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Chapter 1 Juan Perez was trying to take a vacation but he didn't really fancy himself as a vacation person. He reluctantly went to New York for a couple of days to try to relax but it was the same as Chicago to him. He listened to recommendations for what to visit and finally agreed on a visit to Yankee Stadium to appease a colleague. The visit was as expected. He was there early and wasn't too thrilled but took lots of pictures for his colleague. When he left, he saw something scary- a little boy, barely older than 5, all alone wandering the street and nearly getting hit by several cars. Juan called the police for help, someone needed to do something. He noticed the kid had no jacket and no shoes and immediately put his thick coat over him to warm him up. The kid latched onto him, not letting him go as he tried to thank Juan for the kindness. The officers who arrived took his statement but had trouble with the boy. Juan managed to talk to him and assure him he wasn't in trouble, gleaning information from him about who he was and where he lived. The boy refused to leave Juan's side and even had a meltdown as social services tried to talk with him without Juan. Seeing little choice in the matter, the assigned social worker asked Juan to help. Juan agreed, giving the boy a chance to speak freely. He was simply all alone, his grandparents had gone out for the day and left him to do as he pleased. He locked himself out of his apartment with no key, he was stranded outside as he tried to look for a warm place to stop until his grandparents returned. The social worker asked if he had and close relatives. The little boy nodded but admitted, "Abuelo and Abuela don't like them. They hate Tio for not listening to them." Juan asked if he knew the name of his uncle and where he lived, getting a name and a shock. The name wasn't familiar, but the city was extremely familiar to Juan. Juan realized that he could do more to help the boy than anyone and asked to be allowed to make a couple of phone calls to help the boy. The social worker wasn't thrilled about that as the boy was visibly shaken. Juan smiled and told both, "I'm from the city that your uncle lives My uncle knows a lot of people and he will be able to get in contact with your uncle faster than anyone else could." Juan steeled himself then dialed his uncle, Jorge Castillo. Jorge answered cheerfully to which Juan admitted, "I wouldn't call unless I needed your help, well this is extremely important. I need you to find a man by the name of Daniel Lopez." Juan waited as Jorge asked, "Do you know the name of his parents?" Juan asked the boy who told him firmly, "Abuelo's name is Jesus and Abuela's name is Maria." Juan parroted the name to Jorge who was heard parroting the name to someone else. Jorge was swift and told him, "Expect a phone call immediately from Dan. He is upset about you asking about his parents and demands an answer." Juan hung up and immediately his phone rang. Dan Lopez was doing exactly as Jorge said, demanding to know why he was being asked about his grandparents. Juan calmly explained, "I found a little boy wandering the street in the Bronx and got stuck with him latching on to me. He wouldn't tell who he was or what was going on unless I was beside him. He said his grandparents were out for the day but made no mention of his parents. He was asked about other relatives and named you and your city. I figured my uncle might be able to help find you so the boy has someone to stay with as I doubt very much he will be allowed back with his grandparents." Dan gave him his contact information for social services to check into him and told him he'd be down there that afternoon. Juan hung up and told the social worker, "His uncle is en-route here. He gave me the contact information for you to look into him. Before you ask, my uncle is a fixture in the city and would have been able to find him in a matter of minutes where you would take hours if not days." The social worker called Dan, who informed them, "I am heading down immediately. I assume that the boy is my brother Hector's son. Unfortunately, Hector is deceased." They took his statement and reiterated that the boy was not being allowed back with his grandparents so he was the only option to which Dan sighed and added, "I'll do whatever is necessary to get him away from them and am prepared to fight for him if need be. I don't want them to have him again." Dan's information was immediately put into the law enforcement database and came up with no arrests or even parking tickets but did show a background check and a clean record of employment with the Winnisimmet Reserve Police. The little boy was smiling at hearing that, Juan chuckled, then joked, "With a record like that next it'll say he is a Finn." The social worker decided to check on Google to see what he was really like just in case his work history wasn't the whole story about the guy. Juan watched as Dan's smiling face was beside his younger daughter for winning awards for track and field and volleyball. Others had him smiling at his elder daughter's scientific achievements. The boy shed a tear, Juan and the social worker caught it but the boy looked happy to see those things online. It took Dan four hours but he and his wife arrived in the Bronx. Dan showed his identifications as did his wife Melanie and were briefed on what happened and why. The boy looked at both and smiled, for some reason to him this was making him happy. Dan was outraged and had to walk away for a bit while Melanie took over. She heard what happened and offered to take him in while they settled things with her in-laws. She explained her work and Dan's and their support base, getting a laugh from Juan who unintentionally added, "You make it sound like you are part of the Finns." Melanie just grinned and shot back, "My brother-in-law is John Finn, I've known him since we were kids." Juan's face went white as mumbled, "Your mother and father-in-law are toast, Lilly Peterson told me nobody who harms members of your family is able to get away with it." Melanie grinned and told the social worker, "He's not kidding." Melanie then added, "Lilly just happens to be my sister. Jorge will be pleased to know that you have again shown you are better than your relatives, well maybe his three kids." She knew that last part was going to hit hard but he just smiled and added, "It figures, he adopts one and he has to do it for more. As long as they are good people Uncle Jorge knows best." Melanie figured the social worker was a bit put off so she explained, "We have two full-time city police officers, a state trooper, three ATF agents, a deputy sheriff, and four reserve police officers in our family. That's in addition to three social workers, two nurses, three doctors, five full-time teachers, and four preschool teachers. We know how to handle his situation as we have had multiple abused children come into our lives and find loving homes, his being with Dan is no different than my future son-in-law's nor my niece's situation." It was settled. The little boy was going to be allowed to go with them while his grandparents were arrested for neglect. Melanie noticed something then told them, "He needs to go to the hospital for an examination, he has multiple bruises on his upper arms and shoulders that are suspicious." The social worker thought she was joking to which she moved his sleeve to show the marks. The boy started to cry as Dan let out a loud, angry yell. He knelt down and told him warmly, "You don't have to ever see them again, you are safe with us." Juan grinned and told them, "I think in the best interests of the little boy he goes with his aunt and uncle. Yes, they may live in Massachusetts but given that you are aware of the support network that he has it's in the best interest of the child to allow him to go with them. He needs people who know him and understand him, not just a bed to sleep in." The boy latched onto Melanie making his feelings known. The social worker relented, but stated, "Until his grandparents are in custody he isn't to leave the state." Dan and Melanie agreed, with Juan being allowed to finally go. Juan's phone rang with his uncle calling to check up on things. Juan told him what was going on to which Jorge sighed and added what was going to happen next. Juan grinned, he figured they would mobilize to help the boy. Melanie, Dan, and the boy drove over with the social worker to document the injuries. The boy was silent, but Melanie handled him perfectly as Dan waited outside. There were multiple bruises that were several days old and some that looked to be weeks old but no permanent scars and no broken bones. The doctor complained that the boy had no medical history so this was, in fact, his first checkup which caused the social worker to agree that this was beyond simple neglect and was criminal negligence. After a half hour, they were free to leave and checked into a hotel. Melanie's phone started to ring nonstop as she explained what was going on to her parents, sisters, and her daughters. They were fine with the two staying a couple of days, they simply needed reassurance that the little one was fine now. Dan sat his nephew down and asked his name, as he never told anyone except the doctor what it was up until that point. He softly replied, "Julio". Dan smiled, it was a name his brother loved and always said he'd name his son but never got the chance to. Julio asked what was going on to which Dan explained, "Your grandparents are in a lot of trouble. They left you all alone without a babysitter, they hit you, and they never took you to the doctor. You are old enough for pre-kindergarten but you aren't in school. They will never be allowed to have you again, not if I have anything to do with it. You need a family now and Melanie and I will give it to you." Julio hugged him tightly. Dan hugged him back which Melanie had to smile at. Julio was bringing out the protective father in Dan that hadn't popped up since their son DJ grew out of his loving phase. Melanie first stopped to get him some clothes, happy to spend the money on him to get him what he needed. Dan carried him and used one of JD Finn's old coats to keep him warm which was noticed by the social worker when they first arrived and recorded. They hadn't realized it, but they were showing more care for him than others had so far. Julio was visibly happy to have them treating him normally and had no inkling of being the scared child he had been earlier. Melanie took great pride in sizing Julio's feet. Dan had to rein her in so she didn't buy him multiples of everything, telling her firmly, "We will be able to get him more at home, just get him what he needs for tonight and tomorrow." She reluctantly agreed, getting a coat, shoes, two changes of clothes, and pajamas along with the needed socks and underwear. Julio was happy and didn't fight the need to try on clothes. He happily hugged Melanie causing Dan to have to quell his anger as he silently cursed his parents again. Julio ate dinner silently as they relaxed and talked with friends and family with Julio being shocked and happy that others were calling about his well-being and hoping he was alright now. The elder Lopezes were in trouble and would be facing unwanted questions from both the police and social services throughout the evening. They didn't believe they did anything wrong nor did they feel like they deserved to be questioned. They never once asked about Julio, their only concern was their own lost evening and looking like criminals to their neighbors. The officer assigned to investigate had to hold back angry outbursts multiple times, the two just didn't realize they were in the wrong and Julio was just an innocent boy. It got worse when they started to talk about Julio's actions, making them think that he was another one of those perverted freaks that they told their son to stay away from. The social workers ask about that getting bitter and angry responses. The officer took note of this and made a call to Dan to ask about it, getting a sigh and strong, "Melanie's niece is transgender and they were told about our daughter's friend who at the time was diagnosed as transgender but later found to have a birth defect and female internally. Before you go off on us about allowing our children to be around them, know that Jaimie, my niece and yes she is a girl despite what some claim, is the daughter of a fellow officer, the daughter and granddaughter of lawyers, the niece of a federal agent, niece of a social worker and indirectly related to a social worker through marriage, the first cousin once removed of the chief of police in our city and his wife- the #2 at the Massachusetts Attorney General's office, and the cousin of a state police detective. She is no danger to him and is a top student and dating a man who is destined for law school." Dan waited for a response but knowing that she had overwhelming support from people who would create issues for them the officer let it go. One of the social workers asked about the phone call, to which he told them, "Fact checking. The transgender girl is well connected to all of the right people and no danger to the child and would see the end of your career if she is found to be the reason for not allowing him to stay with his aunt and uncle." Mr. and Mrs. Lopez demanded that Julio get away from them to which the officer happily pointed out, "Your son is his next of kin and without a valid reason, your feelings aside, we have no right to deny your grandson the right to live with him. I see enough evidence to place you two under arrest for abuse, neglect, and endangerment. You still haven't accounted for where you were and who was supposed to take care of little Julio." Mr. Lopez grunted and refused to answer. His wife angrily spat out, "We paid the kid next door to watch him." The officer smiled and announced, "There was nobody home next door and the only people in the building are elderly as it?s an elderly housing building." This caused the two to try to backpedal to which the question was asked again. Mr. Lopez finally admitted, "We left him alone. So what. He's able to fend for himself. If he hurts himself then it's his own damn fault." That was all they needed to hear about that. The social workers asked about the marks on Julio which caused both to state that he did it to himself, that he was clumsy and frequently got hurt. Mrs. Lopez added that he was being put straight, that they wouldn't allow him to become another freak or fag. When asked what they meant she proudly