Susan looked at Charlotte and told her, "Charlotte, there are times you should do something and it won't put you on the same level as those you're fighting against. Law enforcement does it every day, in one way or another. And yet, the vast majority of them still hold on to their integrity. All of you in this house have likely given a lot of thought to what you'd like to do to Toby's brother and this Strom person. The five of you won't go after them because it isn't who you are or the right thing to do or because you feel it would put you on their level. You five won't go after those two because, deep down, you know it isn't your job. The thoughts you five have or have had, are typical with this type of situation. You want to do to them what they've done to you. If you went after those two because of that reason, then you would be at their level. And after you did what you'd like to do, you'd hate yourself for the rest of your lives. Do to those two what you'd like to do only in your minds. It may not be as satisfactory as actually watching what happens to them in real life, but you won't be the ones who'll be arrested because you gave in to your hate."

"Now," Susan said, standing up and walking back to the table where she laid her briefcase, operating the catches and watching as the latches flew up. Opening the lid and taking out a thick stack of papers, she went on with, "I need the three of you to work through these papers to the best of your abilities. This is NOT a test. These papers will NOT be graded. They are so I can see where you stand with your knowledge of the subjects you've taken or are taking now. There is NO time limit. If you can't answer a question or problem, don't worry about that question or problem, this ISN'T a test and you WON'T be graded. Girls, you may sit at the table to work through these papers. Toby, because you seem more at ease where you are, I have something you can use so you have a hard surface under the papers." With that said Susan began to divide up the papers into sets, setting two sets on the table and handing one set to Toby. She then walked over to the things Jane had provided, and rummaged through them until she found the two-foot by two-foot tray she'd asked Jane to get for her. Susan walked back to Toby, handed him the tray, along with a pencil and eraser before giving the same to Francis and Charlotte. "When you finish as much of one as you can, just turn it over next to you and continue with the next paper. As I said, there isn't a time limit, so take your time and answer what you can answer. I'll look in on you three from time to time, but will be speaking with Jane in case you need me. Go ahead, you can start. And please remember, this is not a test."

Once all three had started on their papers, Susan left the library, leaning against the outside of the library door as she tried to take in what Toby had shown her. She had her head in her hands, when a voice said, "Come into the kitchen. I'll make us some tea." Dropping her hands, she turned towards the voice and saw Marie standing a few feet away from her. "You look like you need to talk to someone. He showed you, didn't he? Everything or just his back? His legs aren't in any better condition. Come, you need to hear it all."

Marie led Susan into the kitchen and pointed to one of the kitchen table chairs opposite to where Jane was sitting. As Marie took three mugs out of an upper cabinet, then three tea bags out of a lazy susan on the counter, she had been speaking the entire time. "You already know about Toby being involved with the shoplifting, but did you know he lied about Charlotte, aka Charles, also being involved? There wasn't any real evidence to prove he was involved, but the CEO of Taylor's department store threatened to take it to Federal Court if Judge Ruth didn't find him guilty. So, to keep Charlotte, aka Charles, out of Federal Court, she sent him to us. Jane gave him a choice to continue being himself while here or become one of our girls. Our Jane pointed out he'd never again have such an opportunity to have such an experience. And as you see, Charlotte is now with us, and doing quite well. At least on the outside. On her inside, eh, not so much. This whole bordel sanglant (bloody mess) has her tied up in knots. Do you take cream or sugar with your tea?"

Susan shook her head at Marie's tea question, asking, "So, how bad is the whole mess? What possessed someone to beat that boy that severely? Surely CPS or some other agency could have intervened?"

Jane had remained silent as Marie spoke, taking a sip of her tea before answering Susan's questions. "Susan, did Toby tell you he wanted to go to the police, wanted to tell his father, but was reminded it wasn't in his best interests? Did he explain the faded, healed, old scars, or the pink ones, or about the fresh ones that are healing? Did you see what was done to his posterior, butt as he puts it? Pass me the sugar please."

