Hey boys and girls its howdy... oh wait thats wrong.. In our last episode our heros battle the mighty... nope that one either.. lets see.. darn muses always moving my stuff around... Donatello does machines, Michelangelo is a party dude tutoo... ok thats definatly not it..

Janice and Samantha have helped their mother bake cookies and have been introduced to their aunt and uncle.

Bill leans over to Harold and in a low voice asks.

"Which one is which?"

"Don't ask just drive."

Bill starts driving with a puzzled look on his face same as his wife Stacy. The Drive to Mom and Dads doesn't take all that long and is very quiet their daughters Nancy and Susan in the back are unsure what to say or do since they were told they were picking up there cousins. One a boy and one a girl yet there was two girls.

Janice and Samantha are oblivious to all this since they are looking daggers at each other and are embarrassed that their brother is in their dress. The silence is not lost on Mary who is sitting their trying to figure out how they were gonna pull this off.

Upon arrival the four girls disembark in a flurry of heavy coats all covering their dressed being careful to not snag their tights or get their shoes dirty. The four confused parents follow behind them all loaded with the remaining Tupperware containers, and gift bags. The four girls are each carrying something as well. Janice and Samantha are carrying the smaller Tupperware containers of cookies while Nancy and Susan are carrying utensil bags and cups.

Janice being the older of the four girls reaches for the doorbell and rings it. The door opens to their Grandfather.

"Merry Christmas Grandpa!" screech the four girls in unison. Grandpa Charlie is a little stunned as he seems to have acquired a new grandaughter and his one grandson seems to be missing.

"Well Merry Christmas to you to girls. And may I ask you pretty girls for your names and your coats?"

"I am Janice this is my brother Samuel please excuse him."

"I am Samantha this is my brother Jason he is nuts."

"GIRLS!"

"Sorry momma."

"I am Nancy."

"I am Susan."

Well young ladies you are all very pretty. Uh go bring your containers to Grandma in the kitchen."

With that the four girls now free of their coats move as a group to Grandma's domain the kitchen. Grandpa Charlie looks to his children and their spouse for an explanation of some type.

"For today we have two girls." Utters Mary.

"I see.. Uh Harold Bill care to join me for a glass of christmas cheer?"
The men move off with all the coats while Stacy and Mary go to the kitchen. In the kitchen is the muttering of four very excited little girls.

"...and I put the frosting on the chocolate chip cookies all by myself Nana." Janice finishes saying to a very confused grandma who is trying her best to maintain a false smile. She looks to Mary with an eyebrow raised. Mary replies with a wave of her hand to mean let it drop/ later.

"Since all four of you are all wearing very pretty dresses it would be a shame for any of you to get them dirty here in my kitchen. Uh Janice I hold you responsible for all the girls and you may decorate the tree."

The four girls leave enmass to go decorate the tree which is a tradition for the children. It is the first time Janice has been put in charge of the group but they all proceed to delicately decorate the tree with the antique ornaments, the lights and streamers have already been hung along with the ornaments on the upper branches of the fresh pine christmas tree.

Left to themselves in the kitchen but still in visual view of the four girls Stacy, Mary and Grandma Denise confer in low voices.

"Mary I may be getting old but I am fairly certain that one of your children is a boy."

"Well this morning brought me a surprise. At the moment, aside from desperately needing therapy, I seem to have two very pretty girls and no son. I cannot explain it. And truthfully I am not even sure which is which anymore. Lets just go with both are girls for today."

"As you wish but you do know something will need to be done. While both gifts I made for your uh girls can go either way I am not sure how we will handle this."

"Thank you. This is really really strange and difficult. I never would have guess one of my children would be one of those trans people."

"You seem to be handling it better than either Bill or I would have Mary."

"I hope you do far better than Charlie or I did with Terry." At the mention of the long lost sibling there is a moment silent grief. The suicide of Terry some 8 years ago is still a hard burden to bear for the family. It is because of this that the whole family is trying very hard to accept the new girl without making a big fuss. Poor departed Terry could not stand the angry looks and comments of his/her family when he/she started to transition. The resulting video played to the family upon his/her death had a profound impact. They all look hard at the new girl in her dress and really see that she is a girl just the same as all the others.

In the private office/den a similar conversation has taken place with some alcohol mixed in to soften the blow.

"Harold she really does look and act just like the other girls. Do you have any idea how to go from here? We still have the number for that therapist who specializes in trans people."

"I guess we will have to see first. This is the first time we have even seen any sign that he wasn't happy being a boy at all. He seemed so normal to us."

A single tear escapes Harold's eye.

"I don't want another Terry. I will do my best to help my new daughter."

"I think we will all try a little harder this time to be understanding. Not many get a second chance to do things right."

"Here."

"Here."

And the clink of the three glasses can be heard over the softly playing Bing Crosby record of Christmas music.

To be continued at some other time.