[The evening before their wedding]

“Who was on the phone while I was in the shower? Was it your Mother?” asked Josh.

“Sorry darling. There has been no word from her at all, and I’ve left almost a dozen messages. Let’s face it darling, they aren’t coming. Don’t even ask about speaking with my Dad. He won’t lift a finger unless Mum tells him too.”

Josh gripped Danielle’s hand.
“At least you tried. Then it is all down to them, isn’t it?”

Danielle looked rather sad. Josh knew that she’d rather have had them there for the big day in the hope that they could start to rebuild some bridges.

“The call was from DI Jarvis. George failed to visit the Police Station today. Daily visits are part of his bail conditions. The court has revoked his bail. He’s lost a packet of money but if he’s done a runner then he won’t care will he?”

Josh visibly shuddered.

“What’s the matter darling?”

“I just had a vision of him appearing at the wedding and claiming you as his.”

“He wouldn’t dare? Would he?”

“You know George better than me,” said Josh.
“If there is one thing that he’s an expert at and that is poking his nose into other people’s business especially where it has been clear to everyone that he’s not welcome. I would not put it past him to try to screw things up in some way or other.”

Danielle thought carefully for almost a minute.

“You might be right. Then we’ll have to put some measures in place to stop him should he be so stupid as to try to stop me from marrying the woman I love.”

Danielle’s words took a second or two to register in Josh’s mind.

“But…?”

“No buts darling. Once we are married, we can start on making you a proper woman if you want it that is? I saw what putting some makeup on did to your whole persona. There is a new you waiting to come out if you want that is.”

“But… Why didn’t you tell me that you felt like that before?”

“I… I was scared to. What with all the chaos that George caused, I was scared that you wouldn’t believe me and not want to marry me.”

“There is zero chance of that. I was in love with you long before the wedding. Then I told you that I wanted to be you, and for a while I thought that I’d lost you. George actually brought us together. Tomorrow, I’m going to say that I want to be with you for the rest of my life. That is what I want and if you can help me be the real me then that is all that I could ever hope for.”

The couple embraced for a long time. Josh started to cry with happiness.

---

[The following morning]

“You look fantastic,” said Josh as Danielle appeared in her wedding finery.

“Thank you darling. What about you?”

Josh went a little red in the face.

“I’m wearing everything. Thank you darling. You are the first person to buy me undies.”

“Undies! Wedding finery you mean!”

“Sorry darling. I’m wearing your wedding finery.”

“Including the bra?”

“Yes, my darling, even the bra. No padding and it will remain hidden under my waistcoat.”

“Until later?”

Josh looked into Danielle’s eyes.
“What are you up to my dear?”

“That’s for later. Now we have to get going or we will be late for our own wedding.”

“That would never do,” said Josh.
“You’d never let me forget it would you?”

---

[Bedford Registry Office]

The small wedding party had gathered outside the Office while they waited for the happy couple to arrive. They were made up of people from where Josh and Danielle worked plus Sandra and a ‘plus 1’. From the size of him, the ‘plus 1’ was either a bouncer or a bodyguard but appeared to know Sandra very well.

Since their visit to Sandra’s house for lunch, they had been in regular contact with her and both of them had agreed to work for her at her offices on the edge of Oxford. Danielle was going to have her own staff and operation. Josh or in time, Josie was going to be Sylvie’s PA.

“Time to go in,” said Josh nervously.
He waited for everyone to disappear inside the building and took a last look around for George Monk. He didn’t see any sign of their nemesis but that wasn’t to say that he was far away. Still feeling nervous, Josh went inside the building.

The ceremony was plain and simple. Josh and Danielle said a few words of commitment to each other and before they knew it, it was time to sign the register and leave the building.

All the guests walked together to the car park where their vehicles were parked. Everyone was in a happy mood. Josh helped Danielle into her car at the same time regretting his inability to drive. With her dress safely tucked in, he closed the driver’s side door and walked around to the passenger side. It was then that he saw George Monk.

George was getting into the passenger's side. Josh rushed to try to stop him but George showed him the large knife that he was carrying. The evil glint in George's eyes told him that George meant business.

