I was known as Maalik, Maalik Khan if asked by someone it was wiser to provide with answers than not. I thought I was ten at the time, but it turned out I was nearly twelve. I was clever and streetwise and had to live on my wits because after Mum died I lived on the streets and ran errands for the Hoppers, the local gang. It was expected that I’d be a full time member when I became old enough. Even then I’d rather not have joined, but there wasn’t much choice for a boy in Clairemonte, which was the district of Waterston where I lived, you were either a member of the local gang or you were legitimate prey. The choices for a girl were if anything worse, become a whore or starve, and I fancied those even less.

I’d never liked the violence, and though I was almost part of the Hoppers like everyone in Clairemonte I was permanently scared, scared of the police, the local gang, other gangs, the neighbours. There was no end of people to be scared of. I’d have loved to have lived without fear, but like I said there wasn’t much option in Clairemonte.

The population where I lived was all Asian, mostly Bangladeshi, and the Hoppers who controlled the streets in the area of Clairemonte where I hung out were all Bangladeshis, and it was assumed I was too. I took good care to stay dirty enough to keep my skin dark enough to maintain the illusion. I was from the look of my skin where it was untanned and clean full blood English which if found out would have been a death sentence. Most of the people who lived in the area spoke a kind of patois that derived from mostly English with words from several Asian languages thrown into the pot with a Bangladeshi accent for good measure. It was what I spoke in those days.

The district on the other side of the urban motor way than ran on top of an enbankment was called Fairefields and the inhabitants were mostly white English and sounded quite different. I’d been to Fairefields, but not often. I was lucky in that I had dark hair, and like a lot of boys my age it was down beyond my neck. I suppose I was a bit vain about my hair, but it was all I had to be vain about. I only owned the clothes I stood up in, and they were little better than rags. My shoes were odd and neither fit, but unlike a lot of kids at least I had two, one of each, left and right. Most of the street kids slept with a pile of others, one always awake on guard, for protection, but that would have been too dangerous for me. I slept in a watchman’s shack on the roof of a derelict factory that was too unsafe for anyone much heavier than I was to risk crossing, and even then you had to know the safe route. It had taken me hours to figure out how to reach the shack, so no one could surprise me when I was asleep. Even amongst the street kids I was an outsider.

The woman I had called Mum, till she’d been killed by a customer one night, whored for a living, but Raj her pimp took most of the money, and she’d never told me where I came from, and I’d never thought to ask. She’d impressed on me the need for hiding my skin, and by the time she died I no longer needed her protection. I went to school from time to time, and could read and write in English. I was pretty good with numbers too, far better than anyone one else in my class anyway.

Life was pretty grim, but at least I was eating. Then I got into serious trouble, and had to go on the run, and as a result my entire life changed, though at the time I was sure it wasn’t changing for the better. I’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time and been recognised. I saw four of the top members of the Hoppers kill a policeman, and I heard Raj say that he’d give ten grand to whoever shut my mouth permanently. With that kind of money on my head I reckoned I had forty-eight hours left tops if I stayed in Clairemonte. I escaped down an alley that I knew had a small hole in the rear wall, too small for an adult and being skinny I’d used it before to escape from bigger boys who’d wanted the money I’d earnt from doing errands.

That had given me five minutes till they came round the long way, but I knew every minute would bring more people out to collect the blood money, even a sighting would be paid for if it led to my capture. I wasn’t breathing hard, but knew I would be when I reached the top of the fire escape, but I’d be out of sight. The idea was that the fire escape was going to give me a few extra minutes. At the top I rested for five to recover my breath, and after making sure I was rested enough to be able to run I set off towards the fire escape on the far side of the building. My plan was to get back down onto the ground and hide till dark before leaving the area. If I stayed too long in any one place I was dead.

Most of the other areas around on this side of the motorway were controlled by gangs that would hand me over for the money, so much as I didn’t like the idea I was going to the white English district. The fire escape came down about two hundred yards from the tunnel under the motorway which was always guarded at night and watched the rest of the time. I’d be able to listen to what the guards were saying, though I’d have to cross over the top when the traffic eased in the evening. Trouble was it was late July and it didn’t get dark till really late, fortunately there was no moon that night which would at least help till I reached the bank which the motorway lights illuminated.

