Over the next few weeks Garret spent more time at Renee's apartment than his own. They didn't get married but that didn't stop her from nagging at him when she found his socks lying in the middle of the floor or when he got Amanda excited five minutes before she was ready to go to bed. But Garret didn't mind in the least, he was just happy to be with her. She and Eddie were in court at least twice a week and when they weren't tearing each other's past apart in the courtroom, the press was doing it for them in Boston's gossip pages. When the first story printed, Garret gave up on his idea of using Eddie's wife as a pawn. If she hadn't known before, she certainly found outin that article. Because Eddie came from a long line of important Beacon Hill millionaire businessmen, and Renee was of course the district attorney, their lives were, to some degree under the scrutiny of Boston's ever watchful eye. As he and Renee were now clearly an item, Garret had found that his name too, made an occasional apperance in the gossip pages. This morning, as he sat at Renee's breakfast table with the newspaper laid out before him and Amanda curled into his chest, he called to Renee in the bedroom,
"They're calling you an alcoholic this morning," he said.
"Geez." She said as she walked out. "Drink too much one time at a public function." She rolled her eyes as she put her earrings on.
Garret laughed, "It's not your fault though," he explained, "says here that you weren't a drinker until you met Eddie. Apparently he likes to tie one on every now and again, too."
"Yeah. From time to time." She said as she stood behind him, her arms sliding around him gently.
He tilted his head towards hers and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "What time are you two in court today?" he asked
"Two." She yawned softly. "God, you completely wore me out last night."
Garret held his hand over Amanda's ear, "not in front of the baby," he joked, a smile dancing across his face as he remembered the night before. He rose from his seat and handed Amanda to her mum just as the nanny barreled through the door with apologies for being late.
"It's fine Cynthia."Renee smiled softly, leaning up to kiss Garret. "Laugh all you want, you'll be like this tomorrow." She winked.
"Promise?" he smiled and headed towards the door. He waited, jingling his keys in his pocket and his hand on the doorknob, for Renee to say good-bye to Cynthia and Amanda. They took the elevator to the lobby and walked outside hand in had to their cars parked side by side. Before letting her go, he kissed her one more time, "I'll see you at two," he promised.
"Yeah. I love you." She said softly.
"Love you too," he said with a wink before climbing into his car and slamming the door shut after him.
She laughed softly she left for work.
Garret hurried through his work that morning so that he could be in court by two. He hated to leave his offices so often, but there were just some things that were more important than work. Before he left for the day, he found Jordan and ran through a list of all the things that needed to be done before the end of the shift.
Reneewas waiting outside the courtroom when he showed up, pacing back and forth nervously
"What's up?" he asked when he approached her, sensing right away that something was wrong.
"Nothing, just waiting."
Garret took her hand and squeezed it as the bailiff poked his head from inside the courtroom and called for them. "Showtime,"he whispered.
She squeezed his hand back, smiling nervously.
Garret took up his usual post behind her in the gallery and waited. He could feel something big was in store for today; he just wasn't sure what was up Eddie's attorney's sleeve. Whatever it was, he hoped Renee and her lawyer could combat it.
She sat there and just listened to the two lawyers tear both her and Eddie's pasts apart. After weeks of it she couldn't take it anymore. "Stop!"
"Miss Walcott, sit down." the judge said, letting her outburst slide, as it was only the first.
"Your Honor, this is the kind of rage I've been talking about," Eddie's lawyer said, gesturing to Renee. "Miss Walcott is prone to bouts of anger like this, and what's to stop her from taking it out on her child?"
"How about the fact that I love my daughter more than my own life?" She snapped, ignoring her lawyer's attempts to shut her up. "Your honor, I can't do this anymore, and I apologize for this, but I will not continue to sit here and listen to all the reasons I'm supposedly an unfit mother. I won't do it because I'm not. I have been there for my daughter since the moment she was born."
The judge gave Renee a stern look, "Miss Walcott, I understand that these proceedings are difficult for you, but unless you would like to be ejected from the courtroom, you will sit down and be quiet." she said.
She sat down and let out a long sigh, wishing this was all over with.
"Now, as I was saying," Eddie's lawyer continued, "Miss Walcott's history of violent behavior stretches back to when she was child. A little girl has already died in her care and Mr. Mitchell is fearful a similar fate may befall his only daughter if she continues to live with her mother. Having been married to Miss Walcott for close to eight years, Mr. Mitchell has seen the kind of temper his ex-wife has. Mr. Mitchell can recall several instances when Miss Walcott was in fact physically abusive towards him."
"Your honor, the little girl who died under her caredied ina freakaccident. She tripped over a toy and fell down the stairs as Ms. Walcott was putting the family's youngest son to bed, a floor above where the other two children were playing." After a quick glance at Renee she continued. "Ms. Walcott admits that from time to time her temper does get the better of her, but her anger towards her ex-husband is in large part due to his excessive drinking while they were married. He repeatedly came home drunk, and ended up passing out in the living room, unable to manage the stairs."
The judge looked down at both lawyers. "In the last two days, neither side has presented this court with new information. I have heard accusations of alcoholism, abuse, gambling habits, and even murder. If neither side has anything new to say, then I am tempted to resign to my chambers and formulate my decision." The judge turned her attention to Renee and her attorney first. "Do you have anything new councilor?"
"No your honor."
The judge shifted her gaze to the other side of the courtroom and raised her eye brows to Eddie's lawyer, "No, your honor, " he said.
"Fine," the judge said with finality, "then I leave it up to you Miss Walcott and Mr. Mitchell. Tomorrow come prepared to present to this court, in your own words, why it is that the child in question should be in your custody. I will see you at nine am sharp," she said with a rap of her gavel.
She got up and refused to look Eddie's direction as she walked away, walking over to Garret.
Garret placed his hand on the small of her back as he led her out of the courtroom. When the judge had said tomorrow would be their last chance Garret's stomach tightened and he assumed it would stay that way until the judge made her final decision. When they had finally made it out of the courthouse he turned to talk to her. "How ya doing?" he asked.
She just shook her head slightly. "How badly did I screw up?"
"You've been holding all that in for weeks in there Renee," he reasoned, "no one would blame you for one or two outbursts. Don't worry about it."
"Thank you for being here." She said softly. "It means a lot."
"You don't have to thank me," Garret said, "I'm here because I want to be here, because I love you and I love Amanda. And tomorrow the judge is going to rule in our favor and this whole mess will be over. Eddie will go back to his family and we'll go back to ours, as if none of it had ever happened."
She smiled when he referred to her and Amanda as his family, and she knew it was the right time to ask. "Hey, Garret? What if I say yes to your offer now?" She bit her lip, waiting for any kind of reaction.
"What offer?" he asked with an arch of an eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"
"You don't remember." She said softly.
When finally Garret clued in he felt like a chump for not realizing sooner. Of course he hadn't forgotten about his ridiculous attempt at a proposal but after a tough day in court, it had been the furthest thing from his mind. He smiled coyly at the woman in front of him, "Why Miss Walcott, are you saying you want to marry me?" he asked.
She smirked and spoke with a southern drawl. "Well, why, Dr. Macy, would I want to marry anyone else?"
Garret laughed for a moment and then became deadly serious, "will you marry me Renee?"
She nodded and threw her arms around him. "I love you Garret."
He kissed her and smiled. "That means yes, right?" he asked, back to playing the fool.
"Yes!" She laughed.
Garret grabbed her hand and led her back towards the courthouse, "alright," he said, "let's get married,"
"Right now? Garret." She laughed.
"Yeah right now," Garret said giving a little tug on her arm. In the lobby of the courthouse Garret stared at the directory until he found a justice of the peace. "Third floor," he announced, "room three fourteen."
She barely held back a giggle as she followed him.
Garret rapped quickly on the door marked three fourteen. When a short stocky man answered it, Garret pointed at Renee, "I need to marry her," he announced, "right now."
"Oh Lord." She muttered under her breath.
The Justice of the Peace backed into his office, "okay," he said, giving in to the excitement in Garret's voice, "but you're going to need two witnesses."
She looked over at him. "You know anyone who's not at work?"
Garret thought for a moment, "no," he said honestly. He put each of his hands on either side of her as if to hold her in place, "wait right here for a second," he instructed quickly and then left the office.
He was back two or three minutes later with a blue haired old woman and security guard who had just finished his shift. "I come bearing witnesses," he announced.
She just shook her head. "Why do I wanna marry you again?"
"I have no idea," Garret jokingly admitted, "but you're going to aren't you?
"Of course." She laughed.
"Alright then." He smiled and kissed her quickly before turning to the justice of the peace, "let's do it."
She slid her hand down his arm and intertwined their fingers, not saying anything.
Garret and Renee recited a set of standard vows the justice of the peace had practiced hundreds of times. Although the words lacked originality, none of their meaning was lost on Garret. He was now, and would be forever, bound in matrimony to the woman with her hand in his; the woman he couldn't take his eyes off of through the entire ceremony. He realized that he had taken this leap with another woman before, and Renee with another man, but for Garret this time was different and deep down, he knew this time it would last. When the justice of the peace pronounced them husband and wife Garret turned to her, a smile stretched clear across his face. He shook his head and laughed in disbelief, remembering a time when being with Renee seemed like a distant dream. Standing in the company of the justice of the peace and the two witnesses, he kissed her longer than he knew he should have, but didn't care. As soon as the ink had dried on the marriage certificate, Garret and Renee thanked the others involved in their wedding and headed for home. As Garret drove he felt, for the first time in a long time, genuinely happy and he was filled with a new hope for the tomorrow's final showdown in court.
Renee's whole drive home, she had a small smile on her face, not willing to be too happy about this. Not until the next day.
Garret got to Renee's apartment before she did. He said hello to Amanda before sitting down with Cynthia at the kitchen table for a chat. Cynthia was a round and jolly woman, a real grandmother type and Garret enjoyed her company. There was something in her that reminded him of his own mother and he suspected this is why he liked her so much. He offered her a drink and filled her in on how things had gone in court that day. He told her that tomorrow would be their last shot and Cynthia said she would say a prayer for them tonight even though she was convinced things would end in their favor. In his recap of the days events Garret left out the part about him and Renee finally getting married. He was excited and wished he could scream it from the rooftops, but the gravity of tomorrow's impending decision kept him quiet on the subject. When the whole mess was over with, there would be plenty of time to celebrate.
She walked into her apartment with a smile, and slid up behind Garret, sliding her arms around him. "Hey Cynthia" She said over his shoulder.
Garret reached for Renee's hand as it touched him and pressed a kiss into her palm.
Cynthia smiled across the table in the same admiring way she always did, "Dr. Macy has just been telling me what a big day you've had today," she said.
"Big day would be an understatement." She fought a laugh.
Garret smiled to himself and said nothing, amusing himself with the knowledge that, unbeknownst to either woman, the other was referring to a completely separate incident.
"I'm gonna go change, I'll be right back." She kissed his cheek as she pulled away, before she walked into her bedroom.
As Renee walked out, Cynthia pushed herself from the table. "I think I'll be on my way now Dr. Macy," she announced. Garret followed her through the apartment and helped her with her coat.
They exchanged their ritual "see you tomorrow's" and when she was gone, Garret found his way to Renee's bedroom. She was still only half dressed when he got there, so he leaned himself against the doorway and watched her. Reminding himself that she was now his wife, he smiled.
She finished doing up the last of the five ties in the back of her shirt, and let her hair down from the bun it was in, the curls framing her face perfectly. After tucking the edge of her shirt into her jeans she turned and looked in the mirror, seeing him behind her in the doorway. "Like what you see?"
Garret nodded, his eyes wide, but still kept his post at the door.
She smirked slightly, turning around.
At the sight of her sly smile, Garret was forced into action. His eyes narrowed as he crossed the room in two quick strides. He reached out for the top of her pants and pulled her close to him with a quick tug. His arms went instantly around her as their bodies collided. He looked down for a moment and he could see right into her shirt. "Stupid top," he whispered with a smile as he pulled on one of the ties at the back, "make me work to get it off you,"
"Hey..." She laughed. "I didn't get dressed just so you could undress me."
"C'mon," Garret whispered, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the hollow of her throat.
"Garret..."
He pushed her hair behind her shoulder and traced a line of kisses along the side of her neck. "You're killing me," he whispered when he reached her ear. He kissed her one more time and then pulled away.
Renee smiled as she reached up to kiss him while she tied her shirt back up.
Garret smiled and sighed in understanding. Tomorrow was the final round in the fight for her daughter and, as much as he wanted to, he knew she had enough to do tonight without him pushing her to go to bed. They walked out of the bedroom together to find Amanda in her play pen, stirring out of sleep.
"Hey...I want to...later." She laughed. "God, you look like I kicked your dog... or...something else." She smirked softly.
"Hey," Garret called as picked Amanda from her playpen, "I worked hard on that look," he laughed. Amanda snuggled into his chest and he planted a kiss on the top of her head. He sat down with her on the sofa and talked to her as if she could understand, "He kiddo," he said, "guess what I did today... I married your mommy," he whispered the last part as if it were a secret between just the two of them.
She smiled as she walked over and sat beside them, tucking her legs up under her.
"I guess that makes me your step-daddy," Garret explained, all his attention focused on the baby in his arms, "and you've got a step-sister now, kiddo, just wait till you met her," Amanda cooed in his arms and Garret took it as a sign that she understood, "Abby, that's right," he said.
Renee looked down as he talked, tears springing to her eyes as he said, "just wait till you meet her." She knew that if things didn't go in her favor tomorrow, the chances of that happening were slim to none.
Garret turned Amanda around to face her mum. When she was settled on his lap he looked at Renee. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself when he saw the tears in her eyes. He took his free arm and wrapped it around her shoulder, "what's the matter," he asked, pulling her close to him.
"I'm just so scared I'm gonna lose her." She buried her face in his shoulder.
"Look at me," Garret said, his tone serious now, "look a me," he said again, shrugging his shoulder until she moved to meet his gaze. He cupped his hand to her cheek and with one look, told her not to look away. "You are not going to lose her," he said sternly, "You are not going to lose her. Tomorrow, you're going to go in there and you're going to give your speech. You're going to tell them how much you love your daughter and how you've been with her everyday since she was born. He's going bring up all the things he has already to convince the judge why you shouldn't have her. But he won't give any reason why he should. Because there are no reasons Renee," his voice had grown softer as he spoke and it cracked now as he said her name and one of her tears rolled down her face and onto his hand. "You're not going to lose her," he said again in a voice quieter than a whisper.
Swallowing hard, Renee slid her arms around the two of them. "I love you. So much." She sniffed softly, laying her head on his shoulder again.
Garret buried a kiss in her hair, "I love you too," he said, trying in vain to hold back his own tears, "I love you too."
