Prompto had never been to court before. In fact he barely knew anything about court outside of what he had seen briefly in the news. His biggest point of reference for how a court possibly worked all came from movies and tv shows. But a lot of those usually were dramas with murder cases, completely different than a custody case.
All he could do was sit quietly and let Ignis do most of the talking. He knew just how to phrase things and helped show how well fit Prompto was for a parent for Scarlet compared to her actual parents. The entire time in the courtroom they barely spoke, only speaking when asked and even then they answered in short sentences.
Prompto tried his hardest to ignore them. They weren't qualified to be parents. They were uncaring and irresponsible, and it clearly showed from how they acted. Prompto on the other hand tried his best to prove his point when the judge had to ask him questions. He made sure to remember what Ignis had told him, and also made sure not to ramble too much. But he put passion into his words, explaining every bit that he had to prove he was fit to be a parent.
Before he realized it, hours had passed, diving deeper into the specifications. The judges mulled over the information that they now had, and all Prompto could do was wait. He had to wait and hear the verdict to see what would happen next.
"It still isn't that simple," Ignis told him as they drove home. "This case will most likely take more than just one day, even if we have the evidence to prove you are the better choice of a guardian for Scarlet. It may just be one more day or it may be a few. It isn't certain."
"Yeah, but I just want it over now! It's going to stress me out if it goes on too long. I don't want to lose her."
"And you won't. We will be the ones to succeed here," Ignis reassured him.
Prompto accepted that reassurance. He let the caring and determined thoughts into his own mind, trying to convince all of the disbelieving ones.
"Right. We'll win this, and then we can have a big adoption party when we're done."
"I believe that sounds quite lovely. I'm sure everyone would enjoy it."
"Yeah, but, uh, you don't think it'll go on for a lot longer? Noct and I still wanna go to that Assassin's Creed convention at the end of the month. I even got some cute little costumes from the costume store in town for Scarlet to wear."
""I'm sure we will be finished long before that time. You, Noct, and Scarlet will get to have your fun at this convention."
Grinning, Prompto could already imagine it in his head. It was enough to help keep him content while he waited to get through the rest of the long trails.
"Great! But right now I want to get back to my baby! She probably misses me!"
As Ignis turned a corner, he smiled. "I can only go as fast as the speed limit allows. But, you know we will be back before long."
"I know, but I miss her so badly!"
"Words of a true father," Ignis smiled.
"And don't forget it!"
When Prompto was back in the Citadel, he ran ahead of Ignis, taking the first elevator up to his floor. Halfway down the hall, he could already hear the whines and cries of Scarlet. It made his heart ache, not knowing what was causing her to cry so loudly.
Entering the room, he saw that one of the nannies was carrying Scarlet, trying to sooth her and she sobbed.
"Uh, is everything okay?"
The nanny, Clara, turned and faced Prompto. "Ah, Mr. Argentum. Welcome home. I'm sorry you had to come back to Scarlet being so cranky. It seems she may be teething again."
"Huh? Teething?"
Prompto already knew that Scarlet knew that Scarlet already had her bottom two front teeth. He had wondered for a while when the other teeth would come in. There had been thoughts to look it up and do some research, but with everything that had happened as of late, he had pushed it to the back.
"Yes, teething," Clara responded. "Aside from swollen gums, other common symptoms are usually having the baby put their fingers in their mouths, or touching their ears and cheeks. And she has been fussing all morning and afternoon like this."
"Aw, poor baby," Prompto said as he stepped closer so he could pat Scarlet's head.
Though she was still sobbing, she turned her attention to Prompto and started to reach out towards him. Clara smiled at the sight and let Prompto take Scarlet back into his arms.
He held her closer, kissing her forehead. "So, you are getting more teeth, huh, Scarlet? Your widdle teeth coming in but they're being rude and hurting you? Don't worry, you'll get through this. I'll make sure you can be happy again."
Scarlet quieted down a little, and Prompto started to wipe away her tears.
"So, what can I do about it? There's gotta be something, right?"
