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Chapter 10 Juan could not believe that his own mother had just threatened his friend, a woman who had never hurt a fly in her life and who was the sweetest person you could ever meet. Linda was a saint, and her kids were just as well mannered. He shook his head as he looked at the shocked Linda while the kids tried to figure out what just happened and why Juan was so upset. Juan grinned widely as he happily stated to his mother, "After discussion with Tio Jorge I put any phone calls from you on speaker and recorded the call because he thought you would do something like this. As I am part of this call and have just informed you of the recording it is now legal to use this recording for court. John, did you hear the threat?" John chimed in with, "I heard the threat and as a duly sworn officer of the law will contact the police on Linda's behalf. I must inform you that she is the aunt of a state police detective who will be upset to hear that you threatened his aunt. That is if his cousin doesn't get dispatched to your house first. I hope he does, he will be gentler with you than her nephew." Juan's mother didn't back down, telling them, "I don't care if you heard, pendejo. I told my son to dump the maricon or she gets it and I mean it." John asked if they heard, getting a hearty, "Unit is off at the house now" from Willie who had just arrived. Willie then added, "Threatening someone over the phone is illegal and we take criminal threats against people seriously. Better answer the door, my officers don't want to have to come back with a warrant. It only makes them angrier and they won't hesitate to break down the door to arrest you." She hung up and tried to run, but literally ran into the towering Ian Bailey. He smirked, extended his handcuffs, and announced, "You are under arrest for criminal threats." She tried to run, kicking Ian in the shins but was grabbed by her pants, lifted airborne, then cuffed by Ian's backup officer. The officer harshly added, "You are now under arrest for assault on a police officer and resisting arrest." She was finally walked outside in shame, with the Perezes threatening the officers. They were about to gang up on the officers when Jorge appeared with his friends for a serious discussion with the Perezes. The other officer was about ready to call for backup but Ian told him that Jorge had this covered. Jorge's sister hissed at Jorge and threatened to kill him for what he did to her to which Ian bellowed, "He did nothing, your own nephew called us to pick you up. Chief Pena has no problem standing up to you when nobody else will, he's had enough of your antics towards your son. Your nephew is an honorable man, as is your son. You, however, are under arrest for multiple dishonorable crimes." Jorge ignored her ranting. He told his nieces and nephews to get inside to speak as they had important issues to discuss. He was using his "do it or else" tone that all knew was trouble for them. Once his friends had herded them inside he sat down, laid out the eviction notice, then told them, "Be out by the first. You have enough money saved up to pay for a new apartment. I know damn well you do because none of you pay rent to your brother and what you pay your mother is a pittance compared with what you make working. Your mother is not getting out of this, she might have gotten a slap on the wrist for the threats but she had to try to get away then kick and threaten Ian Bailey. There is no way that she doesn't go to prison for a while. Given that she has a long criminal record and is still on parole for her previous sentence, she is going to Framingham for five years at a minimum. Your cousin is serious, he has had enough of his mother taking advantage of his goodwill. She threatened his friend, there is no coming back from that. Be out, and don't contact him again. If you do, I can't be responsible for what these fine people do to you. They have held off hurting your mom for a long time, but a lot of them owe Juan for helping them whenever he came to visit and they have no problem repaying him for the kind acts he did. He kept several out of prison and sued for a lot of money that got them homes and paid for their kids to go to college. They have long memories and aren't afraid to repay the help." Jorge got up and left, with the Perez family scrambling to find new homes. Half didn't believe he could do that, the other half saw the seriousness of the situation and decided to bail out while they still could. Jorge's friends knew who was going to stay and who was leaving without a fight, those who left would get helped while those who stayed were in for a rough time from the law. Jorge called Juan and happily told him, "Your siblings and cousins have been dealt with. Your mother is going to prison, she tried to run then kicked one of the officers in the shins. She got her just desserts. I issued your eviction orders for everyone here, those who stay will be in violation and will be dealt with firmly. We know who is going to be trouble, they aren't going to live in this state for long." Linda heard Jorge's grave warning to which Juan smiled and explained, "He means they are going to become not only homeless but jobless and friendless. Uncle Jorge is a big fixture in the city. What they are doing goes against his orders which is going to cause others to back away in respect as they have shown that they are untrustworthy, disloyal, and don't care about consequences. The kids were in awe while John grinned with pride over Juan telling the story. Juan adored Jorge, he would never allow himself to be seen as anything more than Jorge's nephew but there was a strong bond between the two. John added a careful, "Willie had to act due to my being here, if I wasn't here she would have denied she ever threatened Linda. Even if you recorded the call you would have trouble getting it admitted, but since I was here it's backing up my own testimony." John gave Linda a hug and added a soft, "Don't let them drive you too crazy. The girls are good but the boys are still boys and can be mischievous at times." Logan gave him a glare which Linda understood to be John catching on to them planning something fun that the adults wouldn't like. Inside, Linda asked about Juan's family as he had not told her anything about them in all the time she had known him. Juan sat them down and carefully explained, "Mom has always been tough to get along with. Dad fell in love with her at a young age and stayed true to her, never straying from her. But mom was always having flings with other men to the point that everyone but dad seemed to know about the sex. He was a great man who worked himself hard and who saved up every penny to buy a home for us instead of renting forever like so many other of our other relatives. When he died at 45 it devastated us. Mom grew angrier and became more and more violent. She never hit the girls, but I was open game as I was the boy and the eldest. Uncle Jorge always kept me safe but she clashed with him often and did get her licks in whenever I wasn't able to go over his house." He looked out the window to focus then continued, "When I graduated high school I went to school out in Amherst to get away from mom's abuse. My grades were good enough to earn a partial scholarship so Uncle Jorge paid the rest of it, then paid for me to go to law school in Boston. I studied hard and was able to pass the bar exam but without many contacts, I had to scrape by as a public defender then as a legal adviser to a few nonprofit companies to build up my reputation among the courts and law firms. I didn't mind the medial work as a public defender as I saved up every penny that I earned, I just always hated that my mother made me defend my relatives whenever they got in trouble. The worst of wall was my cousin Penelope. After the fifth time defending her, I had enough of them and moved away. I borrowed money from my uncle again and using a contact at college I got a job as a junior lawyer with a law firm then worked my way up through the ranks to where I was before all of this happened." He looked at Linda then shook his head, telling her, "I was their token diversity employee at first, but I worked hard and got them more money than anyone else and quicker payments from our victories due to my overwhelming arguments and forceful court presence. I worked alongside Ted and saved his ass too many times to count with Ted always getting the glory. I didn't mind that, I was getting paid more and more money and working my way up but when he finally stepped over the line I called him on it then took it to our boss getting him disciplined and myself promoted over him. This was when I met Marlene and from there the rest is history to us." Linda understood his frustration and heartbreak. He did smile at talking about his uncle allowing her to see the real Juan that he kept hidden. He was the man who replaced his father as the guiding light for him and the one who saw the greatness in him when nobody else did. She didn't need to say anything more, she thanked him for being more of a brother to her than Ted ever was. Things were quiet the rest of the evening, with Hannah and Pete visiting to ensure they were alright after seeing the strange car in the driveway. Linda thanked her for the concern and asked about John's reaction to Sophia. Hannah complained, "That little sneak knew we were home and didn't bother to take our niece over to see us" getting a sympathetic apology that was countered by Pete's laugh and quick, "She probably saved that for you but Uncle John was an easier target. In the morning, the trio drove around the city to familiarize themselves with the layout, where their friends' homes were, and how to get to and from the school. The kids took note of the parks and the different quality of them. They liked the one closest to them the best and seeing Junior and Neil going there with Faith and Daisy sealed it as their favorite. The duo wanted to go play with the kids which prompted Linda to agree to stop. They were out of the car as soon as she parked with both seeking out their new friends. Linda was finally able to catch her breath as the girls and boys got together to play leaving her to sit and watch. Linda was approached by a man and woman who introduced themselves as William and Amanda Kelly. Linda timidly greeted the couple, realizing they were Junior's parents. William was quick to make small talk with her as the two wanted to get to know her, especially after the boys took Logan on as another of their friends in such a short period of time. The trio talked for an hour with Linda feeling at ease with them just as she felt with the others. Amanda surprised her, she was a great people person who made things better for kids around her. William was the unassuming skinny man who was witty and insightful and made her smile. He was actually one of few guys who had tried to get to know her who wasn't interested in her sexually. Him being married was beside the point, he was actually treating her like a normal person which she appreciated. The couple were happy to ease her into friendship, they knew that it was what she needed. The kids watched the adults talk with Logan telling Junior and Neil, "Mom is happy." Junior nodded, adding, "Mom and dad know how to make you feel better. They always talk with people." Neil joked, "Your mom is making friends with everyone, it's like they always do after they make us kids be friends. Scott said the adults do that so they can have friends too." Linda eventually got a call from her nephews asking where they were, she forgot that they were coming by to see them. The kids were reluctant to leave the but their friends pushed them out, refusing to let them give up a chance to see Sophia especially as they saw her frequently. Besides, they knew it was important to the older cousins to get them used to one another allowing them a chance to ease the last of their anxieties as they adjusted to being around people who wanted to be around them. The kids weren't too happy but seeing their cousins waiting outside with Juan chatting with David made their grumbling cease especially as they saw Sophia stirring in her carrier. Sophia saw them and wanted out, demanding to be held by Linda so she could see the others more clearly. Emma released her, picked her up, handed her off, and watched as Sophia smiled at them all over getting her way. The eight went inside, with Linda holding Sophia tight. The more she was around Sophia, the better she felt about being there. She was making her feel at ease and releasing a lot of grief and anxiety. Sophia didn't have a care in the world, Linda looked her and eased up on all tension fully relaxing. The kids were getting Sophia's constant attention as she giggled and gurgled at them. Ella's hand was grasped and wouldn't be let go while Logan was always in Sophia's sight. The two had never been so close to a baby before so this was a new experience, one that they enjoyed despite knowing what she could easily produce in her diaper if she wanted to. Emma relaxed alongside Linda with Sophia getting comfortable in Linda's arms, then eventually falling asleep. The others gave them a chance to talk as Linda sensed that Emma needed someone to talk to her about something. David ushered the kids next door to visit the Smiths, with the kids seeing that it was important and not a request from their cousin. The kids greeted Bryan and Hannah Smith who were in the midst of talking with their grandparents in England. The two listened and were in awe as the normally joking 20-year-old couples were respectful of the elders. When the elder Smiths couldn't hold off long enough they were asked about the two kids, getting a grin and simple, "They are David's maternal cousins. Their mother is with Emma and Sophia, Sophia is the image of her grandmother which her great-aunt is getting used to seeing." The elder Smiths understood and didn't say anything further. The kids were quiet, but they understood it to be staying on their best behavior instead of something else. It was true, they were intimidated at being in the Smith home not knowing how they would react to them being there especially as they had only met Hannah once and didn't know if she was alright with them or not. When the Smiths signed off, Hannah turned her attention to the two and gave them a lot of attention. She asked them about the day before and Ethan's actions to which their responses were flattering to him. Logan was exactly as Ethan had described and Ella was the fun girl they had been told about by Faith. She simply needed to get their side of things to see if they were being nice to Ethan and Faith or if they were acting naturally. The kids kept looking at Bryan and Paige expecting them to say something about them being there but neither seemed to say or do anything about them, almost ignoring their presence while talking with Pete. Hannah nodded to Pete to move them out to the other rooms allowing the kids some comfort as they weren't used to college age people being around them and not saying something about how they were acting. Hannah whispered to them that they were better with kids than her, they always did better with her little brother and the twins. The kids asked what they were talking about getting a smile and soft, "Aerial photography" from Hannah. She shook her head and added, "Pete and Bryan are talking about a project in geography while