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Chapter 9 Mick Jones, Kennedy, Callum, and Quentin discussed the situation with the State Police's fugitive recovery unit. The warrant shown was photographed and by them for the record with it being checked out against active warrants. To their surprise, it didn't match up. In fact, the warrants were for armed robbery, assault, and attempted murder instead of the simple robbery as he had previously claimed. The group fought laughs as they were now known to be using fake warrants and on top of that they were claiming that the incidents occurred during a time when the girls were known to be in New York. The troopers called to confirm with New York City Social Services that there was a report about the girls down there that was dated the day before making it clear that the girls were not in the state when it happened. The warrants would have to be justified which ensured the sheriff was there just for them. The girls listened to the adults talk and grew scared. They realized they were being sought out by the sheriff and were in danger of being brought back to Minnesota to face their foster parents and may not live long once they had their way with them. They gathered their belongings and fled, not wanting to chance the sheriff arresting them at the Nelson home. The girls slipped down through the back without being seen or heard and made their way towards Boston. They knew to avoid the major streets but still being new to the city and barely going outside and only really going to the Finns' home, Maisie's home, and the schools they found themselves going around in circles as they didn't know the neighborhood. It took them almost an hour to get through the mess of streets and past US1 to the heart of Winnisimmet and to a bus to Boston. During this walk they were seen by Angus Campbell who immediately called his father to ask if the girls were OK as he had just seen them walking down the street looking upset about something. Callum told Greta to look in on the girls then immediately went into crisis mode as they were missing. Greta felt horrible that they had heard them talking about the sheriff but she didn't blame them for fleeing as any rational person would flee too. The bus arrived at Haymarket and allowed the girls to start looking for a place to hide out for the night. It was tough to do as the temperature was starting to drop down to the low single digits forcing them to stay close to one another as they walked. There was no clear destination, they were trying their hardest to blend in and find anywhere they could stay without anyone noticing them. The girls wandered for over an hour as they followed Washington Street all the way to Dudley Station. The bus station was mostly deserted at that time and offered a couple of places to hide but before they could they were caught by Transit Police officers. The two tried to escape but then saw several Boston Police cruisers parked across the street making them think they were getting arrested so they gave up. They weren't being arrested, they didn't know that there was a Boston Police station across the street. The officers called for an ambulance to check out the girls then asked for their names. The girls refused to give them any information, knowing that as soon as they did they'd be arrested for their outstanding warrants. Seeing their shivering and fearing the worst the officers didn't press them, instead waited for EMS to come check them out before going further. Astrid Flynn was on duty and upon seeing Fiona and Flora there told the officers that she'd take it from there. She called Greta, who was relieved to hear that the girls were safe and asked that they be kept there. The transit officers took them to their station, with Astrid giving them the all clear as they just needed heat and likely a warm meal to get back to normal. At their Southampton Street station, the transit officers asked what was going on but Fiona and Flora refused to talk. They were trying to get information from them when Kennedy entered with Quentin and the state police troopers. Kennedy told the officers that she was going to take the girls off their hands, with Quentin explaining, "They are being held in protective custody due to imminent threats. It's why they fled their home and why they were trying to hide away from you. You may have saved their lives as they would have died tonight if they weren't caught by their pursuers first." The officers carefully worded their report to show that the kids were lost and held at the station until turned over to their parents. The officers had no problem lying, it was partially true and given that they had a higher officer helping them only made it more important to perpetuate that lie. They didn't need to know more details, they were sure they'd hear about it in the future. Kennedy drove the girls back to the Nelson home. She sighed and told them firmly, "You two are going to be protected by a lot of people. He won't get to you. He has to abide by the laws just like everyone else. You may have warrants for your arrest but you can't just be nabbed off the street for no reason and he can't just drag you away to another state without a court hearing to extradite you. You hurt Greta and Quentin but they are understanding. If they felt you were in danger you'd be with Valerie and John right now just like you were on Thursday night." The girls were silent and accepted their admonishment. It wasn't what they wanted to have happen, they just wanted to get away from the sheriff so Greta and Quentin weren't hurt by him. He wasn't a nice guy, they had seen how he was willing to act towards people who were trouble to him and was not afraid to go after them despite not being allowed to. At the Nelson home, Greta hugged the girls tightly while Quentin got them some food. They didn't make light of their running away, it didn't need to be said. The girls tried to apologize but both parents were adamant that they were doing what anyone would do in their position especially as they had a strong reason for trying to do so. They were safe now, it's all that mattered. The girls were put to bed with hugs and kisses from both as their anxiety finally overtook them. The two stayed up for a while until they were sure that the girls had actually stayed asleep and didn't slip out again. Quentin was the first to wake up and ensured they were still there before awakening the girls. The two ate breakfast in silence while Mick, Mike Daniels, and Alex Vincent kept watch over their street to ensure the sheriff didn't try to storm in while they were still groggy from sleep. Quentin got them dressed while Greta finally started to stir, getting upset that the girls weren't in their rooms. Seeing Quentin leading them back upstairs with the girls still in their pajamas eased her fears, with Quentin softly telling her, "They wouldn't have gotten far, Mick has eyes on the house." Greta ate then got the girls' schoolwork ready to go. They kissed Quentin goodbye then drove to the elementary school with Yvette King greeting them and taking Flora directly to her class while David Peterson, in full uniform, did a patrol around the school grounds with Ivan King to ensure nobody who wasn't a parent lingered too long. David had eyes on several potential people with one being a big possible, Ivan subtly agreed and directed the school's officer to check him out. Over at the middle school, Willie Pena was there in full uniform leading the seven to know something was going on. When Fiona arrived he and Todd Flynn were on her and stayed close, ensuring she was within reach at all times. Inside she was mobbed by the seven as she was seated in Mrs. Shriner's class with each trying to ask about what she had been up to since they last saw her Friday. Fiona sighed and told them, "I went up to see Maisie. She's still hurt and looked terrible. Flora wasn't doing well either, she hates that she has to wait to get her surgery until she's 18 but knows not to push things or hurt herself." The six turned to Nichole who offered a solemn, "It'll take a couple of weeks for it to stop hurting but the worst is already over. When the packing is removed it'll be a lot easier on her since it's the clearest indication that there's nothing down there anymore. I know it hurts to see her like that, but stay strong." Mrs. Shriner let them talk, she was interested in hearing about Maisie but didn't want to pry too much. She kept the others from asking the seven about her but hearing it from Fiona was different. She felt for Maisie, Mrs. Shriner had no idea what the surgery entailed but hearing Fiona talk about it made her glad that she had been there for her friend especially as it sounded like it was as much mental anguish as physical pain that she had to endure. The girls tried to ask about Sunday night, Fiona looked down in shame as she knew that the girls had to have already known from Kennedy and Willie. Fiona sighed deeply then told them the truth, fearing a lie would make things worse. She admitted, "We ran off. We have our old sheriff after us. He wants to take us back to Minnesota so our foster parents can prostitute us. We don't want to go back, we can't. He's going to kill us or make us into prostitutes again and ensure we can't run away again." Mrs. Shriner stepped out and called her husband, a federal court judge over in Boston. She knew he'd likely get the case and asked him to double-check everything as she didn't want the girls to get hurt because someone didn't pay attention to the paperwork or the claims. He read between the lines and told her that he'd do what was legal and justified, but she knew he'd ensure they were staying put. Dorothy Taylor and Alice Porter were busy ensuring that Fiona was unreachable by all but a select few. Ian Bailey was acting as Fiona's bodyguard by being close by and patrolling the 6th grade floor while the Perez twins patrolled the 7th and 8th grade floors. The trio would be downstairs during lunch and when the 6th graders had gym class in the early afternoon. The girls kept Fiona occupied all day and kept their classmates from asking about Maisie. She knew more than anyone else but none were willing to press for more information. The few who were daring didn't get beyond a few simple, "She's doing fine" but little else. During lunch, the girls noticed Ian, Sebastian, and Fabian staying close to them. Fiona sighed at seeing them but Nichole told her that they were there to protect her not arrest her. It didn't matter to her, the sheriff would be on her as soon as he got the OK to do so no matter how much protection she had. He always had a way of getting his way even if it wasn't legal. Over in Boston earlier that day, Sheriff Jefferson Coltrane met with members of the Massachusetts State Police fugitive recovery unit to attempt to plan the apprehension of two wanted fugitives. The girls were described as young but having a violent streak and not afraid to assault police and had been known to have brandished guns before. That last part was completely true, but only in so much as the girls had been taught to shoot targets and learn gun safety as part of field trips made annually to give the kids a hard education in gun. The troopers were aware of what was going on and were under orders to listen, record the meeting, then report to Kennedy who would be representing the Commonwealth on behalf of the girls. Sheriff Coltrane wasn't aware of the troopers doing this, they told him they were recording and would were using it as a record of the meeting. The man either ignored it, didn't hear, or didn't care about it and continued on lying to them about the girls. Sheriff Coltrane kept going on about the girls' actions including information about how Fiona was a prostitute, how they extorted their foster parents, how they tried to murder their foster parents after they stopped Fiona from claiming she was raped, how they assaulted a local boy after he refused to pay them to settle claims of having sex with them. It was all hot air as the more information he gave them the less it made sense as the times were way off and known to be bogus to the state troopers. After waiting for a signal from Kennedy they finally left to go directly to the superior court building to seek the actual arrest and extradition back to Minnesota. The judge on duty listened to the sheriff ask for a local warrant for their arrest then denied it based on a lack of information. He then told them as they hadn't committed a crime in the state they were free to go about their lives despite the warrant being active, until they actually broke the law they couldn't apprehend them. Sheriff Coltrane was outraged especially as Kennedy entered and handed the judge the official response from the Commonwealth regarding the girls' warrants. Governor Christian James was denying the request from Minnesota to extradite the girls based upon the fact that they hadn't broken the law in Massachusetts, had been out of the state when the crimes were reported, and had not had a proper hearing yet. Further, he had alerted them about coming for an entirely different set of crimes which he had claimed to the courts in Minnesota thus needed to clarify with them and refile. The judge grinned and denied the request, citing legal precedents barring their extradition west. Sheriff Coltrane was outraged and told the judge he was going to ensure that he faced discipline for ignoring his state's rights. The judge simply stated, "My hands are tied." As the hearing was taking place in Boston, a similar hearing was taking place out in Lake Wobegon at the Keillor County courthouse. The Minnesota Attorney General made a rare personal appearance in court before Judge Gary Keillor to plead on behalf of the girls against the county prosecutor. The fact that the woman was going up against her own sister wasn't lost Judge Keillor, the two had been rivals for years but this was not personal for either, it was pure business judging by their demeanor in court. Lydia Olson was the elder sister and had been politically active for 20 years, earning her way up the ranks from assistant county prosecutor to assistant attorney general to finally candidate for attorney general. Layla Olson was younger and had ambitions of higher office but was stuck dwelling in Keillor County in the shadow of her sister. The two often butted heads as the impulsive Layla wasn't afraid to go after people aggressively if she felt that she could benefit from their successful prosecution while Lydia was lighter on offenders as she felt the higher- ups were the ones to go after to successfully suppress crime in their state. Lydia hadn't informed her sister that she was going to be there which was a strong indication that this was serious and whatever she had against her sister needed to be put off until later. Layla was not going to like what she heard but she had little reason to fear for herself, her information was solid and she had strong supporting witnesses to back up the claims against the girls. The fact that she was there with the governor's chief of staff scared her more, he was no big fan of her work and had let her know on multiple occasions that she was never going to raise above county prosecutor due to her actions. Judge Keillor called court to order and asked why Lydia had demanded a probable cause hearing on behalf of two children wanted for serious crimes. Lydia asked for and got the court officers to seal the courtroom with all documents sealed as it was a sensitive case. Judge Keillor read the request by the state and several federal agencies and agreed with her request, overruling Layla's automatic objections and as it was a case involving minors this was automatically going to happen by rule. Lydia looked at her sister then stated, "Your honor, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has asked for a probable cause hearing on behalf of two children who are currently being sought for arrest by our state. This hearing is needed as it is feared that should the warrants stand the two children would be harmed by multiple parties who have influenced Keillor County into seeking the two. We believe that our colleagues in Massachusetts are right in asking