Christmas Wedding Part 3- Smith And Walker free porn video

Two weeks before Christmas Lord Bradford and Lady Ophelia Smith had bucked longstanding family tradition of hosting an annual Christmas soiree at their Barnstead, Lincolnshire, England estate and decided to throw a smaller family gathering for the multiple Smith branches as well as the Walkers, their granddaughter's aunt and elder cousin, two weeks early. The reason that they were hosting it two weeks early was due to the couple going to the United States to spend Christmas with the Smiths' US branch. It was a tough decision but their friends understood that since it was also a family wedding that day and their son's family didn't want to miss their relative's wedding it was easier for them to attend and cancel the annual event. The compromise was one that fit everyone's schedule: holding the family gathering two weeks early and allowing everyone a chance to attend then spend time with loved ones. The Walkers were the lone non-Smiths to attend, they were there on behalf of Emma Peterson who was both Dora Walker's niece and the Smiths' granddaughter. Dora and her daughter Poppy were invited at the request of Emma as she wanted them to get used to the Smiths before the wedding so no awkwardness occurred, and being without family themselves it was a nice gesture on the Smiths' part to include them. The Smiths were a small family themselves but they had several generations still in England making it a bit of a controlled chaos as the younger children attended the event at the estate for the first time. Bradford felt great pride in seeing the kids being normal, it was more evidence that most of the family had grown beyond being aristocrats and were grounded in reality and modern times with Bradford and his wife being the last to act like aristocrats. The kids simply saw the estate as a big fun park as they enjoyed the swimming and horseback riding while their parents relaxed around their elders. Headmistress Matilda Smith, Bradford's second-cousin's daughter and the eldest of the Smith guests, asked about Bradford's grandchildren, which brought him a big grin as he told the family, "Hannah and Peter have agreed to move here to take on responsibilities of running the estate for a while when each receives their degree in 18 months. Peter will take over much of the responsibilities of running things while Hannah takes on writing jobs. Their children will be old enough to be placed in the creche while they work. I am hoping that Bryan and Paige will join them but I doubt they'll choose to." This was good news for the Smith family as it meant that the family would not fight over the estate as Bradford and Ophelia reached their 70s in a few months. Bryan and Pete were receiving degrees in geography and had experience with construction, logistics, surveying, and planning, making them ideal for running the estate's operations. Bradford had delayed hiring someone to do the job as he hoped that one or both would oversee the estate, this worked in his favor as they had done exactly that and had chosen to do so on their own. The question about their military service was brought up, but this was answered with a simple, "They signed up for the normal four years and unless there's a sudden war they aren't likely to be recalled once their enlistment ends in 16 months." That satisfied all, especially as it wasn't likely in the current political climate. The two were highly regarded among the staff and through the Smiths' own feelers putting the estate in good if not better hands than they had been in under Bradford's direct oversight. Dora was quiet during much of the interaction, keeping to herself as she felt out of place among the family members. It wasn't surprising, she was a simple seamstress and designer from just outside Manchester while these were blue bloods, aristocrats even if they had "normal" jobs like teacher and police constable. She tried to go unnoticed but it was hard as she had to constantly answer questions about the dresses she, Ophelia, and Poppy wore, ones that she had designed and Ophelia was happy to tell the others about at the slightest prompt. Dora became the center of attention when the Smith ladies again started asking about her designs, a great sign to Ophelia that Dora had nothing to fear from the ladies as they saw quality and knew just what was a great design despite Dora being a small local boutique creator. It was the start of a good connection, as the ladies would happily buy a dress or two then show it off to others bringing in more business to Dora. It was actually what Ophelia had done with her own friends, and was what she hoped would happen there among the Smiths. As the ladies were mobbing Dora with questions about her designs, their children were off on their own as they enjoyed the manor's pool and horses. Poppy was all but appointed as the head of her generation as she was the oldest and had the kids all over her right away. She had to brush off some of Matilda's twin sons' advances as she had no interest in guys but managed to find herself smitten with one of the Smith ladies as the two sat together by the pool's edge. Sienna Smith was the eldest of the Smiths in her generation in attendance but had no interest in childish activities. She was a city girl, a rebel among them who fought against her parents' rules. She had only went that day because she had nothing else to do and couldn't find anyone to stay with for the night. Sienna and Poppy were stuck together as they oversaw the youngest kids after the boys finally lost interest in Poppy and went for a horseback ride. She was relieved, telling Sienna, "I don't think I could endure any more of your cousins' drooling. They are handsome but I have no interest in any kind of boy, especially ones who can't take 'no' for an answer and who still show off after being brushed off." Sienna raised an eyebrow as her interest was piqued. Poppy saw this and explained, "I'm a lesbian. I am not going to lie to you and claim otherwise. Lord Bradford knows this already, my cousin Emma, who is also your fourth cousin, told him about me back in August." Sienna sighed and held her hand. kissing her cheek as she moved closer to Poppy. Poppy tried to move away but Sienna told her affectionately, "I'm bi but I think I am truly a lesbian. I know that my dad doesn't care as long as I stay on the right side of the law but it's still tough to accept myself. He'd rather have me waiving the gay flag than getting into trouble." Sienna kissed Poppy on the lips, causing Poppy's toes to curl as she gasped for breath. The younger girls snickered at them kissing, which caused both to snap out of it. Sienna's three younger sisters all smiled at her, with her youngest sister, Layla, telling her, "She's pretty, daddy will like her." Poppy was nervous that the kids would say something, which Sienna understood. Her family, outside of a couple of angry stalwarts stuck in the past, were supportive of people with differences. However her cousin Noah was under the influence of their grandfather Wilson, who was deeply conservative to the point of being outraged if someone who is employed at the post office is Asian or African. Wilson Smith managed to influence Noah for years. He had shared a lot of his views with him he was a child and once he graduated from university he was taken in by Wilson as his new protege, the only one among his grandchildren deemed, "Worthy enough" to have that honor. Noah loved to flaunt his status in the family and was purposely late so all would see how much money he had earned as his car drove up the driveway and parked in the family lot. The younger kids were unfazed by Poppy and Sienna kissing, and were snickering as the two made eyes at one another during their swim together as they tried to cool off their simmering feelings. It was to be expected by them, they knew that Sienna was not like other women and was going to marry a girl some day. They even took bets on when she would do it with Imogen, the eldest of the three, winning. As they were changing in the showers after finishing their swim Poppy saw Sienna had several tattoos, which were both beautiful and striking on the slim, tall Sienna. Sienna asked if she had any, getting a blush and head shake from Poppy. Sienna stared at her body then grinned, pointing out, "You are perfect as you are, ink would just break up your beauty." The kids again snickered as Poppy blushed while Sienna kissed her deeply after they finished changing. The two held hands after the younger girls finished, walking around the exterior of the estate for a half hour as their bodies rested up for the meal. Poppy finally got enough courage and kissed Sienna back, earning a cheer from Sienna's sister Thea as Poppy finally stopped fighting her feelings and let Sienna know that she liked her that way as well. The walk was ruined as Noah came looking for his sister Isabella and younger brothers Clyde and Lloyd and witnessed Poppy's kiss. He was about to strike the girls when he was stopped by Marion Paine, the estate's groomsman. Marion angrily told him to head inside or he'd ensure Noah was tossed out on his rear with a kick from his uncle for assaulting the ladies. Noah swore he'd have Marion's job but he made the mistake of saying that in front of Ophelia. Ophelia happily told him, "Just try to do that. Marion has years of dedicated service to our estate while you have no business back here as Reardon told you to go inside to speak with your parents." She had him there. Noah had purposely gone out back to seek out Sienna and run her off after being told by Reardon to go to his parents. It was normally easy to get rid of her, she hated encounters and kept well away from the family. Noah and Sienna were bitter rivals and as they grew up and over time became polar opposites. Noah had become increasingly antagonistic towards her as she rebelled against her family and used her actions to get their grandfather Wilson to threaten to cast out her side of the family unless she was reined in. She did the opposite, and try as her parents might they would never dream of forcing her to comply with Wilson's views of how a teenage girl should look and act. The Smith family butler, Reardon, had noted Noah's arrival but added that he had inquired where Sienna had gone from the maids which led to Reardon stepping in to tell him to go to his parents immediately. He quietly told Ophelia about this action which caused her to rush outside to confront him, observing his actions towards Sienna and Poppy and stopping him before he made contact. Noah growled at Ophelia, "Shut your mouth, woman. You have no right to tell your better what to do. I am the grandson of the rightful heir of this estate so you will shut your mouth and do as I say!" Reardon grinned and happily proclaimed, "As the Marchioness and mistress of the estate, she does. You on the other hand, are a guest- one that will never be allowed to return here. Leave now or we will be forced to call the police and have them remove you. Good day, sir!" Noah was led out by Reardon and Marion, with Reardon adding, "That young woman with your cousin that you tried to assault is the cousin of Lady Emma, granddaughter of the Marquess. She was invited to be here while you were to be only invited if you were to act like a gentleman and not like a spoiled brat. You will never see the inside of this estate again and will likely see your allowance cut off. By all means, complain to your grandfather. Lord Bradford has strict rules for being entitled to it and you broke them! I know for a fact that he already knows about your behavior as your siblings and cousins have just told their parents and the Marquess." Marion had to hand it to his boss/friend Reardon, the man was all business and fiercely loyal. He and Bradford had grown up together in public schools before going off the military together. Reardon had stayed on and worked up through the ranks, Bradford retired after 20 years to take a job as a financial consultant then took over the estate when his parents retired while Reardon stayed in and took a job in the household of Lord Alistair Young, Ophelia's brother-in-law, until being hired at the estate as their butler and head of household. Noah's actions did not come as a surprise to either man, Marion had suspected that he'd try something to provoke his uncle and cause his uncle's branch to be disinherited. Noah never suspected Bradford was not going along with the old ways anymore. In fact if that was still the case then Noah would have been cut off when his grandfather Wilson was cut out of the family in late July. Noah's mother Matilda was informed about what happened and offered a terse, "Cut him out and off. He has disgraced our family for the last time. I would rather his siblings not have to endure his bigotry. We will be better off without him in our lives." Matilda Smith was tough but fair, which was why she had risen through the ranks at her schools and won the coveted job of headmistress at an exclusive public school after years of teaching at a council school. Her younger children receive a quality education from her school and had learned what was acceptable and what wasn't. Her eldest child had never taken those lessons to heart, he had instead substituted it with, "Grandfather knows more than anyone else" despite being told otherwise by her. Her husband Archie was more than happy to have his son cast out. Noah was 24 and had a life of his own now, he could survive without their support. He was so adamant that his grandfather was right and they were all wrong that Archie felt that Noah should learn the hard way that the man was a fraud who was just barely skating by in business and whose connections had abandoned him for better people. Bradford consoled his relatives but it wasn't needed, they had prepared for it and had the sad duty of telling the younger Smiths that Noah was disinherited and disowned. The kids seemed to know that it was coming and accepted it, with Noah's younger sister Isabella and brothers Clyde and Floyd angrily telling them, "He is a jerk and wanted you two hurt