"What I'm still trying to wrap my head around is that she had the custody hearing right then and there. She told everyone else that they could wait for this 'simple case' to be handled 'relatively quickly'", James chuckled with a shake of his head.
"I knew I knew her from somewhere", David laughed.
"Wasn't she the judge that handled your adoption of Malachai?" Brie asked.
"Yes, and you legally changing your name after the war. She must have decided to delve into criminal law ass well as family law", David shrugged as he pulled his tie from around his neck and undid the top two buttons.
Jake came in the house with Miri and Ira for lunch. "How was court today?" he asked.
James smiled at his older brother. "Court went rather well. Kim was released to the custody of the hospital for psychiatric evaluation. She will be staying there until the babies are born. Once she's released she will be taken into custody by CWC. Hunter's last name is officially Draiman, Kim has no rights to him any longer pending the results of the criminal case that's being brought against her that won't be spoken of in front of my son, and the girls are to come directly into my custody once they're born and cleared to be released. I was granted a restraining order for the house that is only ineffective for her doctor's appointments and the birth if my daughters. I'm to be called by hospital staff the moment she goes into labor."
"What hospital is she in?"
James snickered. "One of yours. The judge insisted upon it. 'It only seems fitting that you be held in hospital run by another member of the Draiman clan, so you'll be released to CSMC where Dr. J. Micah Draiman is Chief of Medicine. I'm sure that he'll have his doctors take good care of you' is what the judge said."
"That judge wouldn't happen to be Judge Melody Haskins, would it?"
"Yep. Why?"
"She's decided to foray into criminal law from family law. I've had to testify in her court on a few cases as a neurological expert."
"In criminal court or family court?" Brie asked.
Jake laughed unhappily. "Both, to be perfectly truthful. She's a tough judge, but she's fair. Though, I'm not too thrilled about her sending that stupid bitch to my hospital, I'll make sure that my staff makes her 'comfortable'." He rolled his eyes.
"You look so much like your father when you do that, Jacob", Brie laughed.
"That's because I'm his spitting image. We could be twins if it weren't for the age difference."
David laughed. "Funny how that works."
"No shit", Brie laughed back, then sighed and looked at her grandchildren. "Why don't the three of you
go into the living room and play video games?"
"But, Uncle Marc is using the TV, Gramma", Hunter said.
"Marc Christopher", she called.
"Yes, ma'am?" he asked when he walked into the kitchen.
"Is what you're watching extremely important?"
"It is, but I recorded it on the DV- R. Why?"
"Because your niece and nephews need to leave the kitchen for a few moments and tv is the best distraction."
"Ok." He looked to Miri, Hunter, and Ira. "Why don't you three come in here and play video games for awhile with me and let the adults talk?" he said. "And that wasn't a request, either."
The three young children left the room and Brie looked at the good doctor. "I can see the question burning in your eyes, Jake. You want to know about the other charges aside from assault and domestic violence, don't you?"
"You bet I do. What else is going on?"
"James, tell him what Hunter told us last night."
James sucked in a deep breath and told his brother what Hunter had told him the night before. Jake turned several shades of green and red as he listened, then finally, once James was through, Jake excused himself. "Excuse me for a moment. I need to step outside." He turned and went back out the back door. The sound of Jacob retching was the next sound that filled the air.
---------------
While James was downstairs with his parents telling his older brother something rather disgusting, his twin brother was upstairs with his pregnant wife getting ready to call her parents to let them know that they were expecting a grandchild. He waited until Jona was sleeping so that she wasn't freaking out as he spoke to her parents. "Hey Skyler, it's Jeremiah, you're son in law", he said when his father in law answered the phone.
"Why do you insist on doing that when you call me, son?" Skyler laughed.
"It annoys you and I'm being a
Skyler laughed. "Fair enough. So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"
"I have news for you and my mother in law. Can she hear?"
"Yes, 'Miah. I can hear you. What's the news?"
"You two are going to be first time grandparents in about 8 1/2 months."
"Son in law say what?" Skyler laughed.
"I didn't stutter, I don't think. I just said that Jona is pregnant."