I had no idea how I could survive over there, but it offered my best chance of surviving the rest of the week. I eased my self down the fire escape silently cursing every rusty squeak and groan it made, but they all did that in the wind, so maybe no one would look up. With my feet back on the ground, as I looked round to see if I were still safe a white girl a bit older than me, maybe twelve, came out of the shadows with a puppy in her arms and asked, “Why are they looking for you with knives in their hands?”

She shewed no signs of wanting to give me away. I wasn’t going to tell her about the money, but I did say, “I saw something they don’t want me to talk about. I wouldn’t talk, but they want to make sure.”

“What will they do if they catch you?”

“Kill me. Then I can’t talk. What are you doing over here?”

She walked towards me and said, “Honey ran away, and I came to get her. Here, take her and we’ll get you away from here.” I took the puppy, and to my surprise she took her dress off, pulling it over her head. She was wearing what looked like a long, thin vest underneath that was almost as long as her dress. “Here. Give me Honey back then you get rid of your jeans and tee shirt and put the dress on. Then we’ll look like two girls. They’re not looking for a girl. You can be my younger sister.”

“Turn round, my underwear doesn’t hide anything.” It was embarrassing, but I’m not stupid, getting embarrassed or dying is not a choice.

“I’ve got two little brothers, don’t worry. I’ve seen boys with no clothes on before.” I was about to insist she turned when I heard shouting. I couldn’t make out what they were saying but I recognised my name. I stripped off immediately, and was about to put the dress on when she said, “You’re English aren’t you?”

“It’s a long story, and I don’t know most of it, but yes I’m white. I leave the dirt on so no one knows.”

I’d got the dress on, and was self conscious when she said, “If we find some water for you to wash with you would look more like me only younger. What do you think?”

“This way. There’s a tank of clean water in a disused factory I can use. But you have to be as quiet as you can and keep Honey quiet too. Ok?”

“Ok,” she whispered. We arrived at the tank, and the sound of those looking for me faded. “Take the dress off, so it doesn’t get wet or you’ll be cold, and wash as much dirt off as you can from everywhere.”

I nodded. It took me a few minutes to get clean, and I’d never seen myself like that before, and I liked the way I looked. “I’m dry enough to get dressed now.” I smiled at her and said, “I’m Maalik, by the bye. What’s your name?”

“Isabella, but every one calls me Belle. I was going to suggest calling you Melissa till you were safe, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to use something beginning with the same letter as your name. How about Felicity? It means luck.”

“Good idea, cos we’re going to need as much as we can get.” I could see Belle’s breasts underneath what I was about to learn was her shift, and I hesitantly asked, “Is there any way we can make me look more like a girl, you know?” I pointed to her breasts.

Belle blushed but said, “Good idea too. My breasts will shew through my shift anyway, but if you put my bra on with your socks in it and then my dress that will do it.” I mentally gave Belle her due she was no shrinking violet, once committed to a plan she followed through on it immediately. She shucked her shift and took her bra off exposing herself to me wearing just a thong and trainers without a qualm. After slipping her shift back over her head and pulling it into place, she told me to hold my arms out, pushed the bra straps over my shoulders, fastened it behind me, adjusted the straps and held her hand out for my socks. I gave them to her one at a time, and she folded them before putting them in the bra. I started to get dressed, but she said, “Leave the underpants, they shew through the dress, and no girl would wear knickers that look like that.” I dressed, and we did look like a pair of girls. “Let me adjust that.” Belle repositioned one of my socks, shook the dress and said, “Much better, but you’ll have to be my older sister now.”

Belle looked younger because other than her nipples, which were obvious through her shift, she was essentially flat chested, whereas I looked older because of my height and the socks which made me appear much fuller chested. I was skinnier but three inches taller than Belle. We washed my trainers too, and after picking up Honey we left. Both of us were wearing trainers, and we moved quietly in the shadows. “Why are you doing all this for me? If they catch us they’ll probably kill you too. And Honey too.” I added as an afterthought.

“To start with curiosity. Then because I thought you were nice. There is another reason too, but we can talk about that when we get home.”

“What do you mean when we get home?”

