "Fine, just clear it with your parents first." Kyle's face dropped as Oscar let out an, "Oops". Kyle called his parents and got their blessing while Oscar reluctantly called Graham and Riley for their blessing. Graham didn't have a problem but Riley wanted assurances that Diego and the boys knew the boundaries. Oscar groaned and told her, "We aren't going to be doing any funny business. We aren't getting changed in front of each other either. It's just sleeping. Hell if he has to, he can sleep in my room and the two of us sleep in the living room." Riley agreed, grinning at her son's maturity. She knew he'd know the boundaries but had to let him know that she was watching. Riley sighed and told her husband, "The boys are staying the night, Diego will sleep in Oscar's room in case you were wondering." Graham nodded but told her, "He sleeps with the boys. He is a boy, and our son and Kyle are not going to be expected to treat him differently when he just wants to be normal. Just as long as he is covered up and they change in shifts he doesn't have to do anything differently." The girls tried to apologize but the boys ignored them. Some things weren't meant to be joked about in public like that, especially with someone who is sensitive to it. Polly tearfully hugged Diego who told her softly, "I know you didn't mean it, thanks for not thinking of me as less than another boy." Ricardo drove the boys first to Kyle's home where his mother Rachel gave Diego a big hug and kiss while his sister Margaret rolled her eyes. The little 11-year-old fifth grader was starting to get too old for such affection and didn't see any need for it. Kyle promptly told Diego, "Ignore her, she is jealous of us. She is grounded for kissing a boy in school on a dare that the other girls didn't take up. The other girls are going out tomorrow without her and she doesn't want us to have any fun because she can't." Diego asked, "What's the big deal with kissing a boy?" Kyle shook his head and added, "Not during gym class and not when you are supposed to be playing a game. Dad is mad that she fell for the other girls' tricks but she really did it to get them to stop bugging Kylie and Nichole." Oscar added, "Kylie and Nichole don't like boys or girls yet so the girls are getting on their nerves. Kylie just started blockers and low-dose hormones and Nichole low dose hormones which the girls found out about making them tease them about boys. They seem to think they will like boys but we know that isn't true since Aunt Katie and Reyna like girls." Rachel cleared her throat causing the boys to become startled. She shook her head and added, "If he didn't know don't tell him. Some things aren't for you to tell people. The wrong person could do horrible things and cause trouble for the girls." Diego shot back, "I know already. Eric and Jaimie told me who they are. They didn't say anything else just that they were like me. They wouldn't have told me if I wasn't going to ask them anyway." She smiled at that. The boys were acting like friends already. She had to snicker as Margaret glared while they gathered Kyle's things. She acted mopey while Diego tried to not say something to Rachel. As they were leaving Diego added a quick, "I think she needs chocolate. I felt the same way last week and Jessica told Eric to get me some." Rachel's face went white at the thought but realized just what he meant- she was being moody, like other girls having their first period. She quickly started keeping a close eye on Margaret and smiled at the thought. The young boy who had suffered the indignity of being born a girl had just helped a girl and her mother out. Margaret may be too young for one, but maybe it was a sign that her hormones were kicking in and she was about to be blessed similarly to her mom with an early start up top. The boys' next stop was at the Vincent home. Alex was already home and smiling as Diego rushed to get his things together. Ricardo simply told him, "Blame the girls, they caused it." Alex just nodded, adding, "He needs more time with them anyway, plus we have the house to ourselves for a few hours." Diego heard that and said, "Gross" which prompted Alex and Ricardo to kiss making him shake his head. Alex just smiled, telling Ricardo, "It's a good sign, he could have said something about us being together." Ricardo shot back, "He's a good person, I think he just wants us to be happy. Plus you know Eric will be back immediately once the late movie is over." Their last stop was the Pierce home. Graham and Riley met them outside and showed them in, with Ricardo giving them his and Alex's thanks for giving them a night off. The couple let the boys get settled, with Riley still unsure if they should allow them to sleep in the living room together. The boys laid out their sleeping bags and blankets then sat down to watch a movie. They weren't that into it so they talked while Graham and Riley kept out of their way. To Riley's surprise, there wasn't any bad behavior as they didn't do much of anything except talk which Graham was proud of. Eventually, they fell asleep allowing Graham to do his, "I told you so" face. Riley sighed and admitted he was right and the boys were more mature than she believed. She did add, "They are still growing boys and he