CONCLUSION

"Good morning, Fitz" Judge Harmon smiled as he stepped from behind his desk. Fitz stared for a moment, taking in the man's appearance sans his long back robe and dark rimmed spectacles. Was it possible the man was smaller?

"Good morning, sir" The little boy replied just a bit above a whisper after Alex shook the hand, she still held, lightly.

Judge Harmon gave Alex a nod letting her know it was time to leave. She quietly said a quick good bye and promised to be back for him as soon as the judge called then exited the room leaving the little boy facing the man who looked a lot taller up close.

Fitz took in the office walls lined with shelves full of thick tomes. The little boy could smell the musty odor of old books. The desk was messy, covered with papers and files, certainly not neat and orderly like Da's desk in his office at home. There were three big leather chairs that also looked worn and old. Dark blotches stained the top of the back rests and arms where years of occupants had left their marks. Even the rug was worn where people scuffed their feet while seated there. A woman sat at a small table in the rear of the room with a stenograph machine in front of her. She did not react to him seeing her, almost as if she was trying to blend into the background. Fitz took a deep breath and looked up at the judge.

"That is Mrs. Bonivitch. She is the court…" the judge started.

"Stenographer," Fitz finished. "She keeps the transcripts of what we say." He said looking back at the woman.

"Yes," the judge smiled and motioned toward one of the leather chairs. "Would you like to sit down?" He asked, impressed by the boy's knowledge and command of language. He pointed to a small table in front of his desk. "I've had some sweets brought in…thought you might enjoy a doughnut or maybe a sweet roll."

Fitz shoved his hands into his pockets, looked at the dish of assorted treats and shook his head. "No thank you, sir. My mom doesn't like us to eat sweets so early in the morning. She's says it's not a proper way to start the day."

"Hmmm," Judge Harmon nodded as he bit into a powdery white donut wrapped in a napkin. He chewed as he walked to his desk then set it down and wiped the sugar from his mouth and tie. "You're not allowed some special privileges once in a while?" He asked around a final swallow.

Fitz nodded. "Yes sir, we have dessert almost every night, but mom says it's not good to start the day full of sugar. Mostly we have eggs or omelets that Da makes for us."

Taking a sip from a Styrofoam cup on the desk Harmon turned back to the boy. "I see, so she'd be angry if you did indulge?" He raised his eyebrows with curiosity.

The boy shrugged his shoulders, looking longingly at the dish where he spied his favorite Boston Cream.

"She won't know if you change your mind." The judge noticed the boy's wishful look and sniggered as he took another bite.

"I'd know." Fitz remarked as he turned from the plate and wriggled on to one of the large chairs, hands still deep in both pockets.

"I see," the judge pursed his lips and nodded a few times. "You think you'd be punished?"

Fitz furrowed his brow and shook his head. "No sir, but my mom would be disappointed."

"It's important…how your mother feels?" The judge inquired nonchalantly.

Fitz frowned and looked at the man as if he should know the answer. "She's my mom." He corrected the man.

The judge nodded as he finished the last of his doughnut and wiped his mouth and fingers. He drained his coffee cup and dropped it into the waste basket. "Do you know why we're here, Fitz?"

"You wanted to talk to me, sir, but I suspect you mean why we are here at all…the reason for all of this." Fitz replied as he pulled his hands free.

"Exactly," the judge sat in his chair and folded his hands on his desk. "I'm told you are a very smart young man."

Fitz swallowed then took a deep breath. He didn't really care if the judge thought he was smart or if the man was trying to give him some kind of compliment. He just wanted this to be over. "You are going to decide if I get to stay with my parents or go with Mr. Dunn." He paused for a moment and looked at his own hands folded in his lap. For a few moments he said nothing and the judge allowed the silence, not pressing the boy to say more than he wanted. Fitz squirmed a little and mumbled. "I don't want to go with him." He shook his head. "I don't know him and I am quite sure I don't like him." He thought for a moment about telling the judge the man had squinty eyes but that wouldn't really mean anything in the long run.

"You didn't always know the Coulsons, did you?" The judge remarked as he looked at the forms on his desk. "You only met them just a little over a year ago. Did you like them when you first met?"

"They wanted to help me. I was all alone and that…" The boy's face grew dark as he looked to the window and drew a very deep breath. "That bloody bastard, Grant, took away my maw." Fitz pulled his hands into tight fists and thumped them on his knees. "He was a terrible man and I'm glad he's dead. My mom saved me or he would have killed me as well and who knows what he would have done to Jemma and Trip!" Without realizing it, Fitz stood and moved to the judge's desk slamming his small fist on it with each word.

