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Benny Herman and Jack Bollinger were a pair who had grown up together in Winnisimmet, MA and who had spent their entire life never going more than a few days apart. They had an even bigger link as Jack's cousin married Benny's sister with Jack's father being Benny's parents' principal/friend. The two were born to be close, and showed that they were meant to be friends immediately after birth. Benny's sister was a link that was hard to ignore, one that shocked the family as she broke with what all of their large family had done and chose a career as an actress. They were supportive of her work and she was extremely talented, it was what she had a strong passion for and showed that she was one of the best actresses in Hollywood once she had her first starring role. Francesca Bollinger was one of the powerhouses in Hollywood and used that power sparingly, but was more than happy to help friends and family get a start out west when the family moved beyond the confines of the Boston area. Francesca was nominated for multiple Oscars over her 17 years in Hollywood and was one of the elites who could command respect and back up her clout with a vast amount of money- money earned from investments in the movies that she owned the rights to or felt a strong connection to. Benny was one of the benefactors of her clout as he inherited a large amount of money from Francesca's own inheritance and used it to buy into several of his sister's movies at Jack's mother's insistence. Jack himself earned a lot of money from his mother's own investments on his behalf, with the two being wealthy at the age of four-years-old: all thanks to the family's fiscal maneuvering. Benny and Jack were blessed to have gotten the notice of movie and TV producers at an early age and as they matured over the years they had to fight off demands that they turn their fun into acting roles. It finally became too much and as they entered high school the two set out for Los Angeles to create the show that would make them famous: "Tickle Your Funny Bone." "Tickle Your Funny Bone" was a tween/teen sketch comedy show centered around two hosts who had a knack for getting into all sorts of trouble while interacting with kids as they tried to get through school and a long line of menial jobs from tutor to fast food worker to athletes. The show was clearly meant to play off of their act, but it was constantly putting the costars in the spotlight as the duo got involved in their zaniness. That was in addition to the duo enjoying being forced to sing and dance at times as part of the characters' acts as they showed off their skills in an attempt to impress the duo or outright make them run away in fear. The show was a huge hit, with the stars ensuring that it was one of the best written shows on TV while breaking with tradition and having their costars pitch ideas and rewrite sketches with them as a way of helping them break into the business beyond simply regurgitating what someone else wrote. It was the first to have the cast be the real driving force for the show, with the duo ensuring that the kids' way was what was shown on TV despite claims that it was inferior work. They got their way, with all of the kids being able to showcase their talents in ways few thought possible. "Tickle Your Funny Bone" was a rare show that came about extremely fast and was dirt-cheap to put on for the production company. The test show that producers put on for the network was simply the duo of Benny and Jack as well as a few of their friends and family performing in front of a live audience with the duo taking their talents to where the audience had not expected: in among them and working with them to get laughs. A lot of work went into the bits and showed that there was a potential gold mine in the making with them being allowed to showcase what they could do. One of the breakout stars of "Tickle Your Funny Bone" was a young girl by the name of Denise Hall, the youngest cast member and a lucky break for the show. She was she only one who, "Got" what Benny and Jack were trying to do and was able to work off of their enthusiasm and make what she was given into something more akin to what the duo wanted to do. She was smart and quick-witted, loving every minute of performing with the duo and making the other cast members jealous of her special role. Denise was unique in another way: she was born as Dennis and was transitioning to female in front of the world. Her parents used her being in transition to their advantage whenever she auditioned and had a strong way of getting casting directors to see the publicity that came from someone so young being in a production and out in the open. It didn't matter that she had the talent to backup being transgender, it was irrelevant in their eyes as her being transgender mattered most. Benny and Jack ignored it completely and never let it get used as a source of jokes or be part of any of the show's publicity. Except for a select few at the network and the casting director, the world knew her as the young, snarky, wild, and zany girl who'd been the one to break the mold with the cast and start becoming the star in her own rite. The duo found her to be just what the show needed and happily had her become the focus in the fourth and fifth season of the show allowing them to focus more on writing the sketches instead of being in every single one. Her change from costar to leading star caused jealousy and threatened what the network was doing as it went against their "wholesome" image. After four years of being "in the closet" thanks to ignoring that she was in transition, the network leaked that Denise wasn't who she appeared to be and wanted to use her to exploit her transition for their own benefit. Benny and Jack refused to fire her nor did they allow the network's plans to follow through and when confronted with a choice of letting her go to "save" the network's image or allow them to exploit her the duo chose to refuse either choice. With no alternative in their eyes, the network canceled the show. "Tickle Your Funny Bone" ended after five seasons and a total of 150 episodes, the most number of episodes ever in the network's history and a lot of publicity for the duo as they were more than happy to tell the media why the network canceled what was still the most popular show on the network. The network was lambasted for trying to use Denise's personal life to their advantage while the duo were seen as protecting their cast's privacy. Denise was upset at losing her job along with the $700,000 paycheck she'd made from the show's fifth season and the $100,000 from writing many of the sketches for herself as well as the duo. She was in a tougher position as her parents relied entirely on her salary as they were her agents and managers, the two being the real reason that she got into acting in the first place. They blamed her for canceling the show and made it known to her that they would not let what happened go unpunished. Denise's plight wasn't lost on the duo as Benny and Jack formulated a way of getting the show back, but with the network refusing to budge they chose an alternative: they'd work with another network and make their own show the way they wanted to make it and either the network accepted it or they'd lose a cheap, valuable, and potentially highly lucrative show to a rival network. The duo had good reason for doing that: competition for securing their next show was fierce and saw Jack's mother working hard to ensure that nobody could find a loophole or exploit the boys, forcing them into a bad deal. The two settled on a deal with their former network's rival and put it into the contract that there was to be no usage of any actors' or actress' sexuality or gender status and that the duo would have full control over their show while the network would get the publicity and viewership from their show. They were restricted as to what kind of publicity they'd do and refused to be part of any political drives nor any of the network's usual publicity stunts involving their TV shows. There was no way that the network was able to deny what the duo wanted, they would lose a hit show in the making if they refused the deal. Benny and Jack had a different vision for their new show, opting for a more traditional sitcom that was able to play off of their strengths while also giving the show something different that hadn't been seen before: realism and comedy, but done in a way that allowed for drama to teach while allowing the cast to overcome the obstacles without sacrificing their message of being against bigotry, hate, and any kind of "ism" that needed addressing. The reason for that kind of show was simple: Denise had to be part of it and be the one who was a lightning rod for the drama while playing off of their comedy again. Denise's role in the show was what she was to them in real life: a young kid who was struggling in a world where she was accepted but others tried to exploit her for their own benefits while not actually having her best interests in mind. The duo would play her mentors and help her along her path while at the center of the comedic situations that she had unintentionally caused. Their role was even funnier as it was based on their parents' lives, with Benny being a science teacher while Jack was an accounting teacher and both were under the constant watch of the antagonist principal who wanted them gone. Denise's part was that of the new girl in school who was transitioning and who was a good athlete and who had to endure jealous girls and leering boys. It was further complicated as she didn't have a family to support her, living with an aunt and uncle who cared about her but were busy working hard to make ends meet thanks to the new kid in their house. Their teenage children were Denise's supporters and the focus of a lot of the actual drama as Denise didn't directly get involved and instead was often with the duo being mentored and helped and ending up helping get her cousins out of their shenanigans. The duo did something different with the show, they chose to move production to Massachusetts to the studio owned by their family production company. It was going to be easier on them to have the shown in a neutral location away from network meddling as well as give Denise a chance to truly be herself in a place that understood her and supported her and wouldn't use her for their advantage. Benny and Jack had their eyes on a lot of agents and producers who wanted Denise for the publicity she'd bring and if she was away from Los Angeles there would be little chance that a deal would be done without having them come to the duo and face their supporting firepower thus negating any deals for Denise. The network, Global USA, signed the deal and agreed to all conditions, with Denise being put into the spotlight as the next big thing on TV with the duo's blessing. Denise was told about the show and cried at what they'd be doing for her, especially as it gave her the chance to be herself out in the open and not worry about how it might affect them all. She made them blush over that, especially as she kissed them without any qualms as it was natural to her to do it as she had known them for five long years. Her parents, Duke and Melody Hall, were less than thrilled to hear the news about the new show or that Denise was involved and refused to let Denise do the show. They already had a deal in place that would have had Denise do the rounds of the talk show circuit promoting a new reality show starring her and her transition as on, "Outed" actress in Hollywood, a deal that they had in the works for months prior to the former network leaking her gender change. The truth was even worse: it was done to get Denise off of "Tickle Your Funny Bone" and into the new show while also getting the duo off of the air and away from the network before the executives were exposed as frauds and bigots. The duo nodded to the third person with them, with that person happily telling them, "The deal is dead as the executives who leaked your daughter's gender status are facing federal and state investigation over the dissemination of private information along with breaking a strict confidentiality clause in Denise's contract. The network's corporate heads are upset over what happened and have canceled all new shows as they were guaranteed failures meant to hurt our company. You must have missed a major clause that we added into your daughter's contract to cover her just in case of such a situation as happened: we will be the only one allowed to hire your daughter due to her still being under contract with our production company. As part of our deal with her, we are obligated to find her new employment- that is now the boys' new show. You can fight it, but we are also ready to file suit against you for breach of contract as it is just that. It would only hurt your daughter as you would be showing that don't honor contracts." The Halls were caught in a tough situation, either they went with the new show or they'd face invoking a stiff penalty clause that required them to pay back a certain amount of Denise's contract out of their own pockets as well as ensure that Denise was working on long term employment. They didn't have the money and certainly couldn't get a new role for Denise due to the contract poisoning any potential new work making them have no choice but to go with the duo's show. Denise would be free if the new show flopped, but they weren't getting off until the show had a complete season filmed and aired. The duo worked out a contract that paid Denise a hefty $500,000 for the full 25 episodes plus $250,000 for writing and $250,000 contributing as a consultant. The look on Denise's face was priceless as both of the guys nonchalantly told her what she'd be paid and why, with her fighting back tears as it was the biggest push she'd get as an actress as she was a full star and would have credits that would help her as a writer in Hollywood. She loved writing and working with the duo, it was made better as they showed that she was vital to the show and wanted her experience to help drive the show. The duo led Denise out while their companion talked with Duke and Melody. She was gruff with them, telling them bluntly, "We moved production to Massachusetts to get away from outside distractions and to completely control the show. Your daughter will be among people who understand what she is going through and can get her the proper help- something that she has been lacking since she 'came out' seven years ago. We know the truth: you haven't gotten her any actual psychological help and have exploited her condition for gain and have done more harm behind her back in the name of 'protecting her future' than you have actually done to help her. We went through your finances and know just how much you have spent on yourselves as 'business expenses' for your 'agency'. You aren't going to be allowed the chance to spend another penny of her wealth, all of it is going into a secured trust with her Coogan Act payments secured legally. She will have a set amount to spend, you will be paid a small amount as her manager but will not get a penny more. You will sign a contract with her and any attempt to access her assets will result in arrest for fraud and theft. I speak on behalf of my in-laws when I tell you this: do not try to defraud her. Denise is now protected by a family who would spend every penny of their vast wealth to ensure that she gets what she earned in full. That's just my mother-in-law, my father-in- law would do the same and more to ensure that your lives are a living hell legally and financially." He smirked as he said that, Rick Samuels, Jack Bollinger's cousin, was speaking the truth and mouthing the words of his mother-in-law