Chapter 12
Helena paced back and forth in the hall outside the courtroom. Their appointment with the judge was for three, but they had been waiting out in the hallway for over an hour and still had not been called in. Helena, not much on patience, was growing restless.
Dinah stood leaning against the wall. She tried to suppress a grin as Helena passed her for the thousandth time.
Helena looked what. "What's so funny?" she asked suspiciously.
Dinah pressed her lips together. "Nothing," she said quickly. Helena started pacing again. "It's just that I've never seen you dress like that before."
Helena stopped dead in her tracks. "What's that supposed to mean?" Helena looked down at her new clothes. The dress slacks weren't that bad, but the scratchy sweater was driving her insane. And the high heels? It had taken her hours of practice to learn to walk in these things, let alone kick ass should the situation arise. Dinah was right; this outfit was definitely not her style, but her lawyer had suggested a more suitable attire for the meeting. She had to look the part of a responsible adult if things were to go their way. Helena shook her head and smiled. "Yeah, it is a far cry from my usual, isn't it?" She looked at her watch and frowned. "What is taking so long?" She began her pacing again.
Five minutes later Mr. Ponte walked up. "Helena, I'm sorry I'm late," he said, slightly out of breath.
Helena stopped pacing for the moment. "It's about time. Not that it matters. We've been waiting for over an hour. What is taking so long?"
"That is why I was late actually. Our meeting has been moved upstairs since the Redmonds aren't coming. I assume you know nothing about that, right?" Mr. Ponte asked sarcastically.
Helena shrugged innocently, "First I've heard of it."
Mr. Ponte stared at Helena for a second, then shrugged his shoulders and turned around. "Follow me."
Helena and Dinah followed Mr. Ponte up the stairs and down the hall to a small room. He opened the door and allowed the girls to enter. The room contained only a large rectangular table with chairs lining each side. There was a pitcher of water in the center surrounded by several glasses. Helena and Dinah sat down on the right side of the table. Mr. Ponte sat next to them. They waited. The glass in front of Helena began to rattle. She turned to Dinah who was slowly messaging her temple. Helena grabbed the glass and began pouring some water into it before Mr. Ponte noticed. Helena pushed the glass toward Dinah.
"You okay?" she whispered, offering the water to Dinah.
"Yeah, just a headache. From lack of sleep, probably." She took the water Helena offered and took a sip.
Just then, the door on the opposite side of the room opened. They all stood up as a man in a judge's robe entered in and sat at the head of the table.
Helena sat back down. What was the judge's name again? Hammers? No that wasn't it. Hammonds. Yes, that was it. Judge Hammonds.
Judge Hammonds opened his folders and glanced over them. "Mr. Ponte, I assume you've heard that the Redmonds are not coming. I received a call from their lawyers; they are withdrawing their petition."
Mr. Ponte nodded. "Yes, your honor, I heard. Since the petition has been withdrawn, I see no reason for this meeting. Legal guardianship should remain with Miss Gordon."
Judge Hammonds shook his head. "On the contrary, this does not end this meeting. Miss Gordon is still missing. That leaves us with deciding whose custody Dinah Redmond should be placed in."
Mr. Ponte shook his head. "There is no question where custody lies. It is clearly stated in Miss Gordon's will that, if anything should happen to her, custody would be transferred to Miss Kyle. It is clearly there in black and white. We've been."
"Lance," Dinah interrupted.
"Excuse me?" Hammonds asked, surprised by the girl's sudden outburst.
"You called me Redmond. My last name is Lance. It's my mother's. I met her about eight months ago while staying with Barbara. They were friends."
"And where is your mother now?"
"She died.in a warehouse fire." Dinah stated softly. Helena placed her hand over Dinah's.
"Is that why you were living with Miss Gordon?"
Dinah shook her head. "No, I came to New Gotham looking for Barbara and Helena. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have even met my mom again."
Hammonds was becoming intrigued by Dinah's story. "How did you come to live with Miss Gordon and Miss Kyle, then?"
Dinah smiled. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Let's just say, I knew I was supposed to be with them. I just happened to drop in on their lives and they were gracious enough to take me in without caring who I was or where I came from. Then I met my mom and after she died." Dinah's voice trailed off for a second, but then she found her voice again. "After she died, Helena and Barbara became my family. My only family. They're all I have left." She glanced over at Helena who squeezed her hand and smiled.
