This can't fucking happen, it just can't fucking happen.
Brie steps between the social worker and the car when the woman tries to come closer to Liam, I really love her for all the protective instincts she has but right now I'm not sure her usual tack of brute force is the way to go.
"Liam, I want you to stay in the car okay little man? I'm going to go and talk to your social worker, just stay here." Liam nods but doesn't say a word, he's spoken a few times about how scared he is that one day he'll be sent back to his mothers house but I don't think he considered for a moment that he could be put into the care of strangers.
I won't let that happen. Whatever I've got to do, I'll do. I won't let that fucking happen.
Neither will Josh.
We'll pick him, we will both always pick him.
The moment I open the car door all their heads snap to me, Josh shaking his slightly but I think it's a bit late to try and keep me out of all of this now, she knows who I am on paper but she doesn't know who I am as a person. Maybe if she can see how much I love them both she'll realise that I'm not a fucking problem here.
Brie stations herself next to the car door, keeping her hand near the handle like she's ready to dive inside and take off at any moment. She probably is, I feel like Brie is one of the few people that might actually do better on the fucking run than in civilised society.
Shit, I should have asked Liam her name... Josh told me... Stephanie? Yes, I'm sure it's Stephanie.
"You must be Milo, right?" She begins before I even make it around the car. She gives me a small smile and extends her hand towards mine when I approach her, I really want to make her the villain right now but in all honesty she looks just as upset to be here as we are to see her. "It's very nice to meet you, Liam has told me lovely things about you and I'm sorry that we're meeting under these circumstances."
Yeah, me too. Please don't take him.
I open my mouth ready to answer her but at that moment Dad's work van pulls into the drive and Mum jumps out before it's even come to a full stop.
I don't think I've ever been as happy to see her as I am right now.
She's clearly just come straight from the office, she hasn't been spending much time there lately but I'm glad she has today because her usual attire at the Manor these days is broken gym leggings and one of Dad's old shirts, not exactly the impression I'd want her to make. She hasn't been doing great with everything that's come between our family either, not that she'd tell any of them, being a burden isn't something my mother has ever been good at.
Today her perfectly placed hair and crisp clean white suit gives her that aura of authority that I would always feel slightly intimidated by when I was just a kid visiting her offices.
"Hello, Tara Thompson, Thompson and Joseph attorneys." She states formally whilst extending her hand, I love Mum in lawyer mode. "I think it would be best if we all stepped inside, let's see what we can do about this whole situation shall we?" Stephanie and the police officers all look ready to say something, I can't see Mum's face but whatever look she just gave them made them all back down fucking sharpish. She nods towards Josh, taking his keys from his hand before walking to the front door.
She's in the full 'don't fuck with me' zone right now. These guys better have a pretty solid case to take Liam or even their grandkids will still be wrapped up in litigation when she's done.
Brie doesn't take a step away from the car, even when Josh opens the door and asks Liam to come with him she still stays close enough to be able to grab that little boy from the floor and bolt. She's got more fury than a mama bear protecting her cubs from a vicious predator as she stands firm at his side.
Liam sheepishly takes a step outside of the car, I'm not sure if he understands what's happening but he looks so afraid it hurts my fucking heart. The moment his feet hit the driveway he races away from the vehicle and straight into my arms, the social worker doesn't miss it, watching Liam wrap all four of his limbs tightly around my body before letting her head fall down to face the ground and following Mum inside the house.
"It's going to be okay little man, everything is going to be just fine so don't you worry." I have to believe that, I have to... Josh wouldn't survive losing him.
We both wouldn't.
Josh and Brie walk forward into the house but I almost jump a mile when I feel a hand press against my back to force me to follow them, turning to see Dad standing right next to us, looking between me and Liam with nothing but fucking pity.
"Dad... They can't take him, they can't-"
"Your mother won't let that happen Milo, she's going to do everything she can."
Yes she will, so will I.
The tension in the living room is fucking suffocating. Nobody even attempts to take a seat, Stephanie and the police officers standing in the middle of the room while Mum puts all her things down on the kitchen counter before turning to face a shaking Josh. All I want to do right now is wrap my fucking arms around him and tell him it's all going to be okay but how the fuck am I supposed to do that?
I don't fucking know if this is going to be okay and if I put a single hand on him right now... I feel like they just going to tear him and Liam out of my fucking arms.
"Josh, can I see a copy of the custody order that you have please?" Mum asks before pulling a notepad out of her purse and turning to Stephanie. "On what grounds are you removing Liam from Josh's care?" Mum is in such work mode I don't think she even realises that Liam is right here and can hear every word she's saying.
