Dee and Ryo stood outside Mother Maria's Orphanage. For the first time in their lives, it was the one place they wish they weren't at. Grace was bundled up warmly in Dee's arms as a slight drizzle hit the pavement. Mother appeared at the door with a nicely dressed gentleman behind her.
"Oh my dear boys." She said sadly. "I wish there was something I could do."
Ryo sighed.
"You're doing enough Mother. Thank you for being the one to take care of Grace while we work this all out in court."
Mother turned to the man.
"This is Stan Reynolds." She said. "He is the social worker from ACS who will be overlooking the case. He had to be present to make sure the baby was brought here on time."
Stan smiled gently as they approached the two men.
"Here let me take that." Stan said noticing the bags Ryo was holding. They contained most of Grace's clothes and diapers and other baby needs along with a few toys and pictures of Ryo, Dee, and Bikky.
Ryo nodded and handed the straps to Stan as Dee clutched Grace closer.
"Do we really have to do this?" He asked. "I don't want to let her go."
Stan put his hand on Dee's shoulder.
"Yes Mr. Maclean-Laytner." He said. "I'm afraid so. Otherwise Grace would have to be shared with her biological mother until the ruling. Your lawyer has already informed me that you feel it unsafe for Grace to be with her mother, but unfortunately there has to be fair line drawn."
Dee wanted to argue, but Ryo rubbed his back.
"It's okay Dee." He whispered. "Like you said, better that she is staying with Grandma then Tara."
Dee bit his lip.
"Can we at least have a few minutes with her?" He asked. "Can we take her inside where it's warm?"
Stan nodded.
"Of course, but I will have to supervise as well as the guard and we can't allow you too much time."
Both men nodded and headed into the orphanage with the baby with Mother and the orphanage's security guard right behind them.
"I had the sisters take the babies out for a morning stroll in the park." She said. "So the nursery is all yours. Her crib is just where it was before."
"Thank you Mother." Dee whispered.
The walked into the nursery which was quiet and empty. Ryo and Dee walked around the nursery for a bit trying to stop their tears as they tried to make Grace smile. Then they reached her crib and Dee sat down in the rocking chair.
"Okay squirt." Dee said sniffling. "You're going to be staying at Grandma Penguin's for a little while. You're going to have a lot of fun and we promise we will call every night."
"We are going to miss you so much sweetheart." Ryo said as the tears fell from his eyes. Dee and his hands were each clasped together tightly as Dee held Grace. "But just know we love you very very much."
"Even more than the moon and stars and even Bikky on some occasions." Dee said.
Ryo stifled a laugh and a sob as Dee extended the baby to him.
"Oh my little angel." He said. "Now, you be a good girl and listen to everything Grandma says. And like Papa Dee said we will call you every night and talk to you, and even Bikky and Carol will too."
"Detectives." Stan said quietly. "I'm sorry but really I can't allow you anymore time."
Ryo quietly stifled another sob and kissed the top of Grace's forehead. Grace sensing Ryo's pain and the tears that were falling on her face began to fuss.
"I love you." Ryo whispered. "I love you my little girl."
Ryo handed her to Dee.
"Be good okay kid?" Dee said. "I love you so much."
Dee put Grace down in her crib just as she began to cry.
"Waaaahhhh."
"Oh no don't cry hunny." Ryo said tearfully. "Don't cry, it's okay." He badly wanted to reach down into the crib and take his little girl in his arms. Stan however came over.
"Here I'll take her." He said as he lifted her from the crib. "Thank you detectives for your cooperation. I can't imagine how this must make you feel, but I promise Grace will be well taken care of."
"Waaaaaaahhhhh,, hic, waaaaaaaahhh."
"God dammit can we hold her!" Dee asked. "She's crying, she wants us!"
Mother Maria came over.
"Dee, darling come with me." She said just as Ryo placed his arms across Dee's shoulders. The three quietly turned and left the room as the echos of the crying baby bounced off the walls and penetrated into Dee and Ryo's hearts."
They sat in the car after that. They had to leave the orphanage or else they would have to be escorted off the premises. Ryo pulled the car into a parking lot and the two sat there quiet and motionless.
"I feel sick." Dee finally said quietly. "That was the worst thing I ever experienced, and hell I'm a cop."
Ryo wrapped his arms around the stirring wheel.
"I know." He said. "I guess it really is different when it happens to your own family. All those times when I had to help ACS as a rookie take the kids away from a parent, I felt bad, but I countered it by saying the kid is better off. Shit, guess I was an idiot huh?"
Dee sighed.
"Do you still want to go to work today?" He asked. "I kind of would like to skip it. I don't think I can do it."
Ryo nodded.
"Neither can I. But I don't want to go home either. We still have most of the nursery and its going to hurt too much at the moment."
"I know, we can face it later." He said. "Look, why don't you and me just take the weekend and go away. Away from work, away from this custody mess. Just be fucking spontaneous and get the fuck out of here!"
Ryo looked at his husband.
"We can't do that Dee." Ryo said. "What about the case and Marilyn? What if something happens to Grace at the orphanage?"
Dee sighed.
"What the hell can we do?!" He yelled. "We can't see her! And Marilyn has our cellphone numbers and the hearing doesn't start till Weds. We already researched everything we could this morning because we both could hardly sleep. We faxed and emailed everyone everything before we left, there is not much more we can do."
Ryo was still silent, so Dee continued.
"Look, we'll drive around, get a hotel room and just chill. I have my laptop in car with the charger so we can still do our work to fight for Grace."
Ryo sighed.
"I don't know Dee. I just don't think we should."
"FUCK THINKING!" Dee yelled suddenly. "I just had the worst experience of my god-damn life and for all I know it can get worse! All I want right now is you. I just don't want to be at home where Grace's stuff still is or at work where I have to think about some other dead body. All I want right now is to lie in your arms and just forget this day ever happened."
Dee put his head in arms as he leaned into the dashboard. Ryo was speechless for a moment over Dee's sudden outburst, but was humbled when he heard the sounds of quiet sniffling. It was at that moment Ryo realized he loved his husband more than ever. Ryo thought he would be the one having outbursts and Dee trying to calm him down, but Dee had just proved how much he loved Grace and how much it hurt to see her go.
Ryo reached out and stroked Dee's dark locks.
"Ssshh...Dee." Ryo said with tears in his eyes as he leaned in. "Alright. Let's do it. Let's get the hell out of here."
Dee looked up.
"Really?" He asked.
Ryo smiled as the tears fell.
"Really." He said as he started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot.
