Skye and Miguel left for the night and went directly to Skye's apartment
to pack Tatum's things. They were able to take all of her clothes and
some of her toys before calling it a night. She took her lingerie and
cloths as well, with Miguel joking that he'd love to see her dance for
him.
At Miguel's apartment, she did just that. She put on some music and
danced for him, with Miguel in a daze over Skye's amazing abilities to
show her body while moving gracefully around him. He was left with a
lust he had never had before, Skye found exactly what he needed to make
sweet love to her.
Sex followed, with Skye telling him that she hoped to have a baby with
him as soon as possible. It was a thoughtful statement, with Miguel
grunting in approval and starting sex again. Skye fell asleep soon after
that, with Miguel still inside her ensuring that his deposit hit home.
They were awoken the next morning by Miguel's phone ringing nonstop for
several minutes. He looked at the phone and shook his head, the cavalry
had arrived to help them move Skye. They hurried into the shower, with
the two enjoying another round before leaving to meet the horde at
Skye's apartment.
As expected, Reyna had all of her friends and their siblings and cousins
with her. Skye met them and blushed at the grins they gave to her.
Miguel told them what to do and then told them that he'd handle the
truck so they could haul away the rest of things to donation.
Doing inventory, Miguel blushed as he had few kitchen items. He usually
ate takeout from a restaurant that catered to athletes and special
dietary needs so didn't have plates, bowls, silverware, and cups. He was
happy to take on Skye's things, with Skye happy to contribute to his
home in a positive way.
Her appliances were another matter. Miguel had new appliances thanks to
endorsement deals with many of the retail chains so none of Skye's were
going. Her TVs weren't needed as Miguel had them in each bedroom and the
living room, and had newer videogames and systems thanks to those same
deals.
The furniture wasn't needed, Miguel's condo was fully furnished so there
was no need for anything but Tatum's bedding. Skye happily told Miguel
that she loved his bed so wouldn't dream of taking her old bed with
them. That caused the others to laugh to which Miguel happily told the
snickering group, "Yep, it's why all of you got sheets for Christmas:
it's darn comfortable! And that mattress is great- firm but it also
allows movement and doesn't dig into your back. Come on, you all are
jealous of it!"
He shut them up as there were rumblings that his bed was so comfortable
to lay in. Reyna and Rachel shared blushes as he said all of that, with
their friends gasping and laughing at them doing something in the bed
without Miguel knowing. He knew full well that the did, Reyna bought a
similar bed for her the house she and Rachel bought after graduation-
with Miguel ensuring that they enjoyed time in it alone.
The truck arrived not long after Skye's bedroom was cleared, with John
Finn driving it and having to be told, "Hold off coming by until Friday.
She's getting surgery Tuesday or Wednesday, she needs a day to recover
first. Yes, they found what they were expecting: complete atrophy and
nerve damage. Surgery is now just cosmetic, there's only stimulation but
no movement. It's just sitting there for urinating."
John shook his head and told him, "It's Wednesday. Her hearing was moved
up, you two have a hearing in front of Judge Perez on Tuesday. Her
grandparents are suing to prevent the surgery. Apparently that Dr. Pratt
talked to them and revealed that she needed surgery, they won't let her
get it. They won't win, it's all about trying to go after your
reputation. You can bet your ass that they went to the team already."
Miguel called the team, told them that they had better stay out of his
private affairs as they told him to go home to take care of things, and
if they chose to go to the media to tear him down then he would file
suit against the team on his and Tatum's behalf. He then angrily told
them, "You are about to go after my WIFE and my STEPDAUGHTER. This is
beyond sick. You might own the newspaper, but you can't use it to force
your views on people. You are in violation of your contract with me and
I will respond."
He looked over at John who smirked and countered, "Cavalry is on the
way. The big guns are involved, I ensured them that this was going to
get nasty and it did. Angela is coming to meet with both of you, she has
a countersuit ready and knowing the newspaper's stooges, Christian will
be asked soon. He has his own counter to the claims and is sending
Alexandra and Paul after the newspaper. The owners think the stooges on
Beacon Hill can force Christian to do their bidding, that's never
happening. They'll pay, it's gone too far and they're going to get what
they earned."
Miguel had to explain to Skye, "He means the Attorney General is meeting
with us, the governor sent his son and daughter-in-law to represent you
against the newspaper, and the governor is supporting you. I don't even
want to know what John's going to do to the team, but knowing him he
probably has a few of the corporate sponsors ready to pull money from
the team if they don't back away from us. He's done it before and he
doesn't fool around when he demands action. This will get ugly if they
don't agree."
John added, "I'll do that, and go right to the owner and threaten to buy
him out from under him via his corporation. He's in shaky financial
ground and the team essentially funds his private life. He owes too much
money to people to keep himself afloat, he has to either sell the team
or bring in new money to be stable. I won't let that happen, unless he
backs off of you. I'm also seeking the sale of the Globe to new buyers,
it's ridiculous that the team is allowed to print propaganda pieces and
claim it's reporting. You can guess what I'll do to the other guy, it
won't be pretty. Global Championship Wrestling Studios is in full
support of you, they'll have the ears of every TV network and ensure
that his shows are yanked off of the air with his deals terminated.
He'll have to sell his half of the company, he can't support himself and
won't be allowed to create new content- not if those networks know
what's good for them."
Miguel laughed and told Skye, "He's putting his money where his mouth is
for Tatum's sake. He's using contacts to get it known that the team has
to back off of us or they'll lose billions of dollars in all of the
deals that they have with multiple corporations. The primary owner is a
financial guy but he handles other peoples' money, not his own. For a
'billionaire' he's broke! He's hurting for money, and this'll end his
career in the financial business. John doesn't have to do anything- it's
his sister Karen who'll do it all and do it without a second thought of
the impact on the man. As for the other owner, he's about to face
Inferno Productions, John's production company. John has a lot of
support, more so than the owner has. And John's support is backed by
deeper pockets than his own with huge profits and not afraid to force a
scumbag out of the business permanently."
John happily blurted out, "It won't be me who'll do the worst: it's
Peterson Manufacturing. They happen to make a good deal of parts for
many of the cameras and lighting used in productions. Small parts, yet
important. They'll happily refuse to be part of any production that is
done by the owners and have the clout to keep rivals out. We don't like
to use them, but given my sister-in-law's anger and Al telling the CEO's
son about Tatum it's hard not to."
John added, "Al told her friends, the CEO's son is her boyfriend's best
friend. Ricardo knew not to tell his son, but he likely knows anyway. My
sister-in-law knows through my wife and your new boss, her sister
Melanie. David probably got forced to tell her afterward just to get
more info but he's starting to become immune to her interrogation
techniques after he's had to deal with Cat for so many years. His
sister, on the other hand, weaseled everything out of him. I swear the
females in my family really are possessed by demons!"
Miguel laughed then added, "His sister-in-law's daughters are his nieces
by blood. That's a long story he will insist that you read about as it's
best left to another time. The two girls are amazing women, but it's a
horrible curse on John as all of the females in his family manipulate
him. His son and nephews aren't able to do that, they take after their
fathers- or in JD's case, his big brother."
John was smirking and added, "And Reyna takes after you. Reymundo only
influenced her so much, a lot of what she is as a person is due to your
influence. Lupe happily tells anyone who'll hear it that you are her
biggest influence. She loved her father, but she's following in your
footsteps and being her own person. Forensics, computer science,
accounting- she's doing her own thing, just like Mr. Baseball."
John drove the truck to the condo with Skye in the passenger seat. She
was silent, so John told her, "Yes, I'm a billionaire. I've done a lot
of investing over the past decade through friends and family. I also had
a hand in Peterson Manufacturing splitting from its former owner and
then buying that owner out. I'm a normal history/government teacher by
trade, I just happen to have millions in the bank and a billion in net
worth. I don't like kids being hurt or used as pawns by people, so the
Laws are going to face the one group of people who aren't afraid of
their wealth and connections. Ours are stronger and deeper on all
accounts. They aren't that wealthy, they only own a couple of properties
and live off of investments in developments. They might be Boston Black
Brahmins, but they still struggle with the family trust fund. Tatum is a
big thorn in their side as she is legitimately an heir making their
share smaller and giving her a say in the way the trust is run. My wife
is already drafting a 'show cause' on any of the purchases or
investments that the trust has made in the past decade, she believes
that they've made many dealt that went bad and will be forced to pay the
trust back. Tatum's distant relatives are blase about their trust, they
take the money but it's all handled by the Law branch. If my sister is
right, it's bigger than believed and a lot is owed to the other branches
that the Laws never paid out."
John took twice as long to get to the condo as was required due to the
need to drive around tight streets and low bridges. Roxbury wasn't
friendly to driving a truck, especially when you weren't used to it. He
did enjoy getting the chance to drive the truck, it allowed him to show
Skye that he was supporting her and was serious about making things
right for Tatum.
John added a somber, "The Laws know that Miguel is close with me so
timed it to hurt me in a few other ways. There's a movie about to be
filmed based on my brother's life that my family financed. It's the
first actual production by my production company, but it's a big
investment by my family. All of us are getting shares in the company,
they want to harm us as much as possible so the family loses out on a
potential big payday. They are playing with fire and are challenging
people who know the ins and outs of the legal system better than 99.999%
of lawyers. Ricardo is the best around at family law, Cameron at
financial, their partner Savannah at estates. My wife is great at
contract law but defers to her parents. It can't be any clearer that
they want to hurt Miguel, destroy you, and impact my movie- all at once.
The foursome won't let them, if they try to play dirty they'll end up
broke, begging for a bailout, and in deep debt that they'll humiliate
themselves by filing for bankruptcy."
John finally added, "You truly aren't alone among parents. Trust me on
this: you aren't. Lupe is just one of the moms who knows what you're
going through. Valerie is another. As is my sister Karen. As is my
friend and investment guru Greta. All of them are experienced with kids
who've undergone trauma, the latter thankfully hasn't been a single
mother but she did adopt her legally-orphaned nephew as her son. Please
don't ask about his story, it's complicated and would upset you. He
turned out amazing, he got sent overseas with five of the guys in the
family so unfortunately isn't available or else would have to be
restrained from hurting Jared and his parents."
He said that as they were exiting the elevator with a dolly filled with
boxes, with Miguel telling Skye, "I really don't want him meeting your
guys until Jared's in prison. Scott is going to rip him apart and won't
stop until there's nothing but mush. And he's great with the girls, if
Tatum doesn't have him wrapped up in a bow by the end of the first hour
then he's finally matured. And I do mean it- he's the usual makeup dummy
for the girls, especially his little sisters. The cuties love tricking
him into doing it to practice."
John added, "His younger sister is trans and inching towards liking
girls. My daughter is close to her and might be fighting feelings for
her, so the two are usually at odds over anything. I hope that Tatum
likes boys as I'd hate for her to have issues because she can't father
children with a woman. It's a tossup as to if she'll like boys or girls,
it's not automatic. Some don't know their sexuality until college, my
cousin-in-law Kennedy didn't know she liked men until she met her future
husband, same with my niece. It's a long time away, she shouldn't worry
about it until then."
The sorting took a while, with Miguel working hard moving boxes while
Reyna helped Skye with her wardrobe. She was thankful that Miguel had a
lot of closet space that was sitting empty, but he told her that it was
due to him storing his baseball items in a storage unit. He happily told
her, "The best stuff is up on the walls. My college uniform. My five
minor league uniforms. My LA, Miami, and Kansas City uniforms. My All
Star Game uniform including the one I didn't actually use because I went
overseas to John's niece and nephew's wedding. And my Red Sox uniform.
The ones I actually played in multiple times and not ones that I got
issued each time there was a photo-op for the endorsements or the one-
offs I wore when it was too hot to wear the normal ones or for special
occasions. What's really missing are pictures of you and Tatum, but
that'll change as soon as she's healed."
Reyna smiled at that, putting pictures of Tatum and Skye on the mantle
so that they were in a place of honor among Miguel's pictures of Lupe,
Cameron, Reyna, Ashley, and Liam. Miguel didn't notice it but Skye
gasped at seeing them among the Toro family's pictures. Reyna happily
told her, "We always saved a space for his future wife, it's why there's
so much distance between them. He said it was to dust easier but we knew
that he was saving it for Mrs. Right and his kids."
With the rooms setup and Tatum's toys laid out in a way that she'd love,
Miguel drove Skye over to the hospital to visit Tatum. Tatum was already
awake and happy to see them, with Skye happily telling her, "We moved
out and into your dad's condo. You'll have a lot of space to play at the
park. It's a pretty view, especially at night. You'll love it there."
Miguel added, "And there's a pool. I don't use it, but it's for you to
use with one of us. And when you get older you can go to gym. But I
don't think you'll use either since you'll probably be with your cousins
swimming in Winnisimmet or at the beach in Kensington."
Tatum was still tired and fell asleep just after that, with the couple
enjoying spending time with her as she slept. Miguel kept looking up at
Skye and seeing her in Tatum, with Skye blushing at his looks. He softly
told her, "She only inherited his hair and eyes. She looks like a
younger version of you, just with a darker shade of brunette. She's a
beautiful girl, I swear the Gods plays tricks sometimes in how they make
us, Tatum is too beautiful to be male but is perfect as a female."
Richard came in from time to time to check on Tatum, followed by Emma
and David. David carried in a little girl while Emma had a young boy in
her arms. Miguel gave them a dirty look, David told them, "I'm under
orders from cranky and whiny to check up on her. You know darn well they
won't let me get out of this without doing so. They won't listen to
Reyna, they want it from me."
Emma explained further, "Cat and JD are getting anxious and making his
sisters Claire and Daisy upset. It's easier to visit you in person and
satisfy their need to know than ignore it and endure their wrath. It's
why our kid are here too, I really don't want the two upsetting Sophia
and Jerry. It's a pain getting them to sleep after Daisy has a meltdown
over something she can't control. Thankfully Claire is spending the day
with her brother-in-law so she's occupied. Plus mom really wants to know
but won't ask dad about Tatum. She knows he can't tell her no matter how
much he wants to."
Miguel sighed and added, "Her father is Nigel, the man who keeps coming
by even after he's supposed to be off-duty. Her mother Karen will be
interrogating John when he gets home, then will move on to Reyna and the
girls. Emma is the best person to relay information about what's going
on, she's trying to be a nurse but keeps getting sidetracked by little
kids like these two monsters."
The little boy stuck out his tongue and grunted while the little girl
giggled. Both went over to Skye to hug her and called her, "Auntie"
causing her heart to melt. Miguel added, "Family tradition. You're one
of us now, you're 'auntie' to dozens of kids- not just Reyna, Liam, and
Ashley. The majority you won't see much if at all, the rest will try to
seek out Tatum on the weekends. I figure Cat and Willow will barge in on
the weekends to have sleepovers while you get stuck enjoying time with
Reyna's friends."
Skye was in awe, the kids were smiling at her giving her a chance to
feel loved by kids again. It was the first time ever that she felt like
she was part of a family, especially as Miguel added, "They know not to
beg for presents, but watch out for Cat and Daisy- they are sneaky.
Never promise them unless you can follow through on it. Breaking a
promise to them is dangerous, those two leave deep scars. And no, I'm
not joking- they got David's brother Patrick hard for forgetting to take
them to Salem Lake Park back in May. The poor guy is lucky they were
scratches and not deep scars- John has those on his arms."
Emma blushed while David cringed. Sophia giggled and joked, "Gruncle
John is funny. Auntie Daisy is mean to him for not letting her play on
his computer."
Skye felt like they were trying to be family to her and warmed to the
kids. They didn't fear her, it was nice to be close to kids and not be
close because their moms were dancing on-stage. The two were like real
family, looking up to her as a parent figure and not just a babysitter.
The Petersons left once the kids started to get antsy, but were replaced
by Al and Jaimie. Miguel had to caution Jaimie, but she countered, "I'm
here because Al wanted to come by and see Tatum. You know I won't do
anything without permission, mom and dad said it was OK. If I'm here
then Cat won't beg to go. Al needed to see for herself that Tatum was
alright, she hasn't been sleeping right since Tuesday."
Al looked exhausted and showed signs of breaking down mentally. Jaimie
brought her closer to Tatum and let her see that she was alright and
doing better physically. Tatum's color had returned thanks to the
antibiotics and fixing her damaged blood vessels, giving Al some relief
but she still looked afraid.
Richard came by for one final time and told Al that Tatum was recovering
and doing better thanks to a better circulation in her penile area. The
wounds were healing and nerves repairing meaning she might be up and
about the next day. She would still need more surgery to correct her
problems, but that wasn't going to happen until the middle of the week
after the court battle.
Al asked what he meant, Jaimie explained, "Her paternal grandparents are
going after her. It's the same as always, trying to 'protect her' from
'being forced to be a girl' but really they just want to punish her mom.
They don't have enough money to pay people to go after Uncle Miguel so
they have to use their friends and neighbors. Don't worry about the
case, it's a slam dunk and they'll pay dearly for it."
