Ryo and Dee immediately went home. They had quickly told the chief what was going on and he allowed it, seeing the scared looks on his detective's faces. They walked in the door where they saw Melinda vacuuming the rug. Grace lay belly up on her play quilt with a pacifier in her mouth watching Melinda.
"Ryo?" She said. "Your home early. What's the matter did you misbehave again Dee?" She thought Ryo could do so much better.
"Can it hag." Dee said angrily as Ryo ran over to Grace and put her in his arms.
Melinda stopped short of another snide remark when she saw the two husbands cling to the baby.
"Oh Grace, my little angel." Ryo murmured as he held the baby against his chest. "I don't want you to go."
Melinda could see something was troubling the two men and decided it was best to leave them alone. She grabbed her messenger bag off a kitchen chair.
"She was a very good baby today." Melinda whispered as she left the apartment. Ryo was still clutching the baby as Dee rubbed her and his husband's back.
"Hey Ryo." Dee said with a sniffle trying to be strong for his husband. "It'll be okay, besides its just a little while at Grandma's."
"No its not." Ryo whispered. "It'd be different if we were just going on a vacation or we wanted some time to ourselves. But we can really lose her Dee! I'm scared this will be the last night she is ever with us!"
"I know babe." Dee said. "I know. I'm scared too. I love her so much."
Grace gurgled and cooed. Ryo stifled a sob.
"She's our daughter Dee." Ryo said. "I don't care what anyone says. She's ours. I am going to call Jack and Marilyn and make sure they can get every bit of damning information on Tara they can. Hell we'll get the 27 involved, both branches. I want to make Tara regret she even asked for custody!"
"Take it easy Ryo." Dee said. "Marilyn and Jack are doing all they can. Look we'll get all the papers together, see if Marilyn can bring in that baby doc who treated Grace when you first brought her in and all that other stuff. We'll do it babe, but lets not focus on that right now, okay? Let's just enjoy tonight with Grace."
Ryo nodded as he kissed Grace's head.
"What time did Marilyn say we have to bring Grace to Mother's?" Ryo asked.
Dee looked at the paper Marilyn gave him.
"10am."
"Good, plenty of time to spend with our little daughter."
Dee nodded as he took Grace from Ryo.
"Enough time to play Super Squirt!"
Dee lifted Grace up in the air and began flying her around the room. Grace began giggling her breathless giggles as Dee made flying and superman noises. Ryo wiped his eyes and laughed at his husband and baby.
"I hope she didn't just eat Dee." Ryo said.
That stopped Dee dead in his tracks.
"Yikes emergency landing!" Dee yelled as he brought Grace back down to his arms. Grace was smiling through her pacifier. Ryo smiled warmly even though he still had tears in his eyes. It was then the front door opened and in walked Bikky.
"Ryo, perv?" He said. "What are you guys doing here? I thought Witchy Melinda was here today."
"Oh Bikky." Ryo said as he tried to clean up his face. "Umm...we...decided to come home early."
Bikky wasn't buying it.
"What's wrong?" He asked suspiciously. "What's going on?"
Ryo looked at Dee who sighed.
"Sit down Bikky." Dee said. "We need to talk."
Bikky was a child of the streets. He had seen a lot of friends come out of foster homes or go back in. Kids come out of juvie wanting to go home and be with their parents only to find their parents didn't want them. Other time he had seen parents wanting their kids back or foster parents looking for a kid just for the welfare checks. So when Dee and Ryo sat him down and told him that Grace's mother was trying to fight for her baby, he really wasn't all that surprised.
"Hmmph." Bikky said. "What are we going to do?"
"We have a custody lawyer and a lot of people on our side helping us." Dee said. "We may need to have you testify that we are good parents for Grace Bikky. Would you be willing to do something like that? I mean I know you and I have our moments, but overall I really do love ya like a son and I do want to be a good dad to you too."
"I know ya do perve." Bikky said. "Don't worry. I'll testify. I want Grace to stay with us. I like having a little sister. And besides, I want that judge to see just because I got two queer dads doesn't mean I turned out bad and hell I'm a guy!"
Dee wanted to smack Bikky upside the head for calling them queer, but Ryo gave him a look that said let Bikky be Bikky.
