Settling Down Part 1 free porn video

It was 2023 and Miguel Toro was feeling his age. At 36 years of age he was still in the prime of his life as a Major League Baseball pitcher, working mainly as middle-relief but for the past few seasons had shifted to closer as the team's chosen closer had injured himself or had been suspended by the league or team for his off-field actions. He took the job on without complaint, with the team knowing that only he could shoulder the load and continue to do well until the usual closer came back full-time. He loved the role, but hated the scrutiny. Any mistake was the end of the world to the media, anything he did right was seen as showboating or trying to upstage the team's "real" closer. Miguel ignored all of that and soldiered on, not wanting to hurt the team by saying something that was taken out of context. The job took its toll and caused him to feel lonely, with Miguel spending more time with his niece and nephews at their home. The three were happy to have him over, especially as he gave their parents the night off as he cooked and earned the attention of young Liam Byrne- Toro. The seven-year-old had a way of making Miguel feel wanted, even if he had no actual familial connection to Liam except by way of Liam's sister Reyna- Miguel's biological niece. Miguel was Liam's surrogate uncle in multiple ways, the most prominent through his mother Lupe and Miguel being almost like siblings to one another. Miguel was Lupe's ex-husband Reymundo's younger brother, but he refused to call Lupe anything except "sister" as she was just that to him: his big sister. She remarried three years before but he still saw her as his sister regardless. Reyna was her mother's daughter and made Miguel proud to see her become a beautiful young woman who had won the heart of another beautiful young woman. Reyna was his brother's legacy that lived on in how she spoke, acted, and even looked. She was her father's daughter, the surprising female version of Reymundo who could make you smile or cower in fear depending on her mood. Seeing Liam getting older and looking more and more like his father caused Miguel to feel jealousy of his friends and teammates for the first time. After 20 years of bachelorhood, he felt like he was missing out on something. The lifelong bachelor was finally feeling like he needed to settle down and be a dad. Ever since he was in high school and it was clear that he was wanted by major league teams, a stream of girls were throwing themselves at Miguel. He dated a lot of girls, few lasted longer than a couple of dates before he saw their true colors and dumped them. He wasn't going to be used by anyone for their own means, he was his own man and wanted to find a woman who actually loved him for himself- not for what he was going to give her when he made it to the major leagues. It was tough to fight off rumors of his being gay or using the services of prostitutes as he never seen in the company of the same woman more than once after finally making it to the majors in 2012. Many of his teammates tried to set him up on dates with ladies, especially sisters and cousins who didn't want to go after his wealth as other ladies had. He'd date a couple of times but none of them had a spark, he had a lot of sex with the ladies but there just wasn't anything more between them than sex. That was a long time ago, he had managed to stay single since then and suppressed his need to be a dad by being an uncle to Reyna. It was tough to do so when he was out in Kansas City or down in Miami, but he did his best for her. It was even tougher as Reyna wasn't like other girls- she was born a boy, and transitioned during his time away from the family playing in Miami and Kansas City. Reyna was born Reymundo Toro, Jr. but almost lost her fight with being a girl when she was 10-years-old. She was saved by Miguel's timely arrival and telling her of a story about a girl like her who did the unthinkable: caused a whole town and county to implode because of what they tried to do to a girl like her. She listened and cried, Miguel saved her from suicide and gave her hope that she could be a girl. Reyna's life dominated Miguel's life for years as she grew as a girl then moved across the country to the city of Winnisimmet, MA to live close to people who understood Reyna and more importantly- helped her be the girl that she needed to be. Her plight caused Miguel to sign with the Boston Red Sox as their newest relief pitcher at a top rate and put him into the running to be an All Star thanks to the team being a top contender with complimentary players. Miguel had found a home in Boston, Reyna and Lupe had found a place that cared about them and helped them as people alongside supporting them. The years that passed were up an down for the team as players came and went while management had its own upheavals. Drama involving Reyna twice caused the team to reevaluate themselves and cut out a lot of people who were toxic to the team while bringing in new people who were able to help make the team into a perennial contender. Miguel was one of the cornerstones of the teams, for five years he was one of the best players on the team and even made it onto the All Star team twice by player vote. Now in his sixth season with the team, he was feeling pangs that he hadn't felt before. He was jealous of Cameron Byrne-Toro, Lupe's husband, and was starting to distance himself from Cameron after the two had been close since he married Lupe. Reyna just wasn't enough to keep them close, the two had a lot of differences that were growing wider and wider as time wore on. Cameron had known Miguel long enough to sense a change in him and confronted him about it. They had a long argument about Miguel doing anything possible to avoid dating and even adopting, with him taking several hours to finally admit that he wanted what Cameron had but couldn't bring himself to be a man and seek out a woman. Cameron comforted him with a hug, then told him that the right woman was out there for him- all he had to do was try to be more open to dating people and stop trying to find "the right one" as it was tough to find a woman who met all of his criteria. Cameron suggested that Miguel do something to fill in his time off as it was clear that he needed to do anything except feeling down about being all alone. The team had a camp for underprivileged Boston kids and Miguel was perfect for it. Ever since he became their go-to reliever and default closer the team had avoided using him, but Cameron's strong suggestion to them that Miguel was perfect for the camp caused the team to back away and allow him to work the two weeks so long as it didn't impact his play. The camp ended up being just what Miguel needed as he and the kids go along great, especially as he'd been in their shoes when he was their age. He enjoyed listening to them talk about their neighborhoods and the people in it, with Miguel telling them tales of his own neighborhood in Los Angeles and of the many people who he was glad were forced to move away or ended up in prison. The memories were a big help as he got some unintentional therapy as the kids let him relieve some pent-up feelings that he hadn't felt in decades- especially those of Reymundo and his untimely demise. The kids were a ragtag group, but one stood out above all of the others and for all of the wrong reasons. Miguel had a knack for seeing troubled kids among those he was around, and one kid was as troubled as he had ever seen. Only one other kid had ever been like him in Miguel's time among kids of Boston, that kid ended up being found to have been forced to attend because he wanted to appease his father. This kid was different, he was trying hard to be like all of the other kids but he just wasn't that athletic and he struggled with the most basic of concepts of baseball. He was clearly there because he had no other place to go, the camp was a day camp for kids with parents who couldn't afford sitters and if his hunch was right the boy's parent was likely working hard for next to nothing. He felt for the boy, it was tough to be what you weren't and doing it because you had no choice but to. Once the first day was finished, the boy was picked up by a beautiful, sexy, black woman who caught Miguel's eye and had a look about her that caused Miguel to feel flustered and unable to form words to speak. For the first time in his life, Miguel was feeling like a young teenage boy seeing a girl for the first time. It was something Miguel had seen in Reyna whenever she was with her girlfriend Rachel, it was something that one of lust and love and longing. Miguel was introduced to the woman after most of the kids had left. She blushed at meeting him, with her introducing herself as Skye Lane and her son as Lucas. Lucas blushed at Miguel taking an interest in him, with Skye happy that Miguel hadn't been put-off by Lucas being less masculine than the others. Miguel walked Skye out to her car and asked about Lucas. Skye sighed and looked down in shame, she wasn't prepared to tell him about her sad life but Miguel deserved to know. She looked away from him and explained, "His father abandoned us when he was three. I've tried to steer him towards what boys do but he just doesn't get along with them and spends a lot of time alone or with girls. I was afraid that he may be autistic but he's simply not interested in what most of the boys do. I only enrolled him in camp because his social worker thought that it was best to let him have more interaction with boys so that he didn't end up developing mental health issues. I know that it won't help much, but I had to try anything to keep his social worker from taking Lucas from me. He's all that I have, I can't lose him." Miguel gave her a soothing hug, unintentionally doing so but giving her what she needed most. He had a look of sadness in his eyes, and explained to her, "My sister had the same trouble that you have. It was tougher on her as my niece had issues that I hope Lucas doesn't have. If this social worker tries to play the mental health card I know a few people who'll ensure he pays with his job." The next day was more of the same, with Skye running late so Miguel stayed to talk with Lucas and got to learn a bit about what was going on that Skye hadn't told Miguel before. Lucas was upset that Skye's ex- boyfriend refused to help with Lucas and had gotten a restraining order against her to prevent her from seeking child support making things tough on them financially. Lucas hated that he had no father but he understood that his father wasn't ever going to be his dad and his mom was his only family. Skye had to hide her shame as she listened but Miguel offered a soothing, "He doesn't deserve either of you. He's never going to change, I've known a lot of guys like him and they never change. Few see the light and try to help their kids, but you are better off never knowing him. Your mom will find you a real dad, she's beautiful and caring- a lot of men love that about women." Skye shed a tear as Lucas mumbled a quiet, "I wish you were my real dad," then ran off to the car before Miguel could react. Miguel saw the look of sadness in Skye's eyes and explained to her, "You'll find the right guy. I know a lot of guys who would date you, don't lose hope." The next day saw Skye rushing to meet the duo, with Miguel asking Skye if she was alright. She had a look of shame and told him, "I'm struggling to get out of work to pick up Lucas. My boss is being a pain and won't let me out until I finish my shift. I'm sorry that you have been forced to stay with Lucas, you have games to prepare for." Miguel smiled and asked her, "Would you allow my niece to watch him? She's coming by with friends to do some work for school at the library and could take him home. They all have extensive experience with kids his age, Reyna's brother is a year older than Lucas and a lot like him socially. Before there's a response, know this: two of the girls are daughters of your social worker's boss. If he threatens you like that again he'll be fired and you'll get an apology hand delivered by the director herself." Skye wasn't sure how to react, Miguel kindly explained, "I'd like to have dinner with you. I enjoy your company a lot and struggle to not be an idiot around you. Lucas is a great kid and he's giving me a lot of what I have never had before. It's tough being all alone, I understand all that you're going through. I can't help but want to help you, even if it's giving you a night away from Lucas." Skye looked over at Lucas who seemed to want her to agree. She looked at Miguel who had a look of pure pleading that was tough to refuse. She smiled, and happily told him, "Alright. But please, no media. I don't want to risk being fingered as a gold digger because I agreed to a date with you." The next day saw Miguel on edge and Lucas smiling brightly. After camp broke for the day, Lucas was quick to hug Miguel and thank him for making his mother happy. Miguel blushed and told the boy, "I'm glad that she said yes. She deserves a chance to unwind and enjoy herself. Reyna and her friends will be good with you, just don't let them boss you around. And remember, you aren't their slave so you can say no to them if they want you to do something that you don't want to do. And if you meet Liam or his friends, don't be afraid. The boys are good boys, but avoid Cat Finn- she'll just be a pain to you." Lucas and Miguel being so close got one of the coaches on edge, with him confronting Miguel during a break. Miguel smirked then kindly explained to him, "I'm going on a date with his mother tonight. He's not being abused, he's not being groomed to be molested. Get your mind out of the gutter before I send a complaint to HR about your trying to lie about a serious crime. If you don't believe me, explain to the girls standing over there why I'm being accused of something that they know I didn't do." Reyna was with a group of teens and heard everything. She walked over, hugged Miguel, then told the coach, "I'm babysitting the boy for Uncle Miguel. Rachel is helping and her dad knows what's going on. I would have watched him at her house but we don't want her cousins annoying us. Her father won't let anything happen to Lucas let alone something serious no matter how close he is to Uncle Miguel." Other coaches overheard and nodded to one another, something was up that they didn't like. The coach had to excuse himself then fled, resigning from the team in disgrace with the other coaches telling the upset Miguel. "Something's off about him. He's a little too friendly with kids, he's trying to deflect any attention at you to cover himself. You didn't do anything and if Rachel's dad knows then it's all clear." The rest of the day was mostly the same, Lucas was laughed at a lot by the kids but he ignored them so it was more on instinct at doing something funny to them than simply being mean. He tried hard to be a player like the others, but his heart wasn't in it and his skills were negligible at best. His one redeeming value was his speed, which he was unmatched in and made most of the kids jealous. Speed being a big part of the game made Lucas' talent even out overall as he was able to do some of the simpler things that the kids took for granted like leads, stealing, and baserunning. He was happy to get praised, especially from one of the players who happily admitted that his only real value to the team is what Lucas was showcasing- his speed. Miguel had to hide a smile as Lucas showed others that being a bigger person didn't matter if you couldn't do other things well, especially simple things like running. For the first time all week, Lucas was a star and was happy to get positive attention from adults even if he hated having to be there. Miguel had to feel for him, it was tough being the son of a hard-working single mother who had nobody else to help her. Lupe had Miguel to help her cope with life when she was left a widow, Skye and Lucas had nobody who wanted to help them. The day wound down and saw the teens enjoying seeing Miguel try hard to keep the kids from getting a bit too rambunctious while whispering about the one kid who clearly struggled with being there. There was something off about him, with Reyna commenting that he acted like Al Samuels acted back when she was in the same camp years before. It hurt seeing a kid forced to do something that they clearly had no interest in but wanted to appease adults, like Al had done before and Lucas was doing then. After camp broke, Miguel introduced Lucas to the teens and saw Reyna realizing that she was right as it was just like Al had been before but without the neglectful parents. Rachel felt for him, while Miguel told the duo, "He's trying hard to be a good kid and keep his social worker away from him. If you would be so kind, could you take him home and ensure that he has some fun? I don't know how late we'll be." Reyna had to stifle a joke, but Rachel's look told her that it was best not to say something. Rachel gave him a nod and added, "Stay out as late as you need, we'll handle things for you. Mom and dad don't have any restrictions on us. The others have won't disturb us, but I think it's best to watch him at his house." Rachel gave her friends a look that told them that it wasn't negotiable. Her sister Iris led them off so the couple could be properly introduced to Lucas and allow them privacy. She warned her friends, "We have to keep everyone else from disturbing Uncle Miguel. You know how the kids are, especially Cat." Reyna and Rachel were formally introduced to Lucas, with Reyna smiling at him and Rachel telling the scared Lucas, "Your mom and Uncle Miguel are going out tonight on a date so we're babysitting you. It is a lot easier to babysit you at your house than at either of ours, I don't think you want my baby brother to annoy you and Reyna's brothers are out with friends but her dad is home working so might disturb us if he knew that we were home with a young child. Our parents want you to be comfortable, especially as you might have to be babysat by Reyna more often." She took his hand and led him to her car, with Miguel going off to Skye's workplace to take her on the date. Lucas didn't speak but he kept looking over at the girls to see if they were upset at being with him. Neither said much, but weren't up to talking about things that Lucas was too young to understand. He'd be bored in an instant and neither of them felt like it was good to talk around him as if he wasn't there. They finally arrived at the Roxbury apartment and entered, with Lucas rushing to take a shower before the girls said something about his sweaty body. The girls laid out some clothes for him, with Lucas in a big blush as they helped him change. Reyna wisely told him, "We both have younger brothers so we are fine with what you have and what you lack. My brother isn't like hers, Liam is reluctant to show off his penis to girls but her brother Marcus used to run around the house naked after he was out of diapers." Rachel groaned and added, "He knew that he had a penis and we had vaginas, he joked that his was a big one because the doctors took ours from us and gave them to him. It was cute, especially when he said it to my cousin Cat who said he could have her as she didn't want it. Mom told him the truth causing him to get mad that he didn't have something that belonged to his sisters." The girls made dinner than sat in front of the TV, with Lucas falling asleep next to them then curling in a ball on Reyna's lap. Rachel smiled down at him, Reyna wisely told her, "He's different than other kids. I can't help but feel like he's special in some way. Uncle Miguel seems to like Skye a lot, I hope that the two work as a couple as it'd hurt Lucas if they broke-up." The girls didn't talk after that, with Reyna occasionally rubbing Lucas's hair as slept. Rachel was happy to just be there with Reyna, especially as the two rarely got time alone due to school. She knew that it was tough on Reyna to see Lucas struggling, she loved that her empathy was strong for a stranger. Skye and Miguel returned late, with Skye being shocked that Lucas was curled up in Reyna's lap while Rachel explained, "He was tired. All of that running wore him out. He lasted until dinner then fell asleep beside us. He seemed to know to lay on Reyna, she's used to kids falling asleep on her." Reyna blushed and added, "Our brothers have a habit of doing that, thankfully Liam grew out of it. But Marcus just knows that we can't do anything if he's with us so he pins me in place. Lucas simply fell on me, I didn't have the heart to put him in bed. He was a saint with us." Miguel carried Lucas and helped Skye put him to bed, with