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Editor Note: The images used for this story were purchased and used under royalty-free license* from Istockphoto.com . ~Sephrena
Author Note: Please email me at AngelJediGirl (at) gmail (dot) com before posting this story to any other site. Posting to a pay site is prohibited.

Comments and suggestions are also welcome at the above email address.

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Chapter 22 - Happy Birthday, Aunt Judy

"He's going to let you come to school as Megan?" Emily asked incredulously on our way home.

"Yeah, can you believe it?" I replied.

"No!" she exclaimed. "He was so upset on Friday!"

"I know. I need to thank my mom for whatever she said."

"You guys want to go to a movie tonight?" Ethan asked in an attempt to change the subject. I think he was still uncomfortable with the Megan situation.

"Sure," Emily replied cheerfully.

"I can't. I have to go to my Aunt's house for her birthday party," I said with a frown.

"Aww," Emily moaned. "We never get to hang out with you anymore!"

"I know," I told her. I felt the same way. "Let's do something together tomorrow. I don't have to do anything for the record company."

"How come you are doing so much if you aren't going to be on the radio for months?" Emily asked.

The pang of regret I felt at her question must have been visible on my face. Emily immediately looked concerned.

"I'm sorry, Em," I told her, near tears once again. "But my dad won't let me tell you."

It always came back to the same thing! I still wasn't sure why my dad felt this was the best way. He still hadn't given me a reason that I could believe. 'Trust me' could only go so far.

Emily stopped walking and wrapped her arms around me. "I'm sorry, Megan. I don't know what it is you are keeping from us, but I know it must be hard."

*  *  *

"Megan?" my mom asked when I entered my house. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," I replied while I stepped into the kitchen where she was putting the finishing touches on the food that she had been preparing for the party.

"Good," she said. "Hurry and get dressed. We need to leave in 45 minutes. I put a nice dress on your bed."

"Okay," I replied with a slight worry. "But they don't know about Megan. Do you think a dress will be alright?"

My mom smiled at me like she knew something I didn't before she spoke. "Honey, it isn't about what they think, it's about who you are."

She seemed too calm about this. I mean, I could be ostracized by my extended family, or at least Mom's side. Yes I wanted them to know about Megan, but I was still somewhat scared to tell them.

"I guess," I replied, not nearly as confident as she had sounded.

"Anyway, I talked to Judy after I talked to your principal this morning," Mom continued. "She said that it was about time she got to meet Megan. Katy will probably feel the same way."

I'm not sure what shocked me more, the fact that Aunt Judy already knew about Megan or that she was okay with me showing up that way! Katy was my cousin. We were the same age and hung out a bit, but it was Derek, her older brother, who always seemed to want to hang out with me at family gatherings. He was a year older than me, but I was the closest boy to his age in the family. I figured he probably wouldn't take my change very well.

"Go get dressed!" Mom interrupted my thoughts. "We can talk about it in the car."

"Okay," I said, but I still needed a few answers first. "But what did you tell my principal? He was actually nice to me today!"

Mom sighed. I don't think she wanted to discuss this now or we would be late, but it was something I needed to know.

"I told him the truth," she said. "After you left this morning, I started to worry. I wasn't sure if there was anything we could do if the principal decided to punish you. So I did some research on the internet."

She really must have been worried. Mom isn't exactly the most computer literate person I know. She usually only used the computer for basic things like checking her email and following a couple of our family's blogs.

"What did you find?" I asked her, intrigued.

"What he threatened to do to you is against the law," she replied. "California law prohibits any discrimination or punishment based on gender identity or gender presentation. From what you've told me, he's already broken the law. I just pointed that fact out to him."

I was stunned! I hadn't expected to have the law on my side! Was he only being nice to me because he had to? I wasn't sure. While his smile had seemed forced, it still seemed to be partially genuine.

"Get dressed!" Mom interrupted my thoughts again. I smiled at her and rushed out of the kitchen.

*  *  *

An hour and a half later we were pulling into Aunt Judy and Uncle John's driveway. It looked like the party was already in full swing by the number of cars parked in front of their house. I reluctantly exited the car and followed my parents to the door.