because you didn't help grandfather! We hate him!" The kids needed a little bit of time to calm down so all eyes turned to Poppy and Sienna, who had been silently sitting nearby letting the others handle the Noah situation. Sienna was about to apologize to Bradford and Ophelia when Bradford held up his hand and smiled at them. Ophelia vocalized, "You did not do anything to provoke him. Noah was a disgrace to the family like his grandfather before him. He chose to antagonize you with intent on your own disgrace but was prevented from doing so. You have acted like a mature person, something he has yet to show." Sienna's father Reggie shook his head and laughed at all of it. He added a hearty, "It's about bloody time you acted your age and stopped trying to be a child. You are 19 so you have a right to be who you are and from the looks of things you are finally accepting yourself. She is a fine woman, congratulations to you two ladies for making one another step into maturity." Poppy was on the verge of tears while Sienna was too stunned to say anything. Her sisters hugged her, with her mother Agnes adding a loving, "You can lie to everyone but yourself. We knew all along you were not going to find a young man, we hoped that you found a young lady so you would calm down and start being the mature woman we know you to be." Turning to Dora, Bradford asked if she was alright with their coupling. Dora smiled at them, adding a happy, "It's sudden but she has never stuck so close to anyone before. Perhaps they need time apart to see if they are meant to be together or if it's just a convenient fling with some mutual attractions but I can't stand between them if it's meant to be." This settled things as all moved into the dining room to eat the meal. Nothing more was said as they ate quietly while letting the moment pass. After dessert they went up to their rooms with the new couple kissing discretely as they separated for the night. The next morning the groups separated with Matilda signing off on her son being disinherited from the family fortune while Sienna and Poppy shared another discreet kiss as Sienna left. Reggie gave Poppy a hug and kiss, inviting her over when she had the time. Being from the same area it was extremely easy, a sign to Reggie that it might be meant to be for them. Poppy remained with Dora as they worked with Ophelia regarding designs for the wedding that all four were attending. Reardon, Marion, and Chef Cara Farquhar were invited as guests but each declined due to wanting to be near their families. Marion and Cara had married in the fall and were using the week that the Smiths were away as a honeymoon while Reardon had an ex-wife and children that he visited yearly who happily met them at home. Ophelia worked with Dora to set out plans for dresses for the Spring and Summer seasons, with Ophelia being eager to see their designs made into creations. Dora had found her first permanent account as Ophelia asked her to show the designs off to an upscale store that she frequently purchased from that catered to people who were larger than models and who would appreciate her classic yet modern designs. The store was one that Ophelia had directed dozens of new clients to and who were ideal for Dora's designs, they were seeking a great new designer who had them in mind when creating. Poppy didn't have much to do as Dora was the designer and seamstress. She kept Bradford company in the sitting room and talked with him about business, being adept at running the financial side of the family's business for her mother who was often too busy to keep the accounts in order. She kept up with him, even talking about how she had turned a few pounds of pocket money that was used to buy stocks in a business into a whole new wardrobe because her cousin said she should hold onto it. Bradford asked if Emma had talked with her cousin Michael, getting a nod and soft, "She said he was sure that if I put it away with them that I'd earn up to 100 times the amount by late autumn. He was right, they had a big new product offering that shot up their stock price. I don't know why he wanted me to do that but I am grateful to him for it." Bradford saw an opening and happily explained to her, "He loves his cousin, and wanted her to help you to save some money for yourself. She told him how you had only a small wardrobe and could use the money to tide you over until your mother's business took off. He does it frequently with his family, you qualify indirectly due to your relationship to Emma. Plus it's a small gamble but it paid off nicely." The two returned to looking over the accounts without much more talk. Poppy noticed a large surplus in the estate revenues from the estate's side businesses and pointed it out to Bradford. Bradford was astounded, they had turned a large profit that year during what was supposed to be a break-even year. Poppy asked where the money came from, earning a grin and proud, "Sales of produce from our farms, revenue from renting our horses and stables to others, putting on a classic car showcase that included a big BBC presence, and leasing our pond area during the early summer for wedding receptions. All of those various monetary sources seems to have added up this year." Poppy agreed, pointing out how wedding bookings had increased while food sales had dropped but the amount donated for tax reasons were large enough to offset them. Poppy had a strong rapport with business and was great at interpreting trends. She lacked the sense of style that her mother had but was keen to help her expand her business now that they had a larger space in which to operate. Bradford could tell she was going to be great at her job and if she was lucky she would have Sienna by her side to help her with the business as it grew around them. Eventually Ophelia and Dora entered and announced that they had business in the city, which Poppy was happy to go with them to facilitate. Ophelia was the one to open the door for them while Poppy could handle the sales and Dora discuss the designs. It was a good combination, one that they were able to make work for them especially as Ophelia would be an indirect beneficiary of through a discount. An hour later they were sitting in a closed boutique with the ladies in charge giving the designs a close examination. It was interesting yet familiar, an original set of designs yet classic. It was tough to pinpoint, which was a good thing in the ladies' eyes. After what seemed like ages, the ladies approved of the designs and would agree to stock their designs but due to their lack of storage space would have to send for them on-demand. It was fine with Dora, this would work for her as she didn't want to overburden herself with fabric that wouldn't be used for a while or with boxes of clothes that nobody wanted to buy. Since she owned her shop building and she made a tidy profit from selling basic supplies in the retail store already it was a good move on her part. The ladies arranged for a fashion show for their clients after Christmas, with Dora agreeing to it and having Ophelia facilitate it. Ophelia started to see a connection and considered buying into the business as a partner, giving her a job of her own and allowing her to handle things in Lincolnshire while Dora handled the design and sewing in Manchester. Poppy would handle the business side of things and draw a competitive salary so Dora didn't fall into same the trap that her brother did with not paying Emma any wages during her years working for her parents. Poppy and Dora drove home after finalizing the contract and sale to Ophelia, with Bradford signing off and their solicitor giving his blessing. Both agreed that it was a solid investment as it was a minimal loss to Ophelia as she would make her money back in short order while only losing some pride if the business failed. It was dependent upon others, but being a side business it was not a big loss. At home, Poppy was met by an eagerly awaiting Sienna. Dora gave them some privacy as Sienna immediately kissed Poppy then led her to Poppy's bedroom. The two simply kissed, neither wanting to go further as they didn't want to upset Dora and it was a bit too early to take things to the next level. Sienna ate dinner with them then listened to their plans for the shop. Sienna was all ears and offered a few suggestions of her own while Dora shed a tear of happiness over her trying hard to show that she cared about their business. Sienna confessed that she had taken courses in design and business but had not been able to break into the fashion world due to her hated grandfather Wilson forcing his views on so many in the industry and making enemies of anyone who was a Smith. Dora talked with Sienna in private as the two toured the shop while Poppy prepared a room for Sienna to spend the night. Sienna knew that this was her fishing to see if Sienna was using her to get access to people but she was adamant that she wanted to help Poppy. Sienna was in tears, finally admitting, "She's all I think about since we separated. I just want to show you that I am trying to help her life become better and by extension help your business grow. I don't want anything from her, just companionship." Dora hugged the sobbing Sienna, kissing her cheek and explaining, "She hasn't been the same since you left. It's early in your relationship but she has feelings for you that are just as strong as yours are for her. It's just so sudden, I had to know if you truly wanted to help us or if you were trying to uses us. I know now that you are here to help us, as well as settle your aching heart." Sienna was led over to where Dora had her best designs and saw Sienna's eyes well up in tears as she saw them. She all but whispered, "They are what I dreamed my wedding dress to be like." This was a big sign to Dora that the couple was on strong footing as they were what Poppy wanted her future wife to be married in, done years before and tweaked over time as Poppy's tastes changed. Poppy came in and told Sienna, "I drew them. I wanted my wife to wear that dress while I wear the design she had created for me. I'd love to create it for you, but I am afraid the surprise is ruined now." The couple embraced while Dora proudly proclaimed, "Enjoy your night together. Just try to keep the volume down, noise canceling headphones only work so well. I love you, Poppy, but even I can't bare to hear your screams of passion." The couple kissed as she said that, giving her a happy look as Dora gave their blessing to be together as lovers. The sounds in the building were ones of passion as the ladies enjoyed a loving night together. It was a strong joining, they knew how to pleasure each other and found energy that neither had ever had before. Dora had to smile as her daughter was whimpering in pleasure, it was awkward to hear her daughter having sex with someone but worth it to her. In the morning, the girls were late getting out of bed. Dora had breakfast warming for them when they finally strolled in, with neither saying a word wile Dora told them, "She can stay as long as she needs, but I think the two of you need to calm yourselves a bit so you don't overdo the passion too early." The ladies blushed deeply but nothing more was said. Dora hugged Sienna and kissed her cheek, then told them that they had to get to work so they could recoup some of the losses from being away for the next few days. The ladies got dressed and went downstairs, with Dora having Poppy inventory the stock while Sienna manned the sales counter and Dora stocked the shelves and talked with customers. The ladies were a great team and worked well until Noah showed up with Wilson. Noah gloated to Sienna that she was going to get what she deserved for embarrassing him in front of the family. Wilson growled at Dora to get the owners out front immediately, he wanted to talk with them right away or there would be trouble. Sienna called her father Reggie for help, getting him to immediately head over to the shop with several trusted constables. Dora delayed Wilson, asking him to leave her shop as he had no business there and was preventing legitimate customers from entering. Noah told her to shut her trap, how dare she talk to a nobleman in such a way. Sienna saw her father entering with help and told them to leave. Wilson loudly screamed, "Don't you dare talk to me, you little dyke! How dare you speak to a 'normal' person like that! I demand to speak with the owner of this establishment or I'll destroy this store!" Reggie let his father talk himself into an arrest then authoritatively stated, "You have already met the owner, father. You were asked to leave by the owner and have thus far refused. You are hereby under arrest for public disturbance and offensive remarks." He grinned as his colleagues handcuffed both, with one explaining, "Ms. Walker is the owner of this place and you have no authority to act as you did. Your little threats to ruin her are just hot air. Try to do it and you will find yourself before the courts for organized crime charges. We won't let this go unpunished by the courts." Reggie had his colleagues lead the duo away while hugging his daughter. He didn't want to do it but his father was about to find out just how much his views aren't appreciated by anyone except his close circle of sycophants. His family would not bail him out of prison, he was going to have to beg one of his, "Friends" or he was going to spend the next two years in there to think about his actions. Matilda called Sienna for an explanation then happily told her, "I don't blame you one bit for calling your father for help. He had no right to act that way and you had done nothing to deserve them disturbing your life. Give my best to the Walkers, I think you two are a lovely couple and will make one another happy." The commotion caused people to take notice of the business being open again and slowly things got back to normal as the Christmas season shoppers took hold of the store. Dora and Sienna were busy keeping the most in-demand items on the shelves and racks while Poppy endured a lot of hard work to drag out various boxes of clothing for