Parting Of The Ways Part 3: The Byrne Saga free porn video

Chapter 7 The Finn Family, with the exception of the Vega and Peterson families, arrived back in Boston without much fanfare and broke apart for the next few days as each of the branches unwound and relaxed. For some it was the calm before the storm of summer jobs. For others, it was gearing up for their own big vacations that let them enjoy themselves without children for the first time in years. One of those vacationing families were the Porters. The Porters were a newly blended family, as Shea Porter had married his wife Alice over a fun weekend and had made a promise to adopt her son Raul and daughter Stephanie as his own children. Alice had done the same with his daughter Rosalind, giving her the mother she had always wanted and siblings that didn't play mind games or torment her. Raul and Shea didn't interact much due to school and work but he respected Shea and cared a lot about Rosalind even if she was just as "immature" as his sister. Stephanie was timid around Shea as she had heard a lot of horror stories about her biological father and feared the worst in Shea but warmed up to him as they adjusted to the new living arrangements. Rosalind was in-between, she rarely talked with Raul and she took to Alice as her mother but was scared that her past run-ins with Stephanie and her friends would affect how Stephanie felt about her as a person. It was a touching moment when the three stood before Judge Perez and asked to be adopted by their new stepparent. Rosalind cried into Alice's shoulder while Stephanie and Raul hugged Shea tightly while fighting back their own tears. The three new Porters asked for and received a name change so the name, "Rodriguez" was excised from their lives for good, allowing Raul and Stephanie to no longer have to deal with people thinking the worst about their mom or claiming they were illegitimate children because they didn't have a dad in the picture. The whole adoption/name change was no big deal but it followed Rosalind being taken in as part of the Finn Family as the newest niece, by family rather than by friendship, of John Finn. With that brought the fear that she was not good enough to be seen with them let alone be considered family. She had done a lot of terrible things to John's nieces and her own disgraced and disinherited sister Monica had even tried to frame his son for crimes he didn't commit then tried to assault his beloved daughter Jaimie at their prom so it was nerve-wracking trying to come to terms that she was related to them. Shea and Alice announced that they were going to go on their honeymoon in early July, once the family returned from California. Raul made plans to stay with his uncles while Stephanie made plans to stay with her best friend Al Samuels. This left Rosalind in a bind as she was too scared to ask to ask her grandparents Jorge and Victoria Castillo to stay with them and wasn't friends enough with Stephanie's friends to ask to stay with them. When Alice finally asked them, Jorge and Victoria declined to house Rosalind for the week. They knew exactly where she needed to go and it wasn't with them at their apartment. Victoria smirked as she told Rosalind, "John is going to take you in for the week. He's the only one who has the space since Jaimie is still out in California recovering, Michael moved out to his own house, and Miles is house sitting for his friends. I'd let you stay with us but Jorge is sick and I don't want to ruin your summer by getting you sick too. These summer months are a pain on his sinuses and it's not a pretty sight." Rosalind had no choice but to go to the Finn home, her parents were leaving the next day and she was too young to stay home alone. Rosalind was stuck with the Finns for the week no matter what. The duo knew exactly what was going on and had to laugh at the cunning plan by the parents. Rosalind was part of the family and needed to feel part of it and there was no way that the four young Finn kids would let her not feel that way. She would have no choice, Cat and Ella Finn wouldn't let her feel left out and JD and Logan would make her the center of their attention as a new person they can manipulate or in Logan's case- as a pretty girl to fawn over. Rosalind was packed and ready to go early, with John driving her back from the airport once she saw her parents off. He didn't say much, knowing she was struggling with being with them and needed time to adjust to being with him for the week. She sat silently staring out the window, her face showing her thinking about her new reality- she was a Finn family member now, this was her first proof. John stopped off to pick up some dinner from a takeout place he knew Rosalind liked and would serve as an ice breaker for her. He let her pick out whatever she wanted, knowing that the kids would eat the same thing that she ate as they always ate what the older kids ate. She appreciated the gesture but was still silent, unsure what to say to the man who was the embodiment of everything that her birth mother hated in people yet was trying hard to be a caring family member towards her. John Finn was kind, inspirational, noble, caring, and extremely generous- all traits that made her birth mother believe he was a fool. Rosalind didn't believe that he was really a multimillionaire and also the richest person in the city, but Alice swore that he was and told her about him before he was rich. The stories were unflattering but Rosalind could see the story behind the story- the man hadn't changed, he simply was able to give back to others and showed that money doesn't make you a different person. Rosalind kept quiet even as they arrived at the Finn home. John carried her suitcase inside while Rosalind carried the food. She was almost trampled by the four young Finns coming downstairs in search of John, with Logan stopping in his tracks and staring in awe at Rosalind being there. John shook his head, the boy was smitten yet again. Rosalind was oblivious or tried not to notice Logan's look, instead carrying the food to the dining room as directed. Logan helped her set out the boxes of food while the kids set the plates and utensils, he barely kept himself together as he stared in awe at the older girl staying with them and whom his parents had talked about before. Rosalind started to notice Logan looking at her funny. It was weird, she wasn't used to boys looking at her like that especially younger boys. She was used to the lust and false bravado of the tween boys in school but Logan's look was more like a look she used to give her to Raul the first time she saw him, one of seeing someone good looking and being close to them for the first time. That hit her hard: Logan had a crush on her. It was a first for her, a boy who liked her but who didn't want her for sex or to show off to his friends. It was sweet, she liked the feeling that gave her as it made her feel like an older woman instead of a kid. John tried to suppress his smile as Logan followed Rosalind's instructions to the letter and did all of the work while she started to dish out the food. He had them wait for his wife to come back from her run to the store meaning the kids had to sit down in the living room and rest for a bit. Ella Finn tried to tease her brother about acting weird around Rosalind until she saw Rosalind's glare. Rosalind knew this teasing all too well, she didn't want him to suffer because she was there especially since he didn't do anything wrong. Ella moped while her sister Cat and brother JD watched TV, both knowing that their dad was up to something and Ella may have just triggered it. Valerie Finn arrived with a couple of bags of groceries with John eyeing them closely, unsure why she had bought so much junk food when their sons weren't home. Valerie's eyes drifted to Rosalind which signaled that it was going to be for her, with John groaning at the idea of hosting a slumber party for Stephanie and her friends. He complained that she hadn't even asked, with Valerie countering, "Let's be realistic, you know they are going to weasel it out of us. They won't let her do without one. They aren't close but it's only a matter of days before they see her as a friend not just Stephanie's sister." The kids ate quietly as did Rosalind. After dinner, she helped wash the plates and silverware while the kids went to play. Her silence was starting to alarm Valerie, John simply told her that it was a new place with new people that she wasn't used to knowing and would require time for her open up to them. Cat asked Rosalind to play with her, prompting Rosalind to go up to her room and play with her toys for a while. Cat was calculating, she wanted to gauge Rosalind while getting used to her. She wasn't used to newcomers and was anxious around them, even though they were now related Rosalind was a mystery that Cat needed solving. The two played in Cat's room until she started to get tired. Rosalind helped her change into pajamas then set her down to sleep, all with Cat keeping silent about doing so. As she was starting to drift off Cat hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek giving Rosalind Cat's seal of approval. Rosalind slipped out to her room with Valerie thanking her for calming Cat. Rosalind didn't know what she meant, requiring Valerie to tell her, "She's always anxious about new people. She knows about you but she doesn't know you. She wasn't sure if she should listen to you or keep an eye on you. She must think you are alright to not need John or I to put her to bed, she won't sleep otherwise." Rosalind didn't say anything, she just lay down and tried to think. Valerie asked what was wrong, Rosalind blushed and asked, "Does Logan always act like that? He was like a lovesick puppy earlier." This caused Valerie to snort then laugh. She sat down on the bed and offered a kind, "He's starting to notice girls more and you are new to him. You may be his second-cousin but you are still a pretty girl who he wants to please. He isn't interested in sex like boys your age, he just want your approval." It was tough seeing him like that but it was also sweet. It made her feel like a mature girl instead of a sexual object. Valerie added a warm, "John will talk with him, he will taper his actions afterward. Just relax and enjoy yourself, your sister should be over tomorrow with her friends to keep you busy if they don't have something planned for themselves." The next morning the kids were up early while Rosalind awoke late. It was expected, it was an angst riddled night for her and sleeping in a different place with new people was tough. Add in Logan drooling over her and Cat studying her and you have a lot of built up anxiety tiring her out. Breakfast was organized chaos as Rosalind came down in her pajamas and a robe prompting a blush form Logan while Ella eyed her with jealousy. Rosalind covered herself more but she understood Ella's feelings, it was how she herself felt seeing her sister that way. At least with Ella it wasn't because she was flaunting her developing body, Rosalind was just trying to get breakfast and acted natural. Ella had Rosalind play with her for a while until Stephanie came by with her best friend A Samuels. Rosalind asked how they got there, prompting the girls to giggle as they showed Al's brother Thomas who was kissing his girlfriend next door. Al shook her head at not knowing, but realized that it was because Rosalind had little interaction with them since her dad married her mom- Rosalind barely knew Stephanie's friends as Al had just shown. Stephanie asked how her night was, with Cat telling her that Rosalind was a nice girl. Al groaned, telling Rosalind, "She is going to start acting like you now, she always does that for the girls. She and Jaimie are practically joined at the hip when she isn't playing with Willow Reagan." The girls took Rosalind out back then knocked on a neighbor's door and walked inside, much to her shock. Al was annoyed but explained, "Polly Vega lives here, and before you ask Oscar Pierce lives two houses down and Diego Vincent lives down the street while Trina Phillips, Kyle Douglas, and Amy Bollinger live on the other side of the city. She was expecting us, the others will be by in a bit." Polly was cuddling her nephew Antonio while her sister and brother-in-law were preparing a bottle for him. Rosalind stayed back, letting Al and Stephanie fawn over him while she watched. The girls were trying to get his attention which was focused on anything except them prompting them to complain that he was ignoring them, bringing a smile to Rosalind's face as she thought it was cute and fitting. Antonio let loose a gurgle then created a horrible smell in his diaper making the duo back away as Polly was forced to change Antonio's diaper. Al and Stephanie backed off, getting sick from the smell but Rosalind grabbed wipes and a fresh diaper and helped hold him as Polly cleaned and changed him. It was no big deal to Rosalind, she helped change diapers at her former private school a few years before giving her more experience with babies than any of them. Al was about to say something but Polly's mother Dorothy grinned and told Rosalind, "I didn't think it was true but that school really did force you to learn about little babies as a way of getting you used to babies. Al, you should have experience with your cousin by now. He may be almost two but he's still in diapers. Stephanie has the excuse of not having any babies in her family but not you." Rosalind was grateful for the praise but felt bad that she was singled out for it. Polly just shrugged, it was no big deal to her and she was happy to have had the help. Antonio looked up at Rosalind and gave her a sucking motion with Rosalind handing Polly his bottle knowing that was what he really wanted. The four teens sat back and waited for the others to come by. Diego was first, followed by Kyle and Oscar. Amy and Trina were last with both surprised to see Rosalind there but not saying anything. The group waited for the adults to tell them what they were going to do, Rosalind went along with their plans but it was clear that they had none. John came over to ask if they wanted to go to the pool which got the girls' approval while the three boys acted like it was no big deal. The three were led out with them changing at Oscar's house. Rosalind had to rush to the Finn home to get her own swimsuit while Al and Stephanie did the same at Al's house. Trina and Amy groaned as they called their parents to get theirs while Polly was grateful she had hers out already. Rosalind was asked by Cat and Ella to go with them in the minivan instead of the teens, giving her a chance to decompress about the situation as she realized that they had not said a single thing to one another until John came over and they were still reluctant to have anything to do with her and despite being their classmate just a year and a half before she didn't know much at all about any of them. The group assembled at the pool with Rosalind going inside with Ella and Cat to help them change. Amy and Trina were about to say something but Cat's glare stopped them. Rosalind told the two youngsters, "Don't. They have reason to not like me or say things about me behind my back. I don't like it, but I have to put up with it. You don't." The kids dragged Rosalind off away from the others, making their point known that she was with them. Cat herself didn't need to say anything, her being close to Rosalind was enough to stop any talk about what was going on. The girls' actions caught the teens by surprise, it wasn't what they'd expect from the four but Rosalind was keeping them out of their hair allowing them to swim on their own. Stephanie started to realize what was going on. They had tolerated Rosalind but had done nothing to get close to her. Stephanie had been a sister to her but she wasn't really a friend. This was the first time that they had been around Rosalind outside of school and without their parents prompting them, the younger girls had seen that she was getting set aside and wanted her to enjoy herself instead of being all alone or tagging along with the others. As expected the others didn't think it was true but Stephanie asked what they had done with Rosalind lately that wasn't about studying for their tests. There was no answer. Even Al kept her mouth shut over them ignoring Rosalind until they were stuck with her around them. The news was hard to swallow but they soon set it aside as they focused swimming and sunning themselves without Rosalind. Rosalind played with the girls in the kiddie area as John lounged off on his own. When they tired of the smaller splash pool they made their way to the bigger pool with larger kids. They were joined by JD and Logan giving Rosalind a chance to sit down while they played together with John watching. Rosalind let out a deep sigh as the day was getting tougher and tougher. She hated feeling lonely but it was clear that nobody except the kids wanted anything to do with her. Logan couldn't stop drooling over her while JD, Ella, and Cat only saw her as a playmate. It was made worse as her own sister had all but abandoned her in favor of her friends, she expected that but it still hurt. Rosalind was brought back to reality by someone calling out her name. She looked up and saw a short, fat, curly haired boy from her class looking at her oddly. She pulled herself together to respond to him. Ashley Byrne had a longtime crush on Rosalind that she had no clue about. Seeing her at the pool was a shock, especially as she was with kids he knew to be Finn kids. Something was off about her though. This wasn't the confident Rosalind that he had fallen for, this was a girl who needed a friend. Rosalind tried to act like it was nothing but Ashley had a way of finding out how you really felt inside, especially Rosalind. She saw the concern in his eyes, he was always scared around her but something was making her think he was not interested in her like the other boys in their class were. He actually cared about her, he wanted to know what was wrong rather than act like he did so he could date her. It was tough but she managed to tell him, "I'm fine, I am just bored since mom and dad went on their honeymoon. I'm stuck staying with Mom's cousin for the week. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to have to live up to someone else's reputation." Ashley knew all too well what she was talking about. He sat down and kept her company while the kids played. It was nice for Rosalind, Ashley was a good person and gave her what she needed right then. She was so comfortable sitting next to Ashley that Rosalind started to drift off to sleep and ended up with her head on Ashley's shoulder. He didn't dare move, he liked her being there and he didn't want to disturb her. John noticed this and kept the kids from disturbing them as Rosalind was showing that she had been suppressing anxiety and fear and the toll finally caught up to her. Stephanie and the girls couldn't believe what they were seeing. Ashley was the fattest kid in their grade and had been mercilessly teased by others over his weight and pseudo-gynecomastia, with most claiming that he was yet another, "Tranny girl" but didn't have the guts to say so. They were unsure if this was a trick by Rosalind, if she was actually interested in Ashley, or if she had simply fallen asleep but they were concerned that he may try something while she was asleep. When Rosalind finally woke up she apologized to Ashley for keeping him from swimming. Ashley didn't mind one bit, he was only there because his grandfather forced him to take his little brother. He pointed out the boy playing with JD and Cat who seemed to know them well. He confessed to her, "I have been stuck with him ever since he was booted from his daycare center because grandpa said a lot of nasty things about kids particularly the owners' daughter and nieces. I don't want to be here but I don't have a choice. At least you were nice enough to let me sit here with you, everyone else around is mean or think I'm going to hurt their kids." The two waded into the pool and just relaxed together, neither really wanted to be there but being around the other kept them calm. Rosalind actually opened up to Ashley, telling him timidly, "I hate being around the Finns. I can't say or do anything without thinking I am going to make them hate me or think I'm Monica. It's horrible. I'm sick of having to live in her shadow. She's going to prison but I still can't do anything without people thinking I'm just like her, especially the Finns." Ashley nodded in agreement, adding a somber, "My grandfather hates them and blames them for my dad leaving. They aren't going to think you are your sister, you aren't her. You tried to be like her, but you saw the truth in how she treated people. You are a good person inside. If you weren't, why are you even talking with me? You know nobody in school will even say a word to me unless they wanted something yet you confessed to me. You do it all the time and I love it. You aren't Monica, you just haven't had much time being the real Rosalind Porter to make others see the real you." Ashley realized he said too much and moved away in shame. Rosalind saw his shame and let him have his space but felt bad at causing him to feel that way. It was actually making her feel hurt, she didn't understand why she felt that way but it felt horrible to see him feeling bad because of her. John was listening to the two without them knowing he was doing so. He had to hold back a smirk as he could tell that Ashley had a thing for Rosalind and he either was unaware of it or suppressed it for fear of upsetting her. He was doing his best to be a good friend, and he was turning out to be just what Rosalind needed at that moment. The kids came looking for Rosalind forcing Ashley to end their talk. She gave him a sad look, she actually didn't want it to end but she couldn't say no to the four. Ashley sought out his brother and ensured he was alright in the shallow end before settling in to watch Rosalind play with the foursome. At home, the group disbursed as they got ready for that evening's dates. Rosalind was again left out, but it was just fine with her as she didn't want to go alone and be her sister's third wheel. John offered to take her to a different movie, but it wasn't the same and she didn't want to spoil his evening. The next day Rosalind wasn't happy to endure a visit from her monthly friend. This meant she couldn't swim with the kids, which they weren't happy about. She endured the awkward questions from John before Valerie realized what was going on and got him to back off in