Dear all who have previously reviewed, thank you:) I've heard we're not allowed to thank our readers anymore...is that true? someone please enlighten me?
Disclaimers: not mine.
Chapter Sixteen
Buffy retained the service of Mr. Charles Gunn, Esq. by the recommendation of Giles. She had struggled with herself about whether or not she should call and ask for Lindsey's advice, but not wishing to disturb the honeymooners and the fear of Angelus somehow finding out her troubles made her resisted that option. Luckily, Charles Gunn seemed like a very capable lawyer. He listened to her situation attentively and seemed readily to jump on the case for her. After an initial consultation of her adoption documents, he advised Buffy to submit her own request of guardianship as is within her rights. Further legal actions will have to wait until the court's decision on whether or not to consider her claim along side with the Osbournes. But as Buffy did obtain Alex's guardianship lawfully and she had been his guardian for the past five years, she stands a good chance of winning the case. Buffy left with a more assured faith in the matter but was nonetheless still agitated.
September brings a new schedule into their life with Alex starting in elementary school; Buffy is left at home alone with her work on the travelling books and her thoughts of the custody case. She had not told Alex anything about his cousin wanting his custody.
Her thoughts tracked back to the afternoon they spend in Sunnydale with Willow Osbourne.
"Alexander Bill Harris." Willow repeated the name as she stared at the little boy she had longed to meet standing in her doorway. She traced his face for the familiar features of her cousin Xander and found them in his dark curls and intelligent eyes, the shape of his ears and the tilt of his head as he examined Willow.
"Oh, God. Come in, come in." Willow hastily realized her poor manners of leaving her guests outside and lead them into the living room.
As they sat down, Willow's eyes hardly left Alex's figure as she addresses them both, "I can't believe you're here. I…I never got to meet you and…well, you're here now. Can I get you some iced tea? Or coke? What about Orange juice? I've got juice!" She started up, before she headed to the kitchen, "um...I'll be right back, you won't leave right?"
"We won't leave." Buffy replied.
Willow disappeared into the kitchen and brought back with her, a large pitcher of iced tea, a can of coke and a bottle of orange juice and various bits of cake and biscuit.
"I still can't believe you're here." She seemed to be a little more collected as she urged her guests to partake in their refreshments. "I went to Norway when I heard of the accident, but then, you had left already."
"I'm sorry, it's my fault. I didn't realize Xander or Anya had any surviving relatives. Alex found your name in some of his father's letters and notebook. We understand you're his cousin?"
Willow nodded, "I'm Xander's cousin and best friend really. We grow up together, here, in Sunnydale."
That afternoon had passed peacefully in Dr. Willow Rosenberg-Osbourne's living room with old family albums and yearbooks of growing years shared by Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris. They had been as close as brother and sisters. Though distant cousins, both came from households of neglecting parents, their close age and proximity aided their bond all the way through high school. However, changes came when Willow went on to university and Xander became a construction apprentice and met his future wife, Anya Jenkins, a Norwegian exchange student. They had fallen in love, hard and fast. Willow had almost no spare time; always working in the hospital, growing apart became natural. But the real break had come when Xander decided to move to Norway with Anya after her exchange year ended. Willow was upset, naturally, as she was very much attached to Xander and cannot imagine him living in another country. The two had quarrelled but he remained adamant, Xander and Anya Harris had married in a civil ceremony in LA and moved back to Norway 3 months after the wedding. Communication between the cousins were frequent in the first year, but grown less and less.
Her thoughts ended when the German cuckoo clock on the wall sounded out 10 melodic coos. Buffy hurried to get ready for her meeting with Gunn at eleven o'clock in his office downtown.
She arrived five minutes ahead of time. There was no one at the front desk of the small firm, so she walked towards the office she visited last time. Knocking on the door, she entered when someone inside issued an invitation.
He was on the phone but nodded toward the seat in front of him. Buffy sat down and studied the diplomas displayed on the wall.
"I see, all right, I will discuss this with her." The other end continued, "Yes." He hesitated, "If you wish. Good bye.
"Hello Ms. Summer." Charles Gunn leaned over to shake her hand, "How are you doing?"
"Good, I guess, considering." She shrugged, "What is happening now with the custody case?"
"Unfortunately, it's still on." He gave her a sympathetic glance, "I had thought the other side had barely anything to stand on and the matter would be dropped." He opened a green file.
"Now, as I understand, you met Anya and Xander Harris in Norway in December 1999, correct?" Buffy nodded as she continued, "You were next door neighbours for almost 6 months. Then the Harrises had a car accident and left you with the custody of their child?" He paused, "Didn't it occur to you that that was rather strange? That they would ask that of a near stranger?"
She shook her head, "We had become rather close in that time. I spent a lot of time babysitting for Alex and they knew they can trust me. Xander never mentioned any families in the States and Anya was an orphan, and they didn't really have other friends, so I just thought…"
"It was Mrs. Harris who gave you custody?"
"Yes. Xander…Xander died in the accident and Anya followed a week later. She gave me custody then, she knew her condition was serious and that she wasn't going to survive."
"So she was lucid, she knew what she was doing."
"Yes! The social worker was there to testify, everything was legal!"
Gunn nodded in understanding, "But unfortunately, Mrs. Harris didn't know about her husband's preference."
"What?"
"The Osbournes have three letters where Mr. Harris mentioned that he would like Dr. Rosenberg to assume the position of Alex's guardian should accidents befall him and Mrs. Harris. " He continued, "That's a strong point for their side."
"But…I've also been Alex's parent for the past five years; surely the court will take that into consideration!"
"Attachment and stable home life is important and often weighted heavily with judges." He frowned, "but I am worried about something else now."
"What?"
"That you were…or you are married right now. And that you neglected to bring that point up with me."
TBC…