Mr. Ponte was smiling too. "You see, Your Honor, there should be no question of custody. These people are family. You can't break up family."
Judge Hammonds took off his reading glasses and clasped his hands together. "I must agree; that is a heart-warming story. Unfortunately, my decision can not be based on Hallmark moments. My decision has to be based on fact and the fact is, Miss Kyle doesn't contain the resources to provide proper care for Dinah." He turned towards Helena. "Miss Kyle you are twenty-three years old and work as a bartender. Do you really think you are able to care for a sixteen year old?"
Helena slowly swallowed and said the words she dreaded speaking. "I'm the daughter of Bruce Wayne."
Hammond sat with his mouth gaping. "Excuse me."
Mr. Ponte took over. "Miss Kyle is the daughter of millionaire Bruce Wayne. My. Wayne is a client of mine and called to confirm her story last night. As an heir to the Wayne fortune, she has access to a trust fund which contains millions and that is not counting all the stock she will possess in her father's company. I had the papers drawn up this morning." He pulled the documents out of his briefcase and passed them to the judge. "All she has to do is sign. I believe Miss Kyle possess the resources, Your Honor."
"Well, Miss Kyle I guess you have won. You sign these documents and I see no reason not to grant you custody." Judge Hammonds slid the papers towards Helena.
Helena looked down at the papers. She looked to Dinah, who was gaping at her. Helena picked up the pen and started to write her name. Dinah grabbed the arm with the pen.
"Are you sure?" she asked. She knew how much Helena despised the Wayne name and the money that came with it.
Helena smiled. "It's okay. I've thought long and hard about it and I've come to the conclusion that I can't deny him. He is my father and if acknowledging him will help us now.well.we can use all the help we can get right now. I'm sure I want to do this."
Dinah let go of her hand and Helena finished signing her name.
Judge Hammond looked over the documents and smiled. "Miss Kyle, I am awarding you temporary guardianship of Dinah Lance until Miss Gordon returns. If such situations arise that Miss Gordon will not be able to resume her guardianship, full custody will be rewarded to Miss Kyle. We are dismissed." Hammonds got up and after shaking Mr. Ponte's hand, left the room.
Dinah turned to Helena. "We won?"
Helena smiled. "Yeah, kid. We won."
Helena paced back and forth in the hall outside the courtroom. Their appointment with the judge was for three, but they had been waiting out in the hallway for over an hour and still had not been called in. Helena, not much on patience, was growing restless.
Dinah stood leaning against the wall. She tried to suppress a grin as Helena passed her for the thousandth time.
Helena looked what. "What's so funny?" she asked suspiciously.
Dinah pressed her lips together. "Nothing," she said quickly. Helena started pacing again. "It's just that I've never seen you dress like that before."
Helena stopped dead in her tracks. "What's that supposed to mean?" Helena looked down at her new clothes. The dress slacks weren't that bad, but the scratchy sweater was driving her insane. And the high heels? It had taken her hours of practice to learn to walk in these things, let alone kick ass should the situation arise. Dinah was right; this outfit was definitely not her style, but her lawyer had suggested a more suitable attire for the meeting. She had to look the part of a responsible adult if things were to go their way. Helena shook her head and smiled. "Yeah, it is a far cry from my usual, isn't it?" She looked at her watch and frowned. "What is taking so long?" She began her pacing again.
Five minutes later Mr. Ponte walked up. "Helena, I'm sorry I'm late," he said, slightly out of breath.
Helena stopped pacing for the moment. "It's about time. Not that it matters. We've been waiting for over an hour. What is taking so long?"
"That is why I was late actually. Our meeting has been moved upstairs since the Redmonds aren't coming. I assume you know nothing about that, right?" Mr. Ponte asked sarcastically.
Helena shrugged innocently, "First I've heard of it."
Mr. Ponte stared at Helena for a second, then shrugged his shoulders and turned around. "Follow me."
Helena and Dinah followed Mr. Ponte up the stairs and down the hall to a small room. He opened the door and allowed the girls to enter. The room contained only a large rectangular table with chairs lining each side. There was a pitcher of water in the center surrounded by several glasses. Helena and Dinah sat down on the right side of the table. Mr. Ponte sat next to them. They waited. The glass in front of Helena began to rattle. She turned to Dinah who was slowly messaging her temple. Helena grabbed the glass and began pouring some water into it before Mr. Ponte noticed. Helena pushed the glass toward Dinah.