Paige serves as a referee for the two. I can't do it because I would go against both no matter what. I love my husband but sometimes he doesn't see that others are right and I really can't go for what Bryan wants just out of principle." The three finally came out with Pete looking down as he had lost the battle. Hannah comforted Pete, with him perking up instantly. Paige just shook her head at it, it was funny and cute. The kids snickered at him almost melting in her arms and getting googly-eyed at her kisses. Next door, Linda and Emma talked while Sophia slept. Patrick and David took a discrete walk around the neighborhood to let the two discuss things with both knowing that Emma needed another set of ears to give her assurances that they had already tried to give to her. Emma was silently suffering from a bout of depression with Sophia's little illness sparking her concerns about her abilities to be a mother to Sophia, something that was due to happen at some point to her. The two sat in awkward silence until Linda asked how Emma was dealing with Sophia's first illness. Emma looked saddened and burst into tears, a sign that she was holding back her true feelings. Linda hugged her, kissing her cheek and telling her warmly, "You have a lot of help but you need to do this on your own. You are stronger than you think. The others may have experienced it before but it's one of the few things that you need to experience yourself to set you over the hump as a mother." Linda drew in a deep breath then confessed, "When I first had Logan I had nobody to help me. Marlene was always out working and Sophia was busy dating people to bother being the big sister that I needed. When he got sick with the flu I thought I was going to die because I killed my son. He got better, but I still felt like I hurt him by letting him get sick. You need to see that you are stronger than you think. The others want to help but you need to prove to yourself that you are a mother and you are doing what is best for Sophia. David will be there for you, he knows his role and is doing everything he can but you need to do the same. Let your instincts guide you, you may make mistakes early on but it's what every mother has to make. Learn from them, use them to guide you as you go forward." Emma was in tears again. Linda hugged her again, kissing her forehead and telling her firmly, "You are a great mother, you just need to see it for yourself. No amount of assurances can do that for you, you can only do it for yourself. You know what to do, you just need to let yourself do it. The other mothers will offer advice but we can't do it for you- only you can." Emma thanked her again, then noticed Sophia starting to stir causing her to get a diaper ready for her wail. Smiling at her, Linda gave her the wipes to use then let her change Sophia, who gave a smile and didn't get the chance to cry as Emma showed the diaper and showed Emma she was right. The little pep talk worked as Emma began to ask if they all had little tells like Sophia, getting a grin and swift, "I told you your instincts were there. Each kid does have them which you learn over time. Sophia is only three months old so you haven't had much time to learn the signs yet due to exhaustion and recovery. You learned one of the biggest signs, that she is wet. I think you already know her pooping face from last night. She will have a feeding time face and attention seeking face as well." The two put Sophia back down with Sophia giving her a popping expression with her lips showing she was hungry for her bottle. Emma instinctively went for it with Sophia seeing the movement giving her a happy giggle. She was now doing alright, and once Sophia was finished and down for another nap she hugged Linda, thanking her for helping her. Linda hugged her back, explaining, "It's part of the job of being an aunt. Our kids tend to listen to aunts and uncles at times over their parents. Lilly and Karen probably had similar talks with you already but it didn't have the same impact. I'm here for you if you need me, I never got to help Sophia when she had Daisy but I will happily help you and David especially when you need a heart to heart like this." The kids came back over looking for their mother and saw the hug. They were upset that Sophia was asleep but understood that she slept a lot and really couldn't do much more than flap her arms and legs around at her age. The two were just happy to be allowed close to her and posed for some pictures with Linda while Sophia slept in her arms. David and Patrick arrived back with Deborah and Lilly in tow. Lilly saw the sleeping Sophia and took pictures of Emma and Linda together with the kids, the latter not knowing they were unintentionally posing for the pictures until they saw the flashes going off. It was a sweet moment as they were just sitting there together without a care. Lilly sat with Linda and Emma while the kids moved off. They went up to their rooms while the adults talked about things that they were too young to hear. They adults didn't actually do that, they simply talked about school and waited on Claire and Daisy to be dropped off next door. Claire entered with Daisy who asked if Ella was home getting a roll of the eyes from Claire. Daisy went upstairs immediately while Claire sat down to complain about her being grumpy all day over her forgetting to do homework while the others went to the park. Linda had to smile at the girls' antics, they were so much alike yet so different- much like her and Sophia were as kids. Lilly snickered at Linda's realization, adding a solemn, "It's tough on the teens with such a big age difference in siblings." Linda nodded, adding a happy, "At least they aren't physical, when the fists are flying and scratching you should be scared. And be glad the boys aren't egging them on, Ted did that to us to get his kicks before he finally left for college." Linda unknowingly opened up to them, with Lilly getting what she wanted from Linda. She was the insight that the others didn't have as they were too close in age to their siblings or only children. She understood what both kids were feeling and understood why they did what they did to one another. The kids started to get hungry so they called it a day, with Sophia waking in time to see the kids and give them her cute act as they said their goodbyes. Daisy invited herself over the next day with Logan accepting a ride to Ethan's house where the boys were going to be playing. Daisy hugged Linda tight with Logan hugging Claire and Claire kissing his cheek, making him blush getting a snicker from both Daisy and Ella over his little bit of awkwardness. The rest of the weekend was a blur of activity as the kids were busy and Juan was holed up in his room working on the lawsuits and compiling every piece of evidence that he could think of. Ricardo and their new paralegals were in and out with the two lawyers having every possible response to the lawsuits covered. Valerie and Kennedy added their own thoughts with Katie giving them their biggest angle of attack as she figured out the law firm had no way of countering his accusations without lying in court. Juan had to admit that it was simple yet completely effective, they were going to set themselves up for an active federal and state investigation that they couldn't fight and would lose. Juan had to admit that she was probably the keenest legal mind he had ever encountered, but her heart was set on teaching so she wouldn't set foot in a courtroom unless it was absolutely necessary. She could help out behind the scenes though, with Juan being happy that she chose to do that at all. Monday saw Juan faxing in his responses to the lawsuits and providing the counters to the claims. By afternoon, he had had the replies from the law firm- he was out of line and breaking their charter by suing them thus negating his lawsuit. This was a bluff, they wanted to scare him and since they had suspended him without reason and had been proven to be doing so under dubious reasons based on proven lies he had grounds for the lawsuit making their claim null. The federal lawsuits saw the county claiming ignorance and refusing to support the administrators. That didn't matter, the hospital was a fault as they had used its resources to propagate the breach of Ella's rights both regarding her care and her records. He laughed as they claimed the people who examined Ella were unqualified then tried to claim that they had no right to do so as she was still a patient at their hospital. His counterclaim was simple: she sought care from people who had more experience, were the primary doctors for children that she knew and cared about, and were unbound by preconceived notions and unafraid to give prompt and proper medical care. She had every right to move to a different doctor as she no longer resided in Illinois and her new doctor was a leading authority on her condition so they had no real claims against Ella's care. They had no right to claim she can't receive care when it was in their own records that they denied her care forcing her to seek help elsewhere. The last lawsuit was against Marlene. She didn't contest the divorce and agreed to split the money in her bank accounts 50/50 as well as to have no contact with Linda whatsoever. The feds allowed Linda to remove the money from the bank accounts with Linda being informed that it was tax- free due to being the proceeds from a lawsuit. Linda simply ignored it, telling him to put the money aside- which Ricardo had done already. The kids were unaware that their mother now had $100 million in the bank. Linda met with Karen Smith early in the morning, with Ethan and Nichole tagging along giving the kids a helping hand in getting ready. Karen had all of the paperwork ready to go with the trust funds set up for the kids with $50 million going into each with Linda refusing a penny herself. Karen was happy to tell her that the kids were the second richest people in the city, with neither kid having to do a thing anymore as they could live comfortably for the rest of their lives. Linda countered that they would earn their keep and get an education. She would rather they learned the value of a dollar than growing up to be spoiled rotten brats, which she learned was the same response all of the parents had given to their kids coming into a windfall for them. The kids were finally bundled off to the school with Karen telling them that Mick Jones would pick them up after school so they could do their homework and play for a bit. Linda understood why they were doing that for her, Yvette had arranged for her to have some extra time to get adjusted to the school and their filing system but it was more for the kids' benefit as it was a stressful day and they would need some time with their friends to decompress. Ethan introduced them to Nancy Flynn, Kylie Pena, and Margaret Douglas with the three girls eagerly hugging Ella and Logan causing Logan to blush over the affection from the girls. Nichole had to hide her smile as she knew they'd cause that reaction with Margaret and Nancy being very affectionate with boys. Daisy and Faith came over and led Ella to wait with their class, with Yvette then leading the boys inside as well. Nancy was heard saying, "He's cute" which caused Logan to blush while Margaret added, "Not as cute as Neil" getting the girls battling again over the boys. Yvette had to shake her head at them but knew it was history repeating itself as she softly mumbled, "Just like Karen and me" to Logan. He understood what she meant, the old friends had done the same thing in school as Karen had already explained her relationship to Yvette in the car on Friday. The boys introduced Logan to their teacher, who then told Logan to work with the boys in case he was behind but didn't think he was far off overall. Yvette nodded at that, adding, "He is right on par with your class and has proper support. His cousins and neighbors will ensure he does well." She left then went to Ella's new class with the girls going inside and Ella meeting her new teacher Ms. Twit. Ms. Twit wasn't too thrilled that Ella was joining them and that she had a special notice about her upcoming surgery but Yvette shot that feeling down with a firm, "She is having major surgery to correct an issue that should have been corrected years ago. She is no different than other students. I know you hate having to accommodate students any but I would rather you endure some minor inconveniences in April than have to find a new job starting in June." Ms. Twit gave her a glare asking, "Is that a threat?" Yvette was going to say something but Daisy added, "Uncle John and Aunt Valerie know about the problem and told Mrs. King. They won't like that you are making her feel bad about what she can't control and you are being mean to her for no reason." Yvette grinned, adding, "Herman, Herman, Bollinger, Kelly, Eliza, and Finn all met or know as well as Bollinger, Vega, and Rodriguez. That's not counting both Pena and Reagan as well as my husband all knowing. She didn't threaten you there, she stated a fact. Try something that is in violation of the rules and regulations and you lose big. They are taking a keen interest in this, she has been through a lot and doesn't need someone who feels that they are above the basic laws trying to refuse to abide by required accommodations for a condition that she has no control over." Ella was ready to leave so she didn't cause more problems but Yvette stopped her, explaining to Ella, "Ms. Twit was given her warning that she can't do what she had thought she could do. You are in no trouble but if she punishes you because you have to take things slow during gym and stay indoors during recess then she is. You don't have to put up with problems because of something that isn't your fault and you don't have to accept punishment for someone doing what is required by federal law." Yvette left with the other two girls smiling at Ms. Twit, daring her to say or do something. She just sat down and waited for the rest of the students then started class after introducing Ella. She didn't get any notice as it was clear that she was with Faith and Daisy with both girls being close with the older kids making anyone who went after her face their wrath. Julio had a tougher time as Melanie dropped him off for his first day at school. It was the first time that he had to endure a normal school and the rules so he was frightened. JD, Cat, and Willow were by his side allaying some fears but he was afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing to upset his new teacher. The kids in the class were surprised to see the new student but his new teacher greeted him warmly. Melanie explained his situation and to which his teacher said she would talk to the kids about it if it came up. It would be a good thing if it did just in case another kid was being hurt like he was but she hoped it didn't. The kids were reluctant to play with Julio, who was starting to feel like it was the same as daycare all over again. When Cat and Willow asked him to play he grew scared and nearly had a breakdown until JD joined him and told him they didn't have to do anything except play. JD then played pretend with Cat while Willow and Julio helped prompting the other kids to take notice. Julio was asked by his teacher what happened, getting told about the girls making him dress up then the boys tormenting him making him only play with the girls causing a vicious cycle of