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It was winter of 2029 and Chloe Daniels had just received a letter that she had been dreading for years: her parents wanted her to come to Alaska to meet with them about something important. She had spent years trying hard to avoid that place, but her family still had a way of finding her and making her see things their way. It was a place that she disliked, a rare case for her as it was hard to get her upset- yet her Alaska hometown did just that. Chloe fled her hometown after graduating high school, attending college in California before going east to Massachusetts to earn her masters degree in social work. She was determined to make something of herself and not be reliant on a husband for everything, a view that clashed with her traditional leanings of her hometown and caused her to become a pariah her junior year of high school. She ignored all of it, she loved her family deeply but she needed to get away and spread her wings and help others. She earned a job with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families after earning interning with the organization under the tutelage of Anne Connors, a like-minded social worker. She was sent to their Worcester office and enjoyed three years toiling away there until she stumbled onto a major case that would shake her office to the core and reshape Worcester. She was shifted to Boston to work under Anne's guidance and thrived there, earning herself a strong reputation for hard work. That same incident in Worcester also caused her life to change in another manner. She met, dated, and was impregnated by Anne's friend, marrying him and adopting his two sons as her own. She was only 14 years older than her elder son, but he loved her as a mother regardless of the close age gap. Looking at her sleeping youngest son she had no choice but to do the right thing and heed her parents' request to see her again. It would be the first time that the Miller family would meet any of their five grandchildren, and find out that they were actually great-grandparents to two girls as well as being grandparents to Chloe's five children. It would take a lot to explain how her the two were older than her son, but it was something that wasn't too unbelievable in their hometown. Sighing, she called her mother to ask her what she wanted her to do and endure her mother's scrutiny as she usually did towards Chloe's choices in life. The more she tried to be different, the more she seemed to upset her mother. She never could fully please her, they simply didn't get along before she left. Her father was different. He was a decent father who loved her, her brother Stone, and her sister Crystal immensely yet was often away from home for days at a time as he patrolled the nearby national park as a park ranger. He treated them as equals and disciplined her brother more than any of the trio, keeping the devious, manipulative Stone in his place and protecting the girls from most of his actions. She dialed her mother's phone number and waited, after the fourth ring her mother asked who the idiot was who was calling her at 6 AM. Chloe cursed to herself then answered with a timid, "I'm sorry to wake you, mom. I forgot the time difference. I was calling you regarding your letter. I just got it and it sounded too important to wait." She waited for the inevitable anger but her mother calmed herself and explained, "Your father is retiring after 35 years with the park service. He's being forced out by his doctors due to heath, he can't conduct the search and rescue operations anymore and his eyes aren't what they used to be making flying tough for him. His plane isn't going to do him much good if he can't fly into and out of most places up here. We wanted to have you back for his retirement party, your father doesn't want to hold it without his favorite kid. It's a family event and I have to agree that you deserve to be there too." Chloe asked when it was going to be held then asked if she wanted her family to come or just her. She caught her mother off guard and had to explain, "I need to see if my husband, son, his wife, their kids, and my youngest four can take the time off to go. It might not be possible for all of us to go." That got her mother interested, Chloe sighed and explained, "I'm Mike's second wife. He had two sons before I married him, George and TJ. Together we have three kids, Eve, Megan, and Mason. George has two daughters of his own, Emily and Tracy, along with a wife. His wife Jenna will have trouble getting the time off due to being short notice and being low man on the totem pole regarding seniority." Cindy Miller gasped in shock as her daughter had not only told her that she had five grandchildren but was also a great-grandmother thanks to her eldest son. When she came to, Cindy asked if it was going to be a problem for them to make it to Alaska. Chloe struggled to come up with a reason to deny their going but looking at her accumulated vacation time she sighed and explained, "It's not a problem." She explained further, "George has a well-paying job and will pay for his own brood while Mike has a decent amount saved for such an occasion. We own our home outright and made a tidy profit from a few wise investments so can afford to spend the money. The biggest issue is keeping our friend out of the loop so he doesn't spend his own money on us. I don't think we can keep him from it, though." She asked for the approximate dates then had to look over her schedule and ask that she call her back in a couple of days so she could work out the dates with her family and bosses. It was really just her way of finding any way to cancel the trip so she wasn't stuck doing something that she didn't like doing. She knew she could take the time off easily, she had enough vacation days banked to have a month off and be able to not impact her job due to the influx of new social workers taking on her cases. Her son Mason awoke and looked at her thinking, causing Chloe to snap out of it and make his lunch. As she was working he asked her what was going on, forcing her to try to lie but him not letting her get out of it. She couldn't lie to him, he was just like his mother and forced her to tell the truth. She sighed and explained to the five-year-old, "Your grandparents want us to go visit them. They live all the way in Alaska so it'll be a long flight with several layovers. I don't want us to visit though, the town is not a nice place and the people are upset at me for leaving. I don't want you to be hurt because I left." He asked why they wanted her to go then got Chloe to see that it wasn't worth the trouble to hide away any longer- she was better than them. She wasn't there for the town, she was there for her parents. The town would move on, she wasn't going to let them force her away from her family any longer. When her husband Mike returned home from work, she told him what was going on. He grinned and called George and Jenna to coordinate things. Jenna wouldn't be able to go the entire time, Mike had to work as well so would escort Jenna, and George had the entire time free as he could work from a hotel. The kids were thrilled to meet their grandparents, with Eve bouncing off of the walls at the news while her sister Megan happily told her mother that it was going to be so much fun. George's daughters were little better as Emily and Tracy hoped to see a bunch of wild animals. The two told their father that it was going to be so different than their forced trips up to New Hampshire and Maine- Alaska was cool! The one only who wasn't happy to go was TJ. Being the adopted son of his father then his mother, he knew that it was going to come out that he wasn't blood to anyone but his brother. He hated being that, he wished that he was his father's son in full. Chloe looked at his sadness and waited to tell him something that she had kept secret. Sighing, she told him, "You don't have to answer any questions about your 'real' father. We did a DNA test on you to see if there were any issues. We kept the results from you. We shouldn't have but we did." She looked away in shame as she explained, "According to your father, your mother was terrible at math. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy 14 years ago, but her timing was wrong. You weren't premature, you were full term. Your biological father isn't unknown, your father is your biological father." He said she was lying, so she explained further, "She was run off in July of 2015. You were born March 17th. That's eight months later. She was already pregnant with you when she left. Michael Daniels is your biological father, and has been acknowledged as such by the court. He made them change it from unknown to his name when you started school, you are his son and George's brother in full." He fought tears but lost, it was the best news he could ever hear. He loved his father but it was another thing entirely to be his biological child. He looked like George, George looked like Mike- it was tough to not see his father in him even if nobody had bothered to say anything before. Anne Connors called Chloe after the chat and explained to Chloe that she would approve of the month-long vacation as it was long overdue and she had put in far too many uncompensated hours for them to deny her vacation request. She even explained that it was getting to the point that she was risking being forced out to avoid the agency being sued for not allowing time off, so her trip was needed for her own sake. She was getting what she needed and would be paid for the time off as required by law. Anne had an ulterior motive for forcing Chloe to take the trip. Despite appearances, Chloe was hated by a select group of disgruntled colleagues who were upset that she made them look bad by doing the most work and clearing the most cases with favorable outcomes. Her absence would force those with issues to show their true colors as their work piled up and the work Chloe usually took off of them as she finished her other cases yet gave them credit for forced them to work harder to clear. Chloe being gone was going to be a blessing as she worked with her supervisor, Mark Sylvester, to get her a needed promotion as she was about to prove how valuable she is as a social worker and give Anne the chance to forcibly retire a stagnant office head. She was eyeing the Salem office for Chloe to run, it was far enough away to be able to be run on her own while close enough to be reasonable drive. Anne had her replacements lined up, alongside giving two people she personally knew their chance to take on more power in their Brockton office and eventually advance to Salem with Chloe. There would be some complaining about favoritism, but the two were two of the hardest workers and it was usually the duo who helped out overnight when others refused to answer their phones. They also had the best records with placements and adoptions, and had a lot more experience with cases deemed to be "special" that were often too much work for most of the social workers. She may have been the mother and surrogate aunt of the duo, but they earned their promotion. Chloe asked her husband to take the time off in July, but the nature of his job required constant change and would often result in him having to be away on short notice making his joining them tough. It was going to be a vacation for him, but how much of it was spent in Alaska was up in the air. He hoped to be there for the entire time but most likely would only get two weeks off if he was lucky, with those two weeks likely coming on short notice. When Cindy called her back the next day, Chloe explained the situation to her mother and then had her know that it was tough to work around her husband's schedule due to things slowing down or heating up and would be tough to get him nailed down without hurting their cases. Cindy understood, she knew how it was as a wife of a law enforcement officer. Her own husband was like that but had it worse as it was a vast distance he had to travel to do his job. She asked about the kids, getting a somber, "My daughter-in-law can only join us for two weeks due to my absence causing issues in the region that she and her partner have to cover. The kids are thrilled, all of them want to meet you. My granddaughters can't wait to tell their friends about going to Alaska." She sighed and added, "It'll be tough for them. I know how the people in town are, they will stab them in the back as soon as they turn around. The kids have endured it before and George isn't one to let any person harm his family, especially his daughters. I just hope dad can accept that he's a great-granddad." Cindy laughed and shot back, "He's happy that you were willing to be the mother to Mike's kids. Your niece is lucky she hasn't had any kids yet, she's a bit too friendly with the boys and your dad struggles to get your brother to act like a father and rein her in but since we have custody of her Stone refuses to do anything. We know she'll get knocked up by the summer, we love her but we just can't help but feel that she needs a better role model and someone to show her she is more than a walking womb." Chloe sighed and explained, "I'll talk with her. Maybe she is just too tuned out and needs an outsider to tell her what needs to be said. I'll try to have Jenna talk with her as well, I don't want her to feel like we are just there to ruin her life but I don't want her to end up down the wrong path. I just hope that she is more like her aunt and just needs an outlet for her energies." She then added, "If there's something more to her acting out than it seems I'll have no choice but to act. I have to, I'm required by law to act even if it hurts Stone's reputation. I don't care what the town may be thinking about me, if she is in trouble or being neglected I have to do something and report it." Cindy was hearing herself in her daughter, it warmed her heart that she would do the right thing for her niece even if she barely knew the girl. She let out a light chuckle and admitted, "You haven't changed. I know you hate the town for how they treated you for leaving, but you are wasted there. Stone may not be happy with you but your sister, father, and I are proud of you. I'll tell your father that all of you are coming, but please, dear, be mindful of your nephew. He has issues that are serious. Stone only makes things worse and I fear that Stone might be intentionally trying to make him harm himself." Chloe demanded to know what was going on, Cindy confessed, "He's acting like a girl. Stone has been tormenting him over how he acts, we have kept him from Stone but he lives to make his life miserable. I don't know what to do with him, we are struggling to find out how to deal with it but Stone is making it impossible to act. He's sabotaged him at every turn, we are afraid he might do something to himself." Chloe asked if he had seen a mental health professional and not one in the town. Cindy shook her head, telling her tearfully, "We can't get a referral and we can't afford to pay. Your sister's health insurance isn't that great and won't pay for an appointment without that referral. We don't know how to deal with it, the psychiatrist in town says he needs psych meds but prescribes them for everyone." Thinking for a second, Chloe told her, "We can take him to a true professional, if you allow him to go to Boston with us for a