Richard left with Al, Jaimie waited until she was out of earshot and
fired back, "Dad sent our accountant team after the Laws. Their taxes
don't make any sense. What they earn is next to nothing compared to a
long list of expenses. My brother Miles and 2nd-cousin Reed are going
after them for fraud, they really are living the high life on Tatum's
dime. She's supposed to have earned $50,000 already from being an heir
of Jared Law, but hasn't received a penny. They owe her $300,000 plus
she's entitled to visit their island off Martha's Vineyard and their
estate in New Hampshire. Uncle Cameron is ensuring that she's able to go
up there once she's healed, she deserves time away from the city."
Jaimie showed some documents to Skye causing her to gasp. Jaimie added a
terse, "She's actually in an elite group. She inherited the right to be
a member of the Brahmin Club on Beacon Hill. She's one of a few who
directly inherited rights thanks to her father's inheritance. They have
no right to refuse her, it's in the charter to accept the eldest child
of a founding member's family regardless of gender. It's rare, but she's
not the first daughter to be a member and won't be the last."
Jaimie started to snicker and added, "Dad was asked to join them so that
they could look like they're able to open their doors to 'new blood' but
he turned them down. You know how dad is, he'll only join if it's a
direct invitation from Tatum herself now that she's able to join. And
she will, just to expose the few in the club who aren't the liberal
icons that their club claim to have as members. It's not meant to be
using her as an advocate for change, it's just that they're total frauds
that need to be kicked out."
Jaimie left before Tatum started to stir, with Jaimie knowing full well
that she couldn't stay for long as it would result in Tatum asking a lot
of questions and Jaimie reverting to being a mother hen to another young
transgender girl. The mother in Jaimie also meant that she had to get
home before Sylvia called her, with her husband Rick texting complaints
about Sylvia running wild around their house. She had what she needed,
Tatum was doing better and she could tell Cat to back away from begging
to see her until she was fully recovered from her surgeries in about a
week's time.
At home, Sylvia ran for her mother and asked if she saw Tatum. Jaimie
wisely explained, "She was still asleep. She needs a week or more to
recover before you can see her. Your 2nd-cousins went because it was
needed by your great-aunt. Your grandparents won't let you visit no
matter how much you beg."
Rick waited until Sylvia was out of earshot and asked the truth. Jaimie
shook her head and told him, "It was true, she's looking sick but better
than how she looked when dad saw her. Mom needs to stay away from there
or else she'll go full-on nurse. She's weak and fighting, it's the only
good thing to come from it. She's a fighter, she has her mother's
determination. I just hope things go their way in court."
The next day was the same as Tatum had a stream of visitors to keep her
occupied while Miguel dealt a blow to the Red Sox by filing a grievance
against them for their actions against him in forcing him to go home. He
got the team to show the emails between them that the reason was
entirely Tatum's being in the hospital for a castration, while ignoring
why it was happening. The team's image was, "Tarnished" by his dating
someone who would let their, "Son harm himself" with it clear that they
were operating on information from Jared's friend, the reporter booted
from the clubhouse by the team and had suspended him without first
notifying the union nor explaining exactly why he was suspended.
Miguel won his grievance and the team had to allow him to return. He was
paid for the entire trip and given a leave of absence with pay to help
Skye and Tatum. Now that he was married to Skye, his time away from the
team was justified without the ruse and nothing more needed to be said
without anyone ending up in legal trouble for violating Tatum's rights.
The Globe ran multiple stories criticizing Miguel, Miguel read one that
alleged that Reyna was his own daughter and finally had enough- he told
Cameron to sue for libel on Reyna's and his behalf. He was on a tear and
wouldn't let anyone get away with trying to harm him or his family.
As expected, a judge issued an injunction to bar the surgery. The exact
reasoning wasn't stated, but the lack of any details other than stopping
the surgery made it clear that the judge did it out of bigotry and not,
"The best interests of the child" as he was going to claim. Cameron did
some digging and showed a connection to the Laws- he was a longtime
friend of them and broke a major rule in hearing their claim.
The hearing was the next day, making the judge explain to his chief
judge, the same woman hearing the case, why he intervened in a case
involving friends when it was already on her docket. The judge had to
explain in full and any lie would result in a disciplinary hearing that
would likely end the judge's career if it wasn't already ended by the
James family knowing about it. Skye would have the full team on her
side, with Paul and Alexandra James, Cameron, Savannah Stoner, Ricardo,
and Valerie all going.
The group gathered on Monday to discus the case, the witnesses, the
evidence, the counterclaims, what Tatum stood to take from the Laws,
what Tatum hadn't received, and what really was the crux of things.
Miguel listened and asked, "If this was all about an inheritance, why go
through all of this trouble in the first place? Did any of you get a
copy of the annulment declaration? Something is off about it."
That had slipped their minds and saw Savannah rushing to the courthouse
and returning an hour later in a winded state. She showed the
declaration, with Miguel demanding to know, "How in the hell did Judge
Law get allowed to annul their marriage? This can't be legal."
Skye was as shocked as him. Miguel smirked and shot back, "This is the
real reason: legally, you two are married and not divorced. Judge Perez
won't let this stand, not when Tatum is just a pawn to protect the
family. Our marriage is voided because of this, but I don't care- we're
getting married once the divorce is official. I'm hoping that Judge
Perez allows me to adopt Tatum immediately."
The group worked feverishly to go over every aspect of Jared Law's life
and got help from David and a few of his friends to run a search of
names in the criminal database. That search pay dirt immediately: an old
police report about abuse of a child from three years before, with the
hospital forcing the police to investigate a claim of child abuse by
Jared Law and DCF being notified and responding. The names on the report
were familiar: Kirk Archer, Jared, the Laws who were acting as Jared's
witnesses claiming that their son was innocent, and Dr. Tom Pratt who
happened to later operate on Tatum.
Miguel cursed, Skye asked what it all meant. Valerie softly explained to
her, "They conspired to get him out of trouble. The police never
followed-up on the incident because Dr. Pratt claimed that what Jared
did wasn't abuse to Kirk Archer who added his own claims of it being
roughhousing and not abuse. She was screwed from the start, the police
couldn't prosecute without DCF and with Kirk Archer telling DCF
something entirely different there was no case. But that isn't the thing
that sticks out: it wasn't the same report that they gave to DCF that we
have in our possession. The police report is altered, I can bet that
Jared, Archer, Pratt, and the Laws paid-off the investigating officer to
change the report."
Paul countered, "There's a case. He's going to prison for gross bodily
harm. Archer is going to prison for perjury and falsifying records as
well as accessory charges. And Pratt is done in this state, he all but
put a kid in danger and refused medical treatment then lied to his
superiors- that's alongside refusing to get her medical aid after she
was assaulted, causing the issues that ended up with her being
emasculated. He's getting arrested for being an accessory and with
criminal conspiracy. He's the weakest among the trio. He's done done as
a doctor after he gets out, it's a major black mark against him as a
doctor."
The group worked for hours putting together the package that they were
going to present the next day, Martha Perez was a stickler for facts and
the law and wouldn't let them come to her without facts. She also knew
that if the group was there as a whole then it was serious enough to
warrant a closer look. It also didn't bode well for the Laws as their
show of force had to also be backed up or else they would be in a bind
and unable to throw their reputations and wealth at to get out out.
Skye's documents were complete and showed Jared's parentage, with him
signing off on Tatum's birth certificate despite still claiming that she
wasn't his "son" in the hospital. The annulment decree had no mention of
Tatum nor did it mention their consummating the relationship, it
mentioned that he claimed that she tricked him into marriage after
getting him drunk. Tatum's care was never mentioned and there was no
mention of her being pregnant at all despite her finding out that she
was pregnant already.
Paul had to laugh at the rush job done by Judge Law, but given that
Jared was a grandson it fit with what the family had a reputation for
doing. Judge Law was required to recuse himself from the case and put it
in another judge's docket, yet he chose to hear his grandson's case and
ruled without even following the guidelines of the state. He had a lot
to explain, but there was little recourse as he was retired from the
bench and living it up as a college professor at a prestigious law
school.
Paul added a terse, "He's about to get laid into by two of his students
from before he was on the bench. I can't wait for Ricardo to go for his
throat, he was nasty to him in law school and should have gotten his
butt tossed out for the nasty insults he flung at Ricardo. Thank
goodness Kennedy and Katie didn't go to his school or I don't think
either would be around today. He deserves jail for his antics, but money
is a powerful drug to schools and he was as old money as you can get
around here."
The group finally broke apart when phones started ringing as their
children and grandchildren wanted their parents and grandparents. The
James duo headed for the hospital to speak to Skye, with Paul and
Alexandra introducing themselves to Skye and the scared Tatum. Both saw
the strong resemblance to Skye, something that had to be driving the
Laws' attempts at penalizing Skye.
Alexandra explained to Skye, "We were hired by your other lawyers as
backup against the Law family's lawyers. They'll try every trick in the
book but don't dare go after us. Paul's father is a strong figure in
this state and knows just about every major person who has any kind of
power in this state and will not hesitate to protect your reputation as
well as those of Ricardo, Savannah, Cameron, and Valerie. Not that
Valerie needs it, but even so- he'll do whatever it takes to protect
family of his favorite voters. He'll also be seeking answers from Jared
Law's grandfather regarding his breach of protocol in giving Jared an
annulment. Basically, they are facing the worst people to face:
unintimidatable people."
Paul added a firm, "Our daughter is a lesbian and close friends with two
transgender women, both ladies are mothers- one by adoption, one by
natural means. Your daughter is unique among the girls, but she's not
alone. We all have gotten to expect a lot of things from girls and she's
among the strongest mentally and physically. She lived in pain yet
didn't tell anyone about it. She hid her girliness from everyone for
three years and came out when the time was right. She'll bounce back and
be happier than ever, she has a loving family around her in the Byrne-
Toros and Miguel so she'll never be for want of love again."
They were about to leave when they saw several State Police troopers
approaching. Paul had to tell the scared Skye, "Just a visitor, probably
trying to get information for our daughters and nieces. He was on his
way home and diverted here to see you."
The governor entered the room, with Paul immediately telling him, "You
were right not to follow advice and put Josiah Law on the Supreme
Judicial Court- he's tainted and about to see his legacy go down in
flames. He covered for his grandson, railroading his grandson's wife and
ensuring that she had it rough for years. He hates you for good reason,
you're about to make his school get rid of him."
Christian James looked over at Skye and Tatum and didn't say a word. He
told Paul, "I'll tell them that it is private and sensitive. If they
can't take the hint then they need a long sit-down about privacy."
He left, with the troopers not even looking at Tatum. Alexandra
explained to Skye, "He isn't upset at her, it's his thinking face. He
has to work out a replacement for Josiah Law because the school wants
dad to replace Law. It's really to get someone that they favor in
office, they're playing politics and losing. Dad doesn't believe in
using colleges as political pawns or indoctrinating students, it's why
he hasn't gotten any honorary degrees and why professors have advocated
against him. He loves Jaimie deeply and has a big soft spot for Al
Samuels and her friends. He tries to keep away from John's family, but
there's no way to stay out of things when we're the best to help at
times. Plus having granddaughters married to or dating people close to
John's nieces and nephews and family it's impossible to remain too
distant."
Paul and Alexandra left after that, with Tatum looking upset but trying
to hold herself together. Miguel hugged her when he arrived after a long
day with his agent, Juan Reagan, and told Skye, "The league has forced
the team to pay me in full for my time off and told them that their
actions are going to cost them access to the team's newspaper personnel.
The Globe is cutoff from all clubhouses and pressboxes. The team must
sell the newspaper as it's been deemed a conflict of interest. They
complained that corporate sponsors were threatening to pull ads from all
playoff games and the All Star Game unless the team sold the newspaper
and paid me in full and the penalty for violating my rights. Tatum is
considered to be a family member and as such the team broke multiple
rules in their actions. I'm returning next week, but the team won't make
any announcement about my return and not talk about my absence again
other than saying that I was gone due to a family emergency- which is
the truth."
The couple stayed until visiting hours ended then returned home. Neither
said much that night as they were focused on the next morning. Miguel
showed her a dress that he got for her to wear to the hearing, one that
she fell in love with as it was simple yet smart- perfect for court and
everyday usage.
The next morning was hectic as Miguel dressed in his best suit and tie
and added his favorite chain and pendant- one given to him by his mother
back when he went off to college and he always wore when he needed extra
luck and a touch of maternal love. He drove quickly to the courthouse
where the duo were met by their lawyers and a horde of media. Neither
said a word as they entered the courthouse, there was little to be said
and the media would only mangle it to suit their needs.
Judge Perez was already ready and was just waiting on the Laws and their
arrival, using the time that she had wisely as she mentally prepared
herself for another long yet memorable case involving one of the most
feared and respected legal teams in the state. She read over all of the
evidence that Ricardo was submitting as well as what Cameron and
Savannah had turned up in their digging into the Laws' financial
situation as well as the Law family trust. She didn't see much from the
Laws except a long list of people who gave support for the Laws yet had
never met Tatum or Skye and except for being powerful names had no
reason to say anything about a court case involving a kid.
The Laws finally arrived and tried to make a show of it. Josiah Law was
there, alongside his son Teddy and daughter-in-law Kitty. Judge Perez
wasn't intimidated at having her former colleague there, he was simply
there for show and she was never intimidated by any shows of force. He
gave her a police smile and tried to act like he wasn't eyeing her, she
ignored him and caused him to fume- much to her fun.
The large group of lawyers that the Laws had were even worse as they
puffed their chests out and acted like this was no big deal. She read
the names and law firm and had to hide a laugh as they had exactly zero
experience in family law and were really just there because they were
friends of Teddy. Josiah had a big talk with them trying to direct them,
then tried to get them to get rid of the other lawyers which was a big
laugh as Judge Perez wouldn't allow it no matter how much Josiah
complained.
Judge Perez was upset when the media tried to enter, with the court
officers forcing them back outside and telling anyone who attempted to
post pictures online would be arrested for violating the state's laws
regarding the protection of court proceedings. Several cameramen deleted
their pictures while the ones who hesitated had theirs confiscated,
cards deleted, and the cameramen barred from all courthouses in the
state for violating the, "No photography in juvenile proceedings" law.
There were no attempts to say that it was illegal and they had a right
to film, they all knew the law inside and out due to experience.
Judge Perez glared at Josiah who tried to act innocent but whispered to
one of the lawyers who gave a look of anger at Judge Perez. She angrily
told Josiah, "You have some nerve trying that old trick. You're a smart
man, even you should have known that I would be prepared for that act.
Try something like that again and you'll experience life from behind
bars instead of in front of the bar."
He was about to say something but she angrily added, "One more word and
you are gone. Your presence is extraneous to this case as you have never
met the child, have never met the mother, and whose only connection to
this case is being the father of the man suing for custody."
He was going to say something but the other lawyers stopped him and
whispered in his ear quickly to shut him up before he hurt their case
even more. The fact that she had just stated that Josiah had never had
any contact with the Lanes was a major blow to them as it meant that he
wasn't going to get a say in the case as he had no right to say anything
without it hurting them. She played him perfectly, she had just removed
his presence from the case without having to do so and got some revenge
against him.
She ordered the case be called then asked for the lawyers to state their
presence for the record. When it was clear that there was hesitation and
stalling, Judge Perez angrily told the Laws' lawyers, "This isn't a
request, state who you are, your law firm, and your area of experience
as I don't believe that any of you have experience in family law. This
is a custody hearing, not a lawsuit or criminal trial."
One by one they stated their names, law firms, and specialty area. As
expected, not one of them was a family law attorney with all of them
having never been before a judge in family court before. She gave a
smirk as Ricardo, Savannah, Valerie, Paul, Alexandra, and Cameron all
stated who they were and what their specialties were while adding that
they were also experienced in family law.
Judge Perez happily added, "It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Finn. You
always manage to be here for the toughest cases that I have seen over
the years even if you aren't directly involved in them. I know that you
aren't the focus of the case as you are more contract law than family
law, but I know you had a hand in this in some way considering you are
here before me as a lawyer and not as support for the child or mother. I
do hope that he has a cooler head this time and doesn't cause another
financial empire to collapse. His advocacy at times can hurt many others
without realizing it."
Valerie shot back, "He is busy with a movie filming today. Our business
interests have expanded and is involved in entertainment alongside books
and philanthropy. He has a vested interest in the movie as it is his own
brother's story, so he sends his regards alongside your nephews. They
would have been here as witnesses in regards to certain claims in the
affidavits but are working the security detail. Given that they have a
direct relationship to you their presence likely saved this case from
being moved."
Judge Perez looked over at the Laws' lawyers and proclaimed, "I am aware
of their acting on behalf of the Winnisimmet Police Department in
executing a search warrant at a residence in conjunction with a state
investigation but was unaware that it involved either defendant. If they
had appeared I would have recused myself from the case. However, as they
had not met either and were acting in a professional capacity as
officers of the law in another matter that isn't linked to this case I
am remaining."