him having to dress like a girl all the time. Julio was on the verge of another breakdown but JD assured him it was what the teacher did and made them do things that made them play together while working on school work which caused him to ease up some. After school Melanie was asked about Julio's breakdowns which caused the teacher to grow angry as she realized it was more than just simple abuse. The teacher understood the why once Jaimie's name came up and could see that Julio was too young to understand much about gender let alone why they would be upset at all. JD's behavior was surprising to her as he never played with anyone other than his sister and Willow let alone the boys but Melanie was practically glowing at hearing that, with her happily saying, "They are closer than Cat and Willow and it is growing to be true friendship not simply JD helping him because he was asked. He has matured a lot in just over a week of knowing Julio." The kids went home to happy faces as they waited for the teens to arrive. Melanie wasn't happy to receive notice in the mail from a New York address. New York City Social Services were seeking Julio's custody on grounds of alleged abuse with Juan being named as the abuser. She shed a tear at the thinking but called her parents then Valerie. The answer from both was a decisive, "It's on." Chapter 11 Juan was called over as well as Mark Sylvester, Anne Connors, and Chloe Daniels. This was a serious meeting and one in which the family was calling in the big guns for support. The three DCF employees were new to Juan but their relationship to the family was strong thus they had clout, Melanie and Dan needed their help right away and Juan needed their blessing that he was in the clear. Anne made a phone call on DCF's behalf to New York to get more information about their odd intent to remove Julio especially since the allegations allegedly took place in Massachusetts. The whole call was filled with angry outbursts from her counterpart to which she happily told the man on the other end to place his supervisor on the phone or he himself would have to explain his behavior towards a colleague in an adjacent state who would be handling the actual handover and who would also be required by law to investigate the allegation as it allegedly occurred in her jurisdiction. This didn't move the man so she added that Massachusetts would refuse to allow Julio to be removed and would go to federal court to ensure that he was allowed to stay with his aunt and uncle until New York provided evidence to support their removal order and a full investigation was conducted by the proper authorities in each state. The mention of the court caused a commotion which Anne knew to be them trying to cover their tracks. She whispered to Mark, "They are using bad information that they knew to be false. This is supposed to have happened up here, why are they doing something and not us? It smells fishy and like an inside job. Someone who knows them gave them the claims and purposely left us out of the loop." He agreed, adding, "There isn't any connection between the two so it had to come from only a couple of sources- his family, his coworker, or his secretary. The latter two are under close watch by the feds, so it had to have been Juan's family. They are getting back at him for his mother's arrest in the worst way." Anne finally got a supervisor on the phone and was given the actual details of the complaint. It was as expected, Juan was claimed to have sexually abused Julio during his stay in Massachusetts. They provided details of when and where it allegedly happened, but it was comically false. The timing was laughable, they had only had a short period of time together and it was under the direct oversight of Melanie, Valerie, the Johnsons, and the teens. The times it was supposed to have happened was even funnier, he was in Chicago those times and Julio was with the Johnsons and Melanie or Dan. They had no clue about the Chicago trip, they seemingly picked a random time for it to have happened. She had to fight a laugh then told them firmly, "I know for a fact that all of these allegations are false as he has multiple witnesses that were present for the only meetings that he has had with Julio Lopez since they parted ways 11 days ago. My own daughter is an eyewitness, as are the daughters of my colleague and the local chief of police. All other times during that period he has been working at home, in his new office, or been at his uncle's home. From Sunday night to Friday afternoon he wasn't even present in Massachusetts- he was in Chicago with a half dozen witnesses including the Deputy Attorney General of Massachusetts so please, by all means, tell me exactly how he was abusing Julio Lopez as the facts do not add up! I won't even bother trying to ask about why you never informed us about the allegations, I believe I know exactly why you were contacted and why you never informed us of the allegations." There was a pause as they scurried to find the notes about the alleged abuse. There was little actual evidence, it was all allegations that were phoned in from a Massachusetts number. Anne grinned and knew that she had them firm and caught in a legal noose. She pointed out authoritatively, "I know exactly who made the allegations and you need to know the truth: the people who made them are Juan Perez's estranged relatives. He has severed all ties with his family due to his mother threatening the life of his friend. His friend is a lesbian and from the kindness of his heart, he opened up his new home to her and her two children to live. Funny thing about that, the Perez/Castillo relatives never bothered to lodge a complaint about them. There is a reason for that, we know exactly what is happening and why and would have intervened directly if we were told about any sort of allegation against him. They went to you, hoping you would be naive enough to believe a false claim- which you have shown that you did." She had to calm herself then added, "As we know that this allegation is false and know the origin to be based on payback against the man, we will file a motion in our court to prevent your department from removing Julio Lopez. Further Mr. Perez is well within his rights to sue your department for slander as you have shown that you don't bother investigating claims before you take action. You will have both our response and Juan Perez's response to the allegations shortly. See you in court tomorrow." There was more yelling and fighting while Anne waited for them to figure out what to do. Anne gave them the fax number to send their rescind order or to send their demand that Julio is brought to New York. Juan would have to go to clear his name but he was not going alone- this called for the full might of the family. Valerie was going, as were her parents. That left Melanie and Dan to look after the kids after school until John got home. Mark was going south on behalf of the state to fight for Julio's right to stay. Evelyn and Joseph had everything possible to fight including statements from Ricardo, Willie, Kennedy, David, Gabby, Zeke, John, Patrick, and Linda. Jorge asked to go as well, not wanting to let his nephew go this alone and to state exactly what was going on with his nieces and nephews. The clan left and two hours later were in New York City. They weren't wasting time, they scheduled a meeting with a New York attorney to act on their behalf as they couldn't represent themselves in court. The man simply looked at the evidence, the statements, then the custodial agreement and agreed that it was pure fantasy against Juan. Nothing made sense and there were too many people with upstanding reputations stating it never happened. They got a long night's sleep but turning in for the night Jorge made a few phone calls that he knew would be needed. The statements were all well and good but they needed people who knew exactly what was going on and why and would point out exactly who the mastermind was and why they were doing what they did. Julio needed their help and while they may have issues with Juan abandoning them they weren't cruel enough to take it out on an innocent child especially one who had been through a living hell already. In the morning, the group drove to the family court building in the Bronx. They were met outside by Dan and Melanie who refused to let this slide, they would be there to refute all claims against Juan as they, Valerie, and the Johnsons were with Julio all times especially when he was near Juan. There was little reason to refuse their say as the hearsay was not supported by eyewitnesses. Jorge waited outside for his people, the others knew not to question his motives but Juan suspected one of his relatives was about to make an appearance and accept responsibility for the actions of others. He knew just who it would be and was grateful that they were doing the right thing even if they didn't like what Juan was doing with his life. They had issues, but would not take it out on a child to get at him. Inside, the group met the social services representatives from New York and were about to go at one another when a bailiff intervened and ushered them inside. Juan's lawyer was by his side with Juan steeling himself for what may come. Dan and Melanie assured him he was alright, as did Valerie. The judge entered and asked for the information about the case. Social services presented information followed by Juan's lawyer who then added that he had multiple eyewitnesses and accounts that refute all of the claims by social services. The judge saw Jorge enter with three people then observed Juan, the Johnsons, Valerie, Dan, Melanie, and Mark looking angry and ready to verbally joust with the social services representatives. The judge asked their relevance to the case, being told, "Theses people are all direct witnesses to Mr. Perez's actions all of whom refute the claims by the Perez/Castillo family, the people who made the allegation of abuse. We also have sworn statements from multiple additional witnesses who are unable to attend but have directly refuted all claims against Mr. Perez as they were with him during times the alleged abuses occurred. They are all aware of the seriousness of the crimes and swear under penalty of perjury that their statements are true." The judge asked where the child was. Juan's lawyer smirked and explained, "He is attending school this morning." The judge tried to say something about his not being present to which Mark shot back, "Your honor I am here on behalf of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Children and Families to state that we are set to bring action in federal court against our colleagues in New York for this egregious miscarriage of justice and abuse of the system. As you can read in their statements New York is attempting to use a crime that allegedly happened in Massachusetts, that was never reported to us or any law enforcement agency in our state, to remove a child from his next of kin without so much as a hearing. We will refuse all attempts to remove Julio Lopez from Melanie and Daniel Lopez's care until such time as the crime is proven to have occurred and we prosecute. As it allegedly occurred in Massachusetts, we will investigate and we will then determine if he is to be removed- not you." The judge asked the social services workers about the truth of that, to which they stated that they were informed of the crime and that it occurred in New York. The judge then grinned and asked if they had any supporting evidence, to which they produced statements from Juan's mother, younger brother, and younger sister. Juan's lawyer grinned then added they had committed perjury with proof of their lies as they had different statements faxed to them that said it all occurred in Massachusetts. Jorge shook his head then stated to the judge, "Your honor, you should know that my sister, niece, and nephew are all facing criminal charges in regards to actions taken this past Friday evening against Juan which was witnessed by multiple people. Juan has three witnesses to the plotting of the actual crimes of which include perjury and assault. This is pure retaliation and my nieces here can state that at no point did the crimes occur and are pure fantasy by Juan's own family." The judge asked where Juan was on the previous Monday, getting a quick "at his home in Chicago then at the FBI Chicago office." Valerie then added, "I was with Juan from Sunday afternoon until Friday night. We were part of several lawsuits that were taken out against his former law firm, his former coworker, Cook County Medical Center, and a divorce on behalf of his close friend. He was witness to multiple criminal actions against himself as well as a serious civil rights violation against the daughter of his close friend. This same friend is the reason for his mother, sister, and brother going after him." The judge asked why she believed that to which Valerie happily shot back, "His friend had her life threatened by his mother, stating that she'd be killed if he didn't get rid of her. Juan refused so she threatened her again. The woman had done nothing to her. Mrs. Perez's took issue with her sexuality, she didn't want her son to live with a lesbian and when he refused to get rid of his friend his mother then threatened her prompting action by my husband and the Winnisimmet Police Department. She is currently in jail awaiting trial for criminal threats, assaulting a police officer, and resisting arrest." Mark then added, "Your honor we are aware of Mrs. Perez's relationship with Mr. Perez and he stated that he refused any contact with her in the future the first night he arrived back in Winnisimmet so she had no reason to call him except to intimidate him. That shows a pattern of harassment by her." The judge agreed, letting it go. The judge then asked about Julio's well-being, getting a glowing report from Mark. Mark stated, "Due to be a neighbor I had the honor of observing Julio during several days last week while out with my son and neighboring children. I had observed him directly the previous Sunday as Juan and several others made plans to go to Chicago and there was no intimidation, fear, or anxiety. Compared with his first nights two nights before, he was a new person. He is thriving under the care of his aunt and uncle and has taken to the neighboring children as close friends. There is little reason to believe that there is any kind of danger nor is there any evidence that he has been abused by anyone except the system." The judge asked about school, to which Melanie stated, "He has some issues with other kids but his new teacher believes that it's nerves due to being new and experiencing new children without the kids acting like the other kids have acted towards him before. He is trying to adjust but it doesn't happen overnight and will take time. He has made friends with three children who live next door and who are easing the other students into being friends with him but he needs more time to adjust to going to school. After only having bad experiences with children, he is slow to adjust to new ones." The judge asked what she meant to which Valerie explained, "Your honor, he was forced by girls in his daycare to wear girls' clothing to play with them. This is the basis for his grandparents assaulting him and caused intense fear and anxiety towards other kids and anyone of authority. The more he has been around other kids his own age and he sees that he