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The next morning saw Chloe Daniels telling Daria that she had Jenna Daniels handle the case so that it was out of the hands of anyone who could do anything against Cat while giving it someone with years of experience with transgender kids. Daria asked about that, Chloe happily told her, "She has it through my niece and Jaimie. My maiden name is Miller, you've met my sister and brother-in-law. He took her name as his own as it's the same translation. Jenna is far enough away to know about what is happening yet still be unbiased. She'll be going after the uncle soon, he has a lot of explaining to do to the state and Walker isn't the first kid to be hurt by his antics." Chloe asked what Walker was doing that day. Daria tried to think which Chloe shot back, "So it's taking him out shopping and getting him a haircut. That's just the tip of the iceberg. If I know John, they're in the midst of the move and will be moving in today while Cat takes him shopping. It might help him to meet your brother, he could use assurances that he'll be alright. Just ensure that he doesn't mention the baby yet- it's too early to have him think that he has to get pregnant too." Over at the Finn home, Walker awoke and was startled to find himself wearing boy's pajamas and in a strange house. He looked for the bathroom and encountered a drowsy Cat who hugged him and helped him shower and change. Nothing was said, Walker was too scared to say anything to Cat. Cat led him back to the spare room and helped him dress, with him looking at the clothes oddly. He had not idea what she had planned and didn't want to dress if it was all a joke. Cat saw his dilemma so told the scared boy, "We have to go shopping in a bit so you'll have to wear these. They're hand-me-downs from Clint, it's the best we could do until we know your size. We'll get you some that you like but it's better than putting you in one of Skylar's skirts. There's no way I'm doing that to you!" She sat him down and hugged him, kissing his cheek and explaining, "You're a Finn now. You're going to be our son from now on. We won't let you feel wrong so we thought it best to let you decide what to wear. You're old enough to find your own entertainment, but Milton wouldn't mind playing you on the game system- it'll be the first thing he demands get installed this afternoon." Walker fought tears but gave in. Cat kissed his cheek and softly told him, "We wanted to adopt a child in need of a home but you came before we could find one. You were meant to be part of our family: it life repeating itself with us. You have seven aunts and uncles, many cousins and 2nd-cousins, granties and gruncles, and best of all: grandmas and grandpas who'll spoil you. You are my son now, and I love you. Please, let me help you be the boy that you are born to be. Please?" He nodded silently and called her mom for the first time. He was in tears as Skylar entered to check on him then hugged him, calling him, "Cousin" and kissing his cheek. Angel, Danny, and Joey tried to hone in on the attention but were driven back by Cat's look: it was something their sister needed to do. Walker was led downstairs to eat breakfast while JD and Candace cooked. John and Valerie were busy keeping the kids calm and let Cat rest while ensuring that Walker actually ate his food. John fought his growing tears, his baby girl was showing how much of a mother she was meant to be with Walker. Daria dropped off Joan then went to work, with Cat being told that Jenna was handling Walker's case. It was followed by Cat being told by John, "Willow knows and is doing some digging on his part. She's keeping her distance to give you a chance to be the mother that he needs, she's also trying to ensure the case isn't pushed aside until changes can be made. Don't hound her for updates, she's working too hard for her to stop every few minutes to answer your texts and calls. Miles is aware of it and told those that need to know so don't use him to get around her lack of updates. The same goes for Oscar and David." Turning to Walker, John explained, "Your uncle Miles will be here soon to talk with you. He can't be the one to investigate but he can get notes for the detectives who'll takeover after him. Please don't lie and if at all possible don't exaggerate. He's a good person, he's also the only one Cat fears other than me." Cat, JD, Candace, and Valerie laughed at that. John got the response that he needed with Valerie adding, "He's lying, she doesn't fear him at all: she fears me. She has him wrapped around her finger and can't stop being the only one who he can't outsmart or refuse. He loves her deeply, but she's a pain to him." Joan was silent as she knew that Walker would ask about her. When Walker finally did she admitted, "I was in a car accident that killed my old daddy. I had to have surgery to change me into a girl. I wasn't born a girl, I was born a boy. I didn't want to be but I'm a girl now and I won't ever go back." Walker asked if that was some kind of joke as it wasn't funny. Skylar hugged Joan while Valerie had to explain to him, "It's not a joke. She was forced to become a girl physically because of the injuries that she suffered from the car accident. It's also why she's in a cast and sitting in that wheelchair: her pelvis was fractured and is slowly healing. She has to endure the humiliation of changing her gender because of something her idiotic father did- driving drunk. I know that you hate being a girl physically, but she had no choice but to become one because the alternative was worse. Please don't think that she's less of a girl because she had something happen to her that she didn't want, she'd love to change bodies with you so she could have your female organs. She is just now accepting that she's a girl, you had to endure the same when you realized that you were really a boy." Skylar softly told Walker, "Her uncle is like you. She knows how hard it is to be a boy inside of a girl's body. She just wants to be family to you, but if she is going to be a problem then Angel and her can go off on their own. Angel is like you, as is Aunts Jaimie, Reyna, and Flora. Only Angel hasn't had surgery to have a vagina like us, she's too young. Aunt Reyna and Joan had it done because of something bad but Aunt Reyna was a girl inside while Joan wasn't." Cat saw the look of contemplation on Walker's face and led him to the living room to think in peace. It was a lot to take in for someone who lived in self-pity for years and hated his femininity. He tried to believe that it was a lie, but Skylar's sadness and spouting off of names made him rethink that. Valerie sat next to him and softly explained, "Reyna is Joan's aunt through her dad. Jaimie is your new aunt through your mom. Flora is your aunt through your aunt Ella. Ella and Flora live in California and don't see us that often because of their store being so successful. Reyna is at work a lot, but she always has time for her nieces and nephews. You met Clint last night, he's her son through her wife. Yes, girls like Flora and Reyna can marry girls and make babies. One of our great-nieces just announced that she is pregnant with her girlfriend's baby, while Clint and his sister Lupe were conceived via help. You're new to transgender people other than yourself, you haven't yet understood that being what you are isn't the same to everyone. You are a boy, you shouldn't hold that against the girls because they need to be a girl. Joan is different, as is your new aunt Al. That's someone you really need to talk to about this as it's an even sadder story for her. She's just like Joan, only she had more happening that would scare you. I know that she wants you to understand girls and boys like you, so listen to her talk." Joan was wheeled over and hugged Walker. Walker saw the look of fear on her face and quietly told her, "I don't like being a girl, but I would be like my uncle if I was mean to you. I guess I'm just so used to being hurt that I don't see how people are. I like being a boy, but I guess it's the same for you being a girl. We're the same, even if you didn't want to be a girl." Joan hugged him and walked off, with Angel grinning widely as she jumped into his lap to hug him. It was too sweet to him, the little girl was smiling brightly and showed that she was fine with him even if he wasn't fine with her giving up her boyhood to be a girl. He was starting to see that just being what's inside matters most, especially as he'd have to live with them from now only as family. Gavin came by with the first of the family's possessions and announced that they had a lot of help due to the family grapevine making their cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts, and uncles pitch in to help them move. Milton and Melanie happily told Walker that they had to pick rooms, with the trio running over to their new house to do so. Cat couldn't help but smile, while Joan felt bad that she couldn't help them move anything even though she wasn't going to be able to do much anyway. Cat saw the need to help Joan so had her go with Walker and Skylar to shop for Walker's new things. It would be beneficial for them to be close to one another, while giving Joan a distraction as everyone did their part to move the Finns into their new home. Walker was reluctant to go as he wanted to help, but a look from Skylar told him to not complain while Joan's sadness showed why they were really going. At the store, Cat helped Walker get fitted for t-shirts, jeans, shorts, a formal suit, and pajamas. He tried to not ask about the suit, Cat explained to him, "It's for the weddings. Joan's uncle is getting married to my cousin and her dad is marrying her mom. You're going to be part of both as family, even if one is a reception after they get married- there's no way Marcus can avoid not getting married in front of all of us. Dad won't let him weasel out of it, he's the baby of us blood-Finns so he has to endure it." He looked over at Joan who was being helped by Skylar and asked about why Skylar was with them. It took a few minutes but Cat finally confessed, "She wants to help you. It's what she does, she's just like her mom but with her dad's compassion and understanding. Don't tell them that I said that, I have to be the joker among us but I know my brother better than anyone. Skylar is a mix of them, just as you'll be a mix of Gavin and I when you grow older. It's learned behavior, rather than genetic." Cat thoughtfully added, "She came along to be close to you. The two of you are the same age and going to be in the same class. She has her cousin Carly to keep her centered, you'll have your 2nd-cousin Clint to keep you centered. You'll have restrictions on what you can and can't do in school but it's really just which bathroom you can use. The teachers know not to mess with you and Carly- dad is a teacher so if a teacher is out of line he protects the kids and makes the teacher regret it instantly. Having to use other bathrooms is no big deal, it's better than being sent to the alternative school to keep you away from all of the other kids- just because you're transgender, and only because you're transgender." Cat smiled and added, "Clint is a good boy. He's nerdy and sensitive, but he's loyal. He'll be your friend if you let him be it. His mothers are incredibly smart and sly, he takes after them. His sister takes after his grandmother in just about every way, but is the spitting image of Reyna. Clint is like Rachel, all of us are fighting the urge to tease her about it because he's just so handsome even if he's small." Walker looked down in shame, he had no idea who he'd take after. He didn't know his parents all that well because he went to live with his uncle four years before and never really got along with them in the time before he went with his uncle. All he knew was that he was born wrong, but if he was going to be tall or skinny or fat or ugly was anyone's guess. The girls finished finding a few things for Joan. Cat nodded to Skylar over not going overboard with all of her items and added a couple of shirts that she figured Joan wouldn't mind having especially as they matched ones that Melanie had and loved to wear. It was clear to her that Melanie and her would be the same as Willow and Cat in their color coordinating, even if nobody was like them as friends. Back at home, Cat introduced Walker to Isaac and Brent. Seeing Isaac caused Walker to gasp in awe as he looked so handsome and was more built than Brent. Isaac asked what the big deal was, Cat happily told him, "He's like you: he just started his transition. He needs a haircut, we're going over to visit Aunt Riley so she can give him a proper boy's haircut and possibly introduce him to Carly." Isaac nodded and told Cat, "Before you ask, it's done. I'm waiting on my first missed period to see if we are parents. We're trying no matter how long it takes, I know he might not like it but we're still trying." Walker asked what he meant. Cat cringed and explained, "He wasn't supposed to mention that stuff with you around, but he's trying to have a baby with Brent. He wants at least one with him before he has his surgery. Brent isn't too keen on the sex but it's what they feel the need to do to be parents." Walker was conflicted. Isaac asked Walker if Walker was more upset that Walker might do the same as him when he finds the right person or that Isaac was doing it at all. Walker didn't have an answer, there was a clear conflict within him that he had to work out with his gender counselor in the future. Cat led him and Joan out back and introduced the Pierces to Walker and Joan. Joan was enveloped in a big hug by Carly's cousin Grace while Carly blushed at seeing Walker. He couldn't believe that Carly was like him, she looked so pretty and clearly had a big head start at being a girl. The two were quiet which caused Riley to ask if everything was alright. Walker was starting to panic as they looked at him, Cat softly told Carly, "He's seeing that he was wrong about girls like you. He had a picture of a boy in a dress like most who have never been around girls and boys like the two of you so seeing you standing here looking pretty and acting like any other girl is making him rethink things. It's the same reaction that kids in your class had, you're a lot prettier as a girl than you were when you had to act like a boy. The last 17 months have only made things better as you've grown into your looks." She blushed and walked off with Skylar while Joan was left in shock over seeing Carly. Riley led them over to a chair and told both to take their tops off so they didn't get hair on them. Joan blushed while a grinning Walker shed his. He had no qualms about showing off his chest, it's what boys tended to do. Joan was first and took seconds to finish with Riley telling Cat to tell Leslie to get a specific shampoo to use on Joan's hair so that it had more life and grew longer faster. When Joan was wheeled out to see the girls Riley started in on Walker's hair and took a lot longer to finish his cut. His hair was all but off as she gave him a classic buzz cut that looked good and made a statement about being a boy. Walker was in awe as he saw his reflection, with him fighting tears over looking so much like the boy that he had always seen himself to be. He looked up at Cat who nodded, with her tearfully telling him, "I now know what the girls felt when they saw themselves. You look handsome, like your uncles look like when they try to look tough. It's you, it's the real you. It's Walker Finn showing through." He hugged her tight, crying into her shoulder while Riley wisely told the girls that this is exactly what Angel and Carly felt when they were told that they could be girls. Carly nodded and hugged Walker, he needed one and didn't fight her kissing his cheek alongside the hug. It felt right, like she was doing it because she wanted to be good to him and understood him better than he thought she did. The kids were brought back out to the Finn home to see the progress of the move. Their rooms weren't yet ready so they were forced to play down in the entertainment room. Walker's haircut caused a lot of looks towards him, with him not noticing the grins as he looked like he was feeling a lot better. Clint sought him out and walked him over to his house to play there while giving the girls a chance to play house and pretend. He was bored and figured Walker would need the time away from the girls, he knew just how they'd act and if given half a chance Melanie would beg him to play dolls with her. The two were trusted to walk alone, with Clint knowing full well that they had eyes on them all along so it was really them getting some freedom without actually having it. The two were greeted by Clint's grandparents and happily saw Clint telling them not to bug Walker as it wasn't the right time. The two hugged and kissed the boys but saw Clint's grandfather Cameron tell Walker, "I'm like you. Clint's uncles Ashley and Liam are mine from birth, Reyna is my wife Lupe's daughter from birth and my daughter through adoption. You don't have to overdo being a boy, you're not alone in feeling that way. Clint's a good boy, he's your friend already in case you didn't notice." The boys played together for hours, only stopping to eat lunch then going right back to playing. It was so endearing to the elders, both smiling as the boys were quiet yet laughed and joked together. When it was time to call it a night they parted but it was clear that they didn't want to- they were friends in full. The move was actually quite fast, the longest time was devoted to packing clothes as Cat and Melanie had a lot of clothes that they never got rid of. Milton happily spent a lot of time supervising his sister as she moved clothes and forced her to actually part with a lot of things that she was too big for. Much of the castoffs actually went to Joan as she was the right size for them and what she wasn't was given to Willow to take to foster homes so the kids there had relatively new clothes to wear. Joan got to help Melanie with her room and ended up showing just how feminine her mind was as she had a lot of ideas for decorating the room that were perfect for the space. Melanie blushed as they said that, she was more of a tomboy than Joan and showed just how much she had influenced Joan. The two had so much fun that they fell asleep in Melanie's bed, entwined and smiling in their sleep. Daria was in tears as she came to get Joan, Cat just hugged her and led her out to where Marcus and the grinning Isaac were waiting and let them calm her. Cat simply told them, "They really know how to act like close friends. Willow is something else, she knew Melanie was compatible with Joan!" Upstairs, Walker stopped short as he saw his room decked out in a lot of sports-themed decorations. He was overwhelmed with all of the things that they left for him: balls, a glove, a bat, a cap, and jerseys of each of the sports teams. He wasn't sure what why they did that, but he was happy to see it. Gavin entered and gave him a hug, then told him, "We figured that you'd have a 50/50 chance of liking it. It's not much, just some stuff that your uncles wanted you to have. My brothers were big sports guys but I was more academic. I played a bit, but only as an emergency player. Clint's uncle is actually one of the best players but he chose to go into the family business instead of playing pro ball." He smirked and added, "Your uncles Mitch and Nick and gruncle Miguel actually did play pro ball: for the Patriots and Red Sox. Uncle Miguel was one of the best they had in relief, Nick was one of the best catchers and sluggers in the league for a decade, and Mitch was an all- pro defensive back who might be in the Hall of Fame in a few years once his critics are forced to retire. You can play sports if you want, I won't force you to but if your heart is in it then the high school would be glad to have you play. All of the city's youth leagues refuse to let you play due to being a Finn but the high school won't. Your uncle Diego played and he's like you, he played football and dominated at receiver so you can play too." Walker was overwhelmed, Gavin hugged him and let him calm himself. He softly said, "Thanks dad" to Gavin which made Walker gasp in realization but only led to Gavin sustaining the hug. Gavin knew it was from the heart despite Walker not wanting to admit it, so he let it go without saying anything. Gavin helped him put his clothes away and asked about some of the other items that he had. Gavin did a double-take and winced, then told him, "They're for the beach. Sorry, but it's universal among us that you wear rash guards to protect you from the sun. It's also due to your genetics, someone would freak out if they knew the truth and would cause us a lot of problems. The fact that you're born wrong isn't why you have one, but it's a good reason for wearing one. Everyone has one, except the older girls. At about 15 or 16 the girls usually forgo them. There's another reason: you should be starting to grow in your chest soon so it'll help hide your growths. Sorry, but it's the truth." He understood and didn't say anything further. Gavin let him finish then led him downstairs to where a grinning Milton was waiting. Gavin shook his head and added, "He wanted you to see the game system. It's no big deal to you since you played earlier, but it's yours alongside your brother and sister. It's on a timer so you can't play it during certain times, with only us having the password. Not even your aunt Rachel will help you with the password, she knows not to help any of you kids without our consent." He let the boys play while preparing dinner. After dinner was eaten and the girls went up to finish with Melanie's room Cat's big grin after returning told him all that he needed to know: the girls were happy and enjoying their time together. Gavin slyly pointed out the boys who were playing the game system and how much they were already starting to act alike and doing what the girls were doing. The two were happy with what was happening. They were parents again, helping a little boy in need of parents, and helping a little girl adjust to her new life. It was almost too good to be true. Marcus and Daria enjoyed the night together, with Marcus enjoying pleasure-filled sex with Daria for the first time in days. He was happy to give it to her and cherished it, knowing that it would be tough to enjoy one another with a baby on the way and a little girl two rooms over. That was in addition to both Leslie and Mark being home, but neither said anything about the sexual activities of their son. Morning saw Daria asked to talk with Jenna about Walker and Joan. Jenna wasn't trying to fish for any information, Daria knew that Jenna had a job to do and was only following the rules. She'd listen to the request but intervene if Jenna went too far or broke any of their regulations regarding Walker's care. Jenna arrived with her kids in tow, Marcus blushed as he was given a big grin by the two girls and a big slap on the back by their brother. He led them away to endure their interrogation but their only question was about Joan, which he happily told them, "With Melanie so don't annoy them unless you'd like to be on the wrong side of Jaimie and Rick. She'll gladly have you enjoy time at the preschool helping with the babies and cleaning the messes. Walker isn't ready for you either, so don't disturb them." In the living room, Jenna explained what she had found out so far and wanted Daria's views on Walker as a person. Daria shook her head and solemnly explained, "He's so intent on being a boy that he is on the verge of running away again. He is slow to allow others to get close to him but is coming to accept Gavin and Cat as his parents. He and Clint hit it off yesterday after he got back from shopping and he seems to have found common ground with Carly even if he's still upset about finding out that she isn't going to remain as a boy. He's in need of the one thing that all of the people here can give him: full and unbiased understanding. He isn't alone anymore, he has mentors and allies and a family now. Maybe in time he'll accept everyone as family, but so far he has accepted new parents and siblings." Jenna nodded and asked about his interaction with Joan. She flinched but confessed, "It was tense but he seemed to understand that it wasn't Joan's choice and what happened was irreversible. She wants to be a normal girl, he wants to be a normal boy. He understands that, especially given the circumstances." Jenna wrote down the reactions and finally explained to her, "Miles