couple of weeks. We have two psychiatrists who can help, he might simply need a change of location. What I need to know is will Crystal be OK if this is more than acting and he really is your granddaughter? I can't allow him to live where he will be hurt, especially by Stone. I would be reporting the abuse to the state and if need be I'd have to take him home with me to protect him." Cindy had to seriously think about that, offering a noncommittal, "We will deal with it as it happens." It was the best she was going to get, her mother didn't want to make promises she couldn't keep nor did she want to get Crystal in trouble and start a family feud. Chloe would be victorious, she had support in the laws and had what they lacked- money and power behind her. Mike was listening and made a phone call of his own to the two people who would treat his nephew as it was going to be hard to not allow him to leave. He explained the situation, got the two to agree to be an ear for the boy, then told Mike to try to be a positive role model for him as it sounded like he lacked just that. Both also agreed that Stone was likely a problem who would suffer at the hands of the family when he did try to cause trouble, but was facing George and TJ- two people who fought back hard and protected those that they cared about. When he entered again, he explained what was going to happen then added, "He's going to face the two people who never back down from a fight. He's going to get his ass kicked, I don't have to know him to know that his type will get out of line and try something with the boys. TJ will protect his cousin, and George will ensure that Stone is nothing but a pebble when he's done shattering him to pieces." The kids were told about the trip and saw Mason hugging his mother tightly while the girls were giddy about seeing wild animals and doing things they had already done in New Hampshire like camping and fishing and hiking. Mike had to stifle a laugh as Chloe shook her head over them being so enthusiastic but not realizing that it was the same thing they complained about. She did get revenge on them, adding, "Where we are going is miles away from major cities so the internet is terrible. Satellite internet is the only service so you will do a lot of things to keep you occupied- you won't have computer access. Your dad may have access but that's only for business use." The girls were upset while their aunts were giggling at the girls' rare flub. Mason was the only one who didn't care about that stuff, as long as he had his favorite books he was happy. Chloe had to smile at the boy being his own person, especially as his sisters were a lot like their father in their reactions. The kids were happy to tell their friends and cousins that they were going to Alaska, with George and Chloe having to tell their friends just what was going on. When the Finns found out about Chloe's trip it devolved into John Finn trying hard to pay for the tickets. When he heard about what was happening to Chloe's nephew he insisted that they accept his planning as it would be tough to get around legally. John smirked, to which George groaned and explained, "He's sending us on the Peterson Manufacturing corporate jet. Aunt Lilly will ensure that it's available and as I'm going to be working the whole time it is going to be a business trip for the jet instead of pleasure. Odds are they will have me doing a checkup on some investments in our cold-weather laboratory while I upgrade their network connections." Chloe rolled her eyes as John announced, "It's actually overdue and badly needed. It's been seen as a money-loser by our accountants but they are actually doing key research on behalf of the federal and state governments. It's not fully top-secret stuff, but there is some work done at one of the labs that is. Most of it's simply going out and testing air quality, contaminants in the soil, and wear and tear on new equipment. It's a big money-maker for us in the form of paying for other labs and earning more contracts as well as paying for itself outright, what we have invested is paying for itself tenfold before factoring the grants. The accountants just don't like us branching out into other business ventures." Suitably chastised, George was then told, "You know that it's not a wasted time when you upgrade as it is needed. She found out what was needed after talking with Gabby about it, Gabby had it as her top priority and would have gone herself in the fall if you hadn't already been going there. She's happy to let you do it for her, she wasn't looking forward to losing a week due to fighting the office personnel before she actually got down to business and fixed the network." George caught the gist of his meaning and smiled, he broke the mold for how IT staff looked as he was a large, well-built man who could get people to listen to him just by his commanding presence and had a way of making you expose your flaws to him without thinking. He was a great network administrator, he was also a secret weapon that was unleashed on unruly and often misogynistic offices that caused his clients trouble as he'd ensure they regretted violating HR rules or their contracts. Time passed quickly as the kids talked with their friends about the trip while TJ kept to himself as the young teen found himself thinking about what his new cousins, aunt, and uncle woulds say about their odd family. He was used to people talking behind his back, but he'd never had family do so. He had no blood relatives beyond the Daniels family making it tough to endure family who harmed others. When school let out, the family packed everything for their trip. Mike was busy with a case and had to bow out until later while Jenna was working hard to fill the vacuum that Chloe was leaving. Both were going in two weeks even if they had to hand off a case to colleagues to hold until they returned. Chloe packed everything for the kids and had Jenna recheck Emily and Tracy's bags, causing Jenna to rush to ensure that the girls didn't forget anything important. Mason helped his mother pack her own bag, with Mason ensuring that she remembered everything. The little boy wanted to help, not realizing that he was doing his fair share by keeping Chloe calm and focused on him and his sisters' bags. George was the last to get packed, with the girls packing his former National Guard uniform and telling him that grandma said he'd need it. He looked at Chloe who sighed and explained, "It's for July 4th. It's a tradition in the town that the former military members wear their uniforms. Stone is probably going to be there with his showing off, don't let him get to you- he lives on humiliating others." George just nodded and wouldn't do anything to provoke him, but would defend his family if need be. It was no different than dozens of other bullies he'd encountered in his life, they were all cowards who were jealous of him for one reason or another. He may be his uncle, but he was not going to let Stone get the better of him no matter how it made him look to the locals. The family got into their cars and drove to the airport but instead of heading to their plane they had to divert to the private terminal and their flight. George groaned as he received a phone call from the head of Peterson Manufacturing's IT division asking him to perform routine work on the computers at their Alaska office that just so happened to be near the Millers' hometown. Chloe had to shake her head over John's prediction coming true and George causing them to fly in luxury as he was officially working and was taking the plane at the company's request due to time constraints. The flight took hours and saw them forced to take a layover in Los Angeles for the night meaning the family had to see Jaimie and Rick Samuels as well as their daughter Sylvia. The trio led them home and had the kids swim while the, "Olds" talked. TJ chose to sit with the adults, with Chloe encouraging him to not hide his youth even if he wanted to swim alongside them. Jaimie hugged and kissed him, telling him warmly, "It'll be alright. She's no more your mom than my parents were when they died. Aunt Chloe is your real mom, that lady is a distant memory that deserves to fade away. The jerks in your school are never going to amount to anything, you have two amazing friends who are with you through thick and thin. Be your own man, don't let them dictate you." She grinned and added, "Besides, no girls will date those jerks. The girls in school are already lining up to date you, your mom already fielded questions from their parents about you. They are trying hard not to act like they like you, but it's clear to their parents that you are liked by them. Just avoid the sex stuff as you are a little too young go use your family's greatest gift on women." He fled, blushing deeply at what she had said. He did sport a, "Big package" which he hid from all but a few who took notice of it. It was hard not to notice on him, his brother was the same way and she had seen him a few times by accident in the pool and at the beach. Chloe shook her head in disappointment while Rick stifled a laugh. George let out a groan but added, "It is going to be tough for him when other guys realize how small they are in comparison. The poor guys don't stand a chance, I just hope the ladies don't get any ideas about bedding him too soon." Talk turned to their relatives and saw Chloe asking Jaimie, "Can you refrain from asking certain things? I know you want to help others, but this is a serious matter for our family. You aren't going to be able to help as you should because of your inexperience and closeness to us. Gina Allen or Alison Eliza are the best to conduct an evaluation, even if you do one informally it won't help much." She sighed and explained, "I'm fully licensed and been through my rotation. I can treat him if you bring him to me, you have to layover here anyway and I'd prefer that he meets someone who is like him so it isn't a shock to him when he sees Aunt Alison or Aunt Gina. Even if it's a short evaluation, it'd give him a sense that it's not something bad and you are trying to help understand his issues." Dr. Jamie Samuels, MD was showing and it was tough to deny her reasoning as it'd make more sense to go into Boston with some support beyond, "He's girly" that his family was explaining to them. She had a strong reason for helping, he'd need to know that he wasn't alone and anyone who told him otherwise is a liar and fool. She was right, it was for the best to help him ease into the situation. The layover was over all too quickly as Jaimie went to work the following morning while George had to stop by the Peterson Manufacturing LA office to ensure that everything was set for his visit to their Alaskan office in four days. Their LA office was smaller than the corporate offices in Boston, but large enough so that he went unnoticed and had to ensure multiple staffers that he wasn't a spy nor trying to sabotage their company. He got a kick out of a memo circulating that stated who he was, why he was there, and who he reported to causing everybody who saw him to stop in their tracks and try to work harder lest he be one of the corporate officials who was at the office to fire people instead of checking on their network and scheduling upgrades. George enjoyed the VIP treatment and explained how he was simply there to do what their IT staff had to do but had neglected. He wrote extensive notes and finally left after two hours, telling the VP of their West Coast office that it was lagging behind in basic upgrades and their IT people were unfit. He sent a notice to the head of IT for Peterson and laughed as it was in the works already and he simply gave the company the grounds to fire their IT guy for laziness and incompetence. When he finally left, the office manager received a phone call and breathed a sigh of relief, George had to endure teasing by the girls about working while Rick nodded at his doing a good job. Rick led the group to the airport. Sylvia hugged her cousins and told them they should have a lot of fun, which was punctuated by her smiling as her father groaned and explained, "We flew up there for spring break. She loved it but then again she loves to be away from the city." The flight was just as long as the Boston flight but featured the kids enjoying their time as they colored and watched movies while TJ played on his laptop and George worked on some reports for Peterson's IT director. Chloe emailed her office and was told that her temporary replacements were doing fine and her daughter-in-law was making waves for all of the right reasons. There was only one incident, it was handled by one of the junior social workers and done with great care and laughs. Chloe read the story online and chuckled as the family was fine, it was a false claim by angry media to a hot singer by the name of Anita Love- someone whom the family saw as a member but who kept her distance from them due to her fame. She shook her head, Anita wasn't one to take on easily. Chloe was just glad that the reporters were fired for their false claims, with the station sued for negligence by the family's legal arm and made to apologize publicly for their violating Anita's rights. She had to smile, Anita Love was a new mother whose daughter was the spitting image of her father. It was really all about Anita being transgender and popular, with the station doing whatever it could to be the ones to break the story that destroyed her career. Chloe simply typed an email to her colleague Mark Sylvester stating it was all about her being transgender which was followed-up by him telling her, "Gee, you think!" which was enough to cause her to laugh at his subtle teasing and telling her that he was handling it and ensuring that those responsible were prosecuted for lying to her agency. Mason slept for much of the flight, with the girls trying to tease him about being scared of flying. They were met by George telling them that it's common for kids his age to suffer those fears, especially as it was likely sparked by kids in school joking about plane crashes. The girls tried to counter but he told of it happening to their cousins and second-cousins back when they were the same age, with the worst of it happening to one girl who was forced to go on a trip due to a newborn brother poor health. Mason mostly slept in Chloe's lap, with him only moving to his own seat when they were about to land. He was tired and scared, but seeing his big brothers standing tall and unafraid kept him from crying. It was something that neither noticed, but the little boy looked up to TJ and George and was trying hard to be like them even if neither of them noticed it yet. They were met at the airport by Cindy and Kevin Miller. Kevin embraced his daughter while Cindy had a look of shock as she saw the large George, growing TJ, scared Mason, and smiling girls. Kevin gave a look of shock himself when he broke his embrace, his daughter had herself a brood not a family. Chloe introduced all of them, with Kevin giving Chloe and odd look over being a grandmother while it was followed by Cindy telling him, "She did the noble thing in taking them as her own. You know it's a short time before you are a great-grandfather anyway so it's not a big deal. Besides, Stone is old enough to be his father anyway. He might even have one or two older than him knowing his sexual reputation." Kevin