embarrassment. Valerie had to ask if she had the, "Essentials", getting a nod but a meek, "I have to get more at home, I forgot when it was supposed to come so only have a couple." Valerie wasn't upset, she understood what she was going through and without her mother to remind her of things like that she was prone to forget. It was part of the process of growing up a girl, Rosalind had unintentionally given Valerie something she would need to remember for when Ella had her first in four and a half years or so. The kids weren't happy that Rosalind wasn't going to swim, but Ella whispered to Cat who understood and forced JD and Logan to not push it further. Ella hugged Rosalind for no reason, which was just what Rosalind needed and seemed to calm her down a little. They were at least happy that she was going with them even if she wasn't going to swim, it was better than staying with Valerie all day. Ashley was there with his brother again, but wasn't too thrilled to be stuck at the pool. Seeing Rosalind perked him up a little, but her less than enthusiastic expression concerned him. She laid out her towel and sunned herself, prompting Ashley to do the same and giving Rosalind some solace. Ashley waited until he was sure she was settled in before asking why she wasn't swimming. Rosalind blushed as she told him, causing him to apologize but add, "I didn't want to come either but grandpa made us. He doesn't want us around the bar and grandma is too busy working to watch us." Rosalind felt for him, she understood the feeling of neglect and apathy. The two lay in the sun and talked for two hours before the kids were finished, with each getting darkened skin but not burned. Rosalind actually liked talking with Ashley, it wasn't like talking with Stephanie or other boys. Ashley was a good listener and made her feel better just by not saying anything. Logan was getting jealous but didn't say anything. Ashley tried to back off but John offered to drive them home. There wasn't enough room so he slyly told the two 13-year-olds that they could walk so long as they didn't stop. He knew they wouldn't do anything, it was more of an authority show to them. At Ashley's home John was shocked to see an old friend. Cynthia Eagleson greeted John with open arms while Ashley meekly apologized to her for taking so long to get there. John looked at her with a concerned look, leading Cynthia to sigh and tell him, "Byrne is my maiden name. You know I have a grown daughter, well Ashley and his brother are her kids. Please, don't dig any further. It's too painful." John let it go, but added, "I have heard a few things from Ashley that concern me. I am here if you need me. I don't care how much sway he thinks he has, I am not afraid of any brute and you know that I don't back down from a fight involving friends and loved ones." Rosalind gave Ashley a kiss on the cheek and a hug goodbye. Rosalind didn't understand why she did, but she was happy to have done it. Logan looked down in disappointment, he was jealous of Rosalind possibly being nice to a boy who wasn't him but understood that he was her age and was a nice guy. At the Finn home, Polly and Oscar wanted to know where they went. Rosalind deflected for a bit then finally admitted, "It doesn't matter, you guys are off doing your own things. You don't need me tagging along spoiling the fun. You two don't have anything better to do and the others want to know what I was doing with Ashley. The fattest kid in our grade was talking with me and you two want to know why. Other than checking in on me, I'm just Stephanie's sister to you. You don't have to pretend to care just so you ease your guilt. You don't have to bother anymore, I'd rather you didn't do that at all. I don't need it nor do I want it. I just want to be left alone." Rebuked, the two quickly left. Rosalind went up to her room to avoid crying in front of the Finns but Valerie knew it was more hormonal than anything huge. She meant what she said, she just didn't mean it to be so harsh or to say it at all. She simply didn't want the others to bother unless they were sincere. Rosalind was crying into her pillow as Valerie sat on the edge of the bed. Rosalind told her not to help with the fake sympathy, but Valerie countered with a firm, "This isn't sympathy, this knowing you. I understand a lot of what you are feeling. They are a tight-knit group, you barely know them and they haven't tried to extend friendship. Your new sister isn't even a friend, she's just your relative. You have one friend, he's there for you but it's tough working around his family situation. He really does care, the others will come around but he is always there for you. Give him a chance, he might surprise you." Rosalind smiled at the image of Ashley just sitting with her and talking like she was another person. It was hard to miss the spark in her, Valerie could see she was seeing him as a friend for the first time instead of someone who knew her. It was more than friendship, Rosalind let out a little sigh that was clearly her liking the idea of Ashley being her friend if not something more. Rosalind washed her face and went downstairs to where the boys were playing their game system. JD got up to leave allowing Logan and her to play sparking Rosalind to tell him warmly, "You need to let go of whatever crush you have. You are a good kid but you are too young for me. You are going to get a lot of girls to like you, you are the kind of boy they like a lot and being handsome adds to their liking." Logan didn't say anything, his heart was breaking but she didn't do it on purpose. He let her beat him several times in the game before calling it an afternoon to play on his laptop allowing her the chance to play with the impatient Ella and Cat. The two kept Rosalind occupied all afternoon until dinner where they forced her to spend the evening watching movies with them before calling it a night. The next day marked the start of the summer jobs program, with Rosalind working alongside Ashley cleaning the streets while Stephanie and the others put together and handed out lunches at the city parks. Rosalind got to see firsthand just how nasty the guys in their grade were as they tormented Ashley throughout the day, making fun of his weight and joking about him being barred from handling the lunches due to fear of him eating all of them. It was painful for Rosalind to hear, and it turned even worse as the guys tried to impress her by making the jokes with intent of her liking their torture of the boy she was slowly starting to like as a friend. Rosalind sighed to herself as she swept on the streets. Ashley put up with the abuse without complaint or retaliation, she would have caved in and quit within the hour but he endured it. When she finally asked why he didn't quit, Ashley tersely told her, "If I quit, grandpa would beat me. He says that real men take whatever they want or put up with real men who beat them up for failing. I don't care about what they say, I don't want him to hurt me because I wasn't strong enough to deal with their crap. It's the same stuff they say to me all the time in school, the only reason they are doing it is because of you." Rosalind kept quiet after that, feeling pity and remorse over causing him trouble. She glanced over at Ashley every so often and could tell he was seething over telling her that. It was the first time she had known someone who had put up with what she put up with herself for three years, he was wounded and endured more shock than he should have had to: all because she was being nice to him and treating him as a friend, making the boys jealous. When they finished for the day she told him that he was more of a man than his grandfather, nobody should have to put up with abuse from their caregivers because of someone else's views on manhood. She hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek as she said that. It felt right, he was a good person and the closest that she had to a friend and he was showing her just how horrible guys were and what they would do to make girls like them. The two walked to the Finn home, with Rosalind inviting him inside so he could rest a bit before going home. The two sat out back under Valerie's watchful eye as they rested and drank cold drinks with Logan and Ella keeping the twins from disturbing the two. Logan understood what she had said to him before, Ashley was a nice guy who wasn't like any of the boys in his grade nor like Oscar and Kyle. They were nice boys but he was different, he was more like Logan which made Logan smile. After a half hour, Ashley got up to go. Valerie offered to drive him home with Rosalind joining them. Valerie had a sneaking suspicion that Ashley and Rosalind shared too much in common, they were close but there was more about him that she couldn't place her finger on that she needed to find out. Cynthia greeted them at the door, upset that Ashley was so late but seeing Valerie she let it go. Valerie sensed something was up and asked if everything was alright, getting a head shake and swift, "Nothing unusual. My husband is strict with the boys and demands that they account for all of their movements. His being with a girl is going to be hard to believe, but Alice's name carries a lot of weight over him." Alice's name instead of Valerie's caught her ear. She had to think about what was going on but Rosalind pleaded with her to drop it. She didn't want him to get in any more trouble, he was already late and it was compounded by a lie as it was. Rosalind got a few things from her house, with Valerie ensuring she had extra underwear and pajamas just in case she needed them. It was embarrassing to Rosalind but it was a nice feeling to know she was thinking about her. They didn't talk about Ashley and her friendship, giving her a chance to think about it but knowing that it was best left unsaid at that point. Back at the Finn home, Stephanie demanded to know where Rosalind had gone off to. Valerie tried to say something but Rosalind mumbled, "I was out with Ashley Byrne. We walked here after work and Mrs. Finn drove him home so he didn't get in trouble for being late. We got some stuff from home too so I didn't run out of clothes." Stephanie started to laugh, thinking that it was a joke. Ashley was the one boy in their grade that no one wanted to be around let alone walk home with. She snickered, "What did he do, pay you to be seen with him? There's better boys to date than him." Valerie looked on and saw Rosalind was turning red with fury. She finally unleashed an angry, "He's the nicest boy I ever met! He's the only one who treats me like a person and not a sex toy. He doesn't try to get me to go out with him. He listens to me and knows what to say to make me happy. He's a good guy. We walked home together because of the crap the guys were giving him. You don't know what it's like to be treated like that, you never had to put up with it. I did. He needed someone to talk to so I listened. I'm sorry if you and the others are too vain to see how good he is, he's been the best person to me and the only one to treat me like everyone else not like Monica's younger bratty sister." She stormed off, trying hard to keep her tears in check. Stephanie wanted to say more but Valerie countered, "I think you said enough. Read between the lines there. He's actually a sweet boy. You and your friends don't bother with her but he tries to be her friend. He has listened to her and talked through a lot of things that only abused kids can understand. Yes, I said abused. I haven't figured it out yet but I know it when I see it. His grandmother is a saint but I think his grandfather is a horrible person. They have found someone who understands them, just because he isn't skinny and muscular doesn't mean he isn't a good person or that he actually wants to be her friend. He does, I have seen it myself." Valerie let that revelation hang over her. Stephanie finally realized that Rosalind was falling for Ashley, getting a nod from Valerie as Stephanie tried to figure out what she saw in Ashley. It started to come clear as she and the others were in a different school thus they were never together except at lunch which was why she knew Ashley so well but they didn't. They were just like their friends. Stephanie left to talk with the others. Al thought she was joking but her look said otherwise. Polly thought she could do better but knew that there weren't any good boys in their grade. Oscar and Kyle simply thought it was him trying to latch onto anyone and she would get over it soon. Diego was the only one not to say anything. He was watching them earlier while Polly was helping to change Antonio's diaper and saw him acting just like they acted only without saying a word. He finally told the others, "He's doing his best to keep her from breaking down. He really does like her but he's too afraid of losing her as a friend to do anything. He's doing what we should have been doing for her. We all ignore her, none of us have tried to get close to her. It's why she brushed off Oscar and Polly. She's been part of Aunt Alice's family for two months but she hasn't gotten even one chance to get close to any of us. He has. He has done what we haven't: he tried to get to know her. He actually cares about her, he likes her a lot but he cares about her more than any of us know." The seven sat in silence as Diego got up to go see his cousin, knowing that they needed that bit of humble pie to make them see things differently. They forgot that he only became friends with them nearly eight months before and went through the exact same feelings that she is going through at that time. He knew what she was feeling and needs him more than they do. Valerie didn't say anything about Diego, letting him go right up to Rosalind's room. He sat down and asked about Ashley, getting a shocked look which prompted him to say, "He likes you. A lot. He's not trying to be your boyfriend, he's your friend but he feels deeply about you. You like him too, don't pretend that you don't because I can see it in your eyes. He's a good guy. You won't find any better." He paused then added, "The others are so used to being by themselves and among the eight of us that they forgot you were around. It's because you aren't in our cluster, if you were Stephanie and you would have been closer and the girls would have tried to set you up with one of the decent boys. You and Ashley are the best in your cluster, Aunt Alice and Aunt Dorothy may switch you and him to ours to get you away from the remedial kids. It's not like you belong there anyway, you paid the price for what you did to Al when she first got to the school and you showed that you had changed." Diego met with Kyle and Oscar outside and followed them to Ashley's house. They were shocked to see Cynthia there but let it go until later. Cynthia seemed to know what was going on and led them to Ashley's room where they asked to talk. The three were straightforward and asked about his feelings for Rosalind. Ashley looked away ashamed which proved Diego was right, he did like her a lot. Diego played the big cousin and told him, "She knows how you feel. She knows that you are her friend and actually care about her. She's fighting a lot of things inside that you could never understand, give her time. She's going to be your girlfriend, no matter what those assholes say she is going to date you until you screw up. Give it time. Let her come to you and talk with you. She's scared of her feelings but she does like you a lot." The guys left with Cynthia being told, "He needs to get out of his cluster. He's too good for them, he needs our challenge classes." Cynthia sighed and agreed, the reason for him forced to stay away from Diego, Kyle, and Oscar's class was not going to stand any longer now that Valerie and John were sniffing around due to Rosalind. This was her grandson's future, the consequences be damned. Cynthia called Ashley down and talked with him about what he wanted to do. Ashley tearfully told her, "I hate my cluster. The guys are nothing but jerks and girls treat me like garbage. Only Rosalind didn't do anything to me and even then she was afraid of getting expelled because of what she did to Al. You know damn well my class was the worst performing last year. Ms. Rodriguez always complained about us and no matter what we did we were always behind everyone else. Please, can you change me to their cluster? Ms. Vega said we could move if we wanted to, well I need to go. I can't handle it any longer." It was tearing Cynthia apart inside. If she moved Ashley, her husband would try everything possible to undo it. If she left Ashley, it would cause him a lot more pain and suffering. She tried to find a reason not to move him but the only reason not to was her husband's objections. She knew what to do. Cynthia called Dorothy to ask if it was possible to transfer Ashley then added that maybe Rosalind would benefit from it as well. Dorothy listened intently before adding, "I know he won't like it but Ashley needs to be moved for his own benefit. I'll expect his complaint, but I won't change my mind. He's a great student, he just needs an environment that he can thrive in. I think Rosalind may be just what he needs to bring out the greatness in Ashley." Dorothy didn't need to ask Alice about moving Rosalind, it was something that had to happen for simplicity and as a decent student she had earned her place back in Dorothy's school. Cynthia being Ashley's grandmother made the decision to keep him with Alice's school easier even though it wasn't the real reason for him being placed in Alice's school. Cynthia's husband demanded he stay away from certain students, Alice's school didn't officially have any of those students but there were several that kept their private lives private even though they were known to Alice and Dorothy and were slowly making their way towards coming out to their parents and teachers. Ashley texted Rosalind who texted him back leading to the two texting for hours. When Valerie finally called it a night the change in Rosalind was clear and as Valerie read her texts they were basic talk among friends but sweet and caring in tone. Cynthia had to smile as she read Ashley's texts, it was a big case of puppy love that the two shared but neither would admit to. He was acting a lot like his father and her and the more she read the more her heart warmed to the memories of a time gone by that had left a hole in her heart and her life. Her son was nothing like his father and seeing Ashley being like him was causing pain that Cynthia couldn't handle. She needed to do something to ease the pain, she needed to see her son again. Chapter 8 The next two days were tense as the kids kept away from Rosalind while keeping an eye Ashley. They had a sneaking suspicion about him but nothing he did showed that they were justified. Rosalind knew what they were doing and ignored them, with Ashley sighing each time he caught sight of them. Wednesday night the girls joined Rosalind at the Finn home for a sleepover as they tried to be nice to her but only showed the rift between them. The girls were mostly silent as they ate their snacks while Rosalind put the girls to bed, with Logan giving them a cold stare whenever they tried to say something about her actions. None of them dared say anything, it was a disaster of a night with how badly they it had gone being punctuated by Rosalind staying in her room instead of joining them. In the morning, they went to work together while Rosalind was driven to where the street cleaners were gathering. Once they were out of earshot, Stephanie admitted "she's upset at us and it's only going to be worse for her. We have to try harder, but we have to be genuine- she knows we are only doing it for our own sake and not because we want her to be friend with us." Rosalind's week with the Finns ended with little fanfare and just hugs from Ella, Cat, JD, and Logan. Her parents didn't pry into her time with them, they didn't need to. Stephanie had kept them updated while John and Valerie corrected her claims and suspicions with facts. The couple let it go, it was her first crush and the others needed a bit of humble pie to temper their reality. At their home, Alice sat Rosalind down and talked with her about her feelings for Ashley. Rosalind couldn't hold back any longer and admitted that she really did like Ashley as more than a friend but wasn't ready to move forward. Alice told her to give it time, they were working together and it was easier to get to know him that way instead of rushing into a relationship just to appear to be something else to Stephanie and her friends. Rosalind asked if it was wrong to feel that way about Ashley, especially as he was a large boy who everyone made fun of. Alice shook her head in disappointment, explaining, "He may be obese because of depression, neglect, abuse, or because of a glandular issue. He may grow larger as soon as he gets his growth spurt, puberty sometimes is delayed in boys. I know your uncle Ricardo was that way." Alice grinned as she thought about the chubby Ricardo. Ashley wasn't so bad, he just needed to get out of the house and enjoy himself. Rosalind was a good motivation, she'd have to talk with Cynthia about the two as a couple and what they could do to help the boy get thinner. The teens were kept busy with work so they couldn't directly intervene in Rosalind's situation but still discussed it among themselves. Stephanie kept trying to ask about Ashley but was met by silence and scolds from Alice when she heard that the kids were talking about Rosalind behind her back. Raul didn't bother asking about the Ashley situation, he and Shea let Alice handle it on her own as it was something that was best suited to her strengths as a disciplinarian and parent. The older teens of the family kept out of the Rosalind drama thanks to their own summer jobs. All 12 of the high schoolers had jobs, making for little free time after work and even less time to play around. Their parents were pleased that they kept busy, with most of them not needing to actually work it was a nice distraction for them. Out of all of them, Raul, Avery James, Rebecca Lopez, and Jessie Bollinger weren't multimillionaires even if they had nice trust funds set up on their behalf. Donald Bollinger worked for his mother helping design websites. Donald's sister Jessie and friend Rebecca worked for Riley Pierce as makeup artists and helped clean her beauty salon. Reed Pena worked additional hours for Beverly Bollinger's accounting firm. Francesca Herman, Iris Sylvester, and Reyna Toro worked at Iris and Reyna's mothers' daycare center. Rachel Sylvester, Sam York, and Thomas