Family Found Part 1 free porn video

Late September, 2037 It has been over 22 years since the "Finn Family" was established as the family knew it. Over that time, the family saw their youngest members born then grow into kids and teens and finally find their roles in life. Some were still finding their way but had the family to help them along their paths in life. Not everyone in the famly had it easy. There usual were bouts of illness, the unfortunate passing of four elders of the family, and fighting typical bigotry and sexism. The family tried their hardest to overcome the odds and always came out on top, often with those who challenged them going down in flames. Things seemed like they were ideal, but they weren't always. Tragedy did strike the family at times, no matter how much they tried to avoid it. Even the most stable of the family was not immune to those cases...but sometimes from tragedy comes greatness. Paige Smith was just an average girl from Winnisimmet, MA until she married Bryan Smith just after their freshman year of college. He and his family were wealthy and while she had inherited money from a beloved great-aunt, it was nothing compared with what he had in his own trust funds. It was a storybook wedding, as Paige had married alongside her lifelong best friend who had coincidentally also married Bryan's best friend. She endured years of anger and frustration at her birth parents before they were exposed as the frauds that they were and led to her and her sister being adopted into a group of loving people. Paige's family was middle class but acted as if they were born into riches. Paige helped expose that fraud and in doing so caused her family to change forever as she and her sister were adopted by a kindly social worker who had grown to become like an aunt to Paige in the two years she had known her. Paige was a natural psychologist and found her calling when she helped her boyfriend's family out as it expanded over time to include multiple new siblings, cousins, and second cousins. Paige's new mother supported her in ways that her birth parents never did, including encouraging her to pursue her dreams of being a teacher and helping children through life. Her experience with kids in trouble and being the big sister to just about every one of the girls and boys in her generation paved her way to do just that. She became pregnant and gave birth to twins before her junior year of college, then had to raise them on her own as a single parent for a year as her husband was sent overseas to help repair war-ravaged cities in Africa. Her family supported her and after Bryan was discharged from the National Guard the two moved away to a small town called Bradford, MA to enjoy their lives apart from their families. Bryan used his degree and experience in the National Guard to obtain a job as a city planner while Paige worked as a teacher, earning her job based on her experience with all kinds of students. Paige taught during the day and started to earn her master's degree in psychology with the hopes of earning a PsyD at night and on the weekends. Her hopes were put on hold as she endured a traumatic car accident that resulted in her losing her third child and being unable to have any more children. It devastated Paige and saw her turn her full attention to teaching children and ensuring that no child was hurt under her watch and those who did hurt children would pay dearly. Paige was set to earn her PsyD after 15 years of post-graduate work but plans changed to put those plans on hold. Bryan's twin sister/Paige's best friend Hannah Smith needed Bryan to take over their family estate's interests from their ailing grandfather and keep the estate in working order while Hannah was on the road promoting her latest book. She found herself pregnant for the third time and needed her husband/Bryan's best friend Pete to ensure that she was doing everything that her doctor told her to do and didn't overexert herself harming Hannah and the baby. Bryan had no choice but to resign his job in Bradford and move to England, with Paige by his side taking a job as a teacher while she put her PsyD on hold for a year. Pete and Hannah asked them to do them an even bigger favor by taking care of their daughter Elise for them as she refused to join her siblings and cousins in staying at their great-uncle John's home. Paige loved Elise deeply and happily took her in as her own daughter for the year, with Elise reluctantly taking to the loving Paige. Paige didn't need to work but saw an opening at a school not far from their home in Outham, the borough that the Smiths had moved to for the year. It was for year five, the US equivalent of which Paige had just finished teaching in Bradford. It took a few weeks but she was the only applicant to have both the credentials, the training, and degrees to show that she could easily take the job and thrive. Paige had Elise placed in her class at Hannah's request so she wasn't forced to endure humiliation from other students when she didn't spell things "correct" as Hannah didn't trust the school not to allow bullying of her just to show that even though she was the daughter of a noble she wasn't "better" than the others. She and Elise were close to the point of Elise feeling jealous of Paige being so different than her mother and wanting her to be her real mother instead of Hannah. Paige loved being a mother to a young child again but she only saw Elise as her niece, she loved her deeply but would never cross the line to being a, "Better" mother to her niece than Hannah was especially as the two women were so alike to all who knew them. In contrast to the life of luxury and acceptance that Paige enjoyed, life was terrible for Anil Patal. The little nine-year-old boy was the unwanted son of a Punjabi mother and a wealthy English father who was unable to be together with her despite being married to her. He never knew his father, when he was born his father stayed for a months before running off to some place north and never left his mother with any sort of way of contacting him that he knew of. Anil was a decent kid, he was well-behaved and friendly with all of his neighbors and went out of his way to ensure that his slice of England was his own. Sadly, being the unwanted son of an unmarried woman who went against her own family's wishes in marrying the love of her life made things tough on the little boy. Even though he was nice to everyone, he was ignored until he was needed by almost everyone he met and even then he was quickly forgotten by them. Anil got used to the isolation and at times was glad to have it. His mother was always out trying to earn money for the two to eat and pay rent which allowed him to delve into his passion- being a girl. He was transgender and knew from an early age that he was not what he should be and to become a man meant the death of him as a person, the only way to escape that pain was to have moments of dressing and acting like a little girl even if he could never show it to the outside world. His mother didn't know about his secret side. She was strict and would not hesitate to go after him at the slightest provocation. Had she found out that he was transgender, she would not hesitate to kill him for both making her life worse and for being an abomination. His mother wasn't so much against transgender people, she just could not deal with the trouble that it brought. She loved Anil in her own way, but there were a lot of things that she had to deal with that he would never understand and his being transgender would be one of a long list of things. To counter the pain of being unable to be his true self and avoid his mother's wrath, Anil was always working hard in school. He was one of the many kids who received free lunches from the school due to low income and much to his humiliation he also sported hand-me-down uniforms that his mother had to scrounge to buy even with the council's subsidy payment. During lunch breaks, he would always shy away from the other kids and the constant harassment of him and his bad economic situation and stay inside where he could be alone with his thoughts. His teacher, who was coincidentally Paige, was accommodating to his need for privacy and isolation from the bullying and would eat with him while talking to him to keep his mind occupied and away from the troubles. She empathized with the boy, he was so much like so many others that she had known over the past 23 years that she couldn't help but feel for him beyond her role as a teacher. He was well-behaved and an all around good person, he just had a bad hand dealt to him in life. He was bright and had a mind that was both creative and festive, always finding ways of improving your mood when you were feeling down. He was one of the best at helping others during bad days, especially when you needed a smile. When one girl's grandfather died he was the only one who was able to get her to open up and release her grief which helped the girl improve mentally even if she didn't do much after that to get close to Anil. Anil was an enigma to the school. The teachers all knew that he was dirt poor yet there was little being done to help his family out especially as his mother had years of work experience and degrees but always struggled to provide the basic things for Anil and herself. The council wasn't keen to do much, social services outright ignored their plight and told anyone trying to report the family as being in dire need of their help that they couldn't do anything further for them. Headmaster Cole Hill was concerned about Anil and asked Paige to keep an eye on him every second of the day. To the other teachers at the school, it seemed like it was doing too much beyond their abilities but he was looking for something that could be used to help the boy even if it meant he was removed from his mother's care. Cole feared for him, he wasn't getting help and it seemed like unless there was a stronger reason for social services to get involved he was not going to get the help that he needed and even then it might not be until it was too late. After years of being a teacher and knowing many children in similar situations, Paige had feared that one day she might experience this. She had been a teacher for 15 years but thus far had never had a student who was in danger let alone needed a close watch. Anil was an angel in her eyes, she could not fathom anyone hurting him let alone his own mother. Ms. Patel was a good person at heart, she just had too much going on in her life to be the mother that Anil needed in his life. Paige could see the sadness, desperation, and loss of all hope of ever improving in her eyes, it was what she had seen in other mothers at the end of their ropes. Anil was a sad victim of his mother's apathy and depression, it was rubbing off on him causing him issues that the school was trying to take action to help alleviate but which should have been taken care of a long time ago. Paige did as she was told and kept a close eye on Anil during school and watched as he left school and headed directly home, always without his mother and never interacting with other students. Paige had to tell Cole that she thought that he might be in danger just by that alone but Cole needed more. He was going to ensure that Anil was safe even if it meant that he was hurt first, social services would have no choice but to react then even if it meant Anil never saw his mother again. Paige spent the first three weeks of the school year trying to get close to Anil but was always pushed away by the boy. He only let her know that he was fine and didn't like going outside due to the kids harassing him. He appreciated that Paige tried to help him, even if he knew that if he ever told her the truth about his life he would be taken away from his mother and it might be the end of her life. Anil kept close to Paige during school hours and walked home with her several times. She actually lived not far from his home in a council- owned tower block several hundred feet away and was happy to walk with him, it gave her a sense of pride and allowed her to act like a parent to a child again. Anil enjoyed Paige immensely, he had to fight back tears as she left him at his door as he felt pains at his wanting her to be his mother instead of his real mother. The two were not taking the walk alone, Paige had Elise alongside her during those walks and who often tried to ignore Anil in any way possible. She wasn't like her siblings Harry and Lillian or even her cousins BJ and Ophelia: she was aloof most of the time and mainly a follower who acted like other kids and who treated Anil like he was some plague victim who needed to be kept as far away from them as possible and hated to be seen with her aunt and Anil walking to his tower block. It pained Paige to see Elise treating Anil this way, but she was her own person and needed to learn the hard way that how she treats someone was a reflection on herself and not her social standing. Paige understood why she was the way she was, it was tough to be a new kid in school especially one from another country and being the middle child, even if her brother wasn't yet born, she felt the need to act out. Elise took to the kids quickly but at the expense of who she really was: the smart, savvy, quick-witted little girl who could make you run for cover when she was upset...just like her mother. Whenever they returned home, Elise would hole up in her room to avoid her aunt's complaining about her treatment of Anil especially her grunts of annoyance at his being around them and disgust at seeing his home. She would go right on her tablet and talk with the girls in her class about Anil and make bad jokes about his looks and where he lived and how poor he was. Paige would angrily shut down those discussions much to the amusement of Elise's "friends" followed by warnings for all of them to do their homework or risk failure, which would lead to more fighting and Elise storming off to her room until dinner was finished as the humiliation of the girls was made clear to her through their messaging. Elise's parents, Hannah and Pete, just couldn't care for Elise as she needed them to due to Hannah's concrete contractual obligations to her book tour that fall. Elise had initially refused to join them on the tour, she chose to live with her aunt and uncle in the UK for the year rather than stay with her maternal grandparents in Winnisimmet, MA or stay with her great-uncle John alongside her siblings and cousins. It was a tough decision but Paige convinced them that it was going to be OK and best for Elise, but the way Elise was acting was starting to make Paige regret doing that. Elise conveniently never told her parents about how she was acting around Anil during Elise's frequent calls to her parents, but Paige always did leading Elise to get scolded by them. Elise simply didn't care, they were in some random city in Canada or the US and couldn't do anything to her. Paige didn't have the heart to send Elise back to the US to stay with her grandparents despite the friction that she was causing, but if she continued down her path Paige would have little choice but to do so for Anil's sake. Paige's husband Bryan was unaware of his wife's activities and let her handle Elise until he had to do something that required both of them- thankfully for him, an extremely rare situation. He hated not having a stronger role in their home life but he was busy with his family's estate and business interests so he couldn't take on a more active role. Elise used this to her advantage at times and manipulated her uncle, forcing him to give in while Paige was backed into a corner by Elise that would only lead to fighting and arguing between the three. Bryan worked hard but was getting to the point that he needed to have his father take over the family estate so he could return to his own job as a city planner, he just wasn't cut out to endure the life of a noble let alone going multiple places around England and helping keep the family's business interests afloat with barely an understanding of the investments they had made over the decades. He loved his grandparents deeply, but it just wasn't his job. He was a good civil planner and engineer, but wasn't cut out for business meetings and investing opportunities as his father and grandfather were. The Elise issues were just the tip of the iceberg for the Smiths, he was worn down by constant work checking in on the various properties that the Smiths owned as well as maintaining the Lincolnshire estate from London. When his parents took over, Elise, Paige, and Bryan would return to the US and pick up where they left off that summer but with Elise now being by her parent's sides as they their new son was welcomed into the world. His mother was an investment manager while his father was able to handle meetings with the people who were seeking to utilize the family estate for a variety of purposes giving the Smiths two people who could handle the job that Bryan was struggling to do all on his own. Elise's actions had an impact on Anil. He hated Elise for