sale. It was a great time had by the trio, with Sienna enjoying the action as she helped earn her keep with a steady stream of suggestions to customers who weren't sure what to buy while also helping Poppy keep Dora's books in order. After a busy day the trio called it quits and sat down to dinner. Sienna endured a long, embarrassing phone call from her mother Agnes as she told her why she wasn't home the night before and what she had done all day. Agnes was fine with her relationship, but cautioned her to take it slower especially as they had already taken a big leap if she read her daughter's reaction right. Poppy and Sienna drove to Sienna's home where they were mobbed by Sienna's three sisters then hugged deeply by Reggie and Agnes. Agnes took a long, hard look at Poppy then declared, "We were too distracted at the estate to notice you but I see you really filled out, young lady. I remember you when you were a skinny twig who would always try to roughhouse with the boys on the football pitch." Poppy blushed while Sienna tried to hide her shame at her mother knowing her girlfriend from when she was a little girl. Poppy was led inside as the Smith girls went to work asking what they did and what they were going to do. It was like nothing Poppy had ever experienced before, she had only her mother by her side since she was born and lost contact with her cousin Emma when Poppy and Dora moved southeast to London for better employment opportunities when Poppy was just starting year 10. Sienna was amused by Poppy's reaction, until Agnes pointed out, "She's an only child and not used to younger siblings. You have grown up with the girls and your cousins around you so are used to having everyone close by and enduring little bits of humility. She needs to get used to being around kids, especially these three pests." The Smiths asked Poppy to stay the night, with the couple sharing a bed. Poppy and Sienna kept it chaste, not wanting the girls to see or hear something they were too young to hear The girls giggled at that, it was funny to them as sex was a few years away from being on their minds. The couple slept in peace with Agnes waking them after Imogen, Thea, and Layla had gone off for the day. They drove on to the Walker home with Agnes and Dora being formally introduced as the girls went upstairs to the flat to change clothes. The two mothers noted the mutual embarrassment but still saw the love between the girls. Agnes asked if Sienna could move in with them, noting that they would be tough to separate now that they had gotten so close to one another. Dora had to think about it, it was still sudden but they had done well together and she could use Sienna's help in the shop. Agnes offered an incentive, the girls would be taking over operations while she worked on her design business as she happily pointed out to Dora. Dora had little choice but to accept, but added, "I don't blame you if they don't work out in the end. They are young and this could be a mutual itch that neither could stop from being scratched. I just hope that it doesn't make things complicated with you and your husband especially regarding his dad." Agnes just sighed and sat down, confessing to her, "Sienna has been a lesbian for years but tried hard to make herself into a rebel instead of accepting who she is. She is smitten with Poppy, it's early but the two have changed a lot in a short period of time. My husband has known Poppy for years and I had her as a student in school if you remember, so we know how she is as a person. Neither is the same, they are changed people since they met. My youngest daughters told me about them in the pool and showers and it isn't what I would have thought, those two have found a special love bond that somehow has blossomed quickly." Dora had to agree with Agnes, Poppy had been looking much better ever since seeing Sienna for the first time. It was heartbreaking to see her daughter falling in love for the first time and taking a huge leap toward finally being her own woman. The two were a good fit and deserved to have a chance to find out if they are compatible for one another. Dora sighed and shot back a defeated, "I don't want to put them under any pressure or think that they have to stay together because Sienna has nowhere else to go. Please, keep a room for her even if it is never used. I understand the need to give the girls space but Sienna needs to know that she can always return to you if they don't work out. It's for her sake as much as yours." It was what Agnes wanted, she could never turn her daughter away. Her leaving would allow her youngest girls to have their own rooms, something that their budding rivalry made important. Dora realized just what was going on and added a happy, "They love one another. Trust me on this, your daughters are going to be the best of friends even when they act like brats. I've seen the worst, but I also see that they care deeply about their family and what you see is normal sister squabbling." The girls came out to hear that, with both looking at their mother with happy eyes. Agnes reluctantly told them, "You have to decide who stays and who goes, it's bigger but it's also got the early morning sunlight that will wake you up. You are old enough to decide on your own." The two younger Smith sisters set out in a heated argument but it was settled quickly as one had more clothes than the other and was a nearly riser anyway making it an easy choice. Agnes understood just what Dora meant, learning to trust her daughters more showed that they still loved one another despite the arguments. Her husband didn't say a word about all of it, only hugging the girls and thanking them for being the mature young ladies he hoped they were. Over in Sienna's room, the couple gathered Sienna's belongings. It was mostly stuffing her clothes into boxes but it was a long time in coming as Poppy oversaw all of the clothes. The more she saw, the more she fell for Sienna as her style was punk rock meets casual with some nice dresses for when she had to wear a formal outfit on the rare occasion that her family gathered at her grandparents' home. Poppy was surprised that much of her tattoos were covered up and only seen when Sienna was naked. Sienna blushed as she explained, "I can't help it, I didn't want to harm chances at good jobs in the future because of youthful rebellion." Poppy kissed her deeply as she admitted her deepest secret, she may have a wild side but she wanted to work hard to earn her keep. The couple were packed up in a hurry with nothing remaining but the linens. Sienna hugged and kissed her family goodbye, with Poppy doing the same. It was a big step for them, Sienna was now a live-in employee and dating the boss's daughter and had left her childhood behind for good. When the trio finally left, Reggie was all smiles. Agnes raised an eyebrow then laughed as he told her, "I do believe that my dear father's second-cousin will ensure that our daughter joins her new lover on her trip to the United States next week. Lady Emma's family will insist, she needs an escort after all." Poppy and Sienna were going to have a big surprise as they arrived back at home. Emma had sent an invitation from the bride and groom to Sienna with plane tickets as well. She was going whether she wanted to or not. The next week was spent finishing up the bridal gown and bridesmaid dresses that Dora had been asked to create for the bride and her family. It was a lot of work but both girls were eager to help run the store as Dora made her last minute touches to the dresses. The sheer number of dresses caused Sienna to ask if it was a theatrical presentation, making both laugh while Dora added, "It may very well be with the way the family is acting. It's a normal wedding, there's just a lot of young ladies involved in it." Dora showed the names of the individual recipients with the four Smiths catching her eye. Dora had to explain, "The marks indicate that there is some stretchy material added to their dresses to compensate for their wombs. Your fourth-cousins are having twins: both of them!" Sienna smiled at hearing that, she had heard rumors about them and didn't believe for a minute any of them but to know that they were pregnant and were not being kept away made them all moot. They were nobility, they would be on display and if they were showing off their bodies then it was not a shame- but a thing of beauty. Her grandfather was again a fool, this time for lying about them. She asked about the variety of names, with Dora laughing as Poppy blushed and added, "They are a large family. Emma is part of two branches and is the groom's cousin through both his father and mother. She told me about the number of branches and how they are all interconnected and it took me an hour to figure it out and that was after I was shown the list. You don't have to understand it, it's best to let it go as it'll make you question your sanity. They are great people, especially Ladies Hannah and Paige." They returned to work with Poppy and Sienna handling brisk sales. The day finally came to fly west after joining Bradford and Ophelia for an overnight at their townhouse in London. Poppy and Sienna were met with Bradford's loving embrace while Dora and Ophelia shared nods of approval, he was just fine with them and looked happy to know that they were together. Wilson tried to make an issue of their trip by claiming that Bradford was encouraging deviance in allowing Sienna to sleep with a woman. He was simply upset that he was turned away by Reardon at the townhouse and told never to return as his rights to the townhouse had been revoked. He tried to claim that Bradford had no right to bar family from the house but it was wholly owned by the estate, one perk that he was not entitled to as he had been disinherited and disowned four months before. He tried to follow the group to the airport and bullied his way past security but was given a stern talking-to by Charles Evans as the group waited for their flight to be called. Wilson was thrown out of the airport and cautioned about his antics but it was all bluster as he ran off in shame once handcuffs came out. He was further in trouble as he was unable to make his own flight, costing him a fortune that he didn't publicly have and had borrowed from his wife's account. Charles was too distracted with his own issues to note that Bradford was busy talking with someone on his phone. Had he not been he would have heard that Wilson was in a lot of trouble for stealing from his wife's account and in danger of losing his home to her- the rightful owner and the one person who had the gall to stand up to him. His wife was seeking a divorce, citing constant spousal abuse and his money issues caused by his dirty dealings then ratted the man out to Inland Revenue for not filing taxes on any of his income outside of his family's estate stipend. For Bradford, it may be sweet revenge but he didn't expect anything to come from the taxman looking into Wilson. The woman deserved a better husband than Wilson. Had he not fallen instantly in love with Ophelia, he would have married her and saved her from him. The only good to come from Wilson Smith was his son Reggie and daughter Matilda. The flight was longer than the trio would have wanted but Dora had found time to tweak some designs while the couple fell asleep with arms intertwined. Dora took a picture of it and uploaded it online so Agnes could see, immediately getting a request that she keep a copy of it for their scrapbook. It was such a sweet sight that even Bradford felt moved by the scene, the couple were tough not to feel for. In Boston, Bradford and Ophelia directed them to where they needed to go. Dora saw Emma awaiting them just outside baggage claim with the 1-year- old Sophia bouncing in her father David's arms. Poppy hugged her cousin then introduced her to Sienna, getting a blush as Emma hugged Sienna and added a happy, "Your father was happy to know that you were attending the wedding, I assume he approved of the two of you being together?" Sienna blushed while Poppy added a firm, "He all but rushed her out of the house into our flat that so we could be together." Sienna mumbled a scared, "Mum and dad need the space for my sisters. They were hoping that I'd find a job but nobody would hire me because of grandfather. They all hate him." Poppy's smile bristled as Dora added a terse, "You are staying with us for as long as you need. That man can't harm you anymore, not with Lord Bradford finally putting him in his place. His own children are against him and he angered the wrong officers. Charles and Reggie will see to it that he gets what he deserves and he won't have a pot to piss in when they are through with him." Sienna's face was full of tears as Dora hugged her and led her on, with Poppy and Emma sharing a smile. It was the mother in Dora protecting Sienna, which Poppy knew to be her true feelings about Sienna emerging. Emma casually whispered, "We will take you ring shopping tomorrow if you want." At the Peterson home, Sophia finally detached from her father and waddled right to Dora, climbing onto her lap. Dora hugged and kissed the toddler, showing her the affection. Sienna and Poppy saw the glint in her eyes and gave a loving look to one another, pregnancy was a long ways off but neither were opposed to becoming mothers especially if their children shared a father. The Petersons had a long dinner as the trio got used to David's family. When his brother Patrick came in with his wife Deborah and son Antonio, Antonio wanted Dora as well giving her another chance to show affection towards a little one. He performed his "I'm a cute baby" act for Dora then tried to get Poppy and Sienna's attention causing both to blush as he let loose in his diaper just for them. Dora snapped a picture as the two were deep into changing Antonio's diaper and had to experience him kicking them and flailing his arms. It took his parents everything they had to not laugh at the funny moment as they endured Antonio acting up for their attention. Both Reggie and Agnes sent happy, "Better not need to do that for a while" responses