told them, "We let him know what we won't allow and whenever he didn't listen we would show we were serious." There was nothing else to ask so the two were handcuffed and taken to be arraigned the next day. The judge looked at the facts of the case and agreed that Julio was to be removed from their care and be placed with his aunt and uncle. The Lopezes tried to scream he couldn't do that, that he was harming Julio by letting him go with people who would let him become like the freak. getting the judge to demand an answer from the social services representatives. The social worker who actually interviewed Dan and Melanie got up and explained ?their son is related to a young lady who is transgender and who will have contact with their grandson. However, that is of no bearing on the case as this young lady also happens to be a stand-up person with credentials that put some saints to shame. She is a multimillionaire, an honors student, has donated millions of her own money to charities, and whose family is one of the most upstanding in her hometown. The fact that she is transgender is not a reason to deny Julio Lopez's placement. To deny it on those grounds would lead to legal trouble that the court would not want as Mr. Lopez's brother-in-law and multiple other law enforcement officials would see to it that our agency is investigated for violating the rights of Julio and being biased towards transgender people." Thoroughly rebuked, the judge asked for verification. The social worker handed over statements from multiple people including Willie Pena and Kennedy Pena, Mick Jones, Valerie and John Finn, Mark Sylvester, Anne Connors, and Chloe Daniels. All of them were on department letterheads with Valerie's and John?s being Valerie's personal letterhead. The judge read it over and grinned, he was beaten by everyone and had no way of refuting what was going on. He had to remove Julio from his grandparents' care and there was little reason not to place him with his aunt and uncle's care. He loudly stated, "Given that you have shown to be a threat to Julio Lopez, I agree with social services and hereby place Julio in the care of his uncle with the intent on him staying with them permanently. As he has three social workers and various law enforcement officials at the ready to assist if need be I expect him to thrive. The young lady may be a so-called ?freak' but that has no baring on the case so I have no right to deny the placement because of her." Dan and Melanie quietly waited in the back with Julio as the Lopezes were arraigned on the abuse and negligence charges to which the judge happily set a high bail. The two were led away, cursing at Dan and Melanie but neither said a word. The social workers had them sign off and explained what was going on but it was nothing new to Melanie while Dan just listened closely. Julio was led out and allowed to leave the state with the full intent on never returning. Julio was strapped into a new booster seat. He looked surprised but realized he was leaving for good. Melanie smiled and happily told him, "You never have to see your grandparents again, and you are too small to sit in the car without one of these and are too big for DJ's car seat so you need this." Julio happily thanked her and was silent as they drove. He watched the scenery on I95, I91, and the Massachusetts Turnpike eagerly. When they approached the Mystic River Bridge he had his face glued to the window looking out at the river below and had Dan grinning at the sight. Julio was happy which was all that mattered to them. The three finally arrived at the Lopez home with DJ, Stacy, and Rebecca Lopez eagerly awaiting them outside. The girls had to hold back DJ but seeing Julio they unintentionally let him go causing him to run to the three. Julio was unsure what to do but DJ just dragged him inside with the girls following behind. Melanie and Dan shook their heads at their son's display, he was eager and up to something but it was simply fun to him. The girls helped settle Julio into his room as DJ tried to get his parents' attention. They moved out a few of DJ's toys as they cleared the bed, apologizing for the mess but Julio was overwhelmed by the toys. He had his own bed and books and toys, that was more than Julio had which he shed a tear over. The girls grinned and told him DJ would demand that he play with him which caused Julio to ask, "Do I have to dress in a skirt and dress? The girls always made me wear one when I played." The girls thought he was joking but he was in tears as he asked. Rebecca sighed and sat him down, explaining, "Nobody will make you do that. If you want to then we know people who can help you with that but nobody will make you do that. Grandma and Grandpa are terrible people and Dad hated what they did to you but you don't have to do anything like that." Stacy smiled, knelt down, and asked, "Do you like wearing those clothes?" He shook his head, to which she asked, "Why did you wear them?" Julio tearfully explained, "They wouldn't let me play with them unless I was wearing them. They said only people in skirts and dresses could play the games they played. The boys would laugh at me and run away so I could only play with them or sit bored." This explained a lot to them. Stacy happily told him, "That won't happen here. JD needs a friend and you might be just the person. He plays with the girls and they don't make him do that. If you like playing with them, Cat and Willow will let you play too and insist on playing with you anyway since you are neighbors to them." Julio asked who they were getting a smile and soft, "They are our cousins. Cat and JD are twins and Willow is Cat's best friend. JD doesn't have a friend in school yet but he will happily play with you since you two will be around each other so much. Besides, you and he are a lot alike as he played with the girls all the time because there wasn't anyone else to play with." Melanie heard what Julio said and texted it to Mark who agreed that it was a big reason for the abuse by his grandparents. He needed people around him who cared about him and supported him not hurt him for doing something out of desperation for friendship. He also added that she knew JD would help if they asked, which she had figured on asking over dinner. Melanie made her presence known and told the three that they had to go next door for dinner. She had a sly grin to which Rebecca warmly told Julio, "You get to meet Cat and JD" causing him some anxiety but her warm eyes eased his fears. Stacy took his hand and led him out, with Melanie leading the way. Outside, Dan was talking to John and Mark. The two saw Julio and grinned, he looked like a younger version of Dan. John happily told him, "Your brother may be gone but he gave you a big gift in his son, he looks more like you than DJ and the girls." Dan smiled brightly and let it go but loved the idea. Inside, Cat and JD came running for the girls. They saw Julio and stopped, with both asking who he was. Valerie knelt down and explained, "This is Julio and he is staying with your aunt and uncle for a while. He is their nephew and I want you two to be good to him. He needs friends and people who understand him, so please help him out." JD looked at Cat as she started to think. JD took Julio to his room, mumbling, "Girls" as Cat grinned back. The girls snickered, she played her brother perfectly and got the reaction Julio needed. Chapter 2 Up in his room, JD showed Julio his toys and sat down to play. Julio asked what he had to do to play getting an odd look from JD. He told Julio firmly, "You just play, you don't do anything." Julio was about to cry when Miles Finn came in and asked Julio, "Did you ever have to do anything to be get to play with other kids' toys?" Julio nodded and explained, "I had to put on skirts and dresses." JD looked up at his brother who added, "He isn't used to people being nice to him and not expecting others to do something for nothing. Not everyone is nice to kids like you and Cat and Willow." JD saw Julio about to cry and hugged him tightly. Miles walked away, letting them have their bonding moment as JD realized just what was going on. He directed Julio to the toys and lay down with him to play, spending the next hour with the cars and blocks as they built obstacles and raced around the room laughing and smiling at their fun. Downstairs Miles explained, "JD got through to him. He needs more time but JD is starting to show that he doesn't have to do anything to play with him. Give him time to get used to regular boys." They let it go as Cat came back in and was about to say something, prompting them to see he needed a boy, not a girl at that moment. Cat just shook her head and complained that they never let her help. Miles had to kneel down and explain firmly, "He needs JD to help him. The boys and girls he knew treated him badly and made him do things that were humiliating. Would you like it if you had to dress like a boy just to play with them? Or that JD had to dress in your clothes to play with you? That's what happened to him, girls wouldn't play with him unless he dressed like them and the boys refused to go near him." She understood now, trying to apologize. Melanie hugged her tight, telling her happily, "You didn't know and you wanted to do the right thing. But he needed JD for this, he knows you girls and he knows the boys in school and your brother needs him as much as he needs JD." The family sat down to dinner with Cat going upstairs to get the boys. She appeared a few minutes later with a scared Julio, leading him to sit at the table next to the JD and Melanie. He was reluctant to eat but saw JD doing it so he followed his lead. The others saw his timidity and kept quiet. JD was doing his best to be good to Julio and waited for him to finish before going back up to JD's room to play. Cat happily stayed downstairs and helped clean up. JD and Julio played for two hours but both fell asleep on the floor as their energy gave out. Valerie and Melanie didn't have the heart to take Julio home so they simply changed both into pajamas to let them spend the night together. As soon as they were in the bed both cuddled close together, sensing the closeness of one another. Valerie was all smiles as Melanie saw her enjoying their companionship. Both nodded that it was the sweetest they had ever seen JD act and was clearly the two being true friends. Valerie hugged Melanie, thanking her for thinking about JD alongside trying to help Julio, sending a tear down Melanie's face. In the morning Julio stirred causing JD to stir. They looked at one another in their pajamas and realized the adults had changed them. Julio was going to say something but JD explained, "Mommy and Aunt Melanie did it. They didn't want you to think you had done something wrong." The two went downstairs and waited for someone to wake up to make breakfast. Cat came down too and turned on the TV letting them watch while they waited for the others. Cat just grinned as JD and Julio were doing the same things at the same time like Willow and Cat did when they were together. Jaimie finally woke up and saw the three, asking where Julio came from. Cat happily told her, "He's Aunt Melanie's son." Julio said she was wrong but Cat laughed and told him, "That's not what you think. Aunt Melanie treats you like her son and mommy was acting like she was going to adopt you." Jaimie shook her head at Cat's claim, she knew it was inevitable but nobody said anything yet about any adoption. Cat was playing on the word, "Foster mother" and knowing the family's history she didn't believe for a second Julio wasn't going to be their son later on. Jaimie finished their french toast and gave them their plates, telling them not to make a mess while she herself started to eat. JD encouraged Julio which in turn caused Cat to grin at Jaimie who shook her head at the sight. JD really must have been impacted by the little man to do that for him, she didn't need to know what was going on to know he now meant something to JD. After Jaimie finished she ushered the three upstairs to the playroom to allow them to unwind while the others started to awaken. The kids listened with JD telling Julio, "Mommy and daddy are grumpy before they eat and Michael was out late kissing Courtney." Valerie was concerned when she didn't see the boys in the room to which Jaimie told her, "Our guest is upstairs, thanks for telling me Aunt Melanie was hosting him- I thought JD brought in a homeless kid!" Valerie sat her down and carefully explained, "You were out late with Rick the past two nights so you weren't able to hear what was going on. Melanie and Dan are fostering their nephew. He was being abused and neglected by his grandparents and needed their help immediately." Jaimie realized what was going on and asked, "Are they the same ones who hated me and caused them to cut off ties with Aunt Melanie and Uncle Dan?" Valerie nodded then added, "He was also dealing with kids who treated him poorly and made him dress up like a girl to be able to play. He needs friends and support, which JD is showing and fast becoming. You know your brother has no friends outside of school, this is his chance to make one." Jaimie silently went up to her room to think. Valerie could tell she was upset at being left out but also at hearing a kid was hurt for no good reason. She would stew then accept Julio as family, she would also ensure that he felt safe even if he didn't know she was doing so. JD and Julio played with Cat and were unaware at how much time had passed. The two were finally told that it was time to go shopping which caused Julio to grow scared but Valerie happily told him, "You need more clothes, you can't wear the same ones every day. You also need bigger ones, you are growing fast and the ones you have are a bit small for you." JD led him downstairs where Melanie and Dan were waiting. DJ grabbed onto him and happily led him to the car with his own car seat sitting next to Julio's booster seat. DJ was all smiles, telling him, "Big brother" not realizing that he wasn't his brother. Neither Dan nor Melanie had the heart to correct him, with Valerie snickering at DJ taking to Julio so quickly. She added a hearty, "Guess he wanted a big brother like TJ has." Dan just grinned zt that while Melanie told her firmly, "Don't get ahead of yourself, we still have a while to go before it gets to that point. I won't be comfortable calling him my son until those two animals are in prison." JD came out to ask if he could go. Valerie looked at Melanie and grinned, JD wanted to go because Julio was going. They ushered