"You okay?" she whispered, offering the water to Dinah.
"Yeah, just a headache. From lack of sleep, probably." She took the water Helena offered and took a sip.
Just then, the door on the opposite side of the room opened. They all stood up as a man in a judge's robe entered in and sat at the head of the table.
Helena sat back down. What was the judge's name again? Hammers? No that wasn't it. Hammonds. Yes, that was it. Judge Hammonds.
Judge Hammonds opened his folders and glanced over them. "Mr. Ponte, I assume you've heard that the Redmonds are not coming. I received a call from their lawyers; they are withdrawing their petition."
Mr. Ponte nodded. "Yes, your honor, I heard. Since the petition has been withdrawn, I see no reason for this meeting. Legal guardianship should remain with Miss Gordon."
Judge Hammonds shook his head. "On the contrary, this does not end this meeting. Miss Gordon is still missing. That leaves us with deciding whose custody Dinah Redmond should be placed in."
Mr. Ponte shook his head. "There is no question where custody lies. It is clearly stated in Miss Gordon's will that, if anything should happen to her, custody would be transferred to Miss Kyle. It is clearly there in black and white. We've been."
"Lance," Dinah interrupted.
"Excuse me?" Hammonds asked, surprised by the girl's sudden outburst.
"You called me Redmond. My last name is Lance. It's my mother's. I met her about eight months ago while staying with Barbara. They were friends."
"And where is your mother now?"
"She died.in a warehouse fire." Dinah stated softly. Helena placed her hand over Dinah's.
"Is that why you were living with Miss Gordon?"
Dinah shook her head. "No, I came to New Gotham looking for Barbara and Helena. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have even met my mom again."
Hammonds was becoming intrigued by Dinah's story. "How did you come to live with Miss Gordon and Miss Kyle, then?"
Dinah smiled. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Let's just say, I knew I was supposed to be with them. I just happened to drop in on their lives and they were gracious enough to take me in without caring who I was or where I came from. Then I met my mom and after she died." Dinah's voice trailed off for a second, but then she found her voice again. "After she died, Helena and Barbara became my family. My only family. They're all I have left." She glanced over at Helena who squeezed her hand and smiled.
Mr. Ponte was smiling too. "You see, Your Honor, there should be no question of custody. These people are family. You can't break up family."
Judge Hammonds took off his reading glasses and clasped his hands together. "I must agree; that is a heart-warming story. Unfortunately, my decision can not be based on Hallmark moments. My decision has to be based on fact and the fact is, Miss Kyle doesn't contain the resources to provide proper care for Dinah." He turned towards Helena. "Miss Kyle you are twenty-three years old and work as a bartender. Do you really think you are able to care for a sixteen year old?"
Helena slowly swallowed and said the words she dreaded speaking. "I'm the daughter of Bruce Wayne."
Hammond sat with his mouth gaping. "Excuse me."
Mr. Ponte took over. "Miss Kyle is the daughter of millionaire Bruce Wayne. My. Wayne is a client of mine and called to confirm her story last night. As an heir to the Wayne fortune, she has access to a trust fund which contains millions and that is not counting all the stock she will possess in her father's company. I had the papers drawn up this morning." He pulled the documents out of his briefcase and passed them to the judge. "All she has to do is sign. I believe Miss Kyle possess the resources, Your Honor."
"Well, Miss Kyle I guess you have won. You sign these documents and I see no reason not to grant you custody." Judge Hammonds slid the papers towards Helena.
Helena looked down at the papers. She looked to Dinah, who was gaping at her. Helena picked up the pen and started to write her name. Dinah grabbed the arm with the pen.
"Are you sure?" she asked. She knew how much Helena despised the Wayne name and the money that came with it.
Helena smiled. "It's okay. I've thought long and hard about it and I've come to the conclusion that I can't deny him. He is my father and if acknowledging him will help us now.well.we can use all the help we can get right now. I'm sure I want to do this."
Dinah let go of her hand and Helena finished signing her name.
Judge Hammond looked over the documents and smiled. "Miss Kyle, I am awarding you temporary guardianship of Dinah Lance until Miss Gordon returns. If such situations arise that Miss Gordon will not be able to resume her guardianship, full custody will be rewarded to Miss Kyle. We are dismissed." Hammonds got up and after shaking Mr. Ponte's hand, left the room.
Dinah turned to Helena. "We won?"
Helena smiled. "Yeah, kid. We won."