Togetherness Part 1 free porn video

Early June 2042, Interstate 95 one mile north of Danvers State Police Barracks Sergeant Oscar Pierce was stuck doing another shift for one of the lazier troopers. This was the norm for him as he took the worst shifts for the troop due to having a wife whose work hours were erratic and a family who had to be told to back away at times from helping them cope with parenthood. Today was different. Today there was a car stopped on the side of the highway causing a backup that he had stumbled upon and what he saw caused him to radio for immediate help. Two tweens were stuck on the side of the road bloodied and bruised while a scuffle was underway involving several adults. Oscar the did sensible thing and called for backup and an ambulance to check over the kids. When he made his presence known he was told by the men who detained two people just why they had done it: they stopped the couple from abusing the kids. One showed video of the abuse followed by several of the men rushing from their cars to stop the couple, with Oscar nodding that it was clear from the words that the kids were being harmed and the men intervened to protect the kids. Oscar got information about the people then sent them on their way to clear the traffic, then spoke with EMS regarding the kids. The kids needed to be examined and have their injuries documented which he reluctantly agreed to, sending them away while he dealt with the adults. He asked them what happened and was given a bogus answer. The elderly man claimed that the boy in the car tried to run him off of the road while the elderly woman tried to claim that the girl struck her in the head causing them to run off the road. Neither story matched with the video. Oscar laughed at that, there was no evidence of that especially as it was parked to keep it off of the road so it didn't cause a backup. There were no skid marks so there was no attempt to get at the wheel. The duo were caught in a lie and knew it. Oscar asked about the kids' injuries, which set the duo off on a tirade about gays and transgender kids. It was tough to listen to them, he realized that the kids were in danger and shook his head at knowing it was likely the last time those kids would see the couple. Oscar placed both under arrest for assault and battery and child abuse, with additional charges expected in the near future once the full story was told by the kids. The couple fought him but his backup were still there forcing them to act to help him while explaining to their lieutenant why they had shucked off early leaving him to call in need of help over the radio. The whole incident took a half hour and was drawing attention from the media. Oscar was told to go to the hospital to get a report about the kids and to keep him from the spotlight, especially as his struggle with the couple was caught on camera and questions asked about why he was stuck all alone for so long with fellow troopers not far away. He had to think and grinned as he suspected just who would await him at the hospital, with the kids being in the best possible hands by a pure stroke of luck. As expected, he was met at the hospital by two people he had to hold off for a few minutes. He asked a doctor about the kids then was directed to the ladies, with the doctor informing him that it was mostly a matter for the Department of Children and Families and not really a State Police matter. He happily told the doctor, "It's a matter to us, the incident occurred on a state highway and was captured on video and is on the news already. You might not think highly about child abuse on kids, but I take it seriously." The ladies happily added, "I think we know where to look into their history. Don't leave town, I'm sure we'll be in contact with you in the future." Oscar shook his head and called someone at the barracks then was told it'll be transferred to Boston as it's become a hot issue and the barracks was in the midst of an active investigation by the brass. He had to shake his head, he'd be moved elsewhere while multiple troopers were forced to resign or retired in a vast attempt to cover the brass' actions but it likely meant the governor and attorney general had eyes on the situation with Oscar being protected from above and below. Oscar was shown into a room and asked the kids their names. The boy said his name was Ezekiel but preferred to be called Jace and his sister was Joy. When asked their last names both reluctantly said, "Williams," causing Oscar to look at the ladies who shook their heads in disappointment. Oscar asked about their parents, Jace stated, "Mom got pregnant by dad but never married him. Dad ran off when mom demanded he get a job leaving her to be forced to get a job as a prostitute. When she was caught by cops having sex for drugs we were sent to live with our grandparents. We hate living in their trailer, mom was an embarrassment and dad's family is hated by them. They said we are lucky that we aren't forced to live with the freaks in Winnisimmet, they said our grandmother loves tranny freaks and wanted her put in prison for letting our aunts near them." The two ladies started to suspect something then asked what their father's name was. When Joy said, "I think his name was Lawrence, Ezekiel Lawrence. Jace hates the name, grandpa hates it too- it reminded him of his younger brother. Dad hated mom's family, our uncles told us we're nothing but trouble. All of us Williams are even if we're Lawrences too." Both ladies gasped in shock. Oscar looked over at them for an explanation, one of them whispered to him, "I'll get in contact with their paternal grandparents. We need to sort out who'll house them, they will not be going back with their maternal grandparents. You can't take them as you're on duty, and it's not a good idea to have Amy house them due to Graham unless it's absolutely necessary." Oscar nodded and left, with one of the ladies finally telling the duo, "I'm sorry to report that you are not going to go back with your maternal family. You are safer away from them, based on what was said to us it's just a matter of time before they hurt you worse. We know who your paternal family are, you just met your uncle Oscar- your aunt's husband. You actually have a lot more family that can help you than we can count, but we'll stick to your paternal family as they have the strongest claim. You aren't alone in what happened to you, believe me: you're just two more in a long line of kids abused by family. Williams or not, you are family and we will help our family." The second finally spoke, telling them, "I'm related to you through our grandparents. My grandmother-in-law is your great-grandfather's cousin, you have over a dozen 4th cousins alongside multiple 2nd and 1st cousins. You hit the genetic lottery: you're related to the Finns by blood and will have them helping you through this. I know my father-in- law will represent your interests, especially as you need help and he needs a challenge and loves to fight for family- especially ones who have nobody else." The first woman finally added, "You are a member of the Bollinger family. You have five aunts and five uncles alongside multiple cousins. Your grandmother will be on her way shortly, your grandfather is stuck at work and will meet you this evening. Don't be shocked when you meet your paternal family, it might take time to come to terms with them but they are more than happy to help you get acclimated to them and all of their other family members. Avoid Cat Finn, though: she's fun but a big troublemaker." The two made several phone calls before one left to go to the office. Joy asked why she had left, there was a short delay in the answer but Joy was told, "Jessica has to keep her grandmother from putting out a 'welcoming committee' to ensure your grandparents pay for hurting you. She hates what they did and is only calmed by Jessica's soothing. We love her, but Granty Victoria is a pain at times." Joy asked her what her name was, the woman happily told her, "My name is Jenna Daniels. Before you ask, I have known your family since I was in daycare. I went all 14 years of school with your aunt, my husband, and Jessica's husband. Your grandmother is as close to an aunt as I've ever had, she's one of the nicest people and will want you to be safe and happy. Your grandfather is stern but fair with kids. It flies in the face of your father: his namesake. Your uncles were no better, especially as they hated all of us especially our friend Jaimie. But that's for Aunt Gabby to tell you." Jenna texted a few people and immediately received demands to know what was going on from them. It was tough to not speak, but they got the gist that it was something important related to her work and it would lead to her telling them later. She shook her head at the demands from Jaimie Samuels, it would be tough to keep her away but thankfully she wasn't needed in her professional capacity. After an hour there was a knock on the door followed by Jenna nodding to the doctor outside. She had a look of fear as she was confronted by the one person she could never lie to, but it turned to relief as it was simply anxiety and fear that caused the look of anger on the woman's face. Jenna composed herself and explained, "Your prodigal sons have come back in a way we didn't expect. Ezekiel had two kids with a member of the Williams family and left her to her own devices. The kids were forced out of their mother's care and into their maternal grandparents' care but today they were removed after Oscar stopped them from abusing the kids. I must ask that they are placed in your care as you are well-aware of just how bad that family is." Gabby Bollinger sighed and asked if there was proof. Jenna laughed then showed two discrete pictures of the kids, with Gabby shedding a tear as she looked at the kids. Jenna happily told her, "No denying it, they are the spitting image of Walter and Jessie. They're Bollingers, your grandchildren by Ezekiel." Jenna led her inside and happily told the children, "I have someone who wants to meet you. Her name is Gabby Bollinger, your paternal grandmother. I don't have to have you take a blood test to confirm that you two are her grandchildren as you, Joy, look like your aunt Jessie while you, Jace, look just like your uncle Walter. Both look like your great-grandmother, your father looked like your great-grandpa." Gabby sighed and added, "Your father is my eldest son. I don't have to know which one he was as there is little doubt that your uncles Stephen and Pierre couldn't get a girl in bed without drugging them. But your father? He's a silver-tongued bandit. He's also stupid enough to forget to use a condom." The kids winced at hearing that, Gabby sat down and explained to them, "Your grandfather Zeke is part of the Williams family so I don't know your relationship to him. He could be your great-uncle or your grandfather's cousin. We never met any of them directly so don't know the relationship. And before you ask, it's due to issues long before you were born that we don't know any of your other relatives." Jenna handed over paperwork for Gabby to sign followed by Gabby calling someone to get them to get over to the hospital immediately. She was blunt, the person happily laughed and told her he was already on his way. The kids smiled at hearing that, Gabby got the needed results from them. Jenna waited with her until the man came then left without saying a word. He entered, took one look at the kids, then bluntly told them, "My brother really needs a foot up his butt but I think he has new things to worry about since he's going to be targeted in jail. Yes, my brother: my elder brother to be exact. He is the only one dumb enough to try this stunt in public, usually the others do it at home. There's no way in hell I'll let you kids go to any of my cousins, especially with your aunts and uncles refusing to let us allow you out of our care. I just hope Walter doesn't go overboard, he hates your 2nd-cousins." Gabby smirked and explained, "This is my husband Zeke, your step- grandfather and great-uncle. Please don't be upset about anything you might have heard about him or us, Ezekiel, Stephen, and Pierre have a lot of bad history with Zeke and great-uncle Jake. I loved them, but those three are disappointments in all sense of the word. I just hope that you can accept us as carers, if not then your aunts and uncles are ready to care for you instead." The doctor returned and announced that the duo were free to go and he'd have his report to Jenna soon. It was a tense few minutes as Gabby led them out while Zeke stayed back to make a few calls. Gabby saw their concerned and happily told them, "He's telling your aunt Jessie so she doesn't go overboard. I know that word will get around to your aunts and uncles from there." Gabby drove south for a half hour in silence, with Gabby sensing that the kids were afraid of what she would do to them if they said something. She wisely didn't make mention of it, letting them enjoy their trip while thinking about what they'd do for clothing and school. She doubted that they had much, but it would be tough to not help them out with more clothes and put them in school in Winnisimmet. Once they reached the Bollinger home Gabby led them to two bedrooms with both happy to have their own beds. Gabby wisely didn't ask what they meant, but made not to have someone look into it soon. Gabby's concentration was shattered by two voices talking downstairs, leading to the kids being scared of the newcomers. Gabby loudly shouted, "They're upstairs in their new rooms" which was followed by a young woman grabbing them into hugs and kissing Jace while the young man shook his head at her. Gabby waited for Jace to stop blushing and explained, "Meet your uncle Walter and his wife Jasmine. It should have been clear to them that it wasn't a good time to visit but I take it their house hunt wasn't as good as they thought it would be. They might be 21 but they still need mom and dad like all kids!" Walter blushed while Jasmine smirked. Gabby wisely told her, "OK that's just low: you put it off just to be here for the kids. Fine, Joy could use some guidance and Jace might be best learning what real men are like from Walter even if Walter's as dense as guys come." Walter glared at Gabby but it had the desired effect as Jace and Joy smiled at the teasing. Jasmine led a grinning Joy to her room while Walter led Jace to his own room and sat him down. When he closed the door, Walter explained, "Mom has only one rule that can never be broken: no girls or boys over without telling her. Your dad and uncles broke that rule, none of us have. Mom won't let you feel like you have to please her so don't go over board trying to do things for her. You only have to clean your messes and do your own laundry. Sorry, but that's the rule since your uncle Donald was your age. She knows we have needs and sometimes leave messes, we have to clean our messes. And lock the door if you're going to do what you're thinking I'm talking about. You are 13, don't you dare lie about it as mom won't believe your lie. Knock on the bathroom door before opening it too- trust me on that!" Jace blushed deeply, Walter embarrassingly added, "It's because you might see Joy or she might see you naked. We've all done that, it's inevitable. Mom said it's a curse of having siblings: Donald and I have seen Amy far too many times to count. Courtney moved out when I was only a couple of months old and Jessie two years later so the three of us had that unfortunate luck." Jace blushed and shot back, "We changed in front of each other for years. I know what her vagina looks like, she knows what my penis looks like. I don't care about that, but grandpa hated it. Grandma said it was our own fault for being stuck with them, we didn't want to go with them." He was in tears, Walter hugged him then explained, "I've heard that same thing before. Dad said they're cheap and live off of their uncle's land because they don't have to pay him rent. You don't have to live like sardines anymore, there's plenty of space here and mom is happy to have someone here again. We aren't moving out for a while, mom and dad want me to help you but you just need normal kids around you. I'm too old, plus I don't want to step on my cousins' toes since they're going to be around you for a lot of things. The girls are great, especially now that the girls started to mature." That caught Jace's attention, Walter smirked and got back to what he meant before by telling him, "You need to learn to do laundry anyway so mom will show you. Don't think your sister doesn't do it, she'll have her own things to do soon since Jasmine isn't going to let her go without 'the talk' about girl stuff. She's the right age for having a period, I know that's coming very soon." Jace winced while Joy gasped in shock. Jasmine wisely led her away while Gabby told Jace, "You'll be going to your old house after Jasmine is done with your sister. I wanted to talk to you about your name, I know you don't like it so I'll ask if you want it changed to Jace legally. You're old enough to ask for it to be done, and I'm not entirely happy with Ezekiel as a name. I love Zeke but the name is painful." Jace nodded and asked, "Can you change it? Mom thought dad might come back but he said I wasn't his son. Mom tried to say that I was named after her uncle but nobody bought it." Gabby laughed then shot back, "She was half right. Your dad was named after Zeke, my ex-husband and he were friends for years so Ezekiel was named in his honor. Zeke only kept the name after he left the family because it meant something to him: your great-great-uncle, his own namesake. The man isn't a bad man and he told Zeke to be his own man even if it meant turning his back on the Williams family. He took it to heart and did just that, taking my family name as his own but keeping his first name." Jace looked away in sham then asked Gabby, "Is it true, that you and my aunts and uncles hang around with a lot of tranny freaks?" Gabby shook her head then carefully explained to him, "Yes and no. There's a lot of transgender girls and boys who are part of our family, but they are far from freaks. The only freaks in our family are the few who couldn't accept people who are different. That includes your father and uncles. Jessie hates to think about it but her husband's family were part of the reason why the Williams family were so horrid to our family and why we are so hated by a lot of people." Jace's attention was now focused solely on Gabby. She smiled and told him, "The Williams family really know how to lie. It's not a crime to be transgender, nor is it to be gay. We love them deeply, especially as I know they are people who have an unlimited capacity for good and love. You will likely get to be in the same class with transgender girls who I'm happy are just like their mothers." Gabby saw the confusion on his face then slowly told him, "No, they don't have their balls or tits cut off when they come out. No, they don't want to bang girls and boys just because they're genetics aren't the way they feel that they should be. No, they aren't a danger to anyone. No, you won't be forced to dress as a girl just because you're around girls who're in transition. I know for a fact that Liv is just like her mom in looks and body while Anne is the spitting image of her mom even if she's not her genetic mom. It's a lot of hearsay and conjecture by ignorant idiots who force their views on others, you don't know a lot about girls and boys who're in transition but you'll learn soon enough." Gabby hugged him to avoid his impending tears, telling him softly, "You didn't know. You were kept in the dark for a horrible reason: the truth would shatter their world. They don't want to see things as they are, they only want things to remain as they were 30 years ago. Your grandparents hate change." Gabby then asked if he was feeling like a girl. He looked away in shame and admitted, "Joy dressed me as a girl a lot when we went out for walks around town. I didn't fight her, I loved being her sister but I am not a girl. Grandpa beat me each time, he always knew. Grandma said if I did it again she'd cut my balls off and make me be a girl for real. I haven't done it in a year, Joy is afraid that they would do it to me for real. I don't want to be a girl, I just wanted Joy happy. Nobody wants to go near her because of grandpa. He's a creep, he leers at girls and grandma said if he touched another girl she'd leave him." Gabby asked what he meant, Jace