Josiah Law was about to say something to which Judge Perez's look
stopped him. She explained to the Laws' lawyers, "As you have no
experience here, I shall give a little leeway. However, should your
client lose then your client loses. There is no appeal. Family law is
entirely at the discretion of the judge and is in the interests of the
child- not whatever makes your clients the most money. You would know
that if you had bothered to read-up on it before appearing here. I won't
allow you to bully anyone in your usual boardroom way, this is a
courtroom and as such you follow my rules."
She asked for evidence from all parties, read over the new evidence,
then shook her head at the claims. She turned to Ricardo an asked, "Has
the child been verified? And if so, why was there nothing done for so
long to help the child?"
Ricardo shot back, "The child was verified last Tuesday sparking the
whole series of events. It was Dr. Edith Bell's examination and the
child's revealing to her the abuse to her body that led to emergency
surgery leading to DCF involvement and prosecution of Mr. Jared Law.
DCF's Winnisimmet office supervisor Chloe Daniels was alongside the
child during the two examinations and informed DCF regional director
Mark Sylvester about what happened and when. It confirmed the story that
the child told Dr. Bell and fit with the timeline of harassment against
Mrs. Lane by the now-former DCF social worker Kirk Archer for three
years. You can read that in the police report, both the original from
three years ago and the new report post-surgery."
She read the reports, asked if the man had a relationship to Jared Law,
leading Ricardo to proclaim, "The two were roommates in college. The
three had a friendship with urologist Dr. Tom Pratt, who perform
emergency surgery on the child. We have uncovered old police reports
regarding the actual incident that we have included, with Dr. Pratt
claiming that it wasn't abuse and that it was self-inflicted but it
contradicts the claims of both Mr. Law and the child to the police
officer. We have uncovered that Mr. Law also had a strong relationship
with the officer's supervisor, an ex-girlfriend from college and sister
to Kirk Archer. She has since been placed under arrest for falsifying
documents in multiple cases that were against Mr. Law over the past ten
years, many involving sexual actions and violence."
The reports showed a history that troubled Judge Perez. She now
understood Jared to be a violent drunk who took out his anger on anyone
who upset him. His child being feminine and claiming to be a girl was
enough of a spark to physically harm Tatum to the point of emasculation.
Judge Perez wasn't surprised by the next set of documents: court papers.
Ricardo proclaimed, "Mr. Law was lucky, he had his grandfather watching
out for him. Multiple cases were brought before Josiah Law and were
tossed out without reason. He would have been in prison three times, but
never served a day."
Josiah was outraged, Judge Perez nodded and shot back, "Josiah Law, do
not say one word. You have no right to hear any cases involving family.
Jared Law is within the degree of family that you are required by
ethical guidelines to recuse yourself from. You protected a man who by
all accounts would be in his fifth prison term. Each of these cases can
be re-filed by the DA. In fact, I shall be sending an email to the DAs
of Norfolk and Suffolk Counties to appeal all of those cases as your
involvement voided any claims of constitutional rights violations. That
is if Mr. and Mrs. James and Mrs. Finn haven't already done so through
the Attorney General's Office due to a conflict of interest for at least
one of the DAs."
Josiah was shut down before he could speak further, he had no recourse
and knew that she was right- it was inevitable that Jared Law was going
to prison for dozens of sexual assaults over the years. He was going to
ensure that the Law family's legacy was destroyed, even more so than
Tatum would have. The little kid ended up destroying the Laws without
having to- Jared had done it all by himself years ago.
Judge Perez moved on to the crux of the matter- Tatum's custody. She
asked about the annulment and it immediately caused anger in Josiah as
he knew hat he was about to get slammed again. She smirked, it was too
late and she wasn't about to let him get away without it being on
record.
Ricardo explained to her, "The couple were married after a whirlwind
weekend at a wedding up in the Berkshires. This coupling left Skye Lane
pregnant with a child. After two months together as a couple Jared
abandoned Skye and left her to raise their child alone. Jared went to
his grandfather to have their marriage annulled and claimed that Skye
had cheated on him. The contrary was true, he was cheating on Skye with
her best friend- the same woman who had just gotten married. There was
no intention of ever supporting Skye nor their child, Skye was left to
raise the child alone. After two years Jared came back into Skye's life
to try to get to know their child but after several outings he stopped.
He went again to Josiah Law and received a restraining order against
Skye and their child, then abandoned both. He has not had any contact
with them until he appeared at the hospital for their child's
evaluation."
Judge Perez nodded and asked Josiah, "Just why were you issuing an
annulment for a family member? It is now clear that you have done this
multiple times since Jared Law was unleashed on this state. He has used
you to clean up his messes to the point of using you to ditch his wife
and child. That leaves me to see that what happened was against the law
and thus the annulment is voided. Mr. Jared Law and Mrs. Skye Lane are
legally married and have been for four years. I understand that this
will likely cause a bit of issue with Mrs. Lane and Mr. Miguel Toro but
that will be handled in a bit."
The Laws tried to claim that she couldn't do that. Judge Perez smiled at
them and loudly stated, "I can do just that as per the laws of this
Commonwealth. The annulment was made with malice and against all proper
procedures, therefor it is voided. The marriage is active. Mr. Law
abandoned his wife and his child and tried to use others to keep them
from him. Mr. Law, your son's restraining order is quashed. There is no
need for it. He is ordered to pay backed child support as well as
alimony, which based on a finding by accountants for your family's
trust, comes to $100,000 per year for six years. Then there is the child
support. Mr. Law owes another $100,000 for child support. This is not
open for negotiation. It is easily affordable and he has enough money
sitting in his bank account to pay in full today."
The Laws were outraged, but Josiah knew that she was right and would
force her way no matter what. Judge Perez grinned and added, "Health
insurance is another issue. Mrs. Lane, you paid for it yourself so you
are to be reimbursed $15,000 for the health insurance you paid for
yourself and your child. You did what was right in paying for it
yourself, but you didn't have to- your husband had amazing coverage. It
was your right to be on his plan and my understanding based on the
report from the insurance company is that he lied to them to get you
labeled as a fraud so you weren't able to claim coverage through him."
Getting to the last of the family issues, she added, "This is more of a
probate situation but as this directly impacts this case, I'll address
it now. Mrs. Lane, your child is the recipient of a stipend from the
family trust. Your husband knew of this and kept this form you,
pocketing your child's rightful share while he lived a life of luxury
and your child one of poverty. The accounting information shows that you
have a small amount saved, your job paid well but with a child, rent,
expenses, and monthly bills it was tough to save and work and provide
for your child. That is no longer an issue, I am ordering that Jared,
Ted, and Kitty Law repay money owed to Lucas AKA Tatum Lane. This money
is to be held in a new trust until such time as the child becomes of
age. Further, I am ordering that Kitty ad Ted Law be removed as trustees
as they have violated the terms of the trust in defrauding a rightful
heir. I am also instructing the Commonwealth to investigate the Law
Family Foundation to determine if more acts of fraud have been conducted
against rightful heirs as it is extremely odd that only one branch is
the beneficiary."
There was no recourse, Josiah gave Judge Perez a glare but he knew that
she was right and that there is no way that he can overturn her ruling
given their actions. Josiah was about to lose his shares as well, if
they dug deep enough his own actions in defrauding his siblings and
deeming them ineligible would be brought to light and he might likely go
to prison alongside Jared. His only hope was that they focused on Ted
and Kitty instead of him, but given Miles Finn was involved that wasn't
likely to happen.
With the inheritance and marriage issues out of the way, Judge Perez
turned to the crux of the matter: a gender issue that the Laws were
claiming was harming Tatum. She read Edith's report then read claims of
abuse by witnesses. She finished by reading claims by Mark, Leslie,
Lupe, and David all of who had extensive time to observe Tatum over the
past week and a half.
As she expected, the Laws had no witnesses who had actually interacted
with Tatum and Skye so their claims were all secondhand and thirdhand
claims by people who never saw them. David's were biggest in that he had
spent time with both and had been directly responsible or the strip
club's shutdown. That club was a huge source of the claims, but there
was nothing in the claims about her new line of work.
Judge Perez asked about Skye's work history. Skye stepped forward and
explained, "I got a job working as a waitress after high school and
worked for years before I was hired at a new strip club in Quincy. I
worked at that club until a week and a half ago, quitting the night it
was shutdown. I helped the State Police in their investigation into the
club by showing them a secret room that they hadn't known about and
planting cameras inside. My quitting was one of the major reasons for
the club's shutdown, I was threatened by the owners who tried to use a
fake contract to force me to work until I died- basically as a paid
slave or until they wanted to fire me for not bringing in enough money."
Judge Perez read David's statement and confirmed what she said, with
David adding commentary that it was more important to their
investigation than Skye knew as she got multiple people to confess to
the crimes just by talking freely on camera in the office and VIP area.
Judge Perez asked about what Skye had done since then, with Skye
explaining, "I freely admit that I spent the night with Miguel after our
first date. It was during this evening that I left Tatum with Miguel's
niece and her girlfriend. He said it would be alright, and it was. The
girls were amazing with Tatum, getting her to relax and enjoy being a
kid and being around other kids her age. Due to their mothers being
close friends I received a job offer the very next day from Lupe Byrne-
Toro and Leslie Sylvester. They looked into my background during the
previous week and thought that I could be an asset to their preschools
in their office helping keep their books for them. I'm now their office
manager, doing a lot of billing and finances for the company while
having the chance to allow my daughter to go to a safe place during
summer."
Judge Perez had what she needed and it was a step-up in her eyes. Skye
had gainful employment with a group of people who were used to dealing
with people from questionable backgrounds and enduring a lot of things
that most struggle with. Skye being welcomed by Leslie Sylvester was the
biggest point as Mark would have had interaction with Tatum making the
claims of abuse moot as he would see it.
Judge Perez looked at the rebuttals and asked if she knew any of the
people named. Skye mentioned a name which Judge Perez asked about. Skye
grew angry and blurted out, "He spent years harassing us. It was him who
kept Tatum from Jared, he threatened to take her away if she tried to
contact Jared. He would constantly visit us and once blamed me for
something that happened to Tatum in school. He's supposed to be sitting
in jail after he tried to kidnap Tatum from preschool, David said that
he was in a lot of trouble with the state over trying to kidnap Tatum
after he was fired for what he did to her for the past three years. If
he's claiming that I hurt her, he's lying."
Judge Perez asked when that happened, then looked at the statements and
told the Laws' lawyers, "These are all dated this past Friday! You have
got to be kidding me: you tried to use statements from a man in jail for
trying to kidnap your clients' grandchild? I don't know whether to laugh
or scream at you. These are being sent to the superior court judge to be
used against him in trial, he waived his Miranda Rights by making these
declarations before the court- they are legal documents that he signed!"
Reading the complaint from Dr. Pratt, Judge Perez asked about that.
Alexandra stepped forward and told her, "He examined Tatum three years
ago and claimed that it was just a simple bruise caused by her sliding
down a railing. This was agreed to by Kirk Archer and is on the altered
police report. In reality, she was kicked severely in her crotch to the
point that her testicles had been crushed causing serious damage to her
nerves, blood vessels, ligaments, an tendons. As a urological surgeon,
he had to have known that she needed immediate surgery to repair the
damage yet he ignored her pain and injuries. He examined her once and
claimed that she was fine, that she was at fault and suffered damage
that would be repaired soon. It never repaired. Her body was damaged so
much that three years later you could tell that there was something
wrong. Tatum showed the damage to Dr. Bell who immediately called for an
evaluation of Tatum's genitals leading to surgery. Surgery done by that
same man. Surgery that only removed her crushed testicles yet left the
nerves, blood vessels, and other damaged parts untouched."
The Laws screamed that they mutilated their granddaughter but Judge
Perez asked about the report and who had signed off on it. Ricardo
explained, "The same man who made the claims of abuse for what had to
occur did the actual procedure. So if there was any abuse, he was the
one who did it. As was told to you before, Chloe Daniels of DCF was
present during the examinations and took temporary custody of Tatum
while the police were notified as per their policy. DCF is fully aware
of what happened and were in support of the surgery due to the extent of
the damage. We would offer you the pictures but I didn't want them to
accidentally appear online due to one of my colleagues feeling the need
to advocate for a man who is trying cover-up his own mistakes years
before."
This was all supported by Chloe's statement about what she had witnessed
as Tatum's guardian during the exam and DCF's policy regarding medically
necessary actions. It was easy to see that Ricardo was right about it
being a cover-up, the man making the claims was also the one who
actually performed the operation and tried hard to deflect attention
away from himself. He might have succeeded had he not met with powers
more powerful than the Laws.
What she found disturbing was that Dr. Pratt didn't do his job at all,
leaving Tatum to become sick. She asked about that, with Ricardo adding,
"A blood issue due to the loss of Tatum's testicles directly linked to
the previous abuse. There was pressure on the blood vessels requiring
repositioning and relief. Once moved, she got better. This was a basic
part of the surgery that should have been done by Dr. Pratt."
Judge Perez had heard enough of that angle, surgery was required and
wasn't done properly. She saw it was directed by Richard whose
involvement wasn't surprising. What really surprised her was what had to
be done next: complete gender surgery due to the issues three years
before.
Judge Perez asked about further surgery. The Laws screamed that it was
mutilation and that the couldn't do it to a child. Judge Perez glared at
them causing their lawyers to tell them to shut up as it was going to
hurt them if they kept interrupting causing her to not go their way.
When the Laws finally shut up, Ricardo explained, "The second surgery
revealed that the damage was extensive. Tatum's penis is now only
attacked by blood vessels, skin, an nerves. It can get erect due to
nerve endings in the tip being active but it won't move. It is now
nothing more than an extension of the urinary tract. Its movement will
become a problem as there is no way to control it causing Tatum to be
unable to urinate properly. Sorry for being graphic, but it will only
make messes requiring Tatum to sit to urinate to control the spray. It's
now just an elongated clitoris. The medical team agree that surgery to
create a vagina is in Tatum's best interests as it would allow her to
integrate with girls without need to explain her anatomical differences.
She won't be able to father or give birth to children, but she will be
able to live a normal female life."
Judge Perez thought it over and understood exactly what he was saying.
She wisely told the Laws, "As it is supposed to be in the child's best
interest, I am going to allow the surgery. Simply put: you two have no
interest in your grandchild. You ignored your grandson but now want to
grab your granddaughter. It is too convenient that your daughter-in-law
finds love and you start to go after her in retribution. You have some
nerve. You aren't the worst parents that I have encountered, Mr. Vincent
there has seen quite a few worse ones and that's just ones that I
personally have seen him battle in court. You two have no rights to your
granddaughter. I'm through playing this game and am denying your request
for custody. Further, I am granting an immediate divorce for Skye Lane
from your son due to abandonment. Your granddaughter is to be appointed
the new trustee of the Law family estate and all four of you are to be
removed as beneficiaries of the trust. Each of you voided the terms of
the trust, the one who didn't is the one who had no idea that it even
existed let alone received a penny from it. Jared Law is to pay the
amount of $600,000 in alimony for his abandonment and $115,000 in child
support for the six years of his daughter's life. This is in addition to
the money owed to Ms. Lane for being a member of the Laws as a rightful
heir. Ms. Law is owed $300,000 which I insist be paid in full as soon as
possible or you are to be charged with grand larceny for stealing from
your granddaughter's trust."
Turning to Skye, she proclaimed, "As there was no communal property you
are free of Jared Law. As it was unknowingly done, I am annulling your
marriage to Miguel Toro and legally marrying you two. I am also granting
Miguel's request to adopt your daughter. As he has shown love and care
for Tatum and never once considered the consequences of being her father
there is no need to delay things. I am also giving your daughter a legal
name change. She is hereby known as Tatum Cameron Toro, with you now
being known as Mrs. Skye Toro. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Toro."
The Laws threatened to appeal and have Judge Perez removed from the
bench. She smirked at them, it was expected of them and they were about
to fall victim to their hubris. She loudly and authoritatively told
them, "Your views on your granddaughter is duly noted and it's a large
basis for my ruling. You are a threat to her. You only care about
yourselves, you don't care one bit about Tatum. You had six years to be
in her life, you chose to ignore her. You are only upset that your lives
of luxury are over. You are about to be destitute, all of your assets
are connected to the family trust that you are no longer part of. I may
be a lesbian and I may be a liberal-minded person, but I am also legally
in the right as per the laws of our state constitution. Your
granddaughter has a right to be herself, even if you disagree with it.
She is being given the chance to be her true self, a chance that your
own son brought because of assaulting her. I am more offended that you
are not in the least bit upset at him harming his only child! He caused
his only child three years of pain and suffering- for what? Because she
accepted who she was and he couldn't be man enough to accept fatherhood.
You two are pathetic. Grow up."
She walked to her chambers and left the Laws to deal with the awaiting
legal arms to the family. They were quick to hand both Laws, "Show
cause" orders for the entire trust as well as and order audit their own
account so see how much money they had used during the past six years.