doesn't have to do that, the more he is acting like a normal boy. He is starved for friendship and attention, he is getting it from his classmates and my nephew, JD Finn. The two have hit it off and JD has helped him with most of his anxiety issues." The judge wrote down something then asked about the abuse by the Lopezes. Social services stated that as per a plea bargain they were heading to prison for four years each for assault on a minor. Valerie showed the reports from the doctors with pictures then added, "He hasn't opened up about the abuse yet, but he has slowly learned that he isn't going to be hit for not doing things right. The abuse has left scars on his psyche, but they are slowly healing as he gets used to being among family." The judge read it over then asked about Julio's parents. Dan stated, "My twin brother Hector is dead, dying from a drug overdose four years ago. His girlfriend dumped Julio on my parents when he was a few weeks old then ran off elsewhere. They never got her name, only knowing that Hector impregnated her and she couldn't keep Julio any longer. My sisters all refuse to help after Hector burned all bridges with them. Melanie and I are the only family he has left." The judge nodded, Dan was the only relative who cared about Julio anymore and had done everything right for him since he was placed with them. The judge finally asked for a direct account of where Juan was at the times listed in the claims to show for the record that he was innocent. Juan grinned as he pointed out, "The first time I was with five of my cousins. You can ask Special Agent Vincent or Chief Pena if you don't believe me." The judge thought he was lying but Jorge added, "Alex is my son-in-law and Willie is my son. I was there as well, he stayed the first two nights with my wife and I and I heard him tell my sister to leave him alone. He stayed in his new home from Friday until Monday- again, with his friend's family." The others were backed up by Valerie who included exact docket numbers for the lawsuits that Juan filed at the times the abuses were claimed as well as Mark stating he was there with Dan or Melanie or Stacy and Scott. Melanie had to counter any claims about Scott by saying she trusted him fully and he had proven to be a model big brother to both boys and as Stacy's fiance he was part of Julio's life now. The last times were directly refuted by Jorge's guests. The three women were his youngest sister and the wives of two of his cousins. All three were there for the planning of the claims and refused to take part in it and even tried to send reports to the New York social services that they were false. That got the judge to ask for proof of which they showed the actual emails. The social services workers tried to say that they never received them, but the replies were included which were from one of them. The judge grinned then tossed out all claims based on falsehoods and knowingly attempting to remove a child from proper care based on a verified lie. He then asked the bailiff to take one of the social workers into custody for perjury, adding, "Your language in your emails belied your true intent. I won't allow someone to use this court to cause undue duress to a child because you have homophobic feelings." Instead of dismissing them, the judge asked to see the copy of the adoption application. He then had the clerk write out one for New York and granted the adoption of Julio to Dan and Melanie. His words were fitting, stating, "You two didn't have to be here but you stood up for a man who needed help and showed that you cared more about others than yourselves. You actually wanted to help your son, not just house him. There is little reason to delay the inevitable, he doesn't need it. Congratulations." The group left with Juan and his relatives talking outside. He listened to what they had to say, then told them, "You can stay at the house and will sign a strict and binding lease to stay there. I can't charge you much but it'll be enough to cover the taxes and fees. The others go. The kids need a home and I don't want the house. Only you are allowed to live there with your kids. If I find out that you all are housing the others you are out too. Consider it a second chance, you earned it." His sister and cousins agreed. It was the best they would get and they would have their own rooms so the kids weren't crammed together four to a room. His cousin would lose a wife but her kids would have a place to live which mattered most. She'd recover and they'd be better off without their dad. Jorge was pleased that he had done that for them, hugging him for being more man than his brother and cousins ever would be. Juan hated that it had come to being so bitter but it needed to be done. They showed their true colors, they did what was right when it mattered most. Jorge smiled up at the sky as he thanked his brother-in-law for teaching some of them right. Their flight home was quick and saw them greeted at the airport by the family. Julio was concerned that they had gone off to New York and that they had news for him, but the adults had assured him he was alright. JD kept close to him all day, knowing that he wasn't going anywhere as well as being the one he could turn to for support when Julio needed it. At home, the assembled Finn/Peterson/Jones/Lopez family were told there had been some things that happened down in New York that involved Julio. Julio was asked to sit with Melanie and Dan then shown a large piece of paper with his name one it. Immediately all had smiles on their faces as they knew it was something important to all of them. Dan showed it to Julio then read it, stating, "It is the decree of this court that Julio Lopez is adopted by Daniel John and Melanie Elizabeth Lopez." He hugged Julio, then told him, "You are our son now, not our nephew." Julio cried and proclaimed, "Mommy, daddy" to both as he hugged them. The family slunk away, allowing the six Lopezes to have their moment together. JD asked if Julio was really was his cousin now, getting a happy, "He sure is." JD smiled, Julio got what he needed and he wouldn't leave them no matter what. Julio was crying after everyone left. DJ kept hugging him with Stacy and Rebecca unsure what to do as they watched their brothers embrace with Julio shedding tear after tear. Both decided he needed more assurances and hugged him, getting the same cry but no sobbing or wailing. Dan and Melanie had to usher the four to dinner, with Julio being taken to the bathroom to clean his face. He hugged Melanie tight, with Melanie hugging him back and telling him that they loved him. He softly asked if he could call her mommy to which she smiled and replied, "It would be odd to call your mother Aunt Melanie, wouldn't it?" He smiled at that, it was the last issue he had. He just needed to hear it from her that she was his new mother. Melanie stopped and happily told him, "You now have a brother, two sisters, two future brothers-in-law, 12 cousins, two cousins-in-law, four future cousins-in-law, two uncles, a grandmother and grandfather, and three aunts. We all love you and want what is best for you. You are never going to be alone again, we care deeply about you and none of us will ever let you harm come to you." The two entered the kitchen for dinner with the others not making mention of their talk. Julio finished and went to play with DJ while being told he still had school in the morning. He just smiled at that, he was looking forward to telling his teacher he had a new mom and seeing his two new cousins again. In the morning, Melanie and Dan drove to the school and made the final changes to Julio's records which now reflected his new parents. Dan and Melanie kissed him goodbye with his teacher asking what was going on. Melanie happily admitted, "His adoption was finalized yesterday, he is now our son." She understood it as the honeymoon period of parenthood and left it at that, starting the day. JD and Cat hugged Julio and called him cousin. Their teacher was surprised by that, Cat explained, "He's our cousin, our mommies are sisters." She had a big smile with JD and Julio nodded, she hadn't known that Melanie was related to Valerie and John but it explained why Cat and JD's great-aunt had picked them up from school the day before with barely a glance from Lindsay Reagan or Katie Eliza. With the others being told that they were cousins the boys started to include Julio in their games and played with him during breaks. It allowed Julio to start to show his worth to the boys as he played right along with them without any of their suspected feminine tendencies from having played with the girls the previous two days. JD was with him doing the same, with the boys now seeing that JD was just another boy despite having a twin sister and frequently playing with Cat and Willow. It was the first time Julio felt included and he loved that feeling, for once he had a sense of normalcy in his life. After school, the kids eagerly awaited their pickup. Tyler Reagan happily played with Julio and caught the eyes of boys in Julio's class who didn't know he knew Julio. JD told them Tyler lived behind them so he played quite a bit with him which brought more interest to Julio and JD. Tanya York picked up Julio to bring him to the daycare while she and Melanie finished up work for the day. Virgil wasn't too happy to go with them but Julio saw why, Trinity Eliza had ballet and couldn't play with him meaning he had to sit with his mom for a bit while they finished up their work. Tanya taking Julio brought a surprise as the other parents didn't know that she was one of Melanie's business partners in the daycare let alone friends so Julio was now getting a lot of attention from the parents in addition to the kids in his class. It was going great for Julio. He now had everything in place for a good life and friends in Cat, JD, and Willow. He was truly happy which Tanya and her other business partners, Leslie Sylvester and Lupe Toro, could tell was due to things finally going his way in life. By contrast to Julio's successes, Linda hit a roadblock. The judge who was to hear the name change for Ella refused to allow a summary change despite the evidence that she was not a boy. He refused to believe that there was a mistake and threatened to have her arrested for mutilating her son if she didn't stop seeking surgery for Ella. Ricardo let him talk himself into a corner then countered with every single legal argument, precedent, and enough irrefutable case law to shoot down every single one of his accusations. Further, he added that he would appeal any ruling against Linda and would ensure that the judge was disciplined for the blatant ignoring of jurisprudence in his actions. He waited for a response but didn't get one. The judge ruled against Linda and ordered the removal of Ella from Linda's care. Watching from the side was Judge Perez, the judge who had unfortunately been in front of Ricardo and many others over the past year. She listened as her colleague tossed aside every argument and acted as if he was above the law and that the laws didn't matter to him no matter how well supported Ricardo's legal arguments were. She sighed and called the chief judge, explained what she had just witnessed, then added, "They will cause an uproar based on what they have presented as there is no legal right for him to do any of what he ordered especially as it goes directly against the best interests of the child he is claiming to be protecting. And it'll fall on you: he will go after you if you refuse to do something to make things right. The governor will be watching, as he usually is with any member of that family!" The chief judge gave in, called the clerk to have the verdict set aside per order of him, then had the case refiled with Judge Perez being assigned the case. The presiding judge was handed a memo and swore in open court causing the clerk to state on the record that the case was being set aside by order of the chief judge of the trial court and that it would be reheard under a new judge. Ricardo told Linda to stay put, he knew who was replacing the judge and it was the best possible thing to happen to them. As expected Judge Perez entered and immediately heard the evidence. She laughed at the incompetence of the doctors out in Chicago as well as understanding the need for the change of name. She listened to everything then stated, "Based on evidence provided Eliot Brown never existed. Ella Brown was born and raised and as such, she should have the right to be called that. This isn't up for debate, this was as simple acceptance of medical evidence that undid an injustice done to a child by lazy or incompetent people. My colleague has no business in family and probate court thus will be reassigned to one of the district courts elsewhere. He has pissed away his career, but he did this to himself." Grinning, she stated, "Pursuant to the medical opinion of experts it is the order of this court that Eliot Brown be legally known from henceforth as Ella Brown. Further that her gender is hereby ordered to be recognized as female. I am going to send an immediate order to Cook County to recognize her as female and reissue her a birth certificate in her real gender. If they have an issue what that they will have to explain why. I understand they are in a bit of trouble already so it had better happen lest they have to answer why they are refusing to do so." She issued Linda the order, apologizing for her colleague's antics, then adding, "DCF would have never complied with the order. It would have been easily overturned on appeal by Mr. Sylvester and Mrs. Connors and I have little doubt that Mr. Vincent here wouldn't have had every member of your new family with him to protect your daughter. Enjoy them, they are a treasure to our state." The two drove to the school to show Yvette Ella's new official order allowing them to make permanent changes and bury Eliot for good. Linda was in tears as she did that, but Yvette happily told her that she earned the right to be happy for her daughter. Ricardo made a discreet exit as they got to work. They waited until after school to tell Ella's teacher about the changes. Yvette walked with Linda to her classroom and showed Ella the change order with Ella hugging both over it. Daisy and Faith hugged Linda while Yvette told Ms. Twit that she could forget the name Eliot in all senses as it is excised from all records. Ella was Ella and Eliot had been a mistake that had been cleared up to the point of a new birth certificate being ordered released with her name and gender corrected. The family drove home with Juan just now arriving from his own adventure down in New York. The four ate in peace with Linda telling him about the fun he missed. He had to laugh at the sheer stupidity of it all, with him happily saying, "It figures I am out of state when this happens, I don't think I would have kept my cool but Ricardo has grown to drown out these scumbags and let them talk themselves out of a job if not a career." The kids went to bed after finishing their homework and allowed the two adults to talk. Linda's phone rang which was odd as only a couple of people had her number. As she answered someone agnrily told her, "You have our money. You die tomorrow." Chapter 12 Linda was genuinely scared. Juan read her expression and asked what was going on. Linda burst into tears and told him, "I know the man who threatened me! He's ex-boyfriend Silvio Nero! He said I had his