Lucas clinging to Miguel tightly as he felt himself lifted and moved. He kissed Skye and fell into a deep slumber, with Skye whispering to Miguel, "He trusts you, he doesn't let anyone but me carry him. He seems to know you are special to him." Miguel softly told Skye, "I like you a lot. Tonight was the best night I've ever had with a woman. You're special to me, I'd love to go out with you again tomorrow night or any other night." She kissed him deeply, then told him, "I need to find childcare for Lucas first. I can't worry about dating when more important things need to be done. I'm sorry, Miguel, but Lucas comes first." Miguel happily shot back, "Lupe will take care of it. If I ask her she'll let him stay at her preschool for as long as you need. She knows all too well about single-parent issues, as do two of her partners. Only their partner Melanie has been saved the struggles of being a single mother." Going to where the girls were, Rachel wisely told Miguel, "They'll arrange it. You know they won't let it go unasked and you know they'll want to help, especially since it's you. Just don't abuse it, I don't want to explain to Marcus why he Lucas is always with us- and you can tell Cat to back off, I'm not!" The girls drove home and were immediately met by Leslie Sylvester and Lupe. Rachel confessed, "He's infatuated with her. Seriously, he's acting different with her than he's ever acted." Reyna added, "He's doing what dad did for mom. He likes her a lot, but isn't going to go too fast as he's afraid of hurting his chances with her. Lucas is only making him act different, Uncle Miguel's acting as a dad to Lucas and Lucas is showing signs of wanting the same." Leslie asked about further dates. Reyna blushed and explained, "We're being drafted again. She has a lot to do regarding childcare and has to find a place for him while she works. Uncle Miguel volunteered us to watch him when they're out, Lucas is coming here tomorrow night." Rachel nodded, with Lupe smiling and Leslie starting to think about Lucas' care. Lupe sighed and told her, "He needs us and Miguel won't let him do without. I'll talk with her about what she's doing, maybe she's in the market for a new job that'll pay her better." Reyna didn't offer a counter, Rachel added a firm, "She's in the market. Looking at her 'uniform' I'd say it would be a godsend to her. She's an exotic dancer, for crying out loud!" All three ladies looked at her, Rachel smirked and happily told them, "Some of the girls in my class got hired at the same place. Her job doesn't pay much, especially for someone who has a kid. I don't know if she told Uncle Miguel about her job, but he's nice enough about it to not care unless she cheats. He'd want her to get a better-paying job, and given how 'small' she is she's not getting many tips." The ladies left it alone, with Reyna texting her uncle to let him know about potential issues with Skye. He texted back a firm, "She told me already. She's looking for a job and that was the only one that would let her work around Lucas. She's not a prostitute, she doesn't want implants, and she is happy for what your mom is going to offer her tomorrow." She knew that there were whispers about her from his teammates but his defense of Skye was what had the biggest impact on her. Reyna happily texted back, "Don't fall for her too fast. She likes you a lot but it's still too early to fall in love with her. He's a good boy, but fatherhood might be more than you need at this time. She's in need of help, but you can't help her if you break-up." Miguel texted Skye for several hours, with him telling her that the ladies knew about her job already as it wasn't hidden well enough. Skye asked if he wanted a show, to which he happily enjoyed her doing a striptease for him via video. He was floored by her body, with him happily telling her, "Beautiful," with her blushing deeply as she dressed before telling him, "Thank you." The next morning, Skye drove to Winnisimmet to drop off Lucas and was met by Reyna and Rachel at the door then escorted inside to meet Lupe and Leslie. Leslie's husband Mark was close by and listened to the ladies, with Rachel wisely moving Lucas downstairs and out of earshot. Lucas seemed to know a serious conversation when he saw it, he didn't fight the girls and hoped for the best. Upstairs, Lupe asked about Skye's job. Skye took a deep breath and explained, "Yes, I work as a stripper in Quincy at the Squantum Point Club. No, I don't have sex with their customers despite a reputation of allowing it. I've had to explain all of this to Lucas' social worker in each of our meetings. I hate the job, I haven't had the chance to find a real job because of Lucas. It's a tough job but it but it pays enough to pay the bills and rent. I have to give up on earning as much as the other ladies because I refuse to get breast implants or have sex with customers. I know it's seen as 'wrong' but it's all I can do. Working fast-foot and as a waitress didn't pay the bills, stripping does." She was shaking, and confessed, "I hate the job. I refuse to do any of what the other girls are willing to do to get more money and better contracts. I keep telling Lucas' social worker but he doesn't believe me and unless I find a new job soon I'll lose Lucas. I worked this week to get ahead in my savings, but I'm still a few weeks from having enough to quit and find a better job." Leslie listened while Lupe shook her head and explained to her, "We were looking to hire more help for our second location, one opened in Boston that you have actually applied to. I had my husband check on any recent applicants and yours was on file for a second look. Your son is a strong reason why you'd get a second look, we give preference to certain parents especially ones with young kids and no support network. The job isn't as well-payed as stripping, but it's better hours and your savings can go towards household needs for both of you. Lucas is also welcome there if our daughters don't want to babysit." Mark finally found his chance to speak and asked why Lucas had a social worker assigned to him. Skye gave a look of fear then decided it was best to confess, "His name is Kirk Archer. The reason that I was told that he was assigned to Lucas is because of Lucus' father. He has a lot of pull in certain places due to his family's wealth. He has made my life a living hell at times by getting me fired from one job then having my landlord evict me. Kirk claimed that I was abusing Lucas after Lucas was beaten by boys in school. The school told off Kirk after he tried to force them to go along with Lucas' father's claims then told me that Kirk was actually a close friend of Lucas' father. Since then Kirk has constantly threatened to take Lucas away from me unless I made him do certain masculine things, like the baseball camp." She looked down in shame and added, "Lucas is effeminate and dainty. I love him, but Kirk thinks that it's making him out to be a sissy. I don't care if he's gay or whatever, as long as he's happy. I had to sign Lucas up for the baseball camp to get him out of the house and get more hours working, it's been a pain all week to get him to go but he's finally shown that he wanted to go yesterday. Kirk is going to check in on him on Monday, if he's not satisfied I'll lose Lucas that night." Mark shook his head then explained firmly, "You aren't losing him. He has no grounds to investigate as it was clear from the school reports that it wasn't abuse by you. His friendship should have put him on a different case, the fact that he is still 'investigating' shows that he never disclosed it to his supervisor. I have to report what I've been told, Lucas will be left alone from now on and your ex-boyfriend will be in a lot of trouble if he tries to pull this garbage on you again. It's harassment and I won't let it stand." Leslie happily told Skye, "He's the regional director, the #4 in the entire Dept. of Children and Families. He oversees the eastern region so if he says it's over, it's over. If you are harassed again, he'll retaliate and put Kirk Archer in jail." Mark left the room and was seen texting someone while grumbling. Skye was walked out with Leslie telling the neighbors to back off and leave them alone, causing Skye to look for answers. Leslie told her, "My brother and sister-in-law. The last thing you need are them involved. I love them, but this is Mark's area of expertise and you have a date to get to." Skye left and met Miguel at his condo building, with him leading her upstairs to enjoy an afternoon in a naked state as the passion overtook them. Both enjoyed the sex, with Skye telling Miguel that he's the biggest guy she's ever been with. He blushed at that, with her adding, "I've only been with four guys. It's the truth, though. You're pretty big and I hope that your wife never takes it for granted. Miguel didn't say anything, just kissed her cheek. The couple fell asleep intertwined and feeling like it's going to get better for them. Neither talked about Skye's troubles, they simply enjoyed one another. Over at the Sylvester home, Lucas enjoyed the day with Rachel and Reyna then spent the night with the girls at their house. The girls were happy to host him, with Rachel smiling at being a big sister to Lucas while Reyna was glad to enjoy a kid who wasn't energetic like Liam. Lucas simply played alone then ate what the girls gave him for dinner, he knew Skye was fine and wanted her to be happy. After dinner, Lucas was allowed to do what he wanted as the girls did some work for their colleges. He took advantage of this freedom and looked through their rooms, with him finding a bunch of clothes in a hamper. Looking at them closely, he was happy to see that they were in his size and looked pretty, he happily stripped and put on the blouses and skirts then the panties. He was quiet for hours, enjoying his free time alone without making a sound and smiling as he pranced in front of the mirror looking at himself in the outfits. He wore everything that he could find, with a big yellow sundress being his favorite of the lot. He loved it, and seeing himself in the mirror he shed a tear over the image in front of him. After a while, Reyna went to check on him. She quietly crept to the room and had to suppress a gasp as Lucas was dancing in the dress, moving around and trying to emulate a ballerina. She crept back down to where Rachel was and quietly told her, "I think we have a problem- Lucas is wearing in Cat's dress." Rachel went upstairs to check, and saw Lucas' smiling face as he danced to music that was playing in his head. She shook her head and wisely told Reyna, "We don't say anything. It could be boredom." Reyna watched and shook her head, knowing that something more was going on and trying to find the right words to explain what he might be doing. Rachel led her away, and once downstairs Reyna had to tell her, "It's what I used to do before Uncle Miguel told me about Jaimie. He's doing a lot more than it seems, that smile is genuine. He's done this before, he's not doing just because he's bored." Reyna went back upstairs and made their presence known, causing Lucas to burst into tears and try to run off. Reyna hugged him tight and kissed his cheek while Rachel explained to him, "You don't have to change, you can stay like that if you like. We don't mind you dressing if it makes you comfortable. We have all done that before, Marcus loves putting our my cousin's skirts and dancing just to make her do something to get in trouble. Liam did the same when Reyna wasn't feeling well, he loved being a girl if it meant Reyna got to feel better. Don't be afraid, if you like it you can wear it until bed time." The three went downstairs and saw Lucas acting different. He was still concerned, but he was acting as if he was a girl and not a boy dressing like a girl. Reyna had more evidence that it was more than just a bit of curiosity, this was something bigger than either girl could handle. Lucas eventually fell asleep in Reyna's lap, with Reyna lifting him up and moving him to the spare bed then changing him into a nightgown. He hugged a spare stuffed animal, with Reyna telling Rachel, "He's got a long going on. We won't tell his mother yet, but we need to keep an eye on him just in case." In the morning, Lucas looked down at his nightgown and smiled at the sight. Reyna was already up and helped him wear a matching blouse and skirt, with Lucas silently thanking her for finding one that had a pretty bunny and lace trim. She shook her head, he was starting to act more and more feminine to the point that she was sure that he wasn't just crossdressing for fun. Her haze was broken by the door opening and several kids rushing in to greet her. Reyna told them to back off, while Rachel loudly yelled, "We didn't say that you could come over and we know that you're all supposed to be with Iris today. I'm telling your parents that you lied to come over here." She glowered at the kids, with the biggest girl smirking and shooting back, "Mommy said to come by so we could meet Lucas. Daddy is out with Uncle Mark talking with some people about his mommy. You were texted by mommy earlier, if you weren't having sex with Reyna you would have read it." Rachel blushed deeply as the kids giggled. Reyna shot back a terse, "We didn't do that and you know it. I told your mom that we were busy but you somehow managed to get her to think that we were doing a few things we aren't supposed to. If I find out that you deleted that text you're in big trouble." The little girl ran off, with Lucas in tears and cowering in fear behind them. Rachel led the kids out and told them firmly, "Yes, he's wearing Cat's nightgown. No, you can't say anything about it. We're going to talk with him later, you are all going home." Cat Finn gave her a glare but before she could say anything Rachel hear a woman proclaim, "They lied to me, didn't they? Cat said that you said that it was alright to come over today. If I knew that you had a problem that you were dealing with I would never have let them out of the house." The woman led the kids to the small yard then asked what was going on. Rachel looked away but told her, "We found him wearing Cat's clothes. He was dancing around in her dress, the one that she hates as it goes past her knees. He had to have worn the other ones that she left here, we let him wear the dress until bedtime then dressed him in her nightgown. He didn't have a chance to change before they came." The woman nodded and led the kids away, then told Rachel, "I expect to be told later. Have Reyna do a talk with him, if he's doing it for boredom or something else she'll know best. We'll talk with his mother when the time is right, but your father already said that she'll accept him no matter what he is." The kids left without a fight, with the woman smiling at the kids knowing that they were about to be in for a long punishment from their parents. Valerie Finn wasn't a vindictive mother, she simply loved it when her youngest child ended up in trouble for trying to outsmart the adults. Cat Finn was smart, but her mother had years of practice with her elder siblings so knew all of the tricks better than Cat did. Back inside, Reyna was hugging the sobbing Lucas. Reyna softly explained to him, "The kids came by to meet you. They saw you in Cat's nightgown but won't say anything about it. They don't care about it, all they wanted was to see if you were going to play with them. You can play with them later, we have to talk with Rachel's dad about this as he'll want to know the whole story from us after Cat tells him." Lucas stopped sobbing and was led to the shower, then given a set of clothes to wear. She sighed at the lack of choices so grabbed Cat's dress and happily told him, "You looked great in it. I know that you are eager to wear it again, the kids won't ask about it and the girls will probably want you to play house." Lucas wore the panties and dress, with Reyna helping him style his hair so that he looked like a girl to anyone who didn't know the truth. His hair was just long enough to style into bunches making him look like he wasn't Lucas, but like a younger version of Skye. It was tough not to see that he had a lot of his mom in him, especially as he could easily look like her as a little girl. When he saw how he looked he cried, he told the duo, "I look like mommy. I'm mommy's daughter. I'm me. I'm really Tatum now! I'm Tatum!" The proclamation caused him to fall to the floor sobbing, with Reyna telling Rachel, "If you needed any more proof that he's a she, you have it. That name didn't come out of nowhere, Lucas chose it long ago. I know the signs by heart, and what his next step is if your dad can't get that Kirk Archer guy away from her before Tatum hurts herself." She helped Tatum up and softly told her, "We're going to Rachel's parents' house to talk to some people. You can play with the girls if you want, maybe Cat will help you get used to being a girl. You're going to be fine with them, the girls will tell you what I mean when you see them. Just don't go overboard, you have a lifetime ahead of you to get used to being a girl." The trio walked over to Sylvester home and saw Mark giving them an odd look. Rachel sighed and told him, "Another transgender girl. We caught her last night dressing in Cat's things and she broke down and and unintentionally told us her real name. Reyna saw the signs, they all point to why Lucas was such a terrible boy and acted so effeminate. Lucas is Tatum, she had the name picked out a long time ago." Mark shook his head and countered, "It explains a lot. Lucas told his father that he was a girl and was beaten by him. He spent a month in jail on a lesser charge of lying to police about it. Lucas had not seen his father for three years, he started to make waves causing Kirk Archer to investigate. DCF sent Archer to investigate the claims, he knew of the whole situation already and conveniently neglected to tell his supervisor his personal involvement nor what he was actually doing. Lucas' case should have been close six months ago, but never was. Now it all makes sense, Skye is supportive of Lucas and now has solid reason for why she was so supportive. I doubt Lucas remembers telling his dad about Tatum." Tatum heard everything and wanted to run, but was hugged by Reyna. She knelt down and softly told her, "He's just retelling what that man said to his boss and Uncle John. Uncle John had to report what he had been told and that man's boss was upset at what he did to you. You aren't in trouble, you can be the girl that you really are now. Your mom loves you no matter what." Tatum was crying heavily, with Mark now understanding a lot of what drove the anger and frustration of Archer: Tatum wasn't able to suppress her feelings like other kids. Tatum was just like so many other girls- she was sensitive and afraid. Mark knelt down in front of Tatum and softly told her, "I'm now aware that you are acting as a girl and will ask your mom to have you evaluated. If the doctor agrees that you are really a girl inside then you can live as one. If you aren't and just like dressing as a girl, then that's fine too. It's not a crime to be a girl inside, you'll hear a lot about girls like you. Only one other girl in our family has come out as a girl at your age and she is turning into a beautiful girl. She's going into 4th grade this year, she's one of the happiest girls you could ever meet. You might meet her, but she's on vacation with her mothers." Marcus came storming into the room looking for his sister and saw the new girl. He put on a, "I'm a cute boy" act for Tatum. Tatum wasn't sure how to react, but Marcus hugged her and ran off leaving Rachel to have to explain, "He's interested in you but knows not to bug you. He didn't recognize you, and when he finally does he'll probably ask why you were wearing boy's clothes before." Cat Finn came by a few minutes later and wanted to play with Tatum. She looked her over and told the awaiting Rachel, "Why is he wearing my dress? Is he like Reyna and Jaimie? Is he a girl too?" Mark shook his head and stifled a laugh while Reyna wisely told the inquiring girl, "We don't know the full story but call her Tatum and don't ask about her clothes. She's the same size as you, you are skinny and on the short side like your mom was. Tell JD and Julio to leave him alone about dressing like a girl and tell Willow that she can't boss Tatum around just because she's bigger. And if Gavin is over again I know he will be alright but if he isn't sure how to react tell him that Tatum is all girl. I doubt he's going to be mean but just in case- tell him." Rachel quickly told Tatum, "JD is her twin. Julio is their cousin. Willow is her best