Brian Parker had been keeping a close eye on his wife since he had arrived in Charming. The restraining order had meant nothing to him. Molly was his and no piece of paper was going to keep him away from her.
He had lost track of her after that day at the hospital. She'd not been sleeping in her little dump of a rental house in a week at least.
He had spotted her that day out at a lingerie shop with two other women; some blonde that he was sure he'd seen in an adult film at one point though he wasn't sure if he was just imaging things, and a woman he had seen at the hospital a few times.
The day Brian had gone to the daycare wasn't the first day he'd come to Saint Thomas. He had stopped by the hospital the day before and watched the place for an hour at least.
He had been in Charming for about a week before he'd approached his wife. He had wanted to soak it all in and see if he could figure out what had brought Molly here.
Charming was nothing more than some little redneck town filled with mom and pop stores. He had been disappointed to find that there was no Starbucks nor was there a Hilton Suites.
He had been reduced to staying at some crap motel right on the outskirts of town. The place reeked of cigarettes and mold.
Brian couldn't understand what had attracted Molly to such a place. She had whisked Mason off to live in this shit town. The place was an ugly little town with nothing to offer.
He fully intended on getting Molly to come back to him somehow. He knew that she wasn't going to come willingly.
He had to find a way to lure her back to him rather it was with romance or force.
He hoped that he would have been able to intimidate her into forgetting this entire divorce pipedream she'd come up with.
Brian really wasn't that interested in getting a divorce. He still wanted his family to come back to him.
His father however had been insistent that he move forward with this divorce. Joseph Parker wasn't the kind of man you said no to.
Joseph had raised Brian under a firm hand. The only person in the world Brian feared was his father and it was for good reasons.
Joseph didn't understand how he'd gotten such a dim-witted weakling of a son. Brian couldn't even keep his wife in line. And if he couldn't keep her in line then what hope was there for Mason.
Brian could see the shame in his father's eyes. He knew that he had to fix this all somehow.
One way or another Molly was going to come back home. Even if she did get her damn divorce he wasn't going to just let her go.
He was tempted to take this all by the horns. He was so tempted to snatch up Molly and Mason and take them back home where they belonged.
Brian knew though that he couldn't be so impatient. He had to take his time with this.
He knew that he needed to talk to his father again in person. Joseph Parker knew all the right people.
His father would know what he should do to make sure that Molly and his boy came back to him for good.
Brian was surprised to find that his wife had hooked up with biker trash. He had spotted her little bodyguard that day at the lingerie shop.
She really had stepped down in the world.
It was pathetic. His woman had changed. She was no longer the elegant woman he had twisted her into. She was right back to being the swamp rat she'd been when they'd met in college.
This was just farther proof to Brian that Molly was too stupid to realize she was worse off without him. She didn't seem to understand that she was his wife and his wife didn't run around with trash.
Seeing her around the bikers had pissed him off. The idea of one of those grease balls touching what belonged to him made Brian Parker sick.
At first he had assumed that her new man was the pretty boy blonde who was always wandering around the garage she'd been taking Mason to.
Brian had quickly realized that the blonde wasn't it when he'd spotted the man with the doctor Molly had been running around with that day he'd spotted her outside the lingerie store.
Brian's next guess had been the Puerto Rican kid with the idiotic looking haircut. The man seemed to be the right age and Brian had noticed him hanging around with Molly. He had spotted the man at her house a few times with another man, some old looking bastard.
Brian hadn't been expecting to see that old looking bastard sitting with his boy as he entered the Charming courthouse.
Mason widened his eyes scooting close to Chibs burying his face against Chibs' side as he spotted his father. Chibs understood the boy's fear as he spotted Brian Parker.
Chibs had been expecting Brian to be much taller. The man was probably right around Molly's height if not shorter. He was pure muscle though. Chibs could tell just how built the man was underneath Brian's spotless Armani suit.
Chibs eyed Brian's brawny hands imagining the man's fists against Molly. The thought was enough to make a jolt of rage shoot through Chibs.