"We would do the same for you Bikky had I not been able to have you in my custody as easily as I did. I was very glad when you told me you wanted me as your foster father. I can't replace your real father nor can Dee, but we try to be good ones as fathers go."
"Ya know Ryo." Bikky said quietly. "I never did tell ya this because I thought it would be all weird. But to be honest, I like you guys more than my real dad. I mean all he really cared about was selling the coke. He never did share a lot of the money he got. There would be a lot of times I had to fend for myself that's why I stole so much. Mom was the only one that really cared for me, but she died in a drive by when I was seven. After pop got capped and you took me in, you gave me a chance and except when bop me on the head for doing something stupid, you've always been really good to me. I want that judge to see that Grace has a chance too."
He turned to Dee.
"And yeah when you're not being an old dork, you're pretty cool. You take me to Bulls games and you cover my ass sometimes when I get in trouble and you give me advice. So you're okay when you're not pawing at Ryo."
Ryo reached over and hugged his son while Dee fumed for a bit.
"You never told me any of this Bikky." Ryo said. "You know you didn't have to keep it all to yourself."
"Didn't see a reason to." Bikky said. "I mean I was pretty adjusted to mom being dead and except for those bad nightmares after those cops made me identify pop's body I just didn't think it was necessary. But now I do and I'll tell the judge so also so he can see that you and Dee are good dads for Grace. So count me in, I'm ready to fight!"
Ryo smiled and hugged Bikky as the tears flowed. Meanwhile Dee reached over to patted Bikky's back.
"Thanks kid." Dee said. "But no fighting tonight, tonight is all about Grace."
Everyone turned to the little baby in Dee's arms. She was resting comfortably having watched all the commotion go on.
"Here Dee." Ryo said. "Put her on her play quilt, let's see how well she can hold her head up. She's at the time where she should be doing so."
Dee placed the baby on her belly. Ryo then took a toy rattle and placed it atop of Grace's head and shook it.
"Come on Gracie, look at daddy, look at the rattle!"
Dee and Bikky watched as Grace giggled and drooled and began moving her arms and legs.
"Come on, show daddy those pretty eyes!"
Grace gently lifted her head up to get a better look at the rattle!
"YEAAH THAT'S MY GIRL!!!" Ryo said with a smile. "Such a good baby!"
"SHE DID IT!" Dee said happily. "Our kid's a genius!"
They continued to play with the baby until it was dinnertime. Ryo fixed a quick meal for everyone while Dee fed her so he could try to keep his mind off of Grace having to go to Mother's. Two hours later Ryo and Dee were sitting in a warm bubble bath with Grace lying in Ryo's arms.
"That's my sweet girl." Ryo said as he wet down her back. Dee meanwhile stroked his husband's head. It was an intimate family moment.
Dee took a rubber ducky and showed to Grace and let it bob around in the water. Grace watched in wonder and tried to grab for it. Ryo chuckled and nuzzled his forehead under Dee's chin. The tears wanted to come but both Dee and Ryo did their best to stop them.
"I'm glad Bikky offered to pack her up." Ryo whispered. "I don't think I could have handled it."
"Shh...don't think about it." Dee said as he rubbed Ryo's shoulders with water. "Just relax and watch her. She's really having fun with us in the tub. We should do this more often."
Ryo nodded.
"We will." He said. "I know we will."
They went to bed after that. But instead of Grace sleeping in her crib, she slept in their bed between Ryo and Dee. Ryo stroked her head and Dee rubbed her belly as Ryo sang to her gently to put her to sleep. She was asleep within minutes but Dee and Ryo continued to stay awake, hoping time would pass slower then a snail. An hour later Bikky appeared with his pillow.
"Uh...I'm not getting enough heat in my room and the couch is too uncomfortable, mind if I bunk with you?"
Ryo nodded and Dee put out an arm to Bikky to give him a chance to snuggle up next to Grace. They knew all too well that Bikky was just as worried as they were. Also, Ryo had just had the heater fixed and Bikky had slept on the couch zillons of times, but Bikky had to be Bikky.
With the little family all tucked away in the king sized bed they fell into an uncomfortable sleep hoping tomorrow would never come.
