No Joking Matter Part 4 free porn video

Overnight news hit the airwaves about a massive search across Kensington and two surrounding towns in regards to the police department and city council. Lost in the news was the false arrest and release of a couple from Winnisimmet who were driving home from an evening out at a beach restaurant. There were rumors about why they were arrested, with the Kensington Police refusing to comment on it. After 9AM, Reed released a statement. "Last evening a couple from Winnisimmet were stopped by three officers from the Kensington Police Department along Kensington Beach Boulevard. This is highly out of the ordinary as it is a state road that they have no jurisdiction over and the couple were not speeding, had valid licenses, plates, and registration, and had not committed any moving violations. The couple were asked to step out of their car then promptly arrested by officers without justification nor were the couple told what crimes they had committed. The officers then led the couple directly to Kensington Police Headquarters and detained them for several hours. The couple were denied requested phone calls and a lawyer, their arrest was only discovered due to their lawyer friend and a colleague calling their cellphone. A Kensington officer answered the call, attempted to lie to the couple's lawyer about where the couple were, then threatened their lawyer with arrest. The lawyer is the same person that the couple asked to be contacted as per their Constitutional rights. Their colleague is also a reserve Winnisimmet Police officer who then called myself and several State Police troopers who attempted to contact the Kensington Police Department regarding their detaining of the couple. Those troopers were told no such couple were detained and that the department had not made any arrests on the boulevard. We have evidence to the contrary, as we alerted the Kensington Beach barracks and were able to see the arrest in full and observed multiple rights violations by the Kensington Police officers." He looked straight at the camera with an angry expression. He held himself together then explained, "The couple's colleague contacted the Kensington Police chief directly and explained to him that he had just contacted the State Police and Attorney General's Office over this glaring violation of the rights of two individuals and that his department was about the see State Police troopers intervene on behalf of an illegally detained couple. This was all the warning the department received as a squad of troopers were dispatched to the station to find the couple and release them from custody. I accompanied them, personally asking to see the couple then given the runaround and lied to by officers on duty at the front desk. I exited to bring in additional troopers and observed two of the troopers being refused access to the couple then threatened by six Kensington officers with being shot if they tried to enter the holding cells. Six state troopers entered to arrest the officers while the two troopers entered the holding cells to release the illegally detained couple." Reed sighed and finally roared, "The City of Kensington has been under suspicion of multiple violations of the rights of people from adjacent cities. Those rights were frequently and unapologetically violated in the hopes that those same people would bring money to the city in exchange for charges against the individuals being dropped. These were all serious and life-shattering charges, ranging from basic drug possession to child pornography to child molestation to child abuse. None of the charges were based on facts, they were crafted to scare the targeted individuals, harming their reputations and humiliating the targets in hopes that family and friends of the Kensington City Council would benefit. The couple who were falsely arrested are linked to one of the richest families in Winnisimmet and who had repeatedly refused to donate money to the City of Kensington due to their corrupt practices. This attempt last night was the last in a string of criminal acts perpetrated by several city officials, we had enough evidence to finally execute searches of computers of multiple key city councilors, major business owners, and the heads of multiple city departments. The chief of police was arrested first, followed by three councilors-at-large and two district councilors. The city is still able to function and replacements will be appointed by the rest of the council to fill the vacancies but under strict oversight by my office." Reed was on fire as he finally explained, "The searches turned up a long history of crimes by the same group of individuals. The city has suffered at their hands, little growth had occurred except by a few of the closest supporters of those same people. We hope that with the end of the corruption there will be a new age for Kensington, one that the people of the city lead instead of a small group. He walked off in triumph, with the media left scurrying to find answers to questions that they had. It was a bigger story than just a raid on multiple people, it was John Finn's friends being targeted. Reed didn't have to say who was that officer and colleague, it was clear that it could only be him. Beth and Ben spent the night together away from Denise. Denise suspected something happened and it wasn't good. She tried to ask what was going on but was deflected each time she asked Valerie. In the morning, she finally demanded that they tell her what happened to her parents. Valerie looked at John who nodded, then told Denise, "Your parents were arrested last evening on charges of having drugs in their car and molesting you. It's all a lie that the officers got themselves caught in. Reed, Miles, and David went with a group of troopers to free them and were met with a dangerous situation. It was over fast and your parents freed, but they were in no condition to care for you. We didn't want you to know in case it was worse than that, thankfully Reed knew what was going on and was able to get to them and help them before the police found someone to lie about the claims against them. They were trying to find someone, they didn't expect Reed to come at them before they were ready nor that he would be able to get all of the evidence that they were framed before the officers got to it." Denise looked ashamed and mumbled, "They were coming after me. It's because of those people arrested because they tried to hurt me. I almost got mom and dad sent to prison, it's all my fault!" She tried to run off but was held tightly in a hug by Valerie. Denise wailed into Valerie's shoulder, she felt the pain of nearly losing parents that she loved- a second time in two weeks for her. Denise needed to see the couple, with Valerie reluctantly taking her across the street to see them. Beth and Ben were fast asleep but that didn't stop Denise from rushing upstairs to them. She cried the whole way, and continued to cry once she jumped in bed with both. Beth and Ben awoke to the shock of Denise jumping in with them, with both hugging her tight as they cried in one another's arms. Denise hugged and kissed them for several more minutes before Ben rushed to the bathroom and Beth was able to assure Denise that everything was going to be fine. Denise was scared, but accepted that it wasn't her fault- this time. Things were still going to hit rock bottom, they always did for her. Later on in the day, Miles came by to talk with Ben and Beth. He got their statements then gave them a, "Full and complete total BS 'apology' from the department" which was followed by a threatening letter from the Kensington City Council regarding any attempts to sue the city. Miles didn't have to tell them what to do, there was no way Valerie wouldn't sue and Denise's status was of no concern to the council so threatening to expose her status to the world was a huge violation of her rights alongside what they had done to Beth and Ben the night before and would only hurt Kensington more. Miles was asked what to do, he happily told them, "Sue the city. Sue the department. We found out that the people arrested are connected to the city council. Going after you in the hopes that Denise would drop the charges against their relatives is a low blow, one that the DA will be using against them. That was until we found out that he's connected as well, so Reed is taking on the case directly so that it isn't 'lost in the shuffle' and their cases dropped. They are fit financially, the city is sitting on a load of cash that they never alerted the taxpayers to thanks to overtaxing and using a lot of grant money. You three are going to win a lot of money from the city and police department, you don't need it but it's more of a statement to the public that the city can't bully you just because their connected friends got arrested." He left after that, allowing Denise to talk with Beth and Ben about her day away from them. Beth had to hide tears when Denise told her about the salon trip and why she loved her new hairstyle, especially as she now looked a lot like Beth's daughter. Beth finally lost her battle and cried, with Ben telling the concerned Denise, "She's happy that you see it that way. She loves having a daughter who wants to be so much like her that she looks like her. You gave her something that she badly needed." Denise cried and hugged Beth as well, with Ben complaining, "Darn hormones" causing Denise to flinch but Beth happily told her, "It's why you're so emotional lately: it's your hormones finally impacting your body. Congratulations, honey- you're becoming a woman!" Denise cheered, with Beth happily telling her, "It'll take months to start to see hints of growth, but you'll feel it in your nipples soon. Don't get upset if they aren't developing as fast as you'd like, they'll come in fast and have everyone looking at your chest by the end of the school year if not sooner. I think you will be due for some inserts soon, they'll help your clothes fit better and give you a fuller shape." Denise ran to her room and locked the door, Beth didn't have to look to know what she was doing in the room. Ben came in and asked Beth where Denise ran off to, she happily told him, "Our little girl is doing what every girl has done before her: looking for signs that she's blossoming. Your little joke might have backfired on her, she's going to be disappointed but no more so than other girls her age are." Ben shook his head at that, Beth just smiled and kissed him. It was a special moment for her, one that she always wanted but was robbed of by her own body. Francesca was already well into puberty when she was adopted, but Denise is just starting and needed that confidence boost from Beth. Denise spent much of the morning in her room looking up information online about breast growth rates and hormones. She didn't notice the phone ringing nor did she hear the knocking on the door. Beth had to unlock the door to get her attention, with a glum look on her face showing that it was bad news. Downstairs, Miles, David, Reed, and Valerie were waiting around the kitchen table with Beth and Ben trying hard to not look at Denise. Miles, being the one best able to break bad news, explained to Denise, "Video of you at the beach was released online, alongside video of you inside the bathhouse. There's a strong accusation that you were molesting the girls inside the bathhouse which the accusers claim that the video supports. We haven't seen the video, but we believe that it was taken by someone peering into the bathhouse windows. They were on the roof when they took the video, it's the only way anyone can look inside those windows and they had to have done it when someone distracted the troopers. We also know that the video is a lie, you didn't do anything and what was claimed was refuted by everyone who was inside with you at the time. The truth doesn't matter, it's the fear of the claims that does." Denise immediately wailed, that accusation would cause her to lose everything and might even end up putting her in jail. Valerie tried to comfort the distraught girl, but Miles hugged her causing her to stop and wait for his next bit of news. Valerie stepped forward and told her, "GlobalUSA was emailed both the claims and a copy of the video. We don't know what they are going to do, but they'll do it soon. If my hunch is right, Jasper Warner is back and will be going after you despite having a restraining order against him preventing him from being involved with you. You aren't going to be fired, this is a serious accusation and we know it to be false and will fight to the end to get quashed." The group awaited word from Rachel Sylvester, the family's resident computer expert and one of the best computer forensics examiners in the country, to call them back about where the video originated and who was responsible. Rachel took an hour to work around the various firewalls and databases and was able to pinpoint just who released the video and caused Reed to growl: the same people who had tried to assault Denise at the bathhouse two days before. Rachel composed herself and told them, "It was all a setup. They were trying to provoke Denise into an assault on them so they could sue her, Benny, and Francesca. It looks like the ultimate goal was trying to go after Uncle John through Aunt Valerie but they made a mistake in not expecting that there would be state troopers who weren't going to fall for their claims. Add in that they destroyed their claims the next day and you have yourself a nasty bit of revenge." She caught them off guard and growled, "They were stupid. They were going to blackmail you with the video but never expected that you'd have help. They either ignored Reed or forgot that Reed and even Uncle Willie are connected to you. It's all a setup, one that they'll pay for. And I checked who they sent the videos to, the companies all have stock owned by Uncle John. I suggest he do whatever he has to do to protect Denise and kill the videos, and alert the FBI about those media outlets having what's really a child pornography video. Go full crash and burn on them if need be, there's no 1st Amendment issue." Valerie called the companies directly and once she pointed out just how much those companies were in danger of breaking multiple major federal laws in disseminating the videos on their shows as well as the fact that they would be sued for slander by the parents of the children including John himself, they backed away. Denise was left alone, the only ones trying to go after her with the story were in danger already and were willing to risk cancellation if the scandalous story brought in viewers. The news was grim for the people involved in the whole attempt to extort Denise, Ben, and Beth. Their computers still contained the videos as well as the emails to the media and network. The network's head had to explain to police why he was part of the conspiracy, leading him to refuse to answer and more of the police's questions while begging corporate not to fire him. Jasper Warner was sitting high in his new office but ended up having to talk with the FBI about his own role in the whole situation. He tried to lie his way out of it but when confronted with the facts