Back home, the Jones family were outside the car. Sandy was on Cloud Nine, feeling secure knowing that her daddy was finally accepting her as his daughter. She knew that there was a reason for his original attitude, she hoped to find out the next day.

John turned off the engine, got out and opened Sandy's door, "Sandy, we're home. Want to spend the night with us?" ['Now I am beginning to regret my abolishing her to the apartment. It was my fear that caused it all.']

Sandy began to tear up, "Are you sure, [sob] Daddy? [sniff] I don't want to be a burden to you." [Will Daddy regress?']

Momma hugged her as she wept while John unlocked the house, "My Child, your Father loves you. I can tell that he wants to restore you in his Heart. He is going through a very big change in his Heart." ['John, I hope that you can truly accept Sandy. I know that I too have trouble doing so. Only our son has truly accepted Sandy has a girl.']

Kevin tugged on Sandy's skirt, "Aww! Sandy, please don't cry!" ['Now, she looks like a panda bear that I saw on in class, today.']

Sandy picked up her baby brother, "Why, [sniff,sniff] Kevin?" ['He is such a sweet child. I am glad that he's now my buddy.']

"Cause then you look like a panda bear, and I don't want China to come get'cha," he giggled.

Sandy and Mary giggled at Kevin's joke, "Where did you here about pandas? I thought that you'd say that I look like a raccoon." ['Kevin is way too smart for his age. Smarter than I was at his age.']

Kevin kissed and hugged Sandy and then scampered away after she let him go, "In class today, Momma, they are way cute. Too bad we can't have one at the zoo."

"Did your teacher show you pictures?"['Maybe it's time to get a puppy for Kevin.']

"Yeah, and also a movie. Only no popcorn, darn it," he pouted.

Mary smiled at him, Kevin, your not supposed to have popcorn at school."

"I betcha that Sandy lets the students eat popcorn when there's a movie."

Sandy laughed so hard, that she began to cry, "Only at the theater, Kevin, and they pay for the tickets."

"Daddy, why is Sandy crying?"

Daddy picked him up, "Son, we men must remember one thing about our women." ['Time to teach him to be a proper gentleman.']

"Oh? What's that, Daddy?" ['Is he gonna be mean to my sister, now? I hope not, cause I love her.']

John smiled warmly, "Women will cry over most anything."

"Why, Daddy?"

"I don't know, son. All that I know is they do, and that when your mother cries, that I want to protect her." ['Nothing like those tears of Joy when Mary is happy, those are way too few and far between.']

"What about Sandy?"

"Her too, Sport. But with her, it's different than with your mother."

"Why is that, Daddy?"

"I married your mother. Sandy, I know will find someone to marry. That's the difference."

"Kevin, we girls cry, knowing that a gentleman, like your dad will do what he can for us. But at times, its because we are happy."

"But, Momma, ain'tcha supposed to giggle when you're happy?"

"That's one of the mysteries of being a girl, bro."

"Oh," he sighed.

"Kevin, it's not for us men to know why, just accept."

Kevin brightened, "You mean that you don't either?"

"No, I don't. I think that maybe Sandy would, though," ['Will she think ill of me, now?']

Sandy visibly deflated, "Daddy, I thought that you accepted me as your daughter! How could you think that I am a boy?!" ['He has started seeing me as a boy, again. When will he start verbally attacking me?']

John hugged his daughter, "Please don't think that, Pumpkin! I DO accept you. But I also know that you were born as my son. Now, you are my daughter." {'That remark hurt her. I need to reaffirm my Love for her.']

"Sandy, your father was not reverting. he was simply thinking that you have the unique ability to know both ways of thinking." ['I can see the pain in his eyes. He is trying to be Sandy's Daddy. I will give him my support.']

"Sis? Do you know?"

Sandy smiled, "No, I am afraid not, Kevin. I am a girl inside, not a boy, even if I was born a boy."

Kevin ran over and hugged Sandy, "That's OK, Sis. I love you anyway! Em taught me that you are a girl."

Sandy passed him back to her father who was locking up, "Thanks, Little Brother," she sighed. ['My British Sister keeps on helping me, even when she's not here.']

John placed a timid hand on her shoulder, "Sandy, are you mad at me?"

"No, Daddy. I now know that you were just trying to help Kevin. Do you now know who I am, inside?"

"Yes, you are my daughter. Even if born in a boy's body, you are a girl in your Heart," he smiled. ['Thanks to Em, I can now accept my daughter.']

"Thanks, Daddy. But now shouldn't you get back to telling Kevin how to treat us girls?" she smirked. ['Time to teach Daddy about what we Princesses are all about. Knowing him, he will love. spoiling me.']

John chuckled, "You are so right, Sandy. Kevin, it is our duty to be there for them when they need us."

"You mean like a Knight?"