Samuels worked at a movie theater. Raul and Avery worked the summer jobs program as camp councilors for the city's day camp. Reed was given a lot more responsibility than he had in the past thanks to his accounting classes in school. He and Miles Finn were essentially Beverly's eyes and ears during tough financial inspections, with both having a hand in keeping several clients afloat thanks to finding stolen money removed from accounts while sending a couple of thieves to jail. They further helped Beverly by ensuring that Jaimie Finn's and Carmen Carter's lawsuit money was properly accounted for once it was transferred into their bank accounts before being invested at their request. Sam had the unfortunate luck of having to find a last minute job once Zoe James became Sam's father's intern after helping her fiance Juanita out at work. She didn't mind not doing all the simple tasks that Zoe would need to do and enjoyed the perks of working in a theater especially the free screenings that she, Thomas, and Iris put to good use for Iris, Rebecca, and Rachael. It ended up being a perk for all three as they saved a lot of money thanks to the number of movies their girlfriends liked to see. Reyna, Francesca, and Iris were used to babies and little kids thanks to Iris and Francesca's younger brothers allowing them to help out a lot with the wrangling and changing of toddlers and infants. It took all of their power to stop Leslie Sylvester and Lupe Toro from joking about how great they were as parents, not wanting to temp fate. In truth Donald would never have sex with Francesca before college and Reyna would need her mother's help to get at her frozen semen to inseminate Rachel so it was more of a, "Shame on us" feeling that stopped their joking. The teens were mostly enjoying their new jobs, with one group struggling with their work. Rebecca and Jessie were put down and insulted by several of the ladies who worked at Riley's salon. They were smart in not doing it while she was close but let the duo know that they didn't belong there and had no right to take jobs away from, "Qualified" beauticians because of their main job of applying makeup on the ladies who used the new makeup service the girls had set up in the shop. The ladies were ignorant of the rules and regulations regarding the licensing of beauticians. As Jessie and Rebecca didn't cut or dye hair they were allowed to simply apply makeup for the ladies. That little fact was the only reason they were both hired as their reputation was strong thanks to Riley using them to help older teens during prom season and had given a few mothers a quick touch-up as they waited. Riley wasn't as oblivious as the complainers believed, she was simply biding her time before she could fire the ladies for disrupting her business. Rebecca and Jessie were bringing in more money than the ladies were from their chair rentals and product purchases, their makeup service was actually attracting more customers than any of the beauticians giving Riley a sense that word of mouth was damaging them and all she needed was direct confirmation to terminate the ladies. Sure enough, when the women went too far and started to lie to waiting customers that the duo were terrible at their job she refunded their rental fees and put word out that they were toxic to the business. Rebecca and Jessie tried to quit but Riley had a couple of young beauticians ready to take over, they just needed a shop willing to allow them to rent a chair and had Riley's support but nobody would rent to them. It pained her to see them struggling but she did everything possible to help, now she could do more by letting them take over the terminated rentals. The duo were closely linked with a portion of the community Riley hadn't thought about serving: the LGBT community. The ladies were good at their job and had skills that were some of the best she had ever seen but nobody would give them a chance. Now the two had it, and she was pleased with results. Riley saw the community as a potentially untapped market as there were many shops that wouldn't deal with ladies who weren't far into their transitions or crossdressers who were out for a weekend of femme beauty. It was business, and it was a market she hadn't thought that she was ignoring but one that made sense as the ladies started to spread word among the community that the shop was friendly to them. The shop had to extend hours to meet the new demand giving the girls additional money as they got plenty of nice tips alongside their base pay as well as the other beauticians earning more money too. The younger teens weren't happy that their older counterparts were working so hard. Their usual date schedules were interrupted thanks to the group working hard. Amy and Al were the most impacted as Rebecca, Thomas, Donald, Francesca, Reed, and Jessie were impacted meaning they had to either go with their parents or John Finn and his kids. None of them wanted that, they liked John a lot but he was a hawk who hovered over them a little too close making the couples too scared to try to do anything more than hold hands while watching the movie. The younger teens worked just as hard as their older counterparts but suffered from a short leash thanks to their being alone with their significant others while working. That was fine with them but what stung them the most was the gossiping that went along with being watched. Rosalind's rebuke and Diego's defense of Ashley didn't sit well with them either, word got back to their fellow workers and it made them all look bad but Ashley worse. As if the talk about the Ashley/Rosalind situation wasn't bad enough, the group endured whispers and rumors about Polly's mother Dorothy as they worked. There were many suggesting that she was gay or was transgender, explaining that as the reason for her being so supportive of Diego, Al, Reyna, Jaimie, and Sam(when she was thought to be transgender) was to cover up her own past. None of those were true, but nobody believed them due to her being such a secretive loner. The eight concocted a way of dispelling those rumors by getting Dorothy to date a guy. It was going to be tough as she was extremely reluctant to do much of anything except visit Alice or her daughters, daughter-in-law, grandson, or son-in-law. Polly knew just who to set her up with: Vance Taylor, their new history teacher but one of the most respected teachers at their school. The seven looked at her like she was joking but Polly had a big grin on her face. She was smug as she stated, "Mr. Taylor likes mom a lot. I don't mean he cares about her, I mean he has a big crush on her and may even be in love with mom! He's been the closest to her after Aunt Alice, he's best friends with Uncle Zeke and is always quick to defend mom whenever Uncle Zeke can't, and he and Aunt Lilly broke off after one date. She never said why they did but I heard Deborah and Patrick say he was in love with someone else and Aunt Lilly was happy to know he was finally in love with someone." The revelation was tough to endure, but it did fit. She didn't notice the signs but they were there. He respected her too much to make a move, it would take others to get him to ask her out. Amy and Al were going to have to work over Zeke Bollinger to get him to help out. It didn't take much to do that, he knew about Vance's crush and was happy to have his best friend date someone they both cared about. His only concern was getting Dorothy to agree to a date at all, that was the toughest part. Alice helped them out there as Stephanie all but begged her to set them up. Alice wasn't sure if she should be angry or proud of her daughter, but it was a rare case of everyone wanting the best for Dorothy and Vance was a good person. She arranged to get Dorothy out for the date, with the eight teens being sure to leave the planning to Zeke and Alice this time. Alice forced Dorothy to go to a day at the beauty salon as she, "Wanted a new look" which Dorothy reluctantly agreed to. Dorothy took her place in the chair of the beautician with Dorothy giving her a smirk or recognition. She happily told the woman, "I hardly recognized you after these four years. You really should have started out as your true self earlier, but I guess your family were going to be a bit tough to convince. As long as you are you it'll work out in the end." Alice gave her a closer look and gasped in recognition as a smile appeared on her face. She was one of her old students but had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. She hadn't known of any other transgender students in their school other than Jaimie making her transition a shock to Alice. Before she could ask, the beautician explained, "I'm just starting out. I came out after midterms but the school wouldn't let me go full-time until after graduation. Yes my family knows about the real me, the school got my license and diploma in my new name but kept my intent to transition a secret. I started hormones immediately since it the results weren't going to be visible before I graduated." She shed a tear at remembered her last few months in school and confessed, "I couldn't find a chair to rent until last week because of my transition. My best friend is like me and has the same troubles. Mrs. Pierce offered us a place here and we have tried to help bring in as much business as possible to show our gratitude. We helped her business thanks to others like us and in the community appreciating being treated like people not oddities or just another source of income. She's a godsend to us, all of us." Throughout her speech she was working on Dorothy's hair, giving her a new style that worked with her naturally round face and accentuating her best features. Her standard shoulder length cut was turned into a smart, sexy cut that made her face standout in all the right ways. It was perfect for her and took less time to create and would be easier to maintain than her old cut was. Alice was speechless while Riley had to hold back her pride as her newest stylist had made Dorothy into a whole other person just from some basic, honed style skills. Dorothy paid for the cut and had Rebecca work on her makeup as Alice went through the same ordeal, only this time it was quicker as Alice's hair was shorter and harder to style. Jessie took over and did some light touch-ups to her face as she didn't wear much makeup at all. The whole ordeal took two hours but would get a lot of questions asked leading to a few new customers for the stylist as teachers and parents would want to know where they got their hair cut at. Riley was ecstatic that her newest stylists were a godsend with both proving to be valuable commodities. The others were doing well themselves but the newest stylists were the stars and earned their places. Across town Zeke and Vance talked as they worked out in Zeke's basement. Donald was working with them, keeping them from overdoing themselves while working out himself. Donald was inundated with questions from Amy and Al regarding Vance's actions cluing him in that something was going on. Zeke had to drag out Vance's true feelings about Dorothy leading Zeke to force him to ask out Dorothy before the window to do so closed. He didn't intend for it to mean that she was going to find another man, he meant it more to mean that she was going to give up on love entirely. Vance tried to find an excuse but failing miserably he confessed that he didn't want to upset his boss causing problems at the school that none of them needed. Zeke had him now, he casually told him, "She is as scared as you are. She's a mother of four now, and a grandmother of two in six months, trying to raise a teen. She hasn't dated since her wife died but she has feelings for you. She cares a lot about you, it doesn't take much to see she could want more." Vance reluctantly agreed to the date. Alice was drafted to go along with it making it a double date. Shea was forced to agree, he didn't want to stand in the way of Dorothy's happiness and Vance would need the help to keep Alice at bay. The date was set for the following night. Polly would spend the night with her sister Carmen giving them the entire night if need be. Donald texted Polly to tell her to be ready to go to Carmen's apartment prompting a cheer from the eight as it meant the date was on. This also meant that Stephanie had to stay elsewhere. She and Rosalind were stuck with the Finns again while Raul sought out his uncles. Diego complained about Avery hanging around the house after they got off work, but it was partly his own fault she was there. Immediately after they entered the Finn home, Rosalind was embraced by Cat while Ella snubbed Stephanie. The girls put their bags in their rooms with Cat refusing to let Rosalind go. Stephanie was about to say something but Ella growled at her, "She likes Rosalind, you would know that if you ever bothered to see her last week! She doesn't like many people but she loves Rosalind. Leave her alone or mommy will be mad at you." Stephanie backed off while Ella moved on to help Rosalind put her stuff away before leading her downstairs to the entertainment room. Logan added a gruff, "She's acted more like our cousin than you have and she's only been our cousin for a couple of weeks." JD just walked by without even bothering to say anything to Stephanie, there was nothing else to be said about it and he wasn't happy with how Stephanie was acting like a brat to Rosalind for no reason. The kids kept themselves occupied all evening and got to hear about the makeovers once Rebecca got home from work. Her pictures caused Stephanie to gasp while Rosalind could only mutter, "Beautiful" as she saw her mother made over for the first time. The pictures of Dorothy Rebecca kept to herself, how she looked wasn't for them to see just yet and she didn't want their friends to know until they had a chance to see her themselves. When it was time for the kids to go to bed Cat went right to bed while Ella tried to drag her feet but went down anyway. Both were put to bed by Rosalind while Stephanie stayed downstairs. Logan had another hour until his bedtime which gave him a chance to speak with Stephanie while Rosalind helped the younger girls get ready for bed. He wasn't afraid to rip into her, telling her harshly, "You keep acting like she isn't your sister. She is. She has a boyfriend who she likes and you pretend they don't exist. Why? What did she do to you to make you act like she doesn't exist until you have to acknowledge she exists?" Stephanie couldn't answer. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't come up with an excuse. They just didn't mesh and everything they did they always did separately. It was like two worlds to them, neither coming together unless they were forced to by school or their family. Logan shook his head at that, telling her firmly, "She loves you. Mom said she's trying to be a good person but you six try to act like she is just another person. Polly and Diego treat her nice, she didn't do anything bad to them but she did some bad things to you that were a while ago and she learned her lesson. She just acted like her sister and made a mistake. Mom said she paid for it and is going to be in your school now. She and Ashley are in your class now. You can't ignore her anymore." He got up to go to bed, leaving Stephanie to think. Polly texted to say her mother was out with Vance while Amy said her dad got them to be close. The only one not to text was Carmen, she was helping at the restaurant they went to but they knew already that she would only text if it was a bad date. Stephanie went to bed with a smile but seeing Rosalind laying alone in her bed caused her to feel nauseous. She kept her dinner down but it stung that she didn't even bother with her once the kids were asleep. There wasn't anything wrong with Rosalind, she just never got close yet she felt pangs of guilt that she had let her sister down by not trying more to be her friend along with her sister. Stephanie went to bed thinking about what she had to do. It was starting to pile up on her, Rosalind the sister and Rosalind the friend were the same person yet Stephanie couldn't see it. She had to fix it. Alice and Dorothy left the salon with big smiles as they looked marvelous. They didn't need to dress up, their light dresses were just fine for the evening Alice had planned so drove in Dorothy's car to the restaurant. Zeke accompanied them and was waiting outside with Vance, who was being carefully distracted by Carmen into looking the other way. When Vance turned around his mouth dropped. He saw Dorothy and couldn't believe his eyes. He was fighting the urge to mumble something about her being an angel, he was practically drooling over her new hairstyle and dress while seeing her as someone more than his boss for the first time. Dorothy looked at Alice who was grinning widely then at Zeke who tried to look away in shame. It was a setup, the two had tried to get her and Vance together on a date. She wanted to strangle them then hug them tightly, it was the sweetest thing any friend had ever done for her...well short of asking for a favor from the governor to get her a job where she was wanted and appreciated that is. Dorothy took Vance's arm and walked to their table, one specifically reserved for members of the Finn Family and one that Dorothy's and Alice's investment had helped secure. Carmen had to fight a smile as she ensured that they had the best service possible with the staff treating Alice and Dorothy as the VIPs they truly were. Vance and Zeke simply acted normal and were glad for the prompt service and not questions or comments from the staff. The meal was exquisite and Dorothy was proud to learn was one of the meals her daughters had created on the fly. Zeke and Alice kept the two focused and talking while they ate, with Zeke ensuring that they didn't try to overcompensate for their years of dating rust. It was a tough job but they were successful. Dinner was followed by Dorothy taking Vance for a walk while Zeke and Alice went home to their wife and husband. The walk along the Mystic River was quiet until Dorothy finally asked why he gave up a shot at love with Lilly Peterson to stay single instead of dating a woman who cared deeply about him. It was puzzling all of the adults, she genuinely wanted to know. Vance steeled himself for his response, finally calming himself and stating, "I love Lilly but not in that way. Jerry was my friend, mentor, and confidant. In the years I have known her I grew to love Lilly like a younger sister, one who I swore I'd look after when Jerry was gone. She's a great woman, but it was clear to me that her heart belongs to Jerry. I could never fill its hole, I couldn't do that to them. She's a great person, but not the right one for me." Dorothy saw the look in his eyes and realized he was in love with her. She liked Vance as a person but like Lilly she had sworn her heart to someone else. She still loved her beloved Jaimie Thomas, she didn't want to respond to Vance's love but she didn't want to hurt him either. The two walked along the river before heading home. Dorothy was met by her daughter Deborah who asked about her night. She had to hide her feelings but Deborah asked for the truth, knowing that Vance was fighting his own battle against love and losing badly. Dorothy confessed about the battle inside her over continuing to love Jaimie vs. letting herself find love again. Deborah listened intently before finally adding, "Mom would have wanted you to move on. She loved you but she wouldn't want you to deny yourself love that she could no longer give. She was a person who knew that you would have a suitor and as long as he loved you and treated you right she would have been fine with you loving someone else." Dorothy tried to deny this but it was exactly as Jaimie would have acted. She was the best at making you feel better about things and she knew how to make you move on from traumatic events. She was that way towards others, it was her best trait and the one that Deborah shared with her most. It didn't help Jaimie deal with her own demons especially after Deborah was torn from their home. She took her own life rather than live with the pain of losing her child, with Dorothy feeling the pain for years and still never fully getting over. Deborah channeling her mother's feelings and reactions was doing what no amount of therapy could do- allow Dorothy to finally move on from the suicide. Dorothy agreed to give Vance a chance to show his love for her. She would either fall for him or just continue to be friends. What mattered most was the attempt, they needed to know for both of their sake. The two went on a date the following afternoon, but didn't require Polly to spend the night elsewhere. Polly tried to weasel a night away but the date ended after a quick dinner. The couple kissed goodbye, something neither thought much of but it was a big step towards being a couple. Stephanie and Rosalind went to work after their night with the Finns with their usual lack of expression to one another. Neither wanted to talk about the night knowing that their parents had done something that no kid wants to think about once Alice got home from the date force date with Vance. Polly was able to get Stephanie to talk about the date which Stephanie was relieved to hear was a success. Ashley and Rosalind talked while sweeping, the two off in their own world and working harder than anyone else. She confessed that Stephanie had not said anything to her since the night before and was concerned she was angry at her. Ashley grinned at hearing that, it was actually the opposite. Stephanie wasn't angry, she was thinking hard. It was something he noticed about her in elementary school and knew that she and Rosalind were about to make amends and start getting closer once she found the right way to bring up the subject. The two talked throughout the day until it was quitting time then walked home. Being neighbors was a huge coincidence but was a big reason why he liked Rosalind, he understood her as a person after working on schoolwork and talking outside of school. She hugged him goodbye, kissing his cheek and telling him that she hoped Stephanie wasn't too upset at her after being with her friends. Stephanie was watching through the window and saw the kiss and hug. It wasn't a normal kiss, this was affectionate. The hug too wasn't a friend hug, it was like the ones her parents gave one another. Rosalind caught her movement and tensed up for the confrontation. Once inside, Stephanie sighed and told her, "He really is more than your friend. Don't lie because I can see how you are acting with him. He likes you, you like