he was quick to blame the network head then Denise herself. The agents took his statement and let him worm his way into additional trouble, they were building a case against him and it was bigger than anyone had realized: Denise was just the start of the case for everyone. Jasper Warner booked a flight east to speak with Valerie and John about the show. He was going to lay the law down and fire Denise no matter what Valerie said. He didn't care that John held his future in his hands, Jasper was going to get his way or ensure everyone went down with him. John was alerted to Jasper's plans by Jasper's assistant, who happened to be loyal to the network and its shareholders. John shook his head in disappointment and told the assistant, "He's walking into an arrest. This is beyond the scope of his duties, he's intentionally hurting the network. I don't care how much he has on the president, CEO, and VPs- he's gone form the network or they'll be gone. Enough is enough." Jasper wasn't as sly as he thought as he used the corporate jet to fly east by claiming that it was official network business, with Miles and David having eyes on him the entire ride from the airport terminal to his swanky hotel. He couldn't leave without a group of close friends of the duo following and listening to his every word. Jasper never bothered to appear to be anything but noticeable, he made their job easy to the point of comedy. Jasper met with a variety of people, most known to the family and police as petty criminals and lawyers who made their money through frivolous lawsuits leading them to believe that Jasper was about to go in a new direction with Denise. He was overt before regarding his hatred for her, he was about to go the way of blackmail and extort her into leaving, "His" show even if Dense would never be allowed to quit except under her own request. His delusions only fueled the team, they were going to protect her and put an end to Jasper Warner and his reign of terror. The whole situation was crazy, nobody could understand why he was so obsessed with Denise. Then it hit them: she wasn't the real target, the guys were. They were the driving force for the show and as the executive producers and part-owners of Inferno Productions their word was law on the show making anything that he forced down the directors' and writers' throats null if the duo disagreed with him. Miles thought long and hard about Jasper and came to the conclusion that he wanted the duo out to take a stab at going after Inferno and forcing his way into it. He had no idea of the true ownership of Inferno nor did he know just how many shareholders there were and what it took to become a shareholder in the first place. What he did know was that the duo were his way into it and through Denise he could get at them and force them out, taking over their shares in Inferno meaning he didn't have to work again. What he didn't know was the ownership was split among dozens of people in the family, with the Finns, Finn-Nelsons, and Samuelses as majority owners with the largest stakes in Inferno: 75% between three charities owned entirely by John and Logan Finn, Jaimie Samuels, and Ella Finn- Nelson. A small 12% of Inferno had been given to Nora Biggs, Lee Meyer, and Brice Walsh years before as a reward for the trio earning the company huge profits from their movies and for expanding Inferno beyond beyond Lee and Brice's movies into television and co- productions. The final 12% of Inferno was owned by the various branches of the family including the foursome's spouses and children, of which Benny, Jack, and now Denise were recipients of. John and his daughter Jaimie Samuels were the single largest shareholders of Inferno due to this split, with John actually owning the 13% owned by the family trust in addition to the 25% owned by his Finn Foundation charity. Jaimie owned 25% of Inferno through her Finn Group charity and as well as small percentage of the 13% through her marriage to Rick Samuels. The other major shareholders were Ella Finn- Nelson and her brother Logan Finn who together owned 25% through their own charity, the New Start Fund, as well as a small percentage due to their marriages to their wives Flora and Piper. The true ownership of Inferno was known only to a few people, which made Jasper's attempts to get rid of Denise all the worse as all of the major shareholders were related to or transgender themselves. Lee, Nora, Flora and Jaimie were transgender as well as Rick's sister and Piper's sister and mother. Jasper had no idea that he was going after Denise for the one thing that none of them would allow to be used as an excuse to get rid of someone- being transgender. It was as if you went after the church for being religious, he would likely get laughed at if he hadn't already gotten himself involved in shady deals. Ownership issues aside, he had some people in corporate thinking that he was right about his wanting to get rid of Denise as GlobalUSA had no business showing "those kind of people" on their network. It was spoken in hushed tones away from anyone who could get them fired, but it wasn't a unique feeling. Denise was hated for making things tough for the network, especially now that their shows were shown to be failures that nobody wanted to watch as ratings for that Spring and Summer showed. Jasper bided his time, working from his hotel room while meeting in private with the shady characters in a variety of locations all while under the watchful eye of troopers who volunteered to stand watch for Jasper's movements. They were paid via a private contractor, one owned by John and who was happy to hire them to do "easy" work while they honed their skills. The troopers weren't "on the clock" but being state troopers they were never really "off the clock" and reported what they saw to the team each night. Denise had an uneventful time after the scares her second week in the Hermans' care. Her swimming at the pool caused her to grow stronger and more confident to the point that she didn't need John's help to swim anymore. She was still reluctant to go out to where the water was over her head, but she at least knew she could swim on her own if she wanted to. The Hermans took her on trips to get to know the area, with Denise seeing the city as nothing like Los Angeles or Orange County. She hated seeing the ambulances rush by, knowing that someone was sick or hurt and needed help. She was happy to see that there were officers waving at them as they walked through the city, especially as they seemed to know Beth and Ben quite well. Beth smiled and told her, "They know us through Willie or John or the Perez twins. You haven't had the luxury of meeting the twins for long, but they've been around the neighborhood patrolling and visiting all of the family- especially the Smiths. Hannah loves pestering them, and their wives love making Pete blush. It would be cruel if it wasn't so funny, you'll see what I mean at some point." Beth didn't know why they were patrolling so often, but Miles and David did. The twins were among a select few who could be trusted to patrol the neighborhood and not overlook the crimes taking place in plain sight, with the people of the neighborhood being among the wealthiest in all of Winnisimmet and with the Finns being closely associated with a large percentage of them it was easy pickings most of the time for con artists and frivolous lawsuits but not since those officers started patrolling the streets. Denise was sad to know that Alana, Jane, and Lara weren't close by but it was bound to happen for her, it was a small neighborhood and due to the fame of Mitch and wealth of the twins choosing to live over close to the Bollingers. It was sad for Denise to know that she needed to ask to visit her friends and that she couldn't do so frequently due to work needs. She had the Finns across the street which helped a lot, but it still caused her to feel bad that she couldn't visit as often as she liked. The summer went by faster than Denise would have liked. Two weeks before the start of school she and the girls went shopping for school causing her to realize that things were about to change in new ways. It was made worse by the fact that being a Herman she'd be under scrutiny more than others. The shopping trip was one that turned into a shocker for Denise as the girls gasped at seeing her chest for the first time in two weeks. Jane tried to say something but Skylar joked, "You have boobies now. We can see your boobies growing! You looked like Alana last Christmas." Alana blushed while Jane added, "It's true, your nipples are bigger. Skylar, get her mom. She needs to get a bra right away! The boys will be looking at her too much without one." Skylar ran off and dragged Beth inside, with Beth shedding a tear at hearing the news that Denise had needed to hear for her own sake. Denise didn't see what the big deal was, but she started crying herself when Beth told her, "You're starting to bloom up top. You didn't see it until the girls saw it, but they're definitely puffy to the point of starting to stick out. Honey, you are in the midst of blooming and need a bra now. Even if it's just a training bra, it's still going to help keep your nipples from chafing and give you some support while your breasts start to grow underneath." Skylar smiled and hugged Denise, knowing that she needed that. Denise hugged her back and kissed her check, it was a major moment in Denise's life that the girls had helped her see. She was growing up and out, she was becoming a woman visibly and there was no denying that she was a girl now. The girls finished and put on a fashion show for their mothers at home, with Denise reluctantly helping the youngest girls while the elder girls ignored them. Her actions got smiles as it was clear that she had a strong bond with the girls to the point that the fussiest among them would listen to her even if she had no intention of listening to the other girls. Seeing that she wasn't the only transgender girl among them helped immensely, Denise was simply a girl in their eyes and was happy to just be a girl for once. Anne Smith and Liv Samuels sought out Denise after the fashion show and stuck by her side, with the two looking up to Denise without saying so. Their mother and grandmother understood why they were doing that, Denise was where they hoped to be but wouldn't be for at least two more years. Being only 10-years-old made it tough to be seen as more than a "boy in a dress" but knowing that they had only a couple of more years to go and seeing the results themselves it helped them accept the long delay. Anne and Liv had never met Denise yet she was an idol for multiple reasons. They watched her show out of respect for Benny and Jack but finding out about Denise made them love it more. She was one of the few girls like them on TV and the only one who blended into the background before being outed. The girls stuck close to Denise and even convinced her to stay over at Anne's house, letting her see the fun of being part of the family from the "main branch" as Liv joked. Anne sighed and explained to the perplexed Denise, "My dad and her mom are Finns through grandmother and Gruncle John. They are the main branch because they are Finns by blood. We're both adopted but we are still Finns through our parents. It's stupid to think that way, especially as Aunts Claire and Daisy are Finns by blood too, but it helps a lot when people start to pick on us. They won't dare go after a 'real' Finn again." Liv smiled as she set Anne up for that. Liv happily added, "We're special in the family because of what we are. We're our own special club, we are the ones everyone is upset about. We are all regular girls, it makes people angry that we are so normal. They think girls like us don't deserve to be normal." Denise understood her, she hugged Liv to calm her while Anne confessed, "Brooklyn's mother is back at it again. She got out of jail and tried to hurt Liv for being friends with Brooklyn. Uncle Jeffry stopped her before she hurt Brooklyn, Uncle Jeffry had her sent to prison and told her never to bother them or he'd ensure she was left far away from everyone. Gruncle Stalking Wolf said he knows some people in Alaska who would help Uncle Jeffry keep her away. Gruncle Stalking Wolf is so cool, he knows a lot and takes us on trips to the woods. He loves us kids, he loves teaching us about his people." Denise didn't know how to respond to that, Liv was nodding furiously as Anne spoke. She looked over at the people listening and sought an answer, Jaimie happily explained to Denise, "Uncle Stalking Wolf is from Alaska, are the rest of the Millers. He takes the kids on overnight trips because the local scouts won't accept any of the kids anymore because dad refused to fund them. He's an amazing teacher, he's a big contributor to teaching about the local people who lived her before settlers. He also knows many of the old stories about 'two- spirits' and helps to show that not everyone is bigoted against girls and boys like you. And he loves Stormy and Trinity deeply, so he'll happily accept you for yourself." The girls giggled as Jaimie purposely hovered out of sight but within hearing range just in case Denise felt any anxiety or fear about being there. That proved true as Denise was startled by hearing a voice in the house yell out, "How many did she invite over this time? I swear she does this on purpose just to get Hugh flustered and annoyed. The little brat has been around Liv too much for her own good!" The girls giggled while Jaimie shook her head at the entering Bryan Smith. Jaimie casually told him, "It was only Denise, although she tried to get Brooklyn to come just in case Monica made bail again. It's a simple sleepover, the girls look up to her- you know how much they worship her." Bryan shook his head in shame while his wife Paige smiled and hugged her daughter. Liv gave Bryan a look of sadness to which he explained, "You know we love you, but you two have a bad habit of doing things without asking first. You love your cousins, but sometimes you need to know that you can't just invite people over without checking first. I'll let this go only because Jaimie is here and I know she has an ulterior motive for allowing you over here instead of hosting this herself. Before she asks, he's with Tracy on a date night with Chance and Emily so won't be home until after the movie. Chance's mothers are driving so you know there won't be any funny business afterwards." Jaimie saw the concern on Denise's face and had to explain to her, "Hugh is staying with the Smiths as a boarder until he's 18. He's a distant relative and studying at UMass. He's a child prodigy so doesn't have to go to school anymore and is dating Tracy Daniels. Her mother knows all about you and likely has the girls out on a date tonight so you aren't upset at meeting him so suddenly. He's fine with you, it's just he doesn't take to new people too well due to being mistreated before by kids his age and his sisters." The girls settled into the living room to watch TV, with the girls tuning into "Tickle Your Funny Bone" which caused Denise to cringe. The girls asked why she reacted that way, leading Denise to tell them, "I don't like the