him into his seat with Cat waving at them. Valerie grinned at her cleverness but Jaimie added, "I told him to go, not her. She wanted to go too but only because she thought she could get some more toys from you." The group drove on to their favorite Walmart, Target, and TJ Maxx stores to get Julio a whole new wardrobe. He didn't fight trying on the clothes, he was actually happy to get them. JD was by his side as he changed, showing him what he liked with Julio trying to follow his lead. He agreed with JD about the clothes but not about colors. Julio liked reds, JD liked blues. It made both Melanie and Valerie laugh as they had the same outfits but different colors. The two were closer than they realized with both acting better with each other the more they were around one another. DJ didn't fight them to get toys. Julio stayed clear of that section and DJ shockingly never looked at it, only trying to follow Julio and JD around. Dan had to hold back his pride, his son was starting to mature and act like a grown boy instead of the overgrown toddler under Julio's influence. Shopping took a while but eventually they had two jackets, two pairs of sneakers and boots, several weeks worth of pants, shirts, pajamas, underwear, and socks. Julio tried to say he didn't need all of them but JD whispered, "Mommy knows what you need and Aunt Melanie won't let you do without. They do this for everybody in the family." When they got home, JD helped put the clothes away and help Julio set up his new room to make him comfortable. The two were quiet, playing in Julio's new room while DJ watched silently. The three were actually doing well together with DJ following Julio around trying to do everything he did. Melanie and Dan had a hard time believing that DJ was acting that way because of Julio until they saw him react to his close friend TJ Daniels and his father Mike and mother Chloe. DJ kept on following the two around, almost ignoring TJ until TJ made him pay attention to him with Julio encouraging him to play with his friend. When the four boys split into their age groups Chloe asked pointedly about their behavior. Melanie was honest, explaining, "DJ has been calling Julio his big brother. We think he is jealous of the other kids, especially TJ. Julio isn't used to kids playing with him without humiliating himself first so he doesn't want DJ to change because of him." Chloe was intrigued. She knew the situation but this was different, this was proof that he had suffered due to the abuse. She kept an eye on Julio and saw the change in JD, which she had to admit was good for him as well as helping Julio. Mike wasted little time in saying, "JD found his friend. I just hope it's real and not sympathy." Melanie countered with, "The two haven't been apart since they met." Mike laughed at that, asking, "Did he invite himself over last night?" Dan kept silent until this point but informed both, "They wore themselves out playing. JD and he hit it off right away despite the revelation about what kids did to him. He saw something he liked and kept close to help him, but they are as close as Willow and Cat or TJ and DJ." The two knew they were talking about them so JD quietly admitted, "I like you. You are fun." Julio did not respond, only shedding a tear at hearing that. JD hugged him, telling him, "Mommy said I'd make a friend, you are my friend and my cousin too." As Julio and JD were getting close, Juan had had enough of New York and rented a car to drive to Boston to visit with family. The reception was cold as he defended his uncle for standing with Reed and Kylie Pena, Jorge?s grandchildren by adoption and great-niece and nephew by blood. He was happy to tell them they were not getting a penny of Jorge's will and if need be, he'd ensure that only the three kids got everything with any lawsuits voiding the claim. He was serious about that, he loved Jorge and what he did was done for the right reasons. Penelope Clarence may have been the bad seed in the Castillo family but her kids did not deserve to be shunned and ignored. The fact that one was transgender was beside the point, she had a right to live her life and what Jorge did for them was the biggest act of love anyone could show. Jorge greeted his uncle outside the Castillo apartment. Juan was ushered inside with him getting a big shock as Jorge introduced him to all of the family members he had added in the past two years. He hadn't just adopted Willie Pena, he had gone and adopted Alice Rodriguez and Ricardo Vincent. Juan grinned and asked his uncle, "Did you get hooked on adopting ready- made families?" Jorge laughed and hugged him deeply. He was his favorite nephew for a reason and that was due to being able to make him laugh no matter what. Juan hugged his cousins tight, with Ricardo's husband Alex getting a quick, "Sorry for this insanity but thankfully it's only contained to him." Alex shot back, "We are all a little crazy, we just hide ours better." Kennedy Pena was a bit afraid to hug him as he didn't know her, "Secret" but Jorge bluntly told her, "He doesn't care about what you were." Juan looked at her then grinned, telling her warmly, "He has great taste." He hugged her tight, telling her, "He really did deserve you, no matter what you used to be." The kids came in with Billy Pena running full speed inside followed by an annoyed Kylie and Reed. Reed complained that he was hyper which Kylie added he had caffeinated soda. They stopped talking when they saw Juan, growing scared as they realized he was one of their relatives through Jorge. Jorge happily introduced the three to Juan with Billy trying to put on his cute kid act while Kylie shied away and Reed stood ready to protect them. Jorge sighed and told Reed, "He isn't like his cousins, he is a good person who, thankfully, listened to my parents not my sisters." Reed was still on edge but relaxed a bit. He asked what he was doing there, being told, "I am visiting because I needed a vacation. I really think they are trying to get rid of me so it's probably now a fact- finding trip to see how things are here before I move back. I also wanted to ask your grandfather about something that happened two days ago." Reed relented with Ricardo and the others now interested. Jorge encouraged him to explain, getting him to say, "I had the unfortunate luck of coming across a little boy on the street. He grabbed onto me until he was with his closest relatives, not letting me leave him. I wanted to figure out what was going on since Uncle Jorge was so quick to have his uncle answer me." Reed quickly shot out, "Julio" which the others had no idea what he was talking about but Juan added, "That's the boy's name." Reed shook his head, explaining, "Rebecca said her mom and dad were with their nephew Julio because Uncle Dan's parents mistreated him and left him all alone." Juan asked who Rebecca was, getting back a quick, "Their daughter" from Jorge. Willie added, "That's why Melanie wasn't at the daycare." Kennedy sensed something else was going on, asking Jorge, "Has Mark, Chloe, and Anne been told?" Victoria added a swift, "They knew about it immediately, Melanie had to tell Leslie and Tanya before she left and the kids just couldn't hold back talking about it in front of Chloe and Anne." All of the names started to circulate in Juan's head. Kennedy added, "Anne, Mark, and Chloe work for DCF. Leslie and Tanya co-own the day care with Melanie. Leslie is Mark's wife. The only one not involved seems to be Lilly, but I think it was due to time constraints and the girls being old enough to stay the night alone." The name Lilly caught Juan by surprise. He asked, "Lilly Peterson?" All said, "Yes" with Kennedy adding, "She is Melanie's sister. She?d have kept an eye on the girls and their brother if they were going to be away for more than the night." Juan grinned at that, he hadn't expected to encounter her but it was inevitable as they all connected to each other. Jorge asked where Juan was staying, getting a swift rebuttal of Juan's spending money on a hotel when he had a room sitting unused. He may be at odds with Juan's mother and relatives, but Juan was innocent and showed more backbone in helping Lilly than his relatives showed in their lives. The kids left the adults alone with Reed having to again watch his siblings. Juan watched Kylie closely and saw no trace of masculinity and couldn't help but feel his cousin was a total beast for treating her kids so poorly when they were angels. Jorge caught his glances and grinned, it was exactly as he suspected- Juan was nothing like his family. Lilly popped in with her daughter Daisy and was shocked to see Juan there. Jorge laughed at it, telling her, "He's why Melanie and Dan had to go to New York. He didn't know that you two were related." She nodded, letting Daisy join Kylie while she sat with the adults to talk. Lilly grinned and told Jorge, "He's doing a lot better. JD and he were quick friends and spent the night together while DJ is acting like he is his new brother. The girls have left him alone and he nearly gave Jaimie a heart attack but she understood what was going on better than the others. He isn't likely to meet Scott or Ethan yet, but it might help if he did." Sensing something was up, Juan asked, "Do they have a contingency in place in case his grandparents try to get him back?" Lilly nodded, explaining, "They have to have a valid reason for doing so and given what they are facing it won't hold up. Anne, Chloe, and Mark would fight any attempt to get custody back especially given that Dan has the strongest case for custody being his only willing next of kin." Ricardo grinned and added, "I'll fight them on it. Valerie is too close as are your parents. I am not afraid to go toe to toe with them and if need be I'll file an immediate appeal with the state court here to keep him from being taken back across state lines knowing there is abuse awaiting him." Juan left it at that, sitting while the others talked around him. He enjoyed seeing Jorge acting fatherly towards Willie, Ricardo, and Alice. Lilly caught his grin and knew he was enjoying the sight, she kept quiet as the others talked around them as she awaited Daisy tiring of playing with Kylie and Billy. The time came for the others to leave as an unhappy Eric Vincent dropped off his cousin Stephanie Rodriguez while his brother Diego told her to stop whining. The three saw their grandparents and immediately stopped as Juan tried hard to keep from laughing at the squabbling tweens. It was a sight he was used to seeing but it was more of love than bitter rivalry he grew up enduring. Raul Rodriguez just shook his head at their antics and kept quiet, letting his mother and their fathers deal with the trio. Juan didn't say one word about all of it, he just let them settle themselves while he enjoyed the scene and ensuing punishments. Jorge grinned as they apologized to him and walked out in shame while the grinning Kylie and Daisy fought back laughs and Reed looked on in disappointment at the three forgetting to not act up at their grandparents' house. Once the guests had left, Jorge sat Juan down and explained the situations of Ricardo and Alice, getting a smile and swift, "I don't blame you one bit, they needed a caring parent and it sounds like the kids are doing better with you ensuring discipline." Jorge laughed, Juan added, "Our family may not like it but you two are a great dad and mom to them. It's tough seeing the others acting like selfish brats but those three are good cousins that the others are missing out on knowing." He waited a few minutes then asked about the whole situation, knowing that it was more complex than first thought. Jorge tried his best to sum it up by simply saying, "The kids all became friends then their parents became friends then they started to get close and date and marry. Some needed family, others just needed someone to be there for them through a tough time but all needed one another." Juan let it go but Jorge added, "It's odd and seems complex but it's not really. They simply added on over time as situations came up. Alice was their principal before she became my daughter, Ricardo helped save some of the kids from being taken away by greedy people who only wanted their money before he fell in love with Alex, and Willie was actually friends with Alex and Mike before he fell in love with Kennedy. Heck Willie, John, Melanie, Juan Alvarez, Katie Eliza, and Paul Douglas were all classmates in school before their kids became friends with one another." The more Juan heard, the more he was impressed and the more he wanted to see the family. Jorge grinned at the sight and nodded in agreement, he was going to meet them but when the time was right. Jorge added, "They even got Louis Reagan involved, his own daughters are friends with them as are his cousin's kids and their kids are friends. Your aunts, uncles, and cousins are numerous but they are nothing like those kids and adults. They are the exact opposite of them right down to the need to help others and spread their wealth not stab one another in the back and steal from each other." Juan understood. Jorge let him decompress and settle into his room as Victoria cooked and he fielded phone calls from John, Leslie, and finally Karen Smith. Victoria complained at the rate he was going he'd get one from Roland Finn, it was hyperbole but the meaning was there. Juan's phone rang several times as he was trying to relax. He saw that his own mother was calling him which concerned him. He answered and steeled himself, knowing that she was upset at him being home and not seeing her and more importantly that he was with Jorge in the first place. Juan listened as his mother told him, "You have made a serious mistake. How dare you come home and not see me let alone go see your uncle. I forbid you from seeing him until he gets rid of those pieces of filth! You are forbidden from ever seeing your uncle again!" Juan waited until she stopped. He took in a deep breathe then reiterated what she had just said. When he got her reply he thoroughly went over everything she had told him right down to what she had called Kylie and Reed. Smiling he asked, "And what are you going to do if I refuse? Are you going to send someone to hurt me? Have my cousins break my legs? What are you going to do? You have some nerve! You may be my mother but you ignored me for years. I worked my ass off to get through college and law school while you sit on your fat ass in dad's house. Correction, in MY HOUSE. Dad left it to me, not to you." He took a deep breath to calm himself then added, "You kicked me out of