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Chapter 5 As Flora was enjoying the day with her new class, Fiona had an entirely different experience over at the middle school. She was introduced to her new teacher, Ms. Putnam, and told what they were doing in class and what to expect from everyone there. She was less than thrilled to tell Fiona that she was going to be assigned to be the new partner of the other new girl, Maisie Campbell, and that she didn't want either of them in her class at all but had to put up with them. When Alice Porter was out of earshot, she told Fiona that Maisie was transgender and forced upon her by the school. She didn't want her in her class but had to accept her as a student over her protests. She wasn't one of those who accepted kids who were seen as different, she believed that sexuality had no place in sixth grade and girls like her didn't belong among, "Normal" kids. Fiona was horrified to hear such frank talk from a teacher. Ms. Putnam didn't know about Flora, if she found out about that Fiona feared that she herself would see Ms. Putnam's wrath. She felt for Maisie, it wasn't her fault she was there and hoped that she accepted Fiona's help. Maisie turned out to be a great person and instantly clicked with Fiona when they started talking. The two complimented one another academically as Fiona was strong on Science and math while Maisie was strong on language arts and social studies. The two were able to work hard together during class, leading Ms. Putnam to try to warn off Fiona from getting too close to Maisie but only causing Fiona to tell her that Maisie hadn't done anything wrong. Lunch was tough on Fiona as she didn't know anyone there. Fiona's name was called out by a boy causing her to turn and see a bunch of hands waiving to her. She walked over with her lunch, with the kids at the table telling her that it sucked that she wasn't put in their class especially as they wanted her. The kids introduced themselves with Diego Vincent getting teased about becoming her future sister's brother-in-law. It finally clicked with her as they mentioned Eric told them that she was going to be in school that day. They joked that the only one who got off lucky was Sydney but she got stuck having to babysit at preschool with the toddlers loving the chance to run her ragged. Fiona started to see the dynamic of the group as they paired off into couples. She was surprised to see that only Mia Flynn, Kylie Pena, and Nichole Smith didn't have significant others. It was sweet but also unsettling as she felt weird seeing the girls so lovable towards the boys. Mia and she talked as the couples joked and talk among themselves. Mia was like her, having been stuck with a bad family before being adopted by a loving couple. Her sister Nancy was happy to tell her that Mia was a whole other person with her family, getting snickers as Fiona didn't know the truth. She and Mia were so engrossed in their talk that they didn't notice time flying until Maisie patted Fiona on the shoulder, telling her it was time to go. Maisie offered a quick hello to the others, with the others offering their condolences for being stuck with Ms. Putnam. Nichole Smith added that if she stepped out of line that her family would do something about it, with the others agreeing in full about that. Ms. Putnam called on Maisie multiple times after lunch, more than anyone else. She answered every time with the right answer, making Ms. Putnam frustrated at times as it seemed like her ploy was failing. Fiona asked if her other teacher did that, getting a, "No" but sad, "Mom said I had to endure it because she didn't want me to end up being kicked out of school and put into the alternative school. She said it's the worst school in the state with the worst kids." This was part of being transgender that Fiona hadn't seen before, despite her sister's issues with school she never had to endure that kind of torment. Fiona had been hoping that this wasn't the norm but from what she read it was just about average for teachers especially ones with powerful supporters. There are those who ignore students and only deal with them when they have to then there were those who like to abuse their power and force their views on others, Ms. Putnam was one of those and until Maisie had come around it had only been regarding teaching views. Fiona and Maisie kept quiet all day, seeming to infuriate Ms. Putnam as she tried to get Maisie to break the rules so she could get rid of her with reason. Whatever talking they did was done alongside others talking making her attempts all the more frustrating as the two were the best behaved in class. Maisie knew what was gong on and tried to fight the urge to cry while Fiona quelled her own anger. Alice watched as Ms. Putnam was acting borderline offensive towards the girls. She outright ignored others during class who needed her attention, focusing solely on the girls and at times seemed to target them for questioning while others had answers to those questions before them. She recorded all that she was seeing, lamenting that Ms. Putnam had been retained after the previous year while a better teacher had been let go by the school due to budget cuts. After school, Maisie and Fiona talked as they awaited their rides home. Maisie was happy to have someone with her to talk to, it got lonely and she had to constantly hide from the four terrors of school, the, "New Jack Kids". Despite knowing that they lived in Pullen Point Maisie's parents hadn't been able to get them kicked out of school as they hadn't broken any major rules, they had kept quiet so far but time was running out. She was grateful that the four were in another class but it was only a matter of time before they encountered them in school. Fiona saw her looking around and asked what was going on. Maisie looked scared but confessed, "Those four boys over there: Barrett McMillan, Sig Browning, Lee Enfield, and Colt Remington. They are the worst boys I ever met. They loved tormenting me in my old school, before I moved here. They got expelled from Pullen Point Elementary but somehow got allowed in here. They are looking at you as their new girlfriend. Please, don't let them be alone with you. They will hurt you if you refuse to let them do what they want, they have people to help them hurt you. If it wasn't for my neighbors they would have gotten away with raping me last year." She had a tear in her eyes as she admitted that. Fiona felt rage but quelled it for Maisie's sake. She understood what Maisie was talking about, those boys were just like her foster parents and some of the boys she used to go to school with out west. A short time later Greta greeted Fiona with Flora bouncing around with joy. Flora was back to being the happy girl that she was before they fled, while Fiona was morose upon seeing her sister. She was quiet, not answering any questions with Greta sensing that she needed to talk with her at home. When they arrived, she told Greta what her teacher had done all day causing Greta to make a phone call to Alice to verify what she had seen. The two weren't happy, the act of, "Balancing the classes" had set one girl down a path towards trouble while exposing another troubled girl to whole new set of issues. They would have to respond, and Ms. Putnam wouldn't like it. The superintendent wouldn't appreciate being forced to back off or face a lawsuit, but the girls' safety and well-being always comes first. The kids did their homework while Greta figured out how to respond to Ms. Putnam. The best option was to have Maisie and Fiona stick together as much as possible, something that wasn't bad except it might cause an issue for Fiona. The other option was to confront Ms. Putnam, but that would only cause an issue as there would be nowhere for the girls to go. The third option was to set Ms. Putnam up for a fall, with the school forced to remove her for actions that were against the rules and the law. It was a tough choice but they agreed to set Ms. Putnam up for a fall as it would ensure that there was no recourse nor retaliation from her as it would be her own fault. Maisie had a right to an education which nobody could refuse, Ms. Putnam's passive aggressive attitude towards here needed to end and she needed to be put in her place. Alice would find a substitute, there were options but not many good. The next morning, Fiona asked Maisie if she wanted to come over after school. She figured that the two needed to do some things together, Maisie was a good person and Fiona was one of the few who understood what she was going through. The question had Maisie nearly in tears, it was a thoughtful question and one that she happily said yes to. Maisie asked her mother, who was immediately suspicious. Fiona had to explain why she wanted her to come over and what would happen when she was there. It was tough to explain but hearing that her foster father was a reserve officer seemed to settle Lucy's concerns. Class went as expected, with Ms. Putnam again calling on the girls throughout the day. When they made a mistake she was quick to pounce on it, taunting them for their errors. The kids in class joined in, feeling like it was open season on Fiona and Maisie. Alice had Dorothy observe the class that day, with her taking video of Ms. Putnam's antics especially after the girls made a mistake in social studies that led to the whole class laughing at them. After that, it went downhill fast as the girls were singled out frequently with Ms. Putnam fanning the flames against them. Her behavior was abusive, but she hadn't crossed over into breaking the rules outright yet so far as Dorothy could see. Over lunch, the kids got Maisie to join them so she wasn't stuck eating all alone in the corner again. She was unsure about the girls but their talk earlier in the year showed that she could use their help even if she didn't know it. Nichole whispered to her, "Kylie, Mia, and I are like you. You don't have to worry about anyone saying anything, nobody dares mess with us due to our families. You are safe." Maisie ate without contributing anything. She did notice some lingering stares between Mia and Fiona, with Fiona unknowingly giving off an, "I like girls" vibe that made Maisie feel nice at seeing. Maisie didn't mind if Fiona or Mia liked girls, she didn't like girls and was just fine being around girls who liked girls. Fiona and Mia were just normal girls to her. Ms. Putnam saw the girls sitting with Maisie and looked disgusted. She made the mistake of saying that Maisie should have been tossed out in the trash along with the rotten food to Zeke Bollinger. He gave her a nasty look, told her sharply, "Can you repeat that please?", then listened as Ms. Putnam said it again to him, leaving him speechless at the sheer stupidity of her not thinking about why he may have asked her to repeat what she had just said. He shook his head and got up, telling her harshly, "Get your resume in order and hire a lawyer. You just opened up a can of worms that can't be closed. That young lady is under the protection of Nelson, Pena, Bollinger, Taylor, Samuels, Smith, Byrne-Toro, Vincent, Porter, Douglas, Flynn, Reagan, and Finn. That's Quentin and Greta, John, Jake, Alice, Vance, Dorothy, Olivia and Richard, Cameron, Ricardo, Paul, Astrid and Todd, Karen, myself, Valerie, and Louis. Yes, those people. You chose the wrong girl to harass. Fiona Richards is sitting with those seven for a very good reason and Maisie Campbell was asked to join them out of respect and acceptance and more importantly- protection. It's a good bet their parents will know about your mistreatment of them before the evening is out." He walked away, playing the recording to Dorothy and Alice. This was strike two that day, with Alice calling the superintendent to get him over there immediately for an emergency meeting regarding Ms. Putnam. She had to go and fast, she was going to cause Maisie to bring down the school with a lawsuit that the city couldn't defend against. The superintendent was asked if he could now justify two troubled students being put into a classroom with a known offender, one who had already been warned about her behavior in the classroom in the prior year yet had not been disciplined as was required by him. He tried to claim that they needed to work out the numbers but Dorothy was ahead of him, showing that his own actions in cutting out two two teachers in each school had caused a problem. He himself had rehired Putnam shortly thereafter, but did away with a highly touted sixth grade teacher who should have been rehired first. The numbers didn't add up either because they were actually two teachers short and suffering from an overcrowded school. The budget was slashed late yet mysteriously money was found to rehire her and where the money was slashed was an unused amount from unneeded scheduled upgrades that were no longer needed. He should have rehired the teachers, but chose not to do so. Alice asked if John had seen that. Dorothy grinned and admitted, "I showed it to him a few minutes ago and he is speaking with Randy Leeds about this glaring action. The union will have a few things to say about this, especially as you have just put us in danger of a lawsuit over tinkering with the books. She will sue, Mrs. Campbell is not afraid to fight for her daughter's rights and once he hears what you did John will unleash Valerie on behalf of Fiona Richards. Then you can guarantee Kennedy Pena has her own people look into your accounts as it's both highly irregular and reeks of financial impropriety." The duo waited as he tried to figure out a plan of attack against Valerie. He already knew he was on borrowed time, he had just done something that would result in his immediate removal. Dorothy just smirked as Alice started to write out a list of names of who could be hired with several getting the nod. Valerie entered with representatives from the school committee. Behind her was Randy Leeds and John Finn. The superintendent wasn't going to be let off easy, he was going to face the full fury of the city right then and there. Randy handed him his union's response to a tenured teacher being let go but a probationary teacher being rehired after being let go. It was a violation of the union's contract and a glaring one at that. He was harsh, telling him, "We will see you in court, unless you resign in disgrace first." Valerie had her own response, handing him the Campbell family's intent to sue on their daughter's behalf for putting her in a situation after arrangements had been made to keep her in Dorothy's school. Valerie noted that she had a full agreement from the city with his own signature that Maisie would be placed in a class with a teacher who had experience with girls like her. Dorothy showed the memo that rescinded the agreement, citing an imbalanced number of students and removing a problem from the school before it affected them which was ambiguous but only now is being shown to have meant Maisie as the problem not the imbalance in number of students. The memo caused Randy to shake his head as John blurted out, "You purposely targeted her for removal from school! This was not a random student, she had never done anything to get put on the radar that she was a problem so the only possible reason was her gender change. That is not a problem and is not a reason to switch her. If anything, she should have been in Mrs. Shriner's class in the first place and someone else transferred out!" The superintendent claimed he did it for the greater good, getting rid of a student who didn't belong in their schools and who had already shown to be a problem student in another town. This time Alice got angry and pointed out, "You were given bad information from a bunch of hacks in Pullen Point. She is not a problem student as her former teacher so eloquently pointed out, the four who were expelled were. They should not even be in our schools, I don't know how they pulled it off but those four should have never been accepted as students here." The representatives from the school committee simply told him, "Be at the next meeting and bring a lawyer, we will be discussing your future. You have several glaring violations of your contract that you have knowingly broken here today. We won't accept this action, you are finished in Winnisimmet." They left along with the superintendent. Louis Reagan, the representative from the city council and the longtime Finn Family friend/unofficial uncle asked about the new girl and the boys, getting a head shake from Alice while Dorothy explained, "She's like your granddaughter, only her parents are healthy. They are struggling to get by due to her family having to get away from Pullen Point and buy a house that was barely in their price range but are doing OK now. They lived in Pullen Point until they were evicted due to issues involving her and a group of terrors resulting in the town all but shunning the family. She is a good kid, she just has been dealt a rough hand so far. She is doing well, until she was moved into Ms. Putnam's class that is. She thrived all year but Fiona Richards being enrolled finally gave the bastard a reason to move her. She doesn't belong there, she belongs in Shriner's class." Alice added, "She's taken to Greta Nelson's foster daughter. The two have shared troubles involving people trying to harm them. From what I gather, she is a good kid who just needs friends and stability in her life. Putnam is a pest, but given the right teacher she could thrive." Fiona seemed to spark an interest in Louis. He asked how she and Flora were settling in, getting a look of happiness from Alice and Dorothy and hearty, "I'm surprised you haven't heard about her sister from Tyler and Trinity. Ella and the girls have all but forced Flora to be their new friend and Trinity is happy to not be the only girl like them. They are doing great and thriving with Greta and Quentin. I even pulled adoption paperwork for them. Give it time and you will meet them in