Chibs kept his arm wrapped around Mason giving the child the security he craved. Chibs was just thankful that Molly wasn't here to witness her child cowering in fear. He knew the sight would break her if she ever saw it.
Molly was already in the courtroom with Lucy Fisher. Chibs wished that he could be in the courtroom with her.
He wanted to stand by his old lady; give her a shoulder to lean on. He wanted to be there for her. He just wanted to remind her that he would protect her from anything.
He wanted to tell that judge how amazing Molly was. He felt the need to tell the judge what a strong willed woman Molly was. He wanted to tell how just how much Molly loved her son. She would do absolutely anything for Mason.
He wanted so badly to somehow prove that Mason needed to stay here in Charming with the people who loved him.
Chibs wanted to go to that judge and swear on his own life that as long as he lived and breathed that he would make sure Mason had the kind of life the child deserved.
He didn't know what he would do if someone tried to take their boy from him. The thought of Mason going back to Louisiana with Brian Parker made Chibs feel as though someone had twisted a dagger into his gut.
Chibs wanted to find someway to ensure that his family stayed here with him. He knew though that if the judge caught sight of his kutte or somehow realized who he was then it would damn any chances Molly had.
He didn't want whom he was to ruin any chance of his newfound family staying together.
He had settled with being forced to wait outside in the lobby. Seeing Mason's reaction had reassured him that being in the lobby was what was best.
It sent a chill straight down his spine to imagine what Mason would have done if he had been forced to wait out here alone with some child advocate who wouldn't understand how to comfort the boy.
He just wanted Mason to feel secure. No child should be forced to endure such terror. Especially when that terror was tied to a person who should love and protect the child above all.
Chibs sent Brian Parker a harsh glare wanting to show the man that there was no way in hell he was going to come near Mason.
Chibs knew it was childish but he couldn't help but to feel a sense of smug satisfaction when Brian spotted him holding Mason.
The son a bitch needed to see that Mason saw Chibs as a protector. Chibs wanted Brian Parker to know that Mason would never call him dad again.
The bastard didn't deserve to be called daddy.
Chibs knew deep down in his heart that he was Mason's father now. He didn't give a damn if Mason and he didn't share the same blood. He loved the little boy so much and that was all that mattered to him. Love was stronger than genes.
He wanted to treat Mason just like he was his own flesh and blood. Chibs wanted Mason to call him da more than anything in the world.
Chibs was so very tempted to go beat Brian's face in. He loved the idea of bashing the bastard's head into the taupe linoleum floor below them, but he kept a lid on his temper.
He knew that letting his rage come to the surface would do Molly nor Mason any favors.
Mason sitting beside him needing his comfort was the only thing that made Chibs feel like he had some semblance of control at the moment.
The child was scared enough already he told himself. Chibs knew that he didn't need to do anything that might frighten the boy even more.
Mason expected him to be strong, Chibs reminded himself. Right now Mason needed consoling not a violent retaliation on Brian Parker.
Chibs hated having to hold back in his feelings of wrath. He wanted vengeance for Molly and their boy. He wanted Brian to feel every ounce of pain Molly had ever felt over the course of those years.
He despised how terrified Molly and Mason both were. He wanted to be their hero; the one who took care of them and made sure that they never had to feel that afraid ever again.
Chibs knew that his life was at times a frightening one. He had already promised himself that Molly and Mason would stay protected from just how scary things could be when it came to the danger in his world.
As long as he was around nothing would happen to his old lady and his boy. Chibs knew that if anything were ever to happen to him that his brothers would be there for Molly and Mason. Samcro would guarantee that his family was well taken care of and kept safe from harm.
Chibs wanted to give Molly and Mason the life they deserved. Nothing would make him more contented than to give them both a long happy life full of comfort and security.
Chibs knew that eventually something would have to be done about Brian Parker. The man wasn't going to willingly let Molly and Mason walk off with Chibs into the sunset.
Chibs just prayed that Molly and Mason stayed free from any harm.
He didn't know how he would handle Brian yet. Chibs just knew that he had to make sure that the man stayed far away from Molly and Mason.
