In-Between - Chapters 19-22 free porn video

You will want to read this story in order for it to make sense. As much as I don't wish to send readers away, I do want you to know that if diapers, bottles, and all that entails for babies doesn't interest you, this story most likely will not be for you. This work is set in the 'DiaperDimension' that was created by PrincessPottyPants on some of the ABDL boards. Several other authors have taken their own spins on the dimension and I encourage you to read them if you like this work! *************************************************** Part 3: Law *************************************************** *************************************************** Chapter 19: New Haven *************************************************** DAD HAD FLOWN with me to New Haven to help me move in. We were definitely on the shorter side of passengers walking around without 'guardians.' We had both dressed up for the flights in the hope that it would help keep people from dismissing us because of our shorter heights. Fortunately, it seemed to work as we left our home airport with reasonably decent treatment. Arriving in my new city I was greeted with the sights of a decidedly more liberal society. Littles could be adopted here, but the rules were significantly more stringent. There was a mandate that a Little had to be willing to be adopted. Forced adoptions only occurred in the case of court rulings. In those cases, the lawyers and mental health professionals had to agree on a diagnosis of Maturosis for an adoption to be ordered. It meant most of the babied Littles were perpetrators of some criminal offense, and needed re-raised as a criminal consequence, or they genuinely preferred living like that. There were still plenty of diapered and babied littles in view as we exited the airport, but at last nearly all of the ones I saw seemed happy. As we passed them, I didn't see any signs of the scarring so many had back home from mobility impairment surgeries, and all of the ones smiling seemed to still have their teeth! New Haven was named long before Littles were even thought of, but the name definitely seemed to fit. The Harlan School of Law often took a leading role in Little rights cases, and it was clear that at least here, things seemed to be better for Littles. I would have suggested Mr. Fehler bring Beth here, but unfortunately while the adoptions were more difficult to legally occur, they also had rules that made it equally more difficult to emancipate an adopted Little. That was because they assumed that they had been willing to enter into the agreement... or had a valid reason to be forced into it by the courts. Fortunately for Littles, wet or messy pants weren't enough of a reason here to lose your freedom! I sighed as we walked out to the line of cabs and a tall big waved one down for us. "Thank you, sir," Dad told him. "You're welcome!" he said. The cab driver got out and helped load our luggage in the back. We had both brought our maximum luggage allowance, using Big sized luggage that was a challenge for me to push around. Dad's was mostly filled with my stuff too, as we decided not to drive my car out to school. We made that decision just because everything was in walking distance from the student residential village I was assigned. The school actually maintained a series of apartments, that my fellowship covered, that were right near a grocery store and retail area. Unless I was trying to really explore, I wouldn't even need to leave the area I was in. If I did need to travel, the mass transit system there was very well thought out and worked just fine. It was saving me quite a bit of money for parking permits that just weren't necessary from what I could see on my visit. If I changed my mind, I would drive it back at Christmas. For now, my focus was on getting moved in and worrying about getting ready for orientation and classes to start later that week! "Where you heading?" The cab driver asked as Dad and I sat down without a booster seat in sight. "The residential village at the Harlan Law School?" I replied. "You have an address?" He asked. "I know where the school is, but not the village?" "Sure..." I gave him the address and watched him enter it into his system. He made small talk as he drove and seemed surprised where we were from. "What brought you out here?" "Law school," I told him. "I wanted to go to the best school! The fact they also made a huge package financially to get me out here helped too." I smiled at that thought. The terms of my schooling were that I had all tuition and books paid, my apartment was free, I received a stipend for T.A.ing a class for undergrads, and another for being a gopher on a legal team. I would still have some expenses obviously, but I was basically getting paid to go to school! My test scores, grades, and interviews had been enough to land me the best package that they offered to grad students. Coming closer to the campus of the university I saw the buildings of Hamilton University that hosted the Law School as part of its institution. The buildings were old! Several of them were actually over two centuries in age, and all of the architecture was beautiful throughout the campus. There were a trio of buildings that housed the Law School that were among the oldest buildings. I had loved the old brick facades, the wooden floors, and their old library, which leant itself to an amazing gravitas when I walked in during my spring visit. Down a block we came to the newer building that housed the graduate student housing. A sign said 'Welcome New Students!' and directed us inside a building for registration. Dad paid the bill for the taxi and we walked towards the signs. "How about I watch your suitcases here," he suggested to a bench that was in the shade of a tree. "And you can go get everything setup?" "Sounds good," I told him. "Thanks Dad!" I joined a line that thankfully wasn't too long. I saw that there were probably ten Bigs, three other Mids, as well as surprisingly two Littles! The Littles did look a bit nervous of the Bigs that were around, but seemingly less so than any back home. One of them caught my eye, a brown-haired man who was probably only five feet in height. There was no sign of any padding of even a Pull-Up or thicker underwear on him. "What are you staring at?" He asked me with some hostility. I shook my head. "It's so much different from back home. I'm glad to see that you have the opportunity to go to school here." "Where are you from?" He asked me. "I'm Brad Grant," he told me. "Greenville... it's in Ames," I told him and added. "I'm Cameron Sylvester." "So, is it as bad there for Littles as I've heard?" I looked in surprise. "I'm going to guess maybe...? I've... I've never seen a place that wasn't like it?" He nodded. "You'll probably get a bit of a culture shock here then." I nodded. "I figure, but that's part of why I wanted to come here." We talked for a few minutes and I learned he was aa doctoral student working on dimensional physics for portals as his focus for his thesis. 'He and Dad could probably nerd out for hours...' I thought. I had just finished explaining I was there for Law School when he was called to the table. He grabbed his key and I took his place at the table and soon had signed my life away for the key that I held in my hand. "See you around," he said as we crossed paths. "Yeah," I told him with a smile. It was nice to see Littles free! Dad and I got into my furnished apartment and set to work messing with unpacking what I had. He was taking the bed for the three nights he was staying, while I volunteered to sleep on the large couch until he left. This apartment was actually sized for a tall Mid, so I didn't need a lot of step stools to get to things - even though there was one provided by the university. We cleaned and made trips to the grocery store, unpacked the boxes of dishes, pans, and other things the next day that I had shipped to myself, and generally did some sight-seeing before he had to head home on the night before our orientation for grad students began. "Stay safe," Dad told me as he opened the door to the taxi and then hugged me. "You too Dad! I love you!" "Love you too, Cam," he told me with a smile. I watched the cab drive away with him that night and walked back into my apartment. I turned on the TV and watched