Paige called 999 to get an ambulance as well as the police to respond then stopped Anil before he ran off. Anil looked up at Paige and knew that he wasn't going anywhere, but seeing Elise caused him to try to back away in fear before Paige could ask him anything. Elise was told to go back to the car and stay there, she would handle Anil as Elise was just scaring him and making things worse for the boy.

An ambulance came within minutes and checked out Anil, giving him a look of pity as the medics put bandages on his wounds and readied him for transport to the hospital. When they were finished, a constable came over and looked over Anil then said a couple of snide remarks about Anil's "kind of people" which Paige asked him to repeat as she was recording what he said for the record. This only led to the constable threatening her but didn't get the response he wanted from Paige, one which he hoped would make whatever she was going to threaten him with moot.

Paige sighed, told him that she was complaining to his superiors about his racist words regarding the victim of an assault especially a young child, and would ensure that he faced disciplinary actions for what he had done. She wasn't bluffing, she called Max to get the ball rolling then called Arthur to beg him to find a way of allowing Anil to be placed in her care so he was away from the group home for good. Paige didn't need to know what happened to him, she could tell that he was abused by the other boys in the home just based on what he was wearing and how he was reacting to the constable.

Max met them at the A&E at Outham University Hospital and had a go with the constable who was to be assigned to them, letting the man know that his father had heard just what he said about Anil and it was going to be a long time before the man was out on the streets of London. He tried to threaten Max but Max simply pointed to the sergeant nearby and had him send the constable back to the station for "debriefing" before he was suspended without pay while awaiting his disciplinary hearing. Max took no pride in having his father know what was going on, but with Paige and Arthur involved it would involve him regardless.

Paige was phoned by Max's father, Sir Charles Evans, and asked about Anil's situation. Charles gave her a groan, told her to tell whoever showed up on behalf of social services that this was a criminal investigation, and to tell Bryan to prepare a room at their home. Paige knew what this meant and felt her heart flutter as she was all but drafted to be Anil's new foster parent until things cleared up, she had gotten her request to foster Anil granted by default.

At the same time, Anil was being examined by a doctor under strict guard by a nurse. He tried to ask about the clothes Anil was wearing but Anil refused to answer any questions out of fear of what the doctor and nurse would do to him. The nurse told the doctor that it was best to leave it to those who would do something, it wasn't their place to probe further.

Anil was led to the waiting room where Elise was busy talking with some people. Paige said a couple of things to them but Anil tried hard not to listen. He felt bad enough as it is that his teacher now knew his secret, even if he didn't tell her she seemed to know why he was dressed as he was especially after knowing about his earlier incidents with his former neighbors.

Elise was busy talking with her cousins BJ and Ophelia and their aunts Jaimie and Nichole. Jaimie asked about Anil, getting a groan from Elise which led to her telling everything that she knew about him and what she had heard her aunt and uncle talking about. Jaimie was probing for answers and secretly analyzing Anil while she was thinking about what was going on with him, like any psychiatrist would do in her situation given the facts handed to her.

She looked at Nichole who seemed to gather what Jaimie was thinking and boldly told Elise "he's not a normal boy, he's a girl inside. It's the same way we acted when we were his age." Jaimie added "his mother hurting him must have been due to her suspecting that his dressing up with the girls wasn't an accident and that he was wearing the neighbor's clothes because he liked to wear them, he was too willing to do it and enjoyed it too much to have been the first time. It is tough to think about but it's the only thing that fits the situation. Anil is transgender and needs help."

Elise didn't believe her but Jaimie wasn't one to make bold assessments with little information. She had what she needed and she was standing by her initial assessment of Anil especially as he was still in panties when he was removed from his home and he didn't bother to change out of the girl's clothes that he was found in when he was freed from whatever the boys were doing to him. She was a fully licensed and practicing psychiatrist focusing on child gender identity issues so she was an expert on it.

Jaimie asked them to hand the iPad off to Anil so she could talk with him for a few minutes. This was not a request, Jaimie was putting on her doctor's hat and trying to help Anil so he accepted Paige and Bryan as his foster parents and knew that they would get him the proper help. Anil was reluctant but hearing that Jaimie was a psychiatrist and knew what he was going through eased his anxiety a little.