Clara nodded. "A cold pacifier may help cool the mouth, but you may also choose to wash her face with a cold washcloth. If it is causing her so much pain that she is barely getting sleep, I would recommend talking to the Citadel doctor. They could give the right dose of some children's pain reliever medicine."
"Wow, that's a lot to take in. But you are a lifesaver, Clara! You always seem to know what to do!"
The nanny hummed cheerfully. "Well, I do have my experience. I've raised my own children, and helped when the young prince was this age."
"Still, I give you all my thanks! And now I gotta tend to my little one, help her feel better so she can get some sleep," Prompto said as he cradled Scarlet's head close to his.
It only took a few minutes before Scarlet started to fuss again. Seeing her crying was so heartbreaking, even if he knew now that it was an inevitable side effect of teething. But Prompto was still determined to try and do everything that he could to help. If he could calm her down, even if it was only 10 minutes, it would be at least something.
The night was rougher than he thought though, Scarlet had trouble sleeping, waking up quite often. Thankfully, with the help of Clara and the other nannies, they were able to prove Scarlet with as much comfort they could give.
He wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep, but he knew it was much later into the night than he would have expected. By morning he was groggy, but managed to pull himself out of bed, preparing for whatever the day could bring him.
As he was eating breakfast, Ignis opened the door, stepping in. "Good morning, Prompto. How are you this morning?"
"Tired. Scarlet's teething again. Must be the top teeth or something. But who knew that teething could hurt!"
"It is one of the strange mysteries of life," Ignis chuckled. "Will you be ready for court this afternoon? It resumes the same time as yesterday."
"Oh shoot, yeah… that would make sense. I'll be ready, probably just need a little coffee before we go and stuff. Otherwise I could fall asleep."
"Do whatever it is you need to do. I'll be ready when you are," Ignis replied.
"Yeah, I'll be ready. Another day of debates and questions, right?"
Ignis nodded. "Indeed. But I will keep reassuring you that you will do just fine."
"I know you keep telling me, and I keep trying to remember. I just really want it to be over already."
Prompto felt Ignis place a hand on his shoulder. The simple gesture was enough to let his body relax a little. "You will make it though this, Prompto. And before long, this whole ordeal will be long in the past."
"Thanks, Iggy. You always know what to say."
"Of course, I am always here to help."
Moments later, the door opened again and Iris ran in with Gladio following behind. The young 12-year-old girl ran up to Prompto with an excited gleam in her eye. It wasn't to guess what she was about to ask or say next, Prompto already had a good feeling what it would be.
"Hi, Prompto!"
"Hey, Iris, what's up?"
"Can I see the baby? Please? I'll be really good and hold her sitting on the couch!"
Behind her, Gladio was shrugging. "Couldn't stop her from tagging along."
"Hey, it's okay. Scarlet should be waking up some time soon. Though, I can't guarantee if she will cooperate," Prompto commented as he stood up. "She's been cranky with teething."
Iris sighed. "Aw, poor Scarlet. But can I try holding her? Pretty please?"
Prompto laughed. "Of course you can. Go and sit on the couch."
Iris ran over happily, getting herself situated while Prompto headed into the bedroom. He found Scarlet sleepily opening her eyes, rubbing them a little before she smiled.
"Aw, there's my little girl. Are you feeling better today?" Prompto asked as he scooped her into his arms.
Scarlet babbled as she grabbed Prompto's shirt, holding on tightly. Prompto couldn't deny that it was adorable how easy she clung onto things. He knew that it was expected for a baby of her age, but he still felt immense proudness in his chest when he saw her perform these simple tasks.
With a new smile on Prompto's face, he brought her out into the main room and set her down in Iris's lap.
"Hi Scarlet!" Iris said happily.
Scarlet squealed, reaching forward to try and grab Iris's hair.
Prompto snapped a few pictures of the moment, just another for the collection. He knew sooner or later he was going to run out of space on his phone. He was really going to have to think about transferring them to the computer so he could get them on a hard drive.
"It is nice to know how friendly she is," Gladio commented.
"What do you mean?" Prompto asked as he put his phone away.
"There's many babies who are quite hesitant towards strangers, with most wanting only their mother's," Ignis explained. "Scarlet is rather open to others around her, seemingly enjoying the company of whomever is holding her."