has female parts so they are going to have trouble if they see him change." Chapter 6 In the morning, the boys started to do their shower routine. Kyle was first then Oscar. As Kyle was getting dressed Diego entered and caught him naked and caused both to blush deeply. Diego walked out, his face red and apologizing to Kyle. Oscar finished his shower and saw Kyle still trying to get dressed, He asked what was taking him so long, getting a terse, "Diego accidentally walked in on me while I was changing." Oscar shook his head and told him, "Did you forget to lock the door? Come on man, dude isn't used to being around other guys yet and you know the same rules that apply to your sister and you apply here." When Diego was finally finished and was fully dressed. he came into the living room and blushed to Kyle who did the same. Oscar blurted out, "Geez, it's not like he liked what he saw. Get over it already." Diego nodded and added a quick, "Besides, he's the biggest I've seen so far." Both boys immediately gasped and demanded to know what she meant. Diego took a deep breath and admitted, "The boys in my old school used to flash me their dicks every time we played basketball. It was their favorite part of the game, usually when they were changing out of their school pants. They'd 'accidentally' forget that I was there and give me a quick glimpses. They thought it was funny and thought I liked it. I told them if they kept doing it that I'd rip their balls off but they kept doing it anyway. You are a lot bigger than them, they are barely bigger than a kindergartner." Kyle and Oscar demanded to know when that happened. Diego just sighed and told them, "It happened pretty much every time they played. At the start of the year, the girls would play too but when they did it the first time they refused to do it again. I didn't care, I don't like boys so it was nothing to me. But they thought I liked it. They said I should know what a real man looked like. It only stopped when I didn't go to school last Friday." Kyle asked where it happened, getting the name of the school. Oscar asked what the principal did about it, getting a harsh, "He encouraged them to do it. They could do whatever they wanted and nobody tried to stop them. He had their backs. There were girls that they grabbed like they grabbed me who fought back and got suspended and one got expelled until she sued and won the right to come back." Listening close by, Riley looked at Graham who was thinking hard about something. He shook his head and excused himself, telling her, "I have to talk with Kennedy Pena. I don't like what I am hearing." Riley asked what was really bothering him. Graham sighed and admitted, "This new contract with my firm is for developing a neighborhood. The school is the same school Diego went to, and the developer is the principal's brother-in-law. Something smells rotten about all of this. She needs to know, this is her kind of situation. I might have what she needs for her case." Riley got the boys to eat breakfast while Graham spoke with Kennedy. He explained what he heard and waited as Kennedy sighed and explained to him, "You really do have the other half of the puzzle. This just went from an isolated incident to a systemic abuse of power to a case of larceny and fraud." Graham told her firmly, "I put it into my contract that all documentation was done in good faith and signed a nondisclosure agreement. But that same contract included a legality clause where the NDA was null and void if any kind of illegal activity is suspected on my part enabling all documentation to be turned over to the proper authorities." Graham thought about something and asked, "The way he talked about this situation, it sounded like someone in the law enforcement community is involved. I have the financial data with me and it may also have the names that you can cross reference against known police and DA's office employees. It's a long shot but it could explain a lot." Kennedy cheered loudly, adding a firm, "I could kiss you for that! Yes please give us that information, we have several suspects known but this will nail the bastards hard." Graham grinned and said he'd drive over the information immediately, getting a happy smile from Riley. Graham explained to the boys, "Something has come up with work that I need to take care of right away. It's extremely important so I'll take you to Diego's house." Kyle asked where he was going, getting a terse, "That's not important, I'd rather that you didn't know." Diego was no fool and told them, "They heard what I told you. He's going to talk with someone about it." Graham nodded, adding, "There's more to it than that, who I am talking to is already working against the people who hurt you- all of them." The three were dropped off with Diego being told that Eric was going to visit Reed Pena. The boys joined him, with Kyle and Oscar wanting to watch the two teens spar with Michael Finn and George Daniels. Diego didn't really care, he just wanted to get out of the house and relieve some of the tension from that morning's accidental disclosure. Eric drove in and the boys had to hold back their laughter as Graham's car was at the Pena home. Eric shook his head, telling them, "Don't bug him. If he's here then something big