Jane was contemplative as she stirred a spoon of sugar into her tea. How much should she tell Susan about everything? Would she tell her husband or anyone else? And if she told her husband or anyone else, would they tell others and it would get back to those, or the one, who wants Toby dead? With a sigh, Jane made her decision and told Susan, "Susan. You can't say anything to anyone about Toby. His life is in danger. Shortly after he arrived, we discovered the severe beating he'd been given and put him in the hospital because many of the wounds were infected. Two men came to the hospital looking for Toby in order to kill him. If the police hadn't been forewarned, they might have succeeded. He was brought back here because we believed no one would know of my house or that he'd been brought here. If anyone asked after Toby again at the hospital, they'd learn nothing, only that he was taken out of the hospital and not the location. It's set up so anyone asking would be told he was taken by the police." Jane's explanation was interrupted because her mug was at her lips, and another swallow of tea soothed her throat.

When Jane asked Susan if Toby told her about the last beating he'd been given, she nodded her head, so Jane backed up even further and told of how it started for Charles. "I again caution you against telling anyone about what you've learned and what I'm about to tell you. So far, only Strom and some woman have been discovered to be involved with the entire shoplifting affair, but it isn't certain there isn't someone even higher up on the food chain. Charlotte, aka Charles, was at Taylor's department store the day Toby and two other boys shoplifted quite a bit of gaming equipment and were caught. When Toby saw Charles at the jewelry counter he became jealous of Charles' freedom, his being able to come and go as he pleased. And his not appearing to have been mistreated. So, when he was questioned, she implicated Charles with a lie. Janes Conner, the security guard for that particular Taylor's department store, who was also involved in the shoplifting affair, had his head handed to him twice by Charles. The first time he only ended up face down on the floor with his arm twisted up behind his back and Charles' knee on his neck. The second time, when he tried intimidating Charles in the holding room, he made the mistake of bringing a collapsible police baton into the room. Those witnessing the event said it appeared Conner was actually going to use that baton on Charles in order to get him to confess. His third mistake was lying it on the table next to him, and then starting to reach for it to presumably use it on Charles. But Charles was quicker, sensing what Conner was going to do, he grabbed it before Conner did, snapped it open, and warned Conner he would defend himself if Conner came at him. Conner, a stupid man, who's ego ruled his life, tried to cross the table to get Charles but ended up with a broken left clavicle. Because his left arm would no longer support his weight on his left arm, because of the broken clavicle, he fell to the floor. Would you care for more tea?"

When Susan nodded her head yes, too enthralled with Jane's story to speak, Marie got up from her chair to boil more water. While the water was heating, Jane continued with her story. "Conner's fourth mistake was trying to stop Charles from leaving the holding room. Charles had tried to walk around Conner, who was in immense pain at the moment, but Conner reached out with his right arm and grabbed Charles' ankle. For that action, he ended up with a broken ulna and radius, as Charles used the baton to hit Conner's right forearm with enough force to break both bones. Charles was detained because of the lie Toby told, and because of what had just occurred with Conner, and they both ended up in the same police holding cell, along with the two boys with Toby. While in that cell, Toby acted all brave and tough, even trying to scare Charles with his actions. Because Charlotte was designated as the ring leader, bail was denied and she went before Just Ruth first; bail was granted for Toby and the other two boys. We never heard what became of the other two boys. That tea will grow cold if you don't drink it while it's hot." Jane chuckled because of Susan's gaze on her.

"The girls and I went to the train station to pick up Toby on Monday," Jane continued. "But the boy who got off the train was not the same boy Charlotte saw in the holding cell. As was observed, he seemed happy, not the angry, arrogant boy in that holding cell. Francis questioned something else about him, he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt in the warm weather at that time. Toby was respectful, polite, and thoughtful, opening the car doors for me and the girls. But I and Charlotte noticed something was off as we drove back to my home. Toby never sat back in the seat as would normally be done. Plus, he was trying to find a comfortable spot to sit, wiggling around the entire drive. And so far, he is still respectful, polite, and has found sitting more comfortable. It wasn't until Marie went to retrieve all of his clothing that the reason behind the long-sleeved shirt and the other things became apparent. You saw everything except his legs, correct?"

Jane asked Susan, receiving a nod in return. "He was much worse that Monday. Those recent wounds were oozing and some were infected. And his posterior was just as bad. I had Dr. Peters come to look at him and she immediately had him taken to the hospital. They kept him sedated while they cleaned out the recent wounds, and kept him sedated to help ease the pain he was experiencing. They lowered the sedative and he came around the second day he was there, that's when we learned who and how he had been so savagely beaten. Because he and the two boys had been caught shoplifting and arrested, Toby's brother, Tylor, and Strom fought with him but finally dragged him over to two poles in the warehouse Strom used, tied him spread eagle to those poles, and Toby's brother, using a shaving strop, savagely beat his own brother. Toby said he passed out after the third hit because of the pain, so he doesn't know how long the beating lasted." Jane stopped talking for a few moments while she moistened her throat with more of her tea.