person." Louis asked about their other troubles, getting a wince from Valerie but stern, "I'm no fool, I have heard about the feelers being sent out by your brother and Kennedy doing a lot of late work with Angela. Something is going on with them. I want to know what so they aren't blindsided and have backup ready. This isn't something to fool around with." Valerie gave him a sterner, "It's being taken care of by those who have the full power to do something. Mick is doing his job, as is Kennedy and Angela Victor. This is above your pay grade, unless you have a direct connection to Minnesota's governor, there's no way you can help. Let them do their job." He smirked at her, causing her to gasp in shock. He nodded, adding, "Amazing how many connections you can make just by being a longtime superdelegate for your party. I have his personal cell number, he owes me a favor for talking a few colleagues into voting for his candidate last summer. I figure I might as well use some of my favors when they can be used especially as he's leaving office soon." This was huge for the girls, to burn a favor like that was akin to earning his highest respect. Valerie hugged him for doing that, but he carefully added, "I figure this is going to be a tricky situation out there, he will see this as a heads-up as it'll get political real fast. If Mick is involved then the FBI will be and if they are involved then his legacy is in doubt. He is a good guy, he will do the right thing." Louis made his call then waited for a response. It was immediate, his staff wanted details and were going to be prepared once contact was made. The governor was upset that his state was being used to force a child into a life of sexual depravity and using the courts to both mar their future and make them into criminals for an unproven crime that itself would not get much attention from the courts. Details were sketchy due to the evolving nature of the situation but the State of Minnesota was going to force a hearing on the girls' behalf the minute the sheriff made his presence known in Massachusetts. It was a two-pronged attack, without the sheriff to force the court around and with the state forcing the county prosecutor to show cause it was going to be impossible to retain the warrant. The girls were not going anywhere and if all went according to plan, they would be cleared to be adopted by the Nelsons. Louis left with Valerie, John, and Randy. Alice made a tough phone call, one that she hoped would end with the school getting a replacement teacher. She hated that this was being done but Putnam needed to go and the school was in the wrong even if it wasn't their fault. After she did that, the lunch bell sounded ending lunch for the students forcing them to observe as Putnam's class tormented Fiona and Maisie as they walked inside. The kids stopped as the two walked over to table with the seven in Mrs. Shriner's class, knowing better than to continue against someone in their care. It was a clear indication that the girls belonged with Mrs. Shriner and Ms. Putnam had fostered a dangerous situation. As the adults were in their heated discussion with the superintendent the girls talked as normal while the boys tried hard to focus on something else and talked about sports and TV shows that they had started to get interested in. Fiona joined in their discussion of the football game that night, complaining that it was a stupid idea to play on Thursdays. The boys were happy to hear her say that, she was alright in their eyes and was glad that one of the girls had taken an interest in sports. Maisie grinned and teased her about that, getting a harsh, "I don't tease you about your frilly panties, don't tease me about liking getting dirty and playing football." Maisie had to suppress her tears, Fiona had hit a sore spot in Maisie by saying that. Fiona tried to apologize but Maisie wouldn't accept it, it was over the line and hurt her too deeply to take back. Class was hell for the girls after that. Their blowup was fodder for the class with Ms. Putnam enjoying the show. She didn't even try to teach them after lunch, she let them have their way with the girls as she felt it was justified and was perfect punishment and fodder to get rid of the two of them. Maisie finally got pushed to the limit after several of the boys started joking about her penis being crushed between her legs and questioning whether she still had it or not. She ran off in tears, with Fiona following close behind her as she herself couldn't stand the harassment any longer. Zeke knocked on the door and smirked, Alice was with him and told Ms. Putnam to pack her things and leave immediately, she had finally crossed the line. Putnam threatened to sue them, Zeke fired back an angry, "That won't happen. Randy Leeds and John Finn have taken a stand against you and the union has rescinded your protection for what happened today. You were illegally rehired, your boyfriend is in deep trouble over this and will be begging for the city to not sue him for violating his own contract. Hell, you are getting nailed by Valerie Finn and with the city's full support. You don't have a leg to stand on anymore. Get out." Officer Ian Bailey entered and escorted Ms. Putnam out as Alice told the class to settle down. She was angry, letting them know that they had become the single worst class in school. Ms. Putnam's actions were in violation of multiple rules and they willingly broke those same ones. She held them in detention, with several of the worst offenders receiving multiple days worth of detention and barely escaped suspensions. She then let their parents know that they were going to be disciplined for their actions, with students having to earn back the right to attend the second and final dance for sixth graders that Spring. She would not accept any compromises from parents, they were out of line and were witnessed by both herself and Zeke leaving no recourse. In Alice's office, Fiona hugged Maisie. Maisie asked why she said what she said, getting a soft, "Every girl I ever knew hated that I acted like a boy at times. I can't help liking or playing sports or even my roughhousing with the boys. They understood me more than girls. It's like you and boys, you are a girl inside but you also like the same things as girls, enjoy playing their games and talking with them about girly things. My sister is like that. She never liked boys' things when she was younger and still doesn't. She's 100% girl even if she isn't 100% girl on the outside." She realized she had said too much, but Maisie hugged her back for confessing the truth to her. She was glad that Fiona understood her, she felt horrible that she had caused her such pain. Fiona was her first friend, and to have caused her pain and brought out bad memories hurt Maisie deeply. She kissed Fiona on cheek, but it was more of a friendly kiss and not a sexual one. It was like kissing a sister, it was platonic but it meant a lot to Fiona. She hugged Maisie back, with the two feeling better after settling their first argument. The girls waited for Alice to return but Dorothy entered instead. She sat down with them and laid out plans. The girls would be moved to another class, this time to Mrs. Shriner's class. Their former class was going to be broken up and the students shifted among the other classes with other students being moved in to replace them. Ms. Putnam was outright fired and her replacement was going to be forced to start from scratch with most of the students. Another teacher was being brought in to alleviate the crowding issues and make things easier on all of the classes. The girls were ahead of the rest of the students in their former class as well as the other two classes academically, but were on par or behind Ms. Shriner's class giving them a chance to show their real selves while being challenged by a teacher who could handle them. Fiona was happy to have a chance to show her true self in class. She hated being the focus of all of the attention in class but was eager to learn and show how good she could be. She hadn't had a chance to show her real self before, she hid behind her baggy clothes and tried hard to wallow in her pain that her former foster parents had inflicted on her while also enduring the torment by boys and girls in class. Maisie was the same as Fiona. Ever since she had stopped fighting her true self she had been tormented by teachers and students and barely put up an effort in class. The start of the year had been good for her as she was doing well with her new teacher but she was suddenly thrust into Ms. Putnam's class which only caused her anxiety, fear, and frustration with the only positive from her time there being Fiona's friendship with her. The two were perfect for one another, and were seen as the students you wanted to have in your class even if Fiona had barely made a dent before Ms. Putnam's torment started. The Nelson family had a strong reputation in the school, she was expected to do just as well as her future brother and sister. It wasn't much of a stretch, she had shown Dorothy that she could do it if she tried. Maisie had high praise as she entered the year with a blank slate and had built up a strong reputation for doing well in class. She needed someone to keep her grounded and that was now Fiona. They had a friendship that was in the early stages but Dorothy figured that with time it could grow strong. When school let out, the, "New Jack Kids" started asking around about Fiona as she had unintentionally gotten a reputation for what she had done with Maisie. The boys saw her as a potential new recruit, and someone who would give them a little something on the side if they couldn't get real girls. She had no interest in the boys, but they would not take no for an answer and sought her out anyway. The boys were upset as they saw Fiona talking with someone they recognized. It had taken them three and a half months to realize that Maisie attended school with them, but once they saw her they grew angry and barely avoided getting detention from Zeke for their swearing. The boys were going to get back at her for what she had done to them back in Pullen Point, she deserves everything they give her. Maisie spotted the boys and pulled Fiona to safety, telling her that they were looking for her. She knew that look, it was their, "Up to no good" look that they always used when they were trying to earn cool-points with the boys in their former school. Maisie was always their target and the more they gave that look, the more she was about to end up humiliated in front of the entire school. The boys lost track of Fiona and Maisie and moved on to fresher meat, Mia, Kylie, and Nichole. The girls were, "Grade-A cuts" and were on the menu for them for months. They hadn't had the chance to make a move on them, they were always with the eight graders or with teachers making it impossible. The girls were unaware of the boys' intent and let their guard down, allowing them to get close and give the girls unwanted kisses on the lips before running off grinning like they had won the lottery. Nichole felt sick to her stomach while Mia and Kylie wanted to scrub their faces clean with sandpaper. The boys were creeps, they had just gone from being leering creeps to filthy creeps in one bold move. When they came back and they groped the girls' breasts the girls slapped them hard, getting the boys to try to strike them back. This backfired as the girls ducked and kicked them in the crotch, sending them to their knees in extreme pain while the girls prepared for another attempt by them. The boys were crying foul and ran off to their parents who tried to have the girls disciplined but only saw a look of anger in Dorothy?s eyes. The boys had been noticed by Dorothy who had Zeke get Ian Bailey's attention. The boys were hauled away to the office, their parents told to go too as it was a serious situation. They weren't getting away with their actions anymore, there was no returning from their actions. The boys were read the riot act by Dorothy while Ian was relieved by Fabian Perez in the office. Fabian took one look at the boys and their parents and told Dorothy, "Why were these boys allowed into the school? None of them live here. All four live in Pullen Point, they never moved to Winnisimmet." Dorothy grinned at hearing that, asking what their home address was. When they all gave the same address she put it into the computer and came up with a laugh. The house was familiar to her, in fact she had been there a few weeks before and enjoyed a friendly dinner with the owners. She didn't remember the mailing address as she was used to driving there by sight. Fabian asked if she recognized the address, getting a quick, "It's Michael Finn's house." Fabian now started laughing, it was hysterical to him. The fools had no idea that they had chosen the wrong house to claim residency in, the only house that would have been funnier was John Finn's house in Twattville. Fabian asked if their uncle had gotten them signed up, causing Dorothy to ask what he meant. He didn't know if she knew or not so he explained, "The boys' great-uncle is the superintendent." Dorothy shook her head at hearing that, adding, "He just dug himself deeper. He had the gall to slash the budget, lay off great teachers and rehire a bad one, then brings in four troubled boys who don't even live in the city. They have cost more to educate than the cost of whatever he claimed to have saved by laying off two teachers, he just defrauded the city!" Grinning, Dorothy proclaimed, "As you are not legal residents of this city, you were hereby expelled. Do not come back to this school or you will be arrested for trespassing. Your actions against the girls alone warrant this. You assaulted three girls, all of whom are legal residents of the city. Leave immediately." Their parents threatened to sue, getting Dorothy to add, "Please do, your sons have no legal right to attend school here and your uncle is being given his walking papers by the city. He overstepped himself this time, he can't save you. Hell, one of those girls' mothers will ensure that your sons never attend school in this city even if you live here. Expect restraining orders shortly. Oh, and I hope that the legal owner of the home you claimed as your Winnisimmet residence doesn't find out because his mother will rip you to shreds in court as she has no problem suing you for fraud and assaulting her nieces." Outside, Dorothy explained what happened to Olivia, Astrid Flynn, Rachel Douglas, and Greta. They had to keep Willie Pena from blowing his lid but it was expected, he had the shortest fuse among the parents. They all let Kennedy handle things from there, with Kennedy being told and going directly to the Winnisimmet District Court then on to Pullen Point to serve the families. The Pullen Point Police refused to assist her, but she had deputy sheriffs with her that were more than happy to provide protection and enforce the serving of the orders. Mia Flynn was, "One of them" and to have had someone grope her like the boys did was akin to attacking one of them. The Pullen Point Police were told to back off and if they interfered they would end up explaining to the state how they felt the need to intervene on the service of a court order by deputies, exposing them to trouble. That didn't even factor in Kylie's involvement nor that Kennedy was, "One of them" as well due to her job. Kennedy simply told the Pullen Point officers, "Go ahead and try me. I may not be able to join the fight but I am not about to let someone bully my daughter and nieces. My boss will love hearing how you felt that you, lowly municipal police officers, are above the laws, above the courts, and beyond reach. Go ahead, try me. Better men than you have fallen before me in court." Chapter 6 The four boys tried to show up for school the next day, only to see Ian call for help from other officers to remove them. Fabian and Sebastian Perez were the ones assigned to the call and were more than happy to do such a simple task. The Foursome were adamant that they couldn't do that, Ian ignored their complaining and told their parents to stay away from the school or they would be arrested. Alice Porter received a phone call from the superintendent within minutes of the boys being removed. She humored him before she boldly proclaimed, "They are expelled. There is no negotiation, they nearly sexually assaulted three girls on school grounds and to make things worse the four aren't even residents of this city. Don't try to claim otherwise, we know the residents of the address they all used. The name Finn should be all you need to know, and he isn't happy that they are using his address. His father isn't happy either. Judging by the fact that they dared to show up, his mother won?t be either." He tried to threaten her, to which she happily explained, "I'm in the presence of Officers Bailey, Perez, and Perez. Please, follow through on your threats. I will be filing a complaint regarding your threats." Ian announced, "That constitutes criminal threats. We are under orders to report any activities especially towards the principals. I will have to inform the chief but given that his daughter was one of the girls assaulted by those four boys he won't be too happy to hear that you threatened his sister about it." Alice just grinned as he was so focused on threatening her he forgot just who she was related to. Willie wasn't one to throw his weight around but threatening his sister was something that would get him to act. Ian made the phone call while Alice hung up, with Fabian and Sebastian going off to city hall to arrest the superintendent for his criminal threats. Inside, the two met a grinning Louis, who happened to be present for the threats towards Alice from the superintendent's side. Louis nodded to the two while he excused himself to talk with the city solicitor and school committee in an emergency session. It was clear what he was going to talk about, he had to act on