show anymore. I know this episode, this is the one that we filmed just after I was outed. It was cut down a lot because the girls refused to work with me and the guys hit me every chance they got before Mrs. Finn got the director fired. I hate seeing it, it's not funny to me anymore." Denise was crying heavily and the girls saw why: she had visible marks on camera, ones that clearly weren't due to the action. They rushed to hug her, with Paige angrily calling Valerie to demand to know if she or Benny and Jack knew about her being abused on set. It was rare for her to go after Valerie like that, but as a teacher and required reporter it was something she had to do to protect herself. Valerie was as upset as she was, telling the angry Paige, "I only found out after seeing the show myself. She didn't tell anyone about it and when we did confront her about it we fired the director and actors involved. It's why she's in so many sketches after that: she had to do more because the kids refused to work with her. It ended up hurting them as we told casting directors about their actions and how much it would harm their productions if the kids were allowed to act the same way in their productions. Two had to give up acting because of being blackballed due to their actions, one can only act under her own name now that her stage name is considered toxic." The girls changed the channel and watched a movie instead, with Denise being hugged by them until it was clear that she was going to be alright. The movie soothed Denise, with her falling asleep before the end of the movie. Jaimie and Paige had to fight smiles as it was too cute, their daughters were with an idol and were helping her out without knowing it. The next morning saw Denise being scared to death when she saw a boy in the shower when she got up to go to the bathroom. She backed off in tears, upset at what she saw and hoping that she didn't anger him. He quickly ran to his room while the girls giggled at him looking so embarrassed at getting caught naked by Denise. Paige shook her head and yelled out to Hugh, "You keep forgetting to lock the door! I know you aren't fully awake yet, but come on! Be glad it was her and not Liv- she has no problem tossing ice water at you for being stupid. Just ask her brother about that!" Liv nodded while Anne whispered, "He keeps forgetting to lock the door so Liv puts ice cubes down his pants. Aunt Jaimie said Gruncle John did that to mum because she wouldn't lock the door. Daddy said Aunt Hannah puts it down his pants just for fun, Uncle Pete said she does it all of the time to him." Denise felt better, especially when Hugh came out and apologized profusely to Denise. Paige pulled her aside and told her, "You'll need to remember to knock. It's something all of the kids learn, especially as they stay over each other's houses. It's tough being new, you aren't used to these unwritten rules." He didn't take much interest in Denise, to which Paige whispered to Denise, "He has no interest in you as transgender. He is fine with you and knows about you from Jae and Jane since they always tell Tracy about you. He would have been around you before but he spends a lot of time working with Margaret Kelly and Rachel. You haven't had much time with Margaret yet, but trust me- you'll love her." Her face had a hint of mischief to which Anne explained, "She's really beautiful. She's different than our other aunts: she's the only natural redhead among the girls. She has pretty freckles and bushy hair that makes her look pretty no matter how disheveled she is. Uncle Dante loves her for that, he always kisses her for no reason." Denise blushed alongside Hugh, who overheard what they were talking about. Paige added a happy, "It's something she inherited from her mother. Aunt Rachel is pretty but not as pretty as Margaret. Margaret even modeled a bit in high school but stopped when she wouldn't pose nude. The photographer ended up in prison for that, she beat him badly and made the FBI go after him and his colleagues." Paige led them to Jaimie's house to enjoy the day which ended up causing Denise to entertain Liv's two brothers while the girls played on Liv's game system. Denise didn't mind, Austin Samuels was happy to be in her arms and Eli Samuels seemed to enjoy doing whatever Denise wanted him to do. Eli acted a bit differently around Denise, so much so that Jaimie smiled at him having his first crush on a girl. When Austin fell asleep and Eli lost interest in Denise she was finally able to give the girls her full and undivided attention. The girls giggled and announced they weren't alone, their cousins were coming by so Denise would get to meet Brooklyn and Elise. Denise was dumbfounded, it seemed like a setup. Denise looked up at Jaimie, who happily announced, "It was planned by Hannah and your parents. They are doing something in Boston in regarding you so Hannah volunteered Paige and Bryan's house for a night of fun with the girls. They had to hold off the others from joining, they figured it was best to limit it to the girls you'd have the least contact with. You'll meet them in time, they'll demand it." The doorbell rang and Bryan complained about the girls again, with two new girls rushing inside to tell Liv and Anne that they were happy to have a sleepover again. The girls noticed Denise and hugged her, with Anne telling her, "This is Brooklyn Sanders and Elise Smith. Elise is Aunt Hannah's daughter, she's just like her mommy according to daddy. Brooklyn is daddy's 2nd-cousin's daughter, but her mommy is a mean woman who hates our family. Brooklyn's aunts and uncle are really nice, though." Jaimie woefully explained, "Her grandmother is dad's cousin. Her mother Monica Porter never got adopted by her stepmother, Aunt Alice, but Brooklyn's father Jeffry refuses to let Brooklyn call Aunt Alice anything but 'grandma' especially as she's been so great to Brooklyn since she was allowed to get to know Monica's family. Brooklyn is Liv's first real friend after Anne and Elise. Anne and Elise are a lot closer than cousins, so the four girls have a good counterpart and each help one another in school." The girls were smiling as Denise comprehended all of that. She understood what Jaimie was trying to tell her: she needed to find her own friends, especially one as close as the girls are. It was tough to do, but it wasn't an insurmountable obstacle and something that she'd try to work on in the future. Hannah had to bite her tongue as Jaimie's little ploy. The girls manipulated them into doing Jaimie's big scheme and for once Hannah didn't see it coming. She glared at Jaimie, who smiled back at her. Pete wisely told his wife, "Did you really think you couldn't be outsmarted by a psychiatrist with years of experience dealing with people even more devious than you? Not even Cat can outsmart her, she's a sneaky weasel but she also did more for Denise as a cousin than she could as a doctor." Hannah moped while Pete introduced himself to Denise then went off with Bryan to their "man cave" in the attic. Denise saw her frustration and grew scared, requiring Hannah to tell Denise, "Jaimie is the worst person to go against when she has her mind set on something. I'm not upset at you, I'm upset that she manipulated me into doing something I would have done on my own. I think she didn't want you to get stuck with Pierre again. Thankfully he's sleeping or he'd be begging yo to play again. Don't think he isn't going to seek you out again, he loved playing with you even if he didn't look like it." Hearing his named caused Pierre to get up and grab onto Denise. She didn't even notice that he was in the room with them, he was laid out on the floor behind the couch. Hannah shook her head and looked up at Paige who happily told Denise, "He's just like his mother, or so ma said." Pierre wanted to be rocked and cuddled and sat with Denise until he grew bored again and plopped on the floor to play with his toys. Denise got up to go where the girls were, with the four giggling at her as she entered. Brooklyn happily joked, "He wants you to play with him every day. Aunt Hannah said he is a pest unless he gets to play with who he wants. He wanted you today, Aunt Hannah came over because he wanted you. Aunt Paige said Aunt Jaimie kept saying your name so he'd want to come." The girls nodded which caused Denise to see that it was a big plot by Jaimie, one that paid off with the visit and the girls being mentioned as close friends. She wasn't upset at Jaimie for that, it was a really nice thing to do and Denise liked having people who cared about her like that. She didn't mind Pierre or the girls, it felt nice to have people who wanted her to be around them without getting something back. The night went quickly as the four Smiths enjoyed a quiet evening together while the girls watched TV and ate pizza. Pierre got more attention from Denise and "allowed" her the "right" to change his diaper while Hannah and Pete were busy. He hugged her and smiled, causing her to tell him, "I love you too." He smiled and looked up at Denise, then blurted out, "Nise," causing Hannah and Pete to gasp in shock. Paige and Bryan asked what was going on, to which Hannah cried, "His first word. He said 'Denise'." He giggled and waited for Hannah to ask the inevitable questions of him that every mother would ask their young child speaking for the first time. When she asked, "Who is this?" he happily said, "Nise," causing Hannah to cry again. Pete shook his head and complained, "He's his mother's son. He's doing what she did to Mom. Her first words came out of the blue after Uncle John babysat her." Denise didn't think it was a big deal until he pointed and said it again. Hannah tried to call someone on the phone leading Pete to grab it and apologize to the person on the other end. When he told the person why Hannah called the other person understood and told him, "Don't let her get too crazy." Pete hung up and told Hannah, "Mom is thrilled but you know it's 2 AM there. Dad is happy and told us he would say something that you kept saying and was passionate about that was easy to say. He's glad it wasn't one of your usual swears, it's a miracle it wasn't the f-word or s-word with your foul mouth." Denise blushed and walked away, with the girls giggling and hugging her. Hugh entered and asked if it was OK to be there with all of the girls causing them to giggle and the adults laugh. He saw Pierre and the attention he was getting and walked away, with Pierre giggling and blurting out, "Hugh," for fun. Hannah had to leave at that, her son was too much and taxing her emotions. Pete led her away while the laughing Bryan looked in on the girls before he got pelted by Hannah. Hugh tried to get away from the line of fire and joined the girls, with the girls giggling at him unintentionally causing Hannah to leave and getting Pierre to show that he wasn't just a little toddler anymore- he was a growing, "Big boy." The girls spent the night huddled together but saw Denise the odd-man- out as she slept in Anne's bed. It was a clear indication to her that they were extremely close and she was there out of respect and them wanting her to join them, but she wasn't as close to them as they were to each other. She understood it all now, she was just as much a girl as them but their age difference made it tough to include her in the circle of friends that the girls had created for themselves. The next few days were a blur as there was little to do beyond swimming, with Denise floating between the girls and trying hard to be part of them but not act like she was trying to be part of them. She had a meeting with Jaimie to discuss things so far and admitted that she was starting to feel alone but knew it was only because she had little in common with the girls other than being alike or close in age. She and the girls had a lot in common, but being older and having been through 7th grade already meant that it was going to be a tough hurdle finding something in common with them. Jaimie countered, "It's tough having something between you. Reed had the same issue that you had back when he was in high school. Jessie is a year younger than him, he had few friends and those that he had were only really friends with him because they were around him all day. He made friends with Donald and Thomas, but it revolved around Jessie until Donald joined the track and cross-country teams. The girls don't mind you being around them, especially as you give them a unique perspective on guys. You know boys better than them, your time being en-homme gave you that unique perspective on them." Denise didn't see it that way but agreed that she did understand boys a bit too much. Hugh was the only boy close to her age who treated her like a normal girl, and didn't try to showboat for her when he was around her. It was nice thinking that there were nice guys out there who didn't see her as a sex object or someone who they might possibly date in the hopes of getting to feel her boobs. The week before school Denise was told that Polly and Trina wanted to talk with he about dancing. She was ecstatic, she had hoped to learn before the summer ended and the news gave her hope that it would come true. Beth assured her that it was going to be just an exam to see what she knew, but to Denise it was the greatest news she had heard since she learned she was growing breasts. Denise was driven to the dance studio and given a leotard to wear over her leggings and gaff. She hated wearing the gaff, but was told that it was going to help her mentally as well as hide private parts from being seen by the other dancers. She eagerly put on the outfit, and loved that it made her look like she was a full girl especially as she could dance freely and not see the ugly bulge. She was introduced to Trina Porter-Phillips and Polly Vincent, with the two hugging her deeply while a happy Amanda Kelly looked on. The ladies helped Denise stretch then asked her to show them all of the moves that she knew, focusing on the dancing she did on the show as well as commercials. She had little actual knowledge, everything she had done was done by a choreographer and done for comedy. Trina looked over at Polly who nodded at Denise needing a lot of work to get the basics down before it was time to move on to actual dancing. Polly took over, telling Denise, "I teach a lot of the basic classes as well as advanced ballroom and modern dance. Trina will be your partner today, she'll mostly work in the office when classes are running while Aunt Amanda prepares for the advanced ballet classes. We all do classes, but I'm the primary dance instructor for newcomers." The ladies helped Denise learn some basic dancing moves that she would have to perform at the school dances, especially as many of the girls in school had taken at least one of their classes at their school in the previous year. She was eager to learn and liked how Polly taught, with her struggling to keep from ogling the beautiful Trina. Trina blushed at times as she caught Denise looking at her breasts, they had her feeling like she was beautiful, especially as she turned on someone as young as Denise. Polly told Denise to continue to stretch for the next three months so her body was