(This is my first published story, so please be gentle with your comments. I wish to thank Penny Lane for all her encouragement and her editing of this story. Any remaining errors or omissions are all mine. Thanks, Iona.)

Chapter One

The flashing blue lights illuminated the dreary houses in a poor street in Birmingham, England’s second city. A city of extremes in affluence and poverty, wealth and abject misery, opportunities and soul-destroying misery. Neighbours clambered out of their doors to see if the latest noise, sirens and emergency service lights were worth their time and effort to investigate. Most noticing which house was the centre of attention, just muttered obscenities amongst themselves, some shook their heads in disgust that viewing of their Christmas television had been so rudely interrupted, by that family of freaks no less!

Most headed back indoors to resume their own mundane lives back in the relative warmth of their living rooms, Christmas treats, chocolate, alcohol, weed and other harder drugs demanding their attention, with most hoping that the calamity that had befallen the family at No 15 was nothing trivial. How could the council allow such fine, normal people as these residents to be contaminated with such scum as that woman and her two freaks.
However, a few hardy souls battled to get a better view of proceedings as the Police sought to keep access to the two ambulances free for the Paramedics to do their job within the damp interior of the squalid house. As well as ensuring that some of the more enterprising residents didn’t take the opportunity to relieve the vehicles of any drugs or other paraphernalia to be found in their interiors.
After ten minutes intense activity within the residence, two pale figures were brought out on stretchers, each receiving intense therapy to try and maintain life within deathly looking shells. As both were rushed into the waiting vehicles, some of the crowd spat on the floor expressing their hatred of these two youngsters, even though it was Christmas Eve. Christmas, a time when the world expresses love to one and all, but, it seemed, not to everybody, and certainly not to this family! A family at the end of its tether! A family at the point of disintegration!

The tear-streaked face of the mother obviously at her absolute breaking point emerged and after quickly locking the front door was hustled into a waiting police car, as its siren adding to the crescendo of noise leaving the street. Cries of “Serves you right!”, “Hope they die!” and other heartening shouts assailed her ears as she frantically wrung her hands in deep, despondent despair.

As the vehicles rapidly drew away from the squalor of this area they had called home for seven days, other residents were busy breaking into the rear of the house, looking to steal anything of value, no matter how trivial. What wasn’t worth stealing was gleefully destroyed, then, congratulating themselves on a job well done, they left just as quickly and as quietly as they could. Some taking home what they considered as theirs by right, others, to sell on items they had liberated, so they could score recreational substances to tide them over the next few days, as it seems even drug suppliers want to take Christmas Day off.

Within minutes of the emergency vehicles leaving, the crowd had all dispersed, going back to their own pitiful existences, colourful flashing lights illuminating many front windows extolling a message of love and peace for all, just not for Lorraine, Natalie or Ian.

Chapter Two

One week previously, Lorraine, a battered wife with her twin children Ian and Natalie, had reluctantly accepted the offer of a two-bedroom house in Small Heath, Birmingham.

They had spent five months in a hostel for abused women, after leaving the marital home after Peter, Lorraine’s husband of almost twenty years had battered his family for the final time.

The problem for Peter was that Lorraine had screwed his life up, wrecked it big time. She had the nerve to present him with twins, one female and one male. The perfect family unit.

During the first few years, all was well with the world. Peter had a well-paying job at the local car factory and Lorraine raised their family, kept house and loved Peter as much as he loved her and their children. Together they had bought a nice, detached house in Pype Hayes, an affluent area of Birmingham, not far from the Land Rover factory where he worked and all was well in their little part of the Cosmos.

Then, slowly, the problems started. In the first years of the twin lives Lorraine would proudly wheel her children around in their pushchair, other mothers would stop to swap notes as mothers have done from time immemorial, “What lovely daughters you have!” was the almost universal comment she heard, she’d smile, thank the individuals for their interest in her babies and not seek to embarrass folk by pointing out the mistake.

However, if Peter was with her, what at first was a humorous misunderstanding, started to grate on him, with him often testily correct the passerby.

As time went by the older child demonstrated masculine tendencies, enjoying sports and rough and tumble activities, whilst the younger, slightly smaller child acted decidedly feminine.

The main problem being that the older child was their daughter Natalie, whereas the younger child, Ian bore the brunt of Peter’s increasing anger and frustration.

As the years progressed, Natalie fought every attempt to entice her with the finer, softer, more gentle side of life.

“I don’t like stupid dolls; I don’t want to play with stupid dolls and you can’t make me!”

“I’ll play with them” Ian would offer, thinking his father was annoyed because of the waste of money unused toys represented, he soon learned to keep quiet.

