Message-ID: <18091eli$9812180450@qz.little-neck.ny.us> X-Archived-At: From: tigger@alices.com (Tigger) Subject: Tales of the Season: Darla's Story (TG) 5 of 6 Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d Reply-To: tigger@alices.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Path: qz!not-for-mail Organization: The Committee To Thwart Spam Approved: X-Moderator-Contact: Eli the Bearded X-Story-Submission: X-Original-Message-ID: <367db0f2.12172619@news.erols.com> Tales of the Season - Darla's Story by Tigger copyright 1998, all rights reserved. Part 5: "Hello, this is Judge Ruth." came the firmly in command voice on the phone. "Don't you know staid old officers of the court are supposed to use their last names? More dignified that way." "And listen to everyone who calls me mutilate my family name? Not likely, dear. How are you, Jane? And how is young . . . what did you decide to call her? Darla?" "I'm okay for now, Ruth. Darla is why I am calling you. He's okay, too." "Well, it's just as well that you called because I was going to call you. I don't know whether this is bad or good news. I'll have to rely on you for that. Darryl's brother Harold, who is his only living relative that we know of, attempted to rob a liquor store last night and was shot and killed in the attempt. He was in Danville Connecticut which is pretty strange since he has never operated outside this city before." "He's really dead, Ruth?" Jane asked quietly. "Confirmed by the Coroner this morning. They called our police department for confirmation of the FBI fingerprint data. The officer who took the call is one of us. In fact, she was the one who arrested Darryl. My own opinion is that the world is a better place without that rabid animal on two legs prowling about." "He was shot in Danville? In Connecticut? Not in your town?" "No. He must have been on his way to find Darla. Apparently he'd found out your address by kidnaping and threatening my court clerk - she escaped from the broken down shack where he'd left her and turned up here half-hysterical only an hour or so ago. Right now she's sleeping off whatever the doctors gave her to calm her down. We also have reason believe he's behind the murder of one of our public defenders last night, too. Jane put two and two together and went cold. "He was coming here, Ruth? After Darryl?" "It fits the data, Jane. The Public Defender who was murdered didn't know anything about your connection to my office, but the clerk had to know since she wrote up the plea bargains. "God, Ruth, I hope she is going to be all right." "Looks that way. She'll get counseling to help her deal with the aftereffects. "I think it is likely that Harold is also the one who got young Darryl into the situation that led to his conviction." Judge Ruth continued, "I personally believe Darryl did it under extreme duress, but the DA, who is up for reelection, wanted to believe otherwise. Easy conviction. It took some fancy footwork to get him to release Darryl to you, let me tell you." Jane recalled Darryl's confession the previous day and decided that it *was* good news. She just wasn't sure how her young charge would take it. "I have some things I need to talk to you about, Ruth, in regards to Darryl." ~-----------~ The smells of breakfast were the first thing that pierced the veil of Darryl's sleep. A soft smile played at his lips as he thought of Maria puttering about her kingdom. Darryl came awake and upright with a start. Maria! Jane! He had to get away. Had to protect them from his brother. Harold *couldn't* be allowed to find out where he was and who he was with. A strong hand gripped Darryl's arm to stop his flight. "Not yet, young man." Jane said sternly. "You will eat your breakfast and then, if you still must go, I will help you. Now, come along before I drag you by your ear, boy." Undone by his hunger and by his need to spend just a few more minutes with Maria and Jane, Darryl let himself be led by his arm to the table. Maria set a steaming plate filled with all Darryl's favorite foods in front of him. "Eat." she ordered. Jane took her place at the head of the table and Maria, unexpectedly, took the seat next to Darryl. "I have some news for you, Darryl, while you eat. First, I spoke with Judge Ruth while you slept." "While I slept off that drug you fed me in that glass of juice." he accused around a mouthful of waffles. "Don't speak with your mouth full, young man. Just because you are no longer in skirts does not mean you may dispense with good manners at my table." Jane snapped. "And don't interrupt. It was for your own good. Now that Judge Ruth has expunged your conviction from the court records upon my