to the photos with Emma having to hold back her own laugh as the two finished cleaning and redressing Antonio. When it was time to leave, Antonio and Sophia refused to let Dora go requiring Emma and Poppy to distract them as they released their grips. It was funny to them as Dora mumbled an upset, "Some things never change. You did the same thing to me when you were that age. Like mother, like daughter." The trio left with hugs and kisses and were told to expect a bunch of visitors the next day as the girls endured their fittings. The Bollinger home was chosen to be the location for the fittings as it had the most space and rooms to change in, giving them an easier task than expected. Emma added a happy, "It's also going to be guy-free so expect a lot of gossiping and laughs from the girls. And that's before the moms come by for their own little party." The couple shared a bed as the suite reservation wasn't changed. Neither felt frisky nor bold enough to try to have sex so they simply slept through the night. That didn't stop them from sleeping in the nude as they were too tired to change into their pajamas or so they claimed. In the morning the ladies were greeted by Emma and Sophia with Sophia again trying to go for her great-aunt Dora. The little girl staked her claim to Dora and refused to let her go throughout the day, with Poppy feeling relieved that she wanted Dora instead of her. Sienna happily told her that she was better off as little girls her age tend to become dead weight after a short period of time, recalling how her own youngest sister Layla doing that to her when she was Sophia's age. The drive to the Bollinger home was done with Poppy driving behind Emma with Dora having to sit with the clingy Sophia in Emma's car. It helped that the car Dora and Poppy were supposed to use was filled to the brim with dresses making one of the three have to go with Emma anyway. Sophia knew what she was doing, she wanted to be with everyone instead of going with her grandparents. As soon as they arrived at the Bollinger home Dora, Sienna, and Poppy's eyes went wide at the number of little girls, teens, and young adults there. Poppy and Dora spotted Hannah, Paige, and Nichole Smith but could not place who any of the others were. They worked quickly to move the dresses inside while the ladies all gathered in the living room for their fittings and started their gossip session. Over 45 dresses were needed for the ladies of the family, with one being the all important wedding dress for Courtney Bollinger. The dresses were split up into groups with the youngest girls getting their dresses first followed by the middle school girls. They were all going out on their own for some age-appropriate fun leaving the older teens and college girls to do the bachelorette party fun. Before she began, Dora was pulled aside by Gabby Bollinger, Courtney's mother and the hostess for the fittings. She asked Dora if she was going to be alright fitting girls who had a little, "Something extra" in their panties as several of the girls were still, "Intact" or retained their penis even if they were impotent. Dora just smirked and casually admitted, "My newest revenue stream caters to ladies like them so I can't bite the hand that feeds me. Besides, I am fully aware about several of the girls having birth defects or having been born with them but had them fixed. As long as they don't mind that my daughter and her girlfriend may share some loving glances then I am fine with them." Gabby nodded, adding, "Several of them are married to or dating girls so it's not a problem with them. Two couples are actually married to one another and two more couples have been together for over two years. The girls are discreet with their sexual activities so it doesn't impact their younger siblings." Dora was pleased to hear that, with Gabby letting it go and taking Sophia off of her hands so she could help the girls out. The youngest were easy to do as their lengths were right and the dresses loose in the right spots. They giggled as she worked on their chest area but it was done so that the looseness didn't accidentally give boys an unwanted view of their chests as they moved around. Three of the dresses were "off the rack" with two being very similar in color but slightly different in the bodice than the other girls. It was due to their recent inclusion into the family but Dora was happy to be able to tweak them enough to not notice the differences from the other dresses. A third was just like the youngest girls' dresses so it was simply just Dora needing to fine-tune the sizing. The tweens were timid about showing off their budding breasts, especially Fiona Nelson. She was still a little chunky and didn't want her dress to be tight but didn't want her chest shown. Dora worked with her and after several minutes of tweaking she had the perfect fit that satisfied both of them. Fiona was still distraught over her size requiring Dora to put on her mother facade and ask, "Is your mother large?" Fiona nodded but added, "My birth mom was" to which Dora explained, "It's genetics. You are going to be large no matter how much you try to keep slim. Your best bet is to work with it, you will be voluptuous but not fat. There's a lot of plus- sized beauties, more so than skinny ones. You are a beauty, you just have to see it for yourself." During this fitting she endured the embarrassment of Trinity Eliza and Flora Nelson having their male parts discovered. Dora didn't make mention of them and with a suggestion that they wear a gaff if their parents had them they would not have any fear of their, "Secret" coming loose or showing through the front of the dress either when they sat down or stood in place. Both knew what she was talking about and felt great relief, which Dora let go as they finished their fittings. The next group was tougher as the girls were upset that their dresses didn't show enough flesh. Dora had to hand it to them, they were typical teenage girls who wanted to push the limits of taste and what was sensible and it brought back memories of Poppy fighting with her over her own clothing. The girls lost out to Dora's reasoning, she outfoxed them by telling them that it wasn't appropriate to show a lot of skin at a wedding especially for someone so young and with the way the dresses were designed if they moved the wrong way they may unintentionally flash their chests to everyone. The teenage girls were easier to fit as they had not grown much in the time since their measurements were sent to Dora. She had to endure Rebecca Lopez fishing for information about Emma as the young lady wanted to know more about Emma at her age. Dora just grinned and kept mum on the subject, knowing that it was eating up Rebecca but it was a story for Emma to tell her on her own. Jessie Bollinger had most to change as she had a growth spurt and increase in her breast size prompting the need for a larger alteration. Her dress was set aside with Jessie feeling bad about getting to be so much larger, but Dora the mother stepped in to tell the girl, "It hits you when you least expect. Three months is a long time for a young woman in the throes of puberty like you, at least it's growth for the right reasons and not because you gained weight or were pregnant." Gabby entered and nearly fainted at hearing that. Jessie looked at her with angry eyes and growled, "I told you we aren't having sex until we are both in college. Not one second sooner." Dora soothed over the moment as she saw it was only a quick fix and not several hours of unstitching and restitching the dress. Seeing exactly what needed to be done Jessie felt better and went off to sulk over her mother jumping to conclusions. Dora just shook her head, it was a clear mom moment. The final dresses were the toughest to fit as a total of four pregnant ladies were involved. Paige and Hannah were the first and longest as their dresses needed a bit of tweaking in the arms and hips while their bellies were form-fitted with stretchy material to accentuate their bodies. The dresses made them look much older than the nearly 21-year-old women that they were, but beautiful in Dora's eyes. Carmen Carter was farther along and also having twins so had a larger belly making it tougher. Instead of trying to make her belly less visible, it was put on display with her dress draping around it. She looked beautiful yet mature, with her dress matching her wife's own dress perfectly. Addison Carter felt weird having Dora dress her but when she saw her own dress she had trouble trying to focus on the fitting. Dora ignored the bulge in her panties and seeing how her wife looked at her she understood the feeling of losing her focus. It worked for Dora as Addison took the shortest time to get everything set and had the least tweaking to do among all of them. The last ones were Deborah and her friend Sheila Bailey. Sheila was pregnant as well, but unlike the others she was having just a single baby. The little boy inside Sheila's womb made his mother glow in a way the others didn't, with Dora doing her best to keep Sheila from going overboard as she kept the others in line and ready for that afternoon and evening's festivities. The only one who wasn't present was Courtney. She had spent the time out with her father and brothers as they avoided the fittings until the end. Courtney didn't want to be put on display by her friends, she just wanted everything to fit right so she could dress easily before the wedding. Courtney came in and went right for the room that her dress was in. Seeing it caused her to start to cry, with Dora whispering to Gabby, "Those hormones really know how to make an impact." When she pulled herself together Courtney could only say, "It's just like I pictured it, it's beautiful." The dress fit her perfectly. Her baby bump was mostly hidden by the dress's curves and what little was visible was barely noticeable unless you got up close. Her own mother was at a loss for words, the gravity of the moment hit her as her daughter was truly going to get married in two days. There was nothing to tweak as Courtney had filled in the dress as expected and was tight in the spots it was supposed to be tight in. She was stunning and as she stepped out to show the dress to her family and friends all talk stopped at all eyes fell on the beautiful young woman. Not even her sisters could offer up a joke, she looked too beautiful for words to form. Dozens of clicks were heard as the girls sent pictures of Courtney in her dress to their parents. Within seconds pleas for copies of the pictures to be printed out were made. It was the reaction that Dora had hoped for and Courtney needed, one of all loving her look in the dress and immortalizing it for her. The girls helped Courtney out of her dress then put it on its hanger for the wedding. They were eager to get out and enjoy their night together, with Dora all but run over by them as they seized the unaware Sienna and Poppy as they rushed to their cars. The couple was not given a chance to refuse as Emma grabbed one arm and Deborah grabbed another and whisked them to the cars. Dora was stuck with the clingy Sophia and napping Antonio as their mothers left them with Gabby and the recently arrived Lilly Peterson. The two were struggling to hold back laughing as Sophia was acting so differently and Antonio was comfortable enough with Dora that he was fast asleep as soon as he was in her arms. Lilly gave Dora a happy look as the girl knew what she wanted and that was her great-aunt Dora. The ladies sat down to relax and ensured that Antonio was snug in his carrier while Sophia napped in Dora's lap. They broke out a bottle of wine, which Dora declined out of habit. Lilly realized the reason why she refused, adding, "I know the feeling, I just hope that he was a better man than the one I knew." Dora nodded, confessing, "He was a university professor. We had a fling that resulted in Poppy, once he learned I was pregnant he resigned his post and moved away to Scotland and told me never to contact him again. He thankfully paid for our flat and Poppy's necessities, it helped us immensely but it still hurt to not have him to help us." Lilly could relate, adding, "Mine didn't do any of that for me, we had a drunken fling at a party when I was in college. I found the man of my dreams just after I found out that I was pregnant and we married a short time later. I adopted his sons and he claimed my elder daughter as his own. My younger one came along years later after my husband died." Dora blushed as she hadn't realized that Lilly was so young. Lilly saved her the trouble and admitted, "Claire is almost 19, David and Patrick are almost 24 and 25. Daisy is 8 going on 18 or 21 but it's part of her family curse. The Finn ladies by blood are all smart and not afraid to tell the truth." Since it was going to come up anyway, Lilly added, "Daisy and Claire are John, Karen, and Leslie's nieces. Hannah and Cat are their paternal first cousins, and the ones who everyone is warned not to upset as they will not hesitate to set you right. Their cousins Marcus, Bryan, Nigel, and JD aren't like that. We think it's because the 'y' chromosome cancels out their candid nature." Gabby tried hard to not laugh but lost the battle as she added a happy, "Cue family tree" as she saw Dora trying to follow along. Lilly nodded, rolling her eyes as she explained, "Daisy is Patrick and David's sister, as well as cousin of Ella and Logan through their birth mothers. We are also related to the Finns through my adoptive parents, done so we didn't have to acknowledge Daisy and Claire's baby daddy." It was complex but it wasn't so far-fetched that it was unbelievable yet she knew it was somehow true. She let it go and focused on the napping Sophia, asking if she was always so clingy with adults. Lilly blushed while Gabby teased her, "She's a daddy's girl and doesn't go to Lilly unless she has to and it's normally for diapers. She loves you, she remembers you and your accent reminds her of her mother making her accept you more." It was sweet and touching, and the awakening Sophia hugged her tightly then giggled as