To get Natalie in a dress was a fight, a battle of tears, tantrums and coercion. It took out and out bribery to get her dressed as a flower girl for Peter’s sister’s wedding. The result was a flower girl who pouted all day, leaving everyone in no doubt just how angry she was with the whole set-up.

Meanwhile a sad, severely scared Ian tried his best to live up to his father’s increasing demands. Trying his utmost to perform his duty as ring bearer to the best of his ability. His father’s dire warnings about not screwing things up ringing in his ears as well as Peter’s constant scrutiny to stamp out any overt feminine behaviour in Ian’s day to day behaviour.

After the honeymoon, Peter’s sister Gillian gave full vent to her feelings. How Peter’s two offspring had nearly ruined her special day, and if, when Ian had thrown up through fear of his fathers mounting anger, he had almost splashed her dress with vomit. Had Ian done so, she would have never forgiven him, and was he, Peter, aware that his kids made him a laughingstock among their family, how a real father would sort out his kid’s behaviour, with a bloody good hiding being the best remedy.

From this point on, the anger, the beatings and the verbal abuse of his son stepped up to new heights of disgust and vitriol. Lorraine and Natalie did everything they could to protect Ian, which inevitably resulted in bruises and arguments all around.

The twins were inseparable, as almost all twins are with Natalie desperately trying to win her fathers love and affection, as well trying to protect her brother; all to no avail. Natalie often comforted her brother as he laid crying on his bed.

“Why doesn’t Daddy like me Natalie? Why does hate me much?”

“I don’t know Ian, but you do know Mummy and I love you very much don’t you?” Natalie responded, as she rubbed her brothers back. He could only nod as his sobs overpowered his ability to speak.

And so, slowly, over the passing of the years, the love between the adults withered and died. A love that had held such promise and strength, was slowly, inevitably, destroyed, until life was a misery for all involved.

Chapter Three

Peter took to spending increasing amounts of time and money in the local public house, developing a greater and greater dislike for his wife, a frustration with his daughter and an outright hatred for his son.

A son he should have been able to be proud of, a son he could have taught to go fishing, to play football and to pass on his love for all things Aston Villa, his beloved football team. Instead, he had a wife who barely tolerated him, a daughter who hated him and a son who hid away from him wherever he could, how could life be so unfair.

So, that final night, after many pints of beer with whisky chasers, he’d driven the short distance to the house earlier than his usual late night arrival, and after drunkenly slamming the front door open “I’M HOME!” he yelled.

He staggered into the front room to find his 13 year old twins playing on the floor, a simple game of Monopoly®. Natalie was in her usual jeans and T shirt and Ian was wearing a similar T shirt and shorts, but the final straw for Peter was the Disney® princess play gown Ian was wearing over the top of his clothes which Ian was frantically trying to get out of.

The red mist descended as Peter roared his anger, his frustration knew no bounds and his pure unbridled hatred of his son was all encompassing. Peter staggered into the room and started to remove the thick heavy leather belt he wore around his waist.

“That’s it you fuc*ing pansy, I have fuc*ing well had it, I can’t believe you are my fuc*ing son, I bet your bitch of a mother was having it off with one of those fuc*ing office puffs she worked with, no way are you my child, I am going to fuc*ing thrash you to within an inch of your life, now, come here and take this like a fuc*ing man because I’ll make a man out of you if it fuc*ing kills you!!!

Ian, frantically trying to get away from his berserk father tripped over the hem of the gown he was wearing and went sprawling onto his face, cracking his forehead against the brick hearth practically knocking himself out cold.

Natalie seeing the expression on their father’s face, leapt to her feet and screaming obscenities she’s picked up from school and listening to her fathers’ drunken rants launched herself at this man, a man who she wanted to love, but hated with a red hot vengeance! Natalie, desperately trying to claw Peter’s face to protect her brother, a sibling who was like a sister to her, and she gave vent to her innermost feelings!

“You bastard, leave my sister alone, she’s done nothing to fuc*ing hurt you and all you can do is make her life a misery! Now leave her alone!”

A vicious sideswipe from Peter’s right arm sent Natalie flying across the room, causing her to crash into the large, flat screen television, which toppled on top of her, pinning her to the floor.

“Shut your fuc*ing gob you little bitch, I’ll sort you out afterwards” Peter slurred.

Lorraine rushed into the room from the kitchen with a carving knife in her hands, determination written all over her face.
“THAT’S IT PETER” she screamed,

“NO MORE PETER! GET OUT! Now go, before I do something we both regret!”

With a wild incoherent roar Peter swung wildly with his left arm, connecting squarely with Lorraine’s cheek. This blow lifted her bodily across the room with her landing squarely on a glass topped coffee table which shattered under her weight. She lay on the floor completely stunned.