looked away in shame and told her, "He had sex with Joy's friend last year. He was arrested but got out of it because the girl fled to Maine and wouldn't tell any of the police what happened. Grandma wouldn't let him watch us alone anymore, Joy couldn't stay home with him and I couldn't go with them where they went. I think she said the doctor but I don't know." Gabby was turning red and explained to him, "We'll look into that. Someone is in trouble, that shouldn't have happened at all. Your sister probably had to go on birth control, I swear he did things to her but we don't know and can't do anything unless she tells us. Your family likely helped him out, that won't be allowed to stand- Oscar and your uncle Reed will report this and the right folks will investigate." Jace looked scared, Gabby assured him but that wasn't successful. She gave in and had Walter lead him downstairs to wait while she talked with Joy about what Jace had said. In her room, Joy was asked by Jasmine about periods. Joy blushed and admitted that she hadn't had one yet leading Jasmine to smirk and tell her, "It's coming soon. Don't deny it because you're too developed to not be close to one. Your aunts said they started around the same age, so it's inevitable." Gabby entered and sat down, then asked about the sex incident. Joy growled, "He was caught having sex with my friend last summer when we were supposed to be at a sleepover. Jace was kicked out, she lied to her parents about where she was going. He caught Grandpa and her having sex and called for help." Gabby asked about the girl, Joy shook her head and confessed, "I told the police but they wouldn't do a thing about it. I talked with DCF but they wouldn't help her. I told the school and they forced DCF and the police to finally do something. Her parents were angry and moved her away. The police claimed she couldn't be contacted so the case was dropped. I told grandpa he was lucky, try it again with me or any of my friends and I would cut his balls off and send them to the police as a warning." Gabby hugged her to calm her. Jasmine was texting someone to which Gabby told her, "He knows. He's going to talk with the DA about this. He isn't happy, nobody is." Gabby saw the look of anger on Joy's face so explained to the girl, "Your uncle Reed is the dully elected Attorney General of Massachusetts. This is a serious crime that got swept under the rug and he can't let it go. He will ensure justice for that girl, especially as certain people had to have forced it to end." Looking at Joy, Gabby started to ask her a few questions which caused Jasmine to smile and Gabby to tell her, "It's coming tomorrow. Congratulations, you're a woman now. You are about to have your first period, you are starting to feel the onset of the symptoms: bloating, cramps, mood swings. Jasmine can tell you how to work the pads and tampons, she needs the practice since she avoids her sister's kids." Jasmine winced which got Joy to calm herself. Gabby hugged and kissed Joy, then softly told her, "You aren't alone, you're just a woman now. Things will change for you, boys will be all over you. You're a smart girl and we will trust you but just to be sure you'll have a teacher in each class who's part of our family. You'll also have family members as classmates to look out for you, but go easy on the boys. It's tough to live up to their parents' reputations, especially when it comes to sex and school." Joy gasped at hearing that, Jasmine whined, "You know darn well that they planned all of that and she's not going to have sex until at least senior year if not college! We aren't all like Michael and Courtney!" Joy wanted an explanation, Jasmine growled, "Your aunt and uncle did it graduation night, your cousin Johnny was the result. My 3rd-cousin Trinity and her girlfriend Ronda did it with after the prom. Rose and her girlfriend Sydney did it after prom and a few times when alone. All three had babies." Gabby happily explained, "Yes, they had sex with women. Trinity and Sydney are transgender and were both still able to make semen despite years of hormones. We'll put you on birth control if you want it, but I hope you won't have sex until you're 18." Joy growled, "Grandma put me on it in case grandpa got drunk and tried to have his way with me. She's an idiot, if he tried to do it with me I'd cut his balls off before he got close to me. I heard it's going to be a pain on my period so it's probably why I haven't had one yet." Gabby used that as her segue and softly informed her, "It regulates it, you weren't ready for one yet so it simply helped you before needing to help you. It's fine, I'd rather you take it as a precaution anyway. I don't mind you having a boyfriend but please: no sex yet." Joy blushed and nodded, with Jasmine happily telling Gabby, "She's not ready for one yet. If she was I doubt she'd have told you about the pills. You know I did the same thing when I got mine." Gabby let it go and ushered Joy out with Walter being told to not make a mess. Jasmine wisely told her that they wouldn't do anything, showing the kids that they were under the same rules as them while the two also saw that they weren't going to be treated differently just because they were married. In the car, Gabby asked if they needed anything then drove on to Byfield to gather the kids' things with Zeke already there and confidently telling the duo, "You won't get any trouble from your relatives. I told the one person who could stop everyone from harassing you. It might not fully work, but the worst are aware of how serious things are." Gabby didn't elaborate and the kids gathered their things quickly. She snickered at Jace's attempts to be masculine but having a security blanket while Joy had stuffed animals: they were still kids inside. In the car, Gabby sagely told Jace, "Walter has his baby blanket in his room and Jasmine still has one of her stuffed animals from when she was four. Your aunts had the same until your dad tossed them out to show them they weren't kids anymore. Walter couldn't sleep without his blanket, even when sleeping at his best friend's house. It's natural, some kids need to feel secure even as teenagers." Back at home, Gabby inspected the kids' clothes and smiled at Jace trying to look mature while Joy had a wild streak showing. She shook her head at Joy's bras, with Gabby fighting the urge to ask about the small and overtly sexy selection. Jasmine laughed at it, knowing it was due to the Williams' ignorance. Jace's underwear caused Jasmine to want to snicker while Gabby wisely said nothing about any of the panties mixed in with his briefs. Jace was about to run off scared to which Gabby asked if wore them to be girly or if his sister dressed him like a girl. Jace looked down in shame and mumbled, "It was because of the girls. The boys won't have anything to do with me because grandpa was such a scumbag and grandma hates everyone. I liked wearing them, it was better than the boxers grandpa got me- I hate boxers! Joy hid them in her clothes and gave them to me whenever we were alone, the girls loved playing dressup until they saw I liked seeing them naked. I haven't dressed in a year, grandpa wouldn't let us out after Joy's friend moved away." Gabby hugged him while Jasmine wisely added, "It's nothing that Walter didn't do. He dressed for me to see what my clothes looked like on someone. My cousins were too big or small and Walter would do anything I asked of him. All of the guys in the family dress as girls one day each summer, the most recent is next month so you aren't alone in dressing. Pop looks terrible in a dress, dad always finds a way of being somewhere else whenever it's held." Gabby showed multiple pictures, with Zeke looking like he wanted to be anywhere else. He had a lot of kids around him causing Gabby to explain, "Those are you cousins. The eldest is Johnny Finn, the young pest dancing in his dress is Graham Pierce. You met his father Oscar, he had to work that day so he was busy- it wasn't his fault, he's the only one whose work wasn't planned!" Jace felt better, with Jasmine walking off while Gabby helped him put away his clothes. Joy was busy in her own room putting her clothes away and blushed at Jasmine shaking her head at the lingerie. Joy was going to say something but Jasmine simply let Gabby do the talking as it was her job as guardian. Jasmine asked Joy about her brother's reaction to dressing, getting Joy to blush and tell her, "He did it to be like us. The boys were jerks and were jealous of him being close to me, they tormented him and was going to beat him up in school until the other girls took him in as an 'honorary girl'. He didn't like it as we made him dress like us and enjoyed sleepovers at their houses in drag. Their parents were OK with it but had strict rules about how he had to act. He didn't know that one of the girls was born a boy, she didn't want him to feel like a girl if he wasn't one inside. We never told him, her parents swore that he was going to be protected in case grandpa and grandma went after us over it." Jasmine laughed and blurted out, "Those were Megan's friends!" Joy asked what she meant, Jasmine happily told her, "Her parents are cousins of us. They aren't blood to us but their grandparents are friends with our parents so we're like cousins. Megan's dad is chief of the Endicott Police and her mom owns a bunch of businesses in that town. Her cousins' kids likely were at the sleepovers too, it's gotta be why they accepted Jace: their aunt is transgender and was abused." Joy didn't fully comprehend what was going on. Jasmine sat her on the bed then explained in full to her, "Megan, Deborah, and Wyatt Bailey. The two elder names you don't recognize because they were with their cousins but Megan I know you know. You stayed at Megan's house. Remember the huge man who made you feel intimidated and who told you to behave? That was Ian, her father. Her mother was out at the time so gave you space, usually she's strict with the kids and wouldn't have let Jace come. Ian loves Megan too much to deny her requests, she wanted Jace to be safe from your grandparents." Joy started to recall that weekend, with Jasmine nodding and adding, "If he had known who you were it would have meant your grandparents having to face Ma and Pa in court over your right to live with her. And she would have won, since you have more paternal family than maternal and all of them know the kind of emotional trauma you endured. Your grandparents are sly, they never told the state about your dad so Ma and Pa didn't get to know about them- that changed today. You're a Bollinger, that means a Finn too and you not only get Uncle Ricardo fighting for you: you get all of us." That was a segue into more explanations, Jasmine shook her head and added, "Uncle Ricardo is related to you through his mother. She's your great-grandfather's cousin. He is a lawyer and the one who gets a lot of action in court defending kids' rights. We're all considered 'Finns' because of Uncle John, who's also related to you through the same way- his mom was Great-Aunt Victoria's sister. Uncle John is all of our uncles by choice even if we aren't blood to him, you are blood so he'll ensure that you meet him and know that you aren't going to see your grandparents ever again. He's serious about this, he'll ask to ensure that you aren't hurt further. And it gets worse for you: he'll be your geography teacher so there's no way of getting out of him knowing you no matter what." Smirking, she happily admitted, "You might have some issues with boys this year. You're gorgeous and it'll be tough to keep them away. Thankfully you'll have protectors: Mario, Eli, and Rider. Rider's twin sister Quinn will be itching to get to know you, it's been tough on her without any girls her age in the family especially one who's so closely related to her. You're her cousin through her mom, so she's your closest relative by blood. Rider is as well but he tends to stay around the boys to give her space." Joy meekly asked about the boys, with Jasmine teasing, "Eli is maturing faster than we had hoped and is a hunk! He's quiet and tends to stick close to his uncle Thomas. Mario is slower to develop but is the kind of boy you want to date: smart, funny, nice, knows how to deal with girls struggling emotionally. I think you'll do well dating him, it helps that he's not related to you in any way except unofficially." Joy blushed, Jasmine got the reaction that she needed from the girl. She knew what she was doing, the kids would have done it anyway but having Quinn and Joy get close allowed both to have someone to confide in while allowing Joy the chance to avoid potential vultures waiting to manipulate her. Mario was going to be tough to deal with due to his parents, but as Joy was known already to Jenna, his mother, things would develop on their own and the hopes that the two might have a spark made things a lot easier. Worst case, the two become friends and leave things alone. Best case, they chose to date. Over in Jace's room, Walter casually told him, "You already had inquiries from your cousins. I told your aunt Jessie that you're likely to be her daughter Gabriela's class, and should have her friend Kelly's twins with her. All three of you are 13 and knowing them you're not going to get out of spending time with them as either protection or friendship. Don't worry about their parents, the twins' dad is all bark and no bite but their mom is nasty when mad. And don't you dare upset their sister- she's transgender. She was the only one to transition before starting school, so is more girl than a lot of girls in this city." Jace didn't know how to react, Walter smirked and showed him pictures of Heather Ross causing Jace to react in a way he didn't want to. Walter happily added, "Yes, they're real. Yes, she still has 'it' but it's due to her being only 16. She doesn't want to lose her summer due to surgery so is waiting two years." He couldn't believe what Walter was saying, with Walter sighing and adding, "The only way to tell what her genetics really are is to look in her panties. She's all woman, she's even dating Claire Peterson- and yes, trans girls can date genetic girls. I know your sister knows about Sydney and Trinity, two girls who got their girlfriends pregnant in high school. They aren't the first to have that happen to them while the couple were dating- that was my cousins Addison and Carmen, who had twin boys one of whom is also like Heather, Trinity, and Sydney but who went through a lot worse." Jace was unsure how to think. Walter sighed and grumbled, "Mom will kill me for telling you all of this but Brady Carter, the girl I just told you about, castrated herself to show that she was a girl and would not be a boy no matter what anyone said. I'm serious, she cut off her balls in school and ended up in the hospital for it. She went through hell all year because the principal was a racist scumbag who used the color of his skin to force people to give him things he had no business getting: his degree, his job, a lot of money. He tried to have Brady removed from her mothers' care then got caught lying to the police. It was horrible for all of us, especially her twin brother. I do mean twin: identical in all ways except for a little birth mark on their butts that their moms and our moms only know about." Jace let that sink in, Walter didn't say any more while Zeke added a firm, "They're girls. Brady had a lot worse than the others had and ended up having surgery to correct her issues but make no mistake: all of them are girls. Your sister will be in school with four, but there's more. You already met one without it being known, we didn't know who you were and we're upset about it but that was because Sheila and the Jameses didn't know your family name or what it meant to all of us. Had they known, we would've had both of you here last year and ensured that you got help instead of wallowing in that deathtrap." Zeke led him out to where Gabby was waiting, with Jasmine having to be signaled to not speak yet. It took all of her might but she held off saying anything allowing the family to drive off to go shopping to get the kids what they needed as well as give Jace a chance to let the revelations settle in. The drive was fast and the kids found what they needed quickly. Zeke looked over what led Jace had gotten then led him to where he could get a decent set of clothes to make him look more mature beyond the usual kids stuff he had chosen while Gabby took a reluctant Joy to find the needed outfits that made Joy look like a normal teen and put back all of the revealing outfits Joy tried to get. Joy had a look of embarrassment as Gabby shook her head at the crop tops and, "Daisy Duke" shorts in the carriage, with Gabby telling her, "Not going to happen. You're too young for any of those cuts and I know for a fact that your great-uncle Jake forbids them in school. It's still warm out, but not that warm. All of your aunts had this same fight with me so you are just following the family tradition. You'll never fit in them anyway. Don't try to claim that it's not true, you're going to develop more in the hips and butt making it too small for you. You're just starting to fill out, by the time you are old enough to wear those clothes you'll be too big for those sizes anyway." Gabby heard laughter and groaned as she saw her two elder daughters taking their daughters shopping. Joy put all of the clothes back and tried to find something else while Gabby told the two ladies, "Don't say anything to her yet. She doesn't know who you are and she doesn't need your jokes yet. In case you didn't notice, she's not exactly used to being told what to do without someone screaming at her. I can see it on her face, she is fighting tears at choosing the wrong outfits. Send Gabriela and Quinn over, she could use the help of girls her age." The girls walked on to where Joy was struggling with clothes, trying hard to find something that would fit her and not upset Gabby. Quinn was larger than her cousin but had a stronger sense of style, while styling was the weakest point of Gabriela's repertoire of skills but she had a knack for sizing people. The duo looked over what Joy had and put back most of the t-shirts and jeans, grabbing multiple pairs of skirts and blouses as well as leggings. Joy was embarrassed but Quinn happily told her, "You need to wear some of these, your legs are a little too long for those capris and the jeans aren't the right cut for your butt. Trust us: they'll bunch in all of the wrong places. They've made it look like we had penises!" Gabriela wisely explained, "Grandma wanted us to help you. She knows what you'll look like, you're a lot like mom! This lug nut is like Aunt Courtney, only without her brains. I'm Gabriela Pena and she's Quinn Finn. We're your cousins- 1st cousins, through our moms and your dad." Quinn looked angry while Gabriela added, "She's just mad that she got caught wearing a halter top that her mom didn't buy. She's not allowed to show off her body like that, but she wants to make the guys at the beach look at her instead of our cousins. Aunt Courtney didn't like it, Uncle Michael told her that if she was going to waste her money on that stuff she'll have to get a job to buy her own clothes." Quinn sighed and added, "It's because of Anne and Liv. The guys are being pains about them, they're all over them but neither like them. Mario and Ryder are fighting to keep the guys away from us but none of the guys think that the guys are serious. They are serious: if they don't stop harassing Liv and Anne the two are going to beat the crap out of the guys." Joy asked what was the matter with Liv and Anne, Quinn looked away in shame and admitted, "They're both transgender. They like boys, but none of the guys in school are good with them. They are lucky to have Grandpa John to protect them, nobody dares to go after Liv and Anne because of him." Joy wasn't sure how to react, Gabriela happily explained, "He's super rich, he's also one of the longest-tenured teachers at the school and is close with a lot of powerful people. And not just dad, I mean he's close with Senator James, Governor Victor, and a lot of the city council and many legislators. Nobody in Massachusetts will mess with him, everyone is scared of him or knows he's more dangerous than any mobster and doesn't have to fear the FBI or State Police going after him since he doesn't break the law! He's also super nice and is probably already aware that you're living with grandma and grandpa. It isn't