“You’ll have nowhere to live, so you can live at my house. My parents will be ok about that, I’ll explain later, for now just trust me. Ok? We need to be moving don’t we?” Belle had convinced me with me looking like a girl our best plan was to use the tunnel. I hadn’t taken much persuading because even in the middle of the night crossing the motorway was dangerous. There were fewer cars at that time, but they tended to travel much faster, and there was never a time when it was safe to cross. Once on the bank we’d have been committed to keeping going, regardless of the traffic, because under the pink, high intensity, carriageway lights we’d be clearly visible and exposed to thousands of pairs of eyes, some of which would be wondering how they could profit by providing someone else with information concerning two vulnerable girls. I don’t know why the pink lights were called mercury lights, but they were much more powerful than the ordinary street lights that were yellow and called sodium lights

I guided us to a place from where we could see the tunnel which was guarded by two men in their twenties or thirties. I didn’t know them, so wasn’t prepared to take a chance. “We’ll wait till it’s dark and the guards are decent people I know something about, but who don’t know me too well.” As dusk started to fall the men were replaced by two women whom I knew well.

“Now? With the women, Felicity?”

I wondered who Belle was taking to for a second before I realised it was me. “No way! Indira knows me well, and she keeps a brothel. She can out fight both of us and would keep us locked up for her clients before realising I was Maalik and handing me over. What we need are two old men past the urgency of their sexual needs who would treat two lost girls returning home after recovering their puppy kindly.”

While we waited we talked, mostly about me, or what little I knew about me. I told her about Mum and her death, but Belle seemed more interested in the fact that I didn’t even know my real name, birthday or where I had come from. She told me she’d always wanted a sister, but she had two younger brothers.

It was full dark when Varun and Naresh took over. Both were in their late sixties if not their seventies. I let the women disappear and nodded to Belle. Naresh asked, “What have we here? Two girls out long after they should be in bed at home.”

Belle was good, I’ll give her that. “I lost my puppy, Sir, and my sister and I chased after her.” We both had tears in our eyes, mine from fear.

Varun said, “You were lucky it was we here. Hurry. This is not a good place for such as you at any time, but you don’t know how dangerous it is at this time of night. Next time better to loose your puppy than what you could loose. Hurry. Go straight home.”

I shuddered as Naresh took my arm and led me to the tunnel before giving me a little push and saying, “Go. Go, girls. You are being smiled upon this night. It is not for such as we to question the clear will of Allah the merciful. Return safely, inch’ Allah.”

As we reached the far end of the tunnel I could hear raised voices. Indira was arguing with the men who were shrugging their shoulders. We hurried through the rest of the tunnel and immediately turned out of sight. Indira may just have conceivably chased us if she could see us, but there was no way without the lure of her prey in her sight she would exit this end of the tunnel. That was close, and I was completely drained by the stress. All I had to do then was survive the English.

I was like a zombie as Belle guided me to her house. The houses gradually became larger and further apart as we moved away from the motorway. I’d never been so far away from the tunnel before, and I wanted to run, but I didn’t have the strength or the will to resist Belle. After maybe three or four miles, Belle led me through a huge pair of ornamental wrought iron gates up a driveway that must have been a hundred and fifty yards long to a mansion with acres of grounds all neatly kept. I could see it all by the old fashioned gas lamp stands that now had electric lights in them. There were some brass plaques at the side of the front door which must have been four feet wide and eight high. Belle saw me glance at the plaques and said, “My parents are psychiatrists. They run their practice from home. Most of the ground floor is to do with that.

I entered in a trance. The house was huge like something I’d only ever seen in films. The ceilings must have been fifteen feet above the floors. As we entered, Belle put Honey down who promptly started barking, as much as a puppy can be said to bark, and a tall elegantly dressed woman came out of a room to our left. On seeing Belle she rushed towards us, hugging and kissing Belle. “Do you know what time it is, Isabella? Where have you been? And who is your friend?”

Unlike the adults I knew she waited patiently for answers. “I know it’s late, Mummy, but there are reasons why we couldn’t get back till we did. I went to the park, but Honey ran away and went through the motorway tunnel. I went after her, and I met Felicity over there. They were going to kill her. There’s a lot more to it, but can we have some supper and a shower and go to bed. I promise we’ll tell you everything tomorrow. Felicity is really scared, and she needs hugs and kisses too.”

Belle’s mother smiled at me and said, “Of course she does,” and I was hugged and kissed too. That gave me feelings I’d never had before. I vaguely remember someone saying true wealth resides in love shared, not in money and usury, and in that instant I knew what it meant. “You two go upstairs, have a bath and put a nightie, a dressing gown and slippers on. By the time you’ve done that, I’ll have some supper ready for you in the breakfast room. Both beds are made up in your room, Isabella. I’ll tell your father to feed Honey for you. Off you go.”