money and he was going to kill me tomorrow!" Juan had to think of what to do next. He called for help from Ricardo and Alex as they would know best what to do in this situation. Alex wasted little time and contacted his FBI colleagues as well as Mike Daniels and Mick Jones. Both felt that this was something huge and smelled of desperation by Marlene Saunders and Ted Blue to get this Silvio Nero guy off of their backs. After he arrived at the house Alex talked with Linda about Marlene's past, going over everything from all angles and leaving nothing to chance. Linda sighed and confessed, "Marlene and I met through Ted. Ted had changed his name from Brown to Blue to make himself 'unique' and Marlene was simply his secretary who needed a 'friend'. He thought we'd hit it off and become friends. Marlene used to meet with Ted and Silvio every few weeks with Silvio kissing Marlene affectionately as Ted tried to look like it was no big deal. Silvio would always make it known that he was there to see Marlene and that I had to go out, they would always meet in the house with Ted giving me a bit of money to go shopping for something nice or get them a nice dinner." She stopped as she realized they were doing illicit things. She looked at Alex who was encouraging her to tell more. Linda added, "Silvio was never alone, he often had a couple of guys with him who were beefy but didn't say anything. They waited outside and if they were still there when I returned one took the things inside while the other talked with me and sent me to get them something else so they could finish whatever they were doing. I didn't think anything about them being there, it was private." Alex asked about where Marlene would go whenever she wasn't at home. Linda had to think hard but recalled a few times where she had to go on trips with Ted, several of which were in New York and Boston but otherwise, they'd spend a lot of time at the office or out at meetings. She never thought it was odd as other secretaries were pulled to go with their bosses for these important meetings so it was normal for Marlene to go. She did them very infrequently with Juan though, which concerned her. Mick and Mike were busy cross-checking the names, dates, suspected actions by Marlene, Nero, as well as Ted. The more Linda talked the less she actually knew about Marlene's life outside the home, which was a huge red flag for them as they could show direct links to criminal rings in multiple areas that went beyond simple money laundering and case fixing that they already knew of. Ricardo and Juan discussed the kids. Linda asked about the money she gave them to which she learned that their trusts were protected, nobody could access them without multiple OKs and not even Linda could raid them without good reason. If the money was the target it would never show up in Linda's account as it never went in there, it actually went to proxy accounts that were set up for the transfer of money into trust funds and were in the names of the Nelson-York-Smith Investment Firm, not Linda's. Juan hated to do it but he asked, "What about the children? God forbid Silvio follows through on his threat and he hurts Linda, what will become of them?" Ricardo looked at Juan who outright refused, telling him firmly, "I love kids but I am not a parent. I could never do that to Linda. I believe Valerie and John or Lilly should have custody of the kids. I would prefer John and Valerie as it would be less complicated on them as they already are cousins to Daisy and the others." Ricardo nodded in agreement, with both hammering out a custodial agreement that would be presented to Linda for approval. Linda though had her hands full with the federal agents. The FBI agents were looking at the number and noticed that it had come from Marlene's phone, something that should not have happened at all and caused a panic among them. They made a quick phone call to the Metropolitan Corrections Center in Chicago and confirmed their suspicions- Marlene had been visited by someone claiming to be her brother and had given him all of her personal possessions at her request. Her phone was among them, claiming that she had no need for it and feared it being lost. It was a flimsy excuse and should have been denied immediately as she was not supposed to have any visitors except her attorney. The corrections officers who were overseeing the visit claimed they were unaware of her visitation ban and when it was found out that she had been allowed a visit that was prohibited the two guards were placed into custody by the US Marshals then outright arrested for being paid off by Nero for access to Marlene. This was a serious matter and an alert was put out to both Chicago airports as well as Logan, T.F. Green Airport, and Manchester airports. The agents had a clear view of him from surveillance and were able to get his true identity, which really was Silvio Nero- a man suspected of having ties to a Chicago crime family. Linda confirmed that it was him and grew scared as he was clearly yelling at Marlene who was seen telling him everything that he wanted to know. She finally walked away, with Nero giving something to the guards which prompted them to call the marshals directly. A short time later, the agents were alerted that Marlene was found dead in her cell. They had reason to believe that the guards were the ones responsible with Silvio giving them the means to kill her. Linda was now frantic and inconsolable, Juan calmed her down but she uttered a somber, "He's going to kill me. She gets the last laugh, she knew she was going to die and gave me up as payback. She knows you would do everything possible to keep the kids safe, but you can't protect me from him. He will kill me." Linda looked at Ricardo and told him firmly, "If something should happen to me, please have John and Valerie take the kids in. They need two parents and as much as Lilly would be a great parent for them, having to care for three young kids is just too much for her. Please, tell me you will ensure they take them in? Please assure me that they will be safe and happy once I am gone?" Ricardo and Juan both told her, "We have it arranged. All you need to do is sign the order and we will file it in the morning with the court." Linda signed and burst into tears, telling both, "You two are the best family that anyone could ever hope for. I loved Ted and Sophia, but both of you have been better siblings than either of them ever were. I love you like a brother, and you are the ideal cousin." Linda was taken up to her room to get to sleep by Juan while the others were busy finding leads and ensuring that she wasn't left uncovered the next day. Ricardo suggested that he'd strike in a public spot like the school, Juan figured he'd stake her out and learn her movements first and wasn't likely to go after her that day. The agents thought they were joking but Mick laughed and added, "He will do both, he has her scared and is probably going to let her wiggle before he strikes." The group had to call it a night with Mick and Mike checking the immediate area for unknown cars and people. They spotted someone up the street but couldn't get a close look. The way they were coming out they looked like a group of guys enjoying an evening with friends and with Mick, Mike, Alex, and Ricardo known to the neighborhood it wasn't too far from the truth. The agents were simply seen as friends and relatives, if the man was down the street he wouldn't be suspicious of them yet. The next morning Linda drove in with Juan taking the kids in his own car. The kids didn't ask what was going on with Linda going the normal route and the kids taking a different route. The cars were closely followed by agents with Mick and Mike following Linda's car. All agents were armed and the locals on high alert over possible action. At the school, a man who was observed going back and forth up and down the street acting suspicious prompted a response from the police but they lost sight of him around the corner as he ducked into a backyard. Mike kept close outside, always keeping an eye on the school and the buildings around it and hadn't been alerted that the man had been spotted so wasn't able to react in time to catch him. Linda kept busy and went about her normal routines but was agitated. There was an issue during the day that caused a near panic as the fire alarms went off with a small fire occurring in the mulch against the school. During this chaos, Mike lost sight of Linda which led to screams and frantic rushing as Linda was found bleeding heavily in the parking lot as he was trying to search for her. Silvio used the chaos of the fire to strike and did so so quickly that nobody noticed him rushing in and leaving. Linda hugged Mike tight, telling him, "Silvio did it. Sylvio grabbed me from behind then ran. Get him, don't let him get the kids. Protect Ella and Logan." Mike tried to stem the bleeding as she said this, but it was too much. She didn't make it to the hospital. She died in the ambulance before she arrived, her last words were only concern for the kids. Mike was upset at having failed, Linda paid the price for him losing track of her. This was the biggest letdown of his career and one that hit him the hardest. Not even his fellow agent selling out their take-down of Duane Todwell the previous November nor the attempts by Taylor Gault to kill Al Samuels had hit him as hard as this. Linda was innocent, she didn't have to die for Marlene's greed. Mick sent him home to talk with his wife as well as the regional director. Both felt he wasn't at fault, it was a freak occurrence that Silvio took advantage of. He couldn't stop it, if he did then he was putting everyone in the school in danger. The fire was one of any number things you can't account for. Linda knew that he was going after her and went to a spot that he would be seen by a dozen cameras and was away from the kids. She knew it was dangerous but she thought of others first and wouldn't want him to blame himself for her doing her best to keep others safe from Silvio's actions. Mick and Alex worked hard with the FBI agents to track down Silvio. It was clear that he murdered Linda and that he dragged her away to the isolated parking lot to do it. She was seen talking with him, pleading with him to do it away from the kids. They were on him fast with his picture forwarded to every media outlet, state, local, and county police agency in a 100-mile radius. They weren't playing around, they were going for full saturation so Silvio couldn't scratch his nose without someone spotting him. They wanted him found and found fast. He never made it out of the city as officer Ian Bailey pulled over Silvio's stolen car for having a broken taillight and caught sight of the bloody knife. He got into his ready stance and pointed his gun at him, directing him to put his hands where he could see them while forcing Silvio to get out of the car. Ian immediately spotted blood on his hands with as well as the jacket and pants, both matching the exact description of clothing given by Mick to dispatch a couple of minutes before. It took all of Ian's might to stop himself from beating Silvio senseless. He angrily cuffed him and took him directly to police headquarters with Willie and the agents deciding what to do with him as they arrived. Willie wanted to throw the book at him but the agents were waiting on word if this was going to be a federal crime or just a state one. Silvio was finally handed over to the feds for trial. He was caught on camera and it was clear that he was about to leave the country as he had reservations with an airline for a flight to Asia under a new name with multiple false identifications and passports found in the car. He also had several thousand dollars in cash and other items all of which would have been trouble for the US to get him back. As Linda was a witness to his actions he was in for the worst possible sentence allowed, he was eligible for the death penalty. Willie didn't even try to fight the feds on this, Linda deserved true justice and he would only rot out in Shirley. He deserved worse than he was getting, but he still had to face justice. Willie hated to do it but he started the phone tree once Silvio was handed off, calling members of the family to tell them about the murder of Linda and get them to keep the kids occupied and prepare them for the bad news when they are finally told. Juan and Ricardo were told to help with the arrangements while he worked with Chloe Daniels to prepare the kids for the bad news. Juan explained what Linda had requested to which Willie had to agree to, with Chloe signing off on the agreement as there was little reason not to heed her wishes especially as they were done with the best interests of all involved. Yvette had an even tougher job, she had to take the kids out of class and talk with them about what happened. Chloe was with her as was Dr. Charles Dane, the family's resident psychologist who came at the request of Alison Eliza. The kids realized something happened immediately and started to cry with Logan hugging Ella tight while she fully broke down. It was heartbreaking to Yvette, she hated to do it but it was one part of the job that at times needed to be done. The kids were given the rest of the week off with Yvette making arrangements for the others to get their schoolwork. Chloe drove them to the Finns house to a saddened Valerie who explained to them what their mother had requested be done and why. Both kids understood, Lilly was a good person but she would be overwhelmed being by herself with three young kids even with the elder three helping. Dr. Dane felt that they would benefit from talking with their friends as soon as possible, with Valerie assuring him that they would have a hard time keeping the five of them away from them. The kids kept to themselves once Chloe and Dr. Dane left, but immediately perked up at seeing Sophia and Emma come by to check on them. Emma was in tears as she saw them but let both play with the suddenly rambunctious Sophia as a way of easing their grief and keeping their mind of losing Linda. Gabby was the next to come by with both kids getting to see the month-old Walter that they had heard a lot about back in Chicago. He looked at both and didn't cry as he usually did at seeing new people. He just saw them and looked away, it was cute and subtle, but meant a lot to the adults. Gabby happily told the two kids that he was happy to see them, he just couldn't focus for long on much of anything yet. The kids played with Sophia and helped change Walter while Gabby and Emma tried their best to keep them from focusing on their grief or that they were orphans. Emma got up to talk with Valerie about the kids with Gabby understanding the mother in her needing to know what was going to happen to them, causing her to smile at it. To her surprise Sophia didn't want to go with her, she wanted to still play with the kids with Ella being gripped tightly by her. It was a big step for Sophia, a little bit of independence but showing Emma that she could go without her constantly by her side while awake. Emma carefully asked about who was going to be taking care of Ella and Logan. Valerie looked down in shame and admitted, "John and I were requested by Linda. She knew this would happen and wanted them to go with us so Lilly wouldn't be overwhelmed. It's also why neither you and David nor Deborah and Patrick were selected, you are new to being a mother and they