Epilogue

Things did indeed progress pretty quickly from then on...

Months turned into years which evolved into a decade...and so forth

David Read was repremanded in custody and charged with assault, however, Arthur's previous years of abuse he had endured were omitted from the private hearing.

One reason being, that the alleged abuse toward a minor took place years ago and there was no longer any physical proof of bodily harm. Arthur had chosen not to take his abuse claims any further. As long as his Father obeyed the orders given to him by the court magistrate, he knew his Mother, baby sister and Francine would be safe.

The second reason, he had good representation. Yet not of the standard his wife received.

Edward Crosswire, Patriarch of the Crosswire fortune had pitched in and had their family's personal legal team represent Jane and Katelyn Read. Through a small custodial hearing, Jane was awarded full time custody of her daughter. Kayes choice came into play aswell and naturally she chose her Mother.

David was sentenced to eight months imprisonment or one year house arrest and a government appointed official to oversee his visits and collect his groceries etc. He chose the latter for obvious reasons. Kate, when she chose to see her Father with Jane had a guardian appointed by the state present and the visits were no longer than one hour at a time. She barely stayed for twenty minutes at a time which pained David greatly.

He was also given a tresspass order after his house arrest concluded. When he was not allocated a visit with his daughter, he was not to come into or within one kilometre of his Wife or Daughter, including an order taken out by Francine not allowing him within close proximity, however, she dropped the charges after David never showed any interest in being near either Arrhur or his Wife.

Jane kept the house. The money was divided equally as neither were money grabbing people. David rented an apartment near the outskirts of Elwood, heading toward Longwood city, where he could work unnoticed until he eventually moved their and resided permanently.

He met another woman three years later named Amelia Ling, a Taiwanese American cat, and opened up to her about his past. With her help and therapy, David was able to get his life back on track. He even brought a dog, they named scuffles.

So what happens over the course of the next few years?

Interesting situations abound.

After Jane gained full custody of Kate Read, she used the spare rooms to house homestay students in need of a place to stay during their foreign exchange studies at Elwood City English language centre. Kate learned all about different continents and countries within them around the world, eventually living her dream of travelling the world at age 19. She didnt go to college, she chose a different form of education via travel and working holidays.

Arthur finished his degree and started teaching at Lakewood Elementary. Mr Ratburn had long since retirer as had Mr Haney. Arthur taught English and studied child psychology online, earning himself a double degree, being able to use his skills at the centre Binky had set up, eventually abandoning teaching altogether as his work in psychology was his true passion. He began working with children from abusive homes and adolescents with behavioural problems.

Francine finally found her calling and worked alongside Binky Barns as an advocate for Parents and Adults against child abuse, refuge centre or The PAACA Centre for short. Emily Barns, Binkys wife worked as manager. Sport and recreation took second place for Francine, to working with families after gaining her online college degree in social work while working with Binky, Emily and Slink, who was primarily a mentor to misunderstood children and teenagers who expresed themselves through anger and used their home lives as weapons at school. Thus proving onve again, people/animals change either for the better or...worse.

DW moved out of the house. Taking her Fathers side naturally, ignoring her Mother and other siblings. She often visited her Father which decreased as time went by. DW had decided to live with her boyfriend James for awhile with Molly. By age fifteen Dora had dropped out of school, left James and slid down a dangerous path with different partners, drug and alcohol addictions and violence, resulting in jail cells and Drug and Alcohol facilities keeping her as a resident until she was no longer deemed a threat to society while her ex boyfriends and partners in petty theft and drug abuse, Tommy and Timmy Tibble ended up in prison, down south in TX where they were shown no mercy for their actions toward various women they had assaulted and had numerous GBH charges against them. They were disowned by their parents and were put away for a ten years, with no possibility of parole.

Katherine Frensky Married Alberto Molina ,the soccer player from Ecuador. Three years her junior, Alberto enjoyed travelling the world with his career as an american soccer player. He scored many goals for his home team, winning more games than any other player. He is preparing for the Fifa world cup. Katherine fekt at home as a soccer stars wife, shopping, travelling first class and sipping champagne on the balconies of different hotel rooms around the world. She was a lady of leisure and Mother of daughter Salina Katherine, Frensky Molina, Alberto's little pricess.

Rattles began dealing, drifting further and further into danger when he got on the wrong side of the Mexican Cartels. He was last seen in Albuquerque at 8pm on a friday evening outside a gas station he frequented. He was never seen or heard from again.