"The police had been arresting the groups of three kids involved in the shoplifting. We received shocking news that the kids not having been arrested, were being killed. Possibly to shut them up so they couldn’t become witnesses. On the third day Toby was in the hospital, two men showed up at the hospital and started asking for Toby, claiming to be his two Uncles. The police had been warned about the possibility and had prepared to deal with it if and when it happened. A code went out to all staff members, and the receptionist had surreptitiously called the police and used a code word to let them know about the two men. After the police arrived at the hospital in disguise, the police made their move when the two were distracted by the receptionist, with each man having a handgun pressed against his temple. One man was carrying a silencer, the other, a 9mm handgun."

Dr. Peters was with Toby at the time the warning code was announced, and only learned of the problem when the hospital's two ex-military security guards came into Toby's hospital room to protect him. After the all-clear was given, another code word, the guards left Toby’s hospital room and Jill made a snap decision to bring Toby back here. And here is where he's been since that time. He'll need to see a psychologist, as will Charlotte, and perhaps Francis, when this beschissenes Durcheinander (fucking mess) is over and those responsible are answering for all of their crimes."

Marie reached across the table and laid a hand on one of Jane's hands holding the mug containing her tea. "Easy, chère. Calm yourself down. You know it's being taken care of and all we can do is take care of the three with us." With one hand still on Jane's hand, she looked at Susan and told her, "We are all upset by these events. We've all, well, maybe just Jane, me, and Charlotte, have had thoughts about what we'd like to do with Toby's brother and Strom. And a woman Strom has been seen with. But, that isn't our purpose. Our purpose is here, helping young men learn to become better young men by altering their behavior and thinking." Then she got a cold expression on her face as she said, "Believe me when I say this, Susan. If we did what we wanted to do, we wouldn't shed any tears afterward. We'd likely be in jail, but satisfied we'd rid this world of people who don't deserve to draw a breath."

Susan looked at Marie's hand still holding Jane's hand, then at Jane, then at Marie, and back to Jane. "You are two extraordinary women. Being able to help young men and hold yourselves together during something like this. I greatly admire the two of you. I guess I better go check on my pupils."

Marie smiled while looking at Susan and shook her head, before letting go of Jane's hand, getting up from the kitchen table, and walking over to a cabinet, where she took out her keys, unlocked the cabinet, and opened the doors to reveal a monitor. After turning the monitor on, she selected the library, and the three watched as the girls and Toby still had several papers to work through. And there was nothing unexpected going on. Marie looked at Susan before telling her, "See, our young ones are doing fine." She looked back to the monitor, then turned back to Susan. "They also seem to be part way through your papers. Maybe if you just looked in on them, asking if everything is alright, will let them know you haven't forgotten them. Oui?"

Nodding her head, Susan answered with, "Oui. Tu as raison. Ils ont peut-être des questions auxquelles il faut répondre (Yes. You're right. They may have questions that need to be answered.). I will be back shortly." With that said Susan got up from the kitchen table and walked to the library, knocking quietly before opening the library door and walking into the library. "So, how is everyone doing? Do you have any questions for me? I see all of you are about halfway through the piles I gave each of you. Remember, this isn't a test. There isn't a time limit. I'm just going to use your papers to determine your level of knowledge and where I can start with each of you."

Jane and Marie had been watching everything from the kitchen monitor. The girls and Toby had looked towards the library door when they heard the quiet knock. Then watched the door open and Susan entered the library, and closed the door behind her. After Susan asked her questions, and said this wasn't a test or had a time limit, all three just shook their heads and resumed what they'd been doing. They didn't see Susan nodding her head in satisfaction, before turning, walking to the library door, opening it, walking out, and quietly closing it behind her. She was impressed with those three. Others she'd given those same evaluations to had first looked through them, picked out the ones they were able to work, and refused to do any of the other sheets. But these three, actually took what they were doing seriously, working through each sheet one at a time.