is going on. Just do what we were going to do and leave it be." The four went inside and got Reed, who took them over to the Finn home where there was more room. Graham noticed the boys and shook his head, telling them, "Don't even ask." Oscar shot back, "Eric already told us not to so you don't have to tell us again." Kennedy kept eyeing Diego. When the boys left she asked Graham, "How was he last night? Did he have any trouble with the other two?" Graham snorted and told her firmly, "Those boys surprised us. There was one hiccup which led to what brought me here but otherwise, they were fine. I don't blame him for it either, Kyle forgot to lock the door so he accidentally showed Diego everything. Diego didn't get any scream or snide remark, just mutual embarrassment." She admitted to him, "He was telling the truth about what happened. We have the rescinded arrest warrant and it states that he assaulted the boys after accusing them of fondling him. We also have evidence that there was collusion from the fathers of the boys. The only missing piece was the direct connection between them and you have just given us that." Graham was unsure how he could help beyond giving her the documents. She smirked, telling him, "Keep meeting with him. This is an illegal deal as he has sold off properties that he doesn't actually own. As a twist of fate, the one with the biggest piece of property second only to the school is Pablo Rodriguez, a property that now goes to his next of kin since he is going to be in prison for a while- Stephanie and Raul Rodriguez." He grinned again. He surmised, "He will send his goons to go after the kids and get them to sell. If he can't get what he wants he will try to have it seized by the DA's office through the ADA or somebody close to the ADA. And if that fails he will just burn it down because it'll be worthless then. It would be genius if it wasn't completely criminal." The boys talked further about what was going on as Reed listened in on both Graham and Kennedy's discussions before they had gotten there. The accounting whiz actually worked on the files before Eric came so he knew something was up but added:, "Someone is building a new development in Worcester that involves a school called 'George Bancroft Middle School' and seems to be doing a lot of shady deals to get it. It sounds like your dad might have given mom the missing piece to finally nail them." Diego's face went white as he told Reed, "That's my old school. Are you saying that someone was doing something illegal to get the school and they were also involved with the people who got the boys who groped me off?" Reed's face went red with anger as he added:, "If they were those bastards are going to burn for that! Mom won't let them get away with it, none of her staff will!" The boys kept to themselves was they awaited George. He dragged his little brother T.J. along with him, telling him loudly, "Go, you wanted to play with DJ so now's your chance." He turned to Eric and complained, "He is acting too much like that Liam Byrne kid in the daycare If he doesn't stop dad is going to have to take him out of it and find another one." T.J. scowled at his brother and swore, causing George to calmly tell Melanie that she can discipline him because he couldn't do it anymore. Melanie let it go, it wasn't worth the fight and she knew T.J. wasn't going to cause trouble at the house. DJ told his buddy, "Mommy is getting mad at you so don't make trouble" which caused T.J. to laugh while Melanie shot a loud, "Listen to him" causing the two to run in and George and the guys to shook their heads at his act. The tweens and teens were at it for an hour before the two three-year-old boys came out. T.J. asked who Diego was and why he was there. He got a terse, "He's Eric's brother" from Kyle who wasn't in the mood for T.J.'s usual antics. T.J. asked him, "Oh good, a real boy and not another boy who thinks he's a girl." Oscar and Kyle were going to say something but Diego told him, "What do you have against them anyway? What did they ever do to you?" T.J. just grinned and said, "Liam say they are freaks and we should stay away from them. They said they will never be real girls no matter if they get their weeny cut off or not." DJ gasped at what his friend said. Melanie was going to say something but Diego held her back. Diego told him firmly, "Who told him that?" T.J. spouted out, "His grandpa said so. He said we should stay away from Jaimie and the others because they are dangerous to us." Melanie asked who said that to which T.J. gave her the names. DJ nodded, adding, "They say that all the time but not when you or Aunts Tanya or Lupe or Leslie are around. T.J. thinks they are smart but he thinks babies come from eggs like chickens I know they come from a mommy's tummy." Melanie hugged Diego for what he did, telling him softly, "Thank you. You just saved us from a lot of trouble." Diego just shrugged, adding, "It was the same stuff my mother said about us, he just wants to believe them because they appear smarter than him. Hopefully, you get rid of that Liam kid so there's no damage to your school." Kyle and Oscar were silent but understood that it was something he had learned before. Diego told them, "Mom hated dad for being gay, it's not much