something that Quinn likes to tout, but being a Finn is something everyone in the state is jealous of- especially as she's part of the main family and not one of the branches like I am." Quinn groaned and added, "Her great-grandma is grandpa's aunt so we're 3rd-cousins. She's part of the Castillo branch even though her grandpa isn't blood to Grandpa John. You're part of it too, you have the strongest link since you're actually a blood relative of Gruncle John and Great-great-aunt Victoria. Her grandpa, as dad so we aren't blood relatives even if I'm a Finn by birth. But you actually are. You get the benefit of being a Finn all the more! Finns are Williams too, as are Castillos!" Joy shook her head but Quinn shot back, "You're family. Even if they hated our family, you are still one of us and Grandpa John doesn't let family go it alone. It's our job to protect family, especially someone in need of help. Mom and dad won't let you forget that you're family, nor will Grandpa John." The girls led Joy back to Gabby and held off saying anything to their mothers. Gabby wisely told them to wait until after dinner as the others would want to be there too. She then told Jace, "Don't let Ryder or Johnny intimidate you. They may be bigger but they take after their dads. And don't worry about Lee if he's in one of his moods, he's jealous of the guys thanks to kids being jerks about his smaller size." In the car, Joy asked about Anne and Liv. Gabby laughed and shot back a happy, "They're just girls with something extra that will be taken care of in three years. They're a year older than you but they're also a lot of fun to be around. You'll meet the whole lot in a couple of days, I know they won't want you to start school without knowing them. If they ask if you want to join the cheerleading team, you can. But I won't make you do it if you don't want to. You might want to play volleyball or soccer like your aunt." Looking at the silent Jace, Gabby added, "The Ross twins will be coming around to see you. Jessie can't keep their mother in the dark for long due to their sister Heather so expect them to vet you. They're not too bad, they're hyperactive but are decent guys. Lee will keep them from going overboard with you. It might take a couple of times to get used to them, but the trio are normally good with new people." At home, Gabby had the kids put their clothes away while Gabby prepared dinner. Walter and Jasmine tried to head out but were stopped by Gabby insisting on them being there to show the kids that it was a serious meeting. The two wisely sat down and texted someone that they weren't going out that night. Not long after, the doorbell rang and the various members of the Bollinger family started to enter. Jace and Joy were anxious especially as they hear multiple men talking while kids were giggling and teens could be heard whispering about them. Joy tried to comfort him but the look on her face showed that it was mutual anxiety and she was no better off than him at that moment. Gabby sought them out and led them downstairs, with her holding back a laugh as the adults tried hard to not say something about the duo. One finally lost her composure and blurted out, "Seriously? None of you are going to say it? Who bought the time machine and brought Jessie and Walter to the future!" That was followed by a laugh while the woman next to him shot back, "Don't feel bad that they're still trying to find the ooze you glorped out of." Gabby let the laughter settle before announcing to the kids, "Meet your aunts, uncles, cousins, 2nd-cousns, great-aunt, and great-uncle. I apologize for Will, Claire forgot his muzzle so he can't help but be a joker. Thankfully she's able to counter him and stop him from talking too much." She introduced Will, Jack, Claire, and Marcy Bollinger and their parents Jake and Beverly. Moving on, she introduced Francesca and Donald Bollinger followed by Michael and Courtney Finn. That was then followed by introductions to Reed and Jessie Pena, with Reed looking back and forth at Joy and Jessie. Finally, she introduced Amy and Oscar Pierce, with Oscar causing Joy and Jace to move back as they recognized him from that morning. Gabby explained to them, "Oscar was lucky to be the one who was there. You aren't in trouble, you didn't do anything wrong. He's just tired from working all day." The kids kept back to let their parents meet the group, but Marcy's infant son demanded attention so it ended up being the icebreaker as the other kids wanted to meet the duo. Amy's son Graham latched on to Joy and wouldn't let go, causing her to feel weird about being so close to a little kid. Joy realized the little boy was doing it on purpose and there was a downside to having little kids. Jace got lucky, but couldn't escape the clutches of his great-aunt causing him to relent and let her give him attention. Jake wisely told his sister Gabby, "Those damn bastards knew. There's no way in hell that they didn't know he was your grandson, they knew dad and mom for years: he's a Bollinger by blood!" Gabby nodded while Beverly added, "They knew full well what would happen if they were united with a blood relative stronger than them: they'd lose state money. DCF needs to explain why they didn't look at stronger blood relatives, even if they were with their maternal family somethings stink and it's not the low tide at the beach. Someone was paid-off to keep them a secret from us and it might explain Oscar's constant heavy work load- keep him away from the area and they have nobody watching." Oscar grunted while Joy and Jace remained silent. Courtney told them that it was time for dinner, there was no argument as the pediatric nurse gave the adults a look that said, "Listen to me or else." Joy was stuck with little Graham refusing to sit without her making her have to feed him while he gave his parents a smirk. Gabby shook her head and told the toddler, "No dessert. She's not a toy and you're not going to use her to get what you want. You better not go in the diaper or else you're grounded." He gave a grunt and waddled off, leaving Joy to wonder what happened. Gabby sighed and told her, "He is trying to act up for you so he gets attention on him. He realized that you're too new to kids so don't have an idea how to deal with a bratty toddler. He won't try this again, he learned his lesson hard." Zeke called it a night but told the kids, "You'll meet the rest tomorrow. Your uncle's kids were with their aunt and grandparents tonight and Will's kids were with their maternal cousins. Quinn opted to go here instead of with them so they didn't bug us with texts and phone calls about you." The Bollingers left but fist saw Graham kissing Joy goodbye while Beverly got Jace to blush with one. It made both feel warm, as if they were loved by others for the first time in their lives. Neither wanted to admit it, but they were happy to be in Gabby and Zeke's care. Before they turned in for the night, Gabby and Zeke checked in on the kids and saw Joy was out of her room only to find her in bed with Jace. She had him in a tight embrace, having clearly cried before she sought her brother out. Jace was cuddling a stuffed bear, one who had a familiar Boston Red Sox jersey on and who looked to be well-worn but still loved. The two decided to ignore that Joy was topless while in bed with Jace and that Jace was clearly in a pair of panties. Whatever sparked a need to dress like that could wait, but they'd speak to the two about it in the morning. Zeke just shook his head at it, he could tell that it was their way of coping with tough situations without complaint and likely Joy's only protection from her grandfather's antics. In the morning, Gabby helped Joy in the bathroom while Zeke talked with Jace. Gabby wasn't trying to sound upset, but Joy was frightened of her questions. Gabby simply asked, "Is this something that you do often? I understand why, I just don't want Walter upset at seeing you like this." Joy was in tears and cried into Gabby's arms. Gabby softly explained to her, "You're too old to sleep in a bed with your brother, especially as you're about to have your first period. He's maturing as well, it's hard not to notice the hairs on his legs and subtle cracking of his voice. You have your own space, it's a place that belongs to you and only you. You don't have to share it with him anymore, we'd prefer that it was just you but if you need someone to sleep with you we'll adopt a dog to protect you." Joy nodded and explained, "Grandpa and grandma would fight and I was always afraid that they'd come after us. Jace is a heavy sleeper and wouldn't get up in time to escape. He's not like other boys, I love it about him but he's just no match for grandpa especially half asleep." Gabby nodded then added, "He's not as meek as he thinks he is. He's going to be able to defend himself- I know he can. I've seen it with Donald and Michael and Will. I know he'll grow big and strong." Over in Jace's room, Zeke asked about the panties. Jace was embarrassed but confessed, "It's what I've always worn when upset. I'm afraid of what you'll do to us. I know you say you want to protect us and care about us, but you only just had us dumped on you. I'm not a girl, I only wear them out of feeling as if I have to wear them for Joy's sake. She's not good with males, especially older ones. She is scared of what you'll do to her. She won't admit it, but she's afraid of you." Zeke was angry and showed it, but calmed himself and explained authoritatively, "If I ever did anything to either of you I'd be castrated and beaten to within an inch of my life before turned over to Jorge and Victoria Castillo. You don't know of them, but you've heard of them. They're the only people to make our family run and hide. Jorge is an old man but he's highly respected to the point of being worshiped by all in this city. He protects kids, to harm one in any way brings his wrath. I'd never make it to trial, I would be lucky to not get buried alive in the Rumney Marsh mudflats. That's not a joke, I'd be dead if I ever laid a finger on either of you- even sooner if I did what your grandfather did to that girl." Sighing, Zeke added, "You two are family by blood so you are even stronger linked to them. I mean it: I wouldn't last a day. I know you don't trust us, but try to let us earn your trust. We want to help you, but it's going to take a while to build that trust. We've dealt with kids like you for years, but you're the first who have a lot of baggage against us. Jasmine's elder sister was the closest but her situation was dire. I hope yours never reaches that level, I want you two to be safe and happy even if it means that we have to give you up to Courtney, Amy, Donald, or Jessie. Michael, Oscar, Francesca, and Reed are amazing parents with in-laws who'd do anything to help you, but I would rather it not come down to that." Jace asked if it was alright that he wears panties. Zeke nodded, adding, "If it makes you feel better then I would rather you be alright. Others might not accept it, and there are many who'd hurt you for doing it. None of your relatives will care, the younger kids might not understand but won't make fun of you." Jace let out a sigh of relief and went to change. He hugged Zeke who hugged him back, crying into his shoulder while Zeke softly told him, "I'll ask Fiona Nelson to talk with you. She's a psychologist who's experienced with crossdressing and transgender kids. There isn't much she hasn't heard yet that will upset her so don't feel like you have to appease her." Over breakfast Gabby told the duo that they'd register for school and then meet some people who had a keen interest in talking with them. Neither said anything but Zeke seemed to understand that there was a lot more going on than she was able to tell at the time. The two dressed for the day and hugged Zeke goodbye with Gabby happily telling Jace, "He's going to the middle school so will see us there." Jace looked concerned. Gabby shook her head at his fear and explained, "He's the school's gym phys ed teacher. I'll take you there later as I have to talk with your new principal. Both he and his wife are very familiar with what's going on with you through the family grapevine. It's hard to keep anything a secret with the kids talking to one another, especially as Gabriela won't lie to them. Jessica probably had to tell her brother-in-law who's married to the duo's daughter so both principals know about you by now." Gabby received a phone call as she was cleaning their breakfast, with Jace being told, "Fiona will meet the two of you at her office this afternoon. She wants to talk with both of you and needs to know all of the things that your grandparents have done to you. I know Zeke said you'd speak to her, but it sounds as if Reed had to hand off his suspicions to the State Police. I'm sorry, but it's extremely important." Both didn't answer. They had nothing to lose so wouldn't lie to Fiona. They had no idea just how she was connected to them, but things were complicated beyond just Reed and Zeke asking them to speak. The two went upstairs to change and saw Jace eyeing the panties then putting them away. He felt like it was something he didn't need to do anymore, Zeke had shown that he cared about them and Gabby had shown that there wasn't any need to be afraid of either of them. Panties were a girl's item of clothing, it wasn't what he wanted to wear and for once in his life he was happy to be a boy and not a girl. That caused him to tremble in fear. Gabby saw him standing in his underwear after he took a long time to get dressed causing her to hug him and ask what was wrong. He was in tears, he didn't know why he felt that way but something clicked in him that he had never had happen before. Gabby asked him what was wrong, he shed tears and told her, "I don't know what's wrong with me. It's the first time that I've ever felt like I'm a boy and not a girl who had to act like a boy. I'm used to being Joy's little sister whenever we weren't in school or with our grandparents. Everyone treated us better as girls, they didn't look down on us for being white trash or unwanted kids. I don't want to be a girl, I've never been a girl. I want to be a normal boy, but I don't want Joy upset at not being her sister again." Gabby hugged him and softly explained to him, "You never have to be what you aren't. I would rather it be two happy grandkids than one happy and one miserable. I know you aren't transgender and I doubt that you are a crossdresser. You aren't showing any of the signs of being one, you did what a lot of boys did to survive. I'll talk with Joy about this, she might not have known how you felt and if she insists on it we'll set her straight. Your feelings matter, you are her brother, not her sister. You don't have to worry about how others see you as you're our grandson and you have countless people happy to be family to you. You've met some of them, there's five times that amount happy to meet you when they can." He hugged her tightly then tearfully said, "Thanks, grandma." Joy was listening and was upset at losing her little sister. Gabby wisely told her, "He can't do it again. It isn't what he is inside, he did it to keep you happy but it's hurting him. You'll find a few friends who accept it, if the ones you used to have didn't accept him as a boy then they weren't real friends. I know that Megan's own friends won't be happy to hear just why Jace was really with them." Joy was disappointed, offered a sad, "I liked Jaycee. She was more fun than Jace, she never complained about makeup or what dolls we used. Jace just whined about doing things with anyone then ran for his room to sulk until our grandparents were asleep. I'm going to miss Jaycee." Joy was in tears, with Jace unsure what to do. Gabby smiled and softly told him, "She's having her first period. It's happening tonight, it's the biggest sign so far that we can see. She loves you but she's facing her hormones for the first time. She means well, but she doesn't realize how much dressing as a girl is hurting you. It's not her fault, it's your grandparents' fault as much as your neighbors and her friends." He understood and finished getting dressed, with Joy never noticing that he was in his underwear and if she did she didn't say anything about it. Gabby led Joy to her room, sat her down, then told her, "It's the worst feeling but it's for the best. He's your brother, and he loves you more than you'll ever know. But it's also clear that you're now a young woman so we'll get some supplies for tonight. I'll help you with it but you need to know for when you have your next one. You'll also do your own laundry now." Gabby had to spend a half hour helping Joy with her feminine issues, with Jace wisely waiting for them to finish. He didn't say anything, but hugged Joy when she came downstairs. Gabby whisked the two to the car and smiled as Joy looked better while Jace kept silent over what was happening to Joy. The drive was quick, with the two being ushered inside city hall then led to the school department. The duo were silent as Gabby signed the forms, showed custody paperwork, then signaled someone to keep back from the kids. They never noticed all eyes were on them, but Gabby nodded to a few people on the way out as well as told one person, "I'll call you in a bit, hold off the inquisition." Gabby explained to the kids, "That was Alice Porter, superintendent of schools and Reed's aunt. She's a tough person to upset and even tougher on people trying to hurt family. She knows about your situation and had to see for herself that you were doing well. She'll hear about you later, first we have to see the principals about your schooling. Sadly, you aren't in the same school but aren't alone. Both of you have a bunch of people close by in your class. Joy, you have Mario Daniels, Eli Samuels, and your cousins Quinn and Ryder. You didn't meet Ryder yesterday since he was with Mario and Eli. As for you, Jace, you have your cousin Gabriela and the Ross twins, Carl and Henry. Carl has the hots for Gabriela which she reciprocates so don't go overboard trying to protect her as she can handle things herself if he gets too grabby. Be weary of Wendy Nelson. She's a nice girl but can go overboard trying to be mature. She's not related to you but her mom and aunt are close to your aunts so all eyes will be on you. It might be premature, but she took an interest in you already just by hearing about you from them." Jace blushed while Joy tried to tease him. Gabby wisely added, "Eli and Mario are competitive so might try to date you. Mario is a great guy and I hope he's the one you decide to date, but Eli isn't so bad- he just needs to spend less time trying to act like your uncle Will and more like his father." Joy now blushed as Gabby got her point across. Both were going to be courted and if trends continued the two had a lot of loving support behind them. She was almost ready for the realization that she there was going to be a year or two before she became a great-grandmother, with her finally accepting that it was time catching up to her and she was seeing the next generation blooming before her. Jace tried to picture what Wendy looked like while Joy pictured Mario as a big, buff, strong guy. Gabby had a smile on her face as she recognized the looks, it was one of pure lust with Jace trying hard to not react to thinking about a girl that way. Neither knew what the duo looked like, yet had images of them. Gabby stopped outside the middle school and led them inside, with both smiling at seeing Zeke inside with a man who had a scowl on his face as he talked with Zeke. Zeke listened then angrily told the man, "I don't care if you don't want them in your class, I won't help you. Did you seriously think that I'd go out of my way to help someone run off students? Really? Just because of who my family is? You must have never heard of my wife's family, especially my son-in-law. I'll be sure to pass on that bit of advice to him that you gave me, he loves putting idiots in their place, especially teachers." The man tried to threaten Zeke but stopped short when he was told, "We were prepared for your actions and Zeke here played the part perfectly. You're done, Williams. You're terminated effective yesterday. I talked with the superintendent and union president, you violated multiple laws in your actions." Gabby laughed as the man tried to threaten Zeke. Zeke calmly told him, "Thomas Samuels gave you the exact same warning last week: stop or you'll be fired. You chose to ignore him. He might be