The two talked for a bit as Jaimie went through her standard battery of questions then gauged the truth. She was satisfied that Anil was not a boy, Anil was born wrong and needed help from a professional so he could become what he needed to be. He was more like Anne or Anabel than Anil and needed the help of someone who could guide him through his changes especially as his struggles would only get worse.

As they were talking, a doctor tried to stop the questioning as it was getting a bit too clinical to the point of being analytical. Paige stopped her and calmly explained "she's Dr. Jaimie Samuels, MD, Ph.D. She is a practicing psychiatrist specializing the field of child gender issues. She is likely doing that as a need to get Anil help for whatever is going on with him and sees something that needs attention."

Paige entered and calmly asked, "is Anil transgender or is it a phase?" Jaimie waited a few seconds and clinically stated "Anil is female in mind and based on how Anil acted thus far it is well hidden due to the abuse Anil has suffered through. Anil needs removal from the group home for safety and needs to have a full, concise, fair assessment by one of my colleagues. I'll call her to alert her of your request."

Jaimie signed off allowing them to await social services removing Anil from his group home. Max was with them and had Arthur speaking with the higher-ups in social services to work out something so Anil wasn't thrown back to the wolves. He had the paperwork drawn up to have Paige and Bryan put as the new foster parents, with Paige's relationship being best for Anil until he could be placed elsewhere.

Before Arthur got there, Benson and Hedges barged into the hospital looking for Anil. Both were angry at Anil and grabbed him from his chair and tried to drag him back to the group home with Benson telling the boy that he was going to get what he deserved for running off leaving the boys to hurt the other shrimps in the house. He never noticed Max nor his entering colleagues, leading to Benson being tossed onto his chest and placed in handcuffs while Hedges had the same done to him.

Max happily placed both under arrest for kidnapping, assault, threatening behavior, and neglect for the intentional placement of Anil in the care of a home known to be harming him. The two threatened the constables but Max produced a recorder and played back the threats then demanded the paperwork that placed Anil in their care as they had never filed it when he was removed in the first place. It was a tense moment but Max had them caught and unable to say or do anything without causing more charges.

Benson and Hedges ran off when they were being walked out to be arrested by other uniformed constables, causing Anil to grow scared as he knew that they would be back to get him. Paige hugged him tightly and tried to calm him which only caused him to ease up on her but still cling to her tightly. Paige started to feel amazing as he clung to her, it was a feeling that she had been lacking for a long time especially as her son and daughter had grown too old to show their affections to her.

Arthur arrived after another half hour and showed Paige the paperwork naming her as Anil's new foster mother with Bryan acting as his foster father. Paige was perplexed about how quickly she had been able to obtain guardianship of Anil but Arthur smiled and happily explained "Bryan had me doing this for months. It was slowed down due to interference in the office which I am starting to think was Benson and Hedges. You had everything going for you, you have a steady job and money to support yourselves and Anil as well as space in your home and a background check on file with the service they use."

Paige was told that they could leave, with Max escorting them out as the constables encircled them. Arthur was on the phone with social services to ensure that Benson and Hedges were suspended with the intent to terminate them for their actions while Max tried to have a warrant put out for their arrests. Paige thanked the two with Elise hugging Max while Anil silently gripped Paige causing the two to vow that the would get Benson and Hedges and ensure that the kids in the home were helped out.

Bryan was waiting for them at the house when Paige drove in. He took one look at Anil and asked if he needed to get some skirts and blouses or t-shirts and trousers. Paige glared at him but he gave her a smile and soft "I'm not going to fool around, I don't want him suffering anymore. If he's a she then we have to help her be the girl she needs to be. We are the most qualified to help, I doubt very much that it will be worked out by social services especially with those two scumbags hot on Anil's trail."

Paige kissed him for being considerate and trying to help Anil for Anil's sake. She sighed and said that she would ask Anil directly what he wanted to do and go from there, it was too early to start building a wardrobe if it was only a passing phase. Bryan seriously doubted it, Anil was still wearing the girls clothing and had shown no disgust at wearing it nor tried to remove it yet.

Elise kept well away from Anil and was unsure how to feel about that evening. She felt pity for Anil but wasn't sure if she was supposed to help Anil or stay away and let her aunt and uncle help him. It was made even worse when she heard what he was talking to her aunt Jaimie about, making her think that he was even more of a freak and weirdo than he already had been.

