Rachel Harris couldn’t sleep. Her nerves over the last week had been getting progressively worse. She tried to put the dread over the coming school year out of her mind, but she couldn’t. She lived in the small Texas town of Martinsburg, not far from the Fort Hood Army base.

Rachel was 14, and getting ready for her freshman year in high school. She was a small girl, 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighed 105 pounds. She was pretty, with straight dark brown hair that came down to the middle of her back. She, like just about any girl her age, thought her rear end was too big and her top was too small. In truth her measurements, 34b-23-34 were just about perfect on her frame. She had a heart-shaped face, dark brown eyes and a cute smile that wrinkled her feminine nose. Rachel’s grandmother was from Mexico, and her Hispanic heritage was clear. Her mother thought she resembled the Disney teen queen Victoria Justice, but Rachel could never see the similarity.

“Rachel, sweetie, are you up yet?” asked her mother “You need to get ready for school, you don’t want to be late on your first day back.”

“Yes, mom” came the reply. “I just need to get a shower”

“OK, Rachel, just let me know if you need anything.”

“I will, Mom” she replied.

Rachel returned to her reverie. She had dreaded this day since her Dad was killed in Iraq in an IED explosion. She had been home schooled by her mother for the last two years since her troubles began, this was no longer possible. Her mother would have to go to work. Now, she had to face her past. Her brother and sister were looking forward to school. Garrett, her brother, was a popular athlete, and two years ahead of her in school. He was very protective of Rachel and knew the trouble that could be ahead for Rachel. Katie, Rachel’s younger sister, was 2 years old and blissfully unaware of the potential trouble in the air. All she knew was that she had a pretty princess of a sister who loved and played with her.

As she took her shower, Rachel was softly crying. She felt like a freak, and while she was happy with herself, she knew that children could be so mean to someone who didn’t fit in. And Rachel most definitely did not fit in. Two years ago Rachel was known as Randall Harris.

FOURTEEN YEARS EARLIER:

Lieutenant Randall Harris and his wife Gina were looking forward to the birth of their second child. As the due date approached, they went about the tasks that all parents preparing for a new arrival go through, painting and papering the baby’s new room.
They were so excited that little Garrett was getting a sibling, and little Garrett was always asking when his new brother or sister was coming. Randy and Gina wanted to be surprised when the baby came.

“Soon, little guy, soon” said Randy. “We have to wait until he is ready.”

“OK, dada, but tell me when, ok?”

“You got it, champ” laughed Randy.

Gina walked in and picked up Garrett. “Time for your bath, stinky!”

“I not stinky, Mama!” squealed little Garrett.

“Oh yes you are, replied Gina, as she blew a raspberry on the toddler’s belly, causing the boy to start laughing.

Suddenly, Gina winced. “Honey, I think it’s time”. Then her husband sprang into cool action. Or so he would have have had everyone believe later.

Thirty-six hours later, the new little baby entered the world. The doctor was quiet as the baby came out.

“What is it, Doc?” asked Randy, “Boy or Girl? I need to know what color to wrap the cigars in!”

“Just a minute, Lieutenant”, said the doctor. His eyes looked troubled as the nurses prepped the crying infant. He looked at the nurse and whispered something to her that neither Gina nor Randy could hear.

“Please, Doctor,” asked Gina, “Is there something wrong with my baby? Can I hold my baby?” she was almost frantic.

“It’s all right, Gina” said the Doctor, “There’s a small situation I have to deal with for a minute. Don’t worry, your baby is ok, and you can hold it in a minute”

“OK, Doc”, answered Randy, as he held Gina’s hand. “It’s ok, babe, let the doc do his work”

The nurse handed the swaddled infant to its shaking mother, who was starting to feel the effects of the long labor and delivery.

“What is it,D-Doctor, a boy or a girl?” asked Gina. “W-W-What’s w-w-wrong?” she asked through chattering teeth.

“Well, Gina, your child seems to exhibit characteristics of both sexes” answered the doctor. “I would say the child is primarily a boy, but we need to do some tests first. But do not worry, this is a minor complication, and it is somewhat rare, but it is not, I repeat not, life threatening.”

“Oh god”, replied Randy. “What a relief. Can we sort this all out later?”

“Absolutely, Lieutenant.” said the doctor.

It turned out that due to the tests that were performed, the child had been born with CAIS, or Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome. The physicians recommended that the child should be raised as a girl, but Randy was having none of it. He didn’t want a girl, and was determined that the child would be raised as a boy, with corrective surgery to be performed as soon as possible. The child was named Randall Joseph Harris Jr., as if naming the child after himself would make everything ok. Gina didn’t know what to think, she didn’t care if the child were boy or girl, she was just happy that little Randall was happy and healthy.

As the years passed, the family was the picture of happiness. Little Randy was the apple of his father’s eye, and Garrett accepted his brother unconditionally.

September 11th, 2001 broke bright and sunny on the base at Fort Hood. Then, at 9:46 AM local time, the Harris family would be changed forever. President Bush said that the people who perptrated this act would hear from us, and Captain Randall Harris was part of that response.

Captain Harris was a part of the 1st Cavalry Division 3rd Brigade combat team, “Greywolf” as a M1A1 tank commander. They missed the first part of Iraqi Freedom, but were called up for the second phase, to protect the green zone. They saw some action, and Captain Harris served with distinction, earning a Silver Star for Valor in combat saving a squad who was under attack.

When he came back home, Randy Harris was a changed man. He was moody, and unusually quick tempered. He began drinking, not to excess, but every day. Gina was concerned, but when she tried to get him to talk about things, he just wouldn’t. He would get angry about things that before all the combat started, would not have given him pause.

Little Randall was growing, but had a decidedly quiet side that put his father off. He didn’t like sports, and loved to read. He had a vivid imagination, and loved playing with the girls next door, Angela and Becca. They played endlessly, imagining they were in a land of faeries and magic. He even loved playing with their dolls, and they came up with countless ways to dress them up.

Randy was having none of this, and while he was home, Randall was forbidden to play with his girl friends. He got Little Randall involved in Little League baseball, and volunteered to coach his team. Garrett, his brother, was a standout athlete, and an even better brother to little Randall, quietly helping him to improve.

Randy was very impatient as a coach, and soon tired of the frustration of teaching the youngsters to basics of the game. He was replaced by Mr. Jones, an older man whose patience was immediately appreciated by the team.

Randall was improving slowly, but never really got the hang of playing. He could run, but throwing was always a problem. The other children were always saying he “threw like a girl”. Randall was miserable, and he missed his girl friends. He saw Angela and Becca every day in thier yard, playing, and he so wished he could be with them, but his Dad would never let him go.

Gina could see how miserable Randall was, so she let him go over when her husband was on duty. That was until Randy came home early and found Randall playing in the front yard with Becca and her collection of Bratz dolls. It was all innocent, but Randy blew his top, causing both Becca and Randall to burst into tears. Things would have escalated, but Gina managed to calm Randy down.

“That boy is NOT going to turn into some homo! I cannot believe you would let him do something like that!” he shouted.

“Randy! Listen to yourself! Your son was not doing anything wrong!” replied Gina

“The hell he wasn’t!” he bellowed “I specifically said he could not play with those girls”

“And I have no say in this whatsoever, Randy?” said Gina.

“Not when it comes to MY sons!” came the bitter reply.

“My sons? MY SONS?” came Gina’s reply.

“Did you carry them inside you for 9 months?” she asked. “Did you breast feed them at all hours of the night and day, or did you lay in bed and poke me until I got up in the middle of the night. Did you take care of thier hurts and scrapes? How dare you say MY sons. They have been and will always be OUR sons, Randy, and don’t you ever forget it!”

With that, Gina broke into sobs, and ran to the bedroom. Randy turned and left. The two boys were completely devastated at the father’s display of temper. They crept into their mother’s room.

“Are you ok mommy?” asked Randall.

“Yes, honey. Your daddy is just very sad since he came back from the war” she said. “Just keep praying for him, I don’t think he means what he says.”

Garrett asked, “Are you sure, Mom?”

“Yes, Garrett, I’m sure”

Things returned to near normal after that, Randy made up with Gina, but always seemed to be concerned about the manliness of little Randall. Randall was 12 now, but was undersized and very feminine in his features, his father insisted on military style haircuts, but Randall always looked like a girl recovering from chemotherapy, and was often confused with one in public, which made Randy angrier every time it happened.

Randall continued to play with Angela and Becca, and Becca was his best friend. They were inseparable, and this drove Randall’s dad crazy, but he knew better than to say anything in front of Gina. He reserved little “sissy” comments for Randall, and made fun of him whenever he could.

Randy transferred to the Seventh Cavalry, and soon was again up for deployment to Iraq. The depression had never left Randy, and the last thing he said to Randall was that he was a true disappointment to him, and that Garrett would always be better than him.

Six weeks later, three officers appeared at their door. Captain Randall Joseph Harris, Sr. was dead, killed in action by an IED just outside of Mosul, Iraq.

At the same time, Gina found out she was pregnant again. This time it was a daughter, she just knew it.

The next couple of weeks went by as a blur. There were funeral arrangements, the burial and moving off base. Fortunately, Becca’s parents moved before the Harris family, and they told Gina about a little place just down the street from them in Martinsburg, TX. The move went by smoothly, and due to insurance settlements and survivors benefits, they were able to purchase the house, and Gina wouldn’t have to work for the time being.

Randall continued going to school, where he was teased for being gay or some sort of freak. He had athletic talent, but it lent itself more to swimming and running than football, which absolutely would not play. He hated the game and disliked the macho boys who played it.

“Becca, I can’t understand why everyone is so mean to me, just because I don’t like the same things they do”

“Randall, I don’t either. I think you are the best friend a person could have. I like you just the way you are. Don’t worry what other people think, Ok?”

“I know, but you don’t get picked on for being small or not very good at football or baseball.”

“Well, I am a girl, after all, no one expects me to play all these icky games. You’ll show them, Randall. You’ll take off and be twice the athlete any of those other boys will be, I just know it!”

“That’s just it, Becca. I don’t want to play those games.” sighed Randall.

One month later, Randall was involved in a fight with one of the school bullies who had been harrassing him. Randall didn’t fight back, but curled up into a ball while Wayne Jackson pounded and kicked him until the teacher broke up the fight. Wayne was suspended, but Randall was not disciplined as it was revealed he had not started the fight nor had he thrown any punches.

He was taken to the school nurse, who started checking Randall for injuries. She poked and prodded but other than some bruises, she found nothing wrong. Randall’s mother was called, and she came to the schools to pick up her son.

Randall was waiting for his mother in the office.

“What happened?” asked Gina.

“One of the troublemakers got physical with Randall,” replied Mr. Marvin, the principal. “he has been suspended pending a hearing with the school board. Randall did nothing wrong, but we would like you to take him to your physician to make sure everything is OK. The school district, will, of course, take care of any expense incurred” Mr. Marvin added.

“Randall is a model student, and we take bullying very seriously, Mrs. Harris”

“Thank you, Mr. Marvin. I appreciate your concern for the students, but why did this boy assault my son?”

“Apparently, he seems to think Randall is some sort of ‘sissy’, and decided that he would address the problem in his own way. I don’t agree with the bully’s assessment, but a 12 year old boy doesn’t always think rationally”

“Well, as long as you are handling the situation, I see no reason to take this any further” replied Gina. “but please, do what you can to protect Randall from future episodes like this”.

“I will do that, Mrs. Harris, rest assured”

“Thank you again, Mr. Marvin. Let’s go, honey”

“Ok, mom”.

They drove over to Dr. Andrews office. Gina had called on the way to the school, and let the doctor know they would be stopping by to get Randall checked out. Dr. Andrews was a close friend of the family, and thought nothing of inserting Randall and Gina into his day.

Gina stepped up to the receptionist desk.

“Hi, Martha, we need to see the doctor for a few minutes”

“No problem, Gina, he’s expecting you. Tanya will let you know when an exam room opens up.”

“Thanks, Martha. How are the twins?”

“Giving me gray hair. I can’t seem to keep up with them”

“Well, I know how bad two toddlers can be. I am glad to be out of that stage for now.” chortled Gina.

“How is the pregnancy going?” asked Martha.

“Better than the other two, I guess. Just a lot of heartburn.”

“Oh, you know what that means!”

“I know! Lots of pretty hair! I just know this one will be a girl!”

“Oh Gina, Randy would have just loved a girl” Martha stated.

“I would have loved to have seen his reaction,” Gina noted with sadness, ”but I’m sure he knows.”

“I know dear, I know” replied Martha.

Gina knew Martha knew exactly what she was going through. Martha lost her first husband 10 years prior to a drunk driver. She had since found a new love and had been married for the last 3 years to Tom, an accountant with a firm in Killeen.

Tanya Williams, the RN with Dr. Andrews called Gina and Randall to the exam room. Dr. Andrews came in about ten minutes later, after all of Randall’s statistics had been recorded by the nurse.

“So, Randall, got into a bit of a scrape, did we?”

“Yes, Doctor, but I think I’ll live” laughed Randall.

“Yes, well, you can’t let a couple of bullies get you down, we all have to deal with them sooner or later.”

“Right now, I’d take the later part, if it’s all the same to you, sir”

Gina had to laugh, as well as Dr. Andrews at that one.

“Yes, well, let’s have a look at you. Take off your shirt, please, Randall”

Randall took off his shirt, and the doctor began his exam. Bruises were starting to form on his back, shoulders and stomach.

Dr. Andrews looked at Randall’s chest, and found that Randall’s nipples were swollen.

“Randall, have you been experiencing tenderness in your chest?”

“Actually, yes I have, Doctor, right here, and here” said Randall, pointing to both his nipples.

“Interesting. Well, I don’t see any broken bones, but I’d like to send him over for x rays”

Dr. Andrews wrote an order for the x rays.

“Randall, Get dressed and go to the waiting room, I need to talk with your mother for a little bit.”

“All right, Doctor”

Dr. Andrews took Gina down to his office and closed the door.

“What is the problem, Doctor?” asked a concerned Gina.

“I know Randall’s history and the diagnosis of CAIS at birth. I also know that his father wanted to raise the child as a boy, against medical advice.”

“Oh, no” gasped Gina “I had completely forgotten. He’s beginning to develop, isn’t he”

“Yes, Gina, he is. I know that with the trouble you have been having and the loss of your husband, you haven’t had much time to think about it, but here are the facts. Randall will never develop into a full male. His body simply does not respond to the hormones that make a male who he is. Almost all CAIS patients are raised female because that’s the path of least resistance, if you will. Are you following me?”

“Yes, Doctor”

“Randall will continue to develop along the lines of a female with breasts, skeletal structure, and all that comes with being female. He has a vagina, but no uterus or ovaries, and his testes are for all intents and purposes non functioning. Simple surgeries can be performed to remove the testes, which, according to my examination have not descended and create a fully functoning vaginal canal and reconstruction of the vestigal penis to a normal clitoris. In short, we can make a physically functioning female out of Randall’s body, but we can’t do the opposite. His body chemistry won’t allow it.”

“I feel so terrible, Doctor. His father was so dead set against him being a girl, that I put it out of my mind, and with his death......”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it, Gina, it doesn’t make you a bad mother, It makes you human. But we still have to address this problem now rather than later. You need to talk to Randall, and I can give you the name of a great therapist in Austin to get gender counseling for both of you.”

“Thank you, Doctor, I’ll sit down with him tonight.”

(copyright, 2011)

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 2

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Genre:

Transitioning

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

TG Themes:

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Randall/Rachel's saga continues....

Chapter Two

The Decision

Gina drove home with Randall. She was quiet, and really didn’t know how she was going to broach the subject, but Randall beat her to the punch.

“Mom” he started, “What were you and the Doctor talking about? Is it serious?”

“Well, yes, honey, it is”

“Am I going to die?” he said quietly.

Gina quickly pulled off the road and into a parking lot. There were tears in her eyes as she looked at Randall. “No, you are not going to die, but we have something serious to discuss. Let’s go home and talk about it.” She stated flatly.

“Ok, mom”

Fifteen minutes later, Gina and Randall were sitting in her bedroom with the door closed. Garrett was playing his X Box, and wouldn’t be a problem.
“Honey, there’s something you should know about when you were born.”

“What”

“Well, you were born with a condition that prevents your body from processing the chemicals that makes a boy well.....a boy. You have noticed that you have a small, uhhh, penis, right?”

“I don’t know, is it small?” Randall said innocently.

“Well, yes it is, compared to other people.”

“And?”

“And, you have noticed that you also have something else between your legs, right?

“Uhhhhhh, yesss?” Randall was beginning to get embarrassed.

“That is called a vagina, and it’s something that girls have. You are actually kind of special.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means you can actually choose what you want to be, a boy or a girl. How do you feel about that”

“Scared”

“I understand, sweetie. I really do. And I don’t expect you to make a decision right away. We are going to Austin later this week to talk to someone who will help us through this decision.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but I need to tell you everything the doctor told me.”

“What?”

“That you will never be able to be fully a boy. If you choose, you can dress and do whatever a boy can do, but you will never be able to look completely like a boy, because your body can’t process the boy chemicals”

“So I have to be a girl”

“No, I would never make you choose one or the other. That is for you to decide. But you were also born without the normal sex organs of a girl, so if you choose to live as a girl, you will never be able to have children. However, there is less of a physical price to pay if you choose to live as a girl”

“So what am I? A nothing, a freak?”

“Not at all, baby. You are a special, wonderful person who has a lot to offer no matter which gender you choose. But I have to be honest, honey. No matter which direction you choose, there will be a price to pay. You can’t make this decision for anyone but yourself and what will make you the happiest.”

“I think I already knew that, Mom. Did you mean it when you said you thought I was special?”

“With all my heart, Randall”

“Mom, You may find this hard to believe, but I have already chosen, I think. I never have felt comfortable as a boy. I’m small, and I don’t like the same things other boys like. Becca is my best friend, and I have always wanted to be like her, but I didn’t know why. I think that now I do. I think I was meant to be a girl all along”

“That’s wonderful, dear. I’m happy with you no matter what. I want you to be happy.”

“Thanks, Mom. I love you very much.”

“I love you too, my sweet child”

Both mother and new daughter hugged and cried for the next hour.

The next day, Randall and his mother sat down with Garrett and explained the situation and Randall’s decision and everything that entailed. Garrett asked many questions and was careful to listen to the answers he never once thought of teasing Randall over this situation. Garrett was surprisingly nonplussed by the entire revelation.

“Wow....” sighed Garrett after the revelation. “Are you sure that you want to do this? I mean, I’m in your corner, but...man, this is going to go off like a bomb in school.”

“Which is exactly why I’m pulling Randall out of school, effective immediately” stated Gina determinedly. “I don’t need her dealing with the idiots that seem to crawl out of the woodwork every time someone a little different comes along”

“Uh, Mom?” said Garrett.

“Yes?”

“You said her”

“I did?”

“Yep” Garrett and Randall started smiling.

“Ok, so I did.” replied Gina as they both looked at her. “Well, she IS a girl after all.”

They could hold back the laughter no longer.

“So, new sister, now that all my questions have been answered. What about your name. I refuse to call my new sister Randall. That’s just weird.”

“And my other situation isn’t?”

“Nah, I’m over it”

“Well, I guess I hadn’t gotten that far yet. I suppose mom will have to name me again. What would my name have been if I was born a girl?”

“Rachel Diane. I loved that name, it was your great grandmother’s”

“Ooooh, I like it too! Rachel Diane it is then. But I guess I should hold off on using that name until I look the part a little more.”

“That would probably be for the best for now. Let’s wait until we talk to the therapist to get too far.” suggested Gina.

Friday came and Gina and Randall drove to Austin to the office of Dr. Julie Smith, who was the therapist suggested by Dr. Andrews. Dr. Smith specialized in the treatment of gender issues, and was highly respected in her field.

“Mrs. Harris, can I speak to Randall alone for a bit?”

“Certainly, Dr. Smith, I’ll just wait out here in the waiting room”

“Great, Mrs. Harris, I’ll have my receptionist get you something to drink.”

“Thank you”

“Right this way, Randall. Have a seat in this chair right here.”

“Ok, doctor” he said in a small voice.

“So, I read that you are a CAIS patient.”

“Yes, I am”

“How do you feel about that”

“Well, to be honest, it was kind of a relief finding out about it. I have always felt weird about doing ‘boy’ things. Not like my brother Garrett. He’s strong and really likes to play those boy games.” stated Randall.

“You say ‘boy games’. What do you mean by that?

“Well, my dad always insisted that I play the games Garrett did. My friend Becca and I always called them ‘boy games’ as opposed to the games we played, which were just ‘games’”

“What did you play with Becca?”

“Oh, make believe, where she was the princess and I was the prince. I always wanted to be the princess too, but my dad wouldn’t have liked it. He was always calling me a sissy for liking to play with Becca and her sister Angela. So I played boy games for dad and games with Becca and Angela.”

“Did you love your dad?”

“Oh yes! He was just sad after he came home from the war, and said mean things because he felt bad. It must have been really terrible over there. Mom said dad had to kill people in Iraq, and that made him sad”

“So you don’t resent him for making you play the part of a boy?

“Well, I was unhappy, now that I think about it, but I loved my father too much to hate or resent or whatever he did. I still miss him very much...I can’t explain it, but I know he loved me, he just couldn’t deal with everything the I was facing. Sometimes I wonder if God didn’t take him so he couldn’t be sad anymore. I think he knows what is happening to me now, and is happy for me.”

Dr. Smith talked with Randall for the next 45 minutes, going over the decision, its potential consequences, and finding out about the person that Randall was. After she was finished, she called Gina back in.

“Mrs. Harris?”

“Gina, please”

“All right, but you must call me Julie if I am going to continue seeing Randall, or Rachel, as it should be now. Your daughter is a very special person. She has every right to be angry and depressed about her situation, but I see none of that. You have done a great job with her”

“You mean I passed? I can go forward?” asked an incredulous Rachel.

“Young lady, I think the world would be a much brighter place with a girl like you in it” Julie said with a smile.

The newly-minted Rachel jumped up and down in excitement. “I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it. What am I going to do?”

“Slow down, Rachel,” cautioned Gina “I’m sure there’s more Julie has to say”

“Yes I do” added Julie. “From this point forward, you are to be Rachel Diane Harris, a twelve year old girl. I expect you to dress, walk, talk and act like the beautiful young lady you are. Total immersion, Gina. Do you understand? You have a brand new daughter”

“I understand, Julie. Kind of a total life makeover?”

“Exactly. My office will guide you through the process of changing Rachel’s identity from Randall’s. We’ve been through this many times, and you are going to have a lot to do in the coming weeks and months to help in Rachel’s transition.”

“This is going to be a busy time, isn’t it, Julie?” asked Gina.

“Yes, but if you keep your perspective, and don’t let the little things get in your way, it will be the most rewarding time of yours and Rachel’s life. We are partnering together in this for the long haul. I’ll be here when you need me. Is that clear?”

“Yes it is, Julie...and...and”

Gina could say no more. She sat down and started crying. She cried and cried like she was emptying out her soul. Julie and Rachel sat with her and hugged her. The loss of Randy, the revelation of Rachel’s true direction, uncertainty about the future, all came pouring out.

By the time she was done, Julie and Rachel’s eyes were wet with tears as well.

“I-I’m sorry, Julie, Rachel. I don’t know what came over me. I just realized that the child Randy named after himself was gone. It was like I lost him all over again. Now I have to get Rachel ready to face the world, and I have a new life, the last gift I have from Randy, growing inside me. It was all too much”

“Don’t worry about it, Mom. I understand. I kind of feel the same way.”

Julie added, “You see, Gina, that’s why I’m here helping you. This is one of the most stressful changes a parent can face. In a way, it’s like losing a child. The boy you brought up, loved and nurtured is gone. There’s no mistaking that. That relationship will never come back. In its place is a new relationship, one that will be closer than anything you could have shared with your son. You have a beautiful daughter. Rejoice in that, and remember all the good times you shared with your son. That person will always remain.”

“Thank you, Julie” said Gina as she wiped her eyes. “I needed to hear that”

“That’s why I’m here, Gina” smiled Julie. “Now, I’d like to get some blood work done on Rachel to make sure her hormone levels are within norms. I’ll go over the results with you family physician and an endocrinologist colleague of mine here in Austin. We may need to get Rachel on some meds if her levels aren’t good for a girl of her age. Remember, she doesn’t have ovaries to put out the hormones she needs to develop”

“Ok, Julie. Can we do the blood draw here?”

“I’d prefer it. Just go downstairs with this slip and they’ll take care of it. Oh, one more thing...”

“What’s that Julie?”

“I also prescribe several days of retail therapy to get this girl equipped.”

“Mom, what’s that”

Gina was smiling. “Shopping!”

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 3

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Genre:

Transitioning

TG Themes:

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Rachel begins to bloom...

Chapter Three

Retail Therapy

After Rachel lost what seemed to her like a gallon of blood. Gina had a plan for the rest of the day in Austin. The Barton Creek Mall was close to the Doctor’s office, and had all the stores they would need, and they were in Austin, after all.

“Ok honey, I think we need to get this going in an orderly fashion. Let’s stop at the California Pizza Kitchen and talk about a plan.”

“Sounds, yummy, Mom!”

“After ordering a ham and pineapple pizza, Mother and Daughter sat down at their table to plan their afternoon.

“What kind of clothes do you want to get, Rachel?”

“Well I guess a lot of different types, skirts, dresses, jeans, all kinds of tops.”

“Skirts? Dresses?”

“You don’t think I should wear skirts or dresses?”

“No, it’s not that, it’s just I didn’t think you would be ready for those just yet”

“Oh, I see” smiled Rachel. “Mom, I want to go all the way. I don’t want anyone thinking I’m a boy trying to look like a girl, I want to look a feminine as I can. Is that wrong?”

“Not at all, sweetie” laughed Gina. “This is going to be fun!”

Their pizza came and Gina was amazed to look at Rachel. The girl that till this morning was technically her son had all the mannerisms of a girl her age. She took little bites, sat properly, and chatted away like this was the most normal thing in the world. Her face, Gina noticed, for the first time, looked beautiful, totally girl. Gina wondered why she hadn’t seen it before. Rachel’s hair was a mess. It had been 4 months since it had been cut, and it would take a hairstyling genius to make it look like anything remotely attractive. But that still couldn’t take away from her natural beauty. She looked exactly like Grandmother Reyes, Gina’s maternal grandmother, who immigrated from Mexico on the 1950’s. Gina couldn’t help wondering why she hadn’t noticed before.

They finished their meal and started their assault on the shops. They hit the anchor stores, found some cute things at JC Penney’s and Nordstroms. Gina bought Rachel some basic lingerie and a couple of padded training bras to give her a little shape on top.

Rachel was so excited to try on the new clothes that she was almost out of control, but Gina let her explore her inner girl. Inside the changing room, Rachel put on her first pair of panties, and the training bra. It felt so much better on her newly developing chest. Rachel picked out a pink baby tee, a pair of jeans and a new pair of pink trainers to wear out of the first store. The old boy clothes made it to the trash.

Gina insisted Rachel get a hat to cover her unruly mop until they could fix it. They hit store after store, building a wardrobe that any teen girl would have been proud of.

“Rachel, I am just amazed at how well you fill out those jeans.”

“Thanks, mom. I didn’t know I could. Does my rear end look fat in them?”

Gina burst out laughing.

“What, Mom?”

“You are such a girl!”

By the time they finished shopping, they had spent over fifteen hundred dollars on the new wardrobe. Rachel had enough skirts for every day of the week and then some, enough jeans for two weeks, tops and blouses, shoes, both casual and dressy and enough underwear to make three girls happy. There was one more thing to do.

“Well, Rachel, It’s time for the time honored tradition among girls who are getting out for the first time”

“What’s that, Mom?

“Makeover!”

The happy screech could be heard halfway to Dallas.

Gina had made a call to a salon she knew from her days as a student at the University of Texas. She explained that she had a fashion emergency and needed an appointment ASAP. The owner was able to get them in by 5:00 that afternoon as a favor to Gina. They would be staying over, but the prospect of turning a caterpillar into a butterfly was too much to resist.

Gina and Rachel made it to the salon at 4:30, and due to a cancellation were able to get started early.

“Hi, Jackie” said Gina.

“Gina! You look wonderful! And pregnant again, I see. Where’s Randy?”

“Oh, I guess you didn’t hear. He was killed in Iraq a few months ago”

Jackie gasped. “Oh you poor dear. I didn’t know. I am so sorry” Jackie reached to give Gina a hug. “How are you doing?”

“Oh, we’re getting by. It’s hard sometimes, but my family makes it bearable.”

The two women exchanged pleasantries for the next few minutes.

“So, you are Rachel?”

“Yes, ma’am” came the quiet reply.

“Please! Call me Jackie! Everyone does, honey.”

“Ok, Jackie” said Rachel with a shy smile.

“Oh, you are a pretty one!” exclaimed Jackie “Is she your niece, Gina?”

“No, she’s my daughter.”

“Your daughter? I thought you had two sons?”

“I did” came the reply.

“I don’t get it” said Jackie.

“Long story. I’ll tell you while you take care of her.”

Jackie listened in awe to Rachel’s story while she worked her magic on Rachel’s hair. the best she could do was a cute shaggy bob. Jackie then started putting makeup on Rachel’s face, instructing her on what she was doing the whole time. When Jackie was finished, she had Rachel look in the mirror. What Rachel saw shocked her. A light application of foundation, some eyeliner and pink lip gloss was all it took.

“That’s me?” She touched the mirror. “I’m pretty” she whispered.

“You’re more than that, girl. You are a knockout!” announced Jackie. “You were totally wasted as a boy!”

Gina and Rachel laughed. “I can’t believe it, Jackie” cried Gina. “she looks amazing!”

“Yes she does. And the best part about it, is it’s easy to do. I’ll get you the makeup I used and she’ll be doing it herself in no time.”

Jackie took care of getting the right makeup and put it in a bag for Rachel.

“Gina, Thank you for bringing her to me for her first cut and makeup. I’ll remember this forever”

“You’re welcome Jackie. I don’t get into town nearly often enough. I had forgotten how good you are. What do I owe you?”

“Not one dime, missy. This one is on me. Consider it my birthday present to Rachel!”

“Oh, thank you Jackie!” said an excited Rachel. “You’ve made me so pretty!”

“You are welcome, Rachel. I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”

After the requisite hugs, Gina and Rachel started back to Martinsburg. Rachel was asleep five minutes after they started.
”¨
By the time they got back home, it was almost 10:00 PM . Gina woke Rachel up and asked her if she wanted to show her brother the new look. A drowsy Rachel suddenly perked up and said an enthusiastic “Yes!”.

Gina went in first, and announced “The arrival of the new princess of the realm, Rachel!”

Rachel walked in, and Garrett was caught doing his impression of a goldfish.

“Ta Daaaa!” shouted Rachel

“No freakin’ way!” said a stunned Garrett.

“Language, young man!” corrected his mother.

“Sorry.....uhhhh......wow. You look great!”

“Just great, big brother?”

“I’m going to need a shotgun to keep the little boys away from you” he grinned “Unbelievable, Rachel!”

Rachel knew she would always remember Friday, September 19th, 2008. It was her new birthday.

“All right kids, your mom is beat and I know Rachel is tired, so lets get to bed and we can talk about all these changes tomorrow. Garrett, you need to be in the loop on all of this”

Rachel agreed. “I am tired mom. I need to get cleaned up for bed.”

“Ok, sweetie, Get your makeup cleaned off with this makeup remover and make sure it’s all off before you get into bed. I don’t want to have to clean the image of your face off of the pillow case.”

Rachel giggled. “All right, Mom” and she ran up to her room to get ready for bed.

She cleaned her face and got her new pajamas unpacked. They were a cute short and top set in a light shade of blue. She put them on and in five minutes she was asleep.

On Saturday mornings, Gina let her children sleep in. Before, Randall, now Rachel wouldn’t get out of bed until at least ten, and Garrett wouldn’t be up before eleven. Today, however, would be different. At seven thirty, Rachel came skipping down the stairs and came into the kitchen where her mom was having her morning cup of coffee.

“Good morning, mother!” Rachel chirped.

“My goodness, child, what has gotten into you this morning! You are never up at this hour. Who are you and what have you done with my child!”

“Oh, Mom. I just feel like I have a reason to get up this morning. To start my new life!”

Gina laughed “I had a feeling that you would be down early. You were quite excited last night and I wanted to let you stay up a little later, but after all we did in Austin yesterday, I knew you were as tired as I was. Can I get you some orange juice?”

“No thanks, Mom, I can get it. Would you like anything else?”

“No, thank you, dear. But thank you for offering. Do you want me to fix you something for breakfast?”

“Actually, Mom, I was wondering if you could start teaching me how to cook. Maybe some scrambled eggs and toast?”

Gina put her hands to her chest in a mock heart attack and gasped “Now I know you aren’t my child!”

“Ohhhhh, mother. Stop being so silly. Don’t you think I should learn sometime?”

“Oh, Rachel, you’re right. I just wish some of these new breakthroughs could be my idea every once in awhile! And yes, you should learn, as should your lazy brother. Lets get started, ok”

“Cool!” exclaimed Rachel.

Rachel and her mother had quite a time, laughing and preparing the eggs and toast. Gina hadn’t had so much fun in years getting a meal ready. Rachel absorbed everything her mother taught her as if everything depended on this meal being right. Her mother realized what mothers who don’t have little girls are missing. She had someone to share things with now.

After the meal was prepared and eaten, Rachel went upstairs to get ready for the day. She showered and washed her hair. When she was done, she picked out a pair of white medium length shorts and a purple scoop-necked tee. Then Rachel realized she needed some help.

“Motherrrrrr! I need some help!”

“Coming, dear.”

Gina ran up the stairs to Rachel’s bathroom. “What’s up, honey?”

“Can you show me how to do my hair and makeup?”
“”Sure! Do you want me to do it?” Gina asked.

“No, I need to learn how. Can you teach me?”

“Why, I’d be glad to!”

Gina showed Rachel the fine art of a blow dryer and a brush, and after three rewets Rachel had her hair looking like it had when she left the parlor Friday. Another forty five minutes later, and Rachel had done her makeup to nearly like it had looked the night before. Rachel was proving to be a quick study.

Gina asked “Rachel, can I do something for you?”

“What’s that, Mom?”

“Can I do your nails?”

“Do I need to?”

“No, but your nails would look really cute in this light shade of pink I bought yesterday. would you mind? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“No, Mom, I would really like that, and you can show me how to take care of them too.”

Gina started giving Rachel a manicure, trimming her finger and toe nails and filing and painting them, the two of them talking like long-lost girlfriends. When she was done, Rachel was looking at her fingers and toes, amazed at how such a light color really set off her hands and feet.

“Oh, Mom, they are so pretty! Thank you!”

“It was my pleasure, sweetheart. I had forgotten how fun that could be. You can do mine sometime.”

“I’d like that, Mom.”

Gina switched to a more serious tone. “You know, this has been fun, but the real stress of your change is going to begin soon, and we need to talk about it before anyone else comes in, including your brother.”

“What do you mean, Mom?”

“Well no one really knows about your change right now. We’ve been keeping that quiet until you made your decision. You are going to have to go out into the world sooner or later, you know. That means telling people about your change.”

Rachel seemed to deflate a little. “I forgot about that” she said softly.

“We aren’t going to stop going to church, are we?”

“No”

“Then we need to tell our friends there. I think it would be a good idea to call the Pastor over and tell him what has been going on before we just show up.”

“He won’t call me names, will he?”

“Not if he knows what’s good for him, he won’t.” Gina laughed. “Seriously, honey, I have prepared him for what he is going to see. I think you’ll be surprised at his reaction. Pastor Adams is a very good man. In fact, he and his wife are coming over this afternoon.”

“Oh, gosh! Do I look ok? I don’t want to give the wrong impression!”

“You look just fine, dear. There is also Becca and Angela..”

“I forgot about them! I’ve been so busy with everything I didn’t think to tell them!”

“Don’t worry about that either. I told them that you had been very busy with some things, and you had a surprise for them. I’ll let you spring the big news.”

“I hope they are ok with everything. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing Becca as a friend. Angela is great too, but she’s Garrett’s age.”

“We’ll just have to pray they will be open minded, but I think everything will be fine.” Gina then added, “Now comes the hard part.”

“What’s that?”

“Telling your grandparents”

“Oh, crap”

“RACHEL!”

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 4

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Genre:

Transitioning

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

TG Themes:

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Chapter 4

Revelations

Rachel blushed a deep red. “Sorry, Mom, I just completely forgot about telling my grandparents”
“Well, young lady, one of the first things you need to know is that in this house, ladies watch their language. What you said is not that bad, but if you don’t watch it now, soon you are saying a lot worse, and nothing is more offensive to me than a foul-mouthed woman. Leave that kind of talk to the less refined. Trust me, a man you want to marry is going to be attracted to a lady more than just a girl.”

Rachel blushed even harder. “Mother! I can’t even think about dating a boy yet, let alone getting married!”

Gina had to laugh at her daughter’s reaction. “I know, honey, but you have to prepare yourself. you have 12 years of catching up to do, and you don’t hear me talking like that. And if you ever do, feel free to light into me too, ok?”

“You mean I get to correct you?”

“Yes, but within reason” laughed Gina. “You don’t get to ground me”

“Rats!”

“That’s better”

Garrett shambled down the stairs, grumbling. “What is all the racket! I can’t get any sleep!”

“Good afternoon, sleepyhead!” squealed Rachel as she ran over to give her brother a huge hug.

“Afternoon? It’s only 11:49” Garrett growled. His voice had dropped an octave over the last year. At 14 he was maturing early. Garrett was already 6’ 1” and weighed 170 pounds. The doctor said he would probably top out at around 6’6” or 6’7” and be very large.

Garrett worked out for 2 hours every day even now and ran every day. He had very little patience for his peers who he said had no “push” to excel. The varsity football coach was already looking at Garrett as a future star with potential for major college and the NFL . He was also a straight A student, and he had no shortage of female admirers. Rachel loved her brother very much, respected him more, and would do anything to make him happy.

“That’s my son, up at the crack of noon” joked Gina. How late or should I say early were you up?”

“Oh, about two, I guess. I was on Xbox live and got a little too involved in a Halo game.”

“Garrett! You shouldn’t be up that late!”

“Awww, Mom, It’s only once a week”

“Ohhhh, I know. I still don’t have to like it” replied Gina.

“Here’s your OJ, Garrett” said Rachel. “Can I make you something to eat?”

Garrett was shocked. “Juice, for me?”

“Yes, silly, I already had my breakfast. I’ve been up since about 7:30.”

“Uhhhhh, thanks?” replied Garrett. “Mom, don’t be alarmed, but there’s a pod person here.” The reference was not lost on Rachel, who loved the original version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

“All right, smart aleck” pouted Rachel. “Can’t I do something nice for my brother?”

“Yes, Garrett. Have you also outgrown your manners, caveman?” added Gina.

“No, ma’am. Thank you Rachel, I would love something to eat” Garret added, a bit embarrassed.

