Teen Dad

Seventeen

A/N- I'm back! I'm sorry I have been gone for so long, I know I said I'd be back sooner but things have been really hectic lately. I'm also really sorry I had to keep things on hold a little longer. I am finally back now though, and I'll hopefully be posting a lot more often. So with that said, let's get back to the story!

P.S.- This chapter is the start of the court trials so they are probably going to be terrible. I have only been to court once and that was for school, and we didn't even witness a trial, so I'm not 100% sure about the things that go on in court, so hopefully what I do know is enough. Now let's start this chapter!

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"All rise for the judge," a woman in a black suit said as the entered the room. Everyone stood up as a man in a black robe walked in behind the woman.

"You may be seated," he stated as he took his seat, followed by everyone else. "We are here today for the legal custody of Annabelle Little. The people fighting for her are the adoptive father, Michael Little, and the birth father, David Cross. We are going to start off by each of them telling me why they believe Annabelle should be with them. Mr. Cross, would you please start."

"Yes your honor," David said standing up from his seat. "Your honor, as the birth certificate says, and the DNA test proves, I am Lor-um-Anna's biological father. I didn't even know that her mother was pregnant when we split, she just left. If I had known I would have taken care of her like a father should, but since I didn't I couldn't. Now that I know I just want to be a part of her life. Honestly I would have been fine with both Michael and myself switching off every week or something, but he decided that we needed to fight for her."

"I see," the judge then look at me, "Mr. Little, it's your turn."

"You honor if you would please just call me Michael I would appreciate it," I said.

"As you wish, Michael."

I nodded and stood up while David sat back down. "Your honor, I am Anna's adoptive father. I have raised her ever since I found her when she was a baby. I have looked after her for the past almost six years. I put her needs before my own. I love her, and up until recently she, other than my mother, has been the only girl I have ever cared about. I've been held back twice in high school just so she can be taken care of. She's my daughter, I would do anything for her, and I'm not giving her up to some stranger so easily, even if he is her birth father."

"Thank you Mr. Little." I sat back down as he wrote down some stuff in a notebook. "Next we are going to have Mr. Cross' attorney, Andrew Watson, ask some people up to the stand. Mr. Watson."

"Your honor, I would like to ask Mr. Micheal Little up to the stand." Nobody was expecting him to call me up first. I mean, we knew it was going to happen, but not first.

I walked up to the podium and took my seat next to the judge. Mr. Watson then started his questioning, "Mr. Little, if I am not mistaken you am just turned 20, am I correct?"

"Yes that is true," I said.

"And you said you have been Anna's father for how long again?"

"About six years," I replied.

"So, if my math is correct, when you adopted Anna you were 14, were you not?"

A lot of people started whispering in the audience, making me get nervous. "Yes that is correct."

"The law states that the youngest a person can be to adopt is 18. Heck, even to gain custody of a sibling you have to be 18. You were 14, meaning you technically adopted her illegally. Now, since you are 20 we cannot do anything to you, but I'm just wondering how you managed to adopt her in the first place?"