Ian - Chapter 4: Custody
I was surrounded by darkness. I stood there with nothing around me. There was only one light in the room and it was centered on me. I stood there in my torn clothes, I held my left arm and looked around. Nothing but black, I felt alone... scared.
Where was Alex? He's been there for me before, so where is he now? I saw another light flicker on and it was him... Alex. I ran towards him, I needed him. I ran and I ran, but it felt like I was running in place. "Alex!" I called out hoping he would notice me. "Alex!" The light flickered off and Alex was gone. I fell down to the ground and started to cry.
"What are you crying for." I heard a voice come from the darkness. I looked up, the voice was familiar, but I couldn't tell it from the echo in the room. "Well, well, well... look what we have here." I could now tell the voice it was... Another light clicked on and I saw my father standing there. He walked over to me and hit me in the face.
"Did I get Ian in trouble?" I heard Mikey's voice come from the dark. I wondered just how he might of felt. He didn't know any better, he was only nine after all.
"Mikey?" I looked around for him but my dad hit me once more.
My body shook and I woke up from the dream. I was breathing hard, sweating, wondering where I was. It took me a second to realize that I was in Alex's room. I had three heavy blankets on me and Alex was holding me in his arms. He was still wearing his clothes, he had to of been burning up. I turned around and looked at my sleeping companion.
His eyes fluttered and then slowly opened. "You alright?" I shook my head, I didn't feel like talking much. I didn't know what I was going to do, I didn't have a home anymore, I didn't have a family anymore, soon I wouldn't have a boyfriend anymore, I was alone. "Are you OK?" He pushed the blankets off of us.
"My Dad kicked me out. I don't have anyplace to live."
"...How about here." He didn't even hesitate.
"What?"
"How about you live with me." I was shocked that he said that. I mean I wanted to live with him, I loved him.
"I want to... but there's no way I could."
"Why do you say that? If your dad kicked you out, you have nowhere to live now. My dad can get custody of you."
"But... my brothers. I can't just leave them." I loved my brothers, but I guess part of me knew that I would never really get a chance to see them again.
"I know they're your parents and all, but I mean... look at what your dad did." He was right, if I went back... my Dad would do more than hurt me. I want to be with Alex, forever, but I also want see my brothers, I was torn.
I looked down at my torn pant leg and I turned and saw the cut on my face in the mirror. I looked back at Alex. "OK... I will live with you."
"Great! Come on." He stood up and I followed him out of the room. We walked downstairs and saw Alex's dad. He was sitting in a chair reading the paper. He looked at us for a second, then back at the paper and then back at me.
"Ian, what happened?" He set his paper down and walked over to me. "Who did this to you?"
"My Dad."
"Your dad did this to you?" It looked like he was getting mad. "Why?" He felt the cut on my face with his paw.
"He found out I was gay... and he kicked me out f the house and told me to never return." Tears started to come to my eyes. Sometimes I hated the fact that I was so sensitive
"Do you need somewhere to stay?" I shook my head. "You can live here then."
"Hey dad?" Alex walked over and pulled his father aside. "He can't return home... If he does, his dad will... well, I wont let him go back there."
"Are you suggesting what I think you are?"
"We're all he has left... I love him, dad... and he loves me." Alex smiled and his dad rub the back of his neck. "I want to be with him, forever." I felt butterflies in my belly, I loved the fact that he said that, and to his father.
"I'll call the lawyer." Mr. Steel walked into the other room.
Alex turned back at me. "Come on, let's head upstairs and get you some clothes." We walked upstairs and into his room. He grabbed a fresh pair of lounge pants and a new shirt. He also grabbed a pair out for himself and stripped down to nothing. I did the same and we both saw each other naked for the first time. I put on the fresh clean clothes, they fit pretty nice. I laid down on the bed and Alex laid next to me, he was only wearing the lounge pants, no shirt or anything. I thought it was kind of hot.
