Chapter 31

I was breaking my unofficial restraining order by being here. But he wasn't taking my calls. And I was trying not to blame him.

I stood against his SUV, waiting for him to emerge from after school daycare with Sage. My feet were killing me by the time they finally did. But my heart killed me when I saw the look on Scourge's face, which was still an unfathomable mixture of hurt, betrayal, and confusion.

"You didn't think you could forget me, did you?" I said, folding my arms. It was actually getting a little harder to do, what with my stomach starting to protrude. But it was still nothing that my blazer couldn't hide. Scourge sighed.

"I was actually going to try meet you later this evening." He put Sage in his seat; the boy waved a goodbye to me. "Our case is in two days."

"It is." I nodded, trying to ignore the tension in the air. "I guess we'll talk when you drop off Sage."

"I guess we will."' Then he was gone like I never had him in the first place.

Things were even more awkward when Scourge dropped by my apartment.

We sat in the dining room with Clarissa. Who was chaperoning us like we were a pair of dumb teenagers on a first date.

"Believe me, I don't like this anymore than you two," she said, putting her feet up on the table. Mature. "I really thought I raised you better."

"And I really thought Blaze could keep a fucking secret," I mumbled, rolling my eyes. She had conveniently not told Clarissa that I was pregnant, which was why I was also sweltering in my jacket. Winter couldn't come sooner.

Clarissa's eyes narrowed at Scourge. He looked tired. But if he were the type of person who got uncomfortable easily, he probably would have flinched from the intensity.

"I didn't come here to get attacked by one of your friends again," he said instead.

Clarissa sighed. "The only reason I'm here is because Blaze threatened me with fireballs." She shuddered. "They're fucking scary."

"She's fucking scary." Scourge was smirking a little now. Clarissa laughed before stopping herself.

"Don't try to be charming!" She shook her head before turning to me. "I can see how you fell for him—handsome and charismatic." A devilish grin spread on her face. "How many times did you do it anyway?"

"I lost count," I answered, before the air could grow anymore awkward. Clarissa started asking for more dirty details when Scourge hit his fist on the table.

"This is fucking ridiculous," he said, rising to his feet. "I wouldn't have come here if I knew this was going to be a gossip session."

"That's the spirit!" Clarissa clasped her hands. "So why don't you two start talking? I'm the only one initiating conversation here."

"I don't want to talk," I sighed.

"You know you can't go to court all hot and bothered and unresolved." She rose to her feet before reaching for her purse on the kitchen table. "It's not Blaze's business what the two of you do or did. I mean, Scourge seems like a really nice guy. Well, despite the shitty thing he did to you."

"Uh, thanks?" he replied.

"And Amy's not some fragile flower that isn't capable of handling conflict." She moved to the front door. "Good luck."

The door slammed, and I was left with Scourge.

"She doesn't know, does she?"

"I'm assuming not."

"Well, good to know one of your friends is sane." There was a level of lightness in his eyes that I hadn't seen in a long time. "She's also right."

"Yeah," I said, trying not to get lost in his eyes. "Look, Scourge—"

"I'm sorry I haven't been returning your calls. I've been so unfair to you," he started, "and I never want to hurt you again."

What he did next caught me off guard. He went down on one knee, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a golden band. My eyes widened.

"I wanted to propose to you after the case, but I don't know where we stand now. I want to be with you. But I want to know how you feel," he took my hand before sighing. "I also don't want it to seem like I'm pressuring you because you're pregnant, but I love you. And you love me. And that's all that matters."

"Scourge..." I moved to my knees, squeezing his hand. "..I don't know what to say."

And I really didn't. Not with all the lies and half-truths still in the air. Not with all the conditions and contradictions, over-blown expectations and eventual disappointments just around the corner. But he was right, and I was so tired of being wrong.

"Then you don't have to say anything just yet." He slid the ring over my middle finger. "Just know that I will always be here for you." He helped me to my feet, pressed his hands against my near-bulging belly. "And the child."

I bit my lip. Why had I not come clean yet?

"It's funny," I began, moving into his embrace. My heart was fluttering a million times per minute. "One of the reasons I was so devastated when you left me was because I thought I was pregnant."

He hugged me harder, kissing my temple. "I'm so sorry."

I shook my head. "It was a false-positive. But Blaze was there for me so much when you were gone. And we just got back on the same page." My eyes trailed upward, meeting his. "So if you really want to apologize to someone, it would be her."

His narrowed. "After she tried to kill me?"

"It's not her fault," I replied.

"No," he said sarcastically. "The hellfire fell from the sky." He then proceeded to go on an extended spiel of how the same fire could have killed me and his baby.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not pregnant for you."

Scourge's eyes widened. "WHAT?"