His grip on me tightens, I look around the room but there is nothing here I can use to comfort him... Wait.
Digging into my pockets I find my air pods and place them in his ears before flipping through my phone to find a few of the voice recordings I did with Zoe this week for her to send off with her college applications.
I've been singing Liam to sleep for weeks now and I feel the tension start to slip slightly from his body when he hears nothing else but my voice in his ears.
They can't take him, he won't fucking sleep if I'm not there... He needs me.
I need him. I know that Josh has custody of him but I've been here every single fucking day too. I'm the one that does his homework and I'm the one that makes his lunch, I'm the one that sings him to sleep and the one that washes his hair so he doesn't cry. They need to understand that, I'm not some fucking selfish teenager that doesn't give a shit about anyone but himself, I love Liam like he's my own kid. I fucking love him.
"Josh, do I have your permission to share details of the case amongst everyone in the room right now? If you and your lawyer would like to come to the offices instead I'd be happy to set up a meeting with all of you in the morning." Josh nods his head, the truth is that everyone in this room already knows the fucking reason...
Me.
Brie and Dad stick close to me as I walk Liam over towards Josh, although this little boy may find comfort in me I know that Josh finds comfort in him. As soon as I'm close enough Josh scoops him out of my arms and into his own hold, but he hardly spares me a glance. He blames me, and he's not wrong.
"Okay," Stephanie sighs, stepping forward and laying one of her folders onto the coffee table. "Josh was already a challenging case, Liam's mother has never been supportive of the placement and has made it very difficult as she still retains her parental rights. She has made clear she'd prefer he enter the system but while Josh was willing to take care of him I've done everything I can to support that... However there have already been a number of issues regarding Liam's safety in his care and concerns about the people within his inner circle."
Stephanie looks seriously fucking awkward and I can't blame her, she's talking about Heather and I'm sure that she's fully aware it was my mother's house that Heather was drugged at.
"I've now found out that he also kept from me that he has entered into a... unconventional relationship." We are unconventional but we fucking work. "One where his partner has been actively involved in Liam's life without consultation of myself or his birth mother. As she still retains her parental rights she does have a say in where Liam is placed if she has concerns about his care there–"
"And the fact that she's just a psychotic bitch who wants nothing more than to see that kid in fucking care doesn't fucking bother you? Strip her of her rights!" Brie snaps, spitting who words rather than fucking saying them. "If she actually gave a shit about this kid then she'd be grateful that he's so happy and fucking safe with Josh. She's doing this to get back at Josh, and probably Steve, it has fuck all to do with his relationship with mini Thompson or anything else! She just wants to prove a fucking point and she's using Liam to do it!"
Brie looks like she's ready to explode, she's always had a soft spot when it comes to vulnerable kids. They don't come much more vulnerable than Liam.
"Brianna." Mum keeps her voice low but the authority in it is clear. Brie isn't the best at thinking with her head, she acts on emotion. That's not always a bad thing but right now what we need is to show that we are a stable fucking environment for Liam.
Brie relents, although she doesn't look happy about it. At the end of the day, she's just saying what the rest of us are thinking.
"Stephanie," My mother begins again. "Josh is in a consenting relationship with another adult, Liam's mother's opinion on that should not be grounds to remove him from Josh's care. Although I appreciate there have been a number of extenuating circumstances recently, none of these pose an imminent threat to Liam any longer and Josh retained custody beyond that point of time. If you remove him today we will be approaching the courts to regain custody."
Stephanie nods, I understand what my mother is saying but I know from hearing about her other cases that going to court and shit takes fucking time. It would still mean Liam leaving us today.
"I'm sorry, this decision has been made above me. Unfortunately, Josh only has a temporary custody order and has no legal rights over Liam. You are aware this means that the order can be revoked without notice. As Liam's birth father has never been made available to be contacted for the duration of his time under our care, it is only his birth mother that has legal say in his placement. Currently she is adamant that he is to be removed from Josh's care and she does have the right to feel that way considering all the... extenuating circumstances, as you put it." Fucking bullshit, basically what they're saying is that Chrissy would rather this kid fall into the clutches of the fucking system than be loved by his brother.
What kind of fucking woman would do that? I thought that this system was supposed to protect kids from monsters like her, not allow them free reign over their fucking lives!
Mum taps her nails on the counter, staring down at the custody order and shaking her head, before twisting one of the strands that have fallen out of her perfectly placed bun around her finger as she thinks.