“That’s much better, son”

“What would you like, eggs, eggs, or eggs. That’s all I know how to cook right now, but they are delicious”

“You know, I think I’ll have the eggs, over easy, with toast, sweetheart” he added a slap on Rachel’s bottom for good measure, playing the short order customer to the hilt.

Rachel squealed and laughed. “Scrambled eggs and toast it is, then”

“Hey, I said over easy!”

“Sorry, I only know how to make scrambled, loser” She then stuck her tongue out at him.

“Garrett! Who taught you to behave like that! It better have not been your father!” Gina said with a barely disguised smile.

“Well, not exactly, but we did go to the diner a time or two.”

“Rachel, see what I mean about the right kind of man? Avoid large, grinning idiots like this fellow at all costs!” then she burst out laughing, followed by her children.

After Garrett finished mauling the half dozen eggs, 4 slices of toast and another large glass of juice, he said, “Wow. I could get used to this, thanks, sis. I owe you one.”

“Ohhh, it was fun. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I know I did”

Garrett marveled at his sister. It seemed weird to him that just three days ago, she was just another boy, small, a bit girly, but a boy. He could see no trace of that boy now. Rachel was graceful beyond her years, and had the sweetest personality. He decided to ask. “Hey Rachel, what’s up? You seem to have taken to this change rather well. I can’t believe that you were a normal boy just three days ago”

“You know, Garrett I guess I’ve thought about it too. I feel so much more comfortable with myself now. Like this is the way I’ve always been. I guess I was really play acting before, and now I’m who I really am. Does that make sense?”

“Actually, it does. I take it you are happy now?”

“This is the happiest I’ve been my whole life, Garrett.”

“I’m really glad for you sis, I really am. you deserve it.” Garrett said as he brought her into a hug.

Tears started down Rachel’s face. “Thank you so much, Garrett. I love you sooo much. You’ve always been there for me.”

“Hey, no mushy stuff, kid!” Garrett joked. “But I love you too, little sis” he added almost at a whisper.

Rachel laughed and backed away. “Now I’ve messed up my eyes!”

Gina had been watching from the hallway, her eyes moist. “Let’s go fix you up, dear”

As they were upstairs repairing the damage to their makeup, Gina told Rachel that Pastor Adams and his wife would be by at one o’clock. they had 10 minutes to get ready.

“Do I look ok, mom?”

“You look wonderful, and I’m very proud of you”

At one o’clock, there was a knock at the door. It was Pastor Jim Adams, the Senior Pastor at Martinsburg Baptist Church, where the Harris family started going after Randy died. Pastor Adams was 47, a tall, balding man, with a dignified air and an easy wit. He was descended from John Adams, the second President of the United States, through John Quincy Adams, who also held that office. With him was his wife Amy, a short, stocky woman of 45 with a smile that put everyone at ease. Gina greeted them at the door.

“Come in, Pastor, Amy. Thank you for coming to see us today, I know you are very busy on Saturdays.

“It’s quite all right, Gina. When one of my flock is in need, I wouldn’t be doing God’s work if I ignored them. You said it was important, and that you needed me to see one of your children. Is Garrett or Randall in trouble?

“Not exactly. You heard about Randall being assaulted at school this week?”

“Yes, I’ve been praying for him. Is he well?”

“Yes, bruised but otherwise unhurt.”

“Then what is the problem, does he need counseling?”

“Well yes, and no. As a result of the exam after the attack, I was forced to face some things that I had ignored since Randall was born. Randy, my husband was in denial about some things, as was I.”

“But....”

“Please, let me explain. Randall was born with a condition called CAIS, or complete androgen insensitivity syndrome.”

“I haven’t heard of this. Is it serious?”

“It’s not life threatening, but it is serious. It means that Randall is totally unable to respond to male hormones. This wasn’t a problem until puberty began to arrive. Randall will never be able to fully mature as a male.”

“I had no idea, Gina”

“It gets worse, and it gets better. 99% of people who are born with this syndrome are raised as girls. They are genetically XY, but for all intents and purposes are girls, as they cannot function as males, and do not respond as males. Do you follow me so far?”

“Yes” said both Pastor Adams and Amy simultaneously as they were leaning forward in their seats.

“As a result of what we discovered, and on the medical advice of several doctors, Randall has decided to begin living as a female.”

Pastor Adams and his wife gasped. “Dear Lord.....Gina, please, continue”

“Her name now is Rachel, which is what I would have named her if she had been allowed to be a girl at birth. I brought you here to meet Rachel, and to get to know her. We want to continue going you your church, but I want you to know that we realize there are narrow-minded people in every congregation, and you can expect a backlash from those people. I respect you, Pastor, and I do not want to cause trouble in the congregation. This is why I have asked you to come today.”

Pastor Adams was quiet. He was a wise man, and wise men think before they speak. After a minute, he said, “I’d like to meet Rachel. How about you, dear”

“Yes Jim, I would like that very much.”

“Rachel, You can come down now.”

Rachel came slowly down the stairs, head down. She walked over to where her mother was. She spoke softly and in a shaky voice, “P-pastor Adams, Mrs. Adams.”

“Come here child, let me see you” he said gently.

Rachel walked over to Pastor Adams. She looked up at him, as he was nearly a foot taller.

“How are you doing, Rachel?” he asked.

“I’m fine, sir.”

“How do you feel about this whole thing, Rachel?”

“Nervous, but I feel like this is who I am. I don’t want to make anyone mad, but I can’t be the boy my dad wanted me to be, emotionally or physically. I am I going to hell?”

“No, child, I think you’re just being who God meant for you to be. Looking at you, anyone who could call you a boy is either blind or stupid.”

“Really, Pastor?”

“Really. What do you think, Amy?”

“What a stunning young lady” she smiled with that big smile. “who can argue with the way you look”

Gina was weeping now. This was big for her. She loved going to church, and didn’t want to lose that. But she would have, for Rachel’s sake.

“Gina, I have no problem with you or anyone coming to church. The church is a place for healing and fellowship. I’ll need to pray about this. This isn’t something I have ever run across, but these issues are coming up in our churches whether we want to deal with them or not. In Rachel’s case, it is clearly in her best interest to remain as the girl she is. She should have been that from the start. If anyone has a problem with her, well, I guess they can either leave or get over it. There are issues here that go beyond just Rachel’s situation. Gay, lesbian, or other transgender issues are sticky problems that I don’t quite know how to deal with. There are issues involved in those lifestyles that go against scripture as I understand it. I can’t condone the lifestyle. Gay or lesbian, I feel that the lifestyle is wrong. However, I can’t bring it to myself to hate people based on a lifestyle choice. Jesus was not about that. He prayed for the people that killed him. I am commanded to love my fellow man, or woman. If I want to reach people, I can’t do that by beating them over the head with the Bible, but I can reach them by loving them as I love myself. Transgender issues are another story for me, maybe even sadder. I feel a great swell of sadness for someone who feels they were born in the wrong body. It must be terrible. In my faith, I believe that God creates all life, and we are born the sex we are supposed to be. I believe God doesn’t make mistakes. But I also know that our bodies aren’t the perfect creation that emerged from the garden of Eden. Are we sometimes victims of chemical imbalances that cloud our thinking? Is it possible that some mishap in the womb causes someone to have the thought process of a female and the body of a male? I don’t know. I just know that while I may not agree with people’s choices, I’m bound to love those people, just like I love myself, and let God do his work, whatever that may be... No, Rachel, Gina. You won’t find any judgement from me. In fact, you have my support that you made the right decision. I may need to do some additions to my sermon, though” he added with a smile, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to preach. It’s just what I do.”

“Thank you so much, Pastor” said Gina. “You have no idea what your support means”

Pastor Adams smiled. “We live in complicated times, Gina. Rachel, you are going to live a complicated life until this transitional period passes” he paused “And it will pass. Be strong, be true to your faith and yourself, and you will be fine”

“I will, Pastor Adams”

“I believe you will, Rachel”

“Well, Amy and I need to get going, I have a lot to pray and think about. Whatever happens in the future, ladies, good or bad, you have our love and support.”

“Rachel,” Amy added. You come see us in the teen life group if you want to. You are welcome anytime”

“Thank you, Mrs. Adams, I just might, if you think the girls will be nice”

“I can’t guarantee that, Rachel, but people aren’t always nice, and you’ll be dealing a lot with intolerance in the next few years. It may help you to deal with other people. You might be surprised how you are treated. Just think about it. Maybe not tomorrow, but do come soon.”

“I will”

Pastor and Mrs. Adams left, leaving Rachel a lot to think about. Gina realized that it was almost three o’clock, and that she had arranged for Becca and Angela to come over. Garrett had gone to the gym to work out, so she didn’t have to deal with Angela mooning over him. It was a well known fact that Angela had a serious crush on Garrett. She need Angela to focus on Rachel for the moment.

At that time, the doorbell rang, and Gina looked out to see Angela and Becca on the front porch.

“Rachel, get upstairs!” Gina hissed.

“I’m already up, mom” came the reply.

“Hi girls!” greeted Gina “Come on in.”

Becca had some flowers for her friend, and Angela had a gift in a box. they had no clue what was about to happen.

“How’s Randall,” Becca asked “ I heard he was pretty badly beaten up by that pig Wayne.

“Well, not too good, I’m afraid”

“Oh no! Can we see him?”

“Well, I guess so, but he’s changed quite a bit. You might be shocked at his appearance” it was all Gina could do to keep from laughing.

Gina and Rachel had set this up this morning. “Randall, Please come down, Becca and Angela are here! Do you feel up to visitors?”

“I guess so, came the weak, moaning reply”

Gina glanced over at Becca and Angela, who had concern etched on their faces. Rachel was terrible.

A blanket covered figure came slowly down the steps, moaning with each step. “What a ham” thought Gina.

“Randall, are you ok? Asked Becca, who was close to tears.

“Well now that you mention it, Wayne beat me sooo hard, soooo hard...” The blanket came off.

“He beat the boy right out of me!”

Angela screamed. Becca fainted on the spot.

Gina and Rachel looked at each other and screamed.

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 5

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Genre:

Transitioning

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

TG Themes:

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Chapter 5

More Revelations

Gina and Rachel ran to where Becca laid.

“Oh my gosh! Becca! Wake up!” Gina held the prostrate girl in her arms. Rachel ran to Angela who appeared to be in a mild state of shock.

“W-W-What happened?” said a slightly loopy Becca.

“You fainted, honey”

“Oh, I remember now, I thought that Randall was a girl. Crazy, huh”

Angela was looking at Rachel. “Is that you, Randall?”

Rachel was embarrassed beyond her ability to speak. “Y-Y-Yes. I’m soooo sorry I shocked you, Angela. I guess I wasn’t thinking. I guess I’ve got a lot of explaining to do, huh?”

Becca was still a little shaky, when she looked at her friend. “Randall? You scared me half to death!”

Gina helped Becca over to the couch. “What’s going on, Mrs. Harris? Is this a joke?”

Gina looked at Rachel, and they both realized they had made a mistake. “Becca, It’s a long story. Why don’t I get you all something to drink and I’ll let Rachel explain everything”

“Rachel? Who’s that?”

“It’s me, Becca, I used to be Randall, now I’m Rachel”

“I don’t understand.”

For the next hour, Rachel and Gina explained to the girls what had happened, and the facts involved. Angela and Becca slowly began to understand what was going on. They had many questions, most that Rachel and Gina had heard before. They answered the questions the best they could. Finally, the girls had understanding of the change in their friend.

“So you really are a girl, and have been all along?” asked Becca.”¨

“Yes, I have most of the parts every girl has, except I can never have babies. I’ll eventually have to have surgery down there to fix some things that were wrong when I was born”

“Wow, Rachel” said Angela. “How is Garrett with all of this?”

“He’s been so wonderful through it all. He accepts me for who I am”

“Well if Garrett’s ok, then so am I” announced Angela. “Are you happy?”

“Yes I am, totally happy” I feel like I’ve been let loose from a cocoon. Are you ok with me, Becca. I don’t want to lose you as a friend. That’s why I decided to tell you and Angela first”

Becca immediately said “I can’t believe you did this. No, I’m not ok with it! How could you!”

Rachel, started to tear up, and was almost ready to cry, when Becca said “Gotcha! How do you like that, Miss Smarty Pants!”

Rachel didn’t know what to say, other than “I guess I had that coming”

“Yes you did. No more jokes, ok?”

“No more jokes”

Everyone started laughing after that.

Garrett came back from his workout and Gina suggested they go out for Chinese. There was a popular buffet down the road in Killeen, just off the base, where the Harris family went in happier times. They called the Conways, Becca and Angela’s parents, to get permission for the girls to go. They got the all clear to go, and much to Angela’s delight, Garrett was going too.

“Rachel, why don’t you get changed to go. It’s getting a little chilly for shorts”

“Ok, Mom”

Rachel headed upstairs with Becca and Angela close behind. They got to Rachel’s room and began to look through her closet.

“I am totally jealous of you, Rachel. When did you get all these clothes?” asked Becca

“I got them in Austin yesterday after my appointment with my therapist. She gave me the go ahead and Mom and I went a little crazy at the mall”

Angela suddenly declared,“I so have to see you in a skirt or a dress!”

“Ok! That would be cool! I have a few that we can look at”

“What? You don’t care?” asked a shocked Angela

“No....would you care?”

“You really are a girl, aren’t you?”

“Well, yes I am, now that you mention it. I like skirts and dresses, They are way more comfortable than jeans”

They looked at the selection Rachel had and chose a cotton floral print casual dress that was pastel blue with pink flowers. It came to just above her knees. She went into the bathroom to change.

“Why are you going in there? asked Angela. “We’re all girls here”

“I know, Ang, but I’m not comfortable enough in my skin just yet. It feels funny right now being in my bedroom with two girls. I hope you understand for now.”

“Sure, girl, I get it, no problem” said Angela “But hurry up. I’m starving!”

Rachel changed into her dress and picked out a pair of matching sandals. She brushed her hair, freshened her makeup and came back out.

“Oooooohhh, you look fabulous” cried Becca “And you did your own makeup! What were you doing all that time you were pretending to be a boy? Practicing?”

Rachel did a little twirl “Thank you! I just started yesterday, but I practiced quite a bit today. I don’t use much, so it isn’t that hard. Let’s go!”

Rachel grabbed her little bag and put her small makeup case in with some lip gloss. She flounced down the stairs where Gina and Garrett were waiting.

“A dress? You’re wearing a dress?” asked a bewildered Garrett.

“Quiet, Garrett. Your sister looks lovely!” corrected Gina.

“I know....that’s the problem” he chuckled. “I’ll never get any peace with three cute girls with us. Excuse me, four cute girls.

Gina and the girls giggled.

“All right, young man. Flattery will get you nowhere with me. Ohhh, who am I kidding, It’ll get you a hug from this girl!” she said as she hugged her son.

They got on the freeway for the 10 minute drive to the buffet. And as Garrett predicted, a lot of young men’s eyes were directed to the girls. Rachel was a bit unprepared for the scrutiny she got. Boys were looking at her, and not like they did last week. She was only 12, and the looks creeped her out. But she did enjoy the attention from the waiter, she decided. She also decided she liked to wear dresses. They made her feel grown up and totally feminine at the same time.

After eating way too much food, they headed back to town and they decided to drop the girls off at home. It was then that Rachel felt she needed to speak to Mr. and Mrs. Conway personally.

“Mom, I think we should stop in at the Conway’s and explain to them my situation.”

Becca and Angela thought it would be a good idea as well. Gina also agreed.

“I was going to suggest it, but I was hoping you would come up with that idea on your own” said Gina.

They got to the Conway home and everyone got out. As they came up to the front porch, Mr. Conway greeted them.

“Well hello, Gina, Garrett. Who’s this young lady with you?”

“Well Hal”, Gina began, “this is Rachel. Is Mary home”

“Yes she is. Come on in! Mary, Gina Harris is here!”

Mary Conway came in to the front room. She was 35, and spent a lifetime in central Texas.

“Gina? Well come on in, y’all! would y’all like somethin’ to drink? Who is this pretty girl with you. My but she does look familiar”

“No thank you, Mary but I would like to talk to you and Hal for a bit"

“What’s up, Gina, trouble? How can we help”

“Well thanks for the offer Hal, but I really need to talk to you about Rachel”

Rachel and the girls went upstairs as did Garrett, albeit reluctantly.

Gina then related Rachel’s tale to a shocked Mary and Hal Conway.

After Gina was done explaining the situation, Hal spoke up.

“Well, don’t take this the wrong way, but I thought Randall was a girl the first time I laid eyes on him...her...you know. I guess I was right all along”

Mary said “I did too. Randall was always such a sweet boy, I thought, much too nice to be a boy. This is a relief. I am so glad this worked out. No offense, Gina, but I was sometimes horrified at the way Randy treated that poor child”

“None taken, Mary. I was in quite a bit of denial about Randy’s mental condition after he came back from Iraq the first time. I guess if that was what it took to get Rachel, then something good came about from Randy’s sacrifice. I’m afraid of how he would have been after his second tour. I just think that Randy is finally at peace now”

“I can’t help but agree, Gina” added Hal. “I know that Randy had PTSD, but wasn’t seeking help. I was in Desert Storm, and I know that if you don’t get professional help for it, your chances of recovery go down significantly”

“Did you suffer from it, Hal?”

“Nope, I was rear echelon, quartermaster corps. Never saw a minute’s action. Knew boys who did, though. Killing people doesn’t come natural to man no matter what anyone says. If you get used to killing, you become less human. The stress is normal for any normal person. But you can’t be too proud to seek help. The esprit de corps doesn’t help. You’re seen as a section 8 waiting to happen if you see the shrink. It is getting better now, as more soldiers are seeking that help”

“On another note, have you told yours and Randy’s parents about this?”

“Not yet. I’ll do that tomorrow. Mine will be fine. I think Randy’s mother will be fine. I don’t know about the General. He worries me. Randy was a lot like him”

“Well, you defend your children. If Lieutenant General Barton Harris doesn’t like it. Tell him to pound sand. You are the Commander in Chief of the Gina Harris family, and you don’t have to give in to anyone” offered Hal.

“You don’t actually believe that line do you?”

“Nah, but do it anyway. It’ll be his loss if he doesn’t get to know that sweet girl you have”

Upstairs, The girls and Garrett were talking.

“So, are you going to be at school on Monday” asked Becca.

“No, Mom is pulling me out and will start homeschooling me. I can’t face the stress right now, and my therapist agrees”

“Oh....that’s too bad” said a disappointed Becca. “I was hoping to have my new girlfriend with me now”

“It’s just too risky right now. My doctor told me that people who go through what I’m going through are at a greater risk of being beaten up or worse. I can’t face that right now. I would also appreciate it if you could not talk about my situation right now, it will keep unnecessary attention away from me. Doctor Smith said news people like stories like mine for some reason”

“Don’t worry about us, Rachel” said Angela. “We’ll do our best to keep a lid on it”

“Thanks, I really appreciate it”

Gina gathered Garrett and Rachel up and they drove home. It was getting late, and they had church tomorrow. Rachel was dreading that for some reason. She couldn’t figure out why.

Sunday morning broke early for Rachel. She was up at seven and took care of her morning needs, then was in he shower. She loved to take long showers and this morning was no exception. She thought about the changes she had gone through and what more she was going to face. She was broken out of her thoughts by her mother.

“Rachel, get moving, dear. We’re running out of hot water, and Garrett needs to shower too. I’m glad I got up at 6. Goodness!”

Rachel got out of the shower and dried herself off. The soap and shampoo she used had matching lavender fragrance, and she loved that smell. She went into her room and picked out her underwear and a pink training bra. Then she got her church dress, a light pink tiered cotton one with a scoop neck and fairly wide shoulder straps. The length was slightly below mid thigh. A pair of strappy pink sandals completed the look. She styled her hair without too much difficulty, and did her makeup as she had been shown, adding a touch of mascara with the eyeliner, and a little blush.

“Mom, how do I look?”

Gina gave her the once over. “you look wonderful, dear. Great job on the makeup! You are really catching on fast. We’ll have to start experimenting with new looks for you.

“Thanks, Mom”

They were ready to go to the early service by 8:30, and made it to the church 5 minutes before start. Rachel was holding on to her mother’s hand with a death grip.

“Are you ok, honey?”

“Just a little scared, I guess.”

“Well we’ll just go to the service and be out in no time. Thank you for doing this, Rachel. I know you are scared, but this is important for you to get out into the world”

They entered the building, and Rachel felt the stares of several people in the building She saw people who knew who she was, apparently word did get out. Some older folks scowled at her, and whispered to each other. Rachel felt her heart beat faster and she closed her eyes. She wished that Becca was here. She heard someone in the lobby say “There’s that transvestite. What’s he doing here?” She hugged her mother tighter.

Gina, Garrett and Rachel sat in a pew close to the back. Rachel’s head was down, but she could feel the stares of the people close by. She could hear whispers. Her heart beat faster. A few people came up to Gina and Garrett to shake their hands, but no one offered a hand to Rachel. She looked up and saw a couple of older girls looking at her and laughing. Were they laughing at her? She put her head down again, afraid of what she might see. Tears started to run down her face. She was glad she brought tissue in her purse.

The service started, and the song leader started by having everyone sing “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”, followed by several choruses. Rachel stood when people stood, sat when people sat, but heard nothing other than the whispers of people close by. “what is it doing here” “that whole family should be ashamed” “pervert”. The offering was passed, and the sermon was started. The pastor had just gotten started, when Dan Buford, a deacon in the church stood up and said “I’d like to know when we started letting perverts like that little homo Harris boy show up in God’s house dressed like a little whore!”

This was greeted by a chorus of amens from more than a few of the people in the congregation. Rachel started sobbing quietly, never looking up.

“Sit down, Dan” said Pastor Adams. “There is a time and a place for those comments, and it is not in the middle of the service. And I’ll thank you to watch your tongue”

Jim Benson stood up “Randy Harris would be ashamed of the abomination that his son has become”

“Please! Can we have some order here! Show some sense of love for this child! There are circumstances that you don’t know!” shouted Pastor Adams.

Bill Nickles stood up to defend the Harris family. “They have just gone through a tragedy, Dan. Their reasons are their own. Don’t judge unless you want to be judged”

This was greeted by agreement and then derision, and then more people got up to defend and condemn the little girl. Rachel sat with her head down, crying into her mother’s arm.

Then a loud voice echoed through the church. “THAT’S IT!!!!” the room got silent.
It was Garrett Harris, the 14 year old who called the church to order.

“You people make me sick! My sister, yes, my SISTER has done nothing, NOTHING to justify her treatment today. Christians my eye. You’re hypocrites! NOTHING MORE! Do you hear me! Mom, take her out of here. I don’t want her to hear this. Gina complied, her need to protect her daughter outweighing the need to control her son. Gina took the sobbing girl out of the building.

“I have heard the nicest, sweetest person I know called a whore, an it, a pervert, a homosexual. Words that should never be used in this place in the way they were used today. And you know what, NONE OF IT IS TRUE! Rachel was diagnosed with a disorder at birth, but the great Randy Harris, my father made my sister live as a boy for 12 years, all because he couldn’t handle having a girl. She is a girl, not any of the things used to describe her here. You talk about my father being ashamed, like he was some kind of great man. Hell, he ABUSED my sister. By making her live a lie for all that time. Now you bunch of geniuses decide to stand up and ruin a perfectly good church service and scar an already damaged little girl for life.

“Sit down, boy” said Dan Buford

“Well, Mr. Buford, I’ll do better than that. I’ll leave, but not before I’ve had my say. Any sooner, and you’re welcome to try and sit me down. Buford sat down.

“Pastor Adams, you are a good man. Too good for this bunch of morons, if you ask me”
"To those of you who supported my family, thank you. To those of you who didn’t bother to find out the facts before you opened your fat traps....well you know what you can do"

Garrett left the sanctuary that had all of a sudden got very quiet.

Garrett got to the car where Gina was trying to console an hysterical Rachel.

“Mom, I’ll take care of Rachel, take us home”

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 6

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Genre:

Transitioning

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

TG Themes:

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Rachel finds hope...and a new friend!

Chapter 6

Fallout and Hope

The drive home from the church was quiet, the only sound was Rachel’s muffled crying. Garrett held his sister in the back seat of the family’s SUV, whispering to her that it would be all right, and not to listen to what a few idiots had to say. Rachel had a tight grip on Garrett’s arm, and her head was buried in his chest. Garrett was angry, angry that his father had been such an ass about Rachel being a boy, angry that people had to be so narrow minded, angry that the same hypocrites who called Rachel a whore were so sad and patronizing at his father’s funeral. He knew one thing. He wouldn’t go back there. Ever.

Gina was having difficulty driving. Hot tears were rolling down her cheeks. She cursed herself for pushing Rachel into such a potentially damaging situation. Gina didn’t realize that people would or could be so hateful to a twelve year old. What were they thinking? Gina had been a church going person most of her life. Her parents brought her up that way, and she enjoyed going. It was important to her. She thought she would find people who would at least understand what she was going through. The Bufords had been so helpful and supportive when Randy had been killed. What happened to them? The Nickles had even helped the family move from the base to their new house. Gina felt violated and betrayed. How could they say such terrible things about her sweet little girl?

Rachel was devastated by her treatment. She kind of expected some snide remarks, but she felt hated there. Her self confidence was shattered. But through it all, she felt safe in her brother’s arms, safe like she had never felt before, even with her mother. Garrett was only two years older than Rachel, but he seemed ages older. Her father had never held her when she was frightened. He told Randall to “be a man” and “stop crying”. Her crying slowed and stopped as she tried to snuggle closer to her brother. He would protect her. She suddenly felt very sleepy.

Rachel was sleeping when they got home. Garrett picked Rachel up out of the Explorer and quietly carried her upstairs to her room. Gina turned down her bed, and Garrett laid her down.

Garrett left the bedroom and Gina looked down at her sleeping angel. She bent down, kissed her cheek and turned to leave.

“Mommy?”

“Yes, honey?”

“Don’t leave me, ok? Stay with me.”

“Ok, baby”

Gina laid down with Rachel. Within a minute or two, Rachel was sleeping again.

Gina thought, “She called me mommy.” She knew that she needed to call Julie as soon as she could, as Rachel was really hurting. This incident was exactly the wrong thing to happen to Rachel at this point in her treatment. She decided to quietly get up and call Julie.
“Hello?” said Julie as she answered her cell phone.

“Julie? This is Gina Harris. Can you talk for a bit?”

“Sure! What’s up?”

Gina related the events of the morning to Julie. Julie took it all in without saying a word.
Finally, Julie spoke.

“You say she called you mommy?”

“Yes”

“Has she ever called you that before?”

“Not since she was four”

“Ok, from what I have heard, I believe Rachel is regressing. The emotional blow that this event caused her was very serious, and she is having a hard time dealing with it. Her defense mechanism is to go back to a stage in her life when she felt safe. I need to speak with her as soon as possible. Can I see her today?”

“Absolutely. I just need to get her up and into the car”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll come there in about an hour. Stay with her. It’s important that you be there for her when she wakes up”

Gina hung up the phone and went back upstairs. Rachel was still sleeping. Garrett came quietly into the room.

“Mom, I don’t mean to pile on, but I’m not going back there”

“It’s ok Garrett, I don’t blame you. I won’t either”

“Is Rachel going to be ok?

“Yes, I think so. Julie is coming here from Austin to talk to her. She’ll be here in about an hour”

“Mom, If I’d been older, some of those men would have had a big problem on their hands”

“I wish I could say you were out of line, but I can’t. I wanted to just slap those men. I just can’t believe they would say such hurtful things about Rachel”

“Well, I need to forget it. Would you like anything?”
“Do you know how to make coffee”

“Yeah, I remember. I’ll get you some”

Julie Smith arrived at the Harris home art about two in the afternoon. Garrett answered the door and showed Julie up to Rachel’s room.

“She’s still sleeping” Gina whispered.

“That’s ok, Gina, I need to talk with you first”

“What’s up?”

“I’m not about blame here. It probably wasn’t the best idea to take Rachel to church. People can be unpredictable in that setting, and more likely to speak ill of someone who they perceive as being different in a bad way. That being said, hindsight is 20/20. The next few hours will determine if Rachel gets past this hurt and moves on or lets it get the best of her and causes irreparable harm. I’m going to have you leave now and I’ll wake her”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her”

Gina left reluctantly. Julie stirred the sleeping child.

“Wake up, Rachel”

“Mommy?” she said sleepily.

“No, honey, it’s Julie.”

“Julie? Where’s my mommy?”

“She’s out in the hall, honey. I wanted to talk to you for a while. Is that ok?”

“Ok” Rachel said in a little girl voice that sounded like a six year old.

“You had a bad morning, Didn’t you”

“Uh huh” came the quiet reply.

“Some people were mean to you today, weren’t they”

“Yes” A single tear flowed down Rachel’s cheek.

For the next hour, Rachel and Julie talked about the events of the day. There were tears, angry screams, and finally the room was quiet.

“Rachel, people can be mean. People can be cruel. But no matter how they treat you, no matter what they say, It’s what you know in your heart about yourself that is important. You are a very brave young lady with a sweet spirit that is going through a very rough time right now. Do you want to know something?”

“Yes”

“If those mean men who called you all those nasty names had to go through the same things you are going through, they wouldn’t go out of the house, they would suck their thumbs and the would be crying for THEIR mommy! And you were brave enough to go to church, and you listened to their nasty words and you were very, very brave”

Rachel smiled. “Do you really think they would be sucking their thumbs?”

“You bet! Now, are you ready to see your mother?”

“Yes”

“Call her in in a nice, loud voice”

“MOMMMMMMM”

Gina came in and ran to Rachel’s bed, and held her tight.

“I’m so sorry I took you there, baby” sobbed the broken hearted Gina.

“It’s ok, Mom Those mean men don’t know any better”

Gina laughed and cried at the same time. “You are sooo right, honey! I’ll never let anyone hurt you like that again”

“Mom, you can’t stop people from being mean, but I don’t have to let them hurt me by being mean. Julie showed me that”

“Thank you, Julie” said Gina

“She’ll be fine. She’s strong, stronger than she knows. You two take care, and I’ll see you next Friday, ok?”

“We’ll be there”

“Oh, one more thing. I have a surprise for Rachel tomorrow. Make sure you are home at eleven o’clock in the morning. I have someone stopping by to see you”
“A surprise for me?” Rachel said excitedly.

“Just for you, for being such a brave girl”

“Coool!”

The rest of the night, Rachel was back to being the ebullient, talkative child she was before the incident at the church. Gina felt like she had passed her baptism of fire, ironically at a church. Garrett was amazed at Rachel’s transformation. They played Scrabble, ate popcorn and watched a DVD of The first Lord of the Rings movie, one of Rachel’s favorites.

The next morning, Rachel was out of bed at seven thirty. She ran downstairs and screeched a loud “Good Morning” to her mother.

“Well, hello, sleepyhead” said Gina.

“Where’s Garrett?”

“He’s long gone to school, baby”

“Well, isn’t he the lucky one”

“Don’t worry, young lady, when the homeschool curriculum that I ordered arrives, you’ll be busy bright and early every morning!”

“I hope the mail gets lost”

“Don’t count on it, Rachel. It’s coming Fed Ex”

“Rats”

Rachel ate her breakfast of cereal and juice, and got ready for her day. It was unseasonably warm for a fall day in central Texas, so she chose a pair of short jean shorts and a white plaid short sleeve cotton blouse. She did her makeup as usual, finding that she was getting faster all the time. She was very excited for the guest that was coming to see her. She wondered who it could be.

The hours dragged by, and Rachel did what she could the help the time pass. She cleaned her room, took out the trash, vacuumed the floors and dusted the counters.

“Slow down, honey! You won’t leave me anything to do!”

Rachel had always liked to do housework, even when she was being raised as Randall, something her father could never understand.

Finally, at eleven o’clock exactly, the doorbell rang. Rachel ran to the door and and pulled it open. On the porch stood a tall, beautiful blond haired woman. Her hair was shoulder length, and had a slight wave. She was dressed impeccably in a white Blouse and a black pencil skirt. Her her 3 inch black heels made her almost a foot taller than Rachel. Her face was perfectly made up, and she looked to Rachel like a princess.

“Rachel?” the woman asked.

All of a sudden Rachel realized she was staring. She blushed bright red. “Yes, I’m Rachel”

“Hi! I’m Brianna DiMaggio, and Julie Smith asked me to come see you today”

Rachel loved Brianna’s voice. It was a smooth contralto with a hint of a Texas accent, that immediately put Rachel at ease.

Gina came to the door. “Oh, you must be the person Julie mentioned yesterday. Well, Rachel, let her in!”

“Ok, Mom. come in, Brianna”

Brianna introduced herself to Gina.

“Please, Brianna, sit down” said Gina. “Can I get you anything?”

“Coffee would be nice, please”

“So, Brianna, to what do we owe the honor of your visit today?” asked Gina.

“Julie thought I might be able to help Rachel with some of the issues she is facing now. I’ve known Julie since college, and when she told me about your story, I had to come and visit this special girl”

Rachel blushed again and stared at the floor. “I’m not special”

“Oh yes you are, and don’t you forget it. I heard some people were mean to you yesterday”

Rachel got quiet. “Yes, and that made me very sad”

“I know exactly how you feel. Some people are like that to me even today.”

“How could they be mean to you, you are so beautiful and nice. Everybody should be nice to you”

“Rachel, you are beautiful too! Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Yet those people were mean and said hateful things to you just the same”

“But I'm different from you. I kind of changed how I grew up. I dressed like a boy, but I always knew I was a girl. I don’t even really have boy parts, at least that’s what the doctor said”

“Honey, can I tell you a secret?” Asked Brianna quietly.

“Yes” came the whispered reply.

“When I was born, My name was Brian”

“Really? No faking?” asked Rachel. Gina gasped, but said nothing.

“Cross my heart. When I was a little boy, I felt just like you did. I just knew I was a little girl. I didn’t like the things my brothers liked, I hated the icky clothes. I loved to play dolls with my girl friends. I loved to help my Mama in the kitchen and in the house. My brothers didn’t understand. They called me names and made fun of me. My Daddy didn’t like me either. As time went on I got sadder and sadder Eventually, when I was just about twelve, I did something very dumb. I hurt myself. I hurt myself so badly I had to go to the hospital. While I was in the hospital, a very nice doctor came to talk to me, just like you and Julie. Well, I told that doctor that I knew I was a little girl and couldn’t go on living like a boy. I was afraid if I went on living, I would just try to hurt myself again. The nice doctor understood my problem and talked to my parents. My Daddy was very angry with me, and my Mama was sad, but understood my problem. I talked to the doctor over the next few months by myself and with my parents. Eventually my Mama and Daddy understood how I felt, and I got to start living as a girl”

“Wow” was all Rachel could say

“Well, it wasn’t easy for me to begin with. People made fun of me all the time at school. I didn’t have many friends, and some boys tried to hurt me, but the teachers stopped them. Even some girls didn’t like me and called me ‘little boy’ which really hurt me a lot. The friends I did have were the best, and cared about me no matter what anybody else said. My Mama and Daddy were the best. My Daddy became my best friend in the whole world. Then he died of a heart attack when I was seventeen. I thought my world ended. Later that year, I was on a date with a boy who I thought liked me, but one night he hurt me very badly with a knife when I didn’t do what he wanted. I was very sad, but I knew that I would keep going for my father. My school found a way for me to get banned from my high school graduation by having someone lie about me. But nothing was going to stop me. My Daddy wouldn’t like that. After high school I got a special surgery to fix myself so I was a girl physically. That was very painful, but I didn’t give up. Eventually, I went to college, graduated, and got my law degree. Today, I help people just like you and me fight back against people like the mean people who called you names yesterday”

Tears were streaming down Gina’s face. Rachel was in awe of Brianna. She had thought she was alone in the world. For the first time, she knew she wasn’t.

“Rachel, don’t let anyone tell you that you are anything other than a beautiful person. There are girls like us all over the place. Some don’t look like you or me, but they are beautiful too. One of my best girl friends looks a little like my daddy in a dress, but she is one of the prettiest girls I know, because her beauty comes from the inside. Rachel, living your life the best you can is all that you can hope to do in this world. That’s what all my special girl friends are doing. You know what? They are all beautiful to me. Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do what ever you want. If you can dream it you can have it. And you know what, people told me I would never be happy. Well, I am very happy, and I love helping girls just like you"

“That’s a wonderful story, Brianna”, said Rachel. “do you think it can happen with me?”

“If you want it to, Rachel. That’s exactly what I’m telling you”

“So no matter what people say, I just have to keep going?”

“That’s right. Don’t give up. The things people say may hurt, but they don’t win unless you let them”

“I believe you, Brianna. I’ll do just that. Thank you for telling me your story”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart” replied Brianna. “Now, could you do something for me?”

“Anything, Brianna”

“Here’s my card. You are now my friend. Anytime you feel scared, threatened or just want to talk, You call the number on that card. Can you do that for me?”

“Coool, Brianna!” replied an excited Rachel. “Can I, Mom”

“You most certainly can, dear”

“Rachel, can your Mom and I talk alone for a little bit”

“Sure! I’ll take your card upstairs to put on my board”

Rachel ran upstairs, happy to have found a new friend.

“Gina, things are going to get worse before they get better. The jackasses who caused you trouble aren’t going to go away easily. The media will no doubt get involved at some point, especially if she tries to go back to school in the future. I take it you are homeschooling for now?”

“Yes”

“Excellent plan. Let Rachel get comfortable with herself before you turn her loose on an unsuspecting world” Brianna smiled. “Your little girl has a lot of character and I’ll bet anything that she’ll be just fine”

“Thank you, Brianna”

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to represent you and Rachel from now on. There will be no shortage of people in this area who would love to make Rachel’s life a living hell”

“That’s a generous offer, Brianna, but here’s no way I can afford your services. Just getting Rachel counseling from Julie is a strain on my budget. And she’s really not charging me that much compared to what she’s doing”

Brianna smiled again. “Who said anything about charging you? This is pro bono, in lawyer speak. Free.”

“I can’t ask you to do that, Brianna. You have no idea how expensive things could get if they get as bad as you say”

“Gina, I don’t need the money. You see, I didn’t tell you my father’s name”

“What was it”

“Jack. Jack DiMaggio. DiMaggio Oil?”

“Your father founded DiMaggio Oil?”

“The one and only. Our family made $4.8 billion on the sale of the DiMaggio Oil holdings when we sold out to Exxon Mobil. With the investments I have made for Mama, we have tripled that amount. So, I think I can take a little free work. Besides I already see that girl as the sister I never had. She was me all those years ago. And If any one of these backwater huckleberrys ever makes the mistake of messing with that little girl, well they don’t call me the ‘Austin Barracuda’ for nothing”

“Well, in that case, welcome aboard!’ exclaimed Gina. “And thank you so much!”

After Brianna left, the doorbell rang again. Gina answered it and Pastor Adams stood at the door. He looked nervous.

“Can I help you” asked Gina frostily.

“May I come in?”

“No”

“Well, I’m not happy about the way you were treated at the service yesterday. Is Rachel all right?”