a phys ed teacher, but he's still a teacher. He told you that I wouldn't help you. You may be my cousin's kid but I am damn sure not going to toss away 38 years of hard work for you. You're done, leave before we have officers remove you. Don't try to retaliate, it'll only make you look worse. And before you try threats, I have my own support that'll rip apart yours without a second thought. Lord knows my son-in-law has a big hard-on for your family as it is. And they are yours alone, I refused to be part of it 22 years ago when your father broke into my house and threatened my fiance!" The teacher left, with Zeke telling Gabby, "He cadged a job from the assistant superintendent but left out that I've been estranged from the family for 25 years. The moron wasn't even born when they tried to break us up, he didn't know what he was doing and should have been let go but he slept with him in the hopes that it'd be used to keep his job. They broke-up last week, he got caught cheating with a woman. I feel sorry for the assistant superintendent but he learned from his mistake." Gabby shook her head and smirked, asking, "So he's the one who started dating Brent Jones?" Zeke nodded, adding, "Brent knew him through friends. He tried to warn him but lust got the better of him. Brent is understanding, they make a cute couple. He's older than Brent, but Brent is wiser." Zeke led them inside the office and were greeted by a woman and another man. Zeke quickly told them, "Our pest problem has been taken care of. He really needed that kick in the butt, I don't care if he was a relative: you don't do that to kids. I might be nearing forced retirement but I won't let kids get hurt." Gabby introduced the two people, one was a younger man and the other was an elderly woman. It was clear that Gabby knew both, with Gabby introducing them as Julio Lopez and Dorothy Taylor. Dorothy had to hide a smile while Julio asked if they were Jessie and Walter's niece and nephew. Dorothy couldn't hold back any longer and laughed hard, with Gabby telling Julio, "Do you really have to ask? Yes, they're their niece and nephew. She's Jessie's and he's Walter's spitting image, you missed a lot of Jessie's growing up but she's not much different in looks. You know how Walter looked, and got to change his diaper a few times!" Julio winced at that, with Gabby and Dorothy laughing at his reaction. Zeke wisely told the kids, "He's a recipient of the worst punishment we were willing to give to kids: changing dirty diapers. Your uncle as well as your cousins gave him a lot of unwanted presents as his girlfriend got him into trouble a lot." Joy and Jace looked up at him to see him blushing even worse, with Zeke telling a third man, "They're a lot better now. You can tell the twins that they're doing better than expected even with some of what we know about them. Tell the ladies to give them some time to acclimate, I know Sheila feels terrible but it is a little too early for them to rehash the past. And tell Megan he's not a girl despite what they said. He just did it for Joy's sake and got confused and conflicted over time. He's not a girl inside, just a boy." The man asked what he meant. Zeke sighed and added, "Dressing was only a coping mechanism: better treatment as a girl than a boy. It's not the first time we've heard of it, he doesn't have feminine leanings and doesn't need Jaimie's help. He's not interested in crossdressing or being a transvestite, he just has to be himself in a safe environment. Sheila and Ian meant well, but they likely caused more trouble in helping than they might have done if they let him be himself with them." The man introduced himself as Vance Taylor, Dorothy's husband and Jace's new prinicipal. Jace was a bit upset at being put on the spot but Gabby explained to him, "He had to know in case there was going to be special accommodations in case you were transgender. You aren't. And even if you were, he'd be the first to fight for you against what you saw." She could see him still tense, Zeke explained to him, "That man who was just fired is related to you via your mother. He knew exactly who you were from the same people who likely were responsible for me and your grandmother never being told about your situation. He was trying to set me up for a fall while he got off easy, I was supposed to get fired for what happened to you. That didn't happen." Gabby smirked while Dorothy added, "He tried to set a trap for your grandfather. Zeke knew more than he did, Zeke was with me when he was alerted about what happened to you. That man was told later on by a State Police friend who is dating Zeke's cousin. We setup a trap that used his own trap against him to force both his firing as well as his blacklisting in other schools. He lied about his resume and lied to get a job here by using Zeke as a reference. He failed to disclose several arrests for drunk driving and a major assault. He's untouchable, and now won't be able to get a real job anywhere." Jace was told about his teachers, with Julio smirking at being his math teacher while also told that he'd have a his cousin and the others in his class to keep them all together. Vance wisely added, "He might be your grandfather, but don't expect special treatment. You aren't the first to have a relative as a teacher." The group left, with Jace getting a big kiss from Dorothy while Joy got a big hug. Jace was blushing as he rubbed his cheek, Joy held her tongue as Gabby gave her a look that told her to not make fun of him. The look told her that it wasn't wise to push the limits, especially with Jace still vulnerable. They drove on to the high school and were met by a group who immediately caused concern to Joy. It took all of Gabby's might not to say something, but she lost out and told her, "Your great-uncle Jake had to go and tell your teachers that you'd be coming today. He just couldn't wait until tomorrow to get you ready, he wanted you prepared as I suspect Quinn will be by later to talk." Jake smirked and introduced John Finn, Deborah Peterson, Ben Herman, Miguel Toro, Harper Carter, Beth Herman, Justin Stoner, and Thomas Samuels. Gabby shook her head and asked if they were trying to scare Joy. John happily told her, "Nope, just trying to meet the scions of the prodigal son." Gabby gave him a dirty look to which Jake shot back, "They're nothing like their father. You know fully what their backgrounds are from your own digging, the trio were lazy bums who sponged off of friends and anyone dumb enough to get into bed with them. I feel sorry for the kids' mother but she was just a victim of grooming by Ezekiel. Zeke found the truth from third parties about what he did with her and it wasn't pretty: cheating on her from the start, having her work to the bone while he lounged around all day, got her into debt writing bad checks and cashing them at banks. It's really why he's in prison: bank fraud. His brothers were even dumber: they tried to rob the bank after he left with the bad checks and got a hefty stink in federal prison for their heist." Joy nodded while Jace added, "Dad ran off before the cops could catch him but got caught by troopers in New York. Mom got humiliated and needed grandpa to pay the bank off. Mom had to work hard to pay him back, we got stuck with them after mom was sent to prison. Mom hated having that over her head, it's why she beat us. She did it in front of a judge so it couldn't be claimed that we were lying. The judge said she was unfit and made DCF take us away. He heard about her real job and said she wasn't a fit mother so we should have been removed a long time before then." John got the response he wanted, with Jake adding, "We'll look into it but I suspect I know who helped them. It's likely the worst possible person for that family: he doesn't take any prisoners and won't let it get unpunished. Those two are toast, and he'll ensure that they rot in prison for 10 years or more once he hears about what they did to you and how they got away with it." Gabby asked about the schedule, with Jake explaining, "It's set. All of them are in the same classes so it isn't any different than before. She'll need to know about Liv and Anne so she's ready to help when the inevitable happens. If she has a problem with them I'd rather know about it now." Joy gave a look of concern, John told her, "They're all transgender. Anne is a sweet young lady and Liv is focused on everyone else's enjoyment. They're older than you but you'll still have to interact with them. Both are cheerleaders in case you wanted to join them." Joy looked up at Gabby who nodded, giving Joy a needed bit of happiness. She was clearly intent on it being something that she earned while Gabby happily added, "You don't have to just because everyone else is doing it. You are your own person, I'd rather you did what you wanted to do. Your aunts were a mix of doing volleyball and cheerleading with Jessie getting stuck doing both senior year." Jake laughed while John shot back a happy, "She excelled in both and is the only one ever to do both in the same day. She'll never be matched, but you're your own person so don't have to do anything just to be like them. Just as long as your grades are good you can't upset your grandparents." Gabby led them out and once inside the car told them, "Harper is going to tell Sheila and Ian about you so the two aren't any more upset. Her daughter-in-law's sister lives next door and will ensure that they know that you are doing well. Miguel was there to satisfy his nieces while Justin was there to help with anything else. All of them are experienced with abused kids, especially Justin." Letting that sink in, she then added, "Deborah is transgender, as is John's, Ben and Beth's, and Harper's daughters and Justin's wife and daughter. They were ready to help in case Jace was transgender, but it's a moot point as he's just a normal boy who dressed to appease his older sister. They are there if you're in need of advice or help and won't hesitate to protect you in school. John might go overboard but it's a natural reaction with him: he cares about kids, especially his family. And you are his family- by blood." The trio drove on to an office building, with the kids looking afraid but Gabby explained, "It's needed. I don't want to take any chances, you need to talk with Fiona about what has happened to you as there's a lot of issues that are coming up that are going to hurt your grandparents. I don't like it any more than you do, but it's better safe than sorry." Fiona Nelson met them as Gabby got the paperwork signed, with her grinning widely at seeing the two up close. Gabby had to tell her, "Jasmine was purposely vague and didn't show any pictures to protect them. She doesn't know everything involving them but has her suspicions. Jace is the one to talk to, but I think Joy could use a talk with a professional. She doesn't know her limits, you might be able to help as only an older sister can. Jessie deferred to you on purpose, she's too close to the source." Fiona led Jace inside allowing Gabby to sit Joy down and explain to her, "He has a lot of emotional and likely psychological issues to deal with that were hidden by the abuse by your mother and now by your grandparents. It's tough admitting them to someone new so please don't tease him about this. She'll be out to talk with you after Jace is done so you aren't getting off easy. It's for background and likely to be the same ear that Jace needs. Your experiences are different, you have a legitimate fear but you were a lot more prepared than your brother to deal with the issues- violently, if need be." Gabby saw another person approach and told the woman, "No need for you this time, it was just coping with bad situations in a way that was unique to them. He's not trans or even a crossdresser, just a kid in need of love and guidance. You've likely heard about him before without knowing: he's Megan's friend who was thought to be like her but couldn't get to be a girl in public." The woman just smiled and introduced herself as Dr. Jaimie Samuels. Joy asked what the big deal was, Gabby shook her head and explained, "She's a psychiatrist who specializes in kids who are transgender. She has known about your brother for two years, Megan told her about him in hopes of getting him to see her but it wasn't to be. He doesn't need her help, he needs Fiona's help. She's also Eli's mother so is going to be involved in your life in some way no matter what. He's a nice boy, deep down." Jaimie gave a laugh and added, "Eli is all bluster, he loves Mario and tries hard to push him to find girls who aren't vain or trying to get at him for money. He'll probably try to play him for a fool to get Mario to date you but that's entirely up to you. We won't force anyone to get together, it's just fate puts some of you together over time. You can't help who you love, especially young love." Joy was blushing deeply over all of the talk about Eli and Mario. Jaimie was teasing Joy, her own way of testing Joy to see if she was acting hormonal or if she was trying to behave. Gabby nodded to Jaimie to stop and then told Joy, "She's protective of Eli and Mario so you passed her test. It's hard to find any girl who isn't trying to use them, especially now that both have grown in all of the right places." Joy blushed again with Gabby leaving it alone. Joy eventually asked if she had pictures of the boys, to which Gabby showed her and saw her start to fawn over Mario. Eli didn't do anything for her, he was a cute boy but Mario was handsome and looked like he was going to grow to be strong like Reed. Inside Fiona's office, she sat Jace down and explained to him, "Only Jaimie Samuels knows more about transgender people so whatever you say isn't going to upset me. You aren't transgender, if you were it would have been impossible to show up here in shorts, a t-shirt, and briefs. Before you ask, Jasmine, my sister-in-law, texted me that information. You took off your panties this morning and got dressed like a normal boy, without prompting, and have looked relieved since then. I know about last night and why you did it even if you don't know it yet. She'll take time to get used to sleeping alone in her own bed, it takes a while to feel secure after years of feeling afraid of someone hurting you." She added, "My wife is transgender, as is my sister. You don't act anything like them. You act like a boy in need of a strong male role model and friends, with your sister needing to be unafraid of what might happen to both of you. She didn't mean to harm you, but her actions were causing you to feel like you aren't what you really are. I don't have to know the full story to see that you are scared but relieved, it's tough to be yourself when you have someone constantly telling you that you don't belong with them as well as another who wants you to be what you aren't." He looked down in shame and told her all about his life, with Fiona not interrupting him until he got to the previous summer and the fabled trip to Endicott to stay over Megan Bailey's house. Fiona asked if he had been talked to by Ian, with him nodding but telling her, "I thought that I was a girl because I felt happy with the girls. I didn't want it to end, but we couldn't stay there. Megan was great to us, she felt bad that we couldn't stay longer and her mother looked like she wanted to do something but didn't." He was in tears, asking, "Why didn't she? I wanted her to be my mom! I liked being there! I liked being a little sister to her and her sister! I loved that her brother kept my grandparents from coming by to get us! I didn't want to leave, but we had to go back. I hated it. I hated going back home." Fiona let him calm himself then asked about after that. He looked down in shame and told her, "I had to show my grandparents that I wasn't wearing panties or being a girl. I wore them when we went over to Joy's friend's house but only after they told me to wear them. I was only ever a girl for them." Fiona asked if he was alright being a boy all of the time, Jace nodded and added, "I like being normal. I don't care if I'm a boy or girl: I just want to be normal. Nobody to pity me. Nobody to make fun of me. I just want to go to school and come home and play video games like everyone else. Joy liked having a little sister, but I didn't really want to do it. I love her, but I'm not a girl. I never was one." He felt better admitting that to Fiona. Fiona just smiled and explained to him, "You needed to admit that to yourself first. She will accept you as you are, you both need better role models. You never had any to begin with so you never had any idea how to act or what normal was. She might have a lot more issues to deal with than she lets on, but I think once you are around boys who accept you and men who can be the role models that you crave you will start to heal. Your uncles are some of the greatest men you will ever meet: smart, successful, caring, compassionate, loving, and great fathers. If I wasn't a lesbian they would be the kind of men I would have fallen for. But I fell in love early on with my wife." She was swooning over the memories of her wife, with Jace suddenly realizing what she meant. It was an eye-opener for him, he had no idea that women could marry transgender women. Fiona realized it as well and added, "Both my sister and my wife fell for women, although my sister took until she was your age to fall for her future wife. They can marry men and women, love knows no gender. It's the same in transgender men, they can marry men and women too. We have only three in our vast family, but those three are amazing men: a federal agent and two lawyers, with natural children from each." He seemed to understand, with Fiona leading him out and bringing Joy inside. Gabby didn't ask what was talked about, she simply told him, "She is a great listener and can see trouble better than anyone. It was tough to not get involved but she understands your situation. She had it worse as a kid, you will be able to acclimate faster than she did. She just needed a family, just like like you." Inside the office, Fiona asked why Joy dressed Jace as a girl. Joy looked down in shame and confessed to her, "He kept trying to play with us in school until one day one of my friends told him that he couldn't because he had a penis and wasn't a girl. He begged us to play so she told him that he could only play if he wore a skirt, so he did. Then she told him he had to wear panties, so he did. He showed them what he had in his panties and caused them to make him dress like a girl every time we were together. He did it until last night, he liked doing it but grandma said he isn't a girl." Fiona asked why they really did it. Joy looked away in shame and admitted, "Megan. They know her so felt that if he liked doing it then he had to be a girl too. She's a nice girl, they don't know Jace like I do but they figure that if he was willing to dress like a girl to please us then he had to be a girl inside too. I think they thought it was funny, they always talked about getting him to dress again even when he was with boys. I only asked him to dress like a girl when I was afraid for us, I hoped that we'd get taken in by Megan's family but we were kept from her for the past year so she couldn't help us." That led to more questions. Joy blurted out, "Grandpa had sex with my friend when she was supposed to be at a sleepover with our other friend. He did it to her and got caught by all of us. She wanted to do it, she was only 13 but wanted to have sex with him. We told her parents and they yelled at grandpa for hours. The police came and led her away but did nothing to him. She got sent to live in Maine and we weren't allowed to see Megan again. My other friends did a lot of things with boys after that, I refused to do anything so they all but abandoned me. Jace was my only friend, he dressed to make me feel better but didn't like doing it unless I was sad. I love him, but I know he's not my sister. I wanted a little sister, but I have a little brother." She was in tears over telling Fiona that. Fiona offered her tissues then told her, "You didn't do anything wrong. You did some things that I know a lot of girls do with their younger brothers. I know a few girls who dressed theirs up like dolls when bored- heck, my big brother did that for my sister when she was your age. He took it in stride, just like your brother did. He loves you deeply, he did it for your sake." She still felt bad about what happened. Fiona knew not to dwell on that too much so asked about what