she saw Lilly. Lilly shook her head, complaining about her giving her presents nobody wanted. Gabby just about lost it but the grin from Lilly made her stop as Gabby realized that she'd endure the same in a few months. The mothers shared a mutual laugh as Sophia again went for Dora, this time trying to get her to give her something. Lilly grinned then told Sophia, "No presents. Those come on Christmas. Your daddy has to stop giving you whatever you want because you are getting a bit too greedy." She pouted but didn't cry. Dora had to hand it to her, she put on a great "I'm a cute kid" face. She wouldn't have been able to refuse Sophia's pleading looks herself. Antonio stirred and wanted a new diaper, prompting Dora to change it while Sophia got attention from Gabby. Antonio kicked and fought his change, doing his best to make a show of it. Dora had been through this before with Emma and Poppy so she wasn't about to let him get the better of her easily, earning a grumpy look from him as she handed him off to Lilly for a bottle. When he stopped fighting her and gave her a big smile at being outsmarted Dora casually told the others, "Emma and Poppy used to do the same thing. Both have small scars from when they were accidentally pricked by the pins my sister used instead of the clips she was supposed to use. They don't know where they came from but it's something I guess I can finally use against them." The mothers laughed it off as it was something useful in case they complained about the kids being tough to diaper. The ladies didn't notice the time and soon had Lilly rushing off to her tea date with the younger girls. Gabby thought she could do Dora a big favor and asked her if she had designs of formal dresses that the older teens could look over, intending to use Dora as their prom dress designer. Gabby asked her to follow her to where the 11th-graders were congregating before their night of fun with their college counterparts. Dora was concerned until Gabby told the girls, "I have found you the perfect designer you have been seeking. She's got a lot of great designs just itching to be sewn." The girls mobbed Dora, asking about the designs she had done. Dora had to tell them that she didn't have them on her but would help to make some up for them to see if they liked them. It was a long shot but Gabby had found exactly what Dora needed to do to relax for a bit. Dora was handed a sketchpad and pencils and looked over each of the girls. She thought it would be easier to go with a common theme, so none of them had something over the others. They were all flinging ideas but most didn't work with their bodies and would not hold up under dancing. It was decided to just go with classic designs but ones that showed shoulder and left room to dance. It was easy to convince them, they weren't fans of the outlandish. They only had to choose their colors. The designing took an hour and once they all settled on their colors they stated at the dresses. They were definitely better than the ones in the stores and better than what their cousins and siblings wore. It took all of their might to not gloat to them but they kept their glee in check for their own sake. Dora showed the designs to their parents and was asked, "How much?" It took her a few minutes but factoring in the number of hours it would take to cut and sew their designs then the amount of fabric needed to be bought. When she finally had her answer, it was followed Gabby giving a hearty, "Wow, that's actually a lot cheaper than from the boutiques the girls bought from last year." The girls were rushed off to their meeting with their older counterparts while their mothers sat down to enjoy an evening of fun without their children. Dora asked where everyone had gone, getting a snicker and hearty, "The older guys are out at the bowl game, the younger girls are at the afternoon tea service then have their own sleepovers planned, the younger boys are playing video games while their dads enjoy a 'guys day in', and the older boys are out with the rest of the guys shooting guns." Dora was a bit upset at the mention of guns but Valerie Finn added, "They are with the few who know guns inside and out. Three are federal agents who enforce federal weapons laws and two have used guns for sixty years. We trust them with the boys' lives and trust that they will know all of the rules and regulations before firing a shot." The ladies changed the subject and started to needle one another over their kids' choices for dresses then their impending marriages. Dora was quiet but could tell that the mothers were pleased with their daughters and were enjoying the realization that they are going to marry in the future. It was only a matter of time in their eyes, with most taking bets on who would be next up to marry. Dora nearly choked on her drink when it was suggested that Poppy and Sienna were already heading down the aisle. They shared a mutual snicker while Dora regained her senses. The idea had not yet crossed her mind as the couple had seemed so close but not married couple close. Her being caught off guard was exactly what the ladies wanted as Leslie Sylvester inserted a hefty, "It's Emma's own words. Sienna made a clear impression on Poppy and she isn't acting as she was before. If she was any more in love with Sienna you might need a hose to separate them." Dora saw what she meant but it was odd hearing it from strangers. The ladies turned talk to their own children and what they were doing outside of school. Most were happy that they were working hard at their jobs even if it was just until they entered college in two years. After several hours and two bottles of wine between them, with Dora's not touching any being ignored by the ladies, the group broke up as they prepared the younger kids for their sleepovers. It was tough to get Sophia to go home but once the ladies separated her from her grip on Dora she fell asleep easily in her carriage. None of them had the heart to joke about her actions, it was just so sweet of her to take to Dora with so little time knowing her. Dora was tired as she entered the hotel suite in Boston. Sienna and Poppy were already there and were snickering at something Emma had sent to them. Seeing Dora they burst into laughter as the picture of Sophia trying her hardest to remain in Dora's arms and refusing to leave left them with a happy feeling and laughs over the toddler loving her great- aunt so much. The two were mum on what they had done with the girls that night, knowing that it was humiliating to them and that Dora may not like it. Dora joked, "It's not like you went to a strip club!" That caused them to blush as Dora realized it was true! After they were all but dragged out of Gabby's house by the ladies, Poppy and Sienna were taken to Jenna Connors, Stacy Lopez, Jessica Nelson, and Claire Peterson's house. The two were unsure how to react but none of the girls said anything about them being there. Emma entered and told the couple, "They are going to take you to a few places, you don't have to go if you feel uncomfortable." The plan for the day was made with Poppy blushing while Sienna snickered at the girls enjoying the show. Poppy had no intention of enjoying men dancing in their underwear but Sienna's enthusiasm was infectious and hard to ignore. She set her prejudices aside and agreed to go if she wanted her to. This little moment of compromise wasn't lost on the others as a collective, "Aww..." went up from them. It was just so sweet and showed how much Poppy cared about Sienna. She had a good reason for not wanting to go but to do so for Sienna showed she understood her lover. The ladies drove to the lounge where the show was being held, with the drinks being provided by a bartender that the family knew. Sienna and Poppy asked what the big deal was, they were all over 18, getting a head shake and quick, "Drinking age is 21 and we were all given alcohol the last time we were at a bachelorette party. The bartender is trusted, he won't give us any alcohol." Sienna seemed to be upset at that but Poppy whispered, "It's the law here. I know you like a good stiff drink but you don't have to show off for me. I love you for what you are not what you can do." Poppy's mouth dropped open as she realized what she had just said. Sienna kissed her deeply, telling her affectionately, "I love you too. I have been in love with you since I first saw you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you but I would happily wait to make our union official." Poppy cried and added, "I'll marry you, my love." They had unknowingly gotten engaged with a simple slip of the tongue, sending the girls into a fury as they were about to text their mothers and the younger teens but were stopped by Emma's warning glare. Emma sighed, then told them, "This was spur of the moment. Please don't tell anyone until they tell their parents" The girls turned their attention to the dance show and drank their mocktails, teasing one another about the last time they had similar drinks as Emma gave them eye rolls at the memories. Sienna asked about why she was rolling her eyes, with Emma complaining, "They are teasing me over missing their fun due to my being pregnant at the time. I was too tired to go with them, mum and mom made me stay home." Poppy understood what she meant, it was tough to miss out on a big celebration because the little one was making her too tired to do anything. The plus side was that she didn't ingest any alcohol, which she had to be grateful for. It stung, but the developing Sophia would have been harmed unintentionally. The girls were rowdy but Emma kept them from getting too out of hand. She wasn't the oldest there yet she had become the unofficial, "Mother hen" to them. The girls all joked that being a mother had caused her to stop being carefree and start being mature, getting a smirk and nod from Emma. The show was as expected for the devout lesbian Poppy. The guys were handsome but she felt no attraction to them. Sienna was all over some of the guys with the ladies joking that she might enjoy some of their, "Man meat" later, getting her to shoot back a happy, "Sorry, but I prefer to eat out not snack on small cocktail weenies." The girls burst into a full laugh while the men were offended by her joke. Poppy gave her a happy look as Sienna hoped her actions weren't out of line. It was all in fun, with Poppy kissing her cheek in assurance that all was well between them despite Sienna's bisexual side showing through that night. After two hours, the ladies went off to their next activity. This one was simpler, they were going to enjoy a dinner at a restaurant then rollerskating at a rink. The two had never skated before so it was going to be a tough event for them, but not one they weren't ready to try out. The dinner was quiet as they ate some of Courtney's favorite dishes and desserts while enjoying more mocktails. This time, they were crafted just for Courtney so she could lay claim to having her own drink made up for her. The others snickered at that but the bartender casually told them he was going to do the same for them when they had their own bachelorette parties in the near future. At the rink, Poppy and Sienna struggled to stay upright and kept falling on one another. It was both funny and sweet as the two were on even footing and enjoyed their struggles. Emma herself wasn't doing too well but they weren't the only ones struggling, the girls rarely skated and only chose the rink as the combined party due to it being acceptable for the younger teens and tweens. The girls spent two hours falling down and sliding across the floor before calling it a night and splitting up. Poppy and Sienna were shocked to see Iris and Rachel Sylvester kiss Reyna Byrne-Toro and Sam York, then Stephanie Porter kiss Trina Phillips. It wasn't any message there, they just had to keep their passion in check during the afternoon and evening and had to give a good night kiss to one another. The girls hugged the couple goodbye, with Emma driving them to Boston. When they saw Dora they blushed at the day they had had. They didn't want to tell her but her joke about striping was too much. The next day was a rush as the trio met with Bradford and Ophelia as well as their son Nigel, daughter-in-law Karen, and all nine of their grandchildren and grandchildren-in-laws. Emma was there with Sophia so naturally Dora was seized by the toddler while Nigel Smith Jr. was jealous of the attention his niece was receiving. Sienna was intimidated by the group, she may be related to them and spent time with them the day before but she was still a commoner among titled nobles. The Smiths welcomed them with deep hugs as Karen fought a smile at Poppy and Sienna's closeness. It was easy to see that the two cared about one another, their mutual anxiety, shared glances, and seeking one another's assurances was tough to miss. They hadn't fled or declined to attend, which was a good sign that they weren't hiding and ready to accept whatever happens to them. The family sat down to a hearty brunch, with Nigel Sr. not happy to work that night after the rehearsal dinner. Dora could understand, he would be tired during the wedding but it was for a good reason that he was working- so his colleagues wouldn't have to. It was what he normally did during the holidays, giving his colleagues key holidays off while he rarely takes a day off himself. After the quiet meal that Sophia reluctantly participated in once Dora showed her she was eating too, the family retired to Bradford and Ophelia's suite to talk. Nichole went with her brother Ethan to play with Nigel Jr. and Sophia under Emma's watchful eye allowing the, "Adults" to talk without them overhearing things that they may not want to ear. Nichole gave Sienna a hug, whispering to her, "He's hated by everyone and made a big mistake going after you. You will see soon." Sienna tried to act like it was no big deal but it was clear that they were going to help her without her saying otherwise. Poppy's hand on hers caused her to ease up on the shameful look, which Nichole used as her segue to leave the "adults" alone. Ethan