After Headlines

16: Court

" Penny." Talisa called again.

" It's okay." Bexley knelt down. She didn't want to, but she had to let Penny interact with her biological mother. Penny slowly stepped out and gave her mother a stiff hug.

" Were they good to you?" She asked.

" Yes." Penny answered, not looking at Talisa.

" Why won't you call me mom?" Talisa questioned.

" Because you're not my mommy." Penny stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

" What?" Talisa looked utterly shocked.

" That's Mommy, and that's Daddy." Penny pointed to Josh and Bexley. Talisa's expression hardened as she scooped Penny into her arms.

" Thank you, but your services will no longer be required." Talisa tried to cradle Penny against her but the young girl fought.

" Down! I want down!" Penny pushed against Talisa. The woman almost dropped her. The second Penny's feet hit the ground, she scrambled to Bexley and Josh. Josh crouched down to give her a hug.

" Don't let her take me Daddy." Penny whispered. Bexley looked to Shannon as they heard that, heartbreaking.

" Penelope, is that how you treat your mother?" Talisa called.

" Hold on Ms. Kilns, Penny is obviously afraid right now, how bout we leave her be a bit?" Shannon got between Tailsa and the other three.

" Leave her with them? They've plagued her mind. I am her mother!" Talisa tried to shove past Shannon.

" If you want to ever get custody of your daughter, this is not the way to do it." Talisa's lawyer swooped in. She called down, backing off.

" It's okay, baby." Bexley smoothed out Penny's hair.

oOOo

" Mr. and Mrs. Burrage, are you two not actors?" Talisa's lawyer, Richard, questioned.

" We are." Bexley nodded.

" So, the public eye is not a good place for a child." Richard turned to the judge.

" Hold up." Shannon jumped up.

" Is nobody gonna ask Penny what she wants?" She asked. The courtroom was silent.

" So, you can come to no conclusions without Penny's opinion." Shannon stated.

" I absolutely agree." Judge Mathers nodded.

" Penny, how about you come and talk to me for a little bit and we'll see what you want." He gestured for her to go into his office with Shannon.

" So, how do you think this is going?" Josh whispered. Bexley threw him a look.

" Yep, I agree." He nodded, taking her hand.

A few minutes later, Judge Mathers, Penny, and Shannon came out of his office.

" Now with Penny's words in mind, I can only come to one viable conclusion." Judge Mathers began.

" We do indeed like to keep biological families together but young Penny raised a good point Ms. Kilns, you tore apart your family when you started drugs and brought an abusive man into your home."

" I'm clean!" Talisa shouted.

" Let me finish." Judge Mathers said.

" You may be clean but, Penny associates a lot of bad things living with you. While the family she is currently with, loves her unconditionally. And while they aren't exactly normal to the eye, they are good for her. I simply cannot imagine removing her from her situation. With that, I am denying you,Ms. Kilns, legal custody of Penelope Kilns." Judge Mathers declared. Bexley let out a breathe she didn't know she was holding.

" Momma! Daddy!" Penny raced over to Bexley and Josh. Bexley pulled Penny into her arms as Josh hugged them both.

" Thank you." Josh turned to Shannon.

" I did nothing, simply told the truth." Shannon smiled.

oOOo 

" Did court go okay?" JoJo and Ben basically sprinted to the door as Bexley, Josh, and Penny entered.

" I'm gonna go with a yes." Ben smiled, looking at everyone's grins.

" Yeah, you're stuck with me." Penny beamed.

" I wouldn't have it any other way." JoJo laughed.

The door behind them opened and closed again.

" You're back already?" Bexley turned to Sky and Cara.

" Someone," Sky threw a pointed look at Cara," Might've stormed out on her family."

" Yeah." Cara shrugged.

" Everything go well?" Sky asked.

" Yep!" Penny bounced.

" That's wonderful." Cara grinned.

" We're such a dysfunctional family." JoJo laughed.

" But a family nonetheless." Bexley agreed.

So, I was skimming through With Love and I realized how many plotlines I left open for me to continue in this book. This is gonna be wild. Hope you guys enjoyed. Until next time.