my own home and told me never to return because I was betraying the family by going off to college. Well, I am returning and I am telling you to get the hell out. I have had enough of your bullying. I am 40 years old and am damn proud of what I have done. I don't care who you send after me, but I love Uncle Jorge and he has shown me more love and affection than you ever have. I have actually met his kids and grandchildren and I am proud of all of them. So please threaten me again, follow through on it. You will see just how powerless you really are when going up against people who can and will fight back!" Jorge and Victoria had big smiles on their faces as Juan said all of that. He had finally stood up to his mother and laid down the law- literally. A smile crept across his face as he told his mother, "I'm sending you your official eviction notice on Monday. Be out in two weeks. You have plenty of family around as you have pointed out in the past, it's about damn time you got them to help." Chapter 3 Looking up at the smiling elders Juan apologized for raising his voice to his mother. Jorge shook his head and proudly told him, "That was exactly why I have always cared about you. You are your own man and you tried your hardest to better yourself. She didn't. Your brothers and sisters didn't. It's why I loaned you the money for law school and college and why you paid me back every penny after you graduated. You are more of a man than your relatives ever will be and are why we took in your cousin's kids as family. They can now see that not every Castillo is an egotistical jerk." Jorge let Juan calm down further as Victoria happily told him, "That was something I never thought I'd see. You finally got to show how much of a dad you are to him." Jorge countered with, "His father was a man I loved like a true brother. If he saw what his wife was doing with her life and how his kids turned out, he'd be sick all over again. Juan is his legacy and I am damn proud of him. He is a Perez more than a Castillo, like John he can never be my son but he is a damn fine nephew." Juan turned in early and thought about what he needed to do. He texted his clerk to let her know that he was likely to be fired the following week so she may need to either look for a new job or start to distance herself from him. She texted back a firm, "Partners already have your termination papers in hand, going to pin something on you on Monday." Juan knew that they were making him the scapegoat for their own issues. He had clashed with them for years over their mishandling of multiple major cases, several of which resulted in successful appeals and losses for their firm. He hated to lose his job but he was going to make them pay for firing him. In the morning he told Jorge, "I have to find a new place to live. My bosses are firing me on Monday so it's move here or live with a tarnished reputation back in Chicago." Jorge didn't bat an eye, telling him, "I know of a nice place that was just renovated, I'll have Dan talk with you about it." Jorge grinned and told him firmly, "Talk with Ricardo. He could use you. He's a dad now to a tween and could use the break from being the go-to lawyer. You don't have a track record here so your past can't be exploited and gives you an advantage as they think you are new to the state. Plus with Katie being a teacher, he could use another set of eyes as he helps keep things from going completely bonkers legally. And it will, it's only a matter of time with us." Juan let out a laugh but Jorge added, "I am half serious. The kids have often been in legal trouble that he has helped them get out of. Katie used to help him out a lot but she is a teacher at heart, a job she was born to do and one that she rightfully earned." Juan agreed and called Dan. Dan listened to what he had planned then told him firmly, "She won't take your money, she will insist on taking the minimum amount of money she can take which is $1, she will simply let you pay the taxes for the sale and work with Beverly Bollinger to get it cleared. Jorge will have the details for Beverly and make the initial contact with her." Jorge gave him the number to call with Jorge doing the initial setup so she didn't think it was someone trying to take advantage of the family to get around the laws. Beverly listened and snickered at the house that Dan had in mind, offering a solemn, "Careful of the couple next door. He's perfectly fine but she is a bit of a hothead. My condolences on being her neighbor." Juan asked Jorge what that was about, getting a laugh from Victoria. She had to tell him, "Our great-niece Hannah owns the house with her husband Pete. The are good people but Hannah is hotheaded and I shudder to think what she would do if she ever got upset at you. You may be a lawyer but you have nothing on her logic when she gets angry. She has a quick wit and sharp tongue that breaks down any argument and puts people in their proper place without breaking a sweat." Jorge shook his head then added, "She's just like her father. Everyone knew she'd turn out just like him and she continues to show us right. You went to school with her father, he was Harold Morris Junior." Juan's face went white at hearing that. Looking at them he asked, "What do you mean ?was'?" Jorge sat him down and admitted, "Harold died when Hannah and her brother was babies. He had a heart condition that nobody knew about but when it came about he quickly passed on. His father was little better, he passed the next year as did his mother. The twins are his legacy, Bryan is the spitting image of him and will always be the piece of him that lives on." Juan understood what he meant. He smiled at knowing his best friend growing up had done well for himself, even if he had passed on. Jorge added, "Karen remarried, to an English lord no less. The twins were adopted by him and Karen adopted his daughter then both adopted his nephew when he was orphaned. They have a handsome son and graciously hosted us this past summer at their family estate." Juan started looking at pictures that Victoria brought out. He shed a tear at seeing Bryan but smiled as he could tell Hannah was definitely Harold's daughter. Their spouses were dashing and beautiful, Harold would have been proud of them both for landing two lookers. Looking at one photo she asked, "Who's that lady?" Jorge grinned and said, "That's Lady Ophelia, the man is Lord Bradford. They are the twins' grandparents. It's their home that the wedding was held at. Well the second one, the first one was held up in Endicott at the governor's home." He looked at another one then laughed and told Jorge, "I know that lady! Harold's dad had a picture of her." Jorge nodded, adding, "That's his dad's cousin. She is Harold's last living relative after the twins. She is also married to the twins' grandfather's best friend who also happens to be the Ambassador to the Court of St. James' over in the United Kingdom." Juan nodded, asking, "Harold said his dad's cousin hung out with someone named Finn- any relation to your nephew?" Jorge laughed and added, "Brent Finn, he was John, Karen, Roland, and Leslie's father. And you will also be surprised to know that Louis Reagan was their other friend. Brent wasn't too thrilled with Karen dating Harold but I think he would have happily let them date if he knew just who Harold was related to. It's a funny irony but it worked out in the end. If he actually knew the truth he did a good job of hiding it but I honestly think he would have been fine with the link to his friend." Juan started to see group pictures that were ever growing. Jorge happily pointed out, "That's all of us together. The entire family. All of them interconnected through friendship and marriage both before and after the wedding. The only ones in the family not in the picture are Trinity, Polly, and Diego. Sadly they joined the family after the weddings but there are weddings due in the future so they will join in." The next morning Juan emailed his clerk and told her that he was going to move East once he was terminated that day went through. She called him to ask for an explanation, being told happily, "My uncle has arranged a house and job for me. I am not going to fool around, there's nothing keeping me in Chicago. I'd offer you a place to stay but you and your wife are too entrenched there. You and the little ones are always welcome, but my place is here now." His secretary beamed with pride. He was a great boss and she was going to miss him but she couldn't uproot her family to go with him. Her wife was a secretary in the school system with a nice paycheck and free daycare, it would be hard to leave. She asked about his plans for the firm. Juan was adamant that he not tell her just in case. She could tell from his tone that it was scorched earth for them. He only used that when he was deadly serious and for them to receive it they were in for a huge problem. She sent him everything she had that they were going to use against him on Monday. He laughed at the claims and knew he had a counter to all of them. They never suspected him of being smart enough to keep copies of the originals let alone having them away from the office in a secure location but talking with Lilly over a year before had prompted him to keep things safe just in case. Jorge listened in and was proud of the man for going the extra mile to protect himself. His bosses would regret getting rid of him and in turn, would face their own problems when he was done with them. Juan was fired up and when he was fired up someone always paid the price. After he finished his call, Juan was instructed to eat. The three were quiet as Jorge left things lay and chose not to pry into his personal life, but Juan knew that they were being respectful and were proud of him. The two elders simply let him enjoy his privacy and he thanked them for that. Julio and JD were hard to separate the night before. The two were busy all afternoon playing in JD's room then in Julio's room as DJ insisted on making them play there. They only stopped when it was dinnertime and even then DJ insisted on Julio eating quick so they could play again. TJ worked with them and seemed to get that DJ and Julio were brothers and acted on his best behavior. He followed Julio's lead who in turn followed JD's. The four played quietly, much to the relief of their parents particularly Dan. John asked JD when it was time for bed why he was playing with Julio, hoping he was doing the right thing for the right reasons. JD knew he couldn't lie so he smiled and told his dad, "The other kids were mean to him but I like playing with him because he listens to me. Cat doesn't listen, Willow does what Cat wants. The boys don't like to play with me because they don't want to play with Cat. Julio likes to play with me and I like to play with him.' John smiled and hugged him, telling him lovingly, "They are missing out on you but you made a real friend in Julio. He needs a real friend, and you two are just that- real friends. Don't let Cat force you to do things just because she is your sister, you have a right to say no and with Julio you don't have to go with her plans. He's a good boy, he just needs someone to get to know him." The two hugged with Valerie grinning wide at the sight. Cat, in turn, rolled her eyes as she went to bed in her room. John sighed and asked, "How can two be so close yet so different? They love each other but when one shows affection the other rolls their eyes and grunts." In the morning, Julio was afraid that he was in trouble as nobody woke him up early for church. Dan looked him over and hugged him, telling him firmly, "You don't have to do that anymore. Mom and Dad were wrong to force you to get up at 4:00 to get to mass at 5:00. You aren't going to Hell because you aren't there, you have done nothing to deserve it and there is no way God would punish a little boy for needing to sleep. Your grandparents have a lot to answer to for what they did to you that no amount of scripture can fix- they hurt you physically and left you alone to almost die. No amount of prayers will make up for those actions." Dan led him downstairs to eat, where the girls were already digging in loudly. Dan cleared his throat causing the two to slow down and DJ to laugh at his sisters being so disgusting and for acting like boys. Julio ignored it, he just ate what he was given and waited to be told what to do. Melanie came in and watched as the girls acted up while DJ and Julio ate quietly. DJ followed Julio's lead again, putting his plate into the sink then washing up in the bathroom before changing clothes. When they were upstairs both girls looked at her oddly, asking, "What?" to which Melanie grinned and announced, "Your brother just ate and put his plate in the sink without any prompting, while you two scarfed down your food without a second thought." Stacy shook her head and asked, "What's the big deal?" Rebecca caught on and added, "He's trying to be like Julio." Both looked at Melanie and asked, "Are you going to do it?" Melanie shook her head no, telling them, "It wouldn't be right." The girls didn't believe it and walked away. Dan sat her down and asked if she was against adopting Julio as their own son. Melanie asked him firmly, "Do you think it is right? Scott and Ethan are one thing, but this is someone who has issues that aren't going to go away immediately." Dan smiled and countered with, "He needs us. My relatives will come around to get him if they think he can get them some money. I don't want him used as a cash cow, I want him to be happy and have some stability. He needs us and we need him. DJ needs a brother, JD needs a friend, and Julio needs a mother and father." She relented, softly adding, "I'll ask mom and dad to get the paperwork started." Rebecca and Stacy were trying to hide their glee. Julio was going to be their brother. The boys walked past them and saw them asking what happened, getting a soft, "Mom and dad are going to adopt Julio." Julio didn't know what to say. DJ hugged him and called him, "Big brother". The girls hugged him too, hoping to calm him. He hugged back, shedding tears of joy at having a real mom and dad. The four walked to where Dan and Melanie were with the girls smiling and DJ still hugging Julio. Both parents told them firmly, "Don't get ahead of yourselves. We did agree to it but this takes time and he can still say no to it." Julio ran to them and hugged them, crying into their chests and begging, "Please be my mommy and daddy." The girls moved off, leading DJ away while the two dealt with Julio. DJ tried to fight them but they