"Yes, like a Knight. And our women need to be protected, too."

"Frank, you're not saying that Sandy and I should stay in the kitchen, are you?" ['Is he going to start in on me being a proper housewife, like his mother?']

"No, Mary, not at all. Just when you're fixing dinner," he smirked.

Mary chased after him after Kevin squealed in delight as his father put him down, "Why You! Dinner Indeed!" she laughed as they scampered up to their bedroom.

"Are they mad at each other?"

Sandy picked up Kevin and smiled, "No, Brother mine, they aren't" ['Nice to see them finally acting like they did before I became a girl.']

"Then why are they acting like that?"

Sandy turned out the kitchen lights, "They are playing a game."

"Can we play it too?"

"Sorry, Sport. But their game is only for them to play." ['If Mom gets pregnant, I might just have a little sister.']

"But I wanna play, too!"

"Kevin, it's time for bed. We can play a game after you get ready for bed."

He kissed her, "OK, Sandy. I love my Sister!"

He ran up to his room, leaving a crying Sandy behind, "I love you too, Little Brother!" ['Thanks Em, for healing my family. If not for you, we would still be apart.']

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Up in their bedroom, the Joneses were in bed, cuddling after a romp through the house.

"Mary?" ['She is so beautiful, still as beautiful as the day that I married her. I am a very lucky man. She could have divorced me for my attitude about Sandy, but she toughed it out. And now, we are closer than ever.']

"Yes, John?"

"We have two wonderful children, don't we?"

"Indeed we do, John. I am glad that you're finally accepting Sandy as your daughter. She needs her Daddy's Love as much as Kevin does." ['He has come so far in such a short time.']

He sighs, "I know, But at first, I was afraid for Sandy, still am, in fact."

"But why? John, is there another girl like her that you know about?"

"Yes, my cousin Maxie." ['It's been years since I've really thought about her.']

"I've never met her."

"That's because she committed suicide."

"WHAT!"

"It's true, and I was her Best Friend. But I could do nothing for her," he wept. ['Em was much better to Sandy than I was to Maxie. I am ashamed that I was so mean to my daughter.']

Sandy knocked on the door, "May I come in? Kevin is asleep."

"Come in, Sandy."

"Why is Daddy crying, Momma?"

He hugged Sandy, "Sit by me, Princess. There's a story that I need to tell you."

"OK, Good thing that Kevin is asleep."

"Sandy, did you know that you had a cousin like you."

She did a double take, "Like me? You mean?"

"Yes, Pumpkin, a girl born in a boy's body."

"What happened to her?"

"Maxie was born as Maxwell, but when she was your age, she had to wear a dress to school, that made her want to be a girl," he sighed.

"But why?"

"She had been accused of stealing the girl's panties while they were in the gym."

"Oh! You're saying she received petticoat punishment."

"Yes. How do you know about that? You were never treated that way!"

"Daddy, I read about it on the internet, there's a series of stories where a lady runs a private school where she teaches young boys to curb their bad boy ways by making them dress as girls."

"Does she make them become girls?"

"No, after they have learned to behave, the boys are sent out into the world as themselves, but now are able to control their temper."

"She sounds like quite a character."

"Oh, she is. She is very much like you are." ['Will Daddy see the humor?']

"Very funny. I don't wear dresses," he smirked. ['Lord! It's been too long since Sandy joked with me. I missed it, too.']

"No, Silly! I mean that she loves her students, and does what she can for them. She protects them, even though the boys think that they'll be outed if they break character, and act like boys."

"And I am like her?"

"Yes, Daddy."

Mary looked at John and smiled, "Sandy, how is your Father like this Lady?" ['John is quite the tiger when it comes to defending his family.']

"Momma, Daddy does what he can to protect me and Kevin from harm, and we moved here to Grottoes from our family to protect me from being hurt by my family."

John hugged his daughter, "You're right Princess, I was deathly afraid that those who hurt your cousin Maxie would hurt you."

"And my cousin Maxie was hurt because she had to wear a dress to school?"

"No, she was hurt because she kept on wearing the dresses after the punishment ended," he sighed.

"Who hurt him? Did you?"

John Jones began to cry and Mary held him, "No, [choke] Sandy. [sniff] Not me. [sob] We were the Best of Friends, [sob] Just like you and Em are! [choke]."

Sandy placed her hand on his knee, "Sorry, Daddy. I had to ask," she sighed.

John smiled at her, "That's OK, Princess. I've been such a bear about you being a girl, that I deserved that. But Sandy?"

"Yes Daddy?"

"I was proud of you for coming out to us, but it was what happened to your cousin Maxie that made me fear for you."

"Oh! You said that somebody hurt her because she kept on wearing dresses, who were they?"

"Your Great Uncle, Pastor Fred Sevrin."

