As Jane drove back home, she played one thought after another, trying to decide the safest way to send the recording to Ruth and Jeb. As she thought through what the police had likely been told by those kids, the only thing those higher up in this whole mess would be worried about was saving their own hides. Toby's brother would believe Toby wouldn't say anything because of how savagely he'd been beaten. And 'the man' would do even more to keep from being caught -- maybe he's the one killing the kids, was Jane's last thought as the answer to her 'how' question answered itself. She'd just send it to Ruth attached to an email. They'd have no reason to monitor anything going into the Courthouse, and they didn't know where Jane lived, so wouldn't have anyway to monitor what came and went from her home. Plus, she could rename the file to something about a receipt.

When Jane parked her car at her home, she realized she didn't remember the drive home, her mind was so distracted with the 'how' problem. She laid her head on the steering wheel and started shaking, realizing it could all have come to an end that day.

After collecting herself, vowing to never again drive home by habit, she left her car, locked it and slowly walked up to her house. The door opened, and there stoor Francis, Charlotte, and Marie, all having worried looks on their faces. "Well... ," Marie asked, "how is he?"

Walking past the three, Jane told her, "I'll tell you in a moment," just before entering the study and walking straight to her desk. She unlocked the computer, opened a drawer and took out a cord and a thumb drive, opened her purse and removed the recorder. She plugged one end of the cord to the recorder and the other end into one of the USB ports on the computer. She brought up a program, ran it and followed the directions on the screen. She hit record in the program and play on the recorder and watched as Toby's recorded words were gathered by the program in a waveform audio file. When the recorder reached the end of Toby's recorded conversation, the recorder stopped as did the recording of the program. Jane pulled the cord out of the USB slot and replaced it with the thumb drive and put a copy of the recording onto the drive. She then had the program save the initial waveform file to an encrypted file after opening the file with a password. Closing the computer program and removing the other end of the cord from the recorder, Jane put the cord back in the drawer where it was kept, and unlocking the secure drawer, she opened it and placed the recorder in the drawer before closing the drawer and locking it.

Getting up from the chair, Jane walked over to the rolling ladder that was stored near the front wall of the study. Rolling it over to a position that allowed her to access books on the eighth shelf, she climbed the ladder and removed what looked like a book titled, 'The World According to Hermies'. If someone was standing on the floor and looking at all the books housed in those ten shelves, 'The World According to Hermies' would look like anyother book. However, when Jane removed that supposed book, two more supposed books on either side came away with the 'Hermies' book, revealing a safe behind the fake books. Turning the dial, Jane endered the combination before she then held her left thumb and right little finger up to a finger print reader. Hearing a click coming from the safe, Jane pulled the lever on the safe up, opened the door, and placed the thumb drive inside the safe before closing the door and spinning the dial. She replaced the fake books, climbed down the ladder, returned it to its stored location, walked back over to the desk, sat down and opened an email program on the computer.

Ruth,

I'm sorry for being so late getting you the recipe you wanted for the dish I fixed several weeks ago. It's been hectic here of late and this is the first chance I've had to sit down and get it to you. I think you'll really enjoy it again if you just follow the directions.

Jane

Jane then went into the encrypted file, made a copy of the waveform file, now renamed as the name of a recipe, went back into the email program, attached it to the email to Ruth and hit send. She then deleted the copy and closed the encrypted file. She then opened a new email to Jeb, and hoped he'd understand her message to him.

Jeb,

I'm sorry for the delay in getting back to you about that recipe for the dish I fixed some weeks ago. I had decided to send you a copy of the recipe, but had promised Ruth a copy some weeks before you asked for one. Since you both enjoyed the dish so much, and I did promise Ruth a copy first, I thought you could contact her and get a copy of the recipe from her. I'm glad you liked the one I made, and I'm sure it will taste much better being made by your own hands.