“She is now. No thanks to you or any one at your ‘church’”

“I suppose I had that coming”

“Why are you here?”

“Well, I came to tell you the board took a vote, and you are being asked not to return until you correct your son’s behavior”

“What did Garrett do?”

“I meant Randall”

Gina felt the bile rise in her throat “Pastor Adams, you can tell your ‘board’ that they can go straight to hell. Good day”

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 7

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Genre:

Transitioning

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

TG Themes:

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Chapter 7

Uhhhh, Grandma, Grandpa, I have something to tell you.

Rachel’s school curriculum came by Fed Ex Tuesday. Gina had ordered a program that would enable Rachel to do her work online and would let her attend virtual lectures. In some ways, she would be getting a more focused education at home than at school.

Gina spent the morning getting everything organized while Rachel busied herself cleaning up from breakfast, and doing the laundry. Gina and Rachel had worked out a system. Rachel would wash, Gina would dry and they both would fold. If everything worked out, Rachel would be done with her studies in about 6 hours, ending her school year at about the same time as the regular school would let out.

“Rachel, everything is ready to go, honey!”

“Do I have too, Mommmm” whined Rachel.

“You know you want to get back to your studies, you big baby” said Gina with a smile.

“I know, I just didn’t, like, want to make it easy for you!” laughed Rachel.

“Move it, missy! said Gina with mock anger, followed by a swat on Rachel’s rear end to get her going.

Rachel squealed then giggled. “That’s child abuse! I’m calling the po-leece!”

“You do that, little girl. Then I can tell them how you refuse to do your work, and they can run YOU in!” said a smiling Gina.

“Ok, I give. This looks like it will be a lot more fun than regular school anyway”

“That’s the spirit!”

Once Rachel was settled in, Gina set about making some phone calls that needed to be made. The first one was to her mother and father in Dallas.

Gina’s mother answered the phone. “Hello?”

“Hi, Mom, it’s Gina”

“Hi honey, how are you doing today?””¨
“Wonderful. Uhh, look, we are having some issues here. I know it’s short notice, but could you and Daddy come down today? It’s important.”

“It sounds serious. Is everything ok?

“Well, yes and no. I really can’t go in to it over the phone. Some things have come up, and I would really like to see you”

“What’s going on, Gina. You’re scaring me. Is something up with the baby?”

“No, the baby’s fine. Some things have come up with Rach....Randall that we need to talk about. Please...won’t you come? I normally wouldn’t ask, but it’s important” Gina’s voice began to break.

“We’re on our way Gina, don’t worry. How long do you need us?”

“At least tonight, maybe tomorrow?”

“I’ll pack for a couple of days. I’ll call your father at work. We’ll be there at about six.”

“Thanks, Mom. I really need you right now.”

“We are on our way. Hang in there, honey”

“Thanks, Mom. I love you”

“I love you too, Gina”

Gina said goodbye and hung up the phone. She hoped her parents understood. She was approaching her breaking point.

Maria Walker, Gina’s mother got her husband, Charles on the phone. Maria and Charles were both 54, and had been married for 35 years. Gina had been born 34 years ago, and had seldom, if ever asked for help in this way. Something serious was up, Maria knew it.

“Charles?”

“What’s up, Maria?”

“We need to leave for Martinsburg now. There’s some kind of trouble with Randall, and Gina’s quite upset”

“Is it serious?”

“I think so, she wouldn’t say what it was, but she started to break down over the phone. I don’t like it. We need to go”

Charles was a detective with the Homicide Division of the Dallas Police Department. He had been with the department for 25 years and was on the downhill side to retirement. He had 3 weeks of personal time accrued. He didn’t miss work, and wasn’t much for vacation. He wouldn’t have any trouble getting the time off.

“I’ll talk to Lieutenant Vasquez. It won’t be a problem.”

Charles walked down to Vasquez’ desk.

“Lieutenant?”

“What’s up, Charles?”

“Maria called. Gina’s having some problems and needs us to get there ASAP”

“How much time do you need, Charles?”

“Two, maybe three days”

“No problem. Take all the time you need. Gina not doing too well since her husband was killed?”

“She’s as well as can be expected, I guess. No one of the grandchildren is having some trouble”

“That’s not good. Anything you want to talk about”
“I don’t know anything yet, Gina wouldn’t say”

“That’s never a good thing. I’ll reassign your case load to Schultz and Polanco until you get back. Take care of that family. They definitely need a break”

“Copy that, Bob”

The Walkers were on the road in just over an hour. It was about a 4 hour drive to Martinsburg on a good day from Dallas, if the traffic was good. From their North Dallas home, traffic could be a nightmare, depending on the time of day. Charles didn’t need a GPS to know how to get there. 635 east to 35E, south to Austin. A little jog towards Killeen, and they were there in just over 3 hours 45 minutes. They may have broken the speed limit a little.

They pulled in to Gina’s driveway at 6 o’clock. Gina ran out to meet them as they got out of their car.

“Mom! Daddy! Thank you so much for coming. I’ve been so miserable the last few days.” She broke down in her father’s arms”

“What’s the problem, honey?” asked her father.

“Oh, nothing, and everything!” she wept.

“Well, we’re here now, it’s all right, Gina”

“Well, I need to tell you something before we go inside” Gina said, sniffling.

“What is the problem, Gina?” asked Maria.

“It’s about...Randall” said Gina.

“Is he sick?”

“No, far from it. But you have to promise me that you’ll hear my story before you go in”

Charles and Mary got a sick feeling in their stomachs. He had to be sick. Why was Gina so upset?

Gina began. “We made a terrible mistake when Randall was born...”

“What...” started Charles.

“No, let me finish. Randall was born with a condition. He was genetically a boy, but he really didn’t look like a boy, in his genitals. A specialist identified his condition as Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, which meant he could not process male hormones. The doctors made their recommendations, but Randy and I went against their advice. This led us to where we are now”

“Where are we now?”

“The doctors’ recommendation was to raise Randall as a girl. Randy didn’t want a girl, and I didn’t care, as long as my baby was healthy. So we raised our baby as Randall. It was fine until recently, when he started to go through puberty. Randall didn’t develop like a boy. It was then I realized our mistake. He never was a normal boy. He didn’t care about the same things as Garrett. I saw it. I ignored it for Randy’s sake. I denied the obvious”

“What are you saying, Gina?” asked Maria

“Randall is gone. He is now living as Rachel, a girl”

Both Maria and Charles exclaimed “What?” simultaneously.

“It’s true. It is the way it should have been from the beginning, but now things are just so crazy” She broke down again.

Both Charles and Maria held Gina. “It’s ok, Gina”

“Is it, Daddy? We were kicked out of our church because they think Rachel is some kind of pervert, I’m homeschooling her now because I fear for her safety at school. I’m telling you now, because if you are thinking about judging Rachel in any way, or are planning on asking her to go back, please turn around now and go back home. She almost had a nervous breakdown after being called a whore, a queer and a pervert at church. I won’t put her through that again. I asking you to love her just as you did Randall. Can you do that?”

“Charles and I don’t care one whit about whether Rachel or Randall or whatever is a Martian. She’s our grandchild, and we’ll love her no matter what. And as for those incredibly stupid people at your church, well, I just hope you never go there again”

“Gina was crying all over again. “I just knew you would understand. The stress is killing me. I am starting to have contractions, and I’m worried about losing the baby. I need you!”

Maria started to take charge. Like all mothers do in a time of crisis. “Well, sweetie, Mama’s here now. Charles, let’s go inside and meet our new granddaughter”

They entered the house and Gina called for Garrett and Rachel Garret came down first, and hugged his Grandparents. He was already taller than his Grandfather by a couple of inches. Then Rachel came running down the stairs.

Grams! Papa! She jumped into their arms.

“Well, who do we have here! I don’t believe we’ve met before, young lady!” laughed Charles.

“It’s me! It’s Rachel, or well I am now.”

“Nope, can’t be. Our granddaughter isn’t this pretty”

“Ohhh, Papa, you are sooo silly”

“Grams! I’m so glad to see you”

“Let me look at you! Ohhhh, you look just like mi abuela!

“Who?”

“My grandmother! She was a very beautiful woman! She was a dancer and an actress. She was in a couple of silent films in the twenties with Rudolph Valentino”

“Who?”

“Oh, look it up, hija”

Maria gasped “Gina!”

“What?” replied Gina.

“What are you doing to this child?”

“What do you mean”

“How can you let this pretty girl go without earrings!”

“Yes mom, how could you” echoed Rachel with a smile.

“Hey! I can’t think of everything!”

“Tomorrow, we go to get your ears pierced” announced Maria.

“Really? YAY! Can I get two in each ear?”

“One only until you are 16, young lady, then we’ll talk about it.” chided Gina.

“Awwwwww, Mother!”

Garrett looked at Charles. “Just what she needs. Another few holes in her head”

“Ha ha, big brother. You know, you can always come with us, and get a cute stud in one ear!”

“Yeahhh, I believe I’ll leave the earrings to the girls in this family. What do you think, Gramps?”

“Son, I couldn’t agree more. Let’s leave our girls. There’s a Ranger game with our name on it on TV”

Garrett and Charles went into the living room to watch the Ranger game. They were out of the playoff race, but anything beat talking about earrings and things pertaining to the fairer sex.

“So, Gina, Do you want to go out to eat tonight, or cook in?”

“I really don’t care, Mom, but I am kind of between trips to the store right now, so I don’t have many choices”

“I know! Let’s order a couple of pizzas” volunteered Rachel.

“Sounds great to me, what about you Gina?”

“Pizza it is then”

Gina ordered a couple of large pies with everything from a local place that made some really good hand tossed pizza. After the order was placed, Gina opened a bottle of Shiraz and poured a glass for herself and her mother. Garrett and Charles got a couple of large tumblers of Dr. Pepper taken to them by Rachel, who had a Diet Coke for herself. the pizza was delivered 45 minutes later.

“So, Gina, how have you all adapted to the changes?”

“I was under so much stress and didn’t really realize it until you got here. Things just sort of closed in on me when I saw you pull in the driveway. I guess you never get too old for Mama and Daddy. But, over all, I’d say that we are all getting better. Garrett has been wonderful, and Rachel is, well, you saw her. The last couple of days were rough, but Rachel found a new friend, Brianna, who is actually an attorney, and heiress to a large fortune”

An attorney? There is a Brianna DiMaggio, that I see on TV every now and then, on CNN and Fox News. Isn’t she a gay rights advocate or something like that?”

“Yes, but she really specializes in transgender cases, among other things. Rachel’s therapist got them together, and they hit it off immediately. She is representing Rachel now. She is really wonderful”

“Yeah, Grams, She is very beautiful, and she started off a boy just like me!”

“That’s terrific, honey. She’s going to be a very nice friend to have in the future. She’ll be able to help protect you if you run into any trouble with the mean people out there, and I’ll bet she understands just what you are going through”

“I know, Grams, and she told me to never give up, no matter what, and that’s just what I’m going to do”

“Well Gina, It looks like our little girl is getting not so little any more. You keep that attitude, Rachel, and you’ll be just fine.

“Thanks, Grams”

“Gina, Have you told Randy’s parents yet?”

“No, but I am going to need to make that call tomorrow. They live out in North Carolina, just outside of Fort Bragg. I think his father is getting ready to retire in the next year or two. He hasn’t had much to do with us since Randy died. I really believe he doesn’t know how to deal with his grief. Randy’s mom has called a few times, but she doesn’t hear too well, and phone calls are hard for her to make. Mom, I’m really worried about how they are going to take the news about Rachel. I’m going to have to tell them over the phone. It’s not the way I want to do it, but I don’t have a choice in their case”

“Gina, if they don’t take the news well, I’ll be here to help you through it”

Rachel added “I want them to accept me as I am, but if they don’t, I’ll be all right with that too. I’ve got to learn to be less sensitive about people who don’t accept me”

Maria answered, “Rachel, it’s sad, but that is the way that you are probably going to have to be for some time to come. The bright side is that the more people get to know you, The better things will get. That I promise you. People will someday come to realize that you were never really a boy to begin with”

“That’s right, honey. Things will get better, just not right away” Gina said as she hugged Rachel.

It was decided that Charles would stay the remainder of the week, and Maria would stay at least a month, at least until Gina’s pregnancy stabilized. With the stress of losing her husband and the events associated with Rachel’s transition, Gina’s condition was delicate at best. Maria had packed enough clothes for a week’s stay, and she would leave with Charles and drive back the same day with enough for a longer stay. The guest room was prepared and Rachel, Gina and Maria unpacked.

Garrett and Charles watched the Rangers lose to the Yankees. Garrett went up to bed after the game and Charles turned in for the night. The women were not far behind.

Rachel was up early again the next day, and showered She had talked to her mother about shaving her legs and underarms, and she had said she didn’t need to unless she felt hair. She didn’t have any hair anywhere except on her head. She decided she would ask her mom about that later. After she got out, she dried off and picked out her clothes for the day. It was still warm, so she picked out a nice yellow sundress, and matched her underwear to the outfit. She decided to redo her nails while things were quiet. She was actually getting the hang of hair, makeup and nails fairly quickly, and as long as she kept things simple, she was getting faster all the time.

After a simple breakfast, she started on her lessons for the day. She wanted to get things done so they could get an early start to the mall in Killeen. Rachel was looking forward to getting her ears pierced, and the sooner the better.

At two o’clock, The three ladies were on their way to the mall. Rachel was practically buzzing with excitement. They went to the Claire’s on the mall.

“We would like to get this girl’s ears pierced, please” said Maria to the sales clerk.

“All right, lets get you set up, sweetie. What studs would you like?”

“I’d like the plain gold hearts, please” replied Rachel.

“Ok, good choice! Those are very pretty. Now lets get ready to go”

They marked her lobes, and got ready to do the piercing. Rachel closed her eyes in anticipation of pain, but after two clicks and two little stings, the studs were in. They gave her instructions how to care for the piercings and a bottle of disinfectant to use.

“That didn’t hurt at all, Grams” said Rachel.

“You look very pretty, Rachel. Those studs really set your ears off”

“Thanks, Grams”

“What do you think, Mom?”

“I think you are very beautiful, honey”

“Thank you, Mom, I love you!”

“I love you too, baby”

They spent the next three hours at the mall, looking for bargains on clothes for Rachel, they got a few more tops and a couple of cute skirts. On the way home, Maria told Gina to stop at the cell phone store. When they got in, Maria told Rachel to pick out a phone.

“What?”

“Pick out a phone. Every girl needs a phone!” said Maria.

“Mom, I can’t let you do that! She’s only twelve”

“With everything that has gone on, don’t you think she needs a phone in case something happens? I won’t rest easy until she has a phone. I’ll put her on my plan, and it won’t cost you a cent”

“Please, Mom?” asked Rachel.

“Ok, but you have to be responsible about using it”

“I will, Mom. After all, who am I going to talk to besides Becca?”

“I guess you have a point for now. Ok, go get your phone”

Rachel picked a pink clamshell phone, one that she could text on. She couldn’t wait to call Becca. She hadn’t had much time to talk to her friend the last few days, and she resolved to fix that situation as soon as possible. The trio then headed home.

On the way home Rachel called her friend.

“Hello?”

“Becca? It’s Rachel.”

“Hi! Where have you been for the last few days? I’ve tried to call you like a dozen times, but you are never home”

“ I know, it’s been a rough few days, but you won’t have any trouble reaching me now. I am calling you from my brand new cell phone!”

“Sweet! Welcome to the club! So what has had you so busy?”

Rachel related the events of the last few days to Becca, who couldn’t believe the story she was hearing.

“Wow, Rachel. I don’t know what to say. Those people at the church were crazy to treat you like that. You aren’t going back there, are you?””¨
“No, I don’t think they want me there anyway. It’s their loss. I’ll be okay with or without them. The great thing to come out of it is that I was able to meet Brianna and my Grams coming to stay with us for a few weeks. I’m feeling a lot better about myself too. I’ve realized that things happened to me that I couldn’t help, and it will take time for people to accept me as I am”

“That’s the right attitude to have, girl”

“I’m just glad I have you for a friend, Becca. You’ve always been there for me” Rachel paused for a moment. “Hey, could you and Angela come over Friday night for a sleepover? I’ve never had one before and I know we’ll have a wonderful time!”

“Cool! Let me ask my Mom”

Rachel heard mumbling in the background over the phone, finally Becca was back on.

“What time?”

“Oh, how about coming over at about six?””¨”¨“Great! We’ll both be there! Thanks for asking us!”

“I’ll see you then, Becca, bye”

Gina looked back at Rachel through the rear view mirror. “Nice plan you had there, Rachel. Were you going to ask me at some point if it was ok?”

“Oh, Mom, I knew you were listening. And after all I have been through, you wouldn’t deny me a sleepover with my best friends, would you?” She then pouted and gave the ‘puppy dog’ look”

Gina started laughing and said to Maria, “Mom, will you look at that? Not even a week living as a girl and she’s throwing down the ‘puppy dog’! That is just wrong”

Maria replied “It works, doesn’t it?”

“I know, but it’s still wrong”

“So I can have it?”

“Oh, I suppose” said Gina in mock exasperation.

“YAAY! Thank you Mommy!”

“Oh, please” said Gina as she rolled her eyes.

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 8

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Genre:

Transitioning

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

TG Themes:

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Chapter 8

The General

The Gina, Maria and Rachel got back home at nine o’clock. Garrett and Charles were watching Sportscenter on ESPN. They were talking about how the football season was going for Garrett, who was a freshman and starting on the varsity football team as an outside linebacker on defense and a wide receiver and third string quarterback on offense. Gina and Maria came in and sat down with them, while Rachel went upstairs to play with her new phone.

Maria asked “So, how did you boys get along while we were gone?”

Charles replied “Maria, how do you think we got along? I took the boy to the tavern, we got drunk and headed back here to sleep it off”

Gina giggled.

Maria was nonplussed. “That’s nice dear. Now, Garrett, how was the bar. Were you able to pick up any sexy women?”

Garrett did not like the way this was heading. Nobody wanted to hear their grandmother ask them about women. “Grams! You know we didn’t do that! Dang! Gramps, why did you say that!”

All the adults started laughing. Garrett was mortified and turned bright red. It was a good thing the light from the TV was the only light in the room. He didn’t want them to see how embarrassed he was. Eventually he started grinning.

“Are you going to the game Friday night Mom and Daddy?” asked Gina.

“We wouldn’t miss it, Gina” replied Charles. “This is Texas you know, and we don’t miss high school football”

Charles wasn’t exaggerating. Martinsburg was a small town of eight thousand, and the home games usually attracted nearly four thousand fans. The team was undefeated, at 3 and 0 with the meat of the schedule was coming up.

Gina got a bit more serious. “Garrett, how have things been for you at school since Rachel’s, well, issues”

“Mom, I’m not going to lie to you. Her transformation has been the talk of the school, especially since the incident at the church. People have made some comments to me, both supportive and hateful. Fortunately, I have a reputation as someone you don’t really mess with for some reason, so the impact on me has not really been too bad, just some ribbing at first from some of the guys on the team. But a couple of hard hits on the field to the few jerks who made fun of Rachel kind of made my point that Rachel was not a subject to be brought up with me”

You didn’t fight, did you?” asked Gina.

“No, Mom, that would be stupid. I’m not getting thrown out of school or kicked off the team for a couple of stupid comments someone makes. But, being a football player with the nickname of ‘Headhunter’ Harris means that a few well placed hits in practice means that I can get my point across, with a slap on the back from the coach for a job well done” Garrett smiled. The slightly crooked, loopy smile of a linebacker who loves to hit. Then he started to laugh. The smile, laugh and looks that had made him the most sought after boy in school to the female students.
”¨“I don’t suppose you get too much flak from anyone, do you son”

“No, I don’t Gramps. My teammates know that when the chips are down on the field or anywhere else, I’ll be there for them. Dad told me a long time ago that the toughest men he knew never had to fight, and he showed me how to do that. Character, he always told me, was the best defense a man could have”

Gina’s heart went to her throat. That was the Randy that had attracted her years ago the Randy that had always known what to do in every situation. Not the shell of a man who had come back from Iraq.

“That was the best advice you could have gotten, son” said Charles. “Always remember that, and your dad will always be alive in your heart, where it counts”

Garrett nodded. “It’s probably for the best that Rachel is home schooled for now though. I couldn’t protect her all the time, and there are some real nutballs there. Guys with more testosterone than brains. Idiots that don’t think about the consequences of their actions”

Gina agreed. “I know. the thought of her in with some of those animals in her mental state is horrifying. There’s no telling what could happen to her there”

Rachel came into the room with her sleepshirt on. Her makeup was off and she was ready for bed. She gave her grandparents and brother a kiss goodnight and asked her mother to come upstairs to help her with something. Gina and her daughter went upstairs.

“What do you need help with, honey?”

“I wanted to ask you some questions”

“Like what?”

“Well, it’s about my chest. It is really itchy and it hurts under my nipples I have to wear my bra to bed because it’s the only way I can get any sleep, but it’s not really comfortable to wear my bra to bed”

“Ohhh, I understand completely, dear. It’s completely normal for you to have that reaction. It just means you are developing breasts. I can get you some ointment to make it better tomorrow”

“That makes me feel better. I thought something was wrong with me”

“Nope, It’s perfectly normal. It happened to me too, and about at the same age”

“Mom?”

“Yes, dear?”

“I also have a question about my hair”

“What about it?”

“Well, I don’t have any, well other than on my head”

“Hmm. Well, honey, some girls develop body hair later than others, and it’s very light on others. I read online that in your case, you may never have any body hair, which, believe me is not necessarily a bad thing. But, I don’t think it’s anything you have to worry about right now”

“Mom?”

“Yes?”

“At the mall, I was looking around and I began to think that some of the boys I saw were, I don’t know, cute. I started to wonder if they would like me. I thought I was physically a boy just a week ago. Does this make me strange or something? I mean, I never have liked anyone before, and Becca was always just a friend. I never wanted to kiss her or anything”

“No, honey, it makes you a girl. A normal, everyday girl who is starting to notice to opposite sex for the first time. Mentally, no matter what clothes you put on, you were always a girl, and that’s what you will always be”

Rachel hugged her mom. “Thank you Mom, I love you, and I don’t know what I would do without you”

“I love you too, baby, and I thank God every day for you”

“Good night mom”

“God night, love”

Garrett got up at his normal time, six o’clock. He had morning workouts to attend for football at seven. He got ready to go, grabbed his backpack and headed out the door. As he headed out of the door, he noticed the back of a large wooden placard sticking out of the ground. Thinking it was some sort of political ad, he went around and read it.

“Son of a bitch!” said Garrett under his breath as he read it.

“A PERVERT LIVES HERE” read the sign. The post holding the sign was steel and buried deep. Whoever planted it didn’t want it to come up easily. They didn’t count on Garrett. With a little grunt, the youth pulled on the post and ripped it out of the ground.

“Assholes” cursed Garrett as he took the sign into the garage and hid it. He didn’t want anyone to see it right now and knew that Brianna might want to see it. He went inside and found his mother at the kitchen table drinking hot tea.

“Mom, I need you to come into the garage”

Gina went into the garage and gasped when she saw the sign. “When did they do this”

“Sometime last night. I pulled it up so no one else could see it. You need to tell Gramps”

“I will. You need to go on to school”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, There’s nothing you can do now. Thanks for getting it out of the yard””¨
Garrett left, and Gina winced as a Braxton Hicks contraction hit her. She had never had problems like this with her other pregnancies, and while the OB had said they were harmless. Gina wasn’t so sure. She was only six months into her pregnancy.

Gina got her father into the garage to look at the sign. He immediately called the non emergency number to the Martinsburg police, identified himself and requested a unit be dispatched to the address.

“Don’t worry, Gina, I’ll handle this”

The Martinsburg officer arrived within ten minutes. Charles identified himself with his DPD identification. The officer identified himself as Stan Harrick.

“Thanks for coming so soon, officer, good morning” greeted Charles.

“Good morning, sir, what’s the problem”

“It seems we have someone who doesn’t like someone who lives in the house. Charles showed the officer the sign”

“Why would someone do that? I don’t have any notice of a sex offender in the neighborhood. Has that changed”

At that time, Rachel came out in her fuzzy pink robe and slippers with a large mug of coffee. Here you go, papa. I thought you might want some coffee” she noticed the officer and said, “Oh! Do you know my papa? He’s a policeman too. Can I get you some coffee too?”

The officer smiled. “Sure, I’ll have a cup while I talk to your papa. Thank you very much, uhh...”

“Rachel, sir”

“Rachel, thank you” replied the officer with a smile.

The two men waited for Rachel to go back inside before resuming their conversation.

“Nice kid. Very pretty. You must be very proud”

“Yes I am, she’s the best”

“Now, Detective Walker, about the alleged ‘pervert’ according to the sign”

“You just met the ‘pervert’. She brought me coffee and is getting yours right now”

The officer gaped. “The girl? Rachel? How can she be a...a...”

“Pervert?”

“Yes. But I can’t put that girl and pervert in the same sentence”

Rachel came out with another mug of coffee for the officer. He took it and thanked her.

“Thank you, Rachel”

“You’re welcome, sir. I have to get ready for school now. Bye” she said brightly.

“Detective Walker, whoever put hat sign in the yard could not have meant that girl”

“Oh, but they did. Let me tell you a story......”

Charles related the events of the last few days to the officer as they drank their coffee. The officer was gobsmacked.

“Unbelievable. All this because she was mistakenly identified at birth? Damn, sir. I thought there were some backwoods peawits in this town but this takes the cake. I come from Austin, and this wouldn’t cause a ripple there. Hell, they’d probably give her the key to the city. Nothing wrong with that girl. At all”

“Stan, you know that and I know that, but some folks here don’t want to know it. Can you maybe get the chief to put a couple more patrols in this area between midnight and six?”

“I’ll put it in my report, sir. I don’t think there will be a problem. If there is, here is the contact info for the chief”

“Thanks, Officer. You’ve been very helpful. Hopefully, this will be the end of it”

Officer Stan Harrick looked at Charles. “You don’t believe that any more than I do”

Charles looked at the officer. “No, but I hope for the sake of whoever is doing this that it is”

“Copy that, sir”

Charles walked back inside. Maria was waiting by the door.

“How did it go?”

“All right, I guess, They are adding a couple of patrols to this area to try to scare off whoever did this. Maybe they won’t do it again” he added “Gina, no reason to trouble Rachel with this now. It may be a one off thing”

“If you say so, Daddy”

Rachel was finding it hard to concentrate on her school work. She was planning for her sleep over with Becca and Angela. They would go to the game and watch Garrett, then come back for some fun. She was dressed in a jean mini and a Baby tee with ‘Spoiled’ written on the front. Her mom tought it was a little suggestive for a twelve year old, but it wasn’t particularly tight, and the mini wasn’t too terribly short. Rachel found that more and more, she liked the comfort of skirts and dresses.

Gina dialed the office number for Randy’s father, Lt. Gen. Barton Harris. He picked up on the second ring.

“Dad, this is Gina”

“Hello, Gina. How have you been?”

“I’m doing well, Dad, how is Mom?”

“As well as can be expected. Her health has really gone to hell since Randy died”

“I’m very sorry to hear that, Dad. Look, I need to talk to you. It’s about Randall”

“Oh?” Barton almost audibly sighed. He didn’t know what was wrong with that boy. He was always hanging around with his mother, not at all a prime example of a boy. Barton always wondered if the boy was gay. Not like Garrett. There was a real boy. On his way to becoming a real man. He really didn’t have time to listen to Randall’s problems. “Look, Gina, I’m really busy here, maybe some other time””¨”¨“Dad, It’s very important! Please take a few minutes to listen to me. I really need to talk to you about some developments in the last few days. It’s very serious, and you need to know about it. Please!”

Gen. Harris was taken aback by the urgency in his daughter in law’s voice. “All right, Gina, If it’s that important to you”

“Thank you. Here’s what has happened” Gina began to relate the tale to Randy’s father, leaving out nothing. The general listened in rapt silence. Twenty minutes later, Gina was finished. “That’s the story, Dad. I don’t know what else to say”

“Well, Gina, we simply need to get the boy some counseling. Maybe military school. I always thought there was something wrong with the boy, now I know. I’ll fly out there and set him straight. Don’t worry. We’ll make Randy proud of that boy yet”

“No, Dad, we won’t. The decision has been made. Randy and I made a mistake when Rachel was born, and it’s taken twelve years to start to fix it. If you ever had one bit of love for your grandchildren, you and Mom will fly out here and watch your granddaughter, talk to her, and then see if she’s a boy”

“I’ll be on the next plane out there, I’ll get this boy fixed”

“No you won’t Dad. Until you come out here with an open mind, and with Mom, you aren’t welcome here”

“You can’t do that! I’m the boy’s grandfather! I’m Randy’s father! How dare you...”

“No, Dad. I told my parents the same thing. Rachel is very delicate right now. She has already had to face down bigots here in town, and I don’t want her to face the same kind of bigotry from the family that she holds so dear. She is a girl. She always has been. I was too stupid to see it before. So was Randy”

“Listen here, Gina. I have rights. If I have to go to court, you’ll lose”

“I hope you don’t decide to go that route, Dad. I am not without friends here, you know. I want you and Mom to be a part of Rachel’s life. The little boy Randall is gone. Accept that. Accept Rachel. The girl. You won’t be sorry you did. Good bye Dad”

“GINA! You will be sorry! What would Randy say! GINA! GINA!” She had already hung up. The general’s assistant came into the room.

“Sir! Is everything okay?”

The general was quiet. "Yes, everything is fine. Dismissed.”

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 9

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Genre:

Transitioning

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Chapter 9

The Game

After Gina hung up the phone, she couldn’t help being saddened at the reaction on Randy’s father. Not surprised, really, but truly saddened. She wanted Rachel to have a relationship with Randy’s parents. They were good people, but his dad had funny ideas about women in general. Almost like they were second class citizens, put on the earth only to serve men. How he kept that attitude in the new Army was a source of amusement for Gina. If Rachel never saw him again, he would be the loser.

Gina then called Brianna. She wanted to inform her about the sign in the yard. Gina pulled up Brianna’s number on her cell phone.

“Brianna DiMaggio”

“Brianna, It’s Gina Harris”

“Hi, Gina, what can I do for you today”

“There’s been a little incident I need to let you know about”

“Oh, what’s that?”

”¨”¨“We had a sign planted in our front yard last night. Garrett found it this morning and pulled it out before Rachel could see it”

“What did it say?”

“‘A pervert lives here’, in big red letters.”

“Well, this is a development that is not entirely unexpected. I’ll send one of my people over to pick it up. Rachel shouldn’t see it, and I want to save it for potential evidence if this continues”

“Do you think it will”

“In all likelihood, yes. People who do things like this aren’t likely to stop until they are caught”

“Should I be concerned about our safety?” asked Gina.

“Not as long as you have me helping you. Leave everything to me. I’ll take care of this. Just try to keep Rachel blissfully unaware of these events, okay?”

“You don’t have to worry about that. My only concern is that she is planning on a sleepover after the game tomorrow night. Should I change those plans?”

“Absolutely not! I’ll handle everything. Nothing is going to happen to my little sister. You tell her to have a great time for me”

“I will. Thank you, Brianna. You’ve been a godsend!”

“Don’t worry. Now I’ve got to get to work. I’ll talk to you later”

Brianna disconnected and immediately called her secretary on the intercom.

“Betsy, get me Steve Marshall....”

Rachel was stressing about what to do at her party. She had never done anything like this before. She wanted her friends to have fun.

“Mommmmm”

Gina knew that call. Rachel was worried about something.

“Coming, dear” she said as she went up the stairs. “You beckoned, Princess?”

“What are we going to do at the sleep over? I have no idea what we will do! I’ve never done anything like this before. Help!”

“Honey, don’t sweat it. This isn’t my first time hosting a sleep over”

“But that was for Garrett’s friends. These are girls!”

“Rachel, I was talking about my friends when I was a girl”

“But mommm, you’re old! Things are different now”

Gina rolled her eyes. “Rachel, I’m only 34 years old! It’s not like I’m the Crypt Keeper!”

“The WHO?”

“Never mind” she sighed “Maybe I am over the hill at 34”

“I’m sorry mom, I’ll listen to your ideas. After all, I sure don’t have any”

Rachel and Gina spent some time planning the party. By the time they were done, Rachel realized her mom had a lot of fun ideas. This wouldn’t be so bad after all. Gina, for her part, had fun bonding with Rachel, and getting to know her daughter a little better. She found that Rachel really loved feminine things. She was all girl, there was no doubt about that.

Steve Marshall got the call from Brianna DiMaggio’s secretary to come in to the office. Steve was a private detective and bodyguard in Austin. He looked something like Denzel Washington, with a leaner look. At six-three and two hundred ten pounds, he played safety for the Longhorns in the early 90’s. He was a pro candidate, but a knee injury robbed him of the speed that made him a nightmare for the opposing offense. He was drafted, but never hit his stride in the NFL. He went on to get his law degree, and spent ten years in the FBI after that. After getting enough of the politics in the Bureau, he branched out on his own in 2005. He met Brianna at a party while working a security detail for a prominent Texas business figure. They hit it off immediately.

Steve liked working for the DiMaggio’s. They paid well, and didn’t micro manage him. They trusted him to do his job. He arrived at the office, and went up to Brianna’s secretary.

“The boss lady wanted to see me, Betsy?”

“Yes sir, Mr. Marshall” came the reply. “I’ll buzz you in, she saw you pull up”

“You know, Betsy, you can call me Steve. I’m an employee just like you”

“I know, Mr. Marshall” replied Betsy with a smile “Miss DiMaggio will see you now”

Steve shrugged his shoulders. That girl was one strange bird. Cute, though.

“Steve! Good to see you. Thanks for coming on such short notice!” Brianna went over and gave Steve a hug and a kiss on the cheek. With her heels on, she was nearly as tall as Steve.

“No problem, Bree. Business is off right now anyway. Not enough intrigue going on here to keep me busy” Damn, thought Steve. She is always put together, and she always smells nice. He knew her background, and didn’t care. He would love to get to know her a lot better, but she always put off his advances. She said it wouldn’t be proper. All he knew was no one filled out a business suit like Brianna. “Easy, boy” he thought.

“What’s up?” Steve asked.

“I have a little job for you in Martinsburg. There’s a family there that needs a little help for the next few nights. I need you to stop a little vandalism” Brianna proceeded to fill him in on the details of the case.

“Martinsburg, huh? Nice little town, a lot of white trash elements. Not the most progressive of towns. So we have a little sign maker, huh? This should be fun”

“I’m paying you top dollar for this, Steve. If someone does come, I need you to take them out quickly and quietly. I don’t want this little girl to know anything is wrong. Put the fear of God into whoever is doing this”

“How do you want me to ‘discuss’ this with whoever is doing this?”

“The perpetrators need to understand that any move toward the Harris family will be dealt with severely. Get names if possible. But do it quietly. I’d like to keep the police out of this if possible. They’ll get Rachel involved and I don’t want that. She’s having a slumber party tomorrow night. Start your watch then. Here’s your advance”

It was a cashier’s check for ten thousand dollars.

“Damn, Bree. This is contract money! I don’t do killing, you know”

“Neither do I. This is open ended job. No one, I mean no one is going to bother this girl, not while I have anything to say about it”

“What is it about this girl, Bree?”

“I have my reasons, Steve. Someday, I’ll tell you”

Thursday night was uneventful. Rachel was on the phone with Becca and Angela discussing events at school and the upcoming game, as well as the sleep over.

Friday morning, there were no signs in the yard, which was a relief to the family. Rachel was up earlier than usual to get an early start on her lessons, as she wanted to be done by one or two o’clock. She didn’t even to bother to get out of her sleep shirt and robe.

“Rachel” Gina chided, “Why haven’t you gotten showered and changed?”

“I will mom. I want to get my schoolwork out of the way so I can get ready for the sleepover.”

“Okay, just see that you don’t forget to clean up”

“Ewwww, mom! How could I forget that! That’s just gross!” came the disgusted reply.

Gina and Maria went to the store to stock up on the snacks that weren’t likely to last long with three healthy appetites. They got some special items for party games, and some things for Garrett, who was going to by vastly outnumbered tonight. While they were at the store, Gina ran into Amy Adams, the pastor’s wife.

“Hello, Gina” said Amy.

“Hello, Amy” came the frosty reply.
”¨“Look, Gina, you have every right to be angry with us. You and Rachel were treated horribly that Sunday. I have never seen such a display in all my life. I was shattered. I wanted to stand up and scream at those men to shut up and sit down, but I was paralyzed. I wasn’t brought up to say such things. I just wanted you to know that I haven’t been back to that place since that day, and I won’t go back until everyone apologizes to you. I’m so sorry, Gina, I should have been a better friend. I don’t think we’ll be there much longer anyway, a large section of the church membership wants Jim out. They think he’s too liberal”

Tears started down Amy’s face. Gina gave her a hug. “I forgive you, Amy. For what it’s worth, I never did blame you”

“Thank you, Gina. I’m glad to get to talk to you. I don’t know if we’ll get to talk again. Send Rachel my love”

Amy left as Maria walked up. “Who was that?”

“Amy Adams, the pastor’s wife”

“What did she want? To jab you again?””¨

“No, actually, she wanted to apologize. She’s going through a rough patch too. She was never the problem anyway. She and Jim may not be there that much longer anyway”

They got home at about noon. Rachel was done with her schoolwork, and was showered and ready to go. She was wearing a brown calf length peasant skirt and a pink fuzzy sweater with a blouse underneath, with ballet flats.

“Well, don’t you look lovely” said Maria. “What’s the special occasion?”

“Nothing, I just like to look nice for my appointment”

“OH MY GOSH! Your appointment! I completely forgot”

“Mom, it isn’t until 2 o’clock! We have plenty of time. I made tuna salad for lunch”

“How did you learn how to do that?” asked Gina.

“Internet, Mom. I just followed directions”

Gina gave Rachel a big hug. “Thank you, baby! I don’t know what I would do without you”

“Don’t thank me till you try it, Mom” Rachel said with a laugh.

They ate the lunch Rachel made and it was delicious. Rachel seemed to have a knack in the kitchen. Charles even agreed.

They made the appointment with Julie in plenty of time. As usual, Julie wanted to talk to Rachel alone first.

“So, how have things been going since Sunday?””¨

“Great! Thank you for helping us meet Brianna. She’s beautiful and soooo nice. She gave me her card! I’ll be able to call her now, because I got my own cell phone” Rachel showed Julie the phone. “I’m also having a sleepover tonight after the game”

“That’s lovely, Rachel. It’s a very pretty phone. and by the way, I love your outfit. Who picked it out for you?”

“Well, Mom and I picked it out at the store, but I put it together today”

Julie made some notes. “Well you did a marvelous job, Rachel”

“Thank you, Julie” Rachel beamed.

“Now about the sleepover. Who is coming?”

“Oh, just my two friends, Becca and her sister Angela. Those are the only friends I have”

“Does that make you sad?”