Valerie Finn. Denise was in good hands with the Finn Family, with the duo being prime members of the family who had members that sent Hollywood studio heads running for cover while making police and judges cower in fear over seeing them in person. Rick was uniquely aware of Denise's situation and was happy to protect someone just like his wife and daughter. Rick laid out the contract and told Halls to seek a lawyer who would explain everything to them. They hired one immediately and an hour later were told, "You turn over custody of your daughter temporarily so that she can attend school as a normal middle schooler among students who have grown-up among those like your daughter. You'll be allowed communication with her but should you abuse her it will be reported to the proper authorities. I advise you to not test them on this as the family has a reputation of being one of the toughest supporters of abused children. Mr. Samuels here is intimate with many of the battles that they have fought and won, nobody who has challenged them has ever beaten them." Duke was ready to refuse, but Rick explained, "She's under contract so we'll invoke the existing contract if need be...however in doing so you'll need to go with her and pay for her housing, education, and the expenses required to raise her. You'll need to actually do your jobs as assessors and lawyers, which I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to do in Massachusetts due to having multiple complaints against you that the state won't ignore. The only option is to sign the new contract or to find a real job." The couple agreed to the new deal and signed. Denise would be staying with Benny's parents while the Halls worked from Los Angeles. Rick didn't tell them that due to the agreement, they would have zero access to Denise's bank accounts- but that was something they'd have to find out on their own when the couple tried to test the limits of what Rick had just told them. Up in her room, Denise was told by Benny, "If I know Rick, you'll be staying with mom and dad. We're not going to be able to care for you thanks to image issues. The media knows never to bother any of the residents of our neighborhood, mom and dad have people living close by who know how to deal with a lot of girls and boys like you and are the best people to ensure that you get to enjoy school without any of the kids trying to use you. You'll be among some of our nieces and nephews, well our older ones since Francesca's kids are still too young for school. There's a lot to keep you entertained, just don't let the kids go overboard when they meet you. And get used to being called 'Aunt Denise' by kids." She looked at him oddly, Jack laughed and added, "You'll learn. Each generation calls the elder ones by 'aunt' and 'uncle' so we're 'Uncle Jack' and 'Uncle Benny' to the kids. It gets really confusing for some of it due to overlapping generations, you're among the youngest of our generation. You'd be with a few of the next generation but it's not that big of a deal to be friendly with them as it's normal to cross the generation gap for the youngest and oldest in our family. And before you ask, the kids are fine with you being a girl with something extra- they all grew up alongside girls who are like you and even a couple of boys. Even the adults have some among them who are like you, including one man." She hugged both and thanked them for telling her. The two hugged her back and kissed her cheek, with her feeling weird over the two being so good to her and treating her like a little sister and not like their costar. She liked that idea, they always treated her nice but this time it was different: it was with care. There was work to do the next two weeks as the trio had to do rounds with the media for the upcoming falls TV season promoting the former show while also letting fans know that they may be ending their show but they weren't going away for long. Denise was still a hot topic among the media and saw both Benny and Jack fiercely protecting her from any insulting or insinuating questions meant to allege that she was the cause of the problems and rumors of illicit behavior with members of the cast were the real reasons for getting canceled. None of the rumors were true in regards to Denise, there were actually two boys who did what was alleged: the two were fired after sexually harassing girls on the set while trying to campaign to get Denise fired so they could take on her starring role. Things were tough on Denise at the world's largest comic book convention, which doubled as a TV and film convention as a lot of movie and TV stars attended and promoted their latest projects. Denise was confronted by angry fans who blamed her for the demise of the show while protest groups picketed the event in, "Defense of the children" as she was seen as harming young minds with her transition. When it was clear that the convention organizers were egging-on the, "Fans" the duo happily confronted them as well as let loose their trump card: their production company would gladly pull out and cancel all further attendance as well as letting Francesca and her friends in Hollywood know just how they treat people like Denise and how they really feel about transgender people as their insulting remarks were noted. Benny had no problem telling his sister, who then told her friends and saw them cancel appearances at the event causing a domino effect leading to the media circling and asking tough questions about why they had allowed a transphobic riot to occur putting VIPs at risk and trying to hurt a TV show that was just announced and hadn't filmed a single scene. It was chaos as multiple films produced by their own production company were removed alongside their film studio's other films in solidarity leading to the cascading effect of fans outraged and demanding refunds leading to near bankruptcy for the event. The 79-year-old event was in ruins with nobody to blame but themselves for the failure. The duo ignored all of the media inquiries and went home to their mansion, with Denise in tears as the duo tried to keep her calm. Francesca intervened and led her up to the guest room and sat her down, the young girl needed a girl talk and Francesca was the only one who could help her accept what had just happened as only someone who'd been through it before could do. The mother in Francesca was trying to come out, it would be years before she'd have that kind of talk but it was good practice in her eyes. Francesca sighed and explained to Denise, "A lot of people are phonies who'll do anything to make some money. Those people just wanted to cause you to do something then sell the footage of your outburst. Benny and Jack protected you and did the only thing that they could do that would put an end to it as well as get a lot of revenge: they called for help from those who had clout and power. I know it hurts, but there are people who just want to hurt others, especially someone famous and who they see as an easy target. You're different, but you are also the most caring and smart girl who has had the pleasure of being around us. We see something special in you, we know you can be better than anyone could ever believe. You're a smart young lady, you're talented beyond belief. All you need is a safe place to be yourself and people who understand you. We do: mom, dad, Benny, Jack, and all of our relatives." She sighed then told her, "My best friend is transgender and I've loved her since the day I met her. She's not the only girl born with 'something extra' that I've known, but she's been through a living hell and is a mother, aunt, cousin, sister, and friend. She's married to an amazing woman whom I can't help but see as a sister as I've known her since we were in diapers. You're different than her, yet you're also so much like her that I can't help but smile. You have a chance to show the world that you are more than just the usual 'tranny girl trying to act like a normal girl': you have the chance to show that just because you are transgender does not make you different. You are you, you are talented and smart and quick to laugh as well as make others laugh at you. You are you. You are Denise Hall: my brother's costar and co-writer." She hugged Denise, with Denise crying into her shoulder. Francesca quietly texted someone then told Denise, "Your new psychiatrist will meet you the day after tomorrow. I know you don't have one yet, it's a bit shady by your parents but mom and dad will insist on you receiving a full evaluation so that you're allowed to attend school as a girl. Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Vance will insist on proof so that any of the parents who might have an issue with a girl like you attending school are shut down fast. We won't let it prevent you from enjoying school life, they are experienced with girls and boys who are different. They should be, considering their daughter, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law are like you." Denise just sniffled and hugged her tight, leading Francesca to put her to bed then walk downstairs to where Benny and Jack were. Both gave her a smirk to which she happily told them, "Laugh it up, I think your wives will be more than happy to ensure that you have diaper duty. Rick and Jaimie could use the nights off, and I know Al and Thomas would enjoy the chance to get away for a while." Both immediately stopped smirking, Al Douglas and Thomas Samuels weren't afraid to drop their kids off with the duo if it meant that they'd get a night away with their spouses while Jaimie and Rick had a need for a night off as their twins were creating chaos for them ever since their birth. Being Jack's own family made things even worse as he had an obligation to help his cousins even if it meant that he had to change diapers and read the same book over and over again. At least they'd have help from Jaimie's elder children but that wasn't likely as they'd find any reason to stay with their 2nd-cousins and friends. The next morning saw the trio talking to the media at the Inferno Productions offices. Francesca was at the press conference and was noticed, but none dared to ask her why she was there as it was known that she was both a major shareholder in the company as well as one of the principle leads for many of their movies. Her being there was explained away anyway as she was "escorting Denise" to Winnisimmet on behalf of both sets of parents and ensuring that she had everything that she needed to settle in. Little more was said about that as the media were getting a close look from the shadows by Rick and a new face to Denise, someone who caused them to know that getting insulting or personal in an attempt to get page clicks would end their careers and likely bankrupt them. Rick wasn't the real threat to them, the woman with him was even more dangerous and would likely cost their employers every penny that they had and cause a monumental shift in how their networks operated. She was the one person in all of the United States that you could never defeat as she had unlimited resources and a will stronger than any metal: she was Valerie Finn, Rick's mother-in-law and the godmother of Benny. Once the media were escorted out, Valerie introduced herself to Denise and explained to her, "We have it all sorted out. You'll be staying with Beth and Ben Herman at their house and will be enrolled in one of the middle schools. You'll be expected to do your schoolwork and help out around the house. Things will be different than here, filming and writing will be done during weekends and based around what you need to add as you'll be the biggest single source for developing your character and the storylines. You are the true star of the show, Benny and Jack are just the focalpoints reacting to your situations." Denise looked at Benny for help, Valerie explained, "It's a show about the two trying to help you adjust to being outed. They might have grown-up around girls and boys like you but they don't know what it's actually like being a girl transitioning out in the open like you. You do. You experienced it. You might have lived a different life due to being exploited by your parents, but you're still a girl in transition and your experiences are key. It's going to be as real as we can get it and your voice will be heard by all of the writers or they are out of the job." Denise silently let that sink in, with Francesca leading her out to get her things gathered for the trip. She was joined by Valerie who sat down with Duke and Melody and angrily told the couple, "We loved the things that we've found in regards to your daughter's bank account. You two have been very bad: stealing her money to buy houses and cars, invest in questionable investments, and putting away money in secret accounts so you'd have your own retirement funds, and using money to satisfy your 'special needs'. Before you claim we couldn't do that, you signed a contract with Inferno Productions that gave us the right to examine your daughter's bank accounts to ensure that you weren't stealing from her. You did. For that, we've invoked clauses in her contracts that prevent you from using any of her money for personal use and have hired managers to oversee her finances on her behalf. You'll be required to pay back every cent of her money, which for a lawyer and assessor should be easy to do. You two used to have stellar reputations before you decided that Hollywood was more lucrative, your greed prevented you from doing your jobs any longer as you apparently saw your daughter as a cash cow instead." Melody was going to say something but Valerie cut her off, adding, "You had no right to spend any of her money as you aren't legally her managers nor her agents: you aren't registered as agents and there's no contract with her regarding either. You stole from her, be glad that we haven't gone to the state about this as violations of the Coogan Act are strictly prosecuted. We've seized all of the money from all of the bank accounts and transferred the houses into a trust, we are allowing you one small house which is to be her primary residence on paper until she turns 18 then you are to either sign a valid rental contract or buy it from her. There is no wiggle room here, you broke the law and got caught red handed." Up in Denise's room, Francesca whispered to Denise, "Aunt Valerie is telling your parents to back off of you so you're free to be normal again. I know you didn't want to jump into the world of acting, but you are a great actress and the guys do better with you playing off of them. You're the classic 'female lead' who somehow gets them to be funnier just by being serious with them. It's going to be different now, it will be you playing a girl who goes to them for advice and helps them out of their situations. You're the one who makes the show work, you're the one that they need as you know them and play off of them better than any other person short of Will and he's even more outrageous than Benny." That got Denise's attention, with Francesca dropping Will's name on purpose. She casually told Denise, "Will stayed away from his brother because he has to juggle being a dad and being a firefighter. Add in that his wife is the owner of one of the most prominent manufacturing companies and you have a tough situation. Peterson owns the toy company who underwrote the show, due to Will's connection. He had a strong hand in wanting you to there as his kids loved you more than the other girls. So you stayed for a lot longer than any other kid, the 'every two years' unwritten rule was to give more kids a shot but you were so beloved by the kids that it was tough to not bring you back for as long as possible." Francesca smiled and added, "He knows about you, he asked about you a lot. You know about Al and of Jaimie, but his wife