They were left unable to say anything as their lawyers were then told
that their services were not being paid by the trust and it would all
have to come from Kitty and Ted's personal accounts as they had been
cutoff.
Josiah tried to tell them that he would overturn the orders but he was
handed a notice from the state bar association telling him to attend a
disciplinary hearing in regards to his abusing his judicial role to help
family get out of legal trouble. That was followed by his university
suspending him without pay until he cleared his legal issues. The final
nail came from Alexandra suing him for violating Tatum's rights by
allowing his grandson to get away with abusing Tatum and forcing local
police to drop Jared's cases.
Alexandra had already filed suit against the Brookline Police Department
over their officer falsifying documents to allow an abuser to go free
then for lying to DCF about the cases. The state was on to the case and
sent investigators to look into links between all known parties and
created their own network of lies, cheating, abuse, intimidation, and
worse among multiple officers with ties to Jared and Josiah. What
started as a single investigation turned into a department-wide manhunt
for corrupt officers.
Thanks to court officers forcing the media away from the courthouse,
Miguel and Skye were able to get away without harassment. Reporters
tried to camp-out at Miguel's condo complex but police forced the
unlucky reporters to flee with threats of trespassing charges. Miguel
didn't bother with his phone as he knew that there would be calls from
reporters who got his number from beat reporters trying to get the scoop
on others and didn't care about breaking the unwritten rule against
harassing players' families.
Miguel and Skye knew to not go to the hospital due to the media being
there so they opted to enjoy the afterglow of being a family. They
enjoyed some sex and cuddled together, with Miguel asking her what baby
name she wanted for their kids. Skye smiled and told him, "Miguel and
Lupe, but Cameron would be fine. I like that one, it's perfect for a
child. He wouldn't mind having a connection to you."
The two cuddled for a while before a knock on their door caused them to
rush to get dressed before the person at the door got upset with them.
Miguel looked through the peephole an cursed, one of the team lawyers
was outside with several of the team's executives causing him to call
Juan then the union about this breach of privacy and forced meeting.
Juan was on his way over anyway, but he was bringing with him his own
entourage- the union's legal team and league representatives.
Miguel ignored the knocks on the door and calls to Skye's cellphone,
which he was furious about as he had never given that number out making
the team's having it illegal as it was obtained through illegal means.
The two enjoyed hearing the complaints and arguing outside, with Juan
ensuring that the team's officials and lawyers left before he gave the
all-clear to Miguel. Miguel angrily opened the door then in a fury
nobody had ever seen before told them, "It ends now. I'm married and the
father of Tatum legally. I am not going to divorce her nor will I
rescind my adoption. Tatum is getting the surgery and she'll be around
me at every team family function regardless of how many wives complain.
She has a right to live, she has a right to enjoy my being in her life
regardless of how much PR the team loses."
Juan smirked while he calmed himself. He then told Miguel, "This was a
step too far. Both owners are in a world of hurt and are about to be
forced to step aside and either sell the team or handover operations to
someone who will abide by the laws and bylaws. Their coming here broke
multiple union rules, they have no right to confront you. This was all
about getting you to admit to forcing Tatum to have surgery. It turns
out that they sold part of the team to Josiah Law without notifying the
league. He forced a sale to him or he'd ensure that it got out to the
media that the team's squeaky-clean principal owner was a habitual
drunkard- contrary to his image of 'purity and family'. You just caused
them to have to payout to Josiah Law, he's calling in his shares and is
going public with the sale."
Miguel asked how they got his number, Juan angrily added, "They hacked
your phone and have spied on you since before the camp. They knew
everything, it's why Skye has been harassed so much. They are trying to
get you two split to keep Josiah from bankrupting them. He is owed
millions, that is until the sale was voided because there was never any
filing with the league nor legal filings with the state. All of his
supposed shares are nonexistent, he has nothing left to use against
them. The team will have to sell to Tatum to compensate her for their
violations of her rights in lieu of suing them. The league has no
problem allowing this given that she is going to be the sole heir of the
Law trust now that Josiah is about to end up in prison and disgraced for
his actions. Extortion isn't becoming of him."
Juan solemnly added, "Next Tuesday you're back with the team. You need
to be back, she'll be fine then and she'll want you to get back to
normal life. She's different now, she doesn't have anything to worry
about. I'll do what I can to keep the team from leaking more to the
media but you know already that the Globe will have a hit piece ready.
We'll be there to sue them for libel again, this time we're forcing it
in court and won't accept a settlement. The team is being forced by the
league to sell that rag and it won't be for a profit. There isn't any in
the Globe, they're entirely funded by the team. It's sad, but it's
needed. Few will actually miss it, the ones that will are the ones they
have propped up and used as puppets."
Juan got a phone call and smiled, then told Miguel, "They've been barred
from the hospital. The hospital has had enough of their bullying, they
are protecting the kids and multiple parents have complained the news
reporters were harassing them for blocking their shots. They got a court
order to bar the media so only the stupid remain and those that do were
rounded up away from the entrance."
Juan led them out with him smirking as he subtly showed Miguel several
officers arresting reporters in the foyer of the condo complex for
trespassing. The drive was fast with Juan happily telling Skye, "The
kids are with her and happy to be allowed. We figured it was best to
have them there with Jaimie since John is busy and in no condition to
handle them today. Thank goodness for the movie, it has been the perfect
distraction for him even if it's annoying."
Skye asked why, Miguel shot back, "He's being portrayed by Ricardo's son
Diego. Diego kept hounding him with questions. It was all a big act for
Juan's sons, but it still annoyed him."
Inside Tatum's room the kids were giggling and driving Jaimie bonkers.
Sylvia was giggling at them, the little girl happily bouncing on her
mother's knee as Cat and Willow played a game and make jokes. Tatum was
smiling brightly, but Skye knew that she was masking her pain.
When they were spotted Tatum tried to say something. Miguel happily told
her, "Your grandparents are in deep trouble and your great-grandfather
is in even more trouble. You are free of them, and we got an even better
present. Your mom and I got married and you are now my daughter in full.
You are Tatum Cameron Toro, recognized as a girl through and through."
Tatum asked what it really meant, Skye happily told her, "You're having
surgery tomorrow. You aren't a boy legally anymore because of the
surgery. You are our daughter, he's legally your father."
Tatum was in tears and hugged Miguel. Miguel hugged her tight and cried
into her shoulder. Skye had to hide her own tears as it was just too
sweet- she had what she needed most, her family complete.
Jaimie had to give Cat a glare to stop her from saying something while
Sylvia asked if he was her new daddy. Jaimie told the two-year-old, "He
is. She's your new auntie, she's family to you now. We're all a family,
even if you don't see some of your 2nd-cousins much."
Jaimie led the kids out, with Juan taking Willow with him and telling
her that she needed to stop being a pest and act more like Cat at times.
Willow was offended but saw just what he meant as Cat led the smiling
Sylvia away while Jaimie endured telling JD what was going on and why.
She understood as it was tough to not notice JD's face cringing while
Gavin and Julio looked away in pain.
Miguel and Skye kept Tatum occupied all day and evening, enduring her
complaints about hunger and how she was thirsty but knowing that she
couldn't eat or drink before surgery. The two left late, with it tough
to do despite assurances from Richard and Nigel that Tatum would be
alright. The couple had to endure a mostly sleepless night, but knowing
Tatum was going to be fine made their day.
They left for the hospital early, with Lupe, Cameron, Reyna, Rachel,
Ashley, and Liam all meeting the couple at the hospital. Tatum was
already awake and looking parched and hungry, with Cameron telling her
that it had to happen because it was major surgery. He knew it best, he
had his own gender surgery two years before to give himself a sense of
being whole even if Lupe didn't mind their shared biology.
Eventually the time came and saw the boys looking away in shame as Tatum
was wheeled away. They went home and endured their friends begging for
answers but neither wanting to say anything. Ashley needed his
girlfriend to comfort him, he hated feeling helpless when someone was
hurt.
Tatum's surgery took hours but it was a lot easier than others due to
there being an existing wound. She was out of things until the next day,
with Skye being forced to go home while Miguel endured Cat and Willow's
calls begging for information. He himself had to endure calls from the
team, with them asking when he would release a statement and what he
would say.
With nothing more to hide and wanting to end all inquiries, he told
them, "Tell the truth. She was badly abused by her biological father
because she is transgender and required life-altering surgery. Anything
less than the truth won't work. He kicked her in the crotch with steel-
toed boots and left her in pain for three years, with her shame
preventing her from telling anyone. She is transgender, but what was
done is beyond that- if she wasn't she would still have needed the
surgery. It was that bad and would be fatal if she hadn't come forward
to tell her psychiatrist what happened. She was forced by her own
biological father to become female, not her adoptive father. What the
Globe is feeding you is garbage from a man who knew all along what
happened and lied. That's why your precious Globe lost $5 million over
the last week in quick settlements: they knowingly lied about what was
going on and why. Don't try to spin this, leave us alone or you'll all
be out of the job. This is my private life and I'll keep it private. She
isn't a pawn, she won't be on TV or radio or in print: she just wants to
be left alone. Don't press things or I'm done and you can explain to the
league, the union, and the courts why you drove a player out of the
league and wanted to violate the rights of someone who isn't a player or
even interested in the team."
He hit them where it hurt and had them by the balls. There was no
recourse, they had to write exactly what he stated and would be left
alone. Miguel was returning on Tuesday, but he wasn't talking again
about his family, what happened, or anything not related to baseball.
He was quiet after that, the waiting was the hardest part. He kept
himself together for Skye's sake but it hurt knowing Tatum was in
surgery. It was just like Reyna's only this was even worse- his baby
girl!
The surgery took a toll on Miguel as he fell asleep in Skye's loving
arms. He didn't have the energy for sex, which she understood. She hid
her anxiety better, but she was as exhausted as Miguel.
The next day was quiet as the couple waited by Tatum's bedside for her
to come around. She was still a tired heap, barely waking and only
staying awake for a few minutes but knowing that both were there if she
needed them. It was a start for her, it was going to take another day to
overcome the anesthesia.
Just after noon Miguel's phone exploded as multiple texts and calls from
teammates came in a short period of time. The team released a statement
about his absence and told the media to respect players' privacy and
that they would not comment further about what was going on by Miguel's,
Skye's, and the still not-fully-awake Tatum's request. Miguel didn't
want to talk to each player so he texted the team's captain to tell him
to tell everyone that he got married, adopted Tatum, she was abused by
her father, it resulted in her needing sex change surgery, and that's
all he's saying.
The captain called him directly, demanding more information as it was
too little. Miguel explained with a strong voice, "The little boy at our
camp that everyone kept cracking jokes about playing like a girl ended
up being like my niece and came out while her mom and I were on a date.
It snowballed from there: her father's friends trying to snatch her, a
doctor ending up getting caught trying to cover-up his own mistakes
while making more mistakes when he operated on her, her paternal family
getting caught stealing from her, her great-grandfather covering-up
countless crimes for his grandson. She was kicked so hard in the
privates that it ruptured both balls and she is lucky she didn't break
her pelvis or die from blood clots. It was horrible down there! It was
worse than the three girls kidnapped from school three and half years
ago. It was just hanging on by blood vessels, nerves, and skin, it was
useless and would have meant she had to sit to pee no matter how much
she tried to aim."
He took a breath then added, "I didn't make her into a girl. She was a
girl long before I ever met her. It's not something you just become, I
know damn well that you don't become another gender on a whim. It was
the idiocy of a scumbag now sitting in jail that caused her to end up in
our camp, thankfully Skye and I clicked and Tatum got us together. This
wasn't some whirlwind 'oops I'm stuck with her' marriage, I love her.
She's a hell of a lot better than some of the guys' wives, she doesn't
stab you in the back as she talks to your face. She was a stripper, but
she did it out of need for money and got out of it when a better job
came along- with my sister no less. I won't dump her nor will I hide
Tatum from the world. If those assholes can tout their brats while
screwing around on their wives while their wives screw around on them
then my wife and daughter can be out and about with me at the same
events."
He had nothing else to say. The captain let him settle down then told
the listening players, "Back off and anyone going to the press is
blackballed. Fuck with him and your ass gets beaned courtesy of an
errant foul ball. Make a scene and your ass is done. If you aren't
ripped to shreds by the legitimate media then you'll see your asses
blacklisted from every team worse than John Rocker and Curt Schilling."
Miguel clicked off and let the players handle themselves. He didn't need
to do anything else, there was no way you could go against the captain's
words without getting yourself alienated to the point of your needing to
beg to be traded away to get away from his ire. Miguel was one of the
few players who was able to get a response from the man, a trait earned
through years of respect and common ground.
Miguel was left alone after that, so much so that the national media
caught on to what the team and the players were doing and told the truth
for once: the team was sticking together and not going to be used by
people to further their agendas. Miguel wanted privacy and distance in
dealing with the situation, it was going to be heeded or the offenders
ostracized. The fact that vultures wanted to tear him apart for being a
family man upset multiple anchors and media personnel, especially in
Boston.
Just before dinner, Tatum started to stir and asked for her parents.
Skye and Miguel were right there and hugged her, with Miguel helping her
drink water to regain her strength. She looked terrible, but it was a
good sign that she was moving and talking to them.
Miguel texted everyone to let them know that Tatum was doing better and
finally fully awoke. He had to endure a constant stream of phone calls
from Cat and Reyna causing Tatum to smile at them wanting to ensure that
it was alright now and Tatum wasn't going to get worse. Cat had finally
stopped bugging Miguel when John had to intervene, but Miguel knew full
well that it was really John trying to get a bit of consolation that
Tatum was better.
Richard made his daily visit and ensured that Tatum was alright now and
the infection was clearing to a mere elevated temperature. The wounds
were healing and in two days Tatum would be able to see what the results
were, giving her a chance to come to terms with what happened to her and
what it meant to her from now on. He cautioned her that it wasn't pretty
but it would look better over time.
The weekend was a constant stream of visitors and well-wishers as Tatum
got visits from each of the Finn kids and grandkids and got to meet some
of their cousins. David and Emma Peterson brought their nephew and
niece, with both kids giggling at seeing Tatum. Tatum asked what was so
funny, so Emma had to explain, "Their mother is like you. The two are
adopted and know it. They were teased about it until their father's
wealth caused the kids to see that it wasn't smart to make fun of a
billionaire's kids."
She didn't believe them, Sophia giggled at that while Emma sighed and
told her, "Their fathers are heirs of Peterson Manufacturing. It's a
huge company: the biggest parts manufacturer for the technology and
manufacturing industries. Antonio is the spitting image of his mom and
Dorothy is the spitting image of her father, both by luck although
Antonio happens to be a blood relative of his mom. You might be lucky in
having kids that way, it's not a shame and you give a loving home to a
child who needs love. Being adopted is not a big deal, I'm adopted by my
parents and they love me as much as my siblings. Miguel won't love you
any less than his own baby, you're his daughter through and through
now."
The kids hugged Tatum and giggled at her, with Sophia adding, "Daddy is
adopted too. Grandma Lilly adopted daddy when he was my age. Grandma
loves him."
Tatum looked over at Miguel and saw him waiting for her response. She
hugged the kids back but just couldn't say anything about that. It was
going to take a long time to not feel jealous of the baby when it came,
she wanted to be Miguel's daughter biologically but hoped he loved her
despite not being, "His."
She was silent throughout the evening but cried when Miguel and Skye had
to leave for the night. He softly and authoritatively told Tatum, "I
love you no matter what anyone says. You are my daughter. I'm not going
to look at you differently because that other guy 'made' you. I love you
no matter what. Kids who say that I don't really love you are jealous
that you have parents who love you without question. I couldn't look
Reyna or any of the other kids in the eye if I felt any other way. You
are my daughter, my eldest child and the one who will always be special
to me. I love you, my little princess."
Tatum struggled all night with nightmares, waking multiple times as she
relived the worst days of her life from multiple angles and with
different intensities during the course of the night. The face of Jared
and his friends kept popping into her head, try as she might she just
couldn't get their images out of her mind. She hated it, she wanted
Miguel and Skye but they couldn't be there.
She was tired the next morning, with Miguel sensing something was off.
Skye tried to ask what was the matter but Tatum wouldn't speak. Miguel
realized that it was trouble and told Tatum, "I'm going to ask that you
speak with someone about what happened. I think you need a
professional's help here. I know it's tough and I know that you haven't
dealt with getting what you always wanted, but it came at a high price.
You heard about what happened before, it has to be connected to this."
He asked the doctor during his rounds to put in a referral for Tatum to
speak with a psychologist. When he saw the schedule for the day he told
Miguel, "She's scheduled to speak with Dr. Alison Eliza today in the
afternoon. It's not what you wanted but it might be for the best given
the connection."
Miguel agreed and let it go. Skye asked what that was about, so Miguel
explained, "Alison is coming by to speak with Tatum. She's going to meet
her psychiatrist, the one who would have met with her but she was on
vacation with her family. You would have met her wife in court, she
usually helps Ricardo out."