Josh backed off and for a second contemplated climbing onto the bonnet of the car. He’d seen that done many times in the movies but it didn’t always end well.

Instead, Josh cried out.

“Help! He’s trying to kidnap my wife!”

Somehow, George managed to get Danielle to drive towards the exit. That was as far as they got. Not only did Josh have the parking ticket in his pocket, Sandra's Jaguar had stopped at the barrier blocking his exit. Her 'Plus 1' had climbed out of the car and stood right in front of the other barrier. George would have to run him over to escape.

There was a lot of shouting going on and several men surrounded Danielle's car. George kept trying to make her drive through them. She refused and started to fight with George despite him having a knife.

That was the signal for someone to yank open the passenger door and unceremoniously heaved George out and onto the ground. In doing so, George let go of the knife. Someone kicked it away before George could get to it.

As George tried to stand up, Sandra’s ‘Plus 1’ literally sat on top of him effectively pinning him to the ground. George started swearing and cursing. Then the threats to everyone’s life started. Thankfully, at least two people were videoing it all.

His nostrils gave the game away. Some residue of white powder was clearly visible. Several bystanders speculated that he had been snorting coke.

Josh wanted to give George a good kicking but the melee of people around George prevented him from doing that. Instead, he went and comforted Danielle.

Between them, Josh and Sandra got her out of the car and moved away from where everyone was congregating. Then the Police arrived and took control of the situation. A loudly cursing George Monk was handed over to them. Their interest in him increased when they were told that he was a bail jumper. That gave them due cause to arrest him and haul him off to the local Police Station. He was cursing everyone and promising retribution for Josh and Danielle. It was all recorded on mobile phones. That would be used as evidence against him at his trial.

---

It was late afternoon before everyone had been to the Police Station and given statements. They’d missed the planned wedding lunch but Josh was just happy that Danielle was alive and well.

In the initial chaos inside the car, George had tried to stop her from shouting out. Danielle had bitten his finger hard. George was screaming blue murder at this assault and demanding that Danielle be charged with assault on the spot. The video of him holding a knife at her throat was more than enough to make that a non-starter.

When he was searched at the Police Station, they found more than two ounces of what appeared to be cocaine. George was also in possession of ten grammes of what appeared to be Methamphetamine.

After a while, the Bedford Police just ignored his protests and locked him an observation cell while he came down from whatever high that he was on.

His wailing continued even after his lawyer arrived. The fact that there were several videos showing him threatening Danielle with a knife already trending on social media didn't seem to register with George or his lawyer for several hours. It was only when arrangements were made for his formal charging to happen in the morning, did the lawyer manage to drill some sense into George.

Josh and Danielle were the last of the wedding party to leave the Police Station. Just before they left, the officer in charge of the investigation into the business operations of George arrived from London. He introduced himself as Detective Chief Inspector Thomas. He’d travelled up from the city to supervise the transfer of George Monk to Belmarsh Prison.

“George is a person of interest to a number of different Police Forces both inside and outside the country. Now that he is back in custody, we will be working with other forces to devise a plan about how he is dealt with. One of these parties is the FBI. George has been involved with a series of thefts of some very, very expensive and classified equipment from US bases both here and in Germany and then trying to sell it to countries like Iran or Yemen. It is highly likely that the US Government will apply for his extradition to stand trial in the USA for his crimes.”

“What about the court case here?” muttered Danielle.

“We are going to prosecute him whatever happens. Until today, we might have let the Yanks take first shot at him because of their statute of limitations on his crimes. With the use of violence and especially a using knife like he did, he is facing a minimum ten years in jail. We may well prosecute him and then hand him over to the Americans. We’ll get him back after the resolution of any court case there and if found guilty, has served his sentence. He’ll then serve his time in jail here for the crimes he has committed here.”

After a moments silence, the Inspector said,
“Whatever happens, he will not be a free man for a long time. We don’t do deals with kidnappers.”

Danielle’s body visibly relaxed only to stiffen up a moment later.
“Will I have to testify? At his trial?”

“We hope not. His lawyer has seen the evidence against him and is going to recommend to his client, that he pleads guilty.”