The stairs were at least twice as wide as the ones I’d seen at a railway station in a film I'd seen recently. Before we reached the top of the stairs there was a huge landing where the stairs divided and caried on going up to the left and the right. Belle turned right and said, “My bedroom is this way.” Belle took me to several rooms which she said were all part of her bedroom. There were two canopied four poster double beds in a room the size of a large sized mini market. She went next door to a bathroom which could only be entered from her bedroom which she described as an en suite bathroom. It contained two baths and four shower stalls. “When I have friends over, sometimes there aren’t enough showers and baths and we have to sleep four to a bed, two at the top and two at the bottom,” she giggled, “and usually my cousins end up sleeping on the floor. It’s fun.” Belle started the bath water running, and as she poured some stuff in that smelt nice she said, “The taps mix the water to the right temperature. You can change it by turning the knob. You check it’s ok for you.” It was too hot for me so I turned it cooler till it was ok. “Let’s find some nighties.”

Belle took me back to her bedroom saying, “We can take as long as you like. The water turns itself off when the bath is full.”

“What is your mother going to say when she finds out I’m a boy sharing a bathroom and a bedroom with you and I’ve seen you naked?”

“Well first Mummy and Daddy trust me because I’m not your usual twelve year old. I’m very intelligent and perceptive too. Which brings us back to when we met. You asked me why I was doing it all for you, and I said there was another reason too that we would talk about when we got home. Remember that?”

“I remember.”

“There’s no easy way to say this, but you’re not a boy are you? Yes I know you’ve got a penis, I’ve seen it, but you are not a boy. In your head you’re a girl. I told you I’m very perceptive, well I’m very sensitive to the way people, especially children, behave. I help Mummy and Daddy with that. I only need to meet someone for a few minutes, and I know if they’re trans. I knew within seconds you were.”

I didn’t deny it. It was a relief that someone else knew. It was a deep, deep secret I’d kept for years because like anything else out of the ordinary it was a death sentence where I’d come from. “How? How did you know?”

“Probably a thousand little things. The way you walk, talk, look at me, hold your hands, your head and your entire body. There are hundreds of differences between girls and boys. Most girls have some boys’ mannerisms, and most boys have some girls’ mannerisms, it’s the balance of one to the other that tells me what they really are. You don’t have any boys’ mannerisms at all. Or at least I’ve not seen any yet. When you looked at my breasts, and you looked at them you didn’t just see them, you looked at them like a younger girl would look at an older girl’s breasts.

“When you looked at your own with my bra on, you were a girl proud of herself becoming a woman. That they were your socks made no difference. I was worried you would give yourself away at the tunnel, but you were perfect. Those men saw us as a pair of girls and treated us exactly like they would treat their granddaughters.” Belle hesitated a little before saying, “Mummy always wanted another daughter. She miscarried two girls between Simon and I, and after Philip was advised not to try again. If you could stay we’d all love that. I told you I always wanted a sister. You’d not be a replacement for the girls Mummy lost, but you would fill a large and painful empty place in her heart. Daddy is just a big softy, he loves the boys, but to a lot of men their girls are special in ways they can’t explain and he is like that.

“So, Felicity, lets have that bath and some supper, but first you need a nightie.” I chose one with kittens on it. It was six inches off the floor on me, had five kitten shaped buttons that fastened to the neck and a lace collar. Belle chose one that was the same but with puppies. “They look a bit like Honey don’t you think?” She took two fluffy pink dressing gowns and two matching pairs of mules out of a cupboard and gave me one of the dressing gowns and a pair of the fluffy pink mules too. We took our nighties, dressing gowns and mules into the bathroom and undressed there. Belle taught me how to fasten and unfasten a bra. Sorry about the pun, but after a few tries it was a snap, and it was with reluctance I put it on the chair. I’d thought I would have been embarrassed, but we looked at each other and smiled. Two girls, made differently, but still two girls. I was amazed at how easy it all was and wondered what was going to happen to me the day after. I tested Belle’s bathwater, and there was no way I could have got into water that hot. My bath was an absolutely amazing experience. I didn’t want to get out.

Belle’s mother came in after a while and said, “I came to wash your hair, girls. Lord knows where you’ve been with it.” I saw her look at the bra and then my chest. She was interested, not angry, as she said, “I’m looking forward to the explanations tomorrow. Daddy wants a brief word with Felicity before bed just to make sure if we’re going to be charged with kidnapping a minor we have a good defence. Now I’m sure from what little I’ve been told you will be one worried and stressed out girl, Felicity. However, no one will be taking you anywhere from here till whatever is going on is sorted out and you are safe. Now who’s first?”