started David down the right path to finding out the truth about his uncle, the not-so-good doctor. Walker's family are known but refuse to have anything to do with him and gave him to his uncle without explanation to anyone and refused to tell friends and inquirers where he went. His real name might not mean anything to you, but it does to our family: Heath. He's a scion of one of the most storied families in the Pioneer Valley, Gavin actually is one of his relatives. Gavin's adoptive father was a Heath by blood, and is the patriarch of the family but due to family disputes he's a pariah instead. Gavin is in my opinion the next of kin to the child that is known as Walker Heath, through agreement with Rick, Al, and Thomas Samuels. You unknowingly did the best thing possible in placing him with Gavin, you gave Walker his family back." Daria was stunned. Jenna let her calm herself then explained, "The doctor who was trying to harm him by his actions against Walker really was his uncle. That's a huge violation of all medical ethics that the state is handling. Walker's file is impounded so anyone trying to access it or prescribing any care is in a heap of trouble. Miles stepped aside once the initial investigation got underway, David is only doing an oversight on paper, that leaves just Oscar to look into things. Rachel and Reyna have done a lot of work on the computers that were seized this morning and will step back once their team has the basics. There should be someone by soon to talk with Walker about what happened, Aunt Valerie will oversee it but I think it's just a formality at this point. Walker hit the mother lode, all thanks to your quick thinking." Daria blushed but Jenna forcefully explained, "You did what was needed, you protected someone in dire need of help and found him the one place that he'd best fit. The rest was coincidence, fate is funny and it shined brightly on you. Walker is going to be better than OK: he's a Finn now, alongside a Samuels. I can't tell you how much it means to the department: you put him in the best placement possible." Jenna walked across the street to talk with Gavin and Cat. The two shook their heads and laughed as it was clear that something happened to make her visit early and based on her smile it was a good thing. It took all of her strength but she simply did the cursory tour of the house before sitting down to talk. Jenna was blunt, telling them, "Walker is a Heath by blood. Gavin, you're his closest relative willing to take him in. Rick, Al, and Thomas chose to let you house him with intent on adoption. He has found the next of kin and by agreement with your siblings you are now his foster parents with intent to adopt." Gavin asked if it was confirmed. Jenna nodded, showed his birth certificate, then explained, "His uncle is the quack who tried to have him hospitalized illegally. The real reason was that he's unwanted and unloved by the family and might be more than he seems to his uncle according to chatter out west by a couple of colleagues in the region. He'd have to explain to others why he refused to house his niece, despite all of his claims of being a great doctor he's a rotten bigot who only treats certain people and chooses his patients instead of treating those in need of care. His house of cards just collapsed thanks to Walker refusing to act like a girl, his threats to hospitalize him caused Walker to flee thus end up in your care bringing DCF's own review of what happened to him and why. We had every intention of allowing him to permanently stay with you as you're fully qualified and cleared, but seeing as you are his closest willing relative his placement is all the more secure. Congrats, it's a boy! You might not be blood to your parents, but you gave your father another blood relative to love." Walker listened and tried to not cry. Melanie and Milton hugged him, with Cat telling them to come to them then hugged and kissed them while Gavin hugged and kissed the weeping Walker. Jenna saw that it was a perfect fit without any connection to the Heaths, Walker was their son in all but name. Jenna let them settle then explained to Walker, "A State Police trooper will be by soon to talk with you. I know that it's scary, but your grandmother will be with you. She is scary when upset, anyone trying to put words in your mouth or hurt you will see how much she protects her family." Cat joked that she was acting like a grandma already to which Jenna shot back, "I changed your diapers. I fed and changed you. I can't help it if I'm older, wiser, and more mature than you. I don't like that my daughters are fully mature women with one married, but I'm not a grandma yet. I'll be sure to tell his parents about your joke: no food for you, and your book investments might suddenly take a plunge." Cat smirked while Gavin shot back, "You knew not to mess with the momma bear and did so anyway. I just hope that she doesn't tell them what you said, but I doubt she wants to hurt the kids because of you and your big mouth. You know you can't go a week without eating there!" Jenna happily walked over to the Finn home and smiled as Joan was already playing with Joey while a giggling Danny tried to get her attention on him. It was clear that Joan was thriving, all she needed was a stable household and family who actually treated her like family. The Sylvesters were just that. Willow came by to ask about Jenna's report, Jenna was more than happy to tell her, "Both are thriving. I would hesitate to remove either of them without a confirmed allegation of abuse. I know for a fact that Joan doesn't have one, and the only allegations of abuse against Walker were made by the same man I am going to demand be prosecuted for negligence, abuse, and anything else that Rachel and Reyna can come up with. These kids are in the perfect places: with their next of kin, among those who can help, in loving homes with parents who understand what is going on with them. Daria might be new to all of it, but she is also adapting better than any parent should. We can thank Angel for that." Willow asked about the doctor/uncle. Jenna smirked and boldly proclaimed, "How in the hell did he not know it would get found out eventually once Walker was in the care of someone who he didn't have in his pocket? Something is way off about him and what's going on, I know that the Berkshire area is hard to keep bigots and scumbags out of but they did get him help but were stopped by intervention from an inside party who had the clout to kill the investigation in its tracks. If not for trying to run away he may have been stuck out there, his warning to them about hurting himself sparked their action on paper." Willow asked if it was that serious. Jenna nodded and showed Jaimie's report causing Willow to curse as it was serious enough to have Jaimie tell them that he might have to be hospitalized for his safety if removed by DCF without a valid reason- something that they didn't have due to Jenna's informaiton. It was only if he wasn't allowed to be a boy, which was moot since he was with the few who wouldn't let him not be one- but it was still a serious claim on paper, Cat and Gavin saved Walker's life. Turning to Joan, Willow asked about the little girl. Jenna shook her head and asked, "Didn't you see her out back playing with Angel and Grace? She's playing fine, she seems to be enjoying the kids and loves being treated well by them. I suspect that things were a lot worse for her with her grandparents and her father than it appears, she might be holding back a lot of what happened because she doesn't want to upset Marcus. She'll open up to a new counselor, once Jaimie finds them one. That's the next step: they need professional help to show that she's doing better despite the forced gender change." Willow reluctantly agreed, with the two going out back to watch the kids playing and seeing Joan being herself and trying hard to not wince in pain as she moved in her chair. The two reentered the house to a grinning Valerie who was immediately told, "A Heath! Out of all the idiotic things to do: he tried to send a Heath to the hospital for treatment against his will! Gavin and him know the truth, there's no way that we can allow him to be removed from Gavin's care without Rick's lawsuit. That's his own words, if we try to remove Walker from Gavin's care Rick will file suit against the state on Walker's behalf." Valerie just nodded and left it alone, even she knew not to get between Rick and his family. She may be a fearsome lawyer, but she has limits to what she's willing to do and hurting her son-in-law wasn't one of them. Jaimie would never forgive her, Valerie chose to help Rick do it for himself. There was a long delay as the trooper took her time getting to them. She was busy conducting several interviews else where and left asking Walker directly for last, which was a big mistake. What looked like an open and shut case to her was actually something much bigger than it appeared and her one-sided interviews were about to go against her in a big way by someone far more experienced in the law. The trooper arrived and immediately demanded Walker. Valerie grinned, had Walker brought over, then authoritatively stated, "I'm recording this interview at the request of your colleagues, Lieutenant Miles Finn and Captain David Peterson. They are aware of your interviews and will have colleagues conduct counter-interviews with the people whom you have just interviewed. Any attempts to alter, lie, delete, or otherwise misconstrue statements during this or later interviews with witnesses will be used against you by the Attorney General's Office. I am of the belief that you have a working relationship with the alleged suspect and have already formed your own opinion about what happened based solely on what you were told by him alone. As such, you'll be removed from the case as soon as that is confirmed." The trooper ignored her claims and demanded Walker again, this time threatening her with arrest and of attempted kidnapping. Jenna shook her head and firmly stated, "You have no right to threaten her. She's representing the child and as the child's social worker I am stating that there is no kidnapping. DCF has placed the child with the next of kin and are fully aware of just who the child's family are: all of them. The Heath family have taken custody of the child and as the child's relatives out west have refused to lay claim to the child the next-of- kin have willingly agreed to house the child." Jenna grinned as the trooper couldn't respond. The woman was fighting for words but eventually had to give in to Jenna's overwhelming force. Jenna had support behind her, the trooper had none. Walker was shown inside by Gavin and Cat, with both hugging and kissing Valerie. Walker was scared but Cat's holding of his hand soothed him. The trooper seemed to be upset by that, which Jenna caught and relayed to Willow who was next door talking with other troopers about Walker. The trooper demanded to know why he had his hair cut and why he was dressed like a boy. Valerie did a shark-toothed grin and boldly stated, "The child whom was born as Wilma Heath has stated that he is a boy and wants to be treated like one. As per the rules of DCF and under recommendation of a doctor of psychiatry, Wilma was allowed to live as a boy. That includes clothing fit for a boy, a hairstyle fit for a boy, and all of the sundries that are needed for a boy. Your personal bias is noted and will be reported to Mrs. Daniels' superiors as well as your colleagues. Do not use his transition against him as it violates multiple state and federal laws and your own rules regarding the treatment of transgender witnesses." There was a tense standoff but the trooper finally started to ask about Walker and his running off from his family. Walker tensed and screamed, "He wanted to hurt me! He said that if I didn't start acting like a girl he would put me in a mental hospital! He said that he'd personally impregnate me to ensure that I was never able to claim to be a boy again! He said that he'd use that as a reason to claim that I was a psycho who needed to be medicated for my own good. I had to get away, he was going to rape me!" The trooper didn't seem to care about the allegation. The trooper asked about where he went and what he did, insinuating that she knew more than she let on. Valerie nodded to Jenna while Gavin texted his brother about what was happening, with Rick texting that she just tipped her hand about involvement. Walker waited for them to stop texting and explained to the trooper, "Uncle Julius was angry at me and said that he was going to put me in a straight jacket and ensure that nobody believed that I was a boy after I had my first period. I was going to be raped and made pregnant and sent off because I was unfit to be around normal people. I ran off as soon as he got drunk, he always drank during the day and only stopped long enough to see his patients. Mom and dad sent me to him to live because I was so bad with the boys, I hated him and I told him that I was a boy no matter how much he said that I wasn't. I ran to the rail yard and jumped into a freight train that I always saw in the yard near uncle's house. The ride was long and boring. I got off in Boston and walked over to the park but got stopped by troopers who saw me leaving the yard. They talked to me for a while then sent for DCF and I had to go home with the social worker. I was told that I'd stay with a family who'd let me be a boy. They said that I'd be their son, that I'm going to be adopted by them because they wanted to help me be a boy." He was smiling at that, with the trooper getting upset at hearing the news. It only made the trooper feel worse as Jenna stated, "The cased was handed off to me by DCF's assistant commissioner. Due to there being probable cause for imminent danger to the child, we have determined that he is to be placed with his paternal father's 3rd-cousin. He is staying with family, despite being distant relatives. The foster dad is a Heath by adoption, through Ezra Heath, IV. You know of that, as I know for a fact that you know it as his legal team was told specifically this morning by the county clerk that his records were sealed by order of you. Your involvement is noted, you have to explain just how you are involved as you knew all of the facts ahead of time and have been belligerent towards the child in your questioning." Valerie grinned as Jenna saved that bombshell for last. The woman growled that she'd pay for that, but Valerie happily explained, "No she won't. Actually, you have to explain to my son and nephew why you are personally involved in a case that you failed to mention a personal connection to and failed to do a required notification to DCF and your sergeant about an imminent threat to a child. Further, your own actions to cover your lover's tracks and intimidate a child under the auspices of investigating a case not assigned to you are noted and will be used against you by the state." The woman tried to get up to leave but a knock at the door followed by Miles and David entering with several men in suits. The woman was about to flee but one of the men in suits showed handcuffs to her causing her to cringe as she knew that she wasn't leaving a free woman. David shook his head as Miles announced, "You're under arrest for conspiracy to commit kidnapping, witness intimidation, civil rights violations, and filing false reports before the court. You are also detained for questioning by the FBI for lying to their agents about a kidnapping that never occurred. Colleagues at the ATF alerted them to the true intent of your actions last night and were awaiting your claims this morning, they are taking a hard line given that you tried to use them to commit a crime that never occurred as you had yet to actually interview any of the witnesses and were not actually the one to interview him- these detectives were." The troopers led her out in handcuffs while David and Miles stayed behind with a third trooper. They were there to talk with Valerie and Cat, but also meeting the newest family members in person. Walker was unsure how to react, but he was happy to not be in danger anymore. David carefully introduced himself, followed by Miles. Miles hugged Walker, with Walker unsure what to do. Valerie happily told him, "Miles is your uncle, David is your mom's cousin. They're family." The awkwardness out of the way, he was asked about what happened to him in the past four years as he was supposed to be with his parents but lived with his uncle. Walker cringed and explained, "I told mom that I was a boy and she told me to shut up about that. I told my dad and he swore at me and told me I wasn't his kid: my uncle was. I was sent to live with him because mom didn't want me anymore since I had caused the brothers problems. My uncle told me that I was a freak and would hurt me if I ever told anyone else that I was a boy. He said that I was crazy and if he heard me say that I was a boy then he'd send me to a hospital and drug me so much that I'd never talk again. I kept my feelings to myself until I couldn't hold it in anymore and told him that I wasn't a girl and had to be a boy. That was last week. It got worse for me after that, he said he was going to shut me up and hurt me if I didn't stop claiming I was a boy. When he said that he'd rape me and make me pregnant I ran off. I waited until he was drunk and ran off, hiding in the rail yard and not coming out of the train until I was in Boston. I was found by the troopers after that, they took me to a doctor then DCF took me." The trooper made notes and asked if he ever told anyone else. Walker looked away in shame and told him, "I told my teacher. I was always playing with the boys and my teacher wanted to know why. She said that I was going to be alright and told the principal who called uncle to tell him that I needed help. Uncle punched him several times and made him back away from saying that, the teacher called for help but the police wouldn't do anything because uncle's girlfriend was a trooper and would cause them a lot of problems. I never met uncle's girlfriend, he'd leave me at home when he went with her. I had to be a girl whenever I was at home and at school but last week I couldn't take it anymore and told uncle that I was a boy and wouldn't be a girl any longer. He said I was getting pregnant so I couldn't be a boy no matter what. So I ran off. The train was getting ready to move so I jumped on it and jumped off in Boston. Nobody knew I was on it. The troopers found me after I tried to leave the park. They got me help, they said I'd be alright now. DCF brought me to my new mom and dad." The trooper nodded and made copious notes. He let Walker settle then announced, "You gave us reason to go after the two of them. We found a connection between my colleague and your uncle, and it's only made worse as she did actually intervene when your teacher went to the police about what happened to the principal. The assault was adjudicated and he should have lost all rights to you, but didn't. That's a suspicious action that we know to have been the result of his girlfriend again intervening. His own act of threatening harm to you was never looked into, again thanks to his girlfriend. We have enough of a belief to go after him for multiple crimes, with your parents having to explain why they abandoned you to him. Your mother likely will be going to jail for this, and if he isn't your father then what you uncle did to you was even worse: he has no right to treat you medically, especially against your will." Walker asked if he was in trouble, the trooper laughed and shot back, "No. You are far from in trouble: I would venture to say that you might have made a lot of friends with what you did. It takes guts to seek help, and more to keep at it even though someone tells you no. You did your best, and when you had no alternative you ran away to get help. You were put where you belonged, even if they were family." He got up to leave, but first told David and Miles, "Out of all of the foster homes in this state, he had to be put in with a Finn. It's almost comedic how lucky that was, and even downright hilarious since he's in with the one person who could make a strong claim to housing him now just on familiarity alone. He is lucky, we'll do our best to go after them and if all else fails: you know what to do." Once the trooper was gone, David asked about his cousin getting married. All eyes turned to him as he had asked what they didn't want to ask. Valerie blushed but wouldn't say, causing him to wince. Miles surmised, "He found someone who is a perfect match for him and is about the only person in all of the state who doesn't want to use him for money. He's transgender, like Walker, but keeps to himself as the folks Brent usually hangs around with aren't too welcoming to guys like him. Brent finally got the nerve to introduce him to Marcus while his sister was free that night to give them a designated driver. It sadly coincided with what happened to her ex-husband and daughter." David shook his and shot back, "We know all of that: we were there for them. What I want to know is what prompted them to pop the question so quickly. It seemed like it was out of nowhere." Mile grinned and happily added, "The same thing that prompted you to pop the question: sex. Lots of sex. And possibly a baby. Brent comforted him while he was anxious about his niece. That was already following the two being close to one another. Closeness led to sex, sex led to a proposal, a proposal led to trying to make a baby. It's not that hard to put things together! It's what happened to you!" Valerie added, "You know how he is. Add in that he had to do some work on a case that needed an extra set of eyes, he had little time. He's simply being Brent, he loves his fiance despite his start in life. They are a great couple, Brent loves him deeply and it's fitting that he marries Marcus's brother-in-law." Marcus was brought up, Valerie shook he head and firmly told David, "He helped her get through a lot of pain and anxiety and it grew to be love. They had a lot more in common than she ever had with her ex-husband. It was tough for Marcus to not want to protect them, that protection led to him falling for her and wanting to marry her. Add in that Joan was eager to have him as a father, doing to him what Al did for her parents. She loves him, and her mother fell in love with him as well." David left it alone, knowing that it was just more pure luck bringing families together. The fact that she was now pregnant with Marcus' child only showed that their love went deep enough for parenthood. It was no different than his own mother adopting him as her son decades before. Brent was actually on his way over and greeted Miles and David when he arrived. Isaac saw that Miles was different than Valerie and John and wisely kept quiet, Miles saw the confusion and happily told the perplexed Isaac, "Yes, I'm adopted. Mom and dad adopted me when I was 14, David was adopted by his mom when he was six. Brent told you that adoption was common, you've met several adoptees before us. Marcus is more than happy to adopt your niece because his sisters are adopted too." Joan came inside with Melanie and Milton. Both hugged Miles and David then hugged Brent. Joan was unsure how to react to the two men so Valerie happily told her, "Meet my son Miles and nephew David. They were here for something involving Walker, but are happy to meet you. They won't hurt you, they are a couple of pussycats when it comes to kids. Both had older kids, even if David is close to being a grandfather now that his little girl is all grown up and happily dating a nice man." Joan was quiet but understood that they wouldn't hurt her. Jenna helped her next door and talked with her about what was happening with her and why she needed to talk to a specialist. She looked upset, it was something that she feared but Jenna wisely let her settle for a bit. When Joan was calmed, Jenna explained, "Jaimie would have handled this but as she's related to your daddy she has to hand the case off to another doctor. She won't let anyone hurt you, my hunch is that it will be Dr. Fiona Flynn who is Angel's counselor. Fiona understands kids in many ways, both her wife and sister are like you and she has endured abuse by others. She'll help you find your way as a girl, and you might not need her for long if she believes that your natural femininity is enough to show that you are a girl in full. She handles kids with psychological issues mainly, I think it's what you really need as your grandparents and the kids at your old school