These family get togethers weren't formal by any means, but Mom always insisted that we look nice. Austin looked irritated by the collar of the polo shirt he had been forced into wearing, but I found myself happy to be wearing a nice sundress instead. Okay, so it was pink, but I didn't really mind. Mom thought it would help to reinforce who I now was.

Dad rang the doorbell. Girlhood certainly had its benefits. Dad was holding a crock pot full of something my mom had cooked, and Austin had a cake in his hands. Even Mom was holding a thing of Jello. Me? I was only holding the small clutch purse my mom insisted I bring.

Eventually my nervousness turned to outright anxiety when the door swung open and the inviting smell of a roast wafted out past my cousin Katy. She anxiously started scanning each of our faces until she found mine hiding behind my family and down a step.

"Megan!" She sounded excited to see me, and it looked like she was going to push right past my family to get to me before she realized what they were holding. Stopping only long enough to let my family into her home, she immediately rushed me and gave me a hug.

"I'm so glad you came!" she exclaimed. "Mom said you might not, and I was worried I wouldn't get to meet you."

"Hi, Katy," I said, finally finding my voice. I'd always liked Katy. We seemed to share a lot of the same interests. Maybe that should have been an indicator of where my life was going to lead me, but I never saw it before we met that evening. Something had definitely changed in our relationship, and I felt that we were going to be closer than ever.

"Katy!" I heard Uncle John yell from inside the house. "Come in and close that door, you'll let all the flies in!"

He then appeared behind her at the doorway. His mouth dropped slightly when he saw me, but he managed to motion us inside.

"Come on," Katy said excitedly while grabbing my hand and pulling me through the doorway. Once we were inside she yelled toward the kitchen, "Mom! Megan's here!"

I looked around the front room. Most of my extended family was already there, and they were gathered around the large TV set that Uncle John kept in the room.

It was also apparent that most of them had not been told about me. Some of them looked confused, wondering who I was. Some of them looked shocked at how I was dressed. My cousin Kyle was staring at me in a way I thought one cousin should not stare at another.

"Great, the fag's here," I heard someone say. I glanced around the room again and my eyes settled on the piercing eyes that were glaring at me. Derek had definitely not taking the news about me well.

"Derek!" I heard Aunt Judy yell from the other side of the great room, where she was standing. "I told you none of that! Go to your room!"

"Whatever," Derek said. He was obviously not chastised by his mother's yelling. "Come on, Kyle, let's go."

"But..." Kyle started but couldn't find the words he needed to finish. It was obvious he didn't want to leave the room while I was still there.

"Dude!" Derek yelled at Kyle. "It's Brett! Even if he was a real girl, you can't date your cousin!"

That statement seemed to get through to Kyle. I was saddened by the look of disgust that appeared on his face before he quickly followed Derek down the hall.

"Brett?" I heard Tracy ask. She was Kyle's older sister. She was sitting on the couch holding little Heather, the first grandchild in the family. She was also sitting next to Grandpa Jones, my mom's dad. It looked like he was ready to have a heart attack at my appearance.

"Come here, Megan," I heard Aunt Judy say from where she was still standing in the kitchen. "Let me get a look at you."

I must admit, I thought as I stepped around Katy to meet her mother, I was hoping for a better reaction from my mom's family. They knew about the accident. Most of them knew what it had cost me and the decision that had been placed before my parents. I hoped most of their reactions were only because of the surprise of seeing me before hearing about me.

"Wow!" Aunt Judy said when I had reached the kitchen. "You are beautiful!"

She then proceeded to wrap me in a comforting hug. With her mouth next to my ear, she whispered the words I was more than ready to hear: "You're always welcome here, Megan, no matter what."

"Thank you, Aunt Judy," I whispered back. When we separated I had a smile on my face.

"Everyone," I heard my dad say behind me and I turned to look at him. He was speaking in the tone of voice he used to command attention, but I think everyone was already giving it to him.