Elise just grabbed a snack and went up to her room to sleep, with Anil waiting for instructions from Paige and Bryan. Paige led him up to his room and laid out a set of pajamas for him to wear, telling him that it was alright and he was not in any trouble. She then gave him some food to eat, ensuring that he ate everything before putting him down to sleep.

Anil didn't go to sleep right away, he felt weird to be dressed in in pajamas that belonged to a girl and felt as if he was going to have his world crashing down any minute when Paige realized that this wasn't just some dream and he really was dressed as a girl. He still wore the panties that the boys had forced him to wear, Paige hadn't said one word about them nor that he was happily putting on the pajamas that were clearly owned by Elise and were too girly to ever be a boy's set of pajamas.

He drifted off to sleep once he was sure that he wasn't going to be hurt, with Paige checking in on him before she herself went to sleep. Bryan kept quiet but looked at her with a knowing look as she sighed and explained "he didn't react to wearing Elise's spare pajamas, he is wearing a different pair of panties than he was wearing the other day when he was removed from his mother's care, and he looked like Nichole looked when I first met her."

Bryan kissed her cheek, then added "I was right about Anil. She's a girl, this proves it in my mind. We need to get her some help from people who can help her become the girl that she should have been born as. Jaimie is no fool, neither is Nichole. They saw the real Anil shining through the tears and bruising. I don't care if we have to fight tooth and nail until this goes to the highest court, we are not letting Anil get hurt. Even if we have to adopt her as our own, Anil is getting help."

It was a school night so the kids were up early and fed breakfast while Paige got their things together. Anil didn't have her bag but it was understandable, Paige had a spare bag that her son had left behind so it was given to Anil to use until they could get Anil something of her own. It hit her hard that she was starting to think about Anil as a girl, and looking at her long hair and actions there was little difference between her and Elise which nobody had seemed to notice until just now.

Bryan handed Anil a regular shirt and trousers to wear until they could get her a new uniform shirt, as much as she may have wanted to wear a girls polo shirt it was too early in her transition to do that. Anil understood, she was just happy to wear something new and would happily wait to wear girls clothes especially if Bryan and Paige were her foster parents. Anil got dressed and received help from Paige in putting new bandages on the cuts on her face, arms, and shoulders.

Paige drove in with both Anil and the grumpy Elise. She knew that things were going to be bad for her in school because Anil was staying with her. The kids wouldn't dare say anything in front of her aunt but when Paige was out of earshot they would happily make her feel miserable because Anil was there.

Paige led the two into her classroom then sought out Cole in his office. Paige presented paperwork to Cole to show that she was now fostering Anil and was acting on Anil's behalf. She then shut the door, locked it, and asked Cole to please not repeat any of what she was about to him to anyone.

Cole gave her a look of deep concern but told her that if it was illegal, immoral, or a danger to students he would not make that promise. Paige sighed and carefully explained "Anil is in my care due to abuse at his former foster home. The police are investigating his situation and have two people on the run for their role in his abuse. Benson and Hedges, the men who took Anil away the other day, are being sought by the police for abducting Anil instead of properly placing him in a home as should have been done by rule and law. If they come here trying to obtain Anil, call the police and refuse to act. No matter how much they threaten you, do not allow them near Anil."

Cole was concerned but Paige added "as we were awaiting release, Anil was examined via video by my cousin Jaimie, who is a psychiatrist. Anil is suspected of being transgender and the actions taken by the kids in her group home as well as her dressing up in clothes with her neighbor gave Jamie the strong impression that Anil was transgender. My husband is calling around for a doctor to examine her here and when we have confirmation we will allow her to transition."

Cole knew this was going to be trouble for both him and the school. Paige just smiled and added "my solicitor, Arthur, knows full well the laws, rules, regulations, and procedures for transitioning so there is no issue for you. Once we get confirmation you simply need to announce to the class that she will be coming to school as a girl. That won't happen for two weeks as it's half-term break next week but you will have plenty of time to prepare all legal avenues and cover yourself. We will fight all challenges in court and Arthur will ensure that social services back off of her as they are in enough trouble as is thanks to Benson and Hedges. Anil has full support from all of the right people so there is no issue."