asked about Mike and Jenna, George explained, "She has to cover mom's work for two weeks but will be coming up. Dad is finishing a case that can't be put off due to time issues and the newbies in the office not being that good. If he leaves it to them the case will fall apart of evidence will go 'missing'. It is for the best of all that he keeps them from the case due to their confirmed ties to the targets." He asked about that, George grinned and happily told him, "Dad's an ATF agent. It's their biggest bust in a year. At least two agents in the office are directly involved in the activities so dad and his partner and boss are keeping things quiet. I only know because I'm cleared to know those things due to my work. I can't say much about it but the case is going national soon. Knowing the director, he'll have a whole dog and pony show the day before dad leaves just to hone in on the credit." Kevin grinned and led them off to his truck, with him taking their bags while Chloe and George drove in a minivan and pickup of their own. TJ was silent as they drove two hours towards their destination, a small town near Talkeetna named Wrong Way. It was a joke among the locals who complained that the settlers had gone the wrong way but were routed the right way just over a different route. TJ stared out the window and thought about the looming "fun" that would happen. It was inevitable. It was his family and someone always had to cause trouble for them. George sensed his thinking and added, "We are prepared. He's not as sly as he thinks he is. He's just like a lot of others who tried to harm us, he'll go down hard. We are going to do what we need to do even if it means we look bad in front of the locals. He has to live with them looking down on him, we couldn't care any less about them and never have to see them again. Mom and dad are always going to be your real parents, no matter what others claim. You are my brother in full, you always have been. Mom is the mom you deserve and she loves you more than you will ever know. We all do." TJ hugged his brother, shedding tears that needed to be released as the teen tried hard to be mature but was really struggling to keep himself together. George didn't react, his brother needed to let out a lot of his anxiety and it would be wrong to upset him further. TJ was sensitive, something that their father had loved about him and a link to his mother that neither he nor Chloe realized but all saw in him. The two didn't talk, but it was clear that TJ looked better and only needed assurances that he was going to be alright. Chloe was their mother, George may have been only 14 years younger but she was his mom in all ways. She was too mature to be like his friends and was closer to the younger parents of her generation than anyone else making her social life easier as they endured the same parenthood issues. The drive turned rough as they turned off of the highway and onto secondary roads, with the girls all smiles while Mason clung to Eve for support. The elder of the group, Eve happily enjoyed the power as she lorded over her sister and nieces while barely paying her brother any attention. Chloe wisely told the nearly nine-year-old, "Don't think that you can push your brother and sister around. Being older does not mean being more mature. Your brother may do babyish things but he's only five." She was cut off before she could do anything, with Megan happily teasing her sister while Emily and her sister wisely kept quiet as their father would not hesitate to punish them for getting out of line. Only the scared Mason didn't react, he was too concerned with upsetting his grandparents. Chloe would be by his side almost all of the time and ensure that he enjoyed himself, even if he needed a push from her. The rocking stopped as they reached a gravel road and saw a large house with several pickups outside. It was her childhood home, Chloe had finally returned after 23 years away. She started to remember the place and the many quirks of their property, from her favorite tree to where she used to skinnydip with her friends. She blushed as she looked over at the girls, who were giggling about something and not knowing that their mother once had a rebellious streak. Cindy and Kevin got out and showed them inside, with the family told that they were staying with them as it wouldn't be right to make them stay in a hotel. Chloe sighed and told them firmly, "The house is too small for us. It's only four bedrooms, even sharing it'll be too tight." Cindy looked at Kevin who explained, "We have the space. We converted the old storage rooms in case we needed them. We hoped that one day you'd return, even if it was for a short visit. Your sister is still in her old room while her son is in your old room. Stone moved out but his daughter lives with us." Chloe had to hold off her questioning as her sister Crystal and her nephew came out to see who the new people were. They were soon followed by a teen girl who looked like her father but with her mother's bust and hips. Chloe saw just what her mother meant, her niece was too mature for her own good- she looked like every teen and male's wet dream. Cindy happily told Crystal and the youngsters, "We asked Chloe to come out here for the retirement. It's going to be a month-long visit, so please try to be on your best behavior. We don't want to give them the wrong impression about us, we've already had too long of a separation from Chloe as it is." Crystal hugged her sister then introduced Storm Cloud, her 13-year-old son. Chloe could see that there was more to him than appeared as the boy was small, had long hair, sported gold studs earrings, while wearing a girl's shirt and shorts. She smiled at the boy, he might have a lot more going on for him than just dressing like a girl and subtly looking like one. Cindy looked over at her granddaughter and let out a quick, "This little hellion our granddaughter Ronda. She's putting on an act for you, she's really trying to get dirt on you to use against you. Do not give her any money nor agree to do anything for her- you'll never get it back and you'll regret doing whatever she asked you to do. She's too much like her father for our tastes but we love her regardless." Ronda glared at her grandmother while Chloe introduced Mason, TJ, Eve, and Megan then introduced George, Emily, and Tracy. Chloe sighed and explained to Crystal and the devious Ronda, "Yes, he's my son. No, I didn't secretly have him out of wedlock. I married his father and George demanded that I adopt TJ and him as my sons. And if you do tell Stone everything, be sure to mention the girls he knocked up at the same age as I'm sure he'd love the reminder that he had to run and hide from their fathers when the men found out what he had done to their daughters. I'm sure he'd love to remember how relieved he got after he heard that two had miscarriages and the others put theirs up for adoption after leaving to live with distant relatives in Oregon and Washington." Ronda gasped in shock while Crystal shook her head and added, "Ronda was almost that way, but mom and dad caught wind of it and forced him to raise her until he gave up trying to be a dad and handed off custody to mom and dad. It might have been for the best that she went into social services, the way she acts and the way he ignores her she might as well be with people who can help her get far away from him. We love her, but she is almost too much to handle anymore. If she wasn't so darn smart she'd have flunked out of school. She's better than her father, she just needs to realize it." Chloe saw the hurt look on Ronda's face and saw the true face of the girl. She needed to talk with folks who were experienced with kids like her, not scorn and ridicule. Chloe put it aside for now, she led the kids inside while Cindy walked the scared Mason inside. Storm Cloud and TJ were sharing a room, which TJ didn't care one bit about as he looked over what the boy had and was happy to know that he wasn't like other kids like him. The room was sparse, but it did have some pictures of Storm Cloud, his mother, and a man who strongly resembled him. It was the only picture that he had of the man and the way he looked in later pictures showed sadness and fear. Storm Cloud saw the reaction and explained, "That's my dad. He went to prison for breaking into an office building downtown. He was sentenced to life for shooting one of the state troopers. Uncle Stone keeps reminding me that I'm the son of a criminal before he smacks me around. Don't make Uncle Stone mad, he'll hurt you and blame it on you. He hates you just because he can." TJ calmed him then asked, "Why are you wearing girls' clothes? Are you transgender?" Storm Cloud was afraid but TJ insisted, "It's OK, we know a lot of people like you. Mom can get you help if you are really a girl inside. Uncle Stone can't hurt you, dad would rip him apart and George would make him regret trying. We don't let anyone hurt our family, not even relatives. Nobody messes with our family. Uncle Stone won't stand a chance against George or mom and especially not against dad." TJ was immediately embraced by the sobbing Storm Cloud. He let Storm Cloud cry himself out so the two could finish unpacking while Chloe talked with Crystal, Kevin, and Cindy. The two didn't say a lot, but Storm Cloud kept looking at him with subtle glances at TJ to see if TJ was actually fine with how he was or if he was hiding his true feelings and was upset. TJ asked about his name, Storm Cloud explained, "My grandparents named me that. It was due to how I was born as I was born during a nasty storm but they have said it was foretelling how I was going to be from then on. I'm hated by them, they were upset at dad for marrying mom and wanted nothing to do with me. Mom is concerned that their cousins may try to take me away if they find out about my real self. Mom won't win against them, she's too weak and Uncle Stone would make trouble for her." TJ shook his head and shot back, "Mom won't let them. They have made it clear that they don't want you so they have no right to go after you now. Unless your mom hits you there's no way you are leaving. It's going to be tougher explaining why they want to get you and when they admit the truth they'll lose all rights to you. Mom does that all of the time with bad parents and grandparents, Jenna is just as good at that but she's just starting out. They won't let you get hurt, not if they can help." TJ asked about his uncle Stone, Storm Cloud looked away in shame and explained, "He'll be around. He knows you are coming and wants to make a big deal out of it. Aunt Chloe and he hate each other, he is going to try to upset her to ruin your trip. Grandpa is the only one he is afraid of but Grandpa doesn't see the stuff he does. Don't be alone with him, don't let your sisters and nieces be alone with him. He is slimy, he will hurt you and the girls. Keep away from Ronda, she loves guys and will try to have sex with you because you aren't blood. She gets away with it because her dad doesn't care about her. Mom and grandma keep trying to make her act like a good girl but she hates being acting normal." TJ nodded and led him over to where the girls were. The four shared the same room and big bed, they normally did that on weekends when their parents had to work while TJ went with either his of his two friends for the night. Storm Cloud looked sad watching them giggle and talk to which TJ added, "It isn't as fun as it looks, they talk a lot and it gets boring to hear them. You are better off with girls your own age. So what if you can't have periods, you can still talk about boobs and other things." Downstairs, Chloe asked Crystal about Storm Cloud's issues. She wasn't going to let her sister lie, this was a big issue that needed addressing and Storm Cloud's health was at stake the longer it was put off. The elder sister gave a look that scared Crystal, so she decided to confess everything to Chloe. Crystal had to hold back tears as she explained, "He's been girly since he was born. His father was fine with it but Stone made his life miserable. Stalking Wolf knew that he had issues that weren't going to be easily solved and supported his femininity. He loved Stormy, Stalking Wolf was happy to see him act like a girl no matter what anyone said. When his father ended up in prison for life, Stone went at him worse. He has been tormenting Stormy since he was five, nothing he does is ever good enough and if he does something exceptional he mocks him for not screwing things up. Stormy started to dress in secret six years ago, he pulled out some of Ronda's old clothes and danced in his room. You know how it can be up here in winter, we thought that it was him dealing with the isolation. When he kept doing it, we got concerned but dad held us off from taking him to a psychiatrist. Dad seems to understand him, he called him 'two-spirit' but never told us what it means. He's been trying hard to keep Stone away from Stormy but it's tough due to Ronda telling her father everything trying to get his approval." Chloe looked over at George who nodded and explained, "Two-spirits means he's in the wrong body. He knows Stormy is a girl inside and understands how Stormy is dealing with things. He has to have had a few encounters with people like that, it's rare but it happens to people. Stormy has to have it bad if the abuse is constant and there's no support. The only way to help Stormy is to get him a proper evaluation, which we have two standing offers for. My friend Jaimie insisted on doing it when we are in LA before going home. She's qualified enough to do an initial evaluation before Stormy gets a full one." Chloe then explained, "My friend Alison is a pediatric psychiatrist specializing in gender issues, she has a colleague by the name of Gina Allen who will evaluate Stormy after Alison so there's no denying that Stormy is one way or another. What needs to happen is getting Stormy there, which we hope you will allow as I don't believe for a second the town doctor will let her see a specialist without some sort of payment to him for the right to do it. We all know how the town's doctors work." Cindy nodded, adding, "The whole 'jack of all trades' is getting a lot of scrutiny from the state. We are in agreement that Stormy needs an unbiased opinion. I don't believe that their nurses and staff will keep the news that Stormy needs an evaluation and for why a secret, they don't care about breaking the law and has used medical histories against far too many in town." Storm Cloud entered and asked what was going on. Ronda chose that moment to appear and sat down to listen to the gossip, causing Storm Cloud to say, "Never mind" and walk away. Ronda looked upset at not getting gossip, Chloe wisely told the teen, "If you think that you can hurt Stormy, think again. You are on thin ice as it is, if you keep acting out you'll be sent to live with us in Boston. I'm already going to look into why you are with your grandparents and I'm starting to think you belong with me." Ronda gave her a glare while Cindy happily added, "That's a splendid idea. Maybe a fresh start is what she needs. Perhaps graduating from a school that isn't in your father's pocket will be what you need to start fresh and stop acting like him." Chloe was only threatening Ronda, but Cindy explained to her, "We have sole custody of Ronda, not Stone. He