recommendation, your slate is clean and you are free to go. . . that is, as free as any underage ward of the state." The tears started again. "I can't stay, Aunt Jane. I can't be seen here or worse, photographed here." Maria put one arm about his shoulders and used his napkin to dab away his tears. "I don't know for sure, but I think the other thing that Judge Ruth told me may have a bearing on that decision, Darryl. Your brother was killed last night. He tried to rob a liquor store and the owner took exception. He had a shotgun at hand and used it on your brother." Darryl stilled, becoming completely motionless, his face devoid of any feeling. Jane reached across to take his free hand. With haunted eyes, Darryl looked up at Jane. "He's really dead? Truly?" His voice was barely a whisper, but the emotion in his words yelled. "My word of honor, dear. He cannot hurt you anymore." The young man's resolve shattered "Oh God." the boy wept. "Oh God, its over. Thank you, God." And then both women were there, holding him again as they had the night before. ~------------~ "So when I figured out what you did here, I realized that knowing how to disguise myself effectively as a girl might be my ticket to freedom. My brother would be looking for Darryl, not Darla. Harold thought he owned me - *really* owned me. He was crazy and I knew that one day he was going to kill me. Then I got sent here. The first time Maria decked me out in full girl clothes . . . well, I looked so real, so believable even to me. I thought I might be able to pull it off well enough to live a fairly quiet life, finish school and go to college. I hadn't figured out how I'd do that - getting accepted to a college as a female - but I thought there was time to solve that problem. Anyway, I figured that if I could drop out of sight for a few years, my problems with Harold would take care of themselves because he'd be dead. Someone would decide he needed killing." Darryl said quietly. "So when Mr. Evans threatened me with exposure, you decided you had to escape to protect us from your brother?" Jane still couldn't get over that part of the plan. He wanted to stay with her, and yet, he had been willing to leave her to keep her safe from a danger he himself posed for her. "If Harold ever saw a picture of Darla and recognized Darryl, he would have come after me. Like I said, he believed that he owned me." the boy said quickly, hiding his face. "You would have tried to protect me and he would have killed you. I couldn't let that happen. Not when you have been so good to me." Jane threw her hands up in mock despair. "Good to you?? Lord, every boy I have ever had in my little charm school believes I am the female personification of the Devil Incarnate, at least for the first few months, and *you* tell me I was good to you? I knew my little humiliations and such were not reaching you, but *Good to you*???" "I've been in and out of the foster care system for five years now, Aunt Jane. Most of the folks who take in kids for social services are okay. They see to your basic needs, but a lot of them can't let themselves really care anymore. I saw you were different right from the start and Maria is an open book. She wants to mother me and had to stop herself several times a day. And besides. . ." Darryl drew a deep breath. He owed her this, and maybe, she could help with that, too. "Once someone has been . . .raped, over and over again, it takes a great deal to humiliate that person any more than he already has been." Fire flashed in Jane's eyes. "That . . .*scum* . . . *raped* YOU?!?!?" Jane had to stop herself when she realized she was screaming. Furious, she swung away and stormed about the room cursing like a longshoreman as a wide eyed Darryl could only stare at the vengeful Valkyrie. This was for him, he thought in wonder. She looked ready to kill and it was for him. With obvious effort, Jane finally managed to compose herself and went behind her desk. "One of my students," she said with great deliberation, "is a highly respected psychologist. I am going to ask him to talk to you. He recommended a therapist for another of my boys once, but his issues were different than yours. However, whatever you need, whatever will help you, I will see that you get it." "I don't want anybody digging around in my head!" Darryl shot back. "Tough." Jane said as she returned to his side. "You wanted to take care of me? Wanted to protect me? Same goes. Live with it. Until Ruth orders otherwise, you are still legally my ward and in this case, young man, you *will* do what I say." Darryl looked like he wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by the doorbell. "Now who could that