Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

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I want to thank Malady, once again, for his help checking through this story for the many errors I frequently insert, as well as listening to my sometimes completely crazy ideas about the direction of the story and telling me how crazy they are!

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Chapter 3.16

June 9th, 2023

Chatham Yardworks, North Pole

2:46PM

The office building was half a block off the main drag in North Pole, but there was a large sign that was placed at the corner, pointing down the cross street letting people know where they were. Beside the office was a salon on one side, and Ross’ Diner, the same fast food joint where Chet had finally realized how he felt about Mage, on the other.

Bob pulled the car he and Mike were driving into the parking lot. They’d called ahead and found out that it had been a busy day at the office, so when they got out of the car, they went to the diner and ordered some burgers for the office staff, which consisted of Rick and his wife Carla.

Once they received the burgers, they headed nextdoor to the office of Chatham Yardworks. When they walked in, they found Rick behind the receptionists desk, dressed in a nice, lavender business suit. Under the blazer, he had on a white blouse, and his skirt hung to just below his knees.

With evident aplomb, he stood and came around the desk. Holding out his hand in a feminine manner, he said, "Call me Ricci."

"It's nice to see you, Ricci," Mike said, taking the hand. Bob also shook it, wondering about Carla, Ricci's wife.

A moment later, Carla exited the inner office. That answered the question about her. She was wearing an obviously male cut pair of pants and shirt with a tie. Her hair was cut short and she wore no makeup. Obviously, Carl was a him.

"I suppose you're wondering about us," Ricci said.

"Well," Mike replied, "Yes and no. I'm curious, but it's not really my business."

Carl introduced himself the way Bob had assumed, and invited them to sit. "We'd like to make it your business, Colonel," Ricci told Mike.

"Both of you," Carl amended, looking at Bob.

At that, Ricci stood, locked the door to the office and flipped the sign that said closed. She turned the clock hands on the 'out to lunch' sign, then after dropping the shades, she returned to her seat.

"As you've no doubt assumed," Ricci said, "I'm transgender, like Vic was."

"You too?" Bob asked, looking at Carl.

"Actually, no" the young 'man' said. "I'm genderfluid. It makes no difference to me whether I present as male or female. On the job, and around town, I generally present as male now."

"Several people know about us, and for the most part, they're okay with it," Ricci said. "There'a a few jerks who like to make a spectacle of us. That's why Carl presents as male. It eases some of that problem."

Bob had noticed something when Carl came into the room. He was putting on a bit of weight in his abdomen, and it wasn't high enough to be from overeating. "What about when you get a bit farther along?" He asked.

Carl laughed. "We'll move our base of operations to Fairbanks where we're not known as well."

"The thing is," Ricci explained, "when I called my father and explained that I'm his daughter, and not his son," he wanted nothing to do with me ever again." She looked like she might cry, but she forced her emotions into the background. "I really don't want anything to do with my 'mother' either. What she did was horrible."

"She killed the man who raped your brother and his girlfriend," Bob pointed out. "Much as I don't approve, I can see why she would do that."

"There was a lot more, though," Ricci said. "That horrible man was Vic's father."

"I can't understand all that happened. Your families are the only families we really have."

"Your uncle?" Mike asked. "And Granny?"

"He decided there was some kind of sickness in Mother's family when she did what she did and both Vic and I were trans."

"Some kind of mental illness, he said," Carl explained. "And Granny is having heart problems. She says that her doctor wants her to exercise, but it seems as though ahe's getting weaker and weaker."

"Is she still working?" Bob asked.

"We can't fire her," Ricci explained. "She's still doing more work than anyone else in the company."

Mike couldn't help but snerk.

"May we consider you our parents?" Carl asked.

June 12, 2023

Palmer

3PM

The room on the TV screen wasn't nationally known, like the press room of the President, but it was known by the people who watched the political happenings in their state.

The Governor stepped up to the podium and introduced Ralph Thomas. Then, he stepped back, allowing the Supreme Court judge to step to the podium.