“Oh, no. I’d rather have fewer friends right now anyway. I’m just so used to most people my age being mean to me, that I’m not ready to have a lot of friends. Besides, how many best friends can you have” Rachel smiled.

“I think that you have the right idea, Rachel”

Rachel and Julie talked for another thirty minutes. Julie took notes, and Rachel talked on about how much fun she was having, how exciting the schoolwork was. Finally, Gina came in.

“Julie, can I talk to you alone a minute?”

“Sure. Rachel, there is some diet Coke in the office refrigerator, do you want some”

“Yes! I’ll go get it”

“What’s up Gina”

Gina explained about the sign, and what they had done about it. Gina gave Julie all the details.

“I think you are going about this the right way for now. If this is an isolated incident, there is probably no need to tell Rachel. If Bree said she would handle it, she will. I wouldn’t worry about it for now. Keep me informed”

“Okay, Julie”

They got back to Martinsburg at six o’clock. Garrett was already gone with his grandparents. Rachel had called Becca and Angela to let them know that she and her mom were coming to pick them up for the game. After driving by and picking up Becca and Angela, they went to the high school field. The visiting team was Lampasas High
School, one of Martinsburg’s biggest rivals. The stands were filling up and it looked to be another standing room only crowd. The band was warming up as the junior varsity game was finishing up.

“Rachel, I don’t want you alone here, okay?” said Gina.

“Ohh, Mom, you never said anything to me before. Why now”

“First of all, I did tell you to be careful the last time we were here, but you have to learn that girls have to be especially careful. There are a lot of sickos out there that would love to get their hands on you. So, the three of you girls stick together, and don’t talk to anyone you don’t know, okay?

“We understand, Mrs. Harris” said Angela, “We’ll keep her safe. She has never been out before to a place like this as a girl. We’ll show her the ropes”

“See that you do, Angela. If you have to run about, do it safely, okay”

“We will, Mrs. Harris. Can we go get some popcorn?”

“Okay girls, but I’ll be watching you.”

“Yay! Let’s go Rachel!” And off they went.

Charles told Gina. “I think I’ll keep a closer eye on them”

“Thank you, Daddy”

The girls took the long way to the concession stand. Angela wanted to be the social butterfly and meet all the girls from school. She met up with a group of her friends.

“Hey girls! What’s up?”

Brittany Daniels spoke up “Nothing at all. All the boys worth talking too are either on the field or in the locker room. You look cute tonight!”

“Thanks, Britt. So do you. Are those new jeans?”

“These? I wish. Mom won’t let me get anything new until my birthday Saturday. She says I might be surprised what I get. As if.”

“Girls, you know my sister, Becca, have any of you met our friend before?”

Brittany was with Jayne Morris, Katie Brunson, Hilary Carter and Lisa Martinez.

“No, came the reply”

“This is Rachel, our cousin from Austin. She’s here for the weekend””¨
“Rachel blanched and looked at Becca, who elbowed Angela”

“Ow! Becca, I was just introducing our cousin here”

“Angela, what are you doing” whispered Becca.

“They have no idea who she is, Becca. There is no sense letting them in and judging her before they know her”

“Lying isn’t going to help her, Angela””¨

“What are you two whispering about?” said Jayne “Let us in on the secret”

The other girls agreed. “Yeah, Let us in!”

“Oh, it’s nothing, Becca was reminding me where we have to go later”

“We need to get back, Angela” said Rachel “Mom will get worried”

“We don’t need to get back right now, Let’s talk awhile” Angela introduced all the girls to Rachel, who already knew who they were. Why was Angela doing this? Rachel hated lying, and didn’t want to start now.

“Angela!” Rachel interrupted. “You don’t have to lie about me. Girls, I’m Rachel Harris, but you might remember me as Randall”

The girls all stopped talking. They looked at Rachel in disbelief. Rachel was flushed bright red in embarrassment.

“Then Jayne said, “Oh! So you’re the famous Rachel that everyone is talking about. So is it true you had a sex change operation in Europe?”

“What?” cried Rachel. “No! I just had a medical condition that made my parents think I was a boy, but I never was”

“Oh, yeah, right, Rachel” said Brittany “Like you just woke up one morning and you were a girl?”

“Well not exactly, but I can tell you that I...I...I have....girl parts”

“Really?” said Lisa, “You do?”

“Yes, but the doctor said that I can never have babies”

“Oh, wow. Are you serious?” said Hilary.

“Yes. And you probably hate me. I’ll leave now” said a dejected Rachel.

“Wait!” said Brittany “Don’t leave! I think it’s kind of cool. You’re different, but it’s not like everyone says. They were all saying you were some sort of freak that looked like a boy in a dress. You don’t look that way to me. I think you’re pretty!”

“Really?” asked Rachel “You do?

“Sure! And if Angela is willing to make an idiot out of herself by lying to us for you, then you must be okay. What do you think, girls?”

They all agreed that Rachel wasn’t the ogre that the rumor mill had painted her to be. The girls began to talk about boys.

“Who do you like, Rachel?”

“I don’t know. I think I’m really too young for that. I’ve got enough to worry about right now. I’ll leave the boys to you. You know a lot more about it that me!” laughed Rachel.

“Well, I think you’re cool” said Lisa “You can hang out with us anytime”

“Thanks, Lisa. I like you guys too”

Just then the school song started, and the varsity team came roaring onto the field. The crowd started cheering. Rachel screamed out Garrett’s name, and he happened to see her and wave.

“You’re Garrett’s sister, aren’t you, said Brittany. “He’s hot! Can you put in a good word for me?”

Angela retorted “No way, Britt. He’s mine”

“Whatever, Ang. He doesn’t know any of us are alive. All he thinks about is football and weights!” Brittany and the girls giggled.

“Unfortunately, you’re right” said Rachel “But I’m sure that will change eventually. He doesn’t listen to me anyway”

“Isn’t that the truth” said Becca. “But I’m just as glad they don’t notice us right now. I kind of think they are gross”

The girls all laughed at Becca’s comment. They broke up for the moment, promising to get together at halftime.

The game turned out to be a rout in the first half. Garrett’s name was being called as the tackler on more than a few plays, and he had an interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter. The halftime score was 23-0, Martinsburg.

The girls got together again at halftime and were talking and laughing like tween girls are know to do. Silliness is genetic at this point in the development of girls and Rachel was enjoying laughing and being accepted. Then, her bliss was shattered. Becca screamed, as her rear end was brutally pinched.

“Hey Becca, what’s shakin’ besides your ass?” It was Wayne Jackson, whose beating set Rachel on the course that changed her life.

Rachel jumped and retreated behind Angela and Brittany, fear etched on her face.

“Wayne, keep your disgusting paws off my sister, you pervert! She’s twelve years old!” cried Angela.

“Who cares? She’s hot, and if she’s lucky, she may get to be with me before the night is over”

“EWWWW, you pig! I wouldn’t have anything to do with you if you were the last male on the earth! God, you are so gross!” said Becca with disgust.

“Ohh come on baby, you know you can’t resist gettin’ a little Wayne!”

“Please” said Brittany “Are you really that stupid! You stink! Really, at least take a shower before you try to talk to girls” She made a gagging motion to the other girls, who started giggling.

“Hey! Who’s the new piece you’re hiding. I don’t believe I done her yet”

“You haven’t done anyone, other than yourself, loser” said Jayne with disdain.

“Hey bitch, watch yer mouth when talking to a man” he challenged.

Rachel stepped out. “Don’t you dare talk to my friend like that you pig! She’s better than you will ever be”

“Ohhhh, the little girl has a voice! You’re cute, so I’ll let you go for now, just watch your mouth” he said in a patronizing tone that infuriated Rachel.

“Little girl? You disgusting piece of slime! there’s only one place your going with that atttude. JAIL! God I hate you! I’ve always hated you”

The dimwitted boy had not caught on to who was talking to him. He looked over to his sniggering colleagues and realized the situation was getting out of hand.

“You bitch! He raised his hand to hit Rachel, but not before she raised a knee to his groin. He wilted.

“You bastard! My name is Rachel. Rachel Harris! And don’t you ever bother me or my friends again” She turned away from Wayne and put her head in Angela’s shoulder and started crying.

The girls all circled Rachel and walked away with her, hugging and consoling her.

Wayne began to recover his faculties, and saw the girls walking away. His friends were laughing at him and ridiculing the fact that he was taken out by a girl. He Jumped up and ran to the group of girls. He was going to show them!

Suddenly, he was stopped cold in his tracks by a hand clamped on his shoulder. All of a sudden he couldn’t move. His shoulder exploded in pain. He couldn’t say or do anything.

“Son, that’s not a very good idea” came the smooth even bass voice. “Those girls are off limits to you”

Wayne looked up and saw a tall black man dressed in black, with a shaven head and goatee. He also saw the glint of something under his jacket.

“Wayne Jackson, I know all about you” he said in a whisper “Not too bright, drunk father, ugly mother. Don’t make me do something that they might regret. Now, I want you to turn around walk away with your little buddies, and never speak to Rachel or her friends again. If you do, I will be back to see you, and I won’t be so friendly the next time”

He let go and Wayne fell to the ground. He looked around but the man was gone. Wayne started crying and ran to his friends. They asked what he was going to do about the “bitch” who hit him.

“Nothing” he said. “Let’s get out of here”

Charles saw the man who dealt with the wayward boy. He was on his way to stop the altercation, but he wasn’t fast enough. He caught up with Rachel’s guardian angel.

“Thanks for handling that boy back there. I saw him giving my granddaughter a hard time, but wasn’t fast enough to get there to stop the trouble”

“No problem, Detective Walker. Just doing my job”

“How do you know me?”

“It’s what I’m paid to do. Know people”

“What’s going on here?”

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you anyway. My name is Steve Marshall, and Brianna DiMaggio has engaged my services to watch after Rachel, and get to the bottom of this sign thing. I know you’re a detective, and I wanted to let you know that I’ll be around for the next few days, making sure that nothing interferes with your granddaughter’s new life. I am also going to be as close to invisible as I can be. My orders are to keep a low profile. I’ve already talked to the chief of police to let him know I’ll be in town on a stakeout”
“What if he is in on it?” queried Charles. “Won’t that tip him off?”

“Maybe, if he knew what I was staking out. He thinks I’m on the other side of town on a divorce case” Steve laughed. “I’ll bet he’s got his boys looking for me now!”

Charles laughed as well.

Steve continued. “I want you to know, so in case you see something odd, not to worry. I’ve got it covered. No one is getting close to your granddaughter. I also need you to keep my presence between you and me”

Charles answered. “Can do, Steve. That’s a great load off my mind. Thanks for giving me the heads up” he paused “Oh, and you won’t mind if I check you out, will you? Can’t be too careful”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less, Detective Walker. Here’s my card.”

Charles thanked Steve and made a call to Dallas.

“Tom, this is Charlie. I need you to check out a PI for me. He’s from Austin, and his name is Steve Marshall. He is? He Is? Yeah? All right, Thanks, Tom, I owe you one”

“Well, when Brianna hires someone, she doesn’t skimp. You pass and then some. My girls are in good hands, Steve. Thanks”

Steve returned to his duties, and blended into the crowd.

The girls were all gathered around Rachel.

“Oh. My. God. Rachel, that was soooo cool” said Lisa. “I’ve been wanting to do that for so long!”

“I know! You so owned him, girl!” added Jayne

“Hey, don’t cry, Rach, he can’t hurt you! He’ll have to pick his balls up off the grass before he does anything!” added Brittany, giggling.

“You are the best, girl” said Becca “My bottom is going to have a bruise on it in the morning, but it was worth it to see you lay him out. What a pig”

“Thanks, guys. I just couldn’t bear to see him call you all a bitch. I hate that word. I just got out of control. After I did it, I got so scared, I didn’t know what to do”

Angela then said, “Girls, after tonight, Rachel is our friend. No matter what anyone else says about her. No matter what anyone else thinks. She’s one of us. OKAY?”

“OKAY!” came the enthusiastic reply.

The rest of the game was anticlimactic. Lampasas stiffened, but could not manage more than two field goals and the final score was 23-6, Martinsburg.

Rachel and her new friends sat next to Gina and her mother the rest of the night, cheering Garrett on and enjoying their new found friendship.

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 10

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Genre:

Transitioning

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Chapter 10

The Lack of Sleep-Over, or Mom is going to be tired in the morning.

After the game was over, Brittany, Katie, Jayne and Lisa asked Rachel, Angela and Becca to go to the local post game hangout, a large pizza place called Dino’s.

“Pleeeease, Mom” pleaded Rachel. “You and Grams and Papa can come too! It will be fun! Pleeeease?”

Gina looked to her mother. “Do you and Daddy want to come?”

“No, Gina, I think we will sit this one out. 200 teenagers in a pizza place doesn’t sound like a...well...pleasant place to be for a couple of old timers like us. Besides, we have to get going early in the morning if I want to be back at a decent hour”

Gina looked at Rachel’s shining eyes and she knew that the answer no was not an option. She had picked up a group of friends her first day out, and this seemed to be what the doctor ordered for Rachel’s therapy, so to speak.

“Okay, sweetie, let’s go.”

“YAY! Thank you, Mom!”

Katie had corralled her mother, and was dragging her over to Gina and the girls.

“Mom, this is Rachel, and she is just the coolest girl! Wayne Jackson was bothering us and calling us names and Rachel was all ‘don’t do that’ and ‘leave my friends alone’ and he pinched Becca on the bottom, and Rachel, just, well, put her knee in his privates, and he went down. It was so cool!”

“Hi, I’m Katie’s mother, Susan Brunson. You’re Garrett’s mother, right?”

“Yes I am. Gina Harris. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Rachel is my daughter”

“Katie seems to think quite a bit of Rachel. It’s not often you see a little girl in a skirt take out a bully! Funny, She doesn’t look like the superhero type” she laughed.

“Well, I don’t condone violence, but just between you and me, that little monster had it coming”

“Mom!” said Katie “ We have the big truck, can all the girls ride with us to Dino’s? Daddy is taking Jeff home” Jeff was Katie’s big brother, a starting defensive end on the team and a junior.

“Y’all go ask your parents and meet back here” said Susan in her Texas drawl.

The girls split up to get the requisite permissions and left Gina and Susan standing by themselves.

“Are you sure you have enough room for all the kids?” asked Gina.

“I should hope so. I have a Suburban. Nine people in seat belts. I don’t really need all the room, but It’s nice to pull the horse trailer!”

“I should say so. I’ll go on ahead and get a couple of tables reserved”

“Gina” Susan touched her arm.

“I know about Rachel, and I heard about what happened at that church service. I want you to know that I think it’s terrible what they did to you, Garrett and that sweet girl, and I have no problem with Rachel at all. She’s welcome to come out to our place anytime. We’re proud to know your family. Darrell and I don’t hold to what a lot of other people in this town think” she said somberly. “I just wanted you to know that”

Gina hugged Susan. “You have no idea what your support means. I was beginning to think we were all alone in this town”

“Not by a long shot, girl. Hell, I heard a couple of boys in the cafe the other day say they didn’t care what went on with Rachel, they just didn’t want Garrett to move away!” she laughed again. “It may not be a ringing endorsement, but I’d wager most people in this town don’t care one way or another”

“ I hope you’re right Susan, I really do. I can’t sell the place right now, and I’m hoping time heals any problems” She paused and sighed. “Well, let me get those tables reserved”

Gina left and the girls all came up, laughing and carrying on about everything in the world. Rachel’s dispatch of Wayne was the big topic, as well as what boys would make it to Dino’s.

The short ride to was noisy and laugh filled. Susan was pleased that Rachel was fitting in so well. She smiled.

Everyone got into the crowded restaurant. It was packed to capacity, as it was every Friday night after a home game. The girls got a table and the Gina and Susan got the other.

“I’m surprised that you were able to reserve a table. They don’t usually do that on Fridays” said an amazed Susan.

“They do when you slip the owner twenty bucks” Gina answered.

“Ok, so bribery is alive and well in Texas” said Susan with a laugh.

“It’s too important for Rachel right now. I want her to have this experience”

The girls all sat at the table and asked Rachel what she was doing later.

“Well, Angela and Becca are staying over at my house tonight for a sleep over”

“And you didn’t invite us!” shrieked Brittany “we’re hurt!”

Rachel quickly answered “But I didn’t know you before tonight! Well, I guess I did but I never thought about inviting anyone. Becca and Angela have really been the only ones who have been nice to me since all of this began. Please don’t be mad”

“Oh we’re not mad, girl. You can still invite us!” came the reply from Brittany.

“Oh! That would be so cool” said Katie. “Ask your Mom!”

Rachel walked over to her mother’s table. “Mom, the girls want to know if they can be invited to the sleepover too! Can they! Please!”

Well, That would be wonderful. But, they need to ask their folks, and I need to talk to them. Okay?”

“YESSS” Rachel cried “SHE SAID YES”

By the time all the parents were contacted, Katie, Brittany and Lisa could go. Jayne’s parents didn’t let her. After consoling Jayne, the girls set about the plans for the evening.

“Hey girls!” Two Freshmen boys, Jason Braddock and Julio Sanchez came up to the girls’ table. “What’s up?”

“Nothing” giggled Lisa. “Hi, Julio, Jason”

“Hey, who’s the new girl?” asked Jason.

“Rachel Harris, she’s with us tonight” replied Angela.

Jason looked puzzled. “Rachel Harris....any relation to Garrett?”

“Why, yes she is” giggled Katie.

Jason all of a sudden realized who she was. “Oh I get it! The tranny!”

Julio and Jason started guffawing. They soon realized that they were the only ones laughing, and the laughter petered out. The girls were all staring at them with anger in their eyes.

“What?” said Julio “You chicas aren’t taking the side of this maricon, are you?”

“Yeah, what was it my dad called her? The chick with a dick? She’s cute, though, for a guy” he and Julio snickered some more.

Rachel sat there open mouthed, at the filthy name she had just been called. Her friends were just as shocked. Then Katie broke the silence.

“Apologize to Rachel this instant you jerk! I can’t believe you would call one of our friends such a filthy name”

Brittany, Jayne, Angela and Becca jumped to the defense of Rachel.

Lisa told Julio “ ¡Yo no puedo creer que la llamá³ eso, Julio! Lo que fue usted pensando! ¡Es una amiga máa, idiota!” (Translation: “I cannot believe you said that, Julio. What were you thinking! She’s a friend of mine, idiot!)

Julio responded “ ¿Cá³mo puede defender usted ese maricon, Lisa? (Translation: How can you defend this sissy, Lisa?)

Lisa countered “Dios mio, Julio. A veces usted es sá³lo tan estáºpido. Usted dos necesidad de ir ahora. (Translation: My God, Julio, sometimes you can be so stupid. You two need to go now.)

Jason was just about to add something else when two large hands laid on each of the boy’s shoulders.

“Hey girls! Having problems with my two friends, here?” It was Garrett along with two of his buddies from the defensive line, Jack Thomas and Chad Cole. “You two wouldn’t be giving my sister a hard time, would you? That would be most inappropriate”

Jason stammered “Oh h-h-hey, Garrett, uhhh, w-w-we were just talking to the girls here?”

“I see that” came the cool reply. “Rach, what did they say?”

“I won’t repeat it”

“Hmmmm. That bad huh? Now, I can’t believe that these two fine upstanding young men would ever stoop to such gutter language. ESPECIALLY to my wonderful, loving and beautiful sister. Is she mistaken, boys?”

“Yeah, Garrett, w-w-we didn’t say anything bad”

“Oh, so my sister is a liar, is that what you’re saying?”

“Y-y-y-es, I-I-I mean NO!”

“What is it then? I’m confused.”

“I don’t know Garrett” came Julio’s reply.

“You two JV’ers need to say what you really mean! Let me help you. Repeat after me”

“Miss Rachel, I apologize for being so rude to you”

They repeated the words.

“Miss Rachel, someone of your obvious charm and beauty should never be treated so poorly”

“Garrett...stammered Jason”

“Repeat it” said Garrett through clenched teeth.

“Yeah, repeat it” said Cole with an evil smile

They again repeated the words.

“Miss Rachel, please forgive us”

They repeated again.

“Can you forgive these knaves, Miss Rachel?” asked Garrett with a smile.

Rachel smiled her pretty smile and said, “Well, since they asked so nicely and said such nice things to me, I do forgive them”

Garrett then said to the two boys. “Say thank you to the nice lady, boys”

“Thank you, Miss Rachel”

“You are quite welcome, boys”

All the people at the surrounding tables began to applaud. The two offenders were beet red.

Garrett then said to the boys in a whisper “Don’t ever talk to my sister like that again. Go away” They left in an embarrassed hurry.

“There you go ladies,” said Garrett. “You just have to educate the youth of America in the fine art of politeness. Take care. Come, gentlemen! Pizza awaits!” he said with a flourish. They then went to their table.

Rachel and the girls erupted in a fit of giggling. “He’s seen one too many old pirate movies” said Rachel.

Angela whispered to Rachel “Oh. My. Gosh. Rachel, I think I love your brother. That was so sweet”

Rachel agreed. “I know I do, but probably not in the same way you’re talking about”

Rachel was upset by the attitude of the two boys, but having support around her was so much better than having to face the abuse alone. She wouldn’t have missed this for the world.

Garrett and his friends made it back to their table.

“Dude!” exclaimed Jack. “They way you handled those ass clowns back there was awesome. I would have just decked them. I didn’t even understand half of what you were saying, and it was still awesome”

Garrett smiled. “Jack, I wanted to, but not in front of the Rachel, and if I had, it would have been the end of my season”

Cole nodded. “Yeah, I suppose what you did to them was even better than a good butt kicking”

“Exactly. Jack, you need to pay more attention in English class and you too, can be the life of the party like me!”

Jack laughed at this. “Yeah, right, Garrett!”

Cole was quiet for a minute. “You know, Garrett. Your sister is cute”

“Cole, I WILL whip your ass, remember that” He then started laughing and was joined by his friends.

The rest of the evening passed without incident. At around 10:30, Gina paid the bill and collected Garrett and the girls for the ride home. They stopped by the other girls homes to get their things for the evening. Rachel and her new friends were chatting away about the evening’s events, and they let Garrett in on what Rachel had done to the bully.

“Rachel!” said Garrett in mock horror. “How unladylike. I’m shocked!” Gina smiled at that comment. The girls all giggled at Garrett’s comment.

Rachel looked at Angela and grinned evilly. “Angela likes you, Garrett”

“RACHEL!” screamed Angela as she blush a deep crimson. “I do not! Oh my gosh!” All the girls squealed with laughter.

Garrett smiled back at the girls. “So? It’s better than being at the wrong end of the affection scale, especially around the old junk kicker here” He looked at his sister. It was now Rachel’s turn to blush. He then winked at Angela, which caused her to blush even harder. The girls all howled with laughter.

As they reached their home. Gina noticed an old Chevy parked on the street just down from their house. There was no one in it, and she wondered who was visiting the neighbors at this hour.

The girls all ran into the house and up to Rachel’s room.

“Rachel, you have got to do something about this room. It’s too boy” said Brittany. You need new furniture and the bedspread is, ugh”

“I know, I know. I just haven’t had time to take care of it yet. Give me a little time.”

“Well, at least you know it’s yucky. That’s something. If you need any tips, let me know”

“Thanks, Britt, I will” Rachel then added “So girls, what will we do first? I don’t have a lot of experience, but I’m willing to learn!”

“Lets get out of these clothes and into our PJ’s. I need to get comfy” said Lisa.

“Great idea, Lisa!”

The girls all got their bags and started taking off their clothes to get their pajamas on. They didn’t seem to mind getting dressed in front of each other. Rachel got embarrassed and looked down.

Brittany was standing in front of Rachel in nothing but her panties. “What’s the matter Rachel, aren’t you changing?”

Rachel blushed. “I’m just shy, Britt. This is all new to me. It just seems, I don’t know, wrong”

“Rachel, we are all friends here, and we are all girls. You don’t have anything we don’t. We’re not trying to embarrass you, we’re just getting dressed for the party”

“I know, it’s just.....”

“It’s just nothing. I don’t want to pressure you, and if you can’t, we’ll understand. But you are a girl, and you need to adapt like a girl. We won’t make fun of you. Ever. You are our friend and sister. Okay? Besides none of us are getting dressed until you do. Right girls?”

“Right” came the collective reply.

“So, unless you want a topless slumber party. I suggest you get your clothes off and into your pajamas”

“You promise not to laugh?” Rachel said uncertainly.

“Cross our hearts. You didn’t laugh at us”

“How could I, you’re all so...so...developed, much more than I am”

“So? I’m standing here topless” said Brittany “Which is cold. I wouldn’t laugh at you, not only because I would never do that, but I’m freezing and wouldn’t do anything to slow you down from changing. So get those clothes off, girl! I’m cold”

“Rachel undressed, blushing the entire time. She got down to her bra and panties, and Lisa said “See, that wasn’t so bad. And you’ve got a cute body. You just need a couple of years to grow into it”

Rachel thought, “easy for you to say” Lisa was a stunning Hispanic girl who looked, at 15, like she was 18. Rachel couldn’t help thinking that a couple of weeks ago, this would have been so far out of the realm of possibility that the Twilight Zone wouldn’t have thought it possible. Yet here she was, standing in a room full of half naked girls, and it was perfectly natural.

“Ok. You’ve got me in my underwear. Happy?”

“Tickled. Now let’s get dressed. I’m freezing!” said Brittany.

The girls all went downstairs to get something to drink, they all had Diet Coke. Katie announced, let’s give Rachel a makeover! She needs a different look tonight!”

“Okay, let’s go upstairs and glam this girl up” The herd of giggling humanity went back upstairs to begin.

“Okay” said Angela. “What look do we want to give her? She’s got pretty and innocent down. Let’s try glamour!”

“Oooh, yes! With smokey eyes. I’ve got just the right colors for her” said Lisa. “Do you have Hispanic heritage, Rachel? Your coloring is similar to mine”

“Yes. My grandmother is Mexican”

“Cool, hermana mia! This will be fun! Just leave everything to us you’ll be a stark raving Latin beauty when Lisa is done with you”

The girls had Rachel clean her face while they go the makeup ready. She came out of the bathroom as a blank slate on which the girls planned to produce their masterpiece.

“Ok, Lisa, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. My face is in your hands”

Katie volunteered to do Rachel’s nails, and Lisa began on her face. Angela would do her hair, and Becca and Brittany would offer suggestions. Lisa was only fifteen, but she was a prodigy with the makeup brush. It was her hobby, and she spent hours in front of the makeup mirror experimenting with new looks. She had no shortage of suitors, but never dated anyone more than a couple of times. The boys bored her, and older boys were after the one thing she wouldn’t give to anyone but her future husband. She didn’t mind though. She liked looking beautiful, and being a little bit of a tease. “You can look, but don’t touch” was her mantra.

Lisa worked on Rachel’s face for 35 minutes. All the mirrors in the room were off limits to Rachel until she was completely done. Angela then worked on Rachel’s short hair, creating a pixieish style.

“Oh, Rachel. you look beautiful” said Katie when they were done. “We’ve got to show your mother!”

“Absolutely hot! said Brittany. “I’m so jealous! I’m so glad you are home schooled. We’d never get a second look”

Rachel blushed. “Oh come on, girls. I am nowhere near as cute as any of you. You are all so pretty”

Angela replied “What-everrr, Rachel. Let’s see what your Mom says, and no peeking!”

They led Rachel down the stairs to the kitchen where Gina was working Garrett was in the kitchen as well, finshing off a large bowl of ice cream. “Mrs. Harris, can we show you the new and improved Rachel Harris?”

“Well, isn’t this a surprise!” smiled Gina “Let me sit down and see the magic you have wrought”

They brought Rachel around the corner. “Ta Daaaaaa” they all said in unison”

Gina brought her hands up to her mouth and gasped “Oh my goodness” Garrett dropped the spoon into the bowl and gaped open mouthed.

“I look stupid, don’t I” said Rachel. “I told you not to make me look stupid, Lisa”

Gina’s eyes were brimming with tears. What stood before her was a vision of beauty. Her big brown eyes shone through the impeccably done eye makeup, her lips were done in a warm shade of red, the foundation perfect. Atop the skinny little five foot, 95 pound body in the pink pajamas was the face of an angel. All Gina could think of were the wasted years of making this wonderful girl look like a boy.

“Are you mad, Mom” asked Rachel. “Say something!”

“Ohhh, Rachel. You look like a princess!” Gina gushed. “You all did a wonderful job on her, girls” tears were flowing down her cheeks.

“Really, Mom?” she asked “I don’t look stupid?”

“Far from it sweetie. What do you think, Garrett?”

“Guns...We need lots of guns. This girl is going to start a riot”

“Ok, Neo” Rachel laughed getting his obvious “Matrix” reference. “Let me see!”

They gave her a mirror. Oh, my!” she gasped “I do look good. I wish those two buttheads at Dino’s could see me now! I’m hot!

Garrett laughed. “If they have to see you like that to figure out what a great girl you are they aren’t worth having at all. Those to morons will be sorry one day they treated you like that”

“After what you did to them tonight, they are probably already regretting what they said to you” added a smiling Gina.

“Ahhhh, they had it coming” said Garrett. “it’s a lot more fun owning someone without having to get into a fight to do it”

The girls had some snacks while they were down in the kitchen. Gina took what seemed to Rachel like a hundred pictures. To thank them for making her up Rachel did all of their toes in the color of their choice. Brittany did all of their fingers. They didn’t want to ruin Rachel’s beautiful face, so the rest of the girls did a blind makeover on each other. The results were hilarious, and the screeching was deafening. Gina had to remind the girls that Grams and Papa were trying to sleep in the guest room.

The girls then went down to the living room to watch a movie. Rachel picked the latest installation of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” They watched it and swooned over Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp.

Finally, at 4:20, the girls had had enough. They went upstairs and cleaned up and piled into Rachel’s king sized bed to sleep. The evening had been a success, and new friendships were formed. Would these friendships stand the test of time? Who knew. But tonight, all was right with the world.

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 11 & 12

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Genre:

Transitioning

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

TG Themes:

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Chapter 11

Clouds on the Horizon

Steve Marshall watched the Harris SUV drive in from the vantage point he had in his favorite stakeout car, an old 1978 Impala 4-door. It still had a solid body, and was made right here in Texas. It didn’t stand out, and that was perfect for his plans. He wanted to be the proverbial fly on the wall for the duration of this stakeout. He had ducked down in the rear seat, and they hadn’t made him. He was set up for a night surveillance, with night vision and infrared video. All he had to do now was wait, which was the worst part of any stakeout. Steve was disciplined, however, and he trained his body and mind for nights like this. Long nights made him cranky, and usually the person he was charged with apprehending felt the brunt of that crankiness.

His shotgun mike was trained on the house, and he could hear the sounds on the girls squealing and running around in the house. He was hoping nothing would happen tonight that would spoil their little get together. He liked the kid, and the way she handled that little bastard at the game was a thing of beauty. He smiled as he remembered the little girl stand up to the boy in her sweater and skirt and lay him out with the knee to the junk. The kid had spunk, no doubt about it.

At 5:30, dawn was breaking and he made the call to Brianna.

“Bree, nothing went down tonight. A little excitement at the game and the dinner afterwards, but the kid and her brother handled themselves”

“Thanks, Steve. I appreciate it. Keep up the good work. Grab a hotel room close by and I’ll cover it. Something is going to happen. I can feel it”

“No problem, boss. I’ve got it covered”

As Steve got off the phone. A Martinsburg black and white pulled up behind Steve’s car. Steve didn’t turn around.

“All right, sir, I’m going to say this just once. Step away from the car.

Steve smiled without turning around. “Stan Harrick, why are you bothering us working men? Did I take you away from your donuts? Is that why you’re going all Barney Fife on me?”

Stan started laughing “Hell yes, you did. A big jelly filled one too. And a nice, hot cup of coffee”

“Thanks for coming by, Stan. I need a favor”

Stan and Steve went back to Steve’s days as a field officer in the Bureau. Stan, through some heads up police work, put Steve on the track of a Mexican drug lord setting up shop in Austin when he was still in training with the Austin PD. Things got a little messy, as the training officer in charge of Stan was hip deep in drug money. Stan was banished to the sticks for the time being to take the heat off him. Steve never forgot Stan, and he was trying to get him to drop the law enforcement gig and partner up with him in his agency. Stan was still thinking about it, but he had a wife and kid that liked the small town life. If this was punishment, Stan sure didn’t show it.

“Sure Steve, what’s up?”

“The Harris girl and her family could be in some trouble with some of the holier than thous in town. Call it a hunch, but that sign in the yard the other day could have been the start of something bigger in the way of harassment for the family. My employer thinks so, and I think so”

“So what do you need from me?” asked Stan.

“Do a little digging for me, Stan. Nothing big, but I need to know if something’s up. You know I always appreciate any help from you boys in blue, and I can make arrangements for your time off the city clock”

“It’s a damn shame Steve. Rachel’s a good kid. I met her the other day. Sweet as can be. But why the interest?”

My employer wants this handled off the books if possible. I stress if possible. I don’t want you getting in trouble with Chief Love Handles or whatever his name is. My employer doesn’t want the girl to know anyone is out to get her. I don’t know why, but she wants her to stay out of the limelight as much as possible”

“I get it, Steve. I’ll do some checking. I’ll get back to you. I’ll also keep the other boys off your back if someone happens to call in a suspicious vehicle in the neighborhood”

“Thanks, Stan. I owe you a big one on this. And the job offer still stands”

“Yeah, and spend all night in a POS car looking at the outside of a house? I’ll get back to you on that, old buddy”

Stan shook Steve’s hand and drove off. Steve left to get some sleep. He thought he was getting too old for this. He was lucky this time to have a trusted friend in town in position to help him.

Rachel and the girls were still sleeping at noon when they finally dragged themselves out of bed. Six girls in a king sized bed seemed like a good idea at the time, and they looked the worse for wear in the morning. They put their robes on and shuffled down the stairs for breakfast.

Garrett was up and sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal as the sextet of tweens walked in to the room. “Look what the cat dragged in! Rough night, party goers?” He started laughing. He couldn’t help it. Rachel’s hair was standing straight up, and the long hair of the other girls looked like 5 haystacks.

“Stop it Garrett” whined Rachel “Leave us alone”

Angela apparently forgot that Garrett lived in the same house as Rachel. She shrieked and ran upstairs to brush her hair to look more presentable for her love interest.

“Don’t leave on my account, Ang!” he called up after her. “You look wonderful!” which was followed by more laughter.

“Garrett! Leave those girls alone and stop teasing your sister!”

“Boys!” hissed Brittany as Garrett left the room.

“Love you too, Scarecrow!” replied Garrett.

“Mommmmmm” cried Rachel.

“Garrett!”

“I’m going, I’m going!” he laughed as he headed in to play some Halo.

Gina came in to the kitchen. “Can I make you something to eat? Maybe some pancakes?”

“Oooohhh! That sounds delicious!” said Rachel. The girls were all in agreement. Gina made chocolate chip pancakes for everyone and he girls devoured two dozen.

“My goodness!” said Gina “You girls must have the metabolism of a hummingbird!”

“Just hungry, Mom. We’re growing girls!”

“I’ll say! If you grow any more, I won’t be able to keep any food in the house with both you and Garrett. That big oaf eats more than a horse!”

“I heard that, Mom” called Garrett fro the living room.

“Whatever, garbage can”

The girls finished eating and then showered. They called their parents and everyone was gone by two thirty.

“Mom, that was so much fun! All the girls were just so nice! I’m so excited to finally have some friends. Lisa showed me how she did my makeup. I don’t think I can do it as well as she did, but I need more makeup to practice. Can we get some?”

“You bet, Angel. We can go this afternoon” replied Gina.

Then the phone rang. Gina picked up.

“I saw your little freak at the game” It was an electronically modified voice.

“Who is this?” said an alarmed Gina.

“Someone who hates freaks. There are many of us. If you insist on parading ‘it’ around in public then we will have to take matters into our own hands. We are the Sons of Purity, and we will get that freak. There is nothing you can do but leave our town”

“Go to hell, you coward!” screamed Gina into the phone.

“You first, whore” The line fell silent.

Gina slammed the phone down and began crying.

“What is it, Mom?” asked Rachel.

Garrett ran in and echoed the question. Gina couldn’t respond at first. Garrett and Rachel hugged her as she slowly regained her composure.

“It was just a prank call that really upset me. It was about Rachel. These people can be so damn hateful. JUST LEAVE US ALONE!” screamed Gina.

Gina gave Brianna a call right after she composed herself. She explained the phone call and what had been said.

“Gina, don’t worry about that idiot. I have people watching your daughter and your house. Good people. You see, I figured something like this would come up. They sound like they have some tech experience, but a voice alteration like that is cheap and easy. I’d guess it was from a disposable cell phone that can’t be traced”

“You know all this?” asked Gina.

“Call it an educated guess. But I guarantee you I’m not that far off. Let me handle it from here. Don’t worry. Nothing is going to happen to Rachel. On a more positive note, I have the paperwork completed for Rachel’s legal name change, I just need to stop by and get it signed”

“Great! But you don’t have to come all the way out here”

“I want to! I haven’t seen Rachel since Monday and I miss her” Brianna laughed.

“Well I know she’ll be excited to see you. She just loves you so much”

“The feeling is mutual. I’ll see you Monday and we’ll get the legalities out of the way”

“Thank you for all you have done, Brianna. I just wish I knew what we did to deserve your kindness”

Brianna giggled. “Can’t a girl do something nice for wonderful people like you? Byee”

Brianna immediately called Steve Marshall.

“Marshall”

“Steve, I need you to upgrade your surveillance”

“What happened now”

“The bastards contacted Gina and threatened Rachel. This was their big mistake. Now we play for keeps”

“Ok. Level 2 then”

“Correct. Make it happen, Steve. Recruit whomever you need”

“Done”

Steve didn’t like it when Brianna got this way. For a beautiful girl, she could get downright nasty. He also didn’t like operating outside the law like this. Things could get messy in a hurry. But that’s why she paid him the big bucks, he knew. Something bad happened to her in the past, but what? He’d think about that later. Now he had to assemble his team.

At around six, there was a ring at the door. Gina looked and there was a tall, handsome black man at the door. He looked serious. She opened the door.

“Can I help you?” she asked timidly.

“Hi Gina. My name is Steve Marshall, and Brianna sent me”

“Oh, what a relief! Are you here to help us?”

“Yes, ma’am, I am. I work for Brianna from time to time. I’ve been shadowing you and Rachel for the last day, making sure you are safe. Brianna’s original plan was for me to stay in the background if possible. But when the bad guys decided to escalate, then so did we. I wanted to introduce myself to you and your family so you know who I am. I don’t want you to have any surprises if something goes down and I have to act”

“Our Guardian Angel?” Gina said lightly.

“Something like that, only I’m not as cuddly as Clarence” returned Steve with a smile.

“Can I offer you something to drink, angel? Or do angels not drink.” Gina walked to the kitchen.

“Sure. A bottled water would be great.”

Gina called Rachel and Garrett down to the kitchen to meet Steve. After introductions were made, Steve filled them in on why he was there, and what to expect.