have done a lot to hurt you psychologically. Melanie might help you a lot, but you need to talk with someone who'll listen to you and help you more." Joan hugged her and watched TV. Jenna told the lurking Mark and Leslie that she'll talk with Fiona in a few days so that things could get settled and it's on record that she's getting help but might not need to speak with Fiona about other issues that are impacting her more than the gender issues that will clear up in time. Mark asked if everything was alright next door, she gave him a smirk while Leslie shot back, "They set the trooper up. Something fishy was going on and they used it as a sting to get the trooper in trouble. Knowing Miles and David, it was a trap with no way to avoid incriminating oneself. Knowing Valerie, she led the trooper into it without actually doing anything except be there." Jenna didn't reply, but her grin told them that Leslie was right. Jenna left and fielded questions from all of those that she expected, with her mother-in-law happy to hear that she was successful. For once, the kid who was being harmed did everything right and it was only one person who caused issues for them and the ones in DCF who would have reacted were never notified so couldn't do anything until then. Isaac was forced to endure meeting more and more of Brent's cousins as word got around that he was at the Finn home leading to David's brother and sisters coming by with their spouses followed by all of Miles' siblings who were in town. The only one who wasn't coming was out in California and she sent a text to Brent that she expected him to hold off marrying Isaac until she could get East. Isaac was overwhelmed, with Walker actually doing his best to keep him calm as the two kept meeting more and more people before the immediate family were all done. Their kids kept their distance, it was clearly something for the, "Olds" and the kids didn't want to overwhelm Walker alongside embarrassing Isaac with all of their affection. Valerie happily told them that they did the right thing, they were going to meet Isaac and Walker in the future but the time wasn't right just yet. The group talked with Isaac for several hours, the kids happily enjoying time with their cousins and the few 2nd-cousins who were free to play. Isaac enjoyed it immensely, while Marcus wisely steered clear of it to give Isaac a chance to be family without his awkwardness added on. Being Brent's first love and his first sexual partner was incredibly awkward for them, even if Isaac and Marcus never mentioned it. When the kids got hungry the adults fed them and saw Joan happily being among kids who treated her like she was family to the point that she was only different in that she wasn't yet officially part of them- but the sentiment was there. She loved it, especially as she got along great with the older kids. Joan had to fend off offers to go over the other kids' houses, especially as she didn't want to upset their parents or Daria. Marcus grinned and told them to stay over his house, giving their parents a night off as well as a chance to enjoy the evening alone with the kids gone. He got them back for their joking of him needing headache relief by joking that they'd better not end up pregnant, causing instant laughs from all of the kids while their parents blushed deeply at the joke. Daria came home to a group of unknown kids camped out in the living room and Marcus smiling at her. She demanded to know who the kids were, with Marcus happily explaining, "All of them are related to Brent through their parents. The kids hit it off and couldn't part, so I offered their parents a night off. It was hard to refuse her looks, she wanted to go over their houses but I thought best to let them stay here. I know their parents needed a night off, and Joan could use company other than Melanie." Daria asked about the day, he looked down in shame and explained, "It's complicated but simple: he's in the best place for him. Jenna found his real family and it turns out that it's nasty. He's with his next-of-kin: Gavin. Rick, Al, and Thomas deferred to him with him unable to refuse to help family. Gavin was more than willing to adopt him, with Jenna refusing to step in the way of his intent." He shook his head and added, "He should have been with Gavin months ago but his uncle assaulted his principal to keep him from going to the police. He did anyway, but his uncle's girlfriend intervened. It was as you would expect: he came out and couldn't live as a girl anymore then when the help went to his uncle it got ugly. The principal filed charges, those mysteriously vanished. We know that the Heath family are involved in a lot of nasty things and never changed from Ezra Heath IV's reign, but he didn't falter and kept his resolve and fled when he found an opening. It was pure luck that troopers found him. It gets even better: his uncle might be his real father making the family have to explain how they let the boy stay with him in the first place while his mother explained how she cheated on her husband. There will be a bitter divorce and likely split the family again, but Walker is free of them for good." Daria was astounded that so much happened so fast. Marcus laughed and happily explained, "They really had to have thought that his uncle would keep things quiet, but once he got proper help there was not a chance in hell of us leaving this alone. Miles and David wouldn't let it rest: it's their job not to. They'd be all over the Heaths anyway even if Rick, Gavin, and Thomas weren't involved. And yes, they're a part of this- Rick through Jaimie, Gavin through Cat, Thomas through his wife. You haven't met her as she was busy with clients who need discretion and has to work early in the morning to protect them. It's hard for her not to know all about Joan because Al won't let her not know. And Jessie has worked with Joan so has been telling her about what's happening without breaking confidence, Thomas ensured that it wasn't a violation of any rules since it's part of her rehabbing so things got back to her anyway." He smiled and added, "That doesn't even begin to take into account Aunt Valerie and the legal arm of the family. Rick and her are directly involved, but the others are assisting and may takeover if the two can't be held back anymore. Uncle John is sitting back not having to spend a penny, this is all on the state as well as the family's lawyers so he only has to ensure that they eat and sleep properly." The two went up to bed, but first kissed Joan goodnight. Seeing her hugging Melanie and completely surrounded by other girls and boys made her heart melt. Joan was thriving, perhaps the accident might have been the best thing that ever happened to Joan. The kids let the adults sleep-in and fed themselves. They were giggling and grinning when the couple entered the kitchen to eat. Daria saw Joan's bright smile and couldn't help but hug and kiss her, with the kids then grabbing Daria into a hug and calling, "Auntie" making her feel loved again. When the kids' parents came by to pick them up Daria got a crash course in the family dynamics as she met people who were intertwined with yet not blood to those they were married to especially as many of them were adopted into their families or whose kids were adopted. Meeting Jenna's cousin's kids, the Elizas, was an eye-opener as Marcus casually told her how they were love at first sight and whose daughter was conceived through artificial insemination but their son born the same way Brooklyn's child was. It was beautiful even if it was disheartening that Joan wouldn't be able to do the same but the little girl would eventually be a mother through adoption if it came down to it. The last to leave were Willow's kids as Daria had no idea that Willow's children were there. Willow did a dodge but her kids happily told Daria that their dad told them not to annoy her because of work. She felt relief over that, but Willow added, "They have spent a lot of time with their cousin because she's a bit down because of the girls having their surgeries. She's not ready yet and has another year or two to go before she is allowed to have it. The kids have wanted to come by to meet Joan but hadn't had a way of convincing their father to allow them to, last night gave them a reason." Melanie happily hugged Daria goodbye before rushing across the street, with Daria smiling as Joan had a look of sadness of being alone again. The two spent the day together and bonded, Isaac came by for a while but left when Brent got home. Joan hugged and kissed him to show that she was doing better as it was pretty clear that he needed to see how she was doing but stayed for the companionship. Fiona Nelson met Joan and Walker three days later and spoke at length with both about transitioning as a willing and unwilling person. Joan was expected, she was happy to be a girl and be free of what the boys were becoming while trying to be herself without holding back her feelings and actions. Fiona had a long talk with her about her grandparents and former father Jimmy, with Joan reiterating what she had told Jaimie and Willow before and trying hard to think of all of the incidents that happened to her. Joan was feeling more and more relieved talking about what her grandparents did and told stories of the abuse that made Fiona frantically scribble notes to pass on to Oscar Pierce and the troopers who were investigating the Lewises. Joan smiled as she told her last story, with a look of relief on her face and the sound of her voice showing that she had a burden lifted off of her. When she spoke about the kids at her old school she was unflattering but it was clear that she knew that they were acting without restraint or fear of anyone stopping them, something that Fiona noted and asked about when she was finished. Joan looked away in shame then told her, "The boys were jerks to girls. They treated us like we were the worst things to happen to them and demanded that we be put in other classes. The principal considered it after the boys started to fight girls and make class hard, the teachers were upset that the school had to endure it because the boys' parents were powerful and the city wouldn't allow them to be moved to a different school or get expelled. Grandpa said that if the principal tried to stop them then he'd be fired and someone who would listen to him was hired. The principal fought him but had to stop when police told him that grandpa was the boss and he had to listen. It was horrible, boys ruled the school and did a lot of bad things to the girls. The girls were put in another school to save them from the boys, I wanted to go with them but grandpa said that I had to stay because I was just a freak who didn't belong with any girls. He said that I should be expelled and never allowed into any schools." Fiona asked if she was OK with school now that she was a girl. Joan smiled and happily proclaimed, "I get to be a normal kid now. I get to be a girl! I'm normal, even if I had surgery. I love being a girl, now I get to be just like everyone else and be myself. I love being a girl." Fiona wrote out more notes then told her, "I think you have acclimated more than any kid should have to. You're a girl now, you accepted it and moved on and want to be a better girl. You have a ways to go but you have a lot of support and people who want to help you. You have a friend in Melanie, you have a couple of cousins who show you what boys should be and are in a school that will help you thrive. It might take a while to fully adjust, but I believe that your only issues are your grandparents and that's a problem that will be solved when they are sent to prison." Walker was a different case. He was scared to speak the truth but it was clear to Fiona that he had a lot of issues that were centered on family and being a boy. He was happy to be a boy, but needed a bit of time to fully accept that everything that he had wanted he got: a friend, family, and being a boy. He was clearly a boy in her eyes, but he also had issues with trust and acceptance by others. Those had to be worked on over time, but he was in the right place in her eyes. She told him that he was going to be a boy and that nobody could stop him, giving him her blessing to transition and telling him that he had to meet with her as a client so that he could transition to a boy legally. Things became normal for them after that. Walker was over several times as he and Joan were babysat by Leslie and Mark with Walker trying hard to not get into any trouble. The two were happy to let him be himself, with neither paying too much attention to what he was doing which he was grateful for. Isaac became like an uncle to Walker as the two had long talks about their feelings, with Isaac letting it finally air to someone who wasn't paid by him to listen to him or who wasn't family directly. It was a great relief to him, with Walker now seeing that he didn't have to be a big, tough, strong man to be the kind of man that was right for him. Isaac's paternal instincts kicked in talking with Walker, even if the two didn't mean to Walker helped Isaac deal with being a parent years earlier than expected. Isaac missed his expected period, which caused him concern. Daria asked if he had continued on with a nightly sex routine with Brent causing him to blush over his sister's question. Daria quickly took him to the bathroom and forced him to pee on a test strip, showing just what she meant by her question. Isaac did as asked and shed tears as it came back positive: he was pregnant with Brent's baby. Daria did the only thing that she could do: she hugged him and kissed his cheek. She happily told her brother, "We are going to have babies together. My child born a month before yours, just as we always hoped." Isaac cried heavily, an old vow was being brought up that he couldn't claim he never made. He swore to Daria that one day they'd be parents at the same time so they could raise their kids together, now he had to hold true to it. He was going to be a dad, with Daria being a mom a second time. Brent was told to come over immediately. He rushed over and fainted when he was shown the test strip. If Marcus hadn't caught him he would have hit his head on the floor, but the shock was still there on both of their faces as they realized that fatherhood had hit them at the same time. Brent composed himself then told Isaac that he had to go to see his parents. Both walked over to their house and received immediate hugs from the Joneses. Isaac was told to call them mom and dad and that they'd love it if he'd not consider them otherwise since his own parents lost the right to be called that. The wedding was brought up, Isaac hesitated to which Brent stated, "They're doing a double wedding so all of us are together at once. Ella won't have it any other way, she and Flora are designing the dress as well as our tuxedos. If I so much as thought of buying something off of the rack they'd skin me alive. I think she meant it, Ella told Flora to start sharpening her best shears!" Isaac wasn't sure if he should but Brent softly explained, "They want to do it because we're family. All of us are. Marcus and I are buddies and Daria is your sister, it's better to do it together so all of us are in one place together instead of making two trips. Aunt Karen won't like having to fly from England twice even if she knows it's for a good reason. Plus Uncle John won't let you get out of having a full event. I know you wanted it small, but this is our family you're talking about: it's only them and a couple of our friends, nobody else. The kids will want their new Uncle Isaac to enjoy himself." The news was broken to the family about the pregnancy and Brent endured calls from all of his cousins as well as his sister and brother. The two happily joked with him about taking the plunge while he got in a couple of shots against his sister about being single still. He knew how to press her buttons, but she deserved it for how much she mocked him about not finding a boyfriend for the past few years. Isaac was asked by Sarah Jones, Brent's mother, about her transition and if she understood that she'd be setback a year or two because of the baby. Isaac looked over at Brent and smiled, he explained to her, "I told my counselor that I had to do this for his sake as I wanted him too have a part of himself even if it wasn't what I wanted in life. I don't care about having to wait or what it'll do to my breasts, it's what he needs and what I want. I don't know if we'll have another but I know what I am: his husband." Sarah calmed him and softly told him, "I had to ask. I'll talk with your counselor and have you move to another as I don't like what I heard about her. She shouldn't push you away from doing what you need to do as a man, even if it means getting pregnant. It's your mental health at stake and not having a child is harming you more than having one, especially as it means so much to you and Brent." Faith Jones continued to annoy Brent until she had to leave due to her brother Neil getting upset. Brent just ignored her, he knew that she was jealous that he had found love and she couldn't find anyone. She was the only one among her friends not to find love or have a child, even though one was divorced. Isaac saw the pain in her and tried to ask about her as Brent never mentioned her to him. Sarah tried to avoid it but confessed, "She's extremely jealous of everyone in the family and avoids everyone outside of family events. She only visits her friends when the kids are away or in school and tries to keep from babysitting Neil's kids. We love her, but her issues are tough to overcome." Isaac knew that there was more to the story and asked for the truth. Sarah shed a tear and told him, "She dated a boy in high school and college and was manipulated by him into doing a lot of things that she is ashamed of. He was after her money, he thought that if he got her to marry him he'd get a huge payout when he divorced her. We tried to warn her but she wouldn't listen. They married over a long weekend but when he tried to sue for divorce and half of her wealth he found out the she didn't have access to it yet because she wasn't 25. He did it behind her back without her knowing and celebrated his divorce by having sex with a classmate who laughed in her face about being so stupid. She just closed off from everyone. She tries to live a solitary life away from everyone as a programmer and book editor but has to go see family frequently so relives the humiliation of not listening to us about him. She took to being antagonistic towards Neil and Brent, they let her off most times but she pushes things a lot. I know she isn't really like that, but it's just so tough seeing her so sad and closed-off to everyone." Isaac nodded and asked if anyone had shown an interest in her since then. Sarah nodded and sadly told him, "He's an outstanding guy, she just doesn't trust anyone. He's her coworker, the one whom she has to collaborate with most of the time. He talks with her supervisor about her a lot, she can see in his eyes that he cares a lot about her and wants to get to know her outside of work. We've tried to get her to go out with her friends, but she fights it. Nobody can change her mind, she's set on being alone." Isaac left to go home but saw Faith talking with someone up the street. When she saw him she tried to go another direction but he called out to her. She was stuck having to go to him or explain to Brent just what she had been doing and why- a tough thing to do when she knew her mom told her story to him. Faith looked ashamed to get caught by Isaac and walked with him to his and Brent's apartment. When the two are inside, she confessed to Isaac, "He's Trey Martin, my coworker. He was out walking his dog when he saw me. He's a great guy but I don't like being around anyone no matter how nice they are. I can't trust any person anymore, everyone wants something from me! Every guy I've ever met wants me for sex or for my money. No matter what I do, I can't get away from them. I hate it. I hate being just a walking pair of tits and a pussy or a walking bank account! I just want to be left alone." Isaac could understand her. He softly explained to her, "Not everyone thinks that about you. You have to see that some people are good inside if you let them be. I know what you are feeling, believe me I do. I lived it. I was just a sex object before I stopped lying to myself about being a woman. Guys only saw me as a quick lay because I was so masculine. A couple saw me as someone who they could manipulate to be like their mom or sister. Either way, it sucked. Then when I came out I couldn't find any dates. It took me two years to find Brent, and a lot of talking with him at work over lunch. I'm grateful that he's so accepting of me and open about his feelings, it took a long time to accept that he really meant it." The two hugged as Isaac helped her calm herself. When she finally stopped sobbing he asked how she really felt about him as he looked like he was actually being friendly with her and not sexualizing her. She tried to dodge it but her eyes told a different story: she didn't want to admit the truth. Eventually Faith tearfully mumbled, "He's what I thought men should be like: nice, charming, makes me laugh, treats me like a coworker instead of eye candy. He's handsome too, he might not be a model but beneath that chubby exterior is a nice body. I saw him at the beach before when we were both in high school, I saw how big he is. I don't know why nobody has married him as he's the perfect man." Isaac fought a laugh as it was clear why he hadn't found anyone: she was the one for him! And she had a crush on him for years to go alongside his obvious crush on her. Isaac happily told her, "You are the reason why he never found anyone. You two are perfect and he had a lot of trouble finding someone who is as beautiful, smart, and as good of a fit as you. You're in love! I can hear it in your voice. Everything that you just said about him screams that you're in love." She looked up at him in shock. Isaac wisely surmised, "You saw through his outer looks and mentioned his inner looks. You talked about his personality and mentioned that it was how you thought men were supposed to be. You were taking peeks at him when you were younger and mentioned his body and how it really looks. You're in love with him and have been for years, only your past won't let you see that he liked you as more than a classmate and coworker." Isaac asked about it, the truth and not what she told her parents and friends. Faith blushed and told him, "I actually did find my ex- boyfriend in bed with our classmates. It was during Spring Break and we were staying out in California with my cousins. He went with us because I thought that we were in love and he might be asking him to marry me. It turns out that he also invited a couple of 'friends' to join us after we landed. I didn't know that he'd done that and it upset the girls. Ella was furious, Flora was angry that I forgot to tell him to not invite anyone especially girls. We did all of the usual stuff but he started to find reasons to stay away and go with the girls: they knew the area, they had plans, he was sick, he had visited the places before. When we had to return back early for some pads because Ella forgot that she was getting her period we found him in bed with the girls. He lied to us. He played us. The girls kicked him out but it was tough to not be upset over what happened. When Daisy arrived to spend the weekend with us before her own Spring Break week it only got worse: she found out that he tried to claim that we were married and filed for divorce BEFORE we actually left for California and claimed that we married out there on the filing. I stupidly signed paperwork but never knew that it was a marriage license! It was actually him trying to get my signature than copying it but he messed it up as I use two different ones for legal documents and regular paperwork. Aunt Valerie told me that he had someone pose as me and perform the ceremony at city hall in Boston. He tried to get at my trust fund but it was setup so that nobody could touch it until I was 25 or I petitioned for it to be released. He was upset and sued but the marriage was annulled and he ended up in prison for fraud and perjury but it still hurt. I was lied to. I didn't listen to them and he used me. I hated being used, every other guy was like that. The only ones who weren't was Trey Martin. I can't face him again. I can't do it knowing that you think that I'm in love. I just can't see Trey again." Isaac softly asked, "How