The judge watched the boy but did not react. He neither encouraged nor discouraged the boy's anger. "Can you tell me about your maw, Fitz?" The man asked calmly interlacing his fingers and resting his hands in front of him on the desk.

Fitz looked at his fist and slowly slid it off the judge's desk, dropping his arm to his side. Realizing how rapidly his breath was coming, the boy took small deep breaths to calm himself before continuing. "Sometimes I miss her so much it hurts to breath." He remarked as he backed to the chair and leaned against the edge of the seat. "My mom says that's okay. She says I'll always miss her and someday it won't hurt so much. She tells me it's okay to love my maw even though she's not here with me. She tells me she loves me."

"And that's okay…that your mom loves you when you really love your maw." The judge was careful to use the correct terminology.

The little boy nodded as he took another deep breath. "I grew inside my maw and she birthed me but she was sick and couldn't take care of me as well as some mothers, but she loved me and I loved her." He stopped for a moment and swallowed the urge to let himself cry. "My mom tells us we grew in her heart and my da's heart too. I don't know how to explain that to you." He looked up at the judge. "I know what it means because she grew in my heart too. My mom tells me she has to love me twice as much because she loves me for my maw, too. She says that's what mothers do. I believe her because I love her, not like I loved my maw. It's different, but it's still love."

"But you didn't always love her, did you?" The judge prodded.

Fitz smiled a tiny bit. "I didn't always know her, but I do now and now I love her. When I was with my maw, lots of times I was hungry or cold. Sometimes we had no place to live so we stayed in the park or went to a shelter when it was really cold or rainy. I tried to take care of her. My mom says I was brave but I was really scared all the time. Then my maw fell in with Grant and I was more scared than ever. It was difficult being scared all the time. Sometimes I was afraid to sleep because I didn't know what he would do to me or my maw. He hurt me…" Fitz paused, blocking the memory of James Grant and his belt. "Then my da found me I was scared when he first took me to Sheffield, but scared like I was with Grant. My mom scared me a little because I thought she was always so cross, but she was really just worried about a lot. I dint know what would happen but they just made sure I had food and clothes and a place to sleep."

"So you stopped being afraid?" The judge asked.

"No," Fitz shook his head. "I was then afraid they'd go away and leave me or hand me off to social services, but they didn't, even when I was cheeky or a rascal. They just kept treating me the same. Then we came here and Trip came to live with us and then Skye and we made a family, all of us together." Fitz voice began to rise again. "We need each other, all of us."

"But, Fitz, you know that the tests show that Mr. Dunn is your father." The judge explained. "He'd like a chance to show you that."

"He's not my father!" Fitz shouted balling his fists. "He is just a man that wants to take me away from my family. My da is Phil Coulson. He's the only da I ever had and the only one I ever want to have."

"Okay, Fitz, let's take a few minutes and calm down. Would you like a drink?" The man spoke evenly as he pointed toward a large water cooler but the boy shook his head and took several deep breaths, letting them out slowly. He pushed himself back as far on the large chair as he could and tried to relax his hands as he rested them on the wide arm rests.

"What would you say to just talking with Mr. Dunn? You could meet him right here in my office. Do you think you could do that?" The judge asked quietly as the boy continued to breathe rapidly.

Fitz blew short breaths out of puffed cheeks and dug his nails into the soft leather of the chair's arm rests. He took the time he needed to calm himself, then spoke. "Will my mom and da be here too?"

The judge shook his head as he stood, walked around the desk then leaned back on it. "I don't think that would be fair to Mr. Dunn. He'd like a chance to talk just to you. I will make sure there is a court officer here with you." He explained.

Fitz shook his head. "I don't want to give him a chance. I just want to go home." Suddenly, he sounded more like a scared little boy than a child genius.

The judge leaned back on his desk, pausing for a moment before posing his next question. "Maybe you can help me to understand, Fitz. Can you tell me how the Coulsons are so different than Mr. Dunn?" The judge asked.

Fitz looked toward the large windows covered with heavy curtains, blinking away errant tears. "I told you that I grew in my parents' hearts just like I grew inside my maw. Then they grew in my heart. That's how you know you love someone. That's how you become a family." He stopped and waited for the judge to react. When he did not, the boy continued. Turning to the judge, he tried to explain. "Mr. Dunn didn't even know I grew in my maw. My maw didn't talk about him or miss him like my mom misses my da when he goes away. I didn't grow inside him." Fitz shook his head as he looked down at his hands. "I didn't grow in his heart either. He looks at me like he's angry with me, not like da looks at me even when I mess up really bad. He wasn't even that angry when I pinched his wallet and his phone." The boy shook his head and let out a frustrated breath thinking the man could not possibly understand. He looked at the judge and quickly swiped a tear from his eye. "Your honor," he addressed the man as he'd heard Alex do in the courtroom and waited to be acknowledged.