Having my hair washed, dried and curled was the nicest experience of my life. In the nightie, even without the bra and socks, I looked completely like a girl, so much so I cried I was so happy. Belle’s dad wanted a brief account of how I got from being born to sitting in his house having supper wearing a nightie. I knew so little about myself, I didn’t even know my birthday and thought I was ten, that the brief account was everything I knew. “Don’t tell me what it was, but whatever they wanted to kill you for, Felicity, it was serious wasn’t it? What you saw?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Stop that, I’m not sir to any child. We need to find out who you are. I need to do a bit of digging, but I think I may know, and if I’m correct you are an orphan from not far away from here. If that is true and everything else that Isabella and my wife think about you is true you need parents. And you need parent’s who can help you. If required I and my wife are prepared to be those parent’s. In the meantime, It’s not Sir, and my wife is certainly no Madam in the sense you seem to understand the word, so it’s Mummy and Daddy, no matter what happens. Ok?”

Yes, S—Daddy.”

“That’s better. Now finish your supper and kiss us both good night and we’ll talk further in the morning.

The pair of us did as instructed and being kissed goodnight was almost unreal. I’d been an almost dead Bangladeshi street boy less than twelve hours ago and now it looked like I was going to be an English girl and the daughter of a pair of wealthy medical people. It was like a faery tale. Belle and I were too tired to talk much and didn’t wake till gone nine. Mummy came in with breakfast on a tray and told us to be ready for quarter past ten as Daddy had a friend coming round who would need to talk to me.

Daddy introduced me to John and said, “Felicity, I’ve told John your story and he will be investigating your background. He still has some questions to ask. I’ve told him not to ask about whatever it was you saw. What we don’t know about we can’t be accused of withholding at a later date. I want your parentage and any possible adoption sorted out before anyone can manipulate you without you having the legal protection parents or permanent guardians would provide. Ok?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

That’s my girl.” John asked questions most of which I didn’t know the answers to. I didn’t know where I’d been found or by whom. I presumed Mum, but she was dead and didn’t have any friends I knew of. The only contact I knew of was Raj, and I wasn’t telling anyone about him. John said a DNA test could possibly solve a lot of mysteries, but it was not certain. He said Mummy would arrange the DNA test, and that was the end of that.

The boys, Simon aged nine and Philip aged eight just moaned at the presence of another girl in the house, but they were nice to me and Philip thought I was amazing because I taught him an easy way to tie his shoe laces up.

Mummy, Isabella and I went shopping for clothes and loads of other things they agreed I had to have. That took three days! We went into a massive clothing department store that had six floors. Ladies’ wear and lingerie were on the ground, first and second floors and men’s wear above that. After buying so much that Mummy arranged to have most of it delivered the three of us went up to the sixth floor which said, Men’s sporting wear, outdoor goods and shoes. Mummy seemed to know where she was going and she took us to the rear of the floor where behind a huge floor to ceiling mural there was a discretely hidden store within a store. “This entire area is for trans girls and women and there is a lift over there that goes directly down to the underground car park. It’s labelled service goods only down there, and it’s not readily visible. You have to know what you are looking for. Jean the manageress of this department will assist us.”

Mummy led a mystified Belle and me to a counter. I was trans but why were we here. “Madeline! It’s good to see you. How can I help you?” Jean was looking hard at Belle and me and said, “Surely not? I can’t tell, Madeline. Who am I to assist?”

Mummy took me by the hand and said, “This is Belle’s friend Felicity. We are all hoping she will become one of the family. Helen will be her consultant and despite her age, which we believe to be ten, she needs a little assistance because of her height. I have a selection of her new under wear here for you to look at before you make your decisions.”

“Completely organised as usual.” Jean turned to me and said, “I too am trans and Charles was my consultant. Let us look at your underwear and then run a tape around you, Felicity.” We followed Jean into what she said was a fitting room and she turned a sign to read engaged. Mummy handed the bags over and Jean put all the knickers in one pile on the counter, the bras in another and everything else back in one of the bags. Right, Ladies, let’s see what I’m working with here. Felicity, I want you down to the skin from the waist up. We can do it here or if you prefer just the two of us in a changing room.”

I shrugged my shoulders and said, “Mummy and Belle don’t embarrass me and you have to be here, so here is fine.”

