Hello everyone,
I will be updating this story for a bit. I want to finish this story before continuing my others. Also, there is a new story I am trying to think of a good summary for. Please be patient if you are waiting for updates on my other stories. Thank you.
Enjoy this chapter.
Chapter Twenty-three:
Jeff and Lita are at the shelter. They inform Michelle they are going ahead with adopting Johnny and Joan.
"Okay, I will put the request into Child Services. I am sure you guys will get the approval to have a trial run with both of them." Michelle happily speaks.
"A trial run?" Lita questions.
"Yes, every family that wants to adopt a child has a trial run or probation in case the child or family changes their mind. It is a formality, but I know you two as well as Johnny and Joan won't change your mind." She tells them.
"Oh okay, when will we have the trial run?" Jeff asks.
"You two will have separate ones when we get the approval. Now you can bring Johnny and Joan to each home to ease them to it, but they can't stay overnight until you are approved." Michelle explains some rules.
"Awesome." Amy calls out very excited for this.
Jeff and Amy exit the office to where they think Joan and Johnny are. They see Joan in her room, however, Johnny isn't with her.
"Hey sweetie." Amy greets.
"Amy, hello." She runs to hug her. "I am almost packed." She points to some clothes on her bed. Every Christmas, the Dumas would give the children presents which includes clothes, shoes, books, jewelry, and etc.
"Sweetie, you can't stay over until we get approved from Child Services. We need to have a trial run to see if you like staying with us." She hates to bring down her happiness.
"Why? I already know I want you to adopt me. I know I would love living with you." She is confused on this formality.
"I know, but this… we need to prove it to them that's all. It is just a little bit longer until you can come live with me." She assures her.
Joan sighs. "Okay, I will unpack my stuff." She sulks all the way to her bed.
"Why do you have to unpack? I can still bring some clothes to my house. Each day we can bring more of your valuables, so we don't have to bring everything all at once." She offers not happy that her future daughter is upset.
"Really?" Lita nods her head. "That's great." She perks up.
"Sorry to interrupt your bonding moment, I am just wondering where Johnny is?" Jeff inquires.
"He is in his own room packing as well. His room is down the hall, to the left, and the last door before the TV room." She directs.
"Thanks." He exits to check on him.
"Lita, something has been bugging me." Joan sits on her bed.
"What is bugging you? Are you sad about missing your friends here?" She closes the door for some privacy.
"I am upset about that, but that is not what is bothering me. I know we have to live in separate house; Johnny and I. I just don't want us to live too far away from each other." She expresses.
"It will only be for the time it takes to prove that we are fit to adopt you two. When we sign the papers we will move into one house." She explains their plan.
"I know it is just we will live here and Jeff and Johnny will live in South Carolina. We will be in different states." She states the problem.
"And you want to be in the same state so you two can hang out." Joan nods her head. "I don't see why we can't do that. Maybe we can live in this state, so if we ever need help my parents can help as well." Lita ponders.
"That's so great." Joan perks up.
"I will talk to Jeff and my parents about that." She smiles not wondering right now about Jeff's support system. "First of all, we need to find a place to stay if everyone approves."
"Oh they will approve because it is the best idea." She is so confident in that. "Come on let's tell them." Joan guides her with a bit too much force to Johnny's room.
"Hey guys, guess what?" Joan enters Johnny's room with Lita.
"We are living in this state so we won't be separated." Johnny reveals the good news.
"How did you know?" Joan is surprise that he guessed it right. How did they know because they couldn't have heard them from here?"
"Jeff suggested it with how our bond is. It wouldn't be fair for us to live in different states."
"I guess I don't have I say in that." Lita crosses her hands.
"I was going to tell you when we join you in Joan's room, but you came here first." He explains so not to get in trouble.
"I don't care. I want to be the first one to come up with that idea. Hmph." She is upset.
"You were planning to move her without consulting me first." Jeff is appalled.
