Author's Note: I've been an avid reader of TG fiction for quite a long time. I especially enjoy stories that are sweet and sentimental or those in which the character is punished with love and compassion (if you want to know what that means, read any of the Aunt Jane stories by Tigger). Anyways, this is my first attempt at a story and I hope you enjoy it.

All the usual copyright and "viewing if you're legal" rules apply. There is no sex in this story, the character is far too young, but there is implied violence. It is a work of fiction and all the characters are fictional, any similarities to the living are chance.

 

Audra: A New Life

by Joanne Foxcourt

 

 Chapter 25: I'm So Afraid

Judy Grant fingered the card June Marsden had given her. A very strong part of her wanted to call the woman back and tell her the truth, but she was afraid. Judy Grant lived with a deep fear of her husband, his abuse, but feared being alone and without skills even more. Judy walked into the kitchen and threw the card into the garbage.

"Who was that Mom?" Bobby asked.

"Nobody. Just a case of mistaken identity," Judy lied.

"Can I go to the park?"

Judy nodded absently, still lost in thought as Bobby took off from the table.

***

Amy Grant dug the card out of the garbage after her mother had left the kitchen and looked at it. "June Marsden, Social Services, Children's Division" it read. Amy pocketed the card and ran up to her room as the card meant salvation for her and Bobby and she wasn't going to let this one get away.

***

"Hey Bobby! Wicked shiner! Did Davidson do that?" David Ames asked as Bobby arrived at the park.

"Shut up Ames, he didn't do it. Davidson ain't tough enough to give me a shiner," Bobby insisted.

"Where did ya get it then?"

"None of your business and if you don't shut up about it, you'll get your own to enjoy!" Bobby snarled.

"You want to crash the Wilson party?" David asked, deciding that he wasn't that curious about the black eye.

"What party?"

"Pool party. Word got around that they were throwing one."

Bobby sighed mentally. Having picked on Audra to save his own skin with his father, he knew that party was closed to them. "Are you stupid? Ken'll be there."

"Yeah, I guess."

***

It was killing her, but Amy waited for an hour to give June Marsden a chance to get back to her office before slowly picking up the phone in her room. With her hands shaking, Amy punched in the numbers on the card and waited for the ring to be answered.

"Social Services, June Marsden speaking," came the voice at the other end of the line.

"Mrs. Marsden? My name is Amy Grant."

"Amy Grant? Any relation to Judy Grant?" June asked.

"She's my mother. Listen, my brother and I eavesdropped on you this morning," Amy tried to explain.

"I see…"

"My mother was lying to you."

"What do you mean, my dear?" June asked.

"My father does beat us. He beat up my brother yesterday. He gave him a black eye."

"Why?"

"Umm… well…" Amy hesitated.

"Amy, if I'm to help you, I need the truth," June told her seriously.

"Bobby likes to wear girl's clothes!" Amy said in a rush.

June paused at that announcement as she suddenly realized the source of the problems that Sheila's patient Audra was experiencing. "Amy, we need to talk and with police present. Are you prepared to do that?"

"I guess…"

"Okay Amy, is your brother home?"

"No."

"Can you get him home?"

"I think so," Amy hedged.

"Do your best dear. I'll be there in an hour," June told her.

"Okay. Bye."

Amy's heart was racing. Conflicting emotions flashed through her as she realized the step she had taken. She felt free, exhilarated, but at the same time incredibly fearful. Placing the phone on the rocker, she raced from her room and went in search of Bobby.

***

"Dr. Coulson speaking," Sheila answered into the phone.

"Sheila, June here. I was right."

"What do you mean?" Sheila asked, surprised at the suddenness of the announcement.

"I just got a call from Amy Grant, Bobby Grant's sister. She claimed that her father was abusive and that he had recently beaten Bobby."

"Oh my God. What are you going to do?"

"I'm heading over to their house with some police. This time, I'll get the truth."

"Go get 'em tiger!" Sheila told her.

***

Amy had dragged Bobby home just before June Marsden arrived with the police. On the way, she had told him what she had done and why. At first, Bobby was upset at her, his fear of his father made him afraid of making the situation worse.

"Look Bobby, if we don't do something now, it will get worse!" Amy insisted.

Reluctantly, Bobby finally nodded his agreement as the car from the morning and its police escort arrived outside. Both watched from the windows of Amy's room as the lady walked with two police officers to the front door. The bell rang and they heard their mother's surprised exclamation as she opened the door.