Jane

Jane reread the email to Jeb, making sure it didn't belie any of the real topic it was about. Satisfied, she hit send and closed the program. She leaned her elbows on the desk, putting her head in her hands she wondered if that recording was going to put an end to this whole verdammtes Durcheinander. Sitting up, she locked the computer, picked up her purse and walked out of the study and into the arms of Marie, Francis, and Charlotte. It was a group hug, and she laid her head on Marie's shoulder and cried. All of the pentup tension, anger, all of the stress she'd felt since Charles arrived, washed out of her at that moment. Marie motioned to the girls to release Jane and Marie walked Jane down the short hall to her bedroom. The girls returned to the library and their lessons, even though their minds weren't really on their lessons, they worked on them anyway.

Two nondiscrpt men walked into the Kingston hospital. There was nothing outstanding about them. Both wore well used running shoes, casual button up shirts, jeans, and sport coats, something a lot of men wore. Their hair styles were, well, ordinary. Cut so their hair fell just above their ears, but full. Supplies fell off a cart a nurse was pushing, and both men rushed to help her pick them up and put them back on the cart, laughing as they exchanged shorts quips about something always causing delays. The nurse thanked the men, both men told her, "You're welcome," before walking on to the reception desk.

Reaching the reception desk, the woman behind the desk asked, "May I help you gentlemen?"

The man on the left smiled, then said, "Um, hi. My name is Mat Camber and this is my brother Tony. Our nephew ran away from home and we've been checking with the police, sheriff, and hospitals to see if he was arrested or hurt and needed medical attention. Do you have a Toby Camber as a patient here at your hospital? His parents are worried sick."

The fact that people were looking for Toby had been discovered days before, and the hospital administrator had a meeting with all of the hospital staff and explained what she'd been told and then activated their security measure which was a simple page for a doctor who didn't work at the hospital. She explained if/when that doctor was paged, the staff was to continue with their tasks, not reacting to the page in any way. It took a few drills before everyone finally got over reacting when doctor Blackmore was paged. The drills were also coordinated with the police department, monitoring their arrival time at the hospital. And when Mat asked about Toby Camber, their drills suddenly became very real.

"Okay, you said Toby Camber, that's C-a-m-b-e-r, right?" When Mat nodded, she then said, "Just a moment, let me look in my system." As she appeared to be looking in the system, she suddenly said, "OH, SHIT!!" Turning to the woman on her left she asked her, "Joyce, I forgot, would you please page doctor Blackmore and say he's urgently needed in from 485. I'm so gonna be in trouble for forgetting to do that." She then turned back to Mat and told him, "I'm terribly sorry, sir, for the interruption. Let's see, ah, no, I don't show a Toby Camber in my system. However, sometimes it takes a while for my system to be updated. If you can wait a few moments, I'll call our Records Department and have them check."

***"Doctor Blackmore, you are urgently needed in room 485. Doctor Blackmore, you are urgently needed in room 485***

When the page for doctor Blackmore went out over the hospital PA system, Mark and Steve, the hospital's armed security guards, were finishing up their lunch in the cafeteria. Hearing the page, both calmly stood up, bussed their trays, then took the back elevator to the third floor. Reaching the floor, both took a back way to room 325 and walked right into the room without knocking. When the door opened, Jill and Toby's attention was instantly drawn to the movement of the door. Jill knew of the security word, but hadn't heard anything while in the room. She asked one question, "They've called doctor Blackmore, haven't they."

Mark and Steve had seen a lot in their 20 years with the military. They'd even emptied a lot of sand from their boots a time or two during that time. They were calm but all business and Steve told Jill, "Yes, ma'am, they've called doctor Blackmore. And Mark and I are here to make sure whoever it is doesn't succeed."

Toby looked at Steve as he spoke. "Succeed in doing what," he asked, the sudden realization striking him. "They're here to kill me, aren't they?"

Mark walked over to the bed, ruffled Toby's hair, then gently put a hand around the back of Toby's neck, bending down so he could look Toby in the eyes, before telling him, "They think they're going to kill you, kid. But they got that thinking all wrong. Steve is going to be right inside the bathroom and I'm going to be behind the door, back far enough so they can't see me through the crack between the door and the jamb. See, the location of your bed means they'd have to come into the room to get a clear shot at you, making sure they didn't miss. Well, when they do that, I... shoot... them. Got it?" Toby nodded his head, he was too scared to speak.