"THAT CREEP! HE'S ALWAYS BASHING OTHERS FOR NOT CONFORMING TO HIS VIEW! THAT'S WHY I CHANGE THE CHANNEL WHEN HE DOES A SPECIAL!"

"Yes, Princess. When Maxie wore a dress to Church, he ripped it off of her, and called her names. I had to take her home."

"Daddy, you were there for her."

"No, I wasn't. She cut her wrists, and bled to death, that day."

Sandy gasped, "Oh my!"

"Is that why you never attended his Church?"

"Yes, Mary. The only reason we went that day was that the school was the graduation ceremony there."

"And you believe that creep would do the same thing to me?"

"Yes, if he knew about you, that is."

"Sandy, that's why we never have any of your dad's family or friends over."

Sandy began to tear up, "I never knew the price that you paid was so hi!"

Her daddy hugs her, "It was well worth it to me. They can't accept a girl like you, so I am better off without them."

"OK, Daddy, but may I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Since I look like Momma, have you ever thought that I was Momma?"

John laughed, "Yes, I have. And only your calling me 'Daddy' let me know that it was you."

"You mean that?"

"Yes. And any young man who steals your Heart, will be a most lucky young man."

Sandy blushed, "Daddy. I've wanted for you to say that to me ever since I became a girl. But I hate it that you abandoned your family for me," she sighed.

"You are worth it! In fact, so was Maxie!"

"You mean that no one else loved her? Not even her parents?"

"No, Sandy, her parents hated her for wanting to be a girl. I was the first one that she told."

"I can't believe that they'd both do that, even if it's done in those stories that I read."

"You mean at Big Closet/Top Shelf?"

"Daddy?"

"As a part of my learning about girls like you, I had to read a few of the stories."

"You keep on surprising me, Daddy."

He smiled, Sandy, I keep surprising my self too."

Then, I saw Maxie as Daddy saw her, "Daddy, did you love her like you do Momma?"

"No, Sandy. We were best friends. THAT'S why she told me. I counseled her not to tell anybody else, but her parents overheard us."

"What did they do?"

"His father beat her for being a sissy, and her mother destroyed all her clothing."

"THAT'S TERRIBLE!"

"John, is that why you have that scar on your chest?"

"Yes, Mary. I stood in between Maxie and her parents. They hit me on the chest with a bat that caused a rib to break my skin. Luckily, my parents arrived, and took me and her home."

Momma hugged Daddy, "You were a hero, then, That's what made me fall in love with you."

Daddy kissed Momma, "And here I thought that it was because I had the coolest rod."

"No, that made me look at you, but your helping other kids, especially those considered to be nerds showed me your heart of gold."

"I was simply doing as my dad taught me."

"Did he practice what he preached?"

"Everyday! Dad was the Head Coach @ Hudson High School. He believed that anybody who wanted to play, should. Back then, the schools were segregated."

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Princess?"

"Did your parents help you and Auntie Maxie?"

"Yes, after they arrived, they took us home, but she died that night."

"Did her parents pay for what they did?"

"Yes, unfortunately for them, a Sheriff saw them assaulting us. Thanks to her, there was sufficient evidence to convict them of child abuse."

"John, it's too bad that your parents are no longer around. I think that they would enjoy getting to know your daughter."

"Well, they are out in New Mexico, we can invite them here for a vacation."

"Daddy, I am scared to meet them."

"Sandy, they will love you. Please don't be afraid."

"Daddy, I'm afraid that they'll be like the rest of your family."

"Sandy, never worry about that. my parents taught me to accept others."

"Then why are the in New Mexico?"

"Because my mother's family comes from there. You have Indian blood in you."

"I do?"

Yes, So, your an Indian Squaw, too," John chuckled.

Sandy looked at him in disbelief, "Really, Daddy?"

"Really."

"Because I am a natural blond, no hint of dark hair, at all."

Mary playfully slapped him on the arm, "John, behave yourself. You know good and well that your mother was adopted by the Tribe's Medicine Man," Mary giggled.

"Well, if I am related to an Indian Medicine Man, I guess that it's time to meet them. But why wait till now?"

"Sandy, they retired at the same time that we left. They've been wanting to meet their granddaughter, but I've denied them that right. I have their E-Mail address, want to send them a letter?"

"You, betcha!"

John wrote it down on a nearby notepad and passed it to Sandy, "Here you go, Princess. Have fun."

Sandy kissed her parents, "Thanks, Daddy."

Then she scampered out of the bedroom, "John, why do you keep calling her Princess?"

He sighed heavily, "To remind me that Sandy is our daughter. Even now, I can feel the old me wanting to return."

"Then let's reward the new you, my Prince," with that, they snuggled down and experienced the satisfaction that only those who are truly in love share when they give themselves to each other.