A little later than normal today, but I crashed and crashed hard this morning. Slept for a whole five hours. Anyway... *ahem* Happy Independence Day to those in the United States! Er... to those not in the United States, um, Happy Wednesday instead! As a bonus, later today I'll be posting an extra chapter of Sk8r Grrls and Family Tragedies and Secrets, both. Yaaay, me! Okay, here's the story, enjoy!

Carter Mortimer grinned across the desk at his best friend, then cleared his throat and mock-formally said, “Judge Billings, this man has retained my services to act as legal agent for his recently deceased fiancé's son in the Emancipation process — that would be the gray form, Randolph, yeah, that one, we backdated it — and as such I formally request that you not allow the minor in question to be removed from the state on the grounds that doing so would be placing him under the direct influence of the man he's attempting to achieve Emancipation from. I realize how irregular it is to drag you not only to my office for this, but on a Sunday, your Honor, but the situation seems to be desperate. If you grant this request — yeah, sign right there — then we have to rush this over to the police station.”
Randolph shook his head as he chuckled, “You always did get off on the pomposity of being a lawyer, didn't you? Sit down and shut up, 'Counselor' and lemme read this stuff.”
Matt and Emily were confused, but Devin lounged on the leather sofa in the office as though she hadn't a care in the world. She had instructed Matt to take care of the fees for the lawyer as soon as they got there. Carter had processed the credit card and handed Matt a receipt, at which point the Judge had arrived.
The judge scribbled something approximating a signature on several of the pile of forms that Carter had seemingly pulled from the air as needed. “So,” he said as he capped his pen and re-pocketed it, “you filed the Emancipation intent form... six days ago? Isn't that the day after the kid's mother died? Oh. There's an issue and you want it retroactive.”
Carter grinned again and dropped into a seat. “Yep. From what I've been told, this may be desperate action, but it's necessary,” he replied, then flicked a glance and the redheaded bombshell-to-be lounging in his favorite spot. “Hey, Randolph, out of curiosity... I know what I owe to Kat and Devin. But what kind of tethers have they attached to you?”
With a bit more bluster than a thirty-four year old Judge should be capable of, Randolph Billings harrumphed impressively, and mumbled something about privileged information.
* * * * * * *
Sheila Duquesnes looked in the rearview mirror at the kid, calmly sitting there in his skirt and wig as if it were what he wore everyday. Well, except for sitting in a way unladylike position. Poor kid, she thought, Having to go with that jerk. Well, maybe the skirt idea that girl that was with him had might work. Ugg didn't seem like the type to be dumb enough to 'free the beast' in public, though. He might lose interest. Perhaps. She pulled into the station parking lot and looked over at Kerry. His mouth was set into that tight line that meant he didn't like the situation, but was thinking of a way out of it. Best not to bother him.
Another thought occurred to her, “Hey, kid. Your mother didn't have a will that you know of, did she? I mean, if she named someone else as your Guardian...”
Jeff shook his head, “No. She was only thirty-one, Ma'am.”
Kerry gave Will a quick thanks for the assist, and sent him on the way, and gave Sheila a look that drained the last hope she had for the young teenager... the look that said, “I got nuthin'.”
With Jeff walking just completely calmly between them, the three went inside the station.