are so busy with school that you all would give up too much to care for them. They need parents, we will give that to them." Emma hugged and kissed her for doing that for the kids. She shed a tear then added a solemn, "You and Uncle John didn't want more children but you are the best mother and father for them. Jaimie, Michael, and Miles will understand and the twins will do the right thing and accept their new brother and sister. I will be happy to be there for them as will David, Deborah, and Patrick. They don't need more issues in their life, they stability and you and Uncle John give them that." The kids heard what they were talking about and saw the seriousness of Emma's words. Gabby asked them if they wanted Valerie and John to be their new parents getting tears and a solemn, "Yes" from both. She added a soft, "You have one another but your cousins aren't right for you as foster parents. John and Valerie know how to deal with the pain and grief of losing a parent, they went through it with Miles, Al, Francesca, and Ethan. They are good parents, please give them a chance to show their love." Walter stirred and gave them a big cry as they helped sort his diaper. He gave them the perfect chance to focus on something else. Valerie calmly told them that school was out and she needed to pick up the twins which prompted them to want to go, not wanting to leave her side out of fear of losing her too. Valerie didn't have the heart to tell them no and Sophia gave Emma a nasty present which was her cue to them to go or they'd have to help. The kids thought it was funny but Emma wasn't happy. Valerie had to hide her smile, she was definitely her father's daughter at the time and had the Brown sense of duty to release when she needed to release for maximum impact on the moment. The group drove on to the school with the kids being anxious about how others would react to them as surely the news had spread already. The twins saw them and ran for them, followed closely by Julio and Willow. Cat and JD looked at Valerie then at them and thought they understood why they were with her, hugging them tightly as they felt a rush of grief and sadness over the kids losing Linda. Lindsay Reagan offered to take the twins but Valerie declined due to the need to be with the two. The kids quietly went to the minivan with the twins and Julio being encouraged to talk with the two so they were occupied with them. It didn't take much prompting to get the trio to do that as they wanted to tell them about school with Julio starting to enjoy being with the other kids and enjoying that the others had accepted him as both another boy and as the twins' cousin. Back at the house, the youngsters realized they were going to lose the playroom to Ella or Logan now that they were staying there. JD started to pack up his toys which prompted Cat to do the same while Julio went downstairs to play with Ella and Logan. Valerie never had a chance to say something, the kids had gotten their things together and moved out to their own rooms. It was the sweetest, most mature action they had ever done for another person and meant a lot to Ella and Logan. Emma and Gabby were both flabbergasted at the twins doing something so bold. It was so unlike them. In fact, it was the last thing they'd expect them to do at that point. Valerie helped with their bigger toys, then hugged both for being so kind to their new foster siblings. JD looked at Cat then asked, "Are you going to make them our new brother and sister?" Valerie didn't answer but it was obvious that they were trying to make it clear that they felt that they wanted to be siblings if they were going to live with them. She simply told them, "We will see, they need a lot of time to adjust to being here and they just lost their mommy so it wouldn't be right to do that yet." The two had cleared the playroom with only furniture needing to be moved inside. As much as she hated to do it she had to take the kids home to get their things and arrange for a bed to be delivered fast. The kids knew this needed to be done and steeled themselves for the trip with the twins seeing that they were going to be in the way, opting to go to the Reagan home to play with Willow while Valerie did what she needed to do. Valerie was immediately stopped as soon as she got out of the car by FBI agents but was saved from interrogation by Alex. She understood why they were doing what they were doing, but was a bit upset that it had bled over to the house. Alex asked if she was getting their things, getting a soft, "They need just about everything. I have to see if the boys will be able to set up a bed for them in the house as well since the twins felt the need to give up their playroom to them." Valerie collected a week's worth of clothing for both as well as whatever personal items she could find that would bring them comfort. She smiled at the stuffed animal Logan kept hidden on the bed while shedding a tear at the pictures of Linda and them in Ella's room. They didn't have much set up yet but what they did have she grabbed for the kids to show they were going to make their rooms their own. As she was leaving, Paige and Hannah caught sight of her. Both beckoned her over and asked what was going on. Valerie was surprised that hey didn't know already but were told they had a lab in school that they couldn't have their phones one for with the others knowing not to call or text them during class. Steeling herself, she admitted, "Linda was murdered today. The man who did it was after the money she got from her ex-wife. He was caught by Ian before he got outside the city and is facing a trip to Terre Haute since Linda was a witness to a lot of his meetings with her wife and brother." The two were shocked then asked, "What will happen to the kids?" Valerie mumbled, "They are staying with us for as long as they want to. It's why I'm here instead of Chloe or Marl, I'm getting their things. The twins have already moved their toys out of the playroom and made it clear that they want them to stay and even be adopted." Both were stunned into silence as Valerie left. Alex just nodded to her as she got into the car to leave. The agents asked why she was unchallenged by Alex, getting a swift, "Ask your colleagues about Valerie Finn. If they don't immediately stop short and tell you to not upset her then they haven't seen or heard what she did to agents in Boston and Providence who crossed her. She was here for the kids' benefit and the two she talked with are two who needed to know what was happening here. Before you ask, they are her nieces and had I not been here would have already had the police by to investigate you." At home, Miles and Michael had arrived and were shocked to see Logan and Ella there. Seeing Emma down they figured something happened but when they saw their mother arrive with bags of clothes and other items it dawned on them the two were staying there now. Valerie wasted no time and told them to head out to get a new bed, mattress, and box spring for the playroom which they neither complained about nor asked why, they just did it. Jaimie arrived next with Claire, both knew exactly what happened from Neil, and Ethan texting them. They hugged the two with both finally breaking down at the two teens showing them affection. Jaimie kissed Logan's head, softly telling him, "It's OK to cry, it's painful but it's OK to cry. Anyone who says it's not right for a boy to cry because their mother just died never experienced losing their loved ones." Logan started crying hard, Jaimie had opened up the dam that was holding back his feelings. He didn't want to cry out of fear of appearing girly then didn't want to show weakness in front of Valerie. She let him cry into her shoulder, rocking him back and forth until he finally ran out of tears and felt relief. The fear and anxiety were gone, but the grief remained. Ella had done the same with Claire with Claire telling her that she lost her dad at the same age and it hurt for a long time but she would always remember Linda and had people who wanted to help her all around her. Ella understood what she was trying to do, and appreciated her opening up but it was hard to let go of the sadness. Lilly and Daisy arrived followed by Neil, Faith, and Sarah Johns. Lilly and Sarah went right for Valerie while the kids went for their friends. Daisy could barely contain herself, she felt horrible for Ella and Logan while Faith and Neil were unused to losing loved ones. The two understood death and had known the White-Clarks before they died, but this was someone who was closer to home for them. Lilly asked about the kids' new guardian getting a somber, "John and I were asked to take them in." Lilly hugged Valerie over that, it was selfless and done for the right reasons. She offered up, "You two are the best people to help them. I can't handle three on my own especially with this being such a tough situation, you have a lot more support than I'll ever have. They need stability, I can't give them that." Valerie knew she was lying but thanked her for understanding. Lilly added, "I would rather that they went to you, I don't believe I am the right person. This is just too much and Daisy will need a lot of help to get over her grief as we both know she is hiding her true feelings. This is a blood relative dying, one that she knew and loved. She has lost too many people to count now. I can't give her support while dealing with the kids' own needs but you two can." Daisy entered and hugged Lilly for doing the right thing, crying into her shoulder for thinking about her feelings and knowing what she was really feeling inside. She kissed Daisy's head and admitted, "You are a smart, mature young lady but you are still barely eight years old. I know you wanted more siblings but they need Valerie and John." Daisy understood fully, adding, "I know" as she hugged back. The kids were told to do their homework, with the Ella and Logan being encouraged to do the same. Both were grateful for the distraction and didn't fight it. They spent the next two hours working, coloring, playing on their iPads, and playing on the game system while the adults talked. John arrived home and didn't react to seeing the kids being there. He hugged both, kissing Ella and trying to kiss Logan only to get the usual, "I'm too old for kisses" reaction from him. His only question was whether they did their homework, getting a complaining, "Yes" from all five kids and grins from them over his trying to act like this was normal. Miles and Michael arrived back just as they were getting ready to start dinner. The two worked fast to set up the bed then helping to move the new dresser and desk into the room. John didn't ask why they got them, realizing that it was meant for the older Logan who would need his space more than Ella. Logan was shown his new room and had the boys help him set out sheets and pillows then put away his clothes. Hannah called and asked if she should bring over the rest of their clothes to which Logan and Ella agreed. A half hour later they were enveloped in more hugs from the four Smiths as they shed tears over Linda's death while the two kids held together, shocked and happy that others were saddened. The kids had a tough day and were put to bed early, with the twins refusing to go to bed until they were sure Logan and Ella were alright. Both kids were exhausted emotionally with what had happened but knowing that the Finns had tossed open their home and were doing everything possible to make them comfortable and even trying to ensure they were happy gave them great relief. In the morning, John drove the twins in while Valerie let Ella and Logan sleep in. They were told that they should expect visitors from the Castillos as well as her parents which were explained as them trying to ensure they were coping as well as help her settle issues regarding Linda. They knew about Jorge and Victoria so they expected the worst but both elders were kind to them and gave them space. The kids listened to the adults talking about Linda's funeral. It was surreal but neither said anything, just listening and waiting for them to ask them questions. Victoria figured it was best to ask them to help as it was their mother and they would know what she loved and what she would appreciate happening as well as help the kids accept that this was real and not a nightmare. Logan mumbled about her liking flowers and wanting them to not have cut flowers as they were just going to wither and dry up. Ella added that she would want everyone there, she didn't have any other family and it would be wrong not to have them there. Both added she wanted purple things, it was her favorite color and here middle name- Violet. Victoria smirked at the others, it was exactly what they needed. They had to talk about Linda and know that they wanted her remembered as well as remembering the good things about her life. Valerie now understood and thought it best to do some sort of garden for her as it would benefit others for years to come, something the kids nodded at hearing. Jorge came in and brought food for lunch, knowing that they would be too busy to consider eating. The kids ate the food without questioning it, it was something that they recognized and had eaten multiple times before. Jorge asked if Juan made the dish, getting nods and quiet, "Mom hated it, momma loved it. Juan liked to make it for us whenever mom worked late so mama didn't have to worry about cooking the next day. He always cooked more than we needed so she got the night off the next night." Jorge grinned at hearing that, he added, "Juan learned it from my mom and inherited her rice pan. He is the only other person who can make it well, I tried to teach John but he just can't capture the right timing to make it dry yet moist, crunchy yet soft, caramelized but not burned. Poor John has tried for over 20 years to make it right but he just can't get it done right." The kids were smiling at that, Jorge was making them forget their troubles and enjoy the day. After lunch, he ushered them out to the park to play for a bit while the adults talked about things that they shouldn't know about. The kids understood and went with him and Victoria, with both telling them about the city and the family so they didn't feel left out of everything or overwhelmed by the number of people who were related to the Finns. The time in the park was time well spent as they ran around and tired themselves out. After an hour they walked back home and took a nap while awaiting the kids returning home. The boys were held up but they were able to talk with Kylie at her house with Ella going upstairs with her as she changed while Logan waited down below. Kylie changed in front of Ella unintentionally showing her Kylie's, "Birth defect" which caused Kylie to blush and apologize for forgetting she was there. Ella hugged her, offering her apologies for forgetting to leave the room prompting both to realize it was no big deal to them. For Ella, it was a big moment, one where she realized that she was simply Ella and that she was really normal as others had tougher situations than her as Kylie had more to fear from her birth defect than Ella had with her own. Ella asked if she was really born a full boy getting a somber, "Unfortunately. I don't have what real girls have inside like you and need surgery to get things changed when I am 18. You are lucky, you get it now." Ella hugged her, telling her, "You are a real girl. Momma said you were