"Josh, I have friends who know people in the Westbrooke social services department but I'm not sure if any of them have the pull needed to stop this right at this moment. We'll get him back, I promise you we will, but I'm not sure that I can stop them taking him right now. You don't have the rights you deserve, it's going to be a battle to get them." Mum's voice breaks as she talks, staring at Liam before dropping her head back down to look at the contact order.
Josh just grips Liam like he's trying to force him into the safety of his own body, protecting that little boy from all the horror that surrounds him. For the first time since we walked in here he connects his eyes with mine and all I can see in them is fucking pain...
so much fucking pain.
"Josh, the foster house that I have set up for Liam is a good one. They have three other little boys his age and they are all thriving there, if you just-"
"Three other boys?!" Brie strokes her hand down Liam's back as he buries his face into Josh's neck, I'm glad that he can't hear or see anything around him because this kind of shit would leave a fucking mark on a kid. "Liam can barely handle being around new people! Putting him in a house with three other boys... He won't fucking survive that. Why can't you just put him with me and Steve? Or Al and Jayce? Why does it have to be the system?"
She's right, Liam is so terrified of new people he would just completely collapse being shoved into a stranger's home. I can't let that happen to him.
"I did look into other possible options for him Brianna. Unfortunately Chrissy has made clear she feels that you and Steven are not suitable for Liam, and considering the circumstances of what happened with their daughter, I don't believe your friend Aleah would be make a suitable candidate either."
Stephanie breathes deeply, I don't think she's a bad person, deep down I can see that she doesn't want to do this. Her hands are tied by circumstances beyond any of our control.
"We have other people in our lives that he can stay with. My mum will get on a plane and be here tomorrow, or there's Charlie and Han, or even Coach and Liz. He doesn't need to go into the system right now." Josh preaches, but with each word Stephanie just shakes her head.
"If you have people that are willing to take him in short term Josh, then I'm happy complete assessments on all of them, but you must understand that I can't just let him go with anybody I've never met. That's not the way it works." Stephanie looks between the two officers standing either side of her.
Fuck, she wants to take him now.
No.
"I think this would be easier on Liam if you could show your support for the placement. I'll arrange for you to have contact with him as soon as possible but right now I really think it would be best if you packed a few of his more treasured belongings so he doesn't feel so alone when he gets there."
No. No, we aren't packing his shit and he isn't fucking leaving this house!
"Please, at least let me call a few of the people I know with ties to social services, see if I can find another solution before you just take him." Mum asks, her voice now far less one of a lawyer and much more just that of a mother watching a child's life about to be fucking ruined.
"This decision has been made at the highest point Ms Thompson, unless you know someone who has dealings with the very heads of this department, I can't see this matter being fixed within the next hour. I appreciate that you all have a love for Liam but..." The rest of what she says starts to disappear as Josh turns towards me and slips Liam from his grip straight into mine.
"Don't let her take him, I have to make a call." Josh looks so fucking broken as he watches Liam wrap himself around me like a koala bear that's terrified to touch the fucking floor. He pulls his phone out and hurries away with it still in his hand.
Stephanie stops what she's saying, looking slightly confused as Josh hurries up the staircase, but when she goes to take a step forwards, Brie inserts herself straight in front of me and Liam to stop her getting closer. Quite frankly even the police officers look like they're going to shit themselves at the anger rolling off of this woman right now.
Brie once told me that she came into this world kicking, screaming and covered in someone's else's blood – and that she has no problem going out the same way.
This could be that moment.
I feel like I'm in an old western movie, in the middle of the standoff. It's clear that the people on the other side of the room want to come and take this boy from my arms, but as Brie stands in front of me, along with Dad and Mum at my side, I feel like even though greatest army couldn't get to Liam right now.
One of the officers goes to take a step forward and I swear to fuck that Brie fucking growls at him. If she leaps into the air and turns into a fucking wolf that rips his throat out right now, I seriously wouldn't be fucking surprised.
That is an alpha fucking female.
"You wanna go sunshine? Because try and get to that kid before Josh gets back and you'll be on desk duty for the rest of your life mourning the loss of your fucking dick. Don't try me."
It's not funny considering the circumstances but even Mum sniggers slightly at Brie's utter disregard for law enforcement. I have no doubts she means what she said, apparently the officers know that too because neither of them make another move.
It feels like we've been standing in silence for weeks, I can hear my own voice gently filtering out of the headphones in Liam's ears but very little else until Josh starts to pace the floors above our heads.