behalf of the city and nothing was going to stop him from ensuring that the man was fired. A few minutes later the superintendent was escorted out in handcuffs with the city solicitor handing a notice to him that he was suspended due to actions detrimental to the city schools. Louis went one better, handing him intent to terminate his contract due to multiple violations with his arrest being the newest and most glaring violation. They turned away and started the emergency session, getting all there to agree to terminate the superintendent's contract immediately. Over at the school, Fiona and Maisie were pulled aside and told that they were transferred into Mrs. Shriner's class effective that day. Dorothy was blunt, telling them, "You didn't belong with Ms. Putnam, I was overruled by the now former superintendent. Ms. Putnam never belonged in our school and we will find out just why she was brought back. Good luck, it'll be a challenge but one you are ready for." Maisie shook her head, explaining, "She's his mistress. They have sex all the time on the weekend. Mom and dad have seen the two together and one time caught them having sex in the park. His wife doesn't know about her, she thinks he's working whenever he's with her." This changed things as Alice entered and asked if she had a way of verifying this, getting a nod and showing a picture of them from the previous Spring. Considering that he had his hands down her pants and she had her mouth sucking on his neck it was hard not to know what they were doing. Alice just smirked and added, "He's going to have a hard time explaining this to the union now. He's toast already but this makes what he did toxic to Putnam. She has no actual defense and her actions against the two of you are now going to be put into the proper perspective." John was texted the picture followed by Randy Leeds. Both were laughing as they saw it, knowing the man was about to have his butt handed to him by his wife when she was shown the picture. They called his wife and got her to see the picture causing her to swear and apologize for how he acted towards the school knowing full well if the two were contacting her then he had done something worth their notice. Maisie was congratulated on being so forthright but she refused to accept it. To her, it was nothing. She was happy to have helped rid the school of a terrible teacher and get some revenge on him for the boys being allowed into the school. The girls just walked on toward their class, with Dorothy following. Mrs. Shriner met the girls and asked if they were ready to actually learn. She had a strong hatred for Ms. Putnam and was not afraid to show her disgust at her actions. Dorothy just grinned, Maisie and Fiona got a taste of a great teacher and they hadn't even entered the classroom yet. Inside, Fiona was embraced by Mia and the girls. Maisie got the same reaction from them, with the girls happily telling her the class was going to be fun. Maisie was ambivalent, anything was better than Mrs. Putnam's class and the teachers she had the previous year. As more kids entered Maisie and Fiona were noticed. The whispers started with rumors swirling about them being kicked out of Ms. Putnam's class already. Once they all entered, Mrs. Shriner stated, "We have two new students here today. They were wrongly assigned to Ms. Putnam's class and should have been in here with you. Ms. Putnam was fired yesterday after her actions towards the girls, we can't deny that so we won't lie to you. The girls were part of a sad plot to retain her as a teacher instead of keeping a teacher who was one of the best we ever had. Ms. Putnam acted like a bully, allowed students to harass and bully students, and said some terrible things about them. She broke the rules multiple times and paid the price. The same rules you follow applies to we teachers except we are under tougher penalties as being expelled for us means never teaching again so remember them from now on." The girls didn't say a word but Mrs. Shriner's statements loomed large. She loved that Ms. Putnam had done something worthwhile in her departure, she enabled the kids to see the repercussions of their actions. They knew bullying would get them suspended and expelled. They would heed that warning. Mrs. Shriner's class was heaven for the girls. Maisie wasn't called upon during class as Mrs. Shriner figured she wouldn't like being put on the spot yet. Fiona was called upon multiple times but only after she had shown that she was up to date on everything and was called at the same rate as others. During lunch, the nine ate together with Maisie and Kylie enjoying a long talk while Fiona and Mia talked about something else. It was odd to the others, Mia was actually talking to her as Steven Pierce and Dante Kelly talked to Margaret Douglas and Nancy Flynn. Kylie and Nichole had to hold off saying anything, it was both sweet and intriguing to them to see the change in Mia since Fiona came. News spread to the girls about the, "New Jack Kids" finally getting expelled. Maisie just shook her head, telling the others, "They will be back. Their great-uncle will force the school to take them back. They always get their way, their families are too powerful. It happened all the time in Pullen Point, it'll just happen again once their families throw their weight around and flash some money to key people. They always get their way and will make our lives even more miserable." Kylie just grinned and asked her if she knew about their families. Maisie shook her head so Nichole explained, "We are Finns. All of us are members. Even Fiona's family are members, they aren't directly tied like Kylie's and mine but they are still linked. The boys really screwed up by groping us, they were lucky to not get arrested for what they did as Uncles Willie, Todd, John, and Alex wouldn't let them escape justice even if they had important people helping them out against our uncles. Our uncles are more powerful and have the weight of the police behind them. This is a different city, the police in Pullen Point can't do anything here." Maisie looked shocked. Kylie grinned and added, "Dad is chief of police, Uncle John is a reserve officer, Uncle Todd is a deputy sheriff, Uncle Alex is a federal agent. They hate people who abuse their power and go after people who hurt others. They didn't like what happened to us and are ensuring the boys are never allowed to return to school here again." The kids returned to class with Mrs. Shriner asking Maisie if she was doing alright. Maisie asked her, "Are you trying to avoid calling on me? I don't like being singled out." Mrs. Shriner nodded, adding, "I didn't want you to think I was looking to trip you up like Ms. Putnam did. It wasn't right. If you think it's singling you out then I'll be glad to call on you from now on." She called on Maisie immediately with Maisie knowing the right answer and showing she was just as good as the other students. The girls were happy to see that Mrs. Shriner was willing to allow Maisie to show her stuff and get the kids to see her as a fellow student and not as a curiosity. Mrs. Shriner was pleased that Maisie had been able to win over most of the class simply be being herself and had some regrets over holding back but was glad that Maisie didn't take offense to her doing so. After school, the girls split up with Maisie getting permission to go with Fiona. Maisie was nervous, this was the first time she had been allowed over someone's house before. Her parents dropped her off with Greta dropping off Fiona after making the trip to pick up Flora. Flora teased Fiona about having a play date while Fiona teased her about her not having one. Flora scowled at her, but it was the truth. Maisie wisely kept out of it, not wanting to upset Flora. Inside Fiona's room, she asked if Flora would be alright with her being there if she knew she wasn't a real girl like Fiona. Fiona grinned and told her firmly, "She's just like you. I mean it, she's a girl with a little extra down below. She's a pest but she will be happy that there's yet another girl like her." Maisie hugged her for that, to which Fiona asked, "Are you alright with me maybe liking girls? Most of the girls I knew in my old school hated girls who liked girls. I don't like that I like them, I can't help it." Maisie just nodded, explaining, "You and Mia look cute together. She likes girls, her friends told me that already. I think you would make a cute couple, but I understand if you don't want her to know." She hugged Maisie, kissing her cheek and blushing at her boldness. Maisie hugged her back and kissed her cheek as well, it was an act of friendship and understanding between them. Maisie didn't like girls or boys yet, but she loved Fiona and felt like she was the best friend you could ever want. Greta caught the subtle hugging and kisses causing her to shed a tear at the girls all but sealing their friendship with a hug and kiss. It was something she had seen so many time before with her daughter, Jessica was affectionate towards her friends and felt love towards them as the girls now showed. With time, the girls could be the best of friends but it would take time for their closeness to sink in. The girls worked on their homework for an hour before going downstairs to relax. Flora grinned at the two as they talked about different things that didn't have to do with school. The more they talked, the more it became apparent that the girls were perfect for one another as friends as they loved the same things and were of the same beliefs about those things. Maisie didn't like sports too much but knew enough about them thanks to her father and older brother being avid fans. Flora tried to hone in on the attention getting Fiona to tell her to stop bugging them. Maisie asked if she had friends of her own, getting Fiona to ask why Flora didn't go home with the three girls. Flora looked at Greta who asked, "Did you want to do that? I could ask Valerie or Lilly to take you home with them." Flora nodded, it was going to be fun for her as she had to actually decline an invitation from the girls as she didn't want to commit without Greta's agreement. It was set for the following day, it would actually be a good thing as Greta had a lot of work and Quentin was busy with a major project. Fiona asked if she could go home with Maisie, getting a yes pending approval from her parents. The Campbells were open to the idea of Fiona going home with them. Lucy Campbell worked from home and had a lot of free time so watching the girls was not really much of an impact on her. The fact that Maisie and Fiona had gotten along so well was a big factor, it was hard to refuse Maisie's request since the girls had shown they were getting along great and did all of their homework. In the morning, the girls were giddy as they got ready for school. It was the first time they were going home with friends and were enjoying the idea of having friends at all. Both were ready to go early and had their bags and jackets ready for the trip before Greta had even finished her morning coffee. At school, Flora ran for Daisy and told her she was going home with her after school. Daisy cheered as the others were happy to have four for the afternoon instead of their normal trio. Lilly Peterson told Flora that she would enjoy the afternoon and may even get to meet one of her grandchildren. Fiona was much more subdued as she saw Maisie. Lucy told her that she was happy to have her over which Fiona thanked her for. The girls talked while the seven listened, with the girls grinning as they knew just what was going to happen once they went home. Mrs. Shriner was back to normal and treated the girls like they were any other student and even got them to enjoy themselves as they relaxed during short breaks. The others gave them their distance but were there for them if they needed it. Nichole, their de facto leader, was adamant that they keep away. During lunch, Nichole asked what they had planned for after school. Neither knew what they were going to do, with Maisie having a look of fear over being put on the spot. Kylie saved her, explaining, "They are just going to do homework and something in Maisie's room. Although she probably should have a sleepover since it's Friday night." That got the others giggling as the girls hadn't thought about that. Maisie looked at Fiona who just shrugged, Fiona hadn't had a sleepover before and with her foster parents being creeps nobody would ever go over her house. Both girls loved the idea, they just hadn't considered doing it before then. Over at the elementary school, Flora was met with some angry looks by parents as they had lost all attempts to have her removed from the school. Yvette King had been thorough, she was not going to let someone strong arm her into doing what they wanted at Flora's expense. It wasn't her way, it never was. Flora was accused of sexually harassing the girls in her class and even showing her penis to them. Yvette grinned and asked if they had any proof or witnesses, only getting the parents' children to say what their parents had clearly encouraged them to say. Yvette just shook her head at hearing it, then countered, "You do realize that she has never been inside the girls' bathrooms and their teacher, Mr. King, has kept a close eye on her. Actually, it was several boys in the class who did that and each has received a warning, detention, and for one- a suspension. Funny, I think one was a cousin of the girls." Now the real story was out as the mothers tried to backtrack as their few supporters asked what she meant. Yvette just grinned and proclaimed, "It's just what it sounds like. Five boys and five girls were found to be showing each other their privates in the girls' bathroom during lunch two days ago. One of the boys is the nephew of one of these ladies, the leader of the boys in fact. She has seen fit to misdirect blame to Flora but in actuality Flora has done no such thing and should you continue your course of action in defaming her I have little doubt that her legal team will not hesitate to sue you. The discussion is closed, and any further will be construed as harassment by her lawyers. Good day." The parents went off with the biggest loudmouth being told to stay. Yvette ripped into her, telling her firmly, "This is your official notice that you are hereby banned from the school. You stepped way off the line in accusing an innocent student of a criminal act that you knew to be false. Be glad that her foster parents aren't the suing type, but her lawyers are. If you do anything like this again, you will regret it." Yvette's secretary handed the woman her notice then told her to leave immediately. Yvette sighed as she called Greta who then directed her to talk with Valerie Finn to get the woman put in her place. Valerie wasn't one to fool around, Yvette almost felt sorry for the woman...almost. Inside Ivan King's classroom, the girls and boys were talking about Flora getting expelled for showing girls her penis. Ivan let them talk as Daisy whispered to Flora, "He knows the truth. He is letting them talk about it before he tells everyone is told what really happened and it won't be pretty." Ivan finally cleared his throat and announced, "Since you insist on talking about this, I am going to tell you just what is going on with Flora. Nothing. The people who actually did what she is accused of doing are being punished. The woman who started the rumor is being barred from the school. I am severely disappointed in several of you in perpetuating a known lie. You were actually there and were the ones who the boys exposed themselves to yet you lied about Flora doing it. If you continue the way you are acting you will be assigned to a different class as you have shown that you are not capable of acting like a good student and are going out of your way to harm another student." His look was one of pure anger which scared most of the kids. The ones who were involved in the lie were defiant but he shook his head and told them, "So be it. I'll discuss this with the principal later." Class continued on but Ivan wasn't the happy cheerleader he usually was. The girls had caused a sour taste in his mouth that only removing them from the classroom could dissipate. He hated to lose good students but in his experience if you didn't nip it in the bud early this was a start of worse things. Over lunch, the girls talked about going over the Peterson house. Their fifth grade counterparts joked that they were setting it up for a sleepover getting the four to smile at them. Logan Finn shook his head at hearing that, telling his cousins, "Not over our house, I don't think dad would like the three of you dropping in unexpectedly. He's going to go hide out in his office just to avoid your request." Ella gave him a pout but Faith just grinned and explained, "Good, we didn't want to be around a bunch of smelly boys anyway." Logan took his lumps and was happy to be rid of them. He had his own plans, the boys were staying over and was already cleared with John and Valerie which he conveniently didn't mention to the girls so they didn?t end up turning it into a dual sleepover. It was quiet for the rest of the day as Ivan readied the transfer paperwork with the girls acting defiant to him which only strengthened his resolve. They were growing into the next generation of spoiled rotten brats who were handed everything in life, even if he wasn't apparent to others but he could see just how bad they were getting and didn't like it one bit. As the year wore on he'd have constant clashes with them and their parents as they questioned every move he made in class making others out to be the real problem as the girls were treated like they were innocents yet guilty to all who knew them. Ivan finally submitted the paperwork with Yvette agreeing with him about the transfer. He'd lose three girls but he was happy to get more kids who wanted to be in his class and who had good grades so far. Yvette just asked that he not take their