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by Saless
Chapter 88
Sarah frowned and was about to say something when Tiffany interrupted her, “I'm kidding! Mostly.” she said with an impish grin. “Seriously, though, her fear of me should make it easier to keep her in line. But so long as she stays in line I won't do anything to reinforce it. Who knows, maybe she'll turn out to be a decent person with all that testosterone out of her system.”
Sarah nodded, relieved. They rejoined the others in the living room and quickly finished cleaning up the mess. With all of them working on it it didn't take long.
“Well, now that that's taken care of, we should really be heading home. Mike has to go to work tomorrow and it's getting really late.” Jill said once they were done.
“Are you sure you'll be alright?” Sarah asked her mother.
“I'm sure Sarah, thanks to you and your friends. Go on home, we'll talk later.” Mary replied. They hugged and Sarah opened the portal. “Wait!” Mary said just as Mike started to step through the portal, “Why don't I drive you and Kelly to your place, Tiffany?”
Good thinking, if we took Kelly through a portal she could develop magical abilities much sooner than she otherwise would. Vash said. Kelly looked confused, since Vash left her out when he sent that thought to the others.
“Oh, yeah, that's a good idea. Come on Kelly, let's go the old fashion way.” Tiffany agreed, wincing at the thought of Kelly getting powers and using them against Mary and Sarah. Sarah and the others continued on into the portal after saying their goodbyes to Tiffany and Mary. Kelly followed Tiffany and Mary to Mary's car, mystified as to why she wasn't traveling the same way that Tiffany had come to the house.
Tiffany and Kelly fell asleep on the drive to Tiffany's apartment, and Mary had to wake her to get directions once they were in town. “Could you drop me off at Sarah's after we drop off Kelly so I can get my car?” Tiffany asked.
“Sure, that's fine with me.” Mary replied. But when they got inside Tiffany's apartment a portal suddenly opened up and Sarah stepped through.
“I thought you could use a lift back to your car.” Sarah said.
“Oh, thanks! I guess I won't need that ride after all. Thanks for dropping us off Mary.” Tiffany said.
“My pleasure. You be good for Tiffany, Kelly. You're in enough trouble without making more.” Mary replied. Kelly rolled her eyes at being talked to like a child, but nodded anyway. With another hug from Sarah Mary left.
“Ready to go?” Sarah asked.
“Just a sec.” Tiffany replied, and turned to Kelly. “Kelly, I'll be back in ten or fifteen minutes. I don't have a spare bed, so you'll have to use the couch for now.” She retrieved some blankets and a pillow and laid them on the couch. “You've had a busy day, so I suggest you get some sleep. I'll make sure not to wake you if you're already asleep.”
Kelly nodded and sat on the couch. She watched with interest as Tiffany followed Sarah through the portal, which closed up immediately thereafter. It's almost like they're afraid of me going through one of those weird portals that Sarah makes. But then, I'm more than a little afraid to go through them myself. she thought.
Kelly laid down and pulled the blankets over herself. So this is my home, at least until Sarah changes me back. If she changes me back! But what will happen then? I'll have to move out on my own. I haven't been alone in a long time. I don't particularly want to start now, but I can't blame Mary for distrusting me after everything that's happened. she thought. Then she started to think about the memories Jill and Vash had shown her of Sarah's, but resolutely pushed them away to think about at another time. Exhausted, she fell asleep before Tiffany got back.
Sarah was exhausted in the morning, and Erica helped her get up and ready for work despite her own fatigue. She managed to get Sarah to eat something, and then drove her to work. After dropping her off she returned to the apartment to catch up on her sleep.
Tiffany wasn't in any better shape then Sarah. They both dragged through their workday. Tiffany came out to wait with Sarah for Erica to pick her up, but they were too drained to keep up much of a conversation. Tiffany and Erica exchanged greetings when she arrived and then they drove off, with Tiffany following soon after.
“My parents will be here in an hour or two, why don't you take a nap until then?” Erica suggested when she saw how exhausted Sarah was.
“Sounds good to me.” Sarah mumbled before falling asleep. Erica woke her when they got back to the apartment and practically carried her to bed.
Jill and Mike joined Erica to wait for her parents. “Where's Sarah'?” Jill asked.
