by Bree Cariad
The next two hours rushed by. Brecker went back to his apartment and changed into a suit appropriate for court. When he reached the courthouse, James and Siobhan were also dressed for the event. “Jonathon not here yet?” he said in a quiet voice as he reached their side. The door to the hearing room was closed.
“Not yet,” Siobhan said in the same quiet voice. A few feet away, two women sat. Brecker had the feeling they were the opposition.
Two people strode toward those women that made him uneasy. They had the look of new wealth. Expensive clothes, expensive airs, and both of them carrying a bible.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Brecker hissed. James pinched him which made him stop talking.
The sound of shoes landing hard on the linoleum floor hit his ears and he turned to see Jonathon running toward them. He was dressed in the same suit he wore to the shelter hearing last June. Brecker wondered if that was his only suit. Or maybe it was the suit he wore to events he didn’t particularly like. “Did I miss it?” Jonathon asked in a breathless voice. “I had a hard time finding parking. I’m parked over a mile away.”
“You’re in time,” James said while Brecker gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Before they open the doors, let’s go over here and talk.” He led Jonathon down the hallway to where they couldn’t be overheard.
Siobhan sighed. “I hope the judge does the right thing.”
“Me too. If she doesn’t, James will try to get her to keep Aiden in the system until Monday when he can work his magic. The last thing we want is for Aiden to end up with them.” Brecker nodded toward Mr. and Mrs. Uppity Bible Thumpers.
“I don’t know why they won’t just let him go.” She shook her head in disappointment. “Poor Aiden. He must be so scared.”
“I know. This had better not put him back. If so….” Brecker let his words trail off. Jonathon would not be for suing the parents for reckless endangerment, but he wondered if James could pull it off.
The door opened and he turned to find a bailiff. The man spoke quietly but clearly. “Here for the hearing in the case of Peter and Melinda Marshad versus the Paul D. Regelo Center for LGBT Youth?” Brecker nodded. “All right. Three people on each side. No more.”
James and Jonathon walked back to them. Siobhan stepped back. “I’ll wait for you,” she said and hugged Jonathon tightly before the three of them passed the bailiff. The room wasn’t a court room. Instead it was the kind of room used for arbitration. A long table with seven chairs sat in the middle. The three of them took the seats on the right with James closest to the judge’s chair, Jonathon in the middle, and Brecker on the end.
There seemed to be some sort of argument in the hallway behind them but finally, Mr. and Mrs. Uppity walked in with one of the two women. She took the seat closest to where the judge would sit.
Brecker had been in on a lot of hearings and court cases. He usually found the process intriguing. But knowing that the next few minutes could be the difference in freeing Aiden or knowing he was stuck somewhere he didn’t belong made it difficult.
The hearing took three hours. First the judge spoke to James and Jonathon at length. Then she turned to Aiden’s parents.
The Marshads had no legal standing as far as Brecker could tell. They argued God’s will and how their daughter, Andrea, acting like a boy was a sin. When Highland asked them why they wanted to keep custody considering they threw him out, they gave the same tired refrain, adding in the fact they wanted to send him to a camp where “she” could get better. Brecker wondered if they should have recorded the hearing so they could hear how badly they sounded. Plus, every time they called Aiden, Andrea, he wanted to argue. But he didn’t.
“All right,” Judge Highland finally said when for the fourth time she gave the Marshads the opportunity to make a valid argument and they didn’t. “Does council have anything else to add?”
Neither the social worker for the Marshads nor James did. “Then I’m ready to make my verdict,” she said. “Before I came in here, I watched the video of Andrea V. Marshad talking to a court appointed therapist.” She paused and went on. “There is no way a child that scared could have been acting. After speaking with the therapist and listening now, I feel it is in the best interest of the child to temporarily remove parental rights from Peter and Melinda Marshad and assign Reverend Jonathon Neiland as guardian. I also think an official name and gender change needs to be noted in the official records.”