Chibs imagined that Brian was arrogant enough to believe that Molly would eventually take Mason back to Louisiana, back to the plantation. Brian was self absorbed enough to believe that Molly couldn't function with out him.
Chibs knew that Brian wasn't going to handle Chibs' place in Molly and Mason's life well.
He had seen the look in Brian's eyes when he had spotted him. He knew that Brian knew he'd been replaced.
He knew that Brian would find a way to hurt Molly somehow. If he couldn't hurt her through the divorce and the custody case then he would just find some other way to make her feel pain.
Chibs knew that he had to do whatever it took to protect what was his.
Molly and Mason were Chibs' family and they belonged to him just as much as he belonged to them.
He let out a relieved sigh he hadn't even realized he'd been holding in as Brian Parker and his two lawyers disappeared from sight behind the heavy wooden doors of the courtroom.
Chibs ran his hand up and down Mason's back as he spoke up trying to soothe his boy. "Yer doin a good job little lad. Yer bein really brave right now. I'm so proud of ya. Yer ma is goin to be so happy when she finds out jus how brave yer bein."
"He won't hurt mommy?" Mason squeaked pulling away from Chibs only enough to stare up at him with widened alarmed eyes.
Chibs shook his head his heart sinking down into his gut as he reassured the boy. "No a chuilein. I promise he won't hurt yer ma."
Mason nodded his head relieved to know that his father wouldn't hurt his mother while she was out of his sight.
He wished that he could be with his mother right now. Mr. Chibs had said they needed to be brave for her just like Spiderman.
Mason thought Mr. Chibs was much braver than Spiderman though, even if he didn't have any super powers. After all Mr. Chibs was really strong. Mason had seen Chibs lift Molly. Mason thought that Mr. Chibs wasn't afraid of anything. He checked for monsters under the bed and in the closet before Mason went to bed at night. Mr. Chibs told him all sorts of stories about bandits he had fought with when he was still a pirate.
Mr. Chibs was the bravest person Mason knew. He didn't even flinch when daddy had walked in.
Mason didn't understand how he supposed to be brave like Mr. Chibs wanted him to be if he wasn't in the same room with his mother.
"What's a chuilein mean?" Mason asked curious about the strange words he sometimes heard Mr. Chibs say.
"It jus means yer my little lad. That's what da's call their lads where I come from." Chibs explained pressing a kiss to the top of the boy's head.
Mason nodded his head liking the word even if it was so unfamiliar. Mason liked Chibs' accent and the odd words that he used.
This was part of the reason Mason liked it when Chibs read to him at night. Chibs' accent was somehow comforting to the boy.
Mason hoped that maybe one day Chibs could take him and his mother to the place where he came from; to Scotland and then Ireland as well.
Mason wanted to see all the things Chibs had described in his stories. He wanted to see the pretty color of green that Chibs talked about the grass being.
Mason spoke up looking suddenly very serious as he admitted just what he thought about Chibs' vocabulary. "You say a bunch of funny words Chibs."
Chibs chuckled the boy's comment lightening the weight on his shoulders.
He loved the fact that Mason had dropped the Mr. from his name. It was just one step closer to Mason becoming comfortable enough to maybe someday call him dad, Chibs told himself.
The boy was his, Chibs reminded himself. His little lad wasn't going anywhere.
Molly felt even more nauseous as she spotted Brian Parker. The family court wasn't what she'd expected.
There was no judge stand nor was there a witness stand. There was just a large mahogany table with several leather seats surrounding it.
Judge Martha Higgins sat at the head of the table in a professional looking steel gray pants suit. Judge Higgins looked like the kind of woman one didn't want to mess with.
She was quite imposing for such a small woman. Her white hair was pulled up into a tight bun. She wore no jewelry except for a gold wedding ring.
She was the kind of woman who didn't take any funny business when it came to cases. People around the courthouse often accused her of being a hardass, but she just took her job very seriously. Being serious got her where she was today.