just brushed it off, he was used to Wilson being the family louse and someone whose bark was just hot air compared with his grandfather's actual bite. Sienna was seated while Dora asked about their evening together, in more detail. Both blushed and tried to change the subject, not wanting to admit that they had gotten engaged without exchanging rings. Hannah and Paige saved them from further wiggling, with Hannah telling them, "We told them what you did and it's only them trying to be parents and grandparents. If they had issues with it they'd have all of us demanding to know why they were against it." Hannah's mischievous grin caused Dora to shudder while Bradford proclaimed, "I shall speak with Reggie and Agnes about this when we return but I doubt they have a problem with it if they let you move in together and go to the wedding together. Your grandfather will try to fight this and have all of the family removed again but that will not work anymore since he has no legal grounds to do so. You deserve to marry whom you love, not whom that old fool believes you should. Heaven knows he's a hypocrite: he has had dozens of mistresses over his lifetime and likely has several illegitimate children in Scotland and Wales. Thankfully your grandmother is a bit more liberal in her thinking, but you may have to endure a summons to see her and explain your engagement personally." Poppy took Sienna's hand in hers and kissed her cheek. The adults simply nodded in agreement while Dora offered Sienna her mother's engagement ring when they got home. Sienna tried to refuse but it was family tradition that it go to the fiance of the eldest child, and with Emma married it now fell to Poppy to use with her fiance- Sienna. Sienna blushed at the whole turn of events, especially as Ophelia called Reggie to tell him the news. Reggie took it in stride, asking about the situation that prompted the proposal which only caused him to nearly faint while Agnes took over. As expected, Agnes was overjoyed at her daughter getting married and laughed at the situation that prompted the couple to declare their love especially as it was so touching, even if a bit out of place. Agnes prepared Imogen, Layla, and Thea for the news. They were concerned, thinking the worst as their sister hadn't talked with them since she left home. Their mother asking to talk with them only caused their anxiety to bubble up, forcing them to prepare for the worst. Agnes sighed, then explained, "Your sister has declared her love to Poppy, who has declared her own love for Sienna. They have asked for each other's hand in marriage, to which both have accepted. They are both with your fourth-cousins and are enjoying their trip, but had that unfortunate announcement to make to all of us." Imogen asked how they had gone from sleeping together to proposing, getting a blush from Agnes as she told them, "They went to a stripper show with the other ladies their age as part of the bachelorette party. They were seeing men dance in their underwear. I don't know how the actual declaration of love came up but it did and led to a proposal." The girls snickered and laughed as their mother was turning a deep shade of crimson at confessing to the girls. The 12-year-old Imogen said they were old enough to see boys' penises which caused Agnes to nearly faint as the 11-year-old Thea added, "It's not a big deal, you see more on the telly wrestling or swimming at the Olympics." They were putting on a show which the 9-year-old Layla didn't care for, it was the typical Thea/Imogen rivalry. Over in Boston, the family split up so they could get ready for that night, with Ethan reluctantly hugging both Poppy and Sienna. Upstairs in their suite, the girls were all blushes as Dora reminded them not to get too frisky. It was her own way of telling them to keep themselves in check as she didn't want them to be late due to the girls' libidos being in overdrive. Early Christmas morning Sienna used Dora's laptop to send a Skype call to her family and talk with the assembled Smith family. She dreaded being put on display but it had to be done for her own sake as it was Christmas and her parents deserved to see her. Her sisters would use her nervousness against her, but it was expected from the mischievous tweens. When Agnes answered the call all of six kids and four adults were present along with her grandmother. She didn't dare ask about her grandfather or Noah, it wasn't the place. The kids were all smiles which only served to cause her to cringe, which their parents smirked at. Eventually, Sienna started asking about their morning and what Father Christmas had brought the younger Isabella and Layla while the 15 and 16- year-old Clyde and Floyd tried their hardest not to gawk at the pajama clad Poppy. The two were smart enough to not drool over the sight of a young lady wearing next to nothing in front of them, especially as she was destined to become their cousin. Their father shook his head at the boys' unintentional reaction but glad they didn't react. The girls eventually ran out of steam and asked about the wedding, getting a blush as they admitted nothing of note happened. They'd have lots of pictures and would show them later. That disappointed the girls but their parents reassured them that it was for the best. Once the kids went off, Mrs. Smith took over and asked about their wedding plans. She knew they didn't want anything big since it would cause Wilson's wrath but she wasn't about to let her eldest granddaughter do without and be forced to take their vows at the registry office. Hearing their hopes, she assured them that she would speak with the vicar and get them a church wedding in the Spring. When Sienna signed off so they could eat and get dressed, causing Poppy to run off in shame as she realized that he pajama top showed off her breasts, Mrs. Smith turned and proclaimed, "I believe that Sienna has found her life partner and will do whatever I can to ensure her happiness. Wilson be damned, she is my grandchild and I won't let him force her to do what he wants. I don't care if he has promised her to one of his 'associates,' she has found her loved one." Mrs. Smith looked at her daughter and asked for her engagement ring back. Matilda gave a happy smile but Agnes asked to use her mother's ring instead. It was understood, she wouldn't feel right using her great- grandmother's ring especially given its connection to Wilson. Agnes' mother had asked her to use the ring for Sienna regardless of who she marries, hinting heavily that she knew she was going to marry a young woman one day. The Finn/Bollinger wedding and rehearsal were nothing to talk about as they were typical Finn Family gatherings with lots of laughs, embarrassment of family members, and love. The couple had to endure Cat Finn asking if they were a couple, getting a nod to which she happily added, "Emma loves you a lot. She is happy that you found a girl to marry. Your mommy loves Sienna a lot too, Emma said she can see her thinking about a wedding next year for both of you." The candid girl was what they had been told to expect but it was also a surprise to them as someone so young could be able to hit you right where it hurts and be right about doing so. She just smiled at them and ran off with her friend Willow Reagan while Dora tried to hide her own smile. Sienna hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek and asked her, "Will you make our wedding dresses?" The trio spent the next two days together as they awaited their flight home. Bradford and Ophelia were not joining them on the flight back as they were staying until the 3rd of January to have additional time with their grandchildren and Sophia. Sophia was weened off of Dora and kept close to her mother once Dora told her she was going back home and needed to be good for her parents, it was tough on the little toddler but it was unavoidable. The flight itself was made without much fanfare or things to consider. Dora offered some social service nightmare stories to the Evans family to show that they weren't alone as they endured their fight. The fact that Dora had at multiple points in the past been threatened with having Poppy removed from her home simply because she was an unwed single parent of a lesbian teenager infuriated Charles but gave him the much needed solace that they weren't the only people abused by the system. At the airport, Charles told Dora, Sienna, and Poppy to wait at the gate as he called in a friend who just happened to be the head of the airport's security detachment about the men skulking around near the baggage claims. They watched as officers asked to speak with Wilson and Noah as they were acting suspicious and asked who they were there to meet. The two did not disappoint and went at the officers verbally, demanding to know what right they had to question them then Noah proceeded to strike one constable as the constable moved the angry Wilson from his colleague's face. The two were yelling loudly to the point that they were caught on video by dozens of passengers and a paparazzi video crew. Their rants were replayed online and on the BBC for all to see as Wilson showed his true colors and violently ranted about gays, Asians, Muslims, and any other minority. After letting him talk himself into another arrest, the constables handcuffed the out of breath Wilson while Noah tried to flee from his own arrest only to be taken down by the smaller, quicker Arthur Evans who cut him off before he could reach the exit. Arthur ended up being a hero but he brushed it off as him acting like his father, who was kept out of sight as he talked with the sergeant and inspector about the disturbance. Sienna felt a bit of relief but she knew that Noah was going to get out and this time he would make her pay for humiliating him yet again. It was expected by her, he never accepted blame for his own actions and always blamed others- just like Wilson always did. Charles led the trio out while Arthur went with his mother Grace to collect their car form the car park. He was adamant that Wilson and Noah would be in deep trouble and if they came back again they would go directly to prison for several years. Since they were engaged and both knew knew exactly what they were doing neither would get the benefit of the doubt anymore, Wilson would be lucky to post bail due to his wife cutting him off but he had enough friends to influence the judges and crown prosecutors to let him out again and ensure that he was, "On his best behavior" despite evidence to the contrary and two recent arrests for the same crime. The drive northwest was a long three and a half hours but it went faster than normal as the couple held hands in the backseat of Dora's car. She didn't make light of the loving gesture, it was a clear sign to her that they were going to be alright if they kept things positive. Sienna needed Poppy that evening for her closeness and affection and her safety, she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown due to Wilson's and Noah's threatening presence. Instead of going directly home, the two drove on to the Smith home and the eager faces of Layla, Thea, and Imogen. Sienna was in a daze as Poppy walked her inside and sat her on the sofa in the family's living room. The girls didn't ask what happened, but Agnes growled, "He was there, wasn't he?" Both nodded while Dora explained, "He's now facing more charges thanks to a friend of Lord Bradford and Lady Ophelia being on our flight with us. They were at the wedding as well, but didn't have the chance to talk much with us. They are facing more public nuisance, breach of the peace, and indecency violations due to their ranting. Noah is also facing assault charges for striking a constable and possible charges for trying to run away from his arrest. Both Wilson and Noah were caught on camera making a big scene out of us arrive. It's likely to be on the web already." The girls rushed and looking at their iPads saw that there were several videos of Wilson ranting and raving about people who were different and the government bending over backward to protect them from normal, law abiding people like himself. It took all of their power to not laugh hard at the sheer stupidity of their grandfather, but seeing their cousin getting tackled by the smaller Arthur earned a cheer and unintentional, "He's handsome" from Imogen. Thea was going to tease her but Imogen's glare shut her up, it wasn't the right time to tease her over liking a boy yet. Reggie made some phone calls and told the gaoler, "He's out on bail for the same charges up here in Manchester. He should be remanded, not set free. If you let him or my nephew loose before going to court I'll demand an inquiry into why this was allowed and your head will be on the chopping block. I am sure the Assistant Commissioner, who was a witness to the crimes and arrest, will also demand to know why you broke protocol in allowing men who are out on bail for similar crimes were allowed to be released on bail again." Reggie was challenged by him to try it. Reggie hung up, then called Charles and asked if he could ensure that his father stayed in jail and if he was let free that the person responsible face charges for violating protocols. Charles was more than happy to help, the man had unintentionally insulted his own son in his ranting and it gave him great pleasure to ensure Wilson was incarcerated. The trio left after several hours and a hearty lunch followed by the three girls swooning over pictures of the various boys and girls their own age. Dora had to explain quietly to Agnes and Reggie, "Many of the girls, teens, and women are like Lady Nichole in that they are transgender. I would rather the girls not think horribly about them if they aren't OK with girls and boys like that. They already like Arthur, it'd be devastating to Imogen to know the truth about him." Imogen heard her whisper and gasped at the news. Sienna asked if she wanted to know who was what, getting a nod and happy, "No way!" from the girls as they saw each of the girls and two boys. Arthur himself was still handsome in Imogen's eyes, but a soft, "He's dating someone