was arrested for neglect and abuse after she was found home alone five years ago. She begged us to feed her, was in rags, and hadn't been to school in a month. He is happy to be rid of her and only comes around when he needs to show that he's trying to be a father. He makes a modest living working for the oil fields driving a truck but can't be bothered to be a father to her. I don't even think that's his real job as nobody I know has seen him doing that so he's doing something highly illegal." Chloe looked at the embarrassed Ronda and told Cindy, "I' have no choice now that I have heard what happened, I have to help. But Mike and I have to talk about this before we make it official. It's going to be a tight squeeze, but we'll manage. The girls may have to share a room, but she will have a place with us for as long as she needs it." George chimed in, "She'll stay with me and Jenna. Ma will be fine with her staying, she might benefit from being around the girls and having freedom but not too much freedom. Mason is too old to share a room with TJ and the girls need their own space. Mom never uses her office anymore, Ronda can have her own space. It'd be better for school as well, there's enough people around to help her." Chloe nodded, it was a sound idea. She asked that they make it official while also ensuring that Stone had all rights removed for Ronda's own safety. Her niece mattered more than anything else, the social worker in her was forcing her to ensure everything was in order and she wasn't hurt. Stone was unfit as a parent and with the blessing of her aunt and grandparents custody was transferred to George. Ronda was unable to say anything, she moved off to her room and started to text someone. She tried to hide her tears as she read the responses, Cindy and Chloe read them and hugged her tightly while she sobbed into their shoulders. Crystal read them then showed them to George, who shook his head and shot back an angry, "This is why she needs to leave. He's ruining her life just to get back at you." Off to the side and away from view, Storm Cloud listened and asked if that was for real. TJ nodded and explained, "It's not the first time we've seen it happen. Mom knows who will be helping and who will be there to ensure she is going to be alright. She will end up having Tyler Reagan, Trinity Eliza, and Virgil York in her class, Uncles John and Justin will make sure she does well in school. She won't be the same girl anymore. Nobody will let her act like she used to act, especially around boys." Chloe let Ronda settle and asked her if he did that a lot. She nodded and showed all of messages Stone sent to her then played the voicemails he left on her phone. Ronda held back tears while Chloe made a few notes then explained, "This is harassment and emotional abuse. We need to speak with Children's Services about the situation and take definitive action. If someone's turning a blind eye they are in for trouble. He can't do this, he shouldn't even have any contact with you at all." George shot back, "Jenna and Ma will ensure they don't try to go after you. It'd be hard to do it when the head of another state's agency and your own daughter-in-law are backing you. And you have evidence, there's no way he gets out of this without a jail sentence." The family shelved any further dwelling as the girls came searching for their mother and father and had Mason in tow looking scared that Chloe wasn't there. Kevin was busy out back with a grill and made a few steaks for the group. The girls looked at him oddly tho which George told them, "It's just steak. It's not deer or moose or elk. He's not going to make you eat that stuff." Mason only ate a little and focused on the side dishes, Chloe helped him and saw Ronda giving looks of surprise as she didn't expect Chloe to be so motherly towards Mason. Storm Cloud ate fast then ran up to his room, while TJ surmised, "Stone's coming, isn't he?" Kevin nodded, but added, "He knows to be on his best behavior. I won't accept his antics." Ronda shook her head while Chloe added, "He knows how to hide it from you. He's always been able to get away with it when you aren't around. He'll go after Stormy just to see what we'll do to stop him, but only when you clean the grill and mom is busy cleaning the dishes. It's a matter of 'when' not 'if' he does it in the open and you react. I just hope he's not stupid enough to do it in front of Mike." Kevin tried to say something to which Chloe countered, "He knows every dirty trick in the book and a few unwritten ones. Stone may outwit you, but he can't outwit Mike. It's been years since you had to go to federal training, he does it yearly and keeps up to date on interrogation and observation techniques. Stone knows you too well, but Mike knows Stone better than Stone knows himself." Kevin was offended but deep inside he knew that she was right. Stone was rarely around him for long and didn't say much more than asking how Ronda was and make inquiries about Crystal and Stormy. It was making sense now, his son would avoid him at all costs while Ronda and Stormy saw him most and endured what he was doing to them behind his back. The rest ate in silence while awaiting the inevitable appearance of Stone and the subsequent drama. The girls helped Kevin clean the grates and discard the ashes while Mason went to bed in his grandmother's lap. Chloe had to smile as he cuddled into her shoulder as he would normally do for Mike and herself, he was not one to give affection to strangers but he understood that Cindy was family to him so he felt safe enough in her arms to sleep. Stone burst into the house and looked around for his father, then went right for Chloe and Crystal. His sneer showed trouble was brewing so George was ready for anything, with TJ backing him up. Chloe gave them a signal to back off, it was his move and he'd regret making it shortly. He took notice of the girls, Mason, and TJ and demanded to know who the hell they were and why they were in his house. Cindy happily told the angry Stone, "You know full well who they are, Ronda gave a call to you right after they arrived and texted you all of their details. You don't normally show up here until the end of the month when it is time for you to sponge off of us for food and beer, and your timing is too convenient as you missed dinner on purpose so there's no use in acting like you don't know. Your sister and her family have come for your father's retirement dinner, we wanted them to come even if you don't want her here. I think I know why, your buddies have done their research into her family and what you found out you aren't liking. You are going to look like a liar to all of your friends when she is out and about in the town and they see that she's not dead or a drug addict or on public assistance." He tried to say something but caught sight of Stormy coming downstairs heading to the kitchen. He had a look of fear on his face while Stone had one of mischief, with Chloe getting ready to help her nephew should Stone do anything. Kevin was also close bey, he hid himself behind the door in the dining room and was ready to pounce on his son if he stepped out of line as he suspected he'd do. Stone cornered Stormy as he was exiting, happily telling him, "What are you doing out? Didn't you learn your lesson? Do I have to show you again what a real man is and what a pansy like you does to one? I know a few guys who'd love to teach you a lesson, I guess that the boys at your school didn't do a good enough job teaching you last month. Maybe you'll learn your place and accept a freak like you doesn't belong in my house!" He smacked Stormy across the face the kicked him in the crotch, sending the boy to his knees in pain. Kevin entered and tossed his son out of the house- literally, as he picked him up by his shirt collar and belt and in one fell swoop flung him out the front door. Stone swore at his father, to which Kevin angrily announced, "Don't you ever come around here again. This is MY HOUSE not yours. I built it with my father and brothers with my hard-earned money. You have no rights to this house, you never will. It's being left to your sister in care of your nephew and daughter. I don't care how big you may think you are, you never lay a finger on a kid and you sure as hell never force a kid to have sex with men! You just caused an investigation and nobody will be safe from it- not even you. Watch your back, you'll regret what you did. Your sister isn't the meek little girl you claimed her to be- she'll tear you apart and we will gladly help her ensure you pay dearly for harming your nephew and daughter." Stone gave his father a glare but was too much of a coward to fight him. Kevin nodded to George as the two grabbed a shoulder and led Stone to his truck and ensured that he left before he could do more. He was going to say something but the look from his father and George made him stop and drive off fast, the boy in him on full display as swears were heard from the open windows as he faded from earshot. Kevin entered and asked Stormy what Stone was talking about. Stormy refused to say anything, trying to hide in shame while Crystal hugged and kissed his cheek. Cindy explained for him, saying, "In May he was forced by other boys to perform sex acts on them as 'punishment' for daring to be a sissy in their school. He was caught by the principal and blamed, but multiple girls admitted that the boys forced him to do it after kicking and punching him. Stone was nearby, he watched the whole thing and likely was the reason why they targeted Stormy. Our son made his nephew endure 10 boys forcing themselves on him and laughed the whole time, now he has the balls to threaten him in his own home!" Chloe shook her head in disappointment while George made a phone call to Children's Services. It was tense as George was shouting at them to explain how they ignored a required notification then asked to speak with a higher official before explaining how they were now going to explain to state troopers that they broke countless laws in violating the rights of a victim and their own rules. He then angrily added, "Don't try to threaten me, my mother-in-law is already aware of this situation and will be ensuring that it is not swept under the rug. As will my mother, the victim's next-of-kin due to the familial situation. As required by law she will ensure that you actually take action and don't ignore it again. And will see to it that your agency explains how they allowed a sexual assault with multiple witness to be ignored." Stone would be questioned by state troopers regarding his role in the assault on Stormy, the Children's Services social workers would be under much more intense scrutiny with troopers taking action against the ones directly responsible for Stormy's situation. It would be tough on the Millers, but Stormy would have himself protected legally as well as see Stone and others answering criminal charges. The 10 boys who assaulted Stormy would be facing juvenile detention sentences as soon as they pleaded guilty. A trooper arrived to take their statements. He noted the marks to Stormy, then asked about the clothing. Cindy was forced to explain, "We haven't been able to get him any care due to referral issues. He has a couple of appointments already but they aren't for a month. They are for gender identity issues." The trooper grinned and explained, "The marks are clearly from an assault. Based on your statements we will be taking your son in for child abuse and as he was presenting as female it will be for hate crimes. I would advise that Children's Services be alerted regarding the gender issues to avoid false claims. If need be, there are several doctors in Anchorage who will treat him despite the lack of a referral." He left and arrested Stone at his trailer on the other side of town. Stone tried to plead innocent but the trooper didn't pay him any attention, letting him talk himself into a corner and explain how he waived his right to remain silent so all statements would be used against him. Stone tried to threaten him but it was followed-up by the trooper ignoring him making Stone look horrible to his neighbors. Stone was bailed out within an hour and forced to lay low, but he did try to counter things by making it tough for Stormy to go out without someone harassing him. He misjudged his family, if Stormy was in town he'd be with his cousins or aunt and none of them would allow the townsfolk to mess with him. It was going to set a lot of people up for humiliation, especially as Chloe had dirt on a lot of the folks her age and George wasn't a pushover when it came to verbal sparring. The family went to bed late, with Mason being carried upstairs by Kevin and seeing the little boy hug him tightly to show that he loved his grandfather. Chloe couldn't help but smile at that, it meant that he heard Kevin tell off Stone and was safe in Kevin's arms. Kevin felt a lot better putting him into bed, the little one tugged at his heartstrings and made him feel like the proud grandfather again. The next morning was chaos as the girls woke Chloe while Ronda flaunted her body by wearing a pair of see-through panties and bra while going to the shower. TJ immediately reacted to the sight as any teenage boy would while Chloe told her to change into something more decent, with Ronda blushing as the girls giggled about seeing her hair on her privates. TJ couldn't look at Ronda until she was back in her room, she gave him an unwanted view of a woman's body that he didn't want to see on his cousins and made him feel odd as he thought about his cousin sexually. After breakfast, Chloe marched Ronda up to her room and examined her clothing. She had the girls do the inspections as they looked over all of her clothes and lingerie and critiqued what she had. Chloe had to smile as the girls giggled at the cuts and the fact that most showed off her large breasts while her pantie collection was barely more than a couple of bits of lace with a thong backside. She asked Ronda why she kept herself hairy and if she realized that her clothes were giving guys strong signals that she would freely have sex with them. When Ronda tried to say that it was fine, Chloe told her, "It's not fine. These boys only want you for a quick round of sex and to play with your body. It's not a good thing, it's only going to lead to you having a child. I've seen it too many times, it's never a good thing. George's brother-in-law Miles's mother was the result of that kind of relationship. It's not what you want, you are a beautiful young woman who is blessed with ample breasts but you don't have to show them off to the world or bed every guy who is nice to you. You are still young and need to learn that guys only want one thing when they see a pretty, young, busty girl like you." She sent the girls away and helped Ronda shave, telling her affectionately, "It'll help you keep cleaner down there." She helped Ronda understand what she had to do and why then let her do it for herself. It took a bit of time, but Ronda got the hang of it and was grateful for the new feeling as her legs felt smoother and while it took getting used to, her privates did feel better and cooler. Crystal felt bad that she hadn't done that for Ronda, she was her aunt as well but they rarely got along. As she listened, she understood that Chloe was trying to be more than her aunt- she was trying to show