Hearing his mother’s and sister’s screams Ian tried frantically to clear his mind from the pain in his head, then as he struggled to his feet, he felt his father’s hand grabbing great handfuls of his hair and Ian was yanked upright and clear off of the floor. Excruciating pain flashed through his brain as the first blow connected on his bare legs.

Again and again blows rained down on Ian’s slight body. His father’s energy seemed limitless as blow after blow connected with his body, each blow also ripping another piece from his inner being. Ian was barely aware of the close proximity of Peter’s face, as each blow was accompanied by another epithet spat at him, words that did as much damage to Ian’s spirit as the leather belt did to his flesh.

If Peter had been a little more sober, a little more level-headed, he might have heard the approaching siren warning of the imminent arrival of the Police.

What did break into the red mist of his drink fuelled brain was a deep voice from the doorway shouting.

“That’s enough Peter let go of Ian, you bastard!”

It was Keith, a neighbour and colleague who Peter went to the football with.

“I’m nowhere near finished with this little pansy bastard yet, I’ll flay every bit of skin off him, he’s fuc*ing ruined my life!”

The next thing Peter knew, someone with a fist bigger than his own had grabbed his right arm, Keith grabbed the heavy belt with his left hand and sent his right fist smashing into Peter’s face, knocking him to the floor, just as two policemen rushed into the house.

A practically unconscious Ian crumpled to the floor is so much pain it almost overloaded his system.

“It’s ok mate, we’ve got it from here!”

And before Peter knew what was happening, he was face down on the floor, arms pinned behind him as he was cuffed and dragged outside.

Not knowing when to give up the fight Peter continued to struggle with the two officers, managing to head butt one before he was given a good dose of pepper spray, taking the wind out of his sails somewhat.

All that happened next was his drunken wailing about how his eye’s hurt and he couldn’t breathe. A breathless policeman returned “If you couldn’t breathe you wouldn’t be able to talk, now stay there and I’ll wash your eyes for you, once I get my breath back and sort my mate out!”

Meanwhile, pandemonium was evident inside the wrecked front room and the three shattered lives.

A neighbour was lifting the television off of Natalie who first rushed to her mother and then went to her limp brother, wailing as she cuddled him to her chest, screeching that she was so sorry she couldn’t protect him, but she’d never let it happen again!

Keith carefully helped Lorraine to her feet as she struggled to get to her children. Chaos reigned.

Chapter Four

A police van was summoned and took an argumentative Peter away and an ambulance was summoned to look after Lorraine, Natalie and Ian, who were eventually taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment to their many injuries. All three being admitted overnight for treatment and observation.

Once all three were in a side ward together and emotions had settled a little, the police took their statements and a police photographer recorded their injuries as evidence for a future prosecution.

Lorraine had a swollen black eye and minor cuts to her arms where she’s crashed through the glass topped table. Natalie had a swollen cheek and bruises to her legs where the television had landed on her. But, by far the worse injuries had been inflicted on poor sweet Ian. He was a mass of criss-crossed flail wounds from his neck to his ankles, the skin on his lower back, shoulders and backside was broken in several places and he had to lay on his front because of the pain. The children eventually subsided into an uneasy sleep, their arms interlocked, sobs still wracking their tired bodies as they slept.

Lorraine thanked the officers for arriving so promptly only to be told that they’d been unaware of what was taking place within the house.

They were responding to a report of a drunk driver erratically making away from the pub and whoever had phoned 999 had also informed the operator of the registration number of the vehicle. This, in turn, led them to the residence just in time to arrest Peter, before some neighbours took justice into their own hands, having been sickened by the injuries and distress Peter had inflicted on the three of them.
In the following days Lorraine was informed that Peter was charged with driving while four times the drink drive limit, three counts of assault and battery, three charges of aggravated grievous bodily harm (G.B.H.) one with intent to endanger life. The Police had tried to get him remanded in custody, but because of overcrowding concerns he’d been released on bail, although he had been issued with a restraining order.

As Lorriane and the twins were still in hospital he promptly moved back into the marital home. Although he had been suspended from his job on unpaid deferment until the result of his trial was known, all this did was to free up more time for drinking and bemoaning his life.
Because Lorriane was an only child and both her parents were dead, it meant that there were no family members able to offer them some sort of respite care or a place to live, so she needed to find a hostel willing to take all three of them, not an easy thing to do, especially when one of her children was male.

After five months of living in an overcrowded and borderline unsanitary hostel the three of them were at the end of their collective tethers. Taunting of the youngsters had continued anew, just because their perceived behaviour was at odds with their birth sex.

The family were further informed that Peter and his immediate family were actively seeking them out, with the intention of getting them to refuse to testify against him, not that their testimony was needed given the amount of evidence gathered at the time of the assaults.