used to the moves as it would help her immensely for the more complex moves Polly wanted Denise to learn for the Spring dances. Denise was happy to do just that, even if it meant that eventually she'd do a split causing her to wince in pain over the idea of crushing her testicles. Polly nodded to her and added, "It's why you don't do it too fast, you learn how to stretch the right way or it crushes them. Trust me, we've seen Al doing them and she freely admits it would have hurt if she still had them between her legs." Amanda coughed to signify her displeasure, but Polly told Amanda bluntly, "It's for her own good that it is told what could happen. You know I don't believe in holding back, especially as she'll hear it from Al the first chance Al gets. And it's true: Al admitted that when she started stretching with the girls." That was just the start for Denise as she was driven to a Boston high rise condo building and told that she had vocal practice with Anita Dupree. Denise was happy to hear that, especially as Amanda drove her there. In the car, Amanda told Denise, "You don't have to do all of these things if you don't want to. You can be whatever you want to be, you don't have to be a performer. I know you are going to make a really great teacher when you get older, you don't have to be a performer anymore." Denise looked away in shame and confessed, "I want to learn all of the different aspects of performing. I want to sing and dance. I want to write and act. I want to direct. I want to do a lot of things, just so I have more options at what I want to do. I love the idea of being a teacher, but I want to be able to do a lot of other things just in case my dreams are crashed. I know others like me teach, but you can't be in every city or town and force them to accept people like me." Amanda softly told her, "I know. Believe me, I know better than anyone about rejection because of what I am. I lived through the worst that can happen to you. As did Katie and Nora Biggs and others like us. I lost my job and had my dreams dashed because people wouldn't accept who I am. I don't want you to feel that way, it's a noble reason for wanting to learn. None of us want you to feel bad about it, we just didn't want you to feel pressured into it because the other girls learned to dance and sing." Denise hugged her and thanked her for understanding. Amanda smiled and offered a happy, "It's my job as your aunt to help my niece. The fact that I can help you navigate through life as a girl in the making is a bonus and one I'm happy to experience. I love the boys, but this is something entirely different." They arrived at Anita's condo and were overwhelmed by several running kids. Anita called out to them, "Just let them get their hugs in so they don't disturb us later." Denise hugged them and gave them their fill of attention before the kids ran off to play elsewhere while Anita entered, looking exhausted. Amanda walked off to where the kids were playing, with Anita sagely telling Denise, "Don't have kids so close in age. Four kids in a span of five years is tough on you! I love the kids, but this is going to be insane when they get older. I'm just glad that I'm not missing their lives anymore, the kids are in good hands with Melinda's aunt's preschool but it's tough not being with them 24/7. Thankfully there's a lot of times when they make me realize it's best that they are away for hours so I don't go insane!" Denise understood what Anita meant: don't go baby crazy with her girlfriend or wife. Anita sat down at her piano and started Denise's vocal training, with Denise learning how to warm up and how to cool down. Over the next two hours she was told to sing higher and lower and how to find the right key to sing the songs the way the composer and songwriter wanted. It was great fun for Denise and gave her the chance to enjoy performing without the pressure to do it right the first time. She saw the kids watching her out of the corner of her eye and loved having them smile as she made minor mistakes then correct them seconds later. Eventually she found her voice and was performing just as Anita wanted and wasn't straining her voice like she did last time. Amanda drove Denise home, but first Denise had to endure Anita's four kids giving her attention for a bit before tiring and demanding dinner. The kids were just like the other kids, with Anita loving that the kids were taking after her husband instead of her. She was happy to explain who was who and what the true relationship was to her, with Denise gasping at Anita's edest son's connection to Anita. Denise heard it before, but to hear it from Anita was another thing entirely. He was happy to be her son, he knew the truth and was proud of his mother for not hesitating in taking him in and adopting him as her own. Knowing that his mother died soon after and his father is in prison for decades only added on to his happiness as he was set for life through his mother's wealth and was happy to have her love him. In the car Amanda explained to Denise, "She's a great person with a rough history. She fought herself for years but didn't come to terms with her true self until she was run out of her college and forced to move in with the Stoner girls. She's an amazing singer, together with Tabby and Trinity they make one hell of a team. She's world famous, but is extremely private. The kids are even more private, they rarely like to get close to people but they loved you. They're starting to become independent, but need their mother." Denise understood, adding, "I saw how much they love her and how much they want to keep her happy. I saw how much two of them look like her and the third has her family's looks with his father's eyes and hair. The last one is a mystery, is he her husband's daughter?" Amanda nodded, telling her warmly, "She was the first and by luck she was a girl. Anita's husband loves her deeply and spoils her. The boys are hers through a donor by her request, her adopted son, and hers by a donor. Her youngest and eldest share the same egg donor, they don't know who by the donor's own request. The three kids don't know which parent sired them and are happy to not know, their brother is fine never knowing who his real father is and refuses to allow the man's family to contact him." When they arrived at the Herman home Denise was greeted by Ben and Beth. The two escorted her to the dining room and showed her a special envelope. Denise opened it and cried, it was a special letter to her that would change her life forever. Denise looked up at Bet hand Ben and asked what it meant. Ben happily explained to her, "It's for your custody hearing. Our application for adoption was granted by DCF so we filed for a hearing in front of a judge and were given one for tomorrow. The judge is happy to give a quick one to clear his schedule." Denise started crying heavily, it was the best news she had heard in ages. She knew it was going to be happening, but didn't expect it for a while. She didn't know why the judge was eager to help, but it was something that she wouldn't complain about and would thank him for later. Denise went to bed feeling amazing, for once she didn't dream about girls or being a girl: she dreamed about being a family to Beth and Ben and Francesca and Benny. It felt amazing to be an aunt and have a sister to talk with and in-laws who showed her how to be a girl without fear of upsetting her. Lucy was her favorite among them, for some reason she understood Denise best even in her dreams. She had a big smile as she slept, with Beth happily telling Ben, "She's dreaming about us. It's not one of her sexy dreams, this one has be be about all of us. She hides it, but she loves us more than she lets on." Ben nodded and led her away so they didn't disturb Denise. He kissed her deeply and admitted, "She's a great girl. I wish things had been different for you, but you got a young daughter to raise." Beth shed a tear and barely above a whisper added, "Francesca was too strong-willed to be taught by me as a mother. She was 14 and knew more about being a girl than I ever did. Periods, boys, crushes, acne: she knew it all. Benny is his father's son, a large part of you shines through him. Lucy is independent and happy to be that way, but loves us as he own parents. Donald doesn't need us but goes to us out of respect. Denise is different, she has nobody else and wants to go to us. It's clear on her face and in her actions, she wants to be our daughter and make us proud of her." The couple went to bed happy, with Beth embracing Ben who knew to let her hormones go wild and to not make mention of it because its impact on Beth. They were tough to endure and even tougher living with knowing that they were why she couldn't have a second child with him. Denise was younger than the child she lost due to her health issues a second pregnancy caused, with the couple being unwilling to endure the pain of trying a third time or using a surrogate. The next morning saw Denise refreshed and ready for the day. Beth helped her dress and styled her hair to match Beth's style causing Denise to fight tears at looking like a younger Beth again. When she wore her new glasses, the look was solidified as Beth wore glasses that day instead of her usual contacts. Denise asked why she was wearing glasses, Beth happily told her, "I want to look like the real me. I'm your mom now, I want you to feel like you're my daughter in multiple ways. Your hairstyle, clothes, and your glasses all match what I looked like at the same age. I want to call it fate, but it's coincidence and one that I'm happy to have happened. I love that you can look like my daughter, I love you for it." Denise didn't respond, she walked over to Ben who did a double-take at seeing the ladies. He gave Beth a big smile which caused her to shed tears over. He walked over and kissed her deeply, telling her, "It's a big sign: she was meant to be our daughter. She's you at the same age, a 12-year-old Beth Helena." Denise ran over and hugged him, then kissed his cheeks until he blushed deeply. Denise heard the best possible thing Ben could have said and it was only made better as Denise was shown pictures from the family's photo albums of Beth at the same age with her grandparents and gasped at the picture: There was a strong resemblance to Beth at the same age, like she was her mother. Beth looked at the pictures and saw something that embarrassed her: an egg donor confirmation form. It made her feel like there might be a part of her out there, another child who didn't know his or her but who lived and thrived. It was a sad time in her life where she needed money and resorted to donating to couples trying to give birth with her earning her college degrees making her desperate for money. Denise looked at Beth and smiled, with Beth reading her mind and telling her, "It's extremely unlikely. I did it 28 years ago. It'd take a lot of coincidences to be true, but I doubt your parents used a donor." Ben finally realized what Beth meant and had Denise focus on something else, but texted Valerie to do a DNA test on Beth and Denise to see if Denise was her biological daughter. It was a long shot, but if it proved to be true it would mean they were meant to be together as mother and daughter. He hoped that it was true, Beth's constant need to mother would finally be sated and she could retire happy next year. Valerie quickly texted back, "The Halls used a donor. Melody Hall was infertile, postmortum showed it to be because she is post-op transgender. She hid that from her husband and daughter! Duke Hall wasn't aware of her history and paid for the donor, the facility was the same as the one Beth went to to donate. It's too much of a coincidence that she looks like Beth, Beth has to be her biological mother." Valerie got the testing sorted while the Hermans drove to Boston for the hearing. All branches of their family were there: Benny with Lucy, Francesca with Donald, Brice, and Royce, the Kellys with Aggy but not Junior, and the Penas minus Billy. Donald blushed as he told Denise, "Mom and dad had to tell Courtney, Walter, and Amy to stay away as it's crowded enough as it is. Plus Aunt Beverlyprobably has something planned for you after the hearing is done. Don't worry, it's nothing too crazy." The group entered the courtroom and were greeted by a happy judge Roy Parker, a longtime ally of the family and someone who was happy to see the family for simple hearings. He looked over at Denise as well as Beth and shook his head, asking, "Did you try to show the child as your own or did she doe it on her own volition. I don't like stunts and it won't help you any." Denise loudly stated, "I had my hair cut because I needed to look different than before. I chose whatever was going to look right for court, not because mom wore it. I wear glasses because I need them, I didn't know mom wears them as she only wears contacts most of the time." Beth sighed and confessed, "I wore the glasses because I wanted Denise to see that it's not a disguise if it's something she needs to wear all of the time for her own good. I don't like wearing mine but it's one of the days that I wear them and as I'm not at school or in my office I'm wearing them here. She hasn't seen me wear them before because she's been out with kids close to her age or with younger kids doing the meet and greet of our family at the kids' demand. As for our outfits, it was her style that she chose on her own. I didn't pick out her clothes and was already dressed when she dressed." Roy got what he wanted, they weren't trying to sway his favor. He asked why she had to look different than before, Ben explained, "She previously starred on a TV show called 'Tickle Your Funny Bone. She has had issues with people recognizing her and needed to change her style for safety reasons. Her hair is her natural color and the glasses were required, she wore contact lenses that hid her real eye color. What you see is all her, the only disguise she has is one she'll use one TV." Roy looked at Denise for a second and added, "Ah, the one who exposed a network for its bigotry and an attempt to extort a child and who changed how people saw girls like yourself. I assume that your style was inflicted on you by your previous parents, the ones who abused you and who paid the price for the use of drugs and extorting others. It's a tragedy, but you found real parents in the Hermans." Getting serious, he asked for the evidence of her being transgender. He read Jaimie's report then read a report by Fiona Flynn. He nodded at both and proclaimed, "I see no reason to delay the inevitable. It's my belief that Elizabeth and Benjamin Herman are ideal parents for Dennis Hall. It's the order of this court that Dennis Hall be renamed Denise Elizabeth Herman and legally adopted by Elizabeth and Benjamin Herman. Good luck to all of you, and thank you for not bringing all of your family today." He laughed at that joke and walked away. Denise hugged Beth tightly then kissed and hugged Ben. She grabbed onto Benny and kissed him on the cheek hard causing him to blush and the others to laugh. The group drove on to Beverly Bollinger's office to talk to Denise about something important. Beverly had