him, and you two need to stop fooling yourselves about it." Rosalind sat down next to her and tried to hide her shame. Stephanie hugged her, kissed her cheek, then added, "He'd be cute if he wasn't so big. Maybe if Diego and Donald got him to work out he might start to lose weight and look better. Regardless, he's a good catch. The other boys in 8th grade are jerks." Stephanie forced Rosalind to sit and talk with her, trying hard to get to know her sister beyond simply school things. They were different people but she was like a mix of all of her friends. She didn't dance ballet but she was good at playing music and dancing other styles like her sister, she played the shooter video games alongside Diego, Oscar, and Kyle but was more into the building and puzzle games like Amy and Trina, she knew a lot about fashion but wasn't as clothes crazy as Polly and even Al. Stephanie had to fight a smile as they hadn't known that she had such diverse interests. She would have to tell the others that they needed a night together so they could get to know the real Rosalind. Raul wouldn't like it but he could always stay with the three boys at their uncles' house for the weekend. It was tough for Polly to keep from smiling as Stephanie texted her the news. It was what Diego expected and her mother had predicted. In a complete coincidence, the sleepover also gave Polly a chance to force another date on Vance and Dorothy as they had no reason not to enjoy a night together. Dorothy had to groan as Polly asked her to stay over Alice's house two nights later. The reason for the gathering was hard to deny but it still stung that the girls had used it as an excuse to get the two together. She had to agree, with Dorothy being all but forced to call Vance to have a date with him quickly agreeing as he added, "Zeke said the girls made this happen, they won't let me out of this." The girls gathered at the Porter home with Shea having to hole himself in their attic/office/man cave as the girls took over the basement. Next door Ashley saw all of the girls and tried to go inside, only to be caught by Stephanie who told him to stay put. She walked over with the girls and had him talk with them in the backyard while Rosalind watched anxiously on her back porch for them to return. Ashley was grilled about his feelings for the girls, his actions while working, his attempts to talk with Rosalind outside of work, and his feelings towards her before working with her, his feelings in school. It was all a show, they wanted to gauge if Diego was right or if he was just a passing fad. He was scared of them so he told them the truth, with Stephanie adding a firm, "She hugs and kisses him goodbye when they walk home. You have your proof, they like each other for sure." The girls each hugged him and kissed his cheek with Stephanie telling him, "Ask her out. She needs you as much as you need her. She won't find a better boy, the girls have the three best. You make number four. Maybe all of us can go out together, if one of our brothers or sisters are fine with it." The girls snickered at that, she had put him on the spot for a date. Rosalind had heard everything and rushed over to him, kissing him full on the lips then telling him happily, "I'll go out with you. Screw the guys in school, they are assholes. I'd rather go out with a fat yet sweet boy who doesn't want me for sex than a dumb jerk who only wants to feel me up just so he could brag to his friends." The girls walked inside leaving Ashley to pull himself together. His first date was with the girl of his dreams, and she had kissed him to make him date her. He owed Stephanie and the girls a lot now. Cynthia watched her grandson get both his first kiss and asked on his first date. She had his younger brother Liam wrangled inside to keep him from disturbing the girls for talking with his big brother and told him affectionately, "Your big brother just got something amazing, his first kiss and a date with a beautiful young lady. I can't believe how fast he is growing up. You both are both becoming great young men." Little Liam shrugged it off. He knew not to make fun of his brother as his grandmother didn't allow any foul language. His grandfather would frequently call Ashley nasty names but he learned his lesson before not to listen to him when he is being mean to Ashley or insulting other people. It already cost him several friends at preschool and got him kicked out for parroting his grandfather's words. Ashley came inside to a smile on Cynthia's face and his brother looking away. Ashley sighed and told her, "I'll break it off before grandpa hears. He already thinks I'm gay or transgender because of my looks. When he hears that she likes me he will make us break up so she can get someone better. Don't make a fuss about it, I don't want him to hit you because I like Rosalind. I can take it, you shouldn't have to take it. He's looking for a reason to hit me, I don't want him to hit you because of me." Cynthia shook her head and told him firmly, "You are 13, you are old enough to start dating and who you date is your business. I love you no matter what and I can see that the two of you are more than friends. He doesn't have a say in who she dates, he should be happy that you are dating someone who you have known for two years and who is a nice person to you. I won't let him hurt you." Ashley shook his head, he knew his grandfather better than that. As soon as he heard Ashley had a date he was going to go right for him and ensure that he knew exactly what he thought about Ashley. It was the same as he always was towards him, no matter how good he was at things he was not good enough. Liam asked, "Why are you going to let grandpa hurt Ashley?" Cynthia shook her head at hearing that, she picked him up and hugged him, telling him affectionately, "I'm not going to let him hurt Ashley. He has caught the eye of a nice young lady who has also caught his eye. Ashley looks so much like your dad that your grandpa gets angry and takes it out on Ashley. No more. You two are in our care and I won't let his hatred of your dad hurt you two any more than hit already has." Liam shed a tear and added, "I hate grandpa, I want my daddy. Ashley's girlfriend is nice and she likes him. Please don't let him hurt Ashley." Cynthia swore she wouldn't, it was the end of her marriage but what mattered most to her was her grandchildren's safety and happiness. Over in Boston, Vance and Dorothy were strolling through the Back Bay enjoying the walk and looking at various clothing stores and laughing at the pretentious rich people putting on a show of arriving and departing the stores. They had already enjoyed the evening's Shakespeare performance on Boston Common and were burning off their energy. The walk to the car was long but the night was perfect. The two drove to Dorothy's home and enjoyed a nightcap, drinking some wine and watching television. The two ended up in bed, with Dorothy enjoying love from a man for the first time in years. The two slept in and enjoyed a happy cuddle when they finally awoke the next morning, fully energized and ready for another round of enjoying one another. When they finally emerged from their joint shower they noticed that Polly, Deborah and Antonio were home. Vance tried to make a quick exit but was forced to eat by the two ladies. It was their duty as daughters to ensure that he underwent a thorough inspection with Polly hoping this was the start of something greater for them. The two asked every possible question they could think of then hugged Vance. It was their sign of approval with Polly giving Dorothy hopeful eyes that he was the one for her. Neither said anything further, going about their business as Deborah's husband Patrick arrived to pick up his wife and son. Patrick was about to make a joke when Vance told him firmly, "I changed your diapers. I babysat you, your brother, and your sister. I know some of your most embarrassing stories. Do you really want to tempt fate and have something you wanted to take to the grave get out? Maybe the panties and bra story from when you were 12?" Patrick's face went white as Deborah's eyebrow raised in curiosity. He knew he'd have to tell her the story eventually, with Polly and her sisters shortly after. He left with his tail between his legs but with a nod to Vance that he had put one over on him. Vance shook his head and told the others he wasn't saying a word about the story, it was too funny and it involved more than just him. Vance's unintentional blush showed he was actually involved in the dressing up which made Dorothy want to know more while Polly smiled brightly. She was enjoying him being there as it was clear that Dorothy liked him a lot just by her actions and looks to him alone. Vance caved in and confessed, "He made a bet with his brother and some friends regarding the Super Bowl. He was so sure about it that he added a humiliation factor- the loser would dress in a bra, panties, skirt, blouse, and put on makeup and act like a girl for the afternoon. It was a surefire bet, but it turned out to be a foolish one. His team lost and the next Saturday he had to wear one of Lilly's blouses and bras with the cups stuffed with balloons filled with flour as well as a pair of panties." Vance knew things were a little too specific which caused Dorothy, Deborah, and Polly to all gasp in shock. Vance put his head down and admitted, "OK I was the one who goaded them on. I made the same bet with Jerry and lost big. I had to wear the same, but added my own panties and bra since I was too large for Lilly's bras and panties. Jerry had us cleaning and cooking with Lilly being treated like she was a queen for the weekend while Claire found us little jobs to keep us occupied. David and Patrick learned never to make a foolish bet like that again, and considering Daisy and Claire having their grandmother's quick wit and sharp tongues it's good that they stuck to it." After Vance left Dorothy awaited the mothers coming to ask about her night. She couldn't hold off Valerie, Melanie, Leslie, Riley, or Lindsay Reagan for long. All five had seen Vance leave and knew that he had spent the night with her making her have to be truthful to them. As soon as the ladies entered she blurted out, "Yes we did what you suspect we did. He was amazing and was the best I have ever had. I loved Jaimie but she simply couldn't make me feel the way Vance did. There's something about him that just makes me feel like I'm walking on air. I guess I understand why Jaimie wasn't as good of a lover, she was great with some parts of her body but not others." The five smirked while Polly coughed to get her attention. Dorothy blushed but Polly blurted out, "Don't break his heart and don't let him break yours." She went up to her room to let them talk, but she had made her feelings known while giving her blessing. The ladies didn't press for any more details, only asking about her feelings. Dorothy sighed and confessed, "I don't know what to do about him. I love him. There, I said it. I love Vance Taylor. He's what I dreamed a man to be and the guy who Jaimie was before she lost he battle with femininity." The ladies left Valerie to deal with Dorothy, knowing this was something the two longtime friends had to work out. Valerie looked at her with a big smile, not needing to say it but Dorothy could tell that she was going to say, "He's just right for you." Dorothy sighed and confessed, "I don't want to get Polly's hopes up and I don't want to rush into things. I love him, he loves me, but we need to go slow." Polly crept to her mother and embraced her, letting Dorothy hug her back. Polly looked up with strong affection and told her firmly, "Stop putting it off. He's a good man. I hope he marries you. I can't see anyone else as a father to me, he's the dad I always wanted. Please, try to make it work?" Her plea worked as Dorothy stopped trying to fight herself. The two sat together the rest of the evening until Vance called and asked to come over to talk. Dorothy agreed but told him it was only to talk. Vance arrived shortly thereafter with flowers. Dorothy was misting in her eyes, it was thoughtful and caring. He didn't say anything further, just entered and sat in the living room. Vance looked at Polly who was trying to not be excited. He looked at Dorothy who was awaiting what he wanted. He steeled himself and asked if she was feeling the same way he was feeling about her. Dorothy hugged and kissed him, informing him, "I love you. I loved every second of being with you. I didn't want to betray my wife but I have fallen hard for you." Vance pulled out a box and offered it to Dorothy. Polly's mouth dropped as she saw the ring. Dorothy hugged him tight and said a happy, "Yes. 1000 times yes." The two kissed while Polly waited for them to calm down. She smirked at Vance then told him, "If you are marrying mom we come as a package deal. Deborah, Juanita, and Carmen are her daughters too but only I am under 18. If you marry mom, you adopt me as your daughter. No more Vega name, we all become Taylors. That name is put to rest for good." Vance looked at Dorothy who nodded in approval. He hugged Polly, kissed her cheek, and confessed, "You are a great daughter and I'd be a fool to refuse your request. Yes, I'll become your father. And I guess that now includes becoming a grandfather. I am fine with that, I am old enough to be one." Polly could barely contain her enthusiasm as she went up to her room to tell the others. Dorothy shook her head and told him warmly, "The cat is out of the bag, she can't hold back telling everyone. I guess I have to call Juanita, Carmen, and Deborah to tell them the good news." Vance texted someone and within seconds the trio came inside, along with Patrick, Juanita's fiance Zoe and Carmen's wife Addison. The group knew what he had done already, Dorothy just sighed and told them, "You couldn't wait a few more days before scaring him into proposing?" They gave her an enthusiastic, "No!" followed by Deborah saying, "Polly needed this. She wants him as a dad and you two are too afraid of your own shadows to not go through with it." Polly told everyone about the engagement and upcoming adoption. It was great news to her friends who all liked Vance, especially Amy who knew him best thanks to her dad being his best friend. Her plan had worked perfectly, the only one who lost out were her sisters who were the last to know even if they were the ones who got Vance to act in the end. The ladies made plans for Dorothy while she just sat with Vance without saying a word. She carefully texted him, "Tomorrow at city hall" getting a subtle nod. They were getting married their own way, and that was alone, without the fanfare, and with only Zeke and Alice as witnesses. Polly would miss out on it but it was easier on the two of them to do it when she wasn't there as the others would get dragged along to witness it alongside her. As expected, their friends started calling. Dorothy fielded all of them and held off questions, directing them to the girls who did the planning. Valerie didn't miss a beat and told them to go when the kids were working and to have their move ready as Vance would get all the help he wanted and more. It was just as Dorothy expected, Valerie was only vocalizing what she was thinking and giving her approval. The next day, at noon, the couple were wed in front of the city clerk. Both visited the Finn home and filled out the adoption and change of name forms. Valerie filed it on her own, with Dorothy watching the kids as Vance left to start packing. Polly was told as soon as she got home. She hugged both, demanding to call Vance, "Daddy" bringing a smile to his face. He, in turn, called her his daughter giving her a big smile as they hugged tightly. It was a touching moment that they hoped would be the first of many for them as a family. Chapter 9 Alice had to hide her glee as Stephanie told her about Rosalind having a date with Ashley. The two helped set it up while Rosalind watched helplessly from the side of the room. Stephanie's girlfriend Trina was eager to agree to it, her parents insisted that Stephanie and Rosalind's brother Raul and his girlfriend Avery accompany the couples in order to keep the girls in order. It wasn't meant to mean that Rosalind was going to be out of order, it was aimed at Trina and Stephanie. Rosalind wasn't given a say in the matter, but she was alright in going with them to their favorite movie theater. The hitch was getting Ashley to agree, he wasn't sure about it and knew his grandfather would never let him go. Alice tried to dissuade his feelings but Ashley knew his grandfather best. In his eyes, Ashley was a worthless human being who didn't deserve a girl like Rosalind. The next day, Alice spoke with Stanley Eagleson about his grandson's date. Stanley refused to believe that they had a date and when told where and when it was occurring he swore at her over allowing his, "Sissy fagot" grandson near her daughter. The bile coming from his mouth fell on deaf ears, Alice had heard it all before and wouldn't let his anger hurt the kids' blossoming love. She would, however, keep an eye on Ashley in case of retaliation. When Ashley got home from work Stanley grabbed him and smacked him hard in the face, breaking his lip open and leaving a large red mark on his cheek and bruise on his chin. His only words were, "Dump her or die." He didn't have to say anything else, Ashley knew what he meant and would ensure it was complied with. After dinner, Ashley went next door and told Rosalind that the date was off and that for her own safety she needed to find someone else. Alice looked him over and shook her head, Stanley had finally made his intentions known and had actually hurt his grandson in a way that required her to act. He may have terrified his wife into not telling others about abuse but she wasn't under his thumb and didn't fear him, she called in the cavalry to help Ashley, his brother, and his grandmother. A half hour later Chloe Daniels arrived with Ian Bailey and Sebastian and Fabian Perez and asked to speak with Alice. After she was told what happened and why Chloe made her way next door and asked to speak with Ashley while Stanley was kept away. Chloe immediately spotted his swollen lip as well as the bruised chin and still-fading hand print on Ashley's face and agreed that it was clearly from his grandfather and not any sort of roughhousing with boys or being assaulted by boys on the way home from work as she knew Stanley would claim. She gave the nod to Ian then asked to speak with Stanley. She had him explain how Ashley ended up with a laceration on his lip, bruised chin, and large hand print on his face. She let him try to wiggle out of that while Ian and the twins readied themselves behind him. Stanley was blunt, saying loudly and harshly, "That little runt got himself beat up again. He won't fight back and he always gets hurt. He has had multiple broken fingers and sprained wrists because of the boys. I'm sick of him getting hurt, he deserves it for being a fat slob and if he gets hurt because he can't fight back then it's his own damn fault." She asked him when he received the injuries, being told harshly, "They happened after he finished work. He always walks the long way home taking him through the rough neighborhood which gets himself beat up. The dumbass always goes looking for fights knowing he is going to get hurt." Chloe had him there. He lied to them about the origins of Ashley's injuries as the hand print was too fresh to have been from more than two hours ago. From the look of it, there would be a lasting bruise on his chin and cheek making it hard to deny that it was a random assault and not from the heavy slap. She also knew from Alice and Rosalind the exact route he took home with the two going directly home and not passing through the area he claimed as it was six blocks in the other direction from their street. Ian and the twins arrested Stanley for assault and child abuse. Looking at the entering Cynthia and little Liam she knew she would be back there as she didn't think he'd stay held in detention for long before Cynthia was forced to bail him out. She made note to come back the next day, this time with a removal order...that is if she wasn't called out that night. Ian had no trouble getting Stanley out of the house but his look was enough to have Cynthia think things over seriously about their relationship. Now that Chloe was involved she risked losing the kids to foster care because she couldn't stand up to Stanley. She knew he was going to be back with a vengeance and things would get very ugly. Shedding a tear, she told Chloe, "We both know that he will be back and that he's coming for Ashley to get him to recant. Please take good care of the boys if something happens to me." Chloe looked on in shock but she was telling her that she fully expected to be seriously hurt or worse by Stanley very shortly, as she herself had just felt. Chloe left and felt the need to look into the kids' reasons for being with the Eaglesons. Something just wasn't adding up, where were their parents and why were they put into the care of a man who has shown that he is a terrible influence on both of them. Her own son, TJ Daniels, was impacted by Liam's attitude towards transgender and gay people which she now understood to be Stanley's words not his. Back at her office she spoke with her supervisor, Mark Sylvester, about the case. Mark listened closely then added a somber, "We know their mother. Or rather we know their father. He's Cameron Byrne, the man Ricardo hired to take Juan Perez's place in the financial law area." Chloe's eyes lit up in shock. He was a sharp looking man who was quick with his wit and even quicker to shoot down your arguments. Ricardo loved his style, he was a great counter to Ricardo's frequent hot-headedness and their other colleague's brash and boisterous style. She asked how he knew her family's connection. Mark didn't want to say anything but since she was their potential next-of-kin for the kids he had to explain, "He had an unguarded moment. He accidentally let slip that he had two sons and lost them to his parents four years ago when he started to transition. Liam never knew him as his dad, he was put in daycare as soon as Stanley achieved custody. The kids were stripped away from their parent simply because he couldn't live a lie anymore." Stanley getting custody was a travesty. Mark nodded, adding an angry, "The judge that they had was the same one that screwed over Shea Porter and let Tanya York's mother get custody of her kids. He was as rotten as they come and it's a huge reason why he's sitting in prison now after