actions personally, they could still redeem themselves and if given half a chance with people who matched their style of learning they could turn things around. Ivan just nodded and let her do her principal thing while he sat slumped in a chair. Valerie Finn entered and asked to speak with them, causing Ivan to just blurt out, "They are being transferred to someone who can deal with what they are becoming. I hope Flora is able to deal with the outcome." Valerie grinned and added, "You will love this then: they didn't belong in the school at all. They were sent here because their family pulled a fast one on the city after the girls' older brothers were expelled from Pullen Point's elementary school. They are going back there and their new teachers will deal with them in typical Pullen Point fashion- ignoring the problem and blaming others." Yvette asked what prompted that, getting an angry, "Our now-former superintendent, their great-uncle, did. He was fired today for threatening Alice over the phone. She just happened to be in the room with the Perez brothers who had been forced to arrest him due to the nature of the threats over Dorothy and she expelling their brothers for both assaulting Mia, Kylie, and Nichole then finding out that they don't live in the city. He took offense to that and tried to have Alice reinstate them but she pulled a fast one and had it on speakerphone prompting the arrest." She sighed then grinned, adding, "And the funniest thing? They used my son's address to claim to be residents. All four families did this, which he is happy to state that they will have to explain to the feds why they committed mail fraud as he has several legal notices for them." Ivan just laughed. It was pure comedy. The family wasn't as well-off as they pretended to be and now had to explain to the state and federal governments about their frauds. The only thing better would be if they had actually posed as residents in person. Valerie handed Yvette the restraining orders against the kids, preventing them from any further action against Flora and also keeping their families from taking action against the school. It was sad that the kids were involved but the girls' parents had done it themselves. The two Kings felt that this was the start of a long, winding road downward for the girls but it was necessary for Flora's sake. Outside the school, Valerie kissed Ella goodbye and told her she'd drop off her bag later. Ella didn't say anything about that, but Flora asked what that was about. Daisy smirked while Faith blurted out, "Slumber party! Aunt Valerie all but told us that we are spending the weekend with Aunt Lilly!" Valerie had a grin on her face as she saw Flora's eyes widen and show signs of happiness. It was a dream come true, she was having a slumber party with friends! She had to control herself as Lilly parked the minivan and the girls ran for her, piling in immediately hoping to get an early start. Lilly just shook her head as the girls had gone full on with their happiness. They were having too much fun, they would calm down but it was hyperactivity for them. She was at least glad that they were that way for the right reasons as Flora was clearly enjoying the idea of a night with friends. Lilly left with the girls, trying her hardest to keep from smiling as the girls talked back and forth in the back of the minivan. Daisy led them, but Flora held her own as Daisy's counter while Faith sided with her future cousin and Ella tried to think up ways of enjoying the night together. It was pretty intriguing to Lilly as their dynamics were so set yet so flexible to allow a newcomer in who complimented them. At the Peterson home, Lilly showed the girls to their rooms with Flora and Faith sharing a bed. It was the first time in months that the house had so many home for the night, not since her daughter Claire had moved out into her own place with her friends. Lilly felt a bit saddened but knowing that it was inevitable as Claire grew up and her sons moved out. She at least had Daisy for another 9 years. Claire stopped by to see if they were alright, bringing Jessica with her. Jessica smirked at Flora who knew she was really checking up on her for Greta but felt good to know that she cared. The girls talked with their siblings then ate dinner with them before leaving them to enjoy themselves. Daisy complained that Claire was spying on them for the others to which Lilly nodded, but explained, "It was more for Flora's sake than anyone's curiosity. She isn't used to being alone, and this is her first sleepover. Jessica just wanted to assure Greta and Quentin that she was alright staying here." Daisy was going to say something but her brothers entered with their kids. Little Sophia Peterson waddled over to her aunt, giving Daisy hugs and kisses then did the same to Ella and Faith. Seeing Flora, she grabbed on to her and hugged her, trying to get her to pick her up for attention. This little act was a huge thing for the others to see. Sophia rarely opened up to others quickly, but for Flora she went full on and got her attention. Flora just accepted the hugs and attention, she had not been close to a toddler before and was glad that Sophia wasn't afraid of her. Flora asked if she was always like that, to which Daisy blurted out, "She loves to give hugs but only to family members. She must think you are already family since she went right to you. This will make Uncle John mad, she always cries whenever he tries to get her attention. She loves doing that to him." The others snickered at that while Lilly nodded silently much to Flora's shock. Sophia giggled and nodded, which Lilly pointed out, "She does it for fun. All of the babies to that to John except Antonio." Antonio stirred and wanted to get out and see the new girl, causing his mother to show him off to Flora with Flora getting a gurgle and kicks from him. She stayed out of reach of him, not wanting to cause him to fall out of Deborah Peterson's hands but close enough to get him to smile at her. He liked her. Deborah asked what happened at the school, knowing that there was some trouble but no getting the full story from others. Lilly just sighed and confessed, "Girls and parents of the boys expelled for groping the girls yesterday were exposed as frauds and liars. The girls were nasty gossips who were expelled for not living in the city, they tried to use Michael's address as their own." Lilly didn't want to say more with the girls there even if they already know what happened to the three older girls. Deborah understood that it was about getting Flora kicked out of school and only backfired on them and let it rest, she got what she needed to hear. It would be tough to refute claims given the connection to the superintendent being exposed at the same time and their brothers being expelled for similar reasons in addition to what they did to the girls. Emma Peterson kept an eye on the girls as Lilly and Deborah talked, with Sophia climbing on them to the amusement of Antonio. Flora sensed that there was something about Emma that was intriguing but she couldn't place it. She didn't want to ask but made note to ask Greta and Quentin the next day. Antonio fell asleep once he had another diaper change and Sophia tired herself out climbing on the girls giving the adults a chance to talk freely while the girls went downstairs to watch a movie before bedtime. Emma was all smiles, the girls were enjoying themselves without prompting and had even gotten Flora to get a little more daring with Antonio as Sophia bounced in her lap. She was seeing the girls from a mother's perspective and was thinking about how she would be doing the same thing with her own daughter's friends in three or four years. Lilly saw the look and joked, "Wait until pre-kindergarten, it'll be sleepovers, birthday parties, and play dates with her friends." Deborah was going to make a joke about that but saw that she would endure the same with Antonio at the same time. She loved the idea, it was what she had dreamed about doing with her child from the time she was in middle school and noticed boys and girls maturing. The mothers talked for a bit before Deborah and Emma went home. They picked up their husbands who had conveniently slipped next door to talk with their cousin Sheila Bailey allowing the ladies a chance to talk without them. Sheila talked with them about rumors she had heard and wasn't liking. David and Patrick listened as Ian told them about Flora and Fiona being targeted by the four families whose sons were expelled and whose younger sisters were all but told they were going to be expelled for not living in the city. The families were dirty, and the two new girls being at the center of both incidents even if they didn't do anything was trouble. They would get made an example by them. David listened and theorized that the kids had left their parents open for a direct attack by people who could actually expose the families as being classic ruthless power hungry political families and their connection, both legal and illegal, to their hometown. The superintendent trying to force the kids to be allowed to be students despite living elsewhere was the first big connection, the next were the Perez brothers' layoffs that Ian had shown to be against union rules. The final and most vital connection may be someone in the DA's office who protected the families from prosecution especially as it pertained to the actions against Maisie by the boys. All of that had come in a day. Patrick teased Ian about being a good detective but he countered that thanks to his wife's morning sickness waking him up early he had more time to kill so he did some research. David grinned and added, "He has you there, you and Deborah may change and feed Antonio but you didn't have to listen to her upchuck every night like I had to do with Emma. You dodged a bullet there big brother." Sheila was glad to hear her husband being so defensive of her and using the time that he lost due to her symptoms wisely. She hugged and kissed him, making the brothers grin as Ian blushed at the affection. Sheila wasn't one for such big displays but it was something worth showing Ian that he had done a great job and she appreciated it. Sheila's mother Ruth made her presence known and asked if they were ready for the meeting with the sheriff from Minnesota. David just growled, "He will have a lot of people itching to rip him to shreds at the airport but we are holding off until he makes contact. Your dad has asked that I take the lead since I have the most patience among the troopers at the office. One of the others might do something that involves a lot of covering up and trips to New Hampshire and visits to international waters to do." Ruth nodded, adding, "My brother and sister-in-law are going to enjoy making him squirm under the federal judge while I believe Valerie and/or Ricardo are going to make him lose his mind in state court. Louis Reagan has already made Minnesota's governor aware of the situation and it's going to be an even more brutal fight out there as the county prosecutor tries to justify the warrant to a Minnesota judge." The others laughed as it was a slam dunk for them as there were a lot of things working against him should he fight. Next door, the girls finished up their movie and went up to bed. Lilly ensured that the girls showered and changed before going to bed herself. Faith didn't flinch when she saw the bulge in Flora's panties, she knew it was there and she didn't care. Flora was relieved, it was a scary moment for her. The girls hugged before falling asleep, with Faith telling her she was happy to have her as a cousin. Flora felt great relief and pride, it was the first time she felt like she was family to her. She had cousins but with her birth parents being drunken fools nobody wanted anything to do with them. Thinking about it, Jessica was what she wanted in an older sister. She loved Fiona but Jessica was more caring, more outgoing, and made it a point to show she was concerned about her. Fiona tried but her affection was different than Jessica's, it was caring but Jessica's was empathetic. She had a big smile on her face as she drifted off. Faith saw this in the low light and knew Flora had been thinking. Faith just smiled at Flora being so happy and content. In the morning, the girls were hyperactive. Flora let the others lead her while enjoying the fun as they got their cereal bowls and juices out. Faith had to calm Daisy while Ella kept the two from arguing and did most of the work of getting breakfast meted out between them. Lilly came down soon after and fixed her own breakfast along with her own coffee. The girls teased her about drinking coffee which Flora added, "It's not so bad once you get used to it." Lilly nodded, but shot back, "You are still too young to drink it. You shouldn't have drunk it before but it's understandable." The girls watched TV for an hour as Lilly got some paperwork done for her board of directors meeting at her family's company. Flora asked what she was doing, being told, "I'm working to spin off part of the company that I am a major shareholder in. We are redoing the family?s legacy so it?s a lot of work to make it into a company all its own again. I am getting additional stock in the former company so I am essentially running a multi-billion dollar company from home. Not many people know that, so please don?t tell anyone as I don?t want people to come after us looking for money and jobs." Flora was shocked to hear that. Daisy added ?mom is a good businesswoman, she could run it all by herself if she wanted to." Lilly just grinned, she was actually on the verge of making $4 billion from taking her company public in June with shares being equally owned by Sheila due to her father and Lilly's deceased husband as both inherited the stocks from them. The girls watched Lilly at work and saw just how involved she was as a businesswoman. She had just impressed Daisy and made Flora see that she could be as good of a businesswoman if she set her mind to it. Lilly was getting a lot more work done than she wanted but the show for the girls was worth it. Just before lunch, Lilly dropped off Flora. Fiona was already home and enjoying seeing Flora bouncing off the walls in anticipation of telling her about her night with the girls. Fiona was just as anxious, only she simply had a quiet evening with Maisie. Maisie's family was average to the point of being boring. Her older brother was an electrician student at the technical high school so he was buried in homework for his electrician's exam all evening. Her parents were nice to her but gave them some space to do their own things. The girls slept in Maisie's room, with Fiona not even flinching at seeing Maisie undress. She, on the other hand, was scared to show off her body to Maisie causing Maisie to tell her that she was normal looking. Fiona timidly dressed, with Maisie saying that she wasn't too large and she could lose weight if she didn't shy away from exercising. The two talked for several hours until they fell asleep, with Fiona unintentionally cuddling with Maisie. She cared about Maisie to the point of calling her sister, she loved her like one. Maisie was a great friend and was what she had wanted a friend to be but had been denied because of her parents and foster parents and later her sister's gender change. She loved Maisie, and would protect her. Chapter 7 In the morning, Lucy Campbell drove Fiona home and was hoping to get to know the Nelsons a little better. She arrived just before Lilly dropped off Flora, with the younger girls hugging and kissing Greta goodbye as the girls parted to do some shopping for Flora and Fiona. Flora had a broad smile and was barely able to control herself as she entered, giving Greta a big hug as she went upstairs to her room. Fiona shook her head at her sister's ability to turn anything simple into the greatest thing in the world to happen to her. Maisie asked what that was all about, getting a terse, "She had her own sleepover and is acting like it's the best thing that ever happened. She always does that, it gets annoying." Lucy sensed some hostility but let it go, with Greta directing the girls to Fiona?s room to relax for a bit, knowing Lucy wanted to talk and knowing that Fiona had a look of disappointment on her face over Flora. Fiona didn't say anything, just sat sat down as Flora fluttered around as she made a show out of getting a drink of water. Maisie wisely didn?t say anything, but she knew exactly what Flora was doing. Once Flora was upstairs again, Greta told Fiona, "She had a lot of fun and enjoyed her night with the girls. It's a big step for her, she is doing a lot of things that you took for granted. I know it's annoying at times, trust me as an elder sister I know this all too well. Give her some time, it?ll wear off soon." Lucy asked what she meant, with Greta explaining, "She's like your daughter. She is experiencing being a normal girl for the first time, making her reactions a little too over the top. She has dressed and acted like a girl for two years but this is the first time that she is truly being a girl and not as a novelty to be laughed at by adults and other kids." Lucy asked if she was diagnosed, getting a nod and quick, "She sees Dr. Alison Eliza, a friend of our family." Lucy nodded, adding, "We tried to have her treat Maisie but she was on maternity leave at the time." Greta nodded, grinning as she added, "Dr. Edith Bell is just as good, she has a calmer head at times than Alison. She also tends to see her patients for much longer than Alison since Edith isn't a pediatric specialist. Maisie is in great hands with her and I?m sure Mia will tell her all about Maisie." Greta sensed that Lucy was picking her brain, trying to gauge how she was going to react to Maisie as a friend of Fiona. It was harmless and expected, Maisie had to have had issues with girls or their parents in the past so Fiona being close would be something to be concerned about. She