***

"Mrs. Marsden, why are you are here again? And why have you brought the police?" Judy Grant asked after she recovered from her initial surprise. "I've already told you that there is nothing wrong in my house."

"Missus Grant, I know this is difficult for you, but my information has been confirmed by an additional source and it was sufficient to convince the police that there was cause to investigate. I want to help you, Missus Grant, please let me," June pleaded.

Judy Grant felt tears trickle down the corners of her eyes as she whispered, "I'm so afraid."

 

Chapter 26: The Sun Will Come Out

"You know I'm really a boy, right?" Audra asked Jason.

"You don't look like a boy. At least not now," Jason told her. "Besides, I thought you were a girl now. That's what Coach Clarke said."

"I guess."

"Audra, I'm just a kid, I don't know what these things mean, but I know you didn't have any choice."

"I didn't."

"Hey, it doesn't mean you can't have fun. You're still a friend, girl or not. That doesn't matter at all."

"Do you mean that?"

"Sure," Jason assured her.

"It's not pity or anything, is it?" Audra asked.

"I suppose that some of us feel sorry for you, but it isn't pity. For me, I liked you before and I like you now."

"You know something Jase?"

"What?"

"You're pretty smart for a boy!" Audra laughed and sprinted for the pool. Jason laughed and chased her into the pool.

***

Marianne nestled into her husband as they watched Audra jump into the pool. "I feel better," Marianne stated.

"I know what you mean," James commented. "We haven't seen Audra laugh for quite a long time."

"She looks so beautiful when she laughs. Like the sun has come out from behind the clouds."

"We should tell Sheila," James suggested.

Marianne nodded, "I was thinking the same thing."

***

Sheila walked out on to the patio near the pool. She was excited by the news that Marianne had given her and she wanted a chance to reinforce it with Audra while the acceptance was still fresh. Sheila smiled as she watched Audra playing in the pool with her friends.

After a few minutes, Audra noticed Sheila sitting near the pool and climbed out to meet her. "Hi Sheila. What's up?" She asked.

"Why don't you tell me," Sheila suggested as she patted the seat beside her.

"What do you mean?" Audra asked as she sat down.

Sheila smiled at her. "I saw you laughing. Real laughter, like somebody who was finally finding some joy in life."

"I don't know, I guess I learned something today."

"Do you know what it is?"

Audra hummed to herself, trying to frame an answer. "I don't really know how to say it. A friend told me I was pretty and I didn't know how to take it."

"How did you take it?" asked Sheila.

"I guess I got upset."

"Upset?"

"A bit, but Ken and my daddy helped me."

"You are pretty Audra. Does that bother you?"

"A little," Audra admitted.

"Why?"

"Because I was a boy and boys aren't supposed to be pretty."

"Did that make you feel that you had failed as a boy?" Sheila asked her seriously.

"Yes!"

"I doesn't Audra. One's appearance isn't the measure of a man or woman, it's what is inside that matters."

"I understand that, now, I guess."

"No need to guess. Does it bother you now that people say you are pretty?"

"No," admitted Audra.

"Congratulations!"

"Why?" Audra asked, surprised.

"You made a big step today, I'm very proud of you. Now go and have some fun." Sheila told her with a smile. On impulse, Audra gave her a hug and then ran back to the pool to join her friends.

***

June Marsden placed her arms around Judy Grant and held her as she cried out her fear. "Missus Grant, there is no reason for you to live in fear. We can help you and your children."

Judy sniffled, "Please, call me Judy and come in."

June and the two police officers followed Judy into the house. June noted that the house was spotless and well decorated. Obviously, from their house, and the neighborhood it occupied, the Grant family was fairly well-off.

"Judy, I know about your son." June told her, hoping that it would allow June to open easier.

"What do you mean?" Judy asked.

"I know why your husband is so abusive towards him."

Judy sighed. She stared at the people in front of her for a few seconds before she began to speak. "When Robert and I first met, he was so wonderful. He treated me like a princess and our life was very happy. Bobby was our first born and Robert was ecstatic to have a son, a young man to carry on the name and the business. Don't get me wrong, Robert was very happy when Amy was born as well, but he's a bit old fashioned and a son meant a great deal to him. That was the problem, though."

Judy hesitated as June gave her encouraging look.