already" brought the smitten Imogen down to earth as she hadn't thought about that possibility. The girls looked closely at the other boys and saw a few who were pretty handsome despite being in committed relationships with girls their own ages. Thea blushed over getting caught lingering over the pictures of Logan Finn and his friends. Ethan was easily recognized and carried no feeling of attraction but the dashing Logan brought her heart to a flutter. Imogen gave her sister a smirk as the girl was caught and her hormones were clearly flowing. They shared a few whispers as they inspected the older boys and had the same snickers at some of them trying hard to act funny while others tried to be on their best behavior. Their antics made their parents, aunt, and uncle grin as the two were acting more like tweens than the little kids they normally acted. Isabella fawned over the fun the kids were having in some of the pictures. Sienna had to point out that they were her own age which made her feel better, but jealous of them being able to act normal at a special occasion. Matilda wasn't happy that her father had scared her so much that she was afraid to be her 8-year-old self. The dresses themselves were fawned over, especially Courtney's bridal gown. They were shocked to hear that she was pregnant as she looked so skinny in the dress, but looking closer they saw her bump. They were thrilled to hear that Dora had a contract for seven new dresses as well, making her business a strong one as she found herself fighting a blush at the girls trying to draw out similar ones to make. After their semi-sad reunion, the trio went home. They were happy to see that the post had left them with several requests for dresses from the boutique in Lincolnshire as well as similar dresses for both weddings and formal occasions. It was tough to do but Dora had to work out a schedule where the girls would run things in the front while she stitched and designed, but they had shown that they were ready for the job and were eager to prove their mettle to her as businesswomen. The next day, Wilson was brought before a judge in the nearest magistrates' court. His lawyer touted his past of being a model citizen and blamed the police for overreacting as they had no right to remove him from the airport. Wilson smirked brightly while the judge ignored his lawyer, setting a low bail and giving him a summons to appear in court in the future. The crown prosecutor cried foul but the judge ignored her. He set the low bail and was sticking to it. He then let out an unintentional, "I'll see you on the links in a couple of days, Wilson. I do hope that you have calmed down by then as I can not give you any more leeway." Wilson didn't say anything during his time in court. He silently cursed the judge for slipping for a minute, hoping that nobody else noticed it. It cost him a pretty penny but the judge gave him what he needed and in due course he knew the charges would quietly disappear. He had high hopes for Noah and hoped he had heard the slip-up as he had taught him to listen closely as others talked so as to glean information from others. It wasn't hard to do and Noah had enough time to learn the skill and use it for himself. He'd never be as good at using it like his grandfather used it, but if he tried hard enough he might be a decent extortionist and gain a fortune of his own. Noah fared worse in court. His grandfather refused to help him and he had no actual friends to bail him out. His own mother refused to acknowledge his phone call to her and told him never to contact them again, warning him from threatening her or any other member of the family He fought with the court officers as he was brought in and was given a summary remand due to the new assault charges against court officials. This was added on to the preexisting assault charges making him a prime candidate to have bail refused anyway. His arrogance and impatience caused him to end up facing several years in prison, simply because he couldn't control his temper or act normal in court. Wilson complained to a friend waiting outside the courtroom, "The boy is a fool. He should know when to fight and when to use what you have. He could have used the judge's closeness to me against him but he chose to fight instead of be smart. He will learn how to work people the hard way. Let him rot in prison until his trial." Wilson was forced to lay low for several weeks as his criminal case was settled. He was not going to avoid community service, not with his story going national and the judges in Manchester and London being immediately put under fire for letting him go with just a slap on the wrist. He bided his time for a month before the couple were relaxed enough to strike. During the intervening month, Poppy and Sienna had exchanged rings as Poppy's grandmother's ring was now worn by Sienna and Sienna's maternal grandmother's ring was worn by Poppy. When they exchanged them in front of the assembled Smiths at the engagement party the girls all swooned over them. Isabella, Clyde, and Lloyd were reluctant to go but hearing that it was a family event so they wouldn't be allowed to miss it. The family gathering broke up when smoke started to pour into the house from outside. The angry complaints of Wilson was heard while the people he was directing moved around the house to set it on fire further. They had all but surrounded the house when Reggie and his brother-in-law Archie burst outside with cricket bats and golf clubs, hitting the men until they were unconscious while the family called for the fire brigade and the police. Wilson tried to run away but was caught by the police red-handed as he had two empty petrol cans in his hands. The constables weren't going to let him sweet talk his way out of an arrest, they remanded him at the local police station until his arraignment while ensuring that the gaoler didn't accept any bribes nor did he allow Wilson to threaten him if he didn't let him out on bail again. The house was burned on one side and would require months of renovation to fix the damage done. It was lucky that it wasn't a protected building, but it still would be expensive for the insurance company to pay out. What's more, Reggie and his family could no longer stay at the house due to it being unsafe. Dora did the only sensible thing, she opened up the flat over her brother?s former office to them until their own home was fixed. She would be happy to have the girls over after school and didn't mind Agnes' company during the day especially as she worked in the back on her online business. It was an ideal situation as the flat was unused and close to the trio while giving the family privacy. The family spent much of the next day moving their things to their temporary home while Reggie kept an eye on the investigation. It was clear that it was arson and that the men stopped were responsible. Once fingerprints and debit card statements came back to show that Wilson had been the one to buy the petrol it was an open and shut case of arson and attempted murder for him. Reggie took a lot of ribbing over having to be a tenant of his future daughter-in-law's mother but it was all done in stride as Sienna was known to be a good person and Reggie loved her deeply. Poppy and Dora were not known to them directly but their relatives were and when the old reports involving Emma were found and David's occupation was mentioned it was a case of "messing with one of ours" as Poppy now was. She was doubly protected by the police, they wouldn't let her sexuality get used against her by anyone. Wilson was tried on charges of attempted murder and arson and pleaded not guilty. He was remanded, with the magistrate not even trying to let his threats move her as she had him hauled off to the nearest prison, HM Prison Manchester, to await trial. His rants in court were noted and the magistrate filed a complaint with the Lord Chief Justice to look into how a man with such inflammatory and public charges against him, twice no less, was able to be set free without so much as a warning to stay away from his intended victims. Wilson tried to exude his pressure on everyone he believed could help him, unknowingly causing his actions to be brought to the attention of the major crimes unit and members of the "Special Branch" of the Greater Manchester Police via HM Prison Service investigators. It was a big break for them as he was the missing piece in a ring of criminal activities from from robbery, prostitution, extortion, and assaults on public officials to money laundering and terrorist support. The man was a veritable gold mine as they followed the trail of his life and connected him to key people, who all were targeted before but somehow got away when they were about to be indicted and arrested. Wilson's money was the missing link, his payments to various police officers, lawyers, and several judges was noted with the two who had granted him bail being the worst offenders and the ones who often let the targeted people go without so much as a slap on the wrist. It was tough to argue that the man wasn't dirty, he was rotten to the core and his own words were chilling. He continued to threaten to have certain people killed unless he was released, with others exposed as corrupt even if they weren't. Noah fared worse than Wilson as the 24-year-old was out of his league in prison. He could have gotten off easy but he was adamant that his grandfather would sort it all out for him and come back for him. As the days passed and he was interviewed by police and told just what happened to his grandfather his arrogance evaporated and the child in him was let out in a big cry of disbelief that only caused him to get humiliated by the other prisoners afterward. Noah was forced to plead guilty and accept a fine and community service for all of his charges. He spent several months working alongside the motorway cleaning trash and unclogging storm drains as motorists laughed at him. For the once powerful man, this was shear torture that he had to endure for years to come. When he was released from prison, he tried to go to his home but found that he had been evicted due to the assets of his grandfather being seized by the government as part of their investigation into his criminal activities. He begged then threatened his mother to let him stay with her but she hung up on him immediately. He showed up at her down and burst in, prompting his brothers to knock him down and tie him up while his mother called the police to remove him. Matilda declined to press charges against Noah as he hadn't hurt her or the boys, but he was forced to accept a non-molestation order that barred him from contacting his parents or siblings ever again. His brothers had shown to Noah that they weren't the little shrimps that he always teased them of being, and would have honestly hurt him had their mother not told them to ease up on Noah. He had to endure his uncle personally handing the order to him, ensuring that he understood every nuance of the order before releasing him. As Noah was leaving, Reggie dropped the police act and told him firmly, "Your parents are two of the most caring and patient people who you will ever meet and are upset that their child would become someone who hates for no reason whatsoever. Your grandmother is nothing like your grandfather and if you had bothered to listen to her instead of ignoring her like he always does you would have learned long ago that he is just a cruel, egotistical man. He is wrong, as are you. You should have known that it was wrong yet you chose to listen to him and follow whatever he said regardless of the outcome. You are lucky that you aren't rotting in prison but too many still love you despite your actions." After his dressing down by Reggie, he tried to phone his office to ask about his job. Noah's call was forwarded to an automated service that told him that he was terminated and all further inquiries were to be sent to the company's headquarters. Given that he worked as a financial analyst and freelance stockbroker, this was akin to being told, "Don't bother coming back." He was without a home, a job, and without any family. He was what his grandfather had tried to force Bradford into becoming. Noah had nothing except the clothes on his back and the contents of his bank account, which was enough to buy a small flat and allow him to continue small trading to build his own fortune again- this time, without Wilson?s financial backing and entirely of Noah?s own hard work. Wilson was convicted on dozens of criminal charges as the government seized several hundred million in assets from his company that took months to sift through to find what was illegally obtained and what was legitimate income from his real business, an online design and consulting firm based out of Manchester. His legitimate business was left alone, and was seen as only needing someone to oversee it to continue its profitability. It was merely a repository of design concepts that could be bought by eager builders and do-it-yourself renovators with only updates on designs available to buy being needed. Agnes was appointed to handle Wilson's assets on behalf of his children and grandchildren, with Agnes being a good choice as she terminated all non-design accounts. She expanded the business further to different kind of designs, ones that were more for wives and grandmothers that were more of a hobby and way of passing the time than for business. This new market was a big one, and a hit immediately with women and even horticulturalists who now had something to show potential clients. She had to endure unsavory people coming around to demand that she pay them for the privilege of operating her business, often having them try to rough up one of the girls as they came by after school. This was always a mistake as she pointed at the camera and happily proclaimed, "Smile for the camera. I don't do business with criminals and as my husband is a police constable. I?m sure you?ll enjoy having to explain to him how you are entitled to any money from this establishment especially after you just threatened his