treating him badly and doing so because she could get away with it, especially as the other kids used her to do what they didn't dare do themselves. He didn't know that her aunt hated her actions but to him, it was her letting Elise do as she pleased even if Paige didn't mean to do it. He tried to stay as far away from Elise as possible but it was tough when they were always together in school. She was even his partner in many of the activities that Paige had them doing in class, with Elise putting on a false facade for her aunt which nobody believed. Anil just wanted to be left alone, but Elise made it tough to do that and Paige walking him home made it impossible. By mid-September, the two were at odds to the point that Anil lost his cool and yelled at Elise causing the two to get in trouble. Paige didn't fully blame Anil, but both were at fault forcing her to keep the two after class. Elise complained about missing the chance to go over a friend's house, but Paige was all too happy to shut down those plans and try to nip their fighting in the bud and keep Elise out of the clutches of some bad influences. Paige sat the two down and demanded Elise explain what she had against Anil and why she felt the way she did about Anil. As she suspected, none of Elise's excuses were valid and Anil was actually more of a friend to Elise than her so-called friends were. Oddly, the boy wanted nothing from Elise yet all of her "friends" only cared about her toys, game systems, and her large house with indoor pool. By contrast, Anil only wanted her to leave him alone and let him do his schoolwork in peace. Paige saw that he was just a lonely person and made Elise see that he was just a boy who had nothing and who is trying to live and as he had done nothing wrong she had no right to treat him that way especially if it was only her trying to impress kids who really didn't like her. Elise was forced to accept that or else she would have invoked the wrath of her parents, who would know something had happened to her in school as they were about to miss their scheduled Skype call. The month of September wore on and Anil started to show up to school with bruises on his arms and legs. He would never say where he got them from and refused to even acknowledge that they hurt him, but the wincing was hard to ignore. Paige reported her suspicions to Cole and received no action from social services as he expected- they chose to ignore his calls and never returned his phone calls despite the urgent need to get Anil some help. Things came to a head at the end of the week as Anil had a swollen eye and cuts on his lips. This time Paige refused to back down from the social services apathy and called in help from higher up in social services as well as from the Metropolitan Police Service. This was serious now, action had to be taken to protect Anil or the next time the two saw him would be on the news after his mother had killed him. Paige called in a favor at the Metropolitan Police Service and got an immediate response from them due to her name being one of the few that they could never refuse to help right away. The constable, a young man named Max Evans who Paige had known since he was 11-years-old, took one look at Anil and called social services himself. He told Paige he'd be back later, Anil was in her care until then. Cole was unsure how to react to the situation. It wasn't a good thing for the school to allow as it opened up the school to liability that they could ill-afford to endure. Paige wasn't about to let Anil slip through the cracks any longer, he was in trouble and they had an obligation to help him out regardless of the cost to the school or the borough council. Paige sighed and produced a card for her solicitor, telling Cole, "Call this man and explain that Lady Paige needs his help immediately. If he presses for information do not try to lie to him. He is one of only four people that I would trust fully in all of London, with the exception of my husband, and will protect me from you if need be. You are a friend but he won't hesitate to protect me." That wasn't an empty threat, she was telling the truth about her solicitor, a man by the name of Arthur Evans who just happened to be the elder brother of Max. He was ruthless in protecting his family and friends and Paige was one of the few people that he considered to be a close friend. He would ensure that Anil was receiving proper help or there would be hell to pay and that people lost their jobs. Cole made the phone call and was surprised to be asked the specifics on Anil from his family to his home life to his schoolwork. There wasn't much that Cole could tell, he parroted what was in Anil's file but it was mostly good remarks but some snide comments about him being small and a, "Sissy" by one of the sports teacher. That same man was not retained as he had done the same to several boys and had violated the school's rules regarding treatment of children with his harsh words and frequent abusive behavior during class to them. When Arthur hung up, Cole was left fearing for his job as he felt the world collapsing in on him thanks to Anil's familial issues coming to a head. When Max returned with angry members of social services, introduced to Paige and Cole as James Benson and George Hedges, Cole knew that things were about to get worse for all now. He tried to steel himself but it was tough to do knowing that he would be the one taken out by the media if things went pear-shaped and Anil was hurt. Max pulled no punches and was adamant that social services take action on behalf of Anil or he would personally have them brought up on charges of neglect and child abuse for ignoring a clear assault on a child. Benson and Hedges tried to call his bluff but a quick phone call from Garry Grant, the director of the council's social services department, forced them to remove Anil from his home and then place his mother under arrest for child abuse. They had no choice in the matter and their excuses for not taking action were unsubstantiated. Benson and Hedges weren't happy to have to answer unwanted questions and did as they were told by Garry. Max took their official request for an arrest warrant for Mrs. Patel while officially taking Anil into protective custody. They called Anil into the office and explained what was happening and why and would take him off of Cole's hands. In a side room, Anil was questioned under the supervision of Max and the school secretary. He didn't hold back and told Benson and Hedges what they wanted to know. What he told them caused both Max and the secretary to get sick to their stomach. Anil's mother had found him wearing a dress that his neighbor had him playing in as a way to pass the time after school at her flat in their tower block. It wasn't the first time that he had been found in girls' clothing by his mother that week as the girl loved to put him in her clothes so they could act like sisters, His mother told him that if he ever wore it again that she would severely beat him- and she did, much to the horror of his neighbor and her mother. Anil was dragged to the social services office at town hall and forced to wait while the duo acted like they were setting him up with a foster family. Anil was no fool, they were just going through the motions and were going to dump him in a group home right after dinner. He was only there because they were forced to make it a show for Garry but they already had the paperwork ready for Anil. Anil thought about running away, but that wouldn't do any good. He was only nine-years-old, South Asian, and had nowhere to go and no money to get there. He stuck out for all of the wrong reasons and as soon as he left the group home he'd be pounced on by any kindhearted person or any pervert looking for a good time with a defenseless kid. He couldn't take The Tube and he would get noticed right away on buses making it impossible to use most normal means of transit. The regional and national trains wouldn't let him get one stop before chasing him off the trains, especially if he was heading away from London. He was stuck in the group home until he either was beaten to death or he ran away, with being beaten most likely. Things started to go from bad to worse for Anil as he entered the group home. It was a dump with half of the kids inside it were emaciated, tired, and wearing filthy torn clothing. The other half had flashy clothes and jewelry but reeked of booze, sex, and cigarette smoke making Anil think that they were doing sexual things with people to earn money to buy all of their flashy things. The smaller kids looked at Anil with shame and desperation. He was a marked boy without having said a word as the larger boys eyed him with evil intentions as soon as they laid eyes on Anil. The smaller boys ran off when the boys started to get near Anil, he had nowhere to run to and prepared for whatever the boys were about to do to him. As expected, Anil had to endure a beating from all of the larger boys. When that was done, everything he had was taken from him and his clothes picked over to see if they were able to use them. Anil was wearing panties at the time which made the larger boys try to go after him for some, "Fun" but Anil was fast enough to avoid them and lock himself away in a room until he could make an escape. In the morning he had to wait until the boys had all left for school before he could leave his room and find some food to eat then make his way to school. He barely had a chance to change into his uniform before he ran off, it was from a different school so none of the boys could take it and wear it but his trousers were torn and dirty thanks to their picking over his clothes. He had to make due for now, he just hoped that Paige didn't say anything about them in front of the class which would only make his already miserable day all the worse. Paige was upset at the lack of information about Anil, especially as Arthur turned up little from Benson and Hedges once Anil was in their care. Arthur didn't like what he was seeing, something smelled awful and the two were behind it. He called in every favor that he had among social services and all were saying that Anil wasn't in the system and whatever happened wasn't done by the books yet none would dare say that Benson and Hedges had broken any rule or law. Anil showed up for school late and in a state of filth. He refused to speak to anyone and anyone who tried to say something about his clothing were stopped by Paige. She glared at Elise and dared her to say something about Anil, Elise kept her mouth shut lest she finally causes her aunt to snap and ship her off to stay with her grandparents in the US as she had already threatened to do. During lunch, Paige approached Anil and asked how he was doing and how he was feeling. She saw the pain that he was in and tried to offer words of encouragement but he wasn't accepting of them. She had to fight back tears as he looked forlorn and felt like it was only a matter of time before he was forced to do some nasty things with the older boys but he couldn't bring himself to ask for help no matter how much he wanted to, in his eyes he wasn't worth the fight Paige would be in. Paige drove Anil to his new home and saw just how bad it was firsthand. She made notes to inquire about it with the proper people as she didn't like the look of the place nor how the kids were reacting to Anil and her. When she left, she could hear the boys having a go at Anil with Anil running off scared while the boys threatened to hurt him even more than they already had. Anil fought off the boys but paid the price by getting several more punches to the face, bloodying his lips again and making his teeth loose. He wasn't able to eat anything, and when he tried to leave his room there was always a larger boy ready to grab him. He resigned to the fact that he was going to have to hide away until late at night, but more likely until the early morning hours when all were asleep. He woke up early and made his way to the kitchen to steal some food before setting out for school. He got there just after the caretaker opened the gates for teachers and Cole to enter allowing Anil a chance to get inside and bathe as best he could. He didn't have his bag with him, he had to leave it at the home as the others had grabbed it from him right as he entered leaving him without his homework. He hated knowing that Paige was going to chastise him for not having his homework done but Paige was not about to do any such thing in front of the class. She was trying hard to think about how to help Anil even if it meant taking him into her home until he was able to be placed in a safe environment. Arthur was already actively seeking Anil's father and trying to contact his maternal family but by the way he sounded Anil was on his own unless someone intervened to help him. Paige saw Anil enter the boy's restroom and waited until he exited to talk with him. She could see that he was tired and looked like he hadn't eaten in days, which was mostly true as the only meals he had were the few small amounts of food that he grabbed just before he left and the lunches he ate in school. She asked where his bag was, only to get a scared look which she knew to mean that it had been stolen by the other boys in his home and he wasn't able to do his homework. Paige opened up her classroom and had him do the work while she prepared for the day. She also got him some food to eat, insisting that he eat all of it so he didn't get too weak and give the other students anything to say against him. He finished both quickly, with Paige pleased that he listened to her and that he was showing her signs that he was on the mend. Anil asked where her niece was, getting a look of anger and terse, "She is with my husband. She didn't want to go in early and my husband is working nearby so he opted to let her sleep in a little. Seeing you here this early, it's probably a good thing that she isn't here yet as she likes to show off her uncle's car." Anil understood what she meant, Elise's friends liked all of her expensive things and Bryan loved his little Porsche 911. Paige hated it but then again she hated most cars as she didn't understand the need to show off your wealth, Bryan rarely splurged and the Porsche was his biggest show of wealth. Anil and she had an unspoken moment of bonding, one Elise shared with Bryan as she loved his car. Elise finally arrived as they cleared up Anil's homework, coming inside with a group of girls who could not stop talking about her uncle's car and how handsome he looked driving it or how lucky she was to have such cool things. When they saw that Anil was already there and at his seat they scoffed at him and told Elise that they felt sorry that she had to associate with such poor trash. Paige grinned and told the girls that they were in school and such abuse toward a fellow student wouldn't be allowed and if they made such a remark about anyone else they would have to stay after class, making the girls glare at Elise while Paige proudly smirked. Elise wasn't happy and let Paige know it. This would cost her dearly as her, "Friends" wouldn't let that slide. She had directly caused them to get in trouble, even if she hadn't said anything herself. Class went smoothly after that, with the girls trying their hardest to trip up Elise so she would get in trouble in retaliation for them being in trouble. Paige caught them in the act of plotting to do something to Anil and Elise, with the girls being sent off to Cole's office with a note explaining why leading to the girls being put in detention and forced to forgo school events for two months. Elise was humiliated but Paige was not going to let her get away with harming Anil or let the girls get away with their antics. They were the kind of girls who would go on to become classic bullies who can cause major psychological damage to kids especially ones like Anil and Elise. Nipping it in the bud was the only real option to avert future damage, especially among those who were passive participants in it. After school, Anil walked with Elise and Paige and ran inside the group home while Paige and Elise walked on to buy dinner from a takeaway that both liked. The two were going out for the evening and trying to visit the V&A Museum of Childhood so Paige could get through to Elise and understand what was bothering her and give her a way of reaching Elise instead of always punishing her. It was to be the final olive branch from Paige, if the two couldn't see eye to eye Elise would have to go home to the US as she was getting too out of line to the point of openly defying Paige at every turn and neither wanted things to come to that even if they never said so to one another. As soon as her, "Friends" heard about Elise going to a museum they mocked her and joked about her being just another Yankee tourist instead of a, "Real Brit." It hurt her immensely, she was just as British as them especially as she was a child of a noble, born in the US but spent the next four years in the UK after her birth with her parents at the Smith estate in Barnstead, Lincolnshire. They