different than that. She was a big reason why I never had any friends, nobody wanted to be friends with the girl who had hate filled parents. Didn't matter that I was a tomboy to the girls, they just didn't like mom." Reed and the others finished their sparring and told the three younger boys to get ready. The two started stretching and told Diego to do the same, he'd need to be limber to do what they were going to learn to do. He happily joined in, with DJ grinning at them for doing it. The boys were soon observed by an eager Polly who watched from the back porch. Dorothy joined her and felt good that Diego was enjoying himself with the two boys. She told Polly, "He has never looked happier. He's no longer the only teen who is an only child." Eric was showing that he was a good older brother and happily teaching Diego what to do and how to do it. The four focused on self-defense with all three picking it up quickly. They had more power than they thought but quick actions by the trio stopped the three from hurting them. Polly was getting excited watching them. Dorothy hugged her and kissed her head, telling her warmly, "He is handsome but calm down. You don't want to upset him by doing things too quickly. Besides, his brother won't let you two get too close." The guys called it a day with DJ grinning and hugging Diego. T.J. was upset and apologized to Diego, he sighed and told him, "You are around a lot of people who are not going to be liked by others and your dad won't let you say bad things about them. You don't have to like us but at least try to be good to us." T.J. looked to DJ who just shrugged. Melanie led the boys inside and told T.J., "You don't know who is like the people your supposed friends say are bad people. Jaimie, Kylie, Reyna, Deborah, Katie, Amanda, Trinity, Addison, Nichole, Kennedy, and Al are all like Diego. He's the only girl becoming a boy but he is still one of those people Liam's grandpa doesn't like. I know you like them, you know them better than those boys ever will. So how are they bad people if you like them and want to play with them while Liam's grandpa will never know any of them?" T.J. had to think about it for a while. Melanie silently thanked Diego for starting him down that path of thinking while DJ asked:, "Is he really a girl?" Melanie smiled and told him, "No more than Jaimie is a boy. Just because he has girl parts doesn't make him a girl. He's becoming a boy but he is all boy in his mind and soul. He is also the nicest boy you will ever meet, he would have to be to want you to know that you are a good boy for protecting your cousins from Liam's bad words." Diego and the guys went inside and killed time before they were supposed to go home. Miles Finn came in and told the seven, "Aunt Kennedy is working her tail off talking with people. Whatever it is that is happening is huge, something about people going after landowners and bribing people!" Diego clammed up. Miles shook his head, telling him sharply, "It's not your fault. These bastards are doing something extremely wrong and you were just a pawn. Everyone involved is getting hit hard, you only gave Aunt Kennedy fuel to go after them. You told the truth about what happened, mom and Aunt Kennedy did their job protecting your rights, now it's up to Uncle Graham to get them to say something that gets them sent to prison." That last part shocked Oscar who asked, "What can dad do? He's just a consultant." Miles shot back, "He is also the guy who is working on the deal to buy the school and land near it. Apparently, the hill is a pretty hot commodity and your dad is helping facilitate the development of the new houses and condos with the city and banks supplying money to the developer. The problem is the school is in the way and Diego's old house is one of the last property that they need to buy." Diego nodded, adding, "Pablo didn't want to sell the house. He thought he could get a higher offer the closer they got to the deadline to start building. The city won't buy it out from under him because they don't have reason to get involved." Miles shook his head, telling him, "That will change. The city will go after it now that Pablo is going to prison. But the thing about that is Pablo no longer owns it, Aunt Alice is going to be asked to seek damages from him for back child support making the house get held up in court which makes the deal stagnate allowing Aunt Kennedy to swoop in and stop them." The boys talked for a bit until Eric noticed the time and told them they had to get ready. Graham was waiting for Oscar and Kyle so Eric drove in with Diego. Diego was nervous but held his cool, letting Eric tell him that it was just the movies, not the prom so he didn't have to look like a penguin or expect a fancy meal- just a light dinner and a movie. Diego came down dressed in slacks and a polo shirt. Eric shook his head but it was the best he could do with Diego's nervousness. The two drove over to Jessica's house to pick her up, prompting Diego to become nervous as he saw the huge Scott Nelson looming over Eric. Eric just grunted and told him, "Not the time, Scott. He doesn't need any more anxiety attacks." Jessica elbowed Scott forcing him back while his parents Greta and Quentin told him to get back inside or they would