a few shows when my phone rang. It was pretty late by then, but the phone showed a number Mr. Fehler had me memorize before I left. I was pretty sure it was a burner phone to avoid being traced. "Hello?" "Hi Cameron, I just wanted to let you know that we made it safely to where we're settling in to get Beth a better chance." "Since you're there, can you tell me where you're at now?" "If you don't mind, I'll wait until we get moved into our new house in a few weeks. I want to make sure we're established here first, just in case someone tries to trace us from back home." "That makes sense... may I talk to Beth?" "I'm sorry Cam, it's way past her normal bedtime so she's already out like a light. I just wanted to make sure you weren't worried about us getting out." "Thanks, I was! Can you maybe call me with her tomorrow night?" "Sure Cameron," he told me. "But I don't want you pining over her while you're apart. I'm sure this will work out and you two can make a life together here in a couple years. Focus on your schooling so you can provide a good life for you both." I smiled. "Yes sir, I plan to!" "Good, I'll worry about getting her ready for that life. We're in a good place with pretty liberal emancipation laws. I'm hoping we can get her emancipated by next year, and then figure out what's next for her." "That'll be great sir, thank you for being a good father to her!" "I'll always love my baby girl - but I don't always want to be changing her stinky diapers!" I laughed. "Thank you for that too." That night I went to sleep and felt hopeful for Beth for the first time ever. I didn't hardly even think about my nerves about starting law school the next day! BEGINNING THE NEXT day, I learned that I wouldn't have any time to be pining over Beth! Orientation presentations weren't all that different than they had been at Emerson. The pride in the Harlan Law School was apparent with the introduction and the guest speakers present. Soon we received a tour of the buildings, course schedules, and supply lists pretty much needed to get picked up all in that day. I soon found myself completely immersed in my new studies. The first day of classes I carried my new gifts of the briefcase and computer to class, dressed in the required business attire. In our first class I had sixty-five students and we were quickly split up into small groups to work on a group project. My group been assigned to research facts surrounding a case that HLS was assisting with. We met in a small conference room right after getting our assignments. "Hi, I'm Wendy Spencer," a girl who was only about nine-feet tall said to us as we sat down. She was a bit heavy in build, but had a really friendly smile that was framed by her chin length brown hair. "I'm Cameron Sylvester," I said. "I'm Edgar Freeman," a tall eleven-foot-tall man about my age said. He looked like he was wearing quality clothes based on my memories of being around Addy for all of my time at Emerson. His suit alone probably cost a couple grand I guessed. The watch on his wrist was probably at least ten-grand with all of the bling it had. He wore a friendly smile though. "I'm Kyle," an older gentleman with graying hair who was only a foot taller than me said. His face and demeanor looked like someone who had been through a lot in life. "I'm the old man I guess... Decided to come to law school after serving my time out with the service." A girl who was almost exactly my height, with shoulder length blonde hair said, "We'll be relying on that experience!" Her smile was genuine, but I would wager her boobs were not! She might have needed a larger cup size than Addy... "I'm Penelope Madden," she added. The last member of our group spoke up. "I'm Samantha Rutgers, but please call me Sam." I was surprised to see so short of a little joining our group. She was only about five feet tall with her black hair pinned into a bun on her head. Her skirt suit fit her well, but back home I knew she would have just been accused of playing dress-up. "Nice to meet you all," I said again. "Shall we get started? How do we want to do this?" For a group that was incredibly diverse in height, wealth, and age, we made a really good team! Harlan had decided to help represent a small company who was being sued for providing a service to repair computer systems, even though they weren't authorized by the manufacturer. The manufacturer was suing the business for 'illegally repairing' their systems for much less than they would have charged for the same repairs. There seemed to be a lot of case law on the manufacturer's side. The school was helping the defendant's side, due to a clear indication that there was an unfair competitive environment going on. They were leading in the defense of the lawsuit, and leading a countersuit effort as well to try and effectively change the unfair practices going on. The six of us split off some different research areas, and I'd been assigned the owner's bio to try and determine if there was anything else at work. The business owner had used an alumnus member's law firm only for speaking with the manufacturer and the Law School. No one had ever seen them in person, and I was kind of curious if there was a reason why... Stacy had taught me a bunch of tricks over the years before she left after graduation, and I soon found myself using most of them. I finally located the owner, 'Trinity Snyder' and figured out there was a reason why she was hiding her actual appearance. "She's a Little..." I said out loud. "Umm... duh, I know I'm a Little, problem with that?" Sam said to me. "No, not you... the client." "No way? How can that be?" Penelope said, "Isn't her business in Ames?" "Yeah... if anyone finds out she's a Little the case will be over too," I said aloud. "How do you know that?" Edgar said. "That it'll be over?" I asked. He nodded. "I'm from Greenville there... Trust me, we don't have many Littles that make it out of college, let alone own businesses." "If they were here, we could make a discrimination argument," Wendy said. Edgar sighed. "I'm so sick of seeing everything skewed against Littles." I think all of our eyes looked over at him above his computer. "But..." Kyle said, "You're one of the Freeman family members, aren't you happier with Littles being 'put in their place?'" He said the last part with obvious scorn. "I'm the black sheep of the family," he said to us. "I came here to Harlan in the hopes of gaining some tools to fight that blatant sizeism." My opinion of him went way up. "Well... So, we know that this is going to be an issue for the client. Anyone else have anything? Maybe ideas to help?" We worked on the initial research several times in the next few days before going back to our full class and presenting our findings. "Who discovered that the client is a Little?" our professor asked. I raised my hand. "That was me sir." "How did you do that?" My methods became its own class discussion and a point was made that sometimes research is the most important thing to do in a case. A week later Trinity Snider was safely relocated to New Haven, and the case was able to move forward over the next eighteen months, with us being asked to do legwork for them a few more times. She eventually won the case, with some significant damages awarded to her. That award included all of her legal expenses being covered, which benefited the law school! *************************************************** Chapter 20: Sizeism *************************************************** OUR GROUP HAD become a close group of friends over our first two years at school, and we found that we all worked together very well. Only Sam and I lived in the village, so we tended to get together a lot at my place to study since Sam was a little skittish about letting Big people inside her place. On those occasions Edgar had to duck a little to come inside my apartment, and tended to bring his own folding chair, but it became normal for us all to hang out a few nights of the week. One of the few times that I had inside Sam's apartment; I had caught sight of a package of night-time protection that I guessed was why she didn't want anyone over. She'd even been leery of me at first, but as we got to know each other, I told her more about my own past and Beth. As a consequence, we became good friends and I helped her out in situations where even in