also didn't know that Paige could hear them until she asked Elise if that was the kind of friends that she wanted to have now that they showed their true faces and how they really felt about her, getting the girls to cut off their call as they tried to deny what Paige had said. Elise seemed to understand now why Paige was so hard on her for acting that way, she didn't have any real friends and the one person who treated her like a person and not as a way of getting something for themselves she had treated with disgust and hate. Paige sat her on a bench and asked, "Do you really hate Anil?" Elise shook her head "no" and shed tears as her aunt finally broke through her false facade and exposed the real Elise Anita Smith under it. The two spent two hours at the museum before calling it a night, with Elise starting to let go of some of her frustrations toward her aunt. She was lost in thought until she saw someone walking along the side of the road covered in blood and heavily bruised. She gasped as she screamed at the sight, Anil was out there in the streets after dark all alone and looking like he was beaten badly! Paige called 999 to get an ambulance as well as the police to respond then stopped Anil before he ran off. Anil looked up at Paige and knew that he wasn't going anywhere, but seeing Elise caused him to try to back away in fear before Paige could ask him anything. Elise was told to go back to the car and stay there, she would handle Anil as Elise was just scaring him and making things worse for the boy. An ambulance came within minutes and checked out Anil, giving him a look of pity as the medics put bandages on his wounds and readied him for transport to the hospital. When they finished, a constable came over and looked over Anil then said a couple of snide remarks about, "Those kind of people" which Paige asked him to repeat as she was recording what he said for the record. This only led to him then threatening her but didn't get the response he wanted from Paige, one which he hoped would make whatever she was going to threaten him with moot. Paige sighed, told him that she was complaining to his superiors about his racist words regarding the victim of an assault especially a young child, and would ensure that he faced disciplinary actions for what he had done. She wasn't bluffing, she called Max to get the ball rolling then called Arthur to beg him to find a way of allowing Anil to be placed in her care so he was away from the group home for good. Paige didn't need to know what happened to him, she could tell that he was abused by the other boys in the home just based on what he was wearing and how he was reacting to the constable. Max met them at the A&E at Outham University Hospital and had a go with the constable who was to be assigned to them, letting the man know that his father had heard just what he said about Anil and it was going to be a long time before the man was out on the streets of London. He tried to threaten Max but Max simply pointed to the sergeant nearby and had him send the constable back to the station for, "Debriefing" before he was suspended without pay while awaiting his disciplinary hearing. Max took no pride in having his father know what was going on, but with Paige and Arthur involved he would be involved in the situation regardless. Paige was phoned by Max's father, Sir Charles Evans, and asked about Anil's situation. Charles gave her a groan, told her to tell whoever showed up on behalf of social services that this was a criminal investigation, and to tell Bryan to prepare a room at their home. Paige knew what this meant and felt her heart flutter as she was all but drafted to be Anil's new foster parent until things cleared up, she had gotten her request to foster Anil granted by default. At the same time, Anil was being examined by a doctor under strict guard by a nurse. He tried to ask about the clothes Anil was wearing but Anil refused to answer any questions out of fear of what the doctor and nurse would do to him. The nurse told the doctor that it was best to leave it to those who would do something, it wasn't their place to probe further and might ensure issues for them from those who might end their careers. Anil was led to the waiting room where Elise was busy talking with some people. Paige said a couple of things to them but Anil tried hard not to listen. He felt bad enough as it is that his teacher now knew his secret, even if he didn't tell her she seemed to know why he was dressed as he was especially after knowing about his earlier incidents with his former neighbors. Elise was busy talking with her cousins BJ and Ophelia and their aunts Jaimie and Nichole. Jaimie asked about Anil, getting a groan from Elise which led to her telling everything that she knew about him and what she had heard her aunt and uncle talking about. Jaimie was probing for answers and secretly analyzing Anil while she was thinking about what was going on with him, like any psychiatrist would do in her situation given the facts handed to her. She looked at Nichole who seemed to gather what Jaimie was thinking and boldly told Elise, "He's not a normal boy, he's a girl inside. It's the same way we acted when we were his age." Jaimie added, "His mother hurting him must have been due to her suspecting that his dressing up with the girls wasn't an accident and that he was wearing the neighbor's clothes because he liked to wear them, he was too willing to do it and enjoyed it too much to have been the first time. It is tough to think about but it's the only thing that fits the situation. Anil is transgender and needs help." Elise didn't believe her but Jaimie wasn't one to make bold assessments with little information. She had what she needed and she was standing by her initial assessment of Anil especially as he was still in panties when he was removed from his home and he didn't bother to change out of the girl's clothes that he was found in when he was freed from whatever the boys were doing to him. She was a fully licensed and practicing psychiatrist focusing on child gender identity issues so she was an expert on it. Jaimie asked them to hand the iPad off to Anil so she could talk with him for a few minutes. This was not a request, Jaimie was putting on her doctor's hat and trying to help Anil so he accepted Paige and Bryan as his foster parents and knew that they would get him the proper help. Anil was reluctant but hearing that Jaimie was a psychiatrist and knew what he was going through eased his anxiety a little. The two talked for a bit as Jaimie went through her standard battery of questions then gauged the truth. She was satisfied that Anil was not a boy, Anil was born wrong and needed help from a professional so he could become what he needed to be. He was more like Anne or Anabel than Anil and needed the help of someone who could guide him through his changes especially as his struggles would only get worse- likely to come shortly now that Paige and Elise knew the truth about him. As they were talking, a doctor tried to stop the questioning as it was getting a bit too clinical to the point of being analytical. Paige stopped her and calmly explained, "She's Dr. Jaimie Samuels, MD, Ph.D. She is a practicing psychiatrist specializing the field of child gender issues. She is doing that as a need to get Anil help for whatever is going on with him and sees something that needs attention." Paige entered and calmly asked, "Is Anil truly transgender or is this all just a phase?" Jaimie waited a few seconds and clinically stated, "Anil is female in mind and based on how Anil acted thus far it is well hidden due to the abuse Anil has suffered through at the hands of Mrs. Patel and others. Anil needs removal from the group home for safety and needs to have a full, concise, fair assessment by one of my colleagues in London. I'll call her to alert her of your request, she's the only one I trust to help you." Jaimie signed off allowing them to await social services removing Anil from his group home. Max was with them and had Arthur speaking with the higher-ups in social services to work out something so Anil wasn't thrown back to the wolves. He had the paperwork drawn up to have Paige and Bryan put as the new foster parents, with Paige's relationship being best for Anil until he could be placed elsewhere. Before Arthur got there, Benson and Hedges barged into the hospital looking for Anil. Both were angry at Anil and grabbed him from his chair and tried to drag him back to the group home with Benson telling the boy that he was going to get what he deserved for running off leaving the boys to hurt the other shrimps in the house. He never noticed Max nor his entering colleagues, leading to Benson being tossed onto his chest and placed in handcuffs while Hedges had the same done to him as Anil rushed to the awaiting arms of Paige. Max happily placed both under arrest for kidnapping, assault, threatening behavior, and neglect for the intentional placement of Anil in the care of a home known to be harming him. The two threatened the constables but Max produced a recorder and played back the threats then demanded the paperwork that placed Anil in their care as they had never filed it when he was removed in the first place. It was a tense moment but Max had them caught and unable to say or do anything without causing more charges. Benson and Hedges ran off when they were being transferred to other uniformed constables, causing Anil to grow scared as he knew that they would be back to get him. Paige hugged him tightly and tried to calm him which only caused him to ease up on her but still cling to her tightly. Paige started to feel amazing as he clung to her, it was a feeling that she had been lacking for a long time especially as her son and daughter had grown too old to show their affections to her. Arthur arrived after another half hour and showed Paige the paperwork naming her as Anil's new foster mother with Bryan acting as his foster father. Paige was perplexed about how quickly she had been able to obtain guardianship of Anil but Arthur smiled and happily explained, "Bryan had me doing this for months. It was slowed down due to interference in the office which I am starting to think was Benson and Hedges. You had everything going for you, you have a steady job and money to support yourselves and Anil as well as space in your home and a background check on file with the service they use. You two are just about the most perfect candidates but the duo stopped your application from processing." Paige was told that they could leave, with Max escorting them out as the constables encircled them. Arthur was on the phone with social services to ensure that Benson and Hedges were suspended with the intent to terminate them for their actions while Max tried to have a warrant put out for their arrests. Paige thanked the two with Elise hugging Max while Anil silently gripped Paige causing the two to vow that the would get Benson and Hedges and ensure that the kids in the home were helped out. Bryan was waiting for them at the house when Paige drove in. He took one look at Anil and asked if he needed to get some skirts and blouses or t- shirts and trousers. Paige glared at him but he gave her a smile and soft, "I'm not going to fool around, I don't want him suffering anymore. If he's a she then we have to help her be the girl she needs to be. We are the most qualified to help, I doubt very much that it will be worked out by social services especially with those two scumbags hot on Anil's trail." Paige kissed him for being considerate and trying to help Anil for Anil's sake. She sighed and said that she would ask Anil directly what he wanted to do and go from there, it was too early to start building a wardrobe if it was only a passing phase. Bryan seriously doubted it, Anil was still wearing the girls clothing and had shown no disgust at wearing it nor tried to remove it yet. Elise kept well away from Anil and was unsure how to feel about that evening. She felt pity for Anil but wasn't sure if she was supposed to help Anil or stay away and let her aunt and uncle help him. It was made even worse when she heard what he was talking to her aunt Jaimie about, making her think that he was even more of a freak and weirdo than he already had been. Elise just grabbed a snack and went up to her room to sleep, with Anil waiting for instructions from Paige and Bryan. Paige led him up to his room and laid out a set of pajamas for him to wear, telling him that it was alright and he was not in any trouble. She then gave him some food to eat, ensuring that he ate everything before putting him down to sleep. Anil didn't go to sleep right away, he felt weird to be dressed in in pajamas that belonged to a girl and felt as if he was going to have his world crashing down any minute when Paige realized that this wasn't just some dream and he really was dressed as a girl. He still wore the panties that the boys had forced him to wear, Paige hadn't said one word about them nor that he was happily putting on the pajamas that were clearly owned by Elise and were too girly to ever be a boy's set of pajamas. He drifted off to sleep once he was sure that he wasn't going to be hurt, with Paige checking in on him before she herself went to sleep. Bryan kept quiet but looked at her with a knowing look as she sighed and explained, "He didn't react to wearing Elise's spare pajamas, he is wearing a different pair of panties than he was wearing the other day when he was removed from his mother's care, and he looked like Nichole looked when I first met her." Bryan kissed her cheek, then added, "I was right about Anil. She's a girl, this proves it in my mind. We need to get her some help from people who can help her become the girl that she should have been born as. Jaimie is no fool, neither is Nichole. They saw the real Anil shining through the tears and bruising. I don't care if we have to fight tooth and nail until this goes to the highest court, we are not letting Anil get hurt. Even if we have to adopt her as our own, Anil is getting help." It was a school night so the kids were up early and fed breakfast while Paige got their things together. Anil didn't have her bag but it was understandable, Paige had a spare bag that her son had left behind so it was given to Anil to use until they could get Anil something of her own. It hit her hard that she was starting to think about Anil as a girl, and looking at her long hair and actions there was little difference between her and Elise which nobody had seemed to notice until just now. Bryan handed Anil a regular shirt and trousers to wear until they could get her a new uniform shirt, as much as she may have wanted to wear a girls polo shirt it was too early in her transition to do that. Anil understood, she was just happy to wear something new and would happily wait to wear girls clothes especially if Bryan and Paige were her foster parents. Anil got dressed and received help from Paige in putting new bandages on the cuts on her face, arms, and shoulders. Paige drove in with both Anil and the grumpy Elise. She knew that things were going to be bad for her in school because Anil was staying with her. The kids wouldn't dare say anything in front of her aunt but when Paige was out of earshot they would happily make her feel miserable because Anil was there. Paige led the two into her classroom then sought out Cole in his office. Paige presented paperwork to Cole to show that she was now fostering Anil and was acting on Anil's behalf. She then shut the door, locked it, and asked Cole to please not repeat any of what she was about to him to anyone. Cole gave her a look of deep concern but told her that if it was illegal, immoral, or a danger to students he would not make that promise. Paige sighed and carefully explained, "Anil Patel is in my care due to abuse at his former foster home. The police are investigating his situation and have two people on the run for their role in his abuse. The men who took Anil away the other day are being sought by police for abducting Anil instead of properly placing him in a home as should have been done by rule and law. If they come here trying to obtain Anil, call the police and refuse to act. No matter how much they threaten you, do not allow them near Anil. Anyone helping them will end up in legal trouble, including you. They have no rights to him, any threats against you are lies meant to intimidate you. Do not help." Cole was concerned but Paige added, "As we were awaiting release, Anil was examined via video by my cousin Jaimie, who is a psychiatrist. Anil is suspected of being transgender and the actions taken by the kids in her group home as well as her dressing up in clothes with her neighbor gave Jaimie the strong impression that Anil was transgender. My husband is calling a doctor Jaimie recommended to examine her here and when we have confirmation we will allow her to transition." Cole knew this was going to be trouble for both him and the school. Paige just smiled and added, "My solicitor, Arthur, knows full well the laws, rules, regulations, and