friend and neighbor. Gavin is their friend and he's always with them even if he doesn't talk much to anyone except Cat. Aunt Valerie is keeping an eye on all of them for their parents, if you are uncomfortable with them she'll take you inside with us so you can get away from them for a while." Cat dragged Tatum next door and showed her off to the other kids. JD blushed while Julio tried to act as if it was no big deal. Gavin was afraid to say anything, with Cat dragging him over to give Tatum a hug and reassure him that it was OK and that she wasn't going to say anything about him. Willow had a big smirk leading Cat to tell her, "No, you aren't going to be able to boss her around. She has Rachel looking after her, Rachel said we can't play on the computer anymore if we make her mad. Tatum just wants to play, it's boring without girls around her." The boys tried to say something, but Cat wisely gave them a look that told them to go elsewhere. They walked off to seek out other boys to play with, leaving the three girls to play alone in the yard. It was a fun time for Tatum after that, with the girls giggling and joking with one another about the boys and all of the funny things that they did that the girls thought was stupid. For the first time in her life, Tatum had fun with kids close to her age. Even if Cat and Willow were two years older than her, Tatum had a lot of fun. She could be herself, she could be a girl without fear. The boys watched and saw Gavin thinking hard. JD told him, "Mommy said girls like her are girls even if they have wieners. It's not something they want, she's a girl just like Cat and Willow." Tatum was afraid of what Gavin was going to do, but Cat happily told him, "He is nice to everyone. His mommy and daddy aren't nice, they are afraid of my mommy and daddy so let him come over here so we can play. He always does girl things with us, he likes playing dress-up with us. He won't let us see his wiener, none of the boys let us see them. Mommy said to stop trying to see them, it's not nice." Willow blushed and showed that she was the one who actually did that, causing Tatum to see that Cat was the one to take the blame for Willow. She felt relieved that the two were trying to include her in the things that they did, especially as Willow treated her like she knew her for years. Even if she was a year and a half older than Tatum, Cat was still into a lot of the childish things that Tatum loved to do. The kids played for an hour before breaking for lunch, with Tatum not realizing that she was hungry as she was so worked up that morning that she wasn't able to eat breakfast. Cat and Willow happily gave the boys big grins as they ate, with JD ignoring her and Gavin looking discretely at Tatum. She noticed the looks and tried not to react, while Cat happily teased Gavin about looking at Tatum's boobies. The kids went on to play for longer, with Tatum starting to ease her anxiety as Cat ensured that she was included and the trio did what Tatum wanted to do alongside their usual games. Tatum thanked her for being nice to her, with Cat shrugging and not giving a reply. Willow snickered at that, Cat just did what she had to do when it was clear what she had to do and Tatum was the beneficiary this time. When the time finally came for Skye to pickup Tatum, Tatum immediately grew scared of what Skye would say to her. Tatum feared being kicked out of her home, forced to be an orphan or worse- a boy. It was a tense hour as she awaited Skye's arrival, with Miguel driving them home. When Skye and Miguel finally arrived, Mark had them sit down so he could discuss Tatum's situation in private without her reacting. First thing he did when they were seated was explain, "I took John with me to confront Kirk Archer about your case and get the 'facts' from him about why he was assigned and what he had written regarding your situation. What I was told differed from what was in his notes. I had the school department and police fax over their reports alongside the report given to them by Archer at the time. John read them over then read the official report to us. He spotted multiple inconsistencies in it that conflicted with what was in the two other reports. He lied to his supervisor about the case and tried to paint you as unfit and abusing your child. When we confronted him about the inconsistencies he tried to claim that they were doctored, but when pressured about his connection to your ex-boyfriend he lied about it until he dropped your ex- boyfriend's name by accident. He was removed from the case and terminated. We have a zero-tolerance policy for abusing our office, he broke it multiple times. He is also under arrest as it was all in violation of multiple civil rights laws as well as perjury and the state refuses to allow his actions to go unpunished." Looking at John and nodding, he then explained, "While you were on your date, Lucas was with Reyna and Rachel. Before going to sleep, Lucas had free time to himself and started to dress in clothes left in the house by Cat Finn, Rachel's cousin. Lucas was seen dancing and enjoying being dressed, Reyna had them wait a few minutes and couldn't help but see that it was more than curiosity. When the girls finally made their presence known, Lucas broke down but when he saw that the girls weren't going to do any harm he stayed dressed. When he fell asleep the girls changed him into a nightgown." He looked embarrassed over what happened next, to which John cut in and explained, "Lucas slept the whole night in the nightgown. He was awoken the next morning by my daughter, son, nephews, and the kids' friend. They saw Lucas dressed and were led away by my wife, with Reyna and Rachel helping to address what was going on. They let Lucas choose what to wear and styled his hair. When he saw his face in the mirror he proclaimed himself as Tatum and was a girl." Mark took over. "John's wife Valerie was tricked into taking the kids over there but it worked out for all as Tatum played with the girls all day. She's next door wearing Cat's dress and is struggling to keep her anxiety in check. Rachel and Reyna are experienced with girls like her, but this is still touchy." Skye asked what he meant, Miguel explained, "Reyna is like Tatum. She's transgender, she came out when she was 10. She saw all of the signs that she herself showed before we got her help. John's own daughter is why I got her to come out, we are all experienced with girls like Tatum. I think that right there is your biggest sign that your son never existed- that name was too off the cuff to not have been chosen a long time ago by her. She needs to talk with someone, I'll ask if Edith Bell can talk with her until Alison is back from her vacation. I'd have wanted Trinity to talk with her, but I don't want Jaimie." John laughed and added, "She'll know through Cat, but knows not to intervene. She's busy enough as it is, thank goodness for the Samuels Family Vacation or else she'd have been talking with Tatum all day." Turning to Skye, Mark asked, "Are you going to be alright with Tatum? This explains a lot about her and why she was at odds with so many for so long. Your ex-boyfriend doesn't have a say in this, he gave up the rights to Tatum as per our notes. If he tries anything, he'll be facing child abandonment charges as well as a long bill for back child support payments." Skye looked down in shame, explaining, "He's hated what Lucas...I mean Tatum ever since she was born. She never acted like other boys, she always played best with girls and loved being treated like a girl by their older siblings. She dressed with them, played dolls, even styled her hair like them. It was a lot to handle but she was always better off with the girls. I guess those were signs early that she wasn't like other boys. She hated playing with them and always got into fights with them. She was always the worst at everything she tried, with the boys beating her because they were upset that she made them lose. If she had a name she must have named herself back when she was two, it's her first friend's doll's name. She hasn't been the same since they moved away, I guess I now know why." Mark asked about Tatum's father. Skye shed a tear and confessed, "He was a one-night-stand after one of my friends got married. He was friends with the groom, we got drunk and had sex. We got married but it was annulled by the court. He stuck around for a while but when Tatum started acting more and more feminine he bolted. He hurt her the last time we saw him, kicking her really bad when he was upset at something she had done. I don't know what caused it and he spent some time in jail for it but I haven't had much contact. I have received threats from Archer that were from him but he hasn't tried to contact us about Tatum. We did get a restraining order against us, both of us. He says that due to it he doesn't have to pay support, I've been struggling ever since. If not for my job I'd have been destitute." Mark had the right segue and asked about her job. Skye blushed and admitted, "I'm an exotic dancer. I work days and some nights at the Squantum Point gentleman's club. Before you ask: I don't do any of the 'extra' things that ladies do. I refuse to do that. It's why I'm on days instead of nights. I'd be raking it in if I worked weekend nights, but I refused and Tatum needed me." John nodded and added, "We checked you out with the club. They were upset at you never taking any of the weekend shifts and were getting ready to replace you. I doubt that's true, it's hard to get ladies for a day shift at their rates. The club is notorious for its prostitution and drug sales. You are one of the few who were clean enough that the Quincy Police were looking at using you as an informant. Now that Tatum is out, you need to find a new job and fast." Mark smirked to which John groaned and explained, "Leslie told you already, didn't she? It figures, the girls would get things done before they became an issue! You were what they're looking for, the four of them know what to look for in employees. It's why the four of them are partners." The four walked next door to where Tatum was and saw Reyna leading her to Skye. Seeing Tatum as a girl for the first time in years caused Skye to shed a tear, especially as Tatum looked so scared yet such a feminine girl that she struggled to see Lucas in her. It all made sense, Lucas was just the facade that Tatum had to put on for other people while trying hard to not show herself. Tatum was ready to run but Skye grabbed her into a hug and lifted her up, crying into her shoulder as it became too much for Skye to handle. Mother and daughter embraced, with Miguel shaking his head at his niece and future niece-in-law causing the whole situation. Reyna knew her stuff and was one of the best see the signs before everyone else and force you to see things as they are. Seeing Miguel, Tatum tensed but Reyna happily told her, "Uncle Miguel is fine with you. He's just a big softy for girls, he doesn't know how to say no to us. He wants you to be happy, and if being the girl that you are inside like I had to be makes you happen then he'll be happy having you as a girl." Reyna smiled as the words hit Tatum hard. Tatum's look of longing caused Reyna to tell her, "I was just like you, Uncle Miguel got mom to see that I was in danger unless I was allowed to become a girl. So I did. Uncle Miguel loves me as much as he did when I was trying to be a boy, your mom is the same to you. She loves you regardless of what you are, she said so herself already. Don't be afraid, you have a bunch of new friends who want you to be happy as yourself." Miguel drove them home and stayed the night, with Tatum falling asleep in his lap then hugging him as he lifted her up to put her to bed. Skye undressed her, putting her in her boy pajamas but Tatum giving a smile as she slept even if she knew without seeing that she had been changed and wearing her boys clothes. She slept soundly, hugging her pillow as she dreamed of having Reyna as a cousin. In the bedroom, Skye asked Miguel about any other girls like Tatum. He smirked and shot off a list of names then added, "John's 2nd daughter and niece are transgender, as is one cousin's son and another's daughter. His daughter Jaimie is why I helped Reyna, John put himself through the wringer trying to be a good father and inspired me to get Reyna to see that she shouldn't hide her true self anymore." Looking down in shame, he added, "There's been a lot of horrible things that happened to the girls over a long period of time. A group of girls were kidnapped, raped, and the trans girls horribly beaten to the point of castration. One was in a terrible accident. One jumped in front of an attacker trying to murder Jaimie. One's family mutilated her because she was the half-white child of a transgender woman and their 'black sheep' daughter. Thankfully the youngest two girls haven't suffered through needed surgery or worse- the mutilations caused by others. I pity anyone trying to harm them- their families are not ones to mess with and that's before John gets involved. He protects the girls as much as he can, he loves all of the kids and won't let them get hurt by anyone without hell to pay." The look on his face was one of anger and force of will, Miguel sighed and added, "John's an amazing guy. He's rich but he's the brother you want to have. He's a lot like my brother Reymundo. I can't help but look at him with awe as he treats me like I'm his brother and not his nieces' friend's uncle. I'm just a part of the family, not a person indirectly related. It's like Rey's still alive, like those thugs never caused him to die. He's what Reymundo wanted to be, he's the guy everyone respects and admires." Skye was seeing a part of Miguel nobody ever saw. She hugged Miguel and kissed him deeply. He was showing that he wasn't some dumb jock, he was sensitive and caring and respected someone fully. The two didn't have the energy to have sex, they fell asleep entwined together with each sleeping in the nude and loving the sight of the other's bodies. Miguel kissed her on the shoulder before finally falling asleep, happy to have her close to him and loving the feeling of being with her. She was what he always wanted in a girlfriend, the more time he spent with her the more he was falling for her. Both were awoken the next morning by Tatum knocking on the door. She entered and ran off at seeing them naked, with Miguel rushing to get dressed while Skye fought for the right answer to what Tatum would ask her about what they had done. None came to her, so she opted to tell the truth instead. Tatum was in her room and looking glum. Miguel saw her face and sighed, telling her, "I'll get you new clothes. I know that the ladies will want to do it soon so that you don't feel like you're less of a girl for not wearing the right clothes. It's a rite of passage, you'll learn what to wear and what not to wear." He blushed as Skye's eyebrow raised. Miguel mumbled a timid, "I had to go with Lupe and Reyna to get Reyna's new clothes. I stupidly volunteered to help, Reyna made me pay for it by carrying the bags." Skye chose some bright t-shirts and jean shorts for Tatum and offered her a soothing, "You'll be happier in your own clothes, but you still have to wear these until we get the right ones for you. It's only for a few hours, you can endure them. Things are cut differently so I think skirts and leggings would work best for you for now. I don't want you to try to crush things trying to make them fit or hide the bulge." Tatum blushed while Miguel added, "The jeans are cut differently, there's some special underwear made for girls like you that hides things but I think you can wait on that. Cat and Willow will help you with a few things about wearing dresses and skirts, you have a lot to learn and the girls will enjoy helping you to be a girl. Don't let their snickering get to you, they have made the same mistakes that you'll make." Miguel had a game that night so had plenty of time to go shopping with them. He was in a disguise, but it was simply glasses, a fake goatee, and a toupee- something he happily told Tatum he got on a lark. He then added a a hat and looked like he was in his 40s, with Tatum giggling at his funny look. The trio drove to Lupe's house and were greeted by her, Rachel, Reyna, and Leslie. Miguel wisely told Skye, "Called it. Those two are so easy to predict. Next they'll tell us that Cat's waiting for Tatum and it's going to be followed-up with the girls showing Tatum what to do." Leslie shot back a terse, "Keep it up and we'll have you doing the same. You know she'll make you do it. And if Marcus gets wind of it he'll beg you into doing it with him." Miguel turned a deep shade of red and grumbled, "OK I give. Don't make me wear that dress again, you know it makes my legs look horrible! And I'm not shaving no matter how much she demands it!" Skye burst into laughter and added, "Sorry, but you don't have the legs for dresses. Maybe some skinny jeans or leggings, but definitely not a dress. But you have to do something about your hair, a nice set of extensions and a ponytail would bring out your eyes." Miguel was fighting fainting while Tatum was unsure if they were joking or telling the truth. Lupe told her, "Leslie isn't joking about that. Cat would make him dress like that and Marcus loves to strut in his sisters' dresses. He's a little show-off, he loves the attention that it gets from us." Tatum smiled at that, it was cute and something she had done before. Leslie quickly told her, "He's not a girl like you, he just likes the attention. It annoys his sisters which drives him to do it more. Cat hates when he does it and JD runs off scared when he does. He only does it at home, just to annoy the girls." The shopping took hours but Miguel wisely didn't say anything and the ladies enjoyed helping teach an eager Tatum what she looked good in and what didn't look good on her. She listened to everything and asked questions that the ladies were happy to answer. Miguel simply carried the bags and felt his heart melt as Tatum started to show more and more that she was all girl and more girly than Willow and Cat. Miguel bid them goodbye as he went to his game. The team were eager to know what he had been up to as he had been out of contact after the game the day before and the mysterious woman that he was seen with caused a lot of heads to turn. Miguel ignored most of the joking, he knew that it would get them in a good mood and would carry over to the game that night- a key division game for the Red Sox. After the game, the media asked what he had been up to as he had been seen around the city with a new woman- something that turned a lot of heads among them. Miguel bluntly told the reporters, "I started to date a woman that I met during this past week's kids camp. We talked during the week and found a lot of things in common leading to us dating. I refuse to say anything more as it's my personal life and if you choose to step over the line and harass her I have no problem unleashing her new employers on you. She works for my sister Lupe, her husband has no problem suing you for libel and slander." The threats were targeted at several known harassers who used the players' personal lives as a reason to complain about the team's performance even if they had nothing to do with the players' struggles. The others happily congratulated him on finding a girlfriend and drowned out the two who were going to try to force Miguel to talk about Skye, shutting them out and making the two who kept at it know that they were treading on thin ice without saying so. Players' personal lives were off-limits, all trying to make light of wives or children without it being team-related crossed an unwritten line among them. Once the reporters left, Miguel was asked about Skye. Miguel happily told them, "She's beautiful. She's the girl I always pictured. Yes, she's a stripper. She got stuck in that job thanks to her piece of crap ex and got a new job with my sister. She has a kid, a cute girl who's taking after Reyna. Remember the big failure last week? The boy who kept messing up until we did baserunning? That's her daughter. I mean it when I say she takes after Reyna- she's trans and losing badly to it." There were looks among them about what they should say. Miguel shook his head and boldly told them, "I care a lot about them. She might be 'the one' for me. Her daughter, and yes- she's her daughter, is like Reyna when she was her age. You have no idea how hard it is to be that uncle everyone wants and not have someone who loves you back. Some of you might be OK with the floozies who go after you to get at your wallet, I'm not. I'm finally happy with a woman and