Cole was caught between two competing situations and had to surrender to Paige's might as she could easily bring in a lot of people who would tear the school, council, and country apart just from her legal defense alone. Her family had extremely deep pockets, and that was just from her husband's personal wealth alone. Factor in Paige and Bryan's uncle, parents, in-laws, and grandparents and it was a lost cause for all to dare challenge the two of them.

Paige left him to figure out his next move but knew he'd do the only thing he could- support Anil. She went to her classroom and saw Elise sitting alone trying not to stare at Anil while Anil finished her homework. It pained her to think that Elise disliked Anil but peer pressure was a pain to kids, especially new kids from another country like Elise.

Soon after Paige entered, the rest of the class entered. It didn't take long for the students to start to joke and whisper about Anil especially as he had visible cuts and bruises on his face. Anil ignored them and Elise tried hard not to join in on the fun but it was a losing effort. She chose to not respond when they tried to make her joke alongside them, all she did was subtly glance at her aunt which caused the kids to see that Paige was waiting to say something about their harsh words regarding Anil.

Paige started the class, but first let the kids know that she would not allow them to harass, tease, or even joke about another student especially as it was against the rules of the school. She dared them to try to say something, with the ones who she knew were the biggest instigators being asked to go to the headmaster's office where they would face more discipline. For the kids, it was a suspension and would lead to their being placed in another class upon return from half-term break.

Paige taught the lessons until lunch then bought Anil's lunch alongside Elise's. The kids gave her an odd look but Paige didn't respond to their goading, if she responded then they would use whatever she said against her and Anil. Elise was caught in the middle and had to figure out what to do, but the look on Paige's face told her all she needed to know: don't fall for their tricks.

The three ate in silence with Paige and Anil returning to class with Elise being forced to endure the kids on her own. Paige was no fool, it was her reckoning and she would either stand up to the kids and do the right thing or she would face the consequences. She knew exactly what the punishment would be, and Elise would not like it one bit.

Elise was encircled by the kids in her class and asked what the freak was doing hanging around her and her aunt now. Elise didn't lie, she told them "Anil is Aunt Paige's foster child. Aunt Paige and Uncle Bryan are looking after him because of what the kids in his foster home did to him."

This got the kids laughing and asking "what did he do to get kicked out?" Elise saw no reason to lie so she blurted out "they made Anil dress up like a girl. He was wearing a skirt and blouse and panties when we found him. He has done it before, his neighbors would make him dress like a girl for them."

That was the worst possible thing that Elise could have done as the kids all laughed at her for letting a freak and pervert into her house. It didn't matter that she had no say in the matter, the fact that Anil was found in girls' clothing was what mattered. She tried to act like it was no big deal but the kids started to tease her for letting Anil stay and not kicking him out or doing something to get him kicked out.

Cole was nearby and heard the kids' reaction and looked at Paige for guidance. Paige was furious, but she held herself together. Anil was resigned to them harassing him and what mattered was keeping him safe from the kids, causing a scene would only cause others to react to Anil causing him further issues.

Cole made his presence known and announced to all of the kids that any further talk about Anil, what happened to him, or any derogatory remarks about him, his situation, or his foster parents would result in disciplinary action. It hit the kids hard but most said they would tell their parents about what he was doing to them. Cole welcomed the challenge, he had plenty of time to prepare for their complaints.

Anil was on the verge of fleeing but was taken into a hug by Paige, with Elise looking down in shame as he was about to cry heavily if she even said one syllable to either of them. Elise just sat in silence as the other kids entered and glared at the trio, with Elise wincing while Anil didn't react. Paige simply ignored their attitudes and started class again, working straight through the day without a break.

Class ended and Elise faced off against her classmates. Anil stayed out of earshot with Paige, who was trying to let Elise see just how nasty the kids really were. She just hoped that Elise had some sense of right and wrong and didn't act on the feelings of others and insult Anil any more than she already had but given how she had reacted in the past, it may have been misplaced hope.

Elise received the first of the comments from the girls she thought were her friends, with the two worst offenders being the girls who she had thought were best friends but who actually had little interest in her. The girls ripped into her, calling every sort of name they could as they complained about Elise getting them in trouble despite it being their own words that were their downfall. Elise was on the verge of tears but kept herself together, letting the girls get their anger out on her.