is also related to other girls like you. She cares a lot about you, even if she never met you. All of them do, you're the first person everyone asks about whenever the guys came home. If they tried to lie about you they'd hear about it from Flora and Ella- you remember them? They designed the clothes for the show and fitted you for the awards shows. They told the others just in case the guys tried to hide things to sugarcoat what's really going on out here. I never lie, but Benny and Jack might just to protect the others from going after whomever hurt you." Francesca had a look of mischief on her face that concerned Denise, Francesca added a happy, "It's not what you think. You have a lot of people who'd fly across the country to confront whomever tried to get after you and who have the money and power to bring them down. It's why Benny and Jack are about to make the new show in Massachusetts, it's where all of our support is and where few dare to go after us. You have support from the highest reaches: the governor and my friend's husband support you. You met him a couple of months ago, his name's Reed and he's the Attorney General- the top law enforcer in the entire state and someone who protects kids, especially ones like you." The duo finished packing and saw Francesca giving a nod to Valerie who then told the Halls, "She'll be in the hands of two people whom completely I trust with all of my grandchildren and my future great- grandchildren. You're free to visit but custody remains with them for the duration of the contract. Social services are already well-aware as several members of social services have made inquiries regarding your daughter already and were told the truth directly from Benny and Jack alongside my son-in-law and daughter and daughter-in-law. She will be living close to several prominent social workers and will interact with them without knowing. Lying to social services will be prosecuted and why you lied won't be pretty especially as the state has the evidence needed to put you away for a decade." Denise hugged and kissed her parents goodbye, with Francesca leading her away and giving them a big glare that showed that she knew everything but had kept it from Denise. Denise drove off with the four and unwound in the pool while Valerie and Francesca laid out what Denise needed to do when they got to Winnisimmet. Benny butted-in and insisted that they allow her to get acclimated to the place and not force her to meet everyone she hadn't met yet as it was overwhelming under normal circumstances. Denise swam for two hours, with Valerie observing her and seeing that she was nervous but trying hard to hide it from them. When Denise exited the shower, Valerie sat her down and hugged her causing the little girl in Denise to come out in tears. All of her pent-up emotions came flooding out and led to her reliving her angst on the woman whom she had just met. When she cried herself out, Valerie softly told her, "You'll be with people who know you more than you will ever know. We have 25 years of experience with young ladies like yourself and will help you be the girl you were born to be. My daughter Jaimie has a standing appointment to speak with you to get a true assessment of your mental health status, your crying just now proves that you need her more than we had thought. She'll help you without judgment, she knows best: she's the one who brought all of us together as a family and opened the eyes of thousands of people about transgender people. We love her deeply and she wants to help you become you. She'll expect your questions about breasts and what to do about boys and other things so don't hesitate to ask them. Believe me, you aren't alone. And if you're feeling like you aren't into boys then she'll help you accept that girls like you can like girls." Valerie hit the right chord with Denise as her face turned to one of wonder and contemplation. Valerie did the smart thing and explained to her, "You know Flora. She told me to tell you that yes, you can like girls. She does, she married my daughter. Jaimie married Rick, Al married Kyle. There's a notion that if you are transgender then you must automatically fall for the opposite sex. That's false, there's likely as many girls who like girls and guys who like guys among transgender people as there are among genetic males and females. You'll meet some of each, especially as it's tough to not meet them as Beth and Ben won't let you stay home alone when they have to stay late after school. Don't worry about them, they're good people who are fiercely protective. I know Amanda, Benny's aunt, wouldn't mind talking with you about things as she's the most likely to understand transitioning in secret while performing in public. It would also do you good to learn dancing from her and Polly Vincent, but that's for another time." Denise went to bed thinking about what Valerie had said, with Valerie texting someone to alert them the group were coming the next day and to be ready for Denise's introductions. Benny and Jack had to deal with texts from relatives causing them to groan while Francesca wisely called one person leading to an end of all of the texting. Benny shook his head at reading one last text, but it was clear that they would not get bothered again until they themselves called the others. Valerie laughed, adding, "They'll back away now. Seriously, they should know it was a bad idea to even try to invoke her wrath. Beth doesn't get to be mom anymore, she's probably the most protective of us." Benny blushed deeply as she gave him a knowing look. The little devil in him was the apple of Beth's eye and so much like his father that she couldn't help but protect anyone who was close to Benny. That was extended to Denise by default, with Beth happy to care for Denise in the Halls' place. The next morning saw Denise told that they were leaving, with her taking her bags out to the hired limo for their long ride to the airport to meet the family's private jet that would take them to Winnisimmet. It was easier to fly on their private plane and avoid the paparazzi than it was to fly on a commercial flight with the general public even in first class, especially as the trio and Francesca were known to the media and would attract immediate attention. Denise liked that perk about being with the duo, but it was more of a necessity than luxury so she was glad to avoid the hassle and chaos. Rick joined them, as well as Flora and Ella Finn-Nelson. Valerie hugged and kissed both then seized the cute little bundle of joy with them as the baby boy giggled and jumped in her arms as soon as he saw his grandmother come into view. The couple shook their heads in disappointment at that but knew that their son wasn't going to pass up time with his grandmother, especially as it was clear that he was eyeing the quiet Denise sitting close by- the reason for his actions. The flight was as expected, with little Martin Finn-Nelson playing with Denise once Valerie got him situated in his seat. He was fussy and demanded Denise's attention, refusing to nap until Denise put him down and refusing to eat his lunch until Denise fed him. He was a lot like his uncle Michael in Valerie's eyes, which was what she had hoped that he'd be like when he got older especially as he was so caring towards people- even if a bit rough with his grabbing and drooling. The flight saw Denise curling up for a nap after Martin fell asleep, leaving them to talk freely about the situation and get Flora's take on Denise. Flora smiled at seeing the sleeping girl, with Ella realizing that it wasn't as bad as most of the others had been when they were suddenly thrust into the family. She was in no danger and had a family and place to go, she simply was staying with them out of necessity. After sleeping for an hour Denise awoke and saw the five looking at her. Flora told them to give her a chance to unwind, leading Denise to a private bedroom on the plane and telling the scared Denise, "It's alright, we were talking about you but it was because your situation is different than any of ours. You have the luxury of being the only one so far who doesn't need a place to stay out of need, the rest of us had nowhere else to go and some of us, like me, had people chasing after us." Denise was still upset, Flora sighed and explained to her, "I was going to be forced into prostitution by my foster parents. My sister was already forced into that and made us flee so I didn't get hurt. Mom and dad took us in to protect us and got a lot of people in trouble for what they wanted to do to us. We have a lot of people who were worse off than you, your parents might not be the nicest people because they forced you to act and wanted you to be famous, but they haven't hurt you physically. You're different than any of us and that's a good thing. You get to be yourself now, you get to be normal. You get to enjoy being the girl you already are and not have people constantly try talk about becoming a girl." She looked down in shame and confessed, "Martin is my son through making sperm before I had the big surgery. Mom and dad made me save it so I could have babies with Ella. Ella loves me no matter what but it was time that we had children since everyone else had them and I wanted to be a mom. You can be like me, or you can have some via donor eggs if you like boys. Al and Jaimie weren't able to have them that way, but they were a different situation altogether. You are the first of us who has a chance to be normal and not worry about your life or people going after you. One day you'll have babies, I had one and I know Ella wants another one so you see how you can be if you want it to be." Denise looked away in shame to which Flora added, "It's alright to like girls. Your parents are wrong to think that you have to date boys because sexuality and gender are two different things. Just because you like women doesn't mean that you can't be transgender, I never liked boys- does that make me any less of a girl because I fell in love with Ella when we were in middle school? Does it make Uncle Cameron any less of a guy because he dated guys before finding that he was a man who liked women? No. You are you and who you like isn't based on what you have." Denise was in tears, Flora had hit a nerve and caused a lot of pain to surface. Denise didn't know what to think, she knew what she was and had started to feel like she liked girls because no matter how hard she tried to think about boys sexually nothing happened- they were like brothers and friends, not sexual beings. She thought about Benny and Jack and nothing happened, but when she thought about some of her female costars she felt her penis rise and felt warmth and a longing to touch them. Flora hugged Denise and kissed her forehead, then explained to her, "You're at the age when you find if you are into boys or girls or both. I think I know the answer, and you'll find a girl who accepts you for you and won't let anyone push her around. Congratulations on becoming a lesbian, but keep it in your pants: we've already had a couple of 'oops' kids thanks to forgetting that they could get girls pregnant." The two went back to where the others were and saw Ella hug Flora with Valerie eyeing the guys to tell them not to make mention of what was said in private. The subtle glance at Flora and Ella and the look on Denise's face showed that it was related to them, with the duo understanding while Rick shook his head at his in-laws and their unintentional helping. Martin giggled and begged for attention leading to Rick having to give it to him allowing Denise a chance to relax as they flew in silence for another hour. After six hours of flying and a stop to refuel the plane, the group exited and were greeted by a horde of people who immediately went for Martin. He giggled and gurgled, but insisted on being held by Denise much to the dismay of his mothers. She led him to the directed car and strapped him in, with him trying hard to not let her go or allow her to leave his side. His actions caused laughs from the adults, with Valerie happily telling one woman, "He's definitely his uncle's nephew. Michael may refuse to acknowledge the bastard who made him but he's acting so much like Michael that it's hard not to see it. I swear the three are the only good to come from that man." Denise had no idea what the fuss was about, Jack had to explain to her, "She's talking about Martin. It was funny to Aunt Valerie how much he's acting like his uncle Michael. Michael's dad is also Ella's dad so whatever he's doing is something that must run in the family. Uncle John said it's true as all of his nieces act the same way, but he jokes that it's his mother's side of the family and only affects women. It always ends up hurting him because they trick him. None of his nephews or his son JD can trick him but his daughter Cat and her cousins all can. Cat's daughter somehow hasn't done that yet but it's only a matter of time with her. He hopes she's more like her grandmother than her mother but that's unlikely. She's a Finn girl, there's something about them that screams 'trouble' for Uncle John." Valerie was laughing at that description while Denise was left trying to figure out if it was another Jack joke or if he was serious. Valerie happily told her, "He's telling the truth, my darling little devil might be the one who broke my husband's curse. The poor guy, he just can't win with any of those girls. It now a four-generation battle with him as his own great-nieces are tricking him." Valerie led Denise over to the group and introduced her to the adults, with Flora blushing at her sisters each trying to hold back joking about their nephew claiming Denise as his own personal babysitter. The ladies held off saying something as Valerie gave them a look that told them to not say anything, but the kids with them happily hugged Denise before going off to await the adults. Denise knew that she had to endure the introductions, with Valerie specifically making sure that they saw that Denise was alright. Finally sated, Valerie explained to Denise, "Those are Flora's sisters. Jessica Vincent works for DCF, The Department of Children and Families, so will head off any attempts to claim that you are being abused. Dr. Fiona Flynn is a psychologist working alongside my daughter Jaimie. Both are satisfied that you aren't abused and look fine but that's just the start as they want you to be evaluated soon so that there's no leeway in claims of abuse. I know it seems like a pain, but it's better to be safe than sorry especially when it comes to abuse allegations." She led Denise on to Benny's awaiting parents, with Valerie ensuring that they knew that Denise had to attend evaluations the next day and that all of her things were going to be shipped in two days. Denise was starting to feel the jet lag after that, with Valerie formally handing off Denise to the care of Beth and Ben Herman with the two not making light of her tiredness or close look by Fiona and Jessica. Denise was asleep as soon as she strapped herself into the car, with Beth having to hide a smile as she felt a lot of maternal instincts return to her as she watched Denise curl in her seat as best she could. It was funny to her, Denise was 12 yet was still a little kid inside and showed it there Ben had to fight his own smile as Beth enjoyed the chance to care for someone again despite it being on temporary. The couple drove home and upon arriving had to hold off the neighbors while Ben hefted the sleeping Denise inside and up to her new room. Beth and he smiled at the sight as she cuddled into one of her stuffed animals, one that they had gotten her as a present the previous Christmas and was known to be by her side whenever she was filming. It was too cute and gave Beth a feeling of happiness, especially as