happened to her friends afterward. This was a sore spot for Joy, one untouched until then. Joy composed herself and admitted, "I talked with several State Police troopers then with psychologists who wanted to know more about my grandparents. They were interested in them for some reason, not a lot of what they asked was about the girls. I told them how he treated me and what he did with us and if I ever caught him trying to do to me what he did to my friend what I'd do to him. They were concerned about me, they didn't ask about Jace but wanted me to tell them that he did something to me. He didn't. I told them the truth but they thought he did something. I told them to stop badgering me or I'd tell the press that they were trying to make up an abuse claim while covering up a bigger one. They didn't ask any more questions, they ignored me and told me that grandpa was getting off because nobody could be found to testify against him. I knew the truth: he paid someone to make it all go away even if it meant I would lose my friends. Grandpa wouldn't let us out of his sight after that, grandma wouldn't let him be alone with me and made me shower and change only with her there. Jace was ignored, he was told that if he was ever found dressing like a girl again they'd cut his balls off. Jace did it anyway, because I had to have my little sister with me even if it meant we could only do it in secret in our room." She was in tears, adding, "I made him messed up! I wanted a sister and got Jaycee. I didn't want him to be messed up, I just wanted a girlfriend who understood me. Jaycee did, or so I thought. I love Jace, he is the best brother you could want- but he's not my sister. I know that now. I'm so sorry!" Fiona let her cry herself out then explained to her, "I have to report what you said and I'm going to get your uncle Reed to investigate. This is a serious issue, one that his office has to investigate. Your uncle Oscar is involved and will have to work elsewhere until it's resolved, but you did him a favor by being truthful with me. I'll tell them exactly what you told me then hunt down the people who covered it up." Joy hugged Fiona who led Joy out then watched as she hugged Jace deeply. Gabby asked what she had been told, to which Fiona explained, "It's in Reed's hands now. It's going to be deep and thorough: it's a big one. Someone is in deep trouble up there and is going to get raked over the coals. He'll step back to allow his assistants to handle it but with him looking over their shoulder they know not to let outsiders get involved. Please don't try to pry things out of her, she needs more time and talks to get used to you. I know what you have planned and Gabriela is the best possible person to help her. Quinn might be the friend that she needs, but Gabriela replaces the sister she thought she had." Joy's tears were still flowing while Jace tried hard to not cry himself. Gabby got the gist of it, with the smiling grandmother happily realizing that the girl needed family that were also alongside her while the girls grew into womanhood. Fiona asked if the sleeping arrangements had been fixed, Gabby smirked and nodded. Fiona shook her head at that, telling the sneaky Gabby, "They're old enough now to get to know humans but deserve the kids as companions. I love her, but sometimes Claire is a bit too devious. That darn Williams gene, you get to see it yourself for the first time with Joy!" Gabby left with the kids still hugging. In the car, she casually told them, "I have a surprise for you at the house. Two of them. You need someone to protect you so you can sleep alone, well they need love too." Zeke was home and could be heard complaining about something. Inside, the kids saw two little dogs that immediately ran for them. Zeke grumbled, "She dropped them off and ran away before I could say to wait. The puppies are weened, house broken, and trained. She also said that one loves to sleep in the bed with people, so we know which one will be sleeping with Joy. The other is timid but not afraid of a good walk. I figure he'll go with Jace unless there's issues." Two pitbull puppies walked over to the kids and sniffed them, with one immediately licking Joy while a second timidly sniffed Jace further before sitting down in front of him. Joy hugged hers while Jace led his to his room to lay down. Outside of their view, he hugged the puppy and was licked- signifying that the two understood one another and were going to get along well. Joy asked about the puppies, Zeke grumbled, "It was timing. They needed homes fast and were a lot like the two of you. Claire felt that you needed something to help you sleep that wasn't your little sister. The puppy is a girl, already spayed so there's no issues with her going in heat, and is protective of people. Her brother is loyal but timid, he was the runt of the litter so got ignored by everyone until now. He's a lot more loyal than his sister and just needs attention and affection. You two will have responsibilities, I expect you to walk them daily and play with them in the yard. You'll also have to wash them and take a hand in bringing them to the vet when they need to go." She agreed, with her leading the puppy to her room to spend some time with her. The two were asleep a few minutes later, with Jace the same with his puppy. It was too cute, Joy was curled next to the puppy as the puppy slept with its head next to hers. While they were asleep, Gabby called Fiona to tell her that things were already getting better for them. A picture of Joy sleeping with the puppy was enough to satisfy Fiona's inquiries, especially as it was clear that the puppy was ready to bite anyone who got close to her new owner. Jace's own reaction caused her to give a laugh, the boy was all but pinned in place by the puppy with its head on his shoulder sleeping with Jace's arm under the puppy's body making it impossible to move. Things were quiet after that as the two got used to the dogs while enduring walks around the city to get the dogs exercise. Claire popped in each day to check on them and ensure that the puppies were happy, with Will grumbling about Claire babying them. It didn't help that their own kids were jealous and had a strong demand for puppies too, which Claire grinned and agreed to despite Will's refusal. The kids were slowly introduced to more and more relatives as they met the rest of their cousins and their 2nd cousins, then the extended family of unofficial relatives. They couldn't believe that their aunts and uncles had so many friends who were all interconnected, especially Jessie and Donald, yet they had a big list of unofficial, "Aunts" and, "Uncles" that came complete with cousins and 2nd cousins than they had ever imagined- and that was before they counted the grandparents too. One thing was kept from them beyond the few known to them: who was transgender among them. The kids didn't need to know yet and it was felt that they should be eased into knowing more about them as it was still early in their relationship and Jace wasn't entirely sure yet that he had to be a boy to be with his sister. He was still struggling despite claims of being alright, they could see him looking at the boys and comparing himself to them- it was subtle, but Jaimie and Fiona caught it. The kids were asked to spend the night over Liv and Eli Samuels' home, with Liv all but dragging Jace over there while Gabby tried to find an excuse for them to not go. Jaimie realized that it was going to be tough to refuse, so agreed but told Liv to go easy on Jace. At the Samuels home, Liv happily took Jace into her room and showed him that she was all girl but had a little something extra in her panties. Jace tried to look away but Liv insisted that he see her true self as it was something that people would talk about and she had nothing to hide from him. He looked her over and couldn't help but see a beautiful girl despite a penis clearly hanging between her pubic hair, causing her to shed a tear as he said the best possible thing at that moment and caught her by surprise. After she got dressed, she kissed his cheek while Eli groaned at her showing off again. Jace wanted to defend Liv but Liv happily told him, "It's not my fault that I'm bigger than you: I take after our birth dad! You take after our birth mom and can't help but be smaller than everyone else." Jace didn't say anything while Joy blushed deeply. Liv led her to the room and did the same, this time it was to show her that Joy wasn't far behind in developing and was more about trying to talk with a girl her own age for the first time without the false pretense of friendship. Joy did tell her, "Jace is bigger, it doesn't have as much hair as you. I know you hate having one, but it looks nice on you." Liv blushed and hugged her, with the two falling asleep shortly after as Liv fought tears over hearing an honest truth from someone who barely knew her. Joy wasn't aware of how powerful the words were, it was from the heart and she really did feel like it was just excess flesh that would be fixed soon. Jace endured Eli's gaming for an hour before Eli finally asked about Joy. Jace sighed and told him, "She isn't into manly men and grandma seems to think you aren't right for her. I don't know if she's going to find a boy yet, but Aunt Courtney wants her to date Mario. She said she hoped her daughter would be a member of Aunt Jenna's family but since Quinn and our cousin Abigail aren't into girls Joy is the next best thing for her. Aunt Jessie thinks they're trying to force things, she wants them to wait." Eli laughed and happily told him, "I don't really want to date anyone yet. Mom is happy to not have any grandkids yet so doesn't want me to date until I'm ready. I know I'll find someone, it takes a while due to mom and dad but Mario is ready and is jealous of our cousins. Mario is eyeing her, he's seen what she looks like and said she's the best looking girl in school already. That's a lie because he's seen Heather and Anne and Elise, but she's not bad looking." Jace blushed deeply at hearing that, it was meant to get that reaction from him. Eli went up to his room while Jaimie stopped Jace to talk for a minute. She listened to what was being said and smiled at Eli as he passed, with her knowing that he wanted to make sure that Jace felt alright being there. Sitting Jace down, Jaimie told him, "You'll hear a lot about me so I'll come out and admit the truth so it doesn't impact you when it's tossed back at you later on: I'm transgender and I caused your father and uncles to leave your grandmother. Your grandmother supported me early on after she learned about me, I didn't hide who I was and your aunt Courtney befriended me before she learned what I am. She was one of the first to accept me, I hate that it hurt her family but your father and uncles chose to break the law after the refused to get away from bad influences. You are nothing like your father, you are just like your aunts and we are all proud to know that you are a Bollinger just like your aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandmother. Please don't think that you have to be what you aren't, as long as you are yourself we will be proud of you. You are family, we support our family. I mean it: you are family to us. Your new grandfather is my dad's 2nd cousin, making you my 3rd cousin's son making you under our protection." Jace tried to fight his tears but confessed, "I don't believe it. I don't believe everyone is related to us. I keep hearing it but I don't know if it's true. Everyone is interconnected, like inbred freaks. Grandpa said that all of you are just scum who get off marrying one another. I don't believe it!" Jaimie let him cry himself out before explaining to him, "Family is more than blood, family is who your friends are. Family is who loves you and care about you. You have aunts and uncles who have friends a lot closer than all of your classmates' families. We are so close because most of us have only each other as family. Some of us are related by blood, but a lot are just friends who got closer than family." Jaimie sighed and explained further, "Since I was adopted in 2014 our family has grown over time to be a large interconnected group. Dad had only his sisters, mother, and aunt as family. Then he married mom and adopted your uncle Michael and that brought in his grandparents. Then we met our friends- your aunt Courtney was among them, as was my cousin Claire. Then it spread from there as we got the Lopez family to join us and later spurred a new group with your aunt Jessie at the center. That grew in a couple of years to include more groups as younger kids were adopted, adults married and adopted with your uncle Reed being one of them. It snowballed over time, my own in-laws adopted three times and it included my sister-in-law Al, brother-in-law Thomas, and double-brother- in-law Gavin. I mean it: he's married to my sister so I'm doubly related to him." Jaimie had him enthralled, she added, "Before you ask- yes, I'm transgender. Genetics plays a large part in how we look, sadly some girls won't be blessed with feminine faces and bodies. Liv takes after me, we take after my genetic father who takes after our grandmother so we're growing large. She won't be as large as me since I started earlier and before I entered puberty. That's a story you aren't ready for, it's not all fun and games for us girls and sometimes tragic things happen." Jaimie sent him on his way to think but complained when she was observed by a set of eyes. Jace was embraced in a deep hug by a little boy who begged for attention. She sighed and told Jace, "He kept out of sight to listen to us. He wants you to be happy as some people aren't good to me or Liv. He loves us but sometimes I swear he's too much like his grandmother. Let him hug himself out and put himself to bed. If he ends up in your bed just let him sleep himself out as he's a heavy sleeper." Little Austin Samuels hugged Jace and wouldn't let go, forcing Jace to lay with him until he fell asleep but also falling asleep as well. Eli saw the sight and shook his head, especially as Austin was cuddled in Jace's arms like he usually did with Jaimie and Liv. Eli didn't have the heart to complain, the little boy always found ways of making you do what you needed to do to calm yourself. Over in Liv's room, Joy blushed as Liv changed into a skimpy nighty. Liv smirked and told her, "We all know that you have something similar, mom and Aunt Courtney talked about it. She said you needed it to feel like a girl after being so masculine around Jace and his friends." Joy shook her head and explained, "That was Jace's nighty. I don't like them, they show off my boobs to anyone who look. Grandpa got it for me, I gave it to Jace for when we played dressup. Grandpa was a creep, grandma hated him for it and was always mad at us. Aunt Courtney doesn't know the truth, it'll cause trouble for us. Grandma said if we ever told DCF we'd never be believed and they'd make us say that it never happened. I don't want Grandma Gabby to get in trouble because Jace wore a nighty." She was in tears, Liv angrily told her, "That's not going to happen. Those two are total garbage. They're trying to say things to scare you, DCF would go after them for what your grandpa did. Granty Gabby is the best grandmother, she won't let anyone lie and she won't let them push you around. Aunts Jessica and Jenna are already working your case so nobody can interfere without getting in trouble. Mom and dad know the truth and won't let anyone lie about you to make you do things for them. Your grandpa is going to prison for what he did to your friend, your grandma might go too. You have all of us as family now, none of our grandparents, aunts, or uncles will let you get taken away- especially Uncle Reed. He is the one person in the state who can't be intimidated by anyone!" Jaimie listened and texted someone. Liv knew she was listening and told her mother, "Dad needs to do it for them. You can't help, dad can. Uncle Reed knows, that's what's most important." Liv went to bed while Jaimie fielded phone calls from her husband and Gabby. Jaimie was direct and it wasn't pretty, telling all that she had heard and then telling her husband, "It's not your area so you're the one to get targeted by them when you file. Be the one on record, make them make mistakes. They will fall into the trap easily, they can't help but go for the easy target and ignore that you have a lot of help." In the morning, Austin pinned Jace while Joy had Liv embracing her. Liv kissed her cheek and let her get up to go to the bathroom before helping remove Austin from Jace. The little boy giggled at his big sister hugging him before breaking free to run to his room to escape her wrath, which never came. Jace saw Liv's lack of a bra and blushed deeply, causing her to flaunt her chest causing him to run off to the bathroom while Eli complained that she was flaunting her boobs again. Jaimie calmly told her to stop it, then checked on Jace who was trying hard to shower while making his reaction go away. Jaimie sagely explained to him, "She's trying to show that she's all woman even though you saw what she had last night. She is devious, she knew you were checking her out of disbelief so flaunted them for you." He finished as she talked, telling her that he can't believe even if he saw, "It" already. She happily told a beet red Jace, "Hormones do a number on your body, especially combined with blockers. 