Then came the decision to move them to a seedy part of Small Heath, to free up space in the hostel was the reason they were given. So, one week before Christmas they were decanted into a part of Birmingham they didn’t know, amongst communities they knew even less about. It had little to no furniture, and they had even less in the way of possessions.

And the abuse started anew.

Chapter Five

Christmas Eve afternoon was a cold cheerless day. Natalie and Ian left the house to quickly walk to the small row of corner shops with the intention of buying their mother a Christmas present.

The police had called around for their mother at lunchtime and she’d left with them to get some important information she needed to hear and would be back soon. The twins didn’t have much in the way of funds, but they managed to buy her a small ornament of a mother figurine with her two children, one on each side of her legs and a glittery Christmas card.

As they made their way back to the house, several large youths barred their way, glancing back over her shoulder Natalie saw another couple of thugs following them along the street. There were cars parked almost nose to tail so a sideways escape route was impossible. Instinctly they both reached for each other’s hands.

The biggest yob, obviously the ringleader sneered at the twins.

“Oh look guys, it’s the queer and the butch dyke!”

“Why don’t you leave us alone, we’re no threat to you” responded Natalie.

“Can’t you just let us go home please” added Ian.

“Oh, did you hear that guys, the queer asked us nicely, what do you think we should do?”

“Well, I think we should see what they have stolen from the shop!” answered one of the thugs from behind them, as he snatched the bag from Natalie’s hand.

“Hey, give that back, it’s not yours, that’s for our Mum!” shouted Ian.

“Oh look, lads, it’s some dolls, but, oh what a shame, the heads come off the big one!” laughed the yob who’s snatched the ornament, and snapping the mother figures head off, started to laugh.

Ian’s shoulders slumped in despair.

“That was for our Mum’s Christmas, now we have nothing to give her!” he whispered as a tear fell from his eye.

“Oh look, the queers crying!” was the almost universal cry.

The self-appointed leader snatched at the bag and removed the Christmas card from it and tore into four, then all of the yobs pushed past the twins and sauntered back down the street.

Natalie picked up the pieces of the ornament and card from off the street and they both trudged wearily up to the house that was supposed to now be home.

Once inside they went quietly to the bedroom they were sharing.

Ian slumped onto the only bed in the room, mouldy wallpaper peeling off in places to just add to the musty depressing atmosphere that now represented their lives for the foreseeable future.

“I am done Natalie!” whispered Ian.

“What do you mean “You’re done”?” Natalie asked as she sat next to her sibling.

“I can’t face anymore bullying! All the hassle and the beatings, I just can’t face it any longer!” he said with tears streaming down his face.
“You and Mum will be so much better off when I am dead! I am so sorry Natalie, I love you and all you have done for me, but I can’t do this anymore!” he said glancing across at his sister. “It’s only a matter of time before Dad finds us, then he’ll beat the crap out of me again, everyone but you and Mum hate my guts. You will be so much happier when I am out of the way! If I had never been born then perhaps Dad would be different and he’d love you and Mum, it’s all my fault!!”

With tears streaming down her face Natalie grabbed his hands.

“Oh Ian, please don’t say that, you are my twin, my sister, my best friend! I can’t lose you, I can’t!, we can sort something out!”

“You know I love you Nat, you have done so much for me but it’s time you looked after yourself! But, your life will be easier without me mucking things up for you!” replied Ian, dejectedly, “I’m just going to the loo, be back in a moment!” so saying he left the room.
Natalie desperately sat there desperately trying to wrack her young mind for a suitable response. Where was her mum when she really, urgently needed her like never before?

Some five minutes or so later Ian walked back into the bedroom, then holding her head between his hands, he bent down giving Natalie a tender kiss on her forehead before he lay down on the bed, and sighing quietly closed his eyes.

Natalie sat there thinking of something to say, something to try and offer any sort of hope to her twin, but something was wrong, something gnawed at the back of her mind, what was it? Eye’s opened wide as she realised what it was.

“Ian!” she yelled, shaking her sibling’s leg.

“Huh!” was the soft response she heard as Ian’s head lolled to the side with drool seeping from his mouth.

Leaping to her feet she ran to the bathroom, that was what was wrong, Ian had returned but she’d not heard the toilet flush, that was what was wrong with that series of events.

There on the counter was the spilled bottle of their mothers’ sleeping tablets, along with the extra strong painkillers that had been prescribed to Ian after the beating their father had inflicted on him.

Natalie frantically looked around her, what should she do? Get help? Ian was so desperately sad and defeated, she too would undoubtedly cause her mother further anguish in the future, simply because she too was born in the wrong body.