procedures for transitioning so there is no issue for you. Once we get confirmation you simply need to announce to the class that she will be coming to school as a girl. That won't happen for two weeks as it's half-term break next week but you will have plenty of time to prepare all legal avenues and cover yourself. We will fight all challenges in court and Arthur will ensure that social services back off of her as they are in enough trouble as is thanks to Benson and Hedges. Anil has full support from all of the right people so there is no issue." Cole was caught between two competing situations and had to surrender to Paige's might as she could easily bring in a lot of people who would tear the school, council, and country apart just from her legal defense alone. Her family had extremely deep pockets, and that was just from her husband's personal wealth alone. Factor in Paige and Bryan's uncle, cousins, parents, in-laws, and grandparents and it was a lost cause for all to dare challenge the two of them. Paige left him to figure out his next move but knew he'd do the only thing he could- support Anil. She went to her classroom and saw Elise sitting alone trying not to stare at Anil while Anil finished her homework. It pained her to think that Elise disliked Anil but peer pressure was a pain to kids, especially new kids from another country like Elise. Soon after Paige entered, the rest of the class entered. It didn't take long for the students to start to joke and whisper about Anil especially as he had visible cuts and bruises on his face. Anil ignored them and Elise tried hard not to join in on the fun but it was a losing effort. She chose to not respond when they tried to make her joke alongside them, all she did was subtly glance at her aunt which caused the kids to see that Paige was waiting to say something about their harsh words regarding Anil. Paige started the class, but first let the kids know that she would not allow them to harass, tease, or even joke about another student especially as it was against the rules of the school. She dared them to try to say something, with the ones who she knew were the biggest instigators being asked to go to the headmaster's office where they would face more discipline. For the kids, it was a suspension and would lead to their being placed in another class upon return from half-term break. Paige taught the lessons until lunch then bought Anil's lunch alongside Elise's. The kids gave her an odd look but Paige didn't respond to their goading, if she responded then they would use whatever she said against her and Anil. Elise was caught in the middle and had to figure out what to do, but the look on Paige's face told her all she needed to know: don't fall for their tricks. The three ate in silence with Paige and Anil returning to class with Elise being forced to endure the kids on her own. Paige was no fool, it was her reckoning and she would either stand up to the kids and do the right thing or she would face the consequences. She knew exactly what the punishment would be, and Elise would not like it one bit. Elise was encircled by the kids in her class and asked what the freak was doing hanging around her and her aunt now. Elise didn't lie, she told them, "Anil is Aunt Paige's foster child. Aunt Paige and Uncle Bryan are looking after him because of what the kids in his foster home did to him." This got the kids laughing and asking, "What did he do to get kicked out?" Elise saw no reason to lie so she blurted out, "They made Anil dress up like a girl. He was wearing a skirt and blouse and panties when we found him. He has done it before, his neighbors would make him dress like a girl for them." That was the worst possible thing that Elise could have done as the kids all laughed at her for letting a freak and pervert into her house. It didn't matter that she had no say in the matter, the fact that Anil was found in girls' clothing was what mattered. She tried to act like it was no big deal but the kids started to tease her for letting Anil stay and not kicking him out or doing something to get him kicked out. Cole was nearby and heard the kids' reaction and looked at Paige for guidance. Paige was furious, but she held herself together. Anil was resigned to them harassing him and what mattered was keeping him safe from the kids, causing a scene would only cause others to react to Anil causing him further issues. Cole made his presence known and announced to all of the kids that any further talk about Anil, what happened to him, or any derogatory remarks about him, his situation, or his foster parents would result in disciplinary action. It hit the kids hard but most said they would tell their parents about what he was doing to them. Cole welcomed the challenge, he had plenty of time to prepare for their complaints. Anil was on the verge of fleeing but was taken into a hug by Paige, with Elise looking down in shame as he was about to cry heavily if she even said one syllable to either of them. Elise just sat in silence as the other kids entered and glared at the trio, with Elise wincing while Anil didn't react. Paige simply ignored their attitudes and started class again, working straight through the day without a break. Class ended and Elise faced off against her classmates. Anil stayed out of earshot with Paige, who was trying to let Elise see just how nasty the kids really were. She just hoped that Elise had some sense of right and wrong and didn't act on the feelings of others and insult Anil any more than she already had but given how she had reacted in the past, it may have been misplaced hope. Elise received the first of the comments from the girls she thought were her friends, with the two worst offenders being the girls who she had thought were best friends but who actually had little interest in her. The girls ripped into her, calling every sort of name they could as they complained about Elise getting them in trouble despite it being their own words that were their downfall. Elise was on the verge of tears but kept herself together, letting the girls get their anger out on her. When they were finished with tearing into Elise, the class bullies got their shots in, making fun of Elise for being a fraud who had no actual parents or else she would have lived with them. She was accused of being the bastard kid of Paige as it was the only reason she was even allowed to live with Paige. The accusations hurt Elise deeply, there was no basis for the claims yet the others were quick to jump onto them as facts with their own twisted justifications made to be what they felt was the truth. Elise finally had enough and left, with the kids teasing her as they walked out. They stopped as soon as they saw Paige but she had already heard everything. The first thing she would do when they got back was to seek to move Elise and Anil to another school while also resigning as soon as she could as she could no longer teach a group of kids who were clearly uninterested in learning and spent their days plotting ways of hurting people. Anil kept out of sight and hid in the car when Elise got in, knowing that as soon as she was seen by Elise that Elise would rip into her for causing all of her friends to abandon her because of the way they acted. Elise didn't say anything at all, she just got in the car and waited for Paige to finish before they drove off to their home. Paige made little mention of what Elise had done in school, it didn't need saying and it would only spark another fight between the girls. Elise holed up in her room until she couldn't stand it any longer and sought out Anil. As soon as she saw Anil, she screamed at her for ruining her life and making things miserable for her. She blamed her for all of her troubles even if Anil had nothing to do with her parents not being there or her siblings trying to finish their last two years of school in the US. Anil was in tears and openly sobbing at Elise's tirade, especially as she started to call Anil every sort of name in the book, from freak to pervert to a variety of gay slurs to racist terms taught to her by her classmates. It took all of Paige's might to not slap the little girl but she did the only thing she could think of- she called Pete and Hannah and had them handle their daughter's punishments as it was too far beyond her ability to punish her. They had the most creative punishments you could come up with, especially if you harmed someone who was innocent as Anil was. When the couple answered, Paige explained everything which caused Pete to need to hold back Hannah before her blood pressure shot up and she needed a doctor. Hannah cursed several times and demanded to speak with Elise, which was followed by the little girl rushing to see her parents hoping that they would send for her to take her home so she could be with them. That wasn't to be though. Hannah saw her tear-stained face and the cowering Anil clutching Paige just behind her only causing her already high blood pressure to get higher. Pete nodded to her to stop, he would handle Elise for her as he could hold his temper in check. Hannah heeded to his request, she hated to show weakness to her daughter but if she continued her screaming and angry outbursts she was putting herself in danger. Pete didn't hold back and demanded an answer for why Elise felt the need to scream at the innocent Anil for what the others had done to her and why she felt the need to call Anil names that she knew was wrong and what her punishment should be. She had no right to do that to Anil, she hadn't caused any of her "friends" to abandon her or treat her like garbage. She knew the words were vile and she was never allowed to use that kind of language, not even if she was crying in pain from being physically hurt. Elise knew that she wasn't going to get what she wanted so she just went out and asked for it anyway so her parents knew just where she stood. She begged to be sent back to the US and stay with them, even if she had to be tutored by someone that they hired she needed to leave the UK. She hated it there and couldn't stand it any longer and if she had to beg she would do just that to get what she needed. Pete immediately and authoritatively stated, "No. You are staying with your aunt and uncle until we are done. Your mom is ending her tour early due to the baby so it'll only be another month. When you leave for Christmas vacation we will all go to the estate and discuss this further. Until then, you are going to stay with your aunt and uncle. We hate being apart from you, but you are better off there than here." He drew a calming breath then stated, "As for your punishment, you will muck the stables for two days next week. This is non-negotiable. You knew you were wrong and did it anyway. You intentionally tried to hurt Anil with your words. You know full well that your aunt Nichole is like Anil and you know just how many of your second and 3rd-cousins are like them. You are upset with us, but that doesn't give you the right to lash out at Anil because you are upset. We taught you better than that." Hannah could see the pain on Elise's face over that, but it had to be done. Pete was stronger at giving punishments than she was and much to her mother's humor she was her mother's daughter. Elise needed to learn her lesson and if it meant that she would endure, "Presents" from the horses, then so be it. Elise walked away in shame, feeling sorry for herself and not liking Anil one bit. Hannah turned to Anil and asked if she had picked a new name for herself as Anil didn't fit her at all. Anil was unsure what to do, she was asking an honest question but Anil hadn't thought she would seriously become a girl. Anil meekly replied, "I don't know. I was always called 'Annie' by my neighbors. It was close enough to my name to be OK in case others heard them." Paige felt great pride over hearing that while Hannah groaned at the coincidence of a name that meant something to the Smiths. Pete laughed, then told her, "Anne it is. Anne is Paige's mother's name and it was supposed to be her little girl's name. It's fitting that her new daughter carry on that name, she will love being your mother." The newly dubbed Anne looked up at Paige who nodded at it being true. Anne hugged her tightly, with Hannah joking, "It's a bit early but you are acting like her mother." That got Anne to cry at the thought of Paige being her mother while Pete told them not to get ahead of themselves, but he did see that it was what Anne wanted even if she hadn't vocalized it net. Pete and Hannah signed off with Paige telling Anne to go to her room and do her homework so she could cook dinner for them. Bryan entered and saw Paige near tears and asked what happened, with Bryan hugging and kissing her as she started to cry into his shoulder. Pete had brought up a lot of old memories which she now saw as projecting on the kids, especially Elise. The kids ate in silence after that, with Paige and Bryan not wanting to push things with either girl. He was just happy that Pete laid down the law and understood his daughter's needs and why she acted out, but it was still tense between Paige and Elise. Anne was just content to bask in the glow of being given a name that meant a lot to Paige and was closing a hole in her heart that she had tried to fill with others. After dinner, Anne was handed new panties, pajamas, and a bathrobe and told to take a shower and use the special soap and shampoo instead of Bryan's body wash like she used the night before. It was a small gesture but to her, it was the world as it was the first girl clothing that she had been able to wear as her own and a show that they truly were going to treat her as a girl. She eagerly showered and had Paige brush her hair, with Anne smiling the whole time as she loved the motherly gestures of love. The kids went to bed and Bryan and Paige were immediately questioned by Jaimie and Nichole about Elise and the other kids reacting to Anne. Paige didn't hold back and went after Elise, venting all of her frustrations that had been building up for weeks as Elise became more and more like her now-former friends. Jaimie had what was needed from Paige, she was concerned that Paige was holding back and it would cause issues if she did not try to let it out of her system. Nichole asked about what she was going to do with the doctor, Paige had completely forgotten about it but Bryan happily added, "She has an appointment tomorrow afternoon. I figured Paige wouldn't be able to get around to calling so I called for her. She seemed to be pleased that I did, Jaimie had done the preparations already and she was awaiting my call." Jaimie just smirked while Paige thanked her for predicting what would happen. Nichole asked how she knew, getting a quick, "The kids wouldn't hesitate to go after Anne for any little thing they could find and Elise would have to react in school one way or another. Aunt Karen told me that she would get upset and blame Anne even if she was innocent, it was what Hannah had done before when you guys were in school. Apparently, she went off on Bryan the same way pretty frequently." Paige nodded silently while Bryan groaned and added, "She punched me out because she couldn't go with Paige on a trip to Florida because mom couldn't afford it. She hated me for a month before Paige came back and forced her to stop being a brat. Mom punished her and Paige wouldn't speak to her until she said she was sorry and showed that she didn't mean what she said to me." Jaimie asked if she was going to try to keep Anne with them as long as possible. Paige refused to give an answer, instead hiding her tears from Jaimie's view while Bryan answered for them. He wasn't going to lie, he admitted, "We can't let her go. She won't last anywhere else. Something stinks about Benson and Hedges and unless we know she is going to go to a home that will help her transition we can't let her go. If it comes down to it, we will file for adoption to keep her safe. She needs a loving home, we can give it to her." Paige looked at him with tears in her eyes as she realized just what he was saying. Bryan nodded to her, it was what he had been planning all along as Anne was in too much trouble to allow to go back into the system and get hurt. She needed parents and family, and Paige needed another child to love. Nichole got them back on track and asked about their grandparents. Bryan didn't want to admit it but he had not told them what they had done nor had he told his parents either. Nichole just smirked and added, "She has to go north with you anyway, it'll be a surprise but it's not something they can't deal with. We all know that they will be fine with her, it was inevitable that one of our kids would end up being transgender." The duo signed off to allow Jaimie and Nichole to get back to work while Bryan and Hannah went to bed. The cuddled for a while before falling asleep, with Paige weeping the whole time. The idea of her becoming a mother again filled her heart and made her feel like she was not a failure as a mother now, the loss of her child 10 years before had finally been put to rest