this city it wouldn't be a good idea to go unescorted as a Little! My time in law school was flying by unbelievably quickly! During my second year I had worked really hard to earn the recommendation of one of my professors to get an internship to clerk with the Chief Justice on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. Justice Ruth Jones was highly respected, and had a reputation for being a no-nonsense juror, but understood applying the law accurately and fairly as well. After my finals ended in May, I'd made a quick trip home to grab my car - driving it first to New Haven. I'd taken a hurried day at Harlan to move much of my stuff out into storage, and the needed things into the car to take with me. I had been on the road for two hours to get to Crescent City, Capital of The State of Hartford, on the Saturday before I was set to begin interning. I was glad it was a city in the same state as Harlan, just so I could feel safer about this move. Unfortunately, the move was pretty much sight unseen for me with the apartment. I had interviewed with Judge Jones via a video conference instead of being in person due to my classes. She'd been completely understanding of my need for that, and had even complimented me on taking my coursework seriously. After she offered me the position, she was kind enough to send along a couple of recommendations of places to live that she knew were nice places close to the courthouse. This apartment was in a high-rise building downtown only two blocks from the courthouse. Luckily it also had access to a parking garage for my car, even though it looked to me on the surface to be possible to never have to leave the area for anything other than maybe groceries. I pulled into the garage as I'd been instructed by the manager, grabbed my briefcase, and walked down the tall stairs to exit the garage. At the bottom I found a door that led to the apartments themselves. Opening a large door, I followed the arrows to the management's office. To my surprise it appeared to be a bigger office than I expected. A tall secretary looked up from her computer and said, "Well hello there! Can I help you?" The problem wasn't the words... the problem was the pitch was high like you would use with a preschooler... or a baby. I hadn't dealt with that much since I'd begun studying at Harlan. I braced myself for more of that, but forced the smile I knew I needed in the courtroom. "Yes, I'm Cameron Sylvester. I'm supposed to move into my apartment today?" Her face looked inquisitive for a moment, typed something in her computer, and then looked back at me. "Umm... No one told us you were a Little?" I bit my tongue. "I'm not a Little, I'm legally a Mid, but my size isn't going to be a problem in renting? That would be discrimination of course...?" "Let me get my manager..." she stood up and walked away. I pulled my phone out and placed it in a panic mode that could call Dad without being seen. I hadn't felt the need to have a panic button ready to go in years now, but if I didn't know any better, I'd say I was going to be treated as a Little by her. I also started a recording on the phone just in case I needed evidence of what I feared was coming. Another tall woman made her way to where I was standing. "Mr. Sylvester?" she said. "Yes, ma'am?" I said as I held my hand up to her. "I'm Ryleigh Edger, I'm sorry about the confusion here. You were given a reference by Judge Jones, but no one said you weren't a Big." "I don't see the relevance?" "Well, we have an apartment furnished and ready to go for you, but it is unfortunately Big sized." I shrugged. "I grew up in a full-sized house, it won't be an issue." "Well, maybe it wouldn't for you... but we have an insurance company that doesn't approve larger sized rentals for lessee's due to the safety risks. Concerns of people falling out of too tall beds... not being able to reach safety equipment." "So, what you're telling me is that you will not rent to me? Based upon my size alone?" "Well..." "You realize I will be reporting your discrimination? I will probably seek out a small claim's suit against you all as well. Where am I supposed to rent an apartment on this short of notice?" "Sir..." "Sir, what? You'll rent to me?" "No sir, I'm sorry, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." "Then I will do so." I told her. I turned and walked back to my car, getting inside, locking it, and shaking with nerves then. If she HAD called the cops that would have been a way to manipulate an arrest and get me into the courts. I set my car to drive a safe distance away to a shopping center parking lot where I could try and figure out a plan. I had just left the parking garage when my phone rang. "Hello?" "Mr. Sylvester?" I heard the voice of Judge Jones. "Oh, hello Judge Jones." "I wanted to see how you were doing? If you had made it to the city yet?" I sighed. "Well... I made it to the city, but unfortunately the apartment I had arranged to rent was in a building that apparently believes in discriminating against anyone who's not a Big." "What?!?" She sounded genuinely unhappy. "They can't do that! You told them that?" "I have a recording too. She was trying to claim it was due to their insurance not being willing to insure the apartments against an injury if I fell..." "Really?" She acted surprised. "I haven't seen one of these cases in a couple of years here. When we hang up, I want you to send me the audio recording. I think I'll get it to our local DA and let him go deal with them... I guess that means your place to stay has fallen through?" I sighed. "Yeah, I was just getting ready to find a place to park and start calling around for other places." "Well...you know what... don't bother." "Ma'am?" I said, nervous she was about to fire me. "I mean don't bother. I have a room you can stay in at my house. I have had interns come before, but didn't want to make you uncomfortable by suggesting it first." My stomach did flip-flops. For the second time in twenty minutes, I worried my maturity card could be in jeopardy! 'She's not one of those...' I thought. I thought back to everything I'd researched about her. She had four kids - natural ones - who were all grown. The youngest son had just graduated college this spring, and as far as I knew they had never had a Little, and her kids hadn't either. Her record spoke pretty positively on the Little front actually, having decided against many Bigs trying to cruelly bypass the stringent adoption rules that the State of Hartford had in place. "I'd expect to pay rent," I found myself saying. "Nonsense! You're a student! You and I both know what it's like to eat ramen and get by with the bare minimum on things. Save your money." "Well... I have to do something to make it up to you?" "Nonsense, now, I'm going to text you our address and I'll be expecting to see you soon!" "Yes Ma'am," I found myself saying. I got off the phone with her and messaged her a copy of the audio file from the apartment. I uploaded it somewhere safe too, before programming in her address and sending my car off to its new destination. I called Dad then. "Cameron? Did you make it into your apartment already?" "Hi Dad... No. Things didn't go as expected..." I filled him in. He seemed to have his own worries along my lines, but neither of us saw another solution. "I'll be careful Dad, I love you," I told him. "Love you too Cameron," he said to me. I saw that she must live a fair way out of town, because it was still another twenty minutes to get to her house. Right then my phone lit up with Meg's number. I pressed accept and said, "Hi Meg, how are you doing?" "Hi Cameron, you moved into your new place yet?" She asked. "Not exactly," I told her. "What's wrong?" I explained everything. "Cameron that's kind of scary. Are you sure it's safe to go stay with her?" "I hope so... all of my research tells me I should be safe..." "Be careful!" "I will... How's everything going there?" "Odd." "Odd?" I asked curiously. "Yeah... You know, when Stacy left there were some weird things that happened." "Like?" "Well... I don't think I ever told you about my cousins, did I?" I thought back to what Stacy had told me about them. "You didn't, but Stacy told me they were all in the worst shape, no teeth, can't walk, etcetera?" "Yeah... they were." "Were?" "A month after Stacy left, they healed suddenly. Grew