"What about Marie Cruz?" Betty asked, trying to get the story away from the talk about traditions within the Big Bad Wolf Pack like all Lupman packs followed the same traditions. She figured that different Packs had different traditions. After all, Germany and China have different cultures and traditions, yet for the most part their citizens were all human, "what was going on with her when Gita and Griselle found their future familiars?"
"Marie Cruz continued to train, both for the life her godfather believed she would take over from him, and under cover, as a part of the church," Marie answered, "although, for Marie, that part was rapidly becoming difficult."
+++++
Marie frowned as she sat inside a private bathroom that her godfather had set aside from her, mostly to insure that the other choir boys would never see her naked and realize that she was lacking something all the boys had, even at their present young age. At present her mind didn't dwell on her training or on choir practice, but on something more biological in nature.
For the past couple of days, her nipples and chest had been far more sensitive, and were easily irritated by the clothing she had to wear. As she finished her bath, and looking down at herself, Marie also noticed that it was more then just her sensitivity there that was slowly growing.
"What will happen to me...?" Marie worried, "Will they take me away from Father? Will they punish him for lying? Will they punish me for masquerading as a boy?"
+++++++
Marie emerged about ten minutes later, fully dressed, but still looking very nervous. Her godfather, reading from a book, had his back to her at the moment.
"Father," Marie spoke weakly, making him turn around.
"Yes, Marie?" her godfather spoke back.
"I think we may have a problem, Father," Marie spoke, "I think what will be my more feminine attributes are beginning to develop... I don't want you to get in trouble."
"This frightens you?"
"Girls can not be choir boys, Father," Marie replied, "and in a year or so, it will be quite obvious that I AM a girl... and they will take me away and punish you... they might even punish me for pretending to be a boy."
"I made you pretend, Marie," her godfather admitted, "You know that. If ANYONE is to be punished, it will be me."
Marie rushed forward and hugged him, tears beginning to form, "NO! I don't want you to be punished! You've been so kind to me... like a REAL Father. You're the ONLY family I have."
"Do not worry," her godfather told her, "things will all turn out well. I have a few tricks up my sleeve."
"What will you do?"
"What will have to be done," her godfather answered, "tell the Council the truth."
+++++++
"Wouldn't that have exposed her and insured that both she and her godfather would be punished?" Betty gasped.
"One would think," Marie nodded, "but her godfather was confident that he could keep Marie...although, it would be one of the things that would lead to Marie's later problems with the Council when it came to fighting the witches in Glendale."
"But why is it happening so fast?" Lawrence wondered, "I can understand the onset of puberty making it impossible for Marie to disguise herself as a boy anymore, but for girls, that all starts around thirteen and fourteen, and boys around fifteen or sixteen. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Marie still too young for some of that "stuff" to be apparent."
"Not everyone develops at the same rate, and guides that are written to help kids understand what is happening to their bodies when they reach puberty are written to suit the law of averages, not the occasional exceptions," Marie explained, "Now, Marie Cruz would never be as voluptuous as your Mother and Aunts are Samantha, and not even as large as your Alpha Female and her sisters, but she did develop early, and forced her godfather to go before the Council with Marie... who went looking nervous and fearful for her godfather."
++++++++
"Father Gabriel, what brings you before this Council with this boy?" an elderly looking Bishop questioned from a long table with four other Bishops seated with him.
"Honored Fathers," Marie Cruz's godfather, Father Gabriel, spoke, "there is something that I must bring before you."
"Which would be?"
"A confession, partially," Father Gabriel answered.
"We do not hear confessions, Father Gabriel," the lowest ranking Bishop spoke.
"Partially?" the first Bishop questioned.
"This is Marie Cruz," Father Gabriel spoke, prodding Marie forward, "her parents were killed by an outbreak of Cholera in Barcelona which you had sent me to combat along with those that unleashed it."
"A girl!" was the near unanimous shout, "under OUR roof!?"
"She had no family, Honored Fathers," Father Gabriel spoke, "I tried throughout Europe and could find no one. I took it upon myself to raise her. And how charitable would I have been if I had just left her somewhere when I couldn't find her family?"
"There are places you could have sent her where she could be raised," the first Bishop admonished, "and even if not... she should not have been disguised as a boy. THAT is sacrilegious. Woman are not to wear men's clothing. You know what happened to Joan of Arc, don't you?"
"Of course, Father," Father Gabriel nodded, "She was a hero to the French people in the Hundred Years War, who fought valiantly for her people until she was captured by the English. It was the English who burned her as a witch and a heretic, not the French, who still honor her service to the French King. And need I remind you that it is the French that remain with THE Church. The English left when Henry decided the wife he had wasn't good enough for him."
"You dare to debate this Council?" the second bishop demanded.
"No father, merely to point out that not everything is in black and white," Father Gabriel answered, "as much as it would make our lives easier... that is not how God made the world. And he works in mysterious ways..."
"Surely you don't mean to suggest that this girl was sent to you by God?" the first Bishop gasped.
"I do," Father Gabriel answered, "his hand is in everything we do. And it has been my belief that he has plans for her."
"A girl serving this Council?" the third bishop scoffed, "she doesn't even know what our responsibility is."
"She does, Honored Fathers," Father Gabriel answered, "it is what we deal with that has taken her eye."
"All the more reason to send her to a convent and assign you penance," the first Bishop spoke firmly.
"She did defeat most of them, Honored Fathers," Father Gabriel reported, "far better then some of the male students fresh out of training."
The councilors were quiet for a moment.
"If you wish to assign penance to me, I will accept it," Father Gabriel spoke, "but do not send Marie away. She will be of great importance to the Order and will do well, if you let me complete her training."
The first bishop looked at Marie who clutched at Father Gabriel's clothing, as if she feared the loss of a father. He then glanced at the other bishops with him. They were still too stunned.
"Penance will be assigned Father Gabriel, for not bringing this matter before us sooner," the first Bishop spoke, "but due to your lengthy and distinguished service, we grant you the privilege to train the girl. HOWEVER, as far as this Council is concerned, she does not officially exist, and should she be caught by government and tried for un-ladylike behavior and punished for it, this Council will not defend her. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Father."