Connie had picked up the phone and dialed a number, when the call connected she told the person at the other end, "Hi, this is Connie at reception. There are two men here searching for their run away nephew. Do you have a record for a Toby Camber. That's right, C-a-m-b-e-r, Camber. Okay I'll hold." She then looked up at the two men and told them, "The records department said they'd check, but it could take several minutes. If you gentleman would want to get something from the cafeteria I'll let you know if they find anything." What the two men didn't know was going to bite them in a matter of minutes. Connie was on the line with the police department, as they'd rehearsed. And the police department was already in motion.

Mat smiled at Connie and told her, "Aw, thank you ma'am, but we're really worried about Toby, so we'll wait for as long as it takes your people to check for us."

Connie held up a finger, as though she was listening to someone on the other end of the line. "Okay, I'll tell them. Yes, I'll hold." She looked up at both men and told them that the Records Department didn't have a file for their nephew, so they were following hospital protocal and calling the nurseing stations and have them do a room by room search.

It was Tony who spoke this time, saying, "Ma'am, we just gotta find Toby. So we'll wait as long as it takes ya'll to look for us."

485 was the hospital's code word for the reception area. As Connie appeared to be waiting for word from the Records Department, and the men patiently stood in front of her, a smartly dressed couple walked into the hospital, the woman carrying a bouquet of flowers. After them, two men walked into the hospital, the type, by their looks, most would frown upon. Both had scraggly hair, their jeans were torn at the knees, and their tee-shirts had seen better days. The man and woman reached the reception desk first, the man acting as though he was about to say something. Connie held up a finger in his direction, the told him, "I'll be with you in a moment, sir."

The raggedy looking men came up on the other side of Mat and Tony, and the one closest to the two men, slapped the counter, leaned in and said, "Hey, there, dudett," but never finished what he was about to say.

Connie held up a finger in his direction and said, "Sir, I'll be with you in a moment."

The other raggedy looking man said in a slurred voice, "Aw, dudett, you're killing us here."

Mat turned to the two and said in a pleasant voice, "Patience, gentlemen, have patience. It will be your turn soon."

The raggedy man who'd spoken first replied, "Sorry, man. Our friend was in motorcycle accident and we're worried about him. We didn't mean to come on so strong."

Tony smiled and put in, "Oh, man, that's rough. We understand, though. Our nephew ran away from home and everybody's sick with worry. We've been checking with the police, sheriff and hospitals, but nothing so far."

The man with the woman on the men's right chimed in with, "Oh, that's a shame. I hope you find your nephew and that he's alright."

Mat leaned past Tony and looking at the man, told him, "Thank you. We hope he's okay too."

Just then a uniformed police officer came into the hospital, helping a man who looked like he'd gone one round with a chainsaw. The man had blood on his shirt and splatters on his face, and a wrapping the length of his right arm, saturated with blood. The two walked slowly, the officer appearing to hold the man up and the man moaning as they walked. When Connie saw everyone was at the party, she said, "Sir," and that got Mat and Tony's attention long enough for the barrels of two 9mm handguns to be pressed up again the temples of Mat and Tony. The other four 9mm's were pointed directly at each men's torso.

The man with the apparent bloody arm said in a sweet voice, "Boys, if you don't want to find out the truth about the hereafter, you'll put your hands on the top your heads, with your fingers laced together and your palms facing up. And gentlemen, remember, any funny moves and you'll be dead before you hit the floor."

Two of the 9mm handguns were kept pressed against Mat and Tony's temples, as the other officers searched the two men. Tony's coat was moved out of the way when something was felt behind his back. It was a Glock 9mm. As they worked down his legs, they lifted his right pants leg and found a 32 caliber revolver in an ankle holster. When Mat was patted down, an officer reached inside Mat's sports coat to the left inside breast pocket and pulled out a silencer. His ankle holster carried a 22 caliber revolver. The man with the fake hurt arm, the Chief of Police, held up the Glock 9mm in one hand and the sliencer in the other. He looked back and forth at each one, then at Mat and Tony and ask them, "Just WHAT did you boys have planned? You boys look like you're ready to kill someone. Is that so?" When Mat and Tony remained silent, the Chief told the other officers, "Chain these two up good and tight. Empty their pockets and run the seams of their clothes for anything that doesn't belong. Then get them out of here."