Miguel called Katie Eliza to ask about the appointment and was
immediately told, "She wanted to come by yesterday but we got overruled
by Emma. She tricked the twins into going with Marcus to the park making
us have to spend all day with Leslie and Mark. The twins want to come by
to meet the new girl, we think that maybe it'll help Hunter stop kidding
around and admit he isn't a boy. He's a long ways off but it's still
possible that he'll come out to us- the signs are there and we dropped
hints but he just won't accept that we're fine with him being our
daughter. We don't mind not having a son, we love them all."
Miguel could sense the pain in her voice and somberly told her, "It's
not your fault. People will claim it's because of you and Trinity but
it's not your fault. You didn't make him believe that he was a girl. He
is or he isn't, you know better than anyone that it's not environmental.
It's all in his being, and you would never force him to be a girl no
matter how much anyone says that you are doing that. He's always been
feminine, he loves doing things his own way. He's scared and he's in a
tough spot at being at the age when girls and boys drift apart. He'll
come to you, just keep lines open to him and don't let him close himself
off. It's your own stubbornness at work there, he's your kid in way too
many ways to count. We all see him as a reflection of you, this changes
nothing."
Tatum was listening and wanted to know what was going on. Miguel happily
told her, "You are going to help a little boy admit to himself that he's
a little girl inside. He's three, but he's very smart and has two of the
best mothers you could ever want. One mother is your new psychiatrist,
the other is like you. The two are great mothers to his sisters- his
twin sister and his older sister. She's just like you too, and she even
came out at the same age. They are a great family, the favorite aunts to
all of the younger kids."
The next day was quiet, the highlight was Tatum looking at her vagina
for the first time with her feeling odd at seeing it plugged with
something. The nurse explained why it was there, causing Tatum to blush
but understanding that it was needed to prevent closure. Skye looked
over at Miguel who nodded, then added, "She'll need your help after it's
removed. It's best that you help her so she doesn't overdo it on her own
and tear things. Reyna and Al hated doing it, but it's an annoying
necessity."
Tatum was still thinking about the drawbacks of what she saw when she
was introduced to three young kids and two women. One girl looked away
in shame, one looked at her oddly, and the third looked as if Tatum was
some goddess. Tatum realized that the one ashamed was the little boy who
likely wasn't a boy inside and was trying hard to not give into his
feelings of being a girl.
He looked a lot like his twin sister, with long hair styled the same way
but in different colors. He kept an eye on Tatum, looking between her
legs then up at her face. It was so sweet, she felt for him.
Miguel introduced them, telling her, "This is Trinity, Hunter, and
Bailey Eliza and their mothers Alison and Katie Eliza. They would have
met you two weeks ago but they were away on a family vacation. It was
tough to get Alison away from work but Katie got a good deal on a trip
to Canada that she had no choice but to pounce on. If they were home you
would have been stuck having to deal with these three little monsters.
Instead, you got stuck with the worst monster of all- Cat."
Bailey and Trinity glared at Miguel while Hunter tried to look away in
shame. Katie asked if everything was settled legally, Miguel happily
told her, "Sorry that you missed the fun again, maybe one day you'll be
in the mix to help. It was personal for all of them, Cat wouldn't let
Valerie stay out of it, Lupe had to beg Cameron and Savannah not to go
overboard researching, and Ricardo was Ricardo- fighting for the kids
and doing his best to make the other side look stupid in the process.
Kennedy didn't even have to be involved, she let the guys bury them
financially and only added some muscle to the right people. It was Paul
and Alexandra who did the most, but then again they had access to
shadier things than us. He was a huge help without being there,
Christian shut down a lot of flak that her great-grandfather gave."
Alison gave Katie a look that told her, "Don't get involved" which
caused Katie to back away from being her usual lawyer self whenever she
wasn't teaching school. Alison gave a look to Miguel and Skye with Katie
getting the idea and moved the kids outside so Alison and Tatum could
talk. Tatum realized what was coming and tried to appeal to the adults
but they were already closing the door behind them.
Alison sat down beside Tatum and softly asked her, "What happened last
night? I read the notes from the nurses and doctor and it wasn't good.
You were having nightmares. Please, tell me what happened. We need to
know so we can help you."
Tatum looked away in shame then told her, "It was my father. I kept
remembering the day that he kicked me in the balls. I kept seeing him
and his friends laughing at hurting me. I kept hearing them telling me
that I deserved what happened. It was horrible! I hated it! I couldn't
stop thinking of it!"
She was in tears. Alison sighed and told her, "It's a bad memory but
it's a moment that you remembered because it was so vital to you. It
changed your life. Three years later, it changed you. You're a new girl,
the girl that you should have been born as. It's what made you who you
are as a person."
She added, "The reason you are remembering it is you are starting to
feel guilt over having your dreams come true. You heard the stories
about the other girls, well the worst happened to you and it happened to
coincide with loved ones being hurt by him too. You have to remember
that he can't hurt you again. He's in jail, going to prison, and can't
reach you. His friends are all going to prison alongside him. His
parents are going to prison. His grandfather is going to prison. You are
the one member of that family to escape trouble and are everything that
they hated: smart, beautiful, kind, caring, and don't care about money
or using it against others. You are your own person, you love being your
own person. You made them see that they were horrible people despite
having everything you could ever want."
Tatum started to understand what Alison was saying. She looked away in
shame and mumbled, "It sucks to be a girl like this. I hate it! I don't
want people mad at me. I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me. I
just want mom and dad and my cousins."
Alison was getting through to her. She warmly added, "People will be mad
at you because they are bad people. You can't change who they are, you
can only prove them wrong. You are a great friend, you've made the girls
happy just by being close to them. Trinity usually does that whenever
Cat's sister and her cousins aren't around, but you filled the gap and
gave her someone to strive to be like."
Tatum understood then asked, "Is Hunter really a girl? He's looking at
me funny, he isn't like the boys. I saw him looking like I looked at the
girls. I don't want him to get upset because I'm a girl."
Alison smiled at hearing that. She happily told Tatum, "He's fighting
it. He's at the right age where kids start to discover their inner boy
or girl. He's not there yet, but he's leaning heavily towards being a
girl. I know he's private and quiet, but he's doing far too many things
on his own that girls do and it's not the playing and dressing that I
mean. He's sitting to pee, fixing his hair like his sister, wearing her
panties and socks, trying to wear her blouses and shorts. We want to
give him a chance to come to us, but we'll talk with him when the time
comes. He knows we'll be happy for him no matter what."
Alison got up to leave and saw Hunter enter first. Tatum gave Alison a
look to tell her to leave them for a bit, with Alison keeping Trinity
and Bailey out of the room. Hunter was scared, but Tatum hugged him and
made him sit on the bed so she could ask him something important.
Taking a second to gather he wits, she blurted out, "Are you a girl too?
It's OK to be one, your moms are happy that you are you even if you are
a girl. Mom said I can be a girl if I have to be, your mom said it
doesn't matter if you are a girl or boy- she loves you no matter what."
He tried to look away then told her, "I don't want to be a girl. The
boys say I'm bad for being a girl. I am a girl. I love being a girl.
Mommy said she was a boy before she was a girl, I want to be like mommy.
I don't want to be in trouble. The boys said I would get in trouble for
being a girl. Bailey doesn't hear the boys, they don't talk when she is
with me. I hate it. I hate being a boy. I want to be a girl!"
He was in tears. Alison was behind him and hugged him, then Trinity,
Bailey, and Katie. Alison told the upset Tatum, "Thank you. She's going
to be fine now. We'll talk with Dr Bell so she can get the help that she
needs. She owes you a debt of gratitude for being a good cousin to her."
The Elizas left, with Miguel hugging and kissing Tatum for doing what
the others hadn't had the heart to do for Hunter. Tatum asked if she did
wrong, Miguel told her, "You did very right. Hunter came out and can get
help now. Bailey and Trinity know what to do now. It is going to be a
long road, but Hunter will be the girl that she needs to be now that her
mothers know. It won't happen overnight, she'll need to ease into being
a girl. She has time on her hands, she's too young for school and goes
to your aunt's preschool so she'll have plenty of time to be a girl
before school."
The next day was Monday, which meant visitors that couldn't be held off:
the Red Sox players were all coming by. Miguel had to introduce Skye and
Tatum to his teammates and coaches, they wanted to see for themselves
just how bad things were with Tatum and how serious he was about
protecting her. He was going to stand his ground: he wouldn't let anyone
get between him and his family from now on.
The team arrived in early afternoon, with Miguel greeting them outside
the hospital. He was blunt, he told them, "She's recovering slowly but
the worst part is over. The mental toll is starting to set in but it's
expected. She isn't leaving for another week and a half, then she'll
have nurses caring for her at home. I tried to keep them away, but they
demanded to help and needed the practical experience. Before you ask:
both are Finns, by the main branch. Their supervisor is from the main
branch as well."
He was asked just who was looking over Tatum, Miguel smirked and happily
stated, "Peterson and Finn with Samuels and Smith overseeing them.
That's John's niece through his sister, his daughter-in-law, his
brother-in-law, and his son-in-law's mother. She's likely to also have
visits from both her pediatrician and psychiatrist. And yes, both are
Finns- Dr. Samuels and Dr. Eliza, both close friends of John. The
insurance company isn't paying for that- it's voluntary because she's my
daughter."
He added, "Yes, she's done stripping. I wasn't kidding about her
quitting, she quit the day the club was raided. She has a job with my
sister and is doing well, with our daughter getting free afterschool
care."
That ended all discussion as that was the last bit of burning questions
that they had. Most drove home, a few went with Miguel to see Tatum.
They weren't being curious, they wanted to meet her in person.
Miguel introduced the captain, their catcher, and their star slugger to
Skye. She blushed as seeing them as she recognized them from days at the
club. They blushed as well as they realized that they had been clocked
by her and she knew one of their secrets.
Skye led them inside and introduced Tatum. Tatum recognized them and
tried to shy away from them. Miguel introduced them as his friends which
Tatum was reluctant to believe. They didn't make a move on her which she
was grateful for but she was still suspicious of them being there.
All three were told that the team wanted to meet Tatum when she was able
to visit. Miguel looked over to Tatum who looked scared. Skye quickly
told them, "She isn't getting her picture taken by anyone, not even by
the team's photographers. I refuse to let the team make my little girl
into some kind of charity case. She has already been through a living
hell, she isn't up for being brutalized because Miguel stood up to the
newspaper's puppets."
The trio laughed, with the captain shooting back, "If they try that
stunt we're all refusing to play. She's a kid, the team knows not to
mess with our kids. We are already refusing to talk to the Globe, the
team is trying to get us to give them exclusive interviews but after
they trashed Miguel they aren't getting any."
They asked when she would be able to go to the ballpark. Miguel looked
at Skye who softly told them, "10 days. She has to get the packing and
catheter out first before she's allowed to leave. It'll take a few days
to get used to walking again and adjust to peeing sitting down. It's not
as easy as it seems, there's a lot of muscle control that she has to
relearn since she doesn't have the ability to aim anymore."
All three of them cringed while she nodded her head. She rubbed it in by
adding, "Then she has to do the dreaded dilating- sticking a plastic
penis into her vagina to stretch it. Yes, it's needed. If she didn't do
it, her vagina would close-up and she'd need another surgery to reopen
it. It's something that the girls hate but it's medically necessary. You
guys were saved from hearing about Reyna doing that because she did it
during her time in the wheelchair, but it's necessary. Reyna still has
to do it to this day- same with the other girls who were forced to
undergo an early surgery."
Miguel enjoyed their squirming, Skye was hitting them hard. They left
after that, hugging and kissing both ladies then hugging Miguel on their
way out.
Before they left, though, the captain added, "Management aren't going to
come by. If the owners do, tell them the league will be enforcing their
sale to John Finn. He's buying half of the team to ensure that he has a
majority stake and change in the front office. The Globe business was
the final straw for the other minority owners, John is the only local
willing to pony-up the cash to buy them out."
Miguel smirked and nodded. After they were gone he called John who told
Miguel, "It's actually not me who is buying half the team- it's our new
corporation, Winnisimmet Sports. I'm just the face, it's being mostly
backed by the Petersons. David wanted to do something with his money and
convinced Patrick, Sheila, Daisy, and Claire to join him in investing.
Lilly only signed off on it if it guaranteed a profit, it will garner a
large 20% increase in ten years. When Daisy graduates, she'll be able to
retire early and not have to work a day in her life. But you know she'll
work hard just to spite me for saying that."
Skye looked for an answer. Miguel laughed and told her, "Lilly is
David's mother. Patrick is his brother. Claire and Daisy are his
sisters. Sheila is his cousin. All are Petersons, even if Claire and
Daisy aren't by blood. I can't wait to hear about Sheila's husband Ian
going to a board meeting for the Red Sox- I bet nobody will screw them
over!"
Miguel's snickering was lost on Skye. He happily explained, "He's 6'8"
and over 300 pounds of muscle. He could be a lineman for the Patriots if
he wasn't set on being a police officer. The way he acts in his hometown
of Endicott, he'll be the police chief up there soon. And Patrick is
bigger and smarter than David, but has more care for the kids since he's
just a big kid at heart. Plus he knows how bad it can be for Tatum- his
wife is like her and castrated at 12 by her abusive grandparents. Fate
is funny, she helped Reyna so Reyna helped her back. She's a saint,
teaching the next generation of kids alongside John."
Miguel enjoyed a quiet evening with Tatum before heading home, with Skye
reluctantly joining him in bed. Their passion returned as they went at
it for two hours before they passed out smiling. Miguel had a goofy grin
in his sleep while Skye smiled the whole night in her sleep.
The next morning was more of the same as Miguel enjoyed time with Tatum
as Skye returned to work. The two talked a lot about Reyna at her age,
with Tatum seeing that she was a lot like her cousin to the point that
Miguel joked that she was going to get inspired by a new friend needing
a friend too. Reyna's inspiration was Rachel, with Miguel loving telling
Tatum about the couple's long and slow road to their coupling as well as
their strained friendships with others over the years.
Miguel left when Skye arrived, with the couple kissing deeply much to
Tatum's amusement. Skye was flustered and panting, causing Tatum to
giggle bringing Skye back to reality. Seeing Skye so happy to be kissed
caused Tatum to realize that she really was going to be a big sister in
less than a year as she had hoped she would be even if she was joking at
the time.
Skye sensed that Tatum was thinking about her and asked what was the
matter. Tatum blushed then told her, "I was just thinking about being a
big sister. I want to be one, I can see that you and daddy are both too
loving not to be. I want daddy to have a baby of his own, he loves me
but he deserves a baby too."
Skye hugged her tight then told her affectionately, "It's too early.
Maybe we'll have one, maybe not. He's a great father as it is, we can't
rush into parenthood as we have you to care for too."
Miguel drove to Fenway Park and ignored the media outside the clubhouse
and players' entrance. There was nothing to say and he wasn't about to
get tricked into giving an interview. The team had kept away as well,
causing the reporters to grow frustrated at the lack of a scoop from
them.
He had something on his mind that he needed to get cleared. Two of the
players were leaking stories to the press and trying to use the
reactions as leverage to get new deals and better playing time. This was
a big violation of clubhouse rules, going to the media to hurt teammates
was forbidden by unwritten rule.
Inside the clubhouse Miguel confronted several players that he knew
talked to the Globe. One was a bit too close with the resident gossip
columnist while another was dating a member of the editorial board. It
was widely known that both were on the verge of getting released due to
poor play, with Miguel as a huge reason that they had not been released
already- his week away was their saving grace.
He boldly confronted both at their lockers and loudly asked, "Enjoy
feeding lies to the Globe? You cost them a great deal of money in libel
suits, they paid for my daughter's and future kid's college education.
Let me make this clear: go after my family again and I'll end you. It's
not my fault that neither of you can find the strike zone without being
shown where it is. It's not my fault that you can't get guys out in a
normal way. It's not my fault that you both choked under pressure SIX
TIMES. You cost yourselves a job, not me. Go after my family again and
I'll snap your arms off."
Miguel walked off and listened as the captain announced, "If this
appears in the Globe tomorrow, we all know who told them. These two are
done. Either they are released or we walk. This is beyond anything
believable, they went after family- I don't care how many years you have
in the league, YOU LEAVE FAMILY OUT OF IT. Get the hell out of here, you
aren't taking the field with us."
The team "helped" the two out of the clubhouse while security escorted
them to their cars. There was a big delay as the duo tried to fight
being kicked out, but stopped when they saw that they had cameras on
them and reporters trying to get at them. The duo fled, but the damage
was done to them.
The captain walked out and addressed the media, "Two of our players have
chosen to break a major rule: they tried to attack a player's family to
get at a teammate's job. That won't be allowed. We have kicked them out
of the clubhouse and refuse to allow them to take the field as a member
of the Red Sox again. This isn't negotiable, they are done with us.
Further, we refuse to speak to any member of the Boston Globe or its
subsidiaries. The newspaper has made it clear that it cares only about
attacking one family and not about harming children or innocent people.