ensure that he spent the weekend washing all of the parents' cars with his toothbrush. In the car, Eric explained, "Scott is not happy that Stacy canceled his date so she could help work on a Science Club event with Claire and Christina. The guys spend half the time leering at them and the other half doing everything she says. He could have gone with her to help but he chose not to since he would get stuck acting as a pack mule for her." The trio next stopped to pick up Polly and upon seeing her Diego's eyes went wide. Polly was wearing a loose knee length skirt and leggings with a light peasant blouse. She had her shoulder length hair down and brushed out, framing her face and accentuating her earrings and necklace. Diego's only words were, "Beautiful" causing Polly to blush. Dorothy explained to both, "Keep things decent. You two may have borderline adult bodies but you are still kids inside. No kissing during the movie. You can hold hands but nothing more. Do not move them off the arm rests and especially no fondling. I know you aren't going to try anything but I have to explain it or I wouldn't be doing my job as a parent. Now go enjoy yourselves." Polly hugged her while Diego remained silent. Polly practically dragged him to the car with Diego trying hard not to upset Dorothy by saying or doing the wrong thing. Eric calmly told her, "We'll keep an eye on them but he won't be a problem and I think she is more nervous than she lets on. She will be lucky to muster up the nerve to kiss him never mind fondle him." Jessica drove now with Diego all but sitting on his hands while Polly looked out the window in a dream state. They drove up to Danvers to the mall and movie theater complex. The others were already there and upon seeing the two looking more dapper than the others caused the others to feel underdressed. Alice had to fight her smile as Polly was dragging Diego around. He, in turn, was doing his best to not complain but he wasn't comfortable. The poor girl was making him out to be a living doll the way she walked him around. Alice left them with words of warning, telling them firmly, "Same rules as the other times. Don't act up and don't expect the boys to do everything for you. You all have your money but don't spend it all. Zeke will drive you home so be on your best behavior for him." Eric got the tickets while the others went to get their candy, popcorn, and sodas. Diego only had a few dollars and felt horrible that he couldn't get anything but Polly told him, "I have enough money so you don't have to pay anything. Aunt Greta is a whiz at investing and I saved up my allowance for just an occasion." Diego shot back a terse, "The guys are supposed to pay" to which Polly retorted, "Says who? Some guy years ago who wanted to put women in their place?" Diego tried to argue but she was right. Plus he didn't have any money anyway. Eric realized his mistake and told him, "Pop forgot to give you your money, didn't he? Dad and he have a small fund from pop's pay for us to use but I never use it. Besides, Polly is focused on changing things so let her have this little thing, it means a lot to her." Diego sighed and told Polly, "I'm sorry. I just wanted to do things as they are supposed to be but I didn't think about how it would impact you. I just never pictured a girl would pay for my things when I went on a date. I didn't think I would go on a date at all." Polly kissed his cheek and smiled, telling him, "Apology accepted. Now you know that I'm a modern girl you don't have to go overboard trying to be a guy that you aren't. Besides, mom said you didn't have any money yet because your dad and father were so busy they forgot about it. It's not their fault, they are working hard on something on your behalf but nobody knows what it is." The group went inside and sat among the theater but within eyesight of Jessica and Eric. Jessica was nuzzled into his shoulder throughout while he had his arm around her. Kyle, Oscar, Trina, and Stephanie did the same with Amy, Al, Stephanie, and Trina having their heads on their significant others shoulder. Diego didn't move his arm and barely moved his hand. The only movement that Eric saw was flinching as Polly grabbed his hand and interlaced their fingers then put her head on his shoulder. The group barely did anything during the movie, they just watched and laughed but otherwise weren't into it. Eric told them, "Next time, I pick the movie. This one was too much hype and not enough comedy. Amy complained, "Donald was the one who picked it. He said it would be good for us." Eric realized what he did. Donald was wise to Polly's antics and didn't want something too romantic, too raunchy, or too funny, just something they could all enjoy even if it was lame. Eric had to hand it to the guy, he had a way of being the perennial big brother to the girls without actually being there. It was no wonder he got along well with Reed and Miles, he was a good judge of what needed to be done. The group walked over to the food court and got their meals, going to separate tables but within easy reach of one another. Polly talked Diego up and kept him interested while Diego tried his best to keep up with her topics. She thought he was being sweet but that wasn't the truth. He didn't really