by Anne's arrival in their lives. In the morning, the kids woke up and got dressed for the day. Anne didn't say anything to Elise but it was clear to Elise that Anne wouldn't provoke her and wanted to be left alone. It hurt Elise more than anything that it was easy for Anne to close off her mind to Elise's presence and ignore her, Elise hated being ignored by anyone especially when that person had justification for ignoring her. Bryan made breakfast before telling them that he'd have their bags ready for the trip north. Anne was shocked and looked scared but Paige explained, "We are going to our family's estate. We were originally going to go to the US but you being with us changed that. It'll be alright, there's a lot of things for you to do up there. Elise will be mucking the stables for a bit but the two of you will still ride horses, swim, and we will visit a couple of children's places in Boston and Lincoln as well." The kids didn't say anything after that, Anne wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not that she was going on a holiday with the family while Elise knew that her punishment was already set in stone and she was not going to get out of it. She ignored Anne on the drive to school, with Anne not even trying to talk. At school, the two went inside and got ready for class while Paige talked with Cole Hill. Cole was unsure if he should tell Paige the good news or wait until she returned, but the majority of the borough council was not going to stand in the way of Anne becoming a female. He read between the lines and they were facing a hefty lawsuit that couldn't be won thanks to Arthur Evans ensuring everything was followed to the letter of the law, making acceptance the only real option for the borough. Paige asked if Arthur held back or did he have a lawsuit ready to file. Cole didn't try to lie and admitted, "He had them by the purse strings and let them know it. There was nothing that they could do without it costing them. I have no issue with her and anyone who does have an issue will have to explain it before I set them straight. She has a right to attend as a girl and we will abide by her rights." That was all Paige needed to hear, she knew Arthur wouldn't let Anne suffer because of someone's old-fashioned bigotry. The council would have to have a good reason for taking any kind of legal action and would have to explain to the taxpayers why they cost them millions. It was better to endure the few complainers than to endure the hundreds of angry voters, politics mattered most to politicians, after all. Paige started her class and went through things faster than expected. She had a lot of time at the end so she asked the kids what they were going to do during their week off. As expected, Anne was silent but Elise kept to herself lest she is forced to admit that she had to muck the stables to the others and endure the guaranteed laughter and heckling that would bring. When it came time for Anne to speak, Paige spoke for her by saying, "Anil, Elise, my husband, and I are going to be visiting our family estate up in Barnstead, Lincolnshire. As much as some of you may disbelieve that my husband, I, or any member of our family are nobles, sadly for you it's true. My grandparents-in-law have lived on the estate for centuries and despite your disbelief, my husband does indeed have the title of 'Viscount Braintree'. We were originally going to the US for the week but due to Anil staying with us we are staying at the estate. And before you say anything, it'll be a full week of horseback riding, swimming, and enjoying the events in Boston and Lincoln so by all means, try to insult their activities as many of you are staying home with your parents and not likely to leave your bedrooms except for meals and bathing." She dared the few who would disbelieve and make fun of them to say something. Paige was showing pictures of the estate and casually showed pictures of her grandparents-in-law and the other Smiths at the elder Smith's investiture ceremony 17 years before and them at the recent coronation of HRH King William V complete with coronets. She happily added, "Yes, that is my husband with His Majesty. The two had met several times thanks to mutual acquaintances before he ascended to the throne and struck up a bond that has led to several trips to Kensington Palace and was among the few who were part of his entourage at his crowning ceremony at Caernarfon Castle." She saw their faces drop as they saw proof right in front of them that they were important enough to meet the king, father, and grandmother! She happily added, "I might as well say that the man next to my husband is my brother-in-law Peter, Baron Gosfield. Alongside him are my brothers-in-law Ethan, The Earl of Frampton and future Marquess of Lincoln, and his brother Nigel, who is the future Earl of Boston. We had our cousin Sir Michael Finn, Kt, QGM with us but he was busy taking pictures for us which is why I'm in the background. He's the one behind the camera and yes, he was knighted by the queen and was presented the QGM by HRH Elizabeth II. It was done the same time as Grandfather was knighted by HRH. He and the prince shared some great laughs over the years, especially after the Duke of Sussex met him. The poor fool didn't know Prince Harry was a great joker in private!" Anne was happy to see all of them speechless while Elise complained, "You could have told me you were showing those, I hated that dress!" Elise blushed as the kids gasped at her being in the picture and with several other women, one of whom they knew was the king's daughter. Paige happily added, "She's with myself and her mother, the Lady Hannah Smith, Baroness Gosfield, as well as her aunt, the Lady Nichole. Yes, that is her mother. Despite what some of you have claimed she is her real mother and is, in fact, my husband's twin sister. I know darn well that she is her mother as I was alongside her when Elise was born. Her grandparents are just out of frame talking with the Prince of Wales about football and other sports, he was pretty fun to talk to and is his father's son but thankfully has his grandmother's compassion and empathy and his uncle's sense of humor." Paige felt smug as the kids left class whispering about the Smiths and who they knew. It was actually common knowledge as the Smiths were an old aristocratic family, with branches extending over 1,000 years into the past and had a hand in many of the region's historical events. They were shrewd people who kept their heads down during times of internal fighting among the aristocrats and spread out their money across dozens of investments over the centuries so they would always have money even if they fell out of favor with whoever was on the throne and backed the right people at the right time so were left alone by most overzealous social climbing nobles. It was a shady part of their past, but they kept neutral during multiple civil wars and baronial uprisings and only supported someone if they knew they were going to be successful even if it was unpopular. It was how their ancestor became a knight, then became a baron, then finally an early and eventually a marquess. The real secret behind the Smith family was that the ladies were the ones who held the real power with their husbands choosing wives wisely and knowing that they could get more done behind the scenes via their wives' actions than directly themselves. Elise was told this history directly when she turned eight, she asked her great-grandfather about it and was rewarded with two hours of the family history which she hated but learned just how key the family was in the past. She may not have been a Smith by blood but she was part of the family and lived up to the reputation of being strong women who knew what was right even if it was unpopular. Seeing her great-grandparents in the pictures started to give her a crisis of conscience as Anne walked beside her out to the car for the long drive north. Instead of going north, the two were driven to a doctor's office for Anne's appointment with the gender psychiatrist. Elise sat quietly with Paige while Anne was taken inside on her own. When Anne came out, Paige went inside to talk while Anne sat next to Elise not saying a word. Inside the office, Paige was asked a battery of questions that probed her inner thoughts about Anne and why she was really taking her into her home. It was a clear attempt to see if Paige was trying to replace the child that she lost nearly a decade before, but Paige showed that she was trying to help Anne be the person that she needs to be even if it meant that she had to adopt her as her own to protect her. Paige expected this third degree and countered that she had been through this too many times to count with her sisters, aunts, cousins, nieces, and nephews so there wasn't anything she hadn't encountered before. The doctor just nodded and told Paige authoritatively, "I fully believe that Anne is transgender and as she has shown a strong belief that she won't survive if she doesn't become who she has to be it is necessary to allow her to transition now. She won't need blockers for a while but she can wear female clothing and attend school as a girl. As you have already alerted the school and the council, there is little reason for her to remain as a male any longer." Paige thanked the doctor and left with the girls. She drove home, got the bags loaded, then drove north in her Range Rover while Bryan drove in his Porsche. Paige groaned at his flashy car but with her in the Range Rover and him still working during the week it was needed for ferrying the girls around. Paige drove north at a steady speed and only stopped to pick up some food for dinner as it would be too late for Chef Paine to cook for them. She had her daughter and young son home that week so she would have a lot to keep her busy and needed the rest. Plus it would be best to calm down the girls first as they ate their dinner at the takeaway shop before driving the final hour north. As they drove onto the estate's private lane the huge estate came into view and was even larger than Anne could have dreamed. Elise wasn't all that impressed by it, but then again she was used to the large homes of her dad's friends which she happily got to visit when they spent Winter and Spring vacation in the UK before her parents left on the book tour. She took it for granted, but the estate was actually twice the size of any of the other estates that she visited as the terrain and trees hid some of the distant fields that the Smith owned and rented to tenants. Elise dragged Anne out of the Range Rover and grabbed their bags before going inside. They didn't get far before they were met by the family's butler, Clarence Harrison. He looked down on the girls and was about to say something about Anne but Paige harshly told him, "I do hope that you were not about to insult my foster daughter, Harrison. I know you dislike 'Yankee trash' but surely you wouldn't dare try to insult either my niece or my foster daughter in my grandparent's home." Paige dared the old-school butler to say something. The man had gotten on her nerves since he was first hired two years before after the previous butler, Reardon, retired to live in a small house on the estate with his ex-wife and their children. He was a regular visitor to the main house and a happy tenant and was sorely missed by all members of the household staff. Harrison called her bluff and asked if she was using the estate as a hotel because she couldn't afford one or if she was there to actually visit her grandparents-in-law without her husband. Paige just grinned and asked if it mattered to him, as she was entitled to both stay at and even live at the estate if she wanted to and however long she stayed was of no matter to him as she was a member of the family and thus had a right to be there. He didn't dare press further as she had him outwitted and was visibly getting angrier by the second and likely to have an outburst that would cause him to get in trouble with the Smiths. Off to the side, Lord Bradford and Lady Ophelia Smith saw something that Harrison had kept carefully hidden away from them since being hired by them two years ago- his attitude toward the couple's six grandchildren. Bradford was not one to allow family to be treated badly by staff, especially the head of the household staff himself. Harrison would be let go soon, they just needed to find a replacement first. Bradford entered the foyer and greeted Paige and Elise warmly while trying hard not to ask about their other guest. Paige explained to Bradford, "This is Anne Patel, she is staying with Bryan and I until she is able to be housed in a more suitable foster home by the council. I am sorry to have the four of us come without notifying you first but we had a busy week and needed to settle a few things first. I'll tell you more out of earshot of Harrison." She glared at the butler standing off to the side of Bradford and walked to Bradford's private office, with Bradford closing the door after Paige entered. The kids were led up to their rooms by one of the maids while the housekeeper got them settled in and had their clothes put away. She asked why Anne had so little but didn't get a response from her, only a look of fear. It was a touchy subject, the ladies sensed that it was best to not probe further especially as Harrison would be looking to use it against the girls and Paige. She may have been South Asian but she was in the care of the grandchildren of the lord of the manor thus making her a part of the family, thus their boss. It was also nice to them to see Paige looking fierce and ready to defend the girls against Harrison, she was a favorite among the staff already but her actions that night added onto their respect for her. Down in Bradford's private office and away from Harrison's control, Paige explained to Bradford and Ophelia, "Anne is like Nichole. She's in our care because of abuse allowed at the foster home she was in and due to her mother's abuse and neglect before her removal. We are investigating her circumstances and are seeing things that make no sense such as a lack of information about her father and why her mother was allowed to abuse her for so long until we forced intervention. We are helping her to start transitioning but Bryan and I feel like she may be with us permanently." Bradford was pleased to hear that she was doing the right thing with Anne and trying to be the parent that she needed even if it would be difficult for her. He asked about how Elise and Anne acting around one another, getting a look of disgust and anger followed by her saying, "Elise is slowly starting to see that the kids in school are frauds who only want what she has. She got to see just how nasty they can be toward others when they learned Anne was with us. They learned the truth about Elise after a month and a half of disbelief and are going to start acting even more like her friend but really aren't." Bradford could understand what she is saying, it was exactly as so many others had acted toward him. He asked if she was being disciplined by her, getting a smirk and happy, "Marion will be receiving help for two days from Elise. Some time getting dirty among the horses will do her wonders especially as I have to take Anne shopping for new clothes. The poor girl has only a few castoffs from Elise to wear and needs a few more outfits to last the week." Ophelia was fighting saying something about that but realized that she must have had school clothes at home otherwise she wouldn't have been able to attend school. It was still tough to hear, with Ophelia needing to excuse herself so she could talk with someone in private. Paige didn't bother to say not to do it but there was no way Ophelia would let the little girl do without especially under her roof. Ophelia called the shop that she frequented and asked them if they could gather a wardrobe for her new great-granddaughter and to make it something that any 10-year-old girl would love. The shop was more than happy to help their biggest customer with a rare special request, especially as it sounded like it was for a girl who was like so many of the customers that the shop catered to. Even if they were wrong, they would have her settled in with multiple dresses, blouses, skirts, t- shirts, leggings, and coats along with shoes of different types. Ophelia sought out the girls and introduced herself to the scared Anne. She asked her name and if she is enjoying staying with Paige. She tried her hardest to show that she was safe but Anne still feared her. Paige entered and hugged Anne, confessing, "Grandmother is trying to show you that you are safe here. She wants you to enjoy yourself, especially as she doesn't get to see her great-grandchildren often. It's tough to get Ethan, Nigel, Nichole, and Emma away from school and work especially with Ethan, Nichole, and Emma having young kids. Emma works hard at the hospital helping sick kids recorver while David, Emma's husband, works hard investigating criminals. Melinda, Ethan's wife, is always in the middle of a new case