do you think Trey feels? He cares about you, he has for years. Trey has kept single for a reason: he must love you too. I could see it in his eyes, he's great for you. At the very least you're not compatible. At least try to date him, give him a chance to show what real men are like." Isaac led her out and saw her thinking deeply. She stopped as soon as she saw Trey standing nearby with his dog, waiting for the dog to do its business so they would walk along. Faith steeled herself for what she knew she had to do and walked over to him, asking him out and earning a nod from him. It was done. Faith had gotten a date with the man she clearly loved. The two finally got together. Isaac called Brent to tell him what happened leading Sarah to cry tears of joy. The Jones family didn't call Faith after that, she had more important things to do- like planning her first date with a real man. Brent returned home to find Isaac looking upset. He kissed Isaac and happily told him, "All of us are so happy right now. You did more for Faith in two hours than any of us had been able to do in years. She's a whole new woman, it's clear that she's feeling different now. You helped her, you showed that you are more of a brother and my brother and I. We failed her, you showed her the truth. You're her brother in all but blood, an in-law that she can go to for advice and to talk without fear of the rest of the family." He happily cooked dinner so Isaac could calm himself, with Isaac texting then talking with Daria about what happened. Daria had to hide her glee: Isaac had ingrained himself with the Jones family as their son-in-law and shown that he's worthy of the title. She felt like it was a sign that they were finally on the right path in life and would be better for it- especially as they were both pregnant by their fiances. Talks about the weddings dominated things for the next two weeks, only ceasing when the time came to remove Joan's cast allowing her to start rehabilitation. She saw for the first time all of the work done to her privates, now that the swelling and redness was gone her privates looked just like Melanie's which a laughing Melanie told her was supposed to happen. Joan blushed, with Melanie offering a big kiss to show that she was right in thinking that about herself and everyone had already said it would happen. The lack of a cast also brought new issues for Joan: clothing. She had to learn how to wear dresses and skirts, how to put on panties, how to properly wear blouses now that the buttons were on the, "Wrong" side. It was tough to relearn how to dress, but she was determined to do it all to prove her femininity. Jessie Pena and Rebecca Samuels were over every morning and evening to ensure that she exercised and didn't overdo things while playing with Melanie and the kids. Melanie refused to let her overdo any of the things that Joan wanted to do like climbing and running, which only caused Rebecca to laugh as it was just like her mother had done at the same age when the other kids had been injured or sick and happily did so without needing to be asked- just as Cat had done. Melanie had a lot of people ready to say the same, but nobody had the heart to upset her by admitting it to her. Jessie got Joan excited when she learned that she would swim to help her legs strengthen, with Walker invited to come along so he could get away from constantly playing the family's game system with the ever-present Clint. Clint happily went along, he wanted to show that it was alright with him and he'd be alongside another boy so Walker wouldn't feel like he was singled out. Walker was happy to go, he had never swam before and learning was something that his uncle never learned to do making him happy. The swimming was slow and tiresome, but with Melanie and the boys close by Walker and Joan both learned to swim and enjoyed playing with them when she was able to move on her own. Walker was also relieved that he could be in a swimsuit and not feel like he wasn't a boy as he saw Clint looked like naked after their swimming. Clint ignored what Walker lacked, with the two not looking at their genitals once they relaxed in the shower. The girls took longer than the boys, with Walker happy to no longer need to worry about his hair. Clint asked if he felt relieved, Walker happily told him, "I love it now. I love mom and dad and love you. You are better than the guys I knew, none of them are going to be anything but farm workers but you are the son of two awesome technicians. You could do anything that you want, they'll never do anything." Clint smiled at hearing that, he shot back, "Your mom and dad are great too. Aunt Cat is smart but she's a great author and artist. Uncle Gavin keeps her from going overboard making new books, she needs to write and draw because kids keep asking her for certain things and she has to do it for them. She hates to make kids upset, she fights going to the hospital to meet kids because she can't see them sick or hurt. She has tried to stay away from Joan and the other girls for this reason, but she's there for them." Walker left it alone, Clint hugged him and added, "She's your mom. You're a Finn now, we're both Finn kids. Your dad is awesome, you uncles are even better: Uncle Thomas loves teaching us how to play all of the sports at the high school and even knows a lot of athletes like some of the Bruins and Celtics. Uncle Kyle brings us on fire department outings. You get to enjoy it all because you're their nephew. I know that Gruncle John already made it so that you're just like the other kids, you're going to be one of the richest kids in the city just because you're a Finn- a full Finn, through his daughter. I'm a Finn due to grandma but you're even closer: you're an heir of his, a full one at that. You never have to work at all in your life yet you're going to be driven to do so by Gruncle John and Granty Valerie." Walker was in a state of confusion, it was something that he never thought he'd hear before. Walker, a rich kid? He couldn't believe it, yet Clint had no reason to lie to him about something like that. The girls finished and saw them happily hug their hosts with Cat being told to not overdo the mothering of Joan. Joan was forced to rest the rest of the day and used the wheelchair with her only being allowed out of it to go to the bathroom. Even then, she had to have someone with her so she didn't hurt herself. In the car, Cat saw Walker thinking and asked about it. Clint looked away in shame but confessed, "It's my fault, I told him that Gruncle John is rich and he's now rich too. He doesn't want to believe me." Cat laughed and happily told him, "It's true. Dad is a multi-billionaire thanks to all of the money earned from his investments and purchases. He made a killing on selling the Red Sox, his production company is making hit after hit movie, his TV network is getting huge numbers of viewers, and his shows are all heavily watched by kids and adults alike. He has a lot of money, but he is giving it all to us: all of his family. Not just his eight kids, but all of the multiple nieces and nephews even if they're not related to him except through friendship to his indirect nieces and nephews. Those of us who inherited money or who were awarded through lawsuits aren't touching that money, I already received a hefty amount from my grandfather's passing and from your great-great-grandpa's cousin so I don't want any of what dad would have left me. Gavin has a hefty amount from his grandfather's passing, he's the guy that caused your former uncle's issues with your supposed-father. Have you heard the full story of that yet?" Walker shook his head no, so Cat explained, "Your great-great- grandfather had two children: Ezra Heath IV and your old great- grandfather, Wendell Heath. Ezra, your new great-grandfather, only had one kid: a daughter. She married against his warnings and ended up pregnant by her husband. She gave birth then was put away to an asylum. He then abused his only grandchild and ended up causing that kid to find a great family who adopted him and led to his becoming a top doctor who taught his son to be a good person. That son, your uncle Rick, is the one who got our entire family together...well indirectly. The real honor belongs to your aunt Jaimie, but he's the one who got the guys to back away from her and showed the girls that she was a cool friend. He's a great guy who works hard as a lawyer but loves Jaimie deeply. Liv is his spiritual successor in personality, and his sons are his spiritual successor in sports and other things. Their eldest daughter is her own person, she's more like her biological mom but nobody, not even her, will admit to that. She is Jaimie's daughter and nobody will be her mother no matter how much genetics they share." Cat took a breath and confessed, "You're a Finn, a Samuels, and a Heath. You're rich, because you're a part of several rich families. Yet you're your own person. You're you, you're Walker Finn: our son. It's a blessing and a curse. You will have money, but we want you to be your own person. Be Walker Finn." He understood what she meant: money doesn't make you into a better person, it only makes you think that you're better than everyone else. He had seen it for years as his family lived off of their name and didn't really do much of anything except boss others around and make people fear them. He was going to be better than his former parents, his supposed-uncle, and all other Heaths- except the Finn branch. Joan saw the downside of being pregnant as morning sickness hit her mother hard. Daria was always in a state of exhaustion and looked sick all of the time, scaring Joan. Daria was in tears as Joan asked if she was going to die because she was always sick, it was tough to admit that it felt like that at times. Daria calmed herself and explained, "It's hard on a woman's body to be pregnant. Your uncle is just as bad, he told me that he was getting sickness earlier than normal because of his body reacting to his new hormones. His breasts and privates feel sensitive, he is getting cravings, and his breasts have gotten big. I'm different than him, I'm used to the feelings but it still hits me hard. I can't keep food down so I'm eating at different times and going light on dinner. I know it'll pass, but I have to drink extra fluids like I give you when you're sick just to compensate. It's one thing that is unavoidable about being a mom: a tough morning sickness. I'm saddened that you won't experience this, but it's a blessing to you." Marcus had filed paperwork to legally adopt Joan the day after he proposed to Daria and finally got his date in court, coincidentally alongside Cat and Gavin's date regarding Walker. The two couples were in a frenzy over scheduling and trying to keep family away, with only the Samuels and Sylvester branches going to the hearings due to being the closest of all of them. The hearing was a quiet event. The judge read over reports from Jenna and Willow then nodded as he read the other reports provided by the State Police regarding Walker's uncle and mother. All of what he confessed to them was proven and backed by DNA tests: he was his uncle's son, not his father's son. Walker listened silently while the judge talked around him, ignoring him completely and using his old name when addressing anything about him. Cat and Gavin didn't correct the judge, letting her make a mistake that they would then pounce on. They didn't like it, but they were going to do what was right. The judge finally read the petition for a name change and denied it. Cat demanded to know why as he had a complete examination and a report from Jaimie stating that refusing to allow transition would be harmful to him to the point that he might be suicidal. She had the judge right there, she couldn't say it was harming him or refuse to abide by the laws if Walker was indeed transgender as stated. Rick Samuels stood up and happily told the judge, "You have no right to deny the request by my brother and sister-in-law to change their adoptive son's name. Wilma Heath is no more a girl than you are a guy and your own bias has no bearing on this case. Your views are noted and we will be sending word on to the Judicial Conduct Commission about your actions and will be appealed to the Chief Judge shortly." He grinned as the judge realized that she had just upset the wrong family. She double-checked the name on the application and swore. Cat wisely stated, "My brother-in-law speaks the truth. My 2nd-cousin is in the lobby with the notice ready to file. His mother is already informing the chief judge. She wasn't the one to get this case due to our relationship to her, but she might get it now." The judge scoffed at that then denied the adoption and name change. The group walked out, told the awaiting Reed Pena what happened, then watched as Kennedy Pena was told to take the case. Kennedy walked into the courtroom, called the six forward, then told them, "You know already what I'll state so let's get this over with so the replacement judge can hear the other cases. Gavin Michael Finn and Catherine Melanie Finn, I grant a name change to the former Wilma Heath. Wilma Heath, you are to now be known as Walker Richard Finn. Walker Richard Finn, you are hereby granted adoption by Catherine Melanie Finn and Gavin Michael Finn. Congratulations on hitting the family jackpot, sir." She grinned at the scared Joan and happily told the little girl, "There is no reason to deny your name as it is just a formality due to your unfortunate surgery. James Lewis Jr. is hereby renamed Joan Iris Rachel Sylvester at your sisters' request. You are also the adopted daughter of Marcus John Finn. You are now a member of our vast family in full and are one of the small number of direct members of the family. I don't have to tell you what that means, but take pride in being a Finn and Sylvester, young lady." Turning to Marcus and Daria, she happily told them, "Mark and Leslie would skin me alive if I tried to marry you here. I would love to, but I fear Leslie's wrath: he is her little baby boy no mater how old he is and how much he has matured. But mark my words: you're getting married soon. How does getting married next week sound? Flora and Ella are already here with the dresses and suits." Both looked at her in shock, Kennedy just laughed it off as she walked off to her chambers. The clerks had to hold off laughing, she nailed them hard with that trick. It wasn't often that someone got two of their family members so good, but that was a trick for the ages for them. The group drove home and saw them surrounded by all of their cousins. It was a mini-Finn/Samuels reunion with Gavin grinning brightly while Cat blushed over being reminded that she had again done something funny: become a mom at the same time as her twin brother JD. Walker was just a few days younger than Skylar so it was perfect for them- they each had kids of similar ages. Walker was inundated with all of his new cousins and 2nd-cousins. The Bollingers caused him to cringe as he learned that he had 2nd-cousins who were related to him through both Cat's and Cat's cousins. The Lopezes he understood, but the intricacies of the family like that made it even more of a shock to him as he needed a chart just to figure out who was related to who. Haring that Claire Bollinger, his mom's cousin, was the sister of David only caused him to think that it was all a joke but when he learned that it was true and that there was a whole scary and sad story to it all made him see that it was just another link to everything that had happened already. Then when he was told that Daisy Peterson was blood to Cat and not just by adoption he needed a break from it all. Joan was happy to entertain her cousins then play with her 2nd and 3rd- cousins and get to know them a little more. Melanie facilitated most of the playing and even got the grumpy Milton to join them until he joined Walker and Clint for their own fun. Victor and Jackson enjoyed teasing Joan about being one of them and going with the girls all of the time instead of trying to get to know them, leading her to see that it was all playful fun and the two were family even if pains at times. Brooklyn, Megan, Jock, and Liv came by to see Joan and apologize for being away so much. She just gave a big smile and was happy to know that they cared about her enough to leave Anne's side over in the hospital. Anne had a bad infection that keeping her away which Joan understood and felt bad for. The girls happily told her that Denise Herman had her surgery and was back home, but was too tired to see her and was being nursed by her girlfriend. The two were overseen by Anne's aunt and was under a strict order to not baby them or let Joan come by as she might have a bad reaction. Joan understood just what they meant: it was hard on her seeing someone undergo surgery willingly. Summer went by and saw Joan enjoying some of the family's traditions including their crossdressing day. It was delayed due to the girls' surgeries, with Joan not taking part due to not needing to. Walker refused to take part, with him fighting any of the younger kids' on why he didn't want to dress as a girl for the day- he didn't need to, he wore that stuff for years and refused to ever wear it again. Cat actually came up with a great idea and had him be one of the judges as an alternative, with him and the kids finding no reason for him not to participate in that way. He was actually a great judge, he saw a lot of the lazy attempts to make themselves look worse when they were actually pretty good as a girl. It pained him to use that knowledge, but it was better than being humiliated alongside them. Him being a judge led to the idea to let the family's young crossdressers join him as the first kid-judge panel. Reed's son Jace and Megan's brother Ryan had the most experience as they dressed as girls for their girlfriends every weekend and weren't afraid to speak their minds about it. Walker saw that they'd be dressed as boys instead of their female forms which eased any tension, with him happy to know that he wasn't out of the ordinary among the family as he watched the two doing the same critiquing as him. Joan got into things and dressed as a princess, refusing to wear her old clothes and giving the boys the chance to see that they were lucky- none of them had to endure what she had to endure in just a short period of time. They were grateful that they were, "All male" and happy to know that even if they had to endure the same happening to them they'd be accepted as themselves and not shunned. Joan was happy to help them learn that life goes on even if they lose something important, but hoped it never happened to anyone else as long as she lived even to her worst enemies. Wedding fever struck the next day as Ella and Flora Finn-Nelson greeted Daria and Isaac to discuss the wedding outfits for both. They had designs that they hoped that the two would like, with Isaac telling the two that he didn't care what he wore as long as Brent was happy. That only fueled their fires, they'd create a suit just for him that was a perfect fit and showed how masculine he was despite his breasts. Daria had ideas and blushed when Isaac told them that she still had the dress designs that she had made back when she was a little girl. A frantic search of Daria's things found the folder with the old drawings that she made when she was in middle school, with Isaac grinning as one of his designs was in there: a suit with a carnation on his lapel that matched the carnation in his sister's hair and their husbands' suits. It was perfect, he saved them a lot of work as the two used basic templates to design their outfits. The duo went to work in their large Boston studio to create the suit and dress, taking three days to take measurements of both then cut, sew, and decorate the outfits. Their staff were put off by their obsessing over the dress and suit, but Flora happily told-off the complainers with, "These are special creations for a family function. My wife's cousins are getting married, so this is her gift to the bride and groom. We're not doing anything else due to not needing to do anything, while you should be working hard to design our newest non-signature line. But as several of you feel the need to complain about your employers in a derogatory manner you can leave. Several of you are interns so you'll flunk out of design school. It's your own fault, your professors won't like hearing that you insulted your employers' families in such a way- especially ones who're helping them connect students to jobs in New York, London, Paris, and a bunch of other high fashion places. Enjoy trying to find work, this black mark will follow you around." The work was faster than normal thanks to being minor alterations to template outfits that needed just a few cuts to different layers of fabric to fill certain places and allow proper ventilation and support for a bust that both had developed. The fittings were a lot of fun for everyone, especially when Daria had to explain to her colleagues where she went for her lunch break while Willow laughed as she complained about the couple chattering away while she was in her underwear. Willow knew the real reason for that: she needed to focus on something else. Willow was asked what was really going on. She grinned and proclaimed, "She's getting married and is enjoying the fruits of being a Finn by marriage: an original Finn-Nelson design based on her own. Her brother is getting the same treatment, even if he's a side branch instead of a main branch." No more was needed, Daria was essentially marrying into local royalty. The only family that was seen as better than the Finns were the Kennedys and even then it was because of the famous members rather than the current generation. She never let it show that she was a Finn, just as their former commissioner had never let it show that he was married to a Finn even if it was a poorly kept secret at DCF. The wedding outfits were finished well ahead of schedule. The fittings took place at the studio and saw the duo seeing just how big Flora and Ella's company was as designers worked hard on their designs to the point that nobody looked up at them. The duo were in awe of it all, with Ella grinning at their looks and happy that the two were able to give them something few were able to see for themselves. Daria wore a dress that showed her body in all of the right ways in the eyes of the guys of he family. It was the same for Isaac but his suit had something that he was happy to have: padding in the crotch so it looked like he was well-endowed instead of flat. He was in awe of it, it fit him perfectly. Joan and Walker were asked to both go with Isaac and Daria so that they could be fitted for their dress and suit for the wedding as they'd have to go too. The two were unsure how to react, but went without a fight. Walker thought that it was best to not say or do anything to upset his parents, especially as it was so important to them due to it being a family event since he was related to Marcus and Brent now. Walker had a similar suit to Isaac but in a smaller size. He didn't need the extra space to hide his chest but he appreciated that it made him look more masculine. It accentuated his growing muscles, one of the benefits of playing out in the yard with Clint on the kids' climbing set. Joan's dress was like her mother's but featured a couple of flowers that were perfect for a little girl. She looked just like her mother as a child, so much so that Daria was in tears when Joan showed her. There was nothing more to say about the dress: it was perfect for the flower girl/junior maid of honor. Joan struggled when she saw herself in the mirror. Her tears unsettled Flora's assistants while Ella's did their best to ignore it and focus on what needed to be done with her hair and shoes. Joan was in awe of what she was seeing, with her moving around in front of the mirror to look at herself from all angles. Flora happily told the little girl, "It's what you really look like. It's the real you, the little girl and not the former boy. You are beautiful, a miniature version of your mom. You'll turn heads when you get older, a lot of boys and some girls will be after you for love." She blushed while the assistants ignored what was said. Ella casually told the ones upset at hearing that, "She's transgender, but she was forced to be. If you can't have compassion for a kid whose mother had to make an impossible choice for the benefit of their child then you have no job here. She is a girl now and is starting to accept who she is as a girl and if that upsets you then enjoy