When they were finished the class bullies got their shots in, making fun of Elise for being a fraud who had no actual parents or else she would have lived with them. She was accused of being the bastard kid of Paige as it was the only reason she was even allowed to live with Paige. The accusations hurt Elise deeply, there was no basis for the claims yet the others were quick to jump onto them as facts.

Elise finally had enough and left, with the kids teasing her as they walked out. They stopped as soon as they saw Paige but she had already heard everything. The first thing she would do when they got back was to seek to move Elise and Anil to another school while also resigning as soon as she could as she could no longer teach a group of kids who were clearly uninterested in learning and spent their days plotting ways of hurting people.

Anil kept out of sight and hid in the car when Elise got in, knowing that as soon as she was seen by Elise she would rip into her for causing all of her friends to abandon her because of the way they acted. Elise didn't say anything at all, she just got in the car and waited for Paige to finish before they drove off to their home. Paige made little mention of what Elise had done in school, it didn't need saying and it would only spark another fight between the girls.

Elise holed up in her room until she couldn't stand it any longer and sought out Anil. As soon as she saw Anil, she screamed at her for ruining her life and making things miserable for her. She blamed her for all of her troubles even if Anil had nothing to do with her parents not being there or her siblings trying to finish their last two years of school in the US.

Anil was in tears and openly sobbing at Elise's tirade, especially as she started to call Anil every sort of name in the book, from freak to pervert to a variety of gay slurs to racist terms taught to her by her classmates. It took all of Paige's might to not slap the little girl but she did the only thing she could think of- she called Pete and Hannah and had them handle their daughter's punishments. They had the most creative punishments you could come up with, especially if you harmed someone who was innocent as Anil was.

When the couple answered, Paige explained everything which caused Pete to need to hold back Hannah before her blood pressure shot up and she needed a doctor. Hannah cursed several times and demanded to speak with Elise, which was followed by the little girl rushing to see her parents hoping that they would send for her to take her home so she could be with them. That wasn't to be though.

Hannah saw her tear-stained face and the cowering Anil clutching Paige just behind her only causing her already high blood pressure to get higher. Pete nodded to her to stop, he would handle Elise for her as he could hold his temper in check. Hannah heeded to his request, she hated to show weakness to her daughter but if she continued her screaming and angry outbursts she was putting herself in danger.

Pete didn't hold back and demanded an answer for why Elise felt the need to scream at the innocent Anil for what the others had done to her and why she felt the need to call Anil names that she knew was wrong and what her punishment should be. She had no right to put her do that to Anil, she hadn't caused any of her "friends" to abandon her and treat her like garbage. She knew the words were vile and she was never allowed to use that kind of language, not even if she was crying in pain from being physically hurt.

Elise knew that she wasn't going to get what she wanted so she just went out and asked for it anyway so her parents knew just where she stood. She begged to be sent back to the US and stay with them, even if she had to be tutored by someone that they hired she needed to leave England. She hated it in the UK and couldn't stand it any longer and if she had to beg she would do just that to get what she needed.

Pete immediately and authoritatively stated "no. You are staying with your aunt and uncle until we are done. Your mom is ending her tour early due to the baby so it'll only be another month. When you leave for Christmas vacation we will all go to the estate and discuss this further. Until then, you are going to stay with your aunt and uncle. We hate being apart from you, but you are better off there than here."

He drew a calming breath then stated "as for your punishment, you will muck the stables for two days next week. This is non-negotiable. You knew you were wrong and did it anyway. You intentionally tried to hurt Anil with your words. You know full well that your aunt Nichole is like Anil and you know just how many of your second and third cousins are like them. You are upset with us but that doesn't give you the right to lash out at Anil because you are upset. We taught you better than that."

Hannah could see the pain on Elise's face but it had to be done. Pete was stronger at giving punishments than she was and much to her mother's humor she was her mother's daughter. Elise needed to learn her lesson and if it meant that she would endure "presents" from the horses then so be it.

Elise walked away in shame, feeling sorry for herself and not liking Anil one bit. Hannah turned to Anil and asked if she had picked a new name for herself as Anil didn't fit her at all. Anil was unsure what to do, she was asking an honest question but Anil hadn't thought she would seriously become a girl.

