My Demons - Jemily

chapter nine: courtroom

The day of the adjudicatory hearing, JJ, Emily, and Molly showed up at the courthouse well-dressed and ready. Emily held Molly's sweaty little hand and tried to keep her calm.

"Mol, honey, you're gonna be okay. This one's to investigate Mom and Dad. Not necessarily about if you get to stay with me. Just, if you're asked any questions, answer just like we talked about, okay?"

"I know," Molly replied with a couple nods.

Molly's leg shook under the table. She was focusing on random little details about the people, the room, the papers. She held JJ's hand.

"Breathe, Molly. In..." JJ slowly dragged her thumb across Molly's wrist one way. "And out." She moved her thumb back the way it came. "Good girl." She used her thumb to prompt Molly's in- and exhales.

Their parents were there, and Molly couldn't bear to look at them. She would just start crying, she knew, so JJ, ever the saint, helped Molly remain collected.

As a recess was taken, JJ took Molly to the bathroom and Emily stood outside. Her parents tried to stare her down, intimidate her, but Emily shot them a glare that could kill. She was having none of it today.

Elizabeth approached her, Brian not far behind. "Well, Emily, isn't it lovely to see you supporting your father's daughter's fabricated claims,"

"You believe this bullshit?" asked Brian. "I never laid a finger on her. I would never hurt my daughter." Emily cracked up sarcastically. "What?" he demanded.

"Nothing, just that you'd never hurt your daughter, yet you hit me repeatedly until you abandoned us for a girl practically my age, then had another daughter with her who you molested and hit for eight years until she finally broke,"

"I never laid a finger on you, Emily—"

"No, just a hairspray bottle,"

"What? I never did anything to you. And I didn't hurt Molly, either. She's ten, she wants attention. She's making up stories. I can't believe you're dumb enough to believe her. I thought we raised you better than this, Emily." Emily crossed her arms.

"Emily, listen to yourself," said her mother. "All of this is a total fabrication. Just give the girl back to her parents and it will all be fine. You're not fit to care for her anyway,"

"I'm more of a parent to Molly than either of you two have ever been," Emily snapped.

Elizabeth and Brian looked past Emily to see JJ and Molly coming out of the bathroom. Molly noticed them and immediately dug her face into JJ. "Molly! Molly, come here," coaxed Elizabeth. Molly shook her head, still buried in JJ's side. JJ covered Molly's ears with her hands, gave Emily a look to tell her she'd handle it, and took Molly far down the hallway.

"Does that seem like a child who wants to see you?" Emily asked. She hated them. Much of the hatred came from what they did to her baby.

"You've put all these ideas in her head to demonize us, Emily, how is that our fault?" her father asked. "How could you do this to us? You and your lesbian lover colluding against your own parents like this!"

Emily was about to open her mouth when she looked at the time and realize they had to be back in the courtroom. Emily sighed and went to go fetch her girlfriend and sister.

"Hi, Mols. It's okay, just me. I'm sorry you had to see that, honey. We're gonna go back into the courtroom now. The judge is gonna tell us if he thinks the claims are substantive or not, and hopefully set a date for a disposition hearing. It could be today, or he'll schedule it for some other time, okay? We've gotta go now, sweetheart."

Molly sniffled and nodded. Her sister and JJ walked her into the courtroom, muttering affirmations and instructions to not look at her parents.

-

All Molly could hear was that she was right. Emily put her hand on Molly's shoulder, letting the girl know that half the battle was already done. She just knew she wouldn't be with her parents.

The disposition hearing was later that day. "It is my decision that it is in Molly Prentiss' best interest to remain in the care of her sister Emily Prentiss indefinitely. If, after one year from today, Emily Prentiss has not made a motion to become her dependent's permanent legal guardian her status as custodian will be reevaluated."

Emily sighed in relief and smiled at her baby sister. Molly looked up, knowing too what the judge had said, and threw her arms around Emily. "I love you, Emily,"

"I love you, Molly-bird." She was choked up. JJ smiled and rubbed her shoulder. "Hey, honey, do you wanna go get lunch? You must be hungry, I know I am." Molly nodded and smiled. "All right, sweetheart."

Molly gripped her sister's hand as they walked out, using her other hand to dry her tears and wearing a giant smile like she'd won the lottery.