“That’s about it, guys. If things go according to plan, we’ll have this wrapped up in no time. We are not dealing with super criminals here, just a few haters. Just live your lives, someone will be watching you at all times. I’ll install a tap on your line, to trace the calls that threaten you...”

“Don’t you need a court order to do that? asked Gina.

“If it goes to court, yes. But I’m not worried about court. I just want to find these guys and give them the ride of their lives or turn them over to the police”

“You’re not going to kill them are you?” Asked a concerned Rachel.

“No, but they may wish we had when we are done with them. My team can be very persuasive when they want to be”

“Your team?” queried Gina.

“Yes. I am bringing in some help on this one, beginning next week” I’ll introduce you to them when we get set up”

“I’ve got equipment coming in on Monday that I’ll have to set up. Try not to worry. Someone is watching over you all the time. I’m very good at what I do, and I’ve never failed a client”

“Thank you, Mr. Marshall” said Rachel as she came over to give him a hug.

Steve was taken aback by the show of affection, but returned the hug. “Don’t you worry, little lady. I always get my man” He added “Don’t tell any of your friends about me, okay? This needs to be our secret for now”

“I won’t” said Rachel as she went back upstairs. “It’s our secret”

Rachel looked at herself in the mirror. She was changing into her pajamas, and hadn’t put her shirt on yet. Her breasts had gotten noticeably bigger in the last week and a half. They still weren’t much, but they were there. She couldn't wait until they were as big as her friend's. She sighed, and put her bra and pajama top on.

The rest of the weekend passed uneventfully. Maria returned on Sunday afternoon to continue her stay with her pregnant daughter. Rachel got plenty of use out of her new cell phone, as her new friends were texting her every 3 minutes.

Steve called his team. they had worked together many times in the past. Jim “Tank” Abrams was some muscle he used occasionally. At 6’5”, 275 pounds he was a Black belt in Brazilian Jiujitsu, and was an ex Green Beret. A crack shot, and an expert with a knife, he was an asset in close quarters combat. Gia “Spider” Coretti was an expert in computers and communications, and would be used to trace the communications of the perpetrators. She was also a world class free runner, which gave her the nickname Spider, due to her abilities in climbing walls. She was also a 6th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and deadly in a fight. She was 5’6”, and all of 120 pounds, and built like a stripper, without any surgery. She was handy to have around if distraction was part of the plan. Ben “Ice” Blackwood was an ex Force Recon Marine, who got his nickname by falling through the ice of an Afghan lake on a black op that nearly got him killed. He was a deadly hand to hand combatant, skilled in ninjutsu. Fast, deadly with knives, and an expert in covert ops. He knew how to stay under the radar.

They were all due to arrive on Tuesday, and then the real work would begin.

****
Eight men were gathered in an old shack west of town. They were a shabby lot, all ex delinquents, criminals and neo nazis They were all known simply by numbers. At the front of the room was a hooded figure, known to the men as simply “The Leader”. He began to speak to the group.

“Sons of Purity. Today we begin the cleansing of this town. Thank you for your commitment to the cause for which many before us have given their lives and souls. The call was made to the family of perverts and homosexuals. They have been given their only warning.

Shaven heads nodded in murmured agreement.

“Today, we renew our war against the Jew, the queer, the nigger. We start our war with the elimination of this abomination before the Lord”

There was more nodding and agreement.

“Hear me! This harlot is not to be harmed. No, it is to be brought to me for cleansing, with the whip and with FIRE!” There was shouted agreement. “Bring the mother of the harlot as well. KILL her other family! Show no mercy! You have your orders. You have the steel of your convictions. You have all lost family to this type of abomination! Purge them ALL!

The room erupted in cheers as the hooded man stood and raised his right hand in the Roman salute made infamous by the Nazis in the Third Reich. The salutes were returned. The men then started in on the crystal meth provided by their “leader”.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny. The town was quiet. Birds were singing as the sleepy village awakened to a new day. Some would say the Lord’s day. The Lord had nothing to do with what was being concocted in that small building in the country. Nothing at all.

Chapter 12

The storm arrives, Part 1

Maria was the first one up. She went down to fix some decaf for Gina and herself. She got the pot started and heard Gina rustling upstairs. She went up to check on her.

“Gina?”

“Mom? Come here. I need you!” Gina didn’t sound good.

“What is it, dear?”

When Maria got to the bathroom, she found Gina on the toilet. She had a grayish pallor and dark circles under her eyes.

“Mom, I’m bleeding.....” Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell to the floor, unconscious.

“GINA!” screamed Maria. “Rachel, Garrett! HELP! It’s your mother!”

Rachel snapped awake. She ran to her mother’s room, and was nearly knocked over by Garrett. She ducked out of the way just in time. She made it to her mother’s room to find Garrett holding his mother’s limp form on the bathroom floor.

“Call 911!” Maria told Rachel. “Get an Ambulance here NOW!”

Rachel dialed 911 and gave the necessary information to the operator. Garrett picked Gina up and carried her to the bed. Gina didn’t look good at all. Maria sat by Gina and Rachel hugged Garrett.

5 minutes later, the sound of the siren got louder. Rachel ran downstairs to let the paramedics in. She led them to Gina’s bedroom.

“What happened, Ma’am?

Maria answered “ She said she was bleeding, and passed out. There was a small amount of blood in her underwear.

“How far along is she”

“6 and a half months”

“B P 140 over 95”

“Pulse 150 and weak”

“Starting O2”

After she was stabilized, the paramedics lifted Gina on to the gurney and prepared to transport her. They took her downstairs and out to the waiting ambulance. Maria got in with them for the ride to the hospital, telling Garrett that she would call when she knew anything. Garrett and Rachel watched as the ambulance drove away, sirens blaring. Rachel was crying into Garrett’s shirt.

“What is happening to mom, Garrett? Is she going to die? Garrett, I can’t lose my mommy! I can’t!”

Garrett looked down at his little sister. “Sis, I don’t know what is going on. But I know this. Mom is not going to die. She’s going to be okay. Do you hear me? Don’t worry”

“Do you really think so, Garrett?”

“Yes I do, Sis” Deep down, he wondered how much his mother could take. He would never show those fears to Rachel. She needed him to be strong. He led her back inside the house.

Rachel texted Becca “Mom very sick. They took her to hospital. Call me!!!!

Rachel buried her head in her pillows and cried and prayed. Fifteen minutes later, Becca called.

“Becca!” cried Rachel. “Mom’s so sick. I had to call the ambulance. Becca, What am I going to do?” She broke down again.

“Rachel, I’m coming over. Angela’s coming too. Mom is going over to the hospital to she if she can help. Don’t panic”

“Hurry, Becca. Hurry!”

Steve Marshall had his portable scanner on in his hotel room. He caught the ambulance call and shot up when he heard the address called. He listened carefully to the cross talk and determined it was Gina. He picked up the phone and called Brianna. He filled her in and got dressed and headed over to the Harris house to see what he could do. Brianna was on her way to the hospital.

Becca and Angela got dressed and ran to Rachel’s house. They ran inside and up to Rachel’s room. They all met in one big hug and cried. Becca and Angela listened to Rachel pour her heart out.

There came a ring at the door. Garrett answered it. Steve Marshall was there.

“How can I help, Garrett?”

“There’s nothing we can do for now. Grams will call us when they know anything. Rachel is upstairs with her friends Becca and Angela doing the girl bonding thing. You know how they are”

“Yeah, I guess I do. How are you holding up?”

“Good” came Garrett’s reply. “I have an outlet for my frustrations. I get to hit people. It keeps me sane”

Steve laughed. “I know exactly what you mean, son. Been there, done that”

Steve and Garrett talked about what was going on. The football season, life, and what Garrett planned to do.

“I don’t think there’s a future in the Army for me. I don’t like what it did to my dad. My Grandad Harris won’t like it, but at this point I don’t really care. My family needs me here”

“I think in your case, right now that’s a good idea. Your how old, 14, 15? You’ve got time to decide those things. I never could understand why some people push kids into making life choices at such a young age”

About four hours later, the phone rang. It was Maria. Garrett answered the phone.

“Grams? What’s going on? We’ve been going crazy here”

“Your mom is okay. She was suffering from exhaustion. Apparently, she hadn’t slept in a week. She was hiding it from us. The bleeding was just some spotting, which happens during pregnancy. She went until she collapsed. They are keeping her for a couple of days of observation. They don’t like her blood pressure readings, and are concerned about complications. She’s sleeping now. I’m staying here for awhile”

“Can we come to see her?”

“You can, but she will be sleeping for some time. Let’s wait until tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay, but I don’t like it. Steve Marshall is here staying with us. He wants to talk to you”

“Mrs. Harris? Steve Marshall. I’ll cover here at the house. Brianna is heading to the hospital now. Don’t worry about what’s happening here. It’s covered”

“Thank you Steve. How did you know where to go?””¨
“That’s a trade secret, Mrs. Harris” he said with a smile.

“Well, I’m glad you’re there. I've got to get back to Gina”

Steve hung up the phone. He was going to stay at the Harris home until Gina got back, and probably after. It was just as well. This made his job a lot easier. He could get to work idiot proofing this place. That is, keeping any idiots out.

Rachel was still talking to Becca and Angela. She had calmed down and they had changed the subject to keep her calm. Angela was brushing Rachel’s hair.

“Rachel, can I ask you a personal question?” asked Angela.

“Sure”

“I know you have a different view of everything than most girls have. I mean you were raised a boy for all your life. Have you given any thought to boys?”

“Ewwww, no!” she cried. “I’m not ready to date yet”

“I’m not talking about dating, just, you know, liking a boy. Do you, or does it seem strange”

“Well, I guess I do. I saw some boys at the mall last week, and I wondered what it would be like to hold their hand and stuff. Most boys have been so mean to me, I just can’t get too excited about them right now”

“What about girls? Do you like them?”

“I’ve never thought about it. I don’t feel any different around you or Becca, just normal. I don’t want to make out with you or anything like that. I just don’t feel anything I guess right now”

“That will change, I’m sure” said Becca

“Am I weird?” asked Rachel. “I know I ask that a lot. I’ve been a girl for a week and a half. I don’t have some of the parts normal girls do. I just don’t know what to feel. I need friends right now. People who don’t want anything from me”

“You’re not weird, Rach. The old hormones will kick in and take care of you!” said Angela with a smile.

“To be honest, I think about boys and girls” said Angela. “Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to kiss a girl, and then again, what it would be like to kiss a guy. So you’re no weirder than any of us”

“Hey, let’s go downstairs and fix something to eat. I’m hungry” announced Rachel.

“Yeah, let’s!” said Becca.

The girls went downstairs after Garrett and Steve got of the phone. Steve passed along the good news and Rachel and her friends went to the kitchen celebrating. They fixed sandwiches and chips, and got some diet Coke to go along with it.

Steve went out to his car and got the equipment he had brought along with him. Motion sensors, IR cameras, and a laptop. He busied himself with preparations to make the house and yard secure from invaders. Garrett pitched in to help.

The Leader made the calls to his group of thugs. Go time was Wednesday night. The harlot’s mother was in the hospital, but that couldn’t be avoided. Too bad. He wanted her to watch as he tortured Rachel. Made her beg to die. Make her mother beg him to kill her. Better yet, break both of them. That would be the ultimate victory. That time was coming, and he was ready. A bead of sweat ran down the side of his face. The headache he had was beginning to subside. It always did when the plan came closer to fruition.

Maria sat with Gina in her hospital room. Gina slept soundly. She had been given a mild sedative, nothing too powerful, lest the baby be harmed. Then, Gina’s eyes fluttered open and she called out “Rachel!”

“Shhh, dear” Maria got out of her chair and got close to Gina’s face. “Rachel is just fine”

“Mom, I’ve got to get back to her. She needs me!”

“Gina, she needs you whole, not as a sleep deprived zombie. Steve is there right now, watching over her. Go back to sleep”

“Are you sure?”

“I talked to them earlier today. He isn’t leaving till you get back and are rested. Gina, if you keep this up, you are going to harm someone else you love. Right here” Maria touched Gina expanding tummy.

“Okay mom, I’ll sleep. Just let me know if anything happens”

Monday came and a black H2 Hummer pulled into the Harris driveway. Out came a lithe girl in a tactical suit. Gia “Spider” Colletti had arrived, and brought with her an array of surveillance and electronic gear.

“Spider! Glad you could make it early. Do you have the rest of the gear?”

“What do you think, Hondo?” Hondo was Steve’s nickname, based on his favorite basketball player, John “Hondo” Havlicek. He was a natural leader, much like his namesake. “I’m always prepared”

“Let’s get the gear inside, and get your damned eyesore of a vehicle out of here. Why don’t you just put “Spy Car” in big white letters on the side?”

“Maybe I should” she replied.

They got the gear out of the truck and into the house. Gia and Steve moved the H2 to a parking lot down the street. They got back and began assembling the gear, more motion sensors, inside security, cameras, and wire tapping gear. Gia had software to trace calls, and was very good at it.

Rachel brought Steve and Gia a couple of glasses of Dr. Pepper.

“Thank you Rachel” said Steve. “How did you know Gia liked Dr. Pepper?”

“I didn’t, I just guessed. I’m glad I guessed right” she smiled.

“Thank you, Rachel” said Gia.

“You’re welcome. Are you here to protect me too?”

“You bet, sweetie. Nobody picks on girls when the Spider is around!”

“You have a cool nickname, Gia, but I like your real name better. It’s pretty”

“You’re sweet” then Gia added “The boys gave me my nickname. We’ll have to get you one too”

“What will it be? Can I get one now?”

“Nope, we’ll have to watch you. Your nickname has to fit. Before this op is over, we’ll have one for you”

“I can’t wait!” Rachel ran off to her room to work on her studies.

Afternoon came and went. Gia took Rachel and Garrett to see Gina. She was still weak and desperately tired. They visited for two hours then Gia brought them back home.

Steve was just getting off the phone when Gia and the kids came in. Maria was staying in a hotel next to the hospital.

“Gia, we have to talk. Kids, can you excuse us for a minute?”

Garrett, and Rachel left the room.

“What’s up?” asked Gia.

“I talked to my man in the police force. He’s heard from different patrol officers, that a few skinheads have been seen around town. They kind of stick out. My man was going to move on them, but the chief said to leave them alone, as they hadn’t done anything. I think they are tied to the plot somehow”

“So, what’s the play?”

“We wait, for now. The ball is in their court. They can’t get anywhere near the place without us knowing about it. Tank and Ice will be here in the morning. You want first shift?”

“No problem, Hondo”

At two am, Gia was watching the monitors. A motion sensor chirped. Back yard, left rear quadrant. She rotated an IR camera to view. She saw a bald head behind the rear fence. Two more motion sensors chirped.

“Hondo” She whispered. “Company”

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 13

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Genre:

Transitioning

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

TG Themes:

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Chapter 13

Big trouble for Rachel: Kidnapped!

Steve sat up. He had been sleeping lightly. He glanced at the monitors.

“I see ‘em. How many do you have eyes on?”

“It looks like seven, maybe eight”

“Looks to me like they’ve got us surrounded. What are they waiting for?”

“Here they come. They are moving in all at once. Eight of them”

“Lock and load, Spider” said Steve quietly. If they try to get in, I want you to get the family together upstairs. Get them in one room. Kill whoever gets past me. Don’t play with them”

“Copy”

Steve was getting ready to ambush the first of the intruders. He was armed with an AA-12 automatic shotgun with a 32 round drum magazine, a little piece of ordnance he got from the manufacturer in repayment of a favor. Gia had a M-4 assault rifle and a Glock .40 caliber automatic in reserve. Both had body armor. This would get bloody quick if the intruders were pros.

Suddenly, Steve saw one of the intruders hold his hand to his ear. Several more did the same thing. The intruders them backed off and fled into the night. Steve then noticed a car driving by slowly, shining a searchlight into the yard.

Steve blew out a puff of air. “Damn, that was close. We aren’t ready for those bozos yet”

Gia smiled and whispered “What’s the matter, Hondo? Getting soft in your old age?””¨
“Probably, Gia, but I really don’t want these folks exposed to the violence we were prepared to release on those jagoffs. Do you want Rachel or her Grandmother to see that?”

Gia thought for a moment “You’re right, of course. Sometimes I think I enjoy this too much”

“You’ll get your chance. Either this was a dry run or they were surprised by the police car. Either way, I don’t think they are seasoned pros. More like hired help. They have tipped their hand, my friend. The next time they come, it’s game on”

“Your turn to watch the monitors, boss. I need my beauty sleep”

Early Tuesday morning, a Toyota Prius pulled into the driveway. Out of the driver’s side got “Tank” Abrams, and out of the passenger side came “Ice” Blackwood.

Steve and Gia went out to greet them.

“Still driving your cute Prius, Tank? I thought by now you would have gotten something a little more manly” she teased.

“I’ll leave the planet destroying to you, Spider. My Prius does just fine. I’m guessing you are still driving that road hog Hummer, huh?”

“What do you think, little boy? I need my room”

Steve laughed. Tank was a huge man, that couldn’t care less about cars. He tried to walk or ride his bike wherever he could. Better for the planet, he said. Gia was the only one who ever made fun of him though. They would get into the worst arguments. She was a Limbaugh loving right winger, and he was an “Oprah” watching liberal. But when the fat was in the fire. They operated as one. That was all that mattered to Steve.

“Stow your gear in the living room” Steve said to Ice.

“Check, boss”

Steve, Tank and Gia followed Ice inside. Rachel was in the kitchen, and Garrett was heading out the door. Rachel came into the room.

“Hi, Steve, Gia, new guys! I’m Rachel. Can I get you anything? I do some yummy eggs and toast. Well, It’s all I do really. I just started learning. I just love working in the kitchen”

“Rachel, meet Tank and Ice. They’re here to help Gia and I”

“Cool! Which one is Tank?” Tank and Ice looked at each other. Rachel grinned “I know who Tank is! You guys are slow” Rachel giggled and went back into the kitchen.

“Rachel, Can you make some coffee, please” asked Gia.

“Yes, Ma’am, I’d be glad to” she then went about her chores. She was singing loudly in the kitchen a new Hannah Montana song she had heard.

“We had some excitement last night” said Steve. “Hired guns. Skinheads most likely. Lightly armed, not too tough. I’ve been up against worse”

“So they try again tonight?” Asked Ice.

“My guess is yes. Last night may have been a dry run, maybe to coordinate, more likely, they were scared off by a police drive by” answered Steve.

“Ok” said Tank. “We handle it like Atlanta”

Atlanta was another kidnap attempt they had defended. Witness to a drug gang slaying was going to testify. The gang didn’t want that. Four gang members died trying to get her. Eight more were apprehended. A good DEA agent was killed. She testified.

“Pretty much. There’s at least eight of them. Not nearly as organized as the Atlanta gang. Remember, Rachel is the target. I don’t want to hurt anyone, but anyone who gets close to her, deal with them. Understood?”

“Check, Boss” they replied.

They discussed the strategy for the evening. Ice and Tank would take positions outside the house. Steve would monitor the cameras and direct the attack. Gia would be stationed with Rachel as a last line of defense. Gia didn’t like it. She wanted to be in the line of fire. Steve let her know that she was the only one who could stay in Rachel’s room. When things went down. Steve wanted a woman in with Rachel. Gia couldn’t argue. He was right.

Rachel came into the room with the coffee. “Here you go, guys. I didn’t know how you took it, so all of the stuff is on the tray. I need to get upstairs and get cleaned up and start my schoolwork”

“Okay, Rach, said Steve. We’ve got some more stuff to discuss, so close your door please. We don’t want to disturb you”

“Okay, Steve” she looked at Tank who looked back. Rachel smiled, blushed and ran upstairs, giggling.

“Cute kid” said Tank. “Why is someone after her? She looks like she couldn’t hurt a fly. Witness?”

“Nope” answered Steve. “Here’s her story”

Steve recounted the girl’s story from beginning to end. The team listened with mouths agape as he told them that just two weeks ago, she was a boy named Randall.

“Oh, hell no” said Ice. “THAT girl, a boy? Ohhh, hell, no”

Gia couldn’t believe it. “She’s so pretty! The way she carries herself. Unbelievable”

Tank was thoughtful. “Well, from what you said, she never was a boy. Sounds like classic CAIS to me. XY genetically, XX appearance and features. Not surprising at all. Rare, yes, but not unheard of. What is more surprising to me is the reaction to her. No, there’s another dynamic at work here. There is someone orchestrating this. We’ll probably catch them tonight. I’d be interested to talk to this person. The individual organizing this has issues with Rachel or her condition”

Steve agreed “I was thinking along the same lines, Tank. Your psychology doctorate is paying off, finally’”¨
“Hey can I help it if I find doctor’s offices boring? Even if they are my own?” Tank laughed.

The team proceeded to prepare the yard for the coming attack. They were careful not to attract any undue attention. Ice was the lookout, keeping track of anyone paying too much attention to the place. He caught something out of the corner of his eye. A man, walking down an adjacent cross street in a hooded sweatshirt, turning to look in the direction of the house a little too long. He was ready to go after him, but he walked on and Ice didn’t see him again.

Steve called Brianna. He told her that something was probably going to go down that night or early next morning. He asked her to make sure Maria and Gina stayed away until he gave the all clear. Brianna said she would take care of them, that they would stay at her mansion until it was over.

Gina wasn’t happy to be separated from her daughter, but Brianna explained that they would both be safer where they were for the time being. Maria agreed with Brianna.

“But Rachel has been through so much, Bree. I can’t let her go through this alone”

“I know, Gina, I know. But you have to understand. The people she is with right now are the deadliest team of bodyguards money can buy. Governments have hired them to care for their dignitaries. She couldn’t be any safer if she were in Fort Knox. She has to be there to lure the bad guys in. That’s the only way”
Maria agreed. “She’s right Gina, and you know it. You’ve got another baby to take care of too, you know”

Gina knew they were right. She didn’t like it.

Rachel completed her schoolwork at about three o’clock. She went down to see what her protectors were doing. They were in the yard, stringing lines and burying little devices.

“Hi guys!” she said brightly. “What’cha doin?”

Gia jumped down from the tree she was in, crouched and did three handsprings to Rachel. “I watched Dexter’s Laboratory too, Dee Dee!”

Rachel giggled. “That was so cool, Gia, how did you do that?”

“Years of practice, grasshopper. Start practicing now”

“I was wanting to go to Becca’s house, If it’s okay”

Gia looked to Steve. “What do you think, boss?”

“Ice? Can you shadow her without being too obvious?”

“Do you want me to be seen as following her?”

“No”

“Then yes, I can”

“Rachel?” said Steve. “I want you to go straight to Becca’s, and when you are done, come straight back. Ice will be watching you, but don’t make his job any harder. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir” answered Rachel.

“See you no later than seven, okay?”

“Okay, Steve”

Rachel left to go to Becca’s house down the street. She wanted to get some magazines from her that had some makeup tips she wanted to try out.

“Rachel knocked on Becca’s door. Becca answered.

“Hey, girl. Come on in!”

“Hi, Becca. I came to get those magazines you texted me about today”

“Oh, yeah. Come on upstairs. Why no makeup today, Rach?”

Oh, I’ve got a little foundation on, I wanted to go a little light to give my skin a rest. I don’t have to go parading around at school every day like you do. I can take it easy once in awhile” Rachel laughed.

“Don’t I know it. I don’t even know why I waste my time. The boys are more interested in being stupid that looking at me. I guess I do it so I don’t stand out from the other girls”

“Here they are. I don’t need them back. There are like twenty articles in them that you can use”

“Cool! Thanks, Becca. Where’s Angela?””¨”¨“Watching the football team practice. I think she and Garrett are starting to become an item”

“Really? That’s so awesome! She’s perfect for Garrett”

“I’m glad you think so. She’s all Garrett this and Garrett that. It’s nauseating”

“Oh, you’ll do the same thing when you find someone”

“Gosh, I hope not”

Rachel and Becca went through some of the makeup tips in the magazines. They talked until Becca’s mom called her to supper”

“I’ve got to go, Becca. See you tomorrow”

“Okay Rach, good night”

Rachel started walking home. She was looking at an issue of “Teen Vogue” while she was walking. She didn’t hear the car pull up on the street beside her.

“Hey, do you know where 748 Terrace is?”

Rachel looked over and there were two men in an old car. They had shaved heads, and she didn’t like their looks. “No, I don’t, and my mom doesn’t like me talking to people I don’t know.

“Well, honey, come on over here, and look at this map. We really need to get there”

“No, I don’t think so” she said nervously.

The driver slowed the car to a stop. At that instant, his head popped back and blood came pouring down his forehead. “SHIT! Get her!” Rachel took off running, and the passenger got out and immediately hit the ground in agony, clutching his head. He got up and got back in the car, and the rear window exploded.

“Get out of here!” the passenger screamed.

Rachel ran the final block to her house, and Gia met her at the door. “Are you okay, Rachel?”

“I think so, Gia. Who were those creeps?”

“Bad news, Rach. Ice took care of them, though he called and said you were coming. Tank was watching you the whole time”

“Why didn’t you drop those magazines, Rachel?” asked Gia.

“I couldn’t! They had some makeup tips I needed” said Rachel breathlessly.

“Gia started laughing and gave Rachel a hug. “That’s my girl! Always remembering the important things”

Ice was at the house thirty seconds later. “The cue balls are long gone”

“How did you get rid of them?” asked Rachel.

“Three rocks. It’s a knack I have” they don’t have a clue we are here.

“But how did you break the window?”

“Knowing where to hit it” said Ice with a smile.

Gia took Rachel upstairs. “Come on girl, show me those tips. They must be to die for”

Steve came up to Ice. “I thought they’d make a move. They are watching her”

“They aren’t watching her unless she goes away from the house. I saw the car down the block. They know about her two friends”

“Good work. They’re going to hit tonight. I’ll bet my life on it” said Steve.

Steve texted Brianna “2nites the nite”

She texted back “Good luck, let me know”
All was prepared. The team was positioned after dark. Steve was monitoring the perimeter at the command center.

“Comm check. Spider”

“Go”

“Ice”

“Go”

“Tank”

“Go”

“Stay sharp team. we have the edge, let’s not give it away. No guns unless it is absolutely necessary. Tasers only.”

“Copy”

All was quiet until one o’clock. Tank called in at a whisper “Incoming west side”

Ice called in “South side”

Gia was up in Rachel’s room. Rachel was fast asleep. “Rachel is sleeping. Instructions?”

“Keep her that way for now”

“Copy”

Steve had a close eye on the cameras. He counted now 10 assailants. Damn. He’d have to go outside and even the odds a bit. “I have 10, repeat, 10 bad guys. On my way to assist. Take ‘em ”

Ice triggered the first flash bang right in front of a kidnapper. He immediately hit the dirt. All hell began to break loose. Tank sprang the trip wires, and 6 assailants immediately hit the dirt. Tank got up, charging three kidnappers head on. They clearly weren’t expecting any resistance. He crushed the face of one, leg swept the other one and followed with a massive blow to the head. They weren’t getting up. The third one, a fat, bald idiot charged Tank. Tank quickly pummeled him with three massive shots to the body, but the man didn’t seem to be phased. The Taser that followed knocked him down and Tank, laid into him with a big boot to the ribs. Fatty stayed down.

Ice leapt from his position and tasered the first one he came to. He went down. He slapped soft cuffs on him and moved on the next one, a wiry cue ball, was fast and obviously had some training. He caught Ice with a roundhouse kick that caught Ice in the vest. The next kick was caught, Ice twisted and skinny had a dislocated ankle to worry about. Ice cuffed him as well.

Steve headed out the front to be hit by two assailants. They drove him into the front wall of the house, cracking the siding. This rattled the whole house, and Rachel woke up. “Gia! What’s happening?” she cried.

“Some bad people are out there, Rachel. We’re taking care of them.” Just stay in your bed, Okay?”

“Okay” came the answer from under the covers.

“Garrett!” Said Gia. “Stay in your room”

Steve was having a rough go of it he was tied up with three bruisers. He pulled out his taser and shot one down. He blocked the blow of another and countered with a vicious right hook that laid out one of the others. There were more coming. “Spider, we need you down here, now!”

Gia ran out. She opened Garrett’s door and said “Watch Rachel” She tossed him a Glock. “Shoot whoever comes through that door!” She paused. “Unless it’s one of us”

Garrett ran into his sister’s room. She was underneath her covers. “Stay there, sis!” he called.

“Okay” came the small voice.

Two men came though the front door they aimed something at Gia and fired. It was a shotgun. She ducked before they fired and quickly placed two rounds apiece in them.

Garrett was dialing 911. “Get the police here. We’re being attacked. Shots fired!” That was all he could think to say. He threw the phone down without hanging up. The operator heard the commotion, and dispatched all available officers.

Tank and Ice had taken out eight assailants. Steve and Gia another 6. There were still more coming. Suddenly a bomb exploded next to Steve. Gia was blown out of the way Three skinheads and one other man went into the house and up the stairs. They opened Rachel’ door. Garrett opened fire. One dropped after the first shots, the others backed out.

Garrett fired through the door, emptying the clip. He had wounded another one. and then the remaining one ran in. Garrett roared, and charged into the skinhead and blew him out into the hall. The embattled kidnapper took a swing, but Garrett was faster. He ducked and hit the man like a tackling dummy and blasted him down the stairs. He rode with him. The kidnappers back was broken, and Garrett was unconscious. The lone hooded man came into Rachel’s room and went to the bed. He placed a chemical-soaked rag over her mouth and nose, and she quickly went unconscious. He threw her up over his shoulder and went down the stairs and out the back. Another bomb exploded in the front yard. The back was clear. The leader had his prize. He faded into the night.

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 14

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

TG Themes:

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Chapter 14

The Search (Caution: Some bad language, sexual situations)

Steve and Gia finally got their senses back, when the last bomb went off. Tank and Ice were finishing off the last of the kidnappers. Three police cars pulled up. One of them was Stan Harrick.

“Freeze Everybody! Nobody move” Said Officer Justin Bloom. He was a two year veteran of the Martinsburg force.

“What took you so long to get here? Yelled Steve. This place was only attacked by oh, TWENTY kidnappers”

“Shut up! Nobody move” repeated Bloom.

“Justin, put your damn gun down. They’re the good guys” said Stan.

“You know these guys?” asked Justin.

“Yes, and you’re damn lucky they didn’t take you out pulling a gun on them like that”

He turned to Steve. “Hell, buddy, you look like shit”

“Gia, get back upstairs and take care of Rachel and Garrett”

“On my way” she went inside. “STEVE! Garrett’s hurt!”

Steve, Tank, Ice and Stan rushed inside. Garrett was still out cold. The would be kidnapper was dead.

“Stan!” called Steve. “Get an ambulance here, now!”

“Rachel!” called Gia. “Honey, are you okay?” There was no answer.

“Oh no...oh, no no no” Said Gia “Rachel!” She called as she ran upstairs past two more dead kidnappers. “Rachel! It’s okay, you can come out now!”

Gia checked Rachel’s bed. Empty. The battle hardened commando began to look everywhere. “Rachel! RACHEL!” she screamed. Tears were pouring down Gia’s cheeks. Steve! They got her!”

“Son of a bitch! There were just too many of the bastards. How many are out there, Stan?”

“You took out twenty one, not counting the three in here. I count just five dead”

“Any of them awake?”

“Just one”

“Take a walk, Stan”

“You sure, Steve?”

“Oh, yeah. This won’t take long. I need to attend to one of the ‘wounded’”

“You got it, Ace. Time for my impression of Sergeant Schultz. “Bloom, Corrales, come with me”

In the back yard, one of the kidnappers was struggling to get up. Gia got to him first.

“Talk, dirtbag. Where were you supposed to take the girl?”

“She ain’t a girl. The leader told us that. I want a lawyer”

“We aren’t the cops, dickless” hissed Gia.

“Fuck you, bitch”

Gia punched him in the gut. He doubled over.

“Fuck ME? I don’t think so”

Steve got in the face of the kidnapper. “Tell me what we want to know, and I let you go to jail. I ask once. You give me the wrong answer, I blow a piece of your body off with this pistol” He showed him the silenced 9 millimeter.

The kidnapper’s face blanched. “You can’t do that. It’s a violation of my rights!”

Steve shot his foot. Gia covered his mouth.

“AAAAAAAAAAAA”

Gia whispered in his ear. “Talk, or we shoot the other foot, then your knees, hands and so on. Now who’s fucked, little man?”

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk! W-We met at the old Duncan place! The guy who ran the meetings, he always has a hood on. He says it’s to protect us. He gives us drugs, and we listen to his shit! That’s all I know, man! That’s it. Wait! He said he was going to torture her then make her his slave or something. He also wanted the mother. I knew that cocksucker was going to get us killed”

“Very good. If I find out you are lying, well, I have a lot of friends in the prison system. He leaned close. “I will kill you, and nobody, nobody will miss you”

They dragged him around to the front with the others. They were stacked around like cordwood.

Steve called Brianna and briefed her. Steve told her they had an idea who had done it, and they were on his trail.

The first ambulance had arrived, and they were wheeling Garrett out of the house. His head was bandaged. Steve stopped the EMT’s. “How is he?”

“Concussion, broken forearm. Did he do all that damage in there?” asked the lead EMT.

“Hell, yeah!” said Tank with a smile. “You’ve earned your special ops nickname, kid. What do you want me to call you?”

“Already got one, Tank” he replied weakly.

“What is it?”

“Headhunter”

The team smiled. Ice then said, “I couldn’t have come up with a better one”

“How’s Rachel. They won’t let me see her”

Steve looked at Gia with concern. “She’s fine, Garrett. You did a great job protecting her”

“We need to get going sir” said the lead EMT.

“Stan, did you call DPS in?”

“First thing”

“Good, because you have an official shit storm here thanks to these bozos. We haven’t got time to answer a bunch of questions I already know the answers to. Every minute that sick son of a bitch has her, the worse her chances get of coming out of this thing in one piece”

“Did you get any info from your ‘informant’?”

“He said they met at the old Duncan place. Where is it, and who owns it?”

“Well, the last I can remember, Dan Buford’s wife was the owner. She was a Duncan. It’s about twenty minutes west of town” Stan answered.

“Can we get you away from the crime scene?” asked Steve. “I need you along”

“Hang on. Corrales!”

“Yeah, boss?”

Take command of the scene until DPS arrives. Have Bloom pull tape, and keep the onlookers back. Start securing the scene”

“Ready, Stan” asked Steve

“Let’s roll”

“Tank, Take Gia to her Hummer. You and Ice ride with her. Meet me at the Duncan place. I’ll send you the address”

The Leader had Rachel where he wanted her. He had prepared this place especially for her. It had a cot, a punishment table, and all the instruments to purify the harlot. She slowly stirred.

Rachel felt sick to her stomach. She knew she wasn’t home. “W-W-Where am I?” she asked.

“Right where you need to be, harlot”

“What’s a harlot?”

“How innocent. A whore, you filth! You are now a prisoner of the Sons of Purity. I will purge you of the desire to break God’s law. You will learn many difficult lessons, filth”

“My name is Rachel! Stop being so mean!” she screamed.

He reached over and slapped her. She fell to the floor and began crying.

I have provided you with your uniform. You will wear it until you have learned what you are. Put the items on. Your education begins now. You have 5 minutes”

“These clothes? They’re terrible. I don’t want to”

He pulled out a black device that looked like a television remote to Rachel. He touched her with it, and her world exploded in pain. She screamed and fell down again.

“WHY DID YOU DO THAT!” she screamed.

“Every time you disobey, you will be punished. That was the lowest setting, tramp”

“MOVE IT!” She jumped and began to get the clothes.

“Are you going to leave? You shouldn’t be in here while I change, It’s not nice”

“I’m not leaving, in fact, there are a lot of people watching us now. BEGIN! Put everything on”

“Please! Please don’t make me do this! I won’t make you mad anymore. I’ll be a boy” wailed Rachel.

The hooded man laughed. “Too late for that” He hit her again with the stun gun.

Rachel collapsed again. She began crying uncontrollably.

She numbly walked over the clothes on the table. There was a white blouse, a pleated plaid skirt, knee socks a pair of panties like she had never seen before. You could see right through them. and they were very skimpy. They embarrassed her. She took her sleep shirt off, and put the blouse on. It was a little tight, but she got it buttoned. She put the skirt on. It was very short. Almost too short to cover her panties. She pulled off her old underwear and put on the new panties. She was totally humiliated. She felt worse than naked, and that man had seen her get dressed. Tears were flowing freely. She put the knee socks on, and there were a pair of high heeled Mary Janes. The strap looked strange. She slid it in and it clicked. She was locked in the shoes. She tried to stand up, but the shoes were hurting her feet. She finally got up as the hooded man came into the room.

“Very good, slut” he sneered “This is what girls wear to learn. I will teach you many lessons. Come here.”

Rachel was very scared as she walked uncertainly over to him. “Who are you? You sound familiar”

The hooded man took off the hood.

Rachel gasped. “Mr. Buford! Why are you doing this! Please, let me go!”

“Turn around, slut” he said. He put leather wrist cuffs on her wrists and locked them together. Rachel began to cry.

“Shut up! If you cry I will hurt you again” She tried to stop, but she was so scared.

“Please! Mr. Buford! Let me go! My mommy will wonder where I am! What do you want from me?”

I’ve heard enough from you. He then taped Rachel’s mouth shut with two pieces of gaff tape. She was silent. She backed up to the wall. She stood uncertainly, like a fawn just learning to walk.

Dan Buford had waited years to get one of these girls in his power. There was one before, but she was unsuitable. He had tried to eliminate her, but he was unsuccessful. She still lived. This one was so young, so innocent. Not human. Perfect. No one would recognize her corpse when he was done with her. But that was weeks from now. Buford’s eyes were like a wild animal. He was completely insane.

“Now, he sneered. Let’s see if you really are a girl. He licked his lips and walked slowly toward her.

“MMMMMMM! mmmmmmmMMMM” was all Rachel could say. She was trying to scream for help. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “MMMMMMM” She shook her head no.

As Buford got closer, and prepared to violate the helpless girl. Then Rachel remembered something. When he got within range she gave him a knee to the crotch with everything she had. Just like she did with Wayne. He screamed and collapsed to the floor. Rachel was furious. She then backed up a step and kicked him in the head with all she had. The shoes were stiff and well made. There was a crack and he was still.

Rachel went over to the door struggling to walk on the 4 inch heels. She turned around and tried the door. It was locked.

“MMMMM!” she moaned in frustration. She then walked over to Buford’s still frame. She knelt down and fumbled as best she could with her bound hands into his pockets. She found his cell phone and his keys. There were about fifty keys on the ring. Trying each key in the lock with her hands bound behind her would take forever. She would try the phone and hope she could get someone to understand her.

The phone had service. She stumbled over to the bed in the room the sat down. She felt the keys and dialed 911.

“911, What’s your emergency?”

“mmmm mmmMMMMM”

“I can’t understand you. Is this a joke?”

“MMMMMMMM MMMMMM MMMMMMMM”

“This is no place to call for a laugh. We are tracing the call. Good bye”

“MMMMMMMMMM!!!” Rachel was frantic. She was starting to have problems breathing.....the room started to spin........it was getting dark.