Quickly coming to a decision, she scooped the remaining tablets into her mouth and, taking a big gulp of water from the tap, swallowed the pills then returned back to the bedroom. Pulling the bedclothes up over the two of them, she laid down gently next to her twin and intertwined their hands and hoped that their mother would forgive them in time, and feeling herself drifting off she gently kissed Ian and closed her eyes as oblivion took her.
Lorraine entered the house, noticing straightaway how quiet everything was. The twins would nearly always be talking or playing a game of some sort, usually cards as that is about all they had. But her instincts told her something was off.
She’d already had a traumatic day, the police had taken her to the local station to break the news that Peter, the love of her life at one time, but the man who’d become so angry, so drunk and so very violent had died that morning. Peter, her children’s father, had driven at high speed into a huge old oak tree and killed himself through driving while drunk. So drunk it was a wonder he’d been able to walk to the car in the first place. Fortunately, he’d not involved anyone else in his final stupid drunken act.

This meant, she and her children should be able to return to their home, once she’d been able to assess how much damage he’d done to the house and its contents and, perhaps, start to rebuild their lives.

“Natalie! Ian!” she called.

Where were they? They knew they were not supposed to leave the house without her. Then she saw the remains of the figurine and the card on the table.

“NATALIE! IAN! Where are you?” she called up the stairs. Nothing!

“Oh NO!”

Yelling she ran up the stairs hotly pursued by the two police officers who had accompanied her back to the house to help her break the news to the twins.

Lorraine threw open the bedroom door to find her two children, her two reasons for living, so pale, so still, so peaceful, lying in bed next to each other. She did the only thing her poor tormented brain could do, she screamed!

She was barged out of the way by the police officers, one rapidly calling for help via their radio, while the other placed Natalie in the recovery position, as the first officer did the same to Ian.

The woman sergeant looked Lorraine in the eye.

“Quickly Lorriane, what do you think they could have taken? Do you have any prescription pills or paracetamol in the house? Look at me Lorraine, do you have pills?”

Shocked, Lorraine could only numbly nod her head.

“Please Lorraine, work with me, where are they? What are they? Can you get me the bottles? Quickly Lorraine! Quickly”

Galvanising her feet into action Lorraine ran to the bathroom, there on the counter were the almost empty pill bottles. Scooping them into her hand, she ran back into the bedroom, almost throwing the bottles to the policewoman.

“Ok control, it seems the kids have taken a combination of Tramadol® and Zolpidem®, at this point the quantities are unknown!”

Then looking back up at Lorraine the officer said quietly.

“If you listen carefully Lorraine, you can hear the ambulances making their way here!” Looking the terrified woman in the face, the woman officer said. “I need you to go back downstairs Lorraine, carefully, and open the front door, then point the paramedics in the right direction, Joe and I have Natalie and Ian, they’re safe with us, but every second counts, ok Lorriane, try not to worry, they’re both breathing. So go Lorraine, GO!”

Lorraine flew down the stairs and almost wrenched the door off its hinges as two ambulances and another police vehicle screeched to a stop.

Upstairs the Police officers had placed the twins’ heads over the side of the bed and each sticking a figure down a throat, triggered the kids gag reflex’s and two sets of stomach contents, including part digested pills were deposited on the bare floorboards.

Standing back so the heavily laden green suited paramedics could bustle into the house Lorraine pointed up the stairs.

“In the back room, quickly, please, oh quickly please!”

Lorraine made to go upstairs after them, but a much older police officer gently took her elbow and led her into the front room.
“Leave them be love, let them do their job uninterrupted. Let the experts do their work, you’ve done all you can do for now by getting them help. Now love, there’s nothing more you can do, how’s about you and me putting the kettle on?”

Numbly, she nodded and stumbled her way to the kitchen. Meanwhile, professional training had kicked in as the four individuals up with Natalie and Ian were quietly determined that these two battered and maltreated kids were not going to die if they had any say in the matter. Then, within moments, first Ian, then Natalie flatlined.

Chapter Six

Ian looked around at his bright white surroundings wondering where he was, why he was sat on an old-fashioned bench, nothing seemed recognisable to his eyes. Then to his right he felt a movement, quickly glancing around there was Natalie, looking equally confused.

“Nat, what are you doing here? You were supposed to look after Mum, to stay with her!”

“Err!” she muttered looking as equally confused.

“Look Ian, there was no way I was leaving you, you daft sod, we’re twins, we will always be together, where you go, I go! But, just to answer a question, where the HELL are we?”

“Beats me Nat, although, it does look a bit like Kings Cross Railway Station in London, not that I have ever been there, but it looks like that place near the end of the final Harry Potter® film!” answered Ian glancing around.

“Well that’s as good an explanation as any” said a deep, cheerful voice from somewhere behind them, causing them both to spin around and peer over their shoulders.

“It’s certainly not hell, although, I am fairly sure you two have been there already!”