"Yes, Fitz…"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore. I think I really need my mom now." His voice cracked.

The man nodded and pushed a button on his desk. A few seconds later Alex entered the room and ushered the boy back to his parents.

XX

Alex smiled as she led Fitz from the room through a different door than they had entered. She explained to the boy she was in a different part of the courthouse and had to grab a few notes from her clerk before heading for the courtroom. Fitz nodded his understanding and hoped it wouldn't take long.

They turned down two different halls before he spied a young woman heading toward them. She did not look happy and held a large file with both hands. Alex must have thought the same thing. She stopped and let out a loud sigh then turned to Fitz.

"How about you sit here for a second while I take care of this? It will be quick I promise." She pointed toward one of the now very familiar wooden benches that were placed in every hallway. Fitz nodded and walked the short distance to the seat then plopped down at the far end. He rested his elbow on the arm rest and his chin on his hand as he watched the two women move to the large windowsill and open the file. It didn't appear it would be very quick.

Fitz rubbed his arm across his eyes, erasing the end of his tears. He swung his feet back and forth and looked up and down the hallway for a clock wondering if his mom was watching the big clock in the hall where she waited. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back until it bumped the wall behind him then peeked through a little crack in his eyelids at the women who now appeared to be arguing. He let out a silent sigh.

Maybe if he'd kept his eyes open he would have seen the large hand that grabbed his wrist and pulled him up from the bench and around the thin wall that formed a walkway to the nearest rest rooms. His eyes sprung wide open as he looked into the glare of Alistair Dunn.

"Hello, Leopold," the man smiled as he pushed one hand against the boy's mouth and held his shoulder in a pinching grip with the other. Fitz let out a tiny protest, silenced by the man pressing his hand harder and pinching tighter.

"Sad that this is the way I have to meet my only son," Dunn sneered. Fitz tried to shake his head but the pain in his neck and shoulder stopped him. "Oh, yes laddie you are my flesh and blood and when this is over," He paused and glanced around the wall, probably checking to see if Alex had noticed the boy was no longer there. Turning back to Fitz he spoke in a hoarse whisper close enough to the boy's face that he could smell the stale tobacco on his breath. "When this whole bloody damn farce is over, you and me will be back to the highlands where you'll be earning your keep with that big brain of yours." He let go of Fitz's shoulder just long enough to roughly poke his temple to emphasize the last of his statement. The boy sunk with a short reprieve before the man grabbed the same spot with renewed pressure as he pulled his hand from Fitz's mouth and warned him with a finger to his lips to stay quiet.

"You're hurting me…." Fitz sighed.

"You think this is pain?" The man almost laughed in his odd whisper. He squeezed harder and shook the boy. Fitz reached up to grab the hand that held him. "You'll learn quick, lad, you'll learn to mind me and do as yer told. I understand you have some talent with mechanics that might come in useful in my line and I've a few ideas myself for gadgets that will be all the more useful, laddie. You'll be using those smarts to put your ole da in the lifestyle he deserves."

"I'll not help you, not ever." Fitz groaned.

Alistair shook him roughly, bringing a new level of pain to the boy's shoulder. "A few licks of the strap'll teach ya to do as I say as soon as I say it and there'll be no snivelin' like a wee babe. No, my genius son…and that ya got from me not yer worthless addict mother…"

Fitz started to protest but was silenced by the hand and the pinch that proceeded a snap that made the boy's legs turn to jelly. He knew if the man wasn't holding him he would be on the floor. Dunn shook him again.

"Not a word, boy…" he pointed a finger in Fitz's face. "Not one word or I won't wait for that damn yank judge…I'll come creepin' into yer very home and no one'll see the likes of you again." He pulled the boy close and spoke close to his ear, a wide toothy smile across his face. "I'll be sure to take care of those perfect Coulsons as well, the whole lot of them." With that he spun Fitz back around the corner and forced him into the seat then quickly disappeared down the short hallway toward the rest rooms.

Fitz pushed himself up from the position Dunn dropped him. Alex and the other woman were still speaking as they pushed papers back into the file. The lawyer turned and smiled at the boy before dismissing the clerk and motioning for him to join her. She frowned as he ignored the silent request. He was probably upset she'd made him wait so long. Taking a deep breath, Alex sighed and crossed the hall to stand in front of the boy.