Molly Mac Donald used her life experiences including tumultuous relationship with Rattles into lyrics. A Combination of both music and lyrics including her killer vocals and guitar skills slowly rose her status from aspiring muso to acclaimed musician by the time she was 25yrs old. Her Debut album, Rough Diamond, sold over three million copies in its first month with over eighty million digital downloads of her next three albums. She married another aspriring muscian, Dean Lomaxs son Bleach Lomax, his stage name, his real name was Asher Dean.

Kate ended up Marrying Buster. After years of dating, Buster calmed down and met up with the young traveller while he was on an expedition in the Australian outback. They met in Alice aprings where the weather was always hot and the rain was always warm. They were married in Elwood where Arthur was best man and Mei ling bridesmaid while Francine was her maid of honor. Once the initial shock had worn off, Arthur came around to the idea and was happy to have a brother in the family. This was an added bonus that his brother in law happened to be his best friend.

By the time Buster and Kate had settled down, Arthur and Francine had two children, identical twin boys, Arthur and Oliver Frensky Read. The two monkeyvark boys kept both busy parents on their toes. Arthur Jr was outgoing and far more boystrous than his brother Oliver Francis, who liked to read and design model planes and draw.

Despite their constant arguments, the children loved their parents very much as did their proud Grandparents Oliver and Laverne and Grandma Jane who remarried Mr Haneys brother Harold, slightly younger and a little less forgerful. Then there was great grandama Thora, still plodding along, adjusting quite well to life in her retirement village with Mrs McGrady her closest companion.

Arthur and his wife could always count on baby sitters with Aunty Kate and Uncle Buster, who was made aware of the circumstances that lef to David Reads assault charges. Arthur was happy to be able to spill everything to his best friend while Jane opened up to Laverne who kept her family secret between Jane and Francine. Laverne was able to speak with her daughter openly about Arthur and she was a great comfort to Francine, who bore the secret between the Reads for such a long time.

As far as Oliver and AJ were concerned, both parents made sure neither on was mistreated, favoured or abused physically even if it meant long discussions and Arthurs psychological "babble" as the twins called it when they misbehaved or Arthur needed to vent and speak with his two best friends when the nightmare's woke him up. Francine was always there to comfort him and Buster was a great support for him and Kate.

Francine often took both boys to soccer practice but it was AJ who wanted to be like his Uncle Alberto the soccet star, while Oliver focused more on historical events including learning of his past and family history between the Reads and Frensky families. He also enjoyed making model airplanes with his Dad while Francine coached AJ. Yet their was never any favouritism between each parent or child.

Francine adored her sons and took to motherhood like a duck to water. Arthur made deadly sure, his past would in no way come to surface in his raising the children. Discipline consisted of "time outs" and "grounding". No physical discipline was used.

One day Arthur knew he would need to tell his boys about his torrid past but for now, he sat back and enjoyed watching them grow and play with his Wife, his lover and his closest companion by his side

That night after the confrontation would never be forgotten and would remain marked in the Reads family history forever. Including Francine Frensky Reads memory.

Present day.

Arthurs held his wife's hand one evening.

They watched, as the sun set over their two bedroom home in the city they grew up in.

Now both 33yrs old with two five year olds running around the house.

Arthur held his Francine, closer toward him.

"Thankyou" he said, whispering warmly into her ear.

She smiled. "For what sweetheart?"

Smirking the way she did. "What amazing thing have I done this time, her hands, stroking her husbands face...

Arthur held his fingers against her mouth and leaned in to kiss her.

"For speaking with my Mom..." (15 yrs ago)

They shared a passionate kiss and then headed inside as the stars came out, shining with the light of the moon...

The end.

Closing points:

An appropriate ending an a happy one..except for Rattles, DW and Tand T Tibble.

Sometimes a happy ending is needed to enhance the possibility that life isn't always gloomy and wretched, that sometimes a story with an ending that makes you feel happy as the characters is a GOOD thing.

As for Francine being OOC...People Change.

Death, Love, and making it through highschool alive (serious here) can kick a person in the butt and give them exactly what medicine they needed to change for the better. So in Francimes case, That is what happened. End of!

The Rattles scenario was loosely based on a scene from Breaking Bad, set in Albuquerque between the Cartel and other such drug lords.

Thankyou for reading