“Garrett?”

“Yeah, Randall?”

“How can you lift all that weight and not get tired?”

“I control my breathing”

“How?”

“Well, I just breathe in when I lift and exhale when I lower, that way, I get plenty of oxygen”

Randall breathed in then out slowly. “Like that?”

“There you go! Keep practicing!”

Rachel was half on the bed, half off. She pulled herself painfully up. She needed to control her breathing. No more crying. She scooted her bottom around and reached for the phone again.

“Stan, I just had a thought. Perhaps Rachel managed to get her cell phone. I didn’t see it at the house. What if she tried to make a 911 call? Steve was willing to try anything at this point.

“I see where you are going. Let me call the center” he got on his cell phone to avoid the chance that the kidnapper had a scanner.

“Emergency 911 Center. Linda”

“Linda, this is Stan Harrick. We’ve had a kidnapping go down tonight. A girl named Rachel Harris was taken. Get out an Amber Alert, and if any strange calls come in, for the love of God don’t hang up. Watch those operators. Pass it along. Keep the call on the line until you can positively ID the caller. It will come in from a cell. Got it? You can save this girl!”

“I’ve got it Stan. Passing it along now”

Linda passed the info to all the operators on duty. Janine, one of the operators, held her hand to her mouth. “Oh my God, Linda. I think she just called five minutes ago. I thought it was a joke”

“What did you hear?”

“All the person kept saying was mmmmmmm mmmmmm Now that I think about it, whoever it was could have been gagged somehow. Linda! What if it was her? What if she dies?”

“She won’t die. Good work, Janine. You may have just saved her life!”

“Janine held her face in her hands. “I hung up on her”

“Janine! Get back in the game. I need you sharp. If she calls again, keep her on the line”

Linda got the number and called Stan. “I think she may have called. The number comes back to a cell registered to a Dan Buford”

“Got her! Steve! She may have called 911 from Dan Buford’s cell phone! If she calls again, we can triangulate the call”

“IF she calls again? They let her go?” yelled Steve.

“Easy, Hondo. They didn’t know. Good call though. I’ll bet she is at the Duncan place” Steve hit the lights and floored it. They were still five minutes from the farmhouse.

“911 what’s your emergency?”

“MMmmmmMMM MMMMMMM” Rachel was doing all she could to alert the operator to who she was

“Oh, thank god! Rachel?” Janine had answered the call

“MMMMM MMMMMMMM” she tried to say yes.

“Can you talk, honey?”

“MMMM MMMM” indicating no.

“ That’s okay, honey. I know it’s you! Don’t hang up, baby! The police are coming!”

Rachel closed her eyes. The tears started again.

Stan pulled up to the farmhouse. It was dark save for a light in a back room. Buford’s car

The convoy pulled up to the house with lights off. Steve and Stan and Gia would hit the house. Ice and Tank would make sure no one got away out the back. They weren’t playing this time. They all had M-4 assault rifles. Anyone that tried to run wouldn’t get far.

The trio opener the front door Gia was on point and crept in, clearing the front room. Steve was next, Stan pulled up the rear. Gia walked carefully to the door of the room with the light on. She listened. She could hear muffled sounds.

“If that son of a bitch has touched her, there won’t be a trial” she thought. She motioned for Steve to kick the door in and she would clear the room.

Steve held up three fingers, indicating a count of three. He counted down silently. Three, two, one.

The door exploded off its hinges.

“FREEZE” yelled Stan.

Rachel jumped and screamed into her gag.

Gia ran over to Rachel. “It’s okay, Rach. You did very well” Rachel was sobbing into her gag. Gia started to carefully take the sticky tape off her face. First one piece, then the other.

“Oh, Gia! It was awful! He did terrible things! He shocked me and made me take my clothes off! He said a lot of people were watching me take my clothes off” Rachel dissolved into tears, crying for her mommy.

“Easy, honey. It’s over now” Gia held her, wishing to God she could make that son of a bitch pay.

Steve went to where Dan Buford lay. Blood was coming out of his ear. Steve checked his vitals. “He’s alive, but barely. Depressed skull fracture here at the temple”

“I’ll call it in, Steve” Officer Harrick then called for an ambulance to the address. The ambulances were coming from Killeen now. Martinsburg general was swamped. The tornado of 2004 didn’t cause this many injuries.

Steve called Brianna. “Got her. She’s fine. The perp was a nutball from her church, Dan Buford”

Brianna was silent for a moment, she then replied “Thank God, Steve. And thank you”

“Don’t thank me. I screwed up. Big time. No charge for this one”

Brianna countered. “Steve Marshall, no one but you could have stopped all those men. I heard the reports. Twenty five men attacked that house. Your team managed to fight all but one off, and it took two bombs to get Rachel out”

“Garrett killed three men tonight, Brianna. No kid should have to live with that. He doesn’t even know yet. I failed, Bree. I got cocky”

Did I tell you what Buford did to Rachel? Steve continued. “He drugged her, brought her to his little hidey hole, and molested her. He hit her with his hand and a stun gun. Forced her to undress for an internet party of perverts. Do you know who took care of Buford?”

“Who?” said Bree quietly.

“Rachel did. Damn near killed him. He may die yet. A twelve year old girl, who should be worrying about boys and parties, just spent the night being molested by an animal who got exactly what he deserved. Only it was my job to punish him. Now this little girl is going to grow up with the knowledge that she crippled or killed a man.”

Steve paused for a moment. “Bree, have you ever killed someone?”

“No”

“I remember every face of every man I ever pointed a gun at. I see the faces of the six men I have killed every night as I go to sleep. It never goes away. Now two of the brightest, best kids I have ever met have to live with that knowledge. This isn’t a game where whoever kills the most wins. It’s about who does his job so well, no one has to die. It’s pass or fail. There is no in between”

“Steve?”

“Yeah, Bree?”

“Please come to the mansion when you get a chance. Please?”

“Okay. I’ll be busy with paperwork and interviews until next year. Later”

Gia saw Steve on the phone. She had managed to release Rachel from her cuffs, and was working on picking the locks on the shoes.

“Gia?” whispered Rachel.

“Yes?”

“I have to go pee”

Gia laughed. “Okay let me finish getting you out of these shoes”

“I mean now! I’m about to wet my pants”

“Why didn’t you say so, hun?”

“ I didn’t know where the bathroom was”

“Let’s go find it”

Rachel stood up. She almost fell over. “How do you walk in these things, Gia?”

“Practice, Practice, Practice. When we get back, I’ll get you a pair of your own, just not so high”

“Well, Hold on to me, Gia. If I fall in this outfit, I’d die of embarrassment”

“Believe me, I understand, sweetie”

Rachel made it to the bathroom. Gia, was going to wait outside, but Rachel asked her to come with her into the room. “I don’t want to be gross, Gia, but I don’t want to be alone. Can you not leave me? I just have to pee”

“It’s okay, Rach. We girls go together all the time. Rachel pulled her skirt up and pulled her panties down. As Rachel sat, she looked at the panties. I don’t know why he wanted me to put these on. They’re kind of pretty, but they aren’t the kind I wear”

“Well, they aren’t the kind I’d wear either, Rach. They are supposed to be for, well...some girls like to wear pretty underwear. You might like to someday, when you’re older”

“Maybe, but now I’m just cold. Can I have a blanket to cover up in?”

“Sure, Rachel” She called Tank “Can you get Rachel a blanket? She’s not really decent, and she needs to get warm”

“One blanket for the little lady, coming up!” called Tank. “Ice, Gia’s got one in the Hummer.

Rachel finished up and washed her hands. Tank passed the blanket to Gia through the crack she opened in the door. Rachel thanked her and wrapped up. While they were in the bathroom, Gia finished picking the locks to the shoes. Rachel was grateful to get them off.

“Thank you, Gia. They hurt something awful. I don’t think they were my size”

“Don’t worry about it, kid, you’ll never have to wear them again”

The ambulance arrived along with the DPS and sheriff’s deputies. They found Rachel, in her blanket, drinking a bottle of water Gia had given her.

“Is this the victim?” Asked the DPS officer coldly.

Gia answered. “No, this is Rachel. I’ll thank you to be a little more sensitive to someone who has just been through what this girl has been through. We need to get her to the hospital. Come on, Rachel”

“Hold on. No one is going anywhere until I get to the bottom of what happened here”

Gia stared daggers through the officer. “Steve, you need to handle this”

“Go, Gia. I’ve got it” answered Steve. “I’ll tell you what you need to know. You can question her all you want after she gets checked out at the hospital. she’s had a full night”

“Procedures say she stays”

“Screw the procedures, Bill. Gia...GO!”

“I’ll file a report on this, Harrick”

“Go ahead, Bill. Make sure you cross every T and dot every I. Because if you continue to hassle that girl, her lawyer is going to want to read that report. And if you want the ‘Austin Barracuda’ all over your six, by all means, go ahead”

Steve had to turn away before he broke out laughing at the DPS officer who flushed, then said “I suppose it can wait, as long as you know what’s going on, Harrick”

“I thought so, Bill”

The ambulance pulled away with Buford in critical condition. No reflexes, no pupil reaction. In all probability he was brain dead. Gia and Tank had taken Rachel to the hospital.

The team didn’t get done with all of the police interviews until two o’clock in the afternoon. No charges would be filed. Brianna was there representing all the team, as well as Rachel and Garrett. Garrett was still out of it with a bad concussion. He didn’t remember any of what had happened. Steve was thankful for that. All deaths were ruled justifiable homicides, and Rachel was simply defending herself.

The remaining charges were various weapons violations against the team, but a call from the governor made sure those went away. The state had “lost” his permits.

Brianna met Steve outside the police station. “So, can I offer you a ride?”

“No, I’d rather walk. I need to be alone”

“All right, I’ll walk with you, because I don’t want to be alone.”

“Suit yourself”

“You know, Steve, I understand what you must be feeling. I felt the same way for a long time. I never told you about certain events in my past”

“You don’t owe me anything, Bree”

“I need to tell you this. When I was transitioning, I met someone who I thought wanted me for me. A bright, pretty young girl. I hadn’t had my surgery yet, but I had been on HRT for several years prior. I had never gone through male puberty. I don’t even know what that entails. I was indistinguishable from my genetic girl friends. People who didn’t know me would never make me”

“Bree, what are you trying to say?”

“Listen to me! I had known this boy for a couple of years. He was kind and gentle, and treated me like the girl I was. We started dating. Six months in to our relationship. I wanted to show him physically how I felt about him, but I couldn’t. I didn’t have the equipment. So I did what I could to please him. Manually, even orally. I didn’t expect anything in return. I loved him so much. Then one day he wanted to go all the way. I didn’t have the equipment yet, and I just couldn’t do what he wanted. It seemed wrong somehow for me. He didn’t like my answer. He claimed I didn’t love him enough to give my body totally to him. I begged for him not to make me do that. I just couldn’t. He dropped it. A few days later, we went out and began to make out. I thought it was over. Then he asked me again. When I said I couldn’t. He pulled out a knife and stabbed me and threw me out of his car. I nearly died that night. I could never prove he did it. It was my word against his. Nobody would believe the local ‘tranny’. I vowed then to never be with another man again until I had my revenge. That man was Dan Buford.

She continued. “I went to see him in the hospital. He was hooked up to all those machines, his wife and children were sitting there mourning his loss. He’ll never recover, Steve. She looked him in the eye, tears streaming down her face. I realized then how silly and stupid I had been. I wasn’t hurting him. I was punishing myself. Right then and there I forgave him and let go of my anger. I quit punishing myself”

She looked Steve in the eye. “Now I want to live my life, and love again. To love you”

She kissed a shocked Steve on the lips. A tender, loving kiss. Steve returned it. She broke down in sobs, cleansing her soul of the years of hate.
Steve just hugged her.

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 15

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Genre:

Transitioning

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

TG Themes:

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Chapter 15

The Aftermath

Earlier that morning, Gia got Rachel to the hospital in Martinsburg to be checked out. The news media were all over the front of the hospital, cameras were set up, and police were everywhere, controlling the mass of yelling reporters. Pulling around the back to the emergency exit, Gia managed to miss most of the reporters.

As Gia went around to the passenger side to get Rachel, a photographer jumped out around the back of the Hummer and flashed a picture. Striking like a snake, her leg shot out and kicked the camera out of the photographer’s hand.

“Hey, bitch, that camera cost fifteen hundred dollars! You’ll pay for that!”

“Yeah, yeah, send me the bill, jerkoff” she said nonchalantly as she picked up Rachel.

Gina and Maria were there to meet her in the waiting area. Gina ran to hug her blanket wrapped daughter.

“Mom!” squealed Rachel. “I’ve missed you!”

Biting her lip to keep from crying, Gina hugged her daughter “Oh, baby, I’ve missed you sooo much!”

“Mom, it was like the worst thing I’ve ever been through!” Rachel began sobbing as she held her mother.

Joining her daughter in her tears, Gina could only whisper “It’s okay, honey. It’s all over. Shhhhh. Shhhhh. Don’t cry. we’ll talk about it later”

Gina held her daughter and looked at Gia. “Thank you” she silently mouthed. Gia smiled at her and nodded.

“How’s Garrett?” asked Rachel “Is he okay?”

“He’s just fine, honey” answered Maria. “He’ll come to see you later. Right now, we need to get you checked out”

Quickly, Gina and Maria led Rachel into the ER. Gia was close behind. A Doctor was working on one of the kidnappers. He saw the two women with the girl and called a nurse over to them. The ER was covered up, but they made room for Rachel. “Have a seat right here, sweetie” said the nurse, showing her to a seat.

The thug that was being worked on winced as the doctor treated a nasty looking cut. “Shit, man! Watch what the fuck yer doin” He saw Rachel and grinned evilly. “Hey doc! See that little cunt over there? They told me she was a dude! I say no way! Hell, I’d tap her right...OWWWWW!”

“Sorry about that” said the doctor with a look of disgust “The more you talk, the more this hurts”

Rachel hugged her mother tighter “Mom? I need to go now. I can’t stay here. These men....” She looked up at her mother with fear etched on her face, her eyes wide with terror.

Maria was about to say something to the man when Gia stopped her. “I’ve got this, get Rach out of here”

With the cool assurance of a trained killer, Gia walked over to the skinhead. “Listen asswipe” she whispered “Recognize me? I’m the one who put you in here”

The criminal’s face went white with recognition.

“Yeah, you do!” she continued to whisper “Keep it up, and you won’t be tapping anything, because I’ll have your dick”

“Nice work, Doc” she smiled as she left. There were no more comments.

Maria and Gina took Rachel into the desk area. Gina told the nurse “Look, my daughter was just brutalized by the men in that room. Isn’t there someplace else we can go. the nurse then realized that the girl in front of her was the object of the assault.

“Ma’am, I’m terribly sorry. We weren’t thinking. This place is just so crowded right now. Let me get a doctor”

The nurse returned with the doctor that was working on the noisy thug. Shaking Gina’s hand, he kneeled down to Rachel and said “ Hello, I’m Doctor Good. No jokes please” Rachel giggled.

“So you’re Rachel, huh?”

“Yes” came the quiet reply.

“Let’s get you to a nice private room where we can check you out, okay?”

“But Doctor, the patients in the ER....”

“Screw ‘em” came the curt reply. “They’ll live. If hadn’t been for their damn foolishness, we wouldn’t be working our butts off tonight, would we?”

Dr. Good gave Rachel a thorough examination. Physically, she was fine, save for two electrical burns from the stun gun. He treated those and wrote a few things down on her chart. “She’s okay, he announced. I am concerned about the anesthetic used to subdue her. I suspect it was chloroform, based on her description. I could hold her overnight, but I think she would be better off at home.

A detective from the State Police Came to take Rachel’s statement. She told him everything she knew, and what had happened to her. She remained calm while describing the events that happened after she was abducted. The detective thought she was a little too calm.

“Mom. Can I get out of this silly outfit? It’s like, totally freezing in here, and I need something else to wear”

The detective agreed. “We really need that for evidence, ma’am”

“I’ll see if I can dig up some scrubs for her. It shouldn’t be a problem” Gia offered. She left the room to try to get them

After a quick drive to the hospital, Brianna found Maria and Gina with Rachel.

After hugging the two women, she asked Rachel how she was doing.

“Fine, I guess. I’m pretty tired. I didn’t like, you know, get any sleep last night”

“We’re going to get you out of here as soon as possible. I’ve got to take care of some things first, and then you and your mom and Grandmother are going to come and stay with me for a few days, If it’s all right with them”

Gina looked at her mother. “I don’t suppose we have a choice, unless you want to stay at a hotel for a few days”

Shaking her head, Brianna said “I won’t hear of it. I have plenty of room and it’s a secure location. I have security in place already” She paused. “While I don’t think that there is any further threat from any would be kidnappers, the media may be another matter. I don’t think you want Rachel bothered by reporters”

“Absolutely not!” Gina said with determination. “I won’t have her harassed any further”

“Great, it’s settled then. I’ll have my car pick you up when this zoo settles down a little bit”

“Do you have a pool?” asked Rachel.

Smiling, Gina said “Don’t take advantage of our host now, honey”

“It’s no trouble at all, Gina! She couldn’t take advantage of me if she tried. Yes, Rachel, I have two pools, both indoors and out. Do you have a bathing suit?”

“No, but Mom and I can go shopping for one!” giggled Rachel. “Can my friends come visit me?”

“Any time they want. You can even have another sleepover if you want”

Bouncing up and down on her chair, Rachel couldn’t contain her excitement. “Like, this is sooo cool! a pool! Two pools!” Rachel jumped up and gleefully clapped her hands together as she jumped up and down.

As Rachel was doing her happy hop, Maria noticed her granddaughter’s skirt was riding up, showing the not too modest panties that Buford had forced her into.

“Young lady! Remember your modesty! We can see your bottom!”

Rachel stopped and pulled her skirt down, blushing furiously. She looked down, her knees together, and her feet slightly apart. “I never had this problem before” She said, smiling coquettishly.

Gia came into the room as the women all started laughing with Rachel. “I see I missed the joke”

“There’s no joke” laughed Rachel. “I just learned a lesson in modesty. Keep your hands down when wearing a short skirt”

Gia laughed along with the others. “I see. Well, here are your scrubs, panty girl”

“Hey! It’s not like I chose this, guys!”

Rachel got changed and they put the clothes in the paper bag provided by the police. Gia went out to the detectives to give them the evidence.

Stan Harrick was in the hospital, arranging for the transport of the prisoners who were well enough to go to the jail. Tank came up to him, carrying a large cup of coffee.

“The tech boys at the scene did some work on Buford’s laptop and traced the people who were watching Rachel get abused. DPS is rounding them up now”

“Good. I hope they toss them so far back they have to pump the sunshine to them” replied Stan.

“Steve asked me to keep an eye on the Harris family for the next few days. He said he’s got some thinking to do. Don’t blame him, really. This op got messed up big time. Those rubes should have never been able to get anywhere close to the kid. It’s not like a Steve Marshall operation”

“Everybody makes mistakes now and then” said Stan. “I don’t see what he was so upset about”

Tank took a long sip of his coffee. “In our line of work, mistakes get people killed. If Rachel hadn’t taken care of Buford, she would have been raped or worse before we got to her. Steve takes that very seriously”

Stan shook his head in agreement “If anyone will get it figured out, it’s Steve. If you ask me, I’d say he’s got a large distraction in the form of a tall, blonde attorney. Don’t quote me, though”

Laughing, Tank replied “I thought the same thing, but I don’t even know if she’s on the market” he paused, looking out a window at the rising sun. “I’ve got a long day of debriefing the boys in blue. “Take care, Stan. Nice working with you”

“Anytime, Tank, anytime”

Brianna had briefed the press with the bare bones of the story, keeping Rachel’s name out of it. By ten o’clock in the morning, a very sleepy Rachel walked out of the hospital with Tank and Gina at her side. They got into the stretch Lincoln limo and drove to the DiMaggio estate, just outside of Austin. Rachel was asleep three minutes into the ride.

“So, Gina, how are you holding up? asked a yawning Tank.

Gina sighed. “I’ll be doing a lot better when all of this craziness goes away. I never would have thought that Rachel’s choice of gender would cause all of this. What causes people to go so nuts over someone wearing a skirt instead of jeans?”

“The animals who got this started were nuts to begin with. Buford probably had thing for transsexual girls and couldn’t rationalize it with his upbringing or whatever. It doesn’t really matter at this point, does it?”

“No, I guess not, but I would like to know what I could do to protect her from the Dan Bufords of the world” she sighed.

Tank looked out the window, paused and said “The best you can do is to prepare her for the fact that there are a lot of people out there who don’t have her best interests at heart, and will in fact try to use her or hurt her whenever they can. Teach her to look out for those people. Eventually, this will all go away. Time does heal these sorts of things”

“I’ve heard that before, Tank, and I’m waiting for that time to come”

“Please, Gina, call me Jim. I’ve always hated the nickname Tank. But, in my line of work, having the last name Abrams and being rather large, well, you get stuck with these names pretty much naturally”

Gina looked down at Rachel, whose head was in her lap. She was stroking Rachel’s hair as she slept. She really hated nicknames anyway, especially with some of the names her daughter had been called in the last few weeks. “Okay, Jim. I prefer that name anyway”

They arrived at the twenty-eight thousand square foot mansion that Brianna lived in. It was a Tudor style house, with ornate stone work around the outside. Gina woke Rachel up as they drove up the long lane to the main house.

“Look where we’ll be staying for the next few days, honey”

“Oh my gosh, Mom. It’s huge!” I can’t wait to see my room! Do you think it’ll be big?”

“I think whatever is in that house is big, Rachel” answered Gina.

“I HAVE to see the pool, Mom! I want to go swimming right away” Rachel said with an excitement that only a tween girl can come up with.

As they got out of the car, Gina told Rachel “Easy, girl. I want you to get some sleep first”

Rachel stamped her foot and pouted. “But mom, I just got some sleep! I want to see the house, and my room, and oh! I’m hungry. Do I have a bathing suit, mom? I have a million things to do. Oh darn it! I need my phone! Mom! Are you listening to me?”

Rolling her eyes, Gina looked at Jim as if to say help.

Smiling, Jim said, “You’re on your own, Gina. I can’t help you with a girl in overdrive” he laughed as he walked inside.

“Mom, I need some clothes. We have to go back to the house. I have absolutely NOTHING to wear. Mom! I have no underwear, and I need a bra”

“Rachel! Calm down. I know what you need, let’s get you settled in”

Rachel toned her enthusiasm down a bit “Ok, mom, do you know where I’ll be?”

“No, but Travis does”

“Who’s Travis? The butler?”

Gina smiled at Rachel. “I suppose that’s one way to put it. He runs the house for Brianna. Just call him Travis, he’s a very nice man”

As if on cue, a slim middle aged man appeared at the door. “Hello, Gina. Hello, Rachel, I’m Travis. Come on in”

Travis Collins was the household manager, and had worked for Brianna for 5 years. He was originally from New York City, and had been in the Austin area for 15 years. He was educated at Princeton, and was a consummate professional. In addition to running the household, he managed some of Brianna’s investments. She paid him well, and he was worth every penny.

“Where are we staying, Travis?” asked Gina.

“Your room remains the same, Gina. Rachel will be staying across the hall in the Princess Bedroom.

Rachel’s mouth dropped. “Princess Bedroom? Does that mean what I think it means?”

Travis grinned and gestured upstairs. “Well, why don’t we go up and see if you like it?”

They walked up the elaborate cherry staircase to the end of the long hall. Large double doors opened into the bedroom. It was done in a rustic pink, with cream colored carpeting. One wall was accented with an antique striped pattern wallpaper A large armoire decorated one side of the room, with a antique desk and makeup table on the other side. The centerpiece of the room was a king sized four poster bed with light pink curtains draped around. The bed spread was a floral pattern in cream and light pink. A large bathroom and walk in closet were off to the back of the room.

Rachel gasped. “Oh wow. Mom, it’s beautiful! It is a princess bedroom!” She walked around the room, delicately touching the furnishings, as if in a trance.

Travis sighed loudly “Okay, Gina, I guess she doesn’t like it, Let’s take her to the western bedroom”

Whirling around, Rachel gasped again. “I LOVE it! Don’t you DARE try to move me somewhere else!”

Travis and Gina both laughed heartily “Okay, okay” Travis smiled “I guess you can have this one. However, Rachel, you need to go to bed for a three hour nap to keep it, or it’s off to the cowboy room for you”

“I’ll go right now!” she paused, thinking “but I don’t have any pajamas, Mom”

“What you have on now will be fine, dear. The shirt you have on is big enough to be a tent. You can sleep in that until we get your clothing situation straightened out”

“I’ll leave you two alone. Gina, when you are done, please come see me in my office”

Rachel took off the too big scrub pants and let the shirt down. It came down around the middle of her thighs. After turning the bed down for Rachel, Gina gave Rachel a kiss. “I’ll be right outside if you need me, okay”

“Okay, mom. I love you”

“I love you too. Have a nice little nap.

Gina left Rachel’s room and went down to Travis’ office.

“So what did you need, Travis?”

“I need you to give me Rachel’s sizes for the clothing you think she’ll need. Your house will probably be under police lockdown as a crime scene at least for the next couple of days. And we can’t very well have her running around naked, can we”

Biting her lip, Gina looked upstairs. “I can’t leave Rachel now. We’ll have to shop later”

“It is already handled. I have someone lined up to shop already, and the clothes will be here when she wakes up. That will give you a chance to get some rest yourself”

“How will you know what to buy?”

“You’ll tell me what she likes to wear and the buyer will take it from there. Believe me, they know what they are doing. She will also want a swimsuit, I suppose?”

Gina gave all of the pertinent information to Travis, and he made the call. Rachel would have some clothes when she woke up.

Rachel was walking out in the country. She had on a lovely yellow sundress. She was barefoot and her long hair was flowing in the breeze. She saw a swing hanging from a branch in the large oak tree by the brook. Running down to it, she jumped on and began swinging. She loved swinging, it was so much fun and gave her a flutter in her tummy that she liked.

The mockingbirds were singing and she couldn’t have been happier. She swung backwards and the swing froze at its peak. Rachel screamed, being startled at the sudden change in momentum. She looked behind her and Mr. Buford had hold of the swing.

Rachel screamed in terror and jumped down off the swing. She turned to face her tormentor and tried to scream at him, but her voice wouldn’t come in anything but a whisper. “I stopped you” she whispered “you’re gone”

He looked at her with dead eyes and said calmly “I’ll never be gone, whore. You’re mine and always will be”

She turned and ran from him, but she couldn’t seem to get any speed, like she was running underwater. She felt him gaining, coming ever closer. She could feel his hot breath on her neck.

He grabbed her dress and ripped it off her. She was in nothing but her bra and panties. Suddenly her arms were bound behind her. “Let’s see if you’re a real girl, slut”

Struggling for all she was worth, she couldn’t get away. She tried kicking, but her feet were tied to the ground. Rachel tried to scream, but all that came out was a whisper. His filthy hand reached down slowly, grabbing the waistband of her panties. He started to pull.....

A bloodcurdling scream came from Rachel’s room. Jim was close by and ran in to her room. He came in to see Rachel sitting bolt upright in her bed hands clawing and pushing away at some non existent assailant. She screamed again. “MOMMMMYYYYY! HELLLLP MEEEEEE”

Jim got to her bed and got her arms under control. Gina was in a second later. She ran over to Rachel’s bed and held her along with Jim. She still wasn’t awake. “MOMMMYYYY!”

“Rachel! I’m here! I’m here, baby! Mommy’s here!”

Rachel finally awakened from her nightmare. Looking around at her surroundings, she saw Jim and her Mom. She burst into sobs. “Mom,h-h-h-he’s back! He took my c-c-c-clothes off! I hate him!!!

“Shhhhh, Shhhh, baby. It was just a dream. He can’t hurt you anymore” Gina was blinking back tears of anger at the bastard who hurt her baby. Hell was too good for him.

Jim left the two alone. Brianna had come back to the mansion. She was up and in to the room in two minutes. “A nightmare, Gina?”

“Yes, Bree” she answered quietly while the traumatized girl sobbed into her shoulder.

“I’ll leave you two alone”

“Mom, he said I wasn’t a girl! I AM a girl! No matter what anybody says! I hate boys! I hate MEN!”

“Honey, not all men are like him. You like Jim and Steve and Ice, don’t you? What about Garrett?”

“I don’t care! They don’t count!”

Sensing that this wasn’t the time to argue about the subject, Gina changed the course of the discussion “All right, honey. It’s okay. It’s over for now” she held her daughter for the next 10 minutes while she cried herself out.

After Rachel had finished crying, Gina suggested she come to the bathroom with her. Drying her eyes, Rachel went into the bathroom with Gina. “I know exactly what you need, honey.”

“What’s that, Mom?”

Something that helps me out when I’m feeling low. A nice hot bath!”

Gina drew the bath for Rachel and put some lavender oil in the water, along with some lavender scented bubble bath. The tub was huge, and swallowed Rachel in the middle of it.

“Now you just stay in here until the water cools off, and close your eyes and think about good things. Nobody’s going to get you here, okay”

Looking very contented, Rachel sighed “Mmmmmmm. Okay, mom”

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 16

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Genre:

Transitioning

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

TG Themes:

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Chapter 16

A new life begins

Rachel laid in the tub, luxuriating in the warmth and the aroma of the lavender. The pain from the burns and the bruises on her wrists from the cuffs began to fade. She thought about the events of the last few weeks, how she had gone on a journey of self discovery that she had no intention of ever starting. She had always felt different, somehow strangled in the life she had been forced to live. The envy she had felt toward her friends, Becca and Angela. The desire that she could never quite put into words.

She was truly happy now, a happiness that wasn’t based on what people thought of her. It was a happiness based on her contentment with herself. It was a lesson that, had her parents taken a different course with her upbringing that she would never have had to face. But that was all water under the bridge now. She was Rachel Diane Harris, a twelve, nearly thirteen year old girl. A girl. Whoever didn’t like that could, in the words of her brother, pound sand. She had friends, friends that knew her and liked her for who and what she was.

What about the others? The ones who called her a freak, a she male, an abomination. They could sting her with their words, but they couldn’t change who she was. She loved being a girl. She liked wearing dresses, skirts, pretty tops and pretty underwear. She loved doing her nails, putting on makeup, and cooking. These things were natural to her. As time went on, she would grow her hair as long as it would grow, no matter what anyone else thought. Brianna went through what she was going through. She knew.

What about relationships? Right now, the thought of any boy touching her made her skin crawl. She hated the thought of any male getting anywhere close to her. That made her sad, because she didn’t want to hate anyone. It just wasn’t in her nature. What about girls? Did she like girls? She loved Becca and Angela and the other girls in the group, but not like, in that way. Or did she? She would have to think about that some more.

She resolved to learn to protect herself. She wasn’t very strong like Garrett, but she wanted to know how to keep herself safe. It was the only way she could walk outside again. Maybe Jim could help with that. Rachel vowed then and there that she would not be a victim again if she could help it. She would talk to Julie on Friday at their session. She was safe here for now, and she could live with that.

Rachel felt the water growing colder, she ducked her head under and washed her face. She stepped out of the tub and dried herself off. A thick white robe was there for her, as were a pair of warm slippers. She wrapped her hair in a turban and went out into her room.

“Mommmm?” cried Rachel in the now familiar tone that let Gina know her daughter was in some kind of crisis. “I need some clothes!”

“Come over to my room, sweetie” called Gina. “I have some things for you”

Rachel did her best impression of the Flash as she ran over to her mother’s room to see the new clothes. “Coool, Mom! These are for me?”

“Yes, dear. They should all fit. Travis had a person pick them out for you and they delivered the clothes here”

“Oh, wow, Mom. That is like, so awesome. I feel like a Princess!”

“Yeah, well don’t get used to it, your majesty. In a few days, the clock strikes midnight” cautioned Gina.

“I know, but I can enjoy the feeling while it lasts, can’t I?” she chuckled.

“Oh, and there’s a couple of items you might be interested in” said Gina

“What are they, Mom?”

“Close your eyes”

Rachel closed them in anticipation, with a huge, toothy smile.

“Open them”

Rachel squealed in delight as her mother showed her two bathing suits. One was a rainbow dyed halter top bikini with a cute modest bottom. The bra was padded a bit to give her a little shape on top, and the other suit was an aqua tankini with a moderate bottom. “I LOVE them, Mom! They are sooo cute! Can I try them on?”
”¨“Of course, Rachel”

Rachel dropped her robe and grabbed the bikini. Her mother was shocked, because Rachel had never wanted to get undressed in front of anyone before, including her mother. She put the bottoms on, though when it came to the top, she had to get her mother’s help. “What do you think Mom? Isn’t it just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?”

“You don’t feel undressed in it? It does show a lot of skin”

“No, not really. It doesn’t look bad on me, does it?”

Gina looked at her daughter. She didn’t have a lot up top, but her bottom was filling out. she was developing a nice hourglass shape, and the bikini looked good on her. Maybe too good. “Well, it does look very good on you. That is, if you don’t care about boys looking at this really cute girl standing in front of me”

“Gross, Mom! I don’t care if they all look. They aren’t getting anywhere with me”

“That’s the attitude, girl” said Brianna, who was standing at the door, clapping. “Sorry about sneaking in, Gina, but I wanted to see what my personal shopper could do with Cinderella here”

“Hi, Brianna” said Rachel as she ran over to hug her “Thank you so much for the clothes! I absolutely love everything”

“It was a pleasure, Rachel. Hugs like that one were worth every penny. Let me look at you. Give me a twirl!”

Rachel spun around with glee, giggling the whole time.

“Goodness, girl, you have got one terrific rear end” said Bree with a smile.

Squealing, Rachel blushed crimson and said, “Stop it, Brianna! I do not! Gosh!”

“Yes you do, Rachel, a boy stopping genuine girl butt. It’s cute”

Gina was laughing at Rachel’s predicament. She wasn’t used to comments about her body, and didn’t know how to react.

“I do not! Quit it” Rachel was grinning from ear to ear. “I’ll take this off right now! I don’t want gross boys looking at me”

“Too late, chick. That ship has sailed. If you don’t want boys looking at you, you’d better get a box to swim in. Otherwise, get used to it, because most male eyes will be glued to your posterior”

“I’m only twelve, Bree! They can’t look at me!”

“Okay, Rach, If you say so. But it’s not so bad. Believe me. My butt is cute too”

The rest of the evening was spent with Rachel trying on the new clothes. There were jeans, skirts, blouses and dresses. A whole new wardrobe.

Rachel had changed into her new cotton pajamas, and was sitting cross legged on her mom’s bed with Bree and her mother, enjoying some girl time.

“Mom, you were right about the bath, it was awesome! I thought about so much”

“Did you come to any conclusions?” asked Gina.

“Kind of. I know I’m happier now even with everything that’s happened to me than I’ve ever been in my life. I love who I am. I don’t love what some people say about me, but I’m not going to change who I am for anyone”

Gina hugged Rachel. “I’m so proud of you, Rachel. That’s a very grown up attitude”

“Yes it is” added Bree. “I know many girls who can’t say that even though they are ten years older than you. And you got this just from taking a bath?”

“Sort of, Bree. I just needed some quiet time. I still don’t know how I feel about boys. I can’t stand the thought of them looking at me. I almost get sick at the prospect of dating one. I even thought about girls, and if I liked them instead of boys. I am still confused about that. Can you understand that?”

Nodding in agreement, Gina said “I do understand, Rachel, but I also know that you have a lot of time to make that choice, and I won’t think one bit different of you no matter what choice you make. These are grown up choices, and there’s no reason to rush things. Enjoy your life as it is now, and worry about tomorrow then”

“I know, mom. I plan on talking to Julie about this on Friday”

“I think that’s a good plan, Rachel” said Bree. “Julie is a good person to talk to about these things, and your mother is here to help you with those decisions too. If you want to ask me anything, I’m here for you as well”

Rachel yawned. “Mom, I’m really tired. You don’t mind if I go to bed now do you?”

“No, honey, It is eleven o’clock, you know”

“Can you sleep with me? I’m worried I may have another nightmare”

“Of course, honey. Let’s get ready together”

“I’ll see you in the morning, you two” said Bree. She left the room and went downstairs.

As they were getting ready for bed, Rachel asked “Mom, what happened to Garrett?”

“He got hurt a little bit keeping some of those bad men away from you. Gia told me he took care of three of them by himself, and he would have gotten four if he hadn’t gotten hurt”

Tears formed in Rachel’s eyes “Will he be able to keep playing football? I would hate it if he missed that because of me. He loves it so much”

“He is hurt too much too play for the rest of the season, and he told me to tell you that you are more important to him than any football games. He has a broken arm and a concussion, and the doctor doesn’t want him to play anymore this year to make sure he doesn’t get hurt any worse”

“Does he hate me?” said Rachel quietly.

“Heavens no, child! He was just sorry he couldn’t have gotten them all. He actually said that he had more fun than a dozen football games. Gia said he handled himself better than anyone she had ever seen that wasn’t a trained soldier. His only concern was for you.”
“Really? He doesn’t hate me?”

“Sweetie, you are more important to us than anything. Garrett likes football. He loves you. He knows you are going through a rough patch, and he wants to be there for you. He’s coming here tomorrow for the rest of the week, and you can ask him yourself”

“That’s awesome, Mom. I miss him already!”

Rachel and Gina went to bed. Rachel had no nightmares.

Rachel got up at seven thirty that morning. She got out of bed quietly, went to the bathroom, and quietly changed into her bikini and wrapped herself into a towel. She was just about out of the room when her mother whispered. “Don’t let anyone look at your butt, cutie”

“Mom! Don’t be gross!” She whispered back with a smile.

Rachel went down to the indoor pool. It was as big as the one outside. She placed her towel on a lounge chair and got ready to jump in. She saw a mirror to the side of the room, and couldn’t resist. She went over to it, did a half turn and looked at her bottom. She smiled. It WAS cute!

Rachel swam laps and did some diving. She quickly found out that bikini bottoms didn’t stay on as well as the trunks she used to wear. After one particularly nice dive, her bottoms ended up around her ankles. She was mortified, and quickly pulled them back up, thankful that no one else was in the pool. She decided to stick with jumping in feet first for the time being.

Bree came along about 15 minutes after Rachel got in. She was dressed in a string bikini that showed her long, lean body off. Rachel was a little jealous. She hoped she would be that beautiful when she grew up.

“Do you mind if I join you, girl?” She asked.

“Oh, no! I’m glad you’re here. It’s boring swimming alone”

“Great! I love swimming. That’s why I have two pools. One for the winter, one for the summer. I even have a tanning bed for this time of year”

“Cool! I could use a little color. I still have a tee shirt tan. And you can still see where my swim trunks were. I have a boy tan” she pouted.

“Well! We’ll just have to fix that. I’ll bet you want a nice tan with tan lines and everything”

“Yes, for now” then she grinned “Then we can work on no tan lines”

“You are terrible, girl!” laughed Bree. “I didn’t get those until I was seventeen!”