for a hearing and have agreed to hold off our official request to the Commonwealth until this hearing has determined the truth. My sister is hereby overruled by myself and our governor in this matter as it's a state-level situation not county-level due to my counterpart in Massachusetts taking direct action on behalf of her governor." Judge Keillor read between the lines and saw what was really going on and had to agree that something smelled funny about the whole situation. Layla read the brief and asked that the girls be returned for prosecution as the county had reasonable belief that they had committed the crimes based on the statements by multiple witnesses. Judge Keillor humored her, he was ready to rule already but still felt the need to have her put herself out there and reveal why she was so adamantly going after the girls. Layla laid out her case by stating, "Fiona and Franklin AKA Flora Richards are wanted for assaulting and trying to murder their foster parents back in November. The assault was prompted by the two trying to extort their foster parents by claiming sexual assault. After being stopped they stole $1,000 from their victims and then assaulted a local boy as they stole his car before fleeing the state." Judge Keillor read the statements by the foster parents and the boy. The boy was in eighth grade and was known by Judge Keillor to have been constantly seeking companionship with Fiona making his statements dubious. He would know best, the boy was his great-nephew and a nephew of Sheriff Coltrane making Judge Keillor see that this was all a load of garbage intent on getting at the girls. Judge Keillor gave Lydia the opportunity to refute the claims, knowing that they were backed up simply by seeing the large folder in front of her. Lydia shook her head as she heard her sister talk and readied herself for the big smackdown. It pained her to knock her sister down but this had to be done as she was doing what amounted to state-sponsored kidnapping. Lydia calmly stated, "The state has read over the claims and have multiple verified statements from witnesses who encountered the girls in the past three and a half months. After fleeing the state the girls stayed in multiple train stations in Chicago where witnesses attest to the girls helping dozens of elderly passengers as well as keeping several crimes from occurring by their presence on-board the trains and in the stations themselves. After fleeing they stayed in Washington, DC. where they are known to several caretakers of parks. All of this was before the crimes are said to have taken place." She shook her head again then continued, "After fleeing they stayed in New York and have been seen shoplifting from multiple stores but only ever taking food. They were finally found by social services who informed Keillor County that they were with them and were asked to return them. The two fled from social services, going to the Boston area where they stayed under the radar for a month. During a cold night they were found huddled in an office building and taken to a hospital, later being placed in the care of a local reserve police officer and his wife. This is when the county was again notified about the two being found. There was no mention of any warrant at the time in either New York or Boston." Judge Keillor noted the timeline and asked, "Had they returned to Minnesota during the intermediate time period?" Lydia was quick to state, "No. In fact, there are records of the two obtaining a library card in four separate municipalities with the two being on camera in Boston coming and going from the office building that they had been staying at. As you can see, the warrant was only issued several days after the first contact with Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. I have statements from multiple police officers and federal agents attesting to no warrants for the two being on record yet." Judge Keillor grinned as Layla tried to come up with a way of showing that the two could have still committed the crime. When she finally did she asked, "It is my understanding that they were wanted for a crime that happened in August. Surely that is enough for extradition." Judge Keillor grinned as she had fallen for the trap Lydia had set. Lydia calmly stated, "We have copies of two warrants. One was issued by your office after initial contact only to be revoked. This was was for a crime alleged to have occurred in August, that of larceny of $500 from their foster parents. This was a warrant for both, which was a violation of their rights as neither was in the state when it was alleged to have occurred. If you read the statement, it's the same wording as on the new warrant only this time it was expanded to include extortion, attempted murder, assault, and a new witness." Judge Keillor read it and laughed. He looked at Layla and loudly told her, "You didn't come prepared. I am sorry that your pet project blew up in your face, but this is a serious situation. The fact that a similar warrant exists that shows the two being sought for nearly the same crime but earlier then that there was corroborating evidence that no crime occurred during that time is staggering." Judge Keillor thought of something then asked Lydia, "Am I to take it that there is going to be a fight with Massachusetts over the two?" Lydia firmly stated, "They are prepared to go into federal court as we speak. Sheriff Coltrane is already in Massachusetts and is seeking the two himself. Your honor, this is highly unusual behavior and based upon who is involved I believe this is a life or death situation." Judge Keillor agreed, turning to Layla he proclaimed, "The warrant is hereby rescinded with prejudice. Fiona and Franklin Richards are hereby cleared of all charges. I am issuing an arrest warrant for all parties involved as it is clear that Sheriff Coltrane has lied to the court twice and only sought out the two after being contacted rather than after the crimes occurred. They may very well have committed a crime, but I have little doubt that what occurred was within reason given the circumstances. Further prosecution against Fiona and Franklin Richards is hereby stopped." Layla was outraged, yelling at the judge for ruining her career. This was to be her ticket to the top but he had just ensured that she was stuck wallowing in county courts prosecuting jaywalkers and speeding tickets for the next decade. Judge Keillor shook his head and let her make a spectacle of herself, with her sister calmly telling her, "You don't use your office for personal purposes, just be glad that it's me here and not one of my assistants or you'd be up on charges of misuse of public office." Layla was led out by deputy sheriffs while Lydia made a phone call to Kennedy. Judge Keillor added, "Sheriff Coltrane is now wanted for filing false claims, criminal conspiracy, perjury, and witness intimidation. He is also to answer why he was the one to go east instead of one of his deputies and the deputy attorney general or assistant county prosecutor, but I believe that was going to happen anyway given your involvement directly. Good luck." Lydia watched as Layla tried to contact Sheriff Coltrane to warn him, only to have her phone seized by the deputies as Judge Keillor realized just how involved she was. Layla was taken into custody with Lydia shaking her head at her sister being raked over the coals while she herself had to recuse herself from the prosecution. It pained her but Layla created her own mess, she chose to ignore the rights of the girls in favor of glory and a promotion so she had to live with the consequences. Over in Boston a short time later, Sheriff Coltrane made his way angrily over to the federal courthouse in South Boston. Kennedy was hot on his heels with the declaration from Lydia fresh from the fax machine stating that all further prosecution against the girls was to cease as well as having an arrest warrant for the sheriff. Kennedy had to smirk at that, with Callum catching her smirk as she went past security into the US Attorney's office. Kennedy laid out what happened and why to the Assistant US Attorney. The AUSA listened and asked why the Commonwealth had an interest in two low level criminals to which Kennedy asked Callum to take over. The AUSA tried to think of a way out of the situation but Callum being involved was nasty. Callum happily informed him, "The two are being targeted by Sheriff Coltrane due to their involvement in a child prostitution ring. They fled east to escape before the younger one was put down the path of being a child sex worker. Their leaving caused the whole operation to start to crumble as the couple coordinating tried to find replacements. This has led to multiple agencies being made aware of the attempts with our agency being the ones who had the strongest evidence against them. If they are allowed to go west they will either end up as sex slaves or will be murdered for not cooperating. It's our belief that the elder of the two is already going to be killed as an example to the younger one." Kennedy added, "The Commonwealth is aware of the implications to your boss's future and could not care any less about it. This is the rights of two youngsters, we will not allow you to play political games with them just so you can look good for the new President. Madame President has already made her choice, if you haven't already been retained then you aren't coming back after the 1st of the year." The AUSA glared at her but Callum growled, "She knows more about what's really going on than you, she refused to be appointed as the new US Attorney because of people like you, so save it. You are done, no amount of politicking will save your career. Take the job offer from the private firm before you end up out on your ass as I am sure that they will hear about your actions today by tonight." He growled that they would pay for daring to talk to him like that, but made it in front of several other marshals who asked him to repeat that threat against their fellow deputy. He growled that they'd pay for daring to question his prosecution of criminals earning a grin from the FBI agent who was with them as a liaison for the task force. He happily pointed out, "Let me see if I understand this correctly, you are knowingly about to commit a violation of the civil rights of Fiona and Franklin AKA Flora Richards because you are seeking political influence for trying two children who were cleared by the courts in their former home state less than an hour ago? That you are disregarding their constitutional rights in order to score favor with the new USAs in neighboring districts? Please, continue. I do believe that Mr. and Mrs. James there will be happy to petition the courts to have you removed then sue your ass for harming their clients." His face went white the marshals all said, "That's exactly what he did." The agent grinned, placed him in handcuffs, and led him downstairs to Judge Shriner's courtroom and had him arraigned on criminal threats to federal federal officials as well as violating the civil rights of Flora and Fiona. Judge Shriner was swift to set bail conditions against him then ask that he be suspended pending termination for this glaring violation of the girls? rights and abusing his office for personal gain. Paul and Alexandra James were at the courthouse to appeal on behalf of the girls but had to let Callum and Kennedy handle this as they were forced to take a meeting with the acting USA regarding the girls' rights being violated by the wayward AUSA. The USA simply told his clerk and senior assistants to prosecute the AUSA then removed his backing for the man's new job offer. The couple then filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the girls making sure to cite multiple rulings and precedents then the man's own words while getting deputy marshals and FBI agent to offer their own statements against the man. As the wayward AUSA was sitting awaiting removal Kennedy, Callum, and the task force entered and met with the judge while Sheriff Coltrane swaggered in with an inflated sense that he was going to win simply because legal precedent by the US Supreme Court was in favor of granting extradition by states despite states refusing to do so. He was so sure of himself that he told Kennedy that he had better have the girls in his hands by 3PM or he'd have her arrested for kidnapping. The deputies shook their heads at his stupidity, Judge Shriner had already entered and heard everything giving him a strong impression about Sheriff Coltrane's lack of foresight and strong ego. The clerk called court to order and the wayward AUSA came into the courtroom and tried to claim that the US government would not stand for the egregious act of denying the constitutional rights of another state by violating the full faith and credit clause of the US Constitution. Judge Shriner was interrupted by another AUSA entering quickly, handing a paper to the clerk, then announcing in front of the court, "My colleague is speaking out of turn and the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts hereby states that he will not grant any action as it is not our place to do so. He has stated that it is his belief that the two states have a right to act in court but it is not a matter for us to decide on our own what to enforce so therefore my colleague is acting on his own and is hereby terminated." Judge Shriner nodded then instructed the deputies to remove the offending AUSA while Coltrane loudly complained that they couldn't do that. Judge Shriner happily pointed out, "This is an issue between states and you aren't even the one who is supposed to be arguing on behalf of Minnesota so please shut your mouth. Now let us get down to business as I would like to inform my wife that she doesn't have to worry anymore about you kidnapping her student and can take an early lunch." Kennedy smirked and called her replacement to the front to argue in front of the judge. Judge Shriner asked her what was going on, to which Kennedy had to explain, "I must recuse myself due to a conflict of interest due to a mutual acquaintance as your wife is teaching my daughter, my cousin's son, and my husband's cousin's daughter. As much as I would like to argue in front of you, even Sheriff Coltrane and the State of Minnesota have rights and to argue in front of you knowing the connection violates them." Kennedy's replacement was one that caused Judge Shriner to laugh as Angela Victor, Kennedy's new boss and the recently appointed Massachusetts Attorney General, appeared. She dispensed with the formalities and presented the statement from Governor of Massachusetts Christian James and his counterpart, the Governor of Minnesota, as well as the statements from her counterpart Lydia. Judge Shriner smirked and nodded, setting Sheriff Coltrane up for downfall. Judge Shriner called court to order and asked for the request in writing. Sheriff Coltrane presented his statement, a copy of the warrant, and the statement from Layla that the State of Minnesota was seeking the extradition of Fiona and Flora. Judge Shriner read over the statements and warrant and nodded then asked if they were up to date, getting a terse, "Yes" from Sheriff Coltrane. Judge Shriner laughed, turned to Sheriff Coltrane, then announced, "As of this morning there is no warrant. Further, the State of Minnesota has a warrant for your arrest for multiple crimes including conspiracy, perjury, false claims, and witness intimidation. As you are already in my court you are hereby placed under arrest per order of the US Marshal for the District of Minnesota for federal civil rights violations stemming from the same court filings. Fiona and Franklin Richards need not worry as they were cleared of all legal issues by your state. Case is hereby dismissed with prejudice." Sheriff Coltrane loudly proclaimed, "You can't protect them forever! I'll get those kids back! I'll be out in an hour and be back with help! I'll get those kids!" Judge Shriner just grinned then told the court deputies to add attempted threats against federal officials to the list of his existing federal charges with intent to file conspiracy charges if/when the girls should actually be touched by whomever he had hired to