teeth, started to struggle walk again, and could talk like normal." "Uh-oh, what did your aunts do?" "Nothing... Well... sort of nothing. They like turned up the affection levels... I haven't seen them hit one of them since about a month after that. They're even letting them eat regular food, and changing their diapers when needed - like a normal parent would. Before they were really abusive, but now both of them treat their Littles like cuddly dolls that they actually love. Well enough, that Neville told me decided to not run away when he suddenly could again." "That is weird... You think Stacy?" "Yeah... I do." "Well, at least it's just them?" "No... that's the thing. In the last six-months I've noticed less and less of the abusive behavior when Megan has taken me out. Then this week a judge made a ruling that Littles have the same rights to safe homes as normal minor children." "You think she somehow hypnotized everyone?" I had to keep from her that I knew full well what had happened. "No idea... but I'm guessing she had something to do with it." "Does that mean Littles aren't being adopted now?" "No... unfortunately that hasn't changed. If anything, I think I'm seeing more adoptions among Megan's friends. There's still plenty of 'adjustments' happening too, but at least the beatings and such seem to be not as frequent..." "Things still the same there with you?" I changed the subject. "Pretty much. Megan's thinking about switching jobs though, so I may have to start going to a daycare during the daytime..." "Ouch... I hope not?" "She's promised she'll make sure it's a nice one if she does." I saw the car was three minutes from my destination. "Hey Meg, I want to talk to you some more, but I'm almost to her house. I need to let you go so I can keep track of which of these mansions is hers..." "Big houses?" "I have a feeling her house is going to be bigger than Amanda and Fred's." "Ooh... Good luck Cameron!" "Talk to you later Meg," I told her and hung up. The car brought me to a gated entrance and I pressed the button at the gate. "Hello?" A voice asked. "I'm here to see Judge Jones?" "Is that you Cameron?" "Yes, Your Honor," remembering my better manners now that I wasn't so frustrated. "I'm opening the gate up and the garage, just park your car in the empty spot on the end." "Okay," I found myself saying. The large gate was twice the height of my dad's car, and looked like it probably would stop a very large vehicle from ramming through it. I saw it close behind me as I guided my car up the driveway to the house. I discovered they had five double garage doors lined up along the side of a large house finished with a stone fa?ade. It looked to be three stories tall, and probably had a basement I guessed too. As I parked in the empty spot, I noted there was a large truck, two SUVs, a luxury sedan, and a small modest classic sportscar in the other bays. It looked like there was a pretty good-sized shop setup in one of the other bays to work on cars too. I opened my door and looked at the tall figure of Judge Jones walking towards me with a man that I guessed was her husband. Her hair was short and gray, while he lacked anything on top of his head, and the hair on his sides was white. "Hi Judge Jones," I said, "Thank you so much for helping me out here." "I'm Cameron," I said to the tall man beside her. She was probably a little under eleven feet in height, while he was probably four inches taller than her. "Nice to meet you Cameron, I'm Doug," he told me. "So, you made it alright?" Judge Jones asked me. "Yes, Your Honor," I said. "Oh, stop it with that. If you're going to be working and living with us, I can't have you 'Your Honoring' me every two seconds. Call me Ruth, or if you really feel a need to be formal Mrs. Jones will be just fine." "Umm... Thanks." "What all did you bring with you?" She looked inside the car as I opened the back. "Well, I had thought I was moving into an apartment today, so I brought most of the things I needed from my on-campus apartment..." "You won't need a lot of that. Why don't you bring in your clothes, computer, and anything like that and leave the rest of your things in your car for now? We can store the rest of the boxes next to your car in the garage, or just leave it all in the car. I figure if you're living with me, we'll commute into town together." "That's very generous," I said with a smile. "Why don't we go show you your room," she said after I had grabbed a couple suitcases, my computer, and her husband had grabbed another suitcase. They led me up the steps of a large porch that wrapped around the house, and inside the entry way of the huge house I had to gasp. I'd been inside Addy's house twice while we had dated, and while probably more expensive, this seemed more elegant. "You have a beautiful home," I told them. "Thank you," she said. She led me up tall steps that were definitely sized for Bigs. It was a big step up for each, but I managed to balance everything and make to the second floor, and then the third floor where she opened up a door. "I figured you'd probably appreciate the privacy the third floor will give you. This was my youngest daughters... so sorry about the colors in here. You can at least switch the sheets if you've got the right size with you." I looked in at a room that I was surprised was suited for a shorter person. "She's shorter?" I asked while looking at a bed that was sized for a Mid or a small Big child. "Yes, she somehow ended up with a recessive gene. She's only eight feet tall," she told me. "Not that much taller than you really." "No, that's the height my dad is," I said. "Anyway, when we figured out that she was going to be shorter, we found appropriate sized furniture. We also had the bathroom altered to make it a bit more manageable too." "Great!" I said with a smile. "I really do appreciate this!" "Well, why don't I let you get situated in here. I'll have dinner ready in an hour - please come down and join us." "Are you sure I can't pay you anything?" "Help me with dishes after dinner each day, we'll call that even," she told me. She gave me a look as I was about to argue more, so I smiled. "I'd be happy to do that." They left and I took a look around the room. It was decorated for a teen girl with a definitely girlish scheme. Two walls, including one with a huge window seat, were painted white, while the opposite walls were painted a light purple. A bed that looked to be my size was covered in a very feminine white comforter, with the headboard backed up against one of the purple walls. On the wall above the bed were hundreds of stuck on mirrored star shapes that were actually kind of cool. The opposite side of the room held a white vanity with a mirror on it that I assumed her daughter used to do her makeup with from the small dusty remnants that still remained. A fairly sturdy white desk sat beside it with a nice computer chair. I opened up the closet and discovered it would have been a dream closet for most girls with all of the bars available to hang things. As I unpacked my clothing I thought. "I sure hope she isn't wanting me to be a new daughter in here..." As I said that quietly aloud, I noticed my long hair in the reflection of the vanity would certainly suit that look. 'Why does Beth have to like it long too...?' I shook my head and made sure I made it downstairs promptly for dinner after putting all of my things away. *************************************************** Chapter 21: Introductions *************************************************** MONDAY MORNING, I sat nervously as I rode in a worn booster seat in the back of Judge Jones car as she drove us towards the courthouse. I reflected on how lucky I seemed to have gotten! That weekend I had learned that she and her husband were truly a sweet couple. He had retired as a chief engineer from an aerospace company just last year, and now spent his time tinkering in the garage, and tending to the large yard around their house. She was a total legal nerd, and I had literally gasped aloud when she had shown me her library Saturday evening - it was the equal of most law schools! That had led to some interesting legal debates that I had absolutely loved to hear her opinion on. Truthfully this short pseudo-clerkship was a dream come true for me as a law student! "When we get to the courthouse, I'll take you to get your credentials. This morning I'll introduce you to my staff and a few other people around here, then there are those three hearings that I told you about yesterday in the afternoon. I'd like for you to sit in next to the court reporter and make your own notes on the proceedings. I'll have you work on a number of things through your internship, but I think it's invaluable that you get a good grasp of how the appellate level really works. Things never go exactly according to your classes," she laughed. I nodded at that. "I'm really looking forward to it!" We pulled up to a security gate where a guard looked at Judge Jones and was about to motion her through before seeing me. "Take your kid to work day, Judge Jones?" "No, this is my intern this summer. I'll be taking him to the security desk to get his credentials." "Fair enough, go on in." She drove through a couple turns and parked in a parking space that had her name on a sign. 