“She was exhausted, I put her to bed.” Erica replied. “Oh, and Sarah's driver's license arrived today. I'm not sure how much good it will do, though.”
Mike shrugged, “She can use it to get a new one, at least.”
“I suppose so. That reminds me, I need to get a name change order going. I promised Sarah I'd help her with that.” Erica said.
“How long will that take?” Jill asked.
“A couple of months or so. Once the paperwork is sent in we'll have to get an ad in the paper for a month. Then we'll need to take that to court. Hopefully they aren't too busy and the court date won't be too far away.” Erica replied.
“Is that all it takes?” Mike asked curiously.
Erica nodded, “Pretty much. Once the name change order is signed off by the judge we'll get some copies so Sarah can get her records corrected with Social Security, the college, the DMV, and so on.”
“I'm surprised it's that easy.” Mike said.
“Oh, that's just the name. Getting her gender legally changed will take a little more work. And a little creativity, since she can't just get a letter from the doctor that does her surgery, since she doesn't need surgery. I think we can fix that easily enough by getting a doctor to examine her and making up a letter. We can say she had surgery in Mexico or something. That's the excuse you gave the police, right?” Erica said.
Jill nodded, “Yes, that's right. Actually, you might be able to get a letter from one of the doctors at the hospital.”
“Maybe. But we won't be doing anything about that just yet.” Erica replied.
Jill frowned, “Why not?”
“Because we're getting married!” Erica replied happily, fingering her ring. “And thanks to Prop. 8 we can't get married here as two women. But so long as we don't change her records before we get married, Sarah's still legally male. Which means we can get married legally. After we're married we can get her records changed to reflect her proper gender.”
Jill smiled widely, “That's great! I was afraid you wouldn't be able to get legally married. I'm glad you're able to get around it. I hope Prop. 8 gets overturned soon.”
Erica nodded, “Me too. I was always against it, but now that I'm looking at it from a different perspective I hate it even more! We can get around it, but most same sex couples don't have a loophole like that to take advantage of.”
After that the conversation turned to wedding plans. Since she hadn't discussed it with Sarah yet, Erica wasn't making any solid plans yet, but Jill was eager to get things started. Mike just sat back and watched with a strange expression on his face.
Discussion of wedding gowns was interrupted by a knock at the door. Mike answered it. “Hello Mike, is our daughter home?” Erica's father said when he opened the door. Mike let them in and watched as Erica greeted them both hesitantly. They both knew Mike, but he had to introduce Jill.
“So, where's Se...I mean, where's Sarah?” Mrs. Keller asked curiously.
“We got to bed late last night, so I put her to bed when she got home from work. I'll go get her.” Erica said and went to Sarah's bedroom. Sarah was still asleep and Erica was reluctant to wake her up. She sat on the edge of the bed and brushed Sarah's hair out of her eyes.
To Be Continued…
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Comments
Marriage and/or Prop 8
I'm no expert, but if after they get married he legally becomes she, doesn't that dissolve the legal marriage? That's how it worked before gay marriage was legal anywhere...as I understand it??
No. People that marry
No. People that marry legally before transition generally are considered to still have legal marriages after one of them transitions. I know some that have stayed together and continued to file joint taxes and such, and others that have broken up, but they had to go through divorce proceedings like anyone else. Other than those divorces (which argue that the marriages are otherwise still valid), I don't know that this has been tested in court.
Mir
Thanks
I always thought it was a legal thing...or I misunderstood what I heard in interviews.
Thanks Miranda!
Frank
Forced divorce
I don't believe the state has the power to forcefully dissolve a legal marriage.
Maybe Kelly might
be too scared at the moment to even think about sneaking through a portal, But what will happen when as is inevitable she is presented with the opportunity? Will Kelly overcome her worries? And if she does, What form will her powers (if she gets any!!)take?..... And more to the point would she use them for good or evil!!!
Kirri
DMV form 329
Since this is California, there's an easy way to take care of the license, at least, assuming they have a doctor that is willing. The DMV has a form for medical change of name and sex. It was DMV 328 when I got one, back in ancient history, but they've apparently changed it to DMV 329. Of course, they'd still need a doctor...