It was twenty minutes after both men had gotten into position that Mark's pager went off. Looking down he saw the code for the 'all clear' from the administration. "It's over, the police caught the guys. You're safe now, kid. Rest up, huh? Come on, Steve, let's let these two get some rest," Mark said just before he and Steve left Toby's hospital room.

***Thank you, Doctor Blackmore***

Thanking Doctor Blackmore over the PA was the 'all clear' signal given to everyone in the hospital. When that message went out over the PA, it was as though there was a collective sigh throughout the hospital; there were a lot of hospital staff buying coffee shortly after the announcement. And a lot of patients who didn't know anything had even happened.

But now they had a problem. If because of their arrests, Mat and Tony believed Toby was at the Kingston hospital, when they demanded their phone call, if they demanded their phone call, it would likely be to whoever was running the entire operation. And that person would likely send two more men to Kingston and those two might not be so personable. But if Mat and Tony were waiting to be processed and retrieved by several US Marshalls, and driven back to face the music, then they couldn't call anyone. And if the long-distance phone lines just happened to be down somewhere beyond Kingston?

Hearing that someone wanted to kill him really shook up Toby. After Mark and Steve left Toby's hospital room, Toby all but came apart, causing Jill to hold him until he'd calmed down. Through tear filled eyes Toby asked, "Why me? Why do they want to kill me? I don't know anything, any names, other than my brother's."

Jill shushed Toby, trying her best to calm him down. Wondering if he needed to know the truth, and deciding since he'd just been in danger, threw caution to the wind and said, "Toby, someone is killing those kids who were involved in the shoplifting ring. It's believed that by killing the kids, there'd be no one who could testify against them. Or provide the police with information. They're trying to save their own skins, Toby. They don't care about anyone else, you kids included. And believe it or not, you just might know more than you think. We have to get you out of here." Saying that, Jill added, "How are you feeling, can you walk?"

Jill saw Toby think for a moment, before he replied with, "I'm feeling a lot better, as do my legs. Yes, I think I can walk okay."

Jill pulled out her cell phone, dialed a number and then said, "Just listen. We're coming home. Get his room ready and I'll treat him there. I have to move him quickly," and cut the connection. She then picked up the handset from the room phone, dialed two numbers and said," Would you help me please?" A few moments later, the same nurse who'd helped the day before entered the room. Jill explained her plan and asked her to get Toby dressed while she pulled her car around to the ambulance bay. They'd take Toby down every back way in the hospital to the ambulance bay, where he'd get into Jill's car and she'd take him back to Jane's home. She also told the nurse, "Once we're gone, sterilize this room. Wipe everything down, clean it better than you would normally do after a patient leaves. There can't be a trace of anyone having stayed in this room."

The nurse looked over at Toby, and while he had calmed down, there was still a frightened look on his face. The nurse smiled, then told Jill, "This room will be so clean you could eat off the floor." Jill smiled, patter the nurse's shoulder, then left the room to move her car around to the ambulance bay, while the nurse started to remove the 'IV' and monitor leads from Toby. As she was helping him out of bed so she could help him get dressed, she told him, "You trust that woman, and the other woman too. That other woman will go through hell to keep you safe. And I pity anyone looking for you getting on her bad side. They might not see the next sunrise. Come on, let's get you dressed and outta here."

Jill was back just as Toby finished dressing, his wounds, though healing well, were still painful as he moved. Standing on Toby's left side, Jill gently gripped Toby's upper left arm while she let him support himself using her left forearm. As they slowly made their way to the door, the nurse was on the room phone, telling someone, "We have a room to sterilize. Get everything we need." After hanging up the phone, she stripped the bed down to the padding, took down the 'IV' bag and placed it into a Biohazard bag, and threw any paper leftovers into the trash can in the bathroom. Just after Jill and Toby left the room, two more nurses arrived, pushing a cart laden with all of the cleaning supplies they'd need to sterilize a room. They left the cart in the hallway, walked into the room, and heard, "This room has to be beyond spotless. We have to clean this room so it appears no one has ever stayed in here. Wipe down everything from top to bottom. Let's move." And with that, the three nurses went to work, finishing an hour later with a room that was cleaner than clean. A room that had the appearance of no one having stayed in the room.