"For several years, Robert took an active interest in Bobby and how he was growing up. He wanted Bobby to be tough, a man's man. It was important to Robert. However, as Bobby got a bit older, he became interested in a lot of the things that his sister was interested in. At first, Robert tolerated it, I told him it was harmless child's play, but he didn't like it. He started trying to express is disapproval by taking away some of Bobby's privileges and pushing him towards sports. Bobby is quite good at sports, you know."

June nodded, "I've heard that."

Judy smiled slightly. "For a while it seemed to work. Bobby was distracted and anxious to please his father. But, it was only a while. For whatever reason, Bobby couldn't resist. The first time Robert ever hit him, Bobby was eight years old. He caught Bobby wearing one of my dresses while playing 'dress-up' with Amy. Robert was furious. He blamed me for letting this continue and having his son turn into a 'wimp' or something."

June winced in sympathy.

"Bobby cried a lot and swore he wouldn't do it again. That wasn't true though, he did it again and again. Each time that Robert caught him, he would beat Bobby and Bobby would promise to stop."

"Did he hit you?" June asked.

"Yes," Judy whispered.

"Why?"

"Robert decided that it was my fault, that I had influenced him. I don't understand why Bobby does what he does, but I didn't encourage it!"

"Judy, you couldn't do anything about it. You're not to blame."

Judy nodded, though her eyes said that she was unsure. "Anyways, it's gotten progressively worse. Robert rewards Bobby for his aggressive behavior, but he punishes him harshly if he catches him doing anything feminine. He punishes me."

***

"Who's the lady?" Jason asked as Audra jumped back into the pool.

"My shrink," Audra told him.

"Your shrink?"

"You know. A psychiatrist. They help you feel better."

"Oh."

"How come she's here?"

"Many things, nosey Parker!" Audra exclaimed.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to pry. Your head seems pretty shrunk to me," Jason claimed.

"I wish. I feel better though."

***

"So?" James Wilson asked.

Sheila smiled at him. "Sew buttons!" She teased.

James and Marianne laughed. "You know what I mean!" James growled.

Sheila smiled again. "Yes, Audra has made a huge step today, a very huge step. We're not out of the woods yet, but she is definitely recovering and beginning to accept what has happened. Part of the problem is the hormone treatment. While the dosage is light, since she's not quite at puberty age yet, it's enough to throw her emotions off track even while her body changes to fit the new signals."

"I don't understand," James noted.

"Part of the reason that women are more emotional is hormones. That isn't the whole story, but for Audra it almost is. So many things are happening to her, inside her body and outside. They leave her unbalanced and reactive. She sees that reaction as a failure, but it's a different kind of failure."

"Now you've lost me," Marianne commented.

"Audra, as a boy, was delicate. Yes he was athletic and good at it, but she also had very fine and feminine features. They bothered her, I think, as a boy. They're a blessing now, she will be very attractive, but she saw them as something that prevented her from being a real man. The incident reinforced that more, that she wasn't cut out to be a man, because if she was, she wouldn't have been made into a girl. Being called 'pretty' by a boy was just another blow to the masculine image that she had strived for. All of that is bad enough, but not being able to handle it 'like a man' was the final blow."

Audra's parents nodded with understanding. "Audra was never a failure as a boy!" Marianne exclaimed, though.

"You two and I know that, but she didn't. Look at Ken," Sheila pointed out. "He's big, he's strong, and he's the sort of guy that boys look at as a role model. I'd wager that girls really go for him."

Marianne nodded, "He's never wanted for dates. He's got a good heart to go with those looks and the girls see that."

"My guess, Audra has never admitted this, is that Audra envied that. To her, Ken was something she was not."

"What do we do? Ken is Ken, we can't change that and wouldn't want to," James stated.

"About Ken? Nothing. The keys to Audra's recovery remain the same as I told you from the beginning. Encourage the feminine, it's already in her. Don't make her feel bad for allowing her emotions to come out. Encourage them; it's a powerful and non-destructive release. She's coming into acceptance and it's important that we get her through this last stage. At this point, let her know that she is as special and as wonderful as her siblings, that what measures her is unique to her."

"That goes without saying," James insisted.

"True, but it's as important for me to reinforce that in you as I do in her. Have no fear James, the light is as the end of the tunnel and the Sun will come out tomorrow."

  

  

  

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