The Marshads went crazy. They stood up and started spouting scripture. The bailiff removed them from the room. Once they were gone, the judge continued. She looked directly at Jonathon. “This is a temporary arrangement. I want to set up weekly appointments with Aiden and the court therapist. In six weeks, we’ll have another hearing. If things go well, permanent custody will be handed to you. If not, Aiden will be remanded to social services and foster care. Unless his parents can prove to me that they will take care of their child.” Her eyes softened. “I go on facts and my intuition which says this is right. And I hope it is. The foster care system is not the place for him.”
She stood up. “Hold on and I’ll get him.”
“He’s here?” Jonathon asked, half standing up.
“Yes, he is. But just so you know, I want the two of you to stay in town tonight. The roads are hideous and let’s keep him safe, okay?”
Jonathon nodded and then closed his eyes and tilted his head up slightly. It hit Brecker in that moment that Jonathon was praying. He’d seen him do that a couple times but hadn’t realized what it meant.
The social worker looked tired but after a few words with James, left. It didn’t look as though she agreed with the judge’s decision. The door the judge went through opened again and Aiden hesitantly stepped through, his eyes darting around. He saw Jonathon first and gave a shout and ran into his arms. “Reverend Jonathon, Reverend Jonathon,” he said through deep sobs. “You came and got me.”
“Of course I did,” Jonathon murmured against his hair. “You’re one of mine, Aiden. We want you home. And look who helped?”
It took several minutes before Aiden pulled back, wiping his eyes and nose on his wrist. Then he looked up and saw Brecker. His eyes widened and he vaulted the few feet between them, wrapping his thin arms around Brecker’s stomach and holding on. “Brecker. You saved me again.”
“Hey, kiddo.” Brecker lightly hugged him, which seemed to make Aiden hug him tighter.
For one small moment, Brecker felt like he was on top of the world.
Chapter Twelve
They had to wait inside the hearing room while the bailiff and a few other intrepid policemen escorted the Marshads away. Jonathon sat in the chair he’d been in during the whole ordeal with Aiden next to him with his elbows on the table and his chin resting on his hands. His eyes were on Brecker who stood across the room talking to the judge in tones too low for them to hear.
“Sorry I wasn’t there to stop them,” Jonathon murmured. Aiden blinked slowly and looked up at him.
“You couldn’t have,” Aiden said in a world weary tone too old for his age. “They had the legal papers.”
“I could have offered sanctuary.”
That made Aiden almost smile. “I think… I think this is better,” he murmured, his eyes back on Brecker. “My folks no longer have custody of me.” A long yawn left his lips and his eyes softly closed. “I belong to you now.”
With a soft smile, Jonathon reached over and ran his hand lightly over Aiden’s shoulders. “We’ve got you.”
Aiden seemed to force his eyes open and he once again focused on Brecker. “He’s Superman,” he murmured.
Jonathon followed his gaze and swallowed hard at the visual across the room. Brecker was in a very nice suit and he’d removed the jacket after the proceedings so his muscled back was in clear view. It was a very nice image. “He’s a man,” he said quietly. “A very good man.”
With a half-hearted smile, Aiden nodded and closed his eyes again.
&
nbsp; He kept rubbing Aiden’s shoulders lightly. “Was today difficult?”
“Yeah. It was scary,” he admitted in a small voice, the tone lifting slightly in fear. “Being in the police car with Sharon, then having to sit there and listen to her on the phone with them.” He gulped and Jonathon didn’t need to ask who them was. No doubt it was his parents. “But the therapist I talked to was nice. Caryn Menner. She knows Tanner and we talked a little about him and about what happened with me.”
The tension didn’t disappear, but it lessened the more Jonathon rubbed his shoulders. Aiden cast off the extreme fears as he spoke. “I liked her. If Tanner ever can’t come out, you should think about her.” He yawned again. “She does some trans counseling.”
Jonathon made a mental note to get her information. It would be good if they could have another therapist. Tanner was stretched with seeing as many of the kids as he could every Thursday. With the money coming from next week’s event, they could afford to pay. He looked forward to being able to pay Thomas and Tanner for their services. They gave so much to Jonathon’s kids.
“Do you think he’d ever want to adopt me?” Aiden asked in a voice that sounded like he was almost asleep.