Ben tried hard not to make mention of Francesca having done the same thing in the past. Denise slept for two hours before awakening, becoming startled at being in a bedroom in an odd house and not having Benny or Jack around. She got up to find the bathroom then followed the sounds of the voices from below, with her recognizing Benny's and Jack's voices. The others made her concerned as it wasn't known if Beth and Ben would be alright with her falling asleep and them having to help he, it was even more unsettling as she didn't know how to react to the others with them. When she entered the kitchen Beth immediately set a plate of food down and insisted that she eat as it had been hours since her last meal and what little she ate on the plane wasn't going to fill her. Benny and Jack wisely told her to eat as well, with the ladies with them trying hard to insist that she not be afraid of them as they weren't staying long and were there because they were picking up their husbands from the airport. Ben intervened and further explained that she needed the rest as she was fighting fears and it was a lot to take in in such a short period of time and she was trying too hard to be mature. After eating, Beth explained to her, "Lucy and Marcie just wanted to see if you were OK. They're a bit maternal ever since dumb and dumber couldn't be bothered to use protection and got them pregnant the last time the ladies visited. It's not their fault, they just don't see each other enough and forgot to use it." She looked over at Benny and Jack who were beet red from blushing while their wives smiled at her as they proudly showed the test strips. Denise tried to say something but Beth wisely explained, "They are both 21 and married, have their own homes, and are ready to settle down for good. I wasn't ready to be a grandmother yet but as Francesca is already one I can't complain about my son having children." She realized her mistake and sighed, telling Denise, "I know she's still my daughter but it's tough to be a grandmother so young. She waited a while, but she still had children. I guess I don't want to give up on being mom yet, my baby boy is finally old enough to be a dad and it's making me feel old." The others wisely gave Beth space as she unintentionally told Denise something she didn't want to say in front of the others. Denise hugged her, it felt right to do so and Beth needed it right then. Denise had a feeling of affection for Beth, she was being motherly and Denise wanted to please her. After a few minutes, Beth confessed to Denise, "I couldn't have more kids after the mental hell having a baby caused me. I couldn't put Ben and Francesca through it and sadly my doctor told me that I might be at risk of dying should I have another. I hope that I don't get too forceful and strict with you, I know I'm not your mother and you don't have to stay with us but I can't guarantee that we won't be at odds." Denise didn't say anything, Beth hugged her and kissed her forehead to show that it was alright and she had said her piece. Denise was led out to where the others were and endured Lucy and Marcie giving a once-over to Denise with Denise grinning as they tried to think of something to say. The ladies weren't able to find anything funny to joke about with Denise happily grinning at Benny and Jack cringing and trying hard to counter what they were about to say even if they weren't going to say anything to them. Eventually the two left her alone and joined their husbands, with Denise relaxing with Beth and Ben as they all watched TV before it was time for dinner. The meal was in silence as the three couples weren't in a mood to joke and Denise didn't have anything to add, knowing that she'd have a lot to talk about in the near future as she had already been told. The meal broke and saw the two couples heading off for home, with Lucy and Benny going one way and Marcy and Jack going another leaving Denise to stay with the Hermans and a quiet night alone together. Denise fell asleep on the couch and had her head fall into Beth's lap causing Ben to shake his head at it being so much like the past. He quietly told Beth, "She's starting to act like Benny and Francesca around us. I think we really need to have Fiona and Jaimie talk with her about what happened at home, I don't like how she's reacting to us. It's too much like other abused and neglected kids. It's too much need for attention from us. It's too much like we're giving her the first positive attention she's had in years." She looked down at the sleeping Denise and sighed, offering a sad, "It's what you think it is. Valerie and I talked about her a lot even before Valerie asked us to care for her for the duration of the show. She has had little to no positive attention from anyone outside of Benny and Jack and doesn't know how to be a normal girl. Her parents didn't get her proper help, they put her in dresses and let things go and used her as a cash cow until Valerie intervened to protect her reputation. She just doesn't know real love." Beth shed a tear leading to Ben adding, "We should have considered surrogacy a while ago but we aren't young anymore and I don't want someone to lose a year of life because we can't bring a child to term. I know it should have happened, but we've been so busy and Benny has been so focused on his show that it didn't cross our minds to adopt. Denise is giving us a chance to parent without parenting, she's in our care but we can't cross the line unless something forces us to act. I know you care for her, but she's not our daughter and her parents are still her parents. We have grandchildren now, that should suffice." Denise moved and hugged Beth while still asleep, unknowingly sensing that Beth needed a hug as well as needing the closeness of Beth at that moment. Ben shook his head at the sight, he felt for Denise and how much her unconscious mind wanted parental love but was only feeling the business end of life. It stung them deeply, but there was nothing that they could do except support Denise and help as needed. After an hour of quiet, the couple moved Denise upstairs to her room and saw Beth change her into her nightgown while Ben got dressed himself. Beth smiled at Denise trying to be subtle in her femininity as it was tough to not see her personality shine through her choices. It was what she'd seen many girls her age wear, with Beth knowing that it was likely the influence of the other girls in the cast helping her to be herself even if those same girls turned against her when they learned the truth about her. Denise awoke the next day at Beth's prompting. Noticing that she was in a nightgown, Denise panicked but Beth soothed her. Beth softly told her, "I changed you, I didn't want you to be uncomfortable. You're not the first girl to have something extra that I've seen, nor will you be the last. It's part of you, if you can accept it then it won't rule your life. Just please- don't show it to anyone unless you know them. It's something that we tell all of the girls and boys as it could lead to trouble and there's far too many who would love a chance to go after us for any reason and that would be a huge reason." Beth helped Denise to the shower and ensured that she was alright before leaving her to get sorted out. When Denise came downstairs she was dressed for the day and saw Beth wisely telling her, "You don't have to look so overdressed, you're talking with Jaimie and Fiona today then have to meet with Vance Taylor about your schooling. All three live in this neighborhood so you aren't going far. If you're lucky, you're going to end up avoiding babysitting duties for the little kids but it might be tough with both the Smiths and Byrne- Torros looking to meet you." Ben snickered to which Beth groaned. Ben casually told Beth, "Rick thought they could use the night off so she's going to end up being asked to babysit Liv, Eli, and Austin. Eli is likely to go with Rider and Liv with Anne leaving Austin to her care. And it gets better: she's doing it here since they thought it might benefit her to get used to being around the youngest kids and give her some help in case she isn't able to handle it. But you know why they're really doing it: Valerie wants John to back away before he gets too involved with her and intimidates her. There's nothing worse than having John oversee you." Denise wanted to ask a bunch of questions, Beth realized the genius of it and added, "John is going to be involved with you and being a teacher he won't stop pestering you about school in case you aren't on the level that you should be. He'll try to teach you instead of you doing your job. Plus he can't stop his grandpa mindset at times and is a bit too strict with the kids. Austin loves him, but that little boy is just a pain in the neck when he can't get his way- much like his father can be." Beth casually added, "John is your boss on paper. He owns the biggest share of Inferno Productions and is a major shareholder in Global as well as many of the movie studios. He's also a teacher, like us. He's the only one of us who struggles to not be a teacher 24/7 so will try hard to help you. He's harmless, he just wants what's best for you. Don't worry about him, he's your biggest supporter behind the scenes." Ben caught her mistake and had to tell her, "John is why you were never fired by the network after you started to outshine the cast the first season. He protected you, forcing them to keep you as part of things until you broke the law or caused issues for the show. He is why the show ended: he forced them to be supportive of you or the show would end. He chose you over future seasons, he ended the show rather than lose you. He's why you are here, he's why you have the new show. He wants you to be around the few who can both help and understand you without wanting anything from you. He understands you, he is a lot of what the show is going to be about: Benny and Jack are him, but a lot funnier." Denise couldn't comprehend what she meant and let it go, Beth looked at the time and drove Denise to a nondescript building a mile away and led her to an office, with the receptionist happy to greet them as well as whisper to Beth about something that caused her to shake her head. Ben groaned at realizing it was another ploy by the family but didn't tell Denise as it was a surprise. Beth calmly explained to Denise, "You're getting three exams today: two mental health and one physical exam. Jaimie Samuels is handling your gender issue, Fiona Flynn is handling your emotional issues, and Trinity Eliza will be handling your general health issues. All three are experienced and won't let it fall to someone else to treat you. Valerie set this all up and wanted a complete set, Trinity wouldn't let you go without being sure that you weren't hiding anything and wanted you to start soon on blockers as she knows that you're going to be experiencing puberty in a matter of months based on latest pictures." Denise had to fight back tears, Beth hugged her and softly told her, "She knows the signs, she wants you to start immediately to prevent just this reaction. Jaimie will be the one to give the go-ahead and Fiona is going to ensure that you are able to handle the changes emotionally. I think your reaction shows just why you need their help. Don't fight them on this, your parents were told after you left and gave the go-ahead for treatment as they have no reason to deny it at this point as it'd hurt them to refuse help." Secretly observing, Fiona wrote some notes to which Jaimie nodded and jotted her own notes. It was a big issue with them, there was more to things than they knew about and Denise was having a reaction that didn't quite match with what they were told. She was relieved and happy to receive treatment, she was acting like someone who had never gotten any sort of positive support before. Jaimie signaled Trinity to back away so she and Fiona could handle Denise, with the two introducing themselves to her officially followed by Jaimie meekly telling Denise, "Mom and dad wanted you to get used to being around us so appointed you as babysitter for my sons and daughter this weekend. I know it isn't something you want to do but he can't say no to my daughter's face. She's trying to setup some fun that night so you and Austin are alone but mom and dad will be around to help if you aren't ready." Denise nodded and added, "Mr. Herman told me that. He said your dad was trying to see if I'm ready for school. I've never been around little kids before so I don't know if I can handle them but I'll do it. I've had to change diapers for the show but never on a real baby." Jaimie smirked while Fiona hid a laugh, she was going to enjoy getting schooled by Austin. The toddler wasn't afraid to make your day miserable if he wanted to. Denise was a target for him, one that he'd be able to manipulate in ways that he hadn't been able to do with his aunts and uncles before. Inside Jaimie's office, she proceeded to go through the standard battery of questions to gauge Denise's sincerity about being transgender and to see if she was in any danger or if she was likely to hurt herself if she didn't get to transition as swiftly as she would have wanted to. Denise wasn't used to being asked about her life before she transitioned and had never been asked her true feelings about being a girl. As it became clear why she was being asked those questions, she opened up more and more and showed it wasn't just a whim and what she had felt went deeper than just clothing and a sense of being unique. Denise confessed to her about times in the past that her parents caught her dressing and made her look like a fool in front of kids in school as they told each of her friends and their parents what she had done and why. That was followed by her telling about being abused by kids in school because she refused to lie about being a girl inside and admitted that she loved being a girl even if it wasn't right. She finally admitted that the school caused her parents to back away from telling others about her dressing and to seek professional help even if they didn't agree with what was going on with her. Denise broke down and told about an evaluation that she had with a doctor who told her parents that it was best to wait to let her transition as it might be a plea for attention. Jaimie asked about the doctor's name and upon hearing it she explained to Denise, "I know him and we have clashed consistently over his lazy approach to treating children. He isn't a gender specialist, he specializes in multiple personality issues as well as severe depression. He isn't qualified to treat you, your parents should have gotten you referred to a proper gender specialist but knowing him it's likely he lied about your issues." Denise nodded, then explained how her parents were told that she'd be better off in a new school with a new principal who forced her to act like a normal boy. Her parents moved to a new city and were all set to enroll her as a new student but fate intervened as she was discovered by a producer who had been in the area and was waiting in line behind them at a fastfood restaurant. He saw the perfect little girl to be in his movie and got her a role in several national commercials, starting her career. Jaimie had to smirk at that, her colleague had unintentionally given her exactly what Denise needed to be a girl as she couldn't be a boy again if she was earning money living as a girl. Denise added that she refused to be a boy again and after a few more roles she got the role of a lifetime in, "Tickle Your Funny Bone" allowing her to be herself on camera while also being able to write and sing. Jaimie added on to that, "We really couldn't believe how much you were able to thrive as your true self on set." Denise blushed and asked why she knew that, to