A Few Days More - Sanders Sides

The Day They Wanted Him Back

Trigger Warnings: Mentions of Anorexia, Mentions of Beating, Mentions of Cutting

"Easy up, Patton. Everything is going to be okay." Logan tried desperately to control his sobbing boyfriend. I felt awkward tensions gather in my stomach. We were all sitting in the lobby of the Florida State Court House. Roman was holding my hand as I was playing with the cufflink on the sleeve of my suit.

Patton got a summon in the mail a few weeks ago. It was addressed to him, but when Mother saw who it was from, she didn't let him read it. Instead, her and KC read through it, trying to agree on what to tell their poor adopted son. It was all Patton could think about for weeks until Mother finally decided that Patton should do it.

Patton's real parents had set up a court meeting to try and get Patton back.

"I-I do-don't want th-them to take m-me from you guys. Y-You guys a-a-are my family, not th-them!" He pleaded. Logan sighed, patting his back. The stomach area of Logan's suit was completely covered in Patton's liquid emotions.

The freckled boy took off his glasses, wiping them clean with his button up. "Patton, if it makes it any easier, you have so much evidence against your parents, they don't stand a chance." I told him, doing my best to dry his tear soaked face with a tissue. "We're all here. We're going to vouch for you. Anything they say, you have proof to deny."

"Virgil's right." Damion pipped up. "If they want you back, their gonna have to get through us." Patton shined a limp smile, running his hand under his nose.

"Thanks guys." He spoke. The door to the court room opened up. Out popped KC, dressed nicely in a blazer with a white under shirt and a black mini skirt.

"The judge is ready for you boys." They said. Patton stiffened, fear shaking him. KC walked over to him, wrapping the boy in their arms. "Everything's gonna be okay. Have I ever lied to you?" Patton shook his head, smiling to KC. We all walked into the court room, cold sweat nervously sliding down our necks.

Patton's parents sat at one table, their lawyer displaying a cocky smirk. KC lead us to our seats while Patton went up and took a seat next to his lawyer in a table across from his parents. Mother and KC hired the best lawyer they could find. But something tells me the lawyer isn't all the help Patton needs right now.

"Alright, I call the trial against Mr. and Mrs. Smalls in the recovery of their son, Patton Smalls, to order!" The judge boomed, quieting the jury. "Patton Smalls' lawyer has the floor." The lawyer stood up, a file in his hands.

I glanced at Logan. He was chomping his nails, glasses fogging up from tears puddling down his cheeks. I grabbed Logan's other hand, seeing his face relax a little. Then I took Roman's hand in my free one. Before we knew it, Remus had Roman's hand and Damion had Remus' other hand. Patton has to win this.

"Your honor, in this file I hold pictures, witness reports from neighbors, and medical records from after my client was removed from his home. This was before he was enrolled in Sanders' Junior Mental Hospital to be treated for his depression and anorexic tendencies. All of these which happened after Patton was reported beaten and starved by his own two parents." The lawyer announced.

The jury mumbled among themselves as the judge examined the evidence. Patton seemed more confident, but was still rubbing his arms while lounging uncomfortably in his seat. "Have a seat, sir." The judge told the lawyer. He took back his papers and took a seat. "Alright. We will now hear from Mr. and Mrs. Smalls on the matter."

Their judge stood up, carrying no papers or physical evidence. Probably because their wasn't any, but that didn't seem to stop him. "Your honor, if I may bring to your attention the fact that, Patton was only a young boy when these claims were made against his poor parents. The mind of a child easily sees things from an imaginatory perspective. If anything, a slap on the wrist for having your hand too far in the cookie jar is seen as assault to a boy, much like he was!"

Patton's face went white. I couldn't believe this. Patton's parents' judge was winning. While he did make a point, it's pretty hard to confuse beating, starvation, and neglect. "And what did Patton's parents do about his wild imagination? Why, they sent him to the hospital after they found him cut like a fish to fake his parents' beating him. Sanders' Junior Mental Hospital was merely a place to get his demented head twisted correctly back on his shoulders." The lawyer spat. "All I'm saying is, Mr. and Mrs. Smalls just want their baby back. Now the he should be less demented." The lawyer finished.

Patton was silently crying in his seat. His lawyer was scrambling, but it was clear, he had nothing to prove that Patton didn't make the whole thing up. The Smalls' lawyer sat back down. The jury was a mess. They didn't know what to believe. If I didn't know any better, I probably wouldn't know either.

Logan's knee was bouncing up and down. His face was bright red with anger. "Logan, don't do anything stupid." I whispered, holding onto his hand tighter. Remus, Damion, and Roman looked back and forth between each other, trying to hear what the jury members were saying.

"They can't just believe the lawyer's bullshit. They have to see past the lies. They fucking have to!" Logan hissed through his teeth. He kept trying to break his grip with my hand. I could see how badly he just wanted to rocket out of his seat and tell the lawyer off.

The jury quieted down, cuing the judge. "The jury had come to a decision. I am told, the jury all agrees that Patton Smalls belongs to his chosen family, no longer his birth family." All of our faces shifted upwards. Sighs of relief leaving us. Patton himself looked exhausted, but him and his lawyer celebrated in a small hug.

"This is an outrage!" Mrs. Smalls suddenly screamed. Patton jumped in his seat, freezing in terror at the sight of his angry mother. "You are MY blood born son! These disgraces to society are not your family, nor will they ever be!" She shouted, waving her arms wildly at us.

"Maybe he'd respect you more if you didn't treat him like he met nothing to you!" Logan yelled, finally having enough of all this. Logan stood up, making his way from his seat over to Patton. His boyfriend grabbed at him, shaking like earthquake. We all rushed over to join him, Roman and Remus ready to fight if need be.

"Impossible!" Mr. Smalls roared, standing with his wife. "We gave him a roof, food, a clean bed, and this is the thanks we get. He's a worthless brat, just like the rest of you!"

"Obviously you're the only ones who think that." Damion spat as cops came to escort the Smalls out of the building. Patton took a shaky breath once his parents left. He hugged Logan tighter as he stroked his hair.

The judge adjourned the meeting, formally apologizing to Patton before exiting. Mother and KC came over once Patton had calmed down a little. They made sure he was okay before we all headed out of the courtroom.

Mother offered to take us for a victory lunch but, as we drove back towards home, Patton fell into an exhausted sleep. I couldn't blame him, I don't think he got much sleep last night anyway. Logan pulled him onto his lap as we listened to the sound of the car's engine all the way home.