You need only read coverage of our teammate the past two weeks to see
that they have chosen to target him specifically for one reason only:
one of their employees was involved in abusing a child. This won't be
allowed. Until the newspaper rids itself of those who have intentionally
harmed a child they are banned from our clubhouse. Anyone trying to
report on their behalf will be banned alongside them. We stand by our
teammate and our children."
There was no argument, no follow-up questions, no response. He walked
away without needing to say a word. His reputation of being a clubhouse
leader meant he was speaking for all of the team.
The game was tight and came down the the final inning. Miguel was sent
in to save the game and won it when the second baseman booted a simple
grounder then dropped an easy catch. Both times he did it intentionally
to hurt Miguel, with the team angrily going after him in the clubhouse
for trying to hurt Miguel for getting his friends booted from the team.
The fun wasn't over as the media tried to make it out to be Miguel's
mistakes that cost them the game, but when the replays were broken down
it was clear that he did everything right and the timing was just
impeccable as few would have hit those pitches. The real issue was a
player trying to cost his team the game, something that the league would
take seriously and cost that man his job and all future jobs. He knew
that he was done no matter what, being a 10-year veteran making too much
while playing too bad to warrant being retained he was getting sent
packing after the season anyway so he hurt them first.
Miguel refused to speak to the media, with the team following suit. Only
the manager spoke and when he did he was adamant that the player was
done and the team was refusing to stand in support of those who let
their egos and bigotry drive them. He then angrily ripped the media
themselves, calling them out over their actions and trying to hurt a kid
instead of going after those who hurt a hurt that kid.
The team finally had enough of the media and refused to talk to them
until they cleaned house of those who weren't there to talk about the
game. The message was deeper than that: it was their warning to go after
the rumor mongers and liars among them and police themselves. They
weren't media anymore, it was just a group of bullies trying to force
their views on others.
As expected, the team was ripped apart by the local media. That rampage
was followed-up by national media going after the Boston media for their
blatant bias. Few in Boston escaped unscathed, most of the columnists
and radio hosts were exposed as frauds and only out to snipe at the
teams.
Miguel drove home tired and upset, but seeing Skye asleep in bed caused
his spirits to raise. He kissed her goodnight and fell asleep in her
arms, with her cooing in his ear to sooth him. He seemed to sleep a lot
better with her next to him, something that she enjoyed knowing.
The week went by slowly for Miguel as he played in only two games as one
was a loss and the other a blowout win. He went each day to the
hospital, with Tatum eagerly embracing him each time he came by to see
her. She was usually bored and cheered up, with Miguel giving her
presents of stuffed animals or her favorite candies and chocolates.
Tatum received a constant stream of visitors during the week as the
various branches of the Finns came by to keep Tatum entertained. She was
given an iPad filled with all sorts of apps that would help her do a lot
of movie watching and learning how to be girlier. Cat especially loved
spending time with Tatum, Cat had a special spot in her heart for girls
who were hurt given that Cat had a privileged life so far.
David's brood came by several times to drop off supplies for Tatum,
including new pajamas and a new set of brushes for her hair. The hair
issue caused Tatum to blush but Sophia and Dorothy helped her get her
hair fixed into a style like theirs that was cute and girly and not too
over the top. It wasn't too much different than her previous hairstyle,
just brushed to a different angle to allow her to lay in bed better.
By the weekend, Tatum was getting antsy. She was able to get up and walk
around, then took showers with a nurse helping her. The, "Highlight" was
being told that the packing would be removed Saturday and would be the
start of her getting used to dilating her vagina- something she dreaded
doing.
That weekend also brought Skye unexpected news. Her period was late,
causing her to rush off to buy a pregnancy test kit. She used Tatum's
bathroom and after seeing the results burst into tears.
Miguel took it from her and cried as well, then told Tatum, "Your mom is
pregnant. You are going to be a big sister! You got your wish, you are
going to have your own little baby brother or sister!"
Tatum cheered then asked if they had to move. Miguel thought it over and
happily told them, "I'll see if I can find a place in Winnisimmet. We'll
stay as long as we can in Boston, but I'd rather be close to our family.
You lose the common to play in but he kids will be able to play with you
more often."
He called John to ask for his help then ended up explaining everything
to Valerie when John burst into laughter and needed to leave. Valerie
listened, copied down what he wanted in the new condo, then had a big
smirk and told him, "There's one on Navy Hill that'll be perfect. The
owners are looking for a quick sale, they lost everything in a lawsuit.
And if my sources are correct, you have a buyer already. He's a young
boy band singer/songwriter/record producer. He's on the up and up and is
in need of a place to crash while in Boston. He's been working on our
movie's soundtrack, so having a place to go to helps."
Miguel got in contact with the guy, a man known as Pierre Dupree, and
talked about the condo, where it was, the benefits of it, and how much
he wanted for it. Pierre overpriced it and wouldn't take any less than
what he was offering, with Miguel forced to accept the money in full
especially as it was what the market-rate for his condo was going for at
the time. It was a quick sale, with the condo in Winnisimmet being
closed an hour later for $300,000- less than a third of the value of the
condo!
Miguel was stunned, but Valerie happily explained, "They need to dump
their assets fast and that was the biggest one. They're broke, so it's
just going to lawyers anyway. You made out like a bandit, $3 million for
your old condo and one 1/10th of the cost and giving you a great school
system and close family."
Tatum got a shocking surprise as she was released on Sunday afternoon
allowing her to go home for the first time. Miguel withheld the news of
the move until they got to the condo then sat both down to tell them.
Tatum cheered, with Skye asking if it was wise to move out.
He grinned and nodded, explaining, "It's as secure as this place but
with better police protection as they don't fool around in Winnisimmet.
Willie Pena is strict with the law, any corruption is stamped out and
any officer suspected of it is exiled and either quits or proves they
didn't do it. The ones with any issues are those who have issues with us
being interracial. It hasn't come up, but it will. So what if you and I
are black and Latino, you're beautiful and you love this ugly mug
despite being able to get a better guy. I love you deeply, and I know
you love me. Winnisimmet is far more open-minded and accepting, John and
Valerie did a number on the city and forced it to change and accommodate
girls like Tatum. It was my choice for Reyna and Lupe for a reason, and
it's my choice to live because of all of us."
Sighing, he added, "Willie's daughter is like Tatum, as is his wife. The
whole family is intermixed with people being related and marrying.
Before you think it: it's not incest or worse. The kids aren't dumb,
they know who is 'off limits' even if they have crushes on one another.
There's a lot of branches, Willie himself is John's cousin and his son
Reed is married to Reyna's friend whose sister is married to John's son.
You'll understand them more in the future, there's no way that you're
not going to be their new Aunt Skye especially given you'll know some of
the kids and grandkids. It's family tradition that you are aunt to Reyna
and Tatum's generation, just as Reyna and Tatum are aunts to their
friends' kids. I just wish Reyna's friends wait longer to have kids, I'm
not ready to be Gruncle Miguel to the kids' kids."
The next day saw a stream of visitors, but also saw Tatum meeting her
new nurses. She blushed as she was told by Courtney Finn that Johnny was
happy to be her helper even if he didn't yet know why she had to have
one while Emma went right to work ensuring that Tatum had done her
dilating and had the needed extras hand just in case of an accident.
Olivia Samuels was overseeing the ladies, she happily had Tatum dilate
immediately then told her to relax and let the kids get their fill of
her attention.
Little Jerry say in Tatum's lap and hugged her, pinning her in place
until he fell asleep. Johnny and the quiet Sophia played with her next,
both getting her to enjoy being a kid while not going overboard. She did
enjoy playing the games with them, especially as Johnny liked to play a
girly game that all of the boys at her preschool and kindergarten hated
playing.
Nap time for the kids was also nap time for Tatum as she fell asleep
alongside them and cuddled with Johnny in her arms. It was sweet, with
Courtney having to hold back tears as Johnny showed that he was trying
hard to be mature but knew when to listen to Tatum. Jerry fought his own
nap, only going to sleep when he saw that Tatum wasn't going to awaken
to play with him after Johnny and Sophia slept.
Skye returned home to find the kids playing together and Jerry trying
hard to imitate Skye. She felt the maternal urges rising and blushed
when Jerry wanted to go to her. He smiled at her and hugged her, to
which she hugged him back and got him to settle down to leave.
Olivia caught her actions and asked about it. Skye blushed and admitted,
"It's nice to be around kids and not have to worry about what their
parents would say. I love Tatum, but she didn't have to hear parents
whispering about her skin or where her father was. She avoided that but
it's hard not to remember it."
Olivia nodded then added, "My sister had to endure the same, as did
Karen, Valerie, and Tanya. It's hard to be a single parent. It's even
harder to do it with the father refusing to help. Tanya endured the
worst, but it still sucked for them all. Hopefully the little one will
never have to experience that, Miguel will be a great father when the
little one is born."
Skye blushed to which Olivia added, "You haven't had the signs of PMS
yet. The others won't notice it, but we moms will. Courtney is trying
hard to not say something but I think she suspects. Emma won't make
mention of it because of the kids, but she knows. But it's inevitable
that everyone figures it out."
Skye blushed as Olivia left. She had an appointment with the doctor the
next day so she would confirm the pregnancy, but it was going to be
tough not keeping it a secret. She slept soundly with Miguel and Tatum
giving her space, both knowing that it was important to Skye to think
clearly.
The appointment confirmed the pregnancy, with Skye blushing as she told
Miguel. He kissed her deep then proceeded to call Lupe and the rest of
the adults. Lupe was in tears while Reyna gave her mother a look of
happiness- Miguel made Reyna not need to be a mom, but she wanted to be
one anyway.
The kids asked what was going on as their parents laughed and cheered,
Cat had to quell her frustration as she felt that Miguel had a baby
because Tatum, "Wasn't his" as a couple of kids had claimed. Valerie sat
her down then told her, "Does your dad love your brothers and sisters
any less because I didn't give birth to them or they aren't 'his'
children? No, he loves them deeply. You two might be his biological
kids, but he loves all of you the same. Miguel loves Tatum, she's his
daughter as much as the baby will be his son or daughter. Those kids are
trying to upset you because they are jealous of you. You are both Finns,
part of the family kids want to be part of. You should know better than
anyone that just because a kid is adopted does not mean that his new
parents won't love them any less. It's insulting to Willow as well as
your cousins, 2nd-cousins, and even your niece!"
Cat was crying hard, Valerie kept John away so she could calm herself.
JD just shrugged and walked to his room to play, Cat was emotional and
would take it out on him soon. John did come by to tell Cat, "I know
they're jealous, but don't give in to their teasing. They'll show their
real selves to others in school and they'll end up getting in trouble.
You have a lot of family around you, you'll do fine."
Miguel endured his teammates ribbing him the next day, he happily told
them, "I changed Reyna's and many other kids' diapers so it's not my
first rodeo. I can't get out of it this time, I gotta man-up and be a
dad no matter how bad the stench...and if the kid's like Reyna it'll be
horrible. I think I singed hairs in my nose a couple of times from her
loads."
The ones who weren't fathers didn't get the joke, nor did some of the,
"It's a wife's job" mentality guys. Miguel was, "One of the guys" again,
this time getting closer to the fathers among the team. When he told
them that he was moving and why he received happy laughs and joking that
it was inevitable for it to happen. He agreed, it would have been
different if he had moved there before.
The owners weren't happy that Miguel was starting to get the team around
him. There were meetings in the executive suite about him and what they
could do to get rid of him. They tried to find everything in the books
to get at him, settling on his off-field activities as the reason to
void his contract.
Miguel was notified immediately and saw Miguel angrily call Juan, then
Valerie, then John. John shook his head in disbelief and called in his
heaviest weapons yet- his financial team. They'd defend Miguel and
ensure that the owners lost control of the team in favor of John. He
would sell the team later on, he had no intention of running one and was
only intervening to save a friend being wronged.
John's ownership group was himself and the Peterson/Bailey family with a
large percentage owned by the rest of the family in the form of a
minority stake that John contributed. Together, they all formed a
company to run their business interests which went beyond charities.
Inferno Productions was meant to be their first foray into the world of
entertainment, but, "Winisimmet Sports" now existed.
John received a phone call from the league asking him to buy the team
out from under the owners. He happily told them, "Winnisimmet Sports, a
partnership of the Peterson Family and myself, are placing an offer for
$600 million. This doesn't include the debt assumption, that is entirely
the current owners' fault and will be paid by them. We have the money in
full ready to go, I am the lead investor so am the face to the
purchase."
He was asked who the others were, he happily told the league's lawyer,
"Myself, my children, my nieces and nephews, and my sister-in-law's
niece. It's really just Finns and the Peterson family, both branches of
them. I own 50% with the Peterson family owning the other 50%. As I
already own shares and will transfer them to Winnisimmet Sports I am the
new majority owner. If you are any good at digging into financial
information you know that the five Petersons are good for it, as well as
me."
The league announced that the President, CEO, and Chairman of the Red
Sox had been suspended by the league for attempting to void the contract
of a player due to false allegations and would be forced to sell the
team to a local buyer. They then announced, "The buyer is a consortium
of locals who have paid $600 million for 50% of the team. John Finn
already owns a small portion of the team through a private sale a year
ago, he is the majority owner. This sale is finalized and does not
include debts or obligations accrued by the previous majority owners.
They still own a minority stake in the team, but as of today it is not
enough to control the team. Good luck to Mr. Finn and Winnisimmet
Sports."
Miguel was smirking as the team's now-former majority owners were left
dumbfounded. Team security escorted them out while Miguel watched, with
Miguel fighting a laugh as the general manager and the head of baseball
operations were left unsure what to do. Miguel wisely told them, "I'm
walking back to the clubhouse and getting ready for the game tonight.
You can try to stop me, but John will expect me to be down there to
greet him when he arrives with the other partners. I honestly do not
want to have to explain to Daisy Peterson, the new 11-year-old owner,
that I'm not allowed inside."
He walked out, the GM followed and told him he wasn't allowed in there.
Miguel stopped but the GM was loudly asked, "Why not? He's your best
reliever and saved your asses more times than you admit."
Ian Bailey's voice boomed through the clubhouse and saw everyone stop
short. The GM tried to call for security but Miguel happily told him,
"He's one of the new owners. His wife will be very upset at you if you
try to have him arrested for being where he was told to be. She is busy
with their kids and he was on his way home so he got stuck doing this
dog and pony show on her behalf."
Miguel happily hugged John then kissed Daisy and Claire Peterson. When
Jerry and Sophia saw him the two ran for him and saw Miguel picking up
Jerry then tell him, "Don't even think about it. Do it and I'm not
letting Tatum play with you for a month."
Jerry moped and pulled away, going to John who told him the same. Emma
escorted him out to go to a bathroom then changed his diaper, Miguel
happily told the players, "He wanted to give us all a 'present' but I
don't think you wanted it. It makes Taco Tuesday here smell like a
flowerbed."
John then explained to the team, "Due to the now-minority ownership
group deciding that they were in the business of forcing lies on the
world and thought that a confirmed liar would be onto something for
claiming that your teammate was hurting you by marrying a former
stripper and 'mutilating' his newly adopted daughter, the league
stripped them of ownership rights and sold the team to me. As I am one
of the minority owners and a full 50% of the team was sold to my
ownership group, I'm the new owner and face of the team's front office.
I intend to ensure that all of you are properly compensated as I don't
want to overpay for people who only stuck around because they are
friends with the GM or the owners. Those of you underpaid will be
renegotiated to proper pay so that hopefully we can retain you. If it's
an issue then we'll address it. This is all on you now, play hard. Win.
But don't kill yourselves, though."
John left and was mobbed by the media. The Globe tried to play it off as
him stealing the team but what he did next caught them by surprise as he
admitted, "Yes, we did. We took control away from several of the worst
owners in Boston sports history. Sure, they won championships: but at a
cost that was hurting the team. They tried to get rid of their best
reliever because he was about to cause them to go bankrupt as your
newspaper paid millions to a player's family for printing lies in an
attempt to besmirch that man and his family. You knew all of that
already, you know everything that's going on with the team thanks to
them. You aren't a reporter: you're a news regurgitator. You tell what
they feed you with no intent on reporting facts. You know this already,
it's why the others on your staff aren't here. You are the team's
puppet, and as of today that ends. You are hereby barred from the team.
There is no place here for those who try to harm children, which you
have tried to do for three weeks."
The man tried to claim that John hired thugs to force the owners to sell
causing John, Ian, and David to show their badges and David to ask, "Did
you just accuse my uncle of extortion? That is a bold claim. My cousin
here might be big, but he has never broken the law in his life. Neither
have my brother and sisters. Nor have I. By all means, please continue
this line of thought, I have no problem asking BPD to speak with you
about your claims. Bare in mind, once it's in their report it's perjury
and the state will not hesitate to prosecute you for perjury."