kidnap them make their attempts. Callum nodded while his colleagues led Sheriff Coltrane out. Angela had an idea about who was going to go after the girls and didn't like it- the McMillan, Enfield, Remington, and Browning families were still active with the fathers being the most likely to try something further. Sheriff Coltrane wasn't a fool. The night before he figured he would need backup, through his contacts in the region he sought out the best backup he could afford to take down the girls just in case they had things go their way. He had a late night meeting with local crews and got a meeting with just the right people for the job. The four families were kings of Pullen Point and ruled with an iron fist with much of their money and power coming from extortion and buying into businesses with steady profits. They owned several dozen businesses outright due to gradually buying out the old owners and used them as legitimate sources to launder their racketeering money. The businesses they didn't own paid them to stay away for fear that they would burn their stores or harm their families. Sheriff Coltrane met with the head of the four families, Lewis Enfield, to discuss what they could do for him. Hearing the names of the girls caused Enfield to happily help him in any way possible as he explained just how much trouble they had caused the families. He himself had lost his son Lee, nephews Barrett, Sig, and Colt, and his sisters Bessie, Pepper, and Winnie to the girls' actions. The two talked for two hours as Sheriff Coltrane told him about quite a few things about the girls, most of which preyed on Lewis' bigotry and fear of change. He got some feelers out about where the girls were living and who they were staying with and didn't like what he heard. The girls were staying with a cop whose wife was related to a federal agent who was also highly connected to other cops. It smelled bad but it wasn't something that Lewis hadn't experienced before. Money talked, so did violence. He'd have a talk with Greta and Quentin about the girls and if they didn't he'd take it out on them. He had no problem snatching the girls and hurting them, they deserved nothing less in his eyes. Lewis didn't hear back from Sheriff Coltrane right away on Monday. The court should have given the girls to him right away, his legal advisers had assured him that they were as good as his and all he had to do was show the warrants and they would be ordered surrendered to him. It was concerning and the longer he was out of contact the more he grew fearful. Something was going on. He finally had enough and called his moles inside the federal courthouse to get information about the sheriff. As soon as his moles started to ask questions they were taken into custody to be questioned by Callum and his fellow deputies. A pattern started to emerge as the moles all talked, knowing that they were going to get prison no matter what since they were directly tied to prior leaks at the courthouse. Callum listened and grinned, called his colleagues to set up a sting, then called Greta and Quentin to get their view on what to do. They weren't happy but they knew this was for the best as they now had a new set of people to go after. They decided to make things work in their favor by ensnaring the four families into a trap where they'd turn on one another bringing down all of them in one fell swoop. The girls were not told about what was going on. They were left out of the loop on purpose as this time it was not just so they wouldn't get scared, this was really dangerous and the wrong words to the wrong person could cause a lot of harm to come to them and others around them. The four families had their claws into a lot of things including several officers in Winnisimmet who hadn't made their move against Willie yet but were known to be in their pocket. The girls went to bed without a fear after talking on the phone with Maisie who told them she was getting out in two days. Maisie was happy to hear that she wasn't the topic in school and that Fiona had adjusted to class. She was glad that Nichole was there to help the others as well, only she wold know what she was feeling and understood her without having talked with her yet. In the morning, the girls went to school with Mick, Mike, and Alex again keeping an eye out for people and had already spotted their quarry. To their surprise it was the four fathers themselves leading the pack as they gave directions to minions who surrounded the schools. It was a clear snatch and grab situation, they were gunning for both girls and split up to cover both schools at the same time. Their colleagues at the FBI relayed that the men had been captured on bugs talking about the snatching with all four ready to just kill the girls to end things. The men were armed and had everything ready to go for the snatch, they just needed to wait for the right moment. They'd do it at recess and during the pre-planned fire drill, the only times the girls would be outside the school and, "Vulnerable." They were ready for everything, only they didn't expect that Mick's team were ready to counter their own attempts. During the fire drill itself, Fiona stuck close to the other girls and had them surrounding her making her inaccessible without having all of the girls fighting them off. Flora though was only with the trio and followed behind Mr. King, blissfully unaware of the danger looming. As the girls exited Mick's team spotted the four fathers moving towards her with Flora getting grabbed by Lewis himself. She kicked, bit, punched, and finally kneed him hard enough to cause him to keel over and puke in front of her. The other three tried to get at her but were brought down by Ella, Daisy, and Faith who all kicked them hard in the shins and knees then kicked their heads until the were unconscious. The plan failed. The girls were safe thanks to the on unexpected kink: Flora?s friends. Chapter 10 The Enfield, McMillan, Browning, and Remington families were in disarray as the four heads of the families were charged with criminal conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping alongside their additional charges of assault and battery on a minor. Their veneer of being upstanding citizens and pillars of Pullen Point was torn away revealing the ugly truth behind the families for all in their hometown to see. There was little they could do to stem the flow of ill will towards them as it was public, the attempts caught on camera, and with hundreds of witnesses. The four fathers had to rally their families but they were being kept away from any outside influences due to potential threats to the girls still lingering and the widely known corruption of police in several cities. The men fought and tried to exert pressure but the deputies happily told them that their sons hurt one of their own, with the names, "Mia and Nancy Flynn" ringing in their ears as the deputies happily explained that they weren't being allowed to hurt the little girl who captured their hearts. They only communications allowed were with pre- cleared lawyers, none of who had any connection to the four families nor would bend to pressure from them to get the four out through exertion, extortion, or any other means other than the courts. Lewis Enfield experienced the worst pressure from inmates as his role as mastermind of the whole plot was revealed and led to a near riot by the dozens of fathers among the inmates who refused to let their hurting kids go unpunished. Several drug offenders went so far as to threaten to ensure that the four got the same treatment the girls were going to get from the four families, only they would ensure that the four actually met their faithful end instead of having others do it for them. Lewis tried to act tough but a beating by inmates wiped the swagger away as the threats were reiterated and started to sink in as being legitimate promises. Lewis constantly complained about being kept away from his family, fighting with guards and inmates to get his way but only ending up in solitary confinement as punishment then finally to keep him from others as he had finally pissed off the whole of the Nashua Street Jail. The other three fared better but were kept under constant guard as they could still have ways of getting word out. Their lawyers were of little use to them outside of court issues, they weren't playing their games and bowing to their threats nor did they let their egos dictate where their cases would lead. The whole situation blew up in the face of Sheriff Coltrane as he now faced additional charges that would ensure he never left Massachusetts except to face charges back in Minnesota. At his arraignment on Tuesday he swore he'd get out but the federal judge ignored his boasts, remanding him to jail until trial due to his being a flight risk. Sheriff Coltrane was mocked and treated like any other inmate with the deputies happily telling him that he was going to be kept safe for his own protection because they had to, not because he deserved it. The Minnesota media were made aware of his antics and picked up on the story, leading to Keillor County needing to find both a new prosecutor and a new sheriff in the near future. Layla Olson had been forced to resign in humiliation as her affair with Sheriff Coltrane came to light followed by her attempt to remove two girls from their foster families in another state for questionable criminal charges that were later shot down by the court. Her sister wasn't happy to ask her to resign but it was clear she couldn't continue in her role. Sheriff Coltrane was found to have been in violation of multiple statutes in his appearance in Boston on behalf of the state. He had no right to represent the State of Minnesota in either court, had no right to be there as he was supposed to be in the state for a meeting with the county council, and let a major incident that required his being there to happen on his watch as a bank robbery and manhunt had occurred Sunday night. His newer charges, stemming from the meeting with the four family heads, only added fuel to the fires against his remaining in office as he was seen as being unfit and criminal. It was tough to do, but Lydia got the proper procedures for removing him laid down and forced the county to accept the need for a recall election as well as ensuring that he himself would be facing charges in the state for his actions against the girls. The few who supported Sheriff Coltrane ended up being exposed as being paid off by his family or by others who had connections to him. Lydia was following the money and exposed dozens for their misdeeds, all connected to Sheriff Coltrane in some way especially the nephew who lied on the statement used to get the arrest warrants for the girls. Sheriff Coltrane's actions had far-reaching implications as Callum Campbell's task force found their ways into the organization that he was part of. They filled in gaps that were opened within the ring with undercover operatives then getting dirt on key players including the girls' former foster parents. One agent hit pay dirt as he was shown pictures of the girls nude with Fiona shown having sex with a client, none other than her foster father himself. It took all of his strength to not act right away but Callum endured the anger and frustration by trying to focus on other suspects and strengthening his case. Layla was implicated as being one of the recipients of profits from the ring, with much of her campaign being financed by the ring. What she had done was essentially create a safe location for the group to operate a she refused to prosecute those who were involved and brought up falsified or altered charges against anyone who ratted- including the girls. Lydia was outraged when she was told that her sister was involved and likely going to prison but knew that it was the explanation for why everything had happened including her apathy and ignorance about the situation. She was ashamed of herself for being related to Layla but it was her own doing, not Lydia's. The only bright spot was Lydia was singled out for being the one who stood up for two who had nobody to stand up for them and actually acted in the best interests of the girls instead of their own. Callum worked for a week but had all of the major players identified with multiple deputies and sheriffs in several states being known while the actual hierarchy was a lot simpler than thought. It was just Sheriff Coltrane, the foster parents, and Layla in Minnesota with copies of the triumvirate being used in other states to keep it self-contained. Each major region had a triumvirate, theirs was the most organized and fueled many of the adjacent ones as clients went from one to another to keep unnoticed. The real link was the Layla, who was linked to the whole operation through ex-boyfriends and close friends. Her sex life turned out to be one that would make even the most debauched person sick to their stomach as she was an active partaker in the girls in captivity especially girls on the cusp of puberty- like Fiona had been. She organized most of the triumvirates and got the right people to protect them, as they ended up in her debt causing them to funnel money to her for ?protection? and organizing it all. Callum had no problem ripping apart the organization from the ground up, with the biggest links in custody it was fairly easy with many willing to turn on one another to get lighter sentences. The smaller fish tried to save their skins and turned on their suppliers who turned on the distributors bringing down the operation as the heads in Chicago, Milwaukee, Des Moines, Grand Rapids, Lincoln, and Kansas City all fell to the investigation. Dozens of children were found who had been thought lost and who had been put in foster care in the same manner as Fiona and Flora after their parents died alone. Fiona and Flora's former foster parents tried to run but Lydia had them picked up right away after the court hearing to go after the girls, she took no chances and saw an opportunity to be able to give the feds help before it was too late to do so. Callum could have kissed her for that forethought had they both not been married but she appreciated the sentiments. She laughed it off, the man made her day with the appreciation. Judge Keillor happily denied bail to the foster parents while FBI agents took them into federal custody to ensure that they didn't escape due to deputies who were involved or sympathetic to their plight. The two fought the agents with both ending up getting Tasered and pepper sprayed as well as earning time in solitary confinement at the federal jail in Chicago. It was all over for the two, their whole world came crashing down thanks to Fiona and Flora escaping. Callum's hard work resulted in him being away from Maisie for several days. She knew that he was working hard on his current case but had no clue that it involved Fiona. She loved her father, but it stung that he had been unable to be there when she was released from the hospital and flown south. John Finn really went all out for her as Maisie and Lucy flew in a private jet south under the watchful eye of Olivia Samuels. Olivia was there as both a nurse and as the mother of one of Maisie's new friends and would be forced by the girls to tell them about Maisie once they returned home. Maisie understood and was grateful that they cared about her even if they were stuck in school all day unable to meet here when she arrived back home. Fiona was already home when they drove to the Campbell house. Flora was reluctantly with them and was grumpy that she was missing out on playtime with the girls. Seeing Maisie walking caused her to grow happier, with Fiona all but toppling Maisie as she walked up the stairs to the porch. The two hugged tightly with Fiona crying into her shoulder while Maisie held off crying herself. Lucy led them inside and insisted that Maisie lay down on the couch followed by Olivia ensuring that Maisie followed orders and knew how to wash, clean, wipe, and dilate her vagina. Fiona cringed while Flora tried to giggle only to be told, "Laugh it up, but it's something you will need to know too in 10 years. Just be glad you have seen the downside of having surgery firsthand before