A/N: Hey, as usual, I am sorry for the delay. Life has seriously gotten in the way, and this chapter wasn't the easiest to write. But, the Klaus/Caroline reunion on the Originals has inspired me.
"Grayson, you be a good boy for April, okay?" she told him before kissing his forehead and running her fingers through his hair. "I love you," she cooed.
He was sitting on the floor playing with some colourful stackable cups, seemingly unconcerned by her imminent departure. Every day he was becoming more and more independent.
She stood up, running her palms over her muted grey knee length skirt to straighten it out.
"There's yogurt and some fruit and veggies in the fridge for him to have at lunch if I'm not back before then," she explained to April who was staring out the living room window.
April was quiet.
"April?" she queried, wondering what had captured April's attention.
"Is that your landscaper?" April asked curiously, glancing at her over her shoulder but quickly returning her focus to the window.
"He's done a little bit of everything," she replied, indirectly answering April's question.
April arched her eyebrow suggestively.
She rolled her eyes and shook her head with a scoff.
"…Landscaping, a few repairs, he's going to paint the front porch this week," she explained. "I'm helpless when it comes to that stuff and I have zero time, but it needs to get done if we're going to sell this place," she reasoned, motioning her head towards the for sale sign in the front yard.
April nodded understandingly.
"How does he have the time? Doesn't he own the Grill?" April questioned.
She shrugged, not having given it much thought since Matt had first offered to give her a hand a few weeks ago when she had been out in the front yard struggling to get the lawn mower started.
"I guess business is going well. He can afford to hire people to help him out. He does this stuff in his spare time. He enjoys it, he says," she answered simply.
"Or maybe he just enjoys doing it for you," April snickered with a wink.
"I pay him to do it," she said in her own defence and to counter any suggestion by April that Matt had ulterior motives. "Anyways, I need to get going. Stefan's going to be here any second to pick me up," she said hurriedly, purposely trying to change the subject.
April gave her a knowing look.
"Well, I think I'll just sip my ice cap and enjoy the scenery while you're gone," April concluded giddily, still gazing out the window.
Matt was unloading some painting supplies from his truck oblivious to April, the peeping tom, who was watching him through the window.
"You're supposed to be watching Grayson," she reminded April. "Don't let him out of your sight; he's a speedy ninja crawler," she warned, thinking back to how she had lost him behind the sofa earlier in the week.
She waved to Grayson as she picked up her purse and the messenger bag that contained her copy of the court file with a quiet sigh.
As she stepped out onto the front porch, she was reminded of how truly hot it was outside. She hoped her white blouse could withstand the sweat she could already feel accumulating from her anxiety, and now the heat outside.
Matt was now busily removing the furniture from the porch and placing it out on the lawn. His arm muscles were tensed under the sleeves of his white t-shirt and his golden hair was highlighted by the morning July sun.
It was hypocritical of her to criticize April for staring at Matt when she had caught herself doing the exact same thing – on more than one occasion – despite having sworn off men for the remainder of her life the month previous.
Looking was harmless, she reassured herself.
"Caroline," he greeted her as he set down a wicker chair.
"Good morning, Matt," she replied politely, trying to ignore the way his eyes looked her over.
"Headed somewhere important?" he asked her curiously, obviously referring to her business-like attire.
She hesitated for a moment, though he was aware of the circumstances by which Grayson had come into the care of her and Klaus. Given how quickly gossip spread in this town, she wouldn't be surprised if he knew a lot more than she thought he did.
"Court appearance today for Grayson," she explained vaguely.
"Aren't you already Grayson's guardian?" he wondered with genuine surprise. "I didn't how complicated the process was."
She nodded, knowing all too well how complicated the process could be.
"It becomes even more complicated when the child's horrible paternal grandparents interfere and contest their deceased son's wishes," she complained.
This whole thing could have been resolved by now if Mikael and Esther hadn't become involved.
Matt gave her a sympathetic look.
"Wow, that does sound complicated," he agreed.
"Trust me, that only begins to describe the situation," she explained to him as her eyes scanned the street for any sign of Stefan's car. She didn't want to be late.
"Sounds like Grayson is really lucky to have you in his corner," Matt concluded reassuringly.
She smiled appreciatively, her attention diverted from Matt as Stefan's black car pulled up to the curb in front of the house.
"Thanks for taking care of the porch today. I meant to have a cheque for you today but it completely slipped my mind," she apologized to Matt, inching down the front walkway towards Stefan's waiting car.
Matt shrugged.
"I know you're good for it. I also know where you live," he smirked nodding back towards Elijah and Elena's house. "Good luck today. I hope it goes well," he added.