Ian didn't bother keeping out of things, he told the reporters, "Uncle
John is the lead investor, but we as a family have an equal 50%
ownership of Winnisimmet Sports. We each have more money than Uncle
John, and all of us have spotless records. We bought the team alongside
him on his recommendation and have no problem protecting it from
vultures trying to hurt it. Vultures like your colleague, who's reading
up on us at this moment in the hopes of trying to find something to use
against us. Thatt won't work, you are about to go after a child. It
takes but a second to research our family, and what we have had happen
to us- we are an open book."
John didn't answer any more questions, the media focused on their
colleague as he tried hard to lie his way out of the situation he just
created. John walked up the owner suite, told the staff that unless they
were employed by the Red Sox they had to leave, then sat down to watch
the game. Ian didn't say much as Daisy was giggling at him while Claire
tried hard to not notice that the suite was spartan, almost as if the
other owners didn't care about being there.
John shook his head at the site and told the others, "No going
overboard, Daisy. Yes, your friends can go to the games- but only if
they do their homework first. Same goes for you, Claire- no games if you
have to do a paper or study for a test. I want you to do well, even if
you don't have to work. You two lugs, I don't have to tell you to keep
your badges in your pockets but still- don't get involved unless you
have to. David, I know you have a duty to help but let the BPD handle
things and help only as needed. Ian, you have the most to lose: you're
getting that job as chief in Endicott, the idiots up there will do what
it takes to get rid of you to keep you from the job even if you're in
the right. Help if needed, but let BPD handle things for themselves-
they'd appreciate it."
The family sat down to watch the game but were interrupted by Valerie
entering with their kids- all of them. John had to hide a laugh as Ian
was engulfed in a hug by Wyatt Bailey while his twin Deborah gave their
dad a big smile. Antonio and Dorothy Peterson ran in to hug their dad
Patrick, the only one to not say a word since entering the ballpark.
Patrick gave his wife Deborah, Deborah Bailey's beloved namesake, a look
that told her, "Don't even ask about it."
The kids were followed by Cat and JD coming in to see John, with the
kids' elder siblings Logan and Ella quietly entering after them. Both
looked at John shocked, John happily told them, "I already told your
cousins that they could take their friends here so you two will also get
to do the same. That is all contingent on your homework. I know Cat has
a habit of 'forgetting' to do it because Willow forgets to do hers, but
you all know the rules- no games unless your homework is done."
Logan didn't have to ask, John added, "She can come too. It's something
you can do together and I trust you now that you are both 13. Your
brothers and sister dated then, you can too. One of us will be at the
games anyway so it's not like you're going to be unsupervised."
The whole group were looked at with anger by the other suite occupants.
John ignored them, they had a right to be there and he didn't care that
they were young. His only instructions after that were to Daisy and
Ella, telling them, "Don't even think about asking for wine. I know you
snuck some from Greta last month, she blames herself for leaving it out.
And don't pig-out on food, it's nice stuff but you'll eat too much. You
don't want your new boobs to look smaller by getting a big belly."
Ella and Daisy blushed while the kids giggled. John then told them,
"Tatum will be here tomorrow so it will be hectic. I'd rather she not
get inundated so only Cat and JD will be here. Funny, I swear you kids
have sleepovers planned the same night. Wow, what a coincidence."
The little kids didn't notice it but Daisy and Ella glared at him while
Logan nodded. The Petersons all gave grins as the two girls were
outsmarted by John while ensuring that they knew why they had been. It
was a smart move, Tatum didn't need them there and it would be awkward
for her.
The game was boring and the kids fell asleep an hour into it. Cat and JD
fought the urge to stay awake but fell asleep on the couches alongside
the kids. Logan was by John's side throughout the night, with a few of
the staff giving him odd looks but the two ignoring them. When the game
ended the two made their way downstairs with the kids going to the cars
and Ella and Daisy both being told, "No" when they tried to come along
with John. Valerie whispered to them why, which only caused the girls to
snicker and run off to the cars while Cat and JD sleepily tried to
figure out if it was true or not.
Inside the clubhouse, John embraced Miguel then told him, "Expect
complaints from Cat over not being here but the last thing any of you
need is her making fun of your tattoos and other body parts. She's at
the age where she finds boys funny and will find something to complain
about. And Daisy had to have her sister hold her back from coming, I
don't want her getting the wrong impression about guys' looks."
Miguel snorted and laughed and explained to the rest, "I warned you all
about the kid with no filter who won't take no for an answer and who
won't let you lie to her. Add in a strong temper and a tongue that makes
most comics look tame. She'd find new ways of tormenting you all!"
John let him settle then told him, "Tatum's coming tomorrow. She should
get to see you play, especially as she's around those who won't let
anyone upset her. The kids are busy with other things, it'll just be the
adults and her. Maybe a couple of kids too, I'm not sure yet what their
parents have planned."
Miguel nodded and left the ballpark, Logan didn't say anything but John
knew what he was thinking. It was something that was intense for a young
teen, John told him, "It's coming for you. Michael didn't get too big
until 8th grade, so you'll be close to it soon. Plus some of them
workout hours each day, they're more muscle than man and likely smaller
down there than you."
The next day saw John joined by his sons Michael and Miles as well as
their wives. He asked where the kids were, Miles mumbled a quick, "Their
grandmas grabbed them to give us the night off. They haven't had a night
with the kids in weeks so we couldn't deprive them of their grandkids."
John looked over at his daughter Sylvia and shook his head, she
complained, "He's with his daddy for the night. It would be too awkward
for him to be here and not have people claiming the usual about it just
to get a cheap shot at him. He knows that you won't accept that kind of
garbage, but it's hard not to try to protect himself. He already has to
keep agents away and those weasels are hiding in the stands to get a
chance to sweet talk him. You need to tell security before they try to
come in here."
She pointed out several lurking nearby to which John nodded, alerted a
security officer, then watched as there was a fight over them claiming
to have a right to be there. John shook his head, told the GM to tell
the players that all agents were barred from the stadium during games
unless they bought a ticket, and that any attempting to talk to his
family would be banned from the park permanently. He know that it would
hurt one or two players, but that wasn't his concern- they were doing it
to themselves.
Skye had trouble getting inside as security tried to bar her from
entering, claiming that the ownership had banned her the previous week.
Valerie called John who walked out, demanded to see that order, had it
verified by the GM, then fired the GM. John growled, "All orders are to
be forwarded to my wife for a complete and thorough examination. I'll be
informing the player's association and league about this."
He casually called both, explained what happened and why, then told
them, "The order is rescinded and all others are being scrutinized by my
wife. The ones who are permanently banned from the ballpark are agents
not there for negotiations, those who are known criminals and drug
abusers, and those with a history of abuse. Family is welcomed, provided
they abide by the same rules as fans: no bigotry and no abuse. That
includes verbally against children. Several are being added to the list
tonight."
Skye and Tatum were walked to the suite and hugged by the Finns. Tatum
looked around scared but she knew not to be afraid as John and Valerie
were there. He introduced the two to Michael and Miles and then Courtney
and Miles' wife Christina. Courtney smirked to which Tatum cringed, John
told Tatum, "She knows not to talk about what you did during the day.
She's just teasing you. If she isn't she'll get to enjoy changing
diapers for your dad after your brother or sister is born."
Jaimie and Rick entered and hugged John. Little Sylvia went over to her
aunt and hugged her, she showed no signs of wanting to be with the elder
Sylvia and simply sat next to her. John showed Tatum around the suite
and out onto the balcony, with her looking in awe at the field, he
gladly told her, "It's a nice place to visit a few times but it's a pain
to sit in the stands for three hours a night in those seats."
Tatum and John were photographed and were on TV, John ignored it all and
told Tatum to ignore any of the people who came to talk to her as they
weren't good people and wanted to hurt her. She asked if the people were
like her dad's friend, John nodded and added, "Likely friends of his.
Your dad had a bunch of people in power all over the place but most left
him. A few are owed favors so are trying to do bad to you to repay a
favor to him. It'll only hurt them in the end as he can't do anything to
them anymore."
Sure enough, the GM came to the suite to demand that Tatum leave. John
boldly told him, "I fired you. I have had enough of your actions, you
are intentionally harming the team. You aren't getting promoted, you
never were! The former owners were using you until their guy was ready.
Security, escort this man out and destroy his credentials: he is no
longer employed by the Red Sox in any capacity."
He threatened to sue John, Valerie cited his exact contract then told
him, "You violated multiple clauses. By all means, sue. You invoke the
penalty clause that repays one year of salary to the team. You also must
pay all legal fees to the team, including any fines paid on your
behalf."
He tried to threaten her but Miles stood behind him and asked if he
could repeat those remarks as he'd be sending them to his employer, the
Attorney General, as well his cousin. Miles then added, "All of the
team's finances are being combed over by us. Any secret sale is voided,
whatever you were promised by the team isn't in any contract. You have
no say in the team, you are fired for breaking your contract."
Tatum was nearly in tears but Miles hugged her and told her that the man
was a fraud who only got the job because he was friends with the former
team president. He and Tatum went out to the balcony to be alone and
calm themselves, with Skye asking if Miles was always like that. Michael
was about to say a joke to which Christina lovingly told her, "He's the
best with kids, especially vulnerable ones. Michael is better with
sports and Jaimie is better with homework but Miles is the big brother
to the younger kids."
Sylvia added a happy, "Michael's just jealous because Miles just
graduated while the rest of us are a full year behind him. He's going to
be a top analyst for the state, David is trying to get him to join the
State Police so he can be on his team. Miles is tempted, but he doesn't
want to be stuck on patrols for a year first before he gets the good
job."
John smirked to which Christina angrily told him, "He didn't! Darnit, we
were supposed to talk about it first! It figures, he jump at the job
without any thought. I just hope that he doesn't get stuck out in the
Berkshires or on Cape Cod, I don't want to move away."
John then asked Sylvia when she was going to tell her husband about the
baby. She blushed at that, to which Jaimie, Christina, and Courtney all
demanded to know what he meant. Sylvia blushed and had to show off her
baby bump, with her telling them, "It was my birthday present. We didn't
know about it. I'm just happy that he's OK with being a dad again,
Matthew is a pain at times but we get through it."
The ladies all got together to gush over Sylvia's being pregnant while
John and the guys watched the game. Miles and Tatum ate ice cream on the
balcony and watched the game, with Miles telling Tatum softly, "The kids
are going to protect you in school. You haven't met them yet, but my
cousins Nigel Smith Jr., Billy Pena, Benny Herman, and their joker buddy
Jack Bollinger are in kindergarten. If my hunch is right, you'll be put
in Aunt Katie's class so you are with a teacher who can handle a girl
like you. You'll have fun in her class, she's amazing with kids- she
understands them ,unlike other teachers."
Tatum asked if he was a daddy too, Miles nodded and told her, "You met
Violet, our daughter. She's her mom's daughter and knows how to be a
great girl. She also loves to get into trouble which is why she's with
her grandmother tonight. She'd find a way of getting onto the field and
do so with us being the one to take her down there in the first place.
She's smart and sassy, just like her mom."
The idea of school caused Tatum to feel scared. Miles happily added,
"The superintendent is dad's cousin so she's well-aware of you. She
would be anyway, Al's best friend is her daughter so she got things that
nobody else got thanks to Al. That's if she didn't hear about you from
talking with Ashley, his girlfriend is her other daughter and the two
never hold secrets from one another. She's going to meet you when you
move in this weekend, mom will do all of the introductions and ensure
that you enjoy your time in school. The school will protect you or the
principal will be fired and likely end up in jail because of it."
Skye was listening to them and turned to John. He nodded and added, "My
cousin through my aunt and uncle. She's not blood yet has my uncle's
fiery temper and sense of justice for kids. He's also like a new dad to
Miguel but respects his family too much to ever adopt him as his own.
Lupe loves him deeply, if Rachel and Reyna weren't together he would
have adopted her as his own daughter to give her family and parents to
love her. And yes, she'll be in Katie's class. Katie is a great 1st-
grade teacher, Tatum is owed a debt of gratitude for Hunter coming out
so Katie will treat her like her own family- more so than she did for
the other kids."
The game was a win for the Red Sox and Miguel did well in closing the
game, the group went down to the clubhouse but first John had to address
the media. It was going to tax his energy but it was needed.
He entered then told the assembled media, "As of this evening, we have
fired our GM for actions taken against the team that were disgusting. I
have ordered a review of all people barred by the team and will review
just who is allowed access to the ballpark. Family is welcome, the only
members who are to be barred are those who gamble, have drug issues, or
are violent offenders."
He expected backlash to which he stated, "This stemmed from an attempt
by security to bar Mrs. Skye Toro and her daughter from the ballpark. My
wife and I intervened and upon learning that there was a list of those
who were barred and who did the barring I fired the GM. The team's
scouting director and her staff are promoted to fill the void. She
earned the job in full and should have had it before now. We hope that
she chooses to remain with the team in the role permanently but
understand if she leaves for a better job at higher pay- she earned it
and deserves it. She has a tough job, but I have confidence in her. As
for that barred list, it's torn apart. Families come first for players,
anything that affects them should be addressed and access to family is
one thing that I believe should happen. They need their kids, it's a big
reason that many teams fail: they lose focus on what mattes most,
family."
Tatum was asked about. John told the reporters, "She's doing well and
her pediatrician recommended a night out. We are pleased that she is
feeling better and recovering, and she's happy to see the place that she
had dreamed about going to for years. She's currently meeting the
players and coaches and will be a big part of their lives as the other
children of players are to the team. I know that many don't believe in
it, but to me teams are big families and kids are part of of it- so
she's meeting all of them."
John left and gave them a huge scoop. He knew that there would be a
picture of Tatum and the team all together with Miguel hugging her front
and center. She needed them to see that she was doing well, it was what
she deserved and it showed that she's just a normal little girl.
Miguel ran right for Tatum when she was escorted inside. She was in
tears as she hugged him, calling him, "Daddy" and telling him that he
looked so cool out there. She looked up at the players and felt like a
museum piece as all of them stared at her in disbelief and some bits of
pain.
Miguel showed her off to the team, announcing, "She's doing great and
watched us tonight in person. It's a long time since you saw the scrawny
boy who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn but could outrun a whole
group of boys easily and might put some of you to shame. Don't worry,
she won't be playing so your jobs are secure for now. I can't say that
it'll help much, you guys run like ice bergs!"
Another round of laughter as a couple yelled, "Hey!" back to him. Tatum
smiled at that, Miguel then told the group, "She's also responsible for
me becoming a father again- Skye's pregnant! I don't care what the
little one is, but I'm hoping for a little boy. I have my heart set on
Martin, but Lupe is a good one too."
The guys laughed while John hid his grin, he chose to not name the baby
after his brother out of respect for Reyna as she deserved to use the
name for her son. He didn't need to know why Miguel chose the name
Martin, it was clearly his father's name and his father meant a lot to
him. Neither got the chance to bond with their fathers so naming a child
after his grandfather was a huge honor- John chose to not do so out of
respect for his own father-in-law and let his brother-in-law do it with
the name Brent.
Tatum took a picture with the team all together and got hugs from
several of the top players, with them each telling her that she was
cute. The group drove home with John telling Miguel that he was moving
in that weekend to which he agreed provided he got help. John laughed
and told him, "It's a dads day so we're moving you. Reyna can handle the
youngsters, Tatum doesn't have to do anything. Cat knows to not go
overboard with her, but it's tough to keep her in control when she wants
to play."
Tatum's picture made its rounds and had an impact. The league quietly
told players anyone speaking up against Tatum would be fined and
suspended for vulgar actions, with the union backing them. Only the most
stalwart among them ignored it and paid the price with suspensions for
three weeks while his own team refused to stand by his actions, all but
ensuring he was a pariah in the league.
Miguel was trashed, but much of it was by media members who usually
tried to go after players just to get attention for their radio shows.
Their parent companies suspended them for two weeks then paid out a
check to groups helping transgender children, with the money coming from
the media personality's own account. Two didn't learn and continued to
make insulting remarks about Tatum resulting in their contracts being
terminated and their shows canceled outright.
Miguel worked hard during the week then told the guys he was moving out,
getting support from some of them while most laughed and had plans. The
ones who volunteered wanted to help, they weren't in a lot of games and
were able to do the work without fear of hurting their playing time.
Tatum was asked about, Miguel happily told them, "She's out with Reyna
and Rachel. The duo volunteered to keep her out of my hair so she
doesn't overdo things. It doesn't help that she has Dr. Samuels
overseeing her so she's under constant watch and likely will only walk
around for a bit before playing video games."
Al insisted on babysitting Tatum. The two bonded with Al telling her
that she shouldn't go overboard in being a girl, there was plenty of
time to be a girl and she needed to be a kid first. Tatum felt bad, but
it had to be said to her and Al knew best about going overboard trying
to be a girl.
Tatum followed Al around like an apprentice to her mistress, letting Al
talk to her about getting used to boys and girls and how different they
were from one another. The big thing was that a lot of older girls were
fakes to one another and openly mocked the others behind their backs,
with Al happily telling of a few girls who were caught in a massive lie
that they made about themselves when her friends heard the girls talking
then asked where it happened and how it happened making the lie fall
apart. Tatum was on edge as she listened, it was exactly what Al wanted
as Tatum gave er the utmost attention and learned.