By the time Susan had returned to the kitchen, Marie had shut off the monitor, closed and locked the cabinet doors, and was in the process of boiling more water for tea, which they'd drink with a slice of cake for each of them.

The first thing Susan asked the minute she reentered the kitchen, and before sitting down in front of a slice of chocolate cake, was, "Have their IQs been tested? When I've given those same evaluations to other youngsters, some only work a few of the sheets, others didn't do anything but sit there, and some have moaned and groaned when I'd check to see how they were doing. But those three, they are halfway through the piles I gave each of them, and had no questions or gripes because they were doing them. Those three, as I'm sure you saw, shook their heads at my questions, listened to my 'it's not a test or has a time limit,' then went straight back to their work. What kind of les fesses des vaches (cow's buttocks) do they have running the schools those three attend? You talked about wanting to take care of Toby's brother and Strom, and that woman. I can't tell the number of times I've thought of doing the same to many school administrators. Oh, and school Counselors. I swear, some of them are using their butts for brains."

Marie chuckled, took the boiling water off the stove and to the table, where she refilled three empty mugs. She dropped a tea bag into each mug, then told Susan, "Before you explode, chère, sit and enjoy your cake. Charlotte and Francis made it."

All three women knew they were thinking much the same about their individual concerns. They also knew many who shouldn't be in the positions they were in because they did more harm than good. And they knew, those people were a waste of air and needed to see how long they could fly after losing the edge of a cliff along a deep canyon. But they also knew it wasn't the right thing for them to do, as they could only do what they were currently doing for others.

An hour and a half marked the clock, and Susan once again checked on her students, noting they were three-fourths done with their piles. When she returned to the kitchen, Jane then went on with, "Charlotte had a nightmare recently, one where she was gang raped by a group of men. It may be because of her recent experiences at the Mall, where one boy hadn't been taught what 'no' meant, and Charlotte put him face first against a store window. She then pointed out to the Mall security guards the boy doing to another girl what he tried with her. That caused the young man to get booted from the Mall. Then there was a group of boys blocking her way when she stepped into a recessed entry to one of the stores, to look at the fashions in the window. One of those boys tried to touch her but ended up on his knees, after Charlotte grabbed his hand and put her other hand behind the boy's elbow and bent his hand backward. Two security guards, standing not far away came over and asked why the boy was on his knees. Charlotte simply told the guard who asked, that she was just explaining to the boy not to touch a girl unless she had given him permission. Unfortunately, that boy didn't learn his lesson and after being released by Charlotte, tried to punch her. He missed, but our Charlotte didn't, and delivered a palm strike that put the boy to sleep. When that boy was finally roused, he threatened to get Charlotte at school. And some of his friends were going to have fun with her. The height of stupidity, not knowing Charlotte didn't even attend that boy's school."

"When we left the Mall, the boy Charlotte slammed up against the store window was waiting for her outside the Mall. That boy is undoubtedly a slow learner, as he came at Charlotte again, and got another lesson. By then the security guards and police arrived, and neither group was surprised the boy was in trouble again. The police called the boy’s parents, who arrived and proceeded to ask what part of what they told him last time he hadn't understood. Suffice it to say, he's now attending an all-girls school as one of the students. A girl student. It was rather comical, in that even though he made it abundantly clear he wouldn't attend the school, between his parents and the police, one standing there twirling a pair of handcuffs around one finger, they gave him the chance to make the best choice for himself, guess he didn't fancy a time behind bars."