“George will want his day in court,” said Josh as he shook his head.
“I’m sure that you are well aware just how much George loves grandstanding and being the centre of attention. Everything just has to be about him and him only. It will be his fifteen seconds of fame. If he does this, he’ll make sure that both of us are called to give evidence. Then his brief can try to tear us apart in court.”

“Why do you say that?” asked the DCI.

“Have you not seen the video he shot of us?”

The DCI shook his head.
“What video?”

“This one,” said Josh as he pulled out his phone.

The DCI watched it in silence.

“He broke into my home and saw me giving Josh a makeover.”

The DCI sat back in his chair and thought for a while.

“If we can avoid this happening then we will.”

Then he looked at Josh.
“Are you Transgendered?”

Josh just nodded his head. He’d know that for years, but until then, he’d never actually said the ‘T’ word to anyone.

“Good. Then if you are called, then come to court in all your finery. If George sounds off then he’ll be guilty of a hate crime. That will add even more years to his sentence. I will warn his legal team that given his volatility, calling you to testify could lead to more charges and more jail time for their client. That should be enough to stop them calling either of you as witnesses.”

The DCI gave them his card and promised to keep them informed of the ‘big picture’ as he put it.

---

[that night at their home]

Neither Josh nor Danielle was not in a very talkative mood. The appearance of George had wrecked what was supposed to be their big day. The only two positives were that they were legally married and George was locked up in jail and facing many more charges than he had been before that day began.

Josh did his best to comfort Danielle but it was hard going. Their plans for their wedding night had totally gone by the board.

“George will soon be history. Bullies eventually become the bullied. He won’t be top dog in jail that’s for sure.”

“But…”

“No but’s my darling. He’s done for.”

It was clear that Danielle wasn’t convinced.

They went to bed on what was supposed to be a happy night for them both but neither of them were in the mood for anything other than holding each other until they fell asleep.

---

Danielle was in a much better mood the next day.

“Sorry for being such a misery guts yesterday,” said Danielle when she came into the kitchen.

“That’s understandable. It isn’t every day that you get abducted by a crazy man with a knife.”

Danielle managed a smile.
“That’s one to tell our kids.”

The mention of children was something that they hadn't talked in detail about before.

Josh was stunned when he didn't reply.

“Did I say something wrong?”

He shook his head.
“No, my darling. It was just a bit of a surprise.”

Then he added,
“I’d hoped that we could be ourselves for a bit before having children.”

“And, so we shall,” said Danielle.

“But at some time in the future, I would like to have a couple of children. Isn’t that what you want?”

Josh was very much relieved.
“I do but not for a while. I’d like to be myself for… for a while.”

“Do you want to go back to the old you?”

“No.”

“Why did you say that you’d like to be yourself for a while?”

Josh blushed.
“I got all that wrong, didn’t I?”

Danielle nodded her head.

“What I meant to say was that I’d like to be the real me for a while before we mess things up with children.”

Danielle shook her head.

“Wrong again?”

Danielle said nothing. The look on her face said everything that he needed to know.

“I’d like to be the real me and for us to have some time together as a couple before things get complicated with children.”

“That’s better,” she said smiling.

Danielle and Josh kissed long and hard. This was the first proper kiss that they’d managed since they were married. George Monk had rudely interrupted their plans. Now that he was out of the picture for a good long time, it was their time.

“Darling,” said Danielle.

“Yes, my dear?”

“isn’t it time for Josh to disappear into the ether?”

“Why Mrs Fisher? Are you propositioning me?”

“I am. Is there anything wrong with that?”

“Lead on Mrs Fisher, but it can’t take too long, can it?”

“You don’t need to tell me that. Sandra mentioned that she wants me to fly to Boston with her at the end of the first week. She’s considering opening up an office in New England.”
Josh smiled.
“I know. I’m supposed to hold the fort while you are away.”

“Then we start work on the new you in the morning. In the meantime, Mrs Fisher…”

Josh was taken by surprise for a second. Then he understood that they’d both be Mrs Fisher. It sounded rather good.

“Come here Mrs Fisher.”
“We have some unfinished business to see too, don’t we?”

[the end]