She nodded as she turned for the curb.
"Caroline?" Matt said, catching her attention once more.
"Yes?" she asked curiously.
"I know we don't know each other well, but if you ever wanna talk, you're more than welcome to swing by the Grill sometime. Or if you ever need a drink to take the edge off…we have a fully stocked bar," he said jokingly.
While his offer raised red flags, she felt like he was being sincere, in part.
"Well, only if the drinks are on you," she humoured him, not wanting to be unnecessarily rude to him.
Her legs were shaking from under her as she stood for the judge's entrance. Though Stefan was standing beside her, she was still unbelievably nervous.
Mikael and Esther were both standing on the other side of the podium to her left. There was no lawyer accompanying them. It appeared Mikael had chosen to represent them, though he practiced primarily corporate law, from what she understood. Neither Mikael nor Esther had spoken to her or Stefan before they were called into the courtroom - though it's not like they had left much time having arrived barely five minutes prior to being paged.
The elderly and greying judge was swimming in his formal black flowing robes. He looked old enough to be her great grandfather. She was sure he might die right on the bench in front of them. Stefan liked to refer to these judges, who refused to retire, as dinosaurs or fossils. She tried not to smirk as she thought back to his earlier comment.
"You may be seated," the judge instructed, peering at them over his glasses.
They all sat down and Stefan began rearranging the paperwork he had sat out in front of them before the judge had entered the court.
"What brings you folks here today?" the judge began. His question made her wonder if he had even looked at the file or if it was simply a question to open up the conference. She grew even more nervous. "Mr. Mikaelson?" the judge asked. As the Applicant, Stefan did say that Mikael and Esther may be asked to speak first.
Mikael stood to approach the podium in order to speak, but the judge interrupted him.
"Mr. Mikaelson, this is a conference, you do not need to stand," the judge corrected him.
She couldn't help but smirk at the judge's correction. She was sure that was not something Mikael Mikaelson was accustomed to.
Mikael sat back down and cleared his throat as he prepared to speak.
"Your Honour, this is an application for custody of Grayson James Mikaelson. We are his paternal grandparents. His parents, Elijah and Elena Mikaelson, are recently deceased," Mikael explained.
The judge frowned sympathetically as he turned to look at her and Stefan.
"Mr. Salvatore…" the judge trailed off, waiting for Stefan to pick up where Mikael had left off.
"Your Honour, I represent Caroline Forbes and Klaus Mikaelson. They are both named in the Wills of Elijah and Elena Mikaelson as their Estate Trustees and guardians of their son, Grayson James Mikaelson. For the last several months since their passing, Grayson has been residing with the Respondents at the former residence of Elijah and Elena Mikaelson while they administer their estates. Prior to the application by Mikael and Esther Mikaelson, the Respondents were in the process of formalizing their guardianship and custody of Grayson. That application was suspended upon the initiation of this proceeding," Stefan elaborated.
The judge looked down at the paperwork in front of him pensively, obviously processing what Stefan had explained to him.
"What is the relationship of the Respondents' to the deceased parents, Mr. Salvatore?" the judge questioned.
"Klaus Mikaelson is brother to Elijah Mikaelson, the deceased father. Caroline Forbes is the close childhood friend of Elena Mikaelson," Stefan answered.
The judge looked up from his bench curiously.
"And what is the relationship of the Respondents to one another?" the judge inquired.
Stefan hesitated briefly, knowing the judge's question went straight to the weakness of their position.
"Your Honour, the Respondents are former romantic partners. They are no longer together romantically, but remain friends and committed to co-parenting Grayson Mikaelson in light of the tragic circumstances surrounding his parents, their close relationship with his parents, and his parents' expressed wishes. Should they be awarded custody in this matter they have already worked out a parenting plan between the two of them," Stefan responded, trying to brush over the less flattering aspect of their case.
Despite Stefan's efforts, it was obvious that the judge was dismayed by the details. The non-traditional arrangement had likely offended his more traditional values about what a family should be and the best interests of the children – the governing principle of every child custody case.
"And where is Mr. Mikaelson today, Mr. Salvatore?" the judge proceeded, obviously having noticed Klaus's absence from the courtroom.
She could hear Mikael snort scathingly under his breath. The judge had not heard. Had she been in Mikael's shoes, she may have reacted similarly. Klaus was supposed to have been here today.
"Your Honour, I apologize for my client's absence today. However, he has strict commitments related to his employment that he is attending to in New York City, and so, he could not be here today for the Case Conference. As this is a preliminary Conference, it was not expected that any substantive settlement discussions would arise today, but he is accessible by telephone if necessary," Stefan advised the judge.