Toby had been lying down for two days, so it took a bit of time for his legs to loosen up as he and Jill walked down a back corridor. As his legs loosened, he was able to walk better and faster, which helped shorten the time it took them to reach Jill's car at the ambulance bay. Whether it was fate, on purpose, or just happenstance, one of the ambulances had just returned from being serviced at an auto shop and the driver had stopped right behind the bay Jill had pulled into. So as Jill brought Toby down in the elevator and to her car, no one outside could see Toby get into the backseat of Jill's car. She had him lay down on his side on the backseat, and positioned a thick blanket between the seatback and Toby's back, so he could lean back without having to much pain. Whether it was fate, on purpose, or just happenstance, just as Jill got into the driver's seat, the ambulance parked behind her moved, allowing her to back out of the bay. Now, if anyone saw her, all they'd see was Jill Peters driving her car away from the hospital. Alone.

Jill was rather curt when she called Seasons House and talked to Jane. Telling Jane Toby had to be moved quickly, told Jane all she needed to know. Someone was after Toby. It became a mad house at Seasons House after Jill cut the connection. "MARIE, GIRLS. IN HERE NOW!" Jane yelled and all three actually came running into the living room. "Apparently someone was at the hospital looking for Toby." When the three started to speak at once, Jane held up her hand and told them, "No, they didn't get to Toby. But he has to be removed from the hospital and Jill is bringing him here. So, get his room ready. Put clean linen on his bed, make sure his room and en suite are clean, and make sure there are plenty of clean linen in the en suite. Jill will treat him here, so get her anything she needs or wants." Jane no sooner finished what she was saying than they all heard a knock at the front door.

Jane said she'd answer the door, before she walked over to the small bookcase near the front wall of the living room. There she took out a thick book, opened it and took out a 9mm handgun. Checking to make sure a round was chambered, and the safety was off, she held it down on her right side as she walked to the front door. Holding the 9mm behind her back, she looked through the peephole before quickly opening the door and letting Jill and Toby into the house. After closing the front door, and double bolting it, she called out, "Girls, please come and assist Toby." The girls showed up at once, each one on either side of Toby and helping him into the living room and over to the couch, helping him sit down. Without showing Jill the 9mm she still had behind her back, Jane used one finger to safety the 9mm, as the two women slowly walked to the living room. "How is he doing?" Jane asked Jill as she walked over to the bookcase, then revealing the 9mm as she placed it back inside the thick book.

"Much better," Jill said, as she turned to look at Toby. "Aren't you, Toby?"

Toby smiled at her and nodded his head, saying, "Yes, ma'am, much better thanks to you, Aunt Jane, Marie, and Charlotte and Francis. Yes, ma'am, much better. And thank all of you for helping me. If Judge Ruth hadn't sent me here, or if I hadn't had medical care, or if not for the hospital and police, I might be dead right now. Saying thank you doesn't seem to be enough for what everyone has done for me."

It was Jane who responded to what Toby said. "You're right, Toby, just saying thank you doesn't seem enough payment. If you want to repay all those who've helped you then make something of yourself. Don't accept what you were forced to do, take a different path. Go into a field that allows you to help others like you've been helped. Always remember. It's you who determines how you'll respond to any given situation. It's you who decided what path to take, what choices to make. It's you who can feel sorry for yourself or let this experience strengthen you and make you that much stronger as a person." Jane was kneeling before Toby now as she told him, "Don't let what was done to you jade you into thinking everyone is like your brother or those other people. Be better than that, Toby." Toby reached up and wiped a tear off Jane's cheek.

Toby smiled at Jane and softly said, "Aunt Jane, I had already planned to do all of that. But I'll need help getting into the right University. You don't by any chance know someone who'd help me, do you?" Toby asked, with a cheeky grin on his face.

Jane's face took on a serious look as she said, "Was für ein gereiztes Kind. Natürlich kenne ich jemanden, mehrere, der Ihnen helfen würde (What a petulant child. Of course I know someone, several, who would help you)."