your own." Flora nodded and hugged Maisie, whispering, "I love making Fiona cringe which is why I do that." Maisie nodded in understanding, it was her being a pesky little sister more than anything. She loved Fiona but it was something all little sisters knew how to do, Maisie did it herself to her brother Angus every chance she had. Lucy asked how the girls got there, only to be told, "Our sister is next door kissing" by Flora. Olivia rolled her eyes and told her, "They better not be kissing too much or your mom will be upset." She then explained, "Your neighbors are the Vincents, Eric is dating their sister Jessica. He?s probably over there to keep an eye on his younger brother for the evening." Lucy understood while Maisie realized that she wasn't the only transgender person on the block. Olivia grinned and added, "Trinity lives down one street and Kylie lives down another. We live a block and a half over as does Mia and Nichole. That also means Dante and Steven are a block away and Nancy a block and a half so you will have plenty of friends close by. And you already know where Fiona lives." Lucy looked at Maisie who was giddy as she realized she'd have a lot of visitors soon. Olivia grinned as Lucy tried to let this sink in while Fiona asked if they were going to visit her the next day. Olivia nodded, adding a firm, "They want her to keep up to date in school. She can't slack off either as Mrs. Taylor lives a block down too and she has plenty of tutors close by with Oscar, Sam, Iris, Rachel, Rebecca, Stacy, Francesca, Polly, Thomas, Reyna, Ashley, Bryan, and Paige close by." Lucy was going to say something but Olivia happily added, "They won't let her do without help. That's not counting the help John, Valerie, Dan, Beth, Ben, Sean, Danielle, and Amanda would give her if she needed it. They won't let her fall behind, not if they can help it. She has support and acceptance now." The gathering was interrupted by Angus returning from school. He looked up at his sister and went on his way, not even bothering to say anything. Lucy shook her head at the sight, he was still struggling with his sister being whole and finally becoming comfortable with herself. Olivia asked if he had talked with anyone yet about what happened. Lucy shook her head, explaining, "He's his father's son. Maisie takes after me. He's still in shock, it's been a week but it still hurts him." Olivia smiled and walked up to Angus' room, asking to speak with him. He let her in, not wanting to upset his mother by being rude to Olivia and possibly upsetting his sister even more than he already has. Olivia looked around the room and saw a young man who was missing his brother terribly but didn't notice that even as a boy Maisie was his sister not his brother. Angus knew she wanted to talk about his attitude and gave in, expecting her to rip into him about his apathy towards his sister. Olivia sat across form him on the bed and told him warmly, "You need to accept that Marshall never existed. Behind that boy exterior was your sister, not your brother." Angus tried to put on a brave face but finally broke down, mumbling through tears, "Malcom?s never coming back, is he?" Olivia was honest, replying, "He never existed. Maisie was always there for all to see. Look at her in those pictures and honestly tell me that your long-haired sibling isn't a girl. She's hanging off you like my daughter hangs off her brothers. Look at her clothes and her toys, she has dolls and is wearing a girl's t-shirt and jeans. Your mom got those for her when she first came out, you didn't get told until much later. She was your sister then, you didn't know it yet though." He looked closely and saw the buttons were on the wrong side and the pockets were fake. Olivia added, "She had her hair long as a sign of being a girl more than a boy. It styled easily into a girly style with a couple of clips and headbands. As she got older and you moved to Pullen Point things got worse for her as you can see from the next few pictures. When she finally stopped fighting her inner self she became happier as she finally became the girl that she truly was. That's why she's back to being happy in those last few pictures. She was being herself, not trying to hide who she really was." It had been the first time Angus had truly seen his sister in the old pictures. Two years spent in Pullen Point were hell for her, then she comes out and is suddenly happy. She hated school bu that was due to others not liking her and being allowed to be scum to her, since then she has been ecstatic about school especially now that she had real friends in Fiona and the others. Angus felt horrible about his attitude. Olivia smiled at him and explained, "It's always tough on family of girls and boys like your sister. You wanted your brother back, but you never had one. Your dad went through the same feelings but he was told the truth about not letting her transition- she could commit suicide or she could harm herself seriously. It happens far too often in kids like her. She needed to be her true self. You have been very busy with school and football and I have no doubt that you were purposely kept busy so you didn't blame yourself for what was happening to your sister. You have to accept her for what she is, not what she was. You have a lovely sister who will make a boy happy in the future. Be the big brother you already are to her, protect her like a big brother protects his little sister. Show her you love her and accept who she is, not hide away and wallow in false memories of the past." Olivia left him alone to think over what she had told him. Downstairs Lucy asked if it was alright now. Olivia nodded, but added, "He may need a support group or a counselor to talk with him about what is going on. It's a lot to deal with and he has been holding it in for years. He loves her, he just needs to talk with someone about it. It'll get worse when she grows breasts, well bigger ones than she has now." Maisie blushed while Flora giggled. Olivia gave her a crooked smile which caused her to stop but it was more along the lines of, "You'll get them too" which she realized on her own. Fiona rolled her eyes but was happy that it was not something bad, he was feeling the same as her but had less troubles. Fiona and Flora left as Greta entered, with Greta hugging Maisie while Lucy thanked her for letting the kids come by. Greta was glad that Maisie looked better, telling her warmly, "You look like a new girl." Maisie just grinned and added, "I feel like a new one too" getting a snicker as the four left. At home, Greta was greeted by a happy Quentin who had a special envelope. In it was their notice of a hearing in front of Judge Martha Perez regarding the girls' petition for adoption. Greta looked up at him in shock while Quentin had to suppress his own smile, it was going to be the biggest hearing of their lives and neither knew just how important it was as it was only that both of their foster parents were acting weird about it. The two were sat down in front of Greta and Quentin who opened up the envelopes. Fiona was handed one while Flora opened up the other. They read it again and asked, "Why do we have to go to court? Did we do something wrong? Are we going back to Minnesota?" Fiona had tears in her eyes while Flora noticed something about the papers. She loudly told her sister, "It's family court! We aren't going back, we are going to see the judge about something else!" Fiona looked at Greta and Quentin for guidance, being told, "She's right. It's your hearing regarding your adoption. I guess Ricardo's name got the eye of someone again because it's the only reason for it to come through before January. Judge Perez just wants to ask a few questions of you in person." The two hugged their new parents tightly. Jessica tried to slip in and then slip out but was told loudly, "Get in here, you!" Eric had to push her back in while the girls calmed themselves down. Jessica saw the envelopes and asked if there was trouble, being told happily, "We have to go to court!" Jessica was still troubled until Eric groaned and told her firmly, "Read the envelopes. It's family court, not criminal court. They got their hearing in front of Judge Perez, Pops said it was coming soon." The girls hugged Jessica who hugged them back. To Eric's shock Fiona hugged him tightly too, she had no fear of him hurting her like boys had before and was happy to hug her future brother-in-law. Jessica was going to say something but her mother's glare told her to shut her mouth before she ended up in trouble for making her new sister feel bad about doing something that took a lot of nerve to do. The family ate in peace while the gravity of the situation sank in. Both girls weren't happy to miss school in a couple of days but it was better than waiting a month like normal. Their friends wouldn't mind one bit, they had experienced the hearings themselves. Kylie Pena and Mia Flynn hadn't but in a way they had since theirs were done while they were in school and done in a hurry due to other issues. In school the next day, Ella and Daisy hugged Flora tightly when they heard the news. Faith hugged and kissed her cheek, calling her, "Cousin" with Ella and Daisy happily telling everyone that Flora was being adopted by Faith's aunt and uncle making the two first cousins in full and not honorary like their other friends. They also added, "Get used to calling her Flora Nelson too!" The girls led Flora into their classroom where Ivan King greeted them and accepted Flora's homework while asking if she had been good to the twins. Flora rolled her eyes and whined about little Marcus Sylvester again which got the girls snickering while Ivan nodded in agreement at his antics. It was classic Marcus and something he suspected him of doing for fun just to irk her. Over lunch, Flora got to tell the others what really happened with even getting Ivan and his wife Yvette to stop and listen to her. What she told them infuriated her then caused them to nod and grin as the real power of the Finn Family was being flexed without it being flexed. They recognized right away that the little girl had done something historical- she had brought about the end of a town by accident. Flora returning had caused a few to complain about her causing trouble for the school twice since starting and wanted her removed for the sake of their kids. This was somewhat justified but Yvette was expecting this and countered with a swift, "It's not her fault that your friends decided to kidnap her for something that she had no involvement int. Were any of you aware of their sons Sig, Barrett, and Colt being responsible for the abduction, rape, and torture of seven girls? One of them was Flora's sister." The ladies didn't believe it but she grinned and explained, "Sig Browning, Barrett McMillan, Colt Remington, and their cousin Lee Enfield, are currently detained in Manchester, NH on a variety of state and federal charges related to the kidnapping of girls from the middle school as well as the rape and brutal assaults on four of them including Flora's elder sister. Three needed emergency surgeries to cope with the damage done to their private parts while one needed major life altering surgery to deal with the traumatic injuries her her penis and testicles. They forced a girl to need a sex change six years early!" She waited as the news sunk in, news that they had never been told about from their, "Friends" and that was both shocking and terrifying. Yvette grinned then added, "Those ladies were upset that their sons' actions brought about their children being removed from school due to not living in our city. That is the real reason the girls were expelled, not something Flora had done. They chose to kidnap Flora, she has no idea who the boys are yet they blamed her for the actions of their sons and the consequences of their lies. Their own actions are disrupting the school, how is it that she caused a problem for your children when it was the work of others against her? She doesn't know your children and she doesn't interact with them in class at your children's request so please explain how any of this is her fault?" Yvette was now getting angry, adding, "The only thing you have shown is that you blame a young lady for causing problems simply because she is different. She has done nothing but act like a normal person and been a model student while you yourselves have acted like bigoted, vain children who follow the lead of women who themselves have actually caused nothing but trouble since illegally signing up their children for school here. Flora is a treasure and I wish more children were like her in class." Yvette had them now. The news that their friends were behind a vile act and retaliating against Flora for the boys' actions was tough to take but Yvette was vehement in her claims while others were adding, "It's true, our kids saw them do it!" Others added in that they needed to leave Flora alone, she hadn't done anything wrong. They walked off in shame, accepting defeat and their humiliations. Over at the middle school, Fiona was greeted by big hugs from the girls while Dante and Steven kissed her cheeks. It was weird to let them kiss her but she felt like they were doing it out of care and not out of sexual feelings, they were like big brothers to her not guys seeking a girlfriend. They were proud to treat her like a little sister as well, with Steven grinning at hearing Fiona tell him that when the others went inside. Mrs. Shriner asked if the adoption hearing had been scheduled, getting a happy nod from Fiona. Fiona then asked, "How did you know about that? Mom and dad didn't tell anyone about it yet. Only Eric and Jessica were told about it." Mrs. Shriner sighed and explained, "My husband heard the case in his courtroom yesterday. He wasn't happy to hear that you two were so mistreated for so long by so many and asked that the courts take your health and safety into consideration. He called Judge Perez about the case and asked that she expedite things. By luck, it had already been suggested by her as she was given the case and knowing your lawyers so well she couldn't help but agree that there was little need to delay especially as you needed normalcy. He isn't one to act so quickly but he was touched by your situation. He is hoping that it was done for the right reasons and that you don't feel that you are all alone in the world anymore." Fiona was in tears as she hugged Mrs. Shriner tightly, thanking her for doing that for her. As their class entered Nichole and the girls spread word that Mrs. Shriner had gotten a bunch of people put in jail while also allowing Fiona to be adopted. It wasn't far from the truth, she just didn't tell all of it. Fiona calmed down allowing Mrs. Shriner to being class. She was later pulled out to talk with Mark Sylvester and Chloe Daniels, her social worker and Chloe's supervisor. The two informed her that they were going to have to make a statement to Judge Perez about her health and well- being so they were talking with her there instead of elsewhere as it was the best place to do so. Fiona figured it was due to the attempted abductions but it was really because she wasn't going to be entirely truthful at their office especially with Greta or Quentin with her. In school she was at her most comfortable and had support around her. It may cause whispers but her friends realized the truth. The two asked multiple questions about her time in Minnesota, about her former foster parents, about Flora, then about Quentin and Greta. All of her answers were what they expected based on what they saw of her from afar, she was thriving with Greta and Quentin and wanted to be allowed to live her life again without someone trying to take her away again. She loved her sister but anything negative she had to say about Flora was what you'd hear from an annoyed older sibling which both knew well. After a half hour they were finished with both saying they'd talk with Flora soon. She went back to class and nobody said anything while her friends knew what had happened. Nichole casually told her, "Uncle Mark figured you would talk better here. He's only trying to ensure you are ready to be adopted. He doesn't want it rushed but mom told