prosecuting some of those criminals. They don't get enough time off so visits outside of Christmas break are rare. She is happy to meet you and wants to show that you are welcome here by her and her husband. Nichole works as a physicist at MIT and her husband Joshua works at a biotechnology laboratory trying to help create a true artificial womb for women like you." Anne looked at Ophelia who offered her a hug. Anne happily and tearfully hugged the elderly woman, unable to hold back as she felt the warmth and love of Ophelia. Ophelia could see why she was so close to Paige, she was starved for affection and latched onto Paige the same way she had seen her grandson latch onto Paige and Hannah when he first met the girls many years before. The housekeeper entered with a warm drink for Anne so she could calm down, which she was joined in by Paige and Ophelia. Elise was asked to join them as well but chose to just stew in her own room so she didn't have to deal with Ophelia's looming questions. The girls went to bed after their drinks and a hug and kiss from Ophelia and Paige with Anne smiling in her sleep as she relished the affection. Bryan arrived late and upset Harrison as he entered. Bryan didn't play Harrison's games and told him that he was not going to let Harrison act like a jerk especially toward his wife, niece, and foster child. Harrison dared him to do something, to which Bryan casually mentioned that he had mentioned to a few of his friends and colleagues in the nobility that the family would need a new butler soon and had a few lined up for interviews which only caused Harrison to dare him to try to get him fired as he had nothing to lose and would gladly take out Bryan's reputation after he was fired Bryan just smirked, he actually had been out interviewing people all day to be Harrison's successor and he had found the perfect choice. He was an unconventional choice but he was able to do the job and not afraid to keep people in order. He was about to lose his job due to the family that employed him going bankrupt but without family and with a willingness to move he was tough to pass over. The fact that he was transgender did not matter one bit to Bryan. The man was trained at one of the most prestigious schools in the UK and earned the respect of his peers and the maids who worked alongside him while also being constantly humiliated by members of households who couldn't look past what he had in his trousers. Bryan was happy to have him interview and was pulling for him to be the best of the group, which turned out to be justified. Bryan ignored Harrison's looks and threatening behavior and walked upstairs to his room, happy to see Paige and the girls fast asleep as he checked in on all three. He kissed each on the cheek and went to bed himself, letting the tension of the day go free and enjoying the sounds of Paige's breathing. In the morning, Paige kissed him awake and smiled at him to show that she was happy to see him and that everything was alright with his grandparents. The two cuddled in bed before being rousted by the girls, specifically Elise saying, "They are probably having sex," which Anne gasped at causing the two to get dressed and join them in the breakfast room. It was classic Elise, Bryan had trouble not smiling at her mother shining through her just then while it took all of Paige's might not to hug the girl over the fond memory of Hannah and herself doing the same to her own birth parents at her age when her mother stayed over at Paige's house. It was tough not to accidentally call Elise "Hannah" at times as the little girl made you feel like she was Hannah in the flesh even if she wasn't there. Elise just shrugged at their reactions as they sat down, while Anne didn't want to say anything just in case it was a touchy subject. It wasn't lost on her though, there was something about Elise that caused Paige and Bryan to act oddly then. She didn't try to dwell on it, instead ate what was placed in front of her and almost overwhelmed herself as she enjoyed the food too much. Elise was about to make fun of Anne but stopped when Bradford and Ophelia entered to eat their own special meals. She knew not to make trouble around them or she'd have to join the maids in cleaning all of the rooms as well as help cook the meals. Ophelia was a strict disciplinarian, and if she was upset with you she would ensure that you paid the price for upsetting her and her household. The kids finished and were instructed to head upstairs to change into their clothes. Anne needed to be told what to do and was saved by Ophelia telling her that she was going with them to shop so she just had to put on the clothes she came to the estate in. Harrison scoffed at hearing that, which only led to Ophelia smiling at him and asking him if he was really scoffing at her future great-grandchild's need to obtain new clothes or if he was scoffing at her wearing the only clothes that she had with her. Harrison knew that he was beaten badly by Ophelia's wit and forced to back off or he would go too far and end up fired. When he went off to oversee the meals for the rest of the week, Bradford asked Bryan if he had gotten a new hire lined up and received a happy, "His replacement is ready, willing, and able to be the man that you need. He can do the job, despite what some may believe about him or say behind his back he is well worth hiring and should be working in the royal household or 10 Downing Street." Ophelia asked what the issue was that he had going for him. Bryan mumbled a terse, "He was born a she and despite years of hormones and breast reduction surgeries, he is still seen as a woman masquerading as a man. He is worth taking a chance on, if he doesn't work out he will find a job with my parents or uncle in the US. He's covered regardless, but I doubt that he won't work out for you here." It was all that they needed to hear, he would have a job and be ready to replace Harrison as soon as the next day. Bryan knew Harrison would have some words with Paige that afternoon as soon as his spies came back with the truth about Anne. He wasn't as slick as he believed himself to be, Bryan had the household staff in his corner and after years of making amends to the family, he had members of both the Lincoln Constabulary and Lincolnshire's social services staff's support as well. Bryan and Bradford left to tour the estate grounds with the estate's groundskeeper while Ophelia sought out Paige and the girls. Paige led the now-dressed Elise to the stables to help Marion muck out a night's worth of horse droppings and move hay to the stalls. Marion was all too eager to help the young lady in her punishment, but as it was a school break he was busy with the family's horse rental business and let his 16-year-old daughter Lucy take control of the punishment. Paige had to smile as the girl had grown into a lovely young woman and who had her heart held by her own son, Bradford John Smith, or BJ as he insisted on being called by the family. BJ and Lucy had a lot of time together over the years and it saddened Paige that the two couldn't get closer than a long-distance relationship at the moment. He was faithful to his love for Lucy but was resigned to the fact that such a beautiful girl would have a lot of boys trying to date her making things tough for him. Lucy saw Paige and immediately hugged her while fighting back tears of joy, while Elise groaned at her falling back into her lovesick form and trying to please Paige yet again. Paige ignored her usual snarky groaning and explained to Lucy, "Elise here is being punished for how she has treated her new foster-cousin in school and at home. If you would be so kind, can you show her how to muck the stable and do whatever is needed to be done to ensure that the horses are properly cared for? She'll be doing it tomorrow as well, so don't let her overwork herself or finish all of it early." Lucy looked at the annoyed Elise and asked about the specifics as she didn't want to touch on a sore subject just in case it came up. Paige nodded and explained, "We have taken in a young lady who is like Nichole. She had nothing to her name before she came to us but Elise insisted on treating her like she was less than her due to that. She did it to impress the kids in school and knew it was wrong but did so anyway. When she got home from school after they humiliated her she said many horrible things to Anne. She is being forced to work for you for two days but it could be extended if she slacks off." Lucy asked where the little girl was, getting a smile and happy, "She is getting ready for some shopping with grandmother." Lucy nodded and led Elise away, with Elise asking if she was really going to force her to move the smelly mess. Lucy handed her a shovel and asked, "Do you really want to go against your father or worse- your great-grandparents? I know why you are acting as you acted, you can drop the act as I have seen it before. She misses you as much as you miss her and being a brat to your aunt and uncle can't bring her home earlier. It's always hard to be away from your loved ones." Lucy knew Elise too well to not know the real reasons for her acting as she did. Paige was too close to her to notice it but Lucy knew her well enough and was far enough away to see the full picture. She was missing her parents and was doing whatever she could to fill the gap in her heart even if it's wrong. Lucy didn't work her too hard but ensured that she did what she needed to do and moved the heavy hay while Elise fed the horses grains and a treat. Elise didn't get too much on her clothes but still needed a shower and for her shoes to be washed off by the maids when she entered the manor again. Lucy went with her after changing out of her work clothes, acting as Elise's babysitter by default as she had been unknowingly set up by Paige with Marion and the Smiths out for the time being. In her room, Elise was asked by Lucy what was really bothering her and not to lie to her. Elise tried to hide her tears but openly wept as she explained, "I want my parents back! I hate living with Aunt Paige and Uncle Bryan and putting up with all of the whispering and rumors being spread about me! Mom and dad screwed up and ended up pregnant with my brother and forgot about me when they went away. I hate it. I made a mistake in not staying in Winnisimmet with my friends at grandma's house. It sucks that Harry and Lillian get to live with Gruncle John while I get stuck here in a new school, with kids who hate me, and ones who only want me because Uncle Bryan has a flashy car and pool in our house and a lot of money in the bank to buy me whatever I want. They don't care about me, they just want me to buy them things and when Aunt Paige says no they think it's because I'm not really their niece and I am some unwanted bastard Uncle Bryan fathered and are trying to hide from others." Lucy held Elise close and let her cry herself out. She was really lonely and it was eating at her inside. She wanted to reassure her but she knew that Hannah and Pete were not going to be able to come home until their son was ready to be born and even then it wasn't clear how long it would be before they were forced to go back out on the road to promote the book. Lucy spent the rest of the afternoon with Elise in Elise's room, helping her with her homework and ensuring that she ate her lunch while avoiding Harrison as much as possible. Harrison hated that Lucy was given the run of the house whenever any of the Smith great-grandchildren were there, she and her brother Hamish had befriended the kids and were treated like they were part of the family even though their parents were the cook and groomsman for the estate. Hamish hated him as much as he hated the young boy, with Harrison refusing to let Hamish inside the house beyond the kitchen unless he was there with one of the Smith great-grandchildren which turned out to be pretty frequent since he and the young Jerry Peterson, Bryan and Hannah's sister Emma Peterson's son, were inseparable during the times that Jerry would visit the estate. Harrison made snide remarks to the housekeeper about the lowly daughter of the chef and groomsman but unknowingly did so in front of the arriving Bradford who happily told him that she had been with the family doing more to help them since she was born than Harrison had ever done since he was hired. It then hit Harrison that he had made a deadly mistake, with Bradford happily informing him, "As much as it pains me to admit it, your services at this estate are no longer required. Please leave by sundown. A train ticket to London will be made available to you at my expense, where you go is up to you but you are no longer welcome here." Harrison was led to his room by the Smith chauffeur, Baldric, who carefully observed everything that he was loading into his suitcases and stopped him from taking anything that belonged to the Smiths or that he would try to use against them. Baldric was a loyal servant and was easily the only member of the staff who could talk freely with Bradford and knew more about the estate than anyone else just by being the eyes and ears of the family and always acted as the benevolent defender of the family. He was not about to let the disgraced Harrison slip away with something that would damage Bradford, not with Anne being the obvious target for Harrison to go after. Harrison was led away an hour later, with Bradford handing him the train ticket and the contact for a person in London who would lead him to his new bedsit where he would have one month to find a new job or be out on the streets. He'd have a steady paycheck from his Job Seekers Allowance but it would only last for so long and his savings would dry up in a month. He was in deep trouble and would have to beg, borrow, or steal to get a new, better job especially as a butler. With Harrison gone, Bryan called his pick at his home. The man answered immediately and had trouble believing that he was wanted for the job or that the job was legitimate. Bryan didn't take offense, he told the man to come by the next day so he could interview and expect to stay the night as a guest. In his London bedsit, Theo Baker was unsure whether to be relieved or suspicious that he was in line to receive a new job with a household. The Smiths sounded like an odd family but he was not about to give up a chance at a good paying job especially doing what he loved. He was at wit's end, he had no chance of getting a job in any household in the London area and other places refused his service as word had spread thanks to his old acquaintance and rival, Harrison, telling others about him. He looked into the Smith family especially the names that Bryan mentioned. What he found about them caused him to cry, it was a dream come true for him. They understood him, even if they didn't say it. It had been a long, tiresome struggle for Theo that Theo was now finally seeing could have been worth it. Ever since he stopped fighting his inner self and started to become the man that he had born to be he had fought a battle with others who tried to stand in his way. Harrison was the worsts offender, with Harrison doing everything in his power to ensure that he was never able to find a long-term job and the jobs that he did find were ones that he was overqualified to have. After graduating from his local high school as a female, Theo left his home and started to transition to male. He lost every friend and family member that he had as he revealed his true self to the world, with his parents telling him that they had a daughter, not a son, and would only ever contact him when they were both dead. They cut him out of their life but not out of their wills, he would tell them that he was still alive and thriving as who he needed to be but they had no contact other than an annual letter home. In the butler training academy that he entered after he graduated from his university, Theo was constantly tormented by Harrison to the point that Harrison was forced to withdraw and enroll in another school while Theo was left with marks on his record but only stating that he reacted due to the actions of another. When they both graduated with high recommendations and commendations from the instructors, Theo struggled to find a job and was forced to take menial jobs as waiters and a ma?tre d'h?tel before he was able to find a lasting job as a butler for his previous family. He couldn't find any evidence, but Theo knew that it was Harrison who had been behind his lack of job offers and responses to the CVs that he had sent out to various households who were inquiring about hiring a new butler. His last job was one that found him being more than just a butler, he was the surrogate nanny for the family as the children were left alone in the house and needed him to help them do basic things such as cleaning and doing their homework. It was part of the job description but it still stung him that he was just a glorified housekeeper and nanny to the family instead of the trained butler that he applied to be. It was the only job that Harrison didn't impact, and it