Molly and Lucy Fisher sat on one side of the table and Brian and his two lawyers sat on the other side of the table.
Molly turned her chair where she wouldn't have to directly face Brian. She couldn't bear to look into his eyes.
The blue eyes she'd once found so stunning now just looked icy. She knew just how dark and brutal those eyes could become when he stood over her his fists raining down upon her.
Molly wished that Chibs were here with her right now. All he had to do was take her hand in his and she felt so secure. Anytime she felt weak he was there to remind her just how strong she really was.
It was part of why she'd fallen in love with him so easily. He always had been able to see the positive things within her that she'd forgotten existed.
She knew that Mason needed Chibs right now though. Her son was afraid and Chibs always seemed to do such an incredible job when it came to consoling Mason.
She was confident that Mason was in good hands with Chibs.
She also was aware that Chibs was afraid that the judge would see his kutte and know that he was in samcro.
Molly knew that he wanted to keep this side of his life hidden from anyone that had anything to do with her divorce.
Neither of them wanted samcro to come up in the divorce proceedings.
She was frightened that Brian had somehow connected the dots and figured out just what her boyfriend was.
Molly had no idea what she would do if Brian brought up samcro.
She took a deep breath as Judge Higgins spoke up looking up from the paperwork Molly and Lucy Fisher had gathered. "Now I understand that you've placed a request for sole custody Ms. Garrett? You haven't placed a request for child support?"
Molly took a deep breath thankful that Judge Higgins had used the last name she had picked for herself and not her legal last name, which was still Parker. "Yes I want sole custody, no visitations. I don't care about the child support."
"My client would like joint custody with supervised visitations. He's willing to pay child support as well as alimony." One of Brian's lawyers piped up.
The other lawyer spoke as well being sure to make his clients credentials all very clear. "My client is a well respected businessman. He comes from a family that has a very high standing in the community. They've been pillars of the community for generations. He has a fine reputation in New Orleans. Mason would be well taken care of when he's with Mr. Parker. Mrs. Parker has debts that she still hasn't paid, student loans. She can't possibly provide a stable home environment all on her own as a single mother. Not to mention there is a history of mental illness in her family. Her father committed suicide when she was a child and she received years of consoling. My client is willing to help his soon to be ex along financially as long as she agrees to regular psychiatric evaluations."
"There is a history of domestic violence with Mr. Parker. My client would like to place a request that no visitation be ordered. She has recieved a clean bill of health and has not had any psychiatric ailments since childhood. We have several witnesses who can attest to Molly's stability and good parenting." Lucy Fisher stated wanting to put the idea of joint custody out of the judge's head before the judge even had the chance to consider it.
Molly felt like she'd been punched in the gut. She knew Brian would strike low, but mentioning her history of deep depression after her father's sudden death was a punch below the belt.
She was sure at the moment that she had never hated someone more than Brian Parker.
"When did the first instance of abuse occur Ms. Garrett?" Judge Higgins asked as she studied the notes pertaining to the case in front of her.
She wasn't surprised as one of Brian's lawyers spoke up a slick looking man who seemed to be wearing way too much cologne and hair gel. "My client has never laid a hand on Mrs. Parker. Does she have any evidence of this so called abuse?"
Molly cringed at her legal last name. She wanted to change it to her grandmother's maiden name as soon as this was all over.
Lucy stepped in pulling out their secret weapon the large stack of Polaroid pictures of Molly's bruises. This was handed over to the judge along with a record of every police visit to the plantation and every restraining order ever filed.
Molly felt a small sense of self-righteousness as Brian's lawyers spotted the Polaroids.
"Is there any evidence that those pictures haven't been doctored?" Brian's other lawyer a very large man with comically tiny round glasses spat out grasping for straws.
Their client hadn't mentioned any pictures. Brian had been totally unaware of the photographs.
"I believe that's for me to decide. Now I'll ask again when was the first instance of abuse?" Judge Higgins asked her voice firm. She didn't like being interrupted.