I turned to look at him, propping my head up with my right arm. "Thanks."
Alex looked at me, he looked so cute laying there. "For what?"
"Everything."
"It's nothing. I know you would do the same for me."
"Yeah, I would." I kissed him on the muzzle. We kissed for a while and part way through, Alex slid his paw down my back and into my pants and he lightly squeezed my rear. It never passed that, I don't think either of us was just yet ready to take it to the next phase. We made out for a little while longer and then watched TV.
I sat in the backseat next to Alex as his dad drove the car to the court house. I wore one of Alex's black suits and a black tie. Alex wore a black suit too, but he had a dark blue tie. Mr. Steel wore a gray suit with a black and gray tie. I didn't mind wearing these types of clothes, it made me feel important.
We pulled up to the court house, parked the car and got out. We walked across the parking lot and I sighed. I couldn't believe what was going to happen.
"Don't worry, Ian. Everything will turn out OK." Alex put his paw on my back for a second. When we started to walk to the building I held his paw.
"I know." I jumped up onto the sidewalk. When we got closer to the building Mr. Steel's lawyer met us. He was a White Tiger and he wore a complementary black suit.
"The plaintiffs are already inside."
"OK. Have they explained why it's come down to this?" Mr. Steel talked to the lawyer as they walked to the court room. Alex and I followed behind them. I looked at the ground, I dreaded seeing my Father again. I felt sorry for Alex too, the past day and a half he has been trying to cheer me up, but I have just felt sorry for myself.
"No... not yet."
"All of this could have been finished with a few paper signings." Paul sighed as he said that.
"I know, Mr. Steel, but there's one thing we can do." He walked over to the door and opened it. "Win the custody of Ian." We walked into the courtroom and I saw the audience They looked at me as we walked down the aisle.
I sat down next to the White Tiger at the defendant's table. I looked over and I saw my parents sitting with their lawyer. My brothers in the chairs next to them, I missed my brothers and I know they missed me. I turned my attention to the German Shepard Bailiff as he stood near a closed door with his arms crossed.
"All rise!" The Bailiffs voice was powerful, he sounded like he could crush you with one paw. Everyone stood up as the door next to the Bailiff opened. "The honorable, Judge Jackie Rich presiding." A Golden Retriever walked into the court room, she was dressed in her long black robe.
She walked over to her bench and sat down in her seat. "You may be seated." She looked through her papers as everyone sat down. "So, the defense wishes to obtain custody of sixteen year old, Ian Anders."
"Yes, your Honor."
"And the plaintiff wished to relinquish custody of the child."
"Well... your Honor." Their lawyer was also a Lion, that's how my parents were, only Lions.
"It's a yes or no question, Mr. Wall." She looked up from the papers and put her paws on her desk.
"Yes, your Honor."
"OK, then. You may go first then... What happened."
"Your Honor, my client did everything he could to keep the child happy. It was only a few days ago that he found out of the Defendants deception. The son then proceeded to attack my client forcing him to kick the teenage Lion out of the house." That story made me sick to my stomach. The truth was all twisted around.
"OK, before I ask questions... Defense, your side?" She looked at the White Tiger, he stood up and walked into the center of the area.
"Your Honor, my client has suffered trauma, but only after the vicious attack that took place on December 14th."
"Vicious?!" She was shocked and surprised to hear that.
"Yes, your Honor." The Tiger looked back at me to see if I was willing to testify. I nodded slightly, I really didn't, but I didn't want to go back to that hell hole. "To get the truth, Ian wishes to speak on his behalf."
"Really?"
I stood up as the Tiger sat back down. "Y... Yes, ma'am." My voice was shaking, I was scared. "You see, my dad just got of work and my brother and I just got done watching a movie." My nerves started to calm. "My little brother, Mikey told my Father that he saw me and my... boyfriend Alex kiss." It was a little hard to say that, but when I did I saw my Dad get mad.