daughters." Reggie was all too eager to prosecute the organized crime wannabes, taking down several in a month as they tried to go after Agnes despite her warnings. Agnes simply went about her job, enjoying that it wasn't exactly that hard and what she did for the companies she contracted with was better than the output they used to receive under Wilson's rule. It grew steadily and after a while she felt it was time to expand and moved the business to the former Walker accounting office permanently. The Smiths stayed at the flat over the empty shop and made it their own place, deciding to permanently move there and sell the Smith home once it was finished with its renovations. It was close to shopping and not far from the major road to Reggie's station, making it a more ideal location for them. The fact that it was also close to the girls? school made it even easier for them, especially as they loved walking to school instead of having to wait for their mother to take them home. Agnes and Reggie were happy with the flat over the store, it was large enough for all five of them and ensured that they were close to their daughter and future daughter-in-law. It helped that it also was the place that Agnes was eyeing for her own business, but once she took over Wilson's it became the new location by default. She sold off her own business and bought the building from Dora for the full price, ensuring that there was no ill-will and allowing the kids to never feel that they have to please Dora in order to keep her from evicting them. Dora appreciated having the family close as it would relieve her burden as the girls were often eager to help move in the new stock while helping to clean the store for pocket money. The girls treated Dora like another aunt, and after a while Dora fell in love with the girls. They were eager to please Dora and if she asked them to do something it was done withing minutes. Within days they were unintentionally calling her, "Aunt Dora" which caused her to cry at hearing. The move of Wilson's company to the Smith building was seen in the criminal underground as the final nail in the coffin of Wilson's business interests. Agnes wasn't afraid to fight back and they had already several young hoodlums to her unwavering stance. It was impossible to retaliate against her, not with the Walkers being well known to be in close with the police and Reggie being a feared detective. Mrs. Smith held true to her pledge to Bradford and filed for immediate divorce from Wilson. The man could not fathom that his wife would dare to divorce him but his contacts at the court told him it was the real deal and he was in a heap of trouble. He knew that if she dared to file then she was going to go after his affairs and would expose him as the lying, philandering man he truly was. He wasn't about to let that stand and arranged a greeting from, "Friends" of his. There was an immediate issue, she moved out of the family home and put it up for sale along with all furnishings. Nobody could locate her and all attempts were met with people asking, "Why?" ending their inquiries. Wilson made a huge mistake and told his closest confidants that he wanted her dead for what she had done to him. She had forfeited her right to live for daring to humiliate him and making him endure life in prison. His conversations were recorded and once the attempted murder was arranged the men were arrested and sent to prisons across England to keep them separated from one another. The reason for Mrs. Smith being unable to be contacted was that she was staying with Bradford and Ophelia, who used their own friends and network of informants to get out word about why Wilson was seeking his wife and why she had left him. As expected, they were not the least bit pleased and anyone who had supported him were shown to be shills who were in his pocket or who owed him a favor. None gave up the location of his wife, in fact they offered false leads up to and including her going to the US to stay with Karen and Nigel which would be foolish to follow-up on if he believed that claim. The divorce was slow and all marital assets were frozen so Wilson couldn't use his wife's money to buy off people. She gave him his half of the sale of the house, which was immediately used by the Crown Prosecutor Service to pay for his legal issues. She wiped her hands of Wilson, only keeping her name as a link to her children yet refusing to acknowledge Wilson at all. After two months of working in secret, the wedding dresses for the couple were finished. Each created the exact dress that was the dream dress of her fiances, right down to the pearls and lace. Dora had created both dresses and worked hard on them while the couple worked in the front of the store, using Imogen and Thea to help her at times where she would have used Poppy or Sienna. The couples' mutual shock and tears was what they hoped would happen. Agnes and Dora fought their own tears as the girls walked to the church to be married by the local vicar. She didn't mind one bit that they were getting married, it was clear that there was true love between the two of them. The wedding was broadcast online so Emma could see it. She told the others and within an hour it turned into a large gathering despite it being only 6 AM in Winnisimmet. Clyde and Lloyd worked the cameras and created a beautiful video of their cousin marrying during post- production, with the two getting upset that they were going to be pestered to marry soon due to their mother's wishful looks. Imogen teased them while Thea asked if they were going for a church or park ceremony. The cousins caused the US contingent to laugh as they didn't realize they could be heard and after they ended the broadcast were shocked to have a text of a picture of several dozen kids, teens, and young adults thanking them for filming the wedding for them. They tried to act cool but Imogen and Thea both groaned and told them that they are too arrogant for their own good. Bradford and Ophelia attended the ceremony on behalf of their branch of the family with Mrs. Smith. She tearfully hugged her eldest granddaughter as she walked up the aisle with Poppy. It was simply beautiful and what she was hoping her grandchildren would look like as they married, be they marrying a man or woman. The couple spent the night at a local hotel to have some privacy. None of the six younger Smiths made a joke over them being alone, knowing that it wasn't the right place for it but knew it was to be expected. The couple did enjoy one another, spending hours in pleasure before showering and falling asleep in a loving embrace. Bradford and Ophelia were in court every day for Wilson's trial. His barrister tried to remove them but they were there on behalf of the Smith Family and were entitled to observe. Wilson didn't hold back as he saw his 2nd-cousin observing, causing the jury to immediately see the man for what he was and not the nice, elderly man that he claimed to be. The trials lasted four weeks and was fraught with trouble as Wilson constantly berated the witnesses especially the Asian police officers involved in the arrest in Manchester. He didn't care that his words would be used against him, he was adamant that they had no rights in his country and should never be allowed in a public building let alone testify against him. It was exactly what the crown prosecutor wanted, a public outcry by a man who was a habitual bigot and not afraid to disturb the public. His criminal activities were given a thorough look and the deeper down the list the crown prosecutor went, the more people were exposed as being involved. Bradford was not afraid to tell the press that his family had disowned and disavowed him and would not support him in any way. When asked what he meant, Bradford told the truth as he explained, "He is under the assumption that he is the rightful heir of our family's estate and more importantly- its title. He used his claims to get access to and influence over others, as you have heard. He is not the rightful heir, he is actually the fourth in line behind my son and my youngest grandsons." Wilson's claims to the media were all exposed as lies within minutes as the Smith family tree was found online and sure enough- he wasn't a direct claimant. The fact that two generations are ahead of him made him out to be a man stealing a title from little kids as Nigel Jr. and Ethan were the true heirs. The fact that none of his branch of the family were supporting him and had pledged their support backing Bradford made his claims all the worse. After two days of deliberation, Wilson was found guilty on all charges. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison but was all but assured to die in prison. The fun wasn't over as he endured the humiliation of being forced into isolation until it was deemed that he was no longer a public threat, despite being in prison for months and put on public trial he was still deemed a threat due to his influence. He was a broken man after hearing the verdict read. Nobody would talk with him and anyone who tried to approach him was thoroughly vetted by the prison service. He was truly alone now. The investigation didn't end at just Wilson and the judges. Many crown prosecutors and several major detective constables were charged with crimes relating to Wilson's business. He had opened a can of worms that was not seen in over two years, not since the Harry Smith investigation occurred and even then Wilson had a hand in that fiasco. After working on the wedding dresses, Dora went to work in the seven prom dresses for the girls in Winnisimmet. Imogen spent much of her free time helping Dora with the cutting and sewing, learning quickly how to do both and saving Dora hours of work. After two months, she finished all seven and sent them off to be tried on by the girls. Sienna and Poppy opted to remain in the UK while Dora went to Winnisimmet to visit Emma and finalize fitting the dresses. It was relatively easy for her as there were few tweaks to make as the girls hadn't changed much since December in the bust but she did notice the slimmer Reyna Byrne- Toro and Rachel Sylvester had filled out more in the bust and hips, getting smiles from both. The teens were happy to show off the dresses to their families and had to fight off embarrassment as the younger kids teased them at showing their boobies and butts. She made plenty of time to see Sophia as well as spend some time with Ethan, Nichole, and Nigel jr. Their fourth-cousins had started to talk with them, especially the equally aged Imogen and Thea, giving them a lot of pleasure as the two girls saw their cousins as being normal and not typical aristocrats. Sophia eased up on Dora this visit, only giving her deep hugs and choosing to remain with her father making the inevitable separation easier. Dora's designs were a big hit and received the notice of several fashion houses in London. She had started a trend among the aristocrats towards simple, elegant dresses that Ophelia was all too pleased to tout as being Dora Walker originals. The dress manufacturing was steady revenue, but being a featured up and coming artist was almost too much for her as demand skyrocketed. She licensed several designs to major chain stores so they could create similar dresses for the general public at a fraction of the cost of what the high-end boutiques demanded. It was in addition to her designs for the boutiques that Ophelia had broached and gotten a few contracts with. Dora Walker was now the biggest name you never heard of in fashion and had earned herself a hefty sum of money in both sales and licensing. Ophelia's investment was paid off and she continued on as a silent partner and part-time facilitator. She served as the voice of reason at times as designs that were rejected were looked over and why they failed were discussed. She had an eye for design herself but was the needed voice in telling Dora where to improve to appeal to her customers but still retain her original vision. Sienna and Poppy ran the retail store and once Dora's designs became too much to contain inside the shop they moved her to another store, conveniently next door and the right size for her to expand. The girls were great with the retail business and reached a new popularity with teenagers and young adults as they stocked newer designs but ones that their parents couldn't refuse, giving them a lot of turnover while also giving them an insight into the minds of upcoming trends which Sienna helped start. They had enough turnover and were busy enough that they had to hire on more staff, with a preference for teens like them who were from single-parent families or gay. Dora suggested that she move out to the flat over her new design studio, letting Dora have her privacy but also giving her a chance to decompress during the hectic times. The newly alone lovers spent a lot of time together and eventually found that they were missing something in their lives. By mutual agreement, they decided to inseminate one another so they could have children. The two were nervous for the next month but when both started to get sick and neither had their periods it was clear that they were both with child. Agnes cried for an hour while the girls were happy to be aunts to two babies. Both were adamant that it required nappy changes, getting a look of shock. December the following year saw both Poppy and Sienna giving birth to boys. Reginald Franklin Smith and Henry Winston Smith were born two days apart, with their mothers proud of them for being such easy pregnancies that they didn't need too much family help or rest. It was all in the Smith family blood, as Bradford proclaimed and all laughed at. Dora was a proud grandmother, as was Agnes. Mrs. Smith held the newborns in her arms and smiled at the family. Her husband would have sent them to an orphanage and claimed they were found in a dumpster but she was proud to hold her great-grandchildren in her arms and give them a loving start in their lives. They deserved nothing less, and they would receive nothing but love and affection from their mothers, aunts, cousins, and grandparents.