From a cloud of steam emerged the owner of the voice, a figure dressed in white, a bit of a cross between Dumbledore, Father Christmas and Old Father Time and New Father Time. He moved in front of the twins and standing between them he looked down at the pair of them, smiling at their stunned expressions.

“Ok you two, shove up a bit and let an old man sit between you so we can have a bit of a natter!”

Looking equally stunned, the two youngsters slid apart and the stranger sat between them and looked at them alternatively.

“Nope, this isn’t going to work, my poor old neck will be worn out in no time glancing back and forth, and I have a busy time at work tonight!”

In the twinkling of a moment the old man moves from between them to a seat that instantaneously appeared right in front of them and Natalie and Ian were sat back close together, side by side, as they had always been.

“Well, you two, what have you been up to now?” the visitor asked them with a half-smile on his face.

“Who are you?” asked Natalie as she placed a protective arm around her twin.

“Who am I?” he asked rhetorically.

“Yeah, yes I mean, who are you? Our Mum said we mustn’t talk to strangers!” added a hesitant Ian.

“I suppose she also told you not to touch tablets not meant for you as well, didn’t she?” he said with a somewhat less amused look on his face.

“Well, yes she did!” snapped back Natalie

“Anyway, some of them were prescribed for me!” replied a subdued Ian.

“Yes Ian, I suppose that is strictly true, but did she say you could take as many as you wanted, when you wanted? Eh? Did she?”

“No, but!” Ian’s response died on his lips as he stared at the floor, then quickly looking up he asked the stranger, “Just a minute, how do you know our names? You’re not from our Dad are you?”

“Don’t worry Ian, I am not here to tell you off, although I predict you are going to get to answer a lot of questions later on as to why you did what you did!” smiled the stranger “And no, I am not here on behalf of your Father either, so don’t worry, I just want to talk to you both, that’s all!”

“Who are you? Demanded Natalie, “You seem to know exactly who we are, yet we don’t know who you are, did our Mum send you?”

“Who am I?” mused the stranger, rubbing his chin. “I have many names, but lets see, you can call me Chris, that’s as good a name as any!”

“So Chris” scowled Natalie, “Where are we? Are we in trouble? Where’s our Mum?”

“Ok young one, slow down now, slow down!” answered Chris smiling at them both.

“Where are you?” he said looking around, “I don’t think that’s too important at the moment do you? What is more important is how are you? And, where are you going?”

“I want Mum!” whispered Ian.

“Now that’s one of the most sensible things either of you have said so far!” Chris stated.

“Why are you here with us, wherever we are?” demanded a slightly less defiant Natalie.

“Hmm, why am I here talking to you, when I have so much to do to get ready for work tonight?” asked Chris.

“You work Christmas Eve night?” asked a quizzical Ian.

Laughing out loud, Chris suddenly looked much older, “Yes Ian, I work tonight and have worked Christmas Eve nights for a great many years!”

“Doing what exactly?” demanded a less cowed Natalie.

“Let’s just say I work in home deliveries!” replied Chris.

“So you’re a Postman, or a delivery driver?” venture Ian.

“Yes Ian, you could call me that I suppose, it’s as good a title as any!”

“So what does a delivery driver want with me and my twin?” demanded Natalie.

“Me? I don’t want to do anything from either you, but I know someone who does!” answered Chris, “Any ideas who?”

The twins looked each at each other and sharing a confused shrug of the shoulders looked back at Chris.

“The only person who’d want me is my Mum, perhaps my Dad, just so’s he could hurt me some more, and I’m not going anywhere near him!” so saying Ian became more agitated and struggled free of his sisters arms.

“You leave us alone! Neither of us are going anywhere near our Father! He’s been nothing but hateful and spiteful to us all our lives and NO-ONE is going to make us go back to HIM!” shouted Natalie as she stood next to her twin, her nostrils flaring with every breath and her fists clenched.

“Whoa, whoa!” answered Chris, hands held up palms outwards. “Look at me both of you, just for a moment, look deep in my eyes, there, that’s better, now I promise you both on all that is holy, to any of us, that your Father will never, ever, hurt either of you ever again! Now please, sit down so we can continue our wee talk, I haven’t much time as I have deadlines to meet and I have a lot to tell you both! So, please, sit down and listen to me for a few more minutes, Ok? Now, that’s better. So, Natalie, Ian, who do you think is in the most pain at the moment?”

The twins glanced at each other; confusion evident on their faces before simultaneously they both replied “Our Mum?”

Chris smiled at them both.

“Yes, your Mum who has only ever tried her best for the both of you. At this very moment her heart is breaking into a million pieces, and do you know why?”

After a moments silence, they both answered “Because we took all those tablets?”

“Yes, Natalie! Yes Ian! Because you both took all those tablets, and what do you think will repair her heart? Hmm?”

“Giving Natalie back to our Mum so they can be happy together!” whispered Ian.