getting removed from the bench for his antics against Tanya and her husband James. He refused to abide by the laws if he didn't believe in them and used his power to rip apart families. James fought back thanks to Ricardo but it took a lot of overwhelming firepower to do so." Chloe sighed, it was going to be a messy situation. Their next-of-kin was barred from getting the kids despite not having any reason to be barred from them. She didn't think that Ashley would survive being placed into a group home and Liam would get hurt or worse by this whole situation. They needed help. Mark saw the despair and told her firmly, "We will get Ricardo and Valerie onto the case. She can act on the kids' behalf while their father seeks custody again. If he is lucky, he will get Judge Perez to hear the case. Valerie will fight tooth and nail for their rights and will ensure they are reunited as a family." At home, Ashley was starting to get anxious about what happened. Cynthia tried to calm him but he knew that his grandfather was going to come after him and force him to recant his story. He hadn't said anything to Chloe but it didn't matter to his grandfather- he was still at fault for causing him to smack him in the first place and that was enough to warrant further punishment for the embarrassment of his being arrested and putting up with DCF intervention. Cynthia sighed and told the boys, "I know who called Chloe in to check on you and she won't let your grandfather get away with harming you any further. She was required by law to call them in to protect you two. He hurt you before but never around me, if he had he knew I'd have to call DCF and turn him in. This Chloe woman is working for a man and woman who know where to get help and is probably talking with the right people to ensure that you are finally reunited with your dad. You should never have been here, you belong with him. I love you two dearly but your place is with him, not here." She was crying now. The worst moment of her life was when she showed that she was just too week to stand up to her husband over their daughter becoming their son. He was a good person, nothing like his father. Yet his violent past and connections to shady people were ignored by the judge who didn't agree with him becoming who he had to be on the outside. Her son lost his kids for no valid reason. Stanley got full custody of the boys, with Cynthia being just a parent on paper. He made all of the decisions for the boys, he told them what to do and how to do it. She could never stand up to him and his domineering ways, she hated how he acted toward the boys but couldn't stand up to him. Until that day that is. Across the city, Mark asked to speak with Ricardo Vincent and his associates- Savannah Ward and the man whom he needed to speak to most: Cameron Byrne. Sitting all three down, Mark sadly stated, "This afternoon Stanley Eagleson assaulted his grandson Ashley. He has been taken into custody but we don't believe that he will stay there for long. Ashley is in danger, we will be removing him and his brother from their home tomorrow if he doesn't strike before then. I know that you have lost all custody of the boys but there was no reason whatsoever to have done that. I am overstepping my authority as a DCF employee here but I must ask that you seek custody of the boys, it has to be done tomorrow morning or they will go into a foster home or a group home. If that happens, I fear Ashley won't survive long." Ricardo shook his head and asked, "Is it because of Rosalind?" Mark nodded, getting a curious, "Who is Rosalind?" from Savannah. Ricardo smirked as he confessed, "My new niece and his girlfriend." Cameron to hide his face, knowing that this was going to get messy if not bloody. He sighed, adding, "I don't have a choice, do I? You put me on the spot. If I don't file they are going to get hurt or lost inside the system, if I do I get a target put back on my back by the judges." Ricardo shook his head before adding, "That piece of garbage sorry excuse for a judge was removed from the bench and put in prison for his abusive actions. Simply filing should get you your kids back. I'll file it for you, with luck Judge Perez will hear the case and given her affinity for me she will give you an actual fair hearing. She runs a tight ship as the chief judge, she will not let any antics occur." Cameron understood what Ricardo was saying but had to fight old memories about his parents. He loved his mother but despised his father. He transitioned late, he tried to be the woman that his father wanted him to be but he couldn't stand it anymore once Liam was born. He attended college as an androgynous student, with his neck-length hair and stocky build he could have been either a male or female. He kept to himself and rarely dated, most girls thought of him as a butch lesbian but he only looked the part rather than acting it. He had a one-night- stand with a guy and ended up with Ashley as a result but still graduated with a degree in finance. He worked at a bank for a decade before being forced to quit due to his transition. He sued the bank for discrimination and won a hefty settlement that went towards his further education and transition. He was a man, he had to be a man. He may have been a mother and a woman on the outside but he was always a man on the inside. He had tried hard to be a woman and used donor sperm to have Liam in a last ditch effort to stop his masculine feelings. Ashley and he were close as he grew up, with Cameron being fine with him being sensitive and timid of others. He understood his mother being his father inside, he supported his transition as Cameron was everything he wanted in a parent. After Liam was born and he was fired from the bank he told his parents that he couldn't live a lie anymore and had to transition. Stanley went on a warpath and physically assaulted him then got a restraining order and custody of the boys while Cameron was recovering in the hospital. He never had a chance to fight for their custody, the judge summarily granted custody and blocked all attempts to get them back from Stanley. Cameron suffered severe postpartum depression which Stanley then used as an excuse to keep him locked up until the custody battle was finished. With no children and no job, Cameron spent the next three years working hard to earn his law degree before passing the bar exam. Ricardo offered him a position with him as an associate, splitting profits equally He was specifically sought out by Ricardo, with a son who was transitioning to male and having a familiarity with an area he lacked Cameron was the perfect hire especially as every firm he applied to told Cameron a sold, "No" with no reason for rejection except his transition. Ricardo had Cameron deep in thought. They had only been working together for two months but the man knew when Cameron was away with the pixies and going to need a while to gather his thoughts before striking out. Cameron was fighting a losing battle, he knew that he had to fight for kids' rights. Ricardo recognized the sign immediately, Cameron had made his decision. Mark sighed and announced, "DCF had no involvement last time, we are going to recommend that the boys be placed with you as you are their biological parent and you should never have lost them in the first place and seeing as we had no involvement and your father was convicted of assaulting you we are going to refuse to allow him custody based solely on the interests of the boys. You however have no reason to be denied, you have a solid job and despite being transgender you have a stellar reputation and have shown to us that you are the right person to care for them." Cameron added a somber, "I didn't want to have it come to this but it should have been appealed. I was too numb to fight back then. It's my fault, now mom and the kids are going to get hurt because I didn't have the strength to stand up to dad." Mark left them to hammer out the custody claim as well as prepare for counterattacks from Stanley and his lawyer. He had at least one shady lawyer willing to help him out, plus a few guys who were known to perform violence on people for a price. Those men alone were going to bite him in the rear as Mark wasn't going to let the kids anywhere near Stanley due to those goons for hire. They were a danger to the kids, while their father was around people he would leave his own toddler son with. Later that evening Stanley was bailed out by his lawyer friend. He made his way right for home and tossed Cynthia aside as she tried to stand in his way attempting to calm him down, causing her to break her scapula and clavicle bones, several of her ribs, as well as hitting her head causing her to receive a severe concussion. Liam tried to protect her as well and ended up being knocked down hard, landing on his coccyx bruising it and causing him to sprain his wrist. Ashley heard Stanley's screaming and climbed out of his window, jumping onto a nearby tree branch. It took all of his strength to grab it but his adrenaline was flowing and despite his chubby exterior he had a lot of strength in his muscles. He used it smartly as he swung himself up and onto a solid branch then climbed down onto the grass before climbing over a neighbor's fence and safety beyond. It took just 10 seconds to do all of that, far faster than it took Stanley to rush upstairs to his bedroom. He ran for help from the nearest police cruiser, which just happened to be Ian's. Ian took one look at Ashley and called immediately called in the assault, not needing to be asked what happened. Ashley was taken into protective custody in the back of the cruiser while Sebastian and Fabian drove to the house to apprehend Stanley but couldn't find him, only finding the unconscious Cynthia and crying Liam on the floor forcing them to call for an ambulance for the two while putting out a BOLO(be on the look out) for Stanley for the two new assaults. Stanley fled the house as soon as Ashley hopped the neighbor's fence. He was no fool, the boy was going to ensure he was sent to jail. He had hurt Cynthia and Liam, without Ashley to claim that he didn't hurt either of them he was going to prison. He had to lay low until he got at Ashley to recant. Chloe was called in to take Ashley to a temporary home. Cynthia was in no condition to care for him and likely would need surgery on her shoulder. Liam's coccyx wasn't broken but he was going to need a few days to recover fully and would need help doing a lot of things due to the pain. The boys needed a place to stay, with the legal case brewing it was felt that someone new to them but who wasn't new to their situation would be best. Chloe looked over the list of foster parents and none could house two of them especially one who needed some help. She needed to call in a favor from one of her friends, one that hopefully worked in their favor. Valerie and John were able to help out, especially as they had the space for two and Liam had their nephew DJ Lopez close by for support. Ashley was reluctant to go, the Finns were everything that his grandfather hated and were the reason his mother transitioned to become his father. He respected them, but he feared that it was going to be a big problem for them especially when his grandfather found out that he was staying with them. John sat Ashley down and explained, "Your grandfather can try to come after us. He clearly didn't know that your neighbors were related to a bunch of cops and that we take abuse seriously. Alice's brother-in-law is a federal agent. Her other brother is the chief of police. And her first cousin, that's myself, is a reserve officer. He can't get you here, not without having a dozen cruisers here in a matter of seconds. And he really doesn't want to mess with either Alice's brother or my wife- they'll ensure that you are returned to your dad even if they have to appeal all the way to the Supreme Judicial Court and rip apart DCF and the courts to force his rights to be honored." He showed his badge to Ashley, something that shocked him as he hadn't known anything about the Finns outside of the rumors and that most of them had his grandmother as a teacher. John continued, "I care deeply about your grandmother and understand why she has kept quiet about her husband for so long, but your grandfather went too far. Alice saw you and Rosalind hug before you went inside, then when you broke it off with her you had a hand print and busted lip. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that he hit you. You are safe here, he can't get at you without having Dan, Willie, James, and I on him. He is going to prison now, he broke his bail and intended to hurt you. That won't get swept under the rug. Not with your father's new partners working against your grandfather." Ashley was led to his room while his and Liam's things were brought in by Valerie. She then went to the hospital to check on Cynthia and Liam, finding them doing better but Cynthia still not well. Liam left with her, not enjoying the ride but trying hard to show he was a strong boy and not a baby. Liam entered and was hugged by a scared DJ. He didn't know how to react, Valerie had to explain, "He knows you aren't here for a visit and is trying to show you that he cares. It's alright, why don't you go next door and play with his toys while I get dinner ready. Be careful though." The boys left with Valerie immediately getting a phone call from her sister Melanie Lopez. Melanie was not fishing for information so much as she was concerned by the way Liam was wincing in pain. After Valerie explained everything, Melanie had to fight the urge to lead a mob to go after Stanley. Ashley fielded a few questions from Logan and Ella when they returned from playing with friends. Logan was sizing him up, trying to compare himself to Ashley after hearing so much about him from the family grapevine. Ella groaned and led her brother away, whispering to Ashley, "He has a crush on your girlfriend. He is trying to see if you are better than him. He is jealous of you." Ashley shook his head at hearing that, he didn't want to compete for girls. If he was older, Logan would have won Rosalind's heart with his personality and looks. Logan was a good looking boy, he was going to break hearts and have girls all over him and that was even before his personality wooed them. Logan gave him an odd look as he was thinking. Logan demanded to know what was wrong, getting a mumbled, "Just my luck that another good looking boy likes Rosalind." Logan sat down on the bed and had to think about what he said, it made him feel odd but prideful. He asked what Ashley meant. Ashley sighed, then explained, "You are already good looking, and will be one of the best looking boys in school. You have the pick of the ladies. You don't have to act like you are looking for a girlfriend, they will come to you. You already act like a good guy, Rosalind said so when she was staying with you. If you were older she would have dated you." That made Logan feel better. He mumbled, "She said something like that before. I like her but she is too old for me. She likes you. Everyone said she likes you a lot. You aren't like other boys, you are nice to her and she likes that more than anything else. She said you may be big but you are not like any boy she has ever met. She likes you a lot." Logan left him with that to think about. It was odd to talk about a girl like that with an older guy, but it felt good. His older brothers were good to him but they were a bit too old to talk with. He hoped that the two stayed together as Ashley was what he needed in an older boy- a mentor. Logan stuck close to Ashley, while JD stuck close to Liam. JD has had a strong hated for Stanley due to Liam making others think that JD was trying to become a girl because his cousins were so girly and Jaimie is transgender. Liam wasn't so bad when he wasn't acting like a doofus, and seeing him hurt made sense to JD: Liam was simply like other boys who were abused by family that he knew of. Logan and Ashley got along well, even if Logan's crush was awkward for him the two didn't have any real bad blood. To John and Valerie, it was the first time they were seeing Logan maturing into a young man instead of the kid he was. The two were doing great things for one another as Ashley hadn't had a thought in a while about the fact he was staying with the one family that his grandfather hated with a passion and who was also his grandmother's friend and colleague. Ashley had to wait until Logan had gone off to do something with their brothers to talk with Rosalind and tell her what happened. He was fearful that he might say something that upset the younger boy, even if Logan was accepting of him dating his crush. Rosalind listened and felt horrible that they had caused a family to dissolve but was glad that Liam and Ashley were safe, especially as the Finns were a family that you didn't want to cross. The two talked for an hour before Alice had them call it a night, with Stephanie trying her hardest to be coy but still showed a smile as she listened to them talk. Valerie told Alice what was happening and had to keep Alice from rushing to beat the snot out of Stanley over hurting his wife and grandchildren. Hearing Alice seething in the background caused Ashley and Rosalind a lot of fear, they didn't want trouble but knew it would come to them. The kids were prophetic as Stanley's lawyer got him released to his care via some legal trickery and a few well-placed words to the right people then had him, "Cool off" at the bar, which was in reality him plotting his revenge against Ashley and the nosy DCF employee who was, "Responsible for his issues". His lawyer pretended not to know what he was planning and made no attempt to dissuade his, "Client" but offered a few hints about who he should go after first. Out of all of them, Chloe was the most vulnerable. He had no idea that Chloe wasn't as vulnerable as thought as even though she was eight months pregnant she was never allowed to be alone and her husband and son were always with her to help her going so far as to have her husband drive her to and from work. He was trying to get her to start her maternity leave early and allow one of her colleagues to take over until little Eve Daniels was born. Chloe often spent lunch with her husband in downtown Boston near their offices. Being a federal agent, Mike Daniels was keenly aware of those around him and caught three people eyeing his wife a little too closely. They were lingering too long on her, constantly darting back to her and at him. He whispered to Chloe, "I need to have a chat with those three behind us. Call for help, they are going to need it." Mike didn't mince words. Chloe called 911 to report three men trying to assault her and her husband. When she mentioned that he was armed and that he was a federal agent it got a quick response from all available police officers, deputy sheriffs, and state troopers in the area. Being that they were in Boston that resulted in at least four agencies sending every available body to help Mike out and keep the peace should he have to protect himself. Mike walked over to the men, flashed his badge, then demanded to know why they were stalking his wife. The first officers arrived and listened to Mike question them, then caught on that something was up and took over. One officer recognized them from an hour earlier and told the others that they had been following the couple for far too long to have been a, "Misunderstanding" leading to the three men being detained for questioning while Mike filed a report with intent to press charges on Chloe's behalf. Chloe drove home with a pair of state troopers escorting her car. At the Boston Police District A1 station the trio of stalkers were not holding up well under scrutiny from the officers. The fact that they had tried to go after the wife of a fed wasn't sitting well with them and led to all of them confessing that they were sent to assault and kidnap Chloe to make her rescind the charges against Stanley so he could clear his name and get his give his grandson payback for trying to ruin his life. Mike made a phone call to Mark regarding Stanley's actions prompting Mark to ask the ADA handling the assault case to up the charges to include criminal conspiracy and multiple other felonies. Stanley now had a warrant for his arrest on serious charges, they weren't going to be swept away and his lawyer was not going to sweet talk a judge into letting him go free again. As he was out on bail for at least three separate crimes he was going to now be remanded to the Nashua Street Jail until trial. Stanley got the news through his grapevine. A few family members of officers had managed to get the information that the cops had against him and it wasn't pretty. Stanley had nothing left to lose, he was gong to go after his grandson and ensure that the boy didn't talk no matter what the DA offered him. That morning while Chloe and the others were unaware, Stanley made an appearance in court for the charges against him regarding the three assaults against his family. Judge Matthews was made aware of the charges against him but was limited to as to what he could do to prevent Stanley from going after Ashley and Liam beyond the normal abuse prevention orders. Ashley was granted a restraining order at the request of his new lawyer, Valerie, while Ricardo served him with the intent to seek custody on behalf of Cameron. Judge Matthews set bail at $100,000 and ordered Stanley to keep away from all others involved in the case, especially Ashley. That was ignored by Stanley while his lawyer pretended not to know that he was about to have his buddies go after Chloe, Ashley, Liam, and Cynthia as was planned the night before. Liam and Cynthia were safe due to Alice and Melanie keeping them company but Ashley was vulnerable at times. Chloe was the most vulnerable but she wasn't actually vulnerable due to her husband being by her side as his stooges learned the hard way. Judge Matthews asked to speak with Valerie, this time dragging Ricardo in with him. The custody situation was brought up leading to Ricardo explaining and Judge Matthews shaking his head in anger at his colleague's actions four years before. Valerie explained the rest of the story which only led to Judge Matthews to have the ADA made aware that attempts against those associated with the criminal cases being targeted by Stanley and to be ready for additional charges to be filed against him. Valerie had to fight a grin while Ricardo groaned and added, "He is going to make a major mistake soon, Chloe Daniels is never alone and her husband Mike is off the next few days thanks to his