Ralph had told his friend, Bill Matthews, what he was going to do, and looking at the image being sent from Juneau, Bill was concerned for the health of Ralph. He looked beat.

Ralph's face was pale, and there was a definite tremor in his voice as he spoke. “A week ago, one of my best friends came to see me here in Juneau. He told me of some strange things he found while looking at several cases that had been tried in Anchorage, and the Mat-Su Borough.” the old man sighed, then continued. “There were several cases where it appeared that some of the judges in the area were rigging their own trials. Putting things through the way they decided they should be, regardless of evidence.”

He reached down and picked up the hard copy of the speech he'd written. He absently folded it in half, then in half again. His hand were shaking, and he seemed to have trouble holding onto the paper. He looked at it, as if seeing it for the first time, then he held it off to the aide and dropped it on the floor.

“I considered,” he said in a slightly stronger voice, “checking things out, then I considered telling my friend he'd been mistaken.”

Sylvia was sitting beside her husband, watching the TV, and at Ralph’s words, her hand jerked to her mouth and she gasped.

“I wasn't raised to do the things I've done,” Ralph said from the TV. “I know beyond the shadow of a doubt what happened. I've been part of it. What he found was all true, and there's so much more.” He turned to look at the Governor, and his peers.

Pointing at the paper he'd dropped, he told them, “That is a lie, and I'm done lying. This has gone too far, and I'm just sorry it took seeing the honesty and integrity in Bill when he came to tell me what he found.”

A man seated to one side of the room, facing the podium started to his feet, but another man stepped from the side of the room, his hand suspiciously inside his suit jacket. His voice wasn't picked up by the microphones in front of Ralph, but a quick thinking reporter seated not far from them held her own mic up in hopes of catching what was said. Faintly, the voice of the security man came through as the sound guy for the woman, and fortuitously, the network Bill and Sylvia were watching, turned the mic up. “...Honor; I think it would be best if you returned to your seat. By the looks of things, I may be escorting you out when that time comes, Sir.”

Bill watched, horrified at what he was seeing, but he had to admire the security mans fortitude. He recognized the judge he was talking to, and he was definitely one involved in the mess.

4:25 PM

A few minutes after the governor's statement ended, Bill's phone rang.

"Judge Mathews?" A female voice asked.

"Yes," he answered.

"Please hold," the woman said.

A moment later, Bill recognized the voice of the Governor.

"Judge Matthews, I want to thank you personally for what you did, bringing this situation to light."

"You're welcome, Sir." Bill knew the proper etiquette in the situation, but under the circumstances, he didn't feel that anyone was welcome for what he knew he had had to do.

"Judge, I know what you heard today was hard to take. Honestly, it was a surprise to me as well. Every one of those men have been relieved of their positions temporarily, and they've been arrested and are awaiting trial."

"I see," Bill responded in a flat voice.

The governor hesitated, then said, "This may be something you absolutely refuse to do, but I need to ask it of you. I have need of a State…"

Before he finished the request, Bill said, "No."

"I understand," the governor said. "Rather than take the job permanently, would you consider being the interim state judge?"

Bill paused a moment, then said in a flat voice, "Hang on a moment, Sir."

He hit mute on the phone, and said to Sylvia, "It's the governor. He wants me to replace Ralph. At least temporarily."

"You said no," Sylvia said. "Is that your final answer?"

"I'm asking you what you think we should do, Hon."

"We?"

"This is as much your decision as mine."

She shook her head. "I really don't want to move to Juneau. We don't know anyone there."

"But what about the job? What if it didn't require that?"

She laughed. "You really think we could get away with that?"

"Probably not if we went back to Fairbanks, bit maybe if we set up a temporary residence here."

"Would this really be temporary, Bill?" She asked skeptically. "I know how you can get. You will get so dedicated to the job, you won't leave it."

