Blood, Sweat and Tears Part 62
Breakfast was a quiet affair Monday morning. The kids had been called out of school so that they were present for the hearing should any of them be asked to take the stand. For even the little ones, they were much more muted in clear anxiety in understanding what was at stake that day.
Stepping into the crowded dining room, Sally smiled, "I took the liberty of pulling a surprise together." With all eyes on her, she stepped back out to return pushing a wheelchair carrying Marcus. Instantly, the kids shouted and bolted from the table to greet their beaming brother.
As Duo and the little ones reunited with the teenager, Heero walked up to the physical therapist and commented, "I was wondering what the hold up was with you." Looking to Dorothy, Lady Une and Noin, he smirked, "Nice job coming up with an excuse for her." The young women chuckled deeply.
Raising a finger in warning, Sally announced politely to the children, "Just be careful with your hugs there, everyone. Marcus still has some stitching that we don't want pulled." She smiled warmly at the affirmatives and stepped away for the reunion to continue.
On her way for the stairs out in the hallway, Duo slipped out of the room to follow after. "You know," he began, "I knew that there was something with your getting away with diagnosing and treating certain problems that other physical therapists would never be able to pull. I just never put two and two together that you might have been an actual doctor once."
"It's not exactly something that I go around bragging over," Sally replied as she stopped to face her friend. "Well, unless I need to see something happen in cases like Marcus'. Doctors tend to respond better to other doctors when things need to be done."
Frowning in worry, the running back asked, "So what happened to make you quit that to become a physical therapist? I would think that's a pretty steep step downward in the medical field."
Sally smirked and shrugged, "It is. But, like many people in other professions, I just burned out. I had the unfortunate habit of getting too close to my patients."
Her smile faded as she continued, "And I lost quite a few good ones despite my best treatment efforts. So, I decided to pull back enough that I could still use my knowledge and have a much slimmer chance of actually losing a patient. Zechs has been a friend to my family for years and he pulled the strings that got me in the door to work for him."
Duo wrapped his arms around her tightly, smiling, "Well we're lucky as hell to have you, Sal. And I can't thank you enough for your help with Marcus."
Giggling, the physical therapist returned the embrace and responded quietly, "It's my pleasure." When they pulled back, she winked and headed up the stairs to change. Silently watching her depart for a moment, the running back grinned and headed back to his family to advise them to get ready for the hearing.
* * * * * *
Fidgeting with his red tie nervously, Duo felt like it was cutting off his airway. Seated beside him at head table before the empty judge's podium, Iria leaned close and whispered, "Just breathe. It wouldn't be a good thing to have you start hyperventilating now."
A sheepish grin tugged the corners of his mouth as he replied quietly, "Sorry." Doing as ordered, he forced a long and slow breath in. By the third round of that, he was slowly easing a bit.
Glancing over to his shoulder, the running back looked to Heero and his family seated at the benches beyond the railing that separated them. His lover and charges smiled and waved to him. Their friends all gave a nod or some gesture of support.
Suddenly, the doors at the back of the courthouse opened. Everyone looked back to see Theresa Endures, the head of the Chicago branch of social workers enter. Along with her were five members of her team, all of whom had at some point taken the time to visit the apartment complex to interview the kids on a weekly basis.
From his own history with Theresa, Duo always knew her to be a strong and fearless young woman. She stood by every letter of the law when the protection of children were involved, It was her argument in defense of the strict rules and regulations regarding gay adoptive parents that the judge had no choice but side to with.
The lovely Hispanic woman was savvy and hard-nosed. However, there was no question of her devotion to the children she protected.
Much to Duo's shock, he found the director's brown eyes to be red-rimmed as if she had been crying. Her staff all had varying degrees of distress on their own faces. When they sat down at the benches across from the family, not a one of them could look over at the children. Iria shared a surprised look with him in wondering if the whole display was a good or bad sign.
Before they could discuss anything, a tall and muscular bailiff entered from the judge's quarters at the front of the room beside the podium. "All rise," he ordered in a commanding voice. Once more, the judge's quarter doors opened to reveal the balding, black-robed judge as everyone stood. "The Honorable Judge Toplin presiding. Court is now in session."