“I don’t know. I’m not sure Brecker’s ever considered adoption.” Jonathon’s heart sped up for a moment at the idea of Brecker as a dad. He would be an amazing father. “But he does care for you.” That was obvious. The moment Jonathon told him who was taken, Brecker went into high gear. He reached up and smoothed Aiden’s hair back from his face. The fact was Jonathon didn’t set up the shelter as an orphanage. He set it up as a permanent home for the kids. But if someone like Brecker wanted to adopt? A slow breath left his mouth. It would be difficult to give one of his kids up, but to someone he knew would take care of them while letting them be who they were?
Oh yes. He would miss Aiden, but he would do it in a heartbeat.
The door opened and the bailiff walked back in. “They’re off the premises,” he informed the judge.
“Good. All right. Reverend Neiland, where will you and Aiden stay tonight?”
Before he could suggest a cheap, but nice hotel he had stayed at in the past, Brecker said, “Why don’t you two stay at my place? We can pop popcorn and watch television. I’ve got a foldout bed Aiden can use.”
Aiden sat up as though he hadn’t been almost asleep, with hope in his eyes. He turned to Jonathon and Jonathon couldn’t have said no if he’d tried. “I think that’s a great idea.”
“Wonderful. I’ll have Caryn call you to make weekly appointments,” Judge Highland said. She turned her eyes on Aiden and gave him a kind smile. “Happy?” He nodded enthusiastically. “Good. Well, Reverend Neiland has filled out the paperwork for your name change. You’re officially listed as Aiden Marshad for now. And your gender has been officially noted as male. In six weeks, if this custody becomes permanent, you can request a last name change if you choose.”
“Thank you, Your Honor,” Aiden said politely but Jonathon could feel the tremors in his small frame. It had been a long day and they needed to get him back to Brecker’s where he could break down and rest in the peace Jonathon and Brecker would bring.
After Brecker told him he would see them back at his place, he left, his phone up to his ear. “Come on, Aiden,” Jonathon said as he stood up. “Let’s go. Brecker’s place is wonderfully warm.”
“You’ve been there?” Aiden asked as they walked back into the court hallway.
“Yep. I’ve been there a couple times to watch football.”
“Cool.”
Jonathon half held him up as they walked to his car. The snowfall had stopped but the air was icy. He put Aiden in the passenger seat and started the car, turning the heat on high before getting out and cleaning off the car.
It wasn’t far to Brecker’s place and by the time they arrived, the first tears started. Aiden snuffled and hiccupped as Jonathon drove into the underground parking. The poor kid was barely holding it together on the ride up in the elevator. When the elevator doors opened and they stepped out into the hallway, Brecker stood at his doorway with his arms open. Aiden vaulted into them and burst into huge, gut wrenching sobs. Brecker held him tighter as he maneuvered him inside.
The next few minutes were a bit of a blur. Once they got Aiden detached and onto the sofa, Aiden truly began to lose it. A fire crackling in a gas fireplace lent a nice warmth to the already warm apartment. There was an armchair which sat in the corner that also doubled as a twin bed. Brecker pulled it out and made it up with sheets, a blanket, and two pillows. But Aiden wasn’t ready for sleep yet. Now that he was safe, his body wound up. The fear and the anxiety had a place to expand and they did. Tears, panic, shame, anger… it all poured out. Brecker must have figured what was coming because he had a trash can nearby for when Aiden became physically ill due to casting off the day.
He would make an amazing father. Jonathon wanted to stop himself from thinking it, but he could see it. Brecker was a natural.
When a buzz sounded, Brecker left Aiden to Jonathon and went to the door. Whoever it was did not come in, but when Brecker came back into the living room, he had two large paper bags and two plastic bags. “What do you say,” he suggested, casting a look at Aiden’s slightly gray pallor, “to a bath?” He held up the two plastic bags. “Night clothes and new clothes for tomorrow.” Aiden nodded, his eyes red and his cheeks and nose blotchy. “Come on. Let me show you how relaxing this bath can be.”
Brecker’s bathroom was nice. It had a bathtub big enough for a man as well as a large walk-in shower. Jonathon thought it would be a nice place for Aiden to relax in.
