Chapter Sixteen; The Custody Hearing

Well here we are, only a few more chapters left. And this particular one you should find (hopefully) very moving, beautiful, and inspiring. The next chapter you get your surprise Gabrielle! Gee, I wonder what it's going to be? Part of the song When You Believe by Whitney Huston and Mariah Carey was used.

Chucky slowly opened his eyes and found that Tiffany was sitting on top of his bed holding onto his hand. "Tiff,.." he began. "I just had the worst nightmare. I dreamed I got shot and when I died, I went to Heaven." He explained. "Number one, it wasn't a dream, and number two why would that be such a bad thing?" Tiffany asked him. "Because I looked like the fuckin Tooth Fairy!" he snapped as Tiffany giggled. "Well it sure is nice to see you back to your mean old rotten self." She told him. "Yeah, where's Christian and what happened to Mary?" he asked her as she simply heaved a sigh.

"Well the good news is that the police showed up and arrested him, I think he might be gone for a long time." She told him. "Good! That bastard deserved it!" Chucky exclaimed. "And now what's the bad news?" he asked her as he saw a solemn expression grow onto her face. "Tiff," he began. "Where's Mary?" he questioned her again starting to feel a sickish feeling sink into his stomach. "I tried to stop them Chucky, but child services showed up and took Mary away." She explained. "What!?" he exclaimed as he quickly threw the covers off of him and leapt out of bed.

"And you just let her go!? Tiff, you don't know where the hell the kid is going to end up!" he cried. "I know Chucky, I'm sorry I really tried to stop them but they're going to take her to an orphanage until someone suitable wants to adopt her. And we have to prove to them that it's us." She said. "Oh yeah, how!?" he snapped. "By having faith and trusting God that we will find a way." She explained. "Yeah well I put my faith in God before and look where I ended up? I didn't have anywhere to turn until I met you guys." He told her. "Exactly, and that's why you should trust in Him and just believe that He will find a way." She told him before softly starting to sing to him.

"Many nights we've prayed, with no proof anyone could hear. In our hearts a hopeful song we barely understood. Now we are not afraid, because we know there is much to fear. We have been moving mountains long before we knew we could. There can be miracles, when you believe. The hope is frail, it's hard to kill. Who knows what miracles you can achieve? When you believe somehow you will, you will when you believe." She sung and it was that moment right then and there that Chucky knew that his wife was right. He was more determined now than ever to get his kid back no matter what it took. He needed her as much as she needed him, and he found to his own surprise that he could be fairly persuasive when he wanted to be.

…..

"Where is she!?" he demanded as he slammed the administrator of child services up against the wall. "Look buddy, I don't know who you are and I don't know who you're talking about or what you're problem is_" he began shakily as Chucky quickly interjected. "Alright then I'll care enough to enlighten you." He began. "My name is Charles Lee Ray, and I'm talking about a little girl named Mary Barclay. As for what my problem is, I'm in love with her and I want to adopt her." He explained. "Now, let's try this again, where is she!?" he yelled angrily.

"Take it easy buddy, they're just planning to find her a foster home." The administrator said. "Yeah, well their plans are changed." Chucky began. "I just can't let her go live with a bunch of strangers when I'm in love with her. I love her too much." He told him. "Now tell me what I've got to do." He demanded.

…

"All rise." The bailiff said as everyone inside the courtroom obeyed and stood up as the judge entered the room. "The custody hearing of Mary Karen Barclay is now in session." The judge said as she pounded her mallet against the piece of wood on her desk as everyone sat back down. The judge put on her glasses and looked down at the sheet of paper on her desk before lifting it up and reading it. "Charles Lee Ray, please rise." She told him. Chucky was so used to this being said to him that by now it just came so naturally that he rose up onto his feet before she barely even finished saying his name.

"It says here that you're also known as Chucky the killer doll." She said as the whole entire courtroom burst into a fit of laughter. "Uh yes your honor, that's true." He said into his microphone as he bent down over it and the judge struck down her mallet again to silence the laughter. "Well in case you were wondering I don't find your sense of humor the least bit amusing. And I find it disturbing beyond anything else that this case is about you wanting custody over a child when it should be about locking you up for insanity." She told him when suddenly Chucky grew silent.