'Judge Ruth Jones, Chief Justice 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals.' 'Must be nice to have your own parking space...' I couldn't help but think in my head. She noticed my look. "It was not easy getting to this job, the little perks are really nice though!" She laughed, and I joined in. I fell in beside her as she walked to an elevator and soon found myself in a ground level hallway where we stepped through a metal detector with a guard, and then continued to navigate through a maze of corridors that led to a security office. "Good morning Judge Jones, what can we do for you today?" A polite older man with a darker skin complexion spoke to her. "Good morning to you too Officer Branch! I need to get my intern, Mr. Sylvester, all credentialed for the courthouse." He looked down at me and I was relieved to see a genuine smile, rather than another Big like the apartment manager. "Certainly, Judge Jones! May I please see your ID sir?" "Hi," I said politely. "Thanks for helping me out with this." I pulled out my wallet and handed him my driver's license. He sat there for a moment typing on a screen before saying. "You're from Ames, huh? Don't see many people from that way here." "I have one more year left in law school at Harlan. It's home back there, but I like New Haven a lot better." "The State of Hartford is definitely a nicer place for shorter people," he nodded. I figured he'd never had to deal with that since he looked to be eleven feet tall. As if he could read my mind he said, "I'm tall, but my older sister wasn't - she's a bit shorter than you. She ended up moving out that way with her husband... a year later she was the baby, complete with a new mommy. Took us years to find a way to get her back safely to here." My eyes shot up at that. "Is..." "She's fine, not a piece of padding in sight, except on the genuine grandbabies!" I smiled. "That's good!" "The system shows we've already completed the background check on you, so if you can just stand over here, I'll get your picture for your ID." I stood in front of a blue backdrop and smiled as best I could as he took the photo. "That'll be a nice photo actually..." he said with a smile. I stood there before he handed me a tablet. "Please sign where it tells you to." I signed my life away effectively with federal laws if I violated rules. It was a number of signatures and initials before I finished and handed it back to him over the counter. He traded me for an ID badge with a clip on it. "Here you go Mr. Sylvester. Work hard for Judge Jones, and she'll do good for you. She's the best we have here!" I smiled at him. "I plan to, thanks for your help!" As we walked away, she said, "You'll do well with me." "Huh?" "I'd already had a good chance to judge your character this weekend, but I always find the true nature of people who work with me by how they treat people like Officer Branch there." "What do you mean?" "You treated him with respect, and were pleasant to him as he did his job. Many interns and clerks I've brought in to him have disdainfully acted as if he was beneath them when he took care of the formalities." She stopped at the elevators and looked down at me. "The best lawyers and judges I know treat everyone like they're the same as themselves. It's easy in the law profession to feel like you are better than everyone else in the world. Don't lose sight of the fact that you are no different than that officer, and you will go far." The elevator arrived, and we rode upstairs to her office on the sixth floor while I pondered what she said. JUDGE JONES INTRODUCED me to her staff, some of the court staff, some bailiffs that worked around her courtroom, and showed me around to the important places on her office floor like the break room, copy room, and bathrooms. She set me up at a large desk in the anteroom to her chambers and handed me three stacks of files that pertained to the three cases she was going to hear arguments about today. "I know you don't have nearly enough time to fully brief yourself, but see what you can get through in the next two hours. We'll get a bite to eat, and then it'll be time for the first hearing." "Yes, Ma'am." I said with a smile. I opened the first case and saw it was Robertson vs. United States of Acirema. A man had killed another man and had argued it was self- defense, but the jury had ruled otherwise. The attorneys for the case were making a technicality argument that some of the evidence that shouldn't have been presented. Reading through the Appellant's briefs, and the State's briefs, I honestly didn't think there was anything of value to the argument, other than maybe making the man feel better with an appeal being made on his behalf. I saw the second case was Kounze vs. United States of Acirema. Their appeal alleged prosecutorial misconduct was at work during the trial of a man convicted of burning down a building and killing three people inside. At question was a video recording of the man doing what he was accused of that was presented, but not shared with the defense in advance of its presentation at the trial as part of the discovery phase. That one was probably bound to be retried I figured from looking at it since that was a pretty big oversight. There was no doubt in my mind though that the man was guilty... The final case of the afternoon was Reinhardt and Dane vs. Tully (Dane). My eyes went wide as I read the briefs. Somehow a Little had managed to escape out of Ames and made it to New Haven. Her 'mommy' had gotten desperate for her baby's return, and hired a bounty hunter to find her. The woman had managed to live on her own for three years, was now married, and had two kids of her own, when the bounty hunter caught up to her. When he attempted to reclaim her to take her back to her mommy, the police officers of New Haven had stopped him, and allowed her to go home since it was clear she was a free Little right then. They took him into custody and charged him initially with attempted kidnapping. After a few days they established that Tully was a runaway Little, and she had been collected by Little Protective Services to be cared for until her status could be determined. At question was whether they could legally deny Reinhardt the right to take Mrs. Tully back to Ames and interfere in her return. I squirmed at that, knowing that technically the Constitution said that she had to be returned to her rightful guardian of Mrs. Dane. From what I could see, her only hope was that it was just Judge Jones hearing this case, and not the full Appellate Court. Maybe there was some loophole I didn't know about, but I certainly couldn't think of one right then. Because of the nature of the case, it was automatically being kicked up to the 3rd Circuit Court to decide since it involved a question of multiple state jurisdictions of Hartford and Ames. I read both briefs as quickly as I could in all of the cases, and tried to memorize as many of the facts and arguments being presented in writing as I could. When Judge Jones reappeared, she said, "Ready to get a bite to eat?" "Sounds good!" I said with a smile and organized my piles again quickly before following her down the elevator. We walked across the street and down the block to a small deli where she insisted on paying for my meal. "So, what do you think so far of the briefs?" She asked me after making sure no one was nearby to listen. "Well, the