Mir
Yep, it's DMV's DL 329 that
Yep, it's DMV's DL 329 that I used to get my drivers license three years ago. All I had to do was print out the form, mail it off to my doctor, and then take it in when I got it back filled out. They even put an 'F' on my card, which I wasn't sure if they would do! I was able to do that even before my name change order went through. ^_^
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
What If Kelly
Is a deep cover mole for magical beings intent on conquest and have a sevd planted in her that then passing through a portal, awakens??
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
What if ...
... there is a story without a Big Evil Conspiracy in it?
Except the ever-present conspiracy of the Evil Author(ess)es against the readers, of course. :-)
--- Martin
A Chapter That Ends Quietly...
...what a concept!
Anyway, all the magical enhancements through the gate that we know of have been on trips to other worlds or planes of existence. We don't know one way or the other whether or not gate travel from one place on Earth to another provides or enhances magical power. My guess is that it doesn't; the idea seemed to be that the amount of magical potential on Earth increased whenever the gate opened into some other worldline/universe, and that the increase was attaching itself, so to speak, to those who crossed over and back.
(Re the discussion in the opening paragraph, I stand on my previous statement: doesn't matter what Tiffany THINKS she's going to do or not do; the knives seem to work without any conscious volition on her part. Kelly -- and anyone without magical protection, including her coworkers at the office -- don't belong anywhere near Tiffany, even at work.)
Eric
Impulsive
Tiffany will bring the knives to her whenever there is a perceived danger to her "family" (I use the term loosly) which at this point consists of Sarah and her mom, Erica, Mike, Jill, and Vash. Part of that may be one of the duties of a shadowkin, and part of it due to her lack of a real family when she was going up. Anybody else who appears to pose a danger is the enemy and the knives appear.
As was said before, it might be best to park those suckers with the other weapons on the empty Earth, in hopes she can't draw them to her across universes. Because sure as shit, this is part of her skill set as a shadowkin and she is only going to get better at taking out enemies, reacting before she even realizes she's reacting. And where do you draw the line on enemy? I suspect a shadowkin draws it a lot farther over than a early 21st Century American.
OTOH, is that black dust useful in any way. Maybe replace the carbon content to make low friction tires? ;-)
They know they can survive
Drawing the line
Mary was in immediate mortal danger. By any standard, lethal force was called for.
Remember, neglecting to immediately protect those under your care can result in their deaths. Better the attacker die than the victim.
We can stand back and second guess what someone should have done in the heat of a crisis, but we have the luxury of hindsight, calmness, and time to think.
It's reactions that allow a soldier, police officer, or bodyguard to get that extra split second that can mean the difference between life and death. Having the weapons ready and available is another necessity. Disarming Tiffany when the world is getting more and more dangerous would be irresponsible.
By the way, I wonder just how much of an inanimate object will get dusted when she uses the knife. If she sticks it into someone's house, will the entire house eventually turn to dust?
Not arguing, Ray
I'm merely pointing out that in much of the 21st century "civilized" world, self-defense is not considered a valid reason to kill a third party. Mary could do it, and probably get off, although a DA looking to make a name could make her life hell beforehand. (What, a grown woman could not fend off a little slip of a girl?) Tiffany's life was not at risk, therefore she can not claim self-defense. A few states have passed laws making deadly force to defend somebody else legal, but in much of the U.S., even where I could legally carry a weapon, I still can not use it unless my life is in danger.
That would not stop me from stepping in to protect a third party whose safety was at risk. But I could pay a very high price in many places for doing so. Tiffany might seem justified in our eyes for her actions, but society has these pesky laws they insist people obey. Woe be it to the person who has no clout that takes matters into their own hands. As has been pointed out previously, we are not allowed to be judge, jury, and executioner. The law says we should run away and call 911.
Let me also point out that people second-guess police officers, soldiers and other defenders of public safety all the time; and frequently those defenders, who have sworn to protect the public and their country, come out looking very bad. Stripped of honor, dignity, and sometimes even their freedom for making those trained, split-second decisions that people with the "luxury of hindsight, calmness, and time to think" decide was incorrect.
Sorry if I sound bitter.
They know they can survive
Bitter
You have the right to be bitter about it.
Most of the moral codes that I have seen (in particular, the Judeo-Christian model) places higher honor on protecting others than it does on protecting oneself. That code is particularly strong in the military, where we honor heroes who 'gave their all' to save others.