firmly told him, "Mom and dad need to talk with Julio alone." Julio asked again, "Please be my mommy and daddy." Melanie knelt down and softly asked, "Are you sure?" He nodded, again asking them, "Please be my mommy and daddy." Dan knelt down and asked, "Do you want those three as your brother and sisters?" Julio looked at the three and cried, telling them, "I want them to be my sisters and brother." Dan hugged him tight while Melanie moved the others away. Dan lifted him up and kissed his cheek, then happily said, "We wanted to hear it from you. This involves you so you have a say in it. You made your choice and we will honor it. You deserve stability and we will try to give it to you." They hugged as one, with DJ giving Julio the biggest. They never noticed Valerie slipping in with Lilly but happily told her, "Can you get the paperwork for Julio?" Both sisters hugged Melanie and cried a little while Dan dealt with a grumpy Daisy and waiting JD. Daisy asked what the big deal was, getting an angry, "Aunt Melanie and Uncle Dan are adopting Julio" from JD. Daisy didn't realize her mistake until the words were out and she saw JD ready to fight. She apologized to Julio, hugging him and hoping he wouldn't be upset with her but he kept quiet, unsure what to do and not wanting to anger her more. Lily shook her head and told Daisy firmly, "It doesn't seem like it?s a big deal to you but to him he gets what he always wanted. Plus your cousins got what they needed, a big brother and a best friend. Apologize to him and maybe he might forgive you." She hugged Julio who couldn't understand what happened. JD whispered in his ear, "She got in trouble for not being nice, she always does that." Julio hugged her hoping it wouldn't make her angry but Daisy hugged him back hoping to end it. The two went outside with DJ and JD in tow, joining the awaiting Cat and Willow Reagan. The kids were going to the park so Dan could talk with Juan. Willow happily hugged Julio while Cat snickered at her. JD gave her a glare making her apologize but Julio was just happy that they were alright with him going too. The group walked to the nearby park and ran around for two hours while Dan talked with Juan. Juan listened to the circumstances of the sale and cringed at the fact that it was all done out of fraud and bigotry but happy that the owner came out with a loving family and sent several dangerous people to prison for what is essentially the rest of their lives. Rachel and Iris Sylvester had done well in the end. Dan grinned as he added, "The house was cheaper than any other in the neighborhood but now is worth triple the old amount and is being sold as- is to someone who she approves of. The renovations found some great treasures hidden inside which actually proved to be small fortunes. Rachel had no use for them so sold them to people who would do good with them, netting a nice profit that was given to their baby brother Marcus and nice displays for some local museums." Dan drove Juan over to the house and showed the interior. It was a nice sized four bedroom home, but not too large. He'd make good use of the space, it was cheaper than his condo and was worth the price considering the resale value- but to him, it was his first real home. Dan had to apologize for the impending interruption as the neighbors came over to see what was going on. Dan shook his head and announced, "Don't scare him off or you?ll have to answer to Jorge." The young lady grinned and added, "Do you think I am afraid of him?" The man with her shot back a swift, "Like hell you aren't, and if you aren't I'm telling him you said that so you learn how fast fear sets in." Dan shook his head and apologized for their antics, introducing them as Hannah and Pete Smith. The two smiled at Juan, who was unsure what to say to them. It took a bit before it clicked: he was staring at his friend's daughter in the flesh and had just seen his friend's attitude and smart- ass remarks. A smile crept across his face as he realized Harold lived on in his children. Dan announced to the two, "He's moving in soon. Try not to scare him away. Give him a while before you start outwitting and ripping into him, he has been away from Winnisimmet for too long to endure your mouth. Plus Jorge will have words with you over making his favorite nephew feel unwelcome." Juan grinned as she tried to come up with something to say. Pete put his arm on her shoulder causing her to back away. Pete started to talk with Dan who then turned the conversation to Juan and started to see that they were vetting the new neighbor, just in case. Dan happily told the two, "This was a personal request from Jorge, and Lilly knows him already so it's alright." Pete nodded, adding, "I think I know who he is now. Hannah is all bluster, she knows her limit and if Uncle Jorge is alright with him then he's alright with us. Just try not to get upset at Hannah, she takes a lot of getting used to. There are still people in England who are licking their wounds at the damage she inflicted on them over Christmas." Sighing, Hannah asked if he had a run-in with his family yet. Juan told them about the phone call to which Hannah grinned and added, "They won't dare come after you. And if they did, they'd have to deal with Uncle Jorge's friends. That's if Uncle Willie and Ian don't have some words with them." Pete laughed at that. Dan added, "Ian is a 6'8" 350 lbs, he's the scariest cop you ever saw and protective of family. We are all the family he has, he has only one aunt and hasn?t seen or heard from her since his parents died." Juan shook his head and added, "He won't scare them, they'd come in numbers." Hannah shot back, "They'd go after a cop after being warned to leave you alone? They would be lucky to end up in prison, not the morgue once Ian got through with them. Besides, word will get around from Uncle Jorge that you are untouchable. They will see just how little they can do to you." The couple invited them inside to talk then laid out what would be done. He had plenty of help due to impending February vacation and the family members wanting to help. Dan pointed out that every member of the group helping is known to the city so it wasn't a group his relatives would dare go after. Juan countered that it wouldn't matter but Pete added, "They know better than to go after our family. The whole police department knows us as do the nearest five state police barracks. They are foolish to try anything and if they did they'd find out how quickly word spreads. Jail isn't even safe for them." Dan hammered out the details then had him set up cancellations for his utilities. Juan could hardly believe that he was now a homeowner in all but name but he happily looked at the place and realized he was just a signature away from owning the house. Dan added that Valerie would have the paperwork that afternoon which he was pleased to hear. Julio and the others enjoyed their time in the park and barely noticed that they were close to where Hannah and Pete lived. They saw them out on the street talking with someone new and when they recognized Dan, they wanted to go see him. DJ was adamant, Valerie and Melanie realized what was going on and had to steer them away but DJ refused to listen, throwing a tantrum. Cat and JD stayed out of it while Julio waited for a response. He didn't want to do something to upset Melanie or Valerie. JD tried to assure him DJ did it a lot but Julio was still concerned. Seeing no alternative Melanie relented and walked with the kids to where Hannah was. Pete warned them but it was too late, DJ ran for Dan with Daisy running for Hannah. Daisy saw Juan and gasped, asking timidly, "Is everything alright?" Dan saw the feared look then saw Julio looking even more scared than Daisy. Dan picked him up and assured him, "Nothing bad happened. Juan here is buying this house and Hannah and Pete were just talking with us. You aren't going back, Juan is related to Hannah's great-uncle Jorge. He didn't know we knew his uncle when he helped you, you aren't in any trouble and nobody is taking you away." Daisy looked relieved while Julio was uncertain. JD grabbed him and showed him off to Hannah and Pete with both seeing JD happy while sensing there was more to the story than they knew. Pete started to realize that Julio was JD's new friend to which Hannah happily hugged him. JD added, "Julio is Aunt Melanie and Uncle Dan's new son." Juan grinned at hearing that. Dan countered with, "It was the kids, they wanted this. It's hard to say no to DJ's cute little face." DJ put on his cute act which Juan had to add, "He plays cute well, it's almost as bad as the manipulative act." Dan added, "That's more of Cat's doing, and she definitely did that too." Melanie asked if he was taking the house to which Juan smiled and proclaimed, "It's perfect. I don't mind the neighbors and my uncle has assured me it's a good neighborhood despite the former residents. Plus it's far from my family so it's going to be stress-free for me." Valerie picked up on that and asked about his old home. Juan admitted, "I only have a condo and that's of no use. I technically already have a house here but the current tenants are going to fight removal." Valerie asked what he meant to which he admitted, "They don't like Willie's kids. I refuse to shun them and as they saw fit to threaten me for supporting Uncle Jorge?s kids and grandkids I have decided to exercise my right as owner and boot them from the home that I rightfully inherited." Valerie asked why the sudden move, getting a cold, "My law firm is trying to fire me by framing me for their malpractice. I'm not going down without a fight and I am taking a pound of flesh with me when I do settle. I have a standing offer from my cousin to help him at his office as his new partner, I figure it's going to be much more rewarding helping people than mitigating corporate squabbles." Valerie grinned then added a harsh, "You won't go out without help. Uncle Jorge knew what he was doing in telling you to check out the house. The little weasel knew we'd be nearby and see Hannah. He is trying to get us to help you so you don't get railroaded and take a bad deal. Well, that won't happen, not with us around. Katie can't help Ricardo but I can, they really didn't know who they were upsetting when they decided to go after you." Chapter 4 Dan let out a laugh at the whole turn of events. Jorge wasn't one to be so manipulative but when he was he did it for all of the right reasons. Dan shook his head and told the others, "Jorge can be thanked later, I think the kids need to get home for lunch while we make arrangements for Juan's move." Melanie led the kids away with Julio and DJ hugging Dan. Valerie just grinned widely while adding, "Come over tomorrow morning, I'll have the response to the termination drafted. And don't refuse the help, mom and dad have been looking for an excuse to pass the time." Julio had some doubts about Juan being there but kept them to himself. Valerie had him come with her to the office and explain to him just who Juan was. She smiled at the whole turn of events as she fought for the right words. Julio fidgeted until she finally said something. She explained, "Juan didn't know who you were or who Dan was, he helped you because it was the right thing to do. A lot of people saw you and didn't do anything, he did. His uncle is my husband's uncle, Melanie is my sister. He has no direct relationship to Dan and hasn't talked with Uncle Jorge for a long time. It was lucky that he found you but it was for the best as you are with Dan and Melanie. He is just happy that you are safe and happy." Julio started to understand. Valerie showed him a picture of Jorge and Victoria to which he smiled at. She explained further, "He is a nice man who loves kids and helped Juan because he could. He will meet you and have some fun with you and ensure you aren't going anywhere. Dan is your closest relative, nobody will take you away from him- not if I have a say in it. You have a lot of people who will ensure that you are Dan and Melanie?s son and have a happy life with all of us." She led him downstairs to where the others were waiting and nodded to Melanie. The kids went to the backyard to play while they cooked lunch. Willow and Cat playing with him started to ease his fears and helped him see that they weren't going to make him do something humiliating to play with them. Willow's mother Lindsay called to ask about the boy playing with the girls and JD. Valerie smiled at what she was describing, then had to carefully tell her, "He is Melanie and Dan's nephew. He is staying with them indefinitely while his grandparents are heading to prison." Lindsay didn't pry any further, if they wanted to they'd tell her what was going on. Valerie had an idea and asked her to send out the boys. The two nearly seven-year-old boys would help him get used to playing with older kids and may help ease his tension further. Tyler Reagan and Virgil York were not thrilled to end their game but seeing Lindsay having her firm expression they ran outside to play. The two called over JD to play which got JD to tell Julio to play too. Willow and Cat grinned, they figured out quickly just what was going on and let the boys play by themselves while they went inside to play in Willow's room. Tyler asked about Julio which got Julio to back away. JD smiled and blurted out, "He's Uncle Dan's and Aunt Melanie's new son." The two accepted it without question then asked what they were going to play. Julio shied away from them letting JD lead. Virgil sensed something was wrong and asked what was going on. JD looked at Julio and confessed, "He never plays with boys. Girls made him dress like a girl to play. He doesn't know how to act with boys." Virgil blurted out a loud, "That's stupid!" Tyler shook his head and added, "They did that last year to me. You had your mom and aunts and uncles and cousins to get people to be good to you." Tyler suggested tag then started them playing easy games so Julio got used to them then led them through other games with Julio happily participating, easing his anxiety and fears as they went along. Valerie expected the boys? reactions, Melanie took longer to accept it as genuine as the boys had been reluctant to open up to others. Tyler's own history helped ease things, exactly as Valerie had expected and to which she admitted he had told them about before. Lindsay hadn't seen just how bad it was firsthand but the two could see her watching and heard what he said, getting a nod from her to Valerie for allowing him to settle another of his long-simmering feelings. Melanie