Over in Boston, Miguel took down his prized jerseys and told his
teammates, "I have all of them, they're only ever going to be sold for
extreme need but given my financial advisers are some of the best in the
city if not the world it'd take a new Great Depression to come to that.
Plus I like how they look- less is more. I'm just upset that John won't
take my gifts of game-used jerseys, he prefers to keep bare walls in his
office and only puts up pictures of the kids- the big softy!"
John happily shot back, "If it was a Ted Williams or Bill Russel game-
used jersey I'd put it up easily, but I think those belong in museums.
Your stuff? I could always use more rags. I'd use them for TP but it's a
bit rough on the rear end. How you guys stand them for days on end is
beyond me!"
That got a laugh and got them working hard while the ladies worked on
moving their clothing. Skye had a fun time asking Miguel where he put
his dirty underwear causing him to blush deeply. The whole big act
worked for the guys as she was just another wife and any weirdness over
seeing her perform was lost in the fits of laughter over her getting
Miguel good with her little jokes.
Winnisimmet was rough on the guys as they didn't know how to react to
being there, they heard a lot of stories but few of them made sense and
even fewer sounded like they could happen outside of TV. It wasn't where
they expected, Navy Hill was the, "Rich" part of Winnisimmet with Miguel
going to a big condo complex overlooking the Mystic River and Boston
beyond.
The condo was twice the size of the one in Boston and featured a sauna
and Jacuzzi as well as a small indoor pool that would work for Miguel
when he was home during winter. The views weren't that great but they
weren't the real attraction- the price and location were. It had a park
close by, something that a father would need for two kids with so much
energy as Tatum was guaranteed to have.
Moving took several hours and trips back and forth but everything was
cleared out of the old condo and the keys handed over to the manager for
the new tenant. John happily told the guys, "The new owner is a singer-
he was part of the Power Walk Boys. He's now a hot producer who's moving
here to get away from the crappy New York scene. He's likely to be
around the team a few times, I'm hiring him to do the music for my
movie. He's a genius, despite being a boy band survivor."
Miguel asked about his condo's former owners. John smirked and happily
told him, "It turned out to be owned by the Laws! They tried to hide it
by putting it in the name of a business associate but that man's lawsuit
loss uncovered the truth about it. The Laws are in the midst of a
divorce and fighting to avoid bankruptcy. All of their assets are now
frozen and it's turning ugly for them. They have nothing but the condo,
so had to sell it fast to pay legal fees. They're in hot water with
Cameron and Savannah over the couple's financial actions, they owe Tatum
millions for what she rightfully inherited as a full heir of the Law
Family Trust. She's now the sole heir, the Laws had no other children
and their son isn't in any condition to sire after he gets out of
prison. He'll be lucky to not be emasculated by the inmates once he gets
convicted. Her grandfather fathered a couple of illegitimate kids but
they might not consider being Laws because of his mistreatment. We hope
that Tatum will extend an olive branch to them so that they can have a
piece of the pie for themselves."
Things calmed down after that. The Boston Globe was sold by the minority
owners to cover costs of the lawsuits against them by Tatum and Skye
then saw the duo putting the money into a trust for Tatum and her
sibling. The money didn't matter to them, it was all about ensuring the
duo paid the price for the attacks on Skye and Tatum and going over the
line into boorish behavior.
The owners couldn't get their majority share back despite months of
trying to get financing from banks, it was all due to John refusing to
sell to anyone then due to the local banks not believing that it was
financially beneficial to lend to someone who had a history of bad
decisions financially. For two people lived on the money of others
through their TV shows and movies as well as financial wrangling, it was
a huge blow to their egos to be told that they were a financial
liability. They had to actually earn their money the hard way, the same
way they earned it decades before then when they were rising financial
advisers and TV producers.
The team lost three players due to their actions but the replacements
were miles better than the three. The rookies listened to the manager
and advice of older players and ended up getting key hits and then a key
win in relief down the home stretch. They brought the team together as
the home stretch came and went, with the team narrowly missing a playoff
spot but having a large number of wins overall.
Miguel signed a new contract that would last him through the end of the
decade, with him telling John that it was his last contract as he'd
retire at the end of it- provided he played well enough to reach that
date. John assured him that he'd be a great member of the team and would
always be welcome as he's a key figure in team history for all of the
right reasons. He wasn't joking, Miguel was looked at as one of if not
the best reliever that the team had in decades and would be missed by
the team when he retired.
John was pleased with the team, so much so that he held off selling for
at least two years as he wanted to get the price higher. He would sell
to a local, but not any group comprising of the former owners- it was
made clear that they would have no connection to the team except in
receiving dividends from the profits earned from their remaining
minority stake in the team. John was the de-facto majority owner of the
team, with the Peterson family as his proxies acting on his advice and
with his blessing. Even a reluctant Ian got into things and joined the
board of directors, with him intimidating everyone else.
When John considered selling the team, Ian actually asked him to only
sell a percentage of the team so the family kept the largest stake among
the owners. John read between the lines and understood exactly what Ian
wanted: they were going to keep control of the team but took a backseat
in affairs. Ian had the right idea in John's eyes: they'd still be the
ones in charge, just owning less of the team then.
John actually bought the minority stake of the two now-bankrupt former
owners giving him a full 65% stake in the team, with Ian happily
enjoying being right as the team was glad to have him in complete
control of the team. John's increase also meant that the team wasn't in
any danger of financial issues as John had an eye for ensuring the team
made a steady profit alongside the money from the league that it had
relied heavily on for years. They got higher contracts and the ballpark
had minor renovations to be among the most comfortable clubhouses which
made the team a place players wanted to go to now.
Ian became a fixture at games alongside the Peterson kids. Ian was
frequently on TV as he'd be seen with the kids as Wyatt and Deborah kept
asking about the game leading to him telling them. He'd be caught at the
right time which got big smiles as he knew his facts and loved talking
baseball.
Tatum was usually at the games and enjoyed meeting all of the
celebrities and famous retired players at the games and whom John
trusted enough to meet her. Skye got roasted over Tatum being there a
lot, it was felt by some that she shouldn't be allowed in the ballpark
but the ones making the complaints had a long track record for causing
trouble with players over insulting their wives and kids. Those people
had a tough go from then on as their own history of abuse was exposed,
with their kids living with mothers after divorces and then having
restraining orders filed against them.
Valerie signed Tatum up for school and confirmed that she would be in
Katie Eliza's class. Tatum had to endure Katie telling her that she
shouldn't make a big deal out of what happened to her as it would be
best to just move on. It was her past, her future was being a normal
girl and talking about it would only cause her to relive the past issues
and cause a lot of parents to get upset at her without any reason.
Tatum thrived in school and made her own friends after a week. She was
just a normal girl to them, the kids were nice to her and knew that
Katie was watching Tatum closely for a reason. She did her best to be,
"Normal" and ended up out-girling the girls causing her to tone things
down a lot as time went on.
Eventually the truth came out and she had to endure the kids talking
about her. She lost a few friends but a couple stood by her and chose to
remain friends as she was just a normal girl even if she wasn't a,
"Normal" girl to some. The kids were also some of the best performers in
class so they were what Skye wanted her to be friends with when she
talked with Tatum about kids in school.
At a sleepover at Tatum's house, she showed the girls her privates to
settle all questions. It was done on impulse and once they saw the girls
didn't talk about it anymore. It happened, Tatum healed, and even if she
had to dilate daily to keep herself open it didn't really matter to them
since it was no big deal.
Skye steadily grew and helped Sylvia with her own pregnancy as Sylvia
felt too scared to talk with her mother about it. Sylvia didn't realize
it, but she gave Skye a powerful memory as she was able to give a
mother/daughter moment to Skye that she wouldn't experience with Tatum.
Valerie wisely wasn't upset, it was clear that Skye needed to do that
for her own sake and Sylvia felt a bond with her new aunt.
Hearing the young adults calling her, "Aunt Skye" caused Skye to cry as
they gave her more and more of a feeling of family that she sorely
needed. She had family now, surrogate brothers and sisters with a horde
of nieces and nephews. Looking at Reyna she realized that it was only a
matter of time before it became, "Granty Skye" as Rachel and she talked
about marrying after graduating college.
Skye loved showing her belly off to Miguel, especially as he had an
immediate reaction and drooled. It was tough keeping his hands off of
her, but he managed to not go overboard with sex as she grew large. He
loved the sight of her, especially when she started to fill out up top
giving her a sexier body.
In late fall the trials of the Laws and Jared's friends began. Jared had
no support and he few witnesses that he tried to call had to plead the
5th Amendment because of their own involvement in the case. He was
forced to take the witness stand in his own defense and blew it
immediately as he screamed that he had a sissy son and not a daughter
causing the jury to immediately hate him.
When pictures of Tatum's abuse were shown he said that she deserved it
for what she said to him, then got caught in a lie as he then tried to
explain how she did it to herself despite his boots being shown to be in
his possession three years later. When he tried to claim that the boots
were planted, the prosecutor showed pictures of him wearing the same
boots while out hunting with friends each season. The worst one was that
there was a picture found of Tatum on the floor of Jared's condo
doubled-over in pain and showing Jared wearing the same boots- with the
prosecutor revealing that it was seconds after he just kicked her in the
crotch causing the irreparable trauma to her privates.
Skye and Tatum were upset to learn that Jared had taken that picture,
but Cameron told them, "He had it hidden in his room. He knew full well
what would happen if it was found, his friends ratted him out in hopes
of getting a plea deal. That didn't happen, the DA went after them for
conspiracy charges."
Tatum didn't have to take the witness stand as Richard Samuels did it on
her behalf and was able to get the defense to show that they couldn't
counter any of what he had to say as he had actual experience to back
him up and whatever they had came from a co-conspirator. He tore into
them to the point that the judge had to call off the defense as they
weren't getting anywhere and hurting their client. Richard had a long
history with children, there was nothing that they could to counter him
in any way.
Skye had to appear and was targeted by the defense, but she stood by
what she did and asked if anyone wouldn't do the same for their ailing
child- something that hit hard with the jury and to which there was no
chance to counter by the defense. The mother in her was tough to
counter, she did everything by the books while Jared fled at the first
sign of trouble from his parents. Jared couldn't intimidate her either,
he saw Miguel and who he had with him and flinched, Ian talking to him
caused him to shudder at the idea of Miguel sending Ian after him should
he beat the rap and get freed.
The trials of Dr. Pratt, Kirk Archer, and even the Globe newspaper
reporter were all quick as the facts were irrefutable and each abused
their jobs in an attempt to get at Skye and Tatum. It was even tougher
for Archer as he couldn't defend himself as he had his own bosses go on
the offense and show that he broke every ethical rule in the book in
what he did over the three years before his arrest and all they had to
do was look at a simple regulation to tell Skye to get Tatum help and
then check in on her later on. He had no way of countering that, he
purposely harassed Skye and his lies were there on paper making him have
to face the angry jury who were out for blood by that point.
The reporter tried to claim that he had a 1st Amendment right to report
the truth but when it was shown that he knew full well the truth and
crafted lies fed to him by Jared he had no retort. The claims that he
had done nothing wrong were exposed as he had actively conspired with
the trio to go after Tatum and Skye after Skye and Miguel started dating
then increased his, "Coverage" after it was revealed that she was
transgender and seeking medical care- provided by his girlfriend at the
hospital. He tried to claim it was all his girlfriend's idea and he
didn't use her as a source but hospital emails showed otherwise, with
him forwarding the emails to Jared who told the trio to try everything
that they could to keep Skye and Tatum from getting anywhere near the
Finns- which was moot as it was already too late by then.
The whole lot were convicted of criminal conspiracy and accessory
charges, with them all sentenced to five years each in state prison.
Archer ended up getting convicted on charges of kidnapping for trying to
kidnap Tatum from the preschool, with him receiving 10 years in prison
on top of his five years. Dr. Pratt ended up with an even bigger
humiliation as he was told by the state his medical license was now
revoked and told by the national certification board to not bother
applying after he got out.
Jared fared even worse as he was convicted of serious bodily injury,
assault, criminal conspiracy, fraud, tax evasion, and child abandonment.
His reputation was tarnished beyond repair, with his money dried-up and
having to rely on a public defender for his defense. He was fiery and
offensive until the end of the trial, showing the judge his inner being
and causing the judge to sentence him to a total of 20 years in prison
for his actions as well as barring him from contact with Skye and Tatum.
Jared's humiliation wasn't over as his past came back to hit him hard as
his college girlfriend came out to the trial and sued him for child
support. Jared went white as his former girlfriend was directed to the
Toros who asked to speak with her about what she was doing. They had
hopes that this would be what they needed to get Tatum off of the hook
over being the last Law heir but it could backfire.
In a conference room, Cameron asked if she had done a DNA test then when
shown the results he told the woman, "This is a tough situation. Jared
Law is finished as a Law, Tatum Toro can't father children. Your child
is the next heir of the family. Tatum will fight for the family fortune,
but she will share with her older brother- if you would allow him to."
There was some thinking but she gladly told Cameron, "He has nothing
left, I wanted nothing from him but he went after me through his
friends. He knew that I was pregnant and abandoned us. What he did to
his wife wasn't the first time, but it's the last time now. I want my
son to have part of his paternal family legacy, I can't stop him from
having it. It's his, if his sister wants to share then he deserves it."
Cameron took out the paperwork while Savannah double-checked the trust
and got things settled. The kids wouldn't have to know one another, but
they were still siblings. They were the last of the Laws, an heir and a
spare with the spare being forcibly removed from the bloodline by her
own father-something that his ancestors would have been sickened by.
With that out of the way, the next court cases were lawsuits against the
Red Sox owners. the Globe, the reporters, and against the Laws
themselves. The cases were tough, but Skye and Tatum settled in their
favor for $25 million in total, with the Red Sox owners having to sell
off more shares to come up with the money to pay Skye and Tatum. John
didn't buy those shares, he chose to bring in new locals who had wanted
to buy a team but didn't have enough to buy one outright.
After the season, Miguel went into fatherhood mode quickly. He helped
put together baby furniture, did the school run when Skye wasn't feeling
up to it, and drove Tatum to her psychiatrist appointments in Boston. He
enjoyed listening to Tatum complain about school, especially as she
missed out on some of her friends during her appointments- something he
remembered Reyna doing back at her age.
In early April Skye gave birth to a baby boy...then another baby boy.
Miguel fainted, his wife had not only given him a child- she gave him
two! Tatum was in tears and told Miguel he was lucky, he told her, "I
am. I have a wife and three amazing kids. I'm happy being a dad, I hope
they turn out to be half as amazing as their big sister is. You are
amazing, young lady."
The family was shocked to hear the news while Miguel wisely told
Valerie, "It figures. I swear my mom and brother did that on purpose
just to make sure that I had a son. Reyna will make them happy when it
comes time for her to be a mom, she may not have twins but she'll have
one hell of a great kid!"
Miguel spent plenty of nights with the babies as Skye slept-in. He was
used to late nights and she had a lot to deal with during the day. The
twins loved their father enough to only wake him once a night, but they
chose to do so after he'd only had an hour to sleep causing Skye to
smile at their little games.
The new season brought changes to the team and newcomers who were told
to not even try to make an issue out of Tatum. Meeting John, they
learned quickly to leave bigotry at the door and never go to the media
for help. John the owner was a tough man to upset, but someone going
after Tatum or any kid in any way was what triggered Angry John and cost
you a lot of money from penalty clauses.
John sold part of the team to Miguel then a couple of key players with
the group keeping the sale on the, "Hush-hush" so that nobody except the
league knew about the sale. It was a long-term investment, one that John
assured them was worth it and would pay in full when he sold the team.
He was right, he sold a large percentage of Winnisimmet Sports'
ownership stake and ended up with double their investment, earning a
cool $1.2 billion from their share of the sale when it was finalized. He
loved that it was a big moment in team history as the new owners were a
consortium of local business executives and players on other Boston
sports teams giving the sale a solid local grounding that fans enjoyed.
When the last shares of the team owned by the former majority owners
were sold to John, Miguel paid them off on his behalf and told them that
they shouldn't bother trying to buy another team, they couldn't afford
it anymore and wouldn't find anybody dumb enough to give them money to
buy one. Being one of the people that the duo would never sell to,
Miguel being an owner of the Red Sox made them sick while he happily
counted his huge windfall.
Miguel played on or another six seasons before calling it quits. He had
a rough last two years and was on the verge of being released, but
others failing to meet expectations caused him to be retained then in a
tough spot as the team's setup-man. He hated to end his career, but the
time had finally come to do so.
But things weren't easy that last year. He had other issues that he had
to deal with, ones that would be a lot closer to home than he liked.
Miguel helped a little girl find herself and helped his teammate be the
dad that he needed to be while also helping reunite long-lost friends.
The End.