"Marie, please let us see how those three are doing… if you would please." Conversation stopped while Marie unlocked the cabinet, opened the doors, turned on the monitor and the three saw the three teens still busy on the evaluation sheets. When Susan nodded, Marie turned off the monitor, closed and locked the cabinet door before retaking her seat at the kitchen table. "While the boy's parents were giving their son a chance to make up his mind, the three boys he'd been associating with arrived. They are a vulgar trio. The one who appeared to be the leader of the three talked about going into the Mall and laying hands on the girls walking around the Mall. Asking if the boy was coming, the boy's father told that pig his son wouldn't be coming now or ever again. That his son was going to be far away from filth like him." Jane saw Susan smiling as she understood what was about to happen, and went on with, "I see you realize what was to happen next. And you're right. I redirected that boy's attention to me, and in his attempt to slap me, our Charlotte stepped in and put the toe of her heeled shoe into the boy's stomach. After that, it seemed the boy was having trouble breathing. The second boy decided to do something of his own and I dealt with him. The third boy got quite the surprise when his father came up behind him and grabbed him around the neck with his large hands; he was more than extremely angry with his son. I knew the parents of the first boy, the police, and the father then holding his son by the neck. When the boy’s parents explained where their son would be attending school, the father was more than happy to do the same for his son. The two boys on the ground were arrested, and the two other boys would become girls at an all-girls school. And in a sense, because of what Charlotte did to the first boy, and what we both did to two of the three boys, we saved a lot of girls in the Mall from the heartache of having those pigs defile them with their hands. Marie and I are of the opinion that the events Charlotte experienced were the cause of her nightmare. Add those events to being falsely accused of a crime, and our Charlotte is carrying a heavy load. A friend of mine is arriving tomorrow to speak with all of us." When she saw the questioning look on Susan's face, she answered it with, "Yes, even Marie and I. This time we have an unusual situation, where one boy volunteered to experience being a girl and the other boy sussed what Marie and I do here. We can't let Toby become one of our girls mainly because of all the scars his body holds and the wounds still healing. Plus, he knows how petticoat punishment works, and he needs no behavior modification." Looking at Susan, Jane told her, "You best get back to your pupils. I need to go to the study to do a bit of work."

Susan nodded her head at Jane's final words, standing up and telling her, "Thank you for the backstory. I believe it will be necessary to figure it into my plans." Susan picked up her mug, but Marie took it from her. The two watched as Susan left the kitchen, then looked at each other, before Marie said, "Was it wise to tell her the story? Can she be trusted to remain silent?" Marie stood, picked up her mug then Jane's, and took them to the sink to rinse out.

Jane had nodded her head at Marie's questions. "Yes, Marie. She can be trusted to remain silent. She has, after all, been hired to tutor some very important people. People who required her not to see anything she saw or anything she heard. Yes, she can be trusted."

After walking to the library door, Susan knocked lightly before opening the door and stepping into the library, closing the door behind her. At the sound of a knock on the library door, the three had turned or looked up from their work and watched as the door opened and Susan entered the library. Charlotte, Susan noticed, was standing at the large front window, looking at her, she presumably had been looking out the window, while Francis was still at the table, with a few sheets left to finish. Toby, looking at her, was still on the couch and had maybe one or two sheets left. "So, how are you all doing," Susan questioned, as she walked over to the table.

"I finished the pile you gave me, Susan," Charlotte said, then turned back to the window. The look on Charlotte's face wasn't missed by Susan, nor the tone of her voice.

It was Francis who answered next with, "I'm almost through, I may have three or four left to work. It's funny, I'm finding out I know more than I realized. Guess something rubbed off on me in school."

With Charlotte and Francis having listed their progress, Toby was last to say, "I've two to work through. You are one tough lady, Susan. Particle physics? Whoa!" At Toby's words, Susan just smiled.

"Francis, Toby, take your time, do the best you can. I don't expect you to know everything on those papers, just answer the ones you can answer." Having said that, she walked around the table and went over to stand next to Charlotte. The room became silent again, with just the slight sound of pencils on paper. As Susan stood beside Charlotte, she could sense Charlotte's mood and decided to see if the girl would tell her what was bothering her. "Pretty country, isn't it," Susan said in a soft voice. "It's why my husband and I moved here. There isn't the constant sound of traffic in the background, the atmosphere is enjoyable, your being able to see as far as you can when you look past the stands of trees, and it smells divine after a rain. Flowers of every color, and wildlife, what a selection. Of course, it can get cold in the winter, but it's pretty even then. Do you wish you could live up here, Charlotte?" Only the slight sound of pencils on paper could be heard again, Charlotte remained silent. Susan turned to look at Charlotte and quietly asked, "What's wrong, Charlotte? You seem to have something on your mind. I'm a good listener, or that's what my husband tells me."