The judge glanced up from his bench with an unimpressed look on his face.
"It is true that these initial conferences are reserved mainly for procedural issues. However, perhaps, Mr. Salvatore, you have forgotten the Rules of the Family Court which require all parties to be in attendance for Conferences unless the Court orders otherwise. Mr. Mikaelson could have easily attended the Conference by teleconference with prior approval of the Court," the judge pointed out sternly.
She sighed disappointedly. This was not Stefan's fault. She felt badly that the judge was scolding him. Klaus should have been here.
"Your Honour, again, I apologize for my client's absence," Stefan said quickly, clearly embarrassed by the judge's comments.
They all sat silently as the judge reviewed the materials at his bench silently.
"Well, considering that neither the Applicants nor the Respondents are seeking child support against the other in the event that they are successful, there is no need for any procedural orders related to financial disclosure. And, given the very young age of the child , there is really no use for an order seeking the appointment of a children's lawyer or clinician to determine the views and preferences of the child. There really is not much for me to do here procedurally," the judge concluded.
More silence followed the judge's comments as he clasped his hands together pensively.
"The circumstances of this case are very tragic. This child does not need to experience any further tragedy or conflict. I would strongly encourage all parties in this matter to put aside their differences and work collaboratively towards a settlement that encourages the child's continued relationship with all involved to the extent that it may be in his best interests. Both parents of this child are deceased and he is not even yet one year old. He needs his extended family – blood related or otherwise," the judge paused and glanced at her directly, "now more than ever," the judge emphasized. "Obviously my comments are made with limited information, having only very briefly glanced at your materials, but my role is to encourage settlement. Should this proceed to a hearing, it will be the hearing judge that will consider your evidence," the judge added. "Keep that in mind. The opportunity to craft a settlement that works best for all parties and the child is now. Otherwise, you will be left with whatever arrangement the hearing judge believes is best to order," the judge cautioned. "It will also save you precious financial resources that could be better used towards the upbringing of the child, of course," the judge advised practically.
She and Stefan both nodded in understanding.
"Of course, your Honour," Mikael responded to the judge submissively.
She did her best to avoid cringing out of disgust.
Mikael or Esther would never settle for anything less than what they were seeking. To be honest, she wasn't sure if she would be able to compromise either. Elijah and Elena were clear – they wanted Grayson to have very minimal contact, if any, with Esther and Mikael. She did not want to back down from defending their wishes, and she did not think Klaus would either.
"Mr. Mikaelson, while I understand that you are a respected corporate lawyer, having practiced both here in the U.S. and the U.K., I would strongly recommend that you and Mrs. Mikaelson seek legal counsel from a family lawyer in this jurisdiction to assist you in this matter," the judge noted.
"Thank you for your practical advice, your Honour," Mikael managed to say.
She wasn't sure she had ever heard Mikael say thank you for anything to anyone before.
"With that said, I think the next best step is to schedule the Settlement Conference in this matter," the judge concluded.
She released a long exhale as she and Stefan exited the courtroom in silence and headed towards the elevators.
"Thank god that's over," she said, feeling only partially relieved as she knew there was more to come.
Stefan nodded in agreement as they waited for the elevator.
"Yeah, it went pretty much as I expected it to go," Stefan commented indifferently. "Nothing really substantive usually happens at the initial appearance," he reminded her. "And considering Klaus wasn't here…" he trailed off with a frustrated tone.
"Neither of us could force Klaus to be here," she said disappointedly.
Stefan sighed, clearly as annoyed with Klaus as she was.
"Well, I hope we will see Niklaus at the Settlement Conference," she heard Mikael interrupt from behind them.
Both she and Stefan turned to find Mikael's cold eyes staring at them smugly. Esther remained behind him, silent and passive.
She frowned, wishing they could have avoided any interaction with Mikael or Esther before they left.
"If Niklaus fails to show, Esther and I will have no choice but to seek costs for that Conference," Mikael appeared to threaten Stefan. "And at that point, I'd say you probably don't have much of a case, Ms. Forbes," he noted. "Isn't that right?" he suggested, turning his focus towards Stefan.
"Klaus fully intends to be at the Settlement Conference," Stefan said to Mikael flatly, obviously as annoyed with Mikael as she was.
"Good," Mikael said simply. "Maybe you can remind him when you see him this weekend. I understand you're headed to New York for your bachelor weekend," he added with a judgmental tone.
"I plan to," Stefan responded through a clenched jaw.
A/N: I am sure you can guess where the next chapter is heading... Thanks for reading and sticking around!