started to think about what the kids had learned thus far and what she needed to do to get Julio up to speed in case he wasn't at the level as the others. He was smart, he hid it but they could see him thinking ahead and trying to not show how smart he really was. This could be a matter of simply letting him show his abilities or come to terms with being advanced. The two worked for an hour on JD's and Cat's old work then had everything necessary to help him get enrolled in school. The kids came in seeking food which prompted them to snap out of it and had JD laughing while Cat rolled her eyes at seeing the work. Cat complained, "It's vacation, you said we didn't have to do any work this week!" Julio grew concerned but JD thought he knew what was going on. JD sat him down and told Cat, "That is all for Julio to do. Aunt Melanie is going to see if he is going to be in our class when we go back to school or if he has to go with the other class. They aren't as smart as us, they don't know their letters or their numbers yet." Cat shook her head at her own flub and apologized to the adults while eating in silence. JD smiled at Julio who thought he had done wrong but saw Cat was wrong and JD protected him. Julio didn't want to do any schoolwork, but if he had to he would do it for Melanie. The kids ate quickly while awaiting Willow, Tyler, and Virgil's return. Julio was called into the dining room and asked to do some work for them so they could help get him into school. Julio reluctantly did what they wanted, and to their surprise was ahead of the kids but had clear deficiencies that were likely due to being so isolated and tormented than being behind developmentally. He freely told them, "Abuelo and Abuela put me in daycare but when I got too old they just told me to watch TV. I just copied what they were doing on TV." Melanie smiled at him, telling him affectionately, "You are doing well and your grandparents should have put you into regular school but their laziness probably prevented that. You can start next Monday if you want." Julio's eyes lit up as he heard that. Melanie added, "The kids have the week off so this week you will be with me in daycare. I want to get you used to other kids first and your aunt will be busy with Juan so she can't watch you." Julio grew scared but Melanie added a swift, "The girls won't make you dress up and the boys won't ignore you. You have JD and more than likely DJ and TJ so you will have boys to play with. Plus once they start playing with you the other boys will get the message and play with you too." Tyler came over looking for the boys and had them go downstairs to play the game system with him and Virgil. Willow and Cat hung around up in the playroom allowing the boys to do their own thing while smiling at Tyler being the big cousin to Julio. Cat happily told her mother, "Tyler likes being the big cousin" getting a happy, "Just like you do too." That sent Willow laughing as Cat couldn't lie or come up with a witty retort since it was obvious that she did. Dan and Juan eventually finished the inspection of the house and ate lunch with Hannah and Pete. Juan couldn't hold off any longer and asked about Hannah's father Harold. Hannah grew solemn and could only say, "We didn't get to know him, all we have are some pictures that mom kept." Dan asked what was going on to which Pete realized and shot out, "He was friends with her father." Dan nodded his head, Hannah smiled at him then laughed, calling her brother to come over immediately. She made it sound like it was a matter of life and death which would get him moving fast. Dan realized just what was going to happen and told Juan, "Don't react to seeing him, he can be very sensitive about his father. The poor kid endured years of torment by boys because he didn't have a father. He didn't make any real friends until high school and only when Pete did something for the greater good of humanity- he started to date Hannah." Dan had to dodge Hannah's smack as Pete tried to hide his laugh. Bryan came rushing inside thinking that something happened to Pete and Hannah but stopped short at seeing Juan. Juan's mouth dropped at seeing Bryan, it was definitely like looking into the past as he was his father's son with only some of his mother's features. Dan introduced Juan to Bryan and his wife Paige with Juan barely able to say, "Hello" to them. Bryan could tell there was something going on and asked for an explanation, Juan pulled himself together and softly explained, "I am sorry that your sister scared you but she thought I'd appreciate seeing my best friend's son and daughter." Dan added a soft, "He is Jorge's nephew, but grew up alongside your father." Paige put her hand on Bryan's shoulder to soothe him while adding a loving, "He is still part of your life even if he is gone. You can't forget him no matter what. He didn't mean to upset you, but he did have to meet you once especially if he is going to be around Uncle Jorge." Juan kept staring at Bryan, who was in deep thought. Bryan finally admitted, "Mom has pictures of you at home. They were from dad and she didn't know who was in them. She didn't have the heart to throw them out so she kept them for us." Bryan instructed him to come along, this was important. Dan cautioned him to take it easy on Nigel as it may not be something he appreciates, but Paige countered, "He wants Bryan and Hannah to remember and this is something that needs to be done. Dad will understand, he won't deny Juan this chance. Mom wants Nichole and Ethan to remember their birth mothers, she?ll only be upset at feeling grief." Juan, Bryan, and Paige drove to the Smith family home and were greeted by Ethan and Nichole Smith, who instantly stopped what they were doing when they saw Juan. Bryan had to tell them to go back to playing, they had something important to do. Karen Smith met them inside and was introduced to Juan. She shed a tear at seeing his face, asking him firmly, "Why are you here?" Bryan sat her down and explained, "I wanted to go through the old pictures of dad, he deserves them. He doesn't want anything from us, I asked him to come." Karen relented and agreed, getting the albums and letting the three go to work. Nigel and Nigel Jr. came in from the backyard and were told what was going on. Nigel happily hugged Karen, telling her warmly, "He needs this as much as Bryan. He will always be in your life even in death, Bryan is his legacy and it would be wrong to deny his best friend a chance to know his son." Nigel Jr. asked what was going on and was told, "Bryan's dad's friend is helping him look through old pictures." Nigel Jr. accepted it, not questioning what they meant. Looking at Ethan he seemed to know that there was more to his big brother Bryan so it was just something he accepted at face value as being part of their big family. Bryan and Juan took two hours to go through the pictures with Juan telling stories about the people in the pictures and what they were doing during them. Juan laughed as he told him about Harold getting inspired to join the Marines when he talked with Louis Reagan about what they were going to do after high school. Juan went to college instead of joining him, he wasn't athletic and couldn't put up with the arrogance of the recruiters nor take the abuse of the drill sergeants. Bryan grinned at hearing that, adding a solemn, "Uncle Louis wanted you two to be like grandpa, him, and Uncle Walter. You lost contact with him after that but he dated mom then passed away a year after we were born. He would have been happy that you got away from here and did well for yourself." Karen listened and was misty eyed at the whole scene. Try as she might her son was the spitting image of his father and seeing Juan with him was making her miss Harold. But seeing Nigel listening and grinning at seeing Bryan doing something that meant a lot to a man who he had just met and for a man, he only got to meet for less than a year made her feel better about the whole event. Juan finished and went back to Jorge's apartment, with Bryan driving. Karen told them she'd get the pictures copied so he would have copies, with Juan telling her he'd get the information about who and what was going on in them. Karen shed a tear, with Nigel happily telling her, "He'd be honored that you did that for his friend. He needed that a lot more than he'd admit." Jorge listened to Bryan explain what happened with Jorge happily telling Juan, "The man?d be ecstatic that you did that for Bryan and Karen. She was worried that Harold would never be happy that she found someone else and raised his kids right and gave them the father they need." Bryan kept quiet but Jorge could see that he agreed with him about the whole situation. Juan tried to relax after the impromptu meeting. He booted his laptop to check his emails and he had anticipated, he found one from his employer stating that he was suspended pending termination. There was no justification listed, just a statement that he was suspended. Juan called his clerk, Marlene Saunders, with the news. She sighed and told him, "They have sent me an email telling me not to let you into the office. I think they are going to take your files. You need to get here fast, they sounded like they may even send this to the DA for prosecution!" He told her to email him the information. Something wasn't adding up. Marlene was a little too into helping him, and there was little in his office that he couldn't part with. All of the files he had there were normal inter-office files anyone could access, he kept his most important files locked away at home in his safe that was hidden carefully from view so there was no need to go right to the office. Jorge listened to his call and dialed Valerie, telling her firmly, "He's suspended pending termination. He is going to need help fast. Something smells bad and it's not just his bosses." Valerie just grinned and asked him to come over, this required the brain trust and he wouldn't go down without a fight and they were damn well going to ensure that he was protected legally. Jorge entered as Juan was thinking hard. He didn't say anything to Jorge, but Jorge announced, "Valerie requested that you come by. She told you that you weren't going through this alone, she meant it. You have resources, use them. She is one, her parents, Ricardo, and their friends are others. You are my nephew, you are family of family. You helped Lilly and Daisy then you helped Julio: you earned their respect. You deserve help and they will help you." Jorge made him eat while Victoria ensured Valerie called in help. Juan asked just who?d be involved, getting a quick, "Valerie, Joseph, Evelyn, Kennedy, Willie, Ricardo, and Alex. They know what they are doing and giving you the help you need to ensure that you aren't railroaded or being led into something that could get you fired or worse- arrested by police or feds. You have the advantage, they think you are going to just accept this but you have help and ones who are experienced at getting the most from the lease and fighting tooth and nail for what is right." Jorge drove Juan to the Finn home. The kids flocked to him with Julio reluctantly saying hello to the new person. Jorge picked him up and gave him a big hug, telling him warmly, "I can see why Dan was so upset at your grandparents, anyone who would hurt you deserves to be hurt badly themselves." Julio hugged him back, he sensed that Jorge meant him well but he didn't know who he was and only hugged him because he hugged him. He turned to Juan and did the same, Juan he trusted and was happy to hug him back. Miles led the kids up to the play room so the adults could talk. Cat wanted to fight it but Miles' warning glare told her to hurry upstairs. Cat told the boys, "Mommy and daddy are talking lawyer talk" which Julio got scared at but JD assured him, "It's not about you. Cat is mad that they won't let her hear." Miles sat in with the adults, the rest knowing that he might add something if he noticed anything off. Juan explained to them, "I was told that I was suspended pending termination but my secretary told me to come in tomorrow to get my things. I think I am being set up by her. I don't have anything of value in my office and what I do have is kept safe at home." Miles asked for the emails and whatever he had against them. Kennedy and he pored over them with Miles spotting something. He asked, "Why are you being told to come back when you are supposed to be on vacation for another few days? They had to have had this planned well before you were forced to take time off, she set it all up for you right from the start." Juan looked at what he was talking about then swore silently. Kennedy added, "She is in on it. She is getting a promotion out of this while you are left to take the fall for their actions. She played both sides, someone gave her what she really wanted while covering her tracks with you." Valerie asked if she had access to his files, getting a grin and happy, "Nobody has access to them. I have the important files stored in my private office at home that only I have access to. None of the partners have need to see my private files, it?s just my identity information and previous client information.? Kennedy started thinking while Valerie texted Ricardo to come over. Ricardo showed up a few minutes later with Diego and Eric in tow, along with a grumpy Alex. Valerie sat them down and explained what was going on, with Alex starting to think about retaliations against him. Alex finally shot back, "She has been feeding them lies. She didn?t tell your bosses the truth and when you were away she made a slew of emails from your computer which prompted termination. I think whomever she is working with benefits the most out of this and worked with her for a while." Juan nodded, explaining, "She worked for the firm's golden boy, Ted Blue. When Ted was exposed for fouling up multiple cases that he blamed on others that resulted in successful appeals and cost him a partnership so she moved to me. I was given the partnership, but in doing so I had to fix his problems." Valerie asked the connection to his secretary, Juan reluctantly admitted, "Marlene is his sister-in-law. Her wife Linda is a lovely woman and I considered them friends, but I think I see the real story. She was biding her time and waited until just the right moment before she struck, getting her revenge and letting Ted pick up the pieces and win over favor with the senior partners." Ricardo thought it over and told him firmly, "Sue their asses. Don't hold back. Subpoena all computer records and have an order to prevent