By the way, protecting one's family -- especially one's children -- is taken with the same seriousness as protecting oneself. That doesn't exactly fit Tiffany's case legally, though it does on an emotional/relationship basis. Of course, the legal system wouldn't have been involved even if George had died. Marvin might have decided to search the place for black ash, though.
Oh -- one last factiod. There is at least one state (one of the Carolinas, IIRC) where the legal system has been instructed to not prosecute the killing of home intruders.
I think in most places, even
I think in most places, even though Mary isn't related to Tiffany, she'd still be covered under self-defense, but I'm no expert. This reminds me of how kids can get punished for defending themselves if they're attacked at school. It always pisses me off when I hear about that! I mean, sure, it's best if kids avoid fighting, but that's not always possible. I remember these two guys in my first grade class decided to beat me up after school once. I ran away from them. They knocked me down, but I managed to roll with it and keep going, which put some space between us. But I knew I couldn't outrun them, because my asthma has always prevented me from running very far. And if you're going to get stuck fighting regardless, doing so when you can't breath isn't a very good idea!
I never did have to fight them, though. I went out in the street, on the other side of a car, and was going to cross the street if they tried to come after me. I was hoping they wouldn't try to follow me, as it's a busy street. For whatever reason, they gave up. Never did know why they went after me, but then I often was mystified by the hostility directed at me...
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Compared to what I've read about your lives
I've always lived a sugar-coated one. I practically do not remember any nasty teasing at high school and earlier there were no really nasty people in my class, except maybe one. We did fight once, mind you, but it was not some vile beatdown but a one-on-one where nobody was really eager to inflict grievious body harm. It never even got out of hand.
Upside - I'm not a trouble magnet, and generally like people
Downside - I never did develop any significant strength of character
Faraway
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
It's funny you should say that...
because I feel like I've lived a sugar coated life compared to many here. Other than that one time, nobody ever tried to beat me up (Unless you count the time in kindergarten that some teenager punched me in the chest because they didn't like my attitude or something. That's all he did, but it caused a minor asthma attack. Thought I'd have to go to the emergency room for a while there, but it went away on it's own after fifteen to thirty minutes or so. I used to have to go to the emergency room for asthma attacks monthly, usually at 2-3 a.m.!). I got tripped, pushed, etc. on occasion, but it was mostly verbally that they went after me.
Lots of people here had it much worse, or have been abandoned by their families or spouses or children, or all three! So I consider myself lucky.
Saless
P.S. I'd argue the strength of character part. Despite not being TG you're here and treat everyone with respect, kindness, and understanding. I'd say that's character! ^_^
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
That Last Point...
...apparently goes back to the old maxim that a man's home is his castle; one is permitted to secure it from intruders (other than those holding search warrants) by any means possible. The notion apparently goes back to old English common law, and while it doesn't apply in states where there's legislation (statutory law) covering the matter, it has generally (as I understand it) held up throughout the U.S. unless there's a law that directly contradicts it.
One example attained notoriety in Georgia about a century ago: the father of Hall of Fame baseball player Ty Cobb suspected that his wife was entertaining male visitors whenever he was absent on business. (If I recall correctly, Cobb senior was a circuit judge, who had to travel to courtrooms throughout his jurisdiction and thus was out of town overnight relatively frequently.) So one night he returned to the house unannounced and prepared to sneak through a window. Before he succeeded, his wife shot and killed him, explaining afterward that she thought he was a burglar. Mrs Cobb was tried and acquitted, since a jury believed her explanation, and killing a burglar on one's property is permissible.
Eric
(FWIW, there's a version of the story on Cobb's Wikipedia page...)
Prop 8
Proposition 8 has a lot of crap in it. As it stands right now, the state legislature is trying to pass a law allowing Gay couples who get married in states that allow gay marriage to have it recognized in California. The Religious Reich is fighting it saying that it is an end run on what Prop 8 was supposed to do.
Yeah, I'm not surprised. I
Yeah, I'm not surprised. I cried for days when Prop 8 passed, not just because I hate it, but because I was so sure it wouldn't! After all, this is California, we're supposed to be so liberal and progressive... I wish! I still don't understand how anybody can accept a majority voting away rights that already exist of a minority! Okay, I'll get off my soap box now. ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America