"Sorry that took a little longer than I thought, Fitz. Let's go find your mom." Alex smiled as she held out a hand toward him. The boy stared at it blankly, silently refusing to accept the lawyer's offer. Alex let her hand drop slowly, assuming Fitz was upset she'd made him wait was probably right. He must have been fidgeting something fierce as his shirt was pulled from his belt on one side and his hair looked a bit more disheveled than usual. "Okay," she breathed with a hint of frustration. "Come on then, but stay close." She took a few steps and turned back to see he had not moved. "I said I was sorry Fitz, but it was very important." She held out the hand that was not clutching her briefcase. When he still did not respond she took a step toward him. "Fitz, honey, are you alright?" She moved to place a hand on his shoulder. He stared up at her, stood then walked in the direction she had been heading.

Alex shrugged her shoulders and followed.

XX

Melinda paced in front of the courtroom doors as Phil sat and bounced his heels on the well polished marble floor. Alex rounded the corner with Fitz a few steps behind and wriggled her fingers at the couple. Melinda breathed a sigh of relief. Phil stood and brushed his hands together.

Alex had paused to tidy up her young client before returning him to his parents. No sense having either think she shirked the responsibility they'd entrusted to her. He'd been less than cooperative but she brushed it off as him being a ten year old boy who probably wasn't too keen on being fussed over by some very inexperienced woman.

Melinda smiled and took the little boy's hand a moment before the courtroom doors opened and the bailiff informed them the proceedings were about to begin. The group entered the large room and stood as the judge took his seat at the bench.

With a bang of the gavel, court was in session.

Fitz sat on the far side of Melinda and sat back against the bench refusing to look toward Dunn and his lawyer. That changed when William Gordon called his one and only witness to the stand…Alistair Dunn.

The man's tie was now straight and his hair slicked back. He smirked at Fitz at he took the stand and gave a fast wink. The boy felt his stomach turn and looked down as Melinda grasped his hand. Even that simple form of support sent shards of pain from his finger tips to his jaw.

He pulled his hand away and stared ahead. One look at his mom would break his resolve and he would collapse into her. Melinda knew something was wrong. She turned to her son and noticed the sheen of sweat on his brow…at the slight shiver that ran through him every few seconds. Looking to the stand she assumed the presence of the man there was the reason. She leaned down and whispered in Fitz's ear.

"Do you want to wait in the lounge, Fitz? I don't think they're going to need you here."

"No," he answered quickly, a bit too loud as every eye turned toward them. Fitz looked to the floor and whispered, "no, I want to stay with you and da." He moved closer to Melinda but held his left hand on his lap protectively.

Dunn swore to tell the truth, stated his name and address for the record then waited for Gordon to begin. Fitz couldn't help notice the difference in the tone of the man's voice. Gone was the hoarse growl as he now spoke in a quiet reserved manner.

The lawyer smiled as he approached the stand. "Mr. Dunn can you tell the court when and how you came to know Emilie Fitz?"

Dunn smiled widely and leaned forward. "I met sweet Emmy at a Christmas party in Glasgow. It was for the company I worked and she was there with a friend. We had a few drinks and one thing led to another. We ended up at the pub later in the evening. We saw each other quite a few times after and every time I was in Glasgow."

"So you knew each other well?" Gordon asked as he turned to Alex.

"We did." The man responded.

"And what can you tell me about your relationship?"

"Like I said…we saw each other as often as we could. I was doing a bit of traveling but I always made it a point to see her when I could but things started to change."

"Can you tell us how?"

Dunn took a deep dramatic breath. "She just seemed different. I guess that was when she started using drugs an…."

"Objection," Alex stood, "the witness is making an assumption that cannot be proved or disproved."

"Sustained," the judge agreed.

Gordon nodded. "So you felt she was acting differently, did you ever see her use drugs or know of anyone giving her drugs?"

Dunn shook his head. "No sir, never saw her use but there were these people she would meet when we were about. They'd pass her small bits of something. I didn't ask what it was but later she'd act dazed or confused, like she might need to sleep it off."

"Objection," Alex repeated.

"Sustained," the judge agreed again. "Move along Mr. Gordon we get the idea."

"So when is the last time you saw Ms. Fitz?"

"Round the end of March of eighty seven," Dunn answered calmly.

"And did you ever see her again?" Gordon continued.

"Twice," Dunn answered. "Both times in the summer of ninety four, she was looking for money. That's when I found out about my son." He added. "She looked like bloody hell, hardly recognized her. I told her I needed to see the lad, told her I'd take him…make it easier for her. I offered her quite a bit of money in return for the lad. She agreed to meet me with him the following day, but ran off before I could do anything."

"Did you think she was capable for caring for the boy?"

"Objection," Alex spoke again. "Mr. Dunn is not an expert in child care or social service. He cannot make that determination."