"No, I don't mean it like that." I wove my hands in the air, as if to clear the sudden tension. "I'm actually a surrogate for Blaze."

The confused look on his face didn't leave him.

"Blaze wanted to keep it a secret, that's why I didn't tell you," I informed him before sighing. "Not even her husband knows. Just her main doctor and I know for obvious reasons. But I guess now you and Parker do too."

"Who the hell is Parker?"

"The doctor you met at the hospital," I answered, before briefing him about his connection to Clarissa, me. Scourge nodded.

"So…you're definitely not pregnant for me?"

I shook my head. "I was at two months when I took on your case. So no."

He shook his head. "How did I not know?"

"It's hard to see things when you aren't looking for them," I said, patting my stomach. "Turn's out I'm having her twins."

"You would make a great mother," was his reply. Our noses were touching, and we were almost kissing. "I want us to be a family."

His lips eventually found mine. And in that moment, I was closest to having everything I ever wanted.

To bad moments are fleeting.

I was still thinking about Scourge's proposal when the hearing finally came.

We were in a small courtroom, similar to the one used in the Bunny case. I wanted to say I was nervous, but the desire to be done with it (like my pregnancy) overpowered most of my feelings.

"Don't look so tense," I said, turning to Scourge. He was dressed up in a suit, and I tried not to stare too much at his dashing appearance. "Half of the battle is confidence."

"I'm not a cocky twenty-year-old anymore." He adjusted his tie. "Whatever. When will the judge be here?"

"This should go quickly," Erickson Fox then said smugly, entering the room with Fiona. It was weird seeing her after all these years. She honestly looked the same, but she seemed less rebellious. It might have just been the dress and blazer she was sporting, but her hair was grown out, pulled into a ponytail. Her eyes were tame, yet more cynical than I remembered. They narrowed at me slightly.

"You look nice." The smirk in her eyes intensified. I gritted my teeth.

Don't kill her.

"Don't look so tense," Scourge teased me. But even he wasn't smiling. Because the universe really didn't want me to murder Fiona, the main door opened and the judge and bailiff stepped in. Judge Hippo took her seat before us, like a queen above her subjects. Or peasants. It felt more like we were peasants.

"You two again?" she said, looking down at Erickson, then me. "You're the young lady who assisted with Ms. Ferret's case." Even though her face was practically in a permanent frown, she looked somewhat amused. "I trust this will be interesting."

I tried not to gulp. Was "interesting" judge talk for an epic fail? On my part? I shook away all of my doubts. It was now or never.

"Let's get started," she said with a single bang of her gavel. "We are here today, Thursday, July eighth, to reach a verdict on the child custody case between Scourge the Hedgehog and Fiona Fox. Since Mr. Hedgehog filed for custody first, Ms. Rose will begin with the opening statements."

"Right," I said, rising to my feet. "My client, Mr. Hedgehog, is a great father…" I made a speech about how Scourge exemplified model father behavior, from his punctuality and consistency in picking up his son, the positive response Sage has toward him by word of his teachers, a child psychologist, and a child-services counselor.

"I will admit that in cases like this, it is usually the mother who files for custody," the judge commented as she nodded, hopefully in approval. "From personal experiences, it is much easier to be an absentee father than to go above and beyond, so I have a great deal of respect for your efforts."

"Thank you, Your Honor."

She turned to Fiona's legal counsel. "Your statement, Mr. Fox?"

"Yes." The man shuffled his files together before setting them back down on his table. "My client, Ms. Fox, only wants what is best for her son. Since his birth, Ms. Fox reported feeling a strain between her and Mr. Hedgehog. Yet she has always communicated and compromised with him to ensure that both parents raised the child properly. Ms. Fox is a good mother, has a clean record, of which several of my sources can attest to." He handled the bailiff a file to give to the judge. She scanned it briefly before her gaze returned to us.

"The child-services counselor did conclude that both environments were hospitable, with slightly more preference toward Mr. Hedgehog's residence." She looked at Fiona. "You have a roommate?"

Fiona nodded. "Yes. She's one of my best friends. She has a restaurant in the area and offered to move in to help with Sage almost three years ago."

"Weren't you and Mr. Hedgehog living together upon the first year of his birth?" the judge than asked. "What happened between you two?"

"Scourge took a job the next city over," she said. "But we weren't really together. We were just raising Sage. He was walking by then, and didn't need two parents to constantly supervise him."

"Then you approved of Mr. Hedgehog's move?"

Fiona bit her lip. It was weird seeing her look considerate. "No."

"Why not?"

"I knew it would make it harder to take care of Sage. But having him go between us back and forth is a hassle. It would be easier if he was in my primary custody."

"No one said parenting is easy." The judge turned to my table. "Do you have anything to add?"