"So, your a homosexual?" The judge asked, listening closely.
"Y... yes, your Honor. I'm gay, and my Father didn't like that... He called me a reject and he proceeded to beat me, leaving the cut on my face and torn clothes." I started to tear up. "My brothers were sent upstairs and they probably heard the whole thing."
The judge then turned her head and looked at my two brothers. "Can you two step forward, please." My brothers stood up and walked towards the judge. They both looked upset, especially Mikey. "What happened that night?"
"I told my daddy what I saw." Mikey looked down at the ground, it must have been hard for him. "He told us to go upstairs."
"What happened then?"
"I don't know."
The Judge turned and looked at Joey. "I heard some noises downstairs, sounds of furniture breaking... It all happened so fast, I didn't know what to do."
"It's OK, boys, thank you." My brothers sat back down and she looked back at me. "What happened next, Ian."
"My Father kicked me out of the house, and told me to never return."
"This all happened only two days ago, and there was a snow storm that night. You're telling me that he kicked you out into that storm?" I could sense a bit of anger in her voice.
"Yes... I walked outside in six inches of snow in lounge clothes for at least ten minutes..." I smiled a bit and looked at Alex. "Until Alex found and rescued me. He took me home and gave me warmth." I looked back at the judge. "I love my brothers, your Honor, but I can't go back there."
The judge looked infuriated. "Mr. Anders! You sent a child out into the cold to die! All because he's gay!"
My father was struggling to find the right words. "I... I..."
"Don't care? Are heartless?"
"It's bad enough that he's gay, but he's dating a Husky!" He pointed to Alex. "He's not a Lion, not even a feline!"
"And that gives you no right to assault him. He has the right to be with who ever he wants, even though your a homophobe."
"You Honor, my client..." My dad's lawyer attempted to save him.
"Has no case."
"Your Honor you don't have the whole story."
"It's quite apparent, he has the marks of a struggle, his brothers heard the whole thing and Mr. Anders has a record of violence." She sighed slightly. "I have to make a choice. I would hate to split these brothers apart..." She looked down at her papers. "I can't."
"No." I said quietly as my heart dropped. I didn't want to go home to that monster.
The Golden Retriever looked up from her papers and looked back at my parents. "I'm ruling in favor of the defendant, granting Paul Steel custody of Ian Anders effective immediately." She looked at my Dad. "Consider yourself lucky that I'm not giving you five years in prison." She swung her gavel and hit the wooden block. "Case dismissed."
I stood up along with everyone who was defending me. I looked over and my father was walking out of the courtroom. The judge walked over to me before I walked out. She put her paw on my shoulder and I looked at her. "Thank you."
"I did what I had to do." She leaned in closer. "My son is gay too." I smiled and she turned and walked out of the courtroom.
As we walked out Mr. Steel put his paw on my shoulder. "Come on, we have some papers to fill out."
We walked out into the hall and we passed my Dad. "Why don't you take their name too, because your not my son anymore." I pretended like I didn't hear him and was walked out of the courthouse.
"Ian!" I looked over as Mikey ran over to me and gave me a hug. "I'm sorry, Ian."
"About what?" I bent my knees and crouched to look the little cub in the eyes.
"For what daddy did to you."
"It's not your fault little buddy. Don't worry about it." I hugged him again.
"Hey bro." I let go of Mikey and stood up.
"Yeah, Joey?"
"I'm sorry about everything."
"Why are you two apologizing, you did nothing wrong."
"I should of stopped Dad."
"Look, there was nothing we could of done. I don't blame you at all. I looked over and I saw my so called Father.
"You two better get going."
"OK, We'll come and see you before you move." My brothers walked away and then it hit me. Moving. Alex... We were moving to Florida. Wow, this was going to make it that much harder. Not only was I not going to be able to see my brothers everyday, but now I wont be able to see them at all.
I felt a huge amount of sadness wash over me. This was going to be harder than I ever thought but... what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger.