After the news was seen in the newspaper announcements that Rhoda's twins had been born, Randall saw that he was a father, but that was what worried him. Because he carried an offspring of one of Rhoda's brothers, would there be a custody battle for his child too?

By now, he was well settled into living with Sondra and her daughter, Megan.

Megan liked him, and even said she didn't mind him as her new step-dad. She even secretly said to him once he could marry her mom and she was fine with it. That had made him smile and giggle. At least he had her blessing should he decide to marry her mom.

Randall still wasn't quite ready for marriage. He wanted to give the dating life a chance for awhile. He wanted to make sure he and Sondra were really compatible first. He hadn't mated with her yet. He wanted to save that part for much later should they become married.

After a short notice that the twins were born, a serious letter came in the mail for Randall. When he saw it, he didn't like it. Sondra and Megan were both with him.

"What is it, Randall?" Sondra asked.

"Rhoda's family is suing me for custody of my baby." Randall said sadly. "Because its Graf's baby, they want it. Graf said he would give me this baby as long as I stayed away from his family. I was happy to stay away, considering he raped me. And it took me a long time to even accept keeping this baby because of how it was conceived. I was willing to give it up for adoption, but I can't now. I've grown to love it too much." He put his lower hands over his stomach.

Randall's stomach was now huge. He was at his 30th week. He had to take it easier now. Sullivan had excused him from his job for 'paternity/maternity' leave until after recovery from the birth. It could be soon.

At this stage in his pregnancy, Randall was glad he had someone helping to look after him. He had been lucky to find such a nice woman. This one he had met naturally and she hadn't forced anything on him. They had been friends right from the moment of meeting, and the baby had even brought them closer together too.

Megan had began to accept the new baby as her new sibling. Randall even allowed her to touch his belly and talk to it. She really wanted to name it Rex if it was a boy. For a girl, she liked Kayla.

Randall was alright with those names. He hadn't been able to think of any, as his mind had been under so much stress for so long. So he was glad Megan had helped him out with names. Sondra too thought they were beautiful names.

One day during the week, while Megan was in school and Sondra was working, Randall took the bus to his job and went to talk to Sullivan. He needed to talk to him.

Sulley was busy seeing all the floors when he was called to report to his office. He wondered why.

Sulley went to his office and was surprised to see Randall waiting for him. "Hi, Randall. What can I do for you? I can't offer you anymore jobs until after your child is born."

"It's not about a job, Sullivan. I got an ugly court case letter in the mail a few days ago." Randall said.

"About what? You've served your time."

"It's about custody of my baby. The family of that rapist want my baby. What am I going to do?"

"You might have to prove that you can be a good parent. I've gotten the report of the daycare lady that you were real good with the kids in there. And you are good with Boo, better now than a few years ago." Sulley said.

"The daycare lady is my best hope of saying I'm good with young kids, while of course, Sondra can say I'm like a father to her daughter." Randall said.

"Yeah, I can give you that report of what the teacher said. But I'm not sure there's more I can do for you in this department. But do you have the baby supplies ready to go? Like a room and a crib and all that other stuff needed?"

"Yes, of course. Sondra just got diapers the other day. I'm not sure whether it will be fed on milk or baby food yet." Randall said.

"Sondra might know."

"Yeah. I think she just said we have to wait and see."

"When is the court date?" Sulley asked.

"Next Tuesday."

"I wish you all the luck I can that you'll be able to keep your baby, after all the hardship you've gone through and gone through a lot of change, and were willing to be around kids to gain experience to handle a little kid, I hope you get to keep the little one."

"Me too. Thanks." Randall said and left.

….

Randall went to another doctor appointment on Monday, the day before the court case. He just wanted to make sure the baby was alright. Sondra was with him.

After an exam and ultrasound, Dr. Mason said the baby was just fine and he was doing everything right, though he needed to try to stay as calm as possible.

"Do you have any idea when this baby's going to be born?" Randall asked.

"Could be within the next month, Randall. Just continue to take it easy. I know it's an anxious time awaiting its arrival, but you can't rush nature. I'm sorry to hear that that family is wanting custody of the baby too, but from what Sondra says when I run into her here at work, she says you're ready to do this, despite being nervous about it. All first time parents seem to be that way." Dr. Mason said.

"I've never had a real family to call my own. And the other females who raped me have my other babies. This is the only one I could potentially raise as my own. And I'll give anything to ensure I will keep it." Randall said.

"I know it won't be easy convincing everyone you can be a good parent considering your past history, but you have to prove to the child services that you can do it."

"He'll have me by his side to help him raise it. I love babies and children. That's why I chose to be a midwife and coach for Lamaze, besides being a midwife assistant." Sondra said.