Who the fuck could he be calling? I feel like if he knew someone that could fix this he would have called them before now, maybe he really just needed a minute to pull himself together.
"M-Milo... are they g-going to take me n-now..." Liam sobs gently against my neck, even Mum looks over at him with tears in her eyes as I try to keep myself together. "I don't want to go... I'm sorry if I was naughty but I'll be good now..."
Liam's tiny voice filtering out into the room breaks the heart of every person with a soul standing in it. This kid has never been naughty a day in his life, he's practically fucking perfect and anyone would be lucky to have him.
"No little man... Of course not..." Stephanie can't even look at me, we both know what needs to be done.
I have to go. If me and Josh aren't together then they won't have fucking grounds to do this... I was the final straw.
My heart wants to hurl it's way out of my chest and smash to pieces on the floor at the thought of not being with him... but what the fuck else can I do?
I love him.
Love means sacrifice.
"I'll fix it Liam." I place my lips down gently on the side of his head, trying to keep every tear that wants to slip from my eyes inside so she doesn't think these are just the words of a stupid fucking kid.
I love you Josh.
"I'll leav-" My words are cut off as Josh comes back down the stairs, looking at him just destroys me all over again. How the fuck can I leave him? He's everything, he is my everything and I can't fucking live without him.
But he can't live without Liam.
"You'd better answer that." Josh looks at Stephanie when he talks but all of us seem seriously confused until a moment later when her phone suddenly starts to ring.
What did he do?
He doesn't look happy or sad, Josh doesn't even look like he's processing what's happening around him anymore, just reaching forward and avoiding eye contact with me completely before pulling Liam out of my hold and back into his.
Stephanie looks at the screen of her phone, glancing up at Josh and then back down before stepping through the front door to answer it.
"Did you offer to blow the head of the department or something? What the fuck did you do?" Brie asks but Josh doesn't so much as smirk, he just clutch's onto Liam's body and refuses to do anything or look at anyone, focused completely on the closed front door.
Mum goes into the kitchen and comes back with a glass of water and a straw, feeding it to Liam whose head is still firmly placed over Josh's shoulder.
The words that I know I'm going to have to say when she walks back in here ride around and around inside my head, it fucking hurts to even look at Josh whilst thinking about leaving him.
I can't. I just fucking can't do it.
He's my stars. How are you supposed to see in the dark without your fucking stars?
The front door finally opens, Stephanie stepping back in but this time she has a very different look on her face... She actually appears... happy?
"Well, I'm not sure how you did that Josh but you have your reprieve. Two weeks, you've got two weeks, I'm assuming you know the rest of the deal already?" Josh nods his head, my heart feels like it's going to explode with fucking joy but he doesn't look like he's calmed an inch.
Can I fucking hug him now?
I attempt to place my hand on the bottom of his back but I swear to fuck he shivers under my touch, not in the good way that he usually does, but almost as if his body is fucking rejecting me.
He doesn't mean it Milo. He's scared and in fucking pain right now... He just needs space...
I hope.
"Okay then, I'm very sorry to have put you through this Josh. You know that this isn't the way I wanted things to happen..." Stephanie collects her things from the coffee table, trying to look over at Liam but Brie won't even give her that much. "Just make sure that you find him, fast."
"I will." As soon as Stephanie steps outside it's like everyone here lets out a universal breath they didn't realise they were holding. Josh most of all.
That was... It was too fucking close.
"Josh, how did you do that? What did they ask you to find?" Mum asks what all of us are thinking but Josh doesn't get time to answer before there's another knock at the door.
I swear to God if that's her coming back for Liam right now I'm just barricading us all inside this house and never fucking leaving. It'll be like my zombie apocalypse plan come to reality.
Dad walks over and pulls it's open, filling the doorway so I can't see who's standing there before he steps back to reveal the face of someone I honestly never thought I'd have to see again.
So that's who he called... Xade.
The guy looks completely the same as the last time I saw him, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit with his long blonde hair sweeping around his shoulders. He locks his piercing green eyes on my boyfriend across the room, on instinct I reach out to take his hand... only for Josh to slip away from me completely and walk towards the man that I'm assuming just saved him from losing the most important thing in his life.
He saved him. Not me, him.
I'm the one who caused this.
The two of them start to talk quietly at the doorway before he follows Josh into the house and up the stairs without so much as either of them trying to look at anybody else in the room.
Brie leans in next to me, clearly confused by the whole situation and watching as my boyfriend walks with another man straight up to his bedroom.
"Who the fuck is the Pantene model?"
Honestly... He's the man that someone like Josh is supposed to be with.