deletion. I hate to do it, but I think we need to have our resident experts help with the computers on this one." Valerie laughed and added, "She will love the trip, but I think it'll be best to take several of them." Gabby Bollinger was itching to do something so she happily told them that she'd go with them. Zeke Bollinger agreed to watch their newborn son Walter for as long as she needed, with their kids eager to help out. Gabby had to hold back the girls as they tried to push her out the door to help the group, with Amy Bollinger telling her they'd have her bag packed shortly. John was on the phone getting the tickets for them. Miles, Gabby, Rachel Sylvester, Valerie, Ricardo, and Juan would be going. Alex called in a favor from a friend in the Chicago field office and got them a couple of FBI agents to give them a legal assist. They had their asking price of some pizza bagels from Kurtz Bagels, which Gabby eagerly diverted to get. John announced they needed to get in contact with a judge to get the subpoena issued along with the lawsuit. Juan called in his last favor to the only judge he knew and got a big surprise as Valerie added, "Tell him Valerie Johnson says hello." Juan didn't ask what it meant, only parroting what she said. The judge laughed then added, "Whatever she is doing with this case it's going to be interesting to see. I'll issue the cease and desist immediately, with the orders being delivered by deputies." Juan agreed and added a swift, "She will be joining me there tomorrow." The judge laughed, telling him firmly, "I'll gladly see her if she has the time. I know this is personal but I have to see my favorite law student, it's been far too long. I fear for whomever she is targeting." Juan hung up and grinned at Valerie. Juan told her happily, "He was my mentor at the law firm before being appointed to the bench." Valerie grinned and told him, "He was my favorite professor in law school. He was wasted teaching, he belonged in a courtroom." John handed them the printed tickets with all being told to gather their clothes. John added that they would be by in a couple of days to help Juan pack with Patrick being primed for another drive east. Juan was pleased to hear that, Patrick would be a good addition and offer some support just in case. Miles was packed, followed by Valerie with Jaimie telling them that next time she is charging them. Valerie smiled and offered a big kiss followed by hearty, "I'll bring you back something nice" which she countered with, "A nice necklace and bracelet will suffice" getting a nod from her. Michael tried the same but got a quick, "Cubs cap and Bulls jersey it is." Rachel was waiting with anticipation. She had everything she'd need to make a full backup of several computers. Juan laughed at the small drives but Rachel proudly told him, "Amazing what you can do with such small things. Even if they delete the hard drive I can rebuild what is left and get everything. They need to have someone as good as me to get something past me." Juan shook his head and happily told her, "I don't even want to know how you know that but they don't have anyone who is capable of doing it. They will delete to originals but if you can do as you say then you will make them regret their mistake." She countered with, "I have done it before, both for good and evil. I am happy to do it to make someone pay who deserves it." Juan didn't dwell on that, Valerie added, "She took down her uncle's church, exposed his fraud, saved the life of her future mom and sister, then took down a criminal empire on both sides of the Atlantic. Plus she has helped John recover a few lost papers that some less than savory students caused to be deleted. They, in turn, had to explain to the police why they used the school computers to hack into the teachers' database. They didn't enjoy their fines and being expelled from school." Three and a half hours later they were in Chicago at a private terminal. They immediately drove over to Juan's office in two cars with Juan leading the way. Outside, Miles offered the agents their treat with a happy, "They were the last ones they had and happy to give them to us for free just to get rid of them so sorry if it's more than you wanted" which got a laugh and thanks from the agents. Juan led them upstairs with the agents reading the subpoenas over. They thought about something then told Juan firmly, "Secure the files. I think you might have just helped us out in an investigation." Valerie just grinned while they awaited a phone call from their boss. The trio turned to Valerie and announced, "You guys really know how to win over us feds, this gave us the missing piece of an active investigation. We will need to talk with Mr. Perez about his whereabouts recently to preclude him from what we are investigating, but I believe you might have just assured that someone is going to prison." Chapter 5 The agents took Juan to another room to talk. Valerie joined them as Juan's legal adviser, with Ricardo overseeing the information extraction from the office computers. Juan was advised of his rights but it was simply a formality as he was felt to be the scapegoat now not an actual participant. The agents asked where he had gone over the past week. Juan begrudgingly told them, "I was told to take a vacation on Monday. Wednesday I went to New York and stayed there until Saturday morning. After that, I drove up to Winnisimmet to visit my uncle." The agents asked if he had any proof to which Valerie happily told them, "He was at Yankee Stadium for a tour then was with social services and the NYPD for the next six hours. He helped saved the life of a little boy who is now in the care of his aunt and uncle." Juan showed the ticket from the tour then the written statement made to the NYPD and social services. Valerie added, "We can vouch for him after that as we were with him earlier today and Ricardo was with him yesterday evening at our uncle's apartment. There is also a car rental record and cancelled hotel reservations. And before you ask, the reservation was canceled because he was told to stay with his aunt and uncle by his uncle as he was family and they refused to let him pay for a room when they had two perfectly good ones sitting empty." The men focused on what he did before he left. Juan realized just what happened and blurted out, "The Union Stockyard case!". The agents didn't answer but Juan added, "I emailed my colleagues that I think we should not have taken the case and that what they were dealing with was unethical and illegal. They had me doing easy work the next week then had me take a vacation. Ted Blue was the one who had to convince them to take on the case." The agents asked if he had proof of that. Juan grinned and added, "I have the emails. I kept copies and forwarded all emails to a private account that they didn?t know about just in case something happened." The agents were pleased, they added a firm, "We will need you to provide them. You have given us cause to take down the firm for multiple criminal acts. I am sad to say, but I think you were probably the only member of the firm who was not under investigation by the state and federal government for criminal actions, your being out of town and having ways of backing up where you were and who you were with ensured your freedom." The others finished up what they were doing and announced they would happily give copies to anyone who needed them. The agents grinned at the free gift, they happily took them but didn?t tell him that it was already covered under their subpoena. Valerie suggested that they come back with search warrants for the computers as they knew what was going to be on there and would be able to show what was changed since that time, that earned her a slew of thanks from the agents who were a step behind her. As they exited the building, they were cornered by several people. Juan recognized them as security and wrote, "Hired thugs" to the agents. They played along with him, weening additional information that they would use against his firm. The men were quick to go after Juan but stopped when they saw the others with him. They noticed his briefcase and tried to take it from him, claiming he was stealing from the company. Juan announced firmly, "That contains private files that do not belong to the firm and unless you have a court order to search my files get your hands off of it." They tried to walk off with the agents ready to chase them down but the two, "Security guards" were stopped by two US Marshals who told the two to drop the briefcase. They then handcuffed them and placed them under arrest for violating a court order. The marshals handed the case back to Juan then added, "All have been served. The office was sealed per court. They were here to keep you out." The agents grinned as they hadn't thought that their boss would do an end run around the locals. The order was read and it was actually from a federal judge, not Juan?s friend, and was to allow Juan to remove his private files as well as copies of his computer with Juan required to give all copies to the respective federal agencies for review. Juan had allowed them a reason for going to the judge with the state judge forced to give his blessing to allow them to cooperate with one another. The group left to get some sleep. Juan first checked his condo and found that someone had been inside and tossed his office trying to find his files prompting him to call the police. The agents could tell this was a professional job, Juan once again came out on top as they would now be able to prove criminal conspiracy as this was now the second documented attempt at stealing his files. Thankfully they hadn't found his safe so it was another failure. The agents happily told the officers who came that this was now going to be a federal case and they were thanked for their service. The agents called in a forensics team, took prints of everyone, then had them wait while things were checked out. The prints came back positive for two men, the two men who just happened to be stopped by the US Marshals delivering the summons to the office. The agents laughed and had the men picked up, Juan was proving to be a goldmine with the men being their second way to get at the firm. Juan just sighed and told them firmly, "I'll give you everything that I have, the sooner I am done with them the better." They nodded in agreement but added, "We will ensure that it's on the up and up so you are covered legally. You should know though that this is a big case that should give you a big boost locally. Juan just shook his head, he didn't want to be a local anymore now that it was clear that he was just an outsider in Chicago despite having lived there for years. The group left for their hotel with Juan being told to don't bother with a bill as John would pick it up. They finally fell asleep but Gabby had to laugh as Zeke had to endure the girls complaining about Walter's smelly diapers for the first time. The next day, the group met with the agents who happily told them that the forensics team had gone to work overnight and hit pay dirt immediately. Juan was being setup for a fall and his suspension was a red herring, they were going to get rid of him then have the feds go after him to keep them away from themselves. Juan's situation was verified with the court case involving Julio located and confirmed and with his own witnesses, he was cleared of all wrongdoing allowing them to set up a sting operation. Juan was happy to have things clarified but was also concerned about the state. The agents grinned, informing him, "There won't be any investigation. They have no grounds and we have warrants for the phones of the major players as well as your secretary. The locals have no cause for investigation so anyone going after you is in on the plot." Miles added a firm, "They will use locals that they know. It?ll be a cash transaction. They have already withdrawn the money so are waiting for the right moment. There may be at least one more unknown helper, probably a judge who is friendly with them and who knows how to keep a low profile." The agents looked at him oddly but realized that he was on to something. They laughed at him thinking ahead of them, prompting them to double- check the bank records for several people with Blue, as the main target, being shown to have withdrawn several thousand dollars recently. Once the officers struck they would be investigated and the link would be made to the officers making them the newest ones to be involved in the schemes. The agents put an alert into the system to have any warrant for Juan's arrest forwarded to them. Once it finally came in they now had the officers and as Miles pointed out possibly the judge as well. The alert for a warrant finally came in after breakfast. The agents grinned and advised Juan to come with them with Ricardo acting as his lawyer. The agents drove on to the federal building, had Juan give his statement, then had him wait while the warrant was quashed. It took an hour but the officers were shown inside with the two placing Juan into custody only to have the agents place them into custody instead. Juan's statement intentionally took longer than needed. Juan was asked every possible angle with Juan thinking then showing from their copies of the files what he was working and what he took issue with. At the same time, other agents were working on the money angle and had pinpointed the exact place the money went to with the officers being the same ones who checked in downstairs for the arrest. There was scuffling but the officers were subdued, with both being taken to separate rooms while the agents had the warrant rescinded. Juan reviewed the statement, pointing out where it was a blatant lie and where it was clearly exaggerated. The agents agreed, almost laughing at parts while shaking their heads at the judge believing without proof. Kennedy had kept quiet up until that point. She had been thinking about a lot of things and finally realized that they were going about things wrong. She asked if they had bothered to check everyone at the firm, not just the lawyers. Both prior and retired partners and employees could be in on it. Juan thought she was off but realized that they had been only going for the big targets, but thhos who could do the most damage were the secretaries and clerks- the ones who had all of the access and all of the drive to get revenge on some of the clients. He felt sick as he admitted, "I think Kennedy is pointing us to my clerk Marlene. She was forced on me by the other partners, I think we know why." Kennedy nodded, adding, "She