This Song Saved My Life (All Time Low Fanfiction)

Home is Where the Heart is

After three weeks in the Gaskarth/Dawson household, I thought I was doing pretty well. I walked downstairs to the smell of bacon and pancakes. Zack must have slept over. Alex never cooked breakfast. He just drank beer and fixed me cereal.

But Alex had fixed breakfast, to my surprise. "What's the occasion?" I asked upon walking down the stairs.

"I just felt like cooking," He said with a shrug. "I didn't poison it, I can tell you that." I took a bite, and can safely say that he didn't poison it. "Eat up. I'm going to go take a quick shower. You should probably change, but that's just my opinion." I smiled, looking down at my pajama pants and Alex's old All Time Low tank. He left the room, Rian walking in almost immediately.

"Morning," he said, patting my shoulder and walking toward the fridge, taking out an energy drink, and downing the contents in a couple large sips. "Ready for the trial today?" I sighed, rubbing my eyes.

"That's why Alex cooked," I replied.

"And your stuff from Forever 21 got here, its in the den by the door," he said. "I suggest you wear something nice, considering its at a court. It's just in a meeting room so it's nothing like on TV. They'll just ask how we're taking care of you and stuff."

"Thanks, RiBear," I said as I picked up the box by the door labeled with the Forever 21 logo, plus an Amazon box that apparently contained something for Rian. "Your Amazon box is here!" I called as I went up the stairs.

"Thanks!" I passed Alex in the hallway, who had just gotten out of the shower.

"I'll take it, put everything away," he said, taking the box. You go get ready. Trial's in two hours." I nodded and took a quick shower, did my hair, and changed into a black bow-covered dress with a built in red bet, skull-charmed ballet flats, and a gray blazer. I had gotten my hair cut and dyed even more black, complimenting my blue eyes. I went back downstairs after putting some makeup on, deciding lesser the better. Rian handed me my iPhone, which he had just backed up since it only got here last night. He was still setting up my MacBook, and my iPad was upstairs since I shared it with Alex.

"Coffee?" I nodded and took the mug Alex handed me, sitting on the couch and talking with Jack and Zack. The whole band was attending the trial, technically because they would all be in partial custody of me. We were also changing my name to Grace Ransom Gaskarth, instead of Ransom Lullaby Sullivan. It sounded much better and people had less of a chance of knowing my family history if it appeared my given name was Gaskarth, not Sullivan. And we both agreed that Lullaby reminded me too much of my past. It was like I was a new person. And all the band had started calling me Grace, apparently because I looked like a Grace. We all sat on the couch until it was about an hour until the trial, where we all piled into Alex's SUV and took off toward the courthouse. They were all dressed in the same way - dress shirt and jacket, black skinny jeans, and in either neutral colored Converse or dress shoes.

"I'll go check in," Alex said, rubbing my shoulder and going to check in for our time and stuff. He looked almost classier than everyone else, in a white shirt and blue tie with a chrome-colored jacket and navy blue skinny jeans, with gray high-tops. Soon, a woman came to get us and led us to the large courtroom, where Jacob and Robin were sitting. I didn't want to hurt them by not going to live with them, but I did want to live with Alex. He knew me better than I knew myself. And Rian was one of the nicest people, who genuinely cared about my well-being. Soon it started, and the room was filled with people on both sides of the courtroom. They talked about my situation and then called me up, where I quietly went. I was so nervous, but at this point it didn't matter.

"Who is your choice preference to live with, and why?"

"Alex and Rian," I said. "Because they're great people and really care about me, and they're trying to give me the best life they can."

"But they're on the road for most of the year, you'd rarely be at home," the lawyer argued.

"Yeah, but they got me a full-time tutor from the high school and are also helping me develop my music skills. I would never miss a day of school or anything like that."

"Don't you want to live with your family?"

"They are my family. With my real family, they never gave me a chance and did everything they could to shut me out. They didn't even care when I tried to kill myself. But Alex has gone through the same things, and he's helped me more than any therapist I've had. Plus, my family is so messed up I think it's best I don't even associate with them." Jacob gave a nod of understanding, Robin looking vulnerable but understanding.

"Thank you. Are there any additional details you think would help us be convinced Alex should take care of you?"

"Well, he hasn't accused me of murder, sent me to a school full of delinquents, or anything like that, so I'd say he's pretty good at taking care of me." Some people laughed, Alex sending a smile in my direction as I left and stood between him and Rian once again, just as they called up my Mom's lawyer to appeal.

"Ransom is a girl that doesn't need to be given the life of a touring band member, much less living with two men in their mid-twenties who seem to have reputations of liking and even dating younger girls," the lawyer said. He eyed Alex and I, where Alex's arm was placed behind my shoulders. My fists clenched. Neither of them wanted a relationship like that, I wanted to scream. They didn't know them. "She needs to be with her family. Her step-brother has been taking care of her younger biological brother, and is interested in taking Ransom to Nashville to stay at her school and pursue music. Together, her and her siblings can escape her tragic past." He finished and they called Alex up to say why he and Rian wanted custody of me.

"Are you interested in pursuing a relationship with Ransom, other than parenting as the lawyer stated?"

"No. I would never do that. I actually have a girlfriend, that's actually my age, in case you forgot to do you research," he stated. "And she has a boyfriend. She's too much like a sister to me."

"You've also requested to change her name from Ransom Lullaby Sullivan to Grace Ransom Gaskarth. Why is this?"

"She's gotten a lot of hate about her family and where she's from. We both agree that her name reminds her too much of her past and needs to be changed. This would also allow her to be disconnected by her former life and help her let go. Closure, mostly."

"What do you have to say about the touring situation?"

"It would be fine. We've gotten he a full time tutor from Maryland U, and she'd also be learning about music, which is her preferred focus. She'd also be given a part-time job helping to set up which is also earning community service hours. Plus she would be perfectly safe, and would have someone with her all day. It would also help cure her eating disorder and depression by having us with her."

"Thank you, Mr. Gaskarth."

********************************

The trial was over about noon, and while the jury met almost everyone in the courthouse went to a restaurant next door, including us.

"Nervous?" Rian said, noticing me tense up. I nodded.

"Just a little bit. I just can't go back to them, you know. Besides, you guys take better care of me then they ever could." He smiled.

"We'll I'm glad." Just then Flyzik showed up at the restaurant, and I had forgotten that he would also have partial custody of me as he would be with me a lot of the time on tour. We all marched back to the courthouse, getting ready for the jury to come back in.

"Settle down," the judge said. I quickly found Alex's hand and grasped it, squeezing my eyes shut. "After two hours of debate, the jury has decided to approve Alexander Gaskarth with full custody of Ransom Sullivan, and partial custody to Robert Dawson, Jackson Barakat, Zachary Merrick, and James Flyzik. The jury has also approved the supposed name change." We all jumped up, and Alex then picked me up and swirled me around, steaming. The court was adjourned, and they led us to a room for Alex and the others to fill out a bunch of papers, me as well, and then we all headed out to celebrate. It was official - my name was now Grace Ransom Gaskarth. I now had five Dads, I lived at 322 Thames street, in Baltimore, Maryland, and I was happy.