Rachel and Bree swam, talked and giggled like two long lost sisters. Rachel told Bree about her adventure with the diving board and the loss of her bottoms.

Giggling, Bree said “I learned that too, after my surgery. I didn’t wear a bikini until then. I was swimming at a friend’s pool party and dove in wearing a little number not much more than this. I dove in, and poof! No bottoms at all. One of the male party goers got them and I spent the next ten minutes begging for my bottoms. There were people diving around me trying to get a peek. I was curled up in a little ball under water, trying to protect myself. I was sooo angry with those jerks, but the other girls surrounded me and started to get very protective of me. The boys who had dates got the message that they had better get me my bottoms if they ever wanted to have another date”

“Oh my gosh! That was terrible! I’ll bet you were embarrassed”

“I was. But there was a realization there, too. It was the first time I was treated as just one of the girls by the boys and not an it. None of the boys at the party knew who I was before. In fact, one of the other girls lost her top, and she didn’t get it back until she got out of the pool and climbed a ladder to get it. I wasn’t treated any different from any of the other girls. So, yes, it was embarrassing, but I still have good memories about it”
”¨
“I’ll keep my top and bottoms on, if it’s all the same to you, Bree. I would have died if that had been me”

“There are some things you will learn as a girl, Rach. One of those things is that boys are pigs sometimes, and sometimes they are wonderful. You can’t judge the whole gender by a few idiots. The same goes for women. there are a lot of pigs out there too who can be just as terrible as men, and sometimes worse”

“I can believe that, Bree. It’s all so confusing right now”

“Get to know yourself first. Then you can move on to other people. You will be a very attractive woman someday, Rachel. I can see it. You will have advantages that other girls won’t have. You will also have obstacles that other girls won’t have. I know. I deal with stares every day from creeps that make me feel filthy. I also deal with people who treat me with respect and kindness, sometimes because I am attractive, and sometimes because they just know the right way to treat other people”

“I just don’t understand that right now, Bree. It’s frightening”

“I understand that, Rachel, I really do. As you get to know yourself, other people’s reactions to you won’t matter so much. Don’t worry about it now. Just be yourself”

“I will, Bree. That’s all I can handle right now”

Suddenly, the conversation was interrupted by a booming voice “I’m not interrupting you two mermaids, am I?”

The two girls screeched. “Jim! Don’t you ever knock?” yelled Bree.

“Knock on what? I wasn’t listening, If that’s what you’re concerned about. Anything you two are talking about would probably bore me to tears, or embarrass me to death”

He jumped into the deep end, causing a splash that almost hit the ceiling”

“Men!” huffed Bree. “Let’s get out of here, Ariel, and let the Neanderthal have his swim”

Giggling, Rachel answered, “Okay, Ursula, let’s go”

“HEY, you little twerp, That just earned you a dunk!”

Rachel screamed with delight as Bree came after her.

“Jim, this little ‘mermaid’ just insulted me! Grab her!”

Jim reached out and caught Rachel by the arm. “Time for a ride, mermaid!” He then catapulted her up by her rear end eight feet in the air.

Rachel screamed with laughter as she was launched up into the air and landed awkwardly back into the pool. Jim went back after her and did it again, to even more laughter.

In the back of the room, unnoticed, was Gina. She saw a young girl playing with someone the way she should have been playing with her dad. A tear slid down her cheek as she mourned for what Randy had missed. She saw something in that big, gentle man. Something she hadn’t seen before. She ached for someone like him in her life again. But what would he see in her? She was a thirty something, fat, pregnant widow with a needy daughter and an independent son. Who could ever find her attractive. The tears came unbidden as she turned away from the screaming, happy child and her bodyguard.

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 17

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Genre:

Transitioning

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

TG Themes:

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Chapter 17

Love is in the air!

Bree caught Gina out of the corner of her eye. She thought that Gina would come join the fun they were having with Rachel. She looked and watched her walk slowly away. Bree didn’t like something she saw.

“Hey, you two, I need to get out now, I feel like a raisin”

“Go ahead Ursula, I’ve got little Ariel here in me power, har har harrrrr” laughed Jim in his absolutely terrible pirate imitation. Rachel was splashing him so he couldn’t see.

Bree grabbed her towel and dried off. She threw her cover up on, and went to where Gina was sitting, staring out the window.

“What’s up, Gina?” Bree said with concern. Gina was crying silently, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I don’t know, Bree. Hormones, I guess”

“Don’t give me that, girlfriend. I know when someone’s hurting. Please, tell me what’s happening. If you’re hurting, I am too”

Turning to Bree, Gina tried to say something, but instead she lost it, crying into Bree’s shoulder with sobs of anguish. She couldn’t speak. All she could do was cry. Bree just held her, tears running down her face. “Let it out, honey, let it all out” Bree said softly to Gina.

Several minutes later, Gina had calmed down enough to talk. “I saw Rachel playing with Jim in there, having such a good time. She never had that with her father, really, he was always trying to get her to play baseball, football or hunting. She never liked those things or got them, but she played anyway to please her father. He would get so frustrated with her” she paused “He never would accept the reality of who she really was. I hurt for the lost years, I hurt for what Randy missed. I saw her with Jim, and what could have been with her father”

“I understand, Gina, I really do. I got my father back for a time. Rachel never will. But she is stating to move on, Gina. You have to see that”

“I do, Bree. I realized how much I miss having a partner in life. I see her with Jim, and I wonder....if maybe...there could be a future with him. It’s silly, I know. I mean, look at me. I’m as big as a whale, I have two kids already...I...”

“Gina! You’re beautiful! Where do you think Rachel gets her looks? You look twenty six, maybe twenty eight, You have a killer body. So what if you’re a little big from the pregnancy. Doesn’t everyone? You have had a mountain of stress thrown on you, and you still have the most beautiful face I have ever seen. It almost makes me want to color my hair dark...again”

Gina burst out laughing at Bree’s comment about her own hair. “Whatever, blondie. I am not that pretty”

“Don’t put yourself down like that, Gina. You are stunning, and any man that can’t see that is blind or stupid. It doesn’t matter if you’re pregnant or not”

“What would people say? Randy hasn’t been dead for five months yet”

“Who cares. Gina, how long has it been since you really had someone to truly share your life with”

“It’s been a long time”

Looking around to make sure no one was close, Bree said quietly “Look. I’m supposed to keep quiet about this, so you can NOT let on you know, okay?”

Gina leaned forward with interest “Okay, spill it”

“Jim volunteered to take this assignment without pay. I’m paying him, of course, but he still volunteered. He was asking me all sorts of questions about you. Most I couldn’t answer, because I haven’t known you all that long myself, but I know he likes you. A lot!” Bree giggled and got closer to Gina. “He LIKES you!”

Gina beamed “Oh my God! Bree, what am I going to do! I haven’t done this in years! What will my kids say?”

“They’ll love it as much as I do!” Bree hugged her. “I feel like I’m back in high school! I was going to burst if I had to hold that in any longer! Let’s grab some breakfast and talk some more about how to catch that big bonehead”

Gina and Bree left to go to the kitchen to grab some breakfast. Jim and Rachel were coming in to the room as the two women left. “What were those two up to?” asked Jim.

“Who knows? Old people stuff I guess. You should know all about that!”

Jim took his towel and snapped it at Rachel. She jumped and squealed even though he missed her. “I’ll show you old, you little rat”

“Maybe later, old timer. I have to get a shower and get beautiful, while you do whatever it is you do to look, well, pretty much the same!” She giggled and ran upstairs.

Jim shook his head as he watched her leave “Whoever gets stuck with her is in for the ride of his life”

Rachel took her shower and took her time washing her hair. It was growing fast and was down to the top of her shoulders. She was going to have to get it restyled. She couldn’t wait until it was long and down her back. It would look so pretty, she thought.

She finished, dried off and did her hair and makeup. She was getting better every day, and was done in twenty minutes. A little foundation, eyeliner, mascara, and pink lip gloss and she was done.

She put on her underwear, a pair of pink heart print panties, and a pink bra. She picked out a floral print blouse and a denim mini that went to mid thigh. She didn’t wear hose, as she really didn’t like the feeling. She thought they were too hot. She picked out a pair of blue ballet flats to wear around the house.

She was getting really hungry, and went down to the kitchen to grab a bite of breakfast.

Her mother and Bree were at the table laughing about something. “What’s so funny, Mom?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing dear, just a little girl talk. I’ll tell you later. Can I get you something for breakfast?”

“No, I’ll just have a bagel and some juice. That should be plenty for me until lunch”

“Make sure you get enough to eat, honey” cautioned her mother “I don’t want you going all eating disorder on me”

“Don’t worry about that mom! I need to eat plenty to get my ‘you know whats’ going! I still look completely flat on top”

“Don’t worry about that, honey, believe me, they’ll come in. Look at mine!”

Rachel made a gagging sound “MOM! I don’t want to look at your boobs!”

All three began to laugh as Jim came in to the kitchen. “I don’t want to know” was all he said, and turned around and left, which made the girls giggle even more.

Bree’s phone rang, and she looked at the caller ID and picked up. “Hi, Gia! What’s up?”

“I’ve been to the Harris house, and picked up some things for Rachel, I have her cell phone and most of her clothes, as well as her makeup kit, which I’m sure she will want. Ice is bringing some more things for Gina and Maria. The house is trashed. There’s blood everywhere, and a ton of cosmetic damage. They won’t be able to live here for some time. I’d say at least a month or two of work needs to be done to get the place livable again”

“Thanks, Gia. I’ll pass that along to Gina. Anything else?”

There was a couple of calls on their machine, one of those was from Julie’s clinic. You may want to have Gina call”

“I’ll tell her. I’ll see you when you get here”

Gia disconnected and told Gina about the call from Julie’s clinic, and that her things would be coming from the house.

“It looks like they trashed your place, Gina. I’ll have my contractor take a look at it and give you an estimate for the damages. I’m sure you’ll want to turn that in to your insurance carrier”

“Yeah, I will” she sighed “I’m not sure I ever want to go back to that place, or that horrible town”

Rachel let out an audible gasp. “Mom, we have to! I just started making friends! I can’t leave Becca! I don’t care what the people there think! Please!”

“You mean after all you have been through, you still want to go back there?” asked her incredulous mother.

“Yes! I finally have friends, and the people who did this are in jail. If we have to move, I’ll have to start over again. Please don’t make me do that”

“We can talk about it later, Rachel. We’ll see what we can do if it’s what you want, but your safety comes before everything. You can always make new friends, but I can never replace you, is that clear?”

“Yes, Mother” pouted Rachel as she crossed her arms.

“Save the attitude, young lady. I said we’d see, and that doesn’t mean no”

“Okay” but the pout remained.

“They are bringing some of your things over from the house” added Bree “Including your cell phone”

“Awesome! I’d forgotten about it! I have to call Becca to make sure she knows what is up”

“I took the liberty of telling Becca some of your story, and asked her to pass along to everyone that you were safe, but couldn’t talk right now” said Bree. “you can call them from the land line here if you want”

“No, I’ll wait for my phone, but thanks”

Gia and Ice brought all the items from the house in and Rachel snapped up her cell phone and charger as soon as she saw it, thanked Gia then she was up to her room.

“Thanks, guys” said Gina. “I really didn’t want to go back there just yet”

“No problem, Gina” answered Gia. “It was the least we could do, and since we almost have the same name, it was almost like doing it for myself!”

Laughing, Gina said “I’d never really thought about it, but you’re right! My guardian angel is an ‘n’ away from being a Gina”

“Look, we are going to be in town on another assignment for Steve for the next few weeks, so anything you need, Bree, call Steve’s number”

Bree looked concerned “Where is Steve?”

Ice answered, “He checked out for a while. He said he wanted to get his head right. This op screwed him up. He said there were too many mistakes on his part, and he needed to get away” he paused, stretching his arms “He always was a drama queen”

Biting her lip, Bree asked “Where did he go?”

“Don’t know. He did tell me to tell you that he would call you when he got there. He took his satellite phone, so I’m betting he’s off the map somewhere”

Bree took a deep breath and sighed “I wish he would have told me”

“He said that Rachel and her family need you right now, and not to worry about him”

“That’s easy for him to say” Bree pouted. “I need him here”

“That’s what he said you would say” laughed Ice.

“Oooooohhh, that...that...man!” sputtered Bree while stamping her foot.

“He said you’d say that too”

“Oh he did, did he? Did he say I’d do this?” she then placed her thumb behind her teeth and flicked it forward, the Italian way of “flipping the bird”

“No, he didn’t say you’d do that” said Ice as he gave Gia a sidelong glance. “Look at the time! Spider! We need to get going. Tell Jim we said hello!”

The two mercenaries beat a hasty retreat in the face of Bree’s temper. She was not happy. She poured her heart out to Steve, and this was what he did? How could he? Didn’t he realize how she felt about him? When he called, she was going to give him a piece of her mind.

Bree turned to Gina and hissed “MEN! I will never understand them! I practically throw myself at his feet, something I might add I have NEVER done to any man, and he takes off on some damned safari?”

Gina found this side of Bree cute. She knew that Bree loved Steve very much and that she would welcome him back with open arms if she could just understand why he did what he did.

“Bree. Listen. Didn’t you hear what they said? He’s doubting himself right now. He needs to regain his confidence, and he’s probably out doing some macho thing to prove to himself that he has still got it”

“Oh, I know, I guess. I don’t know why I couldn’t have fallen for some accountant who worships the ground I walk on” she groaned.

Gina laughed “It’s our curse, Bree!”

Gina and Bree brought their things upstairs, and started putting them away, Rachel was trying to call Becca and getting frustrated. “Where can she BE, Mom?”

“Oh, I don’t know, in school, maybe?”

“Shoot! I forgot! I’ll leave her a message to call me when she gets out”

“You do that, and then get downstairs and bring your clothes up and start putting them away”

“Oh! Okay, Mom”

“I have got to get dressed, girls” said Bree. “I’ve still got my bikini on under this robe. Let me get showered and I’ll be back to help you out”

The rest of the day was spent unpacking and getting ready for Garrett and Maria’s arrival. Gina was feeling much better now, and more desirable now that she knew she had a potential suitor. Bree was still a little aggravated at Steve for taking off to parts unknown. She also resolved that when he got back, he would be too tired to go anywhere else. Bree smiled at that.

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 18

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Genre:

Transitioning

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

TG Themes:

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Chapter 18

Getting to know her friends...

Rachel called Becca after school and let her know that she was okay after the attack. Becca was a little upset that she didn’t call her earlier, but understood when Rachel said she lost her phone at home and couldn’t get back in to get it.

“I’m totally serious, Becca. There were like, twenty guys trying to get me, and there was shooting and fighting...it was awful. Then, some guy like, grabbed me and gave me something to put me to sleep. And it was Dan Buford!”

“OMG! Terri Buford’s dad? I would never have guessed. So what happened next?”

“Well, I like, woke up in this weird room, and there was all of this, I don’t know, stuff in there to you know, tie people up, and he started going all crazy on me. He made me take my clothes off and change into this school girl outfit and...and...” she paused, choking back tears. “I’m sorry, Becca, can we not talk about this now? It’s still freaking me out a little bit”

“Oh! I’m sorry Rach. I forgot how terrible this must have been for you. It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me everything, I’m just glad you’re okay! We all are”

“I know, Becca. Mom wants to take me out of the area and start at another school, but I can’t handle that. I’ve just started to like, get to know some friends, and don’t want to leave you. I even want to go back to school someday, you know, when everything calms down”

“Please tell me you won’t go, Rachel. We would all be very sad if you did”

“I’ll let you know, Becca. I hope not”

Garrett and Maria came home at about five o’clock. Everyone was out side to meet them. Rachel ran out to greet her brother and protector.

Reaching the car, Rachel cried “Garrett! Are you okay? I’m so sorry this happened to you. It’s all my fault!” She hugged him tightly as he got out, and he winced as his still sore ribs were squeezed”

“Easy, sis! I’m pretty sore right now” Rachel eased her grip. “That’s better. You didn’t do anything wrong, Rach. The jerks who made the mistake of messing with us were the ones who were wrong. Don’t ever say that you’re sorry for this”

Gina made it over to where Garrett was and gave him a hug and a kiss. “How are you doing, Garrett?”

“Okaay, I guess, the arm is pretty sore still, and my ribs are bruised pretty good, but overall, I’m in good shape. I’m still foggy about the details of the attack, though. I’m sure it will come back in time, though”

“I hope you never remember that night, Garrett. I wish I could forget it” said Rachel as she wiped the tears away from her cheeks.

“I’m not that worried about it, and I kind of feel the same way you do, Rach. Some things are better left in the past”

Jim came out of the house and walked over to Garrett, and shook his good right hand. “Good to have you back, Headhunter", he said with a big grin.

Garrett was uncharacteristically grim “I’d rather forget the ‘headhunter’ name for the time being, Tank. I’ll take being plain old Garrett for now, especially since the season is over for me. I think I’d like to forget hitting people for a while, if that’s okay”

Smiling, Jim answered “I understand completely, Garrett. I’m Jim. Tank is gone for now too”

Jim was amazed at Garrett’s attitude. He had called him Headhunter to see if he had developed the aggressive attitude that could signal trouble down the line. Garrett instead reacted much like Jim did after an op. He needed to decompress and forget what he did. To find a sense of balance in life again. Garrett had the right attitude. He would be a formidable soldier if he ever chose that path. He wondered if his father was like that. Jim suspected he was.

“Let’s get this boy inside” said Maria. He needs something to eat.

They enjoyed each other’s company for the rest of the evening, Jim and Gina spent a lot of time talking to each other in the kitchen. Nothing romantic, just talking about life, and each other’s story. Bree smiled as she saw Gina come out of her shell a little bit. There was something there with Jim and Gina. She knew Jim would take it slow, as would Gina, but she hoped they would eventually find a way to make things work.

Garrett and Rachel were playing gin in the game room, there was a pool table there also, but Garrett wasn’t able to play with one arm broken. Maria and Bree talked about arrangement for her to stay through the birth of the baby, and finding out about each other.

Bree’s evening was interrupted by her cell phone ringing. It was a number she didn’t recognize, but she knew who it must be. She excused herself and went to her office.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Bree. It’s Steve”

“Oh, the man who let me kiss him and then ran off to who knows where?”

“Yes, I hope you’re not too mad at me. I wanted to stay, but I did tell you I had some thinking to do”

“You couldn’t think with me getting in the way?” she asked sarcastically.

“Something like that. I don’t mean to be like this, but you can be awfully...distracting, and I needed to focus on what went wrong, and to prevent it from happening again”

Smiling, Bree thought about what he said. Distracting...she liked that. “Okay, you’re forgiven, but only because you are so sweet for calling me distracting. By the way, where are you?”

“Montana. I have a small cabin here that let’s me get away from everything. I don’t give my satellite number out to anyone, so you can consider yourself privileged to have it, and don’t give it out. You are the only one I want to have this number” she could feel him smiling as he said it.

Bree found herself doodling hearts on her post it pad. “You are going to have a lot of making up to do when you get back, Steve”

“I’m actually looking forward to it, Bree. The making up part, that is”

“Me too, lover. I’m so glad I was able to talk to you before you left. I felt like such a needy little girl for telling you what I did. I have loved you for a long time, and I knew you would never break your professional ethics unless I did something first. You don’t think less of me for coming on to you, do you?”

“Hell, no! To have a drop dead gorgeous, wonderful, intelligent woman tell me she loves me is something that I won’t ever complain about, especially when I feel the same way about her”

Bree purred “I want you soooo much right now, Steve. Please hurry back. I’m very lonely”

“I’ll bet you are, Bree, and all good things come to those who wait. I’ll be back in a week”

“That’s too long” she pouted “Can’t you come back sooner?”

“You sound like a high school girl, Bree” Steve said with a chuckle.

“I feel like one, lover. I haven’t felt like this for years, and I don’t want to stop feeling this way ever again. If you come back sooner, I promise to make it worth it for you” she whispered.

“I’ll be back in three days” came the quick reply.

“I’ll be waiting, lover. I might even be dressed when you get back” came her whisper.

“Stop! I’ll get back as soon as I can!”

“Byeee, sweetheart” said Bree in her husky alto. She was beyond excited. What she hadn’t told Steve was that she had not been with a man since her surgery. Her only companion was her dilator for therapy, and that was it. She was fully functional and had all the sensation she needed down there, but she had never had an orgasm, nor had tried to. She was saving herself for the one that could rescue her from her hate. She had found her knight, and now she felt stirrings that she had never felt before. Her self-imposed punishment was over.

Friday found Bree taking Rachel and Gina to Rachel’s therapy session. They were riding in her limo, and Rachel could not get over how nice it was to be treated like she was important. Inside, she thanked God for a friend and sister like Bree.

Today’s therapy session with Julie was intense. Julie had booked Rachel for two hours, and she needed every minute. She went back through the events of the past week. there were tears, and some guilt, but by the time the session was over, Rachel felt much better about herself, and was able to leave some more of the bad feelings behind. She wasn’t out of the woods yet, but there was daylight at the end of the tunnel.

Julie was concerned about Rachel’s reluctance to leave Martinsburg, but had to admire her courage in wanting to face up to the bullies she was sure to encounter. Ultimately, she agreed to talk to Rachel more about her feelings on this matter in future sessions.

Rachel left the session feeling much better about the trial she had just been through. Gina and Bree were let in on the breakthroughs that had been made. She, Brianna and Gina went to the car.

Rachel’s phone rang as she got in the car. It was Becca.

“Hey, girl! Can you talk for a little bit? I have something to ask you”

“Sure, Becca. Like, what do you need?” replied Rachel.

“I am having the girls over tonight, and I was wondering if you could come over. You don’t have to stay the night if you don’t want to, but we were thinking it would be awesome if you came!”

“Oh! That would be so awesome! Let me ask my Mom!”

Rachel asked her mother about the get together. “Do you think it would be okay? I don’t have to stay over if you don’t want me to, but I would love some girl time with my friends. Please?”

“Do you think you are up to it? It’s really soon after a traumatic event event for you”

“I think so, Mom. If I feel bad, can you come and get me?”

“Of course, honey”

“Cool! Becca, I can come. I don’t know if I will stay, but I’ll try!”

“Awesome, Rach!, Try to be here at six. That’s when everybody else will start to arrive, okay?”

“Kay! I’ll be there at six! Thanks for thinking about me!”

“It was so cool! All the girls heard about what happened to you and they wanted to show their support. I’ll let everyone know you’re coming. Byee”

“Bye” Rachel ended the call and put her phone in her purse. Immediately, her hands went to her mouth and she hugged her mom and Bree. “Oh, Mom! They actually wanted me to come! This is soo cool! We need to get home so I can get my things together!”

Bree and Gina looked at each other with knowing smiles. Rachel was recovering faster than they had hoped. Her young mind was apparently quick to recover.

They got to the mansion and Rachel sprinted upstairs to get her things together for the party. She changed her clothes into a mid length floral cotton tank dress and a pair of sandals. Crossing her arms, she thought and decided to pack a nightie in case she needed one, and an extra pair of underwear. A pair of jeans, a UT sweatshirt and a pair of trainers was included to wear tomorrow. She also put her makeup case and three different colors of nail polish in her overnight bag.

She skipped downstairs and ran into the kitchen, where everyone was.

Jim and Garrett wolf whistled at Rachel, who blushed a deep red. “What are you all dressed up for? Got a hot date?” teased Garrett. Jim snorted, trying to stifle a laugh.

“Can’t I at least try to look good? I mean, after all, I was stuck in pants for most of my life. Maybe you should try a skirt, you might like it” she teased.

“No, I’ll leave that to you, little sis. You do look nice though”

“Well, thank you, Garrett” she answered, giving him a little curtsey.

Bree and Gina smiled at this display of femininity. They could see Rachel was relishing being a girl, and enjoying all of it’s benefits. She looked very pretty in her dress, and her makeup was done to perfection.

“Mom, are you going to take me to Becca’s house?”

“Come on, sweetie, let’s go. do you have everything?””¨
“I think so, Mom. Oh, and Garrett, I’ll tell Angela that you miss her!” she smiled sweetly.

Garrett smiled, then replied sarcastically “Yeahh, you do that, sis. I need all the help I can get with girls”

“You need more help than you might realize, Garrett” added Bree. “Never take a woman’s favor for granted”

“What she said, you big oink oink” laughed Rachel, while sticking her tongue out at him.

“All right, lets get going before Garret forgets what a gentleman he is and paddles your bottom” said Gina, smiling at the exchange.

“He wouldn’t dare! I would, like so ruin his rep with the girls”

As Rachel said this, Garrett quickly got up and made towards Rachel, who screamed and ran outside.

Gina and Rachel made the trip from outside Austin to Martinsburg. It was the first time they had been back since the incident, but Rachel didn’t seem to notice. She was a chatterbox all the way over, talking to her mother about the fashion tips she had learned, what she planned on doing at the party. Just normal mother daughter chit chat. She didn’t seem phased at all by driving past the house, with the crime scene tape still up. She never even looked at it, as she was so engrossed in talking to her mother.

“We’re here, Rach. Make sure you have everything you need”

“I do, Mom, I double checked at Bree’s. A girl needs to be prepared, right?”

“Absolutely, sweetie. Now give me a kiss and get going, It looks like everyone’s already here”

Rachel leaned over and gave her mother a kiss and a hug and was out the door. “Thanks for the ride Mom, I’ll call you if I need you tonight, but I think I’ll be alright”

Smoothing her dress, Rachel walked to the front door of Becca’s house and rang the bell. Angela answered the door.

“Rachel! You look fabulous! Becca! Girls! Rachel’s here! Come on in, girl!”

Angela’s father was sitting in his easy chair, looking very much like Ward Cleaver. “I think the whole neighborhood knows she’s here too, Ang”

“Oh, daddy. I’m just excited to have her here, after all she’s been through this week” then came the obvious question. “How’s poor Garrett doing?”

Hugging Angela, Rachel smiled and said, “Missing you, I suppose. I think he likes you, Angela, but don’t let on like I told you. Other than that, he’s fine, but he won’t be playing any more football this season because of a broken arm”

Angela smiled and hugged Rachel back as the rest of the girls came down. “I had heard that he was done for the season, but everybody says he was a hero”

“He’s my hero, that’s for sure”

Rachel hugged everyone. Becca, Brittany, Jayne, Katie, Hilary and Lisa. Everyone was there. They were all dressed in jeans, with Rachel the only one in a dress. They all made over Rachel. Mary, Becca and Angela’s mother came in to the front room where all the commotion was.

“My, don’t you look pretty, Rachel. That is a lovely dress! I wish I could get my daughters to dress a little nicer”

Blushing, Rachel answered “I just feel like I’m making up for lost time. I never got to wear pretty dresses when I was little. Besides Becca and Angela are beautiful no matter what they wear!” That remark earned Rachel a hug from her two friends.

“Well aren’t you just the sweetest thing, isn’t she Hal”

Never glancing up from his issue of Sports Illustrated, Hal repeated his wife “Yes she is, dear”

Rolling her eyes, Mary said, “Oh, he wouldn’t know a beautiful girl if she landed in his lap when he gets to reading his magazine”

Pulling on Rachel’s arm, Becca said, “Lets get your things upstairs, Rach, then we can make plans for tonight”

The girls all got into Angela’s room. She had a typical teen room, with pictures of horses, her first love, and a couple of movie posters from the “Harry Potter” series. The girls were all over Rachel to get her to dish what happened that fateful night. She gave them the details, from what she saw huddled in her room, and from what she had been told. She told the enraptured girls about how Garrett had shot the gun, and took out a kidnapper with his bare hands. Angela in particular loved that part.

The group got very quiet as Rachel described her ordeal at the hands of Mr. Buford. She told them how he called her names and made her dress up.

“...and he like, had me tied up, with my hands behind my back. He came at me, and I didn’t know what he was going to do to me, but I was sure he was going to hurt me really bad, so when he got close enough, I gave him a knee to his privates and when he went down, I kicked him in the head”

“Oh my God” whispered Brittany. “That was so brave”

“I didn’t feel brave, Britt. I was so scared, I almost wet myself. I couldn’t talk, and I couldn’t move my hands very well. I found his cell phone, and managed to dial 911. I was sooo frustrated. I couldn’t tell them who I was or anything. Finally I got through to someone who somehow knew it was me, and then the guys broke in and rescued me”

“What happened then?” asked Katie.

“I was glad to see them, but I was like, so embarrassed by what that creepshow made me wear, I wanted to fall in a hole. The skirt I had on was so short, I couldn’t keep from showing my bottom, and the underwear he gave me were see through. I didn’t want them seeing my butt!”

The girls all giggled at that. “God, how gross. I never knew that he was such a perv. He would have like, raped you, you know that don’t you” said Brittany.

“I guess so, but I’m glad he didn’t get the chance. That would have been terrible. Can you imagine?” she shuddered at the thought.

Katie piped up. “You’re amazing, Rachel, do you know that? That’s the kind of stuff that happens in the movies, and it happened to you!”

“Yeah, well I hope it doesn’t happen again. I don’t like being the ‘damsel in distress’, if you know what I mean”

“Girls, the pizza is here! Get cleaned up and come down” called Mary from downstairs.

“Okay, mama” said Angela “We’re coming”

The girls got cleaned up and five minutes later were downstairs tearing into the pizza in a most unladylike fashion. Rachel didn’t want to get her dress stained, so she took her time and ate small bites. This wasn’t lost on Mary.

“Girls! Slow down! Is Rachel the only lady present at the table?”

Rachel blushed. “Please, Mrs. Conway, I just don’t want to get my dress dirty, otherwise I’d be right in there with them”

“Yes, but you’re not. I’m very impressed with your manners”

Becca rolled her eyes and whined, “Mom! Rachel’s just like we are, she’s nothing special”

“Yes, Mrs. Conway, I am really nothing special. I just like to be neat is all”

“Whatever, child. You other girls could learn a thing or two in deportment from Rachel here”

“Mom! You are embarrassing Rachel”

Mary turned to Rachel, who was three shades redder than a tomato. “I’m sorry, dear, I’ve just been on my girls to be a little more ladylike at the table. I’m sorry I embarrassed you”

Rachel looked up from her plate, biting her lip. “It’s okay, Mrs. Conway, I guess I shouldn’t be so sensitive”

“Mom, Rachel told us about her kidnapping. It was like a movie!” said Becca excitedly.

“Now don’t be bothering her all night about what happened. I’m sure she would like to forget it, wouldn’t you”

“Yes, but I didn’t mind telling them about it. It was good to talk about it, and now I’m ready to move on” she paused and then said, “Can we watch ‘The Princess Diaries’ tonight? I’ve never seen it.

“That would be cool! said Lisa. “I love that movie!”

The girls all decided that they would watch “The Princess Diaries” first, because Rachel had never seen it.

Rachel watched the movie, and found herself identifying with the Ann Hathaway character. She thought that she was the most beautiful girl she had ever seen, and by the end of the movie was cheering with the rest of the girls. She finally understood what a “chick flick” was and she liked it.

The evening wore on, and they played games and did a makeover on each other. At two AM, they decided to go downstairs for a final snack. They all went down but Katie and Rachel, who was putting her dress away. She was in her pink sleep shirt, and Katie was in her lavender pajamas.

“Rachel, I really meant what I said when I told you that you were amazing”

“Thank you, Katie. Having you say that means a lot to me”

“I think you’re a special girl, and I’m glad to have you as a friend” She blushed slightly and came toward Rachel. She gave her a gentle hug, held her face then kissed her on the lips. Nothing terribly passionate, just a simple kiss that lasted a couple of seconds. “Very special” Katie repeated.

She then smiled at her and ran downstairs, leaving Rachel standing there with her mouth open and her eyes wide. She wasn’t mad at Katie. In fact, she kind of liked it. This was confusing.

Earlier that evening, Gina was watching television with Jim. Her cell phone rang. It was Randy’s father.

“Hello?” asked Gina.

“Gina, this is Dad”

“Hello, Dad, what can I do for you?”

“I’m coming out to Texas next week. I want to see my grandson”

“I’m assuming you mean Garrett?”

“Yes. I also want to see this person you say is my granddaughter”

“It’s too late to fight about this Dad. Are you going to cause her trouble? Because if you are, stay in North Carolina. Don’t waste the plane fare out here. She’s been through enough already”

“I know, I watch the news. Thanks for the call by the way”

“I didn’t call, and your sarcasm is wasted on me”

“I won’t cause any trouble. I won’t say anything to hurt your precious ‘daughter’. But I have a right to judge for myself if I want this person in my family”

“She’s in your family, General, like it or not. You can either choose to be a part of her life or not. The choice is yours” she replied icily.

“I’ll see you Monday night” It sounded like a threat.

Rachel's Complicated Life, Chapter 19

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Fiction

Genre:

Transitioning

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

TG Themes:

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Chapter 19

Lieutenant General Barton Harris arrived at Fort Hood at ten o'clock in the morning on a military helicopter from Dallas. A car was waiting at the helipad. His aide, Captain Franklin snapped off a salute. "Welcome, sir. Your car is ready"

The General returned the salute. "Thank you, Captain. I'll be returning later this afternoon". Saluting again, The Captain turned and left as the General entered the car.

Brianna was sleeping late. She had an engagement in Austin for a fundraiser that ran well into the morning. She didn't get to bed until 4:00 AM.

She stirred as she felt a fly crawling on her face. She swatted it away. A moment later, it was back. She opened her eyes to the smiling face of Steve Marshall. "Hey, Baby. Ya miss me?"

"Steve!" she sat straight up and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, I've missed you so much!" She burst into tears.

Hugging her back, Steve smiled and said "It's not all that bad, is it?" as he kissed her forehead.

"You jerk! Not only did you leave me in the lurch, you came back and didn't even give me a chance to make myself presentable" she whacked him with a pillow.

He held her, got on one knee and held out a diamond ring in a box."I plan on seeing you in the morning for the rest of my life, if you'll let me. Brianna, will you marry me?"

Bree was stunned. When she had professed her love for Steve, she hadn't thought this would be the outcome. At least so soon! Her mind was racing. Was this what she wanted? Her mind was racing.

"YES!" He put the ring on her finger and gave her a kiss. They hugged again and Bree then said. "Now get out of my room so I can get presentable!"

"Bree, you never looked more presentable!" He laid her down and began kissing her.

"Mom! I'm going for a swim!" Rachel called from her room. "Do you want to come?"

"I'll come watch you, but I'm not going to get in. I don't have a suit"

"Why not, Mom?"

"I never got one for the pregnancy. I really never swam while I was pregnant with you or Garrett"

"We're going to get you a swimsuit, Mom. I don't want to swim alone, and Garrett won't be able to get into the pool for a few weeks yet, and we may be gone by then"

"Well, we'll worry about that then. Get your suit on, girl"

Rachel got her bikini on. She noticed that her top was a little tighter than before. "Mom?"

"Yes dear"

"I think my boobs are getting bigger"

"Yes, dear. They have a habit of doing that at your age"

"Isn't it great?" she said excitedly.

Rolling her eyes, Gina smiled. "Yes dear"

Rachel and Gina went to the pool. Gina settled into a chaise lounge and watched as Rachel swam laps. Jim came into the pool area and sat down next to her. "Good morning, Gina. How are you doing this morning? I brought you some coffee"

"Thank you, Jim! I'm just enjoying watching Rachel enjoy herself" she smiled.

"Do you mind if I join you?" he asked.

"Not at all, Jim"

A distant squeal was heard. Gina recognized the feminine expression of passion and flushed. Rachel, who had taken a short break, asked "What was that, Mom?"

"I think Bree might have seen a mouse, honey"

"Gross. Call a bug guy" she replied, wrinkling her nose.

Jim couldn't keep a straight face. "Steve got back this morning"

"I know" replied Gina. "Now everybody else does too"

Maria came into the pool area with a grin on her face. "Bree sounds happy this morning!"

Gina giggled. "She would be so embarrassed if she knew we heard her clear across the house"

"Would you like some coffee, Maria?" asked Jim.

"I'd love some. Thank you, Jim"

"No problem, Maria"

Jim left to get Maria her coffee. There was a ring at the front door. Travis answered it.

"May I help you, sir?" asked Travis.

"I am here to see Gina Harris. I'm her Father in Law"

"I'll see if she's available, please wait here, sir" Travis said coolly.

The general didn't like waiting, but he held his tongue. "Very well, I'll wait"

Travis went to the pool area and went to Gina. "The General is here, Gina. Would you like him to wait?"

"No, Travis, but I appreciate the thought. Please show him to the pool"

Travis left and two minutes later, the general arrived at the pool. He was clearly not at ease in this setting "Hello, Gina, Maria"

"Hello, Dad. To what do we owe the pleasure of your company"

Barton bristled at the greeting. "You know damn well why I'm here, Gina. To try and stop this foolishness you've started here"

"Please, Bart, don't be ridiculous" chided Maria.

"Maria, you know I don't like to be called that" he turned stiffly to her.

"And I don't like my granddaughter called foolish, Bart, so get used to it. I'm not one of your stooges, and I never particularly cared for your attitude" Maria stood and looked him directly in the eyes.

Gina touched her mother's shoulder. "Mom, take it easy. Would you like to meet her?"

His face took on a look of disgust. "Her? Hummph. I suppose."

Gina looked to the pool. "Rachel, honey? Your Grandfather Harris is here. He'd like to see you"

Rachel was snorkeling in the pool and raised her head out of the water. "Grandpa Harris? Ok, mom, let me get dried off"

Rachel stepped up out of the pool. The general couldn't believe what he saw. He saw a lithe, athletic looking young girl in a bikini, her top starting to fill out, and her bottom well on the way to being well shaped. He cleared his throat as she wrapped her head in the towel turban and wrapped her body in another towel. She came over to him and smiled brightly. "Hi Grandpa! I'd give you a hug, but I don't want to get your uniform all wet!"

"Uhhh, hello, Ran...Rachel. I was just in the uhhh, neighborhood and thought I'd drop by"

"Don't you still live in North Carolina?" she asked.

"Yes, but I had to come to Fort Hood for the day, and I thought I'd stop by"

"Cool! Let me get changed and we can talk. I'm sure you have a lot of questions"

The General shifted on his feet and scratched his head "Uhhh, yes, yes I do. Or at least I thought I did"

Gina had to turn away before she laughed at the General's obvious discomfort. "Rachel, go on and put on something nice. We are going out to lunch later"

Rachel went upstairs, leaving the Maria, Gina and the General by the pool. The General seemed to be at a loss for words. "Well?" Gina said. "Still see a boy? I don't know too many boys who can pull of wearing a bikini, do you?"

"What have you been giving her, I mean him? Hormones?"

"The only hormones she gets are produced by her own body. The blood tests indicate a normal level of female hormones for her age"

The General visibly slumped. He was clearly not expecting this. "I don't understand. She was a boy not two months ago"

"What's not to understand? Rachel is a male only as far as her genetics indicate XY, and not XX. She is incapable of processing male hormones. Her body converts them to estrogen, causing her to develop as a female. She has a vagina, for Christ's sake. She can't develop body hair. She is a girl for all intents and purposes. You may as well get used to the fact that your son and I screwed up royally when she was
born. Get used to it. Wait till you see her dressed and made up. She has never been happier, and you need to get over it"

Barton Harris was for once at a loss for words. His shoulders slumped and he looked down. "I need a drink" was all he could say.