was one that he was sad to lose but after two years of being in their care the family had to leave making Theo need to find a new job. The accommodations that Theo was staying in was less than ideal but they were far better than he had when he first set out in search of a job after finishing his training. He could endure a year there before he had to find another job, but he was happy to leave on his own and take the job. The Smiths were the best possible place he could go thanks to the high pay, good hours, and full use of his experience even without their understanding of his life. Bryan just smirked as he got off the phone with Theo. He was more than happy to hire someone who is the ideal match for the family in terms of experience with children and overseeing a household the size of the Smith household. There were fewer maids than there had been in the past but it was still busy and needed someone to coordinate things, especially when the younger Smiths were staying there. Bradford only asked for his resume so he could see just what Theo had done and asked if it was a joke as he had only two years of service and even then it wasn't doing normal butler duties. Bryan happily told him, "He's the real deal, word among several households is that he was blackballed by Harrison and has been kept from working as he should have been. His previous job came about because the family was a bit underhanded in how they described the job and he had just been let go by the restaurant where he worked making the job sorely needed. He's well worth taking a chance and will be a true treasure to the family. Unlike Harrison but quite like Reardon, he is sympathetic and understands children which are an asset to any household. The fact that he has a special understanding that Nichole and Anne have helps even more. We would be fools to ignore the chance to hire him." Bradford heeded to Bryan's logic and agreed to the employment of Theo provided he pass the interview with the family. Bradford was happy to set up a test for Theo with the hopes that he was as good as he seemed but it was going to be tough to go against Bryan's gut instinct especially as he was never wrong about things regarding the staff. He had only wished that he had consulted Bryan regarding the hiring of Harrison, but it was done by Bradford himself and Harrison had hidden his true self from view and was careful to avoid showing his major drawbacks until well established at the estate. Over in Boston, Paige and Ophelia were enjoying their day shopping with Anne and helping her build her wardrobe. Anne didn't really need much but the way Paige saw things, with the return of Pete and Hannah Anne there was little reason to stay in the UK and once the year was through she, Paige, and Bryan would move to the US to live. She had unknowingly committed herself to adopting Anne as her own daughter in thinking that way, as the only way Anne could leave the UK was as her daughter. Paige had shocked Anne by showing her several pieces of clothing that she called, "Gaffs" which would be used to hid her, "Birth defect" as she called Anne's male anatomy. Anne was overwhelmed with a sense of wonderment as she tried them on and saw just how she looked in them, weeping over her body being so feminine and her looking just like other girls her age. Ophelia was given a memory that she had not considered before, this was like her son Nigel had felt when he saw Nichole dressed the same way 24 years before when she stopped trying to be Nicholas Smith and became Nichole Smith. The ladies who owned the boutique that they were shopping at knew just what to have on hand and in the right sizes thanks to the general description of Anne by Ophelia. They were pleased that their hunch had been right and Anne was a newly blossoming girl who needed a strong start to her wardrobe and a sense that she was a real girl and not a boy posing as a girl. They had everything that she needed and in the right sizes, with anything that was missing being shipped to the Smith estate the next day. Once they had several weeks worth of clothes, they went shopping for shoes to go along with those clothes. The boutique's sister store had the right styles for Anne and even had the right kind of sneakers that Anne would need for home. She hated trying on the different sizes but they found the right sizes and got several pairs of each in different colors so Anne could color coordinate her shoes with her different styles and colors of skirts and blouses. Anne fell in love with a simple pair of black Mary Jane shoes in the back of the store away from the more popular styles girls her age wore. The look on her face showed the ladies that they were the exact kind of shoes that Anne had always dreamed of being allowed to wear and it was going to be hard to leave the store without having at least one but most likely two or three pairs of the same shoes. Paige was more than happy to snag three pairs, with matching white shoes for when she would wear a different style of blouse and skirt. The ladies stopped for lunch, with Ophelia insisting on buying and Paige being forced to accept being spoiled by her grandmother-in-law while Anne went along with whatever they were doing. Anne asked what they were eating, with the two telling her about the different foods as she chose whatever she wanted from the large menu. The waitress looked like she was annoyed at the need to explained to the little girl about the foods but neither bothered to humor her and focused on helping Anne choose. Anne chose a simple chicken meal while the ladies chose salads. Anne wasn't ready to start exploring a new meal so went with what she could recognize and knew was OK to eat. It was different than Elise being picky about what she was eating as she often would be, it was Anne being uncomfortable. Anne's meal was better than the salads that the ladies ate, with the chicken cooked perfectly and to the way they liked while the veggies were crisp and flavored nicely with a special salt blend. They were jealous that she had chosen the better meal, it wasn't hard to make a salad but it was easy to screw it up and the way the chefs in the kitchen made theirs it was slapped together haphazardly. Anne was happy to hear the simple praise of something that she didn't think was anything to be praised for but was happy to accept it from Paige and Ophelia. The ladies walked some more and took Anne to get her ears pierced, with Ophelia feeling like she was getting even more special memories as she got to experience mothering to a little girl more than she had ever hoped she would. It pained her to recall missing out on these little things with Nichole but it was still better to experience it now than to have never experienced them at all. Anne was even more eager to please them, especially as she saw the earrings that Paige wanted her to put in her ears. After two quick winces and some tears of joy, Anne now sported two beautiful pink studs in her ears. She was crying heavily as she received them with Paige having to hug her to calm her down while Ophelia paid for the earrings and several other pairs that she would wear in a few days once her holes had permanently opened. Paige had to hold back her own tears as she was starting to enjoy mothering Anne more than she had mothering her own daughter Ophelia, named after her great-grandmother. The day had taken a lot out of the ladies and after the emotional high of Anne getting her ears pierced, they headed back to the estate to rest before dinner. Bryan helped bring in the bags while Elise stopped in her tracks at seeing the sheer number of things her aunt and great- grandmother had bought for Anne. It took all of her might to not make jokes about Anne but when she saw Anne with her ears pierced she had to start asking questions which led to Paige telling her that it to help Anne feel more like a girl. Elise was about to say something when Bryan asked her when did she get her ears pierced then asked her if there were any girls in her class who didn't have their ears pierced. Elise was caught in a losing situation so she gave up and conceded that it made sense and it was hard to argue against her having them pierced since every girl she had met their age had them and some had even more piercings. She knew that her own sister had ones in her nose, which always made Elise laugh especially as she got in trouble and had to beg her parents not to take out her piercing. Up in Anne's room, Elise looked over the clothes with a fine-toothed comb and tried her hardest to not criticize the choices. She was immediately jealous of many of the clothes that she had gotten especially the skirts and dresses that were beautiful colors and patterns. When she saw the gaffs she asked what they were for and immediately blushed as she heard the answer, it was a little too much info for her. Elise asked if she was wearing one right now, getting a blush and a nod. She told Anne to show her how she looked in the clothes, causing Anne to start changing and giving Elise a glimpse at her lack of a bulge without Anne even realizing that she was putting on a show for Elise. Elise was surprised at how natural it looked but didn't dare tell Anne for fear of upsetting her. Elise was bored so helping Anne felt like it could kill some time. After a few minutes, it actually started to become fun for her as Anne kept asking her about things that Elise had learned years ago from her mother and aunt that Anne hadn't learned and needed to know. It felt good to Elise to talk with Anne about clothes and colors and textures and how the clothes felt and should look, she hadn't had this kind of talk with a girl her age before and as they talked the more she started to like Anne as a person. She had to hide her excitement and contentment as Anne tried on her clothes. She tried to put on a stoic facade but it was tough to maintain as her smile kept creeping across her face as Anne asked more and more questions getting a happier response from Elise. It was unlike anything Elise had felt before, it was as if Anne was a friend to her while what she felt towards other girls was empty and forgettable. Elise silently had to fight the urge to burst into tears at Anne being what she was told a friend should be, but in her haste and self-pity, Elise had not seen the truth. The girls in her class would have tried every possible way of insulting Anne for looking cute and asking questions that they already knew the answers to then tried to act like they were smarter than Anne and Anne was a simpleton for not having their knowledge. Anne was her friend, she just never noticed it before. Anne modeled each of her outfits and combinations and put together a respectable wardrobe with Elise's help. The two were so engrossed in the clothes that they never noticed Paige silently standing in the doorway watching them as the two talked with one another. When they finally looked toward the door they gasped in fear as Paige had a big smile on her face which showed that she had been listening to the girls talk to one another and get a sense of friendship that they had been unable or unwilling to seek out in one another before then. As much as she wanted to say something about their behavior, Paige simply told them that it was time for dinner and they needed to put the clothes away. When they were done she sent Anne down ahead of them and hugged Elise deeply. Elise wasn't sure how to react, but she knew that Paige was about to say something to her about what she saw the girls doing. Before Elise could say anything, Paige calmly explained to her, "I am proud of you. You have no idea how much that meant to Anne. I know you may not realize it, but that is what family does for one another. She needed her cousin's help, and you gave it to her. She can be the friend that you need and what the others in class won't be if you give her the chance. The kids don't see the little girl inside that you just saw, just as they don't see the caring, smart, and intuitive young lady that Anne just saw. She just wants to be your cousin, but she wants to be your friend even more." Elise was in tears now as her facade of the aloof, sarcastic, bratty little girl that had existed since she had to move in with Paige and Bryan melted away. Paige calmly asked her, "Do you really dislike Anne?" Elise couldn't lie anymore, not after she had been caught by Paige so confessed, "I didn't like Anil because the kids were making me feel bad for being nice but it felt right to like Anne. Everyone hates Anil but nobody wants to say it's because of how girly he is. She really is a girl, isn't she?" Paige just nodded and added, "You see the real Anil Patel and now Anne Patel, or if she allows- Anne Smith." Elise asked if she was really going to adopt her, getting a nod and soft, "There's nobody else who can help her. If she goes to another foster family she will get hurt. If she goes into a group home again, she will be killed. She needs help that only we can give. She wants a family who loves her, we all love her and as God is my witness she will be my daughter." Elise didn't ask anything further and walked downstairs with Paige once she had washed her face so her tears weren't seen by Anne. The two sat down to dinner with Bryan telling Paige that Harrison was no longer employed by the estate and there would be a new butler coming the next day. Paige was just happy to have the chance to enjoy the week without his attitude and hoped that successor was better. The kids didn't ask about Theo, letting the adults have some solace as they didn't want to upset them or make them feel like they were hiring Theo due to Anne's gender change. The kids simply didn't want to know and it didn't matter to them anyway, as long as he didn't make an issue about Anne it wouldn't be a problem and as he was like Anne it would be tough to take offense to what he was himself. The kids ate then were taken to the pool to swim. Anne was handed Elise's spare swimsuit by Paige, with Anne looking scared at wearing something so revealing. It was only the family that would see her but to Anne, it was like being put on display for the world to see, something she wasn't ready for yet. Elise just grabbed Anne and pulled her into the bedroom and started to strip her. She went so far as to try to remove Anne's gaff but once she saw what she had done she begged for forgiveness. She looked down at the, "Birth defect" that Lucy had called Anne's little piece of anatomy and saw nothing but a piece of flesh that didn't belong on a girl, the last bit of whatever doubts she may have had about Anne flew away as she saw that it wasn't right on Anne and Anne really was a girl with a genetic issue. Elise helped Anne get into her swimsuit and hugged her, telling her, "It really is a birth defect. Aunt Nichole and the others like you call it that but it really does look like one. It doesn't belong on you." Anne was shaking in fear but Elise kissed her cheek and reassured her that she was alright and she was not going to make fun of her for what she had just seen. Elise giggled that the first real one that she had seen and it wasn't even one that she wants to see. Anne looked at her oddly, to which Elise whispered, "Don't tell Aunty I said that, she doesn't know that I know what they look like." Paige cleared her throat and told her that it'll be the last one she sees for a very long time, which caused Elise to plead innocence but Paige just let it go. She hugged Anne and told her that she could wear her gaff if she didn't feel comfortable without it, getting Anne to grab it and rush off to the bathroom to put it back on then put the swimsuit bottom on over it. Paige looked at Elise and sighed, telling her, "Don't push her. You may mean well but you could accidentally do the wrong thing and hurt her deeply. It's not something that she should wear while swimming but we don't have a sarong to hide her bulge so it's going to be needed until she gains the confidence to forgo them." Elise hung her head in shame until Anne returned. Paige told the two that they should probably start to swim or they'd lose out on their movie afterward. Elise rushed and practically dragged Anne behind her, the smile on Elise's face showed that she was starting to feel better and was back to being normal. Anne admitted that she wasn't a strong swimmer despite having learned to swim in school but tried to keep up with Elise. It surprised Anne that she wasn't as bad as she believed, she was keeping up with Elise in their short sprints and was going deeper than she had before. She loved the feel of the water, she felt right floating and swimming back and forth as she raced Elise. When they finally got out after an hour, Elise asked how she was so good. Anne just shrugged, telling her, "I was always the worst so I don't know how I was so good. The boys always pushed me into the water and made me swim away from them or they'd try to drown m so I guess I was faster than I thought. The former games teacher was fired thanks to the boys always playing around and never stop them, one of the boys almost drowned because he let