him that you just needed assurances that you were fine." The day went by fast for Fiona as she enjoyed her life getting back to normal and her new friends being by her side throughout the day. After school, she went with the girls to visit Maisie with their parents giving them some privacy while they talked. Willie Pena was having trouble accepting that it was only a few months until his little girl had her surgery due to the assault requiring Karen Smith to comfort him over Kylie becoming whole. The girls were all hugs as they saw Maisie laying on the couch looking bored. Her face lit up as they rushed to her with arms wide open. She was having doubts that they were going to actually come by, they didn't have reason to as they barely knew her but this was overwhelming for her. Angus arrived home not long after the girls finished crying. He saw the look on his sister's face as she was talking with the girls and understood now what Olivia had said. This wasn't the morose, always crying, always fighting brother he used to know; this was his sister finding six friends who were willing to visit her at home and force her to do her homework rather than six who were there just to make themselves feel better about what happened to all of them. He slunk upstairs to his room to do his own homework before going downstairs to check on dinner. His mom was trying hard not to cry at witnessing her daughter being a totally different person simply by having her new friends come visit her again. She was smiling, laughing, and talking a lot more with the girls than she had ever done with other kids in her classes before. Some of the things they were talking about made her snicker as they mentioned Angus and other boys they knew, with Maisie clearly not being impressed with her brother's looks while the girls laughed at Nichole finding him sexy. Angus was strapping like his father so Lucy knew the feeling. They talked for two hours before they were called home, with all of the girls hugging and kissing Maisie while Nichole tried her hardest to not blush at seeing Angus waiting for dinner in the kitchen. Maisie loved teasing her brother about Nichole having a crush on him. He happily retorted, "Are you jealous that she has good taste or that you don't have a boyfriend yourself?" That got Maisie to shed a tear causing Angus to try to apologize but only saw Maisie hugging him tightly for the kind words. He didn't know just how much that tease meant to her, it was him unintentionally accepting her as a girl and him doing what older brothers did to sisters from the dawn of time. She loved it, and was happy that he had done that for her. She hugged him tightly while Lucy gave him a happy nod, it was what she needed from him even if he didn't mean to give it. At home, Fiona was happy to tell Greta and Quentin about the girls and Maisie with the two snickering at Nichole's big step towards her sexuality with her looks towards Angus. Fiona asked what the big deal was with that, getting a happy, "It's her first crush. She's like you were, unsure about herself and not knowing how people will react to her liking boys. She has the added issue of her grandparents and nobility titles. We figured she knew for sure but hadn't had solid proof yet, only getting caught watching pornography with Kylie." Fiona blushed at that while Greta nodded. Quentin added, "They were punished for it, but it's clear that they were doing it for their own sake and not because they wanted to see the guys and girls naked." Fiona blushed harder as the two were overdoing it to send a message to her not to do it too. The next day was more of the girls enjoying their friends and working hard in school. Greta was there early to pick up Flora then drove over to pick up Fiona. They weren't happy to miss out on their friends but it was an important appointment as Drs. Charles Dane and Alison Eliza were going to have to tell the judge in writing about the girls' mental health which neither girl could refuse. Charles knew Fiona would be tough to crack so had her for a double session. Flora wasn't happy to have almost an hour to wait before her appointment but it was put to good use by a tough homework assignment. Greta simply sat back and enjoyed the wait as she got her own work in order. Inside the office, Charles asked about the abduction. Fiona wasn't happy to talk about it but explained, "It's what I always feared boys to be- horny, angry, and abusive. They hurt my friends and tortured Maisie. I can't get the image of her screaming loudly as they kicked and punched her, laughing at her for being what she needs to be. It was horrible! They then hurt Kylie and Mia, they never said a word to the boys yet they went at them for not being 'normal' like me." He noted how her demeanor had changed from one of anger and fear to one of defiance and care. She was upset that her friend was willing to allow harm to herself to save her while caring enough about the other six to let the boys have their way with her. It was a revelation to her, one that she accepted. Charles asked about Maisie, it was clear that she was the catalyst for Fiona's change. He had suspicions about the others as he knew them to be acting on the request of their parents but Maisie was new to him. The way she talked about Maisie it was almost like love, either sexual or platonic. Fiona sighed and professed, "She's my best friend. She's my first real friend and what I always wanted in a friend. I love her. Not like I like girls, more like I love my sister. She's been the best to me and has been trying to help me deal with Flora. Only she knows what Flora is feeling, she's a younger sister to a brother who didn't accept her. She's accepting her surgery but it's still tough for me to see her hurt." Charles had the crux of the friendship- understanding. Maisie was her counterpart, someone who understood her while helping her deal with something nobody else could understand. Charles knew about Kylie's past and knew quite a bit about the other girls through his many sessions with their relatives and friends but Maisie was something more, she was a sounding board for Fiona to talk about things that nobody else could understand among her friends. Charles pointed out this fact to Flora, getting her to smile as he added, "You are doing just as much with her as she is doing with you. It's tough going to a new city with a new gender and a history of people trying to harm you. You gave her what she needed most, that of companionship and understanding. You both have gone through a lot and can give each other proper perspectives." The topic of Flora was brought up with Fiona blushing as she told him, "She finally has real friends. One may be our new cousin but Ella and Daisy don't need to be friends with her yet are. It's tough seeing them be so friendly and accepting but I want Flora happy and they make her happy." Charles noted the difference now in her feelings towards Flora. Gone was the reluctant acceptance, in its place was hope for good things for her sister. The names were no surprise to Charles, they were the right people to be friends with Flora and get Fiona to accept Flora as her true self. He asked about the Minnesota legal situation. Fiona was unaware of it, she told him meekly, "Mom and dad haven't said anything about it. They got notice of a hearing regarding our adoption but haven't said anything else. I know the sheriff was in the state but nothing more. I hope he got hurt or is in prison, I don't want to leave mom and dad because we are going to prison thanks to our old foster parents." Charles didn't say anything further about that, she had issues but it was something that would end up being resolved soon. She was showing just how much the adoption actually meant to her, it was something she needed to have happen for her own peace of mind and was her deepest desire. As tough as she tried to appear, the little girl inside of her was longing for the moment the judge signed off on it. Charles had done what he could that week, letting her go relax while Flora had her appointment. He asked that Fiona have a few more sessions as the situation out in Minnesota would be taxing on her when she and Flora were finally called to testify against those involved. Greta agreed, but also added, "Her biggest source of frustration and anxiety is solved. They are all in jail thanks to her." Over in Alison's office, Flora happily retold about school and the kids in her class. Ivan was given a glowing review which Alison had to nod at hearing, it was just him being normal. She asked what else she had happen to her, getting a somber, "I talked with Maisie, she had her operation because of what boys did to her. She is Fiona's best friend." Alison's interest was piqued prompting her to ask more about Maisie. Flora explained, "She's seeing another doctor and was taken by a bunch of boys and men to New Hampshire. The did sex things to Fiona then beat and hurt Maisie and the others. Maisie needed surgery to make her into a girl, Kylie and Mia had to have their balls removed. Fiona wasn't hurt but had to have tests done on her." Alison noted that she needed to ask Kylie about the surgery's impact on her as it sounded like it was taking a toll on her then asked what she thought about it, knowing that Flora was struggling with knowing others had something done to them to help them along further down the road to womanhood. Flora tried to evade the question which told Alison a lot. Flora finally mumbled, "I am jealous. She told me that it hurts a lot and I don't want to have it happen to me yet. I know I'm too young but it still stinks that she is a real girl now but I'm not. She didn't deserve to have that happen to her, they hurt her for no reason. They should have that happen to them!" Her suppressed anger was finally released as Alison saw the real Flora behind the cute exterior. She had a lot of rage and anger that she had been hiding but it was finally coming out. Alison was pleased, she was upset for all the right reasons and accepted what happened and why she needed to wait. Alison let her calm down before explaining, "Maisie may only regret not being able to father children but if she liked boys it could be simply that she didn't want that reminder of her male genes. If she likes girls it might be a problem but not one that can't be solved. The boys deserve a long time in prison but mutilating them isn't the solution. Maisie sees this as a blessing, she wouldn't have told you about all of the issues she is dealing with unless she wanted you to know it's not fun." Flora wasn't happy with that response but let it go. Alison asked about Daisy, Faith, and Ella getting glowing reviews that were right in line with what she expected. She didn't tell Flora that she knew all of them nor that two were once her patients or evaluated by her, it wasn't something she could say. When her time was up the two walked out and were greeted by a thinking Fiona. Flora didn't say anything about it, knowing that she had homework to do at home. Alison watched the sisters interact and saw a more accepting Fiona, one who wasn't annoyed or reacting badly to Flora's antics. Greta was asked about that, getting a happy, "Fiona's new friend Maisie helped her out. They had a big heart to heart moment and got her to accept some of Flora's needling. It's not my place to tell more, she's a great girl and I suspect Kylie and Nichole will mention her being their new friend." Alison read between the lines and nodded back. Maisie had been mentioned by them especially as Nichole dealt with the abduction. She had a long talk with the five over the weekend and had to help their boyfriends see that they had experienced something traumatic which would take a long time for all of them to overcome but hadn't had a chance to talk about Kylie's surgery fully. The next two days were quiet for the girls as they awaited their hearing with Judge Perez. Mrs. Shriner and Ivan kept them focused with Maisie keeping the two company after school. It was tough to keep the girls from getting overexcited but it was expected given the gravity of the situation. Friday the hearing was to be held with both being kept out of school for the morning. Flora had to fight back tears as she saw the dress Greta had for her while Fiona groaned at wearing one herself. She wasn't too pleased but gave in, it wasn't the right day for a fight. Jessica insisted on going as did Eric Vincent. Sarah Jones joined her husband Mick as well as Valerie Finn and Ricardo Vincent. Fiona asked why so many were going, getting a happy, "It's for you two. Valerie and Ricardo are acting as your lawyers, Sarah and Mick are related to us, and Eric and Jessica won't miss out on seeing this. It's all for you two. They are family to you now." Chapter 11 The girls entered the courtroom with Judge Perez's clerk directing them to her chambers to talk alone. Valerie was asked to go with them to give them legal help but it was just a formality to cover Martha. She hid her smile but it was clear that Martha was in a good mood so it wasn't bad news for them. Inside, Martha asked the girls if they were sure that they wanted to be adopted by the Nelsons. Flora reluctantly said, "It's what we always wanted. They are better than our own parents ever were." Fiona added, "Mom and dad love us and we don't want to ever leave them. We love them." Martha asked if Flora was sure about becoming a girl, getting a reluctant, "It's all I ever wanted from the time I knew boys and girls were different. I'm not a boy, I look like one but I'm not a boy. I can't be a boy anymore." She was nearly in tears which was what Martha wanted: an honest, from the heart answer direct from her mouth. The reports can only say so much, she needed to hear it herself. Turning to Fiona, Martha asked, "Are you sure that you want to make yourself even more of a target by joining a family that hundreds wish to tear down and break apart?" Fiona was defiant, retorting, "It's no different than what our parents and foster parents caused us to endure and what our foster parents made us do. We are used to being targets, we want mom and dad to love us and they are doing that." Martha finally smiled and wrote out the orders then led them out. When the clerk called the session to order, she asked where Quentin was getting a solemn, "He had an emergency meeting due to an issue with a building being discovered. He tried to have someone else take over for him but it's a literal life and death situation due to the building already being under construction and needing an emergency change of design. He sends his regrets and hopes that you do not use this against him." Martha asked about his job, getting a meek, "He's the new VP for commercial and government designs and is set to be the head of their Boston office shortly." Martha nodded and asked her own job, getting a quick, "I?m the head of investments at Nelson-York-Smith Associates. We are an investment and stock brokerage firm. We handle only a small number of clients but have a lot of money invested with us." Martha nodded and knew of them through prior court cases involving the family. She then firmly asked, "Are you sure you want to adopt Fiona and Franklin as your children?" Greta steeled herself then stated defiantly, "I have never been so sure about anything before. I love these two as my own and am proud to give them a loving home. My husband and I have fallen in love with the girls and can't bare to see them leave to another home. We love them, we can't see our lives without them." Martha listened intently and noted the affection towards the girls. It was tough not to see that Greta had truly fallen in love with the girls and saw herself as their mother now. She wrote off the orders then asked all three to stand in front of her. The girls feared the worst while Greta held their hands. Martha smiled brightly as she proclaimed, "I am aware of the situation involving the girls and why they were originally on the run. I believe that they have hit the jackpot in finding you as their mother. As you and your husband have seen fit to take them in and give them the care, understanding, and affection that they badly need I can't deny them the right to live in a loving home. It is the