"That wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be." Rylan commented
absentmindedly. "It went kinda fast. It's actually never gone that fast
before, for anything. That could be good. . . or bad." A slight twinge of
panic surfaced in her voice. "What if that's bad? Should it have gone so
fast? It was only like thirty minutes. Usually it takes that long to get
through the formalities, sometimes longer. What if- - -"
"Ry, calm down. Everything went fine." Richie said, not so sure himself.
"I've just never been so nervous before in my life." She stood up. "Think about it, I'm waiting for some man I've never met before to decide my future for me. Whatever he says goes, that's it, end of story, period. I get no say." She started pacing the small room.
"Ry, calm down." Richie repeated.
"I'm sure everything will turn out for the best." Tessa assured her.
"Like I've never heard that before." She mumbled.
"You have to be positive, self-fulfilling prophesy." Richie said trying to calm her. The more nervous she got the more nervous he got.
She turned to him. "Is that how you did it?"
"Yup, and look at me now." He held out his arms with a wide grin.
"You're such a nerd." She laughed. The simple sound broke all the tension in the room.
"Maybe, but you gotta love me." He returned.
"I'll check the rule book and get back to you on that."
"You're right," Duncan whispered to Tessa. "they do deserve to be together, nobody else could handle them."
"He's so different around her." Tessa commented watching Richie and Rylan banter back and forth.
"He's more comfortable around her. I've be wondering when he would be comfortable enough around us to be himself."
"I have too. We worked so hard to get his to trust us and open up. And the whole time the answer was right under our noses."
"And in his bed." Duncan added. Tessa stifled a giggle.
"What are you laughing about?" Richie demanded.
"Nothing." Duncan answered with a smile.
"So in other words, you were talking about us?"
"Yes." Tessa answered.
"At least they're honest." Rylan said to Richie.
"We're hoping it might rub off on you." Duncan retorted.
"Hey, I'm honest. . . most of the time."
"You forget, I've seen you record."
"You've only known me a couple of weeks, there's no way you've read the whole thing."
"I've had a lot of sleepless nights."
. . . . . .
Richie squeezed Rylan's hand. "This is it." He whispered.
Judge Baker cleared his throat. "I must admit, I very rarely have so much to consider in a single case. And I can honestly say I have never seen two people so determined to gain custody of someone they barely know. But I have reviewed everything and made my decisions." Duncan patted Rylan's knee and smiled at her. "First I have determined Mr. Douglas to be at fault for the majority of the injuries Ms. Fisher sustained on January 13. And he will be sentenced accordingly after a formal trial for which Ms. Fisher will have to be present. That's the good news." He paused. "I'm afraid I don't feel Ms. Fisher has the capability to both finish school and support herself, so I can not grant the petition for emancipation from the state. And as much as you seem to want it I can not let two un-married people adopt. There is a law preventing it. But, after reviewing both Ms. Fisher and Mr. Ryan's records I couldn't help but notice the change that came over both of them while in your care. The positive effect of your guidance is evident even in the short while Ms. Fisher has been with you. It is even more evident with Mr. Ryan, whom I have seen on multiple occasions over the years." He looked at Richie over the rim of his glasses.
"I thought you looked familiar." Richie said sheepishly.
"So, I have decided to grant temporary custody of Ms. Rylan Fisher to whomever wishes to sign. So if one of you will just volunteer, you can sign a few papers and go home." He finished with a smile.
"I'll do it!" Tessa immediately answered. "That is, if it's okay with you." She added. Rylan opened her mouth, but all that came out was a surprised laugh followed by a small squeak.
"That's Rylan for 'of course it's okay with me'." Richie translated.
"Yeah," Rylan nodded "what he said."
"Ms. Noel, if you'll just come with me, we'll get all the legal stuff out of the way." The judge led Tessa into the back office.
. . . . . .
Richie and Rylan followed Duncan and Tessa toward the car.
"I don't know who's more excited, you or Tessa." Richie commented. Rylan stopped and looked at him. "What?" He asked. She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the cheek. Richie blushed and looked down at her. "What was that for?"
"I never got the chance to thank you properly." She answered, blushing herself once she realized Duncan and Tessa were watching them.
"For what?"
"For breaking the rules. What I owe you is so close to my life it's scary. But I owe you, big."
"Hopefully you won't get the chance to pay me back." Richie said hugging her. "But I'd do it again in a heart beat. You mean too much." He whispered in her ear. She smiled a sauntered to the car with an exaggerated swing in her hips. Richie followed behind with a grin shaking his head. Before he could climb into the back seat Duncan stopped him.
"Richie, what was she talking about?" He asked.
"The rules." Richie answered. "It takes five minutes to learn them, but it takes a lot longer to forget them. And even longer to realize that the only way to help is to break rule number one."
"What's rule number one?"
"Never tell." A smile slowly appeared on Richie's face. "But hey, you know me, I've never been into following the rules. This is just the first time the consequence was positive. . . What a conundrum." He added just loud enough for Duncan to hear as he settled next to Rylan.
"Did you just say the positive consequence was a conundrum?" Duncan asked confusedly.