answered honestly and with a smile, she herself had done this before with girls' parents. When Lucy finally finished, Greta countered with, "You don't have to question me about my motives or how I am going to react to Maisie. I am used to girls like her, in fact my daughter and son grew up alongside a girl like her. Unlike Maisie, she wasn't allowed to become her true self until late in 6th grade and in doing so caused a firestorm that took nearly four years to put out. If she hasn't told you already there are four other girls like her in school along with a young man transitioning from female. You have nothing to fear from either my husband or myself nor my son and daughter. Maisie now has allies, very powerful ones. You haven't had the luxury of meeting them but they are there and thanks to Maisie telling them about four boys from your former hometown she is owed a huge favor by them." Lucy was stunned. She muttered a soft, "You make it sound like this is all part of that 'Finn cult' that the people in Pullen Point talked about. Nobody believed they existed. We were warned about people who acted like they were rich and powerful but weren't much more than normal people with a lot of clout." Greta laughed then proclaimed, "My oldest and dearest friend is Valerie Finn. My daughter and son grew up alongside her son and daughter and she's why we are here, as are my sister's family. The so-called 'Finn Family' is a large family, and intricately intertwined. My own daughter is joining an offshoot of the main branch of the family directly as she is engaged to Valerie's cousin-in-law's son." Maisie explained further, "Mom, it's not a joke. There's a lot of them and all of them are interconnected through the kids. The girls told me about this during lunch, I didn't believe it but it's true. The kids in class are envious of us, we got in with them without even trying." Greta sighed and shook her head, complaining, "It would take a lot of time to explain everything, but those three girls you saw earlier are each from different branches- Peterson, Jones, and Finn. We make up another branch, we are an offshoot of the Myers family but through my son and daughter we are going to be joined to the Vincent and Lopez families which are separate separate branches themselves. Maybe Fiona may fall for one of the girls possibly even making her part of the Flynn/Raymond/Reagan branch or the Pena/Castillo/Finn branch." Fiona blushed but Maisie whispered, "Kylie and Mia like girls." Fiona then blushed deeper which Lucy asked about. Greta just smiled and explained, "She's fighting her inner self. She's a closeted lesbian but doesn't want to admit it to anyone yet. She has those two as potential suitors, she'd be perfect for either of them. They already share some attributes and could even help one another heal some old wounds. It?s still very early but the girls are going to be close and from the way they talked it sounds inevitable." Fiona fled upstairs with Maisie, trying her hardest to contain her embarrassment. Maisie hugged her once the door was closed, kissing her cheek and adding, "You like them, don't you? It's OK to me. Your mom wouldn't have said that if she didn't think it was true." Fiona nodded silently, shedding tears. Maisie hugged her tight, offering her a soft, "They are cute and you would make a great couple with either of them. Your mom all but told you that she is OK with you liking girls. It's alright to like girls, plenty of people like them. I like boys but that's beside the point." Downstairs, Greta held her smile while Lucy laughed at Greta's manipulation. It was a cunning way of showing that she cared about Fiona while letting her know that she knew her crushes already. Lucy gave a grin and told her, "You know her better than she realizes." Greta countered, "I played that game with my daughter before, it didn't quite work out. The boy she was crushing on turned out to be a total monster who is in prison for rape. Thankfully Mia and Kylie are a good couple of girls who are going to make Fiona extremely happy and open her up to the world." Flora came down again looking for something to do and saw the ladies talking. She turned around but was told to stop and come over. Flora complied, with Greta giving her a hug then telling her to lay off teasing her sister for a bit as she was doing some heavy thinking. Flora rolled her eyes and grumbled, "So what if she likes girls. She really needs to stop acting like it's a bad thing! Just because our foster father made her have sex with him because she was caught kissing the neighbor girl she doesn't have to pretend that she doesn't like girls." Greta hugged her again, but explained, "It's tough and she doesn't fully grasp that we accept what she is. What you told us is even worse, you never fully get over that. Please, leave her alone for a while." Flora reluctantly agreed, going upstairs to her room to watch TV. Lucy was shocked by what Flora had said, but Greta sighed and further explained, "She had it much rougher than that, she took a lot of sexual abuse to protect her sister. It's why they fled their hometown and why she is so protective of your daughter. I want the people who hurt her to receive justice but sadly they are likely to escape it due to lack of evidence and a lot of influence locally." Greta held off telling her more but Lucy insisted on knowing more about the girls' history as it was so anger-inducing. Greta confessed to everything, knowing that to lie to her would be catastrophic to the girls' friendship. Lucy had to take a minute to let it sink in, barely holding back anger and sadness. Lucy asked if their former foster family was going to face justice, getting a sly grin from Greta that was unnerving to her. Greta offered an angry, "Those girls touched a nerve in my brother-in-law and several members of our extended family. They have overwhelming legal support and are going to have a lot of people getting their asses handed to them soon." Lucy asked if she could talk with her husband Callum, this was important and would go a long way to make things go their way. Greta wasn't sure what he could do, but was happily told, "He's part of the federal government's child trafficking task force. He's a deputy US Marshal, sadly he is away often." Greta sensed a bit of sadness to which she added, "My brother-in-law is an ATF agent so he is frequently away as well. My sister knows this feeling all too well, as do his partners' husband and wife. It's a strain but he is doing a special job that is saving the lives of many children." Lucy called her husband Callum and got him to beg her to get Greta and Quentin to speak with him. This was a major break in a ring out in the upper Midwest that was seeing a lot of attention brought up. He didn't know why it was sparking attention but it made sense now especially with so many feelers being put out by different agencies, both for good and bad. Callum arrived a half hour later, bringing with him his colleagues. Quentin arrived and asked what was going on, getting the digest version of what Greta had said and telling them he was going to call in Kennedy and Mick. Greta grinned, Callum seemed to recognize the names to which Greta happily told him, "They are working on the girls' behalf and are the ones causing the disturbances. Mick got the FBI involved and Kennedy is working with colleagues in the Minnesota state government." Mick and Kennedy arrived with Mick's partners Mike Daniels and Alex Vincent. Callum got things started and asked what the girls had to do with the mess in the upper Midwest. Greta looked at Mick who nodded to her as did Kennedy, the deputies noticed this and prepared for the worst. Greta steeled herself then told them, "Fiona and Flora Richards are orphans who ran off from their foster home. The reason why they ran off was Flora was about to be groomed to be the next sex slave for their foster parents. They already used Fiona as one which caused her to believe her sister was in grave danger. Flora isn't genetically female and was going to be a high priced toy for them for upper Midwest sex hounds. Fiona got them away, stealing $500 from their foster parents and winding up here. Their foster parents have tried to have them arrested for the theft but we are fighting it. Fiona believes this is due to their connection to the sex ring, she believes they are in danger if they return." Kennedy then added, "Before you say something about Flora, it doesn't matter. Our state has agreed that they are in danger and are refusing to extradite them west. We believe that the local sheriff is part of the ring and is the actual ringleader. He is coming here to snatch the girls, he needs them to keep them from blowing the whole operation. I think that's already happened given your presence here." Callum laughed at hearing that. He said a name, getting a nod and terse, "That's their foster parents." Callum turned to his colleagues and happily added, "We have them. The bastard is going to do our job for us. He has no reason to seek them and we know the warrant is bogus. He isn't using our agency to bring them west for a reason. He should have contacted us, but didn't. This confirms he is part of it and is trying his best to keep us out of the loop so we don't get suspicious. The girls just nailed him! Those girls just made the whole task force's year- this is the biggest break we ever had!" The team were all smiles while Mick asked about the girls' legal standing. Callum casually told him, "If Kennedy is here, then there isn't one. I suspect there's a lot more going on than we know about yet. Just keep them close by and don't let them go anywhere alone." Kennedy added, "Both governors are aware of the girls' situation and are going to refuse extradition and will have the respective AGs in court to rescind the warrant based on a lack of evidence and that it?s not an extraditable warrant. It's only a gross misdemeanor at most, not a serious felony making it all the more questionable. He?d need a serious crime to get them extradited, which we know he doesn?t have." The group looked at her in shock. She casually told them, "Louis Reagan happened to give his support and was owed a favor from the governor for some political work he did at their party's convention last summer. Given that this is a serious investigation, it'll mean a lot more now once he learns of it." The group disbursed with Lucy getting Maisie from Fiona's room. The two were engrossed in their schoolwork which surprised her but made her happy that they were true friends. Maisie hugged Fiona goodbye with Lucy thanking Fiona for being a true friend to her Maisie. Once everyone had left, Fiona lay in her room with a smile. She had never felt so great and seeing Maisie enjoy herself made her feel even better. She didn't know why, but Maisie always made her feel that way even if she wasn't trying to make her feel like she was her friend. Flora entered and tried to tease her. It was bugging her that Fiona had a friend who not only came over but stayed for so long. She had the trio with her before but this was different, this was Fiona. Flora finally entered Fiona's room to tease her, only to see her with a big smile and feeling like it was the best day she had ever had. Flora lost all of her mischievousness and asked why she was so happy, getting Fiona to tell her, "She likes all of the same things I do, she knows a lot of things about stuff I don't, she knows some famous people, and she even knows how to dance and sing!" Flora was trying to figure out if she was lying but Fiona was giving her now indication. Flora just crept out, if she did anything to upset her sister she would get punished. She didn't want to do that to Greta. The next day was quiet as the girls stayed indoors while Jessica and Eric hung out with them. The two were talking about a wedding like it was a big deal, not telling either girl about it more than they'd have to go too. The girls just shrugged it off, they would be told about it later on if it was important to them. Monday morning was hectic as Quentin drove the girls to school with Mick Jones tailing them. Flora was rushed inside, Faith kept her busy while Mick explained to Ivan about Flora being targeted by someone trying to get the girls back to their former home state to do some unthinkable things to them. Ivan just nodded, he would let them handle the situation but knew enough to never let Flora out of his sight when they were outside the classroom. The same was done at the middle school, but with Callum explaining things to Alice and a fearful Dorothy. Of the two girls, Fiona was the more important one as she would get Flora to follow her lead and had the most to lose as she would protect her sister no matter what. If they grabbed Fiona they could get Flora to run off to where they could snatch her, thus Fiona needed more protection. Mrs. Shriner had to be told discretely, with her knowing to not allow someone inside without either Dorothy or Alice escorting them. Ian, Fabian, and Sebastian were patrolling the school and were armed with knowledge of the situation and the proper protocols to stop anyone from entering even if they were supposedly federal agents with a warrant. The school was going to essentially be in a mini-lockdown until further notice. It was going to be a strain on resources but the girls were too important to care about budgets at that time. If anything were to happen to the girls then it didn't matter how much over budget they were as all of the officers and both principals were on the chopping block with the city due to the guaranteed bad publicity, in their minds it was better to get in trouble for doing the right thing than for doing the fiscally smart thing. The nine were quiet as they pondered what was going on outsides, the additional attention couldn't escape their experienced view. Fiona bit her tongue while Maisie kept her mind occupied on anything except the officers. Kylie knew exactly what was happening, she had overheard her mother talking with her father about it the night before and kept her eyes open but never told the others. Mrs. Shriner kept the kids occupied throughout the morning and got the kids to focus solely on their upcoming Christmas vacations. The kids weren't happy to have a lot of schoolwork but Mrs. Shriner countered that it was actually a lot of small things that looked like a lot of work. It went back and forth for a good half hour as she grinned at the kids making points without noticing they were working on social studies and the art of debating and logically thinking like the Greeks and Romans they were learning about that unit. Class ended with Mrs. Shriner telling the nine to keep safe. Her warning was prophetic as the girls were targeted by the, "New Jack Kids" as they waited for their parents. The boys weren't alone, they had a few hired goons to help them out courtesy of their fathers' personal protection business and a few payments to the local drunks causing the Perez twins to have to intervene but were overpowered. Fiona struggled to break free, kicking one of the guys in the chest and snapping the nose on another while a third had his teeth kicked out. Maisie and Kylie pressed their panic buttons which were disguised as charms on their bracelets and necklaces. The other girls did the same with theirs, with Nichole and Fiona not having ones but Nichole had her own ace in the hole: her cellphone, which she carefully dialed 911 with. The boys and their goons got the seven girls into a van and drove to a warehouse in New Hampshire, not even bothering to think that it was now a serious federal crime nor did they care. The boys wanted revenge and blamed the girls for what happened to them. They were tainted goods, no school would take them and they were facing serious time in juvenile detention because of their crimes. The girls were quiet as they thought about what was going on. Fiona told them to let her handle the guys as she was used to fighting off larger men who wanted to do things with girls. Margaret, Nancy, and Kylie had some martial arts and self-defense training so they would do the same, allowing Nichole and Maisie to stay back. The goons tried to drag the girls out and were immediately brought down by the girls. They tried to run but were boxed in by more men who were waiting for the group's arrival. They were outnumbered, their exits blocked with goons with the boys taunting that they couldn't escape what they deserved. The boys just shook their heads as they decided that they'd have some fun with the girls now that they tried to escape, instead of waiting to bring them to their next stop. Fiona was pushed aside by the boys in favor of Nichole, Kylie, Mia, and Maisie. The trio were handcuffed and forced down, trying to bite them hard but only getting smacked. The boys stripped them naked, and upon seeing the secrets in Maisie, Kylie, and Mia's pants lashed out at them for ?tricking them? into thinking that they were ?real? girls. Maisie spat out a loud and angry, "Why are you surprised, you knew me for years! Boy, how dumb are you four? I lived next door to you and went to school with you! You have seen my dick since we were babies!" Maisie knew just what she was doing and was biding her time but also knew that they'd lash out at her and ignore the other girls, saving them from a much worse beating than they would receive. The boys went after her hard, kicking her groin several times then smacking her face until both her lips and nose bled. She just laughed at them, she had gotten tougher beatings from them in the past and all it did was make her resolve to be a girl much stronger. The taunting from Maisie only caused more frustration as the boys kept on kicking her groin, getting howls of pain from Maisie until she passed out. The other girls looked on in shock, knowing they were next. They were going to get it just as bad. The boys held true to the girls' belief. All four boys smacked Mia and Kylie hard, causing them pain and anguish. Their kicks were