have much to add as he wasn't up for much of anything. His former mother was too lazy to pay for internet access and them being too far away from the neighbors' wireless so he had very slow internet. What's worse was his iPad was an old, nearly broken model that barely worked but was good for schoolwork but not much else, making him rely on books and the TV for entertainment. Polly sensed that something was going on and asked him if he was alright. Diego confessed, "I really have nothing to add to what you are saying. I never watched any of those live streams and never played any of those games. I wish I had more to contribute but it's just nodding and saying 'OK'. All that sounds good but it's just nothing that I understand." He got up to go to the bathroom but Polly tried to stop him. Jessica put her hand on hers and indicated to let him go. Kyle and Oscar followed behind with the girls getting the hint and going to the bathroom as well. Diego had a long wait as there were a few guys ahead who needed to use the stalls. Diego muttered a grumpy, "What I wouldn't give for funnel and hose" as he anxiously awaited his turn. Kyle added a harsh, "Remind us never to complain about the girls taking forever in the bathrooms" which got a grin from Diego as they understood his plight. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime Diego was able to do his business with the boys now having to go getting him to say, "Sorry" while Eric added, "They needed the potty break anyway." The two glared at him but he added:, "Use the bathroom because the girls are going to want to walk around and we won't be down this end again." The boy went quickly as Diego walked out shaking his head. Stephanie asked, "What took so long" getting a harsh, "Had to wait to squat, not my fault I don't have the right equipment." He was going to walk off but Polly held him, hugging him and kissing his cheek, whispering, "We understand, we keep forgetting that even though you are the most handsome boy you still have to endure what we do." Kyle and Oscar let out a simultaneous, "Hey!" that Al and Amy countered with, "It's true" making boys glare at them. Trina and Stephanie wisely kept to themselves, it wasn't their place to say something and they didn't want to make their cousin any more upset after Stephanie's flub. Both wanted it to end because Stephanie was visibly shaken for causing the friction. Jessica smoothed things over as they walked on. The boys went one way while the girls went another. Kyle joked about them buying a bunch of things they won't need to which Diego added:, "I never got why they needed multiple skirts, pants, and capris just to go with a couple of blouses that won't get worn for months." Eric sagely told them, "They need to color coordinate, they have a lot of flexibility in what they wear with what and when it is worn." The younger boys looked at him in shock. Eric was the one they would least expect to know girls' fashions let alone talk about it. Eric grinned and told them, "I've been dating Jessica for three and a half years, she is a power shopper. Plus she explained that to me way back when I stupidly joked that she had too many clothes. She made sure I regretted making the comment but the lesson stuck with me. It's wise to consider it too since you can get a girl just about anything if you think first." Diego grunted, "No thank you. You didn't have to wear that stuff, I did. I hated skirts and dresses, I hate having my crotch feel exposed. And leggings are useless in blowing the wind, jeans are the best but of course Sierra and Pablo wouldn't let me wear them because they weren't 'ladylike.'" The guys just nodded, not making mention of it further. They walked along looking in at the sporting goods store and seeing some jerseys that Diego liked. He gravitated towards a Miguel Toro Red Sox jersey which caused a snicker from the boys while Eric added:, "You can get a better one from the man himself, it won't be game-used but it'll be direct from the team." Diego asked how they know this, getting a grin and quick, "He won't let us pay for something he can get for free especially for someone who is deserving of one. Besides, the team's jersey is better quality than these. We all have one from different players and he will happily take you to a game when the new season comes." Eric looked for some new shoes for track, not liking what they had at the prices they were asking. His former job at the sporting goods store used to give him a perk of paying next to nothing for his shoes but when the store went belly up before the start of summer he had to make due with the lesser stuff. He had a keen eye for the merchandise and couldn't see anything worth getting, ushering them along to another store. Diego asked what he was looking for, getting a grin and quick, "Track shoes. They have crappy quality ones. I might have to go to the outlets to get a good pair." Diego asked why he needed track shoes, getting a groan from the boys as they said:, "We are not going running with you anymore." Eric just grinned and explained, "Reed, Miles, George, Donald, and I are on the indoor track team. These two don't like to run unless it's to get away from an angry Daisy and Hannah but we have no problem running for fun, especially around