Smoothly taking to his leather chair, the thin judge raised his hand and said kindly to his audience, "Be seated." As those in attendance sat back down, Toplin sorted through the papers at podium.
Adjusting the wire framed glasses on his long nose, he turned to the running back and began, "Just so there is no confusion, this is a hearing to decide whether or not the foster children of Duo Maxwell are in danger and should be moved from the living arrangement that had been ordered by the courts."
Those dark circled, clear blue eyes turned to Iria. "Miss Winner, I thank you for your thoroughness in forwarding me the transcripts and letters speaking in favor of Mister Maxwell. I have spent the last two days and nights reading every one and they will be taken into consideration in this proceeding."
With a deep sigh of relief, the lawyer bowed her head and replied, "Thank you, Your Honor."
"Now," the judge went on as he looked to Theresa, "the next order of business is that I must hear from Mrs. Endures. Please come up to the witness stand to be sworn in." Deeply lowering her head of long, dark hair, the director rose and walked up to the podium. All the while, every eye in the room followed her.
Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Duo could feel a few beads of sweat forming on his brow in knowing that this was the one person that could make or break his chances in getting his kids to a safe place. And there really was no sure way of knowing what stance she was going to take.
Hand on the Bible, Theresa was sworn in. Seated between Solo and Heero, Hilde squeezed on to both of their hands tightly. Flora and Tai each had an arm wrapped around one of their little siblings. In his wheelchair, Marcus wrapped around Hope while as she sat carefully in his lap. Quatre, Lady Une, Dorothy, Sally and Noin held their breaths in anticipation.
Slowly turned towards the witness bench beside his own, Toplin asked, "Mrs. Endures, please advise the court of your opinion and understanding of the law to what would be best for these children."
Taking a deep and shaky breath, the director raised her head to face him and answered, "Your Honor, the law stated that in the matter of gay foster parents, the children must be closely watched and monitored for at least a year before the adoption process can go through. In cases where the foster parent is both under age and gay, they are additionally forbidden to move the children from their original residence."
A defiant look on her face, she straightened in her seat and stated, "I believe in this law as being a mandatory measure in ensuring the protection of the children involved in such cases. The system was made for a reason and I have fought for it with everything in me. To this day, I still believe in every word of it."
Duo lowered his head with a defeated expression. Stomach churning in his chest, he could feel the initial sting of tears in his eyes. Resting a hand on his back, Iria bit her lip and mentally prepared herself for the argument she would be presenting. Heero held his tongue and Hilde could hardly hold back the moan that escaped her.
Slowly looking over to the running back, Theresa's breath hitched and her eyes began to shimmer. "But in Duo Maxwell's situation, the system failed," she whimpered. "And I failed for supporting it so strongly."
Gasps went around the room from Duo's camp and his braided head snapped up. Violet eyes wide and wet, he gazed on the director in disbelief that he heard her last comment correctly.
Without looking away from him Theresa wiped at a stray tear running down her cheek and said, "For almost a year now, he has proven to be nothing but a loving, sure and selfless guardian to his children. And yesterday, Duo showed the nation that he is willing to go through great extremes to protect his family.
"My staff has come back from their visits with nothing but positive things to say of their interviews and inspections. When learning of this hearing, they all cancelled their scheduled plans to be here to testify if needed." From where they sat, her said team nodded their heads as the three young women of the group dried their own eyes.
Throughout the room, there were sighs of relief, smiles and tears. Hands held tightly onto other hands and bodies nearly shook from the release of tension that had been building up to that moment. Heero closed his cobalt eyes and bowed his head in a silent prayer of appreciation as the others all reacted in their own quiet ways.
Just barely containing a small sob, Duo paid no mind to the drops running down his face. Theresa looked back to the judge and told him in a broken voice, "Your Honor, this family has been through enough. There is no reason to prolong their ordeal any longer. I have no doubts in Mister Maxwell's abilities as a parent. He has abided by the every order given to him without restraint or argument and should be treated with the respect that he has shown."