Anil meekly replied "I don't know. I was always called 'Annie' by my neighbors. It was close enough to my name to be OK in case others heard them." Paige felt great pride over hearing that while Hannah groaned at the coincidence of a name that meant something to the Smiths.

Pete laughed, then told her "Anne it is. Anne is Paige's mother's name and it was supposed to be her little girl's name. It's fitting that her new daughter carry on that name, she will love being your mother."

The newly dubbed Anne looked up at Paige who nodded at it being true. Anne hugged her tightly, with Hannah joking "it's a bit early but you are acting like her mother." That got Anne to cry at the thought of Paige being her mother while Pete told them not to get ahead of themselves, but he did see that it was what Anne wanted even if she hadn't vocalized it net.

Pete and Hannah signed off with Paige telling Anne to go to her room and do her homework so she could cook dinner for them. Bryan entered and saw Paige near tears and asked what happened, with Bryan hugging and kissing her as she started to cry into his shoulder. Pete had brought up a lot of old memories which she now saw as projecting on the kids, especially Elise.

The kids ate in silence after that, with Paige and Bryan not wanting to push things with either girl. He was just happy that Pete laid down the law and understood his daughter's needs and why she acted out, but it was still tense between Paige and Elise. Anne was just content to bask in the glow of being given a name that meant a lot to Paige and was closing a hole in her heart that she had tried to fill with others.

After dinner, Anne was handed new panties, pajamas, and a bathrobe and told to take a shower and use the special soap and shampoo instead of Bryan's body wash like she used the night before. It was a small gesture but to her, it was the world as it was the first girl clothing that she had been able to wear as her own and a show that they truly were going to treat her as a girl. She eagerly showered and had Paige brush her hair, with Anne smiling the whole time as she loved the motherly gestures of love.

The kids went to bed and Bryan and Paige were immediately questioned by Jaimie and Nichole about Elise and the other kids reacting to Anne. Paige didn't hold back and went after Elise, venting her frustrations that had been building up for weeks as Elise became more and more like her former friends. Jaimie had what was needed from Paige, she was concerned that Paige was holding back and it would cause issues if she did not try to let it out of her system.

Nichole asked about what she was going to do with the doctor, Paige had completely forgotten about it but Bryan happily added "she has an appointment tomorrow afternoon. I figured Paige wouldn't be able to get around to calling so I called for her. She seemed to be pleased that I did, apparently, Jaimie had done the preparations already and she was awaiting my call."

Jaimie just smirked while Paige thanked her for predicting what would happen. Nichole asked how she knew, getting a quick "the kids wouldn't hesitate to go after Anne for any little thing they could find and Elise would have to react in school one way or another. Aunt Karen told me that she would get upset and blame Anne even if she was innocent, it was what Hannah had done before when you guys were in school. Apparently, she went off on Bryan the same way pretty frequently."

Paige nodded silently while Bryan groaned and added "she punched me out because she couldn't go with Paige on a trip to Florida because mom couldn't afford it. She hated me for a month before Paige came back and forced her to stop being a brat. Mom punished her and Paige wouldn't speak to her until she said she was sorry and showed that she didn't mean what she said to me."

Jaimie asked if she was going to try to keep Anne with them as long as possible. Paige refused to give an answer, instead hiding her tears from Jaimie's view while Bryan answered for them. He wasn't going to lie, he admitted "we can't let her go. She won't last anywhere else. Something stinks about Benson and Hedges and unless we know she is going to go to a home that will help her transition we can't let her go. If it comes down to it, we will file for adoption to keep her safe. She needs a loving home, we can give it to her."

Paige looked at him with tears in her eyes as she realized just what he was saying. Bryan nodded to her, it was what he had been planning all along as Anne was in too much trouble to allow to go back into the system and get hurt. She needed parents and family, and Paige needed another child to love.

Nichole got them back on track and asked about their grandparents. Bryan didn't want to admit it but he had not told them what they had done nor had he told his parents either. Nichole just smirked and added, "she has to go north with you anyway, it'll be a surprise but it's not something they can't deal with."

The duo signed off to allow Jaimie and Nichole to get back to work while Bryan and Hannah went to bed. The cuddled for a while before falling asleep, with Paige weeping the whole time. The idea of her becoming a mother again filled her heart and made her feel like she was not a failure as a mother now, the loss of her child 10 years before had finally been put to rest by Anne's arrival in their lives.