everyone else go to the Herman home then sat Denise down and explained to her, "I'm no fool, I'm too observant to not notice something amiss about you. I did a discrete DNA exam on you and Benny then on you and Beth. The similarities are too striking, you had to be related to Beth in some way. I see you today and I know that it was justified: it's too coincidental that you look so strikingly similar." Looking over at Beth, Beverly proudly told her, "You are her mother. You didn't give birth to her, but it was your donated egg that was fertilized. Congratulations, Beth, you have your second biological child. Benny is her half-brother, but let's be realistic: he's more than that. He's all brother to her and has been since the day he met her. They have a special bond, now we know why- it's by your blood." Denise demanded to know if it was true, Beverly showed Denise the results and added, "We really aren't that surprised by it. I figured something had to be up when I saw that Melody Hall was transgender and Duke Hall was desperate for anything that he could use to climb the ranks socially. Melody had to have hidden her past from him and come up with some excuse for her infertility while still staying married to Duke. Using a donor who was a college-educated, PhD candidate was something way to hard to ignore for them, it gave them the best possible chance of a successful child to leech of of. Knowing that same company Beth donated to from Austin's conception it wasn't too hard to see that they'd probably retain a lucrative egg years after others would have been disposed of to make a lot of money. They broke their contract with Beth in not destroying the eggs, but it also did something that we can't ignore: gave you a daughter. And before you ask, you don't have any other children as your eggs weren't as wanted as they thought and were only kept because of a potential investment that paid off just once: with Denise." Beth looked over at Denise and couldn't believe her eyes: she was her own daughter. Her own flesh and blood. A child she had grown to love years before and who was only now revealed as her own. Beverly sighed and explained to Beth, "The company is desperate to keep the fact that they broke a deal with you regarding their required disposal because your eggs had certain traits that were deemed to be 'wanted'. They want to offer you a deal in exchange for not suing them, they'll pay you $10 million to walk away and not sue them. I'd take it, it's money that doesn't matter to you but it's a message to them that their contracts must be honored. They'll have to admit to wrongdoing, but they could be sued for a lot more than what they're offering you. Given the results of it, I think it's adding onto what you got." Beth was reluctant to accept anything but Ben shot back, "She'll sue. It needs to go on record about them potentially putting people at risk for profit. I know it turned out for the best, but it's still dangerous." Beverly smirked and Ben shook his head, grumbling, "You two are a real pain. Valerie knew all along, I called her asking her to do what she had already done! That sneak! And she's already sued them and got an offer from them for a tenth of what Valerie was going to sue for and likely win. No non-disclosure agreements, it has to be on record what the did." Beth let it go, Denise was hugging her tightly and needed her attention. Ben led them away and told the distraught Denise, "I may not biologically be your father, but I'm your father no matter what. I don't care about that, I love you and am ecstatic that Beth is connected to you. She's your mother in all ways." At home, the Hermans were greeted by all branches of the family. Denise finally got to meet many of the elders and members of her generation that she wouldn't see often. It was overwhelming, especially as she met people older than her who were supposed to be calling her "Aunt Denise" now. Meeting Stephanie Porter-Phillips caused Denise to blush as Trina was beautiful but Stephanie had her own quality that made Denise like her more. Meeting Stephanie's siblings was weird as she recognized a few of the kids as neighbors of Liv and Anne but shocked to learn they lived in-between the two. And hearing that the man who observed her as she and the girls talked in the yard was like her made her feel as though she was blessed as people who knew of her were keeping an eye on her discretely. Polly's husband caused Denise to blush as he looked like Stephanie's twin, but with muscles and a great hairstyle. Polly loved showing Denise that he was an amazing husband, especially when she heard that he got pregnant alongside Polly so Polly wouldn't go through it alone. He was a dream husband, and it made her happy to see that there were people who accepted their issues and put them aside to help out. Al Douglas was the one who made Denise cry as she carried a toddler in her arms until he saw Denise and rushed to her. Denise looked concerned as Al complained that he was showing off for his aunt, he wanted to show Jaimie that he was good with Denise and wanted to be like his cousin Austin. Al gave Denise a big hug causing her to blush, with Al discretely telling Denise, "You'll get used to us. You're the 'baby' of our generation, the one who bridges the gap like David and Patrick did with our parents." The little kids dragged Denise away and forced their parents to leave her alone, with all of the adults on notice to back away or the infants and toddlers would release into their diapers something smelly. The kids were serious, with Denise being hugged and kissed more than anyone had been in a long time. She was theirs for the time being, with the older kids and teens forced to back away under the same penalty. Denise played with them for an hour before they tired out and fell asleep together. It was hysterical as the kids were huddled together on the floor hugging one another and clutching their blankets. Denise walked out to smiles from their parents, she saved them the trouble of forcing naptime on the kids. Jaimie, Fiona, and Trinity greeted her as she exited the room, with the trio hugging her and encouraging her to mingle with the teens so she wasn't overwhelmed being around the adults. Denise chose to go with the others, sitting by her cousins' sides while her brother tried hard to not say anything. Denise wasn't offended, he was the target of one of Will's joking sprees and had Lucy's smirk keeping him from retaliating verbally. Will tried to turn his sights on Denise with a joke. She considered what he said and countered, "Are you jealous that I found my real mom and your parents haven't found the stork that made a mistake when you were born? It's alright, he probably didn't want to upset your real parents when the see how badly their son did in life and want to disown you." Will struggled to find a response but was cutoff by the heavy laughter of everyone within earshot. Will had gotten his joke turned against him by someone with little experience, something rarely occurred and usually it was Benny and Jack who did the turnaround. Denise was embraced by Will's wife Claire and Jaimie, Will got what he deserved and Denise was official "one of them" in their eyes. The gathering eventually broke up when the kids awoke and wanted to go home. Denise had to endure a stream of hugs and kisses from the younger kids and even some looks of jealousy from Skylar as her own feelings of longing to be a, "Real" member of the family came forward. Denise felt for her, JD Finn was a great father but being adopted instead of blood made it tough at times to accept things. Things calmed for the next week as Denise was with Valerie each day while Ben and Beth were setting up their classrooms for the upcoming school year. Valerie helped her register and notify the school that she was transgender and seeking protection, but that was only a formality as the school superintendent just happened to be Stephanie's mother Alice Porter- John's cousin. All Valerie had to do was show the paperwork and Denise was officially input into the system, allowing her to be a girl in school and given the school's full protection or face penalty of state and federal prosecution. The final weekend before school was spent with Stalking Wolf Miller as he took the teens up north to New Hampshire for a weekend in the woods. Denise was scared of being alone without her parents, but Stalking Wolf was an amazing man who treated her like a daughter and ensured that she had fun even if she was scared of what might happen. She enjoyed learning about the various plants and animals and the ways of fishing without modern equipment and even caught two fish that they prepared for dinner. There was a looming dread as Denise was escorted to her classroom by Dorothy and Vance Taylor just before the start of the first day of school. Denise was scared of what her teacher, Stella Black, would say, but she did the unexpected and asked Dorothy firmly, "Is she going to be able to keep up or do I have to have Ben and Beth on my case about their daughter falling behind? I don't want her to have any more trouble and I especially don't want them coming after me for failing her. She won't get any special treatment, It's no different than the Stoners, Finns, Smiths, and Petersons. No special treatment for her." Denise was ready to run, Dorothy happily told Ms. Black, "She expects none from you. In fact, she'd be upset if you did give her special treatment. She might be a celebrity with teachers as parents, but you know as well as anyone that Beth and Ben won't let her get in a bind and fall behind. And you know that she won't be allowed to, not with tutors ready to help at their own demand. I do believe Alana and Lara Perez and Jane Gibson are itching to help her without hesitation." Denise looked down in shame, Ms. Black nodded in agreement and complained, "Jane is a pain with the boys, Alana is too much like her father for my taste, and Lara is a fine young lady who is a butterfly socially- I blame that on her blooming and boys giving her attention. I suspect they all have eyes on her and will probably have the Stoner boy close just in case of trouble." Denise understood now what she was talking about, she understood Denise and let her know that all of the girls were her former students.Denise was happy to know that, especially as it was clear now that she would have to do her work and keep up or else face the girls' wrath. Her parents wouldn't allow her to fail and she had something extremely important to lose if she didn't keep her grades up: her show. With that out of the way, her disguise was asked about. Vance shut the door and explained to her, "She's not wearing one. That's her natural hair color and she needed glasses. She's hiding in plain sight, she's going to wear a wig and contacts on her show. And yes, she does look a lot like her mother. It's because her mother is her biological mother. Her 'birth' mother was like her but hid it from everyone and used a donor and surrogate to have a child. Beth's donated eggs were used, she's Beth's biological daughter." The revelation shocked Ms. Black, Dorothy added, "Please don't tell anyone about that. We told you at her request so you don't think exactly what you thought: it's not a disguise. She had reason to drop her previous style, it turned out to be something even bigger than we imagined. Nobody has to know that Denise really is her daughter, just as nobody has to know what she does on the weekends. If and when it does come out that she's starring in a TV show, don't let anyone try to use her or worse- blackmail her into doing things for her. She's just a regular student during the week, she's free to do as she pleases any other time. It shouldn't affect your class and if it does, we'll take care of it." Denise's classmates entered and saw a new girl sitting with both principals close by. Vance explained to all of them, "This year we have a new student joining us. She recently moved to this state from out west and was adopted by two of our finest teachers. There is something special about her, she is transgender. As all of you know from prior years, we won't allow any discrimination based on gender identification nor will we allow harassment and abuse. You will abide by the city, state, and federal standards or you will face punishment. Punishment ranges from detention to suspension to expulsion. Any of you with older siblings know that we don't fool around, especially in protecting girls like her." He waited for that to sink in before adding, "She will change in the staff lockerroom and will be allowed to use the disabled bathroom. She WILL NOT be changing in front of any girls and WIL NOT us the girls bathroom. Do not claim otherwise to your parents, we've played this game since before all of your parents were born. We know you think this is special treatment- it isn't. If we were to allow her to use the same bathrooms as you we know full well many of you would lie and try to sue the school for alleged assaults that never happened: all because of what she is. We won't allow it." He left and allowed Ms. Black to being class, with the worst offenders already on notice that they had been cut off before they could make complaints and go after Denise through the courts or the media. Denise paid close attention to what Ms. Black said and pretty much remained silent until lunch. She didn't know what to do and walked around the cafeteria until she got called over by Jane and Alana. The new girl getting to eat with the known "rich kids" caused a lot of whispers and eyebrows to raise, it was a relief to Denise that she'd sit with them especially as nobody wanted to sit with the "tranny freak" for fear of ruining their reputation. Jane and the girls had no trouble with that, their family wasn't one to mess with and their relatives being Jaimie Samuels, Al Douglas, and even Trinity Eliza made it easy on them as nobody wanted to go against those ladies- especially over a new friend. During class Denise was ignored and only talked with one person, a girl named Ava Hines. Ava said a few things to her during the day but the two mostly sat next to one another and did their work. It was a good pairing as the two enjoyed the work, with Ms. Black thankful that the two had some common ground that could be built upon during the year. Denise was so engrossed in her schoolwork that she never looked directly at Ava. When she finally got a good look at Ava her mouth dropped. Ava was beautiful, almost exactly like the girl of her dreams that she had spent all summer hoping to one day meet. After school ended for the day, the two sat together as they awaited their parents to pick them up. Ava looked away from Denise while Denise tried hard to not stare at the face of the girl she had wanted to meet since she found her sexuality. It was sweet, yet neither would admit it to one another. Eventually Ava asked if it was true that she was transgender or if it was another rumor started by kids in school to make her look bad and make everyone stay away from her. Denise nodded silently, but did add a solemn, "I'm just starting out. I've only just started hormones so my boobs are coming in slowly. I have 'it' and can't have surgery until I'm 