"Well, that's wonderful news", Kaylian said.
"Yeah, my father's hoping for his birthday baby this time around. He say that the math adds up, but we shall see."
Skyler laughed. "Well it certainly can't be my birthday baby."
"Sorry about that."
"How's Jona taking the news?"
"She freaked like I suspected she would. But, she'll be just fine. I've got it under control. The hormones raging will be fun, but it's nothing I can't handle. I'm well experienced with hormonal women. I have a mother, two sisters who have had children and two sisters in law that have had children."
"I can't help but feel like shit for her feeling so bad", Skyler said with a sigh.
"Why do you say that, Skyler?"
"I think I'm the one that might have set the panicking into motion."
"Oh? And how is that?"
"I called yesterday to ask how things have been going with Kim and hinted at it."
"And how did you know?"
Skyler sighed. It was time to come out of the psychic closet to his son in law. "I had a vision of it."
"What did you see?"
"I saw Jona panicking on the phone to someone, then later to you. I also saw a little boy. He looked like he was going to be tall when he got older. Straight brown hair, blue eyes, the best of you and Jona all rolled into one perfect little package."
Jeremiah smiled. "And that's how I know you're not lying about it. I saw the same thing. I've been trying to prepare Jona for it, but I was still sure she was going to react the way she did. I think that she was actually freaking out before you called. You didn't set her to panicking. Delilah did."
"That doesn't make me feel any better."
"I've known for months that she was going to freak out. I've known longer anyone."
"How long have you known?"
"Since Thanksgiving."
---------------
With all the chaos that was going on in their family, David and Brie decided to plan yet another trip out of the country so that they could finally get their house in Israel. They were closing in on the final show that
"We can certainly try it. We have three months until Kim's due to deliver the twins. If we go next month, we'll have plenty of time to actually look at the houses that the real estate agent out there has put together for us and we can actually focus on trying to find the right house for us."
"Even if it's a two bedroom thing that we can't fit half of our shit in?"
He laughed. "Even if that's what we end up getting."
"I'm being serious, David!" She said as she threw one of the throw pillows from the couch at him.
He laughed and caught it. "I know you are and it's cute as hell." He threw the pillow back at her. A small pillow fight ensued. They ended up tussling a little and Brie ended up on her back on the couch with David resting on top of her. "You're too fucking cute sometimes, you know that?" he said with a chuckle as she playfully struggled to move out from under his weight.
"Tell me something I don't already know", she laughed as she squirmed.
"If you stop fighting and ask nicely and I might just get up."
She kept squirming and found the leverage to roll them into the floor. "Ha! Who's on top NOW?" she laughed.
"Ok, so you got me where you want me? Now what?" he taunted.
She looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "Who said this is where I wanted you?"
"You struggled to get out from under me when we were on the couch. Your actions said this is what you wanted."
"No, I just wanted you off of me. You're heavy, baby." She couldn't help but laugh.
"So what is it that you want?" he chuckled.
"I want you to take me seriously when I say that I don't want a huge place when we leave the country. I want a place big enough for the two of us and MAYBE a guest or two every now and then. A joint office, no my office- your office and a spare room where I can set up the table so that I can continue to give you massage once we move."
She sat up and let him prop up on his elbows. "A place just for us. No kids, no grandkids... no anything. Just you, me, the big screen, satalitte and the time. Do I have this straight?"
"That's right. We can have the grandkids out to visit every now and then, but I'd much rather they visit than they live with us."
"You want the grandkids to be more like Malachai, Maddie, and Jordan's kids rather than Jake and James- and soon to be Jeremiah's- kids."
"No, I want a good bit of distance between us and our children so that we can be a couple rather then Mom and Dad for the rest of our natural lives. We can come back a couple times a year to spend time with the family, but other than that I just want to be with you."
He smiled up at her. "You're so cute."
She giggled. "Aww, shucks, baby. I'm just being me."
"I know, and that's what make you so cute."
---------------
He went back to studying his books for class as he watched his three year old son take a nap on his bed. He was studying his criminal court proceedings text. It didn't matter that he was starting out in