unemployment because you broke your contract to work here." She grinned as two were told to leave by their colleagues. Neither would be missed, Joan had helped an upset office weed out the worst employees. They were only employed due to clout, which evaporated in a second due to the boss making it clear that neither of them would be allowed to remain employed. The duo happily told Isaac and Daria about why they were the only four who needed fittings. With the family always going to events or weddings or court hearings they needed wardrobe for each occasion so everyone had suits and dresses for formal occasions and the designs were utilitarian with only the actual wedding dresses being too formal to wear elsewhere. The kicker was that some of the dresses the two had made were for actual weddings- at the brides' insistence, as they wanted to keep it informal. Isaac was asked about a bachelor party which caused him to cringe as he only had a couple of friends to invite so would be just the three of them and nobody else. Ella laughed and shot back, "Then it's Brent's cousins in a joint guys night with your friends joining in. You can bet that he's going to have a the bare minimum Miles, David, Reed, Rick, Thomas, Julio, Neil, Michael, Patrick, Logan, Mitch, JD, Gavin, Nigel, Ethan, Ashley, Will, Pete, Bryan, Joshua, Scott, Raul, Diego, Eric, and Billy. All are married to or cousins of Marcus and Brent through Brent's father or mother and Marcus' mother. That's a lot and only the direct family, that doesn't include all of the unofficial cousins or that'd be a lot longer list but it might include them by default if they get tossed out by their wives for the night. They also double for your list because each of them know you through their kids and Daria so consider you family. She had an impact on all of them through Angel and Walker so extend family status to you despite Brent." He asked about who they were as it was a lot of names. Flora happily explained, "Scott is married to the brains of the family, Stacy, and is my brother. We're also Brent's cousins through our moms. Stacy is Marcus' cousin. Neil you know. Thomas is Rick's and Gavin's brother but also Stacy's sister Rebecca's husband so Brent's cousin-in-law. JD, Miles, Michael, and Logan are all cousins to both Marcus and Brent. David is the cousin of Brent and cousin-in-law of Marcus. Julio and Patrick are Brent's cousins. Will and Mitch are Marcus and Brent's cousins-in-law. Reed, Billy, Raul, Eric, and Diego are Marcus' 2nd- cousins. Ashley is Marcus' 2nd-cousin-in-law. Bryan, Nigel, and Ethan are Marcus's cousins. Pete and Joshua is Marcus' cousins-in-law. Those are just the closest cousins, the eldest of all of our kids are able to join them but it's likely that they don't want to set a bad example for their younger siblings and cousins so will babysit their siblings and cousins or enjoy time with their girlfriends." Isaac's head was spinning; that was a long list! Flora casually added, "Faith's boyfriend Trey will also have to attend because he needs to know the seriousness of dating her. She followed your advice to not let him get away and has talked with him a lot at his house and her apartment. If things continue to go well, he's going to ask her out on a real date. We aren't fooling ourselves, she clearly loves him and is trying to find excuses to not date him. He'll see just how serious things are and what may happen to him if he hurts her. He won't, he isn't that kind of guy. We know that he isn't, he tried hard to not be. He has an appointment tomorrow for a fitting, you guys take it easy on him: don't force him to join her brother in matrimony but it's clear that he has eyes on that down the road." He drove home and needed to think about all of the people directly and indirectly related to Brent. It hit hard that Brent was part of such a vast network of family and from what he gathered the network went a lot deeper and larger with generations overlapping. He didn't know if he should be terrified or proud that he was chosen to be part of that family, but he was intimidated by the sheer number of them. Daria was silent throughout while Joan grinned widely at her uncle. Walker knew what the adults were talking about but didn't let on that he knew. He understood that he was part of a big family now, and he had just hear just how big because he was now related to all of the people mentioned. At home, Daria explained to Mark and Leslie what Isaac had heard. Both laughed and explained to him, "It's the truth, and it's scary to realize just how connected everyone is. There's five branches of the Finn and four branches of the Johnson families with our cousins being lumped together because they're from our grandparents. We're the Finn, Sylvester, Smith, Peterson/Bollinger, and Castillo branches. The kids have branched out to being the Samuels, Finn-Nelson, and Gibson branches with Gavin happily taking his wife's family name due to his parents' blessing. Valerie's arm are Finn, Lopez, Peterson, and Jones branches with them going off on Nelson and Samuels branches. There's interconnection through their kids marrying with David's wife being John's niece and John's niece also being Valerie's niece through Valerie's father and John's brother making her a Johnson and Finn by blood alongside Cat and JD." His mind was processing things leading to him asking how the heck all of that could happen. Mark did his best to avoid a lengthy explanation but eventually told him, "It's because of several of the adults and kids being adopted. Valerie's sisters and brother were adopted, but she never knew that her sister was her actual sister by blood until after their father's death. Several were adopted out of need for family, a few to keep them from imminent danger, others because of being so bound to them that they were like a part of the family anyway so their parents made it legal. Only Brent's parents haven't adopted and it's due to their busy home life and not wanting to bring in a child only for him/her to get upset over feeling as if their new parents didn't really want them. The kids are the same, as you probably heard just from the whole Angel ordeal and now from Walker. It's a mess, but it's love that matters most to everyone." Isaac went home to find Brent grinning. The two hugged and kissed and saw Isaac telling him, "I swear I wouldn't be intimidated by your family, but it's hard not to be. Dozens of cousins, all related to you in some way. Several related to each other through another way. It's mind-boggling. I don't know if I have to be scared, grateful, or take a stand for myself. I just don't want to upset anyone by being pregnant or lacking what all of them have. I don't want to hurt you by marrying you and upsetting them." He was in tears. Brent kissed him and softly told him, "They know what you have and what you did for me. They understand. You aren't the only one who did that for his lover. One of the guys coming to the bachelor party is just like you, only he married a woman. He got pregnant and gave birth once. He had to use a surrogate the second time due to the issues, be glad that you haven't had his issues. He's a great guy, hell he practically rewrote several maps to alleviate traffic in towns in the area. You aren't alone, it comes with being family: people who know and understand you. He's there for you, you have someone in the family who understands you. Give him a chance to talk with you, you'll find common ground." The kids made plans for themselves while the adults were busy with their own activities. Daria was all but forced to go on a weekend spa trip by Cat, Faith, Iris, and Rachel with the rest of Marcus' cousins going alongside them. The group was smaller than Brent's group but that was for Daria's sake. Daria asked for a list of who was going, with Cat happily telling her, "Us, Iris, Rachel, Sam, Jaimie, Sylvia, Ella, Reyna, and our cousins Emma, Claire, Daisy, Nichole, and Hannah. Then theirs our in-laws Ella, Christina, Courtney, Candace, Melinda, Piper, Paige. Willow needs to come along too, she's your friend and deserves to be there alongside you. She might be my best friend, but she's yours too. If Joan wasn't already considered your maid of honor she would be the one that we insisted be chosen." Daria added up all of the names. Cat happily told her, "All of them are directly related. They're either his sisters, sisters-in-law, cousins, or cousins-in-law. We didn't include all of their friends because it'll get a bit too big but they know that you don't need that hassle and are happy to keep the kids at bay. Jessie and our eight 2nd-cousins have opted to remain home since it's a bit crowded as it is, you'll meet them in a bit but you already know Jessica through DCF but the rest you haven't met yet. The real issue is whether you want the little monsters with us or do they get to have a night with their friends?" Daria asked if they were old enough to join them. That caused Cat to laugh and explain, "Spoken like a true mother: no, they're too young. They'll do their own thing with their dads or grandparents. I know my monster will be with mom and dad to give you a night off and enjoy her new 2nd and 3rd-cousins." Daria wasn't convinced that it was a good idea. Cat laughed and wisely stated, "Mom planned it already. All we need is you, she and the spa are on great terms because they love having us there as we don't do anything to damage the place and are quiet. We've been there most vacations when we don't go off to a California or Caribbean vacation, it's also the place that we go to when we're having bridal showers for all of our weddings. Some of us also have outings alongside this, most just enjoy a trip with all of their closest relatives. You're joining us, you are going to experience being pampered and enjoy feeling all of the tension relieved. She'll be fine with my monster, and Angel will love having her there as she's infatuated with her big cousin. She cares about her, something about Joan makes Angel want to be her. Angel cares a lot about Joan, especially as you're so important to Angel after what you did for her." Daria shed a tear over hearing that. Cat explained, "Angel sees in her something that nobody else sees: a girl who got the greatest gift in a new life without enduring what she has to endure. Even though she's two years younger, Angel knows that Joan won't have to endure being separated at times from others. I think she heard about Joan's genetic issues, the little sprite listened to dad and Uncle Mark talk about it and she understands that Joan would have had it worse if she didn't have her accident. She wouldn't be like other boys, she wouldn't develop like them and would face harassment over being girly even if the boy in Joan had no intention of being a girl. It sucks, Angel knows all too well about that through Carly and her cousins and hates that Joan would never be herself because of the boys. Now she gets to be the girl that she wants to be, free of anyone telling her what to do. It's horrible, but Angel sees the blessing in disguise and wants Joan to be happy. She loves her 2nd-cousin, everyone who met Joan does." The spa trip came the same day as the big guy's day out. Daria got to meet all of her new in-laws and it was a big laugh as she had already met Daisy and Candace but had no idea that they were connected to a lot of other people whom she had seen in the neighborhood and around the city at various times. The biggest fun to her was that Hannah Smith was the de-facto leader of all of the ladies and upon meeting her Daria was enveloped in a hug then demanded to know all about her newest cousin-in- law. Paige Smith, Hannah's sister-in-law/handler had to shoo Hannah away while apologizing to her for the big pest in Hannah coming out to tease Daria. Paige happily told her, "You met our daughters, Anne and the discrete yet not so discrete that you noticed her Elise. The two would have been over more often to give you time off with Marcus but Anne couldn't pass up the chance for surgery. They never told you it was all planned because the surgeon is known to us, your daughter was the unfortunate recipient of the doctor's vacation here before the kids' surgeries so was happy to help Joan out at our request." Hannah looked away in shame to which Paige stated, "Elise didn't want to inundate Joan with girls who weren't going through what she went through so didn't meet her, but was always around. She did most of Liv's actual recovery, same for Anne and Megan. Denise had her aunt and future mother-in-law to help her, Denise loves her in-laws so wanted them to have a part in her life giving Elise time off of her usual nursing. Elise is an amazing person, we hope that she chooses nursing but she's too much like her mom and is probably going to become a historian- someone had to be a history lover like Uncle John!" Hannah happily told Paige, "She already registered and is going to do an internship next summer. Piper got her the job, with Logan trying hard to find reasons not to hire her. Anne is doing her own thing, she won't tell us but we know that she's going to be a teacher- likely alongside her mom. You know she's a lot like you, she's trying to follow in your footsteps. Now if only she'd get serious with her girlfriend. I know the two have struggled with her parents not accepting Anne but they're trying to get through it." Daria was introduced to Claire Bollinger then Christina and Courtney Finn. Hannah jokingly told her, "I think you'll get a kick out of this: they married each other's cousins. Courtney's cousin married Claire, sadly Christina and Courtney married Miles and Michael. You also know Christina and Paige's sister: the annoying yet always loving Jenna. You're known to all of us, thanks to that chatterbox and her love of holding knowing something over us. And it's funnier: Christina is Paige's sister. If that wasn't bad enough, it was love a first sight for all of the girls except me: he had to work to win me over. I swear that man walked through hell and back to win me over. Marcus was the same as them, he loved you at first sight and couldn't help but be the big protector to you. Just my luck mine wasn't like you girls!" That set off the others. Sylvia Gibson, Jaimie's sister, happily added, "He went through dad's dressing-down and worked his tail off to show that he wasn't a bad guy. And all of that before you two were even aware that you liked one another. Then he goes out and proves to the world that you two are a couple with Bryan being made to look all the better for showing that he's the right one for you." Piper Finn and Nichole and Melinda Smith quietly talked about something while Paige and Hannah did their bits. It was clear that they were coming up next so prepared for it. The two were asked about their connection to Marcus so Hannah happily stated, "Piper is Logan's wife, Nichole is my sister, Melinda is my sister-in-law. Nichole is transgender while Piper's mom and sister are also transgender. Melinda and Piper's cousin is married to Brent's brother Neil. It gets better: their cousin is married to Ethan, Logan, and Neil's friend with all eight closely linked. Nichole didn't do any better, she married a guy who's the youngest of three siblings all the same age and only a week apart by birth. They're half-siblings, but it's still funny as heck to us: they married Nichole's friends, one of whom is transgender too." Daria was being shown that she was understood by all of them. Nichole added, "Joan isn't alone in what happened to her. I had the same happen to me when I was eight, only I was trans long before then." Hannah teased Melinda, "She just had to marry Marcus and make your case all the tougher: you got the boot from it and had to have your buddies get the glory of taking down her former in-laws. Hope that it was worth it, those guys really know how to make you look bad by clearing more cases and faster!" Melinda shot back, "You know darn well they're as good as me but I have less clearances because I get a lot tougher cases. I do all of the hard work for those cases, they get stuck in court hours on end. I get the praise in-office while they get in front of the cameras. And before she asks: they're about to get the book thrown at them by the feds. They hated that you happened to be friends with Willow and then you got Aunt Chloe involved to protect you. They knew just who those two would have waiting to pounce, and they did. Miles and David, Rick and me. Rick is going after them on Joan's behalf while I'm doing everything to nail them for every crime we can prove. Both are guilty: he let his wife do his taxes and is on the record as co-owning his shares of the track making both liable for the crimes!" All of the others laughed as Melinda proved just why she was off of the case: she was too fiery for her own good and too biased to prosecute. Claire was next up and happily just told her that the guys would have her husband on a short leash to keep him from joking about Isaac too much. Daria asked what she meant setting off the others and Claire happily proclaiming, "He's a horrible comedian. His brother is the real comic among them, but that won't stop Will: he loves to joke with everyone. He may not know your brother's limits so may say the wrong thing, but the others will rein him in before then." The last to arrive was the most reluctant: Patricia Smith. She blushed as Hannah gave her an angry look that Nichole quickly shot back, "You know full well how she is with family events. Give her slack, she's not used to all of us even if she's been around Nigel since starting college. Not everyone can deal with your big mouth no matter how long they've known you." Patricia blushed while Emma consoled her before Hannah started a war of words with Nichole. It was a shock to Daria, but it was more like siblings jabbing than actual fighting. In the car, Daria asked Patricia what was really the matter. Patricia looked away in shame and told her, "I don't want to say the wrong thing to you. We're a lot alike but we're so different. I'm not a mom yet and haven't experienced what you went through with your daughter, all I am is just their relative. It's a tough thing to be, everyone expects you to be some monster and shocked that you aren't rich." Daria understood what she was talking about all too well. Christina happily explained to both, "You're looking at it all wrong: everyone is jealous of you because you landed the most eligible bachelors in all of the Boston area. Nigel and Marcus are the top guys, there isn't a great looking guy with such a great personality in the region. You landed them and didn't even have to work for it: they came to you. You know full well that Nigel and you worked together in class and he fell for you immediately while you know that Marcus was smitten with you after Joan begged him to be her father." Courtney added, "We were lucky to back into being family, you saw them from the outside. We had a lot of time to grow as family, you were thrust into it when you fell in love. We all know that Nigel had the hots for you for a long time before he cold get the nerve to ask you out after being with you in class as partners, and until you were partnered together you never got to see the real him. It might be the same for Marcus, you saw your brother's boyfriend's friend but you didn't see the man until Joan's request." Emma had the best argument of all, she told them, "There's always something drawing everyone to one another. We all got to know our husbands the same way, even if by different means. I had a tryst with mine, Courtney and Christina were classmates for years even if Courtney started dating right away, Daria and Marcus had that fateful night out, and Nigel was your project partner before tutoring you. All of us were different but something clicked in all of us and despite Hannah we all got together." Hannah wanted to say something but everyone else laughed and agreed. She just smirked while Paige explained to Daria, "She's not the oldest but she's the one who everyone listens to and see her as their big sister. The two elders are happily enjoying time with their daughters before they enjoy an internship out in California with their boyfriends. Emma's son and daughter are out there as well but they're doing everything possible to not make her a grandmother. Only her youngest is back home but he's with his grandmother for the weekend to let us enjoy our time away while David works on the case in solitude." That set off everyone as Emma blushed. Daria relaxed now as they were talking with her as if she was one of them while also helping her understand the family more. She never registered that there was any hint of animosity or tension, it was all good clean teasing- like she had done with Isaac for years. Over in Boston, Isaac and the guys enjoyed a bigger gathering. The reason for it was simple: John had rented out a bar for them, one that he happened to also part-own. The fact that it was a slow day and it was his nephew getting married caused the manager to accept the closure, even if it cut into his profits. Isaac was immediately introduced to Diego Vincent who casually asked if they were forcing him to do the introductions due to their shared anatomy. Isaac was unsure what to say, Diego grinned and told the cringing Isaac, "I'm trans, like you. I gave birth, just as you're going to. I had my surgery after we had our third child, my wife and I have four kids between us. We used a surrogate our second time, it was rough on me so you can bet that your mother-in-law will insist on keeping tabs on you medically. She's going to be backed by Jaimie and the other doctors, you don't want them upset at you so don't try to be strong and hide anything that's hurting you or having issues. You could harm the baby or worse: make it so that you can't have a second chance at it. My sister-in-law did this and couldn't have a third, as did Cat. Cat put everyone on alert for issues, she almost died from hers." Isaac understood what he was saying, with Diego adding, "Your breasts will go down but there's always surgery. I had mine reduced alongside a tummy tuck and 'the final one' which was lucky- the scarring is hidden and they didn't need to use thigh or arm skin to make my penis. Your doctor will know what to talk with you about. Jaimie has one lined up for you, he's my old doctor and is really good." Isaac thanked him for that, with all of the guys ignoring the conversation and getting all of their own introductions out of the way. The Finns were the most interesting. Miles was adopted as he recalled, but Isaac had a strong sense that it didn't matter to them as he was the one whom his brothers congregated around with Isaac guessing that he was the oldest based on their deference to him. The one that had him easing into the group was Will Bollinger. Will was trying hard to get him to relax and caused the others to groan at his zinger while Isaac happily endured them and let him have his fun. He was sure that Will was overdoing it to ease tension, and it worked well as Isaac relaxed around him. Mitch Gibson intimidated him, while Thomas Samuels looked like the epitome of athleticism. The two men towered over the barely average Isaac who felt immature and inadequate being near them. The two were athletes, it was clear to Isaac that they weren't normal working people- they were paid for sports. Sensing his unease, Will casually explained, "Mitch played for the Patriots and works as an analyst for the regional sports network. He's also a physical therapist specializing in sports injuries. Thomas is the high school's athletic director and third gym teacher. They aren't the only pro athletes in the family, but Nick Ross was on the road with the sports network substituting as an analyst. Uncle Miguel had a long career with the Red Sox and still does some studio work. And we're friendly with Clint Joseph and his family, even if he's coaching in another system. His family frequently visit whenever in town and his sister is a co-owner of an art gallery with one of our cousins." Will sighed and explained, "You aren't the smallest guy, that's actually Eric. He's half an inch shorter in height and smaller in build. But he's also a federal agent and one of the best athletes of all of us. You're a typical guy: you can't help but feel lesser because other guys are bigger. I'm not the biggest of them but I know that I can last longer because I've trained to do so. I can do things that Mitch and Thomas or even Eric can't do and all because I had to do so to stay alive in training and at fires. I'm a fireman." Isaac wouldn't have guessed, Will as tall and lanky but had clear