Holding her head high, she advised, "In addition to allowing him to move his children, I would like to ask the court to order the end of all weekly visits and interviews from this point on for the duration of the wait for his adoption to be finalized."
Unable to help himself, Quatre clapped his hands with an elated, "Yes!" Instantly covering his mouth and blushing, he scanned the eyes on him as his friends snickered. Sheepishly grinning to the judge watching him with a raised eyebrow, he chuckled, "Sorry, Your Honor." The snickering grew into laughter.
Toplin shook his head in amusement and smirked, "All things considered, I'll excuse the outburst, Mister Winner." Turning to the social director, he nodded firmly, "Thank you, Mrs. Endures. You may step down."
Theresa bowed her head once more before rising and returning to her staff. On her way past the table where he and Iria sat, Duo mouthed 'Thank you' to her. She directed a small that smile lit her face as she finished drying her tears.
Folding his hands on his deck, the judge focused back on the braided athlete and said, "Mister Maxwell, I am in complete agreement with everything that was just said. It is in the best interest of your family that they are moved to a safe location as soon as possible." Stunned, the wide-eyed running back's jaw fell as his children and friends jumped to their feet cheering and celebrating behind him.
Hugs, kisses and high-fives went all around. Grinning from ear-to-eat, the social workers looked on. Iria patted her braided friend's back with an elated smile. "It's finally over," she said softly to him. Sill unable to move so much as to blink, Duo just stared up at the chuckling judge.
Allowing the little celebration to continue a moment longer, Toplin raised his hand to quietly call everyone to order once more.
Once everyone was settled back down, he addressed the lawyer, "I am sure that in the event of this happening, you have a new location already picked out."
Iria smiled and rose to her feet. "We do, Your Honor. Heero Yuy is opening his estate to the family. I also have a statement sent to me by a social director by the name of Autumn Flannigan. She had visited the household to approve a brief stay there for my client's children."
Holding up the document in her right hand, she continued, "In her statement, Miss Flannigan expresses that the residence is more than adequate to support everyone in a safe and peaceful environment. What's more, my client will be able to spend time with his children on a daily basis."
With his blue eyes focusing on the quarterback, the thin-haired judge requested politely, "Please stand, Mister Yuy." As the athlete did as requested, Toplin said, "To move things along, I will spare the formalities of swearing in and simply take your word. Are you still willing to have your home opened to this family willingly?"
"Yes, Your Honor," Heero answered without hesitating. Duo peered over his shoulder to watch his lover with a loving smile.
The judge raised an eyebrow and commented, "This is quite a selfless act. You are aware of what a burden that looking after eight children may turn out to be? Raising a child is difficult enough at times."
Heero turned to the little faces watching him and grinned, "They are anything but a burden, Your Honor." His cobalt eyes locked onto the violet watching him as he declared, "I may not have any direct experience in raising children, but I'm learning how to do that from the best."
Duo blushed deeply at the sentiment, but his smile grew all the more.
Judge Toplin chuckled deeply, "Well put, young man." Raising his gavel, he announced, "The court rules on the side of Mister Maxwell's request. His family is free to be moved immediately. All inspections and interviews from child care authorities are hereby ended."
The gavel fell with a loud bang over the shouts and cheers from the friends and family section. Rising to their own feet, Theresa and her workers applauded with wide grins on their faces for their charges that they released to the sole care of their father-to-be.
For a moment, Duo just sat with wide, disbelieving eyes. Between the unexpected things that came out of the social director and the swift ruling in his favor, he was silently terrified that he was in a dream that he would soon wake from.
Reading her client's mind, Iria smirked as she across her side of the table where she stood to pinch his arm. When he nearly jumped out of his skin with a start, she winked, "You're not dreaming." Gesturing with her head to the approaching judge, she warned, "And you're about to have a visitor.
All but jumping up, the running back rounded the table to shake the grinning man's hand firmly. "I... I don't know how to thank you, Your Honor."