"You all know about the accident we were in six years ago," Dad continued. "You all know about the decision we were given about where Brett's life should go. You all know that we decided to leave it up to him."

Dad looked over at me and motioned me toward him. He continued to speak while I walked over and stood next to him. "Both Linda and I, along with a counselor, have been helping Brett find the path that his life should follow."

He looked at me and smiled warmly. The coldness that had taken hold of my heart at the reactions of my family started to thaw. Even if I lost my extended family, I had Mom and Dad to take care of me. Austin wasn't too bad either.

"Megan did not come into existence recently," Dad kept saying. "Our little girl came home from the hospital that fateful day six years ago. She's only learning that now, but it was soon after she came home that it became apparent to us. I know many of you have expressed your concerns about her behavior over the last few years, and about how girlish she was starting to look. What you didn't know is that she was already a girl. She's been developing just like any girl her age would, albeit slowly."

"Dad!" I squeaked at him. I could feel the heat rise in my face again as I started blushing. This was not the type of information that he should be sharing with the family!

My reaction seemed to break the tension that was floating around the room. It seemed like most of the guys seemed uncomfortable at the news my dad had shared, but the soft knowing chuckles from the ladies and older girls seemed to put them at ease. I realized then that my dad was not trying to embarrass me. He was trying to make the family understand how deep this decision was.

"Megan has been happier the past week since she made this decision than she has at any other time of her life," Dad kept talking. I noticed Mom standing on my other side and I felt even more comforted by her presence. She was nodding agreement with what my dad was saying. "I hope that you will accept her for who she is, because she is going to be around for a long time to come."

I had to hold back the tears as he bent down and gave me a hug.

"You're going to make me cry," I said aloud after he had let me go. That got another round of chuckles, and as I looked around the room it seemed like I was generally going to be accepted. Only a couple of the younger boys and Uncle Steven seemed to feel otherwise, judging by their faces.

Alright, everybody," Aunt Judy said, breaking the silence that had fallen after Dad's speech. "This is a party, so start having fun!"

That seemed to break the tension, and everyone seemed to return to what they were doing. At least the guys did. I noticed Tracy get up and a number of my younger female cousins follow Mom and me into the kitchen behind Aunt Judy. I knew the night was just beginning.

The first person to get me once we were safely in the kitchen was Grandma Jones.

"You look lovely, Megan," she told me with the sweetest smile on her face. Her smile was so genuine I could feel its warmth when she wrapped me in one of the hugs only a grandmother can give.

"Thank you, Gran," I replied. "That's so good to hear you say."

I'd managed to keep the tears back when we were in the front room, but Gran's acceptance was more than I could bear. The relief that I felt at her words broke the dam that was holding them back.

"Don't cry, honey," she said when she noticed my tears. "This is a good thing. Your Grandaddy and I have been praying that you'd find your happiness. You deserve this."

"I can't help it, Gran," I told her. "I'm just so happy right now."

She gave me another smile, one of understanding.

"So," Tracy said, breaking the moment I was sharing with Gran. I turned around to face the small crowd of women and girls who were standing around the kitchen. I knew that I was going to have to answer their questions if I wanted to get out of there alive. "You're a girl now?"

I thought my dad had been pretty clear on that statement. I nodded, but a sudden thought had me reaching into my purse. I pulled out the small compact that was inside and opened it to examine my face. Luckily I had gone light on the makeup, and I didn't look any worse for wear after the tears I had shed with Gran.

"I guess so," Kendra, one of the younger girls said. That got most of them laughing, and I blushed slightly as I replaced the compact in my purse.

"And this is real?" Tracy continued. She was waving her hand over my small chest and the slight glimpse of cleavage the dress gave.

"Yeah," I answered with a nod of my head. It seemed weird to be talking about this, but they were family, and I knew they cared about me.

"How long have you been on hormones?" Tracy continued her questioning.

"I haven't been taking hormones," I replied truthfully. She looked skeptical at my answer, so I continued. "Without any testosterone in my body, I've been developing this way for a couple of years."