recent case. If he makes a move on her then he is going to have half the BPD, MSP, and every agent in New England on him before he realizes what he had just done. That's if Mike doesn't stop them first." The ADA who entered cringed at hearing that. It didn't need to be repeated, the name, "Daniels" was known among the DA's office for all the right reasons and that was before he joined the ATF. He gave a solemn, "We will be waiting for the defendant's actions and will take action accordingly." Outside, Chloe called Valerie to alert her about the attempt on her. It only cause her to shake her head in disappointment, he had clearly planned it the night before and the whole showing up for the arraignment is just a smokescreen for the attempts. Valerie called Alice who told her that their security bad already caught two men trying to get at Cynthia but who were stopped as soon as they entered. Melanie called to tell her that Dan had arrested another two but they were in serious trouble as they had grabbed DJ! DJ fought them as much as possible including kicking them in the crotch as hard as he could and biting their hands while Dan rushed over to stop them. Both were writhing in pain as DJ had bitten open all four of their arms and broken one of their shins while causing one to suffer ruptured testicles in the process. Dan's call to 911 got several cruisers to respond with officers calling EMS to treat the bites as well as ensure that DJ didn't need anything to counteract any diseases that were in their blood. It was a scary sight but DJ stood tall and proud as he had taken down two kidnappers, with Dan trying hard not to smile at his son's heroism. The officers just nodded at his reactions, he was his father's son. Stanley's lawyer told him to lay low until things blew over. He was in serious trouble due to the three abductions failing so miserably. The fact that two involved police families was a tough thing to recover from and if he tried anything else he was going to get in further trouble that he couldn't save him from. Stanley didn't really care that Liam's, Cynthia's, and Chloe's abductions failed, he wanted Ashley more than anyone else. It didn't matter what happened to the other three, Ashley was the key to his freedom. It didn't matter that Ashley was no longer needed as a witness as Stanley's assault on Liam and Cynthia ensured that he was going to be in prison for at least five years if not longer, he had to, "Clear his name" by getting at Ashley. He was the key. Ashley went to work that morning with Riley Pierce giving him a lift to the rallying point for the street cleaners. He didn't notice that he was being watched throughout the morning by onlookers just down the street. Rosalind did see them though, they were hard to miss if you were used to keeping an eye out for people trying to harm you. Thanks to Rosalind's previous behavior she had gotten used to having to watch out for all potential dangers from others. More than one girl tried to take her frustrations out on her for Rosalind's antics as a jerk under her sister Monica's guidance. This time though she could tell that they weren't focused on her, they were clearly looking at Ashley and whatever he did. No matter where they went they were followed by the people watching Ashley. Rosalind sensed trouble and texted her mother that something was about to happen to her and Ashley. She didn't have to wait long as the guys saw their opportunity and went after him as he dragged their barrel full of shovels and brooms along the street as their coworkers walked ahead of them. They were quick to grab Ashley but Rosalind jumped on them, knocking them down and breaking Ashley free. The two ran as fast as they could from there, leaving the barrel behind. Rosalind's phone was still on to which Alice heard the whole altercation as well as the two being threatened by Stanley's friends while Rosalind got behind them to pounce. Alice called the police while the couple tried to hide, ending up on a bus that was just turning the corner and giving them cover and enough time to get away. Aboard and out of sight, the two headed to Boston and perceived safety. This was problematic, they couldn't go back without getting nabbed by Stanley's goons who knew where to get them as they got off the bus. Their only option was to find a place to hide and hope that Ricardo could get at Stanley before Stanley got at them. The trouble was they kept their phones on allowing Alice and Valerie to call them. They refused to say where they were going and after they had talked with Valerie and Alice refused all phone calls even from Stephanie and Raul. The duo didn't turn off their phones though, which was a big mistake that they didn't realize at the time. Ashley knew of a place where they could go in Roxbury. It was isolated but safe. They could get out of there easily and blend into the neighborhood if it came down to it. It wasn't exactly the nicest of neighborhoods but he had walked through it enough times with his father when he was younger to know every backstreet and alley and which houses were alright to hide from people chasing after you and which ones were a danger due to the owners not liking people lurking on their property. The only issue was avoiding the police officers and state troopers who patrolled the area. The duo would be sought after by Stanley and he had a lot of connections, both legal and illicit, to key officers and troopers to make his life into a living hell. Even with Rosalind's family helping him those police would ensure he paid the price and wasn't turned over to Valerie and John before Stanley had gotten to him. Getting caught by the troopers and officers was essentially a death sentence for him. Rosalind and he got an Orange Line train heading towards Forest Hills, getting off at Ruggles then boarded a 22 bus to Franklin Park. The huge park had exactly what they needed: shelter and plenty of hiding spots while being close to very frequent T bus routes and food. It helped that the parts Ashley knew best were cloistered from view of most of the park with not even druggies and drunks visiting due to the danger of falling into a hidden hole or chased by an angry squirrel. Ashley saw one of his favorite restaurants and bought some food for the two of them. Rosalind wanted to pay but it was Ashley's fault that they were there so he insisted on paying. She smiled at this, he was trying to be chivalrous but he didn't have to do that as he won her over already. It was funny to her, they were having what amounted to their first date together, even if it was deadly serious. She kissed his cheek as they sat on a bench to eat, telling him affectionately, "You are giving me what I always wanted, a memorable first date. I like you a lot, I think I love you. You are Mr. Right." She kissed him full on the lips, giving him another shock but he kissed back. It was what he had envisioned his first kiss to be, even if it was technically his second with her. She, in turn, felt on top of the world. He was the nicest guy she ever met and this was all a big adventure that she needed to have. After eating their meal and purchasing a couple of water bottles for later, the two walked over to the bear dens and other century old structures of the abandoned part of the park in Long Crouch Woods. The place was riddled with hiding places and overgrown with vines and tress but was worth the chance. It offered cool air while also having water available from one of the newer kiddie parks nearby. The only people who ever visited the abandoned structures were locals and urban explorers. The cops tended to not bother as the drug dealers and drunks didn't want to encounter troopers who patrolled part of the park including the only access points to where they were staying. The others simply avoided it due to the amount of time it took to get back to their cruiser when they needed to respond elsewhere. The two hunkered down once the light started to fade. The dens were intriguing but once the light started to fade it wasn't worth the chance of falling into some unseen hole to continue exploring them. Ashley and Rosalind talked for several hours before they fell asleep in one another's arms, smiling as they felt the warmth of their bodies. Several hours later the two were awoken to the sounds of someone speaking nearby. Both of them knew the voices, it was Stanley and his friends. He had traced Ashley's cellphone through his, "Find my phone, "App. The two got up and ran, rushing as fast as they could out of the pens towards the park exit. Rosalind tripped over one of the pits, breaking her ankle and causing her to scream in pain. This alerted Stanley to where they were, causing Ashley to drag them along as fast as they could. Thankfully for them they weren't far from the Walnut Ave. exit but it was tough to rush with Rosalind being all but dead weight in his arms and Stanley finally seeing them out in the open, running at full speed for them. Ashley's awareness of the neighborhood was now coming into play. He knew how to avoid Stanley and how to make it seem like he had gone down a side street but actually hid until they could double back towards a better street. They were a block ahead of Stanley, with Rosalind telling him fervently to leave her there so he could get free and find help. He had no choice, he had to flee without her. She was left on the doorstep of one of the better houses while he rushed down a side street. He knew to get help fast, she needed to get to the hospital to treat her broken ankle even if it meant he was risking getting caught by the enraged and irrational Stanley. He ran past a parked ambulance causing the medic in the driver's seat to do a double take at seeing him. Astrid Flynn thought she recognized Ashley and seeing Stanley and his goons mentioning that they had seen him go down the side street made her immediately call for police help. She hoped the police got there before Stanley got to Ashley and did as he threatened- shutting him up for good. Finally realizing the seriousness of the situation, Astrid got her partner to get inside then drove past Ashley, grabbed him from behind and pulling him inside before he could say a word. She shushed him, telling him firmly, "You two are in a lot of trouble but we don't blame you. Where's Rosalind?" Ashley mumbled that she was hurt and he had to leave her so she wasn't hurt by Stanley. Astrid called in the call that they were responding to an injured person then drove to the house Rosalind was hiding at. Rosalind popped up to see what was going on as she saw the flashing red lights then heard Astrid calling her name from the ambulance, telling her to stay put and let them help her. Rosalind called back, trying hard to mask her pain. She recognized the woman's voice as someone she had met before but didn't fully recognize her. Astrid and her colleague brought a stretcher over, helped her onto it, then had police meet them at the location for support. Seconds later two cruisers arrived and were apprised of the situation. The tired and forlorn Ashley was asked about what was going on and with a verification of the arrest warrant for Stanley the officers decided to have Ashley help them apprehend Stanley and his goons. He just wanted his grandfather put away for good, the officers were more than willing to do so especially as Rosalind was, "One of theirs." Ashley quietly walked along Walnut Ave. back towards the park. Stanley drove by with his goons and stopped a block down the street. The officers who were placed nearby noticed this motion and got him ready for the attempted abduction, with more units in the area to help should things get ugly. Stanley and three men walked around Ashley, cutting off his escape and preventing him from moving in either direction. Stanley moved forward, motioned for his goons to grab Ashley and drag him towards their car. As Ashley resisted Stanley took out a tire iron and swung at him. It missed as it was only intended as a warning shot, but it was all that was needed to have Stanley brought in for a more serious charge of assault in addition to attempted kidnapping and the other existing serious charges. Stanley's goons fought against the officers prompting them to be pepper sprayed, this required a serious call for help in subduing them as the four were stronger than the six officers holding them down. One of the thugs managed to break loose and stab Ashley in the stomach causing him to double over in shock as blood pooled out. Astrid and her partner were on him quickly and contained the blood but had to rush to the nearest hospital to take care of the wound, hoping that it wasn't too late. It was nastier than it appeared as it would require a lot of surgery to repair the damage while also leaving a scar. The thug had managed to slice his stomach in two, barely missing his intestines and liver but doing enough damage to require the surgeons to perform what amounted to a pseudo, "Gastric sleeve" surgery on him. Rosalind stayed with him after she was treated for her broken ankle. Astrid reluctantly called Valerie and John then Alice and Shea. The four were off to the hospital as fast as possible, leaving the five kids in the care of Raul, Stephanie, Dan, and Melanie. Ashley was out cold due to the extent of his injury while Rosalind was in pain but feeling horrible that she had let Ashley get hurt. Astrid tried to comfort her but it was not happening, she couldn't feel better until Ashley was awake. Alice and Valerie had to calm her while Shea signed off on everything that Rosalind needed to have done to fix her ankle. Due to the break's location, she had to have surgery on her ankle to install screws. It was painful to see her laying in the bed but he steeled himself and ensured that she was given the best care, even if Astrid assured him she would. Rosalind cried as her parents hugged her tight. She had expected the worst from them but the two were more concerned with her health than punishing her at that time. She did what she felt she had to do, she kept Ashley safe and prevented him from being harmed by Stanley. It was what set her apart from her past, she had done what neither her older sister nor her birth mother had ever done: be selfless. Chapter 10 At the Boston Police District B2 station in Roxbury, Stanley Eagleson got a cold reception. Word that he had caused the niece of a federal agent and two police officers to get hurt while trying to murder his own grandson got around the station with officers being less than courteous to him while booking him. They never went over the line, but they made their outrage known to him form the get-go. Internal affairs were all over the incident and had the two masterminds under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder as their colleagues ratted them out as soon as they heard just who Stanley tried to kill alongside Ashley. The two were under heavy guard at the State Police barracks in Framingham, miles away from Stanley's reach and unable to get any help from anyone connected to Stanley. They tried to blame Stanley for their actions, but the troopers had their own evidence that showed just how involved they were in the plot and how little of a defense they would have when their trial came. The detainees in the cell Stanley was put in caused him to have several, "Slips" as they got their anger out on him. They may have been drug dealers and gang members, but they still abide by code of, "No hurting kids" no matter who you are to them. Hurting the elderly was just as bad, with his wife's assault causing the men in the cell with him to have some, "Words" with him about treating elders with respect. Stanley eagerly awaited his attorney bailing him out yet again, knowing that he would get back at the cops not on his payroll for daring to arrest him and allowing the real criminals to assault him instead of protecting him. He hoped to sue the department, claiming that the wounds that he received from the other prisoners were due to officers. He thought he might even sue the state for harassment for the multiple erroneous charges filed against him due to his grandson's lies! He was given a rude awakening as he was told that his attorney was sitting in a cell at the Kensington Beach State Police barracks for conspiracy to commit kidnapping, lying to police, perjury, and multiple other crimes all directly related to his role in the attempted kidnappings. It wasn't hard to prove that he was involved in the plot with Stanley, once one of the hired thugs talked they all started to talk in order to save their own skins. The only one who didn't was the one who was charged with attempted murder and assault and battery with a deadly weapon for trying to kill Ashley. That was in addition to assault on police and resisting arrest charges that only made it worse. The attorney had made a huge mistake, he was quick to regale anyone willing to hear him with how he had just helped catch the lying grandson of the bar's owner and ensure that the boy never talked again. He went further to say that Stanley would ensure that the boy would be crippled and had his tongue cut out for claiming falsehoods against his family. He didn't care who heard, he was loud enough to be heard across the bar in the farthest, quietest corners. The man was not afraid of what may happen to him for being part of the conspiracy to kill Ashley. Unfortunately for him, he was unaware of the newcomers to the bar who sat down next to him and asked him to tell the whole story to them. He didn't hold back anything, he was happy to explain how he got Stanley released from jail by lying to the bail judge about it being a false claim then having another judge toss out the order on grounds of falsehoods. It was all smoke and mirrors, the charges were going to stick but with Ashley recanting the state had no case thus the charges would go away. This was a huge mistake as several state police troopers were in the bar with one of them knowing all about the incident including the details that the lawyer had purposely not told the other patrons. David Peterson was out celebrating a colleague's birthday and upon hearing the gloating got up, arrested the attorney for criminal conspiracy, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, attempted murder, perjury, and multiple other crimes. He then had the state bar start an investigation into him on behalf of Ashley for allowing his client to knowingly commit crimes without warning the police or trying to dissuade him. David may not have known Ashley but he knew enough to know that Stanley Eagleson was facing a serious prison sentence now especially as his own lawyer had been revealed to have gotten him out of jail on false pretenses. Stanley swore at the officers then demanded an attorney. One was hired and looking at the charges and evidence against him just from the arrest in Roxbury looked at Stanley, got up, and walked out citing his inability to defend him based on an ethical issue. It hit Stanley in the ego hard, he was not going to get out of this without some serious firepower and his friends were going to have issues trying to spring him legally without their main lawyer being allowed to be involved in his case anymore. The problem had only just started. His bar was shut down by the city due to David reporting to the city his suspicions of serious criminal activities thanks to the boasting by Stanley's now-former lawyer and the confessions by his cronies to the Boston officers. His bank account was frozen by Ricardo Vincent to keep him from fleeing the country or to keep him from emptying it so Cynthia didn't get a penny in their impending divorce. Ricardo had his eyes on a divorce for Cynthia despite her being unconscious from the assault, she was going to get her fair share of their communal property which included their house and the bar and that was before he got her to file suit against him for the major assault against her and Liam. The next morning, court was a zoo as the media were all over the arraignment due to another crime but found Stanley's arraignment to be even bigger news. He was humiliated by the jeering crowd, many of whom had known his son and grandson before they moved and who were still held in high regard. The judge had to shake his head at the neighborhood uniting in a common cause against a man who had to be one of the worst offenders he had arraigned in his time as a judge in Roxbury Municipal Court. Stanley stood in front of the judge, daring him to say something. The judge was read the long list of new charges against Stanley then told that Stanley had violated the terms of bail not once but twice. The judge shook his hear and ordered Stanley to be remanded until trial, citing his constant disregard for the safety and well-being of his grandchildren and wife as well as the fact that he had violated the restraining order against him. Stanley swore loudly at the judge then tried to lash out at him, only to be subdued by court officers and police. Stanley was now facing additional assault charges while seeing his face plastered all over the new for the next two days. He endured the humiliation of fellow prisoners laughing at him over his guaranteeing himself a long prison stint as no jury would ever let him go free. The media was even more vicious, interviewing the neighbors who witnessed the assault and painted Ashley and his girlfriend Rosalind as innocents being hunted by a terror. Their pictures were supplied by Ricardo who served as their spokesperson and kept the media at bay. He was quick to praise Astrid and her partner for their invaluable help then on the non- corrupt Boston officers who arrested Stanley. The facts of the arrest weren't told but he did acknowledge that one man broke free and stabbed Ashley which only led to Stanley having to be put in protective custody in Nashua Street Jail, coincidentally under people who were colleagues of Astrid's husband Todd. Over in Winnisimmet, Cameron was apprised of the events and the next morning asked that the judge put a rush on it due to the kids' immediate needs. Judge Perez agreed to read over the reports from DCF, the hospitals, and the police and had to agree that custody needed to be permanently removed from Stanley but had to give Stanley a chance to defend not allowing Cameron the chance to have the kids back. It wasn't a good situation for anyone but she had to follow proper procedure lest Stanley have a successful appeal and make her ruling null. Valerie and John were kept as Liam and Ashley's guardians until the full hearing. DCF had no argument against them but were concerned that Ashley may try to run off if things didn't go his way. Valerie set them straight and