which Jaimie explained, "I could see it in your eyes. It was what you were born to do. You are a performer, you love entertaining people. You are also one of the best child writers, give you a plot and you can make comedy gold. You studied and it showed as the skits you wrote were some of the best on the show despite getting little credit. But you did get some, it wasn't noticed but each of you were given a pseudonym in the credits as contributing writers so you'll be receiving a Writers Guild card whenever you officially join. But that's not relevant to today." Jaimie asked about being outed, Denise looked at her in tears and told her, "Mom and dad hit me for it. I wasn't responsible, it was my costar. She found out the truth by having someone follow me home. He took pictures of me in the shower and showed them to the network and got them to get me fired. When Benny and Jack didn't do it the network canceled the show. I wanted to quit, my life was over. I can't go back to normal school and I can't go to private school. I don't know what I'll do when this is all over. I don't want to be a boy. I don't want to lose Benny and Jack. I don't want to lose everything." She was in tears. Jaimie let her cry herself out then asked about her parents. Denise cried and told her, "I'm not their son. I never was. I was just their kid, someone who they used to make people feel bad as I was too small to be a normal boy and too girly to play with normal boys. I hated being a boy, they hate me. There, I said it. Until I got discovered I was just a burden on them. Now they have money and can be what that want to be. I don't care for them, I love them but I'm not their daughter. I never was." Jaimie let her calm herself and further explained, "I know you are transgender, I just needed to know if you had an actual evaluation or if you were transitioning on your own without help. You were doing it on your own without help and have done well despite the odds against you. You can continue to be the girl that you are inside and I'll see to it that you receive proper treatment and that your parents are not able to intervene again. If need be, I'll have my husband petition the courts for emancipation." Denise hugged her, with Jaimie hugging her back to calm her nerves. Denise asked timidly if she could be a girl all of the time even in school, leading Jaimie to explain, "That's why I'm examining you, it's so you can go to school as a girl and nobody can stop you. The city is fine with you being a girl, it's just a way of covering themselves and you in case parents take issue. We might have come a long way, but it is still better to be safe than sorry just in case someone causes a big stink." Denise was led out only to have Fiona lead her into her office to talk about her family life and how it's effect had hurt her. Denise looked down in shame, but Fiona softly told her, "I've seen the pained look in so many children and adults before. I know you have been hurt by your parents, I don't need to read Jaimie's notes about their interactions with you to know that you aren't in the best mindset. I don't know if it's abuse or neglect or a longing to please them or something worse. I need to hear it from you." Denise looked down in shame and confessed, "Ever since I was born they have hated me. I'm just not a child to them, I'm a crutch to make people feel sorry for them or to exploit to get new clients. I've been lucky so far, dad hasn't offered me to anyone but mom threatened me once that if I stopped being a star I would be out on the streets turning tricks. I love them, but they just don't love me. I know I'm not the boy they wanted, I never was a boy. I'm a girl, I have always been a girl. I confessed that I'm a girl. It was their idea to have me continue being a girl so I could get parts, but I loved it. They take all of my money, I don't care about that. All I care about is being my own person and making myself into what I am now. I am a girl, I love being a girl. I'm a girl, I'm me." When Denise finished, Fiona asked if he had talked with anyone about her family life. Denise looked away in shame, telling her, "I couldn't tell anyone. Nobody but my parents knew that I was a boy in my panties. I couldn't tell anyone that I had to act my best and write my best because if I didn't I wouldn't be a girl any longer. I couldn't talk about what I did at home or what I was feeling because nobody had any interest in me. Benny and Jack were great with me and looked after me when mom and dad had to be away, but they never showed any interest in me. I was just their little buddy, someone to talk about the show with and someone who told them what they were doing wrong. I like them a lot, but they are just my costars and the two who treated me best and defended me from everyone after I was outed." Fiona knew otherwise, softly telling Denise, "They treated you like a little sister. They knew all about the secret you had, they protected you from the network long before that scumbag took pictures of you. It's no secret to them that you are different than anyone else, they loved that about you. You are special in a different way, you are the only one they trust to tell them the truth. You could have gone to them to talk anytime, they would have listened and helped you to the point of even getting Rick or Jaimie or even my sister and sister-in- law to take you in. They care about you, all of them do." Fiona asked about her home life after the pictures got out to the network. Denise cried hard and told her, "Dad was furious and mom was outraged that I let myself get caught. I didn't do anything, but it was all my fault. Mom was upset that her business was going to be hurt, dad wanted to sue the network and the girl whose parents hired the investigator but was told off by the network and her family. Dad said they were working together, only a few knew where we lived and let it get known to the woman." Fiona asked if her parents threatened her before, Denise nodded and explained, "Dad isn't that good of a lawyer and had to do a lot of work to keep us living in a big house while mom's business is just a cheap business that looks at houses and tells people what's wrong with them. Neither work hard, they just do a lot of work for a lot of money. Most of their money actually comes from my contract, so losing my job is hurting them as they have to work hard again to makeup for the lost money. They blame me for it all, dad has a lot of people mad at him for not working on their cases while mom has to work hours on end to fulfill her quota and the backlog of work. I'm to blame for it all, it's all my fault! If I wasn't a girl inside none of this would have happened! Mom and dad would love me and treat me normal!" That last part came out hard and caused Denise to crumple to the floor in tears. Fiona had what she had been hoping to achieve: the crux of the matter. Denise wasn't their daughter, she was just their cash cow and now that she was away from them her parents would have to work for a living instead of sponging off of Denise's hard work and fame. Fiona hugged Denise, sat her down on a couch, then explained to her, "I have to inform the authorities about suspected abuse by your parents. I also have to tell them that your parents may have violated the law by using your salary to pay for their lifestyle. They might have some right to a percentage of what you earned, but not if they didn't sign a legal contract with you and not over a certain amount. All of the money you earned is rightfully yours, they have no right to access it no matter how much you made." Denise didn't care, she just wanted to be herself and be a girl. Fiona led her out and had Trinity do her examination of Denise allowing the four to talk in private about what was going to happen next. It was a thin line that she had to straddle legally, but Fiona had to tell them what was said without violating any of the confidentiality laws or betraying Denise's trust in her. Fiona was blunt, telling Jaimie, "She has a lot of animosity and feelings of resentment. She needs to be away from her parents and continue to perform as a girl or she might become depressed if not suicidal. I know you know that she's female, but for once it isn't what's driving her issues: her parents are. What she told me about them makes me think that she's better off not having contact with them unless it's an emergency and even then only as a last resort. She needs stability and support." She then added, "She told me about a major violation of her rights by a woman who took pictures of her and showed them to her costar's parents and the network. Those pictures exist and will be used against her, they need to be destroyed. I think the state needs to become involved because this might not be the first time that woman has done this to a child, it's too precise to not have been the first time." Jaimie nodded while Beth and Ben tried to figure out what to do. Jaimie made a phone call which both knew to be bad news for the network as well as Denise's former costar. She had a look of defiance, one of her patients had been harmed and she would not let that rest until someone paid the price for it. In an adjacent examination room, Denise was given a physical by Trinity Eliza. Denise was nervous, it was the first physical a doctor had given her in several years and the first she had undergone as a girl. It was for naught as Trinity was quick and thorough, ensuring that Denise was alright physically before it was told to her that she was healthy and developing nicely. When she finished the normal examination, Trinity finally told Denise, "You are doing fine physically, the mental aspect of transitioning will take longer. Once you realize that it's not a dream and you will be a girl physically soon it'll cause your anxiety to lift. Trust me on this, it's the best feeling in the world to receive your first hormone shot and given your first estrogen prescription." Denise looked down at her chest and had a sad look, Trinity sagely told her, "It took me a long time to get accustomed to them when the hormone started to kick in for me. Mom and momma didn't want me to grow too fast, they wouldn't let me take higher dosages and always kept my pills hidden. They went a step further and forbid me from harming myself, I wanted everything gone but had to wait until I was 18 to have the surgery. I'm grateful that I didn't hurt myself, if I did I wouldn't have my darling son and we wouldn't have had to change how we acted with one another. We know the pain that you endure as a girl, but trust us: we also know that it's even worse if you harm yourself." She shed a tear and explained, "One of us harmed herself because she was afraid that she'd never be able to transition. She was threatened by her principal and school psychologist, they claimed that she was lying about being a girl and told her to prove it by castrating herself right there. She did just that: she cut off her testicles to show that she truly was a girl. It scared all of us, she was so afraid that she did the unthinkable just to show that she wassn't joking about being a girl. We take this very seriously, you have help and you have people who understand you on so many levels. You have Jaimie. You have me. You have Flora. You have Anita Dupree. I mean just that: Anita Dupree, the highly beloved singer and a woman who is like us, understands you and will be sniffing around to meet with you at some point. She won't let you feel like you are alone and knows what it's like to be betrayed by family and used for the benefit of those who could not care any less about you. She'll be your confidant if you need it." Trinity led Denise out and had Jaimie immediately tell Trinity, "Those who need to know, know. We are going to keep an eye on her just in case but she should be alright. It looks like it's anxiety and the need to get away from Los Angeles and into a better place, one with proper support around her." Trinity countered, "I told her the worst and told her to expect Anita at some point. It'd be tough to not be around her given Benny and Jack are probably going to get her to help on the show. She could use the distraction, and she'd love to help someone taking after her in too many way." Denise was silently processing what she had been told, which Beth and Ben took to be their cue to take her back home. In the car, Denise asked if it was true about a girl hurting herself trying to show that she was really a girl and what happened to her. It was a tough question to answer, as they didn't want to tell her the whole story but had to tell her something to satisfy her need to know. After several minutes of silence, Beth calmly explained to Denise, "It's true. Her name is Brady Carter and she was bullied by her principal and the school psychologist. They bullied her because both weren't supposed to be doing the jobs that they were doing but forced key people into hiring them. Brady had no choice but to either do what she did or admit that she was a boy pretending to be a girl. She chose to castrate herself to prove that she was serious, leading to a lot of trouble for her mothers and making the state, city, and us force people to see that she had been wronged and she was fine before her principal was hired. She's doing great now, she just graduated high school and is going off to college." Ben grumbled, "She's unlike you: she has an identical twin brother. He has a lot in common with you, he starred in three movies alongside a lot of the other kids of the family. I think you should see them, it'll help you get used to what Benny and Jack were thinking of. The little weasels are basing your character on Jaimie, but without the castration and assault issues that she went through." Beth cleared her throat causing Ben to abruptly tell her, "Watch the movies. Jaimie went through a lot of issues in the past that you'd understand, especially being outed by someone trying to manipulate things. It'd also help you understand what's going on with us, although I don't like that we were dragged into the movies playing our friends. I'm nothing like Randy Leeds and Beth is no Cynthia Eagleson. Randy was a great man who could talk to you for hours about anything and Cynthia was an angel with more patience than a saint who endured too much horror in her life. We were too young for the parts but the two wanted people they respected to play them, and John didn't want anyone else to get the roles." Beth swatted him for that joke, Ben added, "I'll ask if Brady can talk with you tomorrow. I'd rather you talk in person and hear it from her, she's due to have 'the talk' about boys now that she's going to be out and about and away from the safety of Winnisimmet High School. Her brother is keeping his distance as he doesn't want you to feel obligated to think that everyone wants to know you. He's private, plus is under the scrutiny of his girlfriend's father most of the time." The drive home was quiet after that, but did see Beth cringe as she read a text message from someone. Ben shook his head and told Denise, "That's Jessica texting. You're going to have to talk with her as a precaution so the state knows what your side of the story is and protects us from false allegations. I suspect that she wants to go after your parents based on what you told her sister, Fiona won't hold back and Trinity and Jaimie know not to get between Fiona and protecting her patients." Jessica met them outside the house and escorted them inside and didn't wait long before she asked if it was neglect or abuse being alleged against the Halls. Beth growled a terse, "It's both as well as theft. If I know Valerie the worst issues are being taken care of but the abuse is just being addressed. She's trying to hold herself together but it's only a matter of time before the extent of their