"I think Randall made a good choice in a good woman." Dr. Mason said.

"Thank you." She said, as did Randall.

"Well, we should go home and prepare for tomorrow's meeting." Sondra said.

She and Randall went home to prepare for the meeting. They had the doctor's printed report on how the baby was doing too.

….

The more Randall looked at his child on the sonogram made him want to hold his child more and more. He and Sondra were on the way to the court house again. He had that tux on again. Sondra wore the same nice dress as before.

Randall really hoped he could prove to the court that he could raise this child. It could come anytime within the next few weeks.

They walked inside the building side by side, Sondra helping Randall up the steps a bit, as the weight of the baby was getting to be a little too much.

When they asked what room the meeting was taking place in, a secretary led them to a room where there was a table, a judge, and Rhoda's family was in there already.

The family gave Randall a stern stare.

"Now that we all seem to be here, let's all be seated." The judge said.

The judge could see what baby they were talking about. One that wasn't even born yet.

"So why is it that you want the baby?" The judge asked Rhoda's family.

"When he confessed in court over our daughter going to prison that his baby was the baby of one of our late sons, that baby is the last part of our son that must be with us." The father said.

"One thing I haven't said to you was that your son wanted me to have this child so I didn't have to associate with the others. But he didn't have to rape me!" Randall retorted. "The friends of your daughter have already stopped associating with me. I'm glad too, after all the trouble they've caused me for so long!"

"Calm down now, Mr. Boggs." The judge said.

"You've already got my two other kids from Rhoda. I saw it in the paper. You don't need this one too." Randall said.

"That is our son's baby. We deserve to have it." The mother said.

"After what Graf did to me, it took me a long time to come to terms with this pregnancy, and after taking care of it all this time, I've come to love it more than anything. I won't give it up."

"Mr. Boggs, well, given your past history, you are going to have to prove to the child protective services that you are fit to be a parent to this child. And just out of curiosity, do you know what the gender of it is?" The judge asked.

"No, I don't." Randall said.

"Judge, given what was done to Randall so many months ago, and what he's gone through all during his pregnancy to make more improvements to himself that he has what it takes to be the parent this baby needs him to be, I am a Lamaze coach at the hospital where he comes for his appointments and I've been helping him out with it too, the tools he'll need to be a good parent. The daycare teacher at his job also gave a report that he is real good with the little kids there too." Sondra explained.

"He is also a good almost like a parent with my 14 year daughter. She even wants him to be her dad. I would be there to help him raise his child too, as he is living with me and we have the nursery all set up for the little one. We have all the needed supplies for it. This baby has given Randall something good to look forward to in his life. Please consider all I have said and the results in these printed reports." Sondra said as she pushed the papers to the judge. "Phone numbers are there too if you need to reach the ones needed."

"And though from what you said Missy, we have more experience with babies and kids than he ever could. And again, that baby is our kin and we deserve to have it in our lives." The mother said. "I want my son's child. I owe it to him to raise it and not some trouble maker!"

"Listen, here's what I'll decide. Nothing is going to be decided fully today. We have to wait until after the baby's been born before we decide on things fully." The judge said.

All the monsters looked at him worriedly. Randall at the most. The birth rested all on him. He rested a hand on his stomach.

"Child services will visit each of your homes before it is born and after its born. Just to see what things look like is best for the child. And it may end up with shared custody, can you agree to that, if it comes to that?" The judge asked.

"I'll never let the child associate with a killer for a mother father!" Rhoda's dad shouted.

"After what your kids and their friends did to me, you don't deserve to have it!" Randall shouted back at him.

"At this rate then, we'll have to let the child services investigate your homes then, and see about child care after the baby is born. As I know of your family already has two other babies from your daughter. They will report to me and I'll decide is what is in the best situation of a home for the child."

Randall really hoped that he could be seen as a fit parent. He wanted this more than anything in the world, other than wanting to be with Sondra.

Rhoda's family really wanted their third grandchild to be taken from a past criminal. Who knows what he might have planned for it?

"If you are deemed to keep it, Boggs, you better not ever hurt that child or I'll kill you!" The father yelled.

"I won't ever harm it!" Randall yelled back.

"Take it easy, Randall. The stress is not good for the baby." Sondra said. "Quit threatening him! You're just making it worse for him!" She shouted at the father.

Randall hated that they now had to resort to letting the government decide what family was best for his child. It was his, not theirs.

They left shortly after. They were all just glad to go their separate ways.

…..

Randall stood in the baby's room that night. He looked down into the crib. He could just imagine seeing his child laying in the crib looking up at him. Now everything depended on when it was born.

It was going to be a long few weeks. He didn't want the social services in his home or to take his baby away from him. He had to deal with that as a child and didn't want his own child to go through it.