is the link between the one we know is dirty and the others. She knows what you know and she knows what you have. Why would she tell you to come back unless she wanted you here to take the fall for stealing the documents while they built their case against you and set you up for the feds? Why alert you unless she was going to use you to cover their tracks." The agents were saw exactly what she meant as they started to piece together the office's interactions. She was the common link with the criminal activities. Until Juan's involvement, they were one of the go-to firms for criminals hiding their assets but could never fully prove it. When Juan was promoted, they partially changed that. It was thought that he might be involved, but evidence proved otherwise. Kennedy had to think further and asked him firmly, "Are you sure that she is a lesbian? She seems to be much too cozy with her former boss." Juan nodded, adding, "She is devoted to her wife and kids." Kennedy thought it was a bit off and showed something he didn't consider- Ted Blue's social media site. Marlene was in a lot of pictures. Kennedy added, "I think she and her wife aren't as close as they think. Her wife might be innocent, but Marlene is clearly in a relationship with him." The agents grinned, it was their missing motive. They explained to Juan, "Saunders set you up out of revenge, then was going to get together with her boyfriend. Her wife may have no idea just what she is doing with him, she may even think that you are keeping her late so Saunders and Blue could be alone without anyone knowing just what they were doing." Juan felt terrible about the fact that a good woman was about to see her marriage dissolve. The others assured him that she dissolved it long ago, it was her own fault, not his. The important thing was to help them out when the inevitable happens. The agents started to piece together things from the emails and had Saunders nailed for embezzlement, fraud, and racketeering. Blue was nailed for racketeering, falsifying documents, extortion, criminal conspiracy, fraud, violations of the RICO Act, and money laundering. The two handled hundreds of millions of dollars from accounts for multiple criminal organizations with a small cut of the profit. All told, they had several hundred million in the bank in their names that were theirs from their criminal transactions that could be proven so far. Ricardo grinned. If it was proven then they would go for half of it in the divorce. They would have both tailed with surveillance kept on Saunders. The agents asked that they get her wife and kids out of the city to safety, to which Ricardo happily told him, "We have the perfect place." The group waited as things were put into place. The agents got a phone call that Saunders and Blue were together and they were clearly having sex in the man's condo. The worst part was that they had the shades up allowing clear views of the bedroom with Saunders happily stripping for him, giving the agents a free show that the married agents didn't really appreciate. Juan called his only true friend in Chicago and asked her to come by. Linda Brown was shocked by the suddenness of the call and even more shocked by him asking her to come by with the kids. He was adamant that they come, telling her he'd explain when she got there as he couldn't tell her on the phone. Linda drove over with the kids and was whisked inside the hotel room. Linda demanded to know what was going on, being told firmly, "We have terrible news for you. We believe Marlene has been involved in criminal activity that has become serious. She tried to frame Juan for a crime that he didn't commit and thanks to a mutual friend we were able to obtain evidence that exonerates him, but unfortunately it points directly at your wife being responsible." She sat down as the realization sank in. She asked timidly, "How does it affect us?" Kennedy explained, "We believe she was having an affair with Ted Blue. If she is being taken down you may be targeted next in retaliation. We want to get you away from here to get away from Marlene's influence so she can't use you as leverage to get a better deal for herself." She shed a few tears then asked, "Did she sleep with him?" Juan bit his tongue but Kennedy nodded, adding, "There are several pictures of the two together that we have seen of the two together with several provocative ones that clearly indicate a sexual relationship. I am sorry." Linda looked at the pictures then at her kids then asked, "What will happen to us?" Valerie offered her, "You come east. Juan has a new house that has enough space for you three. The kids will be able to adjust if you give them a chance to get used to the city. There are kids who will understand them and help them get adjusted to their circumstances while keeping them from thinking this is their fault." Linda looked like she was lost, then tearfully told Juan, "I need to see a divorce lawyer." Juan pointed at Valerie who happily explained, "I can handle the paperwork while Miles, Juan, and Ricardo rip apart her finances. Whatever is in there is rightfully half yours." Linda was going to say that she didn't have anything in her bank account but Juan explained, "She has a separate bank account that she kept the money paid to her for her role in fixing cases and keeping some people legally clear. It's a substantial amount, you never have to work again and the kids will be set for life." She smiled at hearing that, she happily told him, "Do it." The kids were in the next room with Miles and Rachel. The younger one, a girl named Ella, asked if her mommy was in trouble. Rachel explained softly, "She?s fine, but your mom is in trouble." The older child, a boy named Logan, was concerned for another reason. Logan asked, "Is mom going to prison?" Rachel sighed and explained, "She is going to prison for a long time. She did a lot of bad things that she knew was wrong and helped someone who was being a bad man." Miles added, "You will be moving east with Juan. He has a big house that you can stay in for as long as you need. Just don't mind the crazy lady next door." Rachel glared at him for saying that as Ella grew concerned. Rachel shot back, "Ignore him, he was hit in the head too many times by our cousin. She's a nice lady, she hates people who hurt others like your mom hurt your mommy. She will be happy to see you." Miles laughed which got the kids to laugh at the joke. The two figured that it was better to entertain them than explain more and get them upset. The two were doing well for kids whose world was just turned upside down by the newest people they are meeting. The lawyers hammered out the details as the afternoon wore on. Juan was encouraged to draft a similar lawsuit against Blue and the law firm for trying to frame him, with the federal agents happily adding their own parts to the case. Kennedy added her personal claim supporting him being in Winnisimmet as did Melanie who used the Finn office fax line to send her statement of support. He'd get a tidy sum from it as they had tried to not only destroy his reputation but his freedom as well. The firm was no better, they should have fired Blue years ago but refused to get rid of him as he was bringing in millions in profits even if they were from shady sources and less than legal means. Their negligence was inexcusable, they were complacent in their actions which resulted in him having free reign to do as he pleased without repercussions. Miles and Rachel were selected to get dinner for the group. The agents called it a night and headed out as well, with the intent on filing charges in the morning to prevent the two from fleeing once they learned their ploy failed. Linda shed a tear but knew it was for the best as Juan's and her lives were about to turn for the better no matter what happened. Over in Winnisimmet, the kids gave John a fun day as they ran him ragged going back and forth to the park, Jorge's house, then to the movies. Julio was by JD's side with Willow by Cat's side. The kids were actually well-behaved but it was still a workout for him. Jaimie and Michael wisely backed away, with both having carefully planned the week with their friends. Dan and Melanie helped him out by letting JD stay overnight with Julio which made both boys happy while John was able to focus on Willow and Cat. The girls knew just what buttons to push to get John to do what they wanted while the boys were simply on their best behavior. Cat was putting on a show for Julio which JD confessed was an act but one she meant with love, Julio was glad that she was trying to be good to him but told her to stop or she'd get in trouble prompting John to smirk and Cat cringe. Valerie told them about the events of the day with the kids eagerly awaiting new kids. The four were disappointed that they were older but was happy to have more kids. It didn't matter that they were single- parent kids, it was friendly and as long as they were nice they were happy to play with them. The next morning, the kids were up early and again DJ was imitating Julio. Julio, in turn, was imitating JD who happily grinned as Stacy and Rebecca kept looking at the three following one another. Stacy was going to say something but stopped as JD got the two to follow his lead and wash up then go upstairs to play allowing the girls to eat in peace. Melanie asked them firmly, "Did they do something wrong?" Rebecca just grinned and asked if JD was going to stay over there all week while Stacy asked if they had replaced DJ with another kid. Melanie shook her head at that, both girls were being brats but at least they understood what was happening. Dan went to work with the kids kissing him goodbye. Julio was all smiles as Dan kissed back, with JD grinning at Dan's reaction. He tussled JD's hair playfully while telling the three to be on their best behavior. The boys nodded with DJ adding, "OK daddy" while grinning. Melanie added that their grandparents were coming by which caused Julio to cringe and get scared. JD whispered, "Not those people, mommy and Aunt Melanie's mommy and daddy." Julio looked up in shock, while DJ nodded and added, "Grandma and grandpa are taking us out." JD dressed with Julio following his lead and dressing warm. The two were joined by a happy DJ who was dressed the same but in a lighter shade of blue as JD. The two met with grumpy complaints from Stacy about them acting too much alike, getting a laugh and quick, "Like you and your sister don't look alike or maybe they are doing what you did and going with what they like." The two were going to say something but they realized they had similar blouses and jeans on as well as matching sneakers. Rebecca slunk away without saying a word while Stacy tried hard to keep from saying something that wouldn't cause trouble. She simply hugged the boys and left in shame to prepare for her date later with Scott Nelson while DJ laughed at their actions. The doorbell rang with Julio growing anxious. Melanie answered it with her ushering in Scott. He saw Julio and asked who he was, getting the usual, "My nephew" response from Melanie but a firm, "He?s my big brother" from DJ. Scott looked at Julio and left it at face value. He walked up to Stacy's room and asked about it, getting a harsh, "Grandma and grandpa were horrible to him so he?s living with us." Scott asked about DJ's claim, getting a wink and soft, "Third time's the charm". He didn't need any further information, realizing that Julio was going to be her new brother just as he was his mother and father's adopted son. When the two came back down Scott gave the boys big hugs then whispered to Julio, "My mom and dad are my aunt and uncle, you aren't the only one who got adopted by your aunt and uncle." Julio's eyes lit up with JD happily adding, "Ethan did too, Aunt Melanie and Uncle Dan love you as their son." The kids eagerly awaited the Johnsons while Melanie relaxed. Evelyn and Joseph finally arrived and were introduced to Julio with both happily telling Julio how much he looked like Dan. Julio started to feel better about them as they said the same thing the others had said about him with Evelyn adding a quiet, "You deserve a nice family and your new mom and dad want to give it to you." The five left with the kids eagerly trying to enjoy the aquarium. They were joined by Virgil and Tyler, and their cousin Nancy Flynn and aunt Astrid Flynn. The six kids were eager to enjoy themselves with Nancy acting as the leader of the group while the adults held back. Astrid caused them to go slower than normal which in turn caused the Johnsons to be relieved at them enjoying the sites more. She laughed with them that it was probably the only benefit of being pregnant, which Evelyn had to snicker at while Joseph wisely kept quiet. Astrid added a happy, "They took to Julio quickly, and it's eerie how much he looks like Dan." The kids were happy to listen to Nancy, who was enjoying being a big sister especially as she would be one for real in just under a month. Julio listened to her closely, with the adults paying attention to his actions towards her. He had a fear of her which they couldn't quite place yet but which they agreed to ask Melanie and Dan about later. The kids enjoyed their day and after a lunch at the Johnson condo, they enjoyed some time at Navy Hill Park while laughing as they saw the older teen boys running by. JD called out to them which caused them to run away fast as the kids snickered and Nancy joked, "They don't want to end up watching us" getting a bigger laugh from the Johnsons and Astrid. The teens eventually came around again and offered to take the kids home but that was shot down as the three youngest didn't have their seats in their cars. Nancy and Virgil did go with them as they gave Astrid some time off, much to her relief and the approval of the Johnsons. Julio was given a hug by Michael, Rick and Thomas Samuels, and Will Bollinger who Michael joked, "Are sadly dating your sister and cousins." The guys asked if the trip was all set with Joseph explaining, "It's very complicated and got even more complicated as the time goes on. Valerie and Gabby are helping someone else in addition to Juan so be prepared to pack up a second house when you do go. John and Patrick are driving back since they are the only ones who can do it." The group let it go for now, they had more important things to do and would await Valerie's all clear. They hadn't heard anything bad yet but the way things sounded it could change at any moment. They were at the ready to fight and make a quick exit if necessary but they were ready for anything.