neglecting her care starts to show itself. She held herself together for a long time without mental health support, but even I can see that she's about ready to crack and when she does it won't be pretty. She's going to talk with Brady soon, if not Brady then we'll have her talk with one of the other girls." Jessica nodded, adding, "Flora told Brady already and she'll be by tonight. Megan wanted to come by but Brady overruled her. I don't think Denise is ready to see Ian yet, she might get to intimidated." Denise asked what she meant, Ben snorted leading to Jessica sighing and telling her, "He's a big man. I do mean big: he's 6'8" and over 300 pounds, most of it muscle. He's extremely protective of Megan and doesn't let her out of his sight unless he's sure she's going to be safe. He loves his little girl, she's a big girl now but he can't help but protect his angel from harm. She wants to help, but you're fine with just Brady talking with you. She has a way with kids that calms them, even if she's a little firecracker." Jessica gave them a signal to leave them for a while, then asked a series of questions about her parents and what they had done to her in the past. The story was typical of Hollywood parents that she heard a lot about from Anita Dupree: Denise was discovered and through her acting her parents were able to be big shots without spending any of their own money. Whenever Denise did something that might harm their money she would be threatened and several times assaulted forcing her to lay low for several days at a time with no contact with Benny or Jack or the show's director and producers with the Halls both claiming that Denise was "sick" so her bruises and scratches healed and wouldn't be noticed. Jessica wrote things down and knew the dates through Benny telling her, with Denise having a visible bruise on her arms or cuts on her cheek that were never explained. Jessica showed footage to Denise to verify her suspicions to which Denise shed a tear and told her, "The cut on my cheek came from mom's rings from when she slapped me too hard because I fumbled my lines. I have trouble with some of the lines that one writer gives us, he doesn't know that it doesn't work with all characters to talk a certain way but he had more clout than me then. The bruises came from dad grabbing me and hitting me due to my getting one of the skits rejected because it made no sense and was unfunny. Dad and the writer had worked on that for days and dad was going to get a cut of the writer's pay as his agent for helping him get the job on the show. I cost him his job causing dad to go after me." Jessica sighed and explained to Denise, "I have to report this to my colleagues out west. I'm going to ask that you be placed with Aunt Beth and Uncle Ben until you turn 14 then ask that you be allowed to be emancipated. That means you'll be on your own but have someone as your guardians." Denise looked at Beth and Ben, her question was obvious to which Beth explained, "Valerie knew that it would happen so it doesn't change a thing. We'd be proud to remain as your guardians. You don't have to move out, you can live here for as long as you like. You'll have rules, but that won't be a problem." Denise hugged Beth tightly, crying into her shoulder allowing the anxiety of the day to flow freely. Ben wisely didn't say anything but did lead Jessica out and await the oncoming inquisition from Valerie and John, the latter of whom wanted to know the truth and was ready to fight whatever battle was brewing. Ben just nodded to them to come in, but before he could do anything several little kids came running in to meet Denise causing her to stop crying and look for an explanation. The kids were all smiles and saw Valerie calmly and authoritatively tell the kids, "Benny isn't here and I told you all to wait across the street. I need to talk with her alone. Don't make me make you clean the yard and change diapers AGAIN. Your cousins are due for a poop in an hour or so." The kids went back out leaving Valerie and a man awaiting Jessica's response. Jessica looked over to at Denise then told the duo, "It's confirmed. Two separate occasions of abuse, one by each parent. I have to inform my colleagues about the situation but your idea makes the most sense. Your having them sign an agreement to transfer custody to Aunt Beth and Uncle Ben worked for the best, she's staying with them until she can be emancipated. I suggest working as fast as possible to cover her as it's a guarantee that her parents will fight for every penny of her bank account." The man stepped forward and growled, "Rick is already talking with the Kaplans to setup a trust fund for her as well as recover every cent. She should be fine financially and will received every cent back thanks to the two working again and making money from being agents for other kids. I had Nora Biggs spread word that any attempt to discredit Denise would be fatal for the studios' movies." Denise asked who Nora was, with Valerie telling her, "She runs Inferno Productions. If she says that it's a toxic situation then you can guarantee that people will listen. Your parents are fighting people who're more powerful than anyone in Hollywood and not afraid to play dirty to protect you. Nora wants you to be safe and asked us to get personally involved to ensure nobody would hurt you again." Denise asked who he was, Valerie, Ben and Beth fought a laugh while Jessica explained, "He's the man who causes fear to everyone in Hollywood and most politicians around the country. He's John Finn, the man, the myth, the legend in the flesh. And he happens to be a major owner of Inferno Productions as well as the one who'll ensure that nobody claims you aren't getting a proper education here." Jessica smirked while John added, "Geeze, can you make me into any more of a god? I'm fully licensed as a teacher and have been a high school history and government teacher for 25 school years. I'm one of the foremost theoretical teaching method practitioners. I earned my masters and PhD and was one of the driving forces behind online and video education. I also happen to be a billionaire who chooses to be a teacher instead of sitting around all day counting my money. That's my wife's job." Had to dodge a cushion tossed at him by Valerie, to which he added, "She's a lawyer but handles a lot of the delicate matters personally. Your situation was one of those matters, it was so delicate that I became involved and shut down 'Tickle Your Funny Bone' because of what the network did to you. The ones in charge are gone, the ones replacing them know that they have a lot of work ahead of them to bring in a new show that can pull even a quarter of the ratings your show brought in. I'm still angered that there's nothing I can do to further humiliate them, but they're toast in the entertainment business now." The group noticed the time and had Denise eat lunch while the adults talked around her. Denise tried to not look John's way but it was tough to understand how someone who looked like your grandpa was the richest person she had ever met. John knew what she was thinking but let it go, it wasn't something to be accepted at face value nor was it something that happened overnight to him. After lunch, John led Denise to his house and had her do some work on the various workbooks he had on hand then gauged what she had done before telling her, "You are on the level and might be a bit too advanced in some areas. You are clever and your writing skills are exceptional, but you need to do a lot of work to bring it closer to the level of your peers. Don't fret, it's nothing to worry about. You went at it from an entertainment side of things, not an academic side." Sensing the need to say something, John finally broached the subject and told her, "Look at these articles and it'll show you what I mean. I've been public for a long time, even if I'm still a private person. I did a lot of things that would make a lot of people laugh at my not living it up and being a snob. I care a lot about kids and learning, I want the next generation to do better than the previous one. I endured a lot of hardship and struggle before I got lucky and could finally do something with my life. I swore I'd help others, I still stand by that swear 25 and a half years later." She read the articles and couldn't believe that he was just a normal person. Reading the accolades that his teaching style had received she understood that it was something that he did because he loved it, as she did for her performing and Benny and Jack did with their comedy. Seeing the degrees on the all of his office showed that he was happy with what he learned and given the years that passed since earning each degree he was someone who worked hard and still found time to better himself educationally. John sat her down and confessed to her, "It's a lot of boring work, but I love teaching kids. They're what makes things rewarding: seeing people grow and become better and help correct the mistakes that their parents made. I know too many kids whose parents were terrible people yet whose children were some of the best people I've ever taught. I've know a lot of abused children who made life better for those in need of love and attention. I've even known children who just needed inspiration to better life and be all that they could be even if it meant they would have to go it alone." Denise started to understand what he was saying, he knelt down in front of her and took her hand into his then told her firmly, "We knew that you weren't born as Denise physically but protected you so that it wasn't used to harm you. We stand by our decision, you were who we wanted to costar and were the best of the lot who auditioned. You are a great talent, now you get to be a great talent who is your own person and who is a normal girl. Sure you might be on TV, but that won't hinder being a normal girl." She hugged John tightly while fighting crying. John led her downstairs and was immediately mauled by the group of kids then a crying infant. John wisely told Denise, "Just let them get their fill of attention. It took all of their strength not to disturb you earlier. And avoid this dribbling beast, he's cute but toxic." The infant gave him a glare then clapped his hands at seeing Denise. John handed him to her and saw the little boy gurgle and coo while giving John a look that told him to back away or else. John wisely moved back and grumbled, "I swear I've been cursed! Every single one of you do this to me!" The kids snickered while the eldest told Denise, "Babies hate grandpa John. Mommy said Uncle Brent is the only one who didn't cry around him. Uncle Brent loves grandpa, even if he loves everyone." The little girl introduced herself as Skylar Finn, with the others being her cousin Mark Finn and 2nd-cousins Bryan and Pierre Smith. Mark giggled at hearing his name, leading Skylar to tell Denise, "He's a big attention hog. Grandpa gets mad when he makes fun of him. Dad said grandpa isn't happy that the babies do that but it's funny. He likes attention, and he knows grandpa is grumbling about it." The kids were happy to play with Denise and got her to act like a kid for a bit as Skylar brought out the girl in Denise that had been suppressed for years. Skylar was happy to tell her about the family, it was a rite of passage among them and it fell to her to help this time. She might not be a Finn, but she was new to the group and would be staying with her grandfather's friends close by so Denise was family now. Pierre and Bryan paid little heed to the kids and played on their own while Mark fell asleep in Denise's lap forcing her to sit back and watch TV until the adults came to get them. Denise asked who Skylar's parents were, getting a timid, "Dad is called JD by everyone but his real name is Joseph, he adopted me after mom met dad because mom's car kept breaking down. Dad helped her and fell in love with her, he adopted me after my 'real' dad refused to be my dad and help mom. Mark is Uncle Gavin's and Aunt Cat's son, Bryan is Uncle Ethan's and Aunt Melinda's son, and Pierre is Uncle Pete and Aunt Hannah's son. Aunt Cat is daddy's twin sister but daddy loooks like grandpa and Aunt Cat looks like mom. Mark and Pierre are related by blood to grandpa, Uncle Ethan isn't blood to grandpa but he's still Granty Karen's and Gruncle Nigel's son. A lot of kids in the family are adopted, but he's Gruncle Nigel's nephew by blood and Granty is grandpa's sister by blood so he's family to grandpa no matter what." Denise started to understand her message even if she wasn't really saying it: there's more to the story. It was a lot to process but Denise liked that the family was complex and what she knew already made it a lot more complex and she hadn't net been told just how complex it was. She had heard some names in the past through Benny and Jack, with Flora and Ella unintentionally telling her about the family too. Denise realized something and asked if Gavin and Cat were related to Jack. Skylar nodded and added a happy, "Uncle Gavin is Uncle Jack's cousin. Their moms are sisters, Uncle Gavin was adopted into their family because his parents didn't want him anymore and couldn't use him to make money. Daddy and Aunt Cat made them adopt Uncle Gavin to help him stay close to Aunt Cat. Mommy said he took Aunt Cat's family name because his name didn't mean anything but her family meant the world to him." The two didn't talk after that, Pierre climbed into Denise's lap and made himself comfortable while the older Bryan played on the floor with his beloved trucks. Pierre fell asleep pinning Denise in place as it was impossible to move with both him and the sleeping Mark pressing down on her. Skylar didn't say a word as it was something she'd seen others experience thanks to the two boys falling asleep easily. John came down to get Denise but saw her problem, then wisely announced, "Your parents are here," and caused both boys to awaken with Mark crying at seeing John nearby. John shook his head and told the perplexed Denise, "He wasn't asleep, he was just playing. He knew it was almost time to leave and knew I would have to get him. The little weasel is too much like his mother, I hope she's ready for having the tables turned on her now that she's a mother and see just what she did to me back then." Mark gave him a glare but John happily added, "It's bath night, enjoy the face and head wash. I know it will be fun for your mother. The wetter you get her, the more toys I might get you. Don't skimp on the soap in her face, she just loves it when you do that." Mark giggled and waddled off while Skylar gathered Bryan's toys and Pierre plopped down to make a mess of the other toys. Pierre immediately ran for the stairs when he heard voices, with him jumping in the arms of a woman who entered while smiling at a man with her. Skylar was going to say something, but was stopped by the woman who told her, "Your dad is delayed because of parts shipment issue. You are staying with Uncle John until then." Skylar nodded and went back to watching TV while the woman looked over Denise trying to figure out what was going on with her and what to say to her. The man finally told her, "That's enough, Hannah." The man stepped forward and offered his hand, explaining to Denise, "Please excuse my sister. She is in a bad habit of trying to assess people who shouldn't be bothered. She means you no harm, she just isn't used to anyone from Hollywood not trying to get something out of her." He then added, "I'm Ethan Smith, Bryan's father. This is my sister Hannah, grumpy's mother. Sorry if Pierre pinned you to the couch, he loves to do that to people. Mark got him to do that for fun and he hasn't stopped doing it no matter how much we try to keep him awake when Mark's around." Hannah wisely stayed quiet, letting