muscles. Will laughed and explained, "It's genetics. Rick and I have similar builds but he's more built. It comes from our moms' side of the family. You can see it with Logan and Michael and Neil or JD and Michael or Nigel, JD, and Marcus. It runs in our genetics, everyone is different but we're also the same. My brother is shorter than me but he has mom's face which creeps me out but dad loves, I look like my old dad which pisses me off." Isaac nodded and added, "Dads are horrible. Mine wanted me to marry his boss' son because the fat slob couldn't land a normal girl. The idiot didn't see that I wasn't into him and he was more interested in the ladies dancing at the strip club than me. Mom was no better, she said that I was too much of a boy and I had to stop pretending to be one because I'd never land a man. That whole '1950s housewife' garbage was strong in them, be glad you never had to endure that crap." Will nodded his head and shot back, "Some of us did. Diego being the biggest. His mother and the slime that she was sleeping with threatened to impregnate him if he didn't date the guys they had lined up. I had to endure it from my birth dad, same as Miles. The guys aren't too different from you in a lot of the way we have lived, even if only Diego understands your mind. You two have just one difference: he's a happily married man whose wife is smoking hot. Don't ever repeat that, I'll need to run from Claire!" Isaac grinned at that, while the others all shouted, "True!" David happily shot back, "Forget Claire, Daisy is the one to avoid! You know she'd hunt you down and turn you over to the kids just for fun!" That set everyone off as Isaac was told all about the two sisters and their bond, something not far off of his own bond with Daria even though Isaac wasn't female. Some things are natural, siblings bonds had a tendency to take different forms and theirs was one that nobody else could recreated. The guys included Isaac in their festivities and told stories of Brent growing up that had them laughing as he tried hard to act like it was no big deal but smiling at all of the guys who suffered at the hands of the bigger, stronger, smarter Marcus who protected his buddy. Isaac smiled as he learned that they tried to be boyfriends but Marcus wasn't into Brent sexually and led to Brent's string of bad boyfriends who ended up in jail or flat broke. It stung Isaac hearing that, but Brent nodded and smirked at recalling it. Their wives and sisters were brought up, Bryan and Pete Smith joked that Hannah was probably doing her best to henpeck the ladies while Ethan Smith happily joked that they knew that already since she'd do it no matter what they did. Isaac asked if she was really that controlling, getting a big laugh while Pete carefully explained, "My wife is the big sister to all of the ladies even if she's younger than two of them. We love her, but she's just a pain at times. I know she has kept away from you to avoid scaring you off from Brent, she already scared off two guys trying to get after him for his money so didn't want you to fear her wrath once you heard about her." The night was long and fun as Isaac enjoyed the meal and the camaraderie of the group. He was one of them, a friend who was not just Brent's fiance and Marcus' brother-in-law. It was the most fun that he had in years, especially as he saw the looks of some of the regulars trying to hone in on the fun of the event by acting like they were friends of Isaac's and Brent's but really insulted Isaac for being trans. As they were leaving, Brent was confronted about the bar being closed. He shook his head and asked if they were upset that his uncle closed it for the bachelor party or if they were actually upset because he was, "Off the market" and marrying someone that they insulted constantly and were scumbags to behind his back just because he was becoming what he needed to be. That caused a war of words which Brent knew to be them showing their true faces to their friends, and led to their permanent ban from the bar. David, Diego, and Miles were the last to leave with David happily telling the group of men and women, "Don't come back here. You are known and are banned by order of the owners. The minority owners are exerting pressure on the majority owner, your bigotry and control over who is allowed to patronize this establishment is no longer welcome. Brent Jones is marrying whom he wants, you never had a shot at him and sure as hell never had a shot at his wealth- especially from his uncle's trust funds to him." He grinned and let them joke that he had no wealth and Brent was just a nobody. Diego grinned while Miles casually told them, "He has a trust fund in excess of $250 million alongside his original fund that is in excess of $20 million. He's one of the shareholders of Inferno Productions and is on the board of directors of Peterson Manufacturing despite being a federal agent. He actually has a lot of wealth, he's not even the wealthiest of us. His pales in comparison to David's and Diego's. My own is slightly larger than his but I had more room to grow mine than he had since I'm older than him." David grinned and happily told them, "I'm a Peterson. As in Peterson Manufacturing. As in one of this country's biggest parts and industrial design manufacturers. I have $3 billion in stocks and bonds and a trust fund of $50 million not counting my Inferno Productions shares. So yes, he's loaded. But he's also not wasting his money on people that only want him for his money. He's a great guy, you never got to know him and never will. He knows the real you, he avoided you unless he had to for a reason." The trio walked off as the patrons argued about the, "Lies" that they were just told. When they tried to go inside they were told to leave because the owners had decided that they weren't welcome anymore. The group complained, but the owner shook his head and announced, "I was bought out by my partners. I'm not the majority owner, I'm minority owner and manager. I have to follow their edicts and that includes all of you being barred from the bar. I'm sorry, but you are no longer welcome anymore." Over in Winnisimmet, Walker was by Clint's side all day as the two swam then played video games all afternoon after a big lunch with Clint's grandparents. Walker was treated like he was another grandson, something he liked more than he wanted to admit but was clear to them that he enjoyed the treatment. It was also clear that he and Clint were more than 2nd-cousins, the two were friends even if neither knew how to express it in words- their actions spoke for themselves. The two were joined in the afternoon by Jackson and Victor, the two happily telling them that they had to get out because their grandparents were smothering them due to their uncle becoming a dad. That set the adults off as Clint shook his head and Walker winced. Walker didn't want to think about being a dad but it was tough to avoid due to everyone talking about Isaac and Daria. The group played for hours and saw Walker staying over at Clint's house with Clint simply ignoring the sight of Walker nude while changing into their pajamas. To Clint it was just Walker and nothing else, it meant more to Walker as he saw what Clint had and knew that Clint simply didn't care about what they had and never tried to show off for him. The duo fell asleep side by side, Walker hugging Clint with the tired Clint not moving due to wanting Walker to sleep soundly. In the morning, the two showered separately but were naked at the same time again. Walker blushed as he saw that Clint reacted to seeing him again, with Walker telling him, "You're pretty big. The boys that I knew weren't that big. You must be like your mom, she had to have been big too." Clint blushed and nodded, adding, "Momma said that mom's family were big. Grandma hated that I had something so big but was glad that something in my biological grandpa was passed down. My gruncle said that I'm going to be a lot like him, but I just want to be like mom. Mom is so cool, momma is the best with computers but mom has caused a lot of people to go to prison because she found stuff that the bad guys tried hard to get rid of. Nobody can do better than her, momma said she is wanted by the feds but doesn't want to move to Virginia to work and she knew momma would get too much attention from people who wanted to use her to get at mom to get her to make things tough for agents. Then she said it was really because mom was like you and they wanted to show that they're trying to hire trans people." Walker understood what he meant, but was happy to know that Reyna was so respected and that Clint wanted to be just like her. Walker hugged him and thanked him for being his friend, catching Clint off guard. Walker was in tears and told him, "I never had a real friend before. None of the boys wanted to be around me and the girls hated me because of mom and dad. I hated being alone, I hated uncle doing his best to keep me from everyone. I hated being alone. I'm glad you don't hate me. I'm glad that I'm your friend. I like you, I hope you don't act this way because we're related now." Clint hugged him and kissed his cheek, tearfully telling him, "I like you too. My cousins are fine but it's tough to be the youngest among us. Now that Uncle Marcus has Joan and is going to be a dad too I'm not the youngest. I like Carly and Skylar but they're girls, they don't like the same stuff and don't go to my house because they're always out dancing or doing girl things. Uncles Liam and Ashley are always away doing things with their wives and don't bother with me anymore. Grandpa Mark was always out at work or with Grandma Leslie so I never had a guy around. The other cousins do their own things or are with their own friends and forget that I exist. I hate being alone. I hate not having anyone else." The two really did understand one anther. They hugged until Clint's grandfather Cameron cleared his throat and told them that they had better get dressed since they were still naked. When they were done, Clint was pulled into a deep hug by Cameron while Walker was pulled into one by his grandmother Lupe, both in tears over them sharing something so deep with each other and proving their friendship was concrete and not just one that was because they were related to one another. The duo spent the day together again, with Cat happily hosting them at home while Reyna and Rachel had to hold off the younger Lupe from saying anything about her brother's new friendship. She was told in private, "He finally found his friend, someone who understands him. You have your cousins but he hasn't had a friend in the family who understands him as others understand you. He needed Walker to be his friend, Walker needed someone who not only understood him but saw past what he has in his pants to be what he needs most in life: his companion. He needed someone with empathy and able to understand his situation. Carly and Skylar are friends with him, but not his best friend." Carly and Walker spent time together after dinner and saw Carly enjoying a hug when Walker felt that it was needed. Skylar and Clint were in shock, but the two were closer than normal. Carly seemed to be his newest friend, although Skylar sensed that there was more to it than just being friends. When Carly went home, Skylar confronted him about his closeness to Carly. He looked away in shame, then explained, "She's just so nice to me and I like that she's different than other girls. You're my cousin so it's not the same, but with her I can't help but feel good with her. I don't like her like that, I just like that she's so close to me. She's like my sister, I like her a lot more than a friend but not as a girlfriend." She kissed his cheek than told him, "She feels safe with you. You aren't like other boys, you and Clint do a lot of things that other boys don't: you know what we're feeling and try to make us happy. It's not love, it's understanding and you understand us. She's your friend, like Granty Melanie and Grandpa." Walker didn't understand what she meant. She shook her head and asked the hovering Valerie to tell the perplexed Walker what she meant as she knew best. Valerie happily told him, "Some people are friends beyond friendship. They aren't in love, they just love that person as a sibling or like John: as the friend that they need most. Your great-aunt Melanie is the best friend John had for a long time and is my sister thanks to that. She always has a way of making John calm down or focus on what's most important at that moment. She has helped him through all of his toughest times, something that you'll learn later on when you endure it yourself. He understands all about being alone and having nobody to support him. He had family, but they didn't know what he had going on inside of his head. He loves all of you kids and grand kids, you're his legacy. Kids like you, a forgotten and ignored kid because of a family issue you had no idea about. You and Carly might have a bond like that, I know that Clint has the same bond with you. Willow has it with your mom. Your aunts had it with each other as well. It's why Melanie is your sister's name: Cat wanted her to have a legacy. I haven't been honored yet, but I'm fine with that. Maybe Megan and Brooklyn will but I don't need it as I have a legacy: all of you kids." Walker seemed to understand what she meant. He didn't think about Carly sexually, she was just a girl that he wanted to be close with. He liked her a lot, but not more than a close friend of his. He was fine with that, he had years to go before he was ready to date a girl. His look caused Valerie to wisely tell him, "You're finding that you like girls, but are too young to date yet even if you're 12. Girls are mysteries to you but you at least know that you can have crushes on them even if most won't like it. Skylar has a crush on some of the boys in your class but won't admit to it yet, Clint had one on a girl who turned out to be just a snob who wanted to use him for her benefit. Carly had crushes on girls but won't admit it. It's almost time to start maturing as a person before your body changes, genetic females start earlier than males so you have a headstart on Carly but that's a good thing as we can slow it or stop it with hormones." Walker walked home and blushed as Cat gave him a smirk. Gavin shook his head and boldly told her, "I know that it's not what it seems. I saw it with my own eyes: they're like Aunt Melanie and pop. He's a friend to her and only a friend. She's not into him, she's into girls. She admitted it to her parents so it's just being friends with one another and having a closer understanding than most others have." Walker asked if she and Willow were really closer than friends, causing Gavin to laugh and boldly tell him, "They're practically of one mind. Cat is fiery, but Willow is fiercer and has fought multiple girls to show that she wasn't someone to take lightly. Your mom steered her away from bad boyfriends and to your uncle Julio, giving Willow her perfect match even tough she should have seen him all along." Cat wisely added, "Willow loves him deeply, and she knows that he's the man she should have dated all along even though she was too dumb to see it. She was so focused on getting Candace and JD together I guess she didn't notice that Julio was practically drooling whenever she was nearby. Those two were meant to be together, just as Candace and JD and Gavin and I were. We love each other deeply." The two embraced Walker then told the giggling Melanie and Milton to come over so they could get a hug too. Walker happily hugged them and went to bed happy, smiling over his life being so great now. It was hard not to appreciate being a Finn now that he had two friends and a great cousin close to him. The wedding was just a formality after all of the fun with the bridal and bachelor parties. The siblings saw just how many people were part of the family as everyone was there: from the elder Castillos to the youngest- Carlys baby brother Oscar Jr.. Everyone was decked out in dresses and suits with the kids happy to be able to enjoy time with their relatives with nobody missing the event. Joan endured hugs and kisses from everyone while Walker blushed at his new cousins giggling at him being put on the spot by everyone. The Jones family were front and center alongside the Sylvesters as the main focus, with Faith happily teasing the grooms as they waited for their future spouses up front. It was turned around on her, with her blushing over being told that she's next to get married. Trey nearly fainted but Faith kissed his cheek to show that it was alright. She didn't mind being the butt of the jokes, it was nothing compared to what Daisy, Ella, and Flora were heaping on her. The trio happily stayed away to let her be up front, they knew not to interfere with her rightful ribbing. John was relegated to being the, "Father of the bride" for Daria while Mick, Brent's father, was serving the role as father of the groom for Isaac. Mick wisely enjoy didn't speak and let the moment pass as the duo were realizing that it was the turning point in Isaac's and Brent's lives. No longer were they going to be separate, they were forever linked by marriage and the little one growing in Isaac. The ceremony was a standard marriage ceremony, with the hired minister not bothering to preach as he knew that they weren't religious with them being devoted to one thing: what was right. They had some religious values, but to the family it was personal and not espoused on others. He agreed with what they were doing regarding that, it was hard to argue against as it was exactly what folks were told to do. The big shock was Trey asking Faith to marry him as they knew each other too well and they clearly loved one another. She was in tears as she agreed, with Daria happily handing her a bouquet as Mick tearfully led his little girl down the aisle while Neil was forced to act as best man for the wedding that was tossed together right then and there. The minister shook his head at the whole event, but his gut told him that they would do something like that as it was something of a comedic event to them. Isaac, Faith, and Daria happily danced with their husbands and saw both brides tossing the bouquet to the adoring crowd. Isaac jokingly tossed a sock that little Oscar donated by pure chance, the little boy doing his part to be part of the ceremony and giving the family a laugh. He made his mark on them in a way nobody else had, and in a fitting tribute to his uncle since he did the same when he was born. There was no honeymoon due to work commitments but they knew that they'd have a place to go when the winter came. A free two week vacation down in the Caribbean at a private island with one of the top families in Hollywood while enjoying the last months of pregnancy and leaving Joan to enjoy time with her cousins. She insisted on them going and enjoying themselves, even if she'd miss them. The wedding made headlines as the family happily announced the trio's marriage with the fact that the two were literal lifelong friends who had done everything together from the moment they were born. It was seen as a sweet event, with few people daring to criticize them and fewer who had anything to say that wasn't born out of the usual anti-Finn bias. The fact that they were marring siblings was a powerful statement as the duo did something even stronger: became family directly instead of indirectly. The wedding attention waned after two days and gave way to school sign- ups. Walker was going to be in seventh grade while Joan would be in third grade. The duo were scared of what might happen, but it was quelled by Cat and Leslie telling them that they had nothing to fear. Valerie was with them for the drive out to the town of Heath to retrieve Walker's school records and to deliver multiple restraining orders to prevent members of the Heath family from going after him to get at the Finns. They spent the night in Springfield before going to the school, with Walker hesitant to go but Valerie assuring him that he'd be fine. Cat did her best to calm him but he needed Clint's talking to him in private while the adults awaited to finally allow himself to go with them. The drive felt long, but the meeting was quick. Valerie firmly stated, "I'm here on behalf of the former Wilma Heath to obtain copies of my client's school records. My client is now the legal resident of the city of Winnisimmet and thus will be transferring there with or without your cooperation." She challenged them. The principal didn't fight it, asking if he was doing OK now. Valerie wisely told the principal, "He is legally adopted by his next of kin into my family as my grandson. He is enjoying a younger brother and sister and multiple cousins through his aunts and uncles on both sides." The reality hit the principal and he uttered a simply, "Finn" to which Valerie shot back, "Yes. Us. And it pains his former relatives that he landed with their distant cousin through their own actions." She smirked at that, with the principal trying hard not to share the humor of Walker ending up with the one group of people who could never be manipulated or extorted: the Finns. And not just any Finns, the Samuels branch of the family alongside the Finns making him more of a Heath than any of them were. Walker was never noticed until Valerie asked if he left anything in school. Walker spoke a timid, "No", it caught the principal off guard as Walker finally got noticed leading to a smirk as Walker looked nothing like he used to look like and was acting nothing like the scared kid he had been in school. The drive east was slow and after lunch in Boston Leslie and Daria met them for the trip to Kensington to get Joan's records. She would be tougher, but Valerie had more than enough clout to make anyone in their school system cower in fear just by opening her mouth and speaking legalese. She was one of the most feared people to Kensington, with only the Penas feared more than her but not by much. The school's new principal was upset that she was there as he didn't want to upset the Lewises yet didn't try to fight Daria's request. He saw that Daria was with Valerie so didn't try to give Daria the runaround nor dare to refuse the request outright. Valerie had the man in fear and seeing her converse with Daria while Leslie stood firm with them made him help them without question. When he asked where Joan was, Daria sighed and explained to him, "You know already. You have a lot of spies around the region so you know everything about everyone. My former father-in-law had you put in place so that he could know what was happening with us from jail even if you'll never admit to it. I'm no fool: I know that you're telling him everything after we leave. You know what happened to my now-daughter and why and you know what happened after. Yes, my son is now my daughter. Yes, there was a nasty accident. You knew this weeks ago. I am now happily married to a new man and he has adopted my daughter as his own." She thought for a minute then added, "Before you spread lies, my husband's family aren't going to let it be used against us. They will fight back and hard. They won't accept your extortion anymore. My ex-in- laws won''t bully them, I believe that they'll be more afraid now that they know who I'm with." He challenged her on that, claiming that nobody tells him what to do. Leslie growled, "My brother may, or my cousin-in-law. My sister-in-law here will have to now that she knows that you're going after my daughter-in-law. Allow me to introduce myself: I'm Leslie Sylvester, formerly Leslie Finn. Daria is my daughter-in-law through my son. You just threatened to go after John Finn's great-niece in front of his wife and sister. And more than likely your own rats knew who we are and purposely didn't tell you as is the way with rats in Kensington. I worked in this city and lived here long enough to know how it all works here and you are just another in a long line of rats trying to get a whack at someone. It won't be allowed to go unanswered, especially as our nephew and her son will happily go after you." Valerie grinned and added, "She isn't joking. They knew who she was as she recognized some of them as she entered. She used to wait on them as at her former department store." Valerie collected the records and watched as the principal received a phone call from the state over the attempted extortion of a parent. That was followed by state troopers arriving to interview the staff as it was unintentionally connected to the preexisting investigation into Daria's former in-laws and what happened