18. I don't want what happened to other girls like me to happen so I can get the surgery early, I'd rather wait." Ava asked what she meant, Denise confessed, "One was shot in the privates, one had her penis nearly cut off, three were badly beaten by kidnappers and rapists, one was in a bad car accident. One cut off her balls and another had hers badly beaten until they had to be removed. I don't want to endure that, I hate it but I'll endure for nearly six years even if I don't like it." Ava was speechless, the look Denise was giving her showed that it was the truth. Denise sat silently by her side until until she asked why everyone kept away from her. Ava looked down in shame and blurted out, "I'm a lesbian. I got caught kissing a girl last Spring and the kids have been horrible to me since." Denise looked down in shame, adding, "That's stupid. Why do they have a problem with lesbians? You are pretty and smart and better than any of them- they're jealous of you. I've seen it before, they won't admit it but they're jealous of you. The boys are upset they can't date a pretty girl and the girls are upset that a pretty girl might like that. It's stupid, they're frauds." Denise didn't realize what she had just said but Ava gave her a look of shock. Denise apologized to her but Ava asked, "Do you really think I'm pretty? The girls said I'd never find a girlfriend because I'm not an ugly bull like the girls who play sports. They said that those are the only kinds of girls that lesbians date since they look like guys. I don't look like they think lesbians look like, they said I'm not one and am only using it as a way of getting them in trouble and avoiding dating boys." Denise nodded, then added a meek, "You're what I hoped my dream girl would be." She got up and ran off, rushing to Beth's car before Ava could react to what she had just said. Ava couldn't believe it either, Denise had just admitted that Ava was the girl of her dreams. Ava's mother, Jackie Hines, drove her home and saw the look of astonishment on her daughter's face. She asked Ava what happened, to which Ava wistfully told her, "A girl said I was the girl of her dreams. She's the new transgender girl in our class, the one you were told about." Jackie wasn't sure how to react, she'd heard about girls like that but wasn't aware of any in Ava's school. She asked Ava about the girl, to which Ava explained, "She's Denise Herman. She's newly adopted from out west and knows Jane Gibson and Alana and Lara Perez. She seemed to be one of them, I saw them talking to her like they knew her really well. They don't take in anybody new, she had to know their parents or was friends with them from over the summer." Jackie left it alone, Ava needed to calm down and Jackie needed to figure out what was going on before she told Ava what to do. If Denise was from the Herman family that Denise knew of, Ava would have a lot of trouble or help depending on how Denise really felt. She'd do some investigating to figure out if it was a slip of the tongue or there was more going on than Ava realized. Ava did her homework in silence while Jackie did a search online about transgender women. She found a lot of information but not a lot about transgender lesbians. The more she read, the more muddied she realized sexuality was and what you identified as wasn't linked to what you orientation was. Ava came in and caught some of what Jackie was reading. Jackie sighed and explained to Ava, "She may be a lesbian like you. Just because she is transitioning does not mean that she is automatically into men. She is just starting out so might be confused or she might know already, just don't overreact to her. She needs a friend, so do you. Perhaps there might be a friendship brewing between the two of you." Denise was unsure what was going to happen the next day and asked her parents to find out what Ava had happen to her the year before. They called Vance for his take on things and saw him confess to the couple, "She became extremely close to several girls in her class before the Spring dance. The girls were kids from a foster home known for its troubled kids including kids who had a history of homophobic behavior. The girls manipulated her into coming out in front of the school by admitting that she liked girls then when she went to kiss one they slapped her. We tried to intervene but she refused help. She spent the rest of the school year working from home under her sister-in-law's oversight. She was forced to return to school this year and requested protection, she is unaware of Denise being a lesbian as well. If the two hit it off then it's best to keep them together, they need the help and could offer protection." Vance rarely suggested something that wasn't worth doing, if he felt that they were a good match then it was going to be tough to not put them together for protection. Denise didn't have any issue with that, as long as Ava was fine with her being transgender then she had no issues at all with Ava. Ava was what she had dreamed a girl to be, one who was pretty and smart and seemed to like the same things as her. The next day saw Ava and Denise eating breakfast together while kids around them made snide jokes about the two, "Freaks" being together while everyone avoided the two. Ava ignored them while Denise tried to tune them out and focus on the day ahead. It was going to be another long day, but at least she knew Ava was struggling too. Lunch was a surprise for Ava as she was pulled alongside Denise to the table by Jane. Jane refused to let the two eat alone, it wasn't right in her eyes and she had been told to protect both by her parents. Ava's being alongside Denise the day before caused the four's parents to insist on them protecting Ava too, it was history repeating itself for all of them as their parents did the same when in school. Ava was quiet and didn't speak, but it was expected of her as she had no reason to speak to the strangers and it was tough to join a well- established group of friends out of the blue and know what they were talking about. Jane did a lot of talking for the group while Lara teased her about talking so much about the boys in class. Alana complained that Jane needed to cool her hormones and focus on school before she ended up getting grounded again for not doing her homework. Ava and Denise were quiet for the rest of the day but finally managed to talk after school while the two awaited their rides home. Ava asked how she knew, "The Finns" as she called the trio leading Denise to explain, "My parents are close friends with their grandparents. Mom and dad work with Jane's grandpa and mom's cousin-in-law is Alana and Lara's dads' boss. Their parents are somehow related to my sister and brother through friendship and marriage. It's complicated, made worse because I'm younger than them and am considered to be part of their parents' generation and not their generation." Vance came over to talk to Denise causing Ava to move away, he had bad news for Denise: Beth and Ben were running late so Benny was picking her up. Denise cringed at hearing that, knowing that there was going to be a commotion regarding him being there. Vance nodded, adding, "I hoped it was Lucy but she had an appointment in Boston with her doctor. He'll be discreet, hopefully going unnoticed." Ava listened and asked what that was about. Vance happily explained to her, "Denise's brother is Benny Herman, the comic and TV star. He doesn't like the spotlight off-set, especially in Winnisimmet, and tries to be unnoticed when he's home but there's a strong chance one of the kids makes a big deal out of him being here. He hates when that happens, especially as some of the kids are known to him." Benny exited the car and walked over to Denise, picked her up in a hug then a kiss on the cheek, then put her down before she fainted. Ava was stunned, while Denise tried hard to rush to the car. Benny did a bow to Vance who shook his head at his act, knowing full well that others were watching him. Ava was unable to speak, Vance happily told her, "Her brother is a TV star and her sister is a movie star. That's in addition to her uncle being a major syndicated columnist and her 2nd-cousin being Attorney General of this state. She's connected and has powerful friends, remember that as it's clear that you two are going to need one another a lot this year. She's fine with you, are you fine with her?" Ava had to think about it. She thought back to that day and realized that it was the best day that she had in a long time. Denise was a good person, and the girls she knew were funny and smart. She started to smile at the thought of being Denise's friend. Denise was the first person who didn't use her to get something and the first to include her without needing to be repaid the favor. The fact Denise had a penis didn't matter, she hadn't seen it nor did she want to. Vance took her reaction to be a strong sign that the two were going to be alright together. Whether there was an attraction or not was another story, but the two were stuck together by circumstances and had a need to endure the year with no other support. The girls were at an awkward phase, but things change in a minute and could end up blowing up for them. When Jackie picked up Ava she was greeted by Vance who explained to her, "Ava learned just who the newest member of her class is and why she's so important to us at the school. She'll tell you later about what happened, but suffice to say it will get dicey for you and your husband should there be an issue between them or if you have an issue with Denise being transgender. I'd advise you to think hard about the girls and what may be brewing. I won't say more as it's personal to Denise, but please don't try to separate them if they start to get close." Jackie gasped while Ava was oblivious to what he meant. Inside the car Jackie asked about that whole "important to us" and "issue with Denise." Ava looked down in shame and explained, "Her big brother is Benny Herman. Her cousin is the Attorney General. He said her uncle is a columnist for a newspaper." Jackie tried to figure out what she meant and looked online, finding that the Herman family really were related to William and Reed. Then she saw something odd and asked Ava about it, causing Ava to gasp and blurt out, "That's Denise! That girl looks just like her, only she has different hair!" Jackie looked closer and saw a similar face as Denise, only with long hair and contact lenses. She gave a look of surprise to Denise who looked online for more information and uncovered the truth about her: Denise Hall was transgender, and close friends with Benny. That had to be more than a coincidence. Ava continued looking online for as much information as possible about Denise and found a lot of what Denise tried to hide from everyone in school. Her date of birth, her family dying, her likes and dislikes that sounded a lot like something someone forced her to say instead of Denise's own words, her forced coming out after her cast heard the truth, even her close relationship to Benny and Jack was online. It all added up to Denise being that same girl from "Tickle Your Funny Bone" and who had dropped out of Hollywood for some reason that summer. That evening "Tickle Your Funny Bone" was on TV and saw Jackie and Ava watching intently to see if it was true: Denise Hall and Denise Herman were the same girl. Watching the girl on TV act gave Ava a funny feeling, especially as she knew that the girl was more like the boys than girls between her legs. It was tough to not see the Denise she knew in the girl on TV, especially as her voice was the same voice. Jackie looked at Ava watching Denise and fought a smile, her little girl was getting a crush on Denise and probably was fighting her feelings. It was cute, especially as she could tell when Ava felt lust at the girl on screen and when she felt righteous outrage when Denise was the butt of a bad joke. It was even more infuriating as they saw the little girl inside Denise being suppressed by, "Lesser" actresses who had a nasty habit of mugging for the camera and hamming it up to the point of being horribly obnoxious. Jackie could understand why she left after reading about her parents' actions, but why was she living in Winnisimmet under a new name with supposedly new parents? She had to find out, she didn't want her daughter to get caught in some kind of paparazzi nightmare because of Denise. In her room after finishing her homework, Ava did something she hadn't done in a while: masturbating. She couldn't stop thinking about Denise and the girl she used to be, then her mind turned to the girl in he class who was somehow prettier than the fake Hollywood girl she saw on TV. It was unintentional, but she somehow had realized that Denise was, "Her girl" just as Denise had done for Ava weeks earlier. The next morning was chaos for Denise as she was hounded by classmates and other kids as word had spread that Denise's brother was none other than the famous Benny Herman. Denise ignored most of it as they were the same kind of kids who sought her out when she was in Los Angeles, only these kids had to be around her for months instead of just a few hours. They only wanted to know her because of her fame, they had no actual interest in her- it was a fleeting popularity to her. Denise and Ava went to class early to avoid the stares and whispers, with Ms. Black asking what the big deal was. Denise looked at Ava and confessed to her, "It's my brother. He picked me up yesterday so he got recognized by everyone. He did it because it was going to get out eventually, but I hoped he'd do it later on and not the second day of school. Mom and dad aren't happy that he did that, they wanted us to be unknown until the new year when our new show starts. I couldn't hide any longer after that, but we would be able to control things then." She cringed at accidentally admitting that. Ava looked at her with glee and asked, "So it's true- you were Denise Hall the blonde girl who got exposed for being transgender? Mom and I saw you on TV, you're the same except for your hair and eyes. We noticed your nose and a small scar on your cheek, you can't fake that. Believe me, I've tried to hide scars with makeup." Denise gasped while Ava blushed. She looked at Ava and was ready to run off, Ava timidly said, "Mr. Taylor said that we'd need each other, I can't do this alone. I know the girls in class will do whatever it takes to hurt me and I know the boys will try to get me to not be gay. I don't want that, I don't care what you were. I don't want anything from you and you don't need anything from me." Ms. Black knew that something was up but let it go. During lunch, Ava asked if they all knew about Denise's past. Jane nodded while Lara explained, "We've known her for a while. Uncle Jack told us about her when he saw her audition tape. She was the young girl who could make Uncles Benny and Jack look foolish easily. She's great at it, except when they treated her badly at the end. We've all been on the show, whenever they did shows in Boston we were part of the cast more than the regulars. Only Denise didn't join us, her parents didn't want her to go and Uncles Benny and Jack didn't force her to