"Sustained," the judge sighed.

Gordon smiled. "Let me rephrase that question. Mr. Dunn did you feel Emilie Fitz was well enough to care for the child?"

"Objection," Alex stood again. "Mr. Dunn is not a doctor. He could not determine Ms. Fitz's state of being at the time."

Fitz squirmed a bit in his seat causing Melinda to wrap an arm around him. "Shhh," she started to comfort him but the boy let out a whimper that turned into a sob. He wrapped his right hand around his left elbow.

"Don't…please," he cried weakly.

Melinda again noticed the sweat on his brow and put a hand to his head, feeling the heat beneath it.

"Is there a problem, Mrs. Coulson?" The judge asked as once again all attention turned to her and Fitz.

She looked to the little boy who stared up at her with tears streaming over his cheeks. "He hurt me, mom…" Fitz whispered to his mother and nodded toward the man on the stand.

Melinda reached to examine her son, kicking herself mentally for not realizing his pain earlier. He pleaded with her not to touch him but she unbuttoned his shirt and immediately saw the large bruise between his neck and shoulder. She looked to Phil who stood and glared at Dunn.

"Is there a problem, Mrs. Coulson?" The judge asked again. Both lawyers faced the Coulsons but looked back toward the judge and waited for a response.

"Who hurt you Fitz? Who did this to you?" Melinda's anger simmered. She could not believe the judge would harm a child, but Fitz had spent the last hour with the man and now this. She glanced at Alex who seemed just as confused.

The young lawyer shook her head. "He was fine when he left the judge's chamber. We came straight to you…" She stopped remembering she'd been distracted by the clerk in the hallway. Alex put a hand to her mouth. "Oh, my gawd…"

The gavel banged causing everyone to jump. Fitz groaned loudly as he slumped against his mother.

"Fitz?" She asked again.

"Young man, can you tell us who caused this injury?" The judge was on his feet, directing the bailiff toward the Coulson's.

Fitz raised his uninjured arm and pointed to Dunn. "It was him did it. He hurt me." The boy spoke loud enough to be heard across the courtroom.

"The boy is clearly lying," Dunn shouted as he rose to his feet. "I've had no contact with him, thanks to this farce and yer all witness to that. I've been sittin' in this room with you all day to day trying to get back what's been taken from me" He slammed his hands on the railing that encircled the stand.

"He hurt me mom," Fitz finally gave into his tears and sobbed into his mother's gentle embrace. Phil took a few steps toward the stand. A few nights in a cell would be a small price to pay for breaking that bastard's face. Melinda grabbed his wrist and stopped him glancing at their son who writhed in her arms. Phil dropped to one knee next to the boy and gently massaged his thigh in support.

"Hang on, buddy. Help's on the way."

The judge banged the gavel several times calling for order in the court. "Bailiff, have the court officers take Mr. Dunn into custody until we sort this out and get medical attention for this child." Before Gordon could object, he banged the gavel again. "This court is in recess until the local police speak with young Mr. Fitz."

Dunn roughly pulled his arm away from the officers as Gordon stepped back out of the way. "You cannot do this. You have no proof, nothing. He was with you!" He pointed toward Judge Harmon. "If the boy is hurt, it's your bloody damn doin'!" He continued shouting as he was cuffed and escorted from the courtroom.

XX

Melinda sat next to the bed in the private hospital room. Phil stood outside the door speaking with two detectives. She looked at the little boy sleeping with the help of a strong sedative. For the time being the boy's arm and shoulder were immobilized with a wrap and plenty of ice. Tomorrow he'd be fitted for a sling that would hold both in place until his broken clavicle healed. A complete examination also found bruising inside the boy's mouth where his teeth had ground into his lip.

Fitz tearfully related the story of Dunn accosting him in the hall while he waited for Alex to finish her business. The lawyer herself was in tears wrought with guilt for what she had not even seen happen. Phil tried to console her while just a look from Melinda was enough to cause her to tremble.

The emergency room was full of photographers and the doctors took swabs of the inside of the boy's mouth. His clothes were bagged and labeled as the incident was being treated as an assault...a crime against a child.

Melinda stood at the window clenching and unclenching her fists when Phil reentered the room. He paused at the bed to check his son then stepped behind his wife.

"I'd like to rip out his throat," she growled low and threatening. "How could he put Fitz through this?" She spun into Phil's embrace. "Do you know what this means?" She couldn't cry. She was too angry.

Phil didn't answer. He didn't have to…he knew she how she felt. He felt the same. The only good thing was that this would end any chance of Dunn ever nullifying their adoption. The flip side was that Fitz would again have to face the man in court.

"I know," he whispered into her hair.

Melinda pulled back and moved to sit on the end of the bed. "They're going to keep him overnight, just for observation. We can take him home tomorrow. How much more can he take, Phil? He's been through so much trauma. He's just a little boy and it just doesn't end."

Phil stood next to his son and brushed his hand across the boy's curls. "He's tough, Mel, tougher than we think. We'll get him through this, just like everything else."

"He threatened to break into our house and take him, Phil. That bastard threatened our family…my babies." She drew a ragged breath. "He broke our child's shoulder and…terrorized him right in the same building…where we thought he was safe…where we told him he was safe. God, how can he ever trust us again?" She finished in little more than a whisper.

"Maybe you should get some rest, Mel." Phil sighed.

"I'm staying right here, Phil. I won't leave him alone again, ever." Melinda swore.

Phil wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead. "You can't hold him forever, Mel."

"Watch me," she growled back.

Both turned toward the soft knock on the door but before either could answer it opened admitting a sniffling Jemma who ran to her mother, wrapping her arms around her tightly. Trip followed close behind, carrying an unusually quiet Skye who reached out to her father as soon as she spotted him. Bobbi entered last giving both of her bosses a weak smile.

"I'm really sorry, but they just wouldn't take no for an answer. If I didn't bring them, no one would have gotten any rest." She explained. Phil smiled and gave her a quick nod as he rocked his baby gently.

"I'm sorry, Da," Trip shook his head. "We had to see the little guy. We needed to see for ourselves he was okay. Bobbi told me what happened. That bas…" He paused with a quick glance around the room. "I'd like to give that jerk someone his own size to pick on…"

Phil smiled at his eldest, resting a hand on the boy's shoulder, he gave a firm squeeze. "Dunn is right where he belongs, Trip."

"Oh, momma…" Jemma sobbed. "Poor Fitz, he's always the one to be hurt." She looked at her brother and sobbed harder.

"It's okay, bao bao. The doctors gave him something to help him sleep and to stop the pain. We won't see him til morning so why don't all of you go with Bobbi and get a good night's rest. The doctor said we can bring Fitz home tomorrow."

"No way, mom," Trip shook his head. "We're his family. We're here for him and for you. We aren't leaving."

Jemma shook her head, agreeing with her older brother. "We were worried about all of you."

Bobbi shrugged her shoulders. "Like I said…there was no changing their minds."

"I stay to Fizt, too." Skye nodded. "Him bees mine brudder foe ebber and ebber."

Phil looked to Melinda and smiled again. She bent to place a kiss on Jemma's head and pulled Trip into the hug they shared. The young boy was right. They were a family and they would stand together even if it meant spending the night in a small hospital room.

XX

Two weeks later the Coulsons once again entered the courtroom. Fitz stayed close, still bound by a shoulder/arm immobilizer that he'd wear for at least the three more weeks.

Judge Harmon called the session to order. Alex informed him she had no questions for Alistair Dunn after the judge informed the man he was still under oath. He also made a point of letting both lawyers know that Mr. Dunn was being held without bail in the matter of assault in addition to other charges. As Gordon has no other witnesses, Alex asked to call a rebuttal witness and Michaela Clark was sworn in to testify.

The woman spent no time negating pretty much everything Dunn had said a few weeks earlier. Yes, Emilie Fitz was an addict but she tried desperately to get clean. From the moment she found she was pregnant until Fitz was almost two she succeeded, took a few classes, held down a part time job and shared an apartment with another single mother as part of a government rehab program. When the funding ran out, Emilie lost her apartment and the means to continue her studies. It was easy to slip back into her old habits, with a few half hearted attempts to try again. Fitz had just turned eight when Micki moved to Edinburgh and lost contact with her friend. Micki told the court that Emilie had worked as a waitress on several occasions. The woman had a an unforgiving life but she was adamant she would never ever sell her favors to support her child or her habit.

When asked about Dunn Micki said she'd never heard the man's name but Emilie had told her about the man she met in a bar one night when she was clear headed enough to remember what she had done. It was March and it was cold and raining and he offered her a hot meal and a warm bed. She accepted, knowing what the price would be. In the morning he was gone. He left her the equivalent of fifty U.S. dollars and…Fitz. She never saw the man again.

Emilie swore she had never done anything like it before and never again. Micki had no reason not to believe her. She described the man she knew to be Fitz's father specifically remembering a large red birthmark behind the man's ear. It was clearly apparent that Dunn had the same.

The dates of February twenty seventh and twenty eighth of ninety four were clear in Micki's memory. Emilie and Fitz had spent several nights on the streets of Busby, unable to find shelter in the cold. By the time the young woman made her way to Micki's flat she was feverish and weak. It was the last week of February and Emilie spent it on the local hospital recovering from pneumonia and leaving Fitz in Micki's care.