accept that her kid is different." He left and drove home, sending a text to Skye to tell her that he loved her. He wouldn't see her for two weeks thanks to a road trip out west, something that he hated enduring but was unavoidable. The hope of being with her when he returned made him happy to endure it, especially as she said she'd miss him. The next morning saw Miguel drive off to the ballpark to get the team bus to the airport. He smiled at the message from Skye with a picture of her and Tatum together. The image was immediately put as his new background with him texting back that he misses them already and that he loved them. It was out faster than he realized but followed with Skye telling him that she loved him too and that the two would try to be good for him while he was gone. He felt his love surging as the two were in-sync and they were both fighting their true feelings of love despite only a short period of time dating. They had a great deal in common, with Skye understanding the real Miguel better than anyone ever had. Thinking about being a dad to Tatum made him feel stronger. She was a great child, one that would be a looker when she grew older- just like her mother. He wanted to be there for her, to protect her, to be a father that she desperately needed and wanted in her life. While Miguel was flying west, Skye dropped off Tatum at the Finns so she could play with the kids and Skye could formally quit her job at the club. Valerie smirked and told her that she wasn't going alone as her nephew and a couple of colleagues would be with her in case things got dicey with the owners. Cat immediately grabbed onto Tatum and brought her inside, with JD shaking his head telling his mom that the girls were doing a tea party in the, "Girl room" in the basement. Valerie hugged him to tell him it was fine and ensure that the girls didn't get out of hand or try to annoy the boys. Gavin was silent causing Skye to ask about him. Valerie shook her head in shame and explained, "He's a great kid, but his family isn't the best family. They're dirt-poor and gladly dump him on us so they can work or go out for the day. He's known the kids since preschool and enjoy being around him. JD and Julio like him and he's the only boy that can get the girls to stop pestering the boys, especially Willow. He loves us, but he knows he can't be part of the family. We keep a close eye on him just in case his parents ever step out of line, they know about Mark and fear John's wrath. He's safe with us and safe from harm while with his parents, but he's miserable at home." Skye understood and let it go, the kids knew that not everyone has money and some families were bad families. Tatum was lucky to have them, even if she was younger than them. The kids were great with each other, but having parents who cared about you was important to a kid their age. Skye listened to what the girls were saying and smiled at all of it. Valerie caught it and asked what was going on. Skye blushed and admitted, "It's what she did with the kids in daycare and preschool. A lot of what she's saying sounds like what she said to the other girls. She knew all along that she wasn't a boy, she did what she could to be one without telling anyone that she was one. I didn't see any of the signs, I should have seen them a lot sooner." Valerie smirked then explained, "Jaimie was the same way. We knew that she was different but she was so much like her mother that we thought it was just genetics. It wasn't. She loved playing with Jessica, her best friend then, and hated playing with my son Michael and Jessica's cousin Scott. She was just a girl to Jessica, no matter how much we told her that Jaimie was a boy she didn't believe us." Skye was going to ask about that, Valerie explained, "She's adopted. Her parents were killed when she was eight. John fostered her then adopted her, married me, and adopted Michael as I adopted Jaimie. It likely got told to you indirectly, Miguel learned about John and Jaimie from that whole fiasco. She's the daughter I wanted for years but couldn't bring myself to conceive, then became the greatest girl you'll ever meet. A lot happened over the years, but she helped a lot of people directly and indirectly just by doing the right thing and trying to be herself. It's what Tatum is doing, Cat and Willow needed this." An hour passed and the doorbell rang. Valerie escorted several men in suits and two in casual clothes to the living room. She smiled and explained, "These men are my nephew David Peterson and members of the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office. They are here to talk about the club." David told her, "Your club is known for prostitution and drugs. We want you to record threats that will be tossed at you by the owners. You have a right to leave, you are 'work for hire' and your contract is null and void as it's illegal in this state. They know it, they try to use it against you to keep you there at a cheap rate. They'll try to threaten you with a lawsuit, they'll threaten your daughter, then they will go after you directly. If you can retain your cool, you'll get them to trip up and cause them to end up facing charges. They think that going after you and your family will work, but you have support now. They're biting off more than they can chew, especially legally. Aunt Valerie would gladly tell the law firm to get medieval on them, especially as they threatened Tatum without provocation." Skye was asked about the job. She explained, "I signed a contract to work at the Squantum Point Club for $500 per dance. I do eight dances a day, in-between dances I waitress and offer lap dances to men. I got little pay from the waiting, they said that it's a part of my job even though nobody else does it. I'm the only one who doesn't take fully-nude lap dances or does things behind doors in the VIP Room. You know about that, it's the real reason why you're here. Yes, the ladies do sex acts in there. Officially it's 'private dances' but in reality it's a sex dungeon. I've only been in there a couple of times, I refused to do anything, I delivered the drinks and left the patron angry at me." She looked down at her chest and added, "I was told that unless I got implants to bring my C-cups up to DD-cups or bigger I'd never get put on at better times and see my hours cut until I quit. That was fine with me, but they kept me on days to keep me from making ends meet. With Tatum out of school it was getting expensive paying for daycare and babysitters. I was trying to save enough to quit but then I met Miguel and this all happened. I was going to quit next month so I'd be free of them, but Miguel's sister got me a job at her preschool so I can finally quit and move on." David was smiling to which Valerie shot back, "You gave them ammunition that they needed. They have the club under surveillance but that room is the one place they can't get at. Now they can. I think you're going to give them access without the patrons knowing. David will pose as your boyfriend, you'll go in the VIP room and 'give him a present' which is really setting cameras. They aren't expecting anyone to be so bold, but they haven't met David before. His wife will get a kick out of this, he hates those clubs." The drive to the club was done in silence. The team had search and electric surveillance warrants for all of the premises making the recordings legal and within their rights to do so. The club was slick, they knew when police were coming and had a hidden door to the VIP room which showed it to just be just an empty room- now they knew the truth and had access that they didn't have before. David and Skye entered the club and split. David looked like any other patron, with him giving many of the ladies nods of approval as they sauntered by. He enjoyed two dances before it was time for Skye to perform, with David blushing at seeing her strip naked and flaunt her small, skinny body. After the dance, she smiled at David and told the manager that it was her boyfriend's birthday and she had promised him something special. She happily led David to the VIP room, input a special code for the door, then turned left to a false wall, sliding it open to reveal another door that led to a hall with a set of doors. She led him over to a set of rooms that were clearly meant for sex, with David making note that they were exactly as they'd been told by informants- BDSM, cosplay, furry, and other kinky sex specialty rooms and featuring cameras of their own hidden in plain sight above the doorways. In one of the rooms, David took out a camera then discretely installed it and its wireless receiver. Then he moved on to the other rooms quickly, putting them all online and synced with the State Police server back in Boston. When he was done, he blushed as he realized that Skye had seen his penis as he hid the cameras in his pants making her tell him, "You're not the only guy 'stuffing' here." They waited a half hour before leaving, with David smiling and Skye blushing as they exited the room. She did her best to deflect questions about David, but she happily told her coworkers that he earned his trip to the room and she was happy to help him relieve some of his pressure. She chose her words very carefully, she told them the truth and was happy to lead them on especially as they deserved it. After her next dance, it came time to go see the owners about leaving. She knocked on the door then led inside with the door shut tightly behind her. She cringed at that sound but knew that it was all for a show of force and meant to intimidate the dancers whenever they were in the office with the owners. She sat down and explained, "I got a job offer over the weekend from my new boyfriend's family. It's a lot better hours even if the pay is less. I thought it over, and I'm quitting. I planned on quitting in a few weeks when I had enough money, but this new job is too much to pass up." She waited for the inevitable. Finally, after a few minutes of silence, she was told by one owner, "You're under contract to us. You signed a ten year exclusive contract when you took day shifts." The second told her, "We told you when you agreed to work here that you're here for life. You are here to dance until we tell you you aren't fit for viewing. You willingly signed the contract with us." The first added, "If you try to break the contract we will go after you. You know that we don't play nice, just ask the girls about Gina Thomas or Lacy Gomez. Such as shame that their brakes failed on the hill. I know that the police claimed it was an accident, but with the right amount of money paid to them to look the other way anyone will say anything. I know that the nice friendly police officers we hire here will gladly ensure that another 'accident' befalls you. And your kid? DCF has a couple of guys on our payroll- how else can the girls dance and still be mommy with no dads to watch the kids while they work? It'd be a shame if that boy was yanked away. I know his daddy would just love to get him back, especially if it hurts you. His buddy at DCF held off at our request, but he's itching to get the kid away from you just to piss you off." She gritted her teeth then backed out, telling them a firm, "I quit. If you want to sue me, then go ahead and sue me. I'm not afraid of you anymore nor any of the thugs you hire to go after me. Come after me and you'll get what you deserve." She knew that the bugs in their office were going to catch the calls to their hired thugs, with David and his team ready to make the bust later that night when the VIP area was in full use. She walked out and got her things, then told the ladies there, "I'm done. You sluts can takeover for me, I can't stand any of it any longer. This place isn't worth the money, and what you do in the VIP room makes you whores." She walked out with her head held high, her bag of clothes and pictures over her shoulder and shoes in her hands. She said goodbye to the bartenders and walked away without saying anything else, with the owners threatening her as she exited the door. She slowed her walk so that everyone could see just how bad the owners were, with the dancers hearing how they really felt about the ladies. Their threats were heard by David whose team didn't make a move yet. They drove on and took off the hidden microphone then told Skye, "You nailed them hard. They called their usual thugs to get them to go after you, but someone seems to have spooked them into leaving you alone. Given how many of the Red Sox are acquainted with the club it's not much of a stretch to know that Miguel's name caused the thugs to back away and refuse to do anything further. And it gets better: they called Kirk Archer, a man who just happens to be known to us through some shady dealings with kids. He's getting a visit from us tonight, with our team hitting the club at the same time. Your little bit with the two doors as well as the new hallway is key to the whole search, the club doesn't have that on the blueprints so the owners are in deep trouble as it's a safety hazard and the club can't reopen until that area is removed." She knew what he really meant: it was about to be raided and the whole VIP area was the centerpiece of the search. She gave them what they needed most and got their legal support. She couldn't be dealt with by the owners if they were fighting a losing battle against the State Police. Listening to the threats, the group laughed as they had just admitted to bribing police officers leading to the cause of previous failed searches being exposed. Skye knew the ones that they were talking about, she gave them names which were checked off against locals who were involved in the searches. It was a perfect match, she had given them enough ammunition to look into the officers alongside the club and ensure that multiple stalled or failed investigations got new life. David drove her to the Finn home to enjoy some time with Tatum and the girls, with David rushing off to avoid Cat's questions about why he was with Skye earlier in the day. Cat did ask where they had gone off to, with Skye blushing and telling her, "I had to quit my old job to start my new job with your aunties. David gave me a ride to there and drove me back, he had some business to do in the area and was kind enough to help me." Cat asked what her old job was, Tatum snickered and told the girls, "She used to show her boobies to a lot of men. She hated the job but it was the only one that she could do. She doesn't like to show boobies to anyone but Miguel. He was playing with her boobies Saturday night." Skye's face went deep red as the girls gagged and giggled at the jokes. Tatum rushed off to play while a flustered Skye tried to come up with words. Valerie laughed and told her, "She said that she saw you two in bed naked. She knew what you were doing, she's happy that you're happy." Skye was still blushing, to which Valerie explained, "She's old enough to know about sex yet not too old to cause problems. She wants you to be happy, and didn't make mention of it until now because she was trying to ensure that you and Miguel stayed together. She loves you, and she is starting to love him too. Give it time, she'll want him to be her father. He already acts like one, we've all seen his change." Skye somberly told her, "I like the idea. I think I might even be in love with him. It's too early, but he's a wonderful man. He's what I always pictured Skye's father would be, before I saw his true nature. With Miguel, I feel protected and loved. He's amazing in bed and is huge, and yet sensitive and gentle." Valerie nodded, with the girls listening close by she knew not to make mention of anything sexual. She did tell Skye, "He's been different since he met you. He's much more open and mellow, less snippy with his teammates. Tatum opened him up but meeting you has made him into something else. He's in love. I don't have to know his true feelings to see that he loves you. Give it time and he'll propose." Cat and the girls cheered, with Valerie happily telling Skye, "She thinks I don't know her tricks but it's the same thing her cousins and siblings did. She's smart, but I'm experienced. I pity John, he's got two of the worst traits of our family in one package: his mother's stubbornness and my wits. At least she's got his empathy and love, so she isn't turning into a sociopathic megalomaniac...yet." The two sat quietly and watched the girls watch TV then lead JD, Julio, and Gavin downstairs to play on their videogame system. Gavin seemed to be led around by Cat, with JD and Willow giggling at her. It was sweet to Skye, Cat clearly liked him more than just a friend yet Gavin was oblivious to it. Time passed and eventually it was time to leave. Cat and Willow hugged Tatum goodbye then saw JD and Julio kiss her on the cheek. Gavin blushed and hugged her, with Tatum kissing his cheek as thanks. In the car, Skye asked what they did all day. Tatum blushed and admitted, "We played with their dolls. I got stuck with the older ones but they were nice and not like the ones at daycare. Cat talks a lot but she lets me do what I want. Willow does what Cat wants but she tries too hard to be funny and get us into trouble. She joked about what you do at work, she said Miguel plays with your boobies in bed." Skye nearly choked then explained, "She meant we have sex. That isn't something that you should talk about, it's private between Miguel and I. It can get us into a lot of trouble if someone heard you saying things like that as people might think we do that in front of you- which we don't." Tatum looked away in shame, Skye explained, "Sex is private. It's how babies are made. I would love to be a mother to Miguel's baby, but I have to think about how it would impact you. I like Miguel a lot, it's still too early to think about stuff like that with him." Tatum sighed and tearfully added, "I want him to be my new daddy! He cares about me, not like my old daddy. I hate him! Daddy is a bad man who hates me and won't let me be me. He said I can never be Tatum no matter how much I am a girl inside! I don't want him to be my daddy anymore, I want Miguel to be my daddy. Please marry Miguel so he can be my daddy!" Tatum was in tears the rest of the drive and ran for her bedroom as soon as Skye opened their apartment door. Skye knew to let her have time alone, it was a major proclamation that showed her true feelings. It was also what she had admitted to Valerie, she was starting to fall for Miguel hard and wanted him to be the father to Tatum that she needed and the lover that Skye dreamed of. Eventually Tatum came out, her hunger overtaking her stubbornness. Skye hugged and kissed her, then told her, "I want the same as you but we have to take things slow. He's a great man, he cares about you enough to bring his family and friends into our lives. Where it leads, nobody knows. But I will tell you this: I'll always love you and will not let anyone refuse to let you be Tatum. You are my daughter. I love you and won't let you ever be less than what you really are- Tatum Lane." Tatum hugged her and apologized for being bad. Skye smiled down at her and happily told her, "You're just letting your real feelings known. I love that about you: you aren't afraid to tell things like they are. I want you to be happy, and if Miguel makes you happy it's more evidence that he might be your true father. I'll try to make things work, you deserve a good father." Mother and daughter spent the rest of the evening silent yet close together. They fell asleep watching a movie, with Tatum cuddling in Skye's lap like she did when she was younger. She didn't try to suckle on her breasts, but she did nuzzle her head into them to get comfortable. The next morning saw them smiling at one another as they awoke. Skye helped Tatum shower then put her hair into a single ponytail and clipped butterfly barrettes to her hair. Tatum had to fight tears, with Skye smiling and offering her a happy, "You look beautiful. I can't wait until your hair gets longer." She drove on to the preschool and introduced Tatum to the kids, with Leslie doing the introductions and Lupe ensuring that there were no issues with the kids. Once Tatum was alright, Lupe got Skye started on some of the tasks that she needed to do at the office, with much of it being pretty basic work that she could do in her sleep or even from home if she or Tatum were sick. She was overseeing their books, the billing, scheduling events, and keeping track of supplies- basic office assistant things. The day was actually pretty fun, especially as Skye was doing a lot of work that she had done back in school and excelled at. She might not have had ambitions to be an office assistant, but she liked that it wasn't too challenging or that she wasn't overqualified or had to work long hours to get basic results. She shined in the role, so much so that Leslie and Lupe tried to figure out if she could do the job for the other preschool and if not would she be able to oversee two assistants as the business manager. Things were even better as she was told over lunch just how much she would earn per week: $1,400 per week, with two weeks of vacation and they would cover the cost of college classes. She could afford to move into a better apartment if she and Miguel didn't work out, with Tatum's medical expenses covered by their health plan giving her a nest egg to build up until the inevitable surgery. It was a dream job, the most money she would ever hope to earn with her skills and came with everything needed for Tatum. The girls spent all day showing Tatum around the classroom and annoying Leslie. Tatum behaved much better than Cat or Willow, but the trio were always together making Tatum endure the time-outs along with them. Leslie didn't have the heart to tell her that she didn't have to do them, allowing Tatum to be with Cat and Willow with neither breaking stride in their gab-fest. Things ended up getting tense later on as a representative from DCF came by demanding to see Tatum. Leslie humored him and asked to see his identification, called Mark for verification, the called 911 to report what Mark had just told her while stalling for time. She wasn't afraid of being arrested nor was she in any position to do what the DCF representative demanded. Skye was in her office during the tense scene, talking on the phone with Miguel during a short break in her work and needing to hear his voice after a lonely night away. She was intentionally left unaware of what was happening, with Leslie ensuring that the representative was moved to their conference room and away from the kids while Mark sent someone there to explain the situation. Lupe was also on the phone with someone and hiding her anger then her grin as she followed the instructions of the caller. It was a long half hour, with the representative shouting at Leslie to give her Tatum or else she would be arrested for kidnapping. That last threat was followed by David entering and proclaiming, "Sorry that it took so long, Aunt Leslie, but the locals demanded to know more than we were willing to tell. As for kidnapping? You, sir, are under arrest for attempted kidnapping." Mark smirked, stepped forward, and showed his wife the termination paperwork that was taken out on Saturday against the man- Kirk Archer. He then told David, "His ID is a fake. We destroyed his real ID. You notice how he never showed it to you nor did he try to contact the police before barging in here to get at Lucas and Skye? He knew that he'd be clocked by them and he'd be in jail since they know what the real-deal IDs look like so he tried to bully Leslie into handing over Lucas without and of our actual paperwork whatsoever. Funny, he doesn't have the court order nor does he have reason to be here. He has no excuse for coming here as he was never told by anyone that Skye had been hired. I think one of the parents knows Skye and relayed the information to him." David nodded then told Archer, "Be glad that you didn't leave here with Lucas Lane or you'd be facing federal kidnapping charges. The men behind me would ensure that the FBI would have hunted you for as long as it took to get at you. Their kids don't like people trying to kidnap people they know." He pointed at the two men standing behind him with Mark shaking his head and grumbling, "It figures. Mike and Mick are on lunch and get a text from Valerie. Eve, Megan, and Brent are going to love it." David led the man out, telling the local police that it was handled and under his agency's investigation. He didn't have to say anything more, they knew what he meant. David being involved meant that there was more going on than it seemed and was above their paygrade. Mark spent a few minutes talking to Mick and Mike, filling them in on what was going on. Both had to hide their smirks, Miguel getting a girlfriend was huge. The fact that Tatum was trans was no big deal, but having Miguel going out of his way to father her was. Lupe went over the list of names and spotted one that was a red flag. She told Leslie, "Her parents were here this morning, I think her dad was one of the owners of the club Skye worked at. His girlfriend may be one of the strippers, I've never seen her though." Mark's face went tense and caused to mutter, "Get ready for false accusations. DCF will come around as we have to investigate claims, but you don't have anything to worry about. A standard look and talk to a couple of kids will suffice to show that the place is fine, but it's unavoidable. The one sent is key, it's a young newcomer who likely is just starting out and wants to impress but an email reiterating that we're not in the business of forcing our views on families should cut off any idiot going after the TG angle in case someone makes a stink." Mike and Mick left, with both texting an FBI friend who wanted to know what was going on there. The two had a strong idea now that it was a serious investigation that the state uncovered that went deeper than anyone could have thought, with the feds being interested for their own bite at the apple. Whatever was found during the raid the night before was huge and had the agencies itching to get at them. David processed Archer and drove to his office, met with his expected visitors, then told the agents, "She doesn't know anything about the drug ring nor the sexual slavery. In fact, it seems that she got out before they forced it on her, as their claims are backed up by the files that we found in the office. She has her actual employment contract safely in our hands, what they have is a fake one made in a cheap editing suite with her scanned signature. Your folks can see the copies, you aren't getting the originals. As for talking to her, that's out of the question- she's under protection and lawyered-up so if try to force your way you'll have to explain to the governor and his family why you violated her rights." He smirked and added, "The firm of James and James are representing her legal needs. Vincent, Stoner, and Byrne-Toro are handling her other legal issues. Go after her through her child and you'll be facing investigation by your own Office of Professional Responsibility alongside ones by your colleagues in Quantico for child exploitation. Civil rights violations is a serious offense, especially against a kid." He didn't threaten them, he told them the truth. They had to back away and end their investigation into Skye or they would end up behind bars alongside the club owners. David knew what he was doing and had them forced into a corner and would have to show their hand or the worst would happen: exposure. Their attempt to force David to give them access to Skye didn't go unnoticed as their supervising agent called them into his office and told them that they were off the case and were to speak with OPR about their connections to both the club and the club's owners. David walked them into a trap and got them to show that they were after Skye to shut her up and kill the state investigation, with the FBI having to go after their own and explain to the governor why agents were harassing one of his troopers while going after the biggest witness to the case. There was no connection to Skye except through her employment at the club, Tatum was a dead end as she was protected by law so her transition was off limits making it all for nothing- unless they themselves had a person reason for trying to get at Skye. David was forced to meet with the supervising agent and several agents from the Worcester office. He knew that it was about earlier and explained his role, Skye's real role, Tatum's change, Miguel's being a part of things, and how his aunts were involved indirectly. He verified all that they knew and was told that his team were getting support from them with their information being better than their own. David left and realized that he hit gold. Skye getting out when she did saved her from being scapegoat for the club while Tatum was protected on all sides from vultures trying to hurt Skye. It was lucky that Miguel started his relationship when he did, he likely saved the duo's lives without realizing it. As the day wound down, Skye and the kids went home. Leslie had the kids go play, with Marcus and a reluctant Tatum being forced to spend time together. Marcus gave Tatum a funny look and walked her to his toys, then told her, "You look pretty as a girl. Mommy said you weren't a good boy but now you're a pretty girl. Rachel said you are like Reyna, Reyna was never a good boy." His four-year-old logic took a bit to translate but she realized he was telling her that he knew and didn't care. She hugged him and told him that he was the best boy that she had known, with him giggling at it. It was the nicest thing a boy had said to her, since JD, Gavin, and Julio all avoided playing with her. Once the kids were out of earshot, Leslie turned on the news and saw Skye gasp in shock over what the man she had feared had tried to do. Leslie then explained, "One of the kids at the preschool is related to your former bosses. He was tipped off this morning about you being there, he wanted to get Tatum out of your hands and force you to take the blame for the club's actions. You were going to lose her even if you did as he demanded, you'd be in prison so Tatum would be sent to your ex-boyfriend to live. He is an idiot for not doing his homework, it's no secret that Mark is my husband. He thought that he would bully me into giving Tatum to him but I stalled for time until Mark came with help. David arrested him and our friends Mick Jones and Mike Daniels joined him in support. They also happen to be father to Brent Jones, Marcus' little buddy, and Eve and Megan, Mike's darling little angels. Two senior federal agents were enough to cause him to tell everything to David when he reached the barracks, so expect a battle for Tatum's custody and expect a lot of support from my cousin Ricardo. He loves Cat deeply and will do anything that she asks, especially if it's helping keep her new friend from a bad father." The news showed an older story a few minutes later, with Skye gasping in shock as she saw her former club being raided by police the night before. She recognized several of the arrested ladies, with several of the regular guys trying hard to cover their faces as they were led into court for arraignment. She then realized that she would have been among them and blamed for a lot of what happened, with Leslie then telling her, "The club tried to blame the ladies for everything. We know that it's false, they were heard in the office discussing the 'special dances' that some of the men were doing and who they could extort in the near future. The ladies talked as soon as they could, with the State Police ensuring that they had the entire truth told before allowing them to plead guilty to a lesser charge. The police who covered for the owners were arrested and got into a shootout, thankfully they were only wounded and missed all of the shots they took so they're facing new charges of attempted murder alongside the corruption charges. Two are going to face murder charges thanks to what was said to you in the club, David had their old case reopened as a homicide investigation with the officers as the prime suspects." Skye was dumbfounded, Leslie shook her head and explained, "Their house of cards collapsed under the weight of their arrogance. They did their usual attacks on dancers to keep them under their thumb, but it was what was needed to shut them down for good. They thought that they were protected, but when faced with stronger opposition they showed their true nature and it hurt them badly. The ladies who're in jail prostituted themselves willingly, the ones who didn't were more than happy to squeal on anyone who would listen to save themselves. You chose to speak the truth, you didn't have to but you did." Knowing what was coming next, Leslie quickly added, "Tatum is safe from DCF. Mark sent a memo to all of the social workers in the region that you are not to be investigated in regards to the club as he and the State Police are fully aware of your job and what how it was of no baring on custody of Tatum. He ensured that it was known that being an exotic dancer is not grounds for removing a child, prostituting is. Three of the ladies lost their children, one with a newborn. The kids' grandparents are outraged at it and are suing for custody, with the State Police also finding stashes of drugs on them and in their locker in the back. What you did was for the best, those children now have a chance at a better life." Skye didn't say anything after that, Leslie went to get Tatum and burst into laughter at what she saw. It was cute and touching, Marcus grabbed his play dress and put it on and was prancing around the room with Tatum. He kept saying that he was the better girl, getting her to smile at him needling her. Leslie wisely cleared her throat and told Marcus, "You better put the dress back on the hanger or no ice cream for dessert. You know you have to treat the clothes right or you can't wear them. I know that you did this because of Tatum, but she isn't acting- she is a girl. Just like Reyna and Jaimie and Nichole." Tatum asked who those were, Marcus giggled and blurted out, "My cousins. They had wieners but now have holes. Mommy said bad things happened to them. Mommy won't say what, but it was bad." Leslie told Marcus to put the dress away then explained to both Tatum and Skye, "The little weasel really shouldn't have told you that but yes, Jaimie, Reyna, and Nichole were all hurt. Reyna was shot in her privates, Jaimie brutally beaten requiring her testicles to be removed, and Nichole's penis was slashed in half trying to protect Jaimie from a deranged man and his sons. I told about them indirectly before, but he thought that you needed to know the truth. If he wasn't just like his father I'd swear he was just channeling his grandmother. He wanted you to know that he's fine with you but it wasn't the right thing to say since those were horrible events that I hope you never experience. I swear I have to put a muzzle on Cat for telling him those things in the first place, but he knew the impact it would have on you." Knowing that she had to tell the full truth, Leslie added, "My cousin's daughter Kylie had the same done to her, as did her friends Mia and Maisie. Nichole already had a vagina then, the boys who did it didn't know her past and thought that she was like her other friends. They kidnapped seven friends and raped them, brutally beating Kylie, Mia, and Maisie requiring surgery and castration. Maisie was immediate, Kylie went over April vacation, and Mia over the summer. The girls are amazing girls, they found love with boys and girls and are all entering high school- a terrible thing, since they're under the watch of my brother friends. I don't want that to ever happen to Tatum, none of us do. Please, don't hurt yourself. It will only hurt your chances of surgery in the future if you want to undergo it." Marcus was smirking which led Leslie to tell him to get ready for dinner. As Skye and Tatum were at the car Valerie called them over to have dinner with them. She smiled and told them, "Our grandkids are over for the evening and wanted to have some time with Tatum. They're fine with her, it's just their way of avoiding us since we're so strict with them and won't let them watch TV." Valerie introduced Johnny and Violet Finn to them, with her telling Skye, "Our other two grandkids are with their fathers' families. Jaimie has asked about Tatum, but we've kept things to a minimum. The last thing you need is her trying to help you. She'll mother Tatum, especially now that she knows what it's like to actually be a mother. Her daughter Sylvia is just as bad, she picked up a lot of her mother's traits and is an amazing girl who loves everyone but she doesn't know when she has to rein-in her affections and leave things to adults. Thankfully Matthew doesn't care too much about people yet, he just wants to play with his parents and get as much attention from his grandparents as possible." Tatum was led away by Violet and Johnny, with the two giggling over their grandmother doing, "Boring things" while they got to play. The two kids were full of energy and kept Tatum from being bored, they wouldn't let her not enjoy herself. She loved the attention, especially as they played a lot of things that were easy, with Johnny willingly playing dolls and Violet playing his board game. Upstairs, Valerie explained to Skye, "Sylvia is her daughter via surrogacy. Sylvia's biological mother is the unfortunate victim of a rape scheme. Jaimie's fiance was the other victim. When she was born, her biological mother refused to take custody of her and asked Jaimie to be the mother that she couldn't be. She stayed close to us, so much so that we adopted her as our daughter making it complicated. Sylvia doesn't know yet that she's her aunt's biological daughter. She'll probably learn the truth on her own, we can see her mind working hard at times as she notices things about her mother that don't fit. Matthew is her biological brother, his father married his mother just before we adopted her. Her family disowned her over what happened to her, we couldn't leave her all alone and unprotected so we chose to adopt her as our own. We love her as much as our other kids, it's just that her circumstances are the worst." She sighed and added, "My two youngest are biological, my next two oldest were adopted out of respect to their biological mother who died because of a whole series of events what she ended up involved in that others did behind her back. Our 2nd-oldest, Violet's father, was adopted after the twins fell in love with him after we fostered him. He's simply the most amazing son and will be our greatest achievement as he's a whole new man and showing that he was nothing like people believed him to be. He's also the only one who can get Jaimie and my son Michael to stop being pests. Fatherhood only made him into a better man, he has an anchor to ground him in reality and not get lost in his forensic accounting." Skye was intrigued, Valerie added a happy, "Jaimie is intent on becoming a psychiatrist, Michael is the best young stockbroker in the world, Miles is intent on becoming an investigator for the state, and our eldest, Sylvia, is intent on becoming a marketing executive. Our granddaughter's name is actually not a nod to her, it's a nod to an old friend. The four have amazing counterparts too: Miles married Christina who is becoming an executive for John's charities, Michael married Courtney who is fast becoming a pediatric nurse, Jaimie married Rick who is becoming a lawyer, and Sylvia married Mitch who is going to the NFL to be one of their best defensive backs. We hope he goes to the Patriots to stay close to us." Valerie had her hooked, then added a happy, "Miguel isn't the only professional athlete, but he's the one who gets the most attention. He's infatuated with you, Lupe had to field a few calls from his teammates over his change in demeanor over the weekend. If he isn't in love with you already, he's not far off." She smiled as Skye received a text from Miguel. Skye read it and blushed, then showed it to Valerie. It took all of her might not to laugh, but Skye added, "I love him. I can't fight it anymore, I love that man. I want him to be the father of my children. I don't care about his money or condo, I just want him." Valerie wisely told her, "He knows. He's been doing all that he can to not ravish you. He respects that it's tough to do things with a little one close by, believe us- we know the feeling all too well." John entered and immediately turned a deep shade of crimson over that statement. He looked away in a fit of shame, with Skye understanding what Valerie meant. With young kids around sex was impossible, they would find a way but it would require a lot of time and coordination ahead of it. Cat and JD entered and were upset that Tatum hadn't sought them out, but seeing Johnny and Violet at the table made them see that she was busy keeping them out of their hair. Cat hugged her and sat at the table, while JD shied away and sat next to John. He looked over at Tatum for some reason, with Tatum not understanding why he was doing that but too afraid to ask why he was doing that. After dinner, JD hugged Tatum and ran off. She looked over to Valerie who happily explained to her, "It isn't anything against you, he just isn't