first case seems like a non-starter to me. They're not really presenting any real procedural arguments in writing at least? Seems more like an attempt to make a client pay more legal fees honestly." "I'm curious to see if the attorney has anything more that he didn't have in the briefs, but I would agree with your estimation of the case in writing that the arguments are slim." "The second case honestly looks like a valid concern on the face of things. The defendant was clearly guilty from that evidence, but discovery means the defense should have had access to all of the evidence, including that video. Procedurally I think the prosecution has a lot to explain." She didn't give me a clear answer. "That one will be interesting to hear the arguments. I think the guilt of the defendant is clear, but the rights of the defendant are important to the foundation of our judicial system. Would he have been convicted without that evidence? Should be interesting to hear both sides." She smiled. "And the last case." I felt my stomach churn. "The law is neither moral, or immoral... it's the law." I sighed, quoting a professor while debating about saying what I thought. "I think it's abhorrent that Mrs. Tully would be forced to leave her children and go back to Ames to be babied by her fake mommy for the rest of her life. Her two kids would get to stay with the father according to the briefs, but never have their mother around as they grow up. I personally think the fact that she's made a life for herself, and has a family of her own, shows that Maturosis is a lie of culture designed to enslave Littles like her." I sighed. "That being said the case law is clear that legally she should have to be returned to Ames. She could theoretically appeal there for a change in standing, but that won't go anywhere within their courts. The 6th Circuit and all of the District Courts will agree that she had been adopted, and without a declaration of emancipation, she's still her 'baby.'" I blushed, knowing I had spoken a bit more passionately about this matter than may have been healthy. She smiled at me though. "You understand the law quite well Cameron. One of the worst things about being a judge is that sometimes there are immoral laws you must uphold. You missed that the laws of New Haven are also quite strict on the procedures for being emancipated - Mrs. Tully seemingly has met all of those criteria it would seem. Not having a willing mother to release her though means that's an uphill battle." "I hate the system on that one," I told her honestly. She looked at the time and said, "I too hate the system sometimes, let's go get to court." I walked with her back to the courthouse and we found one of her long- term clerks, Kathy Stanford, waiting at her office. After introductions and some small talk, Judge Jones said, "Kathy, can you go ahead and head to the courtroom and show Cameron where he can set up next to you and the reporter?" "Yes, Your Honor." To her before smiling down at me. "Ready for the first day?" I smiled up at the tall eleven foot tall Big. "Absolutely!" She showed me to a large table with chairs set next to the court reporter. Someone had thoughtfully placed a thick pillow on one of the chairs for me. I clambered up and watched people move about the room for a few minutes before I heard. "All Rise!" as Judge Jones walked into the room. "Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Hear Ye, The Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit Court is now open according to law." As I stood, I reflected on how I was always a bit bemused by how far our traditions went back with courts like this. Being present here was like a dream come true to me! "Thank you, you may be seated," Judge Jones said to everyone once she sat down. The bailiff stated. "The first case on today's docket is Case number 5348203 Robertson vs. United States of Acirema. Mr. Tyrone Ashton." I watched as the man stepped to the large lectern. Atop the lectern I knew full well about the three lights that represented his time and ability to make his case. A preset guideline of fifteen minutes had been set for both sides of arguments. When he was allowed to speak a green light would be lit. There was a two-minute warning that the amber in the middle represented, and when the red light showed at the end he would be done unless Judge Jones asked him questions or gave him additional time to speak. "Thank you and may it please the court, I am Tyrone Slade representing Chris Robertson..." He presented an argument that I was almost surprised to even see him keep a straight face for. I was still getting to know Judge Jones, so I watched her carefully, while also making notes about his case for appeal. Her face was set in a completely emotionless stare as she watched the attorney speak. The intensity of her eyes really was very intimidating, and I'm certain the counsel had to be feeling that stare burning into him. At the end of his time, she didn't ask any questions of him, and the DA for the case came and had his own fifteen minutes. I was curious to see how she would make her ruling known. From what I had studied there was a lot of wiggle room for those decisions to be announced. Normally this was something that would be published on a website after the judge could render a written decision. In some cases, they might go ahead and state their opinion from the bench. "Thank you both for your arguments. Normally I would tell you an opinion will be written and published by my office in about seven days, but I do not wish to waste additional time with this case. Mr. Ashton, I see no merit at all in the Appeal you have filed before this court. The motion is denied with prejudice, and I would highly suggest that if you come before this bench in the future, you have a more meaningful and substantial reason within the law to do so." With a strike of her gavel the case was at a close. Next to me Kathy said, "She was really annoyed at that one..." "I kind of guessed. When I read the briefs it sounded like a waste of time." During the next case she asked a lot more questions of both the defense attorney and the prosecutor. It was clear to me that there was a real concern that the discovery of evidence wasn't shared with the defendant. Some questions about if the evidence wasn't there, would they still have convicted him? In the end she stated that her opinion in the case would be rendered in seven to ten days. "Court is in recess for thirty minutes before the next case." "Good time to hit the restroom," Kathy said to me. "I have a feeling this next case is going to go on longer." "Why?" "Because... well, did you read the briefs?" She asked as she motioned with her head to move towards a hallway behind the courtroom. She led me towards one of the bathrooms that was meant for court staff, not the lawyers or general public. "I did... Unfortunately, isn't the law very clear?" "It is, which is why I think Judge Jones is going to figure out where she does have some wiggle room. I've been clerking for her now for nine months, and her biggest pet peeve is when families are separated for no good reason." I nodded at that. "I agree with her there..." I went inside the men's, while she went in the women's. I was back out pretty quickly, but decided to be polite and wait for her. I noticed a few looks from some Bigs that were walking around, but thanks to New Haven's laws I knew I was pretty much as safe as anyone could be as a Betweener. Littles might need to still take more precautions with some of those looks though! When she reappeared, we walked back to the courtroom and I talked with her about her schooling and past. She was doing a typical clerkship after finishing law school that was scheduled to last two years. When she finished, she planned on finding a firm somewhere to join up with, but for now she felt like learning everything she could about the Appellate Court was in her future client's best interests. I nodded, as that was kind of where I was leaning. The idea of finishing school and coming back for a longer, more proper, clerkship did seem appealing. By the end of the recess, a new set of lawyers were set up at the two opposing counsel tables. I felt bile in my throat as another woman with an LPS badge was holding a tightly swaddled woman on her lap. A large locking pacifier was clearly hurting her from the winces of pain I could see, and through the blanket I thought I could see signs of her having further restraints on her ankles and hands. Her face looked to be covered in sweat from being overheated from the tight blanket. 