Brianna was laying in bed with Steve. She had given herself to him and had loved every moment. She had no idea sex could be like this. She had kept herself ready for the prospect from a medical point of view, but nothing prepared her for the toe-curling orgasms she had had with Steve. He lay beside her, holding her as she laid her head on his chest. She loved this man like no one else.

"You got a little loud there, Bree. I didn't hurt you, did I"

"Oh God no, Steve. You were wonderful. It was wonderful. I never dreamed it could be so good" she cooed.

"You mean you have never done this before?" Steve asked, surprised.

"No. You were my first. I had done things before on dates, but that was before I was assaulted. I haven't even seen a naked male from then until this morning. I guess you could say I was a virgin" she smiled shyly.

Raising up on an elbow, Steve looked at her "I guess? That's about as virgin as you can get, Bree"

"I wanted it to be special, honey. You weren't disappointed, were you?" she gave him a pout.

"I cannot believe that a woman who can dismantle an arrogant judge in a court of law is asking me if I was disappointed in her" he shook his head in disbelief.

"This is a completely differnt thing, Steve. I am very insecure about my sexuality, believe it or not, and I'm probably a little bit submissive in bed. I want very much to please you, and if I do, that means everything to me"

"Bree, you couldn't disappoint me if you tried, and I'm willing to spend the rest of my life proving that to you"

She blushed and smiled wider. She looked up and kissed him passionately. "If you keep that up, big man, we'll never get out of this bed"

Rachel was cleaned up and dressed with her makeup on in 35 minutes. She chose her favorite denim mini with a baby tee top with white sandals. She came downstairs and presented herself to her stunned Grandfather. "Is this ok, Mom?" she asked

"That's just fine, Rachel. What do you think, Dad?"

"Hmmm? Oh, Uhh yes, that's just fine, Gina"

Maria and Gina were smiling behind the General's back. Rachel was pouring on the girl charm, and the General was falling for it.

"I didn't know if this showed too much leg, but I thought it was cute. I'm glad you approve" she smiled.

"So Grandpa, do I pass inspection? I know you weren't too happy with my change,but I simply couldn't go on any longer feeling like I was in the wrong body. Daddy was wrong about me, but he never got to see me like this"

"Rachel, I've got to say I didn't fully understand what was going on here. I guess I didn't want to. I couldn't bear the thought of the grandson who carried my son's name was some sort of, I don't know..." he paused "But you've shown me I was wrong, and I'm man enough to admit it. Well done, Rachel! I know a certain grandmother of yours that will be very pleased to meet you"

Rachel rushed over to her Grandfather and gave him a tight hug and kiss on the cheek. leaving a little lip gloss mark on his cheek. She left it there, marking her territory.

Rachel's Complicated Life, Final chapter, Book One

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

Novel Chapter

Genre:

Transitioning

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

TG Themes:

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Chapter 20

The end of one tale, the beginning of another!

Barton hugged his granddaughter. "I'll buy lunch today. I'd like to get to know you a little better, Rachel"

Smiling, Rachel looked to her mother. Is this what you meant by us going out to eat?"

Gina looked at Maria for a moment. It wasn't what she meant, but this was better. She was actually trying to get Rachel to dress up a little nicer to impress her grandfather.

Rachel went upstairs to take care of some of her lessons.

Jim, who had been waiting just out of sight listening to the conversation, chose that moment to come in. "I have your coffee, Maria, here you go" She took the mug and thanked him. "And you must be Rachel's grandfather"

"Yes. Who are you?"

"Jim Abrams. I'm keeping an eye on the family for a few weeks to make sure no one else tries anything stupid with Rachel"

"Were you with the team that stopped the assault?"

"Yes I was. They made a right mess of the house. Not one of our finer moments. They got way too close to achieving their objective"

"You sound like a military man. Army?"

"Navy. Seal. Made Commander before I left."

"From what I heard, your team did a damn fine job. Fought some bad odds"

"We measure our success a little differently. They got to Rachel. They shouldn't have. We were too worried about not killing anyone for it to be totally clean. Too many non combatants to pull a first rate defense"

"Well, the op went good enough to keep her safe. What about Garrett? Where is he?"

"He's back in school" answered Gina. "We couldn't keep him out. He insisted that he get back as soon as possible"

"Good kid. Was he there the night of the assault?"

Jim looked down "Yes he was. He was thrust into the bodyguard role when we were about to get overwhelmed. He took out three of them"

"How? Baseball bat or something?"

"9 mil and a flying tackle. He killed three of them. One with his bare hands. He got a broken arm, a concussion and some bruised ribs. They got dead. The boy handled himself like a pro"

The General was silent for a moment. This bit of information was something he didn't expect to hear. "And he's already back in school?"

Shaking his head, Jim replied "He doesn't seem to know that he caused the deaths. He was knocked out during the fight, so he may not remember. I'm keeping an eye on him for signs of PTSD, and so far he's good to go"

The general looked puzzled. "How would you know about this? Shouldn't he be taken to a therapist?"

Jim looked like the cat that ate the canary "I am a board certified psychiatrist. Doctor Jim Abrams. I guess I forgot to mention that. I don't like to stand on ceremony. Johns Hopkins, 99"

The General smiled and shook Jim's hand again. "Ok, I guess that little problem is solved for now"

Bree and Steve came into the pool area Bree was wearing a cover up and a big smile. Steve was in his trunks, ready for a swim with an equally big smile. Bree ran over to Gina and Maria and held up her left hand to show them the big diamond gracing her ring finger, bouncing like a litle girl.

Gina shrieked "Bree! That's wonderful! When is the date?"

Bree hugged Gina and Maria, who returned the hugs. They began to chatter about the events of the day.

Jim walked over to Steve with the General. "Congratulations, old boy. The last of the great Romeos bites the dust. Why there must be one or two women out there that are crying right now" Jim said with a hearty laugh. "By the way Steve, this is Rachel's Grandfather, General Harris"

"I understand congratulations are in order, Mr. Marshall"

Steve laughed "Thank you, General. I wasn't expecting to see you here today! Under good terms, I hope"

"The best, Steve. I was terribly wrong about Rachel. It was too bad Randy didn't live to see what she's become"

"I'm glad to hear it, General, she's something special, and so is Garrett"

"I beginning to realize that, Mr. Marshall"

"Steve, please. My friends call me Steve"

The general thought for a moment. "Say, I seem to recall a football player years ago by that name. Played for the Longhorns. Would that be you?"

"Well, It's not often that people remember me outside the state, but yes, I played in the early 90's"

"I thought so. You were a hell of a ballplayer, Steve. Damn shame about the knee"

"Hell, General, you have done your homework!" said an amazed Steve.

"Didn't get to where I am by not doing it, son" he paused, looking back at Gina. "It's eleven hundred hours Gina, are you ready to go to chow?"

"Yes sir, General!" Gina laughed and gave a salute. "Permission to put my face on!"

The General smiled "Granted"

"Maria, are you coming?" asked Gina.

"And miss a free meal bought by that tight wad? Let's go!"

~o~O~o~

The next few months passed thankfully without incident. The family was together at last. Gina had a beautiful baby girl. Garrett recovered in time to finish the basketball season. He was soon to encounter challenges of his own.

The spark between Gina and Jim grew into love. They didn't want to get married right away, but it was only a matter of time. Bree and Steve were married the day after Christmas that year.

Rachel grew into a lovely young woman. Her adventures were not nearly over. She finished her middle school years at home. She and her friends remained close. They would need to be. Some of the toughest trials were yet to come.

End book one.

Coming Soon: Rachel's High School Life!

Rachel's Complicated Life: Brianna's Story

Author:

Cindilee

Audience Rating:

Mature Subjects (pg15)

Publication:

500 < Short Story < 7500 words

Genre:

Transgender

Character Age:

Teenage or High School

TG Themes:

TG Elements:

Girls' School / School Girl

Permission:

Posted by author(s)

Brianna's Story:

I couldn’t believe that the time was nearly here. Steve and I had just experienced a whirlwind engagement that lasted all of 12 weeks. Now, I was just 24 hours away from being Mrs. Stephen Marshall, and I couldn’t be any happier.

It didn’t matter that I could have any man that I wanted. I had my mother’s looks, and she was a former Miss Texas. I am 5’10”, 130 pounds, with what I have been told is a killer body. Okay, I guess that part is right too. 34C-24-35. My only disadvantage, if you could call it that, was I was born with and unfortunate part of my daddy’s DNA namely the Y chromosome. I say disadvantage, because the only thing I can’t do is have babies. I was born a boy, Brian Charles DiMaggio. I was one of the heirs to the DiMaggio Oil fortune.

Daddy was born here in Austin, the son of an Italian family that had been in Texas since before the Revolution. They had land in Central Texas, and took an active part in sending the Mexicans south of the Rio Grande after the Battle of San Jacinto. So I guess I don’t have the typical Italian-American/Ellis Island story to share.

Oil was discovered on our land at the turn of the century, and the family fortunes went up after that. My father, Jack, managed to expand the oil holdings to over 2,000 producing wells. Our family was, to say the least, well off. To say the most, we were stinking filthy rich.

I was born in 1981, at the height of the popularity of “Dallas”. Believe it or not, our family life was somewhat similar to that of the Ewings, minus all of the family intrigue. We were a happy family, who took vacations together, and did all the things that other families did. I was, by all accounts, a happy baby, who was mistaken for a girl all of the time. My mama hated to cut my hair, and it grew long. By the time I was four, I didn’t mind being mistaken for a girl. I believed, no, knew that I was one. My brothers teased me to no end of frustration. Junior, 6 years my senior was the worst. I thought my name was Sissy until I was six, because that was all he called me. He knew just how to torment me without leaving a physical mark. I hated him more than anyone on this planet. Caleb, 4 years older than I was, was no better, but he taunting was more physical. He was constantly hitting and pushing me, most of the time when no one was looking. Crying to my mother did little good, because my daddy was always trying to “toughen me up”. He cut my hair when I was seven, a traumatic experience that gives me nightmares to this day. All of this to “toughen me up”. Tough. There’s a word that’s way overused, and way to little understood. Looking back, I was plenty tough for not denying who or what I was.

I loved to read growing up. I identified with Cinderella, and adored the story “The Little Mermaid”. When the movie came out, I saw it 13 times at the theater, and bought it as soon as it came out on video. When she became a full girl on land, I cried every time. I cried a lot growing up. My brothers could not understand why I was so emotional. I don’t blame them now, and I really didn’t blame them then. They had no way of knowing what hell I was going through. They wouldn’t have been able to comprehend had they known.

When I was eleven, I was left alone in the house while the rest of the family went horseback riding. I pretended to be sick to get out of going. I had ulterior motives, however. Brianna was coming out to play.

I had created Brianna, my female self, some years before. I had several friends from school, all girls, and Brianna came out to play with them every time we got together. They dressed me in party dresses and we played with dolls until it was time for me to go home. I was truly happy during those times, and always hated to go home, because I would have to go back to being Brian. My brothers and father couldn’t understand why I hated the family passion of watching football. I always was happiest helping mama in the kitchen preparing the snacks for the boys. That was my fun. Being with my mama. Daddy and the boys could have their Cowboys. I wanted nothing to do with it.

As I watched the family walk off on the horses, I quickly went to my little storehouse of girl clothes. I had managed to get some things from my girl friends over the last few months, and I began to put my treasures on. I started with white cotton panties and a cami, and then put on a skirt and blouse. I didn’t have any makeup at the time, but I was just happy dressing how I felt I should be dressed. I stayed in my room, writing in my journal about how I was so angry that god had made a mistake with my body, and what I would do to be magically transformed into a girl. Finishing with my writing, I carefully put my journal away and went to the mirror to look at myself. I had such a pretty face, but the horrid crew cut I had to wear made me look like a freak or a cancer patient. I waked slowly to my bed, laid down and began to cry. Not loud, as I didn’t want to be discovered by the domestic help, but I was in agony. I cried until I fell asleep.

That was a mistake. The next thing I knew, I was being grabbed by two pairs of hands and dragged from my bed.

“Look at the sissy!” cried Caleb with a sick delight. “Daddy, Mama, you have got to see this!”

Screaming, I struggled to get away from my two brothers “Please! Let me go!”

“God, he screams like a girl!” laughed Junior. “Hurry! You gotta see this little freak!”

Mama got to my room first. “Oh dear God” was all she could say. Daddy was close behind.

“What the hell are you doing, boy!” he yelled. “Get that stuff off now! Jesus! Naomi, keep the help downstairs. Son of a bitch!”

The boys were laughing hysterically. I was crying just as hysterically. Dropping to my knees, I buried my head in my hands. I felt like everyone hated me. It was then that I began feeling like I wanted to die.

Mama began to take charge. “Caleb! Junior! Stop cackling like a couple of magpies and leave now. Jack! You take the boys and get downstairs”

“I ain’t leaving, Mama” retorted Junior. “I want to see this little sissy get what’s coming to him” Caleb followed with more insane laughter.

Turning to my daddy, Mama coldly said “Jack, get these boys out of here now, or you will have a bigger problem on your hands than a boy in a dress”

My daddy visibly blanched. “Boys! Get the hell out of here and let your Mama handle this”

“Aww dad. Are you going to let her push you around? Show her who’s boss”

Daddy’s hand went out like a snake and caught Junior by the collar. The next thing Junior knew, he was out in the hall on his rear end. Caleb followed under his own power. “Don’t ever talk to your mother like that again, boy. Now get downstairs before I kick your sorry ass all the way down.”

“Yes sir” said a red faced Junior.

“Handle this, Naomi” my father said quietly.

“Go on, Jack” replied Mama.

After everyone was gone and the door shut, Mama began to speak. “How long has this been going on, Brian?”

“I don’t know, Mama. As long as I can remember. I hate what I am. I hate being a boy. I’m not a boy. I don’t look like a boy, I hate what my brothers like. I hate my life!”

Mama hugged me “I know it seems like that now, but God made you who he made you. He doesn’t make mistakes. I always wanted a daughter, but the good Lord didn’t give me one. He gave me three sons. Two are kind of awful, but one is an absolute darling”

I had to laugh at that one. I knew she loved all her children, but the two older boys tried her patience on a daily basis. I really never did. “You don’t understand, Mama. I feel different. I can’t explain it. It’s like every day I get up, I feel the same way you fell looking at me dressed like this. This is who I am. I’ve tried, but I can’t change”

Mama sighed “Brian, you are a boy. You can’t go about looking like this. Our family’s reputation would be ruined. This is not negotiable. I want you to take these things off and throw them away. Get your regular clothes on, and come downstairs. Nothing more will be mentioned about this”

“But, Mama! Please! Don’t make me do this!” I began to cry again.

“It’s for the best, Brian” she said quietly, then left.

I sat there for five minutes, crying and wrapping my arms around myself. Looking back, I was sitting exactly like a girl would sit, knees together, arms protecting myself. I slowly got up and changed clothes. I wasn’t the same after that.

Time went on. I stopped helping my mother in the kitchen. I stopped playing with my girl friends. I withdrew into myself. I escaped into my books. My brothers still tried teasing me after their discovery of me, but that stopped when I kneecapped Junior with a baseball bat after he kicked me for ignoring him. He never kicked me again. Caleb leaked at school that I was a homosexual, which earned me a couple of beatings. They stopped when I poked out the eye of a would-be bully. That earned me an expulsion from school, and cost my father $750, 000 in the lawsuit that followed.

I simply didn’t care anymore. I had stopped dressing and doing anything that could be construed as “girly”. I left people alone, and they left me alone. If they didn’t, there was a swift and usually violent resolution.

When I was 14, the first girl I had ever played dolls with, Annie, was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. I went to see her in the hospital. I had stopped going to her house three years prior, but I couldn’t let her go without saying goodbye. Her parents were with her in the room. She was sleeping.

Thank you for coming, Brian. She’s been asking for you for the last couple of days.

He mother woke Annie up. “Annie, Brian’s here to see you”

“Brianna!” she said weakly. “I’m so glad you came! I’ve missed you soo much. Why didn’t you play with me anymore?”

I felt as if a knife had been driven into my heart. “My name’s Brian, Annie. I’m a boy. It wouldn’t have been right to come over”

She smiled and reached up to my shoulder, as if she were stroking my hair. “Ohh, you’re being silly. Look at all of this long blonde hair and your beautiful body. You don’t look like any boy I’ve ever seen!” Where did you get this wonderful blouse?”

“She’s hallucinating, Brian” Her mother whispered quietly in my ear. “Just play along with her, she doesn’t need to be upset right now”

I paused, thinking quickly. “I got it from Forever 21, Annie. Do you like it?”

She opened her eyes again “Yes, Brianna. Will you get one for me too?”

A tear rolled down my cheek. “Of course, Annie. I’ll get it for you to wear when you go home, okay?”

“I’m not going home, Brianna. I’m going to my heavenly home. I know you’re sad. But you have to live for me. Be the beautiful girl you are, and live for me, okay?”

I looked at her mother, who shook her head. “Annie! You get better and I’ll come over and we can do whatever you want! Don’t leave now” Tears were flowing down my face as they hadn’t in three long years.

“It’s okay, Brianna. It’s beautiful over there. Turn around! Look!”

I turned, seeing nothing but the wall. “It’s beautiful, Annie.”

“I have to go now, Brianna. I’ll…..see you…….later” She closed her eyes and the monitors began to sound alarms. I backed against the wall as the nurse came in and quietly disconnected the monitors and silenced the alarms. Her parents were quietly sobbing in each other’s arms. I sank down and sat on the floor, crying like I had never cried before. She called me Brianna. She didn’t see the boy. Something snapped in me at that moment. If I couldn’t live as Brianna, I didn’t want to live. Annie was waiting for me.

I hugged Annie’s folks, and told them goodbye. I didn’t say anything to them, but I would be with Annie tonight. This much I knew.

Walking home from the hospital, I was in a daze. My home was 7 miles from the hospital. I could have taken a cab, but I needed to plan. I could not go on any longer. My entire life was a lie, a lie that I would extinguish tonight.

By the time I made it home, I knew what I was going to do. I walked upstairs and found my father’s prescription bottle that was filled with valium. He had difficulty going to sleep lately due to some negotiations he was in regarding the company. He had just gotten it filled two days prior, and there would be plenty to do the job. I put the bottle in my room and went downstairs to see Mama.

“Hi, mama” I said leadenly.

“Hi, Brian” she replied. “What’s wrong? You look like you lost your best friend”

“I did, mom. Annie died today. I was in her room when it happened”

Mama gasped “Oh my God, Brian! I am so sorry. I knew she was sick, but I didn’t know how badly. How are you feeling?”
“Ok, I guess. She’s in a better place. Her pain is gone. I’m glad I was there to see her go. Mom, death isn’t so bad. She said it was beautiful over there, just before she died”

“It’s all a part of life, honey. Do you have questions?”

“Nope. I know all I need to, mom” I replied without emotion. “It all makes sense to me now”

She looked quizzically at me. “What does that mean?”

I looked away. “Nothing, mom. Thank you for being here for me, Okay?”

“I know you’ve had it rough, Brian. But always remember, I love you very much”

“I know mom. I love you too. I love everyone in this family” I hugged her then walked away. “I’m going upstairs to my room. I need to talk a nap”

“Ok, but dinner is at 6, so don’t be late” Great. I had three hours to do this.

I walked up the stairs like a zombie. I didn’t feel anything. I knew mama would miss me, but I didn’t care anymore. I had already checked out. I went to my room, and grabbed the bottle of pills. I poured ten into my hand and swallowed them with water. That should be enough. I took off my clothes and crawled into bed, ready for the next great adventure. Drowsiness enveloped me 15 minutes later. Then darkness.

From what I learned later, my mother was curious why I called her mom. I never did that. None of us did. It was mama. It ate at her. “What was up with that boy” she thought. Then she felt a sick feeling in her soul. She couldn’t explain it even years later. She knew she had to get upstairs at once.

She ran up to my room and opened the door. “Brian?” she said aloud. No answer. She rushed over to my bed and saw me, barely breathing. “BRIAN!” she screamed. She shook me but got no response. She immediately called 911 from the phone in my room. She kept trying to get me to wake up.

The ambulance came 5 minutes later, and by 4:15 I was in the ER. I had stopped breathing, and the doctors were working feverishly to bring me back.

I woke up in the ER, looking at the doctors working on someone. I was dressed in white, and I looked at myself. I had long manicured fingernails, and I could see my hair cascading around my shoulders. I went to the door in the ER and walked right through it.

“What is going on?” I said aloud to myself. People were walking around and through me. I saw a mirror in the hallway and looked at it. To my surprise, I could see my reflection. I was a girl! I was pretty. No, gorgeous! Blonde hair, blue eyes and totally put together.

I smiled at my reflection. I was soo happy!

Suddenly a familiar voice spoke to me “Like what you see, Brianna?” It was Annie.

Whirling around, I saw my friend in the same white outfit I was in. She smiled at me with the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. I reached to hug her.

“Annie!” I exclaimed in my new girlish voice. “I’m so glad to see you! Look at me! I’m...me!”

She returned my hug. “I know, Brianna, I know. This is your soul, your spirit body, for the lack of a better term. This is who you really are. Inside, where it counts. But this is wrong, Bree”

“Why, I’m finally who I am!”

“It’s wrong to kill, Bree. Even killing yourself. This isn’t your time to go. You have so much to do yet”

“I can’t go back to being Brian, Annie. I can’t. This is who I am”

“So don’t go back to being Brian. There are ways of shaping your body to match your soul. You see, God gives some people tests to see if they are strong enough to be who they are on the inside. Some people fail that test, but God is love. He cares even for the ones who fail the test. And He gives justice to the ones who persecute those special people.

“You will pass that test, Bree. You will be the person that you were meant to be. Did you notice how puberty never caught up with you? There was a reason for that. You will grow up to defend those who cannot defend themselves. There will be one in the future who you will recognize as special. You will help her, and in turn, she will help you find happiness and acceptance. You will have happiness that you cannot imagine, Bree. But there will be many trials to come. Never give up. I will be watching and I will help you all I can”

“But I don’t want to go back, Annie!” I replied frantically.

“It’s not your choice, Bree. I’ll see you later”

I felt an electric charge run through my body as I was pulled back into darkness. I heard someone say “He’s back! Get that second IV going!” Darkness claimed me again..

“Brian? Brian can you hear me?” I heard a familiar voice. It was Mama.

I groaned. “Let me sleep, Mama. I’m tired”

“You’ve been asleep for three days, Brian. It’s time to get up” Came her authoritative reply.
My eyes fluttered open. The room was dim. I slowly was able to focus. My mother’s tired face came into sharp relief. “Welcome back, honey. You gave us quite the scare”

Tears rolled down my face as I looked up into hers. “I’m sorry, Mama. I just couldn’t go on living the lie”

“What lie, Brian?” she asked quietly.

“I’m not Brian, Mama. I’ll never go back to being him. I’ll die if I do” I tried to reach my face to wipe the tears away, but my hands were restrained to the bed. I began to panic. “Mama, take these things off! I can’t stand them. Take them off!”

“Shhhh. Shhhh Brian. They were on as a precaution if you woke up when no one was here. To make sure you didn’t try again”

“TAKE THEM OFF!” I screamed. The nurses rushed in and tried to calm me. I thrashed and they injected something in the IV that put me to sleep. “Take..them…off”

I woke up later, and my mother and father were in the room. The restraints were gone. “What happened? How long have I been asleep?”

My father replied “A couple of hours. They had to put you out after your panic attack before you hurt yourself”

I got right to business. I was going to let them have it with both barrels. Sighing, I began to speak.

“Daddy, Mama, I need to tell you something. I am not going back to being Brian. Ever. I can’t. It’s not who I am, and it’s not who I want to be. My name is Brianna. If being Brianna means you disinherit me and kick me out in the street, then that’s the price I’m willing to pay.”

Mama looked down. I could see she was crying. My daddy looked like he had aged ten years. Daddy spoke first.

“Son, I don’t pretend to know what you are going through. But I am willing to get you the help you need to get this worked out. However it turns out” I saw a single tear trickle down his cheek.

“We love you, Brian. Whatever happens that means we won’t stop loving you. Ever”

“I’m not going to change my mind. I know who I am and what I was meant to be. You haven’t failed me. But I need to be who I am, no matter what that means, no matter what I have to face”

We got together and hugged. The next day, a doctor came in to talk to me. He was a doctor who specialized in gender issues. His name was Doctor Bob James. I thought he was going to try and talk me out of what I wanted, but instead he just talked to me, about how I felt about things. He wanted to know about me, about what made me tick.

We had several sessions over the next month. My daddy wanted me in intense therapy to get things decided as quickly as we could. Dr. James was in agreement. He knew I had deep seated problems and needed to get the poison out as quickly as they could to get me on the path to recovery.

After the month was over, it was decided that I did indeed suffered from gender dysphoria. I was young, but the doctor was certain that if I didn’t transition soon, irreparable harm would be done. I was started in androgen blockers immediately and after the endocrinologist was consulted, the estrogen was soon to follow.

The reaction from my brothers was not at all what I expected. They said they knew that I was different, and were trying to pressure me to conform for selfish reasons. Junior apologized to me for making my life miserable. He was in college now, and had a more open minded take on life. Caleb was also apologetic. My suicide attempt made him realize that words have consequences, and he was blaming himself for driving me to it.

I started my life trail immediately. My old boy wardrobe was sacked up and donated, and my girl things were purchased and added to my closet. All of my old furniture was taken out, and my room was redecorated appropriately to a teen girl, with a good deal of input from me.

I was on cloud nine as the changes took place. Over the next nine months, my breasts filled into a full B and continued to get bigger. My hips filled out and my waist got smaller. I underwent a bilateral orchiectomy to remove my now useless testicles.

Whenever we went out, people who didn’t know us looked me up and down. I was fifteen, but in truth looked at least eighteen. I was tall, and model skinny. I did do some modeling, but those jobs dried up when it was revealed that I was pre operative transsexual. I didn’t care. I was becoming who I was meant to be. The next school year, Dr. James thought it would be a good idea for me to mix with other people my age. Mama and Daddy sent me to the same private school that Caleb went to.

My reception there was cool, to say the least. The girls were jealous of my looks, and the boys were intimidated by the fact that I looked like a model but wasn’t all girl where it counted. The teachers were hostile toward someone they viewed as a spoiled rich kid who was a freak. But they didn’t bother me at all. The pranks played by the girls were the worst, as they were always trying to humiliate me in some way or another, by calling me “little boy” or always flipping my uniform skirt up to expose me.

My first year was terrible, and I cried myself to sleep many nights. But always I came back to what Annie had said to me. There would be trials to come. I held onto that like a drowning woman hold on to a life preserver. I studied hard, and excelled in my classes. I was ranked number one in my class academically. I didn’t want to treat people the way they treated me, so I volunteered to tutor anyone who needed help. I had no takers until Danny Buford, a guy in my class, asked for my help in geometry.

I dove in to help him, grateful for the opportunity to help someone out. He was very grateful, and didn’t make me feel like a freak when we were together. He learned well, and soon was an A student in geometry in his own right.

We saw each other in the halls, and he never ignored me like everyone else. I thought he was cute, and there was no doubt where my sexuality lay. I was 100% heterosexual. Girls did absolutely nothing for me.

Finally, midway through my junior year, Danny asked me out. It was just to a movie and pizza afterward, but I felt like I was Cinderella going to the ball. He asked my daddy if he could take me out, and after the customary grilling, he got daddy’s permission to take me out.

I’ll never forget that night as long as I live. We saw “Liar Liar”, with Jim Carrey and finished the night off at the Pizza Hut. We had a medium pepperoni, and two Diet Pepsis.
He got me home 10 minutes before my 11 pm curfew and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I kissed him back. I felt like such a girl. I ached that I didn’t have the right equipment for him, or I swear I would have gone all the way that night.

We continued dating the rest of that year. I was his date for the junior prom, and I went all out to look spectacular. I wore a strapless blue gown, and he wore a black tux with accessories that matched my gown. I wore a garter belt and stockings that night for the first time, and the gaff I had to wear was the only uncomfortable thing I had on. My heels were a modest 3”, and I danced all night. No one else wanted to dance with me, but Danny held me in his arms and made me feel like I was the only girl there.

After the prom was over, Danny took me back home. On the way, I asked him to stop.

“Danny?” I asked quietly. “Do you love me?”

“Yes, Bree. I do. Why?”

“Because I love you too. You see me for the girl I am, not some freak, like everyone else” I was quiet for a moment. I looked out the window, biting my lip. I wanted to show him how much I loved him, but I didn’t know how. My eyes began to well up.

“What is the problem, Bree? Why are you crying? Aren’t you happy?” he leaned over to me and pulled me close. “What’s the problem?”

“Kiss me, Danny. Please.”

We began to kiss, and for the next 20 minutes, we were lost in each other’s embrace. I could feel Danny’s manhood begin to rise. I reached for his zipper and began to pull it down.

“Bree, what are you doing? We can’t do anything”

“Maybe we can’t, Danny, but I can. Please let me show you how much I love you. Lean back”

Danny leaned back while I unzipped him. I held him in my hands and began to stroke him. He gasped as I leaned down and took him in my mouth. I went up and down on his shaft and within a minute, he moaned and went off in my mouth. I swallowed all of the bitter liquid and licked him clean. I then dried him off with a hankie I had in my purse and then zipped him up.

“God! That was awesome, Bree!” he said breathlessly. “You were great!”

I smiled and kissed him. “Thank you, lover boy. I had to do that for you. You make me feel so wonderful, I needed to return the favor” I pouted. “You don’t hate me, do you?”

“Oh heck no, Bree. That was the most awesome thing anyone has ever done for me!”

We continued dating throughout the summer and into the next year. My mama and daddy were worried that I was going to get hurt. My daddy and I really connected since my transition began, and he was glad to have a daughter. He was very protective of me, and I was glad to have it.

In October of my senior year. My daddy had a heart attack and died at a business meeting. I was devastated. I couldn’t believe that the man who had grown to become my biggest fan was gone. I thought back to Annie, who said “There will be trials”.

After the funeral, I went back to school. Things were just as bad, and now the other students started teasing me about my late father, calling me “Little Orphan Annie” this name hit me hard, as I looked at it as an insult to my friend Annie. The people who called me this didn’t know, but their words stung more than they would ever know.

To top this off, Danny began to change. He started to pressure me into giving him more and more sex. I did what I could, but it never seemed to be enough for him. He wanted to go “all the way”, which for him meant anal sex. This was something that I couldn’t do. I didn’t want anyone inside of me until I could do it as a woman. To me, it was a dirty thing that hurt, and only one person could enjoy. I saw it as rape, and begged him not to make me do it. I just couldn’t.

“If you loved me, baby, you’d do it” he prodded. “All the girls are doing it” I noticed he didn’t say “other girls”

“If you loved me, you wouldn’t ask, Danny” I replied, shooting him a dirty look. “And I don’t care what the ‘other’ girls are doing”

“Okay, okay, babe. You win. We still on for tonight?” I thought he gave up way too easily.

I didn’t want to, as I had a big exam to study for. “I guess so”

“Cool. I’ll pick you up at seven”

Danny picked me up at seven, pulling in to the big semicircular front drive and honking, not bothering to come up to the door. This was a first.

I told my mama where I was going, and ran out to the car. It was starting to rain. He quickly drove off.

“Hey babe. I changed our plans for tonight. Hope you don’t mind” he said with an arrogance I found alarming. I hated it when he called me babe.

“I guess not, where are we going?”

“Out to the country. Just to appreciate nature”

“I know what you mean, Danny. I don’t want to do anything tonight. I have a test to study for” A little voice inside me was beginning to tell me to get out of the car.

“Then we’ll just talk. Okay?”

“Okay, but not too long, Danny. Please”

We drove for about a half an hour until we were out of town. Danny pulled over into a side road and stopped the car. He looked at me, with a strange look that I hadn’t seen from him before. It scared me.

“All right, babe, get out of the car”

“Danny! It’s raining! I’ll get all wet! What are you trying to do?”

“You’ve got a choice, babe. Give up the ass, or walk home”

I started to cry. “Danny, what are you doing? I thought you loved me. Don’t ask me to do this. When I’m eighteen, I’m having the surgery, then we can do it for real. Please Danny, you’re scaring me. Please take me home. Mama doesn’t know where I am”

“I thought you’d say that, bitch. I’ve been taking shit for a year and a half now for dating a freak. I never said anything to you, because you were always good for a blowjob. But I want more, and you’re going to give it to me” He then pulled a knife. Take your clothes off, bitch. Now” he had a look on his face that wasn’t human.

I was frantically crying now. “Please, Danny! I can’t! It isn’t right!”

He smiled a smile that chilled me to the bone. I knew he was going to kill me. “Get out of the car and everything will be all right.

I got out into the cold rain and stood there, shivering. Danny got out and came around to me. “Last chance, Bree”

“I can’t, Danny. I’m sorry” I was crying, and Danny came up to me. I thought he was going to hug me, but suddenly I felt a burning in my side. He had stabbed me.

I gasped for air and slumped down to the ground.

“I’m sorry too, bitch” he turned around and walked to the driver’s side, got in and drove off.

Dizzy from the pain. I got up and started to follow the lights to the road. It was a mile away and I knew I was hurt badly. I couldn’t get my breath. I was freezing in the cold rain. I walked as best I could, but it wasn’t fast enough. I thought about Mama, and the loss of her daughter so soon after the loss of her husband. I couldn’t die! Not yet! I had so much more to do.

I continued to walk. I saw a glowing figure ahead. It was Annie! She got closer, and closer. Then she faded and the glow became two headlights. I had made it to the main road! Raising my hand, the world spun, then went dark.

I woke up, with no idea how much later, in the hospital. It turned out I was found by a deputy sheriff on patrol. He took first aid steps that saved my life. I had been stabbed in a way that narrowly missed my heart, but caused me to lose a lot of blood. I nearly died.

Looking around my room, I saw my Mama sleeping in the chair next to the bed. “Mama?” I whispered. “Mama? I’m thirsty”

She stirred, and looked at me. Our eyes met, and she burst into tears. She came over to me and hit the call button. “Bree! Thank God! We thought we had lost you!”

The ICU nurse came in and checked my vitals. “We’ve called the doctor, and he’s on his way”

“I’m thirsty” I said again. The nurse went to get me some ice chips. I told her what had happened. “Danny did this, Mama. I thought he loved me, but he tried to kill me. Tears rolled down my face. It hurt to breathe. It was agony to cry. I willed myself to stop.

“I told the police that you were with Danny. They picked him up and he said that you wanted to be dropped off, and the last he knew you were walking toward a black pickup”

“That’s a lie, Mama. He took me out to a deserted road, and tried to force me to have sex with him. When I wouldn’t he stabbed me”

“He said that you two had been having sex for some time now, and that he wasn’t comfortable with it. He said you went down on him several times”

That revelation hit me hard. I had been so stupid. I had to show him physically how I felt. I was such an idiot. “It’s true, Mama. I loved him so much, and I didn’t want to lose him to a real girl” I was in agony.

“You are a real girl, Bree. To give that up before you are married is asking for trouble”

“I know that now, Mama. I was so stupid.” I was biting my lip so hard it began to bleed. My chest hurt so much.

“Let’s talk about this later, sweetie. It’s too much right now”

The days turned in the hospital. I was discharged after a week. The detectives that talked to me said that Danny had an airtight alibi that was confirmed by five of his friends. They didn’t believe me about his attack, and told me to stop blaming him. There wasn’t a shred of evidence placing him at the scene.

I was devastated by Danny’s betrayal. I was a pariah at school, and now it was out that I was “easy” willing to give it up orally to anyone with five dollars. My mother believed me, and tried to hire investigators that would get what we needed on Danny. No one would take the case. The bastards all believed Danny.

Resolving to put my troubles behind me, I continued to put my all into my schoolwork. I caught up with what I had missed, and was able to maintain my number one standing in the class.

The weeks and months ticked by slowly until graduation. I was going to get my revenge by being the valedictorian and giving the address at the graduation ceremony. Two weeks before graduation, I was called out of class to the principal’s office. There was a police officer there with a dog.

“Brianna DiMaggio, I’m placing you under arrest for the possession of marijuana on school property” said the policeman. He then read me my rights.

“What? I’ve never done marijuana in my life!” I said as he cuffed me. “Get your dog to sniff me! I’ve never seen that stuff”

“It was in your locker, Brianna. The dog found it” said the officer.

“No way! Please, I’ve never done drugs!” They carried me away, and expelled me from school.

After a convenient two week investigation, I was cleared of all charges. Right after graduation, and after someone had delivered the speech that should have been mine. “Trials to come” rang in my head.

I went to Colorado to have my SRS. It was a total success. I was now a complete woman. I didn’t rest though. When my recovery period was over, I was accepted at Harvard to do my undergrad studies, and spent four years with my nose to the grindstone. I would make the society who made my life a living hell pay on behalf of the girls just like me who didn’t have anyone to help them. I majored in business law and got my law degree from Harvard as well.

Daddy's company sold to ExxonMobil for just shy of 5 billion dollars, and I was able to parlay that into a fortune in the neighborhood of 16 billion dollars. My brothers were content to let me handle the management of the fortune, and I made sure they would never have to work again. They both went on to become successful businessmen in their own right. Jack DiMaggio Jr. served in the Bush Administration as Undersecretary of Energy. Caleb runs a successful electronics firm in the green energy sector.

I went on to champion the cause of the Transgendered in the United States. I worked tirelessly for their rights, and worked to prosecute those who would try to harm them. My organization won several lawsuits against companies and individuals who discriminated against transgendered or gay people.

I started a foundation to provide counseling for transgendered females, so no one would have to go through what I did. I do this worldwide, and have helped over a thousand girls to become all they were meant to be.

All of which brought me to Rachel Harris. Her story touched me in a way none before had. I remembered what Annie had told me about a special one. I found out that she was. She would be the sister I never had. Her mother was such a sweet woman who had lost her husband in the war. They had a son who was the most wonderful boy I had ever met.

I hired Steve Marshall from time to time as a very competent detective. I thought he was cute, sure, but I had other things to do that were more important than relationships. My past was too scarred from betrayal to even think of a relationship. The work was too important.

Steve had stumbled on to a hate group in Martinsburg who was targeting little Rachel. He eventually broke the ring and Rachel herself had taken out the ringleader before he could rape her. That ringleader was Dan Buford, the bastard who nearly killed me so many years before. He ended up a brain dead vegetable. Steve risked his life to save Rachel, who he knew everything about. It didn’t matter to him.

I fell in love with Steve at that moment. I knew he liked me, and now I could return the favor. My ghosts were dead and gone. I could love again.

I’m just about to walk down the aisle. Jim Abrams has my arm as we wait for the march to play. The march begins to play, and the room stands up. Steve is there at the altar with a silly grin on his face. My life begins anew.

Thank you, Annie. I’ll see you later.