She still looked skeptical when she said, "That seems like pretty generous development. I know that both men and women have some of the hormones of the opposite sex, but this seems like more development than you should have expected."

I was fairly stunned at her statement. Tracy is a Registered Nurse, and had quite an extensive medical knowledge to back it up. I didn't know what she was implying. I looked over at Mom, and she seemed to be stunned too. Could there be more to my condition than just the accident?

"I'm sorry," Tracy said almost immediately. "I didn't mean anything by that. I was just curious."

It was Mom who was able to voice our shared question. "Do you think there could be more to this than just her accident?"

"I honestly don't know," Tracy said. "I've heard of men who have been castrated developing larger nipples or a little puffiness, but nothing like this."

"Should we get it checked out?" Mom asked. I couldn't help but hear the worry that was in her voice.

"I guess it couldn't hurt," Tracy replied, juggling Heather into a new position on her hip. "I doubt there's anything life threatening involved, but it might help explain some things. I guess the real question is, are you happy?"

This one I could answer with assurance. I'd had plenty of time to think about it.

"Yes," I told her. "I am."

I had a warm feeling spread throughout my chest when I saw the smiles on all the women in the room.

*  *  *

After the novelty of me had faded somewhat, the family managed to settle down to a very delicious family meal together. One thing I could always count on when Mom's family got together was the good food. There were so many good cooks in her family we could open a chain of restaurants. It might be kind of nice to have Mom teach me a thing or two. I've never really cooked before, but I've always wished I knew how.

After dinner the family started to break apart into various groups. Most of the men were back in front of the TV, many of the women were talking around the dining table, most of the kids were running around in the basement playroom, and Katy and I found ourselves in her room.

Katy was showing me everything that she thought I would need to know to be a good girl. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I knew most of what she was trying to teach me.

She felt that I needed to have a good fashion sense. What she didn't know, and what I was reluctant to tell her, was that Julia had done a very good job of drilling into me the "rules" that I would have to live by. Katy was becoming frustrated when she would ask me a question she thought I couldn't answer, but I'd get it right anyway.

"I guess you truly are a girl then," she finally admitted when she couldn't stump me. She flopped down on her bed next to me. We were silent for a bit, the only sound in the room our breathing and the quiet song coming from her radio.

Before either of us could say anything else, the DJ started speaking.

"Stay tuned," he said. "After the break we've got a brand spankin' new song from an up and coming artist that you don't want to miss. After the break I'll introduce you to Sarah Carerra."

I bolted upright on Katy's bed.

They were going to play my song!

"What?" Katy asked.

I would have replied, but I was already off the bed and out her door.

"Mom! Dad! Come quick!" I yelled as I entered the great room. Everyone was staring at me, but I found my dad and motioned for him to follow me back to Katy's room.

"What is it?" he asked with concern.

"They're going to play Sarah's song on the radio!" I exclaimed as I continued to motion for him to follow me.

That was enough for him. I noticed that he was out of his seat quickly, and Mom wasn't far behind.

"Who's Sarah?" Katy asked as I turned to head back down the hall and almost ran over her.

"Come on!" I told her and raced back into her room. Fortunately it was still a commercial when I got there.

"Who's Sarah?" Katy asked again when I had sat myself back on her bed in anticipation.

"She's one of my clients," Dad replied for me. "She and Megan hit it off pretty well when they met the other day."

I knew that he wasn't going to tell the family my secret. If I couldn't tell Emily, why would we tell the family?

I noticed that quite a few people had followed us into Katy's room. Tracy was there along with a couple of the other older girls.

But it was the look on Aunt Judy's face that surprised me. She had a grin on her face that was nearly as long as mine! She knew! Her wink at me proved it!

I felt my jaw drop. I didn't understand how she knew. There's no way that Dad would have told her. But Mom...It HAD to have been Mom! Mom and Aunt Judy were like twins. They were born a year apart, and if Gran was to be believed, they were nearly inseparable while they grew up. Of course Mom would have told her!