'And she's supposed to be the one protecting Littles...' The cry of All-Rise was repeated, and Judge Jones reappeared. "The final case on today's docket is Case number 534359342 Reinhardt and Dane vs. Tully(Dane)." Before the bounty hunters' lawyer could even begin to make his case, Judge Jones stated. "Ma'am, who are you, and why is Mrs. Tully being so aggressively restrained?" *************************************************** Chapter 22: Fugitive Little Act *************************************************** "I'M JULIA FAIRBANKS Your Honor, from Little Protective Services. Lilibeth is a fugitive Little, and so it's standard procedure to restrain her to prevent further escape attempts, Your Honor." "It may be standard procedure elsewhere, but in my courtroom it will not be. Mrs. Tully, can you be respectful of court decorum if I order Mrs. Fairbanks to remove that gag?" I watched as the woman nodded quickly. "Mrs. Fairbanks remove that inhumane torture device that you all try and say is a pacifier, along with the swaddle blanket, and those leg cuffs and any other restraints that I can't see. You will then place her in a booster seat over by her attorney." "Your Honor..." Reinhardt's attorney wanted to argue. "This is my courtroom. Choose your next words wisely," she told him. He shut up, and I watched as the poor woman was placed into the seat wearing nothing but a pink onesie that barely covered the diaper that at least appeared to be dry and clean. "Thank you, Your Honor," she said to her when she was seated. "You're welcome Mrs. Tully." The bailiff was about to introduce the attorney again when Judge Jones spoke up. "From here on out I expect a level of respect to be granted for Mrs. Tully. Notice I said Tully, and not Dane. We are not in the State of Ames right now, and really this isn't about being in the State of New Haven. This is the 3rd District Court, and that will be my ruling throughout this case." "Mr. Ingleton, presenting on the case," was finally called once a moment of silence settled over the room. "Thank you and may it please the court, I am James Ingleton representing Henry Reinhardt and Elizabeth Dane in the recovery of the woman referred to in this court as Lilibeth Tully, but previously Lilibeth Dane as adopted by my client ten years ago. At that time the municipal court of Oak City made a determination that Lilibeth Dane had demonstrated she was presenting a clear case of Maturosis after she pooped her panties in the grocery store that she worked.,Ms. Dane happened to be shopping in the store and found her panties a hygienic mess of fresh poop stains, so she took care of cleaning her up, and adopted her to re-raise her as is the normal guidance by health professionals." He paused. "After four years of care, Lilibeth was abducted from a park she was playing at by a man who is unfortunately still at large today. Ms. Dane went to the police, federal authorities, and others to locate her, but every attempt failed. When Mr. Reinhardt's respected services became available, she made use of them. Within six-months, he believed he had found her in New Haven. Once he had positively identified her via fingerprints and facial recognition software, he then attempted to make the rescue of the girl to take her back home to her mother. The authorities unlawfully stepped into this custody dispute, and placed her with LPS pending this hearing. Per the Fugitive Little Act of the Constitution, she should be remanded to Ms. Dane's custody immediately following this hearing. Ms. Dane is however not requiring her babies to come back to Ames, they may stay with their daddy here in New Haven." It was only then that I noticed the woman in a tasteful business suit immediately behind their counsel's table. I could see tear marks on her face, and guessed that must have been the bitch of an Amazon. On the other side I noticed that Mrs. Tully had her husband, who looked to be just an inch or so shorter than I was. He was sitting there looking aghast at the whole affair. "The F.L.A. promotes the well-being of all adopted Littles, regardless of the state that they are in when they are found. The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled over the past century that nothing impacts the rights of a parent from reclaiming their Little who has been kidnapped, or escaped, and that any bounty hunters that seek them out must not be impeded in any manner." I felt my stomach turn at his arguments, laws that were quoted absolutely correctly. Each state had adopted its own laws pertaining to Littles... Ames I had discovered, along with Calisota where Selegnasol was located, were pretty much the worst. New Haven was probably the best for avoiding adoptions, but once you were adopted it was one of the strictest to get out of them besides those two. Both of the other two were under the jurisdiction of other courts, but the law nationally was that a 'found' Little had to be returned. I was grateful when the bastard attorney's red light turned on, and looked up to see Judge Jones looking decidedly grim. Mrs. Tully's attorney was called up then. "Thank you and may it please the court, I am Douglas Adams, and I represent Mr. Brian Tully, and his wife Lilibeth. This case represents more than a simple rule of law, Your Honor, it represents a situation where following the letter of the law will lead to immoral consequences. Mrs. Tully was abused badly when she was in the custody of her tormentor, Ms. Dane. Regularly left alone to stew in diapers that weren't changed for days at a time, repeatedly beaten with paddles and canes, and fed only pureed meals of food that truly didn't meet her minimum caloric needs. During her time with Ms. Dane, she went from being one-hundred pounds, a healthy weight for her size, to losing forty percent of her body mass and only being a malnourished sixty-one-pounds when she was treated at a hospital here in New Haven after her escape. She received beatings so severe that X-Rays show the healed fractures from no less than seven broken arms and legs over the four years she was held captive." The other attorney squirmed a bit, but bit his tongue. Ms. Dane didn't though. "That's not true! I only kept her in a poopy diaper when she was really bad! And as a time out because she kept hitting me!" Judge Jones brought her gavel down. "Order! If you can't keep quiet ma'am, I will have you removed from the courtroom." "Please resume Mr. Adams," she told him. "Fortunately, she made contact with an operative who specializes in helping abused Littles get away from bad situations. It is our belief that should Mrs. Tully be forced to return with Ms. Dane, she will enact severe beatings, mutilations, and consequences upon Mrs. Tully as revenge for her escape. Furthermore, beyond Mrs. Tully, there is her family to consider. She is raising two beautiful baby girls with her husband, whom she legally married here in Hartford..." For the next bit of time, I watched as her attorney didn't dispute the law, but attempted to humanize Mrs. Tully to maybe make it possible for Judge Jones to find a way to rule in her favor. To her credit, by her questions, it appeared that she was trying to find an out through the law in any way she could. Finally, after she finished questioning both sides, she spoke. "Due to the circumstances of this case, I will render a ruling after a thirty-minute recess." I noticed that the attorney for Ms. Dane seemed surprised by that. Judge Jones waved at Kathy and I. "I'd like to see you in my chambers," she mouthed. The two of us jumped up and followed her quickly to her office and sat down in the chairs she pointed to. "I think it would be completely unjust to give that poor woman back to Ms. Dane, but the law is the law... Any ideas?" I'd had an idea bubbling in my head after something Ms. Dane's attorney had said, "The statute doesn't give a specific time-frame, does it?" She looked at me with wide eyes, and pulled the statute up on a screen we could all read at the side of her desk. Fugitive Little Act: SEC. 3. And be it also enacted, That when a person held to a diagnosis of Maturosis in any