come. You probably haven't seen the episodes, they didn't get repeated because the cast complained." Jane added, "Just wait until they hear that her sister is Francesca Herman or that she got singing lessons from Anita Dupree. Aunt Anita even got her to babysit her kids, Aunt Francesca is thinking about it but it might be a while because the kids love being around their dad more now. Denise got all of the little kids to do what she wanted, none of us can get them to sit still but she got them to nap and eat." Ava was intrigued, especially as she loved little kids. She had much older siblings who ignored her due to their own lives, but she loved playing with her nieces and nephews whenever they came around to visit with their grandparents. Denise was lucky in her eyes, she had an abundance of family who loved to be around her and who were fighting to be close to her while Ava was essentially all alone now. The day proved to be hard on Denise as kids kept trying to talk to her because of her brother. She tuned them out to the point of only listening when Ava and their teacher spoke, with Ava getting her complete focus most of the time. Ava felt great knowing that she was keeping Denise grounded in reality and she was helping Denise endure the pestering, even if Denise had experienced it all before. After school Denise waited with Ava in the principal's office at Vance's request. Ava was concerned but Vance explained to her, "It's quite alright, we just want to keep the coattail riders at bay. I doubt they are going to come in here without good reason and trying to leech off of Denise isn't a good reason. Ava asked Denise about something she had said earlier. Denise thought back to what she had spoken about before and gasped. She had accidentally said, "Our new show" to Ava. Denise looked down in shame and confessed, "I'm starring with Benny and Jack in a new show that is in production. We start filming next weekend, I have to study six episodes of lines by then. It's not like the previous show, this one is dramatic alongside comedy. They think it'll be a big hit because of that." Ava asked what it was all about, Denise blushed and confessed, "It's about me. It's about a girl who just came out and is living as a girl. It's about Benny and Jack helping her. It's about her being Benny's little sister and him enduring the troubles that come with being related to a girl like me." Ava was enthralled, it was going to be nothing like the other show. Denise having it about her life was a bigger shock, especially as she was so different in person. She hoped that Denise's show worked as it sounded like they put a lot of thought and care into creating it. Beth and Jackie arrived at the same time and were introduced to one another by Vance. Vance then told Beth, "They know about Denise's former job and pieced together what happened to her from what they found online. I suggest that all of you hammer out something so that Benny doesn't end up getting her mobbed again. I know he meant well, but this was a job for Lucy or even Amanda or Kennedy to do." Beth led them out and drove to the Hines home to discuss things. The girls were told to immediately do their homework by Jackie, with Beth giving Denise a look to do as told. The girls rushed to Ava's room to do as told, not wanting to anger their mothers. In the kitchen, Beth explained to Jackie, "She has had a rough go for a while after she was outed. It was a nasty fight with the network and all of her castmates. A lot of dirty laundry was aired, the kids had too much hidden that the press and the network never knew about. She was going to star in a new show to be filmed here and was staying with us for the duration before she was placed in are care for the time being by social services after abuse allegations surfaced against her parents. That followed quickly with them being murdered and a lot of trouble with a disgruntled network executive. She asked us to adopt her, to which we agreed. After a month of waiting and a sympathetic judge who knew our extended family members she is now our daughter in full. She's changed her looks from what she used to look like because she wanted to be anonymous, I guess she didn't change enough to get past a keen observer. She's unique among her generation, she's the youngest. My husband and I are the same, we're barely three years older than our eldest unofficial nephew. She's around girls who're older than her but who respectfully call her 'Aunt Denise' even if Denise hasn't heard it herself yet." Jackie understood and asked, "I understand the youth part. Ava is our youngest, she's actually younger than most of her nieces and nephews. Our oldest are 42, we're both 63. She was a surprise baby, one whom we couldn't part with and who saved us from empty nest syndrome." Beth smiled at hearing that, she knew the feeling. Beth added, "We were feeling that same feeling, it was tough not seeing Benny nor Francesca for weeks. We're happy that Benny's wife Lucy was staying with us but with her set to move in with her husband it was tough being alone again. It hurt even more as the two are becoming parents in six months so Denise gives us a bit of youth before we start to feel old." The girls listened and led to Denise asking about Ava's siblings. Ava looked down in shame and told her, "My brothers and sisters all hate me. They are embarrassed by me. They didn't want mom to keep me, they thought that I was a waste of their time as they already had grown kids and grandchildren who're older than me. I never see them, their kids don't know about me and when my brothers do come by they kick me out. It got worse when I came out, they said I was a bad influence on my nieces. Mom and dad cut them off and refuse to help them anymore, they talk to my sisters-in-law but won't speak to my brothers. I don't have anyone else, just mom and dad." Denise hugged her as she started to cry. The two embraced and laid on Ava's bed until Ava stopped her tears. When she stopped, she kissed Denise on the lips causing Denise to swoon and kiss back. Denise looked into her eyes and confessed to her, "I like you. A lot. You are what I imagined my dream girl to be. I don't like models or girls with big breasts, I like people who are average and like the same things as me. I'm sorry for kissing you back, I know you didn't mean it." Ava kissed her again then told her, "I like you too. You have been so nice to me since you started even if we were stuck together. Mr. Taylor wants us to be close because we are all that we have, but I like you a lot for yourself. So what if you're still 'all boy' down there, you are still better than the other girls. I'd rather date a pretty girl who could make me pregnant than a total fake with the same privates as me." The two stayed entwined for a bit before Beth and Jackie sought them out. Catching them together in bed and obviously having kissed caused their mothers to grow upset. Seeing that Ava was crying made them realize something happened to cause the embrace, something that was good for both of them. After Denise left, Ava was asked what happened. She looked down in shame and told her mother, "I told her about my siblings. You know- the ones who said I was a mistake, that you should have gotten rid of me before I was born? She wanted to know so I told her. She hugged me to stop me from crying then I kissed her. I didn't mean to, but she made me feel special. She told me that she liked me a lot and that I was her dream girl and I told her that I liked her a lot and I didn't care that she didn't have what I have. I don't care anymore, she's been the best friend I ever had- nobody else will be my friend but her." Jackie hugged Ava to stop he from crying again, then calmly explained to her, "OK. You two need more rules if you are going to be girlfriends. No kissing or more in your bedroom. You two stay downstairs unless we give you permission. Your father might not be as forgiving as me, despite being a girl she is still able to get you pregnant and I don't want you to have more issues added on to your situations." Ava nodded in agreement, Jackie happily added, "It's the same rules your brothers had. Unlike you, they all broke them. And they paid the price: they had children early. They might have decent jobs now, but it was because WE helped them. Your dad and I. Your sisters and brothers-in-law had to work just to support them, I had to do a lot of babysitting for them while they worked. You are still our child, we will love you even if we never thought we'd be parents again. They are wrong in what they said and they are wrong in how they act. They are spoiled rotten by their in-laws now that they have good jobs, your nieces and nephews are all better off never knowing you as you are an amazing child who they all wish they could act like. I love you no matter what you are, and I'm happy that you finally made a good friend even if she might be a girlfriend now. Don't worry about being alone, Denise's family is massive and won't let you feel alone. You'll have friends, they'll ensure that you do." Over dinner, Jackie informed her husband Josiah, "Joe" Hines about her daughter's budding love life as well as just who Denise's family were. He thought it over and explained to Jackie, "This is serious. If she has a bad falling out it could be the end of us as a family. If they stay together as friends it's for the best. If they are more than friends it might be something unthinkable: joining them as in-laws. There's a long list of names of people who would ensure Ava is safe as well as a list of people who would bankrupt us and not think for a second about it. She's in good hands, but we have to treat lightly with them." Once Ava was in her room watching her TV, Joe asked about Denise. She blushed and explained to him, "She's delightful, if a bit shy. She's a lot like Ava, they get along extremely well and makes Ava more of a listener than she normally is. She's developing nicely, which Ava seems to be jealous of. There's also a lot of abuse that she's dealing with that thankfully Ava hasn't endured. Unless you count the crap her brothers keep heaping on her about being born in the first place. I hate to say it, but that actually caused the two to get even closer, we caught them mid-kiss after Ava told Denise about the boys." Joe shook his head and cursed his sons for being so horrible to a child. He was happy to know that the girls were getting close but realizing just what happened caused him to shoot back, "Did you warn them? They might be girls but one is fully equipped to impregnate the other." Jackie blushed at her lapse but did tell him, "We told them after we caught them. It was harmless and it's what our daughter needed then. They know the rule now, and Ava knows why we put them in place. It's not her fault that her brothers broke our confidence in them TWICE with their girlfriends. She knows it can result in her becoming a mother and won't break it, neither will Denise." The rest of the week was slow for Denise as that Saturday was a major day for her: her first rehearsal as a dramatic actress. It was officially a comedy, but the new show, "My True Self" was as dramatic as any other drama. It was going to be her big break, the one that showed the world that Denise Hall was gone and Denise Herman was there to stay. Ava and Denise were together after school each day, with the couple parting with heavy hearts as each's parents arrived. Jackie could see that they cared for one another and it hurt her to see them part, but the two needed time apart and Denise needed to work on her acting in private. Ava understood why she had to do it alone, especially as it was Denise's life about to be played out on screen for all to see. During the week Benny and Jack worked on plots for the upcoming year and hit dead ends with some of what Denise was going to do. They thought that she was going to need a friend and at one point they thought it might be best to include a boy as a potential love interest. That all changed when they were told by Lucy that Denise would hate that, especially as people would think that she was into guys. Thinking it over, they decided to let art imitate life and have her fall for the new girl in school who also happened to be fighting her sexuality. It would give them something to build up to as both accepted that they had feelings for one another and give them a bit of strife and comedic moments that were needed. They hadn't yet cast that girl, and would struggle to find her due to bigotry and jealousy issues. The first production meeting was a disaster as the writers refused to work with Denise and ignored all of her ideas without looking at them. Benny read her suggestions and agreed fully with them, especially as they were in-line with what he wanted. Jack was upset that Denise's ideas were taking the show in a direction that would put him into conflict with more characters instead of being the bad advice guy that he had hoped his character would be- basically, the one who drives the comedy. Denise added a long list of ideas that might work then asked that they lay off a lot of the romance for a few months. Her reason was solid: if you build up to it it'll make their first kiss all the better. She had the final word on her character, especially as she backed up her feelings with her experience. Denise needed Ava to calm her, with the two watching a movie at the Herman home that evening until both fell asleep. It was chaste, Ava sat in Denise's lap with her falling asleep from the closeness and the love while Denise fell asleep from the anxiety. As they were in the living room when they fell asleep it wasn't held against them and showed to Beth and Jackie that they were going to abide by the rules even if they were given a huge opportunity to break them without realizing it. Joe and Ben struggled to get Ava into the car causing Jackie to hide her laugh at the two men. Ava was dead weight and couldn't get in without the two twisting at odd angles. They were hamming it up as the two knew their wives were watching, Jackie finally lost her composure and fell to her knees causing the barely holding back Beth to do the same over the hilarious act. Benny watched the fun from across the street and had to hide his shame at his father's actions. He was barely able to work on his script, Lucy kept him on track and told him that he was seeing himself there as he was his father's son. The Finns laughed at that, Lucy was right about Benny and Ben. On Monday the girls were introduced to three new students: Phillip, Lydia, and Nathan Stoner, a trio of youngsters who were previously the, "Babies" of the family before Denise joined the family. They had been the only ones in the family to attend a charter school, with each earning their spots in their school after high placement test scores and the hopes that their family's wealth would be used to help the new school with funding issues. They were all in the same grade as Denise and by luck they were all placed in the same class- likely due to the fact that Denise was there and they could help protect her. Lydia was thrilled to have her as a classmate, especially as she was all that her cousins talked about for a month. Nathan just wanted normalcy