had to explain, "Ashley was in fear of his life, with his grandfather now facing serious prison time and all bail denied there is no reason to believe that he will flee. As he is recovering in the hospital under armed guard by officers for his protection he is not able to flee regardless. We have his assurances and to us that is good enough to ensure he stays put." Judge Perez had to smirk at the unintentional smackdown but Valerie was right. She calmly proclaimed, "I'll hear arguments in two days. I want all facts of the case including the original hearing notes. I have a strong suspicion that they have 'mysteriously disappeared' but I want them regardless. If they truly are missing as I suspect they are, then custody will be granted to their father with prejudice." Cameron was given the all clear without Judge Perez saying so. He knew for a fact that the transcripts had been deleted as he had tried to get a copy of it to show that he was screwed by the courts when his depression subsided a year after losing the kids. Without it he had no grounds for an appeal with that judge on the bench but with Judge Perez taking over he had everything needed to overturn the previous order as well as give him a formal apology from the courts. Valerie wasted little time and told Cameron to follow her as she had some place that she needed to take him. The two drove to Longwood Medical Area and in particular New England Children's Hospital to where Ashley was hospitalized. She showed him up to Ashley's room, informing the nurses there that Cameron was Ashley's father and has her blessing to visit with Ashley. Cameron tried to shy away but Valerie insisted, Ashley needed to see his father and Cameron needed to see his son if only to show that he was doing better and give Cameron a resolve to fight for Ashley's right to be her son again. Knocking and entering Cameron shed a tear at seeing the bandaged Ashley sleeping in the bed. It was a sight he dreaded ever seeing, Ashley was strung up with multiple wires and tubes into his body as well as several different IV and waste bags connected to him. It was painful to him, his son looked so fragile and pale and there was nothing he could do to help him until he had custody of the boys again. Valerie got the response that she needed from Cameron, she could see his resolve to fight back against Stanley rising as the parent in Cameron was not going to let his children get away from him again. Cameron was just like his mother, the two were some of the strongest willed people Valerie had ever known. Cameron had the spark to live his life again, the spark that had been extinguished years ago by his father ripping his children from him out of nothing but malice because he was true to himself.. Back at his office, Cameron dived into the custody laws and Supreme Judicial Court rulings needed to bolster his case. Ricardo tried to dissuade him but his mind was solely focused on the boys and there was no way he was going to hold back until he had exactly what he needed to win full and permanent custody of the boys. Ricardo could only back away and hand him what he needed even though he had gotten everything ready to go while Valerie and Cameron were off visiting Ashley in the hospital. Cameron finally stopped once he had an ironclad set of rulings and irrefutable precedents. Ricardo just shook his head and pointed out that he had already had most of that done already and he had wasted an afternoon. Ricardo had to pick up Cameron's slack in fishing for ways of getting at Stanley's money for Cynthia, which he had happily done and found a lot of money that Stanley kept off the books and away from her that he just happened to also hide away from the IRS and state department of revenue. Ricardo just sat next to Cameron and offered a hug, he knew what Cameron was feeling and confessed that Cameron had lost out on a lot with the boys but Ashley had never stopped loving him as a father. Liam would take time to come around to him being his father but it was time well spent. The boys had a dad to be proud of and a grandmother that was the envy of many kids. The two were interrupted by Savannah bringing the counterclaim by Stanley's lawyer. Stanley sought a permanent restraining order against all members of the Finn Family as well as Cameron, citing an immediate danger to the boys. He went one step further and stated that when he won he would happily turn the boys over to DCF so they never saw anyone that they knew of again. He didn't care if he won or lost custody, so long as Cameron didn't get a chance to be their father even if he should never have lost custody four years before. Ricardo laughed at the claims, there was no supporting evidence except the claim that as Cameron was transgender he was unfit to be their father as it was a terrible influence on the boys and would lead them to deviant and harmful behavior. He then claimed that he is a tramp for getting pregnant twice by two different men despite knowing that Cameron was impregnated by sperm donor the second time and with his full support. The judge wouldn't let any of the claims stand, there was no legal basis for them and she was never going to allow any of that kind of language to be used in court against them. Ricardo had to laugh as Stanley would soon be unable to pay for his lawyer due to his bank account being frozen due to the divorce. He either didn't expect his wife to file or he believed he could get her to go with his line of thinking again. There was no chance of that happening, not with Valerie on the case and fighting for Cynthia's rights as Ricardo focused on Cameron's custody fight. After the arraignment things got pretty ugly in Winnisimmet as the supporters of Stanley fought back. They first targeted Cameron by torching his house, then as that was set ablaze they went after Stanley's home. In his own words to them if he couldn't have it, nobody could. Cameron's house was retaliation for trying to get the kids back as Stanley didn't care one bit about him, this was pure retaliation for daring to fight back and making him use up the last of his stashed money to pay for a lawyer. Cameron was homeless. To make things worse he was unable to rent due to his past and Stanley's own goons intimidating anyone who had a free apartment. Valerie did something out of character and asked Lupe Toro to house Cameron while he searched for a place to live. Lupe agreed, he needed to have a clear head and fight for the kids and knowing that Ashley would be in a tight spot when he got out she couldn't let the boy stay where he could be hurt again. Lupe and her daughter Reyna understood what Cameron was going through, having seen it before in the early days of Reyna's transition after they lost both Reyna's father and grandmother. They had been threatened with similar actions but avoided it due to her brother Miguel being famous and knowing that he would bring the wrath of the police on anyone at fault for torching the Toro home. Lupe could sympathize with Cameron as a mother to father, even if Cameron was a man he still was a parent and needed another parent's support especially one who was a single parent. Reyna was just fine with Cameron staying. There was something about him that caused her to like the idea of a man staying with them. Her mother had been alone for too long, she thought that maybe things could be more than just friendship between the two once Cameron moved in for the time being. Lupe was also going to be a big help when Liam was in Cameron's care again. It would be at least a week before Ashley was released from the hospital but Liam was able to go into Cameron's care just as soon as custody was given back to Cameron. Liam trusted Lupe, if she said that Cameron was a good person he would take to her a lot easier than he would if he didn't. Cameron had few possessions which were thankfully covered by a generous insurance policy that covered malicious arson. He and Lupe went shopping just after an inventory of what was salvageable was taken and his needs assessed. Thankfully his major documents were saved, but his clothes were all destroyed by the fire, smoke, and water. He had few pictures or trinkets, those that he had were saved in a special safe at the office that was untouched as it was in a high visibility area with limited access except for the trio making the stooges' attempts to get at his office futile- they still tried and got caught. Lupe actually enjoyed the shopping experience, Cameron had an eye for fashion that the other guys lacked but none of the ladies had the heart to explain to them about. The two spent several hours going from shop to shop finding the right clothes to buy while Lupe gave him an honest opinion about what he was buying and what he should avoid. By the end of the trip the two had talked about everything up to and including their sex life, something they blushed at but found it easy to talk about with the other. For Cameron, Lupe was like an old friend who made you feel at ease while offering an ear. For Lupe, Cameron was that guy who was by your side offering a hand while not being afraid to tell you that you were not doing something right. They were getting as close as Melanie and John, they had a lot of chemistry that was tempered by their natural friendship that masked something bigger. At home, Reyna grinned widely at the two talking like old friends. She actually loved that the two were getting so close. It was thrilling to think about her mother may be finding someone who was a kindred spirit who needed someone who appreciated life the way she appreciated it. The two were closer than she had ever imagined and were acting like they had that bond that only those who suffered tragedy could understand, a bond neither wanted but was evident to anyone who saw them. Liam was given a soft introduction to Cameron when Reyna was dropped off at her girlfriend's house once they had all of the clothes situated in Cameron's new room. Cameron didn't say who he was, but seeing him looking just like his brother caused tears in Cameron's eyes. It was painful to think that he was hurt by Stanley, Liam was an innocent boy. It only helped to strengthen Cameron's resolve to win back the boys and start life anew. Cameron went over the plan of action the next day with Lupe being his sounding board. She tried to poke holes in his logic and argue points that she knew Stanley's lawyer would bring up. She was great at her job, and times scared Cameron with how well she played the villain in her arguments. Lupe laughed it off, she was happy to explain, "It's part of having a teenager. They think that they can outsmart you so you have to cover your bases and ensure there are no loopholes in your arguments. I know that you will learn this soon enough, Ashley is a good boy but even he will use his teenager logic against you at some point, it's inevitable. You just have to remember that you are the parent, not him." Reyna tried to take offense to the remark but a short time later she got into exactly the kind of logic battle that Lupe had mentioned before. Cameron took notes, it was actually helping him and the two had a great time hamming it up for him. Reyna eventually lost but Lupe gave in and told her to enjoy her night out with her girlfriend, which Reyna hugged both over while smiling at Cameron. The two were left alone for the evening and were able to enjoy a quiet dinner alone. Lupe and Cameron talked for hours while watching an old movie that both enjoyed, finding out several long held secrets that somehow each felt the need to confess to the other. When Reyna returned the two were laying on the couch with arms around each other's shoulder, she crept up to bed with a smile on her face as the two had clearly enjoyed their time alone and were worn out from that fun. The custody hearing the following morning was cause for all hands to attend. Valerie was there on behalf of Cynthia and the two kids, Cameron was being represented by Ricardo, Alice was there as a witness to Stanley's assault, Stanley wasn't allowed to attend due to his being held in Nashua Street Jail under heavy guard but had a lawyer representing him that was appointed by his friends. The only ones not there were the kids, with Ashley still recovering but feeling out of it while Liam was intentionally kept unaware of the situation for his own well-being. Stanley's lawyer tried to look smug and scoffed as Cameron entered with what amounted to a large entourage of supporters. He was far from the mark as everyone there had a reason to be there while Stanley's cronies were there simply to try to intimidate the others. Judge Perez wisely told all there, "If you do not have a direct connection to this case, please leave. I know that many of you are simply here to intimidate the other parties and I won't allow it. Some of you I am familiar with but I still want your connection to the case heard officially." Stanley's cronies were each asked what their connection was. None had actually met Cameron or the kids therefor had no reason to be there. The only one who had known Cameron was the bartender that oversaw his bar, he was there to ensure that the kids never saw their mother again no matter what and if need be they'd ensure that the kids shut up and, "Told the truth about their grandfather" prompting court officers to remove them and charge them with criminal threats for threatening Cameron and the kids. Stanley was left with no actual supporters nor any witnesses on his behalf who could bolster his case. Cameron alerted Ricardo that the bartender had not ever met him before and were lying about their connection which was overheard by Judge Perez who grinned and relayed that to Stanley's lawyer with a firm, "I won't hold that against you as it was one that the court officer will enjoy relaying to each other. I will advise you to seek counsel as this attempt to circumvent the law by perjury will be reported to the bar by Mrs. Finn and Mr. Vincent, that is if Mr. Byrne doesn't do so himself." Compared with Stanley's inability to get actual support, Alice and Shea, Lupe, John, Dorothy and Vance, Zeke, Mark and Leslie, and Chloe were there on behalf of Cameron and the kids with direct and professional connections to all of them. Judge Perez didn't need to know the exact details, she did ask for the record but let it alone after their presence was noted. Stanley's lawyer tried to object but it was futile as Cameron was entitled to have material and witness support and the fact that Stanley had none was not their problem. Judge Perez noted the lack of support for Stanley's case as a telling sign of his character. His lawyer tried to object as they were all character witnesses but given that they had never met the kids and had admitted that they were all paid to be there by Stanley they didn't belong there. The fact that several intended to hurt the kids hurt Stanley's case even more, with Judge Perez encouraging Stanley's lawyer to drop the line of thought due to putting himself further in danger legally with the bar. With that out of the way, Judge Perez started the hearing. First up was DCF's report with Chloe and Mark giving damning remarks regarding the initial removal of custody four years before especially as there was no grounds for it nor was there any involvement by them. Judge Perez asked if there was any reason to deny Cameron the right to have the children, both gave a strong, "No." Mark added a stronger, "The only reason is not something that is either valid nor is it allowed under our state laws: his transgender status. Cameron Byrne started to transition from female to male just after he gave birth to his son Liam. He never abused the children nor did he neglect them, he actually never has to work again due to money he was awarded from a lawsuit so he was always around to care for the children. Mr. Eagleson simply used your colleague to get his grandchildren removed without any legal reasoning nor our involvement. Had we been involved we would have refused to allow him custody due to his criminal convictions for assaults on his wife and son." Stanley's lawyer objected but Mark produced Stanley's rap sheet which included several convictions for assaulting Cameron, Cynthia, and in a shocking turn of events- Ashley as well. Mark loudly announced, "Had we been allowed involvement in the first place we would have sided with Mr. Byrne and would have recommended that Mr. Eagleson be barred from ever seeing the children let alone have custody of them as he is a confirmed danger to them and would have gotten a 209A order against him." Judge Perez nodded then asked about the previous order. Cameron showed the order then Ricardo told her, "Your honor, there is no transcript of the court hearing. My client was unable to appeal this order just one month after it was given due to the loss or intentional deletion of the transcripts. Later attempts by him were just as futile and were met with blowback by your now disgraced colleague." Judge Perez nodded, adding an angry, "I am aware of the judge's actions being both highly unethical as well as illegal. This is just another in a long string of his violations of civil rights of certain individuals that you, in partickular Mr. Vincent, are well aware of. As it was done without due process and with the intention of depriving Mr. Byrne of his rights I am hereby rescinding the previous order and open up proceedings to formally return or rescind the custody of Ashley and Liam Byrne to Cameron Byrne." Stanley's lawyer tried to object but Judge Perez grinned and pointed out, "We still have to establish your client's claims so this is far from over. This previous order is superseded by this hearing and as such I am within my rights to order the previous order quashed due to this hearing. Now please proceed." Stanley's lawyer went after Cameron as being unfit due to his causing the children issues with bullying, public humiliation, community shunning, and ungodly behavior. He said that their being allowed in Cameron's care would cause Liam to become confused as to who his parents really were and what his family was. Judge Perez shook her head as Ricardo prepared his volley, it was going to be something well worth seeing. There was nothing of actual substance that the lawyer could provide to support Stanley's claim to custody. His only hope was to prey on the bigotry of Judge Perez. He clearly didn't know anything about Judge Perez's personal life or her leanings, she hated those kind of tactics with a passion. Ricardo stood firm, telling the lawyer, "That's all a load of garbage. Stanley has been abusive towards his family for years. His wife, who while still hospitalized due to his most recent assault, is of sound mind and has filed for divorce citing constant abuse. She has offered a written declaration about the long history of abuse that Stanley has heaped upon his family. That is in addition to the current accusations of abuse DCF has filed against him before his arrest on attempted kidnapping, attempted murder, and multiple other serious charges. She has verified that he did indeed assault her multiple times in the past and has served time in prison for assault. She asks that custody be awarded to her son." Stanley's lawyer tried to object that due to her not being there her statements should be disallowed. Judge Perez laughed at it, happily telling him, "Your client's arrest record and sentences are on public record and should have been presented to the judge previously. Mrs. Eagleson has her proxy in court and as I have little reason to believe that she would lie I am allowing her sentiments to be on record." Judge Perez had just what she needed. Ricardo nodded then added, "Mr. Byrne, and he is a male despite what Mr. Eagleson's counsel has claimed, has been a model citizen and was a loving parent to his elder son before both were ripped away by the prior ruling. Mr. Byrne has tried to make a life for himself and has both a well paid job as well as a home. Mr. Byrne is a mentor to several college and teenage people in addition to donating thousands to charity. His sex life is none of his our concern, and despite claims to the contrary he is neither a deviant nor a pervert. While my client may have changed his gender that does not preclude him from being seen as a fit parent or not. We are fully prepared to file an appeal should the court feel that what is in your pants matters more than ability to be a parent." With that line of thought shot down Ricardo went for the throat and gave every legal precedent for allowing transgender parents the right to be a parent, all of which could neither be refuted nor ignored. Judge Perez looked at Stanley's lawyer and waited for him to try to come up with a counter. Failing miserably, he only offered up the same bit of vitriol he offered before which Judge Perez ignored. Judge Perez simply grinned at the two. She shook her head and didn't bother with deliberating. She looked at the clerk who nodded then proclaimed, "Four years ago a travesty of justice was allowed to occur in this courtroom. I am righting that travesty. Permanent custody of Ashley and Liam Byrne are hereby awarded to their father, Mr. Cameron Byrne. Further, I am ordering that the court clerk and court reporter who were witnesses to the hearing be investigated for violating jurisprudence in destroying the records of Mr. Byrne's custody case four years ago. Mr. Byrne, you have my deepest sympathies in having to endure this travesty. I hope that your sons are able to recover from their abuse and you are able to form a happy family. Good luck." She banged her gavel and offered Stanley's lawyer a stern, "Sir, if I ever see you in my courtroom again, you had better have actual support. If I didn't already know several of these fine people I would have ordered you placed in custody for witness intimidation. They are the most restrained and calm people I have ever encountered but they are not afraid to defend themselves against cheap thugs." The court officers escorted him out, with all of the entourage outside being told to leave or be placed under arrest. All left, swearing they'd get them but seeing court officers placing those who made that pledge placing them under arrest for yet more criminal threats charges. Cameron was in tears as he hugged Ricardo. Lupe hugged him after he broke the hug with Ricardo, offering a kiss on the cheek that went unnoticed by everyone. Leslie was on the phone with Melanie to get Liam ready to meet his father while Lupe hugged Cameron allowing Lupe to calm him. Cameron heard her telling Melanie the news and had his heart flutter, it was the best thing he had heard in years and led to more tears as reality