"Mike, you got a letter in the mail from a law firm." Jill hands it to him as she sifts through the rest of their mail, handing Sarah her magazine. "What the hell? They filed a lawsuit against me." Jill looks up, "Mike, language." She points at Sarah. "Sorry, look." He hands her the letter, that clearly states that he has to plea his case to keep Sarah in his custody.
"Oh my god, the FBI is way out of line here." She says, Sarah looks up at them, "Mike, what happened? Are you in trouble?"
He kneels down next to her at the kitchen table, "Kind of," he looks up at Jill, before looking back at Sarah. "Sarah, baby, me and Jill need to talk to you. Will you go sit on the couch and wait for us?" She gets up, and walks into the living room, throwing herself onto the couch.
"I'm not going!" Sarah yells, throwing a pillow at Mike, "Stop, baby, please stop." He gets up off the coffee table and sits next to her, pulling her close. "Why would you give me away? Do you not love me anymore?" Jill sees a tear escape Mike's eye. "Please don't say that, monkey. Please."
Jill decides it's probably a good time for her to speak up, "Sarah, we aren't doing this because we want to get rid of you. We both love you so so much, that we want you to be in a house that is a lot better for you." Sarah squeezes onto Mike, "I don't want a better house, this is the best house. I wanna stay with you and Mike." He holds onto her tight, knowing she is feeling the same pain that he is.
"We are going to go to court, and then you have to see a therapist again to talk to her. And under no circumstances are you to lie, got it Sarah?" Jill says, she knows Sarah can manipulate people into believing what she wants them to, if there was even a chance that lying could get her to stay with Jill and Mike, she'd do it.
"Mike Warren, you took Sarah into your custody for what reason?" He sits up in the chair, leaning forward a bit. "To give her a loving, and stable household. To make sure that no harm ever comes her way again."
"Is it true that the only person in your household steadily bringing in any money is Jill, your girlfriend, because you're not on cases at the moment? Do the two of you share a bank account?"
"Yes, Jill is bringing in most of the income and no, but we've been talking about doing so for Sarah's sake." The lawyer nods his head. "Is it also true that since being in your custody, Sarah has undergone a stab injury?" Mike rakes a hand down his face.
"Yes, her biological father found my address and broke into her room. The medics were called as soon as I found out he broke in, before I realized what he had even done. I fought him off myself, and Jill took care of Sarah until the ambulance arrived."
"And I'm sure you have her in some sort of schooling, yes?" Mike nods, "There's someone in the FBI who homeschools her from the offices, so that we can keep an eye on her, make sure nothing happens to her."
"Does Sarah have any friends her age?" Mike shakes his head, looking down at his hands. "No, she gets uncomfortable around other children, we enrolled her in a public school at first, then discovered that she was too anxious."
"Too anxious? Around other children?"
"Yes, she doesn't do well in crowds, or with people touching her. She gets uncomfortable very easily."
"So, you haven't been so much as trying to get her out in society? Planning playdates and such?" Mike shakes his head.
"So you have been isolating her the same way she was isolated before, you haven't even begun to help her move forward from her past life at all." Mike stands up, slamming his fists down on the stand. "I have done everything for that little girl since she came into my life! She has been given love, and nothing but love since coming into my life. I love her more than anything, don't you dare suggest otherwise!" The judge bangs his gavel, "That is enough, Mr. Warren sit down!"
He does as the judge says, looking at Jill, whose head is in her hands, "Mr. Warren, I have one more question for you."
"What?"
"Mike, do you see yourself fit to be a parent? Especially to a child who needs as much attention as Sarah?"
Mike lets out a sigh, "I don't know how to answer that question, considering who is really to say that I would be a bad parent simply because I am homeschooling her, or because my job is a little unstable right now? All I know, is that I love that little girl more than I can even express. And if you ever try to put down the amount of love I have for her, I swear to god…"
"Mr. Warren, enough!" He sits back as the lawyer goes back to his table. "Mr. Warren, you may go back to your lawyer." He gets up from the stand, angrily walking back to his attorney. "Alright, we will have a brief recess while I decide on the verdict."
"Hi, baby. How was the therapist with Renee?" Sarah wraps her arms around his neck. "Mike, why do they want to take me away from you?"
"Because they don't know how much you love staying with me and Jill." She grabs his face, rubbing the stubble forming on his neck and chin. "I don't wanna leave you, Mike."
"I don't want you to leave either baby."
"I have decided that in the best interest of Sarah, she goes to stay with the foster family during the week, with visits to Mike and Jill's apartment every Friday-Sunday." Mike falls into his chair as Jill runs around, wrapping her arms around him. "I wanna see her. Please let me see her." Jill goes over to Renee, getting Sarah.
She sits on Mike's lap, laying her head on his chest as he squeezes her tightly. "I'm so sorry monkey. I'm so so sorry." Angela and Todd come up to him, Angela placing her hand on Sarah's back. "Please, not yet." They're lawyer comes up to him. "Mike, it's time for her to go with Angela and Todd. Come on."
"No! I'm not leaving Mike!" She holds onto him with everything she has. "Come on Sarah, it'll be okay." Angela tries speaking to her, sweetly, while Todd picks her up. She starts up a blood curdling scream. "Mike! Help me!" Mike stands up, reaching for her. "Mike, back away please." Jill holds onto his waist, "Baby, we have to let her go." He turns around, as Jill pulls him into her, comforting him as he tries not to cry.