Silence again. As Susan watched Charlotte, Charlotte dropped her head, before saying, "Yes, it is pretty country around here. Have you been to the pond on Aunt Jane's property? There's a beaver dam there and if you're quiet, you can watch them work. We sat on the bench that's there one time, when Francis and I took Jane there after she received some disturbing news. Can you imagine, Francis and I took Jane there, and not the other way around? She was really upset. More frogs than I'd ever seen hopped out of the water and lined the shoreline. Then, more ducks came and joined the frogs. A small herd of deer came out of the forest and sat down not too far from us on our right, the fawn coming over and licking Jane's hands in her lap. And if you can believe it, a mated pair of skunks came out of the forest and sat off to our left, showing no fear of us. And the topper, two porcupines came last, sitting right in front of us. None of them made a sound, they didn't move towards us, but there was a, oh, I don't know, a feeling that passed from them to us, to Jane. Then, they all left, back the way they'd come. And nature resumed her dance. Yeah, Susan, it is pretty country. But I just want to be with my parents and friends. I want to get back to that crappy school, with a-holes who refuse to let me take advanced classes. But most of all, I want my name cleared so I can do all of that."

"You women, you females, don't have it easy. Once upon a time, you were nothing but baby makers and food fetchers. Down the ages, you started fighting for your rights, wanting the same rights men were afforded. Begrudgingly, you started receiving them but still had to put up with us males who still believed you belonged in the kitchen and pregnant. And in today's age, until ages ago when a man could practically do what he wanted with a woman, men are prosecuted if they do what they want with a woman. But that same 'I'll do to a girl what I want' still prevails, as I experienced."

"Do the old have to die out so the young can learn a new way of behaving? Some of us males don't understand how to treat, much less act around, young girls. That boy I smashed up against the store window, didn't understand what 'no' or 'leave me alone' meant. He got a bloody nose for his efforts. Then after leaving me, he went down the Mall a ways and started in on another girl. Accosting that girl was the last straw for Mall security. They banned him from the Mall. He was so mad he waited for me to leave the Mall and had a go at me, again. The Mall security showed up, as did the police. And the real surprise? So did his parents. He's now a student at an all-girls school, as one of the girls. That kid's so-called friends showed up, they were going to go into the Mall and accost as many young girls as they could. For fun. I guess they didn't like how Jane and I spoke to them because their leader tried to slap me only to receive the point of my heels in his stomach. He had a difficult time breathing after that, while on his knees. The second boy came at us and Jane took care of him, surprising that butt hole. But the really good part was when the father of the third boy arrived unannounced and grabbed that boy by the back of his neck; that man had huge hands, his hand completely encircling the boy’s throat. That kid got such a tongue-lashing, then found out he and boy number one were going to be classmates. Hearing that, that kid fainted. Then there were the three guys who blocked me when I stepped into a store entrance recess, to look at the clothes in the window. One of the boys tried to touch me and received a nice lesson for his efforts. Two Mall security guards arrived, one approved of my lesson skills, before asking me to let the boy go. That boy was a slow learner because after I let him go and as the guards were dealing with the other two boys, that kid got up and tried to punch me. I put him to sleep before he hit the ground."

"Where does all this garbage come from Susan? Is it inbred into us? Is it genetics?" Going quiet for a few moments, Charlotte sighed, then turning to look at Susan, said, "I just want all this to be over. I'm tired, not sleep tired, just tired of it all." Charlotte turned back to the window and continued to look out at all that could be seen past Jane's property.

When Charlotte turned back to the window, so did Susan. As they watched, the blowing wind caused the tall grass to act as ocean waves, undulating with the pulsing wind. "Are you sorry for experiencing being a girl, Charlotte? You had the choice, after all. From what Jane has told me, you've learned some things about yourself, even questioning if you act as you've seen other boys act around young girls. Even questioning yourself after modeling clothing. And with that in mind, I agree with Jane, you are more mature than a lot of boys your age, and know how to treat not only girls but others as well. You said the leader of those three boys talked about going into the Mall and having fun with the girls there. Have you ever done that Charlotte? Just meeting you today, I doubt the thought had ever entered your mind. You've also helped Francis, according to Jane. Would you have done that if you weren't Charlotte? Would Charles have done that?"