I nodded. "Going off of your point on parenting, I just wanted to say that Scourge has taken a more active role with his son." I presented the check in/out chart from Sage's school. "Even before Fiona's violent incident with a parent last year, Scourge has a track record of up to ninety-eight percent, of which he would proceed to feed and take Sage to Fiona after school. Since Fiona works in freelance and failed to specify that she if she has a particular conflict during this time, I believe her argument is invalid. Scourge has suffered more trying to ensure that his son spends time with his mother, and he would surely be an even better father-figure for his son if he had primary custody."

"What is this I hear of a violent incident?" the judge asked. I gave her the police statement. Her eyes narrowed. "This doesn't look good, Ms. Fox."

It was too soon to start celebrating, but my soul was cheering. I tried not to smile as I saw both Erickson and Fiona's faces fall as they whispered furiously. All this and I hadn't even dropped the real bomb.

"Based on what I am hearing, it seems like both of you are capable of parenting this child, but that Mr. Hedgehog has gone the extra mile. So tell me," her eyes landed on Scourge, "other than the reasons suggested earlier, are there any additional reasons as to why you desire sole custody?"

"I'm not saying Fiona should never see our son, but so much of raising him has been on her terms. And she doesn't deserve it—not anymore." He sighed. "The museum actually promoted me to the Queen's Museum of Mobius, which is a few hours from where I currently live. There are really good schools there for Sage, yet I can't even consider the position with the way our court-order stands." His gaze hit mine briefly before returning to the judge. "I want to live my life too—possibly start a new family."

"That sounds reasonable." She turned to Erickson. "Your thoughts?"

"Just a few," he said, straightening his tie. His eyes were sharp against mine. "Ms. Rose, have you ever had sexual relations with Mr. Hedgehog?"

"Objection!" I was surprised Scourge said this. He shook his head. "That question is completely unprofessional and irrelevant."

The judge smirked. Even the bailiff was snickering silently. "By the sound of your response, I may already have my answer." Her frown reappeared. "However, I'd like to hear what Ms. Rose has to say."

I fought the urge to scowl. Leave it to a fox to play dirty after specifically saying he wouldn't play dirty! I nodded. "Yes I have, Your Honor."

"The fact that Ms. Rose has slept with her client posses a great ethical dilemma," Erickson pushed. "How is she to consider the child's best interest when she has a both a biased approach to the case?"

The judge looked like she was actually considering his foolishness when I cleared my throat.

"I would just like to say that the start of my relationship with Scourge was just prior to Sage's birth. He actually left me when he discovered Fiona was pregnant, and soon after that I went to law school." My glare found Erickson's. "I think the fact that I can be Mr. Hedgehog's attorney, let alone for a child custody case, shows that I firmly believe he is a person of good character who deserves to raise his son on his terms."

"That claim holds merit—I wouldn't defend my ex-husband even if I knew he was innocent of murder," the judge said as the bailiff laughed.

"I don't have a hidden agenda," I insisted. "You have me on oath."

"Fine. Then I'll rephrase my question," Erickson said, folding his arms. "When was the last time you had sexual relations with Mr. Hedgehog?"

My annoyed eyes fell to the judge as she shrugged. But I hated how entertained she looked. I began with a sigh, "Approximately five weeks ago."

"You see?" Erickson said. "Who's to say Ms. Rose didn't play a part in initiating the custody battle in the first place? She's been jealous of Fiona and her son for years, and taking the boy, as well as Mr. Hedgehog, away seems like the perfect revenge scheme. Especially with the legal leverage she has as an attorney."

"Who's to say that everything Mr. Fox is saying isn't merely a projection of his over-reactive imagination?" I replied. "Not only are his claims inapplicable, he also has no proof."

"You're wrong about that, Ms. Rose." He turned to Judge Hippo. "Could I have Ms. Rose step forward?"

"And what do you hope to show?" she said. Erickson smirked.

"That she's pregnant."

Those were the trigger words—Fiona practically jumped out of her seat. She glared at me. Scourge. Me again. My stomach; my unofficial engagement ring. Her mouth quivered as her eyes filled with something that looked like tears. But I didn't know that wicked bitches were capable of crying.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Before anyone make sense of the situation, Fiona stormed out of the courtroom.

"Well, this has been an interesting chain of events." The judge played with her gavel. "No matter, if Fiona Fox is not here Friday morning, I will be forced to grant Mr. Hedgehog primary custody, even if I'm not particularly happy with the relationship he has with his legal counsel." She banged her gavel. "The court will now reconvene."

Erickson was grumbling as he excused himself from the courtroom. Scourge looked hopeful, and I should have felt happy, but I knew what I still had to do.

And it wouldn't be easy.

Well, that escalated quickly. ;P

Let me know your beautiful thoughts (and questions)!

~KB