"Couldn't have Left"
Author: BarbedWire23
Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with the producing of Yu-Gi-Oh…sadly…
Notes: I've only been to court once, for a trivial matter, so I am not completely sure of what goes on in these types of situations, so if I'm wrong about anything, feel free to tell me… o_o that rhymed…
Summary: A father/son fic. Joey's Parent's have filed a divorce and he is now pressured to choose between the two of them. His decision is made. But, what if he's been lured into the mistake of a lifetime?
Joey looked on, perplexed. His mother and sister were one the verge of tears as he stood before the ever-looming Judge.
"Well, Mr. Wheeler?" Questioned the dark-haired woman, as he brushed away the many bangs that shadowed her emerald eyes.
"What is your decision?" She had questioned once more as she stared down at him, face screwed up in impatience.
Joey had then decided that if she hadn't done that to her face, she would have been really pretty.
Joey, snapping out of his thoughts, looked around the courtroom.
His mother stood from her desk, looking on in exasperation, as if this was where it all ended. Her short blonde hair was swaying as she slightly shook her head, as if reading Joey's thoughts.
Serenity sat in the smaller chairs off to the right of his mom. She had been on the edge of her seat as she stared, wide-eyes shining with un-shed tears. Joey had figured that she was saving them to either fall happy, of sadly.
Ginger strands of hair cascaded down her shoulders, as her bangs flitted with every blink she made.
Joey had taken a deep breath before he looked to the ground, turning back to face the Judge, and then turned to the other side of the courtroom to look to his father.
A rough-looking man, who looked as if he worked daily, non-stop, as his calloused hands were crossed firmly over his upper chest, face distorted in some kind of emotion Joey had never seen expressed on the man.
His hair was short, light brown, and was split to the side, looking more formal than usual. Of course, this was due to the court date they were now enduring.
A frown creased Joey's face before he turned back to the Judge, her eyes boring into him as if the end of the world rested upon his shoulders.
"Joseph?" Came the Judge's small voice, almost non-existant with Joey's jumbled thoughts.
"I…" Squeaked the blonde as he tried to find his words.
"I choose…I choose…" He began, his voice becoming smaller, even he couldn't hear himself.
Was he to choose the smooth road with his loving mother and sister, or the slightly bumpy road with his father? Joey knew that all of the witnesses and jurors, and even the Judge most likely, and probably highly encouraged him to go with his mother and sister.
But, when Joey had let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding, as let loose the words no one had thought they'd be hearing, the courtroom had gone deathly quiet.
The Judge seemed to recoil into her large burgundy chair as she looked down at the boy, eyes displaying concern.
"Are you sure, Joseph Wheeler?" She had inquired before the boy nodded, eyes glued to the elegant, maroon carpet in which he stood.
He heard a yelp from behind him.
"Joey!" Serenity had cried, tears spilling like waterfalls from her matching ocher eyes.
"Oh my god…" He'd heard his mother whisper, as he knew she was about to let forth her own tears.
"My…my baby…" He'd also heard, as the two of them sobbed.
Joey squeezed his eyes shut tightly, murmuring from the stand reaching his delicate ears.
Had he chosen wrongly? No. This was what he wanted. Wasn't it?
"I hereby grant custody of Mr. Joseph Wheeler to a Mr. Michael Wheeler. Title of guardian shall be enforced immediately. Court is dismissed." Recited the Judge from above him, rather monotonously as she exited the room to return to her own private office at the bottom of the stairs.
Joey felt overwhelmed as held back tears streamed down his face.
He was only 13. How was he expected to make this decision so early in his life…it was truly something he wasn't used to.
Joey gasped as the sudden feeling of a strong hand covering the entirety of his small shoulder, and silently wished he had chosen the latter as he turned to face the man who was his father.
"Come on, Joey. We should be getting home…" Came the familiar steady, yet deep voice of Mr. Wheeler, his voice just slightly rattled.
Joey nodded as he turned to follow his father out the door, when a hand grabbed his arm.
"Joey…" Serenity sobbed, turning him to face her.
"Joey…why?" She inquired, eyes red with tears as he looked to her, his own amber eyes shining.
"Because. Because he needs me…" Joey whispered as he glanced at the man who had just stepped out into the emptied hall.
"Joey…" Serenity whispered as he hand retreated to her side.
"Serenity. I promise. I'll spend every moment I can, with you…" Whispered the blonde before stepped over the distance they shared and bringing her into a tight hug.
"Joey…" She'd whispered as her tears wetted his sea green jacket.
"It's going to be ok, Serenity." He replied as they broke apart, his smile beaming down at her.
"Joseph…" Came his father's voice from the doorway.
"I gotta go. I'll call you later." Joey grinned as he brushed her bangs away from her eyes and headed off towards his dad.
***
The ride home was quiet. The atmosphere of the small Honda his dad drove was full tension. So tense that could most likely cut it with a knife.
Joey sighed quietly as he peered out his side of the car, sidewalks, streets and trees blurring past his vision. The small tick of a turn signal invaded his emotional cried within his head as Mr. Wheeler pulled into their apartment's driveway.
Joey had been at least thankful that no conversation had risen between the two as he made his way upstairs to his small bedroom and threw himself onto his bed, his father was never a conversationalist.
Joey's room seemed to grow darker as he listened to the whirl of his doorknob, the door itself creaking open, light poring into the room.
Mr. Wheeler stood looming over the shadowed arena in which his son slept.
"Joey…" Whispered the figure darkly, his eyes narrowing as the said blonde frantically sat up from his covers, staring wide-eyed at his birth father.
"Dad? Dad, what's wrong?" Joey worried once he'd seen the silver crystalline tears fall from the older man's rough face.
The man stood his ground, looking out to the blonde. He sniffed at his running nose before taking those few steps towards his son's bed.
"Joey…" Whispered his father once more before he'd flung his arms around his only son; tears flowing freely down his unshaven chin.
"Dad?" Joey had questioned, as he looked to his father, beyond shocked to witness the older man cry.
"Joey, thank you so much. I don't know what I would have done if you'd decided to go with your mother…" His father had sobbed, a hand pressing down against the blonde's hair, petting him affectionately.
"Dad…I could never leave you like this…" Joey answered once he had regained his senses.
"Yeah." Sniffed Mr. Wheeler before he pulled away from the bear hug, looking into his son's worried eyes.
"And that's why I'm going to take care of you. I promise you, son. I'll get my act together…we can be a family, the two of us…" Whispered his father as Joey felt hot tears singe down his flushed cheeks.
Taking in a shuddering breath, the man who Joey had once seen as a monster, brushed away his fallen tears, kissed his forehead and settled back to smile at him.
Joey was speechless. His father was going to change…for him. He wanted to fulfill the only wish Joey had prayed for every night and day.
He wanted to be his father.
"Oh, dad…" Joey smiled back before flinging his arms around his guardian and squeezing him tight.
"I couldn't ask for anything else…" Joey added after his father had begun patting his back, ridding him of his gasping and coughing whilst he cried.
((A/N:: I thought I'd go by a different approach with Joey's 'drunkard' father as it seems to come up a lot…but, I did hint that he had been abusive or at least a drinker…but he's changing. ^^ Hm…-is- the age 13 that you are allowed to choose your guardian if parent's divorce? I'm not sure… But, in any case, I hope you all liked it, and I wish up a positive New Year... even thought it's like, the 11th…Anyhow, I greatly appreciate reviews! *hint, hint* ^^ Constructive Criticism allowed.))