As Aiden walked toward the bathroom, Brecker handed the two paper bags to Jonathon. “Want to get dinner plated up?” he whispered.
Thrilled, Jonathon nodded. Brecker thought of everything. By the time he had several individual bags pulled out of the larger paper ones, Brecker joined him. “I left him to undress and cry the last bit out. Poor kid. Today must have been hell.”
There was a little bit of everything to tempt the teenage taste buds as far as food was concerned. Chicken noodle soup, chicken fingers, fries, tacos, cheeseburgers, pizza puffs, cupcakes, and ice cream.
“I wanted to make sure there would be something to entice him to eat,” Brecker said, looking a little sheepish. “When I was in a bad state back when I was just getting off the streets, I hated even the thought of eating. But comfort food invariably tempted me.”
“I’m tempted,” Jonathon said with a grin and popped a fry into his mouth.
Brecker chuckled. “I’m going to make us all some hot toddies. That should help, along with the food, to let relaxation guide him to sleep. Having you in the same room will be good for him too. You’re only a few feet away.”
By the time Aiden came out of the bathroom, he was pink cheeked from the hot bath and dressed in sleep pants and a large T-shirt. He looked much better. Especially when he saw the goodies. “Awesome,” he said and rushed forward, dropping to his knees by the coffee table. As expected, the food was too much to pass up. If Jonathon was any judge, Aiden had a little bit of everything. The only thing he passed on was the cake and ice cream and that was only because he couldn’t keep his eyes open long enough to eat it.
“Come on,” Brecker encouraged. “Why don’t you lie down? Jonathon’s right here and he’ll be on the couch all night if you need anything.”
With a slow nod, Aiden stood up and did what most of the youth did nightly at the shelter. He walked over and hugged Jonathon. “Night, Reverend Jonathon.”
Jonathon hugged him tight. “Night, Aiden.”
Once he released him, Aiden went to Brecker and did the same thing. “Night, Brecker.”
From the expression on Brecker’s face, he was touched. He hugged Aiden back. “Night, Aiden.”
Aiden went over to the bed, lay down, and was asleep within moments, safe with him and Brecker nearby.
“Thank you,” Jonathon said once they took ever
ything back into the kitchen. Brecker gave him an odd look. “For everything. For calling your lawyer. For calling in whatever favor you did to bring this about. For….” He had to take a deep breath to steady himself and then he looked directly into Brecker’s eyes. “Thank you for saving Aiden. That’s twice now.”
Pink tinged Brecker’s cheeks and he shrugged. “I couldn’t not help. The thought of what might happen to that kid?” He shook his head. “I’ve been there. And I was a tough SOB when I was on the streets. Aiden’s sweet. I don’t want him to ever have to toughen up like that.” He opened his mouth as though to say more and then shut it quickly, his cheeks turning an even darker pink. “I’m just glad it’s worked out well.”
It was almost two in the morning by the time they got everything cleaned up and went to bed. Jonathon lay down on the sofa and leaned his head against the armrest. Had it just been that morning he’d rushed home only to find Aiden gone? It had to be one of the longest days of his life.
The light went off under Brecker’s door and he let out a soft sigh. Something needed to be done about this attraction he had. There was so much to it that it was hard to figure out. It was physical and emotional and it also had to do with how Brecker helped take care of Jonathon’s kids.
Before getting more comfortable, Jonathon cast a look toward Aiden who was still deeply asleep. He had the feeling if they had gone home that Aiden would not have slept that well. It was being in the safety of Brecker’s home that allowed him to let go as he did.
Jonathon knew exactly how that felt.
He just didn’t know what to do about it.
Chapter Thirteen
“Brecker?”
He turned around, surprised to see Siobhan standing in the doorway. “Hey.”
She smiled, amused. “You were somewhere else entirely. It’s two o’clock. I’m headed to the beauty salon to get ready for tonight. You should head home and get out your tux.”
One glance at the clock told him it was indeed two o’clock. “Today went by fast.” Which he knew was a dumb thing to say. In fact, all week, he’d come out with phrases better left to overworked employees than the boss.