“We’ll try a B to start with because of your height but I suspect we’ll settle for an A.” Jean looked at my new bras, handed me one and said, “Put this one on, Dear. I’ll be back in a moment.” I did as requested and when Jean returned I realised what this was all about because she had breast things in her hands. I found out a bit later they were called breast forms. Jean placed the larger pair in my bra and said, “Put a tee shirt or a blouse on now please.” I put a tee shirt on and turned to look at the mirror. The four of us were laughing so hard it was a minute before Jean could say, “I thought so, but they had to be tried. With a bit of luck dear when you need a B cup bra you’ll be filling it yourself. Let’s try the A.” When I looked in the mirror this time I could see Mummy nodding in approval. “Are we all agreed, Ladies? We’re going for an A.”

Belle said, “That looks spectacular, Felicity. Daddy will have to get a club to keep the boys off. Though I’ll ask him to leave a couple of nice ones for us.”

Jean explained, “The forms you’re wearing are for cross dressers who slip them in their bra and use them when they are dressing. The ones you need are higher quality, obviously more expensive, but mould to your body and may be glued on for special occasions, like when you want a braless look. We match your skin tone and they can be rendered invisible using the tone blender pack that comes with them and you have a choice of areolae and nipples, both tone and size. This is my skin tone matcher, see you are right at the pale end of the spectrum. I suggest small pale pink areolae with our smallest nipples in the next darker shade, which will look like this.” Jean pulled a catalogue out from under the counter and found what she wanted.

“They look right, Felicity. What do you think?”

“Yes, Mummy. Thank you.”

“I’ll have them made and the entire package including adhesive and solvent sent direct to your house. Now a pair of rump pads and a selection of gaffs and you’re done.”

“What?” I asked.

“Get dressed and take your skirt and knickers off and I’ll shew you.” Jean replied.

I should have known. Self adhesive silicone pads that stuck on my bottom and fancy underwear that tucked me out of the way. “They ensure no telltale bulge is where you should be flat,” Jean explained.

I dressed again and my skirt hung differently. I looked like one of Indira’s girls, but Belle clapped her hands together and said, “Puberty in a box, Felicity!” I was exhausted when we arrived home, but I was looking forward to having a bosom without socks.

Daddy gave me a new laptop and said he’d bought Belle an identical one too as hers was past it’s sell by date. He bought me a phone too, a OnePlus 6T the same as Belle’s, and said they were most useful when not left at home as Belle had done the day she met me. Belle and I went shopping on our own for games. Belle knew of a shop that specialised in ICT stuff for girls and said we were starting from scratch because she hadn’t got the best games because they wouldn’t run on her old laptop. She bought a load and then said, “You can pay for the next lot, Felicity.”

“With what? The twenty pounds Mummy gave me for my purse won’t be enough, and I’ve already spent three.”

“That card Daddy gave you. It’s got money on it. When you start to run out, he’ll put some more on it.”

When I realised I’d got a thousand pounds to spend I said to Belle, “After the games, we’re going for an ice cream. Ok? I wonder what a thousand pounds’ worth of ice cream looks like?” The pair of us left going to what Belle described as the best ice cream shop in the universe doubled up with the giggles.

Mummy took me to see Doctor Williams, the family’s doctor, who took a blood sample and some cells from the inside of my cheek. Some of the blood went to a lab to test for hormones and the rest with the cheek cells went to the DNA lab. Doctor Williams recommended a psychiatrist for my dysphoria. Mummy suggested another one, and he said, “She’s very expensive, Madeline, and has an even longer waiting list than the price.”

Mummy said, “I’ll give her a ring, Martin,” and to his amazement he heard Mummy say, “Fine, eight tomorrow evening, Helen, and I’ll bring a bottle of your favourite. Why don’t you and Don come round to dinner next week one evening, bring the children. I’ll see what Charles has on, and let you know tomorrow.”

It was a bit of a shock that breakfast when Daddy said, “School term starts a week on Monday which is the second of September. That’s in ten days. If you are who I think you are, Felicity, you should be in the top class in primary, year six. But I want you at Saint Celia’s with Isabella not at Ravencliff with the boys because your gender situation would be problematic at Ravencliff whereas Mrs. Foster the headmistress at Saint Celia’s has no problems accommodating you and has agreed to take you into year seven and said if necessary you can repeat the year. By the beginning of term I’ll have temporary guardianship paperwork organised for you in the name of Felicity Wayland, so the school will be happy. Mummy will have a social worker friend sign it off for three months, and she’ll present it to the family court for stamping for us. We should have everything sorted out within three months, but if necessary we can have it all renewed for another three. Mummy is taking the pair of you shopping for new uniform next week.”