Navy Hill." Diego understood and was happy to join them even if the other boys weren't. He was used to running away from people, especially the dogs who lived near his house who were let loose to roam the woods. Running felt good, even if he hated feeling his nipples chafe and his unwanted breasts jiggle. The boys walked around for another hour before meeting up with the girls again. Eric teased Jessica, saying, "You didn't buy half the store this time." She shot back, "This is just the latest batch, everything else is already in the car. Unfortunately, you will have to ride home strapped to the roof because there's no more room left." Eric shook his head in humiliation, she had him beaten. The girls handed their bags over to the guys with Eric carrying most of them. Diego didn't ask what they got, only noting that they had quite a number of different clothes. Zeke Bollinger met them outside. The girls got in while Jessica and the boys loaded Eric's trunk with the bags. Zeke asked, "All for her?" getting a grin from the girls. He caught on what was happening, seeing Diego struggle to put the bags in without tearing the bags. Polly was the first to be dropped off with Diego walking her to the door. She kissed his cheek then pulled him in for a deeper kiss on the lips. He didn't fight it, he wanted to kiss her all night and finally gave in to his urges. Polly gasped for air when the broke the kiss. Dorothy wasn't sure if she should scold Polly or feel happy for her, but she kept silent. Polly walked inside smiling brightly as her cousins and their friends tried to figure out what was going on while Dorothy kept quiet, thinking about Polly's becoming more outgoing and caring around Diego. Dorothy asked how the date went. Polly was broken from her thoughts and admitted, "We had a lot of foul-ups but he was a perfect gentleman. I just wish he wasn't so timid around me." Dorothy sat her down and asked, "Did you want him to go further?" Polly blushed and nodded to which Dorothy told her, "He isn't ready yet. You are still only 13 and he's just about to turn 13. He is afraid of doing something to scare you away and afraid of doing something that would upset his brother and parents. He wanted to do the same with you but he held back for your sake." The six guests asked one another what was going on. Addison Carter told the five 18 and 19-year-old ladies, "Diego is taking things slower than Polly wants. She is feeling like she isn't what he wants. He is scared of pushing her away by going too fast and that he isn't man enough for her. It's why most of us have trouble finding love, we don't feel man or woman enough for 'real' men and women." The nearly 20-year-old transgender woman had gotten it right without asking Diego a thing. Carmen softly asked, "Is that why you won't ask me out?" which caused Addison to nearly choke on her drink as the other ladies grinned widely at her. She had developed feelings for Addison over the three months that they had been living together but hadn't gotten any kind of reaction from Addison. Addison sighed and told her firmly, "I like you a lot but you deserve a real man or women, not some fake." Carmen just smiled and kissed her deeply, lovingly telling her, "That's for me to decide, not you. It's my love life and if I like you and want your children then so be it." Polly and Dorothy overheard the little commotion and were both gasping from the shock and cuteness of the scene. Polly quietly told her mother, "I understand now. He needs time and support, he isn't going to jump into bed with me just because I show him that I like him." Dorothy sat down between Carmen and Addison and told both firmly, "I expect you two to do the right thing and not end up in a delicate situation. There are options which I hope you are able to utilize. We would be remiss to not make you put away semen for the future so you don't have to rush into sex and being parents. As much as I'd love to be a great-aunt, I would prefer not to be one until after both you and Carmen graduate." She hugged both then told them, "But should you be blessed, you have my support. You make a nice bit of money and have a lovely apartment, perfect for a family in the future. Just be careful if, possible. You two do make a lovely couple and I am proud of the woman that you are becoming, especially your affect on these six girls." Polly hugged them as well, apologizing for making them uncomfortable. Addison hugged her back, kissing her forehead and telling her warmly, "It wasn't' your fault. I should have picked up her signals long ago. I like her a lot and just wanted her to be happy." Carmen kissed Addison causing her to blush deeply and gasp for air. Dorothy couldn't believe that her broken family had becoming something her relatives would never allow in just seven short months. She had to thank Diego for all of this, even if he wouldn't accept it he deserved to know. A couple of blocks away, Eric stopped the car in front of the Nelson home. Scott came out to help bring in the bags but only two were actually Jessica's. He groaned and told Eric, "She pulled a fast one on you. Those are for your brother, not her or the girls." Diego looked at Jessica who quickly went inside, sporting a huge smile. Scott shook his head, then