Gordon did not object to any of the testimony.

When both sides rested the judge informed everyone he would deliberate on everything and have a decision for them by days end. He was true to his word. All parties were called back to the courtroom by five p.m.

Judge Harmon sat for a moment and stacked the forms he held on his desk. He looked over his glasses at Dunn then removed them and smiled at Fitz who was pressed into his mother's side with his father close as well. He took a deep breath before announcing his decision.

"This has been an experience I would not soon like to repeat." The judge began. "I'm sure most of you feel the same. I have heard a multitude of testimony from Ms. Miles and find the Coulsons have provided Leopold James Fitz with emotional and physical support from the day he came to be in their care. While there have been incidents that are far from normal for a child, the Coulsons have seen to it that Fitz has received medical as well as psychological care to overcome it. The teachers, clergy and colleagues that testified here had nothing but praise for the Coulsons and their parenting of not only Leopold but the three other children they have also adopted." Before Phil and Melinda could breathe a sigh of relief the man continued. "However, I cannot over look the fact that Alistair Dunn is the biological parent of Leopold James Fitz." Dunn sat up straighter and smirked at his believed success.

"As such, Mr. Dunn, I cannot help but wonder why you had not contacted the boy or his mother in all the time since his birth. I am appalled at the lies you fabricated in this courtroom. You stated you spoke with the boy's mother in February of ninety four and yet the defense has brought forth evidence clearly showing you were being held in a local constabulary for public brawling in Canberra, Australia on the very same dates. While on the same date Emilie Fitz was hospitalized for which we have documentation from the doctors who treated her there." The judge dropped the forms he held on the desk and once again peered at the man who sat before him. "I cannot imagine what the reason is that brought you here Mr. Dunn other than the small amount of information the authorities got from a terrified child. Is it even possible that you intended to make a profit off of the intelligence of this boy? That he will…" he looked back down at the forms and sorted through them for a few seconds before he continued. "That he will 'earn his keep and do as he is told with the help of the strap'. Tell me Mr. Dunn did you tell your son that before or after you snapped his collarbone."

"I had the unfortunate experience of witnessing your reaction to your son's injury, Mr. Dunn or shall I say you lack of reaction. Not once did you inquire what had happened or how the boy was hurt, in fact according to my sources you also did not once during the last two weeks, ask for any information on the boy's condition." The judge continued.

Alistair Dunn refused to look away. "It doesn't change the fact that he is my blood. You and your court cannot keep him from me." He protested as Gordon tried in vain to silence him.

Fitz buried his face in Phil's jacket as the judge banged the gavel and smiled. "Well, Mr. Dunn you are right about the DNA and it works in a lot of ways." He sorted through the forms again. "It seems that young Mr. Fitz left a bit of his own on the hand you used to force his silence. Lucky for you it is a perfect match once again. This can only mean that young Mr. Fitz was more than honest in telling us all about your little conversation in the hallway."

Dunn stood and raised a fist before Gordon could stop him. Two officers moved to the table. "I demand…" he began.

"Sit down, Mr. Dunn, your demands on this court are exhausted." He banged his gavel once. "Motion to nullify the adoption of Leopold James Fitz by Phillip and Melinda May Coulson is denied." He banged the gavel again.

"I will take this to the high courts in Britain," Dunn spat. "You will not deny me that boy."

"Not only will I deny you Leopold James Coulson Fitz, but I will give you one and only one opportunity to avoid serving the next ten years of your life behind bars." The judge now took on a growl of his own.

Dunn dropped into his seat.

Judge Harmon continued. "Rather than putting young Fitz through a second round of you lying your way through a trial I will give you the opportunity to plead guilty to the charges of assaulting a minor, threatening a minor, and kidnapping. I believe you have also been charged with perjury which in itself holds a penalty of five thousand dollars and an additional ten year sentence. I believe that makes twenty years, Mr. Dunn."

"Your honor," Gordon began. "Is there a plea bargain on the table?"

"As I stated, Mr. Gordon, your client can plead guilty to the charges as read. He can then sign away any parental rights he never had and agree to leave the county immediately. As long as he agrees to stay out of the country the charges will be vacated with prejudice. Should he return or make any attempt to make contact with the Coulson family he will be immediately arrested and sentenced accordingly. I will give you and your client time to discuss this and will expect an answer by week's end."