order of this court that Fiona and Franklin Richards be renamed Fiona and Flora Nelson and that they are the daughters of Quentin and Greta Nelson. Good luck ladies, enjoy your new parents." The two hugged and kissed Greta then moved on to Jessica and the reluctant Eric. The family walked out together with the girls barely holding back tears. They were told to gather their wits due to having to go to school which they groaned at but were happy as they could now tell their friends the news. Greta dropped off Flora while Valerie dropped off Fiona. Yvette King barely glanced at the paper while telling Flora congratulations. She walked Flora to class and told her husband the news getting a nod. In class, Flora was hugged tightly by Faith as Ella and Daisy told their classmates that it was official now, the two were cousins. Ivan congratulated Flora then restarted class, giving the kids a chance to decompress while listening to his lecture. He knew what he was doing, Flora was overexcited and need the distraction. During lunch Flora told the others that her name was changed so she was a girl legally. They didn't ask why she changed it, none of them knew her deadname so it wasn't a big deal. She was happy to tell them what happened and why as they ate, with the trio leaving her to tell the story on her own. One of her classmates asked if she was really Faith's cousin, causing Faith to happily say, "She's mom's sister's daughter. She's related to me through her. Her sister is dating Ella's second-cousin Eric and her brother is dating our cousin." Flora asked what she meant, she hadn't met her future sister-in-law yet. Daisy groaned at that, with Ella telling her, "Scott is engaged to Stacy, she's the cousin of all three of us. You haven't met her because it's her finals so she is studying hard. Jessica had easy classes so she could see you but the others have hard ones so they weren't able to meet you yet. You are going to have to meet them at the wedding Christmas Day." The others asked about the wedding giving Flora her much needed reprieve. Ella groaned at it, telling everyone, "My brother is getting married. Everyone in our family is going to be there along with a bunch of people who know the family. It'll be in the newspapers too, it's going to be a big story since Michael is a knight and dad is so rich and famous around here." Over at the middle school, Valerie had Fiona's records changed while Fiona waited beside her silently. She didn't see what the big deal was but it was something that the two enjoyed doing. She was getting a little annoyed at the delay which only served to make the two smile at her. When they were done Dorothy Taylor finally explained, "Your mom has known us since before you were born. Your brother and sister grew up alongside Valerie's son Michael and daughter Jaimie. You are acting a lot like your sister back when she was your age, we couldn't help but see some resemblance between the two of you in how you act. You made us remember some happy memories. Plus you needed to wait a few minutes anyway as the kids are taking a quiz which you are excused from." Fiona blushed as Dorothy led her to Mrs. Shriner's room. The class didn't say anything as they were in the midst of the quiz. She was happy to not get any attention with Mrs. Shriner just nodding that she was alright and didn't need to worry about missing anything. When lunchtime came, she became the center of their attention. She had to explain where she went and why to her classmates. They were told about her going to court already but this was different, she had actually been before Martha and talked with her in private rather than just standing in front of her in the courtroom. One girl asked about her dress, getting a blush from Fiona who admitted, "Mom wanted me to wear it. She said it wasn't right to not be dressed up for an important event. I hate wearing them but I couldn't say no to mom's request. Mom and Flora had to wear them too." Fiona didn't have much to say after that as there wasn't much to tell. The others let her have her own moment with Mrs. Shriner before the start of class with Fiona telling her that it's weird to know it was finally over and she had real family. Mrs. Shriner nodded, adding a happy, "You have a mother who has a reputation for being strict and ruthless in protecting you kids as well as a father who is caring." After school, the kids huddled around Fiona as they awaited their rides home. Jessica was there to take Fiona home, with Fiona happy to go with her until she was told that she had to go dress shopping. Jessica blushed as she had to explain, "You and Flora were invited to Michael and Courtney's wedding in a week. Everyone is going, mom and dad won't leave you home alone. Besides, you aren't alone in going either." She grinned as Fiona saw Maisie outside the store with Lucy. Maisie hugged her tightly which only caused them to blush. Fiona reluctantly gave in and agreed to go inside to shop, not wanting to let Maisie go alone. Maisie's impact on Fiona was clear to all immediately as Fiona followed her advice and opened up to her about what colors she liked and what styles she liked. The normally tomboyish Fiona was not afraid of pink or other feminine colors nor lace, frills, bows, or ribbons, she just liked them in moderation and on certain things. She was happy to try on anything that Maisie recommended, but drew the line at some of the blouses and skirts that featured more than one of the feminine aspects. Jessica had her look for certain dresses that fit her then had her try on one of the junior bridesmaid dresses that the other middle school girls were going to wear. Maisie happily helped her into the dress, going so far as to tell her that she looked fine and only needed a different bra to keep her boobs steady. Fiona went beet red at hearing that but Jessica swiftly agreed while Greta handed her one to try on. Fiona tried on the dress as Maisie stripped, getting a look at her flat crotch for the first time. It was a little embarrassing but Maisie smiled back at her friend doing what everyone did at some point. Maisie casually told her, "It's starting to feel better but it's not healed. I hate dilating but I have to do it. I don't have to take blockers anymore which means I can grow bigger boobs sooner." The girls walked to show their dresses to their mothers while Jessica took some pictures to send off to someone. She waited a few minutes and got the answer she wanted, telling both, "Rebecca said a simple white headband or flower barrettes will work for your hairstyle, Fiona. Maisie, you don't need any cutting and can make due with the same as Fiona. I think all four of your ears need piercing as well." Fiona flinched but Maisie's pleading look made her give in. Lucy shook her head at her daughter's antics but it was for a good cause. It was no different than her manipulating her own siblings before. Flora was silent as Greta helped her choose her dress. It was easy for her as it was simply an exact replica of the ones Ella, Daisy, and Faith were wearing. Flora was fighting tears as she looked at the dress and twirled around, loving how it felt and how she looked in it. Greta was happy to help her do something so simple as trying on a dress but to Flora it meant the world. It was the first time she had been able to fully relax as she changed in front of Greta, even though they had been in Greta and Quentin's care for two weeks they still hadn't gotten many chances to show how much she appreciated being able to be herself. Greta hugged her tightly while whispering, "You look beautiful, you are simply beautiful." After paying for the three dresses, the ladies drove to the mall up in Saugus and got both Fiona and Flora's ears pierced with Flora bouncing in her seat as they drove north. Greta had to tell her to calm down but she just grinned and gave her a loving look. Fiona didn't react to her giddiness, she knew it was her sister doing her best to accept that she never had to return to being a boy. Fiona reluctantly sat as the sales clerk pierced her hears with birthstone studs. Flora was going to say something but she herself winced in pain as she felt the pop on her earlobes as she was pierced without noticing the clerk approach. She looked up at Greta who was trying hard not to smirk at Flora getting a little bit of comeuppance for teasing Fiona. Greta got several different sets of earrings for the girls, with little fairies for Flora and little butterflies from Fiona. Fiona lingered on them a bit too long not to like them, she just didn't think she was girly enough to wear them. They looked cute on her, especially with the small necklace Greta also got her. The girls had fun walking around for another hour as they calmed down. Flora was getting hungry which signaled it was time to go. The fact that they still had homework to do was even more of a reason to leave as their mothers had forgotten to have them do it as they were trying on their dresses. Jessica ate dinner with the family with Fiona asking Greta about Scott and whether he'd accept them as his new sisters. Jessica started laughing at that which caused Greta to glower at her but caused her to admit, "He knows that you two are his new sisters and is upset that he couldn't be here to do anything. He didn't call home the past two weekends was because Stacy had to talk with him to keep him from deserting his training to go after the sheriff and your former foster parents." Flora gave her a weird look to which Greta added, "He's protective of people who are abused. He is a good man but didn't always act that way. Back when he was in 6th grade he was a terror who acted like a bully. He hurt Jaimie in the same way those boys hurt Kylie and Mia. You haven't met Jaimie yet but she was just like the girls only she was just starting out instead of being years along in her transition. It took a lot out of him to not come home to help you, so be ready for big hugs and kisses from him when he comes to see us for the wedding." The girls went to bed as Jessica left. Over the next week they visited Maisie while also playing with their other friends. Kylie and Mia were back to normal and had no pain from their surgeries but were still reluctant to change around other girls despite being allowed to do so now. Maisie and Fiona reluctantly met with the older girls of the family with Maisie trying hard not to ask if they were like her. Jaimie Finn smirked while the others quickly told her, "No mothering!" Jaimie had to explain to Maisie what they meant with Maisie understanding and thanking her for thinking about it even if she wasn't allowed to actually do it. Eventually Maisie returned to school for a few minutes to pass in her homework while taking home her assignments for Christmas vacation. Their class was happy to see her with only a couple offering less than flattering things to say. She ignored them, she was happy to be there even for just a few minutes and Mrs. Shriner took care of the ones who offered the offending statements. Maisie told Mrs. Shriner that she had gotten stuck with a bunch of babysitters to help her do her work including Nichole's sisters. Nichole snickered and added, "Paige is going to be a teacher and Hannah is going to be a writer so they know how to help you." Mrs. Shriner nodded, adding a happy, "Sadly she is going to be a 4th grade teacher instead of 7th grade teacher so you won?t have her.? The Christmas break hit faster than expected causing the kids to finally relax with their families for two days before the big wedding. The girls were too young to take part in the bridal party festivities but enjoyed their own party in the form of a sleepover. Fiona and the girls stayed with Maisie while Ella, Daisy, and Faith stayed with Flora at the Nelson home. It was great fun for all as the girls got to see the real Maisie who had been hidden under than fearful exterior that the, "New Jack Kids" created in her the year before. Nichole and she had a long talk about dealing with her new anatomy while Maisie endured her dilation sessions, one that Nichole reluctantly joined in solidarity with her to show that she wasn't alone and that she still had to do it too despite nearly three and a half years having passed since her surgery. They shared a long cry as Maisie tearfully admitted that she felt like she had gotten something that she didn't deserve which Nichole countered by saying she deserved it by not wanting it. Angus complained about the girls especially Nichole?s crush on him. They were loud, giggling brats to him but seeing Maisie happy and leading the girls caused him to refrain from complaining too much. He wasn't happy to have a 12-year-old girl eyeing him but it was something that he would endure for the girls' sake. Angus joined in on the festivities thanks to Eric and his brother feeling bad that he was stuck at home with the girls. He fit in with four high school teens in the group as he knew them from competing against them in football and track. They didn't talk about the girls nor Maisie, giving him a chance to unwind as they enjoyed their teen-friendly fun bachelor party. Reed Pena and Thomas Samuels were able to talk with Angus privately and sympathize with him about dealing with Maisie. Reed had the best understanding, being the same age and having a sister who was enduring the same issues. Angus was grateful that he didn't have the abused background that Kylie and Reed had allowing for him to see that things could have been a lot worse. Scott appeared early on December 23rd and met with his parents but didn't get to meet Flora and Fiona due to school. When he came around the next day he was in his Army Combat Uniform causing both girls to stop in their tracks as they saw him. Greta hugged and kissed him, then introduced him as their new brother causing Flora and Fiona to hug him tight making him blush. Stacy Lopez, his fiance and longtime love interest, teased him about that getting the girls to snicker and Scott to groan. The girls were happy to finally meet the famous Stacy with Scott asking if she holed up in her bedroom all semester. Stacy just grinned and added, "It wasn't hard to do, dad said if I so much as thought about another boy he'd skin that boy alive. He loves you too much to let me get away from you, but he'd never admit and would deny it if asked." The girls were all smiles as the two led them to the living room where they exchanged gifts. Scott and Stacy had a large pile for the girls, with both explaining that it wasn't as much as they should have gotten but they didn't give the others a chance to shop much. The girls were happy to get anything, hugging and kissing Scott and Stacy while Quentin and Greta looked on with big smiles. The wedding the next day was something neither family could believe as the Finns spent a lot of money on it yet kept it simple, opting for a luxury hotel wedding with just the family and selected guests in attendance. Fiona was in awe of the older ladies while Flora was in awe of the sheer number of people who were related to or friends of the large family. It was amazing both girls, they had become the center of attention thanks to Jessica but meeting each of them was a feat neither would ever forget as they kissed, hugged, and cried at meeting them. After a quiet break the kids returned to school with heavy hearts. Maisie returned to a lot of hushed gossiping while getting big hugs and kisses from her new friends. She had a little trouble accepting Dante Kelly and Steven Pierce as being sincere in being nice to her but seeing them treating Margaret Douglas and Nancy Flynn like the other girls and not as sexual objects caused her to accept them. Dante and Steven proved to be like big brothers to her during their first week back. Maisie loved that they were being nice to her and didn't want anything back from her. Dante whispered that they put a few boys in their place who had words about her being a girl but otherwise enjoyed Maisie the friend and not as a girlfriend. Fiona had told her that the two were the nicest boys she had ever met and who only had eyes for Nancy and Margaret giving Maisie a clue that they really were acting good towards her because she was a friend. Knowing Fiona's rough past and trouble