It hadn’t occurred to me that when Daddy said school he meant a private school. It was all right, but some of the girls were a bit full of themselves and resented that I had a medical condition which precluded me from taking part in games and gym. Belle took up arms in my defence and told Gemma, my loudest critic, “If you say another word Gemma I’ll tell Mrs. Foster you’re bullying Felicity. Has it never occurred to you how much it hurts her not being able to do what you spend all your time moaning about. Count yourself lucky you don’t have a heart condition that’s probably going to need surgery where they’ll have to stop her heart to do it. She’ll have to die for a while.” Belle could tell them and surely could lay it thick, but after that Gemma and her satellites left me alone.

Christmas came and we all went to watch Simon and Philip in their school nativity play. I found it hard to remember life before meeting Belle. John’s report was a shock. I was not who Daddy thought I was, but the child of a couple who had died in a car accident on the motorway. They’d lived fifty miles away. I’d been six months old at the time and was listed as a missing person. It was not known what had happened, but there’d been no trace of me in the car or any of the wreckage. John had concluded I’d been threwn clear of the car in the accident and Mum had picked me up and said nothing. The DNA test was a perfect match against the records of my biological parents. I was twelve and born on August the thirty-first so should have been the youngest child in Belle’s year at school.

I had no known living relatives. Apparently there had been a major search for any when I’d gone missing because it had been believed that a relative had kidnapped me. Mummy and Daddy asked me if I wanted to be adopted by them. I was safe, loved, doing really well at school and Helen had me on male puberty blockers and oestrogens. My bottom was getting bigger and my breasts were there though nowhere near as big as my socks had been. They were a little tender, but I was so happy. Of course I wanted to be adopted. Daddy asked the headmistress what she thought as to keeping me in year seven or putting me in year eight with Belle. She said academically I’d be fine in year eight, and I’d be with Belle, so on balance she’d move me up, but the final decision in her opinion should be mine. I’m in year eight with Belle next week.

Mummy and Daddy are part of the adoption system though Daddy tends to work with adults. Mummy works with trans kids all the time, but because I started living with her she couldn’t be both one of my substitute parents and my dysphoria consultant. Helen says she’ll sign me off for surgery as soon as I’m eighteen if I still want it then. I thought adoption took ages, but it was done and dusted in a matter of a month, and all my paperwork shewed me as Felicity Anne Wayman and I was legally female. I had been Gregory Alan Melville before I became Maalik with no surname though I told people it was Khan because that was Mum’s.

After it was all over Daddy asked me, “No one can hurt you or take you away now, Felicity. The courts know who you were and who you are now. There never was a Maalik Khan, though you may have to admit to using that name as a method of staying safe in a hostile environment. It was a killing you saw was it not?”

“Yes, Daddy. I saw Raj, Abdul, Galal and Qasim kill the policeman earlier that day when I came home with Belle. They all had a knife and they all used them. It was Raj who saw me and he said he’d pay ten thousand pounds for my silence.”

“God Almighty! I thought you’d seen a gang fight. There were several copses in the morgue that day from that area, all knifed or clubbed to death in the preceding few days. We need a really good solicitor here. Fortunately I know some one.”

“Daddy, you always know some one!”

“Yes I know. Handy isn’t it?” Daddy made a phone call and he said, “Percival, I have a witness to the killing of the police officer who was stabbed in Clairemonte who can identify all four killers. … Yes, She’s here with me and we need your help right now. … She’s my daughter, and it’s a long story, but we need you to deal with the police. … Ok, half an hour. Now, Felicity, Percival will be on our side but he has to ask some questions that may make it seem that he isn’t, so don’t get upset.”

Belle was there and Percival questioned her as to the events after our meeting. It took three hours before Percival said, “Ok. I’ve got enough to contact the police now, but I want a social worker present for Isabella’s interview to look after her interests, and I’ll bring a colleague as her legal representative. I’ll represent Felicity, but I want another social worker preferably one involved in the adoption to look after Felicity’s interests. I want everyone rigged with body cams with sound facilities and the interview will take place here in your consulting room which already has video and sound recording facilities. I want brand new media to record to and an instantaneous uplink to the server in our vault which will distribute copies to a variety of places one of which will be the police server at their HQ, and I want it all set up by midday tomorrow. I’ll tell the police they can bring whatever recording equipment they want for an interview at three. Ok Charles?”