admitted, "That smells like the work of Jaimie, Stacy, and Rebecca with Reyna, Iris, and Rachel pitching in. I thought it was a little too convenient that Rebecca, Thomas, Jaimie, and Rick weren't there today." The two drove home with Diego asking, "Why did they do that?" Eric sighed and confessed, "Because you needed clothes and they had the money to spend. They all have a lot of money, only Francesca, Benny, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, and Uncle John have more money. It was probably Jaimie's idea and the girls all pitched in. They want you to have what you need and you needed those things." He steeled himself for the inevitable critique as they saw their fathers. Alex asked if they had a good time while Ricardo asked it the girls behaved themselves. Eric assured both, "There was only one minor thing but it was not our fault. They need better bathrooms." The two brought the bags inside while Diego was told to sit down and relax. The three examined the clothes and shook their heads at what the girls got. The little devils got him everything he'd need in a size larger than he needed to hide his curves but still tight enough to only need a belt. They even found him shoes that were a half-size larger and matched the majority of the jeans they bought. They had several pairs of boxers and a second compression vest, something Scott had to have slipped inside the bag when they dropped off Jessica. Eric groaned, telling his fathers, "The little weasel played innocent but he put that in the bag!" Ricardo laughed, while Alex added, "He tried to make it seem like it was only the girls for Diego's sake. You didn't honestly expect him to not help out, did you?' Eric tried to look angry but he knew his friends were caring enough to do something sneaky for the benefit of someone. Ricardo just grinned and put the clothes away while Eric went back downstairs to watch the basketball game with Diego. Diego simply asked, "He was in on it, wasn't he?" Eric grinned and added, "The only ones who weren't are your friends and I. I love my friends but that was just plain sneaky. At leas you know that they care about you, all of them have adopted you as their little cousin. Just be careful around Hannah, she's a volcano if you anger her." Eric explained about Hannah Smith's protective nature and how she was the de-facto head of the teens, similar to Al being the leader of the tweens and Hannah's sister Nichole the leader of the elementary school kids. Diego mistakenly asked how many there were, getting a quick, "Eight in daycare, six in the early learning center, seven in the elementary complex including Kyle's sister Margaret, you eight at the middle school, and 26 of us at the high school. And no, I'm not kidding." Diego bowed his head in shame. Eric spouted off names with many he recognized. Eric added, "14 seniors, Reed is a junior, nine sophomores, and Avery and Raul are freshmen. Oh and I should mention the college people, that's Polly's and Avery's cousins plus Addison, Deborah, Paige, Hannah, Bryan, and Pete. I guess you could add in Patrick but he is close to his master's degree which he should get next December." Diego again was shocked, but Eric grinned and pointed out, "Addison, Zoe, Sela, and Isobel are friends with Carmen and Juanita, Polly's cousins, so you will see them whenever they are around. It's a lot of people but that's just simply because the family has evolved a lot over the years. You are the newest member, but won't be that way for long once Walter and little Jasmine are born. Don't ask how I know that that Jasmine will be a girl because Sam will kill me for telling you." Diego started to get tired so he went up to his room to inspect the damage. He found his dresser filled with clothes and underwear and a fresh compression vest hanging in the closet. He unbound his chest and felt the relief, happy to let his chest feel free but hating that his breasts jiggled. He looked over the shirts and pants and was happy that they weren't all polo and button down shirts. They were all larger than his size, but that looseness was appreciated as he tried on several and even with the vest off his breasts weren't visible. He tried on the winter coat and sweatshirts. Both were larger than necessary but he was happy that they weren't too huge or tight. He knew enough about weather to know that tight jackets were good but the jacket was a nice quality one that actually was warmer than any jacket he had ever had before. He was surprised to find a laptop and iPad sitting on the desk. With them was a note that said, "Under orders from Uncle John to get you these. It's all arranged so you never have to worry about missing work or not having what the others have. Aunt Gabby will set it up for you to keep you from looking around online where you shouldn't be and picking up something nasty." He immediately went downstairs and asked about the note. Eric cringed but confessed, "Uncle John did that for all of us. He owns all of our phones, laptops, and iPads. Your phone should be there too, with the girls' numbers programmed in it along with dad's and pop's numbers. It's important and he wanted you to feel like you are part of us without getting too involved. Just accept it and thank him when you see him next time."