Molly took another deep breath as she spoke doing her best to sound sturdy. "It started when my son was two years old. Brian wasn't kind before that...he insulted me...belittled me. He didn't allow me to talk to my friends or my family. He wouldn't let me take their calls. When Mason was two...we had made plans to go to the Children's Museum and have a family day. But that morning he announced he was going to work."
She cleared her throat hating that she had to rehash this story. It felt like there was a rubber band around her lungs wrapping tighter and tighter as she spoke. "I was upset. I asked him if he could call in...He got angry and we started a verbal argument. I asked him why work always had to come first and it just made him angrier. He cornered me in the bedroom and gripped down on my arm so tightly. I asked him to move...I told him he was scaring me and hurting my arm. He slapped me when I tried to move past him. He left after that...Our maid Cora spotted the bruises...she's the one who talked me into taking the pictures. The pictures on the bottom stack show my cheek and my upper arm...the bruising."
Judge Higgins turned a clearly judgmental glance at Brian. The man's lawyers shuffled through their paperwork. They hadn't been as prepared as they'd assumed they were.
All their client had told them was that his wife was trying to leave him and take the kid. He had mentioned the woman's troubled family but not much else. Brian's father hadn't mentioned the abuse when he'd signed the check for his son's legal fees.
"And has Mason witnessed this abuse?" Judge Higgins questioned.
"Yes. When Brian found out I was planning on leaving him. He became livid. Told me he would rather kill me than let me walk out the door. He...kicked me and punched me. Mason walked into the room when he heard me screaming." Molly explained her stomach aching. She felt like she wanted to vomit on the hardwood flooring below her.
Molly took a very deep breath trying to keep in control of her emotions and fears. "Mason didn't speak for about a week after that. It's taken him a while to feel safe again."
Brian leaned over whispering frantically into the slick haired lawyers ear. The lawyer spoke up. "There's no denying my client and his wife have had their past... disagreements."
"Disagreements. That's putting it lightly." Lucy Fisher shot back never even breaking a sweat under the pressure.
"My client is very willing to seek consoling and allow a social worker to supervise any visits with his son. He just wants to be a father." The lawyer stated sending Lucy a glare.
"I would like to speak with Mason Garrett. I like to hear the child's viewpoint of things before I make a decision." Judge Higgins remarked her face remaining emotionless.
Molly swallowed the lump in her throat hating that her son was going to have to talk to Judge Higgins without Chibs' or her comfort.
She knew thought that there was no way of avoiding it. If she wanted a chance of keeping her baby then this had to be done.
Mason was happy to be given a big chocolate chip cookie and a bottle of apple juice when the coca skinned woman named Mallory had taken him to the room his mother had just been in.
He liked Mallory. She was pretty and very tall. She had given him the treat and the drink knowing just how hungry he was.
He had been extremely hungry. He knew from looking at the clock that the little hand had passed the twelve a long time ago. It now sat on the two. You were supposed to eat lunch when the little hand was on the twelve.
Mallory said it was her job to help him answer any questions he had when it came to talking to this Judge.
Mason wasn't very sure why he needed to talk to a judge. He knew that his mother was going to divorce his father.
He wasn't sad about this fact because his mother had explained to him just what the divorce meant. It meant that his daddy wouldn't be allowed to be mean to his mom anymore. It meant that Mason and his mom could stay in Charming forever. That sounded really good to Mason. He liked Charming and everyone he had met here.
He was very nervous about having to talk to these friends of Ms. Fishers. His mother had promised him that it would be okay though.
Mason was relieved to see that his father stayed way on the other side of the lobby when his mother and his father had exited the courtroom.
Mason was a little afraid to leave his mother alone so close to his father, but he knew that Mr. Chibs wouldn't let anything happen to his mother.
Mr. Chibs had promised that he would keep mommy safe and you weren't allowed to break promises.
"Do you like living in California Mason?" Judge Higgins asked her tough persona lifting when it came to dealing with children.
Mason nodded his head remembering what Mr. Chibs had told him. He just had to tell the truth. "Yes. I like it. It's safe here."
"Was Louisiana not safe?" Judge Higgins asked peering at the boy through her dark rimmed reading glasses.