"Your honor I would just like to say something!" Tiffany blurted out before quickly rising to her feet. "Before we jump to conclusions and point fingers at what a terrible man Chucky is, let me just point out to the court that if it wasn't for him, there may have been a chance that the child in question may not be alive today." She explained. "I see, well in that case please continue Mrs. Ray, that is if you have the proper evidence." She said as she gestured her hand out to her. "Oh you bet I do." Tiffany said before getting out of her chair and walking out in front of her desk.

"Well as you all may be aware of by now, a man was just put in jail because he was a child abuser and a very violent man. What some of you may not be aware of is that man was Mary's supposed called father. But I can honestly say that the only thing he ever did for her, was help to bring her into this world. He didn't give a shit about her, he used her and abused her, and kept her around just so that he could pay his bills. Now I ask the court, does that seem like a real father to you?" she questioned as chatter once again erupted inside the courtroom.

"Order!" The judge exclaimed as she struck her mallet a couple more times and the court remained silent. "Continue Mrs. Ray." She told her. "Thank you your honor, Chucky please stand up if you will?" Tiffany questioned as Chucky slowly got to his feet unaware about what was about to happen. "Now it may be very hard to see for the people in the back," she began before she walked over to him and rolled up the corner of his shirt. "But right here is a scar that was shot from a bullet from that same man that I was talking about earlier. And the reason it was fired ladies and gentlemen was because Chucky refused to step aside because he was protecting Mary." She explained.

"Tiff you don't have to do this." Chucky told her. "No trust me Chucky I do." Tiffany told him before she dropped his shirt and pushed back his bangs while the court remained silent and it was as if you could hear a pin drop. "This scar on Chucky's forehead is from a burn he got when he rushed inside a burning building to save that same child. Both times he never gave any thought to his own life." She explained before brushing back his bangs and continued on with her speech as she walked back up in front of the room. "You see, Chucky and Mary don't even share the same DNA, but yet he acts more like a father to her then the one that was supposed to be in the first place."

She said as she slammed her hand down upon the desk. "God damn it! I mean what is a father anyway!? According to the dictionary it simply says a breeder, but I say different!" she yelled. "I say that is someone who provides for his daughter, and who loves her more than life itself. And someone who has always been there for her whenever she needs it!

Somebody who is there to pick you up when you fall of your bike and tells you to get right back on again. Someone who is always there to be a friend to you and play with you when you get lonely, laugh with you when you're happy, and crying along with you when you're in pain. Somebody who always stands up for you when you're being picked on,

who never misses your school plays or dance recitals. Somebody who stays up all night with you when you're sick, and most importantly, teaches you to never give up on your dreams no matter how difficult they may be. You see when it really comes right down to it, it wouldn't make any sense not to let Chucky gain custody of Mary because besides the parents who raised her, and may they rest in peace, I say he is the perfect one for the job." She said. "Nothing further your honor." She said as she sat down when suddenly the room grew silent. Then all of a sudden somebody stood up and slowly started to applaud. Then another one stood up, followed by another one. Pretty soon the whole entire room was applauding and cheering for Chucky and Tiffany. Somebody even placed two fingers in-between their teeth and whistled loudly.

"I guess that settles it then," the judge began. "I award Charles Lee Ray and his wife Tiffany with full custody of Mary Barclay. Case dismissed!" she exclaimed as she hit her mallet one last time upon the desk as Chucky turned to Tiffany and grinned as the room continued to fill up with cheers. They had done it, they won. After the official adoption Mary would be their daughter. That's when suddenly Chucky and Tiffany embraced and shared a passionate kiss celebrating their victory.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY! Anyway, in the next chapter Chucky and Tiffany's baby is going to be born. And unless you read my profile which no cheating if you haven't, any thoughts if it's going to be a boy or a girl? Discuss and we'll soon find out if you're right.