be?" Maria asked worriedly. Jane rose and walked towards the foyer. "If it is the first of the reporters, I will deal with it." and she disappeared around the corner. "MICHELLE??!?!" Maria and Darryl heard Jane's exultant shout of delight followed by "What in heavens name are YOU doing here?" Darryl watched as Jane was escorted back into the study by a young, very pretty blond. His now experienced eye recognized the sweater and skirt ensemble as deceptively casual, very expensive Laura Ashley fashions. "I heard you might need a big sister, Momma-Jane." the girl said before Maria all but tackled her for her own greeting. Jane began to recover and looked back and forth between once and current students as they gave each other a thorough going over. "Well, I believe introductions are in order. Darryl, this blond scamp is my honorary daughter, son and former student. Michelle when she is rigged out like this, and Michael most other times. Michelle, this is Darryl, formally Darla." This is a guy? Darryl thought in amazement. No way! Jane has to be pulling my leg on this one. Stephanie was good and she fooled me when I first started here, but this one beats her all to hell. No way. "Pleased to meet you." the blond vision said as she offered her hand, wrist bent just so. "Same here." Darryl responded, wondering for a moment if he was supposed to kiss the girl's hand like someone out of an oldtime movie. "Now." Michelle said, his voice dropped almost an octave, becoming decidedly masculine, shocking the other boy, "Could someone please tell me just what the hell is going on here?!?!?" ~------------~ Michelle was okay, Darryl thought to himself as he rested in his room. And it was obvious that Jane adored her. . . errr him. Oddly enough, Michelle found herself thinking much the same things about Darryl, and then grinned at her use of the feminine pronoun. When rigged out as Michelle, Michael often slipped into referring to himself in the feminine tense. Sort of like learning to think in a second language. What a mess, Michelle thought. What to do? Maybe Janice would have an idea. She'd managed to get him and his Mother past their little rough patches with her enthusiasm, wit and ready mouth. She'd just give her a call. Besides, it was an excellent excuse to make the call, and he missed her terribly. ~-------------~ A very surprised Jane watched her two girls descend the stairs an hour later for afternoon tea. She'd rather expected to see Michelle change into Michael, now that he understood she did not need a big sister for Darla, but she obviously hadn't. So why was Darryl back to Darla instead? ~------------~ "So Janice figured that the best way to nip through this is not to admit anything, and since everyone in town knows Darla and not Darryl. . ." "Michelle and I figured it was best that Darla make a comeback since I don't plan on leaving here anytime soon. You made the mistake of telling me I could stay, Aunt Jane." Her head spinning, Jane looked from blond head to red head and back, trying to make sense of this. "And Janice figures this is the best way to muddle through all this?" "Well." Michelle said with a twinkle, "I have to admit it made a great deal more sense when she was telling me to do it, but then, many things tend to sound much more reasonable while Janice is talking than after she stops." "I have got to meet this woman." Darla put in. "Back off, little sister." Michelle growled. "She's spoken for." The pair of them shared a giggle and then turned their attention back to Jane. "I'm not sure it will protect you and Maria, Momma Jane," Michelle continued. "But we may be able to insulate the other members of your group, and certainly the other students. After all, we're just two silly sissies who like wearing skirts. All of your other students were real girls, weren't they?" Michelle said equably. Jane felt like someone had just put her world into a food processor and turned on the motor. It *definitely* had all the markings of a "Janice Plan". "And you would do that? Let the world think of you as sissy-boys, just to help me and my friends?" "Your friends, mostly, Momma-Jane. In all honesty, we tried, but we just can't think of a way to save you and Maria, but if we become the focus of the reporters' interest, that might keep them off Caro and Sandy and Mrs. Franson. They might even be able to deny knowing we were boys since you had brought so many other real girls to them over the past years." "That might work," Jane mused. "But no, its out of the question. You two are blameless, and I don't want your lives getting messed up by this." The two faces opposite her became ludicrously male under their cosmetic