The room was filled with laughter as Charlotte lost it, Marie lost it, Jill lost it, and Francis was a close fourth, when Toby asked, "Du gehörst doch nicht zufällig zu denen, die mir helfen würden, oder (You don't happen to be one of those people who would help me, do you?)?"

A stunned Jane just stared at Toby. "Why you cheeky little... what other languages do you speak?"

"Aunt Jane, Ich kann fließend Deutsch sprechen (I can speak German fluently). También hablo español con fluidez (I also speak Spanish fluently). Parlo italiano ma non fluentemente (I speak Italian but not fluently). E uma senhora na rua estava me ensinando português (And a lady on the street was teaching me Portuguese). Beszélek egy kicsit magyarul is (I also speak a little Hungarian). Je parle un français passable, mais ma prononciation pue (I speak passable French, but my pronunciation stinks)."

To say Jane wasn't shocked, would be like saying there wasn't any water in the ocean. Both would be wrong. Still kneeling in front of Toby, Jane turned her head to look at Marie, and did a shortened Galic shrug by lifing both hands into the air. "And none of this was on his school record! What else did they leave off?" Jane turned back to Toby, a serious look blanketing her face as she told him, "You, young man, are going to take some of my tests. We'll see just how stupid that school you've been attending has been."

Toby smiled at Jane before saying, "I love you too, Aunt Jane. But if you don't mind, this couch is comfortable and doesn't hurt me as much when I sit down. May I do the tests here?"

Jane's throat suddenly became restricted after what Toby said to her. Nodding her head, least she lose it if she spoke, she stood up, turned, looked at the four watching her and made a shooing motion to three standing there. Marie, Francis, and Charlotte had been so entranced by what Toby had said, they'd simply frozen in place. With Jane's gesture, though, the three were off like a missile. Without saying a word, Jane walked to the study, opening and closing the door behind her, and returned a moment later with a stack of papers, several pencils, and a bed tray. She had regained her composure and upon reaching Toby and told him, "Here are the tests. When you finish one, place it off to your left, face down, and continue with the next one. Inform me when you are completely finished. Do you have any questions, young man?"

"Yes, ma'am, just one."

"What is your question, young man?"

With a deadpan expression on his face, Toby asked, "Where is your bathroom?"

Jill started laughing, at Toby's expression, the question that hadn't occurred to Jane, and Jane herself. Jane looked at Toby with a stunned expression on her face, she'd been expecting a question about the tests. Not the location of the bathroom. She blinked a few times, looked up as she started slowly shaking her head, turned and walked off. As she passed Jill, she told her, "You'll pay for this," and continued until she was in the study.

Jill laughed even harder with what Jane told her, but calmed down enough to tell Toby, "Come on, Toby. I'll help you to the bathroom," still chuckling as she helped Toby off the couch and to the downstairs bathroom. She asked him if she needed to help him so he didn't fall, but he declined her help, telling her he believed he'd be okay. Jill stayed by the bathroom door, just in case.

Toby came out of the bathroom and with Jill's help, made his way back to the couch. Jill helped him sit down, then watched as he positioned the bed tray, set the tests off to his right, and began on the top test. It wasn't long before Marie and the girls returned downstairs, having gotten Toby's bedroom ready for him. Marie sent the girls to set the table and get things ready for lunch. Jill was still chuckling to herself, as a curious Marie ask why she was chuckling. Jill waved Marie into the dining room, so as not to disturb Toby, then told her. "After Toby's language demonstration, Jane told Toby he was going to take Jane's tests. Then she asked him if he had any questions when she brought the test to him and explained what to do with the test as he finished one. She expected him to ask about the tests, but instead, he asked her the location of the bathroom. And then, stunned, she walked off shaking her head." Finishing the story, Jill started chuckling again. Then told Marie, "Then as she walked by me, while I was still laughing, she told me I'd pay later for laughing."

Marie was chuckling herself, seeing the humor in what had occurred. Then asked Jill, "Where is Jane now?"

Jill simply said, "In the study."

Marie nodded her head, turned and walked to the study door. She opened it, stepped inside, and closed the door behind her. After turning around, she spied Jane once again pacing the study from one end to the other. It wasn't hard for Marie to see that Jane was angry, but she had a feeling it wasn't at anyone in the house. She thought she knew why and proceeded with, "You're angry with the administration at the school Toby attends, aren't you? You're angry because of the stupidity of not seeing what a fine mind that boy has, aren't you? And you want to go to that and administer your version of a wakeup call, right?"

