This is the very last bit of 'broken Wings' which I am posting as an epilogue. I already had this one in mind, but a Dear Reader's personal message helped clarify the structure--thanks.

I will add one small warning to it, which is a box-of-tissues alert.

The Dance with Death

“That girl I told you about, I thought she was just a normal girl, but she told me she was something called an Adaption? I wasn’t there for her Ceremony but she said she was born a boy? I don’t really understand but she seems all girl to me. I wonder if that’s because of the Ceremony or who she really is?”

For 35yrs the border between the Human Empire and Gorgonzola Empire as remained mostly peaceful. The citizens for the Human Empire of this border region are loyal to the last man, woman, and child to the Empire. It was on one of these worlds that gave birth to a legend. The world of Apollo 6 is one of the harshest worlds within the Empire. One so harsh that only it could claim to be the birth world of James J. Owens, the most feared of Death Dealers. A world that is even now poised to give birth to a new legendary warrior. One who shall be baptized in the blood of the Empire’s enemies. Robert Wolff youngest great grandchild of James Owens’ sister Cecilia Owens.

Charlie and Chloe make their first 'Family Voyage' into space with their daughter Charlotte.

Reaffirmation 4

“Now young mister Richard we must talk of strange and wonderful things...” Mr Magi's voice suddenly became firmer and it lost some of its joviality.

…........

Reaffirmation part 4.....

CHAPTER 106
We pulled off the motorway at last, the minibus feeling heavy as I started to handle bends rather than sweeping curves, turning right at a roundabout and then past the airport. There were three more roundabouts, and then a turning into a field by a tiny little river, tents scattered over the grass. I stepped out to stretch my back, Frank’s hands on my shoulders to massage the tension away, and the younger girls went looking for someone to talk to as Alun parked his own car and started dragging out his and Alicia’s kit.

CHAPTER 105
Charlie was almost insufferably smug for ages after her return, but I noticed how much she dialled down the gloating when any of the more vulnerable girls were around. Faye, in particular, was still settling into her new, and hopefully better, life, and seemed overawed at Charlie’s confidence, but it was Tiff who surprised me. Her own mood was simply one of serenity, and when I raised the subject with her in private, I was met by an astonishing level of maturity.

A Different Angel 6

“I can feel your hands Mandy!” Richard crowed............

now we continue....

Back at home David and Helen spent a good while as he finally got his emotions under control. Helen was concerned for how this change in David would be perceived and also how others would treat the family. She was a product of her upbringing, the perceptions of those around her had a larger influence on her behaviours than she realised. There was not a lot of experience with trans individuals and the internet to her and her husband was a distraction.

Julia’s alarm clock starts buzzing. She reaches over and smacks it. She gets up and starts getting dressed. Halfway getting dressed, she remembers she was suspended for three days. She stops putting her uniform on and takes it off.

“Why are you getting undress, sweetie?” Christmas had woken up and noticed Julia taken her uniform off.

“I just remembered I’m on a three-day suspension.” Julia puts on the Native American-made shirt Chayton’s grandfather gave her.

CHAPTER 104
I spent the next few days in a mess of indecision. I was going to be married, it seemed, and I had no real idea of how that had happened beyond finding myself caught up in the news from England, about Diane’s friend and her own wedding.

Was it the right thing to do? Did I really want it for myself, or was I ticking boxes for Frank’s sake? What about the House, and the girls? I ended up doing what I normally did, and ran the whole thing past Rosie while sitting in that welcoming pub near Cowbridge.

“Clara? What… What are you doing here?”

“Doh! Looking, for you silly.”

I was suddenly lost for words. All the things I’d planned to say when we met again went down the drain in a flash.

“Cat got your tongue?”

Charlie is approaching the stage where he must make choices. The feminista are getting close to realising he is stalling for time while his wife Chloe works to secure Australian citizenship and enable Charlie's escape to antipodean climes.

Charlie and Chloe finally decide to leave the United Queendom and seek a new life elsewhere. This chapter describes their first steps towards this goal.

CHAPTER 103
I found my sleep a little broken for a few days, as more news reports came in and people were charged. The most disturbing part wasn’t the parade of blank expressions on the faces of people who took their entertainment in perverted ways, but the images that were broadcast over the BBC television news a few days later. They had a few talking heads from the Customs people, standing next to pallets of booze that had clearly been arranged to look as imposing as possible, but they also had Sammy, talking over footage taken from inside a warehouse that had been the centre of everything. Scaffolding with planks lashed across it formed tiered ranks of seating around a large circular space surrounded by wire fencing, the space itself floored with what looked like sand or sawdust.

Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

As usual, I’m thanking Malady and KymmieLorain for their invaluable help in the writing of this story.

Chapter 22

Saturday, October 2^nd, 2021

It had been a rough week. The kids in the high school didn't know how to react to the death of two fellow students. Vic hadn't been a great friend to anyone, but Michelle had been liked. She hung with the same crowd Vic did, but people respected her ability in music.

Two days after arriving back on the outskirts of Preston, I began my journey south to Oxford and the wedding. It all began with a taxi ride from where Roxy was moored, into Preston and then two trains. The first took me to Wolverhampton and the second to Oxford. The ticket inspector on the train from Preston kindly suggested that I change trains either at Wolverhampton or Birmingham International rather than at Birmingham New St. Little tips like this make travelling a whole lot easier and for that, I was very thankful.