special and you are." Logan asked what took so long getting a snicker and, "Nothing" causing him to mutter, "Girls" causing Kylie's face to brighten at the unintentional compliment that he gave her. Ella whispered, "Told you so" which Kylie hugged her for while Logan just went into the backyard to play. They played for a while before it was time for dinner and the kids were called in for homework and to eat. Kylie again hugged Ella with Logan groaning, "So you saw what she had, big deal. We knew she was born with boy parts and hadn't had surgery, you don't have to make a big deal out of it." Kylie smiled and kissed his cheek causing him to blush. He reluctantly hugged her back with Ella teasing him. He chased Ella across the street with both rushing inside after one another leaving the twins shocked. Valerie had to fight a smile, whatever happened was helping them come around again. After dinner and more schoolwork, the two spent some time with the twins before the younger kids went to bed. The teens left them alone with John working on schoolwork in the office leaving Valerie to entertain the two with both enjoying the closeness of her. When it was their bedtime both kissed her goodnight with Ella sleepily asking if she was going to be their new mama. Valerie didn't answer her. Ella had spoken from the heart and accepted the situation as being permanent and Valerie as her new mother, but it was still early in their stay to make any rash decisions. John just quietly waited for her to come out of her fog and told her that they'd give it a week before signing the paperwork which she nodded at before going to sleep. Chapter 13 The next day was a blur as the kids were taken to speak with Dr. Dane, with both kids trying hard to not admit that they wanted Valerie and John to be their new parents. He asked if they felt that they were feeling that way with Logan tearfully admitting that he felt more love from them than he had ever received from anyone else. He loved Linda, but John was able to understand him as a guy in ways that his mother was not able to do. He hated to tell him but it always bugged him that Linda just couldn't understand him internally. She and Ella were one and the same but he and Linda were oil and water. They liked different things and whenever he took an interest in something it was always something she couldn't quite understand. Ella was sad to admit that she liked that she wasn't the center of attention all of the time Their friends were good and all, but at the house they weren't under scrutiny by people who looked down on them because their mom liked women. Logan added that he felt normal now, his mother was his mother but people were now going out of their way to treat them better. Dr. Dane listened then told both, "You are dealing with grief and there will be a period where the newness of having two parents wears off. You have a lot of people who are ready, willing, and able to talk with you and who know the feelings you are experiencing firsthand. Jaimie and Miles are in the house with you, Francesca and the Hermans are across the street. Talk with them if you are starting to feel bad about things, they will never say no to the need to talk and if they are busy there are a lot more people who are able to talk in their place and who will listen to you without judging you. Just be careful, when the feelings finally hit that your mother has died don't do anything rash and let John and Valerie help you through it. It's their job to do so as your parents, foster or by adoption." He sent them on their way with that, he knew they'd have another breakdown once they had the wake and funeral but it was inevitable and it would be among loved ones. Valerie asked if they were feeling better with Logan hugging her tight. She softly explained, "It's alright to feel bad for liking being part of the family. Your mom was a great person and she wanted you to have parents who understood you." Logan timidly told her, "I always wanted a dad. Mom and Mama couldn't understand me." Valerie just nodded, adding, "Trust me, I know all too well. Until John came along Michael and I had a lot of trouble understanding one another. I could relate to girls but not boys." That got Logan's interest just as Valerie anticipated. She knelt down and confessed, "John isn't Michael's biological father, my ex-boyfriend Lance Jones is. Lance was a terrible person who abandoned us when I was pregnant with Michael. Lance went to prison for fixing criminal cases, hiding evidence, and then lying in court about the cases he prosecuted. This was all revealed when he tried to get Jaimie away from John when John wanted to adopt her as his daughter, just after she was out to the town as being transgender. John and I married just after he won the right to adopt Jaimie then we adopted both kids." Logan's eyes shot open at hearing that. He mumbled, "That was the man mama hired to make us. He knew Uncle Ted." Valerie asked if he was sure to which he shot back, "Mom has pictures of him and the contract to make us in her things. He and Uncle Ted worked together before Uncle Ted got hired at the law firm with Juan. He came by a couple of times and we met him but he hasn't been around for a long time. I guess what he did to Jaimie explains why." Valerie saw the look in Logan's eyes and realized that he was telling the truth. She sighed and told him, "This makes things complicated. You not only have a half brother, you have an uncle and cousins. Both of them have stronger claims to your care than I do. I need to talk to some people about this, it needs to be clarified immediately." At the Finn home, Valerie called Mick Jones and asked him to come over with Sarah and the kids. She then called her parents and Chloe. This needed their input as well as the consent of all involved. The last to be called was Michael, who understood that if he was being asked to do this it was important to his mother and the kids. At the house all of them were sitting in the dining room awaiting the trio. Neil and Faith wanted to play but Valerie asked that they hold off doing so. Both saw that she was in her serious mood and relented, waiting with Logan and Ella while keeping little Brent occupied and out of trouble. Hannah arrived with Pete, showing Valerie that the kids were telling the truth about their father being Lance Jones. She steeled herself, eventually looking at the angry face of Hannah who took the kids away to play with the energetic Brent while Valerie told the others the news. Once the kids were out of earshot Valerie explained, "The kids told me something this afternoon as we were coming back from speaking with Dr. Dane. Lance Jones is their biological father. Linda and he had a contract for him to impregnate her with Ted and Marlene encouraging his use. He and Ted had a long friendship dating back to their days after law school." Mick's face went red while Michael got up to go with the kids. Valerie stopped him, hugged him, then told him, "He is no more their father than he was yours." Michael shot back, "They deserved better." Downstairs, Michael hugged Ella, with Hannah telling him, "He was nothing to them just as he was to you." Michael didn't respond, letting Ella hug him back while Logan tried his best not to speak. When he did, he asked, "Why are Mr. and Mrs. Jones here?" Michael shook his head as Hannah explained, "Uncle Mick is your uncle, he is Lance Jones' younger brother. Jones is a very common name but he really is your uncle. Aunt Valerie has to talk with them about this because there could be trouble." Faith and Neil realized just what that meant and hugged Ella and Logan. The kids were more than just friends, they were blood relatives. Brent went for attention from Michael, getting Hannah to quip, "At least he knows you needed a hug too" which Michael grinned at, letting Brent hug him. Upstairs Mick, asked about the arrangements with Chloe. Chloe read it over with a smile on her face and added, "It's solid and she knew what she was doing at the time. You could challenge it in court but given that Michael is their brother and still a minor for the next two months there isn't much reason to. It would be fighting family and cause more harm to the kids than good." Mick looked over at Valerie who was awaiting his reaction. Mick just shook his head at the situation, adding, "Lance really knows how to complicate things even when he's in prison. He's nothing to them, just a donor. I can't take them from you and would never think of going against Linda's wishes. Michael is their brother, they would only be hiding the truth from people who don't need to know their real lineage. They need you and John, not an aunt and uncle." Chloe told them that they should file jt in court to get it legalized. They all knew what she meant and agreed to do it for the kids' sake. The kids were brought up with all of them explaining the situation, with only Brent not understanding what they meant. It was expected as he was only a year old. Michael hugged the two tight as Valerie told them what had been agreed upon. Faith and Neil both understood what it meant to everyone else, they would be cousins in all ways and not have to explain things that were uncomfortable to people who didn't need to know. Brent was finally told, "Ella and Logan are going to become your cousins." He nodded and went back to playing with Hannah, showing that he didn't really care nor understand and letting them talk more without him. The kids were sent back downstairs to play while Michael got ready for his date with Courtney. John, Miles, and Jaimie eventually entered and were told the story with all of them agreeing to the outcome. Miles added, "It was bound to happen, you were acting more motherly to them than you had acted in a while" while Jaimie added, "As long as they are ready for everyone putting them under scrutiny they are going to be alright." John did go and have a talk with them once the Joneses left, asking them if it was what they truly wanted. Logan hugged him, telling him, "I always wanted a dad and you are the best dad anyone can have." Ella was quiet then added, "We just want you to be happy with us." John smiled down and told her, "I am happy. The only thing that you could do to make me unhappy would be breaking the rules and getting arrested, you two aren't the kind of kids to do either. I just wanted to know that you are going to be alright with all of your new cousins. And there are a lot of them- 22 more cousins alone from both Valerie's side and my side of the family beyond the cousins you already are related to now." The kids looked up in shock but John shot off, "Claire, Diego, Eric, Stephanie, Raul, Reed, Billy, Kylie, Bryan, Hannah, Paige, Pete, Nigel Jr., Ethan, Nichole, Marcus, Iris, Rachel, Julio, DJ, Rebecca, and Stacy. You have seven next door to you alone, with another three across the street. It's a lot to take in, but it's all true." The kids looked at Miles and Jaimie who were listening and saw them nodding. Jaimie added, "You also have Scott, Jessica, Christina, Rick, Thomas, Reyna, Sam, Will, Polly, Courtney, Jessie, Trina, and Avery who are going to be around in some form or another since they are all dating your cousins." Miles saw them trying to figure out what to say but added, "Jenna and George are going to be around by default so you will have them as cousins by association" with Jaimie teasing, "Jenna won't let us forget that she is your future sister-in-law" causing the kids to snicker at their act. Logan had it hit him that only Junior wasn't related to him. Jaimie snickered, "He is practically a cousin since dad treats Uncle Sean as his uncle and he is Uncle William's father. Sometime tomorrow you can see the big family tree we started to show all of the different branches and how they interact with one another. You just added another branch but it is firmly part of us now. You are our brother and sister." The kids were told it was bedtime with the teens putting them down for the night. It was going to be a tough day emotionally so they needed all the rest they could get. Jaimie checked in on them to ensure they were asleep and hugged both, getting a soft, "Thanks, sis" from Logan which the sleepy Logan didn't mean to tell her but meant a lot to her as his true feelings were coming through. In the living room Miles and Jaimie both admitted the two would have a breakdown at the wake. It was too much for them, even being used to the family they would have to release their built up grief as they saw Linda lay still before them. Nobody wanted to see them in pain but they couldn't stop either kid from doing what was natural to them after seeing their mother deceased in front of them. In the morning, they kids were up early and playing with the twins in their rooms. There was little said over breakfast and even less as they got dressed. Both kids hugged and kissed Valerie and hugged John showing them that they understood the gravity of the day and accepted them as their new parents. Jaimie dressed Ella and barely noticed what she was trying to hide. Jaimie noticed her hesitation and carefully told her, "It's nothing I haven't seen before." Ella whispered she didn't believe Jaimie was born with boy parts which Jaimie countered with, "I was hurt badly when I first started to be a girl, it ended up helping me develop faster. I still have 'it' but I'm having surgery in June." Over in his room, Miles helped Logan dress. Logan wasn't happy to have to dress up in a suit but seeing Miles wearing one and hearing Michael grumble about wearing one put him at ease. Miles then calmly told him, "It sucks that you have to go but you need to do this for your own sake. Once you see that she isn't coming back it gets easier on you. It is the final acceptance, we live with the memories but we need that closure seeing her laying down and unable to move gives to us." Logan asked him what he meant, getting a soft, "My birth mom died from cancer when I was eight. I had to put up with her funeral and my father being a total scumbag about it. Be glad that you have your sister and mom and dad to help you out, I didn't have anyone until I came here. It was hell for me." Miles had unintentionally started a bonding session with Logan who asked him what he meant by that. Miles knew better than to lie so he explained, "I was adopted by mom and dad three and a half years ago. My birth dad got involved in with a criminal named Roland. Dad didn't see that he was being used and when he was arrested Roland sought the money he paid dad to buy a load of drugs. Dad stupidly thought he could get away with swindling Roland but he was killed. Roland tried to go after me, trying multiple times to get the money from me by beating me and trying to kidnap me." Miles had Logan enthralled and continued, "He only stopping when he gloated to dad about it. He didn't know just who I was in relation to dad yet. When he had enough to send Roland to prison dad got him to stop by telling him just who he was trying to threaten and kidnap- his own nephew. So I know how you feel and I know it sucks but you have mom and dad and a lot of other adults to help you out. They want you to be family, it's up to you to want to be part of it too." Logan understood. He hugged Miles who didn't flinch at being hugged. Logan asked why he didn't flinch, getting a smile and soft, "We are brothers now, it's a painful situation. You can hug your family and friends. Anyone who tells you it's girly and not manly is just