that she cared about her. Ronda knew already that Crystal loved her and would do anything for her, but Chloe was new and the more Chloe tried the more Ronda accepted her as her aunt. Chloe looked over the clothes and told Ronda that they needed to go shopping for acceptable clothes. It caused Ronda to cringe, but Chloe explained, "You need some better blouses, jeans, bras, panties, and a few better pieces of pajamas. As much as you might accept your body, there's still two boys staying in the house who don't appreciate seeing their cousin nearly nude and showing her breasts. Mason hasn't seen your breasts yet but it's only a matter of time before he asks why you aren't wearing a bra." Chloe asked Crystal to lend her niece some clothes, with Ronda cringing at the style but seeing that she had no alternative but to accept them. Chloe wisely added, "It's just until we get to the store. Walmart is the best place for your clothes, I refuse to set foot in any of the local stores. You can ask your grandma why. Crystal only knows half of the story, your grandma knows the whole story." Crystal looked away in shame while Cindy explained, "Your Aunt Chloe spurned the advances of many of the boys in town and was called a lot of nasty names by their mothers, who believed their sons' lies. She refused to date and marry the boy who lay claim to her, he only had an eye on your grandfather's land. Your Aunt Crystal believed some of the lies and thought the worst, fighting with Chloe over her actions but stopping when Chloe refused to speak about it. Chloe humiliated the boy and the ladies when she told the whole town that the boy had gotten several girls pregnant in a neighboring town then had the girls tell the town what he was really doing with women. A few still blamed the girls which then started a war of words that harmed many families and ruined several stores. Chloe refused to set foot in town when not in school and after graduating she packed her bags and left home." Crystal added, "She refused to date the mayor's son. She refused to date his cousins and best friend. She refused to date any guy in town, she knew the real face of the boys and wouldn't accept them. She did what no other girl had done: she stood up to the boys. And for that, the town shunned her. She is still a hated person in town, your father is likely telling everyone that she's here just so she gets followed. I don't want you to get hurt because of his actions, but knowing you are in Chloe's care will be worse for you as they'd use you against her just because they can." Ronda complained that Crystal's bra was too tight, causing Cindy to offer her one of hers causing the girl to blush deeply but accept it. It fit her perfectly, causing Cindy to smile and tell her, "Your mother is not that large, so you clearly take after me in your body. Your face is your mother's face, we only met her briefly when she dropped you off to us but you look so much like her. He can't face his mistakes, he made you out to be as he sees women but you aren't that way and are learning from your mistakes." Cindy moved her on before Ronda started to cry. The girls were giddy and wanted to go along, with the boys opting to remain there. George and the boys joined Kevin for a walk around the property to do a few inspections of Kevin's animal traps and allow the city boys to experience some of Alaska's nature. There were a couple of hares in the traps, causing Kevin to happily say they'd have them for dinner the next night. Stormy helped removed the hares and field dress them, with Kevin showing his pride in the boy while shaking his head in disappointment over TJ's reaction. George didn't react, he had his reasons for not reacting but he didn't want to say anything in front of his cousin or grandfather. The trip led to them seeing a bear and slowly backing away, while the bear simply walked on without a care in the world. Kevin asked why they reacted that way to the bear as most city folk would have been scared, George grinned and happily told him, "We've been camping in the deep woods before. Dad took us to a place in Maine that he knew and we ended up having a couple of bears fight just outside where we had our campsite. We were told how to react and how to defend and how to get the heck out of the way. It's just looking for food, it's not going to bug us unless we are in the way or have food on us." Kevin grinned and asked where the park was, smiling brightly as it was a park that made big news as it was created despite objections from logging companies and was the first to not bother being created with the blessing of the state legislature. George saw his understanding and added, "It's a lot better than it was made out to be, the locals are upset that they can't poach animals anymore. The real fights came from companies who lost the right to pump spring water from the ground and log illegally." Kevin walked them around to the farther reaches of the property and showed them the streams, pastures that animals frequently grazed in, and where the bulk of the animals were. The mosquitoes were out in force but didn't bite them, only annoying them. Kevin was happy to see that they didn't complain about the hike nor the insects, Stone did it a lot whenever he went out with Kevin for the inspections and had a strong hatred for much of the animals on the property. Back at the house, Kevin prepared the hares for dinner while Stormy got cleaned up. When Stormy was out of earshot, Kevin asked why George didn't react to the blood and hare guts. George looked away in shame and admitted, "I've seen people blown apart in front of my eyes. I've seen my friend get her head bashed with a rock and nearly die. Some animal guts is nothing compared to seeing that." Kevin understood and let it go, TJ added, "His unit was under fire in Africa. They were helping rebuild a town when rebels hit them. The locals with them took heavy casualties while the engineers had to do a lot of work to repair the city walls. George drove a bulldozer that plugged the hole they used to attack their base with a ton of dirt and saw bullets flying around him but not hitting him. He plugged the hole without any support, just a half inch of steel and a mesh cage surrounding the cab of the bulldozer. His friends Scott got hit in the arm and Eric in the shoulder, George had to patch them up while the infantry took out the remaining rebels. He didn't notice his own wound until the medic forced him to get it taken care of by the doctors. He saw several of the rebels blown apart and others shot dead." Kevin looked at him and couldn't believe the story. TJ added, "They were deployed for a year and a half total. He went to the country twice, but his tour ended midway through the second time. He earned a silver star for what he did, he doesn't like to talk about it but his unit got a lot of people in trouble for bad information about the strength of rebels nearby and not having enough protection." Kevin looked over at Stormy and felt bad that the kid wouldn't be like his cousin or uncle. Stone retired from the Army after 20 years and went into trucking, it was how Ronda ended up in their care and why he hates to be reminded of his service. For someone in the infantry, Stone had never been deployed to any of the conflicts and had managed to reach a respectable rank yet had no combat experience- yet his nephew had been in actual firefight, as an engineer no less. He struggled to not see how his son's life had been one of cowardice and manipulation, he had missed the whole series of events yet it was clear that Stone had done everything in his power to avoid being in the line of fire and actually facing death. He acted like a tough soldier at home, but in reality he was in no way a real soldier and only did the bare minimum to keep from being booted. His deployments to Korea were in dangerous areas but they were all during quiet periods, same for his deployment to Italy and even Alaska- the latter being laughable to Kevin now that he thought about it. The guys cleaned the hares and marinated them, Kevin thought it'd be better to fish and give a softer introduction to Alaskan food and save the game for the next night. He grabbed a few poles and walked to a creek, with Stormy already baiting and tying his hook when they reached Kevin's favorite fishing spot. TJ tried to emulate Kevin while George wisely let the two teens do all the work. Kevin noticed that Stormy was doing it right the first time, not messing up and nearly catching his fingers as Stone claimed he did whenever the trio fished. The more he watched, the more he started to see that Stone was making Stormy upset and causing him to make mistakes which only fed Stone's own claims that the boy was useless and not a real man. Stormy did everything that Kevin had taught to him and helped TJ do the same, what Kevin saw was his grandson coming out of his shell for the first time and was showing just how much of a man he really was and not the sissy loser as Stone claimed. When TJ was finished, Kevin told Stormy, "You did good, kid. You helped him do it right. It'll get better in time, but you started him down the right path. I'm proud of you, Stormy." Stormy had to hide his tears, those were the first words of encouragement he had gotten from Kevin in a long time. Kevin saw his sadness and confess to him, "I was wrong about you. Your uncle was making you upset and causing you trouble. You can do it, he just doesn't want you to do it right. I see now that he is hurting you for no good reason except because he can. I didn't raise him that way, neither did your grandmother. We don't know where he gets that belief that he can bully a kid just for fun, but it won't be allowed to happen again. Whatever is wrong with you inside is getting fixed, if he fears you for that reason then he's gotta deal with all of us- grandson or granddaughter, we love you regardless." The four fished for five hours, eating a small lunch and letting their troubles go away. George followed the unofficial tradition of not catching anything while TJ and Stormy caught two fish each. Kevin was beaming with pride as the two caught the largest fish, twice the size of the ones he caught and had the two smiling as George took pictures of them for their records. TJ didn't like the task of gutting, descaling, and filleting the fish but learned how to do it all as it was a part of fishing that was necessary knowledge. The four didn't do much more after that, simply salting it then adding some spices before battering the fillets. The ladies would be treated to a nice meal when they returned, with the four younger girls getting to try freshly caught fish for the first time. TJ and Stormy went to their room and saw Stormy being told that it's alright to dress again, he didn't mind it and he should feel free to be himself. Stormy changed, with TJ looking away as Storm changed out of his briefs and into his panties. He wasn't developed yet, he lagged behind in his manhood and it contrasted deeply with TJ's large package and growing hair. He couldn't help but blush to which TJ told him, "I'm like my birth mom in that I'm starting earlier than my brother, but I am like dad physically. She flaunted her body to everyone while Dad hides his. Mom is happy that I'm not girl-crazy like other boys, my friends talk about them a lot but neither are going to date for a year or two. DJ and Liam simply like them a lot, it's tough being around so many pretty ones and not being able to do anything with them because you are related to them in some way." The two went back downstairs and sat out back on the porch, watching the animals go by while the two were observed by Kevin. He noticed Stormy's clothes with George adding, "TJ didn't want him putting on a false face for us or you. He's just dressing, although later on the girls may try to make him endure some fun with their play makeup since they love to do that with each other. It'll be a bigger sign that he may not be your grandson and needs that evaluation more." Down in Anchorage, the ladies spent two hours trying to force Ronda to try on everything they could think of. She was reluctant to wear certain cuts and wanted to show off her breasts as much as possible. It was giving Cindy a big laugh with Crystal and Chloe each saying, "Don't even say it" as the girls gave them weird looks than gasped in shock. Ronda looked over to Cindy who explained, "It's something in our blood, we all were the same way. Your aunts wanted to flaunt their budding breasts but settled for a more conservative style after guys took notice of them for the first time and made lewd jokes." Ronda wanted to say something, Crystal explained further, "You want to be sexual but you are still our little niece. We know all about predators, that's what those men and boys are. Those men you are trying to impress only want you for a quick screw and leave you before they get in trouble with the troopers. The boys only want to gloat to their friends that they had sex with a real girl. I've heard them talking that way already, it's why the girls shun you and the boys are all over you. They don't actually like you, they like the idea of sex with you. I'm sorry, honey, but your boyfriends are just sexual predators." Ronda wanted to defend herself but knew it was true. Crystal smiled and showed her to a compromise- a selection of cuts for voluptuous women that showed some breast but not too much and let her natural shape do all of the talking for her without making her breasts obscenely showcase their size. There was no hiding her breasts, they simply didn't show much flesh and let the shape do the talking. Ronda was encouraged to try them on and saw herself in the mirror and liked how she looked, she had a big bust and it showed through the blouses yet it wasn't exposed. She tried on several different colors and had the same effect on her, she had found her look. She walked out and had to fight tears as she showed the ladies the way the blouses hung on her and how they moved, with Crystal and Chloe both blurting out, "It's you." Jeans were the same way, she had a large butt and thighs making her look like the perfect hourglass but causing trouble as the jeans were too long on her. It was an easy fix for Cindy while Chloe happily told her, "No way am I sewing, you know how bad I am. Mike handles all of it for us, he's great at it." She saw the looks of shock to which she added, "Military tradition. Mike learned alongside others in his platoon in basic training, it's tradition to sew your own patches on or pay someone to do it for you. We tried to get George to learn but he struggled to get it right, his friends were a lot better than him at it. They learned from four old soldiers who happily showed them how to do it 'the Army way.'" Emily joked, "Daddy gets mad at grandpa for reminding him." Tracy added, "Uncle Scott can do it fast, Uncle Eric is slow but can hide the seam better." Chloe shook her head and grinned while Eve finally added, "Daddy and Uncle Alex sewed our dance outfits for us, none of the moms were as good as them. They complained that we picked pink on purpose but it was our class's color this year." Cindy had to fight a laugh as things were so different for Chloe than she could believe. Things that she had taken for granted with Crystal and her were simple to the kids. The more she heard about her son-in-law the more she started to see a man who