Ethan lead Denise upstairs while she handled the kids. Pierre gave Denise a big hug while Bryan kissed her and ran off giggling. Hannah shook her head at that, he got the attention of the adults for doing that and knew he would get a smile from Denise. On her way out, Hannah sagely told Denise, "You have a lot of people behind you. What your parents or the network will try to pull will fail badly. Things aren't as they appear and we won't let you get hurt so it's not going to be a fair fight with them. We don't lose, we play to win and your health, safety, and your happiness means we will fight more firepower that your parents can't withstand or counter." Denise looked over to John for help, John smirked and added, "She's been part of Hollywood since 2021 and has a string of bestselling children's books as well my brother's autobiography while also writing the film adaptations of my brother's book, a popular young adult book series, and a popular book series written by Francesca's mother. Before you ask, I don't mean Beth. That's a story for another time as it's a sad tale involving a lot of people and someone who betrayed our family." Denise looked like she wasn't convinced, John showed her a book as well as several blu-ray boxes. She wasn't convinced until she saw the name, "Finn" and, "Smith" on each. He softly explained, "I know it's a lot to understand, but she's highly talented but is also down to earth. She isn't one to mince words and is a tough person to go against when she's upset. She ripped the network a new one and canceled the deal they had with her to bring her book series to their network, it cost them millions as they had to destroy all of the merchandise they were going to release to tie-in with the show. It's now running on the same network your new show is running on and funny thing- your old show is moving there next week as it is no longer under contract with the network as WE own the rights to it and they voided their deal." John's look was scaring Denise, Valerie happily told him to knock off the Machiavellian antics and stop scaring Denise to which John happily added, "I can't help but show off once and a while. She needed to know that we took what happened to her seriously: millions of dollars were lost, millions were made by a network who needed a hit show and next to no promotion. They got two shows to fill their airtime at next to no cost since we are the ones producing everything. And on top of that, they don't own all of the merchandising rights like that other network does so we're making money off of the shows even if it ends once she graduates high school. It's win-win for all of us!" The two walked out to the Herman home and saw Hannah talking animatedly with Benny while Jack had the unfortunate luck of entertaining Pierre as their wives fought laughs. John wisely didn't talk as it was too funny and the little boy knew what he was doing and why it was having an impact on the two. Pierre noticed John and smirked, then walked his mother off before she got any more upset while John gave him a nod of approval for doing his mother a favor and helping Jack get a needed reality check. Beth asked what that was all about, to which John happily replied, "She's out for blood and isn't holding back. She knows something's amiss and wants answers, but knows enough to not ask Jaimie, Fiona or Trinity. She's going to try to weasel the information out of Ella and Flora but that won't work for long. I just hope that she doesn't try to go after me but I'm not breaking this time. Even she knows her limits in regards to me and children and won't push things further." Turning to Jack and Benny, he smirked while their wives blushed. John shook his head and told them, "I guess 'like father, like son' except your father was older. And you, young man, better be ready for what your cousins will dish because there's no way Donald holds back after you teased him." Jack tried to hide his shame while his wife kissed him. John had Denise go upstairs to calm herself and told the awaiting Beth and Ben, "She's alright. No need for a tutor, what she isn't strong in will be helped by being with kids her own age. Her real issue is dealing with fake friends, but that's something that she has to learn on her own. Being in your care should help a lot, but just be on the lookout for phonies." The two couples left and saw John talking about something school- related for an hour before he left to allow Ben and Beth a chance to talk with Denise in private over dinner. Denise was quiet, Ben took it to be her thinking while Beth knew otherwise: she was afraid of them. They hadn't done anything yet to show that they were accepting of her, she was in fear that she'd do something to upset them. After dinner, Beth sat with Denise in the living room watching TV then confessed to Denise, "You don't have anything to fear from us. You can't upset us unless you get caught breaking the law or doing drugs with some of the local stoners. As long as you follow the rules and try to pitch in around the house we'll be happy to be your hosts. It's nice having someone home with us, the girls are great but it has felt too quiet and lonely since Benny moved out west." Denise looked down in shame, Beth gave her a hug and kissed her forehead to show that she wasn't in trouble. The two sat quietly until sleep overcame Denise forcing Ben to carry her upstairs. Denise was in a deep sleep and had a smile on her face, she didn't realize she did it but she loved the closeness. Denise was allowed to sleep in the next morning with Beth and Ben getting things ready for her signing up for school. When she finished eating she went with them to the city's middle school building to meet the two principals, with both hugging Beth and Ben while eyeing Denise closely. Ben calmly told them that it was what they had heard and they were acting on behalf of her parents at Valerie's request. Vance and Dorothy Taylor simply nodded, took a look at John's notes, then agreed that Denise was best placed in Vance's basic th grade class with her getting a full immersion into the world of being with teenagers who were nothing like the kids she had known on set. She was fine with that, she wanted to be normal and if it meant basic classes then it was all the better for her. With that out of the way, Dorothy asked about her main issue. Beth gave her a side glance then casually told her, "Fully diagnosed by Jaimie, with additional treatment from Fiona. What was suspected she had confirmed and the proper people notified. They couldn't or wouldn't do anything out west, but she's in our care and you know how Jaimie is. And to boot, Jaimie knew the quack who examined her initially so she's looking for blood and going for the throat. Social services will be knocking shortly." Vance had to hold back his wife from asking further as Denise was listening to them. Dorothy asked to speak with Denise alone as it was going to need addressing at some point and it was best to get it out of the way while she was already there. She took a deep breath then told Denise, "You're not going to have anyone telling you that you can't be a girl nor will you be forced to act otherwise. We take care of girls and boys like you, especially ones who need protection more than any other children." She looked at a picture on her desk then confessed, "I've known transgender people for years. My wife was transgender, my daughter, son-in-law, and daughter-in-law are. I don't want you to think that you're all alone, you have many people willing to drop everything to help you. Vance and I will listen. Zeke Bollinger will listen. Mavis Shriner will listen. They've all taught girls and boys like yourself. And yes, Zeke is Jack's uncle as well as Donald's father. He's a good friend who is more than happy to set any of the students straight should they feel the need to try to test their strength against you. He'll protect you, he loves showing that just because you are strong doesn't mean you rule the school." Denise was led out and saw Vance talking with several people while Beth and Ben tried hard not to say anything. Denise observed them, Vance was trying hard not to say anything but the woman was making him squirm while the man was doing his best to keep silent as he observed Denise. Eventually Dorothy cleared her voice and told the couple to get back to work, with the man complaining that his wife was in too much of a hurry to get Denise in her studio to show what she can do. Denise was finally noticed causing the man to cringe while the woman smiled at her. Dorothy told the scared and intimidated Denise, "These two loud people are my daughter and son-in-law, Polly and Diego Vincent. Polly is looking into having you learn from her at Amanda Kelly's dance school. It's not one of those Hollywood performing arts schools, it's a professional business and Polly runs the modern dance classes and usually runs the beginner ballet classes. It's up to you if you want to learn, neither Beth nor Ben will be pressuring you to learn and your parents were warned to stay away from your studies." Denise was unsure about what to do so Ben led her out while Polly and Diego were left to endure the look of shame and embarrassment from Dorothy. In the car, Denise was thinking about what Dorothy had said, liking the idea of dancing but not wanting to endure the same classes that she had to take back home. She danced pretty well, but her instructors were only going through the motions with her. At the Herman home, Beth sat with her and asked if she wanted to dance. Denise looked ashamed, Beth had read her mind without thinking about it. Beth took the look to mean, "Yes" and told her, "Polly is a good teacher. She understands you, she's not transgender- her husband is. You can learn if you want, we aren't going to force you to do what you don't want to do. It's great fun, we all learned from Amanda as it was a great help at the prom and school dances, she loves teaching kids and you'd benefit from her." The three ate dinner then went out for a walk. Denise was happy to blend in among the crowd and be a normal girl, with Beth and Ben only getting notice from people who knew them but who had some idea about what was going on with Denise. She enjoyed the distraction, it was something she hadn't done for a long time and for once she felt like she was going to be alright. Jack and Benny were out with their wives and tried to hide away, only to stop short as they saw Denise looking sad at being rejected by them. Their wives hugged and kissed her making her see that it wasn't her fault. The two smiled and talked with Beth while Ben wisely let the two squirm, letting Denise see that she was just there and they were happy to see Beth and Ben even if it was unplanned. On the way back home, Denise asked why they were always away. Ben grinned and explained to her, "It was simply bad timing for them. The girls are great people who have spent a lot of time with us, but it's also tough for Benny and Jack to endure their relatives. Benny's cousins are tough to put up with as the girls know how to get under his skin and make him cringe without trying. Jack's cousins are even worse as Al knows just what to do to make him choke and plans her timing perfectly too make him nearly gag on his juice. She loves him deeply, but it's payback for all of his dirty diapers she had to change." Smiling at the memories, Beth added a happy, "Al and he have a special bond. She's not like the other transgender girls: she never wanted to be a girl. Jack learned the truth by accident at an early age and gave her a lot of trouble so it was the worst she could endure while being forced to babysit him without having a child yourself. She's a mother now, but she never got to experience childbirth nor can have a child of her own blood due to the accident that made her have to become a girl. She's fine with that, Jack gave her all of the experiences of parenthood and prepared her for what she needed to know." Denise was enthralled by that, she asked what happened to Al to cause her to be a girl. Beth had to hide her shame while Ben calmly explained, "Her parents were murdered by someone manipulating a group of corrupt police officers. The car she was in crashed, it badly damaged her privates causing her to need to have emergency surgery leaving her with female private parts instead of male. Both of her testicles were severed so there was no way to create semen before they crafted her vagina. This same accident also killed Francesca's mothers forcing her into our care. We fell in love with Francesca and she with us with her asking to be adopted as our daughter so she was safe from people who wanted to use her for her inheritances. Benny was just four months old then, but helped her accept us as her foster parents then later as her parents. He's our little darling, Beth can't have any more children due to health issues caused by her pregnancy so he's our only offspring. We love both of them equally and are happy that they are now married and going to become parents. Francesca's husband Donald is whom we hoped she'd marry and Benny's wife Lucy is his perfect counterpart. We're getting up there in age, but they still need us. Even now. Even as parents themselves." Denise went up to her room and felt like she was loved for the first time in a long time. These were the kind of people that she had dreamed about meeting: people who had never met her wanted to help her, people who knew how to deal with all of the issues that she would be facing wanted to ensure that she didn't suffer as they suffered, people who were ready to drop everything and keep her from harm. They were a dream come true: the greatest people on Earth. She fell asleep clutching one of her most prized possessions: a picture of Benny, Jack, and her at one of the network's awards events and the first time that she got to wear a beautiful dress. She was smiling in it, with her hair brushed out to give it body and show off her unique girly style that contrasted with the older girls of the cast. She was in tears much of the night as they were laughing so hard at the host, who purposely tried to target them to get the duo to laugh hard: Francesca. It was a special night for Denise, it was the last night that she felt like a normal girl and not an actress trying to play the part of a girl. After that night her parents started to have delusions of grandeur as she had won an award for, "Favorite young comedy star" for her part in the show and had offers from a few advertising agencies for Denise to appear in national campaigns for major products. She did the roles and liked many of the new clothes and gaming devices that she was given, but she didn't like that her parents were thinking bigger than that. As the summer wore on, she started to get hassled about leaving the show to take on several roles that a writer had created just for her that featured her as a transitioning boy rather than a girl who had already transitioned and was living comfortably as a girl. Those roles would have meant her being outed and it known that she had been transgender under the nose of everyone in Hollywood. She hated the idea, she just wanted to enjoy acting and not put the spotlight on herself any more than it already was and if she had to be a girl in secret then so be it. Trouble followed that proclamation as the network caught wind of her leaving the show and put a stop to it, with the executives fighting Benny and Jack over her being featured so much at the expense of the other cast members- particularly their preferred star. Denise and she had constant conflict to the point it was felt that neither should be in the same scene unless Benny or Jack was involved. Denise wasn't the problem there, she was the victim and was treated as such by the duo despite network