accepting boys as friends she let them get close to her and eventually accepted their overtures as being genuine. They liked her for herself and after a week she found herself feeling some twinges of jealousy that they were taken as boyfriends already. Maisie's return also harbored notifications that she would be allowed to use the locker room and bathrooms alongside the other girls. There were a few stalwarts who believed that she didn't belong in the school while there were others who thought she may still attack the girls. It didn't matter that she had no penis, she was still transgender thus was a danger to girls no matter what she had in her pants. Fiona was by her side throughout but eventually eased up on the closeness when it was clear that she was doing fine on her own and didn't need her protection. Mia started to get closer to Fiona to the point that Maisie was now a third wheel which she happily stepped back from being. Mia appreciated that with Maisie kissing her cheek and telling her, "She loves you a lot" signaling her approval of the two. The girls finally kissed during one of their many study sessions after school at their houses. Fiona nearly fainted from the shock of her first real kiss while Mia looked like she was about ready to float away. Kylie, Margaret, Nichole, and Nancy were all smiles while Maisie grumbled, "About damn time." Nichole and Maisie bonded over the two finally getting so close with Nichole telling her that it was overdue, Maisie agreed but added that she?s just sad that she?s losing her best friend to love. Angus Campbell endured a lot of abuse from other students due to Maisie's gender change and surgery. He ignored a lot of it, with Dan Lopez talking with him about his upcoming job while others looked on jealous that Angus had done what they hadn't had the opportunity to do yet. Dan happily told the others, "He earned his job, he didn't have it handed to him because he sucked up to the Enfields, Brownings, Remingtons, and McMillans as many of you did. Now that they are toast, you will have to work harder to just show that you are on the level your instructors claim to be which will kill some of your careers. The weasels who denied him a rightfully earned spot as an apprentice at the union will be exposed as the liars and cheats that they are and anyone associated with them will be forced to work twice as hard. I am sure you won't mind all that extra work because you slipped the master some money to get a spot." He dared them to say something, with the instructors being told he had his sources and they'd learn just how badly they had screwed up by letting the four pay them off as well as pay off the union masters. He was going for broke and going after them directly, they had no business teaching and were the kind of people who gave the trades a bad name. He was prepared to take the hit to his reputation from them, it was worth it to bring down a bunch who needed to be brought down and his own reputation was strong enough to withstand scrutiny and bring it on those who tried to besmirch it in the first place. Dan had worked enough with the students in having them learn to cooperate with their counterparts to know that Angus was talented at finding solutions to problems that arose, something that his instructors had overlooked and a skill that was highly desirable in the trade. He and Dan got along well, with Dan taking him on as a protege to other aspects of the business to allow him to open up his career to bigger jobs than just electrical work. Angus was even able to get Dan out o difficult spots by giving him a new set of eyes on a project and saved him a lot of money proving why Angus was perfect for him. Lucy Campbell had her small appraisal business expand when Maisie made friends with the others. Word of mouth about what she did for a living got her new clients and contracts allowing her to earn more money. She relied on Greta a lot but once Maisie and Nichole got close this shifted to Karen Smith and her husband Nigel as the girls became just as inseparable as the others. Lucy befriend Greta and the other mothers with Kennedy being a shock to her as she revealed just how much she understood Maisie's situation. Lucy had to feel great after she learned about Kennedy's past, the woman was everything that Lucy felt Maisie could become if she wasn't so timid. Kennedy was happy to tell her that Maisie was already doing better than her and with time she would do better. Lucy and Maisie grew closer as mother and daughter once Maisie was fully recovered. When Maisie's hormones started to finally make her bust larger the two fought over her new bras with both not realizing how much this meant to the other. It took Callum to settle the dispute as he explained to Maisie why Lucy was against the sheer and brightly colored bras and why it was inappropriate for her to wear them at certain times. When the two calmed down, Lucy had a talk with Maisie about boys and what they would think if they saw her wearing or knew that she owned bras that were see-through. She blushed as she realized just why her mother didn't like them on her and gave in to the ban, although Lucy did buy her one pair for home use only. Callum enjoyed the fruits of his labor as he and his task force took down multiple parts of the child prostitution ring. Fiona had given them everything they needed to go after certain people and were able to give them just what they deserved for their actions against the girls. He didn't need much more than a little prompting to get most of the participants to roll over on others making the case stronger as dozens sought deals to avoid the most serious charges against them but most simply corroborated what they already knew about the ring through Layla Olson's connections. Callum was ruthless, going after everyone who had anything to do with the ring. Warrants were issued for those identified in videos found of the various girls and boys who were forced to have sex, with those who weren't identified having their pictures sent out to regional police agencies and motor vehicle databases to identify just in case they didn't have criminal records. The hunt took time but it would eventually net several hundred people, many of whom were politicians including several US Representatives and even a US Senator. The targets tried to use political pressure to end the hunt but only saw themselves being targeted for bribery and extortion charges by the FBI and US Marshals. Callum himself had several politicians try to force him to end the investigation including the US Representative from the neighboring district before another, even larger scandal brought her down. She had other motives though, Callum helped cause the downfall of the McMillan, Enfield, Browning, and Remington families and caused the woman's hometown of Pullen Point to cease to exist as a separate town. Congress took a keen interest in Callum and his team as several major Congressmen praised the team for their hard work and admonished their colleagues who tried to kill the investigation while working on articles of expulsion for those who were exposed as being active participants in the child sex ring. The few who had anything insulting to say about him had an issue with Maisie, which only served to be a hand grenade for them as they broke a cardinal rule: never go after families. Maisie wasn?t involved and as Callum had never shown any political bias or ambitions the attack was seen as deadly to their political careers causing the ones who went after her resign in public disgrace. Callum was promoted to the head of the New England task force allowing him to plan the investigation and coordinate resources among fellow agencies while making it home most nights and only make trips when there was little choice in the matter. Angus was thrilled to finally have his father home and have him be there for them more often especially as he participated in Spring sports. Maisie was in tears as he told her, she was happy to have him around and not have to worry about him not returning one of his raids on distant locations. Winnisimmet's former superintendent was a man who caused a lot of grief for families in his tenure at the helm. He was hired to bring the schools further into the new century and continue his predecessor's inroads into advances but instead rolled back a lot of the changes that he didn't agree with. Much of his work was done without the knowledge and understanding of the school committee and against their requirements for changes causing them to scramble to undo them. He hated that transgender students were allowed into the schools and actively sought to keep them out. He was adamant that Mia and Maisie attend the alternative school despite not having a reason to. They were proven to be excellent students and the kind of students that the schools needed more of rather than the borderline delinquents that the alternative school harbored. John found many of the changes and had the teachers union fight back against them. The man had broken just about every rule on the book and had done so with the intent of defrauding the schools. Many of the changes were monetary changes that were never reported or noticed as the funding for them was diverted to his personal accounts making him rich due to hundreds of thousands in donations that John gave the school district. The superintendent tried to claim that he had authorization but his correspondence was altered and what was shown was actually routine emails that didn't mention any changes nor diverting of funds. The funds themselves were a problem for him as he couldn't explain where the money came from and when it was shown by John's son Miles that it was school money he refused to answer any questions. He was adamant that he was innocent and that it was all a conspiracy by a few supporters of kids that didn't belong in the school system to remove someone they didn't agree with. Miles' report to the state was damning as he left no stone unturned, finding every cent that embezzled. The school system reclaimed the money while the superintendent was indicted and tried for larceny, embezzlement, and perjury. He was convicted on all charges and sentenced to 5 to 10 years in prison. Ms. Putnam was found to have been part of the embezzlement scheme as she was the one to pointed out what could be cut without anyone noticing. All she asked was her job back once he, "Laid her off" during the cutbacks. She got her wish and enjoyed spending some of the superintendent's money for him, showing off her new purchases to others at her condo that she shared with the superintendent. She was forced to testify to save her own skin, turning on her lover but accidentally admitting to the court that she had violated Maisie and Fiona's civil rights during their planning. It was a bold move on her part but it backfired as the judge had her arrested and tried once her testimony was finished. He had no problem sending her to jail for three years, it was her own fault for admitting that to the court. Ms. Putnam was forced to sell everything she owned to pay for a lawyer and was still convicted and sentenced to three years in the county house of corrections for violating their civil rights. She blamed Maisie for what happened but only caused herself to be sued by Valerie on behalf of her client, Maisie. Ms. Putnam lost everything, with the salary she had earned and never touched due to living with the superintendent being paid to Maisie. Lee Enfield, Colt Remington, Sig Browning, and Barrett McMillan were tried as adults for attempted murder, rape, and assault with a deadly weapon charges in New Hampshire. They were defiant until the end, fighting the deputies as they appeared in court then verbally fighting their judges. Despite calls from their families for leniency, the state refused to allow for a plea: they would face full justice. The federal government went at them just as hard, trying them for kidnapping as well as weapons charges. They had them bang to their rights and were not about to let them get away easily. They may have been 14- years-old but they were all hardened criminals by then. The boys were each sentenced to a total of 40 years in prison. They were allowed to serve the first four in a secure juvenile detention facility but were not getting away from the other 36 years they owned the state and federal governments. They pleaded for leniency from the judges but their antics while being arrested and arraigned showed that they didn't deserve it. Lee tried to act like the king of the cellblock but being split up made each isolated and without support. Lee learned the hard way that he wasn't anything special and wasn't the king of anything let alone fit to rule more than his bunk. He was beaten severely after a few days and had to endure the humiliation of no longer being the alpha dog as he became just another prisoner. The boys' mothers and aunts were no better. Bessie Browning, Winnie Remington, and Pepper McMillan were convicted of the kidnapping and assault on Flora. Each denied that they had done anything wrong with all three claiming their husbands and brother would see that the truth got out and they were vindicated. It was hard to do with them also being on trial for similar crimes and against the same child while under constant surveillance with no contact with the outside world other than lawyers. The women were put on trial with each threatening the court officers and prosecutors until Pepper told them to just shut their traps. Their brother and husband weren't going to get them off the hook again no matter how much they believed that they would. She was no fool, she could read the newspapers as well as anyone and saw that they were in jail alongside them and had no hope of ever getting word out to their supporters and lackeys. Pepper turned on the others, she was the only one who was against the entire kidnapping and being the youngest she was hoping that she would get out of prison before she was too old to rebuild her life. She confessed and accepted a guilty plea, with the DA asking for the medium penalty of 10 years in prison for the total amount of crimes. She told everything she knew and confessed to the feds and state about where all of the money the family had hidden and how much they really had and who it was invested with, the family would be bankrupted but she had a clear conscience now. Bessie and Winnie were tried and remained defiant despite their sister turning against them. Both threatened her life and that of the DA while fighting the court officers, each earning additional criminal threats charges against them as well as being forced to watch the trial from a nearby conference room. The jury took no pity on them and convicted them on all charges while the judge sentenced each to a minimum of 30 years in prison for the total sum of the charges with each served consecutively. The Pullen Point officers involved in Flora's detainment and attempted rape were each fired and tried for their crimes. They faced illegal detention, conspiracy to commit rape, criminal conspiracy, assault and battery, criminal threats, and lying to police charges. They were adamant that they were innocent but the prisoners were not going to lie about what they were told by them only to themselves face more serious charges, they told the truth to anyone who would listen. The men were raked over the coals but held firm that they refused to do anything despite being ordered to rape Flora. They may have been criminals, but they weren't rapists nor would they hurt a kid. The defense lawyers were put to task by the men, they fought back against each claim and countered them easily- they freely admitted in open court to their crimes, so long as the police officers got convicted for the crimes against Flora they accepted their incoming sentences. The most damaging testimony came from the public defender who saved Flora. She had harsh words for the defense attorneys and wasn't afraid to butt heads with them over their offensive antics and words towards her, earning laughs and cheers as the defense attorneys were admonished by the judge. She held firm and told the truth, getting the jury to side with her regarding the chain of events and