even worse, causing extreme pain that neither had ever felt before. They hated the flesh between their legs, but they never wanted anyone to harm them down there or ever experience the kind of pain that they were now experiencing. Nichole was smacked hard but was only fondled by the boys who then moved on to Margaret and Nancy. Both kicked them in the groins while Fiona punched and kicked at them causing the goons to grab at them again. Fiona kept fighting, not giving up the fight until she was stripped and restrained. The boys decided to have their way with Fiona, making an example to the other girls. They kicked Mia, Kylie, and Maisie a few more times in the groin for fun then started to have their way with Fiona. Each took a turn, depositing semen inside of her mouth, anus, and vagina with Fiona biting each of them as they put their penises in her mouth. Fiona was still defiant, fighting her bonds causing the boys to keep having to adjust them. It was wasted time, but also necessary for what was to happen next. The signals never stopped transmitting from the charms. Being stationary had caused their signals to be picked up by the local police and State Police. Mick and Callum were there in a flash, speeding north with Mike, Alex, and other deputy marshals. The New Hampshire authorities had surrounded the building and waited for their arrival, but had not moved due to the orders of the federal officials en-route. Callum and Mick coordinated with the State Police lieutenant and not seeing any weapons on the men decided to storm the building with a tactical team supported by the federal officials. The storming took only a minute once everyone was in position with the boys being too scared to move once they saw the guns drawn and that Mick, Mick, Alex, and the deputies all said, "Federal agent" on their vests. The once swagger- filled boys were in for a heap of trouble as they were cuffed alongside the goons. Five ambulances were called for the girls, with their parents already en- route to the town. Maisie was in too much pain to say anything, only offering a stilted, "Daddy" as she saw her father. Kylie let out a happy, "Uncle Alex" while Nancy and Margaret hugged Mike. The boys were led out, and despite their being Mirandized were adamant that their fathers would get them off. One even threatened the deputies, saying, "Dad will put a bullet in your head. He knows people who will get back at you. You are a dead man! You hear me- a dead man!" Callum just grinned, pointed at a digital recorder, and proclaimed, "You were read your rights and have chosen to give up those rights. Everything you have said was recorded and will be investigated. I know your father, I have no problem slapping handcuffs on him for threatening myself or any of my fellow law enforcement officials. He may be powerful in Pullen Point but he is powerless against us." Callum called his superiors to alert them about the threats against them by the boys and their fathers. He was more than happy to alert the organized crime task force and have their input on the families now that they were exposed thanks to the boys? boasting. The boys' fathers were well-known to them and with the proper warrants already in place they were going to have field day with the inevitable phone calls and conspiracy. Those boys had not realized it yet but they had just caused their fathers' downfall by their gloating threats. The four were the remnants of an old organized crime family who had entrenched themselves into the local government of Pullen Point and who ruled with an iron fist. The few who fought back against them had done so with overwhelming firepower that their influence couldn't counter, so far only the Perez Twins had escaped them and that was due to being under Willie Pena's protection and dating the governor's granddaughters. The boys were led away to a secure holding facility with the US Marshals guarding them and with the locals assisting. Nobody was allowed to see them, and the only lawyers allowed inside were cleared by the deputy marshals. They were cut off from all help, not even their mothers were allowed to see them as they may be acting on behalf of their husbands. The boys were arraigned the following morning on kidnapping, assault, rape, assault and battery with a deadly weapon, and attempted murder. The boys were defiant, believing that the charges wouldn't stick. The state went at them hard, knowing that the feds were observing the case with a careful eye and having their own holds placed on them for federal charges. The boys kept gloating that their parents would get them off, telling the judge they were not going to give a plea and would get the girls responsible for them being there. The judge just shook his head, entered a not guilty plea on their behalf, then remanded them. The US Marshals took over and brought them to their next appointment, the federal courthouse in Concord. This time the boys saw just how serious things were as the US Marshals informed them that they were being charged with federal kidnapping charges along with threatening federal agents. Their swagger was lost as the federal judge told them they were to be remanded to state juvenile detention center until trial as there wasn't a federal detention facility in the region that could handle them. They were not leaving the state, and with the feds not willing to take pleas they were toast. The girls were examined by doctors once they were driven away from the warehouse. News for the trio was grim, all three girls needed emergency surgery for crushed testicles due to the repeated blows from the boys' feet. Maisie had it worse, since she took more blows her penis was all but crushed and needed heavy surgery but it was likely to need to have much of the spongy tissue removed. The Campbells were left with an impossible decision but were presented with an alternative that was felt was right for Maisie- reassignment surgery. It was medically necessary now, the damage was just so extensive that her penis was inoperable and as it was similar to what she needed done already the extra time to create a neo-vagina was worth it. Dr. Bell was notified and agreed with their belief, adding that she was far enough along in her transition and so strongly believed that she was female that this to now be a simple correction. Greta and Quentin introduced the Campbells to the Smiths, who explained to them that Nichole had undergone a similar surgery and had come out on top. Maisie would not want them to agonize over the decision, she would welcome it. The Campbells signed off on it, Maisie was getting her surgery and when she woke up she would be female inside and out. Mia and Kylie fared better but they still needed orchiectomies to remove their crushed testicles. Their penises were bruised and battered but hadn't suffered the internal damage like Maisie's had but had also unfortunately torn the ligaments so badly that their penises were useless. They would wait on their own surgeries, Kylie would have hers in the Spring while Mia would have hers in the summer. Kylie and Mia spent the night in the hospital before being released, each hugging and kissing Maisie before they left but ensuring that Maisie was comfortable. They happily told her that the boys had done the worst thing they could have done to them- give them a chance to have their surgeries. It was tough for Maisie to disagree, they were getting vaginas and six years earlier than normal. Their parents kept a close eye on them as they drove home. They were wincing in pain but endured it due to needing to get home but were relieved to finally be put to bed. Their siblings kept a close eye on them but it was more as a way of ensuring they didn't get out of bed until morning. The duo weren't happy to miss school but they couldn't return until the next week. Nancy, Nichole, and Margaret were able to get their work and keep them company but it still caused the two pain not being there with their friends. They were missed, but their recovery was more important. The one who had the worst time in the hospital was Fiona, who endured multiple tests and had to receive shots for potential infections the boys may have had. She hated the poking and prodding but Greta assured her that they needed to do it to get the boys put away for decades. It was humiliating to her but she didn't want to upset Greta by fighting the tests nor giving the boys a chance to get off. Thankfully the tests were quick even if painful. She was given a morning after pill just to be safe, even if she had just had her period the week before. None of the boys had STDs but she did have tears and swelling so it was felt best to give her some antibiotics to ensure that there wasn't an infection later on. Fiona endured a lot of awkward questions but it was more to establish which boy did what so they knew how many different sets of DNA would come back. She was adamant that all four were involved and they each, "Got off" on her which the tests would confirm. It took a while to thoroughly examine her but to the hospital it was better to overdo things than to risk the ire of the federal agents outside. She was kept overnight with a police guard outside the door to ensure nobody except a few pr-cleared people disturbed her. Fiona asked about that, to which Greta grinned and explained to her, "You are a key witness to a crime by the sons of four known criminals with connections to powerful people. This may be New Hampshire, but their reach is pretty far. It's not as far as Mick's reach or Mr. Campbell's, though, nor is it as deep as Mick's and backed up by people as powerful as his supporters." She asked about Maisie, getting a solemn, "She is in surgery at this time and won?t be fully awake until tomorrow afternoon if that. Kylie and Mia had theirs a short time ago. The three of you are being kept overnight but Maisie won't be able to leave for a week. Sadly, she won't be returning to school until January 2nd. She will be fine then, different but fine." Fiona demanded to know what happened to her to which Greta smiled and explained, "She's all woman now. Those boys did a number on the girls, but they brutalized Maisie. She needed emergency surgery, the kind done on Nichole. Maisie will have a vagina now, and this April and then this summer Kylie and Mia will be the same way. I hate that this happened to the three girls, but those boys gave Maisie her fondest wish while trying to harm her." Fiona shed tears, but realized that Maisie was going to be happy. It was what she had always dreamed of but it came a high price. She may not father children but she would also escape torment by others. The next morning, Fiona was released alongside Kylie and Mia. Fiona saw the two walking out in pain but was happy that they would no longer be forced apart from other girls. The more she thought about the girls, the more she started to see that they were the bravest people she ever met. At home, Flora hugged Fiona tightly as Faith and Neil waited before doing the same. Jessica tried her hardest but had to hug Fiona to ease her own fears, not wanting her to know that she herself feared the worst as word got around about the abduction and later their recovery. Jessica led Fiona upstairs to talk, telling Flora to continue to play with Faith. Jessica sat her down and told her firmly, "They are animals and deserved worse than what they will get. You didn't deserve what happened to you and you saw something horrible happen to your best friend and your new friends. It'll take time but all of you will share your pain, don't hold it in. Dr. Dane will want you to talk about it." Fiona started crying, telling her, "They treated us like meat and beat Maisie because she wouldn't give in to them. The girls didn't deserve what happened to them, I hated seeing them hurt. I hate guys!" Jessica hugged her, kissing her cheek as she calmed down. Jessica calmly explained, "Guys have the capacity to be good and evil. The same goes with girls. You like girls for an entirely different reason, you are a lesbian and feel love for women. It's natural, a lot of girls are that way. You just haven't had a chance to meet some of the girls who love girls but you met Aunt Alison and she is a lesbian. Please don't think that all guys are like that, most of them are the exact opposite. Eric is the most mature, caring, loving guy you will ever meet. Same goes with Scott, and Uncles Mick, Alex, and Mike." Jessica sighed and explained ?there are a lot of terrible women. Mia?s birth mother tried to kill her last year, Kylie?s used to beat her and let a teacher sexually assault her. Rosalind?s sister harassed Jaimie for four years, going so far as to accuse Jaimie?s brother of trying to assault her and making several boys lie to police about Deborah trying to molest them. Your own stepmother is a prime example, what she did with you is pure evil! Don?t hate all men because of those boys, you might love women but please don?t believe that all boys are going to hurt you or only want you for sex.? Fiona looked up at her with pleading eyes. Jessica smiled and added, "You are at the age when sexuality hits. I think you should talk with Iris, she was the first of us to find girls attractive like you do. I think you might even find that Mia or Kylie are good partners for you. They like girls, I know Mia has had some lingering looks at you that she has been teased about." Fiona blushed with Jessica adding, "It's alright to like them, they are beautiful girls. You three share a bigger bond, you endured those boys and still held true to yourselves. Give them a chance, you will find that you are going to be a great couple." Jessica led Fiona downstairs with Greta telling her, "They like you a lot, but don't push things with them. Give the girls a chance to settle in before you start to date. You three share more in common than you think, and I'm not talking about sexuality. The two are great with you, give it chance." Flora asked what was going on, Jessica grinned and explained, "Fiona has two girls who like her and she is going to date one of them." Flora rolled her eyes at hearing that while Jessica added, "I think it'll be Mia who dates her, Kylie isn't ready yet. She likes girls but she may not be fully ready to date." Greta just nodded then told Flora to get her homework done, causing Flora to groan but hug them. Fiona just sat down and finished hers, with Jessica handing her the newest ones she missed. Jessica just smirked, Fiona thought she was getting out of doing her work but that was not going to happen. Fiona went to bed that night with visions of Mia dancing in her head. She smiled at that, Mia was beautiful and was always so nice to her. She tried to think about Kylie but she was more like Maisie in how she thought about her. It felt like she was her sister not her lover, a friend not girlfriend. Greta and Quentin looked in on her and saw the smile on her face. Quentin texted Todd and Astrid Flynn to tell them that Fiona was falling for Mia. Todd immediately shot back, "She's too young" while Astrid added, "Mia is the same way." Astrid then added, "She likes Fiona a lot, she won't stop asking about her. Need to get the two together to alleviate her anxiety." Chapter 8 Dorothy Taylor gave the girls the rest of the week off so were put in the care of Valerie during school hours. Valerie put them to work, ensuring that they knew what to do and how to do it. She kept a close eye on Fiona and Mia, not letting the two get too close but allowing the two girls some closeness for their own sake knowing saying something about it would embarrass the girls. The girls were doing well and breezed through their work, prompting Valerie to let them enjoy some time in the entertainment room but telling Fiona and Mia to keep it civil. Both blushed while Kylie and Nichole grinned at the two. Kylie casually told them, "Everyone knows you like one another. You both deserve girlfriends especially ones who knows about dealing with annoying sisters." Nancy went after Kylie while Nichole and Margaret fell to the floor laughing at the teasing and blanket blessing. Mia clasped Fiona's hand causing Fiona to flinch but see Mia wasn't trying to do anything. The two sat on the couch with Nichole and Kylie pushing them closer, prompting both girls to put their heads together in a sweet image. They spent three hours watching movies, not noticing that Valerie was watching from time to time and taking a picture of them, sending it to Greta and Astrid. After the movie and lunch, the girls just lounged around reading their language arts stories that Valerie had told them they'd have to read anyway. They never noticed her slipping out and returning with Cat and JD Finn but seeing their cousins with a new girl caused them to rush over for attention. Fiona was overwhelmed with hugs and attention from the two, unsure how to react to their attention. Valerie told the two to go do their homework, getting a groan but little defiance. Kylie and Nichole went up to ensure they did the work, as Mia was left to explain why they acted that way. Fiona was at a loss for words, it was odd that others knew about her without ever meeting her- especially kids. It was tough but eventually the kids did their work then demanded to play with Fiona, causing the group to go outside while they ran around the yard. Mia had to tell her aunt, Lindsay Reagan, who the new girl was, getting a nod and grin. Fiona simply let the kids get their energy out before finally going back inside to rest for a while as the kids wore themselves out. The afternoon passed fast with the girls never noticing that it was time for dinner then not being taken home once they were fed by the Finns. Valerie was being very evasive about what was going on and why they were still there, only telling Nichole that she was going home while the girls were staying there. Fiona grew scared but Valerie just smiled and confessed, "It's due to your parents doing a lot of things on your behalf with your uncle." The girls went