'It' still works, it doesn't stop working despite blockers. She knows it, she doesn't try to do anything with girls or boys because of it. She's into boys and loves exposing bigots, especially ones intent on humiliating her." He understood now, with her happily hugging him then telling him that he just needed more time with a bunch of kids his own age who are used to girls like them. Liv was older so wouldn't be around him much so he wouldn't get used to her personality. He looked ashamed but she added, "You'll learn who is like her in school soon enough. It's not for me to say, but you'll meet one or two soon." Eli listened and gasped then hugged Jaimie. He didn't bother to wait, he blurted out to Jace, "She came out! She's going to be in your class! Finally! We've been hoping she'd come out!" Jaimie nodded, telling Jace, "Wendy came out as a girl two years ago. She has lived in secret at home as she didn't want to hurt her grandfather's job. When he retired last week she stopped living a lie and came out to everyone. She has been on hormones for a year in secret and is finally at the point of no return. I hated having to see her upset at not being able to be a girl in full but she endured and is now one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen- she takes after her mother, my cousin Stacy." Eli groaned and added, "Her mom and aunt went to school with Aunts Courtney and Jessie! Her grandpa is so mean to boys, he'll want to scare you! Uncle Thomas is worse, he doesn't let any boy hurt Liv or our cousins because of mom or Aunts Al or Cat." Jaimie coughed to which Eli shot back, "He needs to know. Aunt Cat is a Finn so everyone wants to get at her. Aunt Al is like mom even if she never wanted to be a girl. Everyone tries to go after he because she is rich because she controls great-grandpa Austin's estate. People hate us because of our family." Jaimie added a solemn, "You're used to hearing stories about the Finns from your grandparents. Being a Williams made all of it worse as you heard one side only. We're targets, all of us. We are hated because we care about kids and want to help them be themselves despite what some believe that they should be. Who you are inside should matter most to people instead of what people see you as. That's just the big issue, the other one is that we are super-rich thanks to dad and the Petersons. You met the Baileys, the family is also part of the Peterson family- as in Peterson Manufacturing, the huge company that is the heart of the Boston manufacturing center. That doesn't shape our lives like some think it should. We care about kids, we spread wealth to others to help them better themselves. We've helped thousands find better lives yet people want to hurt us just because we are Finns. You are one too, as is Joy. Aunt Gabby is a Finn by choice, she chose to be a good mom and stand by her daughter's friends instead of doing what others did and shun us. We love her deeply, and thanks to us she has Walter and Uncle Zeke as a son and husband. She loves you, don't ever think that she doesn't because she loves you deeply." She was in tears and hugged Jace. Jace didn't know what to do and hugged her back, happy that he had someone who told him the truth instead of trying to sugarcoat things. It sucked to know that others had a target on their backs, but being one of them now meant he'd face the challenge alongside them. Eli smirked as his mother vented her frustrations over people still trying to harm their family despite it being over 28 years since they had started to change their city for the better. He was a Finn and he was proud to tell anyone who asked him. He might be adopted into it through his mom but he was a Finn so he couldn't hide the truth nor did he feel like he had to do so despite it putting a target on his back. Jaimie led them down to breakfast and saw Jace looking over at Liv and understanding that she a girl in his eyes and she was normal despite knowing the truth. Joy looked up to her, even if Joy didn't know it to the trained eyes of Jace it was clear that Joy found a mentor in Liv. He had his own mentor in Eli, but it was going to be tough to get together so he might have to find someone else to look up to. Jaimie drove them home and endured Gabby's inquisition. Gabby blushed as she had revealed to them something that wasn't meant to be revealed yet, but was happy to know that he reacted well and Wendy was going to have Jace supporting her alongside Gabriela and the Ross twins. Gabriela would force the school to accept Wendy under penalty of her father's wrath, while the Ross twins had their father's own reputation to keep the bulk of the worst at bay- especially as they took after him in size and strength. Henry and Carl Ross were the two who would be wildcards in regards to Jace, especially as they didn't take to new people well thanks to their sister Heather's struggles with people accepting people who are transgender like herself. Henry and Jace were a lot alike in Gabby's eyes, with Jaimie nodding at them sounding like good fits without having met yet especially with Carl and Gabriela ready to date openly. When Jaimie left, Gabby started to ask about their night. Jace blushed while Joy looked away in shame then down at her breasts. Gabby gave a smile and told the somber girl, "They'll grow. She is blessed and is lucky to have the right mix of hormones, she'll also learn about the downsides soon when she starts to get an aching back, straps digging into her shoulders, and guys who can't stop staring at her." Joy still looked upset, Gabby hugged her and kissed her cheek then offered a consoling, "It's normal to be jealous of other girls. Lord knows, your aunts were jealous of Jaimie! Courtney couldn't stop saying it wasn't fair that Jaimie was the newest to being a girl and was already bigger than her- after just three months on hormones! She didn't realize why they took so fast, it was because she was castrated." Jace cringed while Joy asked what she meant. Gabby sighed and explained, "She was badly beaten by a boy tortured by his father. He kicked her in her testicles hard enough that they ruptured causing them to have to be removed. That boy is the sweetest boy we ever met and what he did he hated doing and does whatever he can to ensure that doesn't happen again. He's also Wendy's father: Scott Nelson." Jace looked upset. Gabby explained to him, "We didn't want you to feel like we were forcing her to be in a relationship with you. She's a great young lady who is only now able to shine, she loves that she's a young lady and wants people to forget about what her father had to do in the past. He paid for it with a lot of help for his sister and sister-in- law. He is one of the greatest men you'll ever meet, he's nothing like the monster his birth father tried to create. Some people are better than their families, as we all see in both of you. He needed loving parents, friends who didn't use him, and a caring sister to help him be a gentleman to all of the ladies. He got that and shined brightly: he's an award winning architect like his real father and is nothing like the man who sired him. He married a beautiful and smart woman and fathered several amazing kids, the youngest of which is Wendy." Joy listened to what was being said and tried to make fun of someone having a crush on Jace. Both of the ladies gave her an angry look causing her to beg for forgiveness to which Gabby firmly told her, "It isn't something to joke about yet. He has never met her, she knows more about him than she should but that is due to her being able to get her aunt to tell her what she wanted to know by giving her cute eyes to her aunt. You know that look: I can guarantee that you give them to your brother to get him to do just whatever you want him to do, especially when you don't want to do it." She blushed while Jace gave an angry look to Joy. Jaimie wisely added, "You shouldn't joke because it's the same for Mario and you. He knows about you and asked what you look like. Liv snuck a picture of the two of you and caused Mario to ask to meet you- you're closer to a date than Jace is!" Joy ran off in shame while Jace looked relieved. Gabby bid Jaimie goodbye then sat with Jace to give a bit of calm to him before telling him, "She is just like your aunts. I love them, but your aunts can be two of the most manipulative people you'll ever meet." The two watched TV for several hours while Joy stewed in her room. When she came out for dinner the two pretended the teasing never happened while Gabby gave her a hug to show that it was alright. They were quiet after that, with Gabby wisely letting them decompress before their big meeting the next day. Before they went to bed Joy asked where Zeke had gone all day since he hadn't called or checked-in on them since they had left the previous day. Gabby chuckled and explained, "He went for a guy's night out with the dads. They won't have many more before next summer so wanted to enjoy the time before the kids take over their lives. He isn't avoiding you, he chose to join them and let them get a chance to ask him about you in private so the kids didn't have to do it on their behalf. He figured that it was easier to get it out of the way and leave things alone from now on. They know of you, now have his impressions of you. It's tough to not tell the truth to them, especially as Zeke is terrible at lying to people." The next morning saw them going to the beach with Jace blushing deeply at seeing Joy in a bikini and a skimpy one at that. Gabby saw it and shook her head, telling her that one of the girls would have a new one for her when they got there as the one she had was meant for someone older. Jace didn't say it, but it was clear just who bought the bikini which Gabby nodded at understanding. Jace had a swimsuit that was swimming on him, but she helped him adjust it to keep it from falling off and explained to him, "He was so focused on your sister that he ignored your needs. That man was just a predator, thankfully he's going to prison and you won't have to worry about him ever again." Joy wanted to tease her brother about the swimsuit but realized that he was happy after hearing that. The mischievousness in her couldn't overrule her protective nature and seeing that Gabby treated him as a normal kid and talked with him instead of talking down to him showed that he needed guidance not someone making fun of him. It was tough to accept, but she was starting to see the impact she had. The trio were met at the beach by Liv, Eli, Jaimie, and a slew of other people. Liv grabbed Joy and led her to the bathhouse to change while Eli introduced Jace to a pair of twin boys who were struggling not to fumble their words as they talked with Gabriela. Gabriela gave Jace a big kiss then watched as one of the boys was clearly getting jealous of him while the other didn't react as he saw Eli's non-reaction. Gabriela happily told the twins, "OK enough fun, he's just my cousin! I told you he was handsome, he's almost as handsome as Carl but is bigger. Mom said he's probably bigger than anyone!" Carl was fighting a blush while Jace wanted to faint. Eli had to leave before he lost his composure over Gabriela teasing the trio while Jessie angrily told her, "And for that you have diaper duty for a week! It's not something to joke about, especially at your age young lady!" Carl had to rush off while Gabriela's brother Lee dragged his sister away from their mother before she and Gabriela got into an argument. Jace was left with Carl's twin brother Henry who told Jace, "She has no idea how much she is pushing him. Mom and Aunt Jessie want them to date but Carl doesn't like to push girls to do anything. Gabriela likes him a lot, but keeps making mistakes with him." Jace asked him why he didn't have a girlfriend yet. Henry grinned widely and proclaimed, "I don't want to rush things and I'm perfectly happy hanging out with Lee and Eli and our cousins. Aunt Denise likes to have us help on her TV shows so we do that most weekends, we even got to be on it a few times and I think we are going to get to act this year. Aunt Denise thinks you might want to do it too since we're in the same classes and Uncle Walter is taking us to Boston to work on the show as a producer." Jace asked him the truth, sensing that he was hiding something. Henry sighed and told him, "I'm bi. It's tough to find someone to accept that, the girls hate that I kissed boys and the boys hate that I like to kiss girls. I don't care what they feel about me, but they try to make me look bad. Some of the boys are homophobic and like to bash me whenever possible so I don't bother with dating. I don't really care: I have a rich family with grandparents who gave us a lot of money so we don't have to worry about any of the things that they do. Most of the family are millionaires, especially your family. Finns are rich, the core Finns are billionaires! Only Gruncle John is richer and only because he never touches his money." Jace kept quiet about money. Henry shook his head and blurted out, "Dad plays for the Red Sox. Mom is a great business manager and accountant. Dad has a lot of money saved, plus dad followed advice and invested into the family production company so earns a lot from the network that the family owns. He's set for life, as is mom, Heather, Carl, and I. Your grandma isn't as rich as us but she has a lot of money that she saved for retirement that's untouched so you aren't for want either. You'll get the chance to be a Finn like all of us, that includes earning money from doing things for the production company or you can act on the shows as one of the kids in Aunt Denise's shows. You've probably seen her shows, hers is one of the top kids shows on TV and her other show is making people want to make it into a movie." The two went into the water and waited for the others. Gabriela was practically flaunting her body for a reluctant Carl, who had to hide his obvious reaction while Henry shook his head and complained to the smirking Gabriela that it wasn't nice. Gabriela swam over to Carl and kissed him clear on the lips, with Carl gasping for breath over the suddenness of the kiss but then grabbed Gabriela and did the same to her catching her by surprise as Henry laughed at her own joke being turned around on her. Carl sagely told Gabriela, "I love you. You love me. Mom and Aunt Jessie want us to be together so the two of them can fulfill their claims of their kids marrying. I have loved you since we were 12 and you were starting to grow boobs, your dad told me to take my time with you but I'm done waiting." Jace and Henry swam away to where Joy was swimming with Eli and Liv. She was upset at wearing the swimsuit as it covered much of her butt and breasts while Liv was smirking at her reaction. Eli wisely told Jace, "It's Liv's old swimsuit. Mom said it'd fit Joy but she doesn't like being covered. Mom said it was meant for a teen girl, hers was meant for a fully grown woman. Your grandpa is in trouble with her as she is going to say that he's trying to sexualize her and was trying to groom her for sex." Joy looked upset to which Jace told them, "She has known that he was a creep for two years, this is just confirmation that he was trying to get at her. He did it once with her friend, now he tried to go after her. If it wasn't for him stopping the car so grandma could beat us he might have drugged her to sleep with her! I know he'd gladly have someone claim I did it just to get rid of me, I'm the only one not afraid of him and the only one who could have told the police, school, and DCF the truth." The rest of the day was mostly trying to calm Jace while Joy felt shame over the revelations. Neither of them had the heart to talk further and needed Austin's cuteness to calm them. Gabriela was jealous of it, she had hoped to spend time with her cousins but Carl and she were nearly inseparable since the kiss. The day ended when the light started to fade and saw the girls going into the showers at the Bollinger home. Jace had to wait for them to finish lest he saw the girls naked, with Joy teasing that he'd seen the girls naked before so it was no big deal. Gabriela blushed while Liv happily told her, "He hasn't seen her naked and I highly doubt he wants to see her that way." Gabby shook her head at the teasing, with Zeke happily letting them get it out while he and the puppies enjoyed time out back away from the kids. Jace played with them to get their energy out while Zeke did a cursory glance at him, before telling him, "She'll soften her teasing over time. She has a lot of nervous energy to get out and doesn't like to show it but she's still scared for you. Liv is easing her along, but it will take time around others her age to get things to be normal." Lowering his voice so the ladies couldn't hear, Zeke quietly added, "Wendy had a bad night thanks to a few girls in school harassing her so wasn't able to make it to the beach. She wanted to meet you but it's a tough time for her. She lost all of her friends and has nobody but her family. Gabriela tries to help her but it's going to take time to adjust to the new reality for her. Joy would only make it worse for her as it hurts her to see other girls enjoying themselves while teasing boys. Joy might end up saying the wrong thing to her causing another breakdown, we felt it was better to introduce you in a stable environment." Jace looked upset, which was what Zeke hoped would happen. Jace asked what she did, to which Zeke explained, "She considered doing the worst thing possible but stopped when her parents sat her down. It hurts her a lot to know that the girls she had grown up around abandoned her and spread lies around, it hurt even more when those same girls' parents went to the police about what they had said. The police listened to the claims, asked a few pointed questions, then got the girls to confess to lying. But that was enough to damage her reputation in school and around the city. She is under constant watch by both of her parents but she needs assurances from people who know her. Meeting you might be the best thing to happen to her as you're the first boy she will meet who knows almost nothing about her." Jace was in tears, which Zeke hugged him over. He wanted to ask more but Zeke softly told the boy, "It will take time to heal for her. She needs a friend, even if she might develop feelings for you. Just try to be a friend to her, your cousin can only do so much and the twins are overprotective of her so can't be a friend in the way that she needs. We love them, but they're their father's sons. We know they will be a great pair of husbands one day, but they still have to calm their anger at times." The puppies slept with the duo and woke them early the next morning before Gabby and Zeke could do it. The two happily barked until the duo were up and showered, leading them down to breakfast and the smiling faces of Zeke and Gabby. The two didn't know what was going on, they simply wanted the two to feed them and play with them before more humans came by to see the kids. Gabby sighed as she checked her phone, telling the duo to head upstairs after breakfast to get dressed for the day. Zeke realized what was going on and told Joy, "Don't make jokes today. Wendy is coming to meet your brother and it's a tough time for her. She doesn't need your teasing, he might react in a way that is funny to you but might cause her to think that you are going to hurt her. She has a horrible track record with girls, your usual fun might be taken the wrong way by her." The duo ran upstairs to change, with their puppies barking at their rushing while giving tail wags over a sudden realization that something was going on. When they came back downstairs Joy saw a girl who looked scared while Jace saw a girl who caused him to stop dead in his tracks. Gabby led them over to Wendy and introduced them to her mother Stacy and father Scott. Jace couldn't form any words while Joy tried hard to not react and tried to not look at Wendy. Scott kept a close eye on both while Stacy nodded to Gabby that it was the best possible outcome so far. Jace kept stealing glances at Wendy and saw a pretty girl with neck- length dark brown hair pinned back by barrettes wearing a headband and gold earrings. She was stunning, especially as she clearly had two small breasts that were starting to grow larger than Joy's. Her face was clear and she was wearing just a hint of makeup, with her eyes a dazzling hazel color that made him want to stare into deeply. Gabby formally introduced them, with Jace unable to form words while Joy meekly said hello before it got too much for her and she had to go upstairs. Wendy was upset at her reaction, Gabby had to quickly tell her, "She was told to not make jokes about Jace or you so is trying say nothing. She is trying to be a good person and not upset you, she has already met Liv so isn't offended by you." Wendy looked at Jace who was still unable to say or do anything, growing concerned as he hadn't done more than gurgle and look at her oddly. Both Gabby and Stacy understood just what was going on and told her affectionately, "He's acting like a normal boy seeing a pretty girl. He doesn't want to upset you but it's even stronger: he doesn't know how to react to seeing you in person for the first time. He was told about what happened to you so is doing his best to pull himself together but it's tough- he's still a boy seeing a pretty girl that he likes." Wendy blushed deeply while Jace tried to pull himself together. Gabby sent them upstairs to talk to one another in private but with strict instructions to not do anything else. Scott gave her a glare but gave in when he saw Zeke shaking his head at the show of force being unneeded. Upstairs, Wendy asked if he knew about her. Jace nodded and asked if it was true as he didn't believe it to be true as she was so pretty. Wendy hugged him and cried hard, he said the best possible thing to her and had given her something she needed most: proof that she could be a normal girl. Wendy looked out into the hallway then lifted her skirt to show a bulge to Jace. He gasped, it was true and he still couldn't believe it. Wendy then put his hands on her breasts and told him firmly, "I am a girl no matter what anyone says. No boy wants boobs, these are all mine. I took hormones for a year to grow them. Mom and dad wouldn't let me go to the doctor to remove my balls because they said I'm too young, I want them gone just like I want my dick gone. I'm all girl, I have a dick but I'm all girl." Jace looked at her closer and blushed as she was simply beautiful. He mumbled to her, "You are pretty. I can't believe you were ever a boy. I don't believe it. I see a bulge but I don't believe that you have a big penis like me. I want to believe it but you are too pretty." She hugged him tightly then kissed him deeply. He kissed her back, then told her, "No boy can grow big boobs like you have. No boy would wear your clothes or put on makeup. You can't be a boy. You aren't a boy. You are a girl. I don't know why I can't accept it but you aren't a boy." He looked away in shame at admitting that. She mumbled, "You are the first person who said that to me. Everyone in school said I'm a boy no matter what our family says. They know about Liv but they say it doesn't matter because she's a boy too. Nobody wants to fight back against those idiots, they get their way because they know who to go to to get out of trouble. Gruncle Vance doesn't know the truth, he is lied to by the teachers. They are biding their time until he retires then will make things like they used to be before he took over. Granty