“NOOOO!” wailed Natalie, “I am not going anywhere without you Sis, I can’t live without you!”

“But come on Natalie, you know how much taunting and bullying we have put up with all these years, all because of me, you and Mum will be so much better off without me!” shouted Ian.

“QUIET, BOTH OF YOU, NOW, SIT, DOWN!” roared Chris.

Both Natalie and Ian shot back onto the bench. Natalie grimly clenching Ian’s hand.

“Now, that’s better, now I can think straight!” smiled Chris at the two young, troubled youngsters sat in front of him.

“Now then, do you love each other?” he asked

“Of course!” answered Ian quietly,

“Well, duh!” replied Natalie.

“Do you love your Mum?”

Both children simply nodded.

“Well, if you will both trust me, I think I have a way to ensure you are both happy, without either of you ever having to resort to taking loads of tablets, even if they were prescribed for you in the first place!” He said this second part glancing at Ian in particular.

“I trust you!” whispered Ian.

Natalie looked backwards and forwards between the two of them, “Ok, I trust you too!”

“That’s more like it.” said Chris.

Chapter Seven

In a quiet side room of the Intensive Care Unit, two youngsters lay in adjoining beds, each hooked up to several monitors, all flashing or beeping their messages away.

In the middle-sat Lorraine, holding a hand of each of her children. What had started as another depressing day of barely contained apprehension, and peaked when the Police arrived with distressing news about Peter had got spectacularly worse.

The fact Peter would no longer be a threat to her, or her children was a relief, offset by the grief over his death.

She had loved the man once, she had thought they would live together into ripe old age, for better or for worse, in sickness etc. But then he changed, yes, his children may not have been exactly what he expected, but they were his children and why couldn’t he see past the problems they presented, why oh why couldn’t he love them no matter what?

She was all cried out for Peter, but she couldn’t stop the silent tears rolling down her cheeks. What had driven Natalie and Ian to undertake such drastic action? Why had she left them alone, even though it had been for less than an hour? Why had they tried to take their own lives? Didn’t they love her? Couldn’t they sense her love for them?

The door swept open and Ruth, the ward volunteer orderly briskly re-entered the room bearing a cup of tea.

“Here you are Sweetheart! Get some of this down you! You will need your strength in the hours and days to come! Your babies will need you to be strong for them!”

“Thanks Ruth” replied Lorraine as she grasped the warming mug.

“They will be OK won’t they?” she asked the kindly woman for the umpteenth time.

“Yes Lorraine, they were touch and go to start with, but, as the Doctors have said, they got help quickly, the antidotes and the charcoal lavages they underwent will have done their jobs. They may well have headaches and a sore throat, but they will recover, then the three of you can start to rebuild your lives safe from all the threats you have coped with for so long.”

“But why did they do it Ruth, didn’t they think I loved them?”

“I am sure they felt your love Lorraine, perhaps they were trying to help you, maybe something happened to push them past breaking point! There’s no point in trying to second guess what made them do what they did, but you will all be able to talk about it and sort things out, just give each other time and I am sure things will be much better than they were, you’ll see!”

As Christmas Eve slowly ticked down towards Christmas Day, the twins started to show signs of regaining consciousnesses.

“Do you have a family, Ruth?”

“Yes Lorraine, I have a husband, Chris and loads of foster children!”

“Doesn’t Chris mind you being here, voluntarily, instead of at home with him over Christmas?”

“Oh no Lorraine, he always works Christmas Eve nights, has done for a long time now!”

“So do you have foster children at home?”

“No Lorraine, they are spread all over the world, but we hear from them, they all know we love them wherever they are!”

“That’s good Ruth, family is everything and these two are all the family I have!”

“I am sure Lorraine, that in the years to come, your family will grow, whether you are a mother to other wee ones, a Foster Mum or a Granny, only time will tell!”

“I admire your optimism Ruth, but I doubt if either of my two will become parents, no, I think it’ll always just be the three of us, we’ll all feel safer that way!”

“Don’t give up just yet Lorraine, there will be better days to come, you mark my words! Anyway, I better go wash up and see if the ward sister is looking for me yet, see you later!” with that Ruth left the room.

Lorriane must have nodded off fleetingly as she awoke to the sound of the nearby church’s bells welcoming the start of Christmas Day.
“Mum? On Mummy! I am so, so sorry!” said a weak voice from her side, Lorraine’s became instantly awake. She tearfully kissed her daughters face, giving thanks repeatedly for the girls growing alertness.

“How about me Mum, don’t I get a kiss too?” asked her son timidly. She smothered him too with her kisses and tears.

The twins struggled up to collectively hug their Mum and share their love. As they glanced at each other’s faces through their tears, their expressions morphed into a shocked silence, a stillness suddenly hit the twins.