to bed without asking more. Ella came in late with Flora, the two being forced by their parents to separate for the night with both being unhappy. Flora didn't talk about what happened, she just told Fiona that she was staying home the next day too. Ella did tell her that they had gotten a few kids to act like jerks which gave Fiona an idea about what may have happened to them. Earlier that day at her school, Flora was grabbed by a group of parents before she entered the school. She screamed but was dragged off by the parents, with her friends trying hard to get the parents off of her but failing miserably. They were out of school and into an awaiting car in under a minute, before anyone could react or stop them. They ladies were amateurs, taking Flora to their condo complex instead of out of state or some remote area. Flora listened as they ranted about Flora getting what she deserved for what happened to their kids, with their daughters getting sent to a private school because no public school would accept them. She tuned them out, it was no different than others had done to her in the past and they hadn't hurt her as bad as some of the parents back in Minnesota had done just to show she was a wimpy freak. Flora just bided her time until she could wiggle free of her rope bonds. It wasn't the first time she had been tied up by people who wanted to hurt her, her former classmates did this to her a lot. She finally wiggled free after an hour, waiting until they were out of the condo to rush away to safety by fleeing through the back door and running through the maze of other condo buildings to the street. The problems really started after that. What she thought was safe haven at the police station turned out to be a terrible place for her to go to. The women actually knew the police officers on duty and had Flora arrested then DCF called on her while officers were sent to arrest Greta and Quentin for child abuse for letting her dress as a girl. Flora was thrown into a holding cell, being told to shut up or she'd get beaten badly by them. The watch officer told the prisoners to, "Have at her" allowing them to do as they pleased. The prisoners looked at him like he was joking, they weren't sure if they were testing them or if he actually wanted them to beat and rape a little girl. The prisoners ignored the orders and dared them to do something about them disobeying it. It was a lose-lose situation for the officers, if they did something to make the prisoners assault Flora then their charges would be voided due to police brutality claims. Conversely, if they didn't make them do anything they would lose face and fear by the prisoners. The orders were reiterated after a few minutes, the officer wasn't letting this go unfinished. He stupidly threatened them with worse if they didn't do as he said, claiming that he'd ensure they had more charges added on top of what they already had pending. This, however, was told at a bad moment as one of the public defenders assigned to defend one of the prisoners listened and dialed the State Police for help. When the lawyer spoke with the Pullen Point officers about Flora and was openly lied to she then asked them on what basis they had for detaining her inside a cell with adult males. The lawyer was threatened and finally grabbed but the lawyer loudly proclaimed, "Take your slimy fingers off me this instance! I have no problem suing your department and seeking assault charges against you for harming me. I have a duty to report crimes and will do so." The officers tried to intimidate her, threatening her again only to have several arriving troopers loudly proclaim, "Lay one finger on her and you will be spending a dime out in Norfolk. Per order of Attorney General Angela Victor, as of this moment your station is on lock-down and all Pullen Point officers are hereby recalled to station for questioning by members of her office regarding this illegal detention and assault. What happened in Winnisimmet will be nothing compared with what happens here!" All officers were recalled as ordered, with the local State Police captain informing them that they were to be detained for questioning regarding dozens of allegations of criminal misconduct levied against the department. Several officers tried to fight their removal from the streets, but it only resulted in them being placed in handcuffs with the troopers adding assault charges on top of whatever they were going to receive. The troopers were not kidding around, the officers were removed by the troopers and taken directly to the Kensington Beach barracks for detaining until arraignment in court the following day. The troopers endured complaints from the town manager and several well- connected politicians. Their interest in preventing the investigation into their town and threats against the troopers and assistant attorney generals only served to show that the investigation was not only warranted but justified as being part of a larger one into the town. Pullen Point was on target to get itself placed into receivership for being unable to maintain itself as a separate political entity as Winnisimmet had once had happen. Mark Sylvester arrived to talk to Flora then ordered her removed to a hospital to document her injuries. The troopers complied, with three going along with Mark as escorts. Flora's rope burns, the scratches from the ladies' grips, and the strikes from the police officers witnessed by the men in the cells all were photographed with the troopers adding a long list of charges they were bringing against key people. The troopers got warrants to check the ladies' fingernails for Flora's DNA and were had an immediate positive for the skin cells and blood. They hit pay dirt as the rope used to restrain Flora was still in the room where she was placed and had some hair on it matching her hair. Flora's backpack was even hidden in the room making it impossible to claim she wasn't there slamming the door on the ladies' claims of not knowing her or what she was doing there. Quentin and Greta met Mark at the hospital with Mark telling them, "Allegations against you were made but due to the fact that we knew about her gender change and you having all documentation, it's moot. We won't be used as retaliation and you have grounds to sue the police department." Greta nodded, but added, "She will also be suing the ladies. They aren't getting away easily, not if I can help it!" Mark had to field inquiries from the media about the abduction for much of the afternoon as he awaited the test results. He didn't hold back and pointed them towards the truth, explaining, "This was a blatant abduction done in retaliation for my clients exposing bigotry by several ladies towards them. The girl abducted fled their detention and sought help from the Pullen Point Police Department only to be tossed into a cell with male inmates who were told to 'have their way with her.' A public defender overheard the threat and sought out help only to have herself threatened by the police. Thankfully the State Police arrived to rescue both before the police officers could carry out their threats. She is in the care of her future adoptive parents and those responsible have all been arrested." The media knew to go after the Pullen Point Police, which caused a stir as they were directly supported by the state senate president and local US Representative. Their true colors were shown as their ties to the department was noted. It was tough to deny that they had a vested interest in the story dying. The furor lasted through the night as the dispatchers were removed, with all calls sent to neighboring Kensington and Winnisimmet. The reserve police from Winnisimmet and Kensington were activated by the State Police and took over dispatching as well as adding additional patrols and details in the town. Quentin was purposely told not to respond as he needed to be there for Flora, which led to the troopers and officers all getting angrier as they learned just what happened from the hierarchy as they responded to cover the town for the evening and overnight shifts. Greta went home with Flora who then was directed to Valerie's house after stopping off to pick up Ella from Lilly. Ella was silent but knew that there was something big going on beyond the abduction. She insisted on Flora staying with her as she didn't want to let her out of her sight, causing Flora to hug and cry as she felt her friend's love. Over at the Nelson home, Quentin was told to expect the worst. He had his brother-in-law Mick Jones with him, as were David Peterson and Kennedy. It was clear: this was an, "All hands" situation. Mick didn't need to ask where the girls were, they were in the one house nobody dared to go to if they had any ill-will towards people. The Finn home was as close to a sanctuary as you could get, even the most hardened criminals refused to go there despite it having top notch electronics and juicy documents that many would give millions to get their hands on. John Finn's personal documents were worth their weight in gold, his signature alone was the gateway to an early retirement. The catch was the house was also a burglar's nightmare as there was electronic surveillance from home surveillance systems on all sides making approach impossible. In addition, the interior was hardwired with multiple backups that would last for days and had redundant systems overlaid together making cutting off power to them nearly impossible. That wasn't counting the local police keeping up constant patrols around the area. Quentin had dealt with strongmen before, he had to endure a few of them as a junior architect trying to design new public buildings. His firm was often in a heated competition with a rival firm, one known for inferior designs that often caused millions in needed repairs not long after the building was built. He had several thugs try to assault him and threaten him, only to have them put in prison thanks to his unwavering nerve and ability to charm key public safety officials- particularly police. As expected, Quentin was visited by the town manager, police chief, and town solicitor of Pullen Point. All three were then joined by the town council president and four more council members. Kennedy shook her head at the sight, texting her boss to start the annexation process as the town's government would cease to exist after that evening due to nobody being left to run it. The group got down to business and threatened Quentin, claiming they'd make his life a living hell unless he got his foster daughter to lie about the abductions by the ladies and detention by the police. The chief threatened to have his son have an, "Accident" out on the practice range while his daughter would enjoy a trip to jail for possession of cocaine and illegal guns. It was tough to hold back but Quentin knew Mick would be very interested now given how they had just admitted to having the means to make those threats happen. Quentin wouldn't budge, explaining, "I can't force her to do anything. It's her decision to go forward with the charges and given that there were multiple eyewitnesses to the abductions and assaults on her, even if she did recant there was enough evidence to convict the officers and women without her help. It's out of my control, I can't force anyone to do anything." The town manager happily told him, "Evidence will be deleted. My guys at the crime lab are getting ready to take care of the videos in all three places. The lawyer won't make it to court, she will meet an untimely death at the hands of faulty brakes tomorrow morning. I already have the guys ready to make a couple of 'alterations' to enable a little accident that unfortunately proves fatal for her." The councilors now went at Quentin, telling him, "The freak will bankrupt us. We will ensure a nice sum of money to you to get her to not sue. You don't have to put up with that little freak anymore anymore, send it away and let DCF put up with it." Quentin grinned and asked, "So you are offering me money to 'make it go away'?" The four nodded, adding, "$500,000 is yours tonight, another $2 million when that thing is safely put away in a mental hospital. It's coming from our own accounts directly from the town's coffers, nobody knows about it and nobody ever will. All you have to do is ensure it never gets out again. We don't care if you have to bribe every doctor in the state, just make it go away permanently." Quentin just shook his head and refused everything. He boldly proclaimed, "That so-called 'thing' is my new daughter and I can't abandon her. It's out of my hands. Sorry, but her new aunt won't let her get away easily. I love her and her sister and won't let anyone hurt her. As for money? I have more than I'll ever need and I don't care what you think you can do as she isn't going anywhere. But you are." Kennedy stood up, told the hiding troopers to come down, then loudly stated, "You are hereby placed under arrest for criminal threats, extortion, embezzlement, racketeering, misuse of public funds, and assault." Mick added, "You are under arrest for violating the RICO Act, criminal conspiracy, illegal possession of guns, illegal possession of drugs, and civil rights violations." Quentin grinned, Mick didn't need to say it but the FBI and ATF had raided their homes and found a lot of things that they'd like to have remained hidden thanks to their threats against Jessica and Quentin stringing them along until they had a false sense of security. The group were very naughty boys and girls and their illegal activities had finally given the feds reason to search them. It was only made better once they learned that they were trying to harm Quentin and Flora, you don't mess with cop families. Angela Victor called to tell them that the legislature was moving forward on the forced receivership declaration for Pullen Point. The town treasurer was more than happy to show that the town was flat broke and the council had caused it to be in debt beyond any chance of recovery. Their payments to Flora was about to make the town go fully bankrupt with the state needing to bail them out financially. The senate president was pushed aside by her colleagues as she tried to block the legislation, first with her influence then later with threats and intimidation. It was tough to do considering she had just been named as being complicit with the town's bankruptcy and was directly responsible for the state staying away from the town for so long without justification despite clear indications for years of impropriety. The state investigators had let slip that she and the town?s representative had been bribed and benefited from the taxes that were meant to go towards the town's schools and parks making her a pariah while the town's representative had to show that he had not benefited in any way. The legislature didn't need to do much, they brushed off the law that they tried to use nearly three decades before to help Winnisimmet but also added in that Boston was to annex the town due to being unable to survive on its own financially and politically. For the first time since Enfield, Dana, and Greenwich were flooded to create the Quabbin Resevoir had a town ceased to exist with a stroke of the pen as the governor immediately signed the bill. Pullen Point was now a neighborhood of Boston, leaving Winnisimmet and Kensington as the only other municipalities in the county. The media were alerted as to what was happening and why and gave the story its proper due by giving a report about the town's legal mess as well as rampant corruption. Stock footage of past incidents were shown with proper context now being added as suspicions were proven about what really happened to certain people and why. It was a frenzy but there was little else to be done, the town ceased to exist as a separate place thanks to their own doing. Flora was happy to be away from the chaos and in the hands of people who showed that they cared about her. Valerie doted on her, knowing that she needed the affection while Fiona and the others were kept away so Flora could calm down. Valerie was right, her anxiety had built up and was making her think that she was the cause of the problems that she had nothing to do with. The girls spent the next day enjoying their freedom while awaiting work brought in by Margaret, Nancy, Ella, and Faith. Flora was by Valerie's side, knowing that she was trying to keep Flora comfortable and enjoying her being treated as a normal girl. Valerie simply acted like it was no big deal, she needed the closeness and it helped her to know that others cared about her. The arraignments of the town officials, officers, and women involved in the abduction were watched by the six as the girls got to see just how complex things could get in life simply by trying to believe you were better than everyone else. The eight former town officials stood defiant until they learned that they weren't going to be given a low bail. Flora grinned as the chief tried to threaten Judge Matthews only to have him add additional charges onto the ones he already had against him while the town manager, town solicitor, and town councilors begged for bail. Valerie just grinned widely as Nichole groaned at what she had done. Kylie shook her head and told the girls, "Aunt Valerie had their money frozen so they couldn't get away. She's probably going to sue all of them and the police for what they did to Flora. Knowing what happened to others who hurt people, she is suing those people will have to give Flora millions and won't have any left to bribe a cockroach or whatever daddy said." Valerie didn't respond, but the look on her face said enough. Flora didn't react, she didn't care about the money only that she was safe. Conversely, Fiona hoped that they paid with every penny they had since they had done something horrible to her little sister and deserved worse to happen to them than they were getting from the courts. The girls enjoyed a relaxing day and endured the twins giving them some much