Dorothy isn't any better, they think she'll die before she retires and want Uncle Julio to get fired so he doesn't take over for her." Jace asked about the day before. Wendy tried to avoid showing him but he insisted. She insisted that he wouldn't understand but he insisted on her showing him what happened. Finally she showed him her social media page and caused him to ask how they got away with saying those things. There were claims of her having her balls chopped off by her father while her mother had a doctor lie to say that she's a girl so that she could go after girls without causing trouble. There were a bunch of claims by girls that she showed her penis to them followed by boys saying that she tried to get them to have sex with her while a mixture were making claims that she raped a kid after school. She shook her head and explained, "They can do whatever they want. People believe the lies because it's easier than trying to find out the truth. I'm a Finn, I'm not a member of the main branch but I'm one of the side branches high up in the family tree so I'm free game for them. You are lower, you won't have a lot of people going after you. You aren't a full Finn, you might be a Bollinger but you aren't a Finn." Jace shook his head then complained, "I'm related to the Finns by blood. I'm a Williams: we are part of the same family. Grandpa and gruncle Zeke are brothers, they are your gruncle John's 2nd cousins. I'm a target too, I'm part of one of the most hated families in the city. You are lucky, you are the opposite. We have had to live with people saying that we are useless, our great-great-aunt was just a criminal and all of us were like her. You have had people to support you, we had nobody but ourselves." The two had an uneasy understanding, even if it wasn't the same they still had something in common: a deep-seeded hatred of them simply because of family issues. The two sat on the floor with the puppy at their feet and thought about things, with Wendy putting her head on his shoulder until both fell asleep. The puppy happily slept in Wendy's lap, with his tail wagging as he cuddled on her skirt. Stacy came upstairs to check on the duo and backed out with a smile on her face. Gabby wanted to ask what was going on then backed out in shock as Stacy took, "Blackmail material" photos of the duo. She softly told Gabby, "I don't know what they talked about, but she looks like a load has been lifted." Gabby realized what was said and happily added, "He knows the feeling of being all alone without any support. She needed a caring ear and someone who only wanted to be her friend. They may have more going on than we know of, but the two are starting off on the right foot." Joy came out to see what her brother was up to and saw him sleeping next to a girl causing her to want to say something. Stacy realized what was going on and calmly told Joy, "She is wiped out mentally. It's tough on her to come out and see everyone that she has known abandon her because of being true to her mind and body. She lost all of her friends- friends that she has had since preschool! Kids that I thought of as family but who showed they were only interested in our wealth and prestige. She has nobody else except the twins and your brother for support, she needs his help and he gave it to her. What they talked about is unknown, but I suspect she told him the truth and he accepted her as a girl." Joy blushed and admitted, "She showed him her privates. She didn't take her panties down like Liv did, she only showed that she had a bulge in her panties. He felt her boobs, he didn't believe that she wasn't all girl. He didn't do anything really, he didn't believe her and she started crying. After they talked the two stopped. Not even his puppy barked." Stacy shed a tear while Gabby added, "He did what nobody else had done for her: he accepted her and it was in a way that she didn't expect. She needed that, someone who didn't believe that she was fighting a losing battle with boyhood and who only saw what she was and not what others thought of her as." Joy groaned and acted like it was no big deal, Stacy added, "Nobody else has accepted her. Everyone in her class abandoned her and some threatened her. It's why you haven't met Anne, Elise, or Brooklyn. It took all of their might to not go after the boys who threatened her. The trio are punished for putting up a bunch of pictures of the boys showing them groping girls causing the police to investigate! They are in a lot of trouble but only because they never told anyone about the boys doing that. The boys are in a lot more trouble, the girls are only going to have to wash cars and change diapers for the summer while they work with Jaimie at a summer camp for girls like Wendy, Liv, and Anne." Joy was led downstairs to eat lunch, with Scott being told about Wendy causing Zeke to give him a nod to show that it wasn't the right time to overreact to her falling asleep next to Jace. Joy asked why Jace got a free pass, with Stacy calmly yet authoritatively telling her, "She isn't being given a free pass. They needed to meet and it means more to her than you'll ever know to be accepted as a girl by your brother. Yes, they were alone together. Yes, she fell asleep. But he didn't do anything- her clothes were still on her her hair wasn't out of place, and she had his puppy in her lap so they clearly didn't do anything to be in trouble. I know you want the same rules applied to him, but this is extremely important to her." She didn't fully grasp the situation, but it was more due to her having little experience with what was going on than with any jealousy. Zeke had to explain to her, "I know damn well that your brother had to endure people abusing him whenever you weren't around. I asked around to several folks and got told a lot of what you didn't know: he got beaten repeatedly by boys, harassed by girls, chased by angry boys trying to get with the girls he was nice to. He is no different than Wendy, misery loves company." She started to understand. She looked away in shame but it was more of her being embarrassed at being close to "normal" among them. She loved Jace, but she didn't want him hurt like that. Eventually Scott and Zeke awoke the two. Wendy was in fear while Jace was ready to protect her from the upset Scott. Zeke quelled both by telling them, "You didn't do anything wrong. You know the rules so it won't happen again. Your door stays open and you can't go upstairs without our approval." Scott nodded silently to drive the point home. Wendy thanked them and went downstairs alone. Zeke had Jace wait and told him firmly, "No funny business. Our trust can be revoked easily." Scott had a look that showed not to push the limits. Jace quietly told them, "I know not to do that with a girl. Joy wouldn't be allowed with a boy, I don't want to do it with a girl. She wouldn't let me anyway, I swear I won't touch her and won't bring her up here! I don't want to hurt her, she was already hurt by boys and doesn't need me trying to have sex with her!" Scott didn't need to say anything, he hugged Jace to calm him. Zeke added a complaining, "She already has him falling for her without having to do anything. He'll protect her, he sees something in her that is calling out to him- the same way you did to Stacy. She's your daughter, he's definitely Ezekiel's son." Downstairs, Wendy was unsure how to react to Jace being there with them. Scott hugged her and kissed her cheek to show that it was alright then sat Jace next to her. She grabbed Jace's hand under the table and squeezed it slightly to show that it was alright, but he simply pulled away to keep his hands where Scott could see them earning Scott's approval without realizing it. Joy saw something between the two and understood what Stacy and Gabby meant, they had something in common that she couldn't understand and it was helping both move on from trauma. She always had friends around her, Jace was simply a hanger-on who had a few boys around him but most just wanted to get at her to get affection or grope her body. Jace was Jace even when he acted like Jaycee for her, he didn't have friends so someone who needed a friend as well as understood him helped both of them. After lunch, Joy took Wendy to her room to talk alone while Jace stayed with Scott and Zeke. The two had a strong idea about what Joy was going to do so let it go as Wendy wouldn't do anything with Joy and Joy wasn't into girls making any warnings moot. The fact that Joy had already seen Liv naked and hadn't reacted to it made any potential bad reactions not happen, she simply needed to talk to Wendy. Up in Joy's room, Wendy asked about Jace and his reaction to her. Joy laughed hard then told Wendy, "I think he has a crush on you! I know he is a typical boy but he seems to have one on you. He didn't take to you like other girls, he must like you more thank he lets on. You are different than other girls: he has a lot in common and I'm not talking about what's in your panties!" Wendy blushed to which Joy added, "He's different than other boys. I know him better than anyone and he is what you want in a boyfriend. So what if you have a penis? He doesn't care as long as you aren't a bitch and you don't use him for what you want. He cares about girls, especially ones who need help. I know he wants to protect you, but he might want to kiss you more than anything else." Wendy had a look of awe as she heard that, to which Joy happily told her, "It's alright to like him. He's a great guy and will make a better boyfriend. I don't know about the twins, but Jace is the best boy and a lot better than anyone else in school even without grandma knowing your mom and dad." The two sat with Joy's puppy happily wagging her tail and getting attention from both before leaving to check out her brother and Jace. The girls were quiet, with Joy knowing that Wendy needed to be with a friend then even if Joy didn't realize that she was becoming one. She was only seeing it as being a good host and nice to her brother's future girlfriend, but to Wendy she was a good friend now. Downstairs, Jace was intimidated by the towering Scott. Zeke picked up on Scott's imposing nature and told the boy that Scott was all bark and no bite. Scott laughed and told Jace, "That's more of a Cat thing. I don't have to bite, I just look at you and make you cower in fear. Cat will bite you if you upset her, no person has upset her in that way in years: she lets her kids do the biting for her." Zeke was laughing hard while Jace thought that he was joking. Zeke pulled himself together and boldly stated, "He isn't kidding. She has bitten a few people when she was your age for going after her friends or break up her and her boyfriend. She bit a boy's penis off because he forced himself on her while she was changing at the beach, then bit a finger off of a couple of guys in high school who cornered her in the locker room before your great-uncle stopped them. She's dangerous when upset, deadly when she's cornered, and does the majority of her work just by ripping you to shreds with her wit. She's a Williams by blood: she shares a lot of similarities to your sister. As do her cousins Hannah, Daisy, and Claire." Gabby listened and added, "They aren't joking. The ladies of your family have the ability to manipulate people quite easily. Your sister did it with you multiple times by her own admission, just from dressing you as a girl alone. The male side of the family don't have that ability, Zeke and John can attest to that. I know Cat's twin brother is nothing like her or their cousins, the males tend to be more empathetic and able to cope with issues that others can't- like your being all but forced to be a girl or Zeke running off from his family when he graduated high school or John enduring years of mental hell until he won the lottery. You are one of the best people to ever come out of your family, you are making them proud and all you did was just try to be yourself with us." Scott wisely left it alone, with Gabby giving him a smirk that said it was best to not joke about anyone who might potentially make him miserable. Zeke caught the look and shook his head and told Scott, "I should tell them that you were going to make a joke at their expense. You know how bad she wants you to help her out in her new play- especially since you're perfect for the star's dress!" Gabby shook her head in disappointment while Jace was left to figure out what was going on. She gave him a happy, "He wanted to make fun of Stacy's cousins but chose the wrong people to mess with. One is related to you: Claire, whom you met and who gave you the puppies. She's tame compared with both her sister Daisy and cousins Cat and Hannah. He's going to have to endure Daisy using him on stage as a prop while Cat uses him as a model for her book series. I don't even want to think about what Hannah will do to him but it won't be pretty: maybe acting as a housekeeper for a week while her kids have the week off from doing chores, or babysitting her son while she enjoys a night out on the town." Stacy and Wendy were laughing as Scott shuddered at the thought. Things only got funnier as Jasmine came in and had to run off to her room to laugh hard while Walter shook his head in embarrassment and shame as Scott broke a major rule about the foursome: never joke about their personalities. Even if it was the honest truth, the ladies were sensitive to their Williams heritage and hated people teasing them. After the Nelsons left, Walter asked about Jace and Wendy. Jace blushed and innocently asked if all of the cute women in the family were transgender or if it was just Wendy, Liv, and Jaimie. Jasmine again had to run off to avoid laughing as Walter was left to field the question and try hard not to upset any of the women in the vast family even if he knew that deep down it might be true. Pulling himself together, he carefully explained, "Everyone is different. Many of the ladies are beautiful but beauty is subjective. Jaimie is large breasted and curvy in all of the places guys like but is plain in her face which is overlooked because of her body. Mia is drop dead gorgeous, she puts most models to shame and I freely admit that she is beautiful in all of the ways that men like. Liv is her mother's daughter with a little extra height. Anne is a Smith by blood so is going to be tall but is average in looks and smaller in her bust. Flora is stunning but is shorter than most of the girls, ironically she looks like her birth mother but with her father's short height. Wendy is average all around, she takes after her mom in her Latina features but if not for her blockers she would be as big as her father in a short amount of time. And the biggest wildcard/outlier/oddity is Heather: she's the mix of both parents even if she has her dad's face. He is happy that she took her mother's body, her mother is fine with Heather being her father's daughter in all but body. And it's even odder for Denise, she's the one who breaks all of the rules in that she developed on her own and is a larger girl yet who looks just like her mom in so many ways despite her dad's male genes." He hoped that Jace didn't dig too deeply but he wanted to know more about the ladies. Walter felt that it was best to confess everything so told Jace, "Of your generation, it's Wendy, Anne, Megan, Brady, and Heather so far. Even though she's younger than several of your cousins, Denise is from my generation. That one has Jaimie as the biggest, then Mia, and several others including one of Brady's mothers. It's a pain to tell you everyone's story, so just know that you are known to them and they are happy to help you learn about girls like Wendy anytime you need advice. It's Jaimie's and Fiona's job to talk with you but they also have the most experience since they have known transgender girls the longest- Flora came out when Jaimie did, even if she didn't get to be a real girl until years later." Jace started to understand but wanted to know if it was really true that they were pretty. Walter showed him pictures of multiple women and girls, with him confessing, "These are the ladies I mentioned. Yes, it is a funny trend that they are beautiful. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder as I see Jasmine and she is the most beautiful woman I've ever known. I see her sister and don't feel anything but sisterly bond. I see Jaimie and she simply is Jaimie: a cousin in all but blood. I see Flora and she's just a fun cousin. I see Megan and she's her mom's daughter. I see Brady and she's her mother's daughter but like Wendy she has her other mother's skin tone. I even see Anne and she's just Anne: another girl. I see Denise and she is simply the smart, sassy, fiery girl who made me admit that I loved Jasmine." Joy was listening with Gabby, Gabby nodded to Joy and showed the same pictures but added comments about what caused them to grow so fast or why they should never hope to have history repeat itself. It hit Joy hard as she heard about their stories, especially as they were just pawns to the people who hurt all of them and were seen as being abused by those who tried to help them after what had happened. Joy was enthralled by the stories, with Jasmine happy to add, "They made four movies from uncle John's life. Your family was in it, they didn't look good but they were in it. Pop was in it as his own father. He turned down the part of his uncle, he doesn't like talking about him but he might be the only other man in your family not named Uncle John who made something from his life. Nobody knows where he has been, Pop doesn't like talking about him but he knows that he's still alive somewhere as he hasn't sent a lawyer to help cover his funeral arrangements." Gabby shook her head while Zeke added, "He lives in Byfield and owns the property your grandparents lived on. He bought the land decades ago while in the Navy and retired there to be alone. He kept close tabs on both of you, Oscar spoke to him about your grandparents and gave his blessing to your joining your grandmother and I here. He can't care for you, he chose us to be your next of kin over all of my other cousins who aren't in prison. You aren't going anywhere, not if he has anything to say about it: and he will. His word is law among the Williams family! I am the only one who ever broke the family's laws but did so with his blessing and over his sister's objections." Zeke's reverence of the man showed, with Gabby adding, "He's the only person who made Aunt Victoria stop in her tracks and be at a loss for words. I'm not talking about your grandfather's aunt, I'm talking about John Finn's aunt. The two were friends, but sibling rivalries ruined all of that." This caused the duo to have to confess to something that none of the Finns wanted to tell. Gabby sighed and told them, "I'll ask Victoria to tell you the story. It's something that you have to hear from someone who was there and who knew everyone involved. It isn't pretty, and it involved many people who have passed on, but it needs to be told as it is only a matter of time before you are impacted it decades after it all occurred. A lot of nastiness happened as a result of it, but some good came out of it: like treating all like they are equals and not lesser beings because they are different. Thousands have been helped from it, you two are just the latest in a long history of people being helped because of tragedy." Gabby made a phone call and got a "Yes" from someone on the other end. She made another call only to tell the person on the other end, "It's being taken care of. You can hold off for a while, I don't want it to be too much for them too soon. We have plans for the weekend, I think Endicott is calling us." The two were put to bed after the puppies walked. The kids were seeing the novelty of owning two new puppies wear off as the duo were extremely energetic and into everything as they walked around the block while wearing down the puppies. Jace in particular struggled with his puppy, especially as the puppy barked at a stray cat and several hiding rats. The next morning saw the duo up early and feeding the puppies, with the two puppies making the two take them for another walk while Gabby prepared breakfast. Zeke kissed Joy goodbye, with Jace not even flinching over him hugging Jace in lieu of a kiss. Gabby didn't have to oversee their walk, the duo had been in the neighborhood long enough to know the route and not need supervision. She didn't tell them that the two had their aunts and uncles observing the entire route, with