ensuring the conviction of all of the officers. The trial of the officers was a spectacle as the media were on the side of Flora. When the defense lawyers let slip that the girl was transgender the media ignored it, but did let the judge know that the defense was trying to poison the jury earning fines and angry arguments with the prosecutor. The defense tried to use every dirty tactic but none of them worked, nobody would rally to support them. The officers had no support from their national union nor other departments. The fact that Flora was the daughter and niece of law enforcement officers caused anger and outrage causing any support they had to be cut off beyond finding them a lawyer. There was nobody to turn to either, they were on their own. The officers were convicted on all counts with each receiving a minimum of 15 years in prison for the multitude of charges against them. Flora didn't have to testify against them nor did she have to show up to give a victim's impact statement due to video showing that she ran into the police station then two hours later was walked out with Mark in a distraught, disheveled state while the public defender was shown arguing with the police officers on camera and via recording. Flora had representatives there, as Valerie and Ricardo acted on her behalf and ensured she wasn't defamed or attacked unfairly. Lewis Enfield and his counterparts were put on trial after the officers were convicted. He was as defiant as his son but included an air of menace that his son lacked and his sisters redirected towards finesse and manipulation. He wasn't afraid to let you know he'd hurt you if given half a chance and if you dared to look at him directly he struck you hard while telling you that you were beneath him. The judge didn't put up with his antics, telling Lewis authoritatively, "Lay a finger on your lawyer again and I'll have you facing assault charges while you are forced to watch your trial on CCTV from a conference room. You are powerless here, this is my courtroom and I won't allow assaults!" Lewis told the judge, "Fuck off, I'll do as I want! I'll have your ass handed to you while you beg me not to put a bullet in your head." The judge shook his head and had him removed to a conference room with multiple court officers present as additional charges were brought for criminal threats. His lawyer would work on his behalf from the courtroom and nobody would be allowed inside the conference room while Lewis was there. Lewis tried to get word out to his lackeys but he was being monitored via CCTV as well. His subtle attempts to hide messages in the table was caught with the papers held by the court officers for use against him. He tried day after day to get messages out, finally snapping and trying to flee the room but not getting past the four court officers and state troopers assigned to keep him there. Lewis' messages were found to be meant for a group of cleaners that were working at the courthouse under contract with the state. He owned part of the company and knew that his guys would have a supporter assigned to clean up the floor that he was being held on. What he didn't expect was that this trick had been tried in the past and his connections were already known and his very actions were expected of him, making him fall into a trap allowing the company to be targeted by the state while he faced new charges. The judge read the messages and told the ADA to bring charges of attempting to solicit murder against Lewis for trying to hire members of his gang to take out the judge and ADA. Lewis fought his lawyer and the ADA the next day with the judge finally having him restrained in place in the conference room with nothing in the room except a pitcher of water and several cups. He was all but caged for his trial now, treated like a child that he appeared to be to everyone else. The ADA didn't have to do much to ensure that the four were convicted. Lewis' actions in court had left a bad taste in the jurors' mouths and his words on tape showed how little regard for the law he had. His hopes that his reputation and his supporters would intimidate the jurors didn't work as the jurors were all from either Alston, Dorchester, or Roxbury where he had no influence over anyone and his reputation among the criminal element had been blown apart due to trying to go after kids. The four were convicted on all charges. They each received a total of 35 years in prison each for their crimes. Lewis received the worst sentences as his assaults, attempted escape, and solicitation charges added another 15 years onto his sentence. The fun just started for the four as the FBI had finally gotten through to the people of Pullen Point to stand up to the four now that they were powerless. Dozens of shop owners testified with many having the written threats ready to go making the four face an uphill battle. Their former stooges weren't able to silence any as they were under constant watch with several getting nabbed by the feds when they tried to force the shop owners to recant their testimony or face punishment and arson. The four were convicted of racketeering, tax evasion, extortion, and violating the RICO Act. They were each sentenced to another 20 years in prison, this time ensuring that none of them would get out of prison alive. Lewis tried to act like a big shot until the very end but was told by the others to shove it. The remnants of their supporters tried to force the shopkeepers to keep their mouths shut but only saw them fighting back against the lackeys. The lackeys were trying to be the new kings of Pullen Point but were incapable of getting anyone to do what they wanted. When they tried to extort people directly they ended up facing down the barrel of a shopkeeper's gun or baseball bat with the thugs running scared and vowing they'd get them back only to end up beaten by the shopkeepers. The few who did try to get the shopkeepers back ended up behind bars as the new Boston Police captain in charge of the Pullen Point Boston Police district was not afraid to take down the criminals. She was tough on them, going so far as to have the organized crime unit investigate in full and find just how tangled the web really was and how loose it was held together without the four in charge. She unraveled the web causing the whole syndicate to fall apart at the seams and bringing great relief to the neighborhood and praise to the police that hadn't been given in decades. The people who were extorted had the four's shares of their business returned to them without having to pay a penny due to it being a criminal act forced on them. The businesses thrived, and with the police on their side they were able to improve sales and get the confidence of the residents again. The town flourished, with lower taxes and access to more services from the larger Boston infrastructure the former town became one of the best places to live in Boston while the former Pullen Point faded away. Layla Olson was a broken woman once the truth about her was revealed to all. She had resigned but it was rejected by the governor and county council as they wanted her to face the people directly. She lost her recall election while facing criminal charges for her role in the child sex ring. She was humiliated by all who saw her, she had lost everything and would lose her freedom shortly. When she finally went to trial she pleaded guilty to charges of racketeering, extortion, sex trafficking, child pornography, attempted kidnapping, and tax evasion. She accepted a 20 year prison sentence in exchange for telling all she knew about the ring and offering up everyone involved. She was adamant that she didn't want to keep going after the girls but Sheriff Coltrane insisted that they be, "Taken care of" to save themselves and showed how he threatened her with exposure if she didn't go along with it. After her testimony at the trials of Fiona and Flora's former foster parents and Sheriff Coltrane, Layla signed over all of her assets to her sister. She sent a letter to her begging for forgiveness but knowing that she didn't deserve it. She took her own life rather than go to prison, letting her sister know first but ensuring that nobody could stop her from taking her life. Lydia Olson was saddened by her sister's suicide but knew that it was her last act of penance for what she had done to destroy the lives of others. She didn't deserve to live while so many girls and boys had their innocence ripped from them because of Layla's greed. Lydia didn't grieve her sister, she just offered her solemn apologies to the victims especially Flora and Fiona that her sister didn't face true justice and took the coward's way out. Lydia used Layla's betrayal of the public trust to fuel her drive to help kids and found herself at the center of national attention for her efforts. Her reasons were understood and commendable, she couldn't help but atone for her sister's malfeasance. She wanted to right and went above and beyond the call of duty to do so. The governor groomed her to be his replacement in two years, allowing Lydia the chance to lead from the front instead of the rear. Lydia accepted this and would work hard to earn her party's nomination then go on to win the general election. Her sister's actions didn't matter, Lydia's record was spotless and anyone who tried to use Layla against Lydia found out just how well Lydia could do on her own. The trials for Sheriff Coltrane and Flora and Fiona's former foster parents were long, drawn-out affairs. Layla had offered damaging testimony that was backed up by documents and testimony by the girls via CCTV video direct to the courtroom. It was hard to refute the claims as their own words were used against them ensuring that the trio were given a rough time by the jury. Sheriff Coltrane was defiant until the end, shouting out loud in court while telling the court?s deputies to release him from custody. His deputies flinched once and were removed, replaced with ones who were not afraid to go against his orders especially as he was in no condition to enforce his threats. The few who hesitated were reassigned to the worst duties before seeking jobs in other counties as they had shown that they were incapable of doing their jobs, the fact that they were also Coltranes made it worse as they would have to explain to their new bosses why they transferred or quit. The trio were convicted on all charges and sentenced to 40 years in prison. Their federal trials were just as bad but featured the trio turning on one another to try to save their own skins. They were convicted on all charges again, with Sheriff Coltrane getting convicted on civil rights violations in addition to the charges of sex trafficking, extortion, tax evasion, child pornography, and other lesser charges. Sheriff Coltrane had to face charges in Boston due to his actions in planning the kidnapping and murder of the girls. This time he was in for a rougher trial as his words were used against him with his boasting and his rants being shown to have been preceded by his planning the deaths of the girls at the hands of the four families. It was an open and shut case with Sheriff Coltrane being sentenced to another 20 years in prison forcing him to finally see that he was never getting out of prison alive. Quentin was given his much appreciated partnership and appointed the new senior VP in charge of US operations. He hadn't expected that so soon but he had moved up the timetable due to salvaging one of their most important deals in years with his hard work the day of the adoption. There was no denying that he was the man for the job as he had shown he was the right person to lead the company, he had a perspective that nobody else in the company had and was not afraid to take risks or talk down to colleagues to ensure safe designs. With his new job came a big raise as well as a company car. Quentin had to fight off requests that he move out of Winnisimmet and join his colleagues out in the suburbs, he wasn't about to abandon his home in favor of places that were nothing but overpriced tinderboxes that wouldn?t accept the girls as his daughters and insult his family the second their backs were turned. His daughters loved their new hometown and they had a lot of friends there, moving out would mean that they?d lose all of them and most likely that Flora would endure a lot of issues with her new school which wasn't worth the fight no matter the cost to his image in the eyes of others. Greta had a tougher job than Quentin as she now had to handle the girls' money situation. The girls had a hefty amount of money coming to them from a lot of places, making them wealthy but not to the point where they lose themselves and are just walking ATMs. They enjoyed some luxuries but only so often and usually it was after they had earned it through good grades and hard work doing chores. Greta successfully sued the Minnesota Department of Human Services and Keillor County for the girls? abuse and breach of the girls' civil rights by both Sheriff Coltrane and Layla as well as the placement into an unfit home and continually allowing abuse to occur. Further, she sued the McMillan, Enfield, Browning, and Remington families for the kidnapping and assaults on the girls. Flora then sued the state in care of the former Town of Pullen Point due to assault, illegal detention, and the conspiracy to rape her by the former police department. Maisie, Mia, Kylie, Nichole, Margaret, and Nancy sued the four families as well with Maisie having the largest lawsuit due to having the most damage done to her body. She also sued Pullen Point School District for allowing the abuse by the, "New Jack Kids" to go on for years then giving her an unfair and unjustified review and attempting to hold her back despite good grades. Her mother then sued the state senator for her actions of working against Maisie once it was shown she forced her views on the school to keep Maisie away from the senator's family. The lawsuits were a mess but they were all successful due to the amount of evidence and number of witnesses. Nancy, Nichole, and Margaret won $1 million each while Kylie and Mia won $3 million. Maisie won $5 million against the families then another $2 million against the school and $1 million against the state senator. Fiona and Flora had been awarded a total of $10 million each with Fiona getting another $2 million from the families and Flora getting $6 million from Pullen Point. The girls really did bankrupt the former town, the found cash immediately went to pay the girls off while the debts remained. Fiona and Flora didn't care, it was their own mess and they had hurt Maisie so deserved what happened to them. As time wore on the kids started to show that their puppy love wasn't just puppy love anymore. By mid-January the kids were allowed to go on their first dates with Maisie, Kylie, and Nichole finding their own dates just after they returned to after the kidnapping. It was funny seeing Jessica and Eric trying hard to keep Fiona and Mia from kissing so much while they themselves tried to keep from grinning at the sight of the two trying to fight their urges to suck the other's face as they played the big sister and future big brother to the girls. The night was a resounding success despite Eric telling the two to lay off the kissing on the way out of the theater. Mia was in near tears as Nancy hugged her tight when they got out of the car at her house, it was the perfect night and only got better as the two kissed goodbye. Nancy felt bad that she didn't do the same for her date Steven but it was hard to do that with him ready to pass out at the thought. The girls flourished under the care of Greta and Quentin. The two had almost completely stopped fighting and were rarely apart at home. Greta loved that the girls had become closer as sister and after a long talk with them saw that they were both content with their lives and the little things that used to irk them no longer mattered. They had a mom, dad, brother, and sister. They had money and love. They had a safe home and friends who would do anything for them. It was tough to fight when you had everything you could ever want. The two were given the greatest gift of all time- love. The End.