masks. "We'll be here, Momma-Jane." Michelle said in a low growl. "Count on it." added Darla in Darryl's hardest tones. "I don't want you hurt, dammit!" Jane screamed. "I love you two idiots!" "Same goes." said the two boy-girls in unison. "And if we can help at all, we are going to stay and do just that." Michelle added. "We've decided." Darla added flatly. Jane could hardly believe this was happening. Two of her boys just sitting there, prepared to accept public exposure and humiliation? Moreover, determined to do so? "I see." "I just wish," Michelle said thoughtfully, "That we could save Stephanie while we were at it." "Too bad dear old daddy Evans doesn't have a sissy-boy girlfriend of his own squirreled away in some love pit. We could sneak in and get some nice blackmail pictures to hold over his head." Darla offered with an evil smile. "Darla!" Jane said with trenchant disapproval. "That only happens in stories on the Internet, Darla. I can't see that being very likely from everything I've heard about Stef's father. Man sounds like my father. A pathologically homophobic, excessively macho, manipulative son of a bitch." "Your father." Jane said, her eyes going unfocused in thought. "I had not thought of that, Michelle, but you are correct." A glimmer of an idea began to spark inside Jane's head. Would something like that work? What had Deirdre said? About why her husband could not afford to hurt her? "Michael?" Jane said, so absently she did not even realize she'd used the masculine name. "Do you know anything about Evans? About his business affairs?" Then her wicked smile flickered. "Since I seem to recall you had a detective agency check Stephanie out when I told you he would be here alone without a big sister." Michelle went white. "How did you . . .? When did you . . ?" Now the smile became brilliant. "When your Mother called to ask me about it when the bill showed up on your credit card bill. Sloppy, Michelle," Jane teased. "Very sweet, but sloppy." "It's not like you gave me a heck of a lot of time for subtlety when you took Stephanie on after I went back to St. A's." he grumbled at her reproach. "Okay, I have the file packed away somewhere, but what I recall about the father is that he is a hard nosed business type who made his bundle as a corporate raider during the hostile takeover days of the early eighties. Currently, he is president and CEO of a nice, profitable multinational company specializing in high quality electronic components. That's all I remember. Is that what you had in mind?" "It's a start. I wish we had more information about his company. Damn, there is just not enough time to collect it." "Mom might know, or she might know someone who knows. Want me to call her?" Jane brightened. "Excellent idea, Michelle. Do call her and then come back. We have some brainstorming to do." ~-------------~ "Well, I will say one thing for those lawyers my father hired. They are quick and they are thorough." Michelle mused in grudging admiration. He was riffling through a small stack of papers that had been faxed to Jane's home just a few moments earlier. "So what did they say?" Darla asked. "And more to the point, is there anything we can use?" "Well, it seems the company went public right after he bought it. At the time, he kept a voting majority of the stock and sold off the other forty nine percent. Unfortunately for him, Stef's Mom caught him with his pants down, literally, and took him to the cleaners at the divorce proceedings. She now has a total of seventeen percent of the voting stocks. Most of the rest is held by the members of the four man board of directors. What they don't own, they vote by proxy." "May I see that?" Jane asked holding out her hand. Michelle handed it to her and watched Jane go through each page carefully. "Oh my God!" Disbelief rang in Jane's voice. "This is just too much of a coincidence. It cannot be the same person." Michelle and Darla were up on their feet in an instant. "What?!?!?" they both asked. Jane did not answer, instead reached over and pulled out the heavy scrap book that Michelle recognized as her Rogue's Gallery of Graduates from her infamous charm school. She flipped through its pages quickly until she found what she was looking for. "Goodness," she murmured before lifting her eyes back to her rapt audience. "Darla? Go find Maria, please. Michelle? Please get your Mother on the line for me while I make a couple of phone calls on the other line. If we are going to do anything, we need to move quickly." -- +----------------' Story submission `-+-' Moderator contact `--------------+ | | | | Archive site +----------------------+--------------------+ Newsgroup FAQ | ----