was more than a man and a great role model for the kids. The next stop for the ladies was the bra and panties section. Ronda felt herself feeling sick seeing what was on display and asking if it was really necessary. Looking at Cindy nodding while Crystals tried to find the right words caused her to see that it was no joke to the ladies. Chloe added a soft, "Your old ones are too small. I don't think your aunt and grandmother knew that the ones that your dad bought for you were so tight on you. I'm disgusted that he bought them for you in the first place, those are not the kind of bras you get for a teenage girl let alone your own daughter. It's indecent. I'm sure he did it on purpose so you'd get a bad reputation and mom would get in trouble." Ronda looked at her grandmother who led her to where the bras in her size were, with Ronda trying on a few to see if they fit but hating how the sat on her. She needed ones that were a little different in cut. Her breasts were larger than Cindy and shaped differently, she'd have to go visit a specialty store later to get the right cut/cup size combo. The panties were simply regular cut panties but ones that covered her better while not digging into her butt crack. They weren't, "Granny panties" as she feared, but they weren't the sexy ones she had at home. She did look nice in them and was happy to see how she looked, seeing for the first time that she could be sexy without trying to be sexy while also not feeling like she was on display. The final items were pajamas, which were tough as she needed separate pieces to compensate for her trim waist while also dealing with her large bust. She found a simple nightshirt and sleep shorts, it was in addition to a robe- which Chloe insisted on as her breasts would be too loose inside her nightshirt. Ronda blushed deeply and apologized, Chloe warmly told her, "You didn't mean it. You aren't used to people in the house right as you wake up. Stormy didn't care but I think he was jealous of your body." She got Ronda's attention which led to Chloe telling her, "You know he's different. Your father torments him and makes others try to do the same to him. You know what he made those boys do. Stormy is very jealous of you- you are a well-endowed woman in the throes of puberty and everything that he wants to be. He is feeling like garbage and wants to be like you. He's jealous of you, of what you have. He wants to be a girl like you, but without the sexual activities." She looked away in shame and shed a tear, she had no idea that her trying to get a "rise" out of Stormy by showing off her body was hurting him. She was only teasing him, parroting what her father told her. He usually tried to stay clear of her in the house, but she always managed to show off her body to him whenever they were showering. Ronda looked off in the distance and walked over to where the juniors section was, asking if they could get Stormy something so he didn't get jealous of her. Cindy was shocked by her sudden change, but it was Chloe who agreed and helped her decide on something that was feminine yet not campy. The girls were led away to look at something else while the two talked alone. Ronda sat down and confessed, "I don't want him to hurt himself! I'm not stupid, I look online and see a lot of things about kids like him. The townspeople laugh at him but nobody knows him beyond that he is different than other boys. I treated him like crap because of dad, I don't want to hurt him. It's because of me that dad knows so much and spread so many lies about him. I owe him. He deserves to be a girl." Chloe hugged her and kissed her cheek, the 16-year-old was showing her youth and was still a little girl inside despite her woman's body. Chloe let her compose herself and explained, "He'll get help. He has a chance to get real help. We'll take him to see a psychiatrist tomorrow. You will have to pull your weight and help with the girls, can you do that?" Ronda nodded and found a light pink blouse and matching skirt that would fit Stormy, it wasn't what she had in mind but Chloe agreed that it'd be a good fit for Stormy. She added panties and a bra, which Chloe had to smile at. She wanted to help Stormy as much as possible, being the cousin he needed and trying hard to make up for her past actions. The ladies rejoined them and showed what Mason had found- a ball that he wouldn't let go of. It was a cute moment, he found something that he liked a lot and would entertain him even if it was just a small toy that he may forget about after a few days. It also showed that he was starting to get used to Crystal and Cindy as he didn't question his mother staying put with Ronda to talk. The drive was long, but the girls kept themselves entertained. Ronda went with Chloe and had Mason's full attention, loving how he was quiet yet got his way with her. He was unlike other kids that she had known, he was almost like a miniature Chloe in her eyes. At home, Ronda showed Stormy what they got for him and saw him run off in tears. Chloe went up to his room and let herself in, then hugged him to tell him it was alright. She explained in a loving tone, "It isn't a joke gift, she insisted that you have it. She's trying to show that she loves you for yourself and it isn't worth it to hurt her cousin. She is devastated to know what she was doing to you without realizing. She thought she was helping you by showing off her body, now she wants you to be happy. Can you be happy? Can you be her little cousin? Can you be the girl you are inside for her?" Stormy was too shocked to say anything, Chloe waited for him to calm himself before explaining, "She is starting to become a new person. Your uncle's influence is starting to break, she's seeing just what he was doing to her life and how it was hurting others. She knows about your condition and fears for you. She wants to help you be yourself, even if it's as a girl. Can you give her a chance to prove herself?" Stormy nodded, to which Chloe helped him get dressed. She sat him down and helped put his hair in a ponytail then braid it in a quick braid to finish the look. She turned him around and showed him what he looked like, instantly causing tears from his eyes as he could only say, "It's what I dreamed I really looked like when I didn't have a penis. I'm a girl, not a pathetic sissy freak." Chloe had even more evidence that he was more than he appeared and Crystal had a daughter not a son. Crystal entered and gasped at the sight, hugging Stormy as she whispered, "My beautiful daughter" in his ear. Stormy hugged her back, crying into her shoulder tightly as he got what he wanted from her. Chloe crept downstairs and hugged Ronda tightly, telling her, "You have no idea how much that meant to Stormy. It's what he needed most, and more evidence that his father was right about his true self. You did Stormy justice, you made up for what you did tenfold." Crystal led Stormy downstairs and showed him off to his grandparents and cousins. The girls giggled at him while TJ struggled with not saying something about how he looked. George paid him no heed, he'd been through it multiple times before and didn't see any difference between in him from before. Kevin was unsure how to react, Cindy was proud that Stormy was adapting and showing that he was a person who needed to be himself even if it was as another person. He looked like his mother to her, it was like seeing Crystal as a teenager and brought back memories of her youngest trying to be the same way. Fittingly, Crystal also went against the grain and was a tomboy and broke the mold for how you acted towards girls in their town by beating boys at everything and anything and showed that girls had as much skill as boys in everything that she tried. Mason broke from Ronda and hugged Stormy, calling him, "Pretty" and hopping into his lap to show his approval of his cousin in his own way. He looked up at Stormy's face and smiled, Chloe had to smile at him and told Stormy, "You meet his approval. He wants you to be happy, he can see the change in you from when we came in. He'll want you to look this way as much as possible, maybe some of Ronda's old clothes will fit you if mom stored them as she usually does." That gave the ladies something to do after dinner, which Kevin wisely started to fry while Cindy made the side dishes. Neither said a word about Stormy, but both saw the look on his face of fear and how he softened as the little boy showed his affection to him. As they cooked, it was more and more evident to them that Stormy's evaluation would be something that changed the family one way or another. The meal was a hit with the girls and Mason as they ate their fish without saying that they never ate any fish at home due to their parents working. Mason was finicky regarding his food but loved the taste and how it was like chicken nuggets but wasn't. He was trying to be mature for his grandparents, but it was still tough for a five-year-old to not struggle to resort to being a toddler at times. Ronda kept stealing glances at Stormy and felt like there were things missing from his look that would help him greatly. It hit her- he needed to wear some makeup so he wasn't entirely bland and make his eyes and lips standout to others. She had a lot of it in her room, her father bought it whenever he was in a fatherly mood and she wasn't able to wear so much of it in school so she had a ton unused- perfect for Stormy to have as his own, especially with his darker complexion. When the meal was finished and all of the dishes washed, Stormy was led upstairs to Ronda's room to try on her old clothes and see what fit him. TJ made himself scarce, opting to help Kevin with chores to keep themselves occupied and away from Stormy so they didn't intimidate him. Kevin offered TJ looks that showed they were both thinking the same thing, with Kevin adding, "It's for the best. It might help to break him of his situation or it might lead to him being himself. Either way, it's probably going to be your cousin acting as a girl in the house but as a man outside." TJ nodded but countered, "He was himself, not as a man. That's not manly, that was being normal. Girls can hunt and trap and fish like guys. He didn't change himself because he changed clothes, he is a girl but he's still Stormy inside. We know too many like him not to know the real person was just waiting to show that he's always there even if he can't be a boy." He looked away and told Kevin, "We have five of our parents' friends, 13 people from our generation, two from Tracy and Emily's generation who are all like Stormy. They are lawyers, business people, crime scene techs, a doctor, and even a professional wrestler and hit singer. The kids are simply regular kids. Four of the adults even had kids of their own biologically, it can happen for Stormy even as it may need someone to donate their egg and another their womb. Our friend Anita's husband's did that with his semen, Stormy may do that if he likes men. He could like women, it's not that uncommon and three of the ladies have had children that way." He smiled at the thought and countered, "Are you upset that he might be your granddaughter or that it'll look like your family name ends with him?" Kevin hadn't thought about the driving force for what was making him think the worst. He could only say, "I don't know. We are set in our ways up here and any changes are met with hostility and retaliation. I don't want Stormy hurt because of this." The two didn't say anything more, Kevin was starting to think things through while TJ just watched the animals out back cross the yard. George kept to himself and enjoyed ensuring Mason didn't disturb the ladies upstairs, with Mason not liking being kept from them. He mumbled, "I've seen boobies before" to George, who countered, "You are too old to be alongside mom all of the time." Mason was really upset that he couldn't watch TV. Chloe ensured that he knew that he would enjoy the family land and swim, walk, and watch rather than sitting in front of the TV all day. George wasn't that much better, he told Tracy and Emily the same but included no streaming to the orders. Upstairs, the girls helped Stormy with the clothes. To his surprise, Cindy kept the old sweaters, blouses, skirts, and other clothes that Ronda had outgrown or disliked. It was all tucked away in the attic, along with his old clothes and their parents' clothes. Cindy had him strip and told the girls to not say anything about what they are seeing. The girls giggled but kept quiet, it wasn't the first time they'd seen boy privates on a girl and knew that it wouldn't be the last time either. Tracy asked if he was tucking it back like Bailey did, causing Chloe to tell her, "He might but you shouldn't ask that as it's private." Stormy looked at her oddly to which Ronda led him to the bathroom and helped him tuck his penis so it wasn't bulging out and he didn't feel embarrassed in front of the girls. She casually told him, "I'm used to them, I don't fear them. I may have done a lot of things with boys but I have my limits. Aunt Crystal and grandma don't know that dad got the doctor in town to give me birth control so I wouldn't have to worry about getting pregnant, I make sure to take it every day just so I don't end up causing myself to get pregnant when the boys can't be bothered to use a condom. I make them use one too, neither Aunt Crystal or grandma knows that though. They just think I screw without any kind of protection." He looked away in shame but Ronda added, "You aren't so bad. Trust me, the guys aren't much bigger than you and that includes some of the older guys I've been with. They may be big guys up top but they are compensating for small packages down below. The boys who did things to you aren't that big either so you don't have anything to worry about- you are above average." He saw that she was telling the truth and felt better, she happily told him, "If you aren't a real girl inside you will still be a good boyfriend to a guy. Even if you have to move away, you will make men happy. I know you may be leaning that way, I can see it in how you look at TJ. I think you might go both ways, I know of some guys who are that way and are unashamed of it but keep it hidden from the town." She hugged him to stop him from crying but it wasn't going to happen. He told her, "I like both. I don't mind guys and I've tried some stuff with girls who wanted a 'safe' guy to learn on. I hope I can meet a person who likes me for me and not what I have down there." The two ended their talk and walked back slowly as Stormy needed a bit of time to get adjusted to his penis being pushed back. When he entered the girls giggled while Crystal had to hide her tears as she saw Stormy as a daughter and not as a son who thought he was her daughter. Chloe went back to what they were supposed to do, handing him several blouses and skirts to put on. Stormy was slow and tried on the whole lot, with several skirts and blouses fitting him perfectly while a few were tight but not too tight. Ronda showed him some bras and put them on him, which Stormy had to smile at as he saw breasts sticking out of his blouses and not obscene like Ronda's breasts did. It was tough to get him to try on more after seeing the image, but he did relent even if he kept the bra on. His favorite were the dresses that Cindy pulled out of a box. Crystal and Chloe both groaned at seeing that