affectionate. He tries hard to be a manly boy but is sensitive as a girl and hides it poorly. He doesn't show his feelings the way you'd expect, he's fine with you and wants to get away before Cat tries something on him again. She loves making him dress-up, especially as she knows that he doesn't like it. Johnny doesn't like it either, but then again Johnny doesn't like a lot of the things his cousins and 2nd- cousins do. Violet gets him to dress in her skirts whenever he's over at her house, but she's a lot less forceful than Cat and Willow are with their cousins and brothers." Miguel sent several texts over dinner that Skye wasn't able to answer. When she got to the car and saw the messages she smiled. Miguel sent her several messages that said that he missed them and hoped his girls were doing well without him. Skye blushed and shot back a happy, "We miss having you with us. Tatum wants you to be her daddy, it was tough getting her to call you Miguel. Don't get upset at her if she doesn't, it's her heart talking." Miguel smiled after reading that. He drove to the stadium with his heart feeling full and his mind on the two back east. He loved the idea of Tatum as his daughter, especially if he had Skye as his wife. The game was boring and Miguel was forced to pitch two innings in relief after an error by one of their outfielders. Miguel got the win, but it stung that he got accused of blowing the save. The media were in a frenzy afterward, with Miguel having to explain his pitch choice and how it was a fluke hit that barely got off of the bat but was enough to end up tying the game. The drive to his LA home took too long for his tastes, the dip in the pool made up for it as he swam in the nude and went to bed feeling better. He sent a text to Skye in the morning and proclaimed, "We have to talk when I get back. It's serious and it can't wait much longer." Skye read it and was concerned. Lupe read it and laughed, with Leslie shaking her head and telling her, "He's going to ask you to move in with him. This is the next step, being together. If you can survive as a couple living under the same roof then you'll survive as husband and wife." Looking at Tatum, Lupe added, "He'll be asking you if you would like him to be your father. He doesn't want you to be upset at him for marrying your mom, he wants you complete agreement first. He loves you, he wants you to know that he loves you and wants to adopt you as his own daughter." Tatum was in tears, crying hard at hearing the news. Skye tried to hug her, but Tatum pushed her away. She boldly told her mother, "I want him as my daddy. I don't want that other guy to be my daddy. He is mean and he hates me. He won't let me be a girl, he wants you to lose me so I get put in a foster home." Leslie led Tatum away while Lupe called her husband Cameron. A few minutes later, Skye was told, "It is in your best interest to talk with Ricardo Vincent about custody. He'll get it formalized, your ex has a say in how Tatum is raised even if he refuses to be part of her life. Ricardo will want to strip him of all custody rights, there's enough there to show that he's a danger to Tatum and now that DCF's reports are known to be slanted against you all claims by DCF will be disregarded." Over her lunch hour, Skye met with Ricardo in the conference room and explained everything that she had endured due to her ex-boyfriend. His previous actions were more than enough grounds to keep him from Tatum permanently, but that would entirely lay in the judge's opinion. The fact that he put out a restraining order against Skye and Tatum showed that he had little interest in them and any attempt to try to get the back child support would be seen as a violation of the order. Reading over who supported the claim on the restraining order, Ricardo smirked and told her, "He's in a for a nasty surprise. Using Kirk Archer to claim that you were turning Tatum against him is easy to show as his friend backing him up without any proof. The fact that he's facing jail because of lying on his reports about Tatum's well-being then trying to kidnap her makes his support moot. Archer can't show up in court, and when the judge asks why he'll have to lie to the judge- another mistake." Skye looked away in shame and asked how much it was going to cost to hire him. Ricardo laughed and shot back, "I do it for free for friends and family. Miguel would have demanded that I help and threaten to pay me, John would have footed the entire bill at Cat's demand, and my own parents would have had me skinned if I didn't do this for free because the kids are so taken with Tatum. It's an easy case, even if he hires someone he has little working for him and what he has is refuted by Mark's own work." He grew serious and handed her a card. He explained, "Call this in a few minutes. The doctor is trusted by us, she has helped several of the kids and adults. She's just as good as Alison Eliza but specializes in adults. Tatum is an easy case, the root of her issues have already been found so she'll focus on her being more open to playing with boys and going less overboard with girls." He added, "My son is transgender. He's one of only two so far who have transitioned to male. I've read a lot about psychology and psychiatry in my spare time now that my elder son moved out. Thankfully my younger son has two more years with us before he tries to be independent, but his girlfriend won't let us get pushed aside- she loves us as much as her own parents and sisters." He then added, "She's years away from finding out if she likes boys or girls. Don't assume that she'll be into boys as plenty of women like women. There's two couples in particular that are comprised of two women, with both having had biological children. Both had twins, with one being an accident and the other being planned ahead of time. The kids are perfectly normal, but two of the boys may be leaning toward being girls inside but haven't had the heart to tell their parents yet." Ricardo left, allowing Skye to call the number given. The receptionist answered and gave Tatum the last appointment of the day, with Tatum being asked to not act differently as it was important that she be herself with the doctor. Skye agreed, Tatum wouldn't act any other way if she knew it was important. The rest of the day was slow as the looming evaluation caused Skye to be unable to focus on much. She didn't make any mistakes, but she was slower than she had been on Monday and was clearly struggling to keep her anxiety in check. When the day was over, she quickly hurried off to the evaluation. Leslie struggled with how to tell Marcus and the others about where Tatum had gone. Marcus knew it was important and asked, "Is she going to see Aunt Alison? Cat said she had to see her soon." Leslie smiled and happily explained, "That's right. She's seeing Dr. Bell, not Alison. Alison is still out on vacation so Dr. Bell has to examine her. She's going to play with you tomorrow, if you want her to." The drive to Boston was shorter than Skye expected thanks to light traffic, but finding a parking spot at the hospital was a nightmare. Tatum kept giggling as people stole the spot that she was trying to get at then gasped in shock as she spotted her father not far away looking for their car. Skye wisely told the now distraught Tatum, "If he comes close to you, run. He has no reason to go near me. If need be I'll call the police on him. He's the one with the restraining order against me, he has no reason to be here." Skye and Tatum got out to the car and walked towards the hospital, with Jared Law trying to spot them but not noticing them. Tatum rushed on ahead while Skye tried looking for security to help her. She had help without knowing it as the duo were being watched by David, who was already waiting for them. He signaled to Tatum who nodded and went with David's wife then saw David exit, head right for the angry Jared, and tell him that he had to leave as he was violated the terms of his restraining order by his attempt to claim that Skye was violating them. He showed his badge then told the upset Jared, "You are not here for care and you aren't here to visit anyone. You have been waiting in the parking lot for over two hours. The person who tipped you off was fired, whatever you have planned is out the window." Jared tried to claim otherwise, but David smirked and recited the exact wording of the restraining order as well as the exact movements of Jared since he arrived. Jared fled, with David telling Skye, "One of the receptionists knows you through him and told him that you were coming. She was fired but already did enough damage. He knows about Tatum, he'll seek custody tomorrow. Ricardo already filed and has Jared's lawyer already informed. You go before Judge Martha Perez in two weeks. Miguel will be able to go to the hearing and provide support, and likely your hand in marriage." He left her blushing as he walked off, with his wife Emma leading them up to Edith Bell's office then telling them that she would be back in an hour to go with them home. Emma helped fill out the forms then gave them privacy, with Skye thankful for her being discrete with them. Emma seemed to want to be helpful, with Skye not realizing that Emma had a reason for helping out. Edith watched Tatum and Skye as Skye finished the paperwork and submitted them. Tatum was clearly anxious but Skye wasn't pressuring her and seemed to subtly hold Tatum's hand as she finished the last of the paperwork. The little act of love was key to Edith, Skye supported Tatum's transition in full. After submitting the paperwork, Edith introduced herself and led Tatum and Skye into her office to do the usual parent/child talk before talking with Tatum alone. She sat down and explained what she was going to ask and why leading Tatum to look upset while Skye reassured her that it was just the rules so all of the people who Edith treated had to endure the same questions. Tatum relented, with Edith happy to see that mother and daughter understood the seriousness of the situation. Tatum was asked the usual battery of questions, with Tatum telling her a lot of things that she kept to herself for years. She happily told Edith, "I felt like a girl when I was two and mom bathed with me. It was weird seeing something that I had and mom didn't. I told the kids in preschool that I was a girl and they didn't care, they played with me every day. Then dad heard me and hit me hard. Our teacher tried to kick him out but he pulled me out before she could. Dad spanked me hard and kicked me in the balls so hard that I couldn't walk. He said that if I ever said that I was a girl again he'd hurt me worse." Edith had a look of concern so Tatum dropped her pants and showed her testicles. They weren't right, it was clear that they were harmed badly by blunt force. Edith shook her head and told Tatum to put her pants back on but didn't get upset, simply telling her, "I have to report this. You need to be examined by a doctor. Something isn't right, he might have permanently damaged her testicles. I'm sorry, but I have to report this. DCF has to know. This is one of the worst things he could have done to you- physically harmed you in a permanent manner. I have to tell DCF that he's a danger to you." She calmed herself then asked about after that incident. Tatum shed a tear and told her, "He was arrested but got off easy according to mom. The police didn't believe me and said I hurt myself. I didn't tell any of the girls that I was a girl inside. The boys kept away from me because I'm not that good at any of the things that they do. I stink at anything except running. I only went to baseball camp because mom had to send me because the social worker was hounding her about me being too girly." Skye added, "He's friends with my ex-boyfriend Jared, Tatum's father. He has been on me for my jobs or for Tatum being too feminine for his liking. Everyone else was fine with how she is, the kids were the usual bullies and brats and Tatum got hurt fighting them but she's been fine otherwise. He was looking to take her away for any reason, he just didn't get the chance before he was fired." Skye backtracked and told her, "My boyfriend got us in contact with his friends to get help so we were covered in case someone tried soemthing. One is one of the top people at DCF and the other is my new boss. They listened to what happened and checked Tatum's file to make sure that it was OK and fond out that he was lying to DCF about us for years. My boyfriend's niece got us a chance to be alone and unfortunately that time alone caused Tatum to show that Lucas never existed. I was told next morning and saw for myself what I hadn't seen in years. I guess what happened to her at Jared's apartment was why she stopped acting that way, she hasn't acted the same since then. That changed when she was with the girls. She was happier, she was actually happy." Edith had to shake her head then asked, "By any chance are those people who helped you named Finn?" Skye nodded, adding, "All of them are. I don't know how many are named Finn but I've met a bunch of them so far. My bosses' daughters are dating, one of my bosses is a Finn by blood." Edith happily told her, "Sylvester. Byrne-Toro. Probably Finn and Vincent as well. It's a tight-knit group but it's also one of the best groups of people you'll ever meet. You lucked-out meeting them, Tatum was able to get help from the people who knew the ins and outs of being transgender form all angles. It's a strong chance that you'll meet more of them at some point given your daughter's age." Edith asked about her boyfriend, Skye blushed and told her, "He's a pitcher for the Red Sox. He's one of their best players but is the only one who was single. He's sweet and treats Tatum like his own daughter to the point that she wants us to get married so he can be her father." Edith chuckled and added, "It explains everything. Miguel Toro, whose niece is like your daughter but who suffered horrible actions against her. I have met him a few times and he's extremely private, if you have caused him to open up as you say then you two are closer than you realize. It's a short time, but it is also hard to not see that you have something special with someone when others can see the change." Tatum was sent out and Skye talked to. Edith was blunt, asking about Jared and his relationship with the duo. Skye sighed and told her, "He hasn't had one. He'd come around every few months to see us to keep me from going after him for child support. That changed three years ago after his arrest. He filed a restraining order against me to keep me from him. He hasn't come around since, but he's sent friends after me to remind me to stay way- especially her social worker." Edith asked if it might have anything to do with his abusing Tatum, Skye gasped at realizing that it fit. She mumbled a soft, "He knew that he was in trouble and pushed me away before I could find out what he actually did. Tatum kept it from me, but she told you. She's afraid of what you'd say, that you'd keep her from becoming a girl. Damnit, I should have seen it all along- he was hiding in fear!" She was showing a fierce protection of Tatum, which was what Edith hoped to see. She sent Skye out and called in Tatum, with Tatum being asked a lot of questions about what happened to her other than her father kicking her hard. Tatum mumbled a timid, "He called me a lot of bad names, then told me that I was just a leech who cost him money. He hated that I was so girly, he said that I deserved to be beaten by boys and showed what real boys did to those who weren't manly enough. I hate him! I hated being at his house! He hurts me. All he wants to do is hurt me. I don't want to be with him. I hate him." When she calmed herself, Tatum then told her, "I know I'm a girl. I know that I have boy parts and I'm a freak, but I'm a girl. I won't ever be a boy. I don't want to be like dad, I want to be like mom. I love my mom and I want her to be happy. I want a dad who loves me for me. I want Miguel to be my dad. I hate that he has to work late and go away, but I love him and his family is the best ever. I love Reyna. I love Rachel. I love Marcus. I love all of them. Mom loves Miguel a lot, he loves her too." She was in tears now, with Edith seeing the real root of her issues that she had beyond transgender and masculinity issues: she wanted a family. Edith asked Tatum about her family, leading Tatum to cry, "We don't have any! Mom was a foster kid, her parents were drug addicts who lost her when they were 17. I know my dad has family but they are angry at him for getting mom pregnant when he was drinking. He wasn't supposed to be drinking. I met them once, they saw me and were upset that I was so girly. They were mean and said that I was turning into a weirdo freak. Mom refuses to talk to them and said that if they tried to get me she would get a restraining order against them." Edith asked if she wanted more family, Tatum looked ashamed but admitted, "I want Reyna and Rachel to be my cousins. They are so nice and understand me. Mom doesn't know why, but both seem to know what it's like being me. I like Cat and Willow but they are more friends. I haven't met Reyna's brothers but she said they are nice and care about girls like me. She sounded like they knew girls like me too." Edith led Tatum out and told both that she'd like to see Tatum as a patient. She wisely stated, "I know it was supposed to be Alison Eliza, but with what I was told she will defer to me. I have to report what I was told, she doesn't have the cool head that I have and I believe she might be too close to Tatum as a doctor. There's little chance that she isn't known already given her daughter and your friend Willow." The duo walked out and saw Emma ask what happened. Tatum was afraid while Skye explained, "We're going to end up in trouble with DCF over something my ex did to Tatum. I have to talk with Ricardo." Emma realized that it was serious to the point of needing help so she called Mark who told her to bring them over his house so he could get the story directly. Skye clicked off of her call and was told that she had to bring Tatum to the doctor for an immediate evaluation with someone from DCF being present. It didn't take much for Emma to realize who was meeting her for the evaluation. It took all of Emma's might not to laugh, but she told Skye, "You're meeting Aunt Chloe. She works for DCF and is going to report to Uncle Mark what the doctor says. Uncle Ricardo knew that she'd be the one to get the call, she has done a bunch of these cases already and gotten the abusers sent to prison." Emma walked them over to the adjacent New England Childrens Hospital for the evaluation. They met with Chloe Daniels outside the office and saw Skye handing Tatum over to her. When they were out of earshot, Emma explained to her, "She's a member of our family. She knows everything and was the one to handle the evaluation on DCF's behalf. She hasn't met you before, even if she knew of you she can be objective enough to handle the evaluation and report to Mark what the doctor finds." Inside the examination room, the doctor had Tatum disrobe and sit on the table. Chloe noticed that the scrotum on Tatum looked discolored and hung oddly, with the doctor asking about it. Tatum looked at them scared then told them, "My dad kicked me hard there three years ago. It hasn't looked or felt like it used to. It feels squishy, like there's nothing inside. It hurts a lot to touch it so I never do." The doctor looked closer and noted that the testicles were ruptured to the point of being useless and the cords may be wrapped around them due to being moved around frequently. The pain was explained by a tear in the nerve leading to the testicles. The blood supply looked as if it was barely functional and if the testicles moves around inside they might actually cause a clot to dislodge or collapse the vessels entirely causing the worst case scenario. The doctor shook her head and told Chloe, "She needs a second opinion from a urologist right away. The testicles looks like they are barely hanging on and are likely to completely sever at any moment. I think she might need them removed, it's still painful and after three years of no repair it's likely barely above necrotic. Sadly, she'll never father children." Chloe had Tatum get dressed then moved her on to the urologist, a man by the name of Dr. Tom Pratt, who concurred and explained, "They are ruptured and completely beyond repair. The blunt force was strong, likely a steel-toed boot. The person who did this is sadistic, to do it to a three-year-old is beyond belief. As much as I hate ending someone's bloodline, it's irreparable. She needs surgery immediately, I don't want to wait knowing that they could move in the wrong direction and become fully necrotic. It's a miracle sepsis hasn't occurred but being young and of strong stuff she endured and healed before the worst came to be. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep her out of her out of danger." Skye was told and burst into tears. She looked at Chloe who explained to her, "She kept it from you for a reason, but she told the truth when the time came. She needs your support, she'll never be the same as other kids but she'll be her own person. Nothing can hold her back now, she's free to be a girl in full." Chloe handled the admission then called Mark to alert him of just how bad things were. She let loose in a rage, with Mark wisely letting her vent. When she was done, he told her, "We'll nab him tomorrow at work. He needs a dose of reality, and it'll destroy his reputation all at the same time." Jared Law was a reporter for the Boston Globe, one of their local columnists who was notorious for his complaints about the Finn Foundation, Finn Group, Reagan Group, and New Start Foundation. All of it aimed at John Finn and all of it in regards to John's nouveau riche roots. Being one of the Boston Blue Bloods, Jared took it as an insult that one of the richest people was once dirt-poor from Winnisimmet. Skye spent a sleepless night in the hospital and had to shut her phone off due to the number of texts and calls from Leslie, Lupe, Cat, Reyna, and Rachel. They wanted to know what was happening and why, it got back to them that their parents were outraged but none said anything to them. She couldn't avoid all of them, especially as they sent envoys to check on them, particularly Emma and David. Emma sighed and told Skye, "Aunt Valerie insisted that we check on you. Cat is freaking over the news. She is fearing the worst, thankfully she's directing it at JD who can handle it. We've been lucky in that the youngest kids haven't figured out that something is wrong, Marcus knows and is trying to be good but it's only a matter of time before Johnny asks the wrong questions of his parents." She smirked and added, "The kids are having a sleepover together. The cousins and 2nd-cousins are all in Aunt Valerie's basement tonight. They haven't done that in a while so it was a good thing for them. I got lucky, I didn't have to bring my daughter over- she's with her cousins at my mother-in-law's house." They stayed for a bit and left when Emma got a signal from someone. He entered and told Skye, "We're doing our best to keep them occupied but until Tatum is released it's going to be tough. She'll be out on Thursday so you can go home to rest. Leslie and Lupe are having you do things from home, but I think Miguel is going to insist that you stay at his place for a while." He introduced himself as Nigel Smith, Emma's father and Leslie's brother-in-law. He wisely told her, "I am married to Leslie's sister Karen. You lucked out, I'm on this ward tonight so Tatum doesn't have the other nurses giving dirty looks or making comments. They know not to do it on my ward." The night was rough on Skye but knowing that Tatum had suffered worse for years caused her to put up with the uncomfortable pull-out bed. Tatum slept through the next morning as she was still under. It was told to Skye that it was a lot worse than they realized: his kick severed multiple ligaments that had to be sutured together but might end up costing her her penis if the repairs don't work- basically, if they didn't hold or weren't responding then her penis was useless and she would be eligible for surgery as it would be in her physical interest to finish the surgery to make a vagina. Skye went home to shower and work for a few hours. She was met by Valerie and the five kids who all had looks of concern on their faces. Seeing Skye looking tired, they understood that it was very serious. Skye sat them down and told them, "Tatum had to undergo surgery. Her father hurt her badly in her boy parts. She didn't tell anyone about it for three years, but she told Dr. Bell who made her go to a doctor to see how bad it was. She won't be able to make babies, if it is bad enough she might have to undergo surgery again- this time to make her a girl on the outside. She's still asleep." The kids looked upset, with Cat asking why they didn't just make her into a girl. Valerie explained it as, "She still has a working penis. It's what makes her male in the eyes of the law. If that stops working, it no longer is a penis and is just flesh that can be changed. She has time to go, she can't force her penis to be broken or else she won't be allowed surgery. It's for the best that she doesn't have the problem, with her dad already being so anti-Finn it's for the best that she doesn't have the surgery. If it gets worse then she has to have it for her own safety. It's a terrible situation, made worse by her father. Please don't try to hurt her to get the surgery sooner, you will end up in serious trouble- I mean it. Don't do it, Cat." Cat looked away in shame while JD winced. Gavin looked more upset than anybody, at least he had a couple of parents who hadn't hurt him. Valerie hugged him and led the others out, telling Gavin, "She's a lot worse off than you but you had what she wanted for a long time. They might not be the nicest folks, but your parents still love you. We love you too, but your parents are still your parents." The group drove over to the hospital and were met by Emma and Chloe. Chloe asked Skye to speak to her alone, with Valerie having Emma check on Tatum before leading the kids inside. Chloe was serious but Valerie already knew what was going on and wanted the kids out of earshot of her. Once alone, Chloe explained, "Your ex-boyfriend was arrested at his office this morning on child abuse and abandonment charges. As he made no attempts to support Tatum we felt that he broke the law. We are aware that Kirk Archer ignored the fact that he had to charge Jared, that has been rectified. He tried to claim that as he had a restraining order against you he didn't have to pay anything, that was a lie. He tried to claim that he never hurt Tatum and the kick was an accident he unintentionally showed that he knew it was about the kick. We will be interviewing friends and neighbors, we feel that his kick to her crotch wasn't the first time and if my hunch is right- he has a file at the Brookline Police Department regarding suspected abuse. His previous arrest was altered to be for something else, you told us about it and what they had on file didn't match the court filing. His previous charge is withdrawn and refiled so he's officially under arrest for that assault." Skye looked down in shame, Chloe explained, "We don't blame you for what happened to Tatum. You did everything by the book in getting her help and seeking legal advice. What happened was kept from you by the police or else you would be in a courtroom demanding justice for Tatum. He did it to her, so now he's paying the price for it." Inside Tatum's room, the kids were hugging and kissing her. Gavin was reluctant to get close but a big hug from Tatum caused him to cry and kiss her cheek. JD glared at Willow while Julio dared Cat to say something about it, both boys knew that Gavin was feeling terrible over having parents who didn't hurt him while Tatum was stuck with a dad who horribly hurt her and a mom who struggled with work. The kids didn't say much after hugging themselves out, they watched TV with Tatum until she fell back to sleep then left with Valerie. Once back home they told Rachel and Reyna about Tatum causing both to hug the kids to stop them from crying. Reyna wisely told the kids, "She's going to be alright. She just needs time to heal. It hurts a lot, she's going to take a while to be back to normal." Once the kids left, Reyna texted Miguel to tell him that Tatum had awoken and talked to the kids. There was little that he could do, all that he would be able to do was offer his home to Skye and Tatum so that Tatum didn't need to climb stairs and could swim in the pool to recover faster. He tried hard to not call Skye, that was what was the worst for him- he wanted to hear her voice just to be assured that she was holding herself together and wasn't suppressing her inner feelings as Tatum had done. He didn't have to hold off, Skye called him just after Reyna texted. He let her cry and vent, then bluntly told her, "Stay at my condo after she's released. I don't want her climbing stairs. It's big enough for all of us. She'll have Reyna and Rachel to help her, please move in with me? I can't see you staying all alone, I need you close to me. I love you, Skye. I love you enough to want you to be with me." She was in tears, this time tears of joy. She happily told him, "I love you too. We both do. We'll move in with you, but if it doesn't work out we'll move out. It's your home, we are just living there with you." That was meant to ward off any claims that she was a golddigger looking for money. Miguel knew that it wasn't meant to be insulting, she just wanted to ensure that he knew the truth. She loved him for him, not for what he had and didn't want any of what he had. That night, he played hard and was extremely focused that he barely noticed that he struck out the side to close the game for the Red Sox. He didn't talk to the media at all, citing a need to get home. He hated to talk to them after games when he wasn't in the mood, the beat writers knew what he'd say and would print what he had said before to show that nothing changed. There was one who were persistent, one of the writers from the Globe who normally didn't try to talk to the team but insisted on speaking to Miguel. Once he got close enough, he blurted out, "What do you say to the false allegations of abuse against your girlfriend's ex? We have it on good authority that you are part of a plan to force a boy into becoming a girl against his will." All talking stopped. Miguel shook his head then asked, "Did Jared Law put you up to this? The guy who was just arrested for assaulting his child three years ago and had gotten the Brookline PD to cover for him? Or was it his disgraced friend Kirk Archer- the man arrested the other day for his attempting to kidnap a child after his failed attempt to nab Jared's kid after he was fired by DCF for lying about abuse claims and harassing Jared's ex-girlfriend to keep her from seeking child support for their child. Or maybe it was one of the people fired from New England Sinai for revealing patient information to Jared Law causing him to try to assault his ex-girlfriend in the hospital's parking lot?" He waited for an answer, when he didn't get one he shot back, "I guess I have no choice but to address it as you will print a lie and try to go after my girlfriend since you are a close friend of Jared Law and it's clear that you were told by him what was going on and why. Jared Law's six-year-old daughter was diagnosed as transgender. Jared assaulted her three years ago to the point of causing serious damage to her testicles. When she was undergoing an evaluation from a psychiatrist she told the psychiatrist about the abuse and showed the results. As required by law the psychiatrist reported the abuse and the child was taken for an examination by a urologist who sent her for surgery. DCF was well-aware of both her gender as well as the abuse, with a representative with her during the urology exam. They found no abuse on her mother's part, they did find abuse on her father's part. This is what you are really trying to claim: abuse by her mother when, in fact, it was her FATHER who did it. You know this father- he's your drinking buddy and probably told you about this years ago. You knew far too much in too short of a time to have not been told by him when it happened three years ago, he sure as hell isn't out on bail given that he had to raise $100,000 and doesn't have it on him." Miguel growled, "My personal life is of no concern to any of you. You are going after a woman who has never met any of you and never done anything wrong in her life. So what if she was a stripper- that was not a crime. She provided for her child without any support from Jared Law and found herself a better job with people who understand exactly what she went through as a single parent. I'm more than happy to help her sue all of you for slander if you try to claim abuse because she sought help for her child. It's not a crime, despite what your ministers may claim. Those same ones who sleep around on their wives and happily molest children then scare them with talk of damnation if they tell DCF or the police. And yes, I'm well-aware of those accusations against the ministers- they chose the wrong people to try to extort, a police officer and his family of lawyers. So save the claims, they're false. The truth is a man abused his child because that child is transgender- a man who is one of your own." The reporters were led out, with Miguel's defense making headlines across the country as he admitted to dating a stripper who had a transgender child. He knew that he had a target on his back, but he wasn't afraid to stand up for Skye and Tatum. They were worth it, and he would defend them until his death. He texted Ricardo and Skye to tell them that reporters would be sniffing around because of Jared. He'd refuse to answer any questions about Tatum or Skye, anyone forcing him to speak would be shut-out of the clubhouse by the team and players from both sides. It was an unwritten rule that you didn't discus players' families no matter how juicy the story was- especially if it involved your media colleagues. Miguel awoke the next morning to texts from management and calls from Ricardo and Skye. He didn't bother with the ones from management, he refused to dump Skye and what happened at home had no baring on what happened on the field. Skye's texts were the worst, she needed him and he had to call. He called her and upon answering he was immediately told by Tatum, "He's a bad man! Daddy had him over whenever daddy had me. He made fun of me for being a girl and told daddy that I'd be better off if I didn't become a man. Daddy hurt me after that, he told daddy to hurt me! He knew about all of it!" Skye took over and explained, "The newspaper suspended him pending inquiry into his involvement in the case. He's Jared's classmate from boarding school, he knows everything and helped him get out of a lot of criminal things over the years- drunk driving, using prostitutes, and buying drugs. He's bad news. His father is the DA, I don't know how much power your friends have but he has a lot himself." Miguel laughed, then added, "He has the DA but we have the Governor and Attorney General. Both are well-aware of what's going on, I doubt very much Reyna and Rachel or David and Emma could prevent their relatives from talking and unintentionally getting those two big wigs involved on your behalf. If he tries to intervene he's getting hit hard by them, they don't fool around when it comes to corruption and actions that harm the state. He has no right to intervene in a criminal case involving people that he personally knows and has to hand the case off to another DA or the Attorney General. Tell Valerie to talk to Kennedy, she'll be on to what I mean immediately and won't let him wrangle your ex free. Don't listen to any threats against you by anyone from his office. If they come to you, refuse to speak. They have no right to arrest you, and DCF has no reason to take Tatum away. Anyone coming by will be the ones arrested then forced to talk with the Attorney General's people ending the DA's career." He called Ricardo next, then heard Ricardo tell him, "The case won't be moved-up. We'll likely be facing his parents now, the same ones who refused all contact with Tatum for years. They don't have a leg to stand on, but they think they'll intimidate Judge Perez. That's laughable, and worth seeing in person. It's almost sad going in there knowing that they'll get raked over the coals by her." He finally called the team and was told to meet with them. When he arrived, he sat down then told the team, "I refuse to leave Skye Lane. I knew that she was a stripper when I met her. I dated her before she got a job with my sister working in her preschool's office. Her business partners got Skye help from the DCF regional director and several lawyers. She quit her job at the strip club the day it got raided. She's the reason that it ended up getting brought down- her help put them away. You should be thanking her for doing that, you know damn well that half the team goes there after games, most of them married! Save the whole diatribe about her daughter being allowed to transition, you know full well my niece is transgender. I am not forcing anyone to change sex, those claims come from a piece of garbage likely to be put in prison for his role in abusing my girlfriend's daughter. All that he was talking about? Only a person who was there would know. Save the drama. I know what happened to her and why it was done. It was no different than Reyna's shooting. She still has a penis, but I doubt it's going to work. She's in a bad state and if it didn't properly heal after three years there's no way in hell it's healing. She's going to undergo further surgery whether you like it or not. I hate that all of this happened, but it did." He dared them to say something. There was nothing more that they could say about it. Anyone who did was going to end up on the wrong side of a lawsuit and union grievance costing the team money. The media coverage was mixed as Miguel was portrayed as a tragic figure who saw nothing but harm to anyone close to him. Others portrayed him as an advocate for children's rights, which was closer to the truth than anything else but wasn't entirely true. Middle of the road portrayals had him as being the right person at the right time to help someone in need with something more developing over time. The ones who knew him best were more than happy to tell the reporters who asked about him that he's an outstanding man who was a great father- figure to many kids over the years and wasn't afraid to tell-off someone for doing something wrong regarding kids. Several admitted that he stopped multiple bad parents form hitting their kids, with one telling of how the team tried to apologize and force Miguel to admit that he was wrong but were overturned by police who arrested the parents. The team didn't like it but they wisely kept shut about those incidents and refused to talk about Miguel. Miguel went back to his house and stewed for the afternoon, texting some people and ensuring that the team wasn't about to trade him away for peanuts to, "Get rid of the problem". He was covered, his deal with the team had a strong, "No-trade" clause that prevented them from doing anything without approval by him. He was also helped that his agent knew all about the situation and had a vested interest in it- he was Willow's father Juan Reagan and knew things the team would never be entitled to know. When the time came to drive off, he was told by the team not to go- he was being given two weeks off to, "Attend to personal matters". He read between the lines, he was being kept away because of all of the reporters clamoring to get him to admit that he was hurting Tatum. The reporter who accused him was still around the team and trying to get any dirt on Miguel that he could, not knowing that he was facing a harsh reality when he returned to Boston to face State Police investigators. Miguel flew east, with the team telling the media that it was family- related. The ones who didn't get the clue were upset at him slipping away from them, while the rest forced those few out of the press-box as it was clear that they had no intention of reporting on the game. The legitimate reporters ignored their colleagues, they were what made the beat reporters look like idiots most of the time due to their antics. Miguel flew on John Finn's private plane. John sent it overnight to pickup the Samuels Family, but it'd also serve as Miguel's ride especially as it flew out of a secure, private airport. He wasn't happy that it was now involving the Samuels family, but with several of them already knowing through their friends it was unavoidable especially as Jaimie Samuels hated not knowing the truth about things. Jaimie looked him over and shook her head, telling him, "She's doing better but needs you there. She is fighting her pain, she doesn't want you upset at her and feels like she hurt you because of what's going on. She needs assurances that you don't hate her. She doesn't understand that you don't blame her, but it is hard to tell her anything with how stubborn she is." Miguel