"No." Mason murmured not liking having to talk about the way life was in Louisiana. It scared him to think about his old home.
Judge Higgins sensed the boy's reluctance so she changed tactics. "What kind of things do you and your mother do?"
"Mommy takes me to the park and she took me to the museum downtown so we could look at the pretty paintings, even though the museum was really little. We hang out a bunch with Mr. Chibs." Mason explained his fears lifting when he mentioned Mr. Chibs.
"Mr. Chibs?" Judge Higgins asked not knowing of anyone by that name. She didn't see anything about it in her paperwork.
Mason nodded his head more than happy to talk about the man who had quickly become his favorite person on the planet. "Uh huh. He's mommy's boyfriend and my friend. He's from Scotland and he lived in Ireland...those places are far away. He takes us all sorts of really fun places. He lets me ride on his motorcycle and he lets me watch him work at the garage. He tells me all about the bikes and the cars he fixes. I want to fix cars like him and ride a motorcycle."
Mason paused for a moment taking a deep breath as he sipped is juice. He spoke up continuing. "He watches movies with me and reads to me. He takes me out for ice cream and pushes me on the swings at the park. Mommy and I taught him how to go fishing when he took us camping. He spends the night with mommy all the time. He loves mommy and kisses her a lot even though girls have cooties. He makes her laugh and he's really nice to her. I love him. He's just like a daddy."
"What about your father?" Judge Higgins asked seeing her chance to question Mason about Brian Parker.
Mason let out a sigh remembering that he had to be brave. He needed to be brave just like Mr. Chibs. "He's not nice like Mr. Chibs. Daddy is really mean to mommy. He makes her cry and says mean things to her. He hit her. Mommy says that hitting isn't nice. Mr. Chibs doesn't hit mommy or make her sad. He acts the way a daddy is supposed to act."
"Has your father ever hit you?" the judge asked hating this part of her job.
Mason shook his head staring down at his red converse it was almost time to get new shoes. His converse were dingy looking. He already had a new green pair that he wasn't allowed to wear until the first day of school, but he really liked his red ones. "No. He doesn't like it when I play outside the playroom though. He gets headaches and he says I'm too noisy. He doesn't go do things with me...even when he promises...He has to work."
The boy paused for a moment his eyes beginning to well up with tears. He was afraid that his daddy would be mad. He didn't like it when daddy got mad. It scared him.
"I don't like it when he hurts mommy. He makes her afraid. She's not supposed to be scared. Mommies aren't supposed to be scared. Daddy came to mommy's work and made her cry. He hurt her wrist. Mr. Chibs was really worried. He doesn't like it when mommy is scared. We started spending the night with Mr. Chibs after that." Mason explained his eyes finally watering.
He wiped his face on his shirtsleeve knowing that mommy didn't like it when he did that. She told him that it was germy and germs made you sick. He didn't see any tissues though.
"Why did you not speak when you came to Charming?"Judge Higgins asked beginning to understand the situation more.
"I was scared. I didn't want daddy to come here. I don't feel scared anymore though. Mr. Chibs says that I have to be brave. He's really brave." Mason admitted as he took a tissue from Mallory. He didn't like remembering how frightened he had been when his mother had first driven into Charming.
Mr. Chibs had really made him feel safe. He looked scary when Mason first met him. But he had smiled at him and Mason had known that Mr. Chibs was nice.
Mason wondered about the scars on Mr. Chibs' face. He wondered if Chibs had gotten them when he was a pirate.
Mr. Chibs had been nice to him right from the start. Chibs had never told him he was too loud or that he needed to act right like daddy did.
Mason hoped that his mother and he could stay with Mr. Chibs forever. He wanted that more than anything.
Judge Higgins nodded her head having made her decision. "Thank you Mason you can go back out to the lobby now."
The Judge took a deep breath knowing that she had made the best decision. All there was left to do now was tell everyone.
Reviews? Constructive Criticism?
a chuilein = my (dear) laddie! (Scottish Gaelic)