particular box but inside held light, loose, and pretty dresses that were a good fit for Stormy now that he had something to fill out the top. Ronda asked why she never got to wear those dresses, Cindy happily told her, "You were already trying to play grownup and your father sent you all of those clothes so you insisted on wearing your own stuff. I think you might have gone down a different path if we did put you in these dresses, you'd look a lot more refined and less like you wanted to get into bed." Ronda didn't respond, but Stormy offered a light hug to show that it was bad timing and they really did care about her and got overruled by her father. Ronda tried to try on one of the largest ones, and right away found out why it wasn't a good idea as it was too tight to go over her breasts making the girls giggle over the comedic secen. She took it off and handed it to Stormy but it didn't fit him either as it was too big, it was going to be saved for another time for Stormy for when Stormy grew larger. When they were finished, Ronda asked Stormy to stay with her so TJ wasn't weirded out spending the night with a girl. He blushed, but Ronda insisted, explaining, "I'm used to waking up with a guy's penis pressed against me, he isn't. I'd rather you stay with me so he doesn't get upset." Stormy nodded in agreement, it was better to just let her get her way and save TJ the trouble. He didn't know that TJ was fine with it, but it was for Stormy's sake that he go with Ronda. He was happy to let the two cousins get closer, especially as they were helping one another more and more that day. Stormy moved his clothes into Ronda's room and lay down on the bed, falling asleep instantly as he felt like things were going his way and he'd be alright. Ronda got in after changing into her new pajamas, hugging him tightly and kissing his cheek. She smiled at how different she was feeling now that her dad had been all but excised from her life and she didn't have to do as he said just to please him. TJ slept soundly but felt bad that Stormy didn't want to stay with him. Looking in on him before he fell asleep he could see why Ronda did what she did, especially as she was sleeping beautifully as well. He couldn't deny that it was for the best, he'd be a terrible person to deny their closeness and love. The morning was hectic as George, Kevin, Crystal, and Chloe had work to do. Kevin had a shift at the park, George had to drive north to the Peterson Manufacturing office, Crystal had to work at the library in town, and Chloe was taking Cindy to get Stormy an evaluation by a psychiatrist. Ronda was put in charge of the kids while TJ went with his brother, with Ronda trying hard to not have to do it as she was too inexperienced but agreeing as the four girls were begged her to do things with them. Ronda spent much of the morning and early afternoon walking around the property and showing them her favorite spots to go to be alone. The girls teased her about meeting boys there, to which she nodded and explained, "They don't come here. We would go to a special spot not far from our property that all of the teens go to with their dates. A lot of sex happens there, everyone knows what goes on there but try to stay away from it. I did a lot of things there that I'm ashamed out now, I never did it on the property as I didn't want to anger grandpa and make grandma make dad take me in permanently." She had them gasping in shock, which was what she wanted. She then explained, "I never take anyone here, not even my friends from school. These are my private spots. I come here to get away from dad and grandma. I try to be a good girl but nobody takes me seriously and everyone claims I'm just like my mother. I never met her! All I am to them is a cheap slut because my dad got mom pregnant and refused to marry her! They don't care about the truth! It is easier to just blame mom and not dad. Dad tells them lies about me to keep it going! Everyone believes him because he's so damn likable but is a total fraud! He lies to everyone to get them to do what he wants!" She wailed as she told them that, with the four hugging her tightly to calm her. Ronda sniffled and told the girls, "Dad is terrible. I hate him but I love him. I just want to get away from here. I wish Aunt Chloe was my mom so I didn't have to go to school here. I hate it here. I want to leave here with you." She walked them back to house and played board games with them until the others returned. Emily and Eve kept close to her, ensuring that she didn't feel bad because she wanted a better life. The four girls had seen it before several times, with Emily's friend Tara Russo telling her the same thing four years before when she was going through the same issues with wanting her mom to marry her boyfriend. Ronda fell asleep from the excitement, unintentionally allowing the girls to watch TV until their mom and father returned. They only watched some kids shows and had to explain to Chloe why they broke a rule but when she saw the sleeping Ronda she understood why they did it. It was too cute to punish, the girls were trying to be on their best behavior and chose something that they'd all agree on allowing the sleeping Ronda to recharge while accepting any punishment that Chloe gave to them. Their punishment was simply having to help roast the hares, with the girls enduring but not saying what they were thinking. They realized that even cute animals can be eaten, especially when it's what locals like their grandparents ate. It was no different than eating chicken, pork, and beef to them and when they thought about it they just looked like small chickens once certain parts were removed. The girls held off asking about Stormy, but he looked happier than before. He was changed into a dress as soon as he got into his room, with the girls helping him style his hair so it looked fuller while he had it down. He was quiet, not wanting the girls to know anything as he saved the news for Kevin's return. Over in town, George went to the Peterson Manufacturing office and introduced himself to the manager and the head of IT as well as the heads of the various departments. He was straightforward and asked to see their network layout, the condition of their switch and modem, the number of different computers on the network, and finally the system's latency. He was thorough in what he was doing, he had his own checklist that was far deeper than the staff had thought he was going to have and immediately caused some panic among the workers over what he was actually doing there. He spotted issues right away and demanded to know who authorized a wireless network for their office as it was barred by order of their contract with the government. There were excuses followed by finger pointing, with George seeing that it was likely something they added on their own. That was going to be changed immediately, he could tell that there was a huge risk and their contract was in trouble unless he moved to mitigate the issues quickly. He calmly stated, "Wireless networks have to be approved by the head of IT for a reason: they are one of the most dangerous risks to a network. I doubt it's as secure as you believe, a hacker can gain access to our databases and destroy our network from within. The government bars them specifically because of the risk to the data that they are compiling. It is being removed and anyone who has an issue with it is to explain to the CTO why his orders are not being followed. I'll be speaking with him directly in a few minutes as he wants to know the status of this office immediately." Zachary Phillips was a man who didn't waste time trying to appease people. In his sending him on the company plane he asked George to look at the office and snuff out all issues, especially as there was evidence of hacking attempts via the network. It was an easy fix, George was really there to strengthen the network and capture the one responsible while the legal team sought to prosecute the hacker. George looked over the layout of the network and spotted useless allocations of IP addresses as well as a sub-network that made no sense. On closer inspection, he found out why- it was what was being used by hackers to access their data. He avoided swearing but made the necessary notes to fix the issue. He poured over the data and matched computers with IPs and removed any that were not authorized. It was a game of hide and seek but he flushed out every device on the network that wasn't authorized and led to multiple employees having to explain why they were streaming music and videos when they are supposed to be working on data entry and processing. The worst offenders were the office manager and the IT guy, both of whom tried to explain how they weren't in violation and had a right to do it. TJ was acting as George's eyes and ears, listening to what the others were saying while texting Zachary about what George was finding. The information was verified by their IT people in Boston and told to get ready to shut down the office until an upgrade was done. George would be busy for two weeks, the office would be offline until every computer was upgraded and the IT guy replaced with a new one. George read the text and grinned. He turned to the on-site Peterson Manufacturing IT guy and proudly proclaimed, "You are terminated per order of Zachary Phillips, CTO of Peterson Manufacturing. Your access was frozen as of five minutes ago. You are being let go without severance due to multiple glaring violations of your job's basic requirements. I don't have to say it but the big bosses are taking this far more seriously than I realized. You purposely put a billion dollar research project in jeopardy due to your laziness and arrogance. Whomever paid you to make those errors wasted their money." Turning to the office manager, he stated, "This office will be closed for two weeks while I upgrade every computer and overhaul the network. Arrangements are being made for our Anchorage office to handle the data entry until this is finished. This office will only reopen when I give the OK, the network is cut off so nobody outside of a select few can access any computers here. Only I will give approval to those people and only I will permit access to the network." He didn't mention that nobody will have access to any of the computers, the servers were isolated and a monitor was in place to show any attempts to access the network and servers. It would be a long time in the town for him, but he was going to work his tail off to protect Peterson from rivals and prevent the data it was collecting from being exploited or being used by those who were trying to go after Peterson via federal and state government officials. The data that Peterson was collecting and using was useless to most people, but in the right hands it was deadly to humans and the environment- which was why he had to secure the office and ensure that what was released wasn't the real data and their hacker got caught with his/her pants down selling stolen data and the real mastermind caught using the data. Lunch was in town and saw the two being eyed by townsfolk as they walked to a nearby restaurant. It was a bad omen, but George had experienced it all before. He was used to people giving the Daniels family angry looks as father and son ate out at one of Winnisimmet's restaurants after his mother left the family after Mike divorced George and TJ's mother to save George from further abuse. Stone was inside chatting away with people as if he didn't have a care in the world, which only made TJ shake his head in disappointment at his antics. The two ignored him, letting him talk himself into a corner that he couldn't lie his way out of. They knew what he was claiming, as well as trying to make himself into a victim of outsiders trying to destroy his family. The two ordered, ate, and finally left but first casually told Stone, "I hope you abide by your restraining order and stay away from the house, Uncle Stone. I would hate for my father to arrest you for breaking it, he hates working on his vacation. And mom sends her regards, as well as telling you that Ronda will be moving to Massachusetts to finish high school with us. Don't try to contact her, she has refused to be your patsy anymore. She's her own woman, not the slut you tried to create to make yourself feel young. I hope nobody realizes what a creep you are doing that to your own daughter. Despite everything that you are trying to do to her, she is still a good person at heart and is learning that she doesn't have to be your patsy and take the fall for your manipulations. She just grew up, you obviously never did." That last part hit Stone hard as gasps were heard and Stone tried to find the right words. George happily told Stone's supporters, "The old Ronda is dead. She isn't his toy anymore. Any father who dresses a girl like that doesn't deserve to be a father. She's 16, not 26 and sure as hell not a stripper wannabe." Stone tried to counter that he didn't know what he was talking about, George shot back a terse, "I have two young daughters, mom doesn't have six kids and a young husband as you claimed. I'm her son, by adoption. Two are my sisters and two my brothers. Mom adopted my brother and I when she married my dad. Ronda told you that before you came by, she told you exactly who was there. I know that you were there to try to start something, and it failed. Grandpa isn't the oblivious senile old man that you say he is, he stood up to you and ran you off. I'll hold off my father from doing anything, but when he is here he won't hesitate to ensure to toss your ass in prison- he won't accept child abuse from anyone." TJ glared at Stone and dared him to say something. The fact that he was George's spitting image and is ready to stand up to Stone caught Stone by surprise but he played it off like no big deal. TJ was ready to move and when Stone tried to grab George, TJ grabbed and flipped him onto his back. TJ grinned and shot back a quick, "Eight years of martial arts, two years of boxing, plus self-defense. I am not going to let my uncle hurt my brother. And yes, he is my uncle even if Stone claims I'm not a member of the family. Stone lies to all of you about everything and everybody, you are too oblivious to notice his manipulations of facts." Stone was laughed at by the townsfolk while George was held-up by a crowd. He grinned and asked if they were going to harm him because Stone shot his mouth off trying to look good in front of them or if they were going to arrest his brother for defending him from Stone's assault. They were left to look like a bunch of fools as Stone swore at them for being cowards, while he stayed far back out of reach. Stone vowed that he'd have troopers after them. George shot back a quick, "Send them over to Peterson Manufacturing. I'll be in the main office. If they feel the need to press charges I'll ensure that they know why he defended me then ensure that they back away before they have to answer tough questions from colleagues. You aren't the first to try to use cops against my family, and you won't be the last." Stone tried to counter while he was laughed at more. The townsfolk let George go but did keep him on a short leash as nobody let him out of their sight. TJ simply kept an eye on everyone else, they were in a tough spot but George and he were used to hostile crowds- it was part of being in their family. Stone