Then I was surprised by the jealousy that overcame me. I was furious that Mom could tell her best friend, but I couldn't tell Emily! It was MY career!

I glanced over at my mom. She had seen my reaction. Her warning glance told me that I had better not tell my dad.

"Did I miss it?" Austin yelled at that moment as he came barreling into Katy's room.

"No," Dad said, and the warning glance he gave to Austin made sure that he didn't give anything away.

Before anyone could say anything else, I heard the intro to ‘Intuition' come through the speakers. Katy thankfully reached over and turned it up.

I closed my eyes for a moment, and I could almost see the music. I'd sung this song so many times by this point that it was ingrained in my head. This would hopefully be the song that jump-started my career as a teen pop sensation.

The chorus started, and I found myself quietly singing along...

It's just my...
In-tu-i-tion
I know it's meant to be,
When you are here with me.

In-tu-i-tion
All my dreams come true,
When I feel this love for you.

I realized what I was doing and closed my mouth. The last thing I needed was for someone to realize that my singing matched the actual song!

The song continued to play, and I settled for quietly humming along. When it was over, I was left with a joy that I had never felt before. My song was on the radio!

"That was really good!" Katy exclaimed from next to me on the bed. "How do you know the words?"

I blushed at her question. I shouldn't know the words to a brand new song, right?

"I was in the studio with her when she recorded it," I said and turned to my dad, looking for confirmation. He thankfully nodded. I mean, I WAS there when Sarah recorded it, so it wasn't exactly a lie, right?

"That was ‘Intuition' by Sarah Carerra," the DJ interrupted us. "If you didn't see her during the Tween Awards last Saturday, you better look out. Josh Holliday promised us she has a long career ahead of her."

I was blushing again at the mention of Josh. At least only my parents knew about that. Or so I thought, the confusion on Aunt Judy's face reminded me that she knew the truth. She obviously hadn't seen the Tween Awards or heard about Josh from my mother either.

Everyone started to wander off and I laid back down on Katy's bed, enjoying the afterglow.

*  *  *

Later that evening I was sitting on the couch with some of the family. They were watching TV, but I was mostly watching Heather.

Tracy seemed convinced that I was a girl and had left Heather in my care while she went to help with the birthday cake in the kitchen.

There was something about the infant that gave me a funny feeling. It was a good feeling, but I'd never felt it before.

Heather was only about six months old, but she was the cutest little baby I had ever seen. She seemed to be so full of energy, and her wide eyes wanted to take in everything they could see.

I was playing peek-a-boo with her, and she was really enjoying it. But apparently her squeals of delight were annoying some of the others.

"Would you shut up!" I heard Derek yell at me from the other side of the room.

"Yeah!" I heard Kyle quickly agree.

I looked over at them and they were both glaring at me.

"Cake!" Tracy yelled from the kitchen, interrupting any altercation that would have started.

Derek and Kyle seemed to forget about me immediately and raced toward the kitchen. By the time I was able to get Heather situated on my hip and made my own way there they were already singing to Aunt Judy.

After the song the pandemonium started as everyone tried to get their cake first. I decided I'd better keep Heather out of the melee and leaned against one of the walls to wait my turn.

"You'll make a good mother yourself someday," Aunt Judy said. I turned to find her standing next to me. I also felt myself blush again. "You look like a natural with Heather."

"Thank you," I managed to reply.

"That was a wonderful song," Aunt Judy told me with that knowing smile. "I'm really proud of you."

My blush wasn't going to go away if she kept this up.

"Thank you," I told her again. "Dad won't be happy if he finds out you know."

That got her to chuckle. "I know, dear, but your mom and I share everything with each other. It was eating her inside not to talk about it."

"I know," I said. "But it seems unfair that you know, but I can't tell my best friend."

"I'm sorry, honey," Aunt Judy said. "Your dad is just doing what he thinks is best for you."

"I know, but it still hurts," I replied.

"It'll only be for a little while," she explained. "Before you know it you'll be enjoying the secret together."

I've heard that before, but it didn't make me feel any better.

Luckily, birthday cake could.

*  *  *