"To answer your questions, Charlotte, put the garbage down to bad parenting. Parents who may have had a strict upbringing and decided they weren't going to do the same to their children. So they let their children basically run wild, never questioning what they're doing or where they're going or who they have for friends; never applying the board of education to the seat of understanding. They decided to befriend their children instead of parenting them. If parents are hard on their children, lovingly hard, it often isn't seen as loving until years later, and for the reason it was applied. Don't mistake those who are lovingly punished for those who are abused. There's a vast difference between the two. The first comes from parents who give unconditional love, they'll love you even if you’ve done something they consider wrong. Those who are abused, aren't actually punished as such. They have become the focus of an angry person, a person who sees them often as a nuisance, someone extremely frustrated and takes it all out on their children. Oftentimes, when the child has had enough, sees no way out, or finds no help, they run. And sometimes, it's much worse, a better solution in their eyes. They feel unloved by anyone and see no reason to continue living. And the saddest of all of this? When a parent learns of the death of their child, they can't understand why it happened. They claim to have been a good parent, even though they took all of their anger, frustrations, and disappointments out on their child. When a child is lost in this way, Charlotte, it's often because the people they reached out to for help either turned a blind eye or turned the child back over to their parents. You probably can guess what happened when their child was back with them. That's often when the child sees no reason for living."

"And then there are those like Toby, who've been physically beaten over the years, even severely. But retain their moral grounding despite the hardship they endure. They have hope of one day getting away from such abuse, and they never lose that hope despite what they endure. They are fighters, Charlotte. People with so much heart that they will endure almost anything to survive. If it means being beaten, even severely, then they'll endure it. Because having hope, they know within their bones, how one day those inflecting the abuse will be gone, and they will be free."

"You haven't answered my questions, Charlotte. Do you regret agreeing to become one of Jane's girls? If Charles was here right from the beginning, would he have helped Francis as Charlotte's done?"

Toby had finished his pile of papers but sat quietly listening to Susan and Charlotte talk. "I didn't tell you about my time being a makeup model for Carolyn at the Marisha Chalet salon," Charlotte began. "She had just finished applying the prosthesis I'm wearing when she said I was going to be her makeup model for teenage girls attending her Saturday class." Charlotte chuckled, then continued. "I didn't realize it at the time, but if Carolyn hadn't put a chair under me, I'd have fallen to the ground, on my butt, right after what she told me. I was scared, scared the girls would see I was a boy under this facade," and she waved a hand in front of her from head to toe. "She held my hands as she asked about my experience at the Mall, whether I'd been seen as a boy dressed as a girl or just a very pretty girl. Of course… she was right. I was only seen as a pretty girl shopping at the Mall or I wouldn't have attracted the attention of those boys and that one girl the next time I was there. I'm getting off track, though. None of those girls ever discovered I was anything but what I appeared to be, a teenage girl helping Carolyn."

"But something happened only Charlotte could help with at the time. One of the girls was visibly upset, tears rolling down her cheeks when Carolyn had the girls remove their makeup so they would have a clean face to work with. Charlotte went back and sat with her, discovering she had a bad case of acne and she was treated badly because of it. Even the girls there ignored her. She cried on Charlotte's shoulder. She agreed to go with me to speak with Carolyn to see if she had something that could help the girl. Carolyn did have something new to the market, but the girl was skeptical at first, skeptical because she'd tried just about everything and nothing worked. Carolyn called up another girl and that girl showed a picture of herself before using the product Carolyn had. When the girl couldn't believe her eyes, that girl called up another girl who showed a before picture that was even worse than the first girl. It was easy to see both had bad memories from those times. The girl wanted to buy that product right then and there, getting instructions on how to use the product from the two girls. Both took her back with them so they could show her some tricks they'd learned to hide their acne. Charles could never have done that for the girl because he wouldn't have been there."

"How can I regret being Charlotte, when Charlotte has helped others in one way or another? She helped the girl at the makeup lessons, helped girls at the Mall by what happened to all of those boys, and helped with Francis, Charlotte even helped Aunt Jane. Aunt Jane is right, I have learned something about myself throughout all of this. Even seeing things from the other side of the 'fence.' Did Jane tell you I asked if I was here for a reason? After all of the events I've been involved in or with, I have to believe Charlotte was meant to be here. She was meant to do what has taken place. As to helping Francis if Charles were here," Charlotte turned to look at Francis, who had looked up at the mention of her name. "Yes, even if Charles were here, he would have helped her just as much." Hearing Charlotte say that, Francis smiled and wiped tears off her cheeks. Charlotte then looked at Susan, and said, "But we are here, aren't we?"