stupid. Real guys know when to hug one another especially when it is dealing with something so painful." Michael came in and told them it was time. Logan asked why he was so quiet around them, believing that the two had done something wrong. Miles shook his head and admitted, "It's how he is. He doesn't go out of his way to help you through every step like Jaimie. He has his issues with Lance Jones that run deep, he is fighting his true feelings and is probably going to have a cry with Courtney later when they are alone. Don't worry about him being rough at times, he would never let you two get away from being his brother and sister now that he knows the truth. You are part of his life and won't get away." Michael was going to say something but Logan embraced him in a hug. Miles grinned at Michael who was set up for the hug. Michael didn't have the heart to make a snide comment, instead giving them a push to get moving while hugging Logan back when Miles wasn't looking. The wake was somber and quiet as the entire family was there with the family giving their condolences and offering their respects to the woman they had only briefly met or had only heard about through their children. Logan and Ella met everyone and endured tearful hugs from their closest cousins and some of their newest cousins. Sam York and Reyna Toro surprised the two as they were introduced as Iris and Rachel's girlfriends with the two never realizing they liked girls as the two had barely talked about anyone else while they were with the kids. Daisy took the day harder than anyone. Linda was a direct link to her mother Sophia and with her death she was left with only fading memories of the woman who gave birth to her. She and Ella shared long cries in the corner while Logan tried to remain stoic but lost the fight as he saw Daisy breaking down. Both kids were given their space with David and Patrick sticking close by to keep the youngest kids from getting close. JD and Cat thought they could cheer them up by trying to play with them but they didn't accept that it wasn't right to do so there. Julio took it the best and stuck close to Melanie and Dan, hugging both and not letting them out of his sight. He knew death all too well and he didn't want his new parents to get too far away until it was time to go. It was tough to explain to Billy and Nigel about Linda's passing but both seemed to understand it too well. Benny Herman and Jack Bollinger were told but didn't comprehend what was going on. The adults simply let the two youngsters have their innocence, it wasn't the time and place to tell them that Linda was dead and wasn't going to meet them. After the wake the teens didn't have the heart to go on dates so went home and concentrated on their families and schoolwork. Logan stuck close to Michael with Michael doing his best to not do anything that would upset him. Ella stayed close to Jaimie, with both trying to keep Daisy occupied and focusing on other things. After dinner, the kids started to look at old pictures that their mother kept of them and showed off Marlene resulting in Logan getting up to go to his room for some privacy. Michael checked in on him immediately while Miles and Jaimie had Ella keep looking at the pictures to keep her occupied. She asked if he was going to be alright with Jaimie telling her, "He needs a talk with someone who went through a similar betrayal. Lance Jones didn't kill dad but he tried to destroy dad's life and send him to prison for abusing me. He did it to get mom back but it failed badly for him." Michael sat Logan down and explained to him, "Miles and Jaimie think I am going to talk with you about Lance Jones but you need to know a similar story of someone who did much worse. They don't want to tell you this but Taylor Gault did the same exact thing Marlene did: he sent people to kill Al's parents for trying to blackmail him and ended up accidentally causing the deaths of the White-Clarks. They were great people who didn't deserve to die, but they also saved Al's life by being there. She would have died if their car didn't cause hers to slow down enough to only cause her lots of damage to her groin but not kill her. He hurt us, he went out of his way to try to send mom and Aunt Kennedy and a bunch of the adults to jail for not giving him Al. He ended up getting his in the end when he ended up as helpless as a baby when he got hurt in jail. He mouthed off and got beaten then tripped on soap. It's the like what happened to Marlene and will happen to the man who killed Linda." Logan went back downstairs and joined the others in looking through more pictures with the two kids getting embarrassed as they saw pictures of them doing funny things to one another. They couldn't help but feel better about everything, their mother was gone but she wasn't forgotten. They had something to remember her by and would always cherish the memories of her. The kids went through all of the pictures but found it hard to toss away the ones that featured Marlene and Linda. It was heart-wrenching but they couldn't turn their backs on someone who hurt them so badly. Deep down Linda loved Marlene no matter what she did to her, she was a part of their lives. The next morning was a repeat with the kids helping the twins get dressed while John and Valerie got their things together. Once breakfast was done they got fully dressed and got to see John in his reserve police uniform for the first time. Logan was awestruck by the sight, a dad standing proudly over them and doing something that was noble for no pay and lots of ridicule. John noted Logan's reaction, it was what he usually saw in kids meeting their idols but with Logan it was more intense. Logan asked Miles about John's uniform, getting a smirk and happy, "Uncle Willie asked him and uncles Dan, James, and Quentin to help when the police needed more people. He has done a lot for them and the four dads have done the worst shifts so the others didn't have to. Dad does not have to work at all, he helps anyway because he feels obligated to do something for the city." Miles had unintentionally hit on something that wasn't supposed to be told to the kids. Logan wasn't going to let him get out of it so Miles confessed, "Dad is worth over $500 million in total. He doesn't have to work but does so because he loves to teach. All of us have our own money, Jaimie and I have worked jobs but we can't keep them for long since people don't like us- her because she is transgender, me because people knew my birth father. I won some money last summer from Patrick and Deborah gambling in Las Vegas so I am all set for money for a while." He knew the next question so he added, "Michael is good with the stock market so he earned enough to not have to work, but wants to continue anyway. He also works part-time for a company in England so he earns a small salary from that. A lot of the kids and teens have money, really only Stacy, Rebecca, DJ, Julio, George, TJ, Marcus, Brent, and the tweens don't have their own money." Logan left it at that, he didn't notice his name wasn't included in the list which Miles was thankful for. Downstairs, they finished getting the twins ready and met the limo outside to take them to the funeral. The twins went with Valerie as John went with the kids and the trio in the limo. The funeral was quick and there was a long procession as the multiple cars drove to the cemetery but it was somber and quiet. The two broke down as the casket was lowered down. Both dropped violets onto Linda's casket as they said their final goodbyes, with all shedding a tear as the kids silently wept for several minutes. The procession broke up with the kids spending time alone in their rooms while the twins did their best to try to keep their spirits up. The four finally fell asleep early, emotionally spent from the sad day. The next morning was hectic as the kids got ready for school. Valerie had them know that she was ready to take them home if they needed to leave, but both assured her they were fine. The two were quiet but knew she was just doing what she needed to do as their new mom. At the school, Yvette King made the changes to their records to reflect Valerie and John as their parents with Jorge and Victoria being their emergency contacts. Yvette did what was needed and was quite sullen as she went about her business with Valerie telling her that it wasn't her fault. Yvette sighed and explained, "She was the best damn secretary that I ever met. She did more in three days than most had done in a year. She did what nobody else could do and did so with a smile. She is irreplaceable. It hurts to know she died needlessly. It hurts." The two were talking when Ms. Twit came in to complain about Ella's recent absences. Yvette tried to keep Valerie quiet but Ms. Twit demanded to know why Yvette was being given special treatment for missing school without a note. Yvette let her talk her way into trouble, then pointed to Valerie. Valerie was angered at Ms. Twit's reaction but held her temper in check for Ms. Twit's sake. She then calmly explained, "Ella Brown missed school because her mother was murdered outside of this school last Wednesday. She shouldn't be back until next Monday but she is insisting that she return to normal life and her psychologist has backed her up on this. Her absences are automatically excused per district guidelines for bereavement, particularly of a close relative. She did her work and will present it to you when class begins. This is now your second mistake regarding her, as such this is your official warning. Abide by the rules and regulations or you will be let go after the year and a replacement who is willing to follow the rules will be hired." She was about to say something but Yvette added, "Valerie Finn is Ella Brown's new foster mother. She is not lying about doing what she said she would do, she has done it seven times already to teachers at the high school, the Early Learning Center, and one right here. She doesn't threaten, she promises. She isn't the one to worry about, John is and he has more clout in the union than you ever will. So please, try her. It's your job to lose. Nobody will defend you against her." Valerie and Yvette waited for her to say something. Ms. Twit calmly told them, "I want her out of my class. I can't teach her. I have a personal issue with her and won't be able to teach her." Yvette just grinned then added, "She will be moved to another class. However, you are also losing her cousins as well. I will personally explain to the students why Ella, Faith, and Daisy are moving." Valerie walked out and caught Mick before he left. He looked at the teacher and shook his head in disgust, telling her loudly, "Do you always harass and insult students who just lost their parents?" That caught the attention of William Kelly who asked Yvette what happened and got the woman to grow scared as she realized that she had stirred up a hornet's nest. William just grinned and added, "So you are alright with insulting, berating, and complaining about a child who is being treated for a disorder that wasn't their fault, was negligently uncared for, and who just lost her parent? I understand the school district guidelines are strict, care to explain the reason for wanting to break them? Do you select who you target or do you take advantage of the life-shattering situations for the child?" Yvette grinned and added, "This isn't the first time she has made comments about students who were born different, but it will be the last time. We will not be retaining her services after this year and will have her on a short leash. Should she stray from the rules again she will be disciplined." William knew he had Ms. Twit so he just grinned and waited, only to see Ms. Twit rushing away in shame. Mick just laughed at the whole situation, slapping William on the back in praise. William just grinned and proudly told him, "She has been a witch for years. She was one of Mead's hires before switching to Yvette's school and it shows just what Mead was as a principal. Ella is lucky to have gotten away from her, it was only a matter of time before Twit shot her mouth off and set off Daisy. John might be not be able to say it but I will: hell hath no fury like an upset Daisy." Valerie bowed out after that, hugging William tight while he blushed. She offered to take Junior home to give him and Amanda some alone time which he grinned at getting him to blush again. She knew how to wind him up and he was grateful for the offer. She drove on to the probate and family court in Boston to file the adoption paperwork. As expected, she was flagged for a talk with Judge Perez. Judge Perez was all too eager to spend some time with her to get to know the person rather than the plaintiff. Valerie laid out the situation, telling her, "My husband and I were asked by a friend to care for her two children should anything happen to her. Sadly it was prophetic as she was murdered the next day. We have come to learn that my son is her children's biological brother and that my brother is their uncle. We couldn't deny her request but now knowing their relationship, we can't let them go no matter what." She asked the woman's name. A shiver went down her spine as she heard it with Judge Perez somberly offering, "She was a looker. It's a tragedy that she passed on but she did the best thing possible for her kids. Your family is one that every child wants to be part of. Can I ask, do you mean your husband isn't your son's father?" Valerie sighed and confessed, "My husband isn't his biological father but is the only man who has ever had the pleasure of having him call him 'dad'. My ex-boyfriend abandoned us when I was pregnant with Michael and showed up almost six years ago to prevent my husband from adopting our daughter. He stole John's records, hid important parts of social services' file, and used a bigoted doctor to claim abuse. He ended up getting caught with dozens of important files and pieces of evidence that were used to fix cases against people and is spending the back half of a 10-year prison sentence." She paused then added, "The kids were conceived nine and 11 years ago while he was working with their uncle. It was planned and he signed away all rights to the kids, it was pure business. We only found out about their connection because they needed assurances about us knowing how to deal with kids who were betrayed like they were by their mother's ex- wife. Through a twist of irony their cousins are both actually their friends, with Logan soon being related to two of his three and Ella directly related to both of her friends." Judge Perez grinned at hearing that. It was simply the Finns being the Finns and could only happen to them. She considered the adoption but Valerie told her firmly, "No special favors this time. We do this by the book. They only needed it filed, we can wait for the hearing to finalize it." Judge Perez laughed at that then told her, "So be it, one month they are your son and daughter. There is no reason to delay it as you have everything going in your favor with all possible next of kin being in agreement that they are best in your care. Good luck, and don't let them get overwhelmed." The two said their goodbyes with Judge Perez wishing her the best, knowing she'd need it. Valerie never had the chance to get home as she was called to the school to sort out a problem, this time with Logan. It was expected, boys just couldn't leave well enough alone and had to challenge him.