Amy, Oscar, Donald, Francesca, Courtney, and Michael living on the same block or close by. A text to them had the group watching for the kids, with their own children itching to go see them but knowing to leave them alone until given the OK from Gabby. They were ready to help the kids if someone tried to do anything to them while they were walking, but few dared to go after any kids in their neighborhood. The two puppies knew where they were going and yipped at anyone who passed them by, with the kids not even trying to stop them from getting attention from people who encountered them. They didn't get to hear the people talking about them after they left, but the duo had more eyes on them: those of their relatives' relatives. In-laws and siblings of in- laws lived in the neighborhood and walked the routes on their own for their little children's sake giving the kids an unknown meeting with more people. Once they returned Gabby happily told them, "Claire raised the puppies well, nobody said that they had any trouble. They might need to have a little less water but that tree has more scents on it than anyone knows about. And yes, I was told about your walk: you had eyes on you the entire time just from your aunts and uncles. The people who stopped to see the puppies know of you through Amy and Jessie." The two were upset that they were being watched, Gabby countered, "You two have been here for only a short period of time and have only been to the beach, Fiona's office, and Jaimie's house. It's a big city for people who have never been here, you might only be going around the block but there could easily be someone chasing you to attack you, someone try to rob you, someone using you to get at us. You'll gain more freedom as you acclimate more to the city, it was for your own protection." She got them ready to go to their meeting with the matriarch of the family: Victoria Castillo. Neither of them had any idea what to make of the woman except that she was feared and revered by people in the family and was the only one who was reviled by the Williams family- second only to John Finn. There was a mystique about her, one that neither could put their finger on but they were going to find out. Victoria was 91 years old then and still had an imposing personality that caused you to stand up and be on your best behavior or else you would get the Williams family wrath full-on. Few had ever been able to endure it, with only one person ever coming away without a scratch: the kids' great-great-uncle. She had a way with words that made you cower in fear, but was never that way with children like the duo. She inspected them upon entering her apartment and nodded. She didn't need to know their stories, it was clear to her who they were. She gave Gabby a smile: they were clearly her grandchildren. Inside Victoria's kitchen, she sat them down and explained to the duo, "I was the youngest child of our generation and the only one who ever stood up to my cousin Victoria. I was named after her, mom had a strong hope that I would grow up to be like her but little did she know her darling niece was nothing like the nice young lady she appeared to be. She was a ruthless criminal who manipulated all others to do what she wanted while trying hard to win the heart of Brent Finn. Brent went to school with my big sister Catherine and couldn't help but fall in love with her. This caused Catherine to refuse to marry her betrothed husband, with the man refusing to do business with Victoria after she was exposed as a fraud in need of his money. Things only got worse for Catherine as Victoria began a campaign to break apart her relationship and showed to the family just what Victoria was: a liar, cheat, and fraud." She shed a tear then added, "When Brent went into the Army he met a woman who was transgender and trying hard to get a better life for herself. Victoria harassed Brent then had the woman murdered, letting the city know who was responsible while getting out of any trouble. Brent was distraught and became a drunk before sobering and living a hard life. Victoria ensured that he never had a decent job and forced him to work hard until he died from his heart giving out. She then tried to act like a kind woman to the kids, but showed her true face when John, Brent's elder son, became the man that Brent was supposed to be but was never allowed to be. This caused your grandmother Gabby and others to stand by John as his own family, ones not bound by blood but by love for their children and friendship that is unmatched by any other relationship. They made Victoria back away in shame, with your grandpa Zeke being the only Williams who chose to turn his back on Victoria and live his own life. He became close with all of the family through their children but not until your aunt Amy and uncle Donald were adopted did he get the chance to date and marry your grandmother. He is what Brent should have been in full, he's one of the greatest people to ever come from your family and is the one who deserves the name Williams but has chosen to refuse the name: he is a Bollinger by choice and by love. As are both of you." Jace asked about his great-great-uncle. Victoria blushed and explained, "He saw early in his life that his sister was a terrible person and left the family the first chance he could. He had a longtime crush on me but could never act on it, I loved him for being selfless when his siblings and cousins would have been selfish and left me pregnant with an unwanted incest baby. He spent 40 years in the Navy, then moved to Byfield to live in solitude. He never had kids, he hoped that he would leave the property to Brent and later to John and his sisters but John has no need for it and none of them would accept it anyway. He's now going to leave it to you two as you two are the only ones who have become what he hoped his family would become. He has kept an eye on you two since you were born and kept you safe from your grandparents, with the two finally going too far and hurting you where he couldn't protect you. You're lucky in that your uncle found you, we know what would have happened had you been found by one of the other troopers who patrol that route: blamed for the abuse and likely arrested on false charges. Joy, you likely would have been kept by your grandfather for sex. Sorry, but the man was grooming you to be his newest conquest. You are the ultimate prize for a sexual predator: a virgin pubescent girl." Joy was sickened by the news, while Gabby asked how she knew about that. Victoria growled, "It's not hard to get news from sources that your sons-in-law can't legally get or use. He's known to many of the community for his illicit pictures of Joy's friends, the man is a total creep who knew what he was doing and knew just how to get what he wants from girls. Joy was going to end up in his bed then tossed out when he got tired of her or she got pregnant- whichever came first." Gabby didn't have to ask more, Joy was upset while Jace needed to leave the kitchen to calm himself. It was a strong indication to Victoria that they were definitely blood to her, especially as her husband had a smirk that told her that he was acting like her. He wisely kept quiet, but they were her relatives in full. Her husband Jorge told Victoria to let the kids eat then sat down himself, with the two not trying to say no as they didn't want to upset either of the elderly people. Gabby didn't eat, she had work to do and it was something that she couldn't hold off and wouldn't let anyone stop her from doing. Gabby would be getting answers and getting them fast: Jace and Joy deserved nothing less than justice. Jorge ate slowly and it was clear that he was trying hard to appear strong for the kids. Neither wanted to upset him so ate as slow as him but they were struggling to keep pace. Victoria wisely had them end the meal while Jorge finished in private, with her sighing at the kids knowing why he had gone slow. Out of earshot, she reluctantly told the children, "He's a year older than me but has had a tougher life so is feeling the effects of his age more than ever. He is slowing down but won't retire to a home yet, I've tried to get him to go and our kids know not to try to force the issue. Pride makes you do stupid things, he is a proud man but he knows he needs to let others help him. After Christmas we'll move in with our son and daughter-in-law so we're close to all three of our children and most of their children." Victoria happily added, "Your uncle Walter is going to move here so the place has family living in it. It's continuing our family's legacy in the neighborhood, this is where the Finns lived for decades and is the place that unintentionally became home to several of our families in their early years. The Penas, Finns, Lopezes, Douglases, Reagans, Gormans, and Alvarezes all lived before they set out on their own only to one day join together through friendship and their children's lives intertwining. It's your uncle's new home, we're honored for him to live here among those who were family to us." The kids watched as Jorge slowly moved through the kitchen, washing the dishes while letting Victoria do her bit with them before he himself could relax. He tried to look strong but it was clear that he was out of energy and struggling to keep up with the workload in the kitchen. It made them feel sad that someone who was clearly powerful wasn't as big and strong as he used to be and whose legacy was one that mattered most now. The two walked out with Gabby ready to rip someone to shreds. The two were upset to which she had a look of anger but held her tongue around the duo. She couldn't do so with Victoria there, she gave her a look that told Victoria everything: war was about to break out and people would suffer for it. Victoria nodded in understanding, Gabby couldn't hold off any longer and explained to the duo, "I just had a phone call from the State Police trying to seek information about the two of you. They don't have a reason to contact me and they have no reason to know that you are in my care, someone had to have told them where you were. The only one who knew is Jenna Daniels and she didn't tell them. It wasn't needed as Oscar already knew and it was in his report that you were with family. This led to me calling your uncle Reed to tell him about what happened which forced him to have to call in additional support from his staff. I don't have to know what's about to happen, but a lot of people are going to jail as it's a serious situation and your grandparents are likely behind a lot of things that were hidden by troopers up in their area. Oscar already had issues with them and it looks like it was targeted to get him in trouble." Victoria wisely told Gabby, "Help is on the way if you ask. Ricardo won't hesitate to force things and Reed is going to end up helping him so there is no conflict of interest as he handed it off to his deputy. You know Beverly will get involved, as will the others. They chose the wrong kids to target, they aren't all alone anymore and they are still family- John won't let any of you get hurt." This meant war. John Finn was family and nobody hurts his family. Jace and Joy might not be close to him, but they are still family and thus protected by him. Gabby drove the duo home and was met outside by Reed Pena and a couple of other men. She had little chance to say anything, one knew exactly whose kids they were and the other shook his head at the duo being so much like their aunts that it was scary. The kids didn't have to speak, they were known to the two and from the way they were acting they knew more about them than they knew about themselves. Inside, Reed explained to Gabby, "The Essex County DA has handed off the case to me to investigate. I have to hand it off to Patricia Parker to act as the lead on it with my blessing. She knows that I can't be part of it or else we'll get overturned on appeal due to Jessie but it doesn't mean she won't seek out my own help in investigating certain people indirectly involved in other ways. David and Miles are acting as my liaisons for the case and have Oscar already interviewed. The DA was interviewed yesterday and is clean but some of his family are involved. And your hunch was right, it was Judge Parker who had a hand in things but who was kept out of the loop when the case was transferred to the Salem office by a friend of a friend of their mother. Jenna and Jessica were kept in the dark as it was seen as a transfer to a new location rather than a major movement for them. The memos were damning, the one who moved the case was the ex-lover of their new social worker so the fix was in from the start. Judge Parker was told that he might need to speak with us and agreed to cooperate provided the kids were safe. If you're in court then you can bet your ass that he's getting the case and won't let them get away with it." The kids were listening and grew concerned over the list of prominent people being talked about. The two newcomers were intimidating to them, with Gabby realizing their anxiety and being forced to tell them, "These two are family members. Miles is your uncle Michael's brother and David is their cousin and Claire's older brother. Both are State Police detectives and two of their best. Reed is the Attorney General of the state so has to relinquish control of the investigation to his deputy, Patricia, who can be trusted to look into the case without people interfering. Megan is also David's cousin's daughter so they are aware of the two of you through her, I expect that Ian and Sheila had a strong hand in getting things going over in Salem once Oscar told them about what happened." Gabby added, "Miles is Jenna's brother-in-law and Reed is Jessica's cousin-in-law so DCF won't go after you unless there was a strong reason for doing so- which we all know they do not have. Miles' uncle also happens to be the man in charge of DCF so you have even more DCF help in your corner than your grandparents' supporters could ever find. Reed's uncle is going to be your lawyer alongside Reed so you have overwhelming firepower and legal support that nobody can counter." David told Gabby that it might be best to have the kids talk with Jenna about the situation then have an appointed lawyer oversee their interviews. He didn't have to say who would be appointed, he knew that there were few people who could both be trusted to support the kids as well as stand up to anyone who might try to go after them legally- Ricardo Vincent, Alexandra James, and Isobel Perez. Gabby shook her head at the names. Turning to Joy, she happily told the scared girl, "Alexandra and Isobel are related to Megan: her mom's cousin and aunt. Ricardo is Aunt Victoria's son and the best to defend you from any false claims by DCF or the State Police. None of them are intimidated by any of the usual scare tactics. To go after a James is career suicide, they don't play legal games and don't fear any political fallout as they have more clout than anyone in the state. Not even John Finn has as much but only because John despises playing politics so won't ever use it directly- they do, and do so with his blessing. They'll protect you and ensure that everyone trying to harm you pays the price." Gabby excused herself then observed Jace still on edge while Joy looked to be trying to not show that she was upset yet ready to cry within seconds. Both were on the verge of a mental breakdown, with the two fighting tremors. She felt for them, it was a tough situation but it was going to get better for them. She returned a few minutes later and proclaimed, "I spoke with Alexandra and as Congress is in recess both her and her husband will represent the kids. The interviews will take place in Endicott where it'll be easier on the kids and your detectives have to be on their best behavior. The usual intimidation tactic won't work up there, the two won't play games and you know why they can't do it: they'd laugh in the face of the detectives and ensure that they were suspended pending termination for rights violations." David shook his head and mumbled, "They're walking into a trap that none of them will survive. It's the worst situation for the detectives assigned, those two are serious business and to jump into it means that Megan personally had to have asked them to help. She is her father's daughter." Gabby's phone rang again with David shaking his head and telling her, "They're going up tomorrow. It's for Megan's sake, she needs to know that they're going to be alright and won't be OK until she sees the two in person. It'll save a drive and potential issues along the highway, I don't trust them to try a snatch and grab disguised as a traffic stop especially with some of their colleagues getting fired shortly." Miles read a text and added, "DCF is notified and Aunt Chloe is sending a trusted colleague from the Worcester office to act on their behalf. They have full coverage on this, the only thing that we lack is a medical side of things but that's coming via a warrant once we get confirmation about allegations being ignored by the detectives. We're in contact with certain parties but need a witness to corroborate." Jace understood what was going on and blurted out, "Joy and me. You need us to tell the truth and get it forced again. You won't let the allegations go, grandpa is going to prison and grandma is joining him." None of the three said anything but Gabby could tell by their reaction that he had hit the bullseye there. Jace was making their case without knowing it, all they needed was for Jace and Joy to officially tell it to the detectives and have Fiona confirm that it was what they had told her. The three were looking at it with several pieces missing- ones that the duo could fill for them. The trio left, quickly replaced by Zeke, Walter, and Jasmine. Zeke didn't have to know what was going on, his gut told him that something was going to happen and why and didn't want the kids to dwell on it for long. Jasmine did her best to keep them calm but endured Walter telling her to not baby them as it was out of their hands and the two were going to have plenty of protection. Jasmine smiled and told him firmly, "I can't help it if I like being a good aunt to the kids. I love kids, it runs in my blood. It's not my fault that you don't want to be a dad for a while." Walter blushed and went to their room to mope, while Jasmine whispered to Joy, "He doesn't want kids yet so doesn't want my biological clock ticking. My sister Mia didn't wait to have kids, she ravaged the poor, unsuspecting, and loving Fiona after graduation and booked insemination a week later. Their eldest has been working, he insisted on earning his keep instead of relying on his parents' money." Joy understood what she meant and took it to heart, he was trying to do the right thing for them even if it was futile or accepted as they were married and had plenty of support. She also got the other message and would quell her own hormones and not rush into sex with a boy. She didn't have anyone so it was a moot point, even if she found a boy she didn't want sex yet- she was only 14! Jace didn't say anything but listened closely. Walter led him to his room and gave him a hug then told him, "She's trying to give Joy some advice without being overt. She knows about Mia now, Mia is there to help her talk if she needs someone other than us. You might not need her but she's there for you too." Jace softly told him, "I don't want sex and Joy isn't like other girls. She might have boobs but she's still a lot like younger girls. She hugged me at night because she didn't have a doll or stuffed animal to hug. I had one, but she wouldn't let me give it to her because it was mine. She had a doll until last year, she only got rid of it because grandma made her. She's not going to rush into boys." Walter shook his head and explained firmly, "She's growing more mature but is still a little girl inside. It runs in the family, but she's going to need friends and family around her in school. She puts on a tough facade, but just under it is a scared girl who wasn't ready for high school or boys. She isn't the first, it runs in the family. Mia wasn't ready, Jasmine wasn't ready, your cousins weren't ready- the older ones, the ones that you haven't met yet. You should have met most of them already but they're trying to act as if they don't need their mom and dad but really aren't ready to be on their own. You met David, his daughter is the oldest among your generation and still needs her cousins and parents to guide her."