after being treated as VIPs at their former school despite none of them excelling academically. Phillip just wanted normalcy, the new school was as normal as you got, even if the school wasn't, "As advanced" as was claimed by their former principal. The trio were introduced to Denise by Vance and immediately embraced her. Lydia was happy to see a girl who was exactly as her cousins described, right down to the budding breasts and eyeglasses. She gave Ava a bright smile and hugged her too, knowing that she needed to show Ava that she was happy to meet her and that she was going to be alright with Ava's sexuality even if Lydia was straight. Vance explained to Denise, "These three little monsters are the Stoner triplets. You've met their cousins Aggy and Tabby already, they are just like them except they pay attention in class. Please help them get adjusted to the class, they are in a new cluster this year so don't know anyone else." In class, Ava was told by Lydia, "Daddy works with Denise's mom and dad. Our mom and sister are like Denise so we don't mind her not being like us in her panties. Our nephew is in one of the other classes so we know what it's like to have our siblings' kids the same age or older than us." Ava understood and let it go, while Denise asked Lydia if she was alright with Ava and her dating. She was surprised that Lydia shot back, "Our sister is the same as you so we don't care. Just don't do what she did, she got her girlfriend pregnant because they forgot to wear a condom. Daddy is still upset that he's a dad and grandpa to kids born a few weeks apart." Ms. Black was even more vigilant towards the girls now that she had to deal with the Stoners. Justin Stoner was easy to handle as he was stricter than his wife towards kids, but Savannah Stoner was still someone that she dreaded ever meeting outside of social functions. Being a lawyer known to be a tough litigator and not afraid to destroy careers to protect others, you tried to steer well clear of her bad side. The kids of their class thought that it was odd that there were three new kids there, especially as the trio seemed to know Denise and were friendly with Ava. When Ms. Black announced who they were and that they were likely to be taught by the trio's father all gossip stopped as the trio gave smirks to all of the known gossipers and kids who had at one time tried to trash them. When they showed that they had a lot of brains to match their connections all attempts to, "Show them who's boss" ended immediately. Over lunch, Denise asked the trio why they didn't go to the school before then. Nathan complained, "We were sent there because mom thought that we would be better off focusing on school and not on what a lot of the kids were saying about us. It was OK when the teachers were teaching but it sucked all other times. We weren't allowed to play sports on the school's teams or do any of the clubs. The school really only wanted us because we're Stoners, they didn't want us to do anything but go to school and be quiet. We were banned, dad was told that we weren't interested in any of the clubs and that we were cut from the teams but mom found out that they lied." Phillip added, "They expelled us when we stood up for mom in class when the teachers complained that she cost them money because she made the school pay for sports and activities instead of the students. The teachers hated us. They let the kids get away with trying to beat us up. The boys tried to have sex with Lydia but she kicked their butts and made the girls bald from pulling their hair out. A bunch of the girls have wigs now because they can't wear regular hair due to bald spots! The principal tried to blame us for it and expel us but mom told her that we were defending ourselves and the school police officer told everything that he saw already and Melinda was going after them for bullying us. Mom pulled us out and put us in this school, our old school expelled us before she got the paperwork filed so we are officially 'expelled' in their records but that got overturned by Aunt Alice. They are in trouble with the state, Aunt Alice didn't know about what they were really doing since they lied to her or never told her. The school is closing after this year because they made a lot of mistakes that Aunt Alice found because of us and won't be allowed to make changes to hide their lies and mistakes." Lydia nodded throughout while Jane added, "It's really because they stole money and treated the school like it's a private school instead of public school. Dad wanted to send me there but mom found out the truth and refused. Grandpa fought the school because they expelled a girl like Denise because it didn't want to make changes to the school. Grandma said they have a lot of money but never spend it so they are going to have to explain what happened to the money to people who gave it to them." The rest of the day was quiet and uneventful, but after school the Stoners were confronted by their new classmates about talking to Denise and Ava. Nathan and Phillip were ready to defend the girls, leading the boys of their class to joke that they wanted to date the lezzy and tranny. Lydia just smirked and was proud to announce, "We're cousins to Denise, our parents work with each other at the high school. Mom handles Denise's inheritance. Her cousin married our cousin, we live a block away from her. We're her cousin and family stays close together. So what if she's trans, my sister and mother are trans and they're rich and powerful. Your parents are afraid of my mom, you wish you could have my sister's money. She is a certified genius with multiple PhDs and patents. Are you jealous of her having connections or that her family is one of the few families that people can find no reason to complain about?" She hit them right where it hurts: their egos. She was right about everything, they were jealous that the new girl was hanging out with a connected family and jealous of what the Stoners had. Lydia happily smiled as she tore apart their argument, a trait inherited from her mother that few could argue against. Beth was listening and smiled at the whole confrontation. Jackie asked about the new kids leading Beth to tell her, "They're the three that I hoped would be in their class but weren't initially. They have the best experience dealing with Denise and Ava among the kids. Ava is just like their sister-in-law, not afraid of her sexuality but abandoned and abused by those around her. Denise is like their sister, she's trans and is a devout lesbian but who only has eyes for her wife. And their sister is why the girls have such strong restrictions on what they can do together: they got pregnant after prom. The trio's nephew is over there watching his aunt and uncles and keeping a low profile." The triplets noticed Beth and rushed over to hug her. Beth kissed their cheeks causing Phillip and the usually calm Nathan to blush deeply while Lydia smirked. She introduced the trio to Jackie and saw her asking how it was possible that the three looked so much alike. Beth blushed and whispered to her, "Their egg donor. They have a lot of similarities to her but do share a few things with their biological fathers. Justin had a strong oval face and Savannah's natural curly hair being the most prominent. Before you ask, Nathan is their father's biological son while Phillip and Lydia are their mother's biological son and daughter. She did as a lot of the girls in our family do when they transition: save their semen for the future. The three are triplets legally because of a mistake, three batches from both got mixed together and used. The triplets know the truth and don't care because they are all born the same day and from the same surrogate from the same eggs making it moot." Jackie understood the message and was happy to know that they turned out well. It was great thinking that Ava had help from two boys who were big for their age and looked ready to defend her from any of the kids eyeing them. Lydia was overly happy talking with Ava, something Jackie hadn't seen in years. Savannah watched from afar as her grandson walked out with Jane and got kissed on the cheek. It was followed by him blushing deeply as he saw that Savannah had seen the kids and knew exactly why he insisted on walking home by himself. He had a huge crush on the older girls, but they only saw him as a sweet boy who wasn't their type and were too nice to tell him that they weren't interested in him. Jackie asked who that was, causing Beth to blush and explain, "The reason for the girls having been told to keep things chaste upstairs: he's Sydney Stoner's son. He was conceived when the girls lied to their brother and parents about spending a night at friends' houses. They didn't use a condom and ended up pregnant, but being deeply in love and Sydney able to support them her wife didn't forgo her education to raise him. He's perfectly normal and loves his mothers, he just needs to not be as hormonal." Justin "JJ" Stoner was forced to hug his grandmother, uncles, and aunt then timidly say hello to Denise and Ava. He looked around for someone before letting Savannah do her usual inspection of him before he found the woman he was looking for. Savannah smirked and happily told him, "I'm picking you up for now on since your aunt and uncles are going to the same school. Your mom can work more now and I get more time with my eldest grandson." He blushed deeply causing the triplets to snicker but a look from their mother stopped them short. They were apologetic as they got into the minivan while Savannah walked over to greet Denise and Ava. She looked at the two closely and told them, "Keep the trio in line but don't let them get pushed around. They know it's only a matter of time before someone goes after them, but they know that they have support from a lot of people- especially me, your principals, and all of the other adults. Lydia is happy to have a girl her age in her class who understands her as you two do. The boys are their own guys and will do their own thing, especially with JJ around them now so don't worry about them too much." Denise was led away to talk privately, then saw Savannah telling her, "I handled you family estate and I created your trust fund, both at your parents' request. I'm proud that you were able to handle the deaths with dignity and are seeing Fiona and Jaimie, it's tough to lose your family. I lost mine but never found out because my family cut me off until they were dying. I never got to say goodbye, from what Valerie told me the Halls were glad to be rid of you and were only upset at losing your money. It's going to be a long time before losing them sinks in thanks to your adoption taking its place, but you'll feel the pain. I still feel it even five years later, it's terrible to feel." She softly added, "They kicked me out when I was 18. I didn't speak to them again, not when I passed the bar nor when I told them that they were going to be grandparents by blood to Lydia and Phillip. I never got to say goodbye and it hurt, I didn't realize how much I loved them even if they pushed me out. They didn't hate me for being transgender, it was just too painful to them to lose the son that they thought had been born. They were OK with my taking blockers and dating boys, but when it became clear that there was no turning back I was cast out on my own to be the woman I needed to be. I'm glad that you have Ben and Beth, I'm even happier that you are trying to move on and grow on your own." The rest of the week was easy for the five as the kids mostly stayed together and nobody tried anything on them. The five sat together at lunch with the older girls and dragged JJ over to join them, with Ava noticing that he was close to the boys but careful in not getting too close. She had fun talking with them about things while Denise and Lydia talked about other things, creating a complex situation that none of their classmates could understand and few would dare ask about due to their parents. Lydia and Ava were able to talk about something Denise couldn't: periods. Ava had one, Lydia hadn't but was awaiting her first. Denise was happy to not have them, Ava's description made her feel sick. The weekend was tough on them as Ava didn't want to spend time away from Denise while Lydia hated being stuck at home with her father hovering close by. Denise wasn't sure how to ask if they could join her for the meetings, especially as they were considered, "Top secret" by the staff even though nobody in the region cared about the show except them. Benny sensed her turmoil and asked about it, then gave a nod of approval as he wanted her to feel fine when they were working on the show- particularly parts that pertained to her character and how she reacts to certain things. Denise cheered and asked Jackie to bring Ava by, then asked Justin to bring Lydia by as well. The two girls changed her demeanor immediately and got her thinking about fun things that Denise's character could do that she'd done while getting ideas from the girls about the supporting cast who were against Denise's character and who'd prove the majority of the show's conflict. The trio brainstormed for a long two hours while the adults kept trying to work on scenes and scenarios that worked for others, ignoring what Denise was doing and having no intention of accepting her ideas for the show. Benny read over Denise's finalized proposal and immediately showed it to Jack, who then laughed at it being like a lot of the stuff the duo had done while in middle school and giving them laughs over some of the simple yet highly effective ideas for what the kids would do. Denise simply had to be there and it happened around her, the others would drive the scenes as they tried to prank her, antagonize her, and in one case- date her, but failing miserably at that. The girls giggled at Jack telling Benny that they did most of those things when trying to impress girls, especially Marcy and Lucy back when the two were just starting school in Winnisimmet. Benny gave a big groan over the memories, especially as Jack told the girls the stories with the writers writing down ideas as if they'd incorporate them into the show but really saving them for another future show. Benny told the writers, "These are our lives, don't use these stories for your own shows. We lived them, a lot of people were witness to them- some of whom would happily sue you and win." The line was drawn, either they dropped their theft of ideas or they'd end up in court. Benny rarely gave orders, but when he did he did it with reason. That was followed by Jack adding, "We own all ideas that are mentioned in this room so theft of ideas is grounds for termination of your contract and likely being blackballed by every production company in New York, Los Angeles, and even London and Toronto." Denise sat back and was silent, she had a feeling of dread that one of them was about to go after her for costing them their future. It was written on their faces, she had seen the same look on the set of "Tickle Your Funny Bone" after someone exposed her as being transgender. The writers were going to get their revenge on her, who did it and how it happened was uncertain- but it would happen.