appreciated attention when the returned from school. Cat was happy to have another person to spoil her as Flora loved playing the games that Cat played but Ella didn't like anymore. Conversely, JD enjoyed playing with Fiona as she didn't treat him like a little kid as his brother Logan would do at times. Quentin took the girls home with both keeping their curiosity about what was going on to a minimum. Fiona knew they stayed with the Finns due to Ella's abduction and detention but not the other things that happened later. Quentin knew he'd have to tell them but it wasn't going to be easy for her to hear. After dinner Fiona finally demanded an explanation from Quentin. He had to think about the right thing to say which concerned Fiona. When he finally pulled himself together he told her, "You know about the abduction of Flora by the mothers of the boys who kidnapped you seven girls. They were connected to many powerful people in the neighboring town, people who wanted the charges to go away. They thought that they could bully me into tossing you two out and letting Flora be locked away in a mental institution so she couldn't tell the truth about what happened. I refused, I don't need their money and will never let you two get away from us. They then tried to threaten the woman who saved Flora then threatened Jessica. It failed, they are in jail now and the town was dissolved by order of the legislature." Fiona hugged him tight, crying into his shoulder over doing something so dangerous and bold for her sister. Quentin hugged her back, it was needed and it was causing the father in him to become settled as his fear that she might have a bad reaction dissipated. Fiona just wanted the truth and he gave it to her. Greta stayed out of sight and let Quentin handle the situation. She didn't need to say anything, it was a dad moment that was days in the making for both of them. Fiona needed a positive male influence to show men weren't all bad and Quentin had gone out of his way there to show that he truly cared about both girls and wasn't just putting on a show for them. The girls went to sleep feeling much better with Fiona feeling that she was being protected and cared about by her future parents. Her thoughts turned to Mia and how she loved seeing her smiling face. It felt good to Fiona, she loved the idea of dating Mia with the blessing of Quentin and Greta. In the morning, Fiona was asked if she wanted to go see Maisie to give her some companionship and alleviate her boredom. The look on her face was one of longing as Greta had to smile brightly as the once morose Fiona was actually begging her to go without saying it. The two drove up to the hospital in New Hampshire while Flora was dropped off with Valerie at the Finn home so she could enjoy some time with Ella then play with the eager Cat. The drive was in silence as Fiona tried to not think about Maisie being in pain but it was clear that she was thinking about what she'd see. Greta was happy to let her think about the situation, Fiona needed to think about something and keep her mind at ease. The girl had a lot to think about but what was most important was that she was thinking about the right thing not dwelling on the wrong. Lucy and Callum met them at Maisie's room with both relieved to see Fiona there. Lucy hugged her tightly, with Callum complaining that she's been begging to see Fiona for the past two days. Fiona blushed but both were happy to know that Maisie had cared so much about a friend especially a new one who had showed she cared about her enough to take abuse for her. Their son Angus wasn't happy to be there but didn't say anything to Fiona or Greta. He was relieved to be able to go home now that he wasn't the focus of Maisie's attention. Fiona walked by him without saying a word, she and he hadn't spoken before and she didn't feel the need to talk with him at all especially as he was purposely avoiding her both times she had met him. Greta quietly asked what that was about, getting a somber, "Angus is upset that his sister isn't going to ever be able to return to being his little brother. He took her gender change hard, he dealt with a lot of abuse from the Enfield, Remington, McMillan, and Browning families. He has little support in school but their elder sons never tried anything there. But outside it was tough for him. He?s still struggling." Lucy added, "He got an offer for an apprenticeship with a local contractor so he thankfully doesn't have to endure the humiliation of having all doors shut on him in his profession when he graduates. The owner took a liking to him in school after working with him on a project last summer and offered the job. He seemed to understand what was happening with Angus more than anyone else. It's a godsend to Angus, the boy was told to not even bother with any companies or the union in the region as the four families forced him out. Without this job he?d have to give up his dream job." Greta grinned and added, "I'd expect nothing less from Dan Lopez." Lucy asked what she meant, she didn't mention the man's name but Greta seemed to know it. Greta happily explained, "He was looking for an electrician for his company and doesn't let anyone push him around. He has stronger backing than those families, they don't dare go against him as his in- laws would tear them apart. His sister-in-law is the one who is working on Maisie's behalf in the lawsuit against Pullen Point, Valerie Finn." Callum just about lost it as he realized that Angus Campbell had been protected by the most powerful family in Massachusetts even before they had met Fiona. Greta just nodded, adding, "He held off a lot of things going on behind the scenes at school involving Angus and their sons. They learned quickly that his connections were older, stronger, and more powerful than anything the families could bring against him. He had a reason for going after Angus as his new hire, he's perfect for Dan's business. He's the missing piece in their business and with luck should enable Dan to take on more work allowing Angus a chance to get more experience with Dan's crews than he'd have gotten otherwise. His knowing Fiona and by extension Kylie, Nichole, Mia, Nancy, Steven, Dante, and Margaret was a plus." Angus listened to them speaking about him without noticing him. He tried to say he wasn't taking any charity but Greta shook her head and explained, "He's paying better than you'd have gotten from the apprenticeships with the union-affiliated masters. He had you eyed for a reason: you are good. Your teachers and masters are all in agreement that you are someone worth hiring. He wants you to have a step up in the marketplace. His reputation is solid, it'll help you later on if/when you go it alone." Angus wasn't happy but had to accept the job offer. His parents saw his thinking and knew he'd come around, especially as he saw just how badly the four families were willing to go to get their way. They let it lay unsaid, he'd be happy with the job eventually but the feelings were still raw to him. Inside her room, Maisie was in tears as she greeted Fiona. Fiona saw her laying with hospital gown on and blankets over her legs, it was tough to see but Fiona steeled herself and didn't ask about how she felt. Maisie beat her to it by telling her, "It hurts a lot but I'm happy to finally be me. It's not as bad as when they beat me when I first started to dress as a girl at school, at least I can move my arms around. That day they broke my hand and forearm after they pushed me down the stairs. They got away with doing that but mom said someone is making them pay for doing that." Fiona hugged her, offering her a sad, "You didn't have to do that for me in the warehouse! The boys were so horny they ignored how long they were taking with me. I am used to guys doing that to me, you didn't need to take all of those strikes just for us. They hurt you a lot, you didn't need to do that." Maisie shook her head and shot back, "You don't get it, do you? Those boys would have killed us! I did what I did to get them to waste time and let our dads get there. I knew they'd hurt me a lot, I didn't want them to kill you before our dads got there. You six are my first real friends, I couldn't let them hurt you. I know them better than anyone, they are crazy and would kill us just to make make a point that they were better than everyone else. I don?t care that mom is going to be upset that I wasn?t making any new sperm, Angus will be a dad in a couple of years so it won't matter. You guys matter more." Fiona was firm, adding, "They still hurt the three of you badly. I don't ever want you to get hurt because you are being stubborn. I love you, Maisie. I can't see my loved ones hurt." The two hugged, letting their frustrations out as the girls finally admitted that they were more than friends: they were the best of friends. Maisie kissed her cheek again, telling her warmly, "I love you too, I missed having my best friend here." The two hugged for several minutes more with nothing being said as they watched the TV. Their parents entered with nothing being said about what went on. The two simply watched TV while their parents caught glimpses of them every now and then. Fiona finally left when visiting hours ended, with Maisie asking her to come back the next day followed by Greta giving her blessing. The drive home was made in silence as Fiona had a contented look on her face while staring out the window. Greta felt great about the girls with it being clear as day that they were closer than they had ever been before. It was nice to see this to her, the girls deserved normalcy and gave each other that. Flora wasn't happy to have missed out on the trip as she complained about being forced to help Valerie change her nephew Marcus' diapers. She whined about him giving her nasty presents making his aunt laugh at her expense. Greta nodded at hearing that, adding, "He likes you. He does it all of the time." Flora wasn't happy but it was better than him doing it because he didn't like her. She told Greta about what she did all day with Ella, and how Logan avoided her and Ella while the twins were busy with their friends leaving the two alone all day. She didn't know if it was something she had done but Greta happily told her, "They were being normal, the kids have their own friends and do their own things. Logan was grumpy because his friends were busy helping at the football game instead of with him. He was actually being punished for not doing his homework two nights in a row." Flora helped with dinner while Fiona stayed in her room doing homework. Flora seemed to be doing better especially after realizing that the twins weren't avoiding her as they had actually played a bit before running off next door and behind the house to play with their friends. Logan being grumpy and avoiding her made sense now especially as he was busy doing all of his homework as punishment. Over dinner Quentin explained that he had finally completed his current project early thanks to the kids forcing him to give up some of the work to his younger architects and only doing some supervisory work on their design changes. It was what he had wanted for a while but hadn't been able to do yet. It was the start of a few changes to come as he was being groomed to be the next VP of design. Greta was thrilled while Fiona tried to apologize for what happened. Quentin hugged her and Flora then had to explain, "We got so swamped the past year thanks to a rival having several of their projects fall through due to delays and poor designs that I wasn't able to receive the promotion as it would hurt us too much at the office. The senior VPs wanted me to sort out their bigger issues first and held off hiring anyone for the job because they only wanted me. You two gave them cause to promote me as I was able to show that the younger architects were ready for more responsibilities. You helped me." Flora and Fiona hugged him while Greta smiled at what it meant to Quentin. He added a happy, "They are offering me a partnership so I'm getting a big cut of the profits from the new designs and business. I'm finally at the top and the senior VPs think I could end up running the Boston office. If they are serious then I'm going to run the US division soon as they are consolidating all operations here." Quentin was giddy, Greta was giving him a sly grin which he caught. In bed that night he told her, "It's a serious move, the current CEO and President are going to split the business in three with me running the commercial and governmental designs business. It's a their biggest business, and their best designers are already here making the move to consolidate here a no-brainer. It's the stepping stone to running the whole business in a few years when the company is fully split. I am going to never have to work 20 hour days again." The next morning the family went up to visit Maisie, who cringed as she talked privately with Fiona. She meekly told Fiona, "I finally saw what they did to me down there. It's scary and doesn't look like what I wanted. It's all swollen and bloody and full of stitches." Fiona groaned as she explained, "It's because it's still healing. Mom said they take a few weeks to look 'normal' because of the healing. As long as it isn't a severe pain you are doing well. It'll look better when you are back home. It stinks that you can't go to school but I'll be over every day if mom allows." Flora entered to try to give Maisie some attention while Greta asked what they were talking about. Fiona tried to lie but Maisie was honest with her. Greta nodded, adding, "The girls complained about the same thing but it'll look better soon. It's major surgery, it takes time to recover and heal. Even your mom can understand how things don't go back to normal right away down there." The girls spent a lot of time talking with Flora trying hard to be on her best behavior but was clearly feeling off as she sat silently. Lucy asked what was bugging Flora, getting a simple, "Seeing the future" from Greta. It was what she wanted most but she was seeing the downside of the surgery as Maisie clearly wasn't back to normal yet and was feeling lethargic and more laid back than normal. Lucy watched as Flora finally eased up and started to talk more with Maisie while Fiona stopped to allow her sister the chance to have a heart to heart with someone who needed to talk. She left the room, letting the two girls know that they were alright to talk freely about things only they would understand. The two thanked her and waited for her to close the door then hugged with Flora saying, "I'm jealous." Maisie asked if she wanted the pain, humiliation, and feeling of having made someone feel terrible, getting a head shake followed by a soft, "You are still a full girl now. I'm not going to be one for a long time. I don't want to go through with what happened to you but it's tough not thinking that I'm wrong in being a boy on the outside and girl inside. I want my birth defect gone. I just want to be normal." She started to cry which Maisie knew to be her offering the pent up feelings that she hadn't had the chance to tell her new doctor. It was from the heart, but she didn't know how wrong she was. Maisie offered a comforting, "You are normal. Mom said we are just different but still normal. The boys who hurt us are the weirdos. You are the most normal girl around, you just haven't had the chance to be who you really are because others keep trying to act like you aren't and don't know the real you." Flora finally asked, "Do you really hurt a lot?" Maisie nodded, explaining, "It's like a dull ache that won't go away. It hurts when I move too much and my muscles feel like they are on fire at times. It's also a lot of pressure, like you can't poop but need to. It hurts but it's starting to not hurt as much." Flora seemed to understand. She hated feeling pain and dreaded feeling tired and being stuck in bed. She understood why she was protecting her, it wasn't all glamorous as she believed it to be. Flora eventually hugged her, it was the only thing she could do to admit that she appreciated what Maisie was doing for her. She understood now why she wanted to dissuade her, she wasn't thinking about hurting herself to enable the surgery but it was worth letting her know the downside to having her dream come true especially as it wasn't pleasant for anyone. The girls hugged with Flora kissing Maisie's cheek as she said goodbye. Maisie smiled at what she had done, she had ensured that Flora was all set for a long time and content to wait. She knew that she'd have to do some aftercare with Flora around would do the same but vocalizing the truth was needed. Fiona asked Flora if she was feeling better, getting a nod and happy, "She cared about me." Fiona smiled at that, it was true. The two shared a bond that Maisie and Fiona couldn't share. Greta hugged Maisie goodbye followed by Fiona, with Greta telling her that transport would be arranged by John Finn since she would do better in an ambulance than laid out in the backseat of the car. It was a little gesture from John but it was something he felt he needed to do for the girls' sake. Maisie would help Kylie and Mia deal with their own pain, with the girls spending time with her as well to ease Maisie's boredom. The drive home was quiet as the girls thought about school the next day. Maisie not being there made Fiona feel a sense of grief but she knew Maisie wouldn't want her to feel that way. Flora was dreading having to address the abduction as her classmates would inquire about what happened, knowing that she was likely to get blamed by a few for causing it in the first place even if it wasn't her fault. At home, Quentin had an angry look as he growled, "He's here. The sheriff finally made contact with the State Police to get the girls. He wasn't helped yet, but it's only a matter of time. Kennedy is making the necessary phone calls and Mick and Callum are making the necessary precautions at the schools. The fight is on."