He was starting to warm to the idea, although the work they had done in Fairbanks had been important. "What if we set up a business in Anchorage?"

"What kind of business?" she wanted to know.

"Something to help kids. Maybe a placement agency." He released the mute and said, "I'm still here, Sir. Just discussing things with my wife."

"That's a great idea, Judge. How 'bout I give you a few days to think it over. I think we can make it a week before we need your answer."

"Okay, but one thing, or the deal's off right now. Can I work from Fairbanks or Anchorage? This is the age of remote work."

"I think Fairbanks would be a bit of a stretch, but Anchorage, or even Palmer would be fine," the governor replied.

"Then I'll discuss it with my family here," Bill said.

"Family?" The governor asked.

"Unofficial, I suppose," Bill answered. "Over time, we've been included as part of the nicest family you could ever meet. In fact, our granddaughter has been adopted by one of the couples."

"Okay. You discuss it with them and call me back in a week."

June 14th

Juneau

2:30 PM

Judge Bill Matthews entered the governor's office.

The man stood and held out his hand. "Welcome, Judge," he said as they shook hands over the desk.

"I want to thank you for agreeing to take this interim position," he continued.

"About it being interim," Bill said. "Let me see how well it works out. Maybe I'll stick with it for awhile."

The governor nodded. "That sounds great. I look forward to your decision." With that, he came around his desk and gestured to a chair for Bill, and sat in one opposite.

"I've got to say, I did a bit of research on your family. I'm impressed. Alaska Airlines' heroes."

Bill nodded.

"Very strong-willed kids. I can see why you chose Chet and Margot to adopt your granddaughter." He grinned. "I also understand that young Marcia is heading to Mt. Sinai in New York for her surgery in the next couple of weeks. Quite a family."

"Yes, they are. Sylvia and I are glad to consider them family."

"I can't blame you. I hope to meet them. Lieutenant Colonel Chatham and Gloria are some people I'd like to thank."

"I'll be happy to introduce you to them, but Mike Chatham is not one who likes anyone to make a big deal about him being a hero. Neither is Gloria."

"All the more reason I'd like to meet them."

The two settled down to business and by the end of the day, Bill was officially appointed as State Justice.

June 19th, 2023

Chatham Farm, Palmer

10:28 AM

Mike, Gloria, Marcia, and Darryl we're preparing to head to the Anchorage International Airport where they would board a plane going to Seattle. From there they would change to an American Airlines flight that would take them through a couple of stops to New York.

Marcia was a bit nervous, as this would be the last step necessary before marrying her fiance.

For his part, Darryl had insisted that he accompany the three on their trip. Marcia was thrilled, but wondered why he insisted.

"A few reasons, Foxy. One, I want to be there for you. This is a huge step for you, and there's no way I want to leave you alone for it."

"I'm not gonna be alone, Darryl," she told him. "Daddy and Mom will be there for me."

"Yeah. I know. But in a few weeks, I'm marrying you. I will never leave your side."

They indulged in a passionate kiss, then Darryl said, "Two, you're gonna have to take some time off for this, and I would prefer to take the same time off. That way, we'll stay in the same classes for next semester."

Marcia was even more thrilled by this reason, and she gave Darryl another wonderful kiss. Then asked, "Three?"

"The most important reason. I love you."

This time the kiss lasted for a couple of minutes.

Anchorage International Airport, Alaska Airlines

11 AM

When they went to check in, the man at the counter did a double take. Then he called his supervisor, and simply told him who was there.

A moment later, he hung up the phone and told the group that they had all been upgraded to first class.

Mike started to protest, but then the man told them, "All four of the fares are being returned as well."

"This is hardly necessary," Gloria told him.

"Alaska Airlines owes you a debt that we can never repay, but all your flights will be complimentary from now on."

"Why ours?" Darryl asked.

"The complimentary tickets will always allow one more person to travel as well. Since both of your parents have complimentary flights, you both do as well. American is extending the same deal as well since we're affiliated."