“No problem. I’ll sort out the equipment and Madeline will organise the social workers.”

The police didn’t like the conditions, but Percival reminded them they were not interviewing a suspect, but someone who had come forward of her own volition when she felt her own life was not threatened any more. The social worker eventually said, “That’s it gentlemen. You’ve had the time the law allows you. These are a minors we are dealing with, and if you continue you will prejudice your own case, because I shall be obliged to testify that the girls’ evidence was obtained illegally when they were tired and hence can’t be relied upon. You may talk to Felicity and Isabella again in forty-eight hours. Good afternoon.”

They came back and questioned Isabella once more, but every two days for ten days they asked me the same questions, and eventually, I told them, “I’m tired and getting confused. If you carry on I’ll just tell you what I think you want to hear to get you off my back. I’m sorry for his family, but I didn’t kill the bloody policeman, and I nearly died because he did. I’ve told you everything I know dozens of times over. If it’s not enough that’s too bad because I don’t know any more. Sorry for the language, Daddy.”

That did it for Daddy. “You heard my daughter, gentlemen. If that’s not enough, too bad. Don’t come back without a warrant because you won’t be admitted.”

The senior detective said, “I’ll be back as often as I want. The law says I can, and I’m going to be back in two days.”

Percival was brilliant, “That’s all true, but you can’t compel my clients to testify. I presume you do want me to advise my clients to do so?” That shook the police up. “If you do I suggest you don’t question the girls any further and you request a video link to the courtroom for both girls. We would be more likely to have a judge approve it if it were at your request. I am certainly not going to allow some highly paid defence barrister to dismantle my client’s fragile peace of mind by attacking her gender situation in open court via either of the girls. So you have some work to do, don’t you?”

We were in a small room when we gave our evidence and were cross examined. There was a time delay after the defence barrister’s questions which gave the prosecution barrister time to stop the defence barrister from going on about my gender situation. Eventually the judge told him that if he pursued that line of questioning he would hold him in contempt of court. The four were found guilty of murder, and Raj of conspiracy to murder me as well, and were to be sentenced later. I don’t know what they got and I told Daddy I didn’t want to know any more about the matter.

By the time I was eighteen I was a big girl, five foot ten and much larger busted and bottomed than sylph like Belle. We were going for medicine at university and although I wasn’t quite as perceptive as Belle I was still improving. We both helped out in Mummy’s and Daddy’s clinics and Daddy said a friend, like I said he always knows someone, had said with our results and commitment to psychiatry he could guarantee our places. I only found out after I left school that Mrs. Foster was trans too and Mummy and Daddy had known for years. Mr. Foster played squash with Daddy and had said I was welcome and they’d deal with whatever happened as it happened. Daddy had not bothered to contact Ravencliff where he said I would not have been happy.

For a variety of practical reasons I was almost nineteen when I had the surgery. When I came round, Belle was holding my hand, and Mummy, Daddy, Simon and Philip were there too. “I feel dreadful, but I’ve never been so happy,” I whispered. “Can I be your proper sister now?”

Philip said, “I told you years ago when I first went to secondary school, I’d have no problem getting into fights protecting either of my sisters, but I was damned if I were doing it for a brother wearing a dress.”

Simon added, “Where my brother fights, I fights too, Sis.”

Belle said, “No you can’t because you’ve been our sister for eight years. Remember I said when I gave you my dress to wear, ‘You can be my sister.’ I knew you were a girl as I said it, and in taking my dress and putting it on that sealed the bargain. You can’t become someone’s sister twice.” She looked at and pointed to the bedside cabinet and said, “The roses are from Mich, he said to tell you he loves you, and he’ll be here to see you tomorrow evening. He’s working this evening and couldn’t find anyone to swap the shift with.”

Daddy said, “Home you three. Mummy is stopping with Felicity. You can return tomorrow.”

After they’d gone, I said, “Mummy, when we met Belle told me Felicity meant luck. She gave me more than my share. I’m so grateful to you all.”

“Hush, Darling. There’s nothing to be grateful for. We were all lucky when Isabella met you and brought you home. Michael told me to kiss you for him. He’s going to talk to Daddy before coming to see you tomorrow. I can’t imagine what about, can you? Now get some rest.”

I closed my eyes. Mummy’s lips felt very cool as they brushed my burning cheek. I knew she would know I was blushing, and I knew she knew I would say yes.