Shaking his head, the judge replied sincerely, "No thanks needed. You've done all of the hard work and you have put up with a great deal. It's about time you were rewarded for that. With any luck, more role models like you will help change the system to make the adoption process easier for gay foster parents."
Over the course of his life, Duo had been called many things. 'Role model' was never one of those names. A lump formed in his throat over it.
Unable to trust his voice at that moment, he just nodded his braided head in a sign of thanks. Toplin's smile grew in understanding. Lightly patting the athlete's back, he moved past the short gate to bid his wishes to the children.
Finally coming out of his stunned stupor, Duo threw his arms around Iria tightly and kissed her cheek. Giggling, the lawyer returned the embrace. When they pulled back, the slight shimmer in their eyes when they met said everything between them. After almost a year's struggle, their fight was ended at last.
Biting his lip, the braided football player looked to the crowd behind them that continued to share hugs, cheers and laughs. Scanning the group for the first person he wanted to see, he found Heero weaving his way around everyone to reach him.
With a small sob, Duo held onto his lover with everything he had in him. Chuckling, the quarterback wrapped his own arms around his trembling teammate and kissed his temple as everything else around them faded away.
* * * * * *
Following the hearing, there was a celebratory dinner at one of the finer restaurants outside of town on Dorothy's treat. Much to their pleased surprised, Theresa, her staff and Judge Toplin were also invited. In the end, the only thing they all wanted was what was best for the children.
The team owner also informed her star athletes that she had already taken the liberty to contact a trans-state moving company that would oversee the bulk of what needed to be transported from the apartment complex the following morning. And at first light, the family and their friends would head to Pittsburgh on Dorothy's private jet.
So, it was agreed that everyone would dig in and pack when they returned to the apartment complex. With so many hands helping, it wouldn't take more but a couple of hours.
In the back seat of the car that Solo was driving, Duo rested his head on Heero's shoulder. The emotional and physical toll that the last few days were finally catching up to the running back and he struggled to keep his violet eyes open. By the time they reached the apartment complex, he was sound asleep.
As the car was parked alongside the sidewalk, Hilde looked up to the building and sighed, "I can't wait to put this place behind us. I know no one is more ready for that than you, Duo. " She looked over back the passenger seat to see her braided friend when he did not respond.
Turning away from the window he had been peering out, Heero looked to his partner and smiled warmly at finding him lost to the world. Solo peered to the back to the scene and grinned along with his wife.
Carefully slipping from the back seat, the quarterback watched as the children in the van behind them came running up. Hinting for them to be quiet with a finger against his lips, he leaned back into the car to take his lover into his arms. Duo mumbled in his sleep and curled up close without removing his head from the shoulder it rested on. The kids all giggled quietly and led the way up to the complex.
Inside, Quatre and Solo took over seeing to the packing by giving assignments to everyone so that it went as smoothly as possible. With Duo still in his arms, Heero asked when everyone else was given something to do, "What should I take care of?"
Lady Une chuckled warmly, "You go and get Duo to bed." Gently running a hand though the running back's long bangs, she said softly, "Been through enough these last few days to have to worry about this."
Walking up, Noin added, "The same goes for you, Heero. Head on upstairs and get some sleep. No use trying to tell us that you're not tired after taking up the reins whenever Duo needed your help."
"You're outnumbered here, pal," Hilde smirked when her friend opened his mouth to protest. "We've got this. You both can stand down tonight and let us take over." Everyone round them nodded their agreement.
Unable to argue on account of his fatigue when his own eyes were growing heavy, Heero simply offered a small smile and a word of thanks. Saying his goodnights, he carried his teammate upstairs for their room.
Gently pushing the door closed behind them, the quarterback lowered Duo onto the bed and gently removed his clothing. Once they were both down to their boxers, he slipped the covers over them. The moment that he was lying on the bed, he smiled lovingly as his lover instantly cured up to him with a soft sigh. Closing his cobalt eyes, Heero gladly welcomed the pull of sleep.
For the first time in what seemed an eternity, they actually looked forward to the morning in knowing that everything was going to be all right.
TBC...
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