"I was going to talk to you about it, although, I already made up my mind. You two just beat me to it."
"I see what's going on?" Jeff figures it out. "You wanted everyone to think it was your idea; you wanted to be the hero." He walks to stand in front of her.
"Yes and you ruin it." She turns around to have her back to him.
"It is okay you can have credit for it. To make it up to you, you will pick both houses." He wraps his arms around her.
"You won't complain about my decision." She pretends to not notice his arms right now.
"Nope we won't, isn't that right, Johnny?"
"A house is a house, if I have to live there to make this dream happen then I will." Johnny casual replies.
"Will you let me choose the house when we get married?" She knows that it is not part of the conversation, but she would give it a shot.
"That is a little too far into the future. We will talk about that later on." He dodges the question.
She giggles. "Okay, I forgive you." She rubs his arms.
"Then turn around and let me see those beautiful eyes." He whispers. Lita turns around to face him as he gives her a peck. "There is my beautiful girlfriend."
"And there is my handsome boyfriend." She pecks back.
"Aww." The two children reply.
Jeff and Lita turn around to face them. "Thanks we are adorable." Jeff agrees with Joan and Johnny about their relationship. The children roll their eyes jokingly as they all laugh. "What do you two say on celebrating this moment at the Zoo and some food afterwards." Jeff offers.
"That sounds awesome."
"Great, I will inform Michelle that we will take you until bed time." Jeff utters.
They all exit the shelter to not be aware that Edge is just a block away from them with binoculars. "What are you two doing?" He asks himself. When they leave, he enters the shelter. Everyone pauses as they recognize him from before. "I am looking for the owner or the boss of this shelter." He calls out while he still has everyone's attention.
"I am the boss." Michelle replies helping one of the children with some building blocks. "How may I help you, sir?"
"I would like to talk to you." He asks politely.
"We are talking right now." She was warned to be stern with him if he comes back.
"This is about business I need to talk to you in private."
"Very well follow me." Michelle guides him to her office. "So Mr. Edge, what can I do for you today?" She takes a seat in her chair.
"You know who I am." He is surprise because he hasn't meet her before.
"Yes, you were the one that cause a scene before with Lita and Edge." She reminds him.
"Oh right, well I want to adopt a child here."
"You want to adopt a child here." Edge nods. "Is there a specific child you had an idea of adopting?" She is very suspicious about this. Lita and Jeff wants to adopt and now Edge wants to as well.
"I don't really have anyone in mind. Do you mind if I just hang out with the children to find the one I want to adopt?" Edge requests.
"I don't think that is a great idea. You see since your scenario before these children are very cautious around you. I don't think they would let you be near them. I can show you the facility, but that's it. If you have a child in mind, I could set up a hang out to see if he/she will be comfortable with you." Michelle offers his options.
"I do remember a child that was rude to me. Maybe I could bring him around to show the other children that I am actually nice." He tries to remember the child's name.
"Okay it is a start, what is the child's name?"
"I think his name is Johnny." Michelle tenses up. How could he say that same child that Jeff and Lita want to adopt.
"I am sorry he is unavailable for this." She stays calm. "You need to inquire about another child or else I can't help you." She gives him a nervous smile.
"Why is he unavailable? Is he already a candidate for adoption?" He wonders having a plan creating in his mind.
"I can't release that information. I may have a child that might give you a chance." She suggests.
"That's great, who is he?" He smiles.
"It is a girl. I'll go get her file." She walks to her file cabinet. With her back turned, Edge secretly looks on her desk for any clues about Johnny or about Lita and Jeff. He sees an adoption paper for Johnny. "Oh so he is going to be adopted. Damn, I was going to use him to get in good graces with the other children." He lifts himself up to try to see the person or the family who wants to adopt him. The rest of the paper is covered by the other paperwork on the desk. To uncover it, he yawns to move the papers away. He moves them away too much to have them land on the ground. "Shoot." He whispers. Before looking again, he double-checks that she is still at her file cabinet; she is. He lifts himself again to see another adoption paper for Joan. After lifting himself a bit more, Edge sees Lita and Jeff's name on the adoption papers. "Oh, this is excellent." He sits back down to rub his hands together evilly.