set in- he was a father again, he was taking his son home. Cameron was driven to Lupe's house with Liam kept at the Finn home until the time was right. He'd be given a soft introduction to Liam, with the hope that Liam took to him quickly. Liam could be a handful if he was agitated and upset, they hoped having DJ with him would calm him. Liam was told, "We have someone to introduce to you. He is your daddy and wants to meet you. Are you OK with meeting him? He has waited four years to meet you." Liam looked at Melanie and Valerie with shock. He nodded furiously, crying his eyes out at hearing the news. He wasn't a fool, he knew if his dad was meeting him then he never had to see his grandpa again. He had always wanted a dad, he knew that his was not allowed to see him thanks to his grandpa. After he was kicked out of preschool a year ago Ashley had told him that his dad was special and was once his mom and loved him deeply but their grandfather had gotten them removed from his care because he was once their mom. All he wanted since that day was to meet his dad, now he was meeting him. Despite his rough and tumble four-year-old exterior, Liam was still a kid who wanted his parents. Even if his parents weren't "Normal" he wanted a parent. He hated what his grandpa had done to his dad so this was going to be a dream come true for him- his dad was going to meet him and live with him. Lupe was called with Cameron barely containing himself as they drove over. Liam turned around and ran to Cameron, crying as he did so. He didn't need to be told who he was, he thought it was odd that he was seeing this man a second time with Lupe talking to him in hushed tones. He learned long ago that if an adult was talking in hushed tones about you that something was going to happen to you. Cameron hugged him tight, crying as he said, "Daddy," to Cameron while himself crying. He was almost crushing Cameron, only softening the hug when he said, "Son" causing him to cry more. Neither father nor son wanted the moment to end, four years evaporated in mere seconds. Valerie and John had to hold back tears as the touching moment hit them hard. DJ looked up at Melanie for guidance prompting her to kneel down and explain, "This is Cameron, Liam's daddy. He's going to stay with Aunt Lupe and Reyna until they can get a new house." DJ understood and hugged Liam as they walked inside to get Liam's things together. Lupe waited until he was inside to tell Cameron, "You don't have to rush to find a place, it's nice having you there. Having Liam will help temper Reyna's libido a bit." Reyna blushed deeply and walked off in embarrassment as the adults snickered at the teasing, with Cameron thanking her for the kindness and understanding that it was meant to both break the ice and give Reyna some humbling. Liam came out with his bag packed and a few toys that JD Finn had been willing to part with to give him a few of his own as he lost all of his in the fire. Lupe smiled broadly at the boys hugging goodbye with Liam starting to go from guest of his aunt and uncle to being a friend to the youngest Lopez. JD simply acted like the big cousin that he had learned to be with the younger kids and knew that he was expected to show the boys that it was alright now. The four drove to the Toro home and got Liam situated. Reyna gave the adults space while Liam was unsure what to make of his former preschool teacher and his dad being close. Liam innocently asked, "Are you daddy's girlfriend? You look like daddy's girlfriend." Lupe blushed while Cameron tried hard to find the right words to explain the situation to Liam. Lupe finally explained, "I offered your daddy my house to stay in because his house was burned down. I like him a lot but we aren't dating." Liam asked, "Why?" which got both adults blushing deeply as Reyna tried her hardest not to laugh at the uncomfortable situation that Liam had unintentionally caused. The four sat down in the living room to decompress with Liam refusing to let go of Cameron. It was a sweet image that neither Lupe nor Reyna could stop smiling at. Cameron had a wide smile on his face while Liam was acting like he had just gotten exactly what he wanted for Christmas. The four ate an early dinner after which Lupe suggested they visit Ashley to give him the good news. As expected, Liam refused to let his father go causing Reyna to have to lift him up into his booster seat while Cameron drove. Lupe eyed Liam who grabbed onto Reyna's arm and felt a stirring in her that she had not felt in years, she was being a mother to a little kid even if he was only a temporary guest. Reyna caught this subtle glance and nodded in approval. She was no fool, her mother had needs and as she was still young she should enjoy dating again especially if it was with someone that Reyna was on good terms with such as Cameron. Lupe loved her ex-husband immensely but Reyna is no fool and knew that he'd want her to find a lover if only to allow her to enjoy life again. Cameron was the right kind of guy for her as well, she didn't know if he had the right, "Plumbing" but he was still a potential lover for her mother which was what mattered most. Cameron drove carefully to the hospital, knowing that the bumps would cause pain to Liam. The boy kept quiet but the winces were still there and each caused Cameron to feel anger. After one large bump that he had to hit due to rough drivers Lupe massaged his hand in support, not realizing she did it but both Reyna and Liam caught on to. When they arrived at the hospital Cameron had to take a minute to steel himself for the sight of Ashley and the inevitable war of words if he was awake. Lupe held her arm around his shoulders in support while Reyna went on ahead with the reluctant Liam. Cameron needed that reassurance, Lupe hadn't thought about it as she did it but it was exactly what he needed at that moment and gave him the strength to go on to see Ashley and accept whatever he was going to throw at his father. The two heard sounds from his room that concerned him. Lupe had a bright smile as she whispered, "His girlfriend is there." Cameron's face was in shock, Lupe, "She loves him. Your son is the spitting image of his dad and through his help he made a young lady into a better person while at the same time earning her heart as the boy of her dreams. Congratulations, he's a young man now. Ashley Byrne is taking after his father in more ways than just looks." Lupe knocked on the door and let Rosalind and Stephanie know that Ashley had a very import visitor outside. Ashley grew concerned but didn't see Valerie or John so it could have been anyone. Liam had a big smile on his face as Cameron entered, with Ashley shedding tears of joy and trying to get out of bed to hug his father as soon as he saw him enter. Ashley asked tearfully, "What are you doing here? Grandpa won't let you see us." Cameron showed the judge's order then tearfully told him, "I'm sorry, son. I should have fought harder to keep you. You shouldn't have had to put up with that monster. I wasn't strong enough to fight for you and it hurt you. No more. You are my top priority and neither of you will ever have to endure pain and suffering due to that monster. Never again. He can't hurt us anymore." The two embraced for several minutes while the others waited silently. When the hug broke, Rosalind was about to leave but Ashley asked her to stay. Cameron could see the affection between the two and felt great pride that his son had matured into the young man he saw in front of him in so many ways in just four years. He was already a better man that Cameron had been at his age. Cameron smiled at Rosalind and asked Ashley to introduce them. Ashley blushed deeply as he told him, "This is Rosalind Porter and her sister Stephanie. They live next door to us." Stephanie groaned then added, "You mean your girlfriend and her sister. Stop acting like she isn't because she is." Rosalind kissed his cheek and told him, "I won't leave you because of that piece of garbage. You didn't leave me because of Monica or dad marrying mom, I won't leave you because of what that man did to us. I love you, Ashley Byrne, and I am proud to have you as my boyfriend." Ashley was blushing deeply now as Cameron raised an eyebrow at him. He shed a tear as he hugged Cameron again, thanking him for fighting for them even if it was because the bastard had hurt them. Rosalind gave him another kiss, this time on the lips with Stephanie dragging her out so the family could have their privacy without Ashley getting even more embarrassed. Cameron looked him over and recalled the chubby little boy who was one of the darlings of their Roxbury neighborhood. They were some of the only white people there but Ashley was great with the adults and had some of the kids protecting him thanks to his helping them with school and Cameron frequently babysitting when their mothers had to work nights. It was tough but the two were respected by their neighborhood. When he and Liam were ripped from Cameron's care he started to eat to make his problems go away. It was tough on Ashley, he loved his father but Stanley was domineering and led to a four year depression that only started to ease up with Rosalind and he getting closer two weeks before. He was still large but due to the extent of his injuries he would end up losing a lot of the excess weight before the end of the summer and was looking at losing more throughout Autumn. Cameron saw the boy who helped him cook and clean when he was too tired. He was the lovable boy who always had his homework done and ready to enjoy a nice evening with his dad, who just happened to be pregnant with his little brother at the time. He hadn't changed, he only had the bane of his existence removed from him allowing the real Ashley Byrne to fly free. Lupe tried to slip out but Cameron asked her to stay. Ashley was asked if the girls had told him what happened to his home, getting a no followed by, "What did that bastard do?" Cameron sighed and told him, "His friends set your house on fire as well as mine. I'm sorry, there's little left. They coordinated the fires to start at the same time so it made sure that the fire department was split up and help was late getting there. I am going to have to find a new place for us." Lupe chimed in quickly with, "You can stay with us until you find one. The boys need a home and it'll be best to have them close to those who care about them. We have the space, and it's good to have other people over. Plus Reyna loves having your brother over." Reyna was blushing while Liam hugged her tight. Ashley smiled at that, it was nice to think that his dad had found a possible new girlfriend who had a daughter who understood him. He started to drift off to sleep with a smile on his face which the others used as the signal to exit. Cameron, Reyna, and Lupe kissed his cheek before they left, causing Ashley to smile as he had visions of them being a family racing through his head as he drifted off to sleep even if Lupe wasn't meant to be his new mother. In the car, Cameron saw a glimpse of light shining through Lupe's hair making her look angelic. It was a sign to him, he needed to do something drastic right then and there. He asked Lupe if she would like an evening out. He needed a distraction and felt that it was a sign to him to ask her out and at worst she declined, at best it led to them becoming closer. Lupe tried to come up with an excuse not to accept but Reyna gave her a hopeful expression that said that she should accept the night out. Liam added the same, but had classic puppy dog eyes that were all but impossible to refuse. She accepted, with Reyna being asked to watch Liam for them. Liam hugged and kissed Reyna, the two hadn't planned it but their joint loving expressions were hard to deny. At home Reyna gave him a big hug and kissed his cheek, with Liam whispering, "I want dad and your mom to marry. I want a mommy and big sister." Reyna tried her hardest but shed a tear at the sincerity of Liam's confession. He wanted normalcy, even if Cameron and Reyna weren't, "Normal" by society's standards he saw them as he saw them and wanted a family that loved him and didn't treat him like an unwanted burden. Reyna had another idea, if they are her new brothers and father then she would get a grandmother who cared about her as well. Cynthia was not going to be left out, she was part of the package. She was well liked by the family and Reyna knew from her friends that she was a great person who fought for her students. Having her as a grandmother was like having her own paternal grandmother back, a thought that gave her great joy. The group arrived back at the Toro home and saw the two youngsters go to their rooms to give the adults privacy. Reyna gave Cameron a hug, offering a soft, "She needs a night out" which was her way of showing that she wanted her to enjoy herself with her mother. Cameron hugged her back, kissing her cheek and giving her a, "Thank you" to show that he accepted her offer. Reyna texted her girlfriend to tell her they weren't going out the next night as originally planned. Rachel simply texted back, "Go easy on them, they need this." It was clear that she was happy for them but knew enough to know that these things take time to develop even with their blessings. Ashley was to be released the next morning. Cameron drove over with Reyna while Lupe took Liam to the preschool. Liam was told what was happening and was fine with this, he wanted to play with DJ. Ashley hugged his dad as they saw one another. Dr. Samuels, the doctor on call that day, gave him a few last minute instructions then insisted that he take things easy. He told Reyna to keep a close eye on him and to not overdo their plans, especially the plans for their parents' date night. Ashley was taken aback by that announcement. Reyna had to explain, "Mom and your dad are going out on a date tonight. Both of them need it, they won't say anything but it's clear that they need a night out." Ashley smiled at that. He didn't say anything on the way home, instead thinking about his dad finally getting out there on the dating scene. It was great for him, even if there were so few people who wanted to date someone like his dad. He hoped that Lupe was one of those few, she was a nice lady. At the Toro home Ashley saw just who the neighbors were. It made sense now, Dr. Samuels knew about the date because he lived next door and his son Thomas was friends with Reyna. Seeing Al outside with Stephanie and their friends was a shock but one that he could endure since it was hard to not have word spread about them staying there. Al and the others saw him moving slowly and in pain but didn't say anything about it. He could see the whispers among them, all knowing about the stabbing and all trying hard to not say something that may upset him. Reyna had her arm around him, telling the others, "Give him time before you come over." Stephanie ignored her warning and told him, "Rosalind will be over later. She had to see her doctor this afternoon otherwise she would have bee here with you." Ashley perked up at hearing that, with Al and the others seeing just how much he cared about Rosalind firsthand. Reyna helped him up to his room and laid out his clothes for him. He tried to do it himself but she was not about to let him move too much. He was under strict orders from her to sit and watch TV while she and Cameron got things ready for dinner. Stephanie didn't say a word, grinning and leaving before she was kicked out by the suddenly sisterly Reyna. Time passed slowly that afternoon. Reyna was all over Ashley, helping him get drinks while Cameron sorted out some things in the attic office/storage room. He peeked down every once and a while to see if they were doing alright, each time smiling as Reyna was treating Ashley like a little brother while he had a perpetual smile on his face and thanked her for every little thing. Rosalind came by as expected, with Reyna keeping a close eye on the two for Cameron. Cameron had to hole himself in his room to avoid doing something to embarrass the kids, it was simply sweet and he had to smile at his son showing such maturity. He did see Rosalind with her arm over his shoulders and head on his shoulder as they watched TV, Reyna was in her room getting something and offered a soft, "They aren't going to do anything, she cares too much about him to do more than kiss his cheek." Rosalind was called away for dinner by Stephanie and gave Ashley a goodbye kiss on his lips. Reyna giggled at him to which she kissed his cheek causing him to say, "Yuck!" but smile at her. Reyna winked at Rosalind who was all smiles and trying her hardest to keep from saying something about just how sisterly Reyna was acting but showing she appreciated her doing that for Ashley. When Lupe and Liam returned both hugged Ashley tight before doing the same to Cameron. Lupe kissed his cheek, not even thinking about it but meaning it nonetheless. Cameron thanked her for it and told her about Reyna being a huge help for Ashley while also keeping Al and the others away. The kiss didn't go unnoticed by either Reyna or Ashley. Both looked at one another shocked but smiled as it was so innocent yet was very telling. Their parents had the hots for one another, and by the kiss it was clears that they weren't far off from finding love. Upstairs in his room, Reyna asked Ashley about the kiss. Ashley sighed then smiled, asking her instead, "Do you mind having two younger brothers?" She countered with a firm, "Do you mind having an older sister who was born with a birth defect? I may not have it anymore, but still I had it." Ashley shed a tear then countered, "Why should I care about that, I just want dad to be happy and I like that he may be happy with your mom. You are a good sister, Rosalind told me about you from how you treated her when she stayed with the Finns. You are what a big sister should be." Reyna smiled at that, she added a warm, "I always wanted a younger brother or sister but dad was killed and mom didn't want to burden Uncle Miguel with us. Mom loves kids, you are a good brother and are the kind of boy who moms want their sons to become. Liam is a good kid now that he doesn't have that jerk telling him a lot of garbage things. And your grandmother is a cool teacher, I am sad that I never got to have her as my teacher. She reminds me so much of my grandmother." Ashley and she shared a long hug as Reyna remembered her departed grandmother. Ashley added a big, "She would love you as a granddaughter. She is dad's biggest supporter but Grandpa hurt her too much so she wasn't able to help dad, but she would love you as a granddaughter." Lupe and Cameron knew what the two were talking about but didn't say anything. It was tough but the two were not going to force things that weren't meant to be. The kids would understand, they were both close but it felt right to be closer. It wasn't love but it was more than friendship. Their date that night was a simple outing to the family's go-to restaurant over in Somerville. Cameron appreciated that they weren't bothered but Lupe smiled and pointed out Juanita Vega and Carmen Carter keeping tabs on them for the Finn Family. It wasn't intrusive, but it was also meant to be them having a good time without interruption which the couple appreciated. The date the following night was overshadowed by Cynthia being released from the hospital. She was sent to a rehab center to help her until she could manage on her own, something that didn't sit well with Cameron but she insisted on due to the family being in tight quarters already. Their house search was slow so it was a blessing in disguise. It was felt that she needed care that Cameron and Lupe couldn't give, it wasn't meant to be a sleight against them but she needed rehab. She was strong but she was still fighting her concussion. The doctors felt that she was hiding her true pain, being in the rehab center would allow her to heal while at the same time she wouldn't have to mask her pain so as to not scare the kids or interrupt their lives. The date went smoothly as Cameron and Lupe spent the evening talking and walking around Boston. It was the first time she had opened up to another in such a way as to show her inner woman, it was like she was a teenager again and Cameron her young boyfriend. It felt right to her, he was the one for her. Cameron admitted to her that it was his first true date with a woman and that he had fought being either a lesbian or transgender man for years until he admitted he was not a woman but still loved women. He was reluctant to admit that he had sex with men before but the only good to come from it was Ashley. He felt like he was falling in love with Lupe, she had the affect of making him feel like he was complete as a person and that she was the one true person for him. The couple kissed. Lupe looked into his eyes and couldn't fight it any longer. She was finally able to admit to herself that she had fallen in love with him, she had been since the first night. The fire had been a blessing, Cameron was giving her what she needs and no matter how she tried to justify against it Cameron made her feel love for him. As they went home Lupe told him affectionately, "The kids are going to start picking out our wedding rings." Cameron joked, "As long as they are fine with us they can plan everything. Mom always wanted me to find happiness and you are giving me the happiness I never had. I love you, Lupe." The couple kissed deeply, then told the eavesdropping Reyna and Ashley to come out of hiding. They looked at them and Cameron announced, "I'll marry your mother, if she will have me." Lupe countered, "I'll marry your father, if you will have me." Ashley and Reyna added a tear filled, "As long as we get to be a family. Mom and dad." Cameron nodded to Reyna, Lupe nodded to Ashley. They would sign the paperwork as soon as possible. They simply added, "Byrne" and, "Toro" to their names so it was easier on the kids while showing that they were one big blended family. The couple spoke for hours while the kids were in bed, deciding that they wanted a small ceremony at city hall with Cynthia and Miguel as witnesses. The kids would be there as well but it was easier to have a small ceremony rather than a large gala. A week later the couple married. Judge Perez approved the paperwork that day, she refused to delay something that deserved to go through fast after the years of horror the court caused the Byrne family. She was proud to announce the five as the newly dubbed Toro-Byrne family. They were all smiles with not a dry in the house, especially from Miguel Toro who bawled at his sister finding true love again.