"Mr. and Mrs. Coulson?" The judge turned to the opposite side of the courtroom. Phil and Melinda stood with Fitz still sandwiched between them. "I thank you for your patience and candor in this matter and Fitz, I apologize for the fact that you had to endure any of it." He slammed the gavel once more. "Phillip and Melinda May Coulson, you may take Leopold James Coulson Fitz home." He smiled at the family and banged the gavel one last time. "This court stands adjourned."

XX

The celebration at the Coulson home lasted well into the evening and once again had Melinda battling to get two small girls into bed before midnight. Fitz had fallen asleep on his father's large recliner in the family room before ten. She checked his bed before grabbing Skye from the top of the stairs for the third time.

"No, no, no baobei. It is bedtime for little girls." She crooned as she scooped the little girl into her arms.

"I non't ty-red, momma. I go a pardee." Skye giggled as she attempted to escape.

Melinda kissed her forehead and laughed. "No more 'pardee', Skye. It is way past your bedtime."

"I sleep-a Jemma's bed, momma." The little girl pulled toward her sister's door as Melinda set her on the floor.

"Nope," Melinda popped the 'p' and scooped her up again as she bumped the bedroom door open with her backside then spun around quickly allowing the little girl to lean back into the twirl. She stopped at the bed and plopped Skye onto her pillow then tapped the end of her nose. "This time you stay in bed and go to sleep. No more fooling because next time momma will not be smiling."

Skye's lip came out in a pout before Melinda leaned down and kissed her again. Three songs later the little girl was sound asleep. Turning to leave the room, Melinda was startled to find Jemma in the doorway. She let out a frustrated sigh.

"Okay, Jemma you need to get back in bed and please go to sleep." She rose and walked to the door resting an arm around the little girl's shoulders and driving her back to her own bed.

"Momma," Jemma spoke just above a whisper. "I can't help but worry about Fitz. What if that horrid man returns?"

Melinda helped the little girl climb into bed and tucked the covers around her. "That is not going to happen Jemma. That man is either going to prison for a very long time or he is going away forever. We don't have to worry about him." She sat down on the bed next to her older daughter.

"But what if someone else tries to take him or Skye or me? What if someone is looking for one of us and…" Jemma worried.

Placing a finger over the little girl's lips stopped her before she could finish. "Whatever happens, Jemma, daddy and I will be here to protect all of you. Your mother and father took care of everything so you would never have to worry about things like that. Daddy and I have signed all the papers and done everything we had to do. No one is looking to take you away." Jemma started to speak but Melinda stopped her a second time. "And Skye had no one, so we are the only family she will ever know. So stop worrying, close your eyes and go to sleep." She kissed the girl with each word then began softly humming until her second child was finally asleep.

Melinda pulled Jemma's door shut and started toward the stairs able to hear the low mumble of conversation from the first floor but her motherly ear detected the soft sound of stifled sobs. She pushed open the Fitz's door and moved to his bed.

"Hey, bao bao, bad dream?"

Fitz rolled toward her and shook his head. He dove into his mother's embrace and stayed that way for several seconds before speaking into it. "Do you still love me, momma?"

Melinda was shocked. She pushed him back just to look in his eyes. "Fitz, I will always love you, always."

The boy cried even harder as he pulled back into the hug. "He's why I'm so bad…I don't want to be like him…not ever." He continued speaking into Melinda's chest.

"Baobei, you are nothing like that man. You are my sweet little boy and you will not ever be like him." She rocked him back and forth placing soft kisses on his head.

He turned and looked up at her. "But I'll grow up and I've got his DNA in me and…and…"

"Fitz, you, more than anyone, know that that is not the only thing that makes a man what he is."

"But, I'm the one always in trouble and I get all angry and bang and slam and yell and use terrible language and make trouble for everyone. I'm the one that always ends up getting my bum smacked." He sniffled.

Melinda smiled. "Yes, you do my beautiful boy, and I still love you to the stars and back and I will never let you become that kind of man." She hugged him tighter and rocked back and forth.

"But what if I can't help it…" Fitz whispered.

"Then I guess you'll just get your bum smacked an awful lot more often." Melinda laughed as she squeezed him and kissed him again. Fitz, groaned and returned the hug.

"I love you, momma, I love you forever." He snuggled into her embrace and closed his eyes. "Promise I won't be like him?" He needed reassurance.

"I promise, baobei. I promise we," she knew her husband had joined them. "We will not let you be anything like him, not ever." She began rocking again and humming the same lullaby that put her girls to sleep. He'd drift off quickly, but would end up in their bed in a few hours needing more reassurance. It would last for weeks, but they'd get through it together.

Phil stood in the doorway and smiled at the sight of Melinda and their son…

his son

Leopold James Coulson Fitz…

the boy that would never, ever be anything like the monster that was Alistair Dunn.