Author's Note: Ok, So you don't want the child to be taken. What kind of story would this be if there wasn't a little bit of drama? No, she has to go. Time will heal all wounds right. Well, I don't know. Maybe she'll stay, maybe she'll leave, and maybe she'll return. LOL. Enjoy the story.
The Stabler's arrived at the court house at precisely 9:45. Elliot held little Isabel's suitcase in his hand. They didn't pack all of her things, in hope that she would be back with Olivia soon. Elliot kept a hand on Olivia's back, as she carried Isabel. Kathleen, Dickie, and Lizzie all walked beside Olivia. Lizzie held Isabel's hand as she was carried into the courthouse. The family slowly entered the courtroom and sat down. Alex sat in the courtroom with two other women, and they all turned to look at the family as they entered, Alex left her seat and went back to great them.
"Hey, how is everything going?" She asked rubbing Isabel's back.
"As well as you could possible hope, I guess." Olivia said kissing Isabel's head.
"I've looked over the case, and it looks pretty good. We just have to hope that the judge will see things the way we do. She has a good stable home, and that's where she should stay."
"Alex, is there a possibility that she won't come home with us today?" Elliot asked.
Alex took a deep breath before she said anything else. "There is that possibility. But I'd rather look at if from an optimistic viewpoint. Why don't we have a seat?" She said and led them towards the front of the courtroom. Kathleen entered the pew first followed by her little brother and sister. Olivia sat Isabel down, and she and Elliot remained standing so they could talk with Alex.
"Alex, what grounds does she have to take her? You handled this adoption, what went wrong?" Olivia was pleading with Alex for some kind of information to ease her troubled mind.
"They are saying that Mrs. Perkins never gave up her parental rights. The father is not an issue, seeing as how she doesn't even know who he is."
"But, we went by the book. We did everything that you told us to do." Elliot continued to rub Olivia's back to comfort her.
"I know. I plan on bringing that point up in front of the judge. Like I said, they don't have any basis for these proceedings. The judge may want to talk to you both, so be prepared. It's awkward to say the least for them to have this case on such short notice, but I think that it will be fine. I just need you guys to have a little faith. I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks Alex, you're the best." Elliot said as he sat down beside Olivia.
"This is not fair in so many ways." Lizzie said.
"Honey, it's not going to help anything by complaining about it. We just have to hope that the judge sees things our way," Elliot said quieting his daughter.
"Mama, don't cry." Isabel said wiping the tear from her mother's face.
"Ok, honey." Olivia said hugging her daughter once again. "Elliot, why is she doing this? She didn't want her two years ago. Why the sudden change of heart?"
"Honey, I don't know. Let's just wait for the judge," he said playing with Isabel's hair.
"OK." Olivia said as she helped Isabel crawl into Lizzie's lap. Olivia and Elliot then walked up and joined Alex at the desk.
"Is that her?" Olivia asked nodding in the direction of the other table.
"Yeah, she's there beside her lawyer."
"She doesn't look like your average junkie," Olivia said.
"That's because she's not. She's been clean for a year now. That's part of her claim to get 'Brittany' back."
"'Brittany?" Olivia leaned toward her.
"That's what she claims she originally named Isabel," Alex replied taking her glasses off.
"But, she knows her name to be Isabel; she can't just change her name like that."
"Actually, if she wins this case, she can. Nothing that was done will be upheld in the eyes of the law, which includes the naming of the child."
"Isabel, her name is Isabel." Olivia spat out sitting back in her chair.
They sat in silence for a moment before the bailiff came in and ordered and all to rise. Everyone quickly stood up and watched as the judge came into the room.
"You may be seated," she said as she sat in her chair. "Alright, I see we have Perkins vs. Stabler is that correct?" she asked looking at the lawyers.
"Yes, your honor," they both answered.
"Are all parties present?" she asked looking over both tables.
"Yes, your honor," they both said again.
"And uh, the child, Isabel Stabler, where is she?" she asked looking across into the courtroom.
"She's sitting with her family, your honor." Alex said.
"Very well then, this case is called to determine the placement of Isabel Stabler. I will first hear from the maternal parent, and prospective guardian Bridgett Perkins, then Elliot Stabler, followed by Olivia Benson-Stabler, and finally Isabel Stabler." The judge took her glasses off and scanned the courtroom.
Three more men had joined the room, and were now seated behind the stabler family. She presumed that they were fellow officers because of the badges that were displayed in different places.
"The witnesses will now be sworn in. Please stand and raise your right hand." She waited as everyone stood up. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" She asked. When she received a 'yes' from everyone she nodded at Ms. Perkins. She took her seat on the stand and her attorney began to question her.
"Please state your name for the record."
"Bridgett Antoinette Perkins."
"Ms. Perkins, please inform the court why you are here today," her attorney asked from her seat.
"I am here because I want custody of my daughter. Two years ago, I lost her, and I want her back. I have been searching for her, and she was finally found at the Stablers. I know people say that I gave her up when I left her there, but at the time I didn't know what else to do. I guess I figured that someone would find her. I was confused, and I never signed no papers. I never said they could take my baby away from me. I just want my Brittany back. That's what I named her when she was born. Brittany. I've been trying to make a life for her, and now that I can I want my baby to come and live with me."
"Do you think that it's in the best interest to take the child from the only home she's known for the past two years?"
"Yes ma'am. I ain't trying to break no family up; I'm just trying to get what's mine."
"Where you ever notified of the Stabler's intention to adopt Isabel?"
"No, I would have never given her up. I loved my baby."
"No further questions your honor." The attorney sat down.
"Ms. Cabot, do you have any questions for the witness?" The judge asked.
"Yes, your honor." Alex said standing up. "Ms. Perkins."
"Bridgett, please call me Bridgett."
"Ok, Bridgett, can you please tell the court exactly where it is that you left your baby two years ago?"
"I don't, I don't really remember."
"Well, let me refresh your memory. Your honor, I would like to submit into evidence, a police record dated 2002, June 18. It says and I quote, 'Police received an emergency call at 10:28 pm. When responding to the scene, a baby was discovered in a dumpster outside of an apartment building.' Does that ring a bell, Bridgett?"
"Yeah, but I was only doing it to protect her."
"So your version of protecting your daughter is dumping her in a trash can. Let's hope that has surely changed. Did you know that Isabel was born with drugs in her system?"
"No."
"Your honor, I would also like to submit into evidence, hospital records from that very same night, and again, I quote. "The infant's toxicology report was positive for the drugs know as heroin and crack cocaine. How do you explain that, Bridgett?"
"I don't know. I just know that my baby was crying when I left her, so she had to be ok."
"News flash, just because a baby is crying doesn't mean that she's ok. No further questions your honor." Alex said as she sat down.
"Your honor, may I redirect?" Ms. Jackson said.
"Go ahead."
"Bridgett, why should the court return your child to you?"
"They didn't ask to take her away in the first place. I was on drugs back then. I'll admit that, but I've been trying really hard to make myself better so I can make a better life for myself. I got a house, and a job, and I want my baby back. That's all I want. I just want her to come home to mamma."
"No further questions your honor."
"You may step down Ms. Perkins." The judge waited for her to sit before nodding at Elliot to come to the stand. Alex started questioning him.
"Mr. Stabler, please tell the court why you're here today."
"I am here, because my I received a subpoena yesterday saying that I had to appear in court with my daughter because someone was suing for custody of her."
"And how long has Isabel been living with you and your wife."
"She's been with us for about two years. We adopted her after my wife fell in love with her at the hospital."
"At the time, was it known who the mother of this child was?"
"No, we found her in a dumpster. We investigated and we still could not find the mother, and so we were left no choice but to put her in foster care. My wife didn't want that, so she came home with us."
"Who named Isabel?" Alex asked.
"I did. She's named after a friend of mine."
"What's it been like raising a baby born with drugs in her system?"
"It was ruff at first. It required a lot of medical attention. She's hyper, really sensitive to sound. She's more skittish then a normal child. But, through it all, she's had the love of Elliot and me."
"Isabel, do you like living with mommy and daddy?"
"I love mommy and daddy." Isabel said playing with her skirt.
"Do you want to live somewhere else?"
"No, I want to go home. Mommy got me a new teddy bear named Scooter."
"And what's it like living with mommy and daddy?"
"Mommy and daddy work with bad people. They don't like to talk about it when they are at home." Isabel leaned over to whisper towards Alex. "Daddy said that it's not nice to talk about other people when they aren't home." She smiled and looked over at Elliot and Olivia. "I told you not to cry mommy." Isabel carped from the stand. Alex turned around and saw Olivia wipe the tears from her face and smile for her daughter.
"Go on sweetie."
"I like it when daddy takes me and throws me in the air. He catches me before I fall to the ground. Mommy tells him to be careful, but he does it anyway. Mommy likes to sing me to sleep at night when she's home. I like it to."
"No further questions your honor." Alex said and sat down.
"Very well then, you may step down Miss Stabler." The judge waited till Isabel was seated before she started to speak again. "I will now take a moment to deliberate. Court is now in recess." She banged her gavel and they all stood as she walked out.
The court room was silent for a moment before Isabel could be heard.
"I'm hungry. When can we eat?" She whined.
"We'll eat when the judge gets back silly." Kathleen said smiling down at her little sister.
Olivia and Elliot turned around to watch the kids interact.
"Alex, I don't know what I'm going to do if she's taken from us." Olivia said quietly beside Alex.
"Look you guy's, I'm really sorry about all of this." Alex said from beside them.
"It's not your fault. We did everything by the book. We did everything they told us to." Elliot said.
"I know. I just feel awful about this entire situation. It's completely ridiculous and there's nothing we can do except kiss a judges' ass."
Elliot looked over at Olivia and then back at Isabel who had started laughing. He was about to reply when the bailiff opened the door and came into the courtroom.
"All stand. Hear ye hear ye, the honorable Judge Gwinzy Notto presiding."
"You may be seated. I'd like to start off by saying that Ms. Perkins, leaving a child is considered abandonment. But an adoption cannot be considered legal unless the child's mother or father signed away their right. Since that was not done in this case, I am left with no other choice but to………."
Ha ha ha. It's a cliffhanger. Isn't that horrible. LOL, I could tell you what's next, but I won't unless you review.