Law of Love

20

Sitting at dinner, Stevie was nervously bouncing her knee. The kids were munching on their meals and she was exchanging glances with Lindsey. 

"Um, kids...Stevie and I have something to tell you." Lindsey clears his throat. 

"Oh, no...you're pregnant aren't you." William at fourteen winces.

"Yeah. I am...are you not happy about it?" Stevie questions.

"No, I'm happy for you and dad, And I like little kids, they're cool. But we just did sex-ed in Health class, and we had to...you know, watch it." He wrinkles his nose.

"What's sex-ed and what did you have to watch?" Cole questions.

"You'll find out when you're in High School," Lindsey says quickly. 

"So where's the baby?" Kate questions.

"Well, he or she is in my belly growing and developing so they can come out and meet you and be nice and strong and healthy." Stevie answers.

"When will I meet them?" Kate asks.

"Oh...sometime in May." Stevie thinks for a minute.

"That's so far away." Kate pouts. 

"I know, but it's worth the wait." Stevie grins leaning over and kissing the now five-year old's little head. 

***

December 15

Twenty weeks pregnant, Stevie was showing but she was still at work. She wouldn't be going on Maternity leave until she was about thirty weeks along. About ten more weeks to go and she was struggling to try and get everything situated at work. She was backlogged with cases. 

Stevie and Lindsey were woken up from a dead sleep by the telephone ringing at two o'clock in the morning. Lindsey reaches over the side of the bed and answers it. Very quickly he thrusts it into Stevie's hands.

"Hey Steves, sorry it's so early. You need to be at the jail in an hour." Tom states.

"What?" She asks throwing the covers off of her. 

"I need you to work up a case. Arraignment is going to be at nine in the morning." Tom explains.

"Why?" Stevie asks.

"You'll see when you get here." Tom states. 

"Ugh fine, but I'm not wearing a suit." She hisses. 

"Haha." Lindsey snickers as she turns her bedside light on and slings off her nightgown to change into a pair of black pants and a black chiffon blouse. 

With a travel mug of tea in her hand, she walks into the jail and is startled when she sees a little girl that she knows, staring up at her. She brings her hand up to her mouth and quickens her pace into the interrogation room. 

"Mr. Michaels, Stephanie Buckingham the District Attorney." Lieutenant Scott sighs. 

"I'm not saying anything until my lawyer gets here." The man says firmly. 

"As you should." Stevie sighs throwing her briefcase onto the table and taking a seat across from him, laying her head in her hands. 

"Where's Addison's stepfather?" Stevie questions.

"Um, Legally...he has no rights to her." Lieutenant Scott sighs leaning up against the wall. 

Lindsey comes stomping into the interrogation room, in a suit but it's disheveled and his curls are a mess. A tie nowhere to be seen on his body. 

"Haha," Stevie smirks as he throws his briefcase next to hers at sits against Mr. Michaels. 

"Oh, this is lovely. Kate's dad is trying to get me off and Kate's mother is trying to put me in jail." Mr. Michaels scoffs. 

"Yeah, yeah...unconventional and weird we get it all the time. We just don't take our work home with us, now why the hell am I here at three o'clock in the morning. I'm up two hours to early." Lindsey whines.

"They think I killed my ex-wife." Mr. Michaels hisses.

"Renee's dead?" Stevie gasps. 

"Steph, we've established that...on with the story." Lindsey turns to his client.

"Well, we had gotten into a fight at the school and then I dropped Addison off at eight-thirty which was later than Renee wanted and we got into another fight and then I was angry so I went to a bar and I go to leave and they tell me I'm under arrest for the murder of Renee Carlton."  Mr. Michaels states.

"And Addison is the reason that we have to be in court at nine in the morning, for plea and arraignment." Stevie sighs. 

"Yeah, the sooner we can get her somewhere the better." Lieutenant Scott nods his head. 

***

At nine the next morning, Stevie is wearing the same blouse but she's wearing a black skirt and a gray suit jacket, unbuttoned because she couldn't button any of her blazers over her bump, but maternity suit jackets were too big on her petite frame. 

"State deems bail be set and 50,000 dollars, given the capitol defense of murdering his ex-wife." Stevie stands but leans against the table.

"Your honor, my client is collecting unemployment as he was laid off at the beginning of the year for a knee injury. He can't afford a half a million dollars of bail, and not to mention he is now the sole provider of little Addison Michaels." Lindsey defends.

"Your honor, he is accused of murder. I can't see bail being set any lower." Stevie replies.

"Bail is set at 30,000 given the Holiday Season. If the defendant still can't pay that then the child will be sent to the Los Angeles County Adoption Center. " The judge bangs the gavel.

"Your honor it's the holiday season you can't ship her to a facility." Lindsey squawks.

"Well, do you have a better option?" The judge questions.

"We'll take her," Lindsey says quickly. Stevie drops her pen and turns her head to look at him, mouth wide.

"Mr. Buckingham?" The judge asks.

"Sure. we'll take her. She's in our daughter's class. We can assure you that she'll get to school on time and she'll have three meals a day, a warm bed to sleep in, and friendly faces to take care of her." Lindsey explains. 

"Mr. Michael's any objection?" The judge questions.

"No, I'd prefer her to stay with them." He shakes his head.

"Mrs. Buckingham?" 

"Um, sure...we'll take her." Stevie nods sitting back down in her chair.

"Alright, Court is set for December 18th, nine-thirty." 

***

When Stevie and Lindsey get back to the police station, Addison is in the same spot she was the night prior, she looked hungry, sad, and tired.

"She hasn't eaten all day." Lieutenant Scott sighs from his desk.

"Um, Addie, your dad isn't going to get to see you for a while. But you're going to stay with us if that's alright. I know you and Katie are really good friends." Lindsey sits down next to her.

"Alright, that's okay. I'll miss my daddy though. Mrs. Buckingham, are you having a baby?" Addison questions placing her little hand on Stevie's belly.

"I am having a baby yes." Stevie nods. 

***

The pair took her back to her house where she gathered up anything she would need and then Lindsey took the afternoon off to get her settled and figure out how to tell the other kids what was going on.