of the United States, under the laws thereof, shall escape into any other part of the said States or Territory, the person to whom such adoption has been made, their agent or attorney, is hereby empowered to seize or arrest such fugitive from care, and to take him or her before any Judge of the Circuit or District Courts of the United States, residing or being within the State, and upon proof to the satisfaction of such Judge or magistrate, either by oral testimony or affidavit taken before and certified by a magistrate of any such State or Territory, that the person so seized or arrested, doth, under the laws of the State or Territory from which he or she fled, owe their caregiving to the person claiming him or her, it shall be the duty of such Judge or magistrate to give a certificate thereof to such claimant, his agent, or attorney, which shall be sufficient warrant for removing the said fugitive from adoption to the State or Territory from which he or she fled. "It certainly implies it's immediate," Kathy said. "True, but it doesn't say it in black and white," I replied. "What are you thinking?" Judge Jones asked me. "Well... What if you said that you will issue the proper warrant to return her, but only when she no longer has any children below the age of their majority." "Buy her seventeen years?" Kathy said, "That doesn't seem like a true solution... And I don't know that it would be upheld on another appeal?" "Interesting... Could actually be longer though ... if she has more children," Judge Jones said, "Ms. Dane is already fifty-five... she might be able to outlast her." I nodded. "That's possible." "Any other ideas?" she asked me. "What about you choosing to rule Mrs. Tully as emancipated?" "You can't do that, can you?" Kathy said to her. "Does she meet the criteria?" Judge Jones asked... "She's clearly supporting herself financially... Lives apart from Ms. Dane just fine, has her high school diploma, and I would say from the reports from her lawyer can make decisions just fine..." "Problem is her potty training?" Kathy said as she flipped through a folder. "What?" I asked. "It says here while she's been in LPS care she's only been using her diapers; she hasn't even tried to use the potty once." "How much of that is really her fault though?" I found myself asking in stereo with Judge Jones. We both looked at each other. "I think I know what I'm going to do... for now... Let's get back to the courtroom." We both entered just before her and were still standing when the bailiff called for everyone to rise. She sat down and got straight to the point as she gaveled the case back in session. "This case is a difficult one that pulls at a great deal of controversies within our society. On one hand we have a girl who was determined nearly a decade ago to be incapable of caring for herself after she had poopy panties in the grocery store she worked. She clearly was 'cared' for by an abusive adopted mother the next four years, and that abuse is something I believe should carry some weight in this decision. Mrs. Tully clearly is a good mother by all reports I have in front of me, and loves and cares for her one- and two-year-old babies very well. Her husband has a good job, they have a home, and she clearly is capable of making good decisions." She shuffled through some papers. "According to the relevant code I have received proof that Mrs. Tully is the Little that Ms. Dane adopted. Per the code I am supposed to grant a warrant to Ms. Dane or her agents to carry out a return of her to Ames where she lives. Per this code I am issuing said warrant," my heart fell, and tears fell immediately upon Mrs. Tully's face. "that shall be enforceable only after Mrs. Tully no longer has any children below the age of their majority." "What?" Ms. Dane's attorney shouted. "Order!" She gaveled. "Per that order, Mrs. Ames is to be released on her own recognizance, and Ms. Dane and her agents, and Little Protective Services are ordered not to approach within five-hundred yards of her or her family until the warrant becomes enforceable. Court is adjourned!" The strike of her gavel resulted in a lot of confused chatter around the courtroom. She stood and paused. "Mr. Adams I would like to see you and your clients in my chambers in fifteen minutes." "Yes, Your Honor," he shouted over the top of a loud roar of conversation happening. There seemed to be a total uproar in the room over her decision. "That's not going to make her very popular," Kathy said as we followed Judge Jones to her chambers. "It was a just decision though," I told her. She sighed. "Yeah, I just doubt it holds up to the Appeals process." "Somehow I suspect that is part of why she wants to meet them in chambers," I told her. "What do you think her plan is?" "I'm not sure she has one more than letting a mother be with her babies as long as she can," I told her. Judge Jones had Kathy wait outside, but invited me into her chambers and pointed to a chair beside a small couch she had in the office for me to sit on. When the attorney and the two Littles came in, they climbed up on the couch beside the lawyer. Mrs. Tully was still dressed in the awful onesie and diaper that now looked to be sagging. "Your Honor," he said and shook her hand. "I don't understand where this ruling came from, but we're grateful for your mercy here." "I can't lie to you and say it's not going to cause problems, but the medical reports alone tell me that you should never have been with that woman," she told Mrs. Tully. "As far as where it came from, it was an elegant solution from my intern who's in his first day here." She nodded to me. "You are?" "Cameron Sylvester, sir," I told him. "You've graduated school already?" "I'm getting ready for my third year at Harlan," I told him. "Impressive... Not many lawyers your size out there, but if you have a brain like this, I have a feeling you'll do quite well for yourself. Your Honor we'd like to get the Tully's home to their kids, what did you wish to see us about?" "Well, I can guarantee that within twenty-four hours there is going to be an appeal to the Supreme Court on this ruling." She told him. "And, if I had to guess they will probably wish to take this case up on their docket. I would wager it's an eighty-percent chance that they strike down my ruling and demand that the warrant be executed immediately. The only way that I see forward is for your client to be emancipated." He nodded. "That would solve the problem in theory..." "But as soon as I was taken by LPS they did something to my bladder and bowels... I'm worse off than I was before I escaped," Mrs. Tully looked terrified. "A fact you will have a medical diagnosis behind within a day, won't you Mr. Adams?" "Your Honor?" "I'm giving you a letter that will state that in my opinion Mrs. Tully is not suffering from Maturosis and has demonstrated she can take care of herself and meet all requirements of an emancipation ruling. You need to get a doctor to sign off on the incontinence being caused by abuse and a medical issue. From there you should be able to apply for an emancipation ruling with the support of my document. I recommend placing a request in Judge Mercer's docket before you leave today. Find that doctor and you should be able to get everything squared away before the appeal is filed. It'll still be heard, but I believe the emancipation will make it a moot question." "Thank you, Your Honor," Mr. Tully said, "I didn't know how I was going to go on without her." "My hope is that you don't have to figure that out for many more years! If an appeal isn't accepted by the higher court, it might not be a bad idea for you two to have a few additional kids though. If you can have kids that are under eighteen until your former mother passes away you should be completely free." At that statement Mrs. Tully broke down in tears in her husband's arms. I watched them leave and after the door was closed asked. "Will it really work?" She shrugged. "It might, it might not, but in the end, it was the most just decision to make in a case that was full of immoral options." ******************************************************** Thanks for reading!!!! Please leave me a comment in the reviews to let me know you've read this, and what you thought! Thank you to those of you who have done so thus far! I'll post again here in a couple days!