with the principal's predecessor- who conveniently lost his job just after the accident. Daria had the investigation put in a new direction and caused the troopers a lot of headaches but gave them a lot of answers to important questions that they hadn't been able to find before that day. The trip to the elementary school was quicker than Joan had hoped for, but it was worth it as she had to meet her teacher and principal and learned that there would be no restrictions on her except for gym. It was still going to be a while before she was allowed full participation, even if she was walking fine she still had to take things slow so little running was allowed until the end of September. She was placed in Melanie, Milton, and Joey's class putting the four together and giving them all a counterpart for class. Walker was driven to the middle school and saw him endure Julio Lopez telling him that he would have to use the disabled bathroom and staff locker room for gym. He understood, but was told that he wasn't alone as Carly need the same rules. He also had the office to change in so the two could choose which one to use each time. Walker asked if Clint could join him, but was shot down due to being told 'you're about to start puberty so it wouldn't be allowed. Your breasts will develop shortly, we know that you're flat and have seen him nude but unfortunately that isn't allowed in school. Sorry." He understood and realized what he was just told. Cat comforted him and explained, "We have to get an appointment with an endocrinologist so that you can start testosterone. Unfortunately, your breasts will develop slightly before the hormones fully take hold and I hate to say it: you'll get a couple of periods. I know it sucks, but you have to follow the rules. Diego didn't like it either, bu look at him now." Walker understood, while Clint blushed at realizing that his friend would have breasts soon. Cat teased him, "You'll get to see something most boys would love to see, only it's on someone who doesn't want them. Carly will start hormones shortly, and Skylar is on the cusp of it in case you didn't notice." Both blushed deeply at her saying that, with Clint clearly reacting as any boy would while Walker tried to not picture his cousin growing breasts. Walker blushed as he felt nothing sexual towards her, Clint's reaction was more of his nature so they knew that he just wanted. The two were showing that they had the start of becoming men already underway and girls were starting to cross their mind. Cat happily told Joan, "Just wait, in four years you'll start hormones too. It'll be hard to get the boys to stop looking at your chest while you have girls jealous that you look better than them. It never changes, girls will be upset and boys will leer: just like your dad did, just like JD and Julio did." Julio blushed deeply at hearing that, he ushered them out and told them that their teacher was going to be happy to know that she had four members of the family in her class and not just because they were all Finns. Cat asked if it was really worth the hassle, Julio nodded and added, "They're a prize among the teachers despite what parents claim. If you have a Finn in your class then you're elevated to being one of the best teachers in the school by default since Uncle John won't let a bad teacher teach them." The day was tiring and saw the two tweens falling asleep as soon as they entered Cat's house. The two slept on the couch, with Walker sound asleep in Clint's arms making a cute sight that caused Cat and a grinning Valerie to take pictures. Rachel and Reyna sought Clint and were shooed away, with the two in a state of shock as the two looked exhausted from the tension-filled day. Their nap was only two hours and they were refreshed when smells of dinner caused them to awaken. It was a shock to them that they had fallen asleep, but Cat happily hugged them and told them that it was expected as they were still young kids despite being on the verge of manhood. The two blushed but she insisted that mental exhaustion and anxiety weren't something to be afraid of, especially given what it was caused by and how they had helped one another cope with it. Joan was upset over hearing that her former principal had been fired by Kensington because of her and her grandparents. Melanie had to assure her that it was alright but she was still unsure. It took Milton hugging and kissing her her cheek to calm her while Joey happily told her, "Grandma went with Granty Leslie so it's going to be OK. Aunt Daria had to get your records so you can go to school with us and it went good because you went to your new school and met your new principal, Grandma said that Granty wouldn't let them push Aunt Daria around since she knows what they will do to her. Grandma scares them, but Granty Leslie knows their secrets and told Grandma." Joan relaxed for a bit but was on edge. When Daria returned home from the run to the middle school after dropping off Joan with Gavin she rushed for Daria and begged her to not send her back to her old school. Daria saw the tears in her eyes and waited for her to clam down then explained, "You won't be going back there. You have a new school and new principal. Your grandma said that it's better than the old school in Kensington. Your Aunt Paige works there as a teacher, you might have her next year, so she'll keep an eye on you. You can't go there anyway: you live in Winnisimmet, not Kensington." Joan asked if they could force her back there, Daria sat her down and explained further, "They can't do it because they have no right to do it. You live in Winnisimmet, not Kensington. You will attend school as a girl with your cousins no matter how much they want to keep you in Kensington. They lost all rights to you as a student when you moved, they can't do anything except give your records over. Your dad is going to talk with your teacher tomorrow to ensure that you are alright, but Paige said it was fine.He's a good teacher, he just needs you to relax and be yourself. You will have the twins and Joey in class, I know that you'll love that. You four are great together and will shine as students." Isaac came by frequently after work, telling them how much he was starting to hate working for one of the local news stations as a technician. It was boring, hard work with little payoff but great benefits. All of his transition was paid for by his health insurance, which was his only reason for remaining with the station because of all of the anti-Finn and local political influence exerted on his colleagues. He was the odd-man-out among them in that he didn't care for the false facades of the talent. He hated it and refused to let them push him around nor allow them to dictate how the broadcasts would go. The longer that he worked there, the more that he wished that he could quit and never return. Daria and Faith talked with him about quitting and finding a new job. It would be impossible to do so as it was a specialized job that was only useful for the five local stations and two sports networks. He'd have to go back to school or find a job in another state, neither of which were feasible. Faith laughed and angrily told him, "Uncle John would be happy to hire you over at Inferno for some of their production work. You have experience in it, you did graphical work and coordinated some of their live shots. It's a lateral move, one that you should be able to easily make. And Brent's health insurance covers the same stuff as your employer's, his actually is better! You haven't gotten on his plan yet, but I think he'll do it immediately because you need the extra coverage." John was called and all but laughed at Isaac needing a new job. He happily told Isaac, "Call this number and tell them that I sent you. If they try to give you the runaround, tell them that it's not a request and I will be calling them later to ensure that you were interviewed and offered the job. We haven't had any applicants who had experience, the ones to try for the job were recent graduates. You're perfect for it. I know that they probably have someone that they owe a favor to lined up for the job, but I'm not letting them give the job to someone who has little to no interest in it and zero experience." Isaac called, did as John requested, and was told that the job was filled. He asked if John was told that it had been filled getting an angry response which Isaac had expected. He didn't get the job, it was all for nothing and his hopes were dashed right away despite John's assurances. John called just after he did and told him, "The job is yours. I informed the now-former director that I'm not hiring people because of nepotism. You have a strong resume with several years of experience, you were recommended based on that and not because your dad is a local politician. You'll meet with your new boss tomorrow, he's aware of your pregnancy but thanks to the nature of the job you'll be able to work usual hours and really only coordinate live events and run the controls." Isaac was thrilled, especially as it was a raise and he'd work less hours because of the consistent nature of the network broadcasts. Unless it was an extremely special event, he would know months ahead that he'd have to work a long day or would be stuck fixing issues arising during broadcasts. He never had a problem with the hours, Inferno wasn't into much live programming so he'd be home early most days. He felt his womb and smiled, his child would be taken care of according to Brent so he could go back to work two weeks after the birth and leave the little one with Brent's aunt's preschool. The thought of being a parent caused him some satisfaction, he was everything that his parents hated and still did what they never believed that he'd do: marry, have a child, enjoy a well-paid job. Daria and he disappointed them but in reality they had done everything possible to live good lives and came out on top. Brent happily kissed him as they lay in bed, with Brent massaging Isaac's breasts. He might be gay, but Brent knew that Isaac had sensitive parts and enjoyed pleasing him. The two were madly in love, being a genetic female in transition limbo didn't matter to Brent and he gladly showed it to Isaac daily. Isaac's job was actually one that caused a stir as he was not only transgender but was pregnant, happily married to a man, and the aunt of a kid who had undergone surgery. He kept out of the media's scrutiny but knew that it was only a matter of time before someone tried to make him out to be a big deal and a way of getting more attention on the network and Isaac's family. His new bosses weren't happy to have him controlling, "Their" studio but there was nothing that they could do to stop him from working there. Isaac confided to John than he knew that he'd be made out to be something that he wasn't. John did his best to keep him centered, but it was clear that Isaac needed assurances or he'd have a breakdown that might hurt him and the baby. John did his best protective uncle routine, he went at the problem head-on and didn't care one bit about the outcome so long as those in need of help were protected. Isaac was forced to endure a meeting with executives as well as his immediate supervisors and all staff. John laid down the law: Isaac was not to be used by the network as part of any diversity showcase nor was he to be touted as anything but a well-qualified, talented, and exceptional worker. He made it clear that any attempt to turn his life into another reality show would result in termination and the offenders barred from all networks or else he'd personally cause a shareholder revolt at other networks. Isaac was protected from vultures, with the few who took issue with the edict being fired and seeing the wrath of John holding true. Isaac did his job and did it as well as anyone else and earned the network a tidy sum in revenue from squeezing more ads into broadcasts than others had been able to do just by an ear and eye for cutting away at the right moments and syncing start times perfectly. He was valuable to them, going after him made no sense and slowly others saw that he was worth retaining and helping. School came up too abruptly for the kids. They didn't want to go back but knew that it was a fact of life until they graduated. Joan was looking forward to it while Walker was anxious about it. Walker was told that he'd have a different teacher than was scheduled due to his original teacher having a baby and needing a lot of time to recover. He was afraid but Valerie assured him that he'd be fine and he had three friends with him so he wasn't going through it alone. Knowing that Clint was with him did give him some solace, but seeing Carly happy to having him with her made his heart melt. Joan's teacher was known to the family so it was no big deal for him to meet her and tell her that she'd be all set as there were no restrictions on her due to her accident making those restriction that all of the previous transgender kids had on them null. Joan had to smile at that, especially when Melanie told her that their bathrooms were better than the boys which caused Milton to sadly nod and blush while Joey groaned over the girls having everything better than them. It set all of the adults off as it was a bit of cousin teasing but it was true: the girls treated their bathrooms better. School shopping was fun but saw Walker in tears as Clint gasped at seeing what was happening to him. Walker was starting to puff in his chest, with Clint knowing that it was the first signs of breasts. He had seen it before with Lupe, he didn't like that Walker was upset but knew that it was unavoidable. Cat and Gavin hugged him and assured him that it was going to be alright. They talked with his doctor and got the endocrinologist's approval for blockers and in a few months: testosterone. He'd be a man in a few years, but even so he still had to endure growing breasts and in a couple of months- his period. Once Walker was settled they spent several hours shopping, with poor Joey complaining about it while Melanie teased him constantly over his reactions. Cat had to hold her tongue, Gavin smirked and asked if she remembered doing the same to JD as he himself remembered her doing that when they shopped. It was a long forgotten memory, but showed that JD and Cat were still connected via their kids. Joan enjoyed the shopping and spent hours trying on various dresses and skirts before being forced to try on jeans ad slacks. She didn't want to be thought of as a boy so avoided jeans and slacks, but Daria had to explain to her that she needed them because it got cold and skirts and dresses didn't always keep you warm or block the wind. She relented and tried on whatever Daria had and found that she liked the look of several pairs, with Daria happy to tell he that they looked so cute and girly on her. Walker was reluctant to wear a compression vest but when he heard that it was needed and that he was going to look more masculine and wasn't the only guy wearing an undershirt gave him some relief. The fact that he noticed that Clint actually wore one made it even more of a non- factor for him, Clint wore them regularly and up until that point Walker didn't take notice of it. Clint told him that most guys were wearing them because it looked cool, but he knew the truth: they helped with cooling and heating. Walker got another haircut, this time just a maintenance cut but it still made him happy to see that he had a crew cut similar to Clint with the two happily joking about being twins because of how alike the two had started to look. Their mothers could only smirk, they were acting just like Cat and Willow or Julio and JD or even Jaimie and the rest of the, "2020s" as their aunts were nicknamed. School started and gave Clint a shock. Skylar immediately ran to the teacher and hugged her, with Clint unsure what to do while Walker was afraid that something would happen. Carly hugged the teacher as well, then told Walker, "She's your cousin Sylvia! She's going to teach us, Uncle Julio arranged it." Sylvia Carter happily told Clint, "I apologize for not seeing you after meeting you at the weddings, but I had to do some preparatory work for school. I was hired to replace your former teacher, but it looks like I will be retained due to her seeking a job closer to home after she has her baby. I'm fully aware of all of your issues: I should be, since your my mom, our aunt, and my sister and mother-in-law are like you. I know that it'll be tough to get through the year without issues, but I'll support you fully. Clint, Skylar, and Carly are all here as well as Uncle Julio. In class and during school hours you'll address me only as 'Mrs. Carter' but outside of it I'll still be your cousin. I'm also your emergency contact until grandma and Aunt Cat are able to come, I'm the same for Skylar, Carly, and Clint so there's no issues." She started class and explained to the students, "Most of you know that Carly Pierce is transgender. This year your class includes another transgender student. Walker Finn is transitioning to male and as such is to be treated the same as everyone else. He has to endure he same restrictions that Carly has to but this is in addition to changing separately. Don't try anything with them as Mr. Lopez won't allow any sort of discrimination by anyone be it based on race, religion, sexuality, or gender status." Her warning was heeded, but there were some complaints as was expected. She simply ignored them to focus on teaching, with the foursome not giving anyone any attention. They worked hard all day, with a big boost of confidence as the students whispered to one another that going after Walker was a sentence worse than death: complete isolation, banishment from all youth groups, and being a pariah in school. The one issue was Walker was asked he was always with the, "Sissy boy" Clint. He looked those asking in the eye and told them, "I'm his friend. He's my cousin and has been my friend since I got adopted. I don't care what you think about him, he's the best friend I ever had and you don't deserve him." He walked off while others laughed at the inquirers. Clint was known to be a Finn even if he wasn't the one that everyone knew most about, but he was still a Finn. To go after him through Walker was one of the dumbest things a kid could do, especially as it was now known that the two were close friends. Over at the elementary school, things were different. Joan and the trio were the first to arrive and took the best seats in class, conveniently directly in sight of the teacher making anyone trying to do anything to Joan visible and stopped before it started. She was afraid of what might happen to her, but having the ever-present Melanie by her side while Joey and Milton flanked them gave her some breathing room as well as the chance to work with Milton- a setup their teacher thought best to utilize. When class started, Joan was asked to introduce herself then was followed-up by her teacher telling the class, "Joan is a special girl. She was a boy until she was in a bad accident this past June. Her father was killed and she suffered massive injuries to her privates. She had to have surgery so that she is now a girl and as such is going to be treated as one from now on. Please respect the school's rules and do not take any action against her as you will be expelled. She is a girl, despite what some of you might think she's a girl and has the right to go to the bathroom in the girl's bathroom. Some of you aren't happy that she is with us, but your parents have no say in this matter. They can withdraw you and transfer you to one of the other schools, but Joan is staying put and will be your classmate until the end of the year." Turning to the usual problem students, he added, "Her family name is Sylvester that she is also a Finn. It isn't a case of being a part of the family through her parents being friends with the Finns, she is the heir of the main family through her grandmother and as such isn't someone to abuse without their family might brought down upon you. If you abuse her, you will be expelled. If you try to harass her or any of her cousins, you will be expelled. Yes, she has cousins here: Joseph, Milton, and Melanie Finn. I know this as I went to school with their aunts and uncles, I was taught by their grandfather so I know of the name 'Sylvester' and what it means to them and what it brings if you go after Joan. Do not try to do it, it will only end badly for you and your family. Please, don't hurt yourself because your parents want to go after the Finns in a vain attempt to get them to pay them money." The class was silent after that. As class wore on Joan and Melanie were clearly friends while Milton did a lot of work with Joan that caused their teacher to grin at seeing something in them that was clearly the same spark that she had known when she went to school with the, "2020s." It was like seeing the past in a whole new light, with all of the fun of their aunts and uncles but without the drama.. Teaching them in their developmental years was going to be fun, with everyone enjoying the ride. School breezed by for all of the kids. The parents weren't able to go after the Finns so gave up after the consequences were reiterated by friends and family. Walker and Joan were not to be harassed or else it would lead to divorces, custody fights, lost jobs, lost homes, and a lot of bitterness for all. Walker started developing as the months wore on and by late October had the indignity of having PMS and the true mark of genetic females in puberty: his first period. He struggled with it, but Skylar was able to keep him focused on the long run and not on what was happening in the present. Clint tried to help him but was rebuffed, but he didn't take issue as it was expected and only Skylar could understand Walker's issues. Carly and he talked a lot about it to the point that the two were growing closer, with Clint sighing as he admitted that he was upset that she wasn't into boys as he would have loved to date a pretty girl like her especially as she was his friend. Sylvia happily told anyone what was wrong with Walker that he had to endure what all genetic females had to endure and many of them would endure in the near future. She consoled Walker as best she was able to, with her telling him that it would pass and he'd be OK again. He understood but hated it, but it was something that Isaac had to go through before he stopped so Walker could endure it if Isaac did. The trials of the Lewises and Walker's former uncle were in winter and featured David, Miles, and their colleagues working hard to show that there was a vast link that ran deep through local politicians and major businesses to the point that only the Finn controlled businesses or businesses that the Finns had a stake in weren't funneling money or bribing politicians. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis faced severe tax troubles as their track was exposed as losing money hand over fist without bailouts from the state to cover costs of hosting events and that there was very little actual racing being done at the premiere New England race track. Nobody had known just how badly they had botched the track's finances, but Miles found it out with barely needing to dig deep into their finances as it was hastily hidden and altered by the track. Walker's uncle was tried first and convicted on all counts, with his actions covering-up multiple issues that the family tried to ignore but couldn't any longer. They were heavily in debt and tried to use all of the money that was left to Rick, Gavin, Al, and Thomas by their grandfather and great-grandfather but had no actual ties to as their collateral. What ensued was an attempt to keep people at bay, with all of them trying hard to avoid being stuck with the bill while Walker's uncle racked up a heavier debt. Walker wasn't needed, all of what happened was being done away from him and he was nothing but a bargaining chip to his uncle. He did have to testify that he was left with his uncle after his former mom and dad had a big fight, with his former father demanding a paternity test. Walker wasn't questioned by the defense as the judge made it clear that any attempt to go after him for anything other than what he had stated on the record would be punished by the courts. His former father's request was fulfilled and sure enough: Walker wasn't his son. His former uncle had the same test done and it was proven that Walker was his son, making the family fracture even more as the few who remained staunch supporters of his uncle/real dad broke apart leaving nobody to testify as character witnesses since he had lied to them about all of what was happening. His vain attempts to put all blame on Walker backfired further as none of the jury believed Walker did anything except exist. The trial ended with a guilty verdict and a sentence of 15 to 20 years in prison. He faced a federal trial next which saw no involvement by Walker since it was all about the fraud and tax evasion that the man had done without anyone knowing. He lost again, earning an additional 10 years in federal prison. The Lewises were next and faced tougher issues as their defense was simply to blame it all on their son Jimmy, who conveniently couldn't defend himself against them. That backfired as Jimmy was shown to have had no involvement whatsoever in the track's operations nor in the finances and only live it up on their dime as his job was a paper-job with no actual work being done by him. He earned a tidy sum of money from the track as an, "Advisor" and as a member of the board yet never actually worked there. His track record of doing the least amount for the most benefit was shown to be in tune with the track's own operations as they had little revenue except a small sum every few months from big races held at other tracks. The few races actually held were done for low payouts and only held because the owners of the horses needed a way into bigger races without having to train their horses better. They paid a lot of money in kickbacks to the track to enable their horses to race while ensuring that they'd get a shot at the bigger races due to the track's longstanding affiliation with those more lucrative tracks. The track saw itself go into bankruptcy protection as nobody would allow loans to be taken out against the debt while demands were made to close it due to lack of use and being an environmental hazard. It was a tough decision that saw multiple long arguments but eventually the track was sold to combined group consisting of John, David, and other members of the family and saw them turning it into a new low-income housing development with special focus on single-parents, minorities, and the transgender. The sale was a boon for the family as they earned the money back via stock increases making all of the family benefit from the purchase, with the kids enjoying knowing that they'd have money when older. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis were in tears as their pride and joy was erased from history as their track ran its last race to little fanfare but a lot of media attention. The old, dilapidated, cramped, smelly facility was finally closed for good after over a century of use and thousands of stories of corruption and crime. John had a soundbyte for the ages as he proclaimed that the place was born of a different time and only continued as a testament to what not to do with a business and through its downfall those who were harmed by it and those who had been reduced to scrubbing its floors to survive in life were going to be able to live a normal life within the renovated and expanded facility while the ones who used it to harm others had a harsh reality set in when they received their just desserts. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis begged for mercy from the courts but found none as the prosecutor read them all of the charges and allegations followed by the witness list that read like a, "Who's who" of people who had been wronged by them in the last four decades. They were toast and knew it, and pleaded guilty to try to avoid a heft sentence but found themselves being told that they would receive no such mercy. They were forced to stand trial and make an example of them while giving the state the true face of some of their beloved local and state politicians with only those closely tied to the Finns not being among them. The trials were slow and ended up covering multiple agencies and personnel in high office or who had long led their agencies without gubernatorial oversight. There were people who were exposed as being frauds followed by people who were being exposed as intentionally keeping those who wanted to make changes to the state away from achieving their ideals simply by having others destroy their reputations or mitigating the fallout by seizing the plans for themselves and altering them. Many were forced to be fired or resign in disgrace while agencies had to review their rules to ensure that they had not made any mistakes in changing rules recommended by the accused and disgraced politicians. Kensington was in an uproar as the residents had finally had enough of the old system that kept power in the hands of a small number of families. The city council was disbanded and a new system, like one that Winnisimmet had, was installed with the only difference being that Kensington retained a mayor. She was the only local politician who was unscathed by the city's actions and knew full well that there was a better way to administer the city: making it neighborhood-based instead of citywide. Valerie got a lot of credit for helping move the city towards the modern age but in reality all she did to help was be honest and open. Daria was pointed out as one of their best residents yet the city had all but run her out of town because she caused ripples in the old system. Daria should have been lauded, she's one of the folks that you want to have in your city- not people with money and no scruples. Daria was allowed to sell Jimmy's house and gave the money to her kids so that they would have a bit of Jimmy even if he would have no connection to her and Marcus' kids. Kensington wound up having to give her a large refund of taxes that she was forced to pay on Jimmy's house despite not owning it or having any reason to pay the city, giving her a nest egg for her retirement and something to fall back on should the unthinkable ever happen: she divorced Marcus. Nobody believed that it was possible, but it was wise to keep it safe and secure just in case. School went on and the kids found that they enjoyed it more than they wanted to admit. Walker became just another guy, with Clint always by his side and their classmates joking that they might be lovers. He ignored them while Clint casually asked if they were aware that they had just claimed that the two were gay and by making that claim just because they thought that it was funny they were now all looking at a suspension, causing the kids to run off in fear. He never had to report it to Sylvia, she heard it and let it slide because Clint had done more damage with his words than she could do with her report. Clint took after Rachel with his mouthy retorts, which caused Reyna to smile as he finally found that he was just like both of his mothers and could relate to Rachel more than he realized. Walker was glad to be part of his growing as a person, and he did love Clint deeply. His love wasn't sexual as the boys had claimed, he loved Clint as one can only love close family and best friends. Joan thrived alongside Melanie's tutelage. The friends were happy together and slowly developed more and more friends from outside the family who didn't want to use Melanie for their own gain as most of the kids in their school had tried to do. Joey and Milton were always close by and were the same way but didn't have the same spark that the girls had despite being as close. Parents ignored Joan's past out of respect for what might happen to their own sons or husbands. It was a horrible realization to many: you could lose everything in a split second and be forced to be someone else. Boys saw that girls were the same as boys even if they were different while girls saw that boys are a lot more like them than they realized before and nothing really separates them except genetics. Sylvia loved being like a surrogate aunt to the younger kids and blushed when she was teased that she might be the first among them to become a mother. She shook her head at the idea, seeing Walker and a smiling Joan fulfilled her maternal feelings while her husband was adamant that they wait until she had a solid three years under her belt as teach before they consider children. Jaimie and Rick were happy to go along with Sylvia's desires, especially as neither wanted to be grandparents yet. Daria worked hard and earned the highly competitive regional director position for DCF with Willow as her second in command. The two were chosen over Jenna Daniels at Jenna's insistence as she lacked a desire to run things beyond her Salem office. Willow knew just why she refused: she didn't want to be in the way of Daria ascending to the top as she was the clear choice to run the operations one day. Daria and Willow were close friends and often were over one another's house as Willow and she talked as friends. Cat and Candace were usually there as well, giving Daria a third and fourth friend who had a lot of the same experiences but from different perspectives. They bonded, while their husbands wisely kept away and enjoyed time with themselves and their kids letting their wives enjoy a night together. Isaac joined the guys alongside Brent and was like any other guy to them despite being visibly pregnant and putting on weight. Brent swooned in his arms as they watched TV or played video games much to the annoyance of the kids. The kids hated the adults playing their games, especially as they played what the kids didn't like or played games that they weren't allowed ot play due to being too young. The pregnancies brought brother and sister closer together as Isaac started to feel more maternal and a lot less masculine. He talked with his new psychiatrist about it and was told that he might have found a part of being a woman that he could enjoy despite being a man. It wasn't far off from men finding that they can be feminine yet still be men, with the only difference being Isaac's situation was natural as he had a life growing in him that he'd have to take care of so felt what mothers naturally felt. When the time came for the duo to give birth they were in tears as Daria's baby wouldn't come out and seemed to want to wait for his cousin to be born alongside him. The duo did eventually come out on a snowy March day with Leslie and Sarah helping the duo while Brent and Marcus were numb to the duo giving birth. They tried their best, but seeing Isaac and Daria in pain caused them to go numb again. Their sons were born within minutes of one another, making them linked just as their fathers had been. It was a different case with them: they were full term births, Brent was premature and had issues. Their sons were the spitting image of their fathers, with Leslie in tears as her baby boy had a baby boy. Isaac was grateful to have that over but saw that Brent was happy with what happened. He might not be into women, but he loved Isaac for doing something so bold in his eyes. The two were parents, and did it via the, "Old fashioned way" and had the proof of their love right in their arms. Joan was brought in and was in tears as her baby brother looked at her and grabbed her finger. He had shown that he knew who she was even if she was a voice that he couldn't fully put a face to yet. Their little bond was clear, she wanted to be the big sister that he needed and would love him fully. Isaac took longer than Daria to recover and needed Sarah's help with getting back on his feet physically as he didn't realize just how much stamina he had lost during the pregnancy. It was coupled with more setbacks with his transition as he learned that his former psychiatrist complained that he hurt his son by not waiting several months before conceiving him. It was total garbage and meant as retaliation for his leaving the doctor in favor of a more understanding doctor, but it still hurt that Jenna had to visit him. Jenna read Sarah's notes, Jaimie's own report, and turned things around on the doctor for filing a false and misleading claim that had no basis in reality and wasted resources. She threatened Jenna, Jenna did the only thing she could do: send the police after the woman for criminal threats and extortion. Oscar Pierce Sr. happily told the doctor that she was under arrest for threatening a public employee then had to endure a long string of expletives that only caused him to tell the doctor that she was going to face a lot of questions from the state about her previous actions and likely lose her license. Isaac suffered severe depression after Jenna cleared him, with Faith helping him through it by talking to him and getting him to see that it was what people always did when they were trying to get money or power from trying to go after their family. He was one of them in full and that was what really caused a reputable psychiatrist to go after someone who was following all rules and regulations. Isaac tried to be aloof but eventually Faith got through to him and got him to see that he was going to be alright. Brent happily sued the doctor for malpractice and harassment, with Jenna's report supporting that it she had no right to go after Isaac when she was fully aware that he had proper support and a right to go to a doctor who had no issues with his transition. The judge ignored the doctor's demands for dismissal and grinned as her lawyer agreed to settle their case if only to end it before the doctor lost her license. That was too late, she had already lost her license to practice psychiatry for violating ethics in client care. Isaac was down but his son caused him to raise his spirits as the little boy wouldn't let her feel bad for too long. He clearly loved his father and wanted him close to him, with the little boy happily giving a coo whenever he was near and showed that he knew who his father was and refused anyone else. Little Brent Jr. was slowly growing to look like Isaac giving his father a smile as Brent Sr. saw just how much the two resembled one another and gave Isaac his greatest gift: a part of him living on in a boy. Mark John Sylvester was just like his sister in that he grabbed onto Marcus and refused to let him go as his father was his favorite person. It made his mother happy to know that Marcus had someone to look forward to seeing and had a part of him living on forever. It caused Leslie tears as Mark was clearly the perfect mix of Marcus and Daria and strongly resembled his sister but with the classic Finn dark brown hair that lightened over time while Daria and Joan had dirty-blonde hair showing that Joan took after her mother to the point that she was starting to cause Isaac tears over seeing his sister at the same age. The kids learned the downside of newborns as they endured punishments in the form of diaper changes and washing the boys. Mark took great pleasure in giving Joan and Melanie baths, with Brent Jr. doing his best to try to spray the girls whenever they changed him. It was fun to him, but they hated it. The girls hated that their parents laughed at history repeating itself. Cat looked at Willow who nodded, it was them all over again. Milton happily never got in trouble so avoided it, just as JD and Julio did. The honeymoons were delayed so that the babies could be born and join the couples. Joan happily went to stay with Faith and Trey as Faith wanted a crash course in being a mom while Trey wanted them to see if it was the right time to parent a child. Joan was on her best behavior for her aunt, so much so that she caused Faith to complain that Joan was giving the wrong impression to Trey about kids. Melanie was more than happy to be the pest for her, especially as she had more reason to be there than Joan and had more experience putting on the showcase as she had done it before. She ignored the rules and ran around the house loudly while playing giving Faith a headache but showing Trey that it was going to be alright as that was all an act. He smiled as she admitted that she loved Melanie but she was too much like her mother to do anything but cause her to hug her and smile. The couple tried for months to have a baby but failed. It turned out that they couldn't conceive due to an issue with his sperm so they went the normal route for the family: they chose to adopt. Faith asked Daria to find a child in need of a home and love who her department had all but ignored, like Angel and Carly had been even if it meant that the child was transgender. Daria found the right child and introduced him to the couple. He blushed as he saw Faith, who just did a double-take and asked if Daria had any cousins. Daria didn't know, but Isaac told her, "We did. They were a few years older and hated us. They refused to have anything to do with us." Faith asked the boy what his name was, his real name. He cringed and told them, "Melissa Lee Barker. I know you are my dad's cousins, he hated you." Isaac and Daria hugged him and understood why he was in foster care. Daria asked him softly, "Did the family hurt you? Did they molest you or abuse you?" He nodded and told her, "My dad did both. Mom ignored him and told me that I should give him it and not tell anyone. I told my teacher and principal. Mom and dad are in prison because of it." Daria asked if he had been diagnosed as transgender. He nodded, telling her, "I went to see Dr. Samuels after I was taken away from mom and dad. She said that I was right, I was a boy. I don't want to be a girl anymore, I'm a boy and I can't be a girl anymore." He was in tears, Isaac and Daria hugged him while Faith waited for them to say something. Daria tried to say something but Isaac finally composed himself and told Faith, "He's family to us, but he's your son now. I can't take him from you, Daria can't either. If he wants to stay with you, we'll abide by it." He looked up at both and asked if they would let him stay with Faith. The two nodded to which he told them, "I want to stay with her and her husband. I don't want to be a burden for you." The two hugged him while Faith added, "They want you to be with family. I am family to them. Isaac is married to my brother, Daria is married to my unofficial cousin but is cousin to my cousins. You're part of us now, welcome to the family Milo Jones. That is, if you don't find a more suitable name first." He was in tears and hugged Faith. Isaac and Daria hugged him next then told him that his cousins were happy to meet him if he wanted. The babies giggled gurgled at hearing him showing that they had yet another, "Big person" to pamper them. Milo was happy to give them attention, with Brent Jr. latching on to him to show that he liked him- much the same way that his father had done. Milo was enrolled in school and was in the same class as Grace Pierce and Angel Finn so the trio were always together and able to support one another. He wasn't like Walker in how he reacted to the girls, he was happy to be with them and be a friend to them. Kids joked that they should swap privates which the trio told them that they wished they could but it wasn't possible making all joking about it stop. Joan caused him to cry as he heard that she was hurt so badly in such a horrific way. The two spent the weekends together and talked a lot as Milo was integrated into the family and enjoyed being close. The two were able to bond in a way that Walker and Joan hadn't: she understood him because of Walker but he wasn't so anti-female that Walker had been and could be at times due to the girls at school. Milo was a fixture at the Sylvester home due to Angel, he tried hard to get to know Walker but the two somehow only shared being transgender as a common trait which caused the adults to explain to him it was more than likely due to their age difference: seven years was a big difference. The two were family but sometimes you have little in common with some of your family, even if you have a huge thing that is in common. It was a relief to him, Walker was just older and dealing with issues teens dealt with. As the school year wore on, Walker developed more and more. When his periods were tough on him Clint to help him through it. He felt like his life as a girl was over, but Clint happily explained that it was his life beginning and he was a woman biologically but it meant that he could be a father one day without ever needing a man to do it with him since he only needed the semen and not the actual penis to penetrate him. Clint was crude, but it worked. He cringed and told his best friend, "I like girls. I know that I would find one for a long time, but I am happy to try to find one. You're lucky, you can have any girl in school but you avoid all of them. Why? You're a hot guy- I heard the girls say so." He shook his head and shot back, "They insult you constantly. They call you a freak and fraud. You can't hear what they say since they do it away from you but they are horrible towards you. If you weren't in Aunt Cat's care they would have beaten you up already. They fear her more than expulsion, and they're right: Aunt Cat would go after them and their families and cost them a lot of money. I don't want girls who are like that to my friend, I want one who's nice and pretty and smart and treats you right." The two did find girlfriends, a pair of twins who were just like they had hoped for and who actually had a longtime crush on Clint but were prevented from acting on it due to the other girls. The girls weren't put off by Walker being female genetically, they admitted that they experimented with girls before and it didn't matter to them because he was a great guy. The four were a great match, especially as they had a lot in common that the other boys didn't have with them: they were happy gamers who played at their home for hours after school and routinely beat the guys in class but were also sci-fi fanatics who gave the boys a crash course in the genre by introducing them to their favorite shows. Cat fostered their budding feelings by encouraging the boys to try new things and found that they had a lot of fun with the girls and picked up a lot of the subtleties of the shows that the girls were happy that they had found. The foursome kissed and enjoyed some heavy petting sessions but weren't allowed any other activities beyond that, with Clint blushing as his mothers told him to back off. He understood: the girls were overcompensating but they were good fits as couples. The kids were growing happy as things went on. By late June Daria and Isaac had news: they were both pregnant again. Isaac tearfully told Brent that it was his final pregnancy, two was enough for him. Daria struggled with her pregnancy while Isaac's went smoothly. After giving birth again at the same time the two hugged and kissed their new sons and happily told one another that they were happy and it was time to move on from the past. Isaac understood and told his sister, "I'm having surgery once I'm back to normal. I did my job biologically, I want to be whole. I love my sons, but I need to do this." Daria cried and hugged him while Isaac's son and Daria's daughter slept in their crib next to them. The siblings were content and found peace in their lives through their husbands. Becoming part of a vast family was only part of being content, Daria had a daughter whom she loved beyond comprehension and friends who were the greatest people she had ever met and gave her a sense of doing something worthwhile. Isaac's surgery was tough but he was happy to have it done and finally feel like he was a true man. He might have some scars but he wore them with pride and was happy to be who he needed to be. He was a Finn in all but name, he was a father, uncle, brother, friend, confidant, and stood proud. Daria returned from her maternity leave and led the region better than just about anyone had since her father-in-law had and gave the agency hope that politics would finally be eradicated from the agency. It was a warning to those who wouldn't change that those in power were those who deserved to be there and the ones who weren't in power were those who didn't belong with the agency. She was the face of change, one that Cat and Jenna and others were happy to push forward. Joan and Walker thrived and were two of the best examples of why transgender children shouldn't be treated differently or ignored outright. They deserved a chance to thrive, with their influence passing on to other kids as they saw hope for them with the help of Daria and others in DCF. Kids would be helped and they had hope for a family who would love them as they were not as what others saw them as. Daria, Joan, Walker, and Isaac thrived and blossomed under the family's influence. They were the new generation of changes to come in the years ahead. They brought with them a sign that the new group of family were about to come, be they born or join the same as others: through blood, sweat, and tears. The End.