Richie laughed. "The more you buy into stereotypes the more confused I'll make you. Just be patient, I'll make sense to you eventually."
The End.
Coming soon to a computer near you "The Dangers of Holy Ground".
"Ry, calm down. Everything went fine." Richie said, not so sure himself.
"I've just never been so nervous before in my life." She stood up. "Think about it, I'm waiting for some man I've never met before to decide my future for me. Whatever he says goes, that's it, end of story, period. I get no say." She started pacing the small room.
"Ry, calm down." Richie repeated.
"I'm sure everything will turn out for the best." Tessa assured her.
"Like I've never heard that before." She mumbled.
"You have to be positive, self-fulfilling prophesy." Richie said trying to calm her. The more nervous she got the more nervous he got.
She turned to him. "Is that how you did it?"
"Yup, and look at me now." He held out his arms with a wide grin.
"You're such a nerd." She laughed. The simple sound broke all the tension in the room.
"Maybe, but you gotta love me." He returned.
"I'll check the rule book and get back to you on that."
"You're right," Duncan whispered to Tessa. "they do deserve to be together, nobody else could handle them."
"He's so different around her." Tessa commented watching Richie and Rylan banter back and forth.
"He's more comfortable around her. I've be wondering when he would be comfortable enough around us to be himself."
"I have too. We worked so hard to get his to trust us and open up. And the whole time the answer was right under our noses."
"And in his bed." Duncan added. Tessa stifled a giggle.
"What are you laughing about?" Richie demanded.
"Nothing." Duncan answered with a smile.
"So in other words, you were talking about us?"
"Yes." Tessa answered.
"At least they're honest." Rylan said to Richie.
"We're hoping it might rub off on you." Duncan retorted.
"Hey, I'm honest. . . most of the time."
"You forget, I've seen you record."
"You've only known me a couple of weeks, there's no way you've read the whole thing."
"I've had a lot of sleepless nights."
. . . . . .
Richie squeezed Rylan's hand. "This is it." He whispered.
Judge Baker cleared his throat. "I must admit, I very rarely have so much to consider in a single case. And I can honestly say I have never seen two people so determined to gain custody of someone they barely know. But I have reviewed everything and made my decisions." Duncan patted Rylan's knee and smiled at her. "First I have determined Mr. Douglas to be at fault for the majority of the injuries Ms. Fisher sustained on January 13. And he will be sentenced accordingly after a formal trial for which Ms. Fisher will have to be present. That's the good news." He paused. "I'm afraid I don't feel Ms. Fisher has the capability to both finish school and support herself, so I can not grant the petition for emancipation from the state. And as much as you seem to want it I can not let two un-married people adopt. There is a law preventing it. But, after reviewing both Ms. Fisher and Mr. Ryan's records I couldn't help but notice the change that came over both of them while in your care. The positive effect of your guidance is evident even in the short while Ms. Fisher has been with you. It is even more evident with Mr. Ryan, whom I have seen on multiple occasions over the years." He looked at Richie over the rim of his glasses.
"I thought you looked familiar." Richie said sheepishly.
"So, I have decided to grant temporary custody of Ms. Rylan Fisher to whomever wishes to sign. So if one of you will just volunteer, you can sign a few papers and go home." He finished with a smile.
"I'll do it!" Tessa immediately answered. "That is, if it's okay with you." She added. Rylan opened her mouth, but all that came out was a surprised laugh followed by a small squeak.
"That's Rylan for 'of course it's okay with me'." Richie translated.
"Yeah," Rylan nodded "what he said."
"Ms. Noel, if you'll just come with me, we'll get all the legal stuff out of the way." The judge led Tessa into the back office.
. . . . . .
Richie and Rylan followed Duncan and Tessa toward the car.
"I don't know who's more excited, you or Tessa." Richie commented. Rylan stopped and looked at him. "What?" He asked. She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the cheek. Richie blushed and looked down at her. "What was that for?"
"I never got the chance to thank you properly." She answered, blushing herself once she realized Duncan and Tessa were watching them.
"For what?"
"For breaking the rules. What I owe you is so close to my life it's scary. But I owe you, big."
"Hopefully you won't get the chance to pay me back." Richie said hugging her. "But I'd do it again in a heart beat. You mean too much." He whispered in her ear. She smiled a sauntered to the car with an exaggerated swing in her hips. Richie followed behind with a grin shaking his head. Before he could climb into the back seat Duncan stopped him.
"Richie, what was she talking about?" He asked.
"The rules." Richie answered. "It takes five minutes to learn them, but it takes a lot longer to forget them. And even longer to realize that the only way to help is to break rule number one."
"What's rule number one?"
"Never tell." A smile slowly appeared on Richie's face. "But hey, you know me, I've never been into following the rules. This is just the first time the consequence was positive. . . What a conundrum." He added just loud enough for Duncan to hear as he settled next to Rylan.
"Did you just say the positive consequence was a conundrum?" Duncan asked confusedly.
Richie laughed. "The more you buy into stereotypes the more confused I'll make you. Just be patient, I'll make sense to you eventually."
The End.
Coming soon to a computer near you "The Dangers of Holy Ground".