Prompto looked over again as Scarlet giggled from Iris's funny faces. "Yeah, you're right. But that helps make things a little easier for me. It would be pretty awful if she was scared of me or something."
Gladio gave Prompto a nudge. "Maybe it just means you are a really approachable guy."
"I do what I can!" Prompto declared.
A few hours later Ignis told Prompto that it was time to head out to the courthouse. With a heavy sigh, Prompto hugged Scarlet goodbye and went along to the car.
He kept repeating calming thoughts in his head as they approached. All he had to do was get through this once again, and everything would be okay. It was just another day to prove that he was fit to be a parent. Another day to prove that Scarlet's old parents weren't fit, for parenthood, and that Prompto deserved to raise the sweet little girl.
When he was asked to give another testimony, he cleared his mind of all negative thoughts and spoke truthfully from the heart. He expressed his deepest thoughts and desires for his reasoning. He gave it his all, telling the judges everything that he had to offer for Scarlet, and everything he would continue to do for her.
A few hours into the trial, the judges stepped away to make their decisions. It only took a few minutes before the return and the head judge stood up from his podium.
"We have come to the conclusion, with the information at hand, that the Roselin's have been deemed unfit as parents. Therefore we have come to the decision to remove their rights as her legal guardian."
Breathing out with relief, Prompto looked over at Scarlet's parents. They gave disgruntled 'hmphs' but chose not to say anything else. Whatever it was they were thinking, Prompto wouldn't have wanted to hear it anyway. He just wanted them gone and out of his sight forever.
"And as for Mr Argentum," the judge said as he turned towards Prompto.
Straightening up, Prompto felt every part of his body freezing. Muscles tightened, and fingers clenched up. His heart raced, beating so loudly he was sure that everyone in the room could hear the beats echoing off the walls.
"Though you are young, Mr Scientia has given us substantial information to show that you are responsible. Along with your determination in your testimonies, we concur that you are suitable to be Scarlet's legal guardian."
While it felt like Prompto's heart dropped out of his chest, he knew it was all for good reason. There was no way he had misheard the judge. He was deemed suitable to be Scarlet's parents. He was going to be given legal guardianship to raise her and no one could take it away from him.
"T-thank you," he said softly. "I'll do my best."
When the papers were signed, Prompto's hands were shaking so bad he feared he would screw up his own signature. But somehow he managed to keep it clean, and then it was done. His name was on the papers stating he was the one who could raise Scarlet, and thus meant she was now Scarlet Argentum. Ignis informed him it would take a few days for all the documents to be legally changed in his name, but Prompto could wait on that.
All he wanted to do now was run home and hug his little girl.
He would have run all the way back to the Citadel if he could, even if it was a little far, he totally would have done it if Ignis and Gladio hadn't stopped him. Even if he was stirring with elevated emotions, Ignis wasn't about to let him run home, and honestly it was probably for the best.
By the time they got back to the Citadel, Prompto's legs were already shaky, so much energy mixed in with nervous excitement made them feel like jelly. With them feeling that weak, taking the stairs was out of the options, which left him waiting impatiently for the elevator.
He ran inside when the doors opened, he ran inside and jammed his finger against the button that would take him to his floor.
The doors never seemed to close fast enough, even when he was spamming the 'close doors' button.
When the elevator did open up to his floor, he barreled out of it and ran into his room. He found Scarlet sitting on a blanket, with toys all around her and in her hands.
Without saying a word, he scooped her up into his arms, holding her closer. Now with her in his arms, his breathing finally could slow down and attempt to level out.
"Oh Scarlet, my little strawberry. You're mine now. You're going to be my little girl."
He didn't resist the tears in his eyes. He'd let them all out and wouldn't care one way or another who saw it. It made no difference to him, not when it came to Scarlet.
He pressed a light kiss to her forehead, holding her little body closer to his.
"We're going to have the best time together. And I promise I'll never abandon you. I'll keep you safe, and give you everything. It's cause I love you, Scarlet, I seriously do. And I'll show you it every step of the way."