Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:08 pm Post subject: Shelbyville Court House
It had been a few weeks since Coco first made her way up to Indiana and while things had been turbulent at first, if this court hearing went well, things would be settled once and for all.
Griffith had called Coco's adoptive parents on the day that she had arrived, just as he said he would, and needless to say, their initial conversation didn't go well at all, in fact, the police were called... on Griffith. There had been a claim of kidnapping, which Griffith denied vehemently. It didn't take long for the police to discount the claim...especially considering there had never been an official "missing persons report" filed, which admittedly infuriated Griffith more than the initial accusation.
"How do you not notice your child is gone for THREE DAYS."
Griffith had called up the family lawyer, Lowell, almost as soon as he was cleared of charges, insisting that they were going to take Coco back and he'd fight tooth and nail until they had her back. Lowell, being the Fitz's longtime family legal consultant as well as Mack Fitz's good friend, was more than pleased to put the case together and fight for Coco's return.
Initially, the courts had tried to return Coco to the Varnum family until the case could be settled, but after her "circumstances" were brought up to the judge, they allowed Griffith and Harper to at least obtain "temporary custody" until the case was settled (rather than traumatize Coco more by putting her in the system until everything was done with).
Griffith and Harper went straight to work trying to get Coco as comfortable as possible in the house, which, wasn't that hard they realized as Coco was an easy pleaser. They decided to put her in what would have been the nursery, figuring that the babies would be staying with Griffith and Harper for the first few months of their lives anyhow. Griff went out and bought her a nice bed and Harper was almost always sneaking off with Coco to look at new clothes and things, some for Coco, and some for the babies. Coco liked looking at both. Harper had learned quickly what Coco liked and disliked eating and accommodated her that way. Griffith had worked with Coco's school to get her on independent study, which Griffith helped Coco with every evening when he got back from the shop, sometimes Dixon and Darcy helped out too.
Things were panning out nicely in the Fitz-Hunt home, everyone was settling in like this had always been the swing of things, and hopefully, with this last court meeting, it WOULD be the swing of things.
Griffith and the Varnum family had come face to face in court on several occasions now. They tested him, he realized. They were quick to try and peg Coco as the problematic child, however, there was plenty of evidence to contest that. They were still quick to try and peg Griffith as a manipulative kidnapper. There was enough evidence to to contest that as well.
Just like there was enough evidence to peg them as terrible and negligent parents.
Coco had put forth her testimony at the previous meeting, which was incriminating enough in regards to the Varnum's and their two children, the physical evidence was more than enough to do that as well. And today, Griffith was hopeful that the judge would come to a verdict benefiting Coco's staying with their family.
Currently, Griffith was standing up front with Lowell while the Varnum couple stood at a table just across the aisle from them with their own lawyer. In the stands behind them sat the whole Fitz clan, Flora and Estella dressed in nice dresses (which Griff was surprised Estella already owned so many) while Dixon wore his Sunday suit and a serious expression on his face. Like everyone else, Coco was dressed in a clean-cut dress Harper had picked out for her, although, you couldn't see much of it, or her really, as she sat tucked under Harper's arm during this hearing, as well as almost all of the others.
Admittedly, the past few weeks had not been fun, for anyone. Harper had found that she had grown very protective over Coco, as if she was her own daughter in some ways and the way things had been going were very nerve racking. Though there were little victories- the kidnapping claim being dropped, them getting "temporary custody" so Coco wasn't further traumatized.
Which lead to the hearing now, hopefully the final one that lead to them having full custody and the Varnum couple never getting their hands on or near Coco again. Harper had Coco cuddled close to her side, an arm wrapped around her protectively. She watched tensely as the judge looked over his files and cleared his throat.
He was a tall man with a long chin and nose and tired critical eyes with salt and paper hair.
The judge looked up and adjusted his glasses, looking towards Griffith and Lowell. "Now, Mister Fitz. I'm going to ask you and then I'll ask Mr. and Mrs. Varnum the very same. Why do you think you're in a better position to take care of Miss Coco than the Varnums?"
Griffith looked to Lowell, who promptly nodded, giving him the go ahead to speak on his own behalf, which, as long as he was being honest, he was nervous about. He didn't want to say something wrong and get Coco taken away from him forever...again. But at the same time, he was confident in his feelings, his intentions, which was more than enough for him to press on through. Griffith gave a small nod and cleared his throat.