“Natalie?”

“Ian?”

The twins pulled back to stare at each other, then looked at their Mother, then at each other again.

“But?”

“How?”
“This is impossible!”

Laughing in spite of the turmoil she’s been through, Lorraine looked at her children, with their wide eyed, stunned expressions.

“Don’t you ever do that to me again, do you hear me? Either of you, you scared me half to death, Promise me Natalie, promise me now!” Lorraine said taking both her daughters’ hands in hers.

“Err, I promise Mummy, I promise never to do that to you again!”

Then taking her both her sons’ hands in hers.

“And you Ian, please promise me you’ll never, ever try to kill yourself again, please, promise me! No matter what, I can’t lose either of you!” With that Lorraine buried her face in the bedding.

“Ah, ok Mum, I promise you, I err, that is we won’t try that ever again, please Mum, look up, something incredible has happened, I was Natalie, and that’s Ian, in the next bed, we’ve switched bodies!”

The twins looked at each other and grinned.

“He said he would help us, and he has hasn’t he!” said the new Natalie to the new Ian.

“Who said? What did he say? What are you talking about?” were the only coherent things Lorraine could mutter at this point in her life as she continued to glance back and forth between her children.

At that moment Ruth walked back into the room.

“Ah good, you are both awake! Did you have a good talk with Chris?”

“Yes we had a really good talk with Chris! thanks” responded the new Natalie. “Wait a minute!”

“Who are you?” asked a shocked Ian “How did you know we spoke too Chris?”

These rapid-fire questions confused Lorraine even more.

“Wait! Chris? Do they mean your husband Ruth?”

Ruth smiled at the three stunned expressions in front of her.

“I’ll go and tell the Medical staff you are awake, but yes, you two did meet my husband tonight, or, that should really be last night, as he’s been hard at work for hours now!” added Ruth as she smiled at them all and left the room.

The twins looked at each other and then their Mother.
“I think we keep this body swapping a secret for now” said the new Ian.

“Definitely” agreed the new Natalie, “We are going to have enough difficulty getting out of here as it is without them thinking we are completely round the twist!”

“I wish I knew what was going on?” added a bemused Lorraine, “But I will keep quiet for now, but only until you can explain to me exactly what is going on!”

Chapter Eight

After listening to the incredulous story related by her children about their meeting with Chris and everything that happened afterwards, Lorraine knew that something extraordinary had taken place.

In the days following their recovery, the twins were questioned at length about what had driven them to such drastic and potentially catastrophic actions. Finally on the 28th of December they were released into their mother’s care.

Instead of going back to the wrecked house in Small Heath the three headed to their proper home in Pype Hayes, even though Peter had caused significant damage throughout the house and to its contents. Mainly through a mixture of rage and his alcohol fuelled neglect.
Gathering what items they could salvage from their belongings, these few precious keepsakes were placed into storage whilst the rest of the house was eventually gutted, cleaned, repaired and redecorated, then placed on the market for a quick sale.
The neighbours fully understood the family wanting to get away from all the negative memories associated with that particular house.
And so, the family quietly disappeared.
One month later, a mother and her two young teenagers moved into a house in the country near a small town in Aberdeenshire, in the Northeast of Scotland.
“This is lovely Mum, so quiet and peaceful!” Natalie said as she hugged her Mum and her brother.
“Yes Mum, this is brilliant, no one knows us here, we can finally be ourselves!” added Ian returning the closeness he felt as he cuddled up with his family.
“Yes my lovelies, you are finally able to be your true selves, and we have a whole new life in front of us, all of us!”
“Yes Mum, I never dreamt life could be this good!” sighed Natalie.
“Me neither, and at last my outside matches my inside just as yours does too Nat!” added Ian wistfully.
“Well, don’t get too settled too much just yet! Tomorrow we will go and see the local school and see about getting you both enrolled. Now we are using my maiden name as your new surname for all your documentation, you should both be finally free of any association with your father! You can be exactly who you want to be and who you were meant to be!” said Lorraine cuddling her kids to her tightly.

“We are so lucky aren’t we Mum, so very lucky to have met Chris, whoever he really was!” whispered Natalie.

“Yes sweetheart, so very lucky, and even more amazing to have met Ruth, his wife!” added Lorraine, “Although it was strange that she seemed to disappear, and no one knew anything about her! I owe her so much, she kept me sane in those dark hours when I was so scared I was going to lose you two!” she whispered her voice cracking with emotion.

“We promise Mum, we will never do that to you again, now, do you think we can have a real fire, we have lots of wood stacked by the fireplace!” asked an excited Ian.

So, slowly, our three family members established their new identities, with their new personas never causing them future problems.

And so, as all the best stories end, they all lived happily ever after.