"Okay, her name is Jamie. She is about nine years old. She is one of our longest stayed children here." Michelle reports to Edge. "She can be a bit rude and protective with the other children, so I suggest you don't continue your reputation as before." She advises.
"Thanks, will today be a good time to get to know here?"
"I think tomorrow will be better. They are busy with activities today." She excuses wanting to warn the children, especially Jamie on this."
"Certainly, I will see you tomorrow." He smiles.
"Just come and find me I can introduce you two." She puts on a smile.
"Great." He shakes her hand before he leaves. In his car, he searches up the closest child services in the city. "Let's see how they will adopt Joan and Johnny with some confidential information from me." He diabolically laughs as he heads to the building.
Next day, Michelle receives a call from Child Services.
"Hello." She greets.
"Hi, are you the one who requested Joan to be adopted by Amy Dumas and Johnny to be adopted by Jeff Hardy?" One of the workers reads off the application.
"Yes I am, are they approved?" She wonders to bring good news to them.
"Unfortunately, we have received some information that concerns us. We need to interview and examine their living arrangements before we can approve the applications. Can you inform them of this?"
"Yes I can, may I asks who gave you this information?"
"I am sorry we can't divulge that information without that person's permission."
"Of course I understand. Thank you. When will that happen?"
"It will happen in a week. We will call again to notify that we are heading to their house the day of."
"Okay, thank you again."
"You are welcome, have a nice day."
"You too." Michelle hangs up in shock of this bad news. After waving off her shock, she calls Lita at her house. "Hi Mrs. Dumas, can I speak to Amy, please?" She nervously greets.
"Hi Michelle, just wait I am putting you on speaker." She greets in a happy tone. This is the call they have been waiting for all morning.
"Hi Amy, umm… I am calling about both yours and Jeff's applications for adoption. She tries to keep her nerves in check.
"Yes, so did we get approve to continue already. They can have a trial run with the both of us." She gets more excited.
"No exactly." This dampens some of Lita's excitement.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Apparently some information was given to Child Services about you two. They have concerns about both of your applications." She regretful utters to them.
"So you mean our applications are declined?" Lita's tone dramatically changes into sadness.
"No, they are coming to interview and examine both of your living arrangements." She explains already bad that she has to deliver this news to them.
"Okay, when are they coming to do all of that?" She tries to hold her tears inside.
"In a week they will come. They will call again on the day they are coming. I know you two don't have a house here yet. I hope you two get one in that week." She hopes not wanting to bash Joan's hope.
"Thanks Michelle for the informing us." Jeff this time replies as Lita has no words. She is upset that her fear may be coming true this time. She is curled up against Jeff for comfort.
"You are welcome. If you need any help please call me. I will try to help you two in any way I can."
"Thanks again. Oh, can you not say anything to Joan and Johnny? I don't want them to be upset over this." He requests.
"Of course I will. Tell Amy I am sorry about this." She can hear little sobs in the background.
"May I asks who gave the information to them?" He rubs his girlfriend's back.
"They wouldn't give me the information. Although, if I find out who did, I will let you know." Michelle promises very anger at that person.
"Thanks, I just wonder who else would know about us adopting them?"
"I don't know."
"That's okay. I will see you later."
"Okay, bye."
"Bye." Michelle hangs up the phone. She sighs as he remembers that her torture is not over yet Edge is coming to see Jamie. She gets all the paperwork until she sees the original application of both Lita and Jeff's on her desk. She gasps that Edge could have saw those papers. "No he couldn't have." As she is about to call Lita again, Edge enters her office.
"Hi Michelle, I am ready to meet Jamie." He has flowers and a gift for her. Michelle smiles nervously as they head to her room.
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