objections. The girl was relentless in trying to upstage Denise and went to her parents for help. The parents were in close friendship with two network executives so were able to get a lot of leeway in how things went in promoting the show and featured their daughter as the featured star for interviews and previews despite her only playing a minor role in the show. Denise was the true star, with Benny and Jack being the ones who were the driving force behind the show and playing second- fiddle to Denise in most segments. The jealousy turned toxic when the girl's parents hired a private investigator at the suggestion of their friends. When he found the truth about Denise they used the information as leverage to get Denise fired and their daughter in as Denise's replacement. They didn't factor in the fact that Jack and Benny weren't alone and had Valerie Finn protecting them, which only led to the network battling Valerie for control of the show and ultimately failing to defeat her fairly. When they released that Denise was really a boy posing as a girl and used that as a way of getting Denise run out of Hollywood, Valerie imposed clauses in the show's contract to end it while taking all repeat rights, Hannah Smith's new deal with them, and a future program that was in the early stages of production to their rival network. Rather than give in to Valerie's actions, they fought her in court and lost handily. The network canceled the show abruptly and faced a media firestorm over their actions, with Benny and Jack not holding any of their emotions back and refusing to let Denise be used as a pawn by jealous costars and parents who were trying to use their children to gain fame. They were happy to announce that they were going to be starting a new show that featured the trio together again while severing all ties to most of the cast of the former show, with only those whom they knew weren't using Denise or them to their advantage able to be part of the new show and helping get them parts in other productions. Duke and Melody Hall were livid over their daughter getting outed but backed away from hurting her in a way that could be seen. They weren't successful, Valerie was able to show that Duke and Melody had abused Denise at least twice leaving visible marks and used that as reason to investigate the couple causing her to uncover their indiscretions. Denise was protected from further abuse and once the finale had both been filmed and had aired she got the couple to sign over custody of Denise to Ben and Beth. The picture was the last good memory for Denise, it was what she turned to when she was feeling like it was too overwhelming and she needed to hide away. Beth and Ben put the photo away for her while tucking her in and unknowingly eliciting a soft, "Thanks mom and dad" from the sleeping Denise. She had unknowingly said her heart's desire, she wanted them as her parents not Duke and Melody. Across the country, Duke and Melody Hall were in a heated meeting with California Department of Social Services representatives as well as Los Angeles County Public Social Services regarding Jessica Vincent's allegations of abuse. Jessica was meeting via teleconference and was with Chloe Daniels, the head of the Eastern Massachusetts Region of DCF. The duo were supported by Valerie, Rick, and Fiona alongside DCF's legal team. Jessica's complaint was looked at and saw the LACPSS personnel trying hard to explain how they had not investigated Denise's situation after she was outed while CDSS officials were backing DCF in their own investigation into the allegations. LACPSS were caught in a bind as they weren't aware of any sort of incidents and were upset that they were being blamed for not investigating something that they were not aware of. Jessica saw what was going on and asked Valerie if the on- set tutor had reported any of the incidents as she was required to under law. That caused the LACPSS officials to see that it wasn't their fault but was a concerted effort by others to keep them away from Denise that caused the issues. Jessica waited for them to stop taking notes and announced, "As she has made allegations of abuse and it has been confirmed on video that she had visible markings consistent with abuse, we at DCF feel that it is in the best interest of Dennis Hall AKA Denise Hall to continue the current custody situation with Elizabeth and Benjamin Herman. We will oversee her care from now on until such time that legally she is emancipated. She has no need for any money from either of her parents nor do they have from her. It was recently been determined that due to their theft of money from Denise's account, her parents are to be cut- off from access and unable to profit from any of her new contract. We suspect that this is the real cause of the abuse against Denise, that of her gender status being used against the Halls as payback for Denise becoming a star at the expense of other girls." Duke was livid and screamed obscenities at Jessica, to which Valerie stepped forward and explained to both CDSS and LACPSS, "We have the sworn statements from the woman caught trying to expose the gender of Denise and have the emails from both the Halls and the network. The Halls were expecting a fight and demanded money for removing their daughter from 'Tickle Your Funny Bone'. When that did not occur, the Halls sought to sue both the network and Inferno Productions but stopped when I had my own investigators show their thefts from Denise's bank account. This same lawsuit coincided with the second abuse incident and was likely sparked by the Halls knowing that they were about to lose every penny that they had stolen from their daughter's account." Duke tried to act like it was not big deal while Melody screamed that they didn't d anything to Denise. Jessica shook her head then showed video of the two incidents, then shocked Valerie and showed one of the Halls dragging Denise kicking and screaming from a hotel the night after the awards ceremony three years before. This incident wasn't known to Valerie, Jessica had to tell her, "I had the LA County Sheriff's Office look at video from after the ceremony, Benny thought that Denise looked off the next day. Judging by the blows to her head and the way she's trying to fight them off it's likely a concussion that she suffered from this assault. As you are now aware of three incidents, we are demanding that the couple be placed under arrest for child abuse. Deputies are awaiting your orders and will arrest them in due course with or without your cooperation. I'd advise you to cooperate or face investigation." Both the CDSS and LACPSS personnel were caught in a bind as they had no choice but to have Duke and Melody arrested. The couple were placed in handcuffs by deputies with the California agencies in a reluctant agreement that Denise was never going to be allowed to return to the Halls' care. They had a bigger concern as they would have to explain to the media why the couple were arrested and why their daughter wasn't at home and where she had gone as she had no other relatives. The next day at their arraignment, the media was in a frenzy as the Halls were known to be some of the most connected up-and-coming parents in Hollywood and who had helped several actors and actresses get jobs on TV shows and movies. The swarm was at the courthouse and watched the arraignments, it was a madhouse afterward as the couple posted bail and had to face the music and explain why Denise wasn't with them and why they were accused of abuse. Duke grumbled to the reporters that Denise had claimed that they had abused her while Melody claimed that the state was going after them because the production company had sway over the courts and wanted to control Denise. After the Halls were safely away, the district attorney stepped up to the microphones and announced, "It was brought to our attention by doctors and social services officials in Massachusetts that Denise Hall, the daughter of Duke and Melody Hall, had been abused on two occasions. After obtaining a warrant to view video of the couple and Denise at several locations over the past thee years it was observed that a trio of incidents occurred, each of which resulted in visible injuries. We have determined that she is in immediate danger and have removed her from custody pending trial. Denise is staying with people who have experience with children who were abused and has an extensive support network of doctors and lawyers to help Denise. She has asked to not be disturbed and I'd advise anyone trying to get close to her to stay away as the family she is staying with has no qualms about invoking her rights to privacy as well as prosecute and sue anyone who violates her rights." There was an uproar over the lack of information but the lack of names and an investigation into who had the kind of support to scare the state into action caused several to stop in their tracks and tell their colleagues to back away: Denise was among the Finns, the most notorious group of people to media as they had no problem suing and ensuring privacy as well as protecting minors. Denise was as close to a Fort Knox-like place as you could get, nobody could disturb her without legal punishment. Things were only getting worse for the Halls as their pasts started to haunt them thanks to their shady deals with drug dealers feeding their cocaine habit and private investigators used to get dirt on various costars who posed threats to Denise's career. They wracked up a huge debt that was about to be called in and had no way of paying it off without going to prison for theft. The debt was in the millions, they'd been so convinced that Denise would be the next big star that they borrowed money from their dealer and used the investigators to get blackmail material on the dealers that they couldn't pay back anything without access to Denise's bank accounts and using her career to get more potential clients for their new talent agency that Denise's reputation had garnered them. Things were bleak for the couple as they were seized by thugs as soon as they entered their house and forced to drive to the mountains northeast of Los Angeles. Once there, they met their debtors: two men who had secretly been working together against the couple and who were now out millions of dollars in potential deals thanks to the Halls losing Denise. With no money to repay what they owed, there was no other choice but to make an example of Duke and Melody so that others would see just what happens if you crossed the drug lords: death by execution in grisly, grotesque manner. Duke begged for his life while Melody offered anything from her next child to her body if they let them go. Neither Melody nor Duke were going to get released, they owed too much and they had cost both a lot of money and prestige among the Los Angeles underworld. Both saw the truth in the Halls: they had nothing left and no way of repaying what they owed and any attempt to recoup would cost the duo their freedom, so the Halls had to die to make an example out of them. After a half hour of begging, both saw their necks sliced open and their hands cut off then stuffed into their open throats making a statement that stealing from them and talking would get you killed easily. The duo were left for police to find them early the next day, both men walking away not realizing that the entire murder was caught on camera with the two caught in the act of murdering Duke and Melody thanks to hidden surveillance cameras meant to keep vandals at bay. They didn't notice the cameras nor the warnings due to the low light, but they were fully visible for the world to see. The Halls were found hours later and saw the news going wild over the couple being murdered in such a gruesome and worrying way. The media tried hard to get the facts from the LA County Sheriff but he was tight-lipped about the case. Few details did emerge about what happened, with only names being released at that moment. The sheriff was doing his best to keep a lid on the facts as Valerie had a team of investigators combing through the Halls' personal effects on behalf of Denise. Valerie used her extensive network of contacts to keep the media from getting too close to facts with a few influential news reporters invoking the unwritten rule about protecting the children of victims from any potential harm that investigations might cause. It was helped immensely that Beth's brother was a reporter and was the one who did the bulk of the work keeping the facts straight and speculations from getting out of control, with Beth knowing that he enjoyed protecting someone who was living with her and seeing Denise as family even if she hadn't met him yet. He was happy to work his tail off talking to the right people in Los Angeles and got the real story told, the one the police were still piecing together. Denise was told that afternoon once it was confirmed that Duke and Melody had been killed. She was in tears and cried into Beth's shoulder, wailing over losing her parents and being all alone. She was an orphan, all alone without anyone to care for her. Ben looked at Beth and nodded to her, with Beth tearfully telling Denise, "You have a lot of people who know exactly what you're feeling. Francesca, Ben, and myself all lost our parents around your age. I know that Al, Fiona, Flora, Ella, Jaimie, Rick, and all of the others are more than happy to talk about it with you. You are never alone, you have people who care about you and understand you. You have us, I am happy to talk with you about this. I want you to accept that they are gone but you have a chance to be Denise Hall the smart and savvy young woman, the girl who makes Benny smile and Jack laugh." Denise hugged Beth tight while Ben softly told her, "Fiona will be by soon with her wife Mia. This is a big appointment for you, you need to talk with her now. Jaimie wants to speak with you about this but I know that Fiona is more able to ensure that you are alright emotionally. She's concerned about you, it's scaring her and Mia doesn't know if she can control herself much longer." Fiona and Mia Flynn rang the doorbell seconds later, with Denise hugging Fiona as soon as she saw her in the dining room. Mia hugged Denise as well, with Mia tearfully telling Denise, "Losing your parents is never easy. I didn't lose mine, but I lost the man who was the closest I had to a father before dad and mom adopted me. It sucks, but we all know that you'll find new parents to love you if you haven't done so already. We want you to be happy, and Fiona, Jaimie, Jessica, and everyone will make you happy." Denise cried into Mia's shoulder, causing Mia to lead her upstairs to her room and sit her down. It was a tense few seconds but Mia finally told Denise, "Aunt Beth and Uncle Ben are your foster parents until you feel that they shouldn't be your foster parents anymore. But I know that you like them more than as foster parents: I can see it in your eyes. You want them to be your parents, don't you?" Denise silently nodded, to which Mia told the listening Beth, "You know what to do. If you won't, we'll ask Aunt Chloe for help placing her with a family who can help her. Maybe Aunt Beverly and Uncle Jake, they have the space now that Jack is on his own." Beth looked at the hopeful expression on Denise's face and shed a tear. After several long minutes she finally mustered up the courage to say, "Yes, we'll adopt her. She needs stability and understanding, she has already latched onto us and we love having her here." Denise tearfully hugged Beth, thanking her for agreeing to adopt her and hoping that Beth was happy to have her as a daughter. Beth hugged her back and led her downstairs, with Ben wisely telling the two, "I hope Benny and Francesca don't mind it but I doubt they do. Welcome to the family, Denise."