did call the troopers, with the responding trooper telling them that Stone was caught in a lie as he was on video going after them. Nobody would support the duo but video evidence showed Stone trying to lash out at George after he turned to walk away. Stone was cautioned about his own legal situation as the trooper took the duo's statements and matched what was seen on video. The rest of the day was quiet for the two as George took meetings with the staff to tell them what was going to happen and when and why it was happening. Most were upset but it was time off with pay as it was also overdue and needed. The ones who seemed the most upset had the least reason to be, they had no direct input on data and were just office support staff with no need for access to certain servers. George had his suspects right away and grinned as they were going to have to explain to corporate why it was necessary to have access for a job that didn't require access. The only databases that they had to access were personnel files and schedules, which were kept on a separate server. With the three trying to keep their access they would be forced to talk with George and security regarding their actions. TJ wasn't into computers so he went along with what his brother was doing, taking notes and seeing the pattern for networking that George had learned long ago. He kept quiet but saw how tough it was to be a networking technician for a large corporation, especially one who had to endure abuse locally from an office due to their own incompetence. He respected George for enduring it, he wasn't able to put up the front for as long as him and would have broken down and sworn at people hours before. During George's meetings with Peterson's IT director and Zachary Phillips TJ waited patiently outside of the office and watched the activity. He was on his laptop using the network with full access via his clearances as one of the members of the family. His access was monitored like all others, but his alarms were only for sites that were inappropriate for a kid as determined by George and the IT people. What he heard was typical complaining about being cutoff from any fun during work while others had a lot of gripes about, "Outsiders" invading their office and ruining their research. They were expected, it was typical whining about losing their free time and being forced to work as they should be. They were the ones who would end up being let go, they were extraneous and just taking up payroll and weren't actually needed yet somehow still remained employed. The ones who concerned him the most were the ones who were on the phone talking about the office having a few, "Unwanted guests" and, "Ruining their plans." TJ took note of them and emailed George to look at the phone records of the people in question, which got an immediate, "Listen but don't act. You just gave us grounds to look into their involvement and keep them under watch. They're going to have a lot to explain regarding who they were talking to and why they were discussing office security." When George was done with his meeting, he received a phone call and email form the head of IT with the list of where the phone calls had gone and who they went to were not a surprise- they were rivals. It was an inside job with the person working both sides for a big payday that would end immediately. TJ had gotten their main target and was looking at a reward for doing so, he saved them days of work and gave his brother more time with the family instead of toiling at the office as planned. He was just glad to have helped, he was only along because it was awkward being around Ronda. George exited and called the perpetrators into the office, immediately telling the offenders, "We know it was you three who caused the breeches in security. You were the ones who demanded wireless access in the office, you made it sound like it was necessary for the office yet there have been few visitors to here and all of them have been here to see just you. The ones who are known to have visited are only couriers and deliverymen so your reasons aren't standing anymore. You violated your security clearance and are hereby terminated. Your personal items are being shipped to you after inventory." The duo left after that, with the office in an uproar as all work was saved and the network shut down by George with nobody but him able to turn on access and nobody but him having access to the servers. It was then secured completely and severed from all outside network contact. The employees were given their time off and told to not return for two weeks, any attempt to enter without authorization would be automatic termination and prosecution for trespassing. The two drove to the Miller homestead and were greeted by the eager girls and Ronda. Up in his room Stormy looked morose, with TJ being hugged as soon as he entered. TJ didn't ask what happened, only telling him, "Jaimie wanted to see you for this reason. You will get help, you won't be left here to rot as a boy. Mom will find a way of helping you, she will know what to do." Downstairs, George asked what happened at the evaluation. Crystal looked at him and angrily told him, "His exam was even worse than up here! The doctor was a quack, he didn't have any experience with a kid like Stormy and was upset that we let him dress as a girl. He threatened to have him taken from me if I didn't stop, Chloe had to keep me from hurting him." George looked to Chloe who explained further, "I explained to him that he had just threatened to take a child from his parent for seeking help with a serious situation because of personal feelings regarding transgender patients. He had no experience with transgender patients and therefor should have easily explained that to us and let us leave. I have told his attending doctor and the chief resident that we will take Stormy to another doctor and if the doctor wasn't disciplined for violating Stormy's rights I'd have the state board after them for willingly violating patients' rights and endangering children." She sighed and added, "We can expect his distant relatives to intervene to get him away from us. Crystal is in fear that they'll get him back only to hurt him. He won't survive among his father's people, his grandparents were a fringe group of their people and are against any outsiders. If he goes with them we know he'll be left on his own to live or die- they threatened to do that before!" Cindy kept quiet until then but added, "I spoke with a lawyer all morning. I'm having custody given to Chloe so she can take him to be examined by a specialist who knows what she's doing. She has a flight booked for tomorrow, Crystal can't get time off but this is too important to miss." Chloe added, "Jaimie has her schedule booked solid but her mentor has an opening. She's the one who was responsible for getting Reyna help so we know that she is good." He was satisfied but did have one question about Stormy that he needed to ask but knew they had held off. Chloe sensed it and added, "He's going to have to come with us. Crystal will have to find a new job but it might be good timing as the middle school needs a new librarian and there's no experienced people to apply. Housing is an issue but John has a place ready. Mike already saw it and gave his blessing." George left it alone, Stormy was forced to come downstairs after changing into his dress by TJ and was told the good news. He was afraid to fly, but Chloe explained to him, "It's going to be alright. We know the doctor, she helped a friend of your cousins back when she started out. Her protege is the one who got her to see that she's a girl inside. You're going to be in good hands, all you have to do is talk with her about your feelings and be honest. The flight is nothing, your health matters most." The girls took Stormy out back to run around the trees and play a few of their favorite games, helping him unwind while the rest of the family enjoyed a night together in the summer light. The girls were running him ragged and ensuring that he was on his toes no matter what he did, laughing as he chased them through the trees and hiding where they would be. The fun kept his mind occupied, with the girls knowing that he needed this because of the bad news earlier. Kevin got home later than usual and complained that his replacement was a showoff who was trying hard to make a name for himself when he should have been trying to keep things in order. Their contrasting style had a big impact on the attendees that day and caused him to be glad to be retiring the following week. He had a love for the service, but hated how political it could be at times with people and postings. The family enjoying the evening outside and having dinner already prepared for him made him feel a lot better, especially as he saw Ronda looking like she was acting her age and showing a new maturity in how she acted with the girls. Listening to her tell them what to do and showing them how to do it had him grinning as the little girl in a woman's body was replaced by a teenage girl trying to be mature. Stormy looked upset but he didn't want to spoil the evening by asking about something sensitive. If it was something important he'd be told, it could easily be one of his frequent bad moods. He was glad to know that Stormy was trying to do things with the others instead of holing up in his room. After kissing the girls and Mason goodnight, Kevin asked what was going on with Stormy as it was too hard to hide his sadness from him. Stormy looked away in shame while Chloe retold what had been happening. Kevin growled at hearing that, then told them, "Take him in-town tomorrow to get it done here. If they dare to violate his rights, then I'm going for blood. I don't care how many people the good doctor has supporting him, you don't violate the rights of patients! I'll personally have the feds and state on him for breaking the law. I know a few people in the FBI who'd be happy to help out." Turning to Stormy, he boldly told him, "If your uncle even tries to look at you he's going to prison. He is in trouble as it is for trying to harm George, he barely avoided going to jail for that. You are getting the help that you need, if you have to get it from your aunt's friends then so be it. We'll miss having all of you here but we'll manage. As long as you are safe nothing else matters." They broke up for the night, with Ronda once again joining Stormy in bed. This time, he hugged her to sleep and felt good. His hands around her chest was weird but satisfying, with him pressing against her butt and his hair resting under her breasts feeling better than any guy who had done that to her before. She was glad that it wasn't sexual, he had natural reactions and wasn't trying to feel her breasts. It was a case of him needing to hug someone and the feeling under her breasts was simply how his arms ended up, but when they did move it felt amazing to brush against her nipples. She blushed at the feeling, she wasn't trying to get pleasure yet it felt nice to have someone brushing against her breasts. She stowed the feeling until she could do something about it in private, this was her cousin and what he was there for was more important than her sexual activities. It hit her immediately- she hadn't done that in a long time. She had given up pleasure for the sake of her family, she had thought about what Stormy needed more than what she needed and it felt great to do so. In the morning, the two showered together and saw Ronda telling Stormy that he looked fine and he is a great girl even if he has something extra. Stormy didn't respond, but Ronda gave him solace and had a great knack for making him feel better even if he'd never tell her the truth. He loved her, she was what he hoped she'd really be and was starting to feel that she was becoming a great person inside. As they were getting dressed, Ronda hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. He told her that he was happy that she was different now, with Ronda telling him that she loved him too. It was the first time it had been said to one another, they loved on another and were happy to be family. Stormy was dressed as a boy, with Ronda dressing in her new clothes and asking to go with them to the clinic. Kevin was joining them as well, with Kevin telling them, "I'm going in late so the new guy can be on his toes with unexpected work. He wanted more work, he got it. It's our busy day so he's getting a crash course in short-staffed park management and seeing how things can go from bad to worse." George drove one truck while Kevin drove another, with Stormy and Ronda with him. TJ was with his brother, with Cindy opting to remain with the girls and Mason. Mason had gotten so used to her that he didn't beg to go with his mother, with Chloe happily telling him he's showing that he's a big boy now. The group arriving in town cause a stir, but Kevin hugging TJ and George goodbye gave those who had seen George the day before a sense that it was serious and Kevin was treating the newcomers as family not as unwanted guests as Stone had claimed. Crystal led them to the office to speak to the psychiatrist and got an immediate appointment. Kevin observed people talking on their phones and trying hard to be innocuous but were really trying to listen to what was going on. When his time came, Crystal led Stormy inside while Ronda and Kevin ensured that nobody tried to get close to the door to listen to what was being said. Chloe told the secretaries, "If you so much as try to get access to my nephew's medical file I'll have your ass in federal court on civil rights violations. That is after I have this office shut down by the Dept. of Health and Human Services for HIPAA violations." She glared at the two behind the desk, while Kevin added, "Any dissemination of medical information, especially that of a minor, will be dealt with by the state alongside the feds. You don't have a right to any information of any patient no matter how juicy the information is. I know you want to tell all of the townsfolk waiting outside what is going on inside, that won't be allowed. Any access after he leaves the office will be dealt with. And don't try to claim you have a right to do that, it's handled electronically by a different company so there is no billing issues nor is there any reason for you to know anything about any patient inside. Your sole job is to answer phones and schedule appointments." They tried to look over at Ronda to get her to help, but she snubbed them. She knew who they were and why they were doing what they were doing. One was her father's girlfriend, the other was dating one of her classmates and was only there because her father was the psychiatrist. Inside the office, Stormy was asked why he was there. Crystal explained, "You have examined Stormy a few times in the past but he has never talked with you honestly. You know exactly why he didn't, your daughter and secretary are telling anyone who will listen your patients' problems. You were cited before but managed to escape it thanks to changing the records. I know you hired my brother to do that, he hid at my house for a week until the heat died down. Well we are getting desperate now." Stormy blurted out, "I can't live a lie anymore. I'm to girly for my own good. I was never a boy and am going to do what I have to do to rectify it. I can't be a guy anymore, I'm a girl inside."