grumbled, "Tell Reyna to stop analyzing and leave the psychiatry to Alison. You too are not yet ready for that stuff. Al needs to talk with her, this is something she can relate to more than you." Jaimie looked over at Al Samuels who shook her head no. Jaimie told Miguel, "Tatum lost hers like me. Al lost everything but wasn't like us. She might be all girl, but Al isn't the same." Miguel apologized to which Al shrugged. He forgot, time passed by and he forgot about her past. It was a serious event in her life, but it was for the best that they forgot that she never wanted to be a girl. In the air, Dr. Richard Samuels asked about Tatum. Miguel explained, "Jaimie situation right down to it being a tough call regarding surgery. Unlike Missouri, there's enough supporting evidence to show that she is transgender and had been leaning that way for years, with the assault being part of her keeping it inside for so long. I doubt that it'll get better, they've been torn for so long that they might be unable to repair. I know what the kids are hoping for, but I think they need to wait until she's healed first." Richard nodded, adding, "One week. If they haven't shown improvement I'll ask that she be allowed the surgery as it's a matter of aesthetics. The usual complaints will be levied, but I stand by the decision." The rest of the trip was in silence as Miguel tried to focus on what to say to Tatum while trying hard to keep Jaimie from asking questions that he didn't want to answer. When Jaimie had to tend to Sylvia, her daughter, Miguel breathed a sigh of relief as he could finally sleep in peace for the rest of the trip. Al Samuels was busy texting her friends and got the lowdown on Tatum from her friend Ashley Byrne-Toro, Reyna's brother. He visited Tatum alongside his parents and saw just how bad she was. She saw a picture that he took of Tatum and wanted to vomit- she looked terrible, so weak and powerless. She showed the picture to her father who sighed and explained, "It's not getting better. Something in her blood is reacting to cause her to have an infection. I'll check her out when we arrive, I don't want any of the worst-case scenarios to happen. It's getting serious, I think she needs surgery to complete things." Al didn't say anything more, she texted Ashley that she showed her father the picture which led to him asking her not to get into trouble. She texted back a firm, "He's coming by to see her, it's serious now." Ashley showed Reyna the texts and looked away in shame. Reyna explained to him, "You did what you needed to do. Al wouldn't have showed the picture unless it was serious enough in her eyes to do it. She is her own person, she also knows that Tatum might have something else going on. She was right if he's coming here right away to see her. You helped her, you didn't mean to but you helped her." The plane landed in Bedford and saw Richard driving directly to the hospital. Al reluctantly joined her parents while her brother Thomas had to endure his friends demanding answers. Jaimie got lucky as it was hard to harass her for answers with Sylvia asleep and Rick having to carry all of their bags. Miguel had to join Al in the backseat as his car was at Logan Airport still. Al didn't speak to him, there was nothing to say and everyone was focused on what was going on with Tatum. Al gave her father a look of concern, Tatum was starting to take after her more than she liked. After nearly an hour of bad traffic and intense driving, the group arrived at the hospital. Skye was at the room and immediately hugged Miguel, crying into his shoulder. He didn't need to know what happened as it was clear to him- Al's hunch was right, it was too much like her saga. Richard introduced himself then went inside with a nurse. Skye was unsure what to say, so Miguel had to tell her, "He knows better than anyone about kids and their issues. He worked on all of the girls when they were hurt, and has been most of the kids' pediatrician." Richard looked at the charts, looked at the temperature readings, then told the nurse, "I want a check of her blood as well as an ultrasound of her perineum, penis, and scrotum. I want to talk with the surgeon who performed the operation, I think he might have done something unethical to her." The nurse copied his orders, went off to secure a technician, then returned with Dr. Pratt, who did the operation on Tatum. Richard was angered and told the man, "You did a sloppy job and put this child at risk of death! Her temperature is well above acceptable. There's no notes about what was seen inside of her scrotum. There's not even any notes about what you actually did inside of her!" Dr. Pratt gave him an indignant look then tried to claim that he did what he was supposed to do. It was countered by, "You were ordered to removed her testicles, but you were also ordered to look at the penis to see if the ligaments and tendons were intact and if the nerves and blood vessels were clear. You rushed through the surgery. You took not one single precaution against sepsis and made no attempt to see if any damage had been done. It's clear that it has. She has an infection and likely needs surgery to fix your mistakes. There is no excuse for this, you chose to ignore your orders to rush through the job. A simple exploratory surgery was requested, one you could do in your sleep- yet you ignored it!" Dr. Pratt left, vowing to get back at Richard. He unfortunately said that in front of the hospital's big wigs as Richard being there caused them to see what the trouble was. Hearing Richard's claims it was clear what needed to be done, with Dr. Pratt suspended pending inquiry into why ignored orders. The officials asked Richard what was going on, to which Richard had to tell them, "Sepsis. Severe nerve damage. Torn ligaments. Torn tendons. There's nothing holding this penis onto the body except flesh. A look inside tomorrow will confirm my suspicions, I've seen this reaction before in my own daughter. I don't want a repeat of what happened, we'll get confirmation tomorrow." Richard looked over at Tatum and told the doctors, "When I am proven right, she's eligible for surgery due to the nature of what's going on. There's nothing male left if it all has atrophied instead of mending after THREE YEARS. Surgery is needed to correct the issues so there's nothing to hold the hospital back from doing what is needed. If we wait, she'll be in severe emotional distress and likely have issues with urinating. It's not a penis anymore, it's just flesh." It was agreed, Tatum would have to have the surgery. Skye was brought in and told, with Skye in tears and hugging Miguel. He told Richard, "She was warned about what happened to the others to cause their surgeries, it's terrible but it was the only way. She'll thank you when she recovers." Skye signed off on the surgeries, but they would occur after Tatum was told the next morning. Richard tried to justify delaying but Skye hugged him then told him, "She would want to know. It's her body and it's her future. She is young, but she's not so young that she won't understand." Richard suggested that they leave, with Skye driving Miguel to the airport to pickup his car. In the car, he hugged and kissed Skye, with Skye crying into his shoulder. The two needed a moment together, it was a lot of built-up fear and tension that Miguel wanted her to release. After she cried herself out, he softly told her, "I want you and Tatum to move in with me. I don't want it to be put off any longer, I love you and you love me. She needs both of us, you and me. I may have to do a lot of work and be away often, but I'll try to be a good husband to you." Skye didn't respond, she couldn't form words over what he had just told her. He drove on, with Skye in a daze until they parked. She got out, let him get his car, then drove on to his condo. The two slept together that night, with Skye needing his loving embrace after a tumultuous few days. Sex also calmed her, he had a way of making feel loved as he was making love to you that she felt was beyond belief. Protection was never on their mind, they needed to be together and sex came without any thought- it was all automatic and done on instinct alone. The couple awoke early the next morning and showered together, with Miguel then helping Skye dress between deep kisses. They rushed to get going to see Tatum, with Miguel blushing as he saw Tatum up and ready to ask why her mom was so late. Tatum realized what they did and giggled, with both telling her that they didn't do what she thought they did- she didn't buy it one bit. Richard entered and sat down on Tatum's bed. He looked over the lab results from Tatum's blood work and shook his head. He looked over at Skye then at Tatum and explained, "I'm Dr. Richard Samuels. I'm sure that you've heard about my daughter Al and daughter-in-law Jaimie. I'm your doctor now as you're in a lot of danger. When you had your orchiectomy your surgeon was supposed to also examine what's going on with your interior parts around them. He didn't do that." Tatum looked scared, Richard continued, "The reason for looking at your insides was because there was a strong chance that the pain that was causing you issues was related to your ligaments, tendons, nerve endings, and blood supply. That shade of brown should not have occurred, it's a constantly reopening wound within your testicles that was caused by your blood vessels being heavily damaged. It's lucky that you didn't die of sepsis, but you were able to heal just enough to not suffer blood issues. However, I suspect that the nerve issues are directly connected to the tears that have never healed. The kick was hard enough to tear the ligaments and tendons connecting the penis, which made your penis useless to anything except urine extraction. The exam will see if they are, in fact, torn and if they are we'll have to operate on you to fix the problem." Tatum grew scared to which Richard happily told her, "If they are torn, then they're unable to be fixed. I am sorry, young lady, but this means that you are going to become a girl. The issues are serious enough to allow your surgery as we have to fix your blood vessels and nerves. Your penis is in the way, this'll kill two birds with one stone: fix the urinary and blood supply while making you whole." Tatum looked over at Skye who nodded. She looked over at Miguel who nodded. Richard sighed then told her, "It's only being done because it's actually necessary due to there being no way to fix the penis or any of the tears. We wanted to wait until you were 18, but things changed due to your health issues. You aren't recovering the right way. I'm scared that if you left the hospital, you may die. What's going on inside you is hat serious. It's medically necessary now." Tatum tried to hide her shame, but Richard added, "It's alright. Let it out. You are getting what you need most: being whole. Your father hurt you, but in his hurting you he gave you something you wanted. The best revenge against him is to live happy as a girl and not feel bad over getting this gift." Richard left to allow the couple to take in Tatum's affections. Tatum looked over at them and asked, "Am I going to have a baby brother or sister in nine months? I know that you are having sex." Skye and Miguel blushed but Tatum got her answer: they really did do what she said they did. She had a big smile and told them, "I want a baby brother or sister. Miguel deserves to be a daddy to his own kid and not some other dad's kid." Tatum looked away in shame but Miguel happily told her, "You aren't some other dad's kid, you are my future wife's daughter. And if you'll have me: my daughter." Tatum nodded and cried, with Skye asking if he was serious. He looked her in the eyes and told her, "I love you. You come as a package deal: I can't marry you and not adopt her as my daughter. I love her." Skye kissed him deeply, with Tatum calling him, "Daddy" for the first time. He was feeling the impact of that right away as his heart melted causing him to call her, "Angel" much to her joy. Skye was seeing the man inside of Miguel start to shine again, she loved that about him and wanted it to last forever. Skye and Miguel had to leave for a while at Valerie's demand to give Tatum some time with the kids. It was said with a smile, to which Miguel drove them to city hall to do something out of the ordinary- get married. Miguel wasn't fooling around anymore, this was his way of showing how committed he was to the ladies and he wanted them to be there for them as husband and father. Skye signed the registry then received their license, with Miguel then telling her that they were making another stop: the courthouse, to file for adoption. Once at the courthouse Miguel was told that due to a claim against Skye for custody they would have to attend a hearing but his application was on file and was going to be part of the paperwork for the hearing. He just nodded and left, with him telling Skye, "I knew it was going to happen, the important part was filing. Judge Perez knows what this is all about, I have a strong suspicion that Jared's family are about to make their presence known to you. Be ready for anything, don't let them intimidate you, and don't agree to anything regarding custody." Skye received a phone call from Ricardo as soon as she exited the courthouse, and as expected it was a motion for custody from Jared's parents. She looked over at Miguel who told her, "It's about punishing you for their son being arrested. They don't care one bit about Tatum and Judge Perez will toss out all of their claims. Even if they hire a high-priced lawyer, they'll lose. He's been through this a lot and he's an old pro. He knows Judge Perez well enough to know what she's going to say before she says it and he will have every counter to her questions ready. You won't lose Tatum, they will be humiliated and be forced to explain to friends and their own family why they shunned Tatum for years. They will suffer, I can guarantee that they'll get hit hard socially for their actions." Skye felt better, Ricardo smirked at hearing that to which Miguel told him, "Yes, we got married. No, I am NOT telling Lupe and Reyna. They have enough to worry about to needle me. I'll tell them after we get back home. Tatum will be getting worried by now." They drove to the hospital and were met by Lupe and Reyna, with Ashley and Liam Byrne-Toro also in the room but looking upset at being there. Ricardo's partner/Lupe's husband Cameron came over as soon as he spotted them and bluntly asked, "Did you do it yet or do we have to drag you there?" Miguel shook his head while Skye showed the license. Lupe hugged him deeply then asked about the other thing. Miguel showed the notice to appear, with Cameron giving them a shark grin. Miguel gave a blunt and terse, "Don't destroy them, they need some money to live on." Cameron growled back, "I'll get her what she deserves, and that's a piece of the pie. They knew all about her for years and chose to pretend that she didn't exist now they try to get at her to punish your wife. I know damn well that they were forcing the couple apart, you can bet your bottom dollar that they were behind his fleeing and behind his abuse of her. He is a puppet, I've watched him on TV enough to see that he doesn't have an original thought in his head- it's all their words, not his." Cameron sighed and explained, "The trust is key. If they broke it then Tatum is actually the beneficiary of the family fortune and they have been living off of it illegally. If they bent the rules, she has a right to get what she's entitled to even if they refuse to acknowledge her being a Law. If they tried to rewrite it since her birth, we'll have them for attempting to defraud a legitimate heir. And that's what she is: the two of you were married legally, even if drunk. Your marriage was annulled, but she's legitimate." Skye complained that she didn't want any money from them but Cameron insisted that they their game to make a point to them to leave Tatum alone. They had no right to keep her inheritance from her and if they were doing it to her they might be doing it to other people. She was just a little kid, there was not one reason to defraud her out of her inheritance if she was legitimate. Annulling the marriage was the best way to get rid of both of you, but the fact that Tatum exists changes things as she is still legitimate in the eyes of the law and therefor she is an heir to the family fortune." Skye was put-off by the talk of money, Miguel knew best to let it go and focus on Tatum. Tatum was in her bed listening and upon seeing them finished Miguel walked over to her and asked her if she wanted him to be her father. Tatum nodded silently to which he showed the adoption filing. Tatum wanted to cheer but was held down by Reyna. Ashley had to help her keep Tatum from moving around, with Tatum stopping once she noticed Reyna's concerned look. When she calmed herself, she asked, "Can I call you daddy? I don't want to call the man who hurt me that." Miguel broke down and hugged her, it was just what he wanted her to ask. He tearfully told her, "Angel, I would love noting more. I am your daddy now no matter what anyone says. I wouldn't want anyone else to be my daughter." Reyna hugged her next, calling her, "Cousin" which caused Tatum to cry hard- she had family now, and it was with people that she had hoped would be her family. Reyna was replaced by Ashley who was embraced hard and kissed causing him to blush deeply. Liam was the last to hug her, with the two kids feeling awkward but hugging tightly then saw Liam kissing her cheek. Richard allowed them to settle down before he announced that it was time for Tatum's first surgery. She was ready for it, Richard told her that it was a simple exploration but she had to be put under. Skye and Miguel escorted her to the preparation room then waited for her to be wheeled to the recovery room. Lupe helped comfort Skye while Miguel tried to show strength for the boys. Cameron finally told him to stop acting and let loose or he'd make him do it. The boys understood what he meant, real men can be in tears over a loved one being hurt or undergoing surgery and it was normal- not girly. The boys left with Cameron, with Reyna staying behind to wait with Lupe and keep her friends and the others updated on what was happening. Reyna felt the need to say something and asked when Skye and Tatum were moving into Miguel's condo. She did what she needed to do, they had to think things over. After a few minutes, Miguel told her, "Tomorrow. We need to let her recover. We'll get most of the work done before things get dark. It'll be easier to do it all at once, just the kitchen, bedroom, and clothes are coming. The rest can be donated, unless there's something any of you want." Skye nodded at that plan, with Reyna telling him, "Fine. You know it'll be everyone not working. Just try to keep them away from there. The only problem will be Cat trying to do everything herself for Tatum's sake. She's taking this harder than she lets on and Aunt Valerie is concerned for her." Miguel chuckled and shot back, "That's John's fault. You clearly haven't seen him, you know damn well that he's moping at home over not being able to help her. Cat's acting up to get his attention on her. She is feeling the same, but she's channeling it to get in trouble. John's a wreck." Lupe explained to Skye, "He always takes it hard. Each time he's felt horrible. Jaimie, Nichole, Reyna, the girls- he's been a wreck afterward and needed the kids to help him focus on other things." Lupe and Reyna left to allow them to settle in for the wait. After an hour, they were told that there was a discovery and that Richard had been right: the blood vessels were damaged, alongside the nerves and support structure for the penis. It was just as he said: hanging on by just the flesh and nerves unable to get erect and likely broken internally. She asked if it could be fixed, the surgeon shook his head and explained, "They have all atrophied. There is a chance, but there's just too little left that I feel that there is no point in doing it as it would only be undone due to her movement. Your daughter is a male in name only at this point, this is now making it better for all and with the surgery she will be able to be female in full without explaining anything." Skye asked when she could undergo it. The surgeon shook his head then explained, "We don't know. It's all dependent on getting a surgeon to perform it. It will take a few days, but Tuesday or Wednesday. It requires some swelling to go down first, but my colleagues assured me that I got it started for them so it is just a matter of reopening the wounder to continue what I started."