"Your honor, I know you weren't the judge presiding over the court back then, but I'm sure you've looked over the previous court case in which my late brother, Lawson, was attempting to get custody of our sister." Griffith began. "At the time, the court determined he was not in a position to raise a toddler, as he was only nineteen...and he already had a lot on his plate having to raise our brother Dixon as well as myself. I'm sure the judge at the time thought he had good intentions at the time, however...I'm sorry, but I think it was a major slip up." Griffith glanced back at Coco huddled up under Harper's arm, peering up at him with a worrisome gaze. He bit at his lip a bit and turned back to the judge. "I know that I'm no older than my brother was when the original court case was settled, however, I think that me being here, by my brother Dixon back there being here, as well off as we are is a testament to our brother's ability to raise children, something I believe I'm just as capable of as my brother's current guardian, as well as a father-to-be. I believe I can offer my sister, Coco, the same sort of support my brother Lawson gave me growing up, as well as the support of the family unit we're apart of." Griffith nodded confidently.
"And you do not worry or suspect you might be overwhelmed by taking care of," Judge McCalway looked towards Griffith's family with a critical stare, "two teenage boys, a little girl and," he glanced down at his papers about Griffith for a moment, "two newborns at the same time? You are the only one getting an income at the moment, correct?"
"Currently, yes, sir, you are correct." Griffith nodded, attempting to not look deterred. "But we still have a good amount of money put back from having sold my brother's home in Faulkner and I'm currently in the end process of obtaining a business license to re-open my father's auto shop. Not to mention, my sister-in-law, Flora," Griffith turned to gesture to Flora, who raised her hand, "is in the process of looking for a job since my girlfriend, Harper, will be taking time off after having our babies and can be home to take care of her daughter." He explained. "If you want me to be frank, sir, while we are by no means rich, we are certainly well off. I'm not worried about my family whatsoever."
"And as for taking care of that many children?" Judge McCalway asked as he looked away from Flora, grabbing a pen from his area and writing on some of the notes he had.
"Your honor, I'm sure you already know this, but, my parents were able to bring up four children before their passing, and during that time, my father was the only one who worked." Griffith explained. "While I can't be sure I'll be...well...as great as they were, I can promise that I have something to strive for, and with the back up I personally have in my girlfriend, sister-in-law, my brother Dixon, and Harper's brother Darcy, I think we can get there."
"Thank you, Mister Fitz, that is all I needed. You may sit." Judge McCalway said after Griffith's statement, nodding to him as he looked over his glasses before looking back down at his files, moving to the Varnums. "Mr. and Mrs. Varnum, I turn the question to you now. Why do you think you're in a better position to care for Miss Coco than Mister Fitz and his family?"
Mister Varnum was the one who stood up to speak, while his wife wore a sour look as she glared back towards the Fitz-Hunt family in the seats behind Griffith, namely Harper who Coco was still huddled against.
"Your honor, I don't really see how this is even a contest. These young people certainly are not in a position to be raising another child in their already out of control brood. This young man has made it clear he's living off of his family's coattails while I have made a name for myself in the insurance business." Mister Varnum scoffed. "More than that, me and my wife have experience with raising children as we have two daughters of our very own and have been raising Coco for the last five-"
"Six." Missus Varnum corrected.
"Seven." Their lawyer actually corrected.
"-years. Why wouldn't we be in a position to have her back in our home?" Mister Varnum finished.
Harper gave her, her signature blank bitch face as she pet Coco's hair gently and kept her cuddled close, protective as ever.
The judge looked over his glasses at the man after the correction, not at all looking pleased. "And can you explain the pictures I have of the physical proof that Miss Hunt took when Coco showed up at their residence?" he asked, looking down at the photos Harper had taken of Coco after everything had been talked through between her and Coco.
"Well, sir, Coco has a nasty habit of doing things to herself. She cut off all her hair by herself and tried to say it was her sisters and then as for her alleged 'malnourishment', she doesn't eat, she's picky. She's a bit of a problem most times." Mister Varnum said, waving his hand in the air as he did so.
"All children are picky, Mr. Varnum. I have three boys of my own and all three refuse to eat certain things, however, my wife and I sit down to ask them what they'd wish to eat instead and work with them. And you, being the father of two other girls, should know this I would think." Judge McCalway said, raising his eyebrow at him as he reached to take off his glasses.
"And from Coco's statement, the pictures here taken by Miss Hunt and statements from your neighbours and other witnesses, they are all consistent about the same thing. Neither you nor Mrs. Varnum took care of this child, as you were legally bound to do and there are heavy signs of neglect." He explained, gathering his files together.
"And what is your defense with that statement, Missus Varnum? You haven't taken the girl to have a proper check up with a pediatrician since she was six. Nor a dentist. The school made a statement that they have contacted you several times about Coco's grades and that you never made any action to help the child improve." Judge McCalway said, clasping his hands together and staring at them. "I have talked to the girl myself and she is a bright polite little child. She has already been showing profound improvement from the short time that Fitz and Hunt family has had her."
"Sir, if I may ask, if she is so well off with them, why was she taken away in the first place?" Mister Varnum countered now, a snide grin on his face as if he'd derailed the berating.
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