them chase me." Elise was going to say something but Paige stopped her, explaining, "Some people like to believe that only the strongest should be taught and that some should be allowed to do as they please because they are stronger, faster, smarter, better looking. Those boys aren't better than anyone, and the teacher was fired for trying to teach the boys wrongly. He did a lot more than just letting them dangerously fool around in the pool and on the fields, he also allowed them to assault smaller kids and hurt one badly. That's the real reason he was fired, he got caught letting kids get hurt under his watch." Elise felt shame about thinking the worst about Anne but it was hard to argue that it was wrong and she had a reason to hold back. Elise was so used to a loving, supportive family and teachers who were good to you that she hadn't thought that maybe there were others who didn't share her former teachers' views. It was a painful revelation but it was also something that she could understand and wanted to change. The girls got showered and into their pajamas and lay in Elise's bed where they were going to watch her favorite movie before bedtime. She had a large TV in her room that came up out of the foot of the bed, one that Anne didn't have as she didn't have a permanent room assigned to her yet, it was easier to watch the movie in Elise's room so they didn't have to have Paige or Bryan watch them until they slept. Paige needed the break anyway, she simply put the movie on and walked down to the drawing room to recharge alongside Bryan while awaiting the interrogation from Jaimie and Nichole. Paige napped for a bit before being awoken by Bryan, who handed Paige her tablet to talk with the inquiring Smiths. As expected, Jaimie was there with Nichole but also saw Paige's sisters and mother with her. Paige just sighed and asked if they could save the interrogation for the morning as she was in no mood to answer dozens of questions nor disturb the girls. Anne Connors wouldn't let her daughter get away easily and asked what was going on and not to lie or hold back the truth. Paige looked at Bryan who nodded to her, then explained, "The girls had a tough day and it only got tougher when Elise saw what Anne had in her gaff. She is trying hard to accept Anne but it is always coming back to Anne being scared and Elise making a goof in one form or another." Anne turned into the doting grandmother and asked how Elise reacted, getting meek, "She seems to have seen a few of them before. I don't think it's from changing her cousins either." Anne giggled and asked if she remembered when she started to get curious about boys and the difference between the sexes, which Paige tried to avoid but her sister Christina happily said, "You showed me what they look like at 10, I said 'yuck' while you said it'll only be another two years before I wanted to see them too." Anne gave her daughter a knowing look, which meant that it was perfectly normal and not something that had to be directly addressed. It was also something for Pete and Hannah to take care of, as it was a parent's job to set those kinds of limits for kids. Paige knew that it wasn't her place, but it still felt like she should do something to stop her inquisitiveness but realized that it was pointless given who Elise's mother was and how much they were alike at the same age. Talk turned to the younger Anne and how she was dealing with things so far. Paige sighed and told them, "She is unused to people being nice to her and doing things for her best interests. It was tough to get her to try on the clothes as she kept thinking that we would hit her if she didn't try on what we had in front of her. She did accept that we just wanted to buy her clothes and she wasn't going to be hurt but it took a lot of effort to do so. She needs time and support, hopefully, we can give her that." Sitting in the back thinking, Paige's sister Jenna asked if everything was legitimate and in writing and filed with the proper people. Paige's only response to that was, "Arthur and Max are handling it" which got all of them to see that it was serious enough to get the brothers involved. Max would not directly go out on a limb and help Paige unless it was a matter that his family needed to keep a close eye on, he may have been involved as the initial constable to respond but staying involved was family-related. Jenna asked if Ruby had been involved, getting a groan about Paige completely forgetting Ruby being involved with social services for the council. Paige didn't have an answer, but the way Arthur and Max were reacting she might have been intentionally kept out of the loop so she didn't act on the younger Anne's behalf. She would protect Anne at all costs, she was as passionate about kids as her brothers were about the law and not afraid to step on toes to get done what needed to be done. The elder Anne asked about her namesake's choice in name, getting a smile from Paige. Anne got a big laugh as she didn't realize that she was why Paige asked Anil to be named Anne. Anne shed a tear at her daughter doing that for her, she loved knowing her name would now live on in a bright young girl and that she had indirectly helped her namesake feel special and part of the family. The group ended their call with Anne needing a hug from her daughters. Jaimie called back on her own account and asked about the younger Anne. She was trying to gauge Anne's reaction to Elise as it was Elise that concerned Jaimie the most, she was suppressing her feelings about her family's situation and was likely to use Anne as her outlet. Paige offered a solemn, "She talked with Lucy and confessed to being jealous and missing her parents. She is starting to finally realize that the friend she needed most was right there beside her. She is acting differently now, she is starting to fully accept Anne. The whole swimsuit incident only proved it. She cares about Anne as more than just our foster daughter, she is her friend." Jaimie let her finish, then added, "I talked with Hannah and there's no need for any more dates for the tour. The other places are smaller and can be handled in December, just in time for Christmas giving those stores free publicity and driving up sales. She has a good personal relationship with the stores that will lose out on her tour and will be getting a more personal appearance than the standard meet and greets the publisher setup for her. They prefer that anyway, even if some fans will be upset." Paige asked when that will happen, getting a solemn, "Four weeks" from Jaimie. It was a long time, but it also meant that Elise would have something to keep her mind occupied as she counted down the days until her parents returned. It was tough on her but she would settle down once school started again. Jaimie signed off and was followed by Hannah and Pete calling about Elise. Paige steeled herself for what they are going to say but both simply wanted to know how Elise was coping with her punishment. Paige smiled and offered a happy, "She confessed to Lucy and had a mild breakdown, it's gotten better since then. She is taking to Anne as Hannah took to Jaimie and Nichole, but with less sass." They asked where she was, getting a happy, "Watching a movie in Elise's room. I'll go get her." She was quick to rush to their room to get Elise but what she saw made her smile brightly. She told the couple, "I hate to say it but you will have to wait until tomorrow to tell her the good news." She pointed the tablet at the girls and heard Hannah gasp as they were fast asleep in each other's arms. It was too cute, the girls had the blanket over them and were cuddling Elise's stuffed cabbit Sammi with Anne's head pressed against Elise's head making them look like little angels as they slumbered. Paige couldn't believe it herself but Pete happily added, "She's done fighting her feelings, that's our little girl shining through now. She won't let Anne feel bad anymore and will defend her from the other kids in school. She's her mother's daughter, seriously she is acting like you two at that age. Not that I'd know but mom told me to look out for certain things and that's one of them." Both blushed deeply as they remembered sleeping like that as kids especially at that age. Paige was like Elise to Hannah's Anne. Elise had her mother's personality but Hannah was the timid, poor, daughter of a single parent who kids tormented like Anne was. Bryan sought out his wife and saw the scene in front of him and hugged Paige tightly as she shed a tear of joy while Hannah and Pete signed off. The news could wait, it would be better to tell Elise when she was wide awake and ready for the day. She just hoped that Anne didn't think that she was the cause of Elise going with Hannah and Pete when they finally returned home. They were getting ready for bed when they received another call on the tablet, this time from their son and daughter, BJ and Ophelia. The two looked pensive as they spoke to their parents, prompting them to ask, "What did you do this time?" Both tried to come up with a quick excuse but they were drowned out by a booming and frightening, "Tell them or I will." Both looked at one another and had to fight a laugh as the twins were trying desperately to come up with an excuse that wouldn't result in their punishment. BJ finally broke and confessed, "We broke our curfew and went to a party last night. Gruncle John and Granty Valerie told us we couldn't go but it's the biggest party of the fall and all of the kids in school were going. We couldn't miss it, it would have been social suicide if we did." Ophelia refused to look her parents in the eyes which resulted in another booming, "Tell them the rest." Ophelia started to cry as she explained, "I got caught in bed with a boy at the party. Granty Valerie had to drag him off of me. I'm sorry mom, dad. I got so caught up in the moment that I didn't think." Paige asked Valerie Finn, the twins' guardian and Bryan's aunt, what happened knowing that she'd fill in the truth. The twins gave her a pleading look as if to say, "Please don't ask," but it was futile. If they were being forced to confess to their parents something then it had to have been a major problem. Valerie gave an angry, "They left just after 10 when they thought we were asleep. We followed them to the party and let them have a little fun but when they didn't come out after it hit 1 AM we entered and found them drinking and a few girls trying to get BJ to give them some sexual pleasure. When I asked where Ophelia was, BJ realized that he didn't know which he started to panic about. She was upstairs in a room with a boy who was giving her a load of bull about doing it her first time didn't need a condom and other typical lies. She didn't want to do it but he was laying it on thick and wasn't going to take no for an answer. When he saw me, he ran scared but forgot to put on clothes. She got dressed right away but the damage is already done. He got arrested for indecent exposure a block away, but that's only a small consolation for her almost ending up pregnant!" Paige looked at Bryan who was ready blow a gasket prompting both 16- year-old kids to beg him not to go overboard. Valerie just grinned while Bryan growled, "Grounded for a month. Ophelia, you are going on birth control and you are never leaving home without an emergency condom. I don't care if your social life takes a hit, you aren't going anywhere without Uncle John or Aunt Valerie with you. As for you, BJ, you will have the same but you are also washing your grandparent's cars then changing your second-cousin's diapers. I know this was all your friends' idea to get you over Lucy. She is too good to give up on especially as she is trying her hardest to help your cousin deal with being with us. The poor girl misses you as much as you miss her and is trying to remain single so you can be together." Paige added, "Those idiots can't get a girl on their own and are using you to get at one. That's the only reason they would dare to convince you to disobey Uncle John's rules: to get something from you. They are going to get a rude awakening, they will end up getting some poor, unsuspecting girl pregnant and have to give up on their future to raise their child...that is if they are man enough to actually be a father to the child they helped create. Just be glad they didn't call in your uncles or else the hosts would have to explain to your Gruncle Willie why they were having a party with alcohol and sex without any form of supervision. Their parents are in trouble as it is as it's not the first time they have had a party there so they already have some questions that your Gruncle Mark will want to be answered. Your Gruncle John can't let what he saw slide and had to report them to DCF and the police for investigation." The name drops only made the twins wince harder, their uncles were the last people that they wanted to become involved especially when it came to their safety. Miles Finn would rip apart whatever claims were made about permissions and allowances while David Peterson would not hold back his rage at the boy trying to have sex with his niece. Mark was not going to let the parents get away without facing repercussions and Willie would ensure that his officers responded to the house whenever a complaint was issued and any response was followed-up by action instead of forgotten and the reports deleted. Paige finally asked where her niece Lillian and nephew Harry were. Valerie smiled and offered a happy, "Date night with two of their friends. These two really blew it, they should have been out with them but they had to go to that party. Harry's girlfriend's twin brother has a thing for Ophelia but she is not likely to know as he is going to steer clear of her until he gets the all-clear from us, that is all four of us. He won't make any moves until he knows you two are OK with them dating, he has too much respect for her to dare to go against your wishes even if you are across the ocean from him." Ophelia looked down in shame as she knew he had a huge crush on her but had blown her chance, all thanks to her brother's idiotic friends. Paige saw the twinkle in Valerie's eyes and knew it was going to happen eventually but she needed to learn her lesson. It was a huge leap for her daughter, especially as her son had already won the heart of Lucy the year before making his sister jealous. Valerie sent the twins away to stew in their rooms while their cousins could be heard asking how bad it was for them. They were smart enough to not try to plead their cases to their aunt and uncle, it was a lot less than they thought BJ and Ophelia would get and would send a message to the guys about treating girls with respect and not trying to get in their pants. They could wait a month before they were back to their usual weekend fun, especially now that it was clear that Ophelia liked her suitor. When the four teens were out of earshot, Valerie asked if they knew that Ruby Evans was angry at them for the whole Anne situation. This caught Paige off guard, she wasn't aware that Ruby knew what was going on let alone had reacted to it. Valerie seemed to get the gist of the situation and asked if she was aware that Ruby had been the one who was supposed to be involved in Anne's case but had been put on another case in favor of Benson and Hedges, Anne's current social workers. Paige grew angry at that, Ruby was one of the best social workers in all of London and had a high rate of finding good families for children in need regardless of their circumstances as well as ensuring that those who abused, neglected, or exploited their children were put in prison for their crimes. Paige only offered a terse, "I knew she worked for a London council but not which one. Are you telling me that she works for the Outham council's social services department?" Valerie shot back an upset, "She is not only involved, she is heading the investigation into Anne's past and why the council didn't react sooner. She will be looking to speak with you and the principal, Mr. Hill, when you get back to London. Keep an eye out for rats as she sounded like she was working on a tough part of the investigation and things were starting to look like a cover-up by key people." Paige blurted out, "Benson and Hedges. Those bastards are involved in some way beyond being the ones who removed Anne from her home. They were keen on Anne staying with her mother until forced to take action by Max Evans. Why would they do it though? Anne is nothing to them. And to top it off, they never officially placed Anne into their care so when she was removed the second time they ended up wanted for questioning by the police." Valerie grumbled, "She's something to them. I don't want to jump the gun but this smells like a cheap soap opera plot. The more they control Anne, the more they seem to stay away from her. Since she went into your care, they have tried everything to get her back into that group home and allow her to be hurt or worse. They are up to something, just keep an eye on yourselves and if at all possible- don't leave the estate."