Jane had covered her pacing from one end of the study to the other in about three seconds. When Marie started asking her questions, Jane's time increased to about ten seconds. And when Marie asked her last question, Jane stopped dead in her tracks in front of Marie. "Marie, I would like to visit both schools. I would then like to take those in charge of the school and the curriculum and explain how to run not only the school, but the curriculum as well. I would like to pull every bored student out of both schools and find out if they're just bored or bored because the curriculum doesn't challenge them. If it's the latter, I'd pull them out of those two schools and give them a curriculum that would challenge the hell out of them. We would teach them as we teach our girls, refusing to accept anything but their best work. And if every boy had to become one of our girls to make him try his best, then by damn that's what we'd do."

Marie watched as Jane ran down, which, to Marie, was a good thing. Jane had a habit of holding things within her until she reached the exploding point. Now, she was exploding, getting it out of her system. When Jane had gone quiet, Marie told her, "Chère, you and I can't take care of the whole world. We can only take care of our corner of it. We do what we do with those sent to us. That's all we can do, unless you want to open our own school, and make it mandatory the boys attend presenting as girls? You and I both know what ruckus that would cause with those who find it wrong, those who don't ever try to understand why it's done and what results we've achieved. So we do as we are doing, one boy at a time. Yes, some boys just go through the motions and leave us not exactly as we'd wish, but nonetheless, better than they think. Chère, look at those with us right now. Look at the changes of one and the help the other has given not only to the one but others as well. And think back at the questions he posed to you, questions he'd never have contemplated had he never been with us. And you have to admit, it has been good for him because it's caused him to look at himself. Questioning if he himself has done those things he's experienced recently." Marie walked over to Jane and pulled her into a hug. "Chère, I know it hurts you to see those schools waste brillant minds because of socialization. And it's absolutely ridiculous. But don't make more worry for yourself beyond the worry you already carry. I don't want to lose a dear friend so early."

The two women held each other for some time, reenergizing the other. It was Jane who broke their hug first, saying, "Merci, ma chère et douce amie. Je peux toujours compter sur toi pour me redresser."

There was a knock on the study door before it opened, and the women heard, "Hey, do you two plan on starving use out here?" Jane and Marie turned to see the smiling face of Jill's head peering around the study door. The two looked at each other, smiled, turned back to the waiting Jill, and stuck out their tongues at her. That set Jill laughing again, as she removed her head and closed the door.

"The natives are restless, I better go and get lunch ready," Marie told Jane, before kissing her on the forehead, turning and walking out of the study.

Memories sped through Jane's mind, too fast to examine a single one. They were from her being a headmistress at an all girls school, to the boys she'd helped and the ones she couldn't, until right now. Marie was right. She could only do what she could do now, where she was at the moment. And by God she was going to do the best she could. Leaving the study, Jane checked on Toby. She could see that he was almost halfway through the test she'd given him, just by looking at the pile of tests he'd completed and the ones left to do. Jane got his attention with, "Toby, do you feel well enough to join us at the dining room table for lunch?"

Toby looked up from the math test he was working, looking at Jane and seeming to access his condition. "I think so Aunt Jane. Would you have anything soft I can sit on, my butt is still a bit sore?"

Still looking at Jane, Jane replies with, "Yes I do, Toby." Then she shocked Toby with, JILL! YOUR PATIENT NEEDS YOU! Not only did Jill come flying out of the kitchen but so did Marie, Francis and Charlotte. Jane always punished anyone who shouted in her house, and here she'd done it herself.

"Tante Marie," Francis began. "Isn't there punishment for anyone shouting in the house?" Jane looked smug after hearing what Francis asked.

"Oui, chère, there is. But you have to remember, this is Jane's house and she makes the rules." Then giving Jane a stink eye added, "And she can break those same rules, whether it sets a good example or not." It was then Charlotte and Francis' turn to roll their eyes, look up to the ceiling, throw up their hands, before turning and going back into the kitchen. That caused the three women to chuckle.