Chapter 209: I Object
"Miss Gallagher, are you certain you wish to become the guardian of these children?" the judge asked Fiona once more, his gaze steady.
"Yes, I do," Fiona said, taking a deep breath.
"Very well. Then I hereby declare—"
"Wait! Hold on! I object!" A voice suddenly rang out from outside the courtroom before the judge could finish.
"!?" Everyone turned in surprise toward the door.
"I—I object!" Frank burst into the courtroom, panting and out of breath, barely able to speak.
"Dad?!"
"Frank?!" Shocked gasps echoed around the room as everyone recognized him and stood up in disbelief.
"Dad, you're alive!" Carl and Debbie cried out joyfully as they rushed toward him. Frank bent down and scooped them into his arms.
Lip, Ian, and the others stood as well, expressions of relief and happiness spreading across their faces.
"I knew it. I knew Frank wasn't dead," Monica said, her expression complex but mostly filled with joy.
"Silence!" the judge banged his gavel.
Though everyone was thrilled to see Frank alive, this was still a courtroom. The room quickly fell silent again.
More importantly, Frank's return introduced a new variable into the case.
"And who are you?" the judge asked.
"I'm Frank. Frank Gallagher. I'm the father of these children," Frank declared.
"Mr. Gallagher, it's my understanding that you've been missing?" the judge asked.
"Yes, Your Honor. I left for a while and only recently returned home," Frank explained.
"A while? According to the police report, you've been missing for six months. Can you tell us where you've been during that time?"
"I went to New York for a while, and then stayed in New Mexico for some time," Frank answered vaguely.
"And during those six months, you never once contacted your family," the judge pointed out.
"Uh..." Frank had no response.
"You've been gone without a word for half a year, abandoning these children. That raises serious concerns about your ability to fulfill your responsibilities as a father." The judge's tone sharpened—he clearly wasn't fond of Frank.
"I deeply regret that, especially to my eldest daughter, Fiona. She's held this family together." Frank put an arm around Fiona's shoulders.
"I'm not a perfect parent. I've got my faults, a lot of them. But I love my kids. They mean everything to me. They are my whole world. I'd give up anything for them," Frank said firmly.
"As soon as I got home and found out what was happening, I rushed here."
"Fiona doesn't need to be their guardian. I have legal guardianship. And I'm using it to bring my kids home. All of them."
"However, I do agree to terminate Monica's parental rights," Frank added.
"Frank, you—" Roberta scowled.
"Silence!" the judge struck the gavel again.
"This changes things. Miss Gallagher, do you agree to your father's petition?" the judge asked Fiona.
"I do," Fiona nodded.
"Then I hereby dismiss Fiona Gallagher's guardianship petition."
"Mr. Gallagher, you may take your children home," the judge announced.
"Haha!" The children erupted in cheers and leapt into the air with excitement.
Even the judge let out a small sigh of relief and smiled faintly. While he was clearly unimpressed with Frank's neglect, there was no denying the importance of a father in a child's life.
"Now hand over my little chocolate," Frank said, walking over to Roberta and Monica to retrieve Liam from them.
"Frank…" Monica started to say something.
But Frank ignored her, holding Liam tightly and returning to the group of children.
"You've done so much. Thank you," Frank whispered to Fiona as he hugged her.
Fiona choked back a sob and buried her face in Frank's chest.
Standing awkwardly by the door, Pinkman watched the joyful reunion. He didn't know anyone here except Frank and looked completely out of place.
Still, Pinkman couldn't help scanning the kids curiously. He'd heard Frank had six or seven of them.
"When… when did you get back?" Frank asked, startled to notice Jimmy in the room.
"I just got back too," Jimmy replied.
The courthouse wasn't the place to party, so after calming their excitement, the family thanked lawyers Matt and Foggy once more and left for home.
"..." Roberta watched Frank's retreating figure, her eyes gleaming slightly. Maybe things weren't so hopeless after all.
"Who's he?" Fiona asked, noticing Pinkman tagging along with them.
"My nephew. Came back with me from New Mexico. We did some business together," Frank said.
"Business?" Fiona raised an eyebrow.
"Long story," Frank replied.
"Dad~" Debbie interrupted, throwing herself into Frank's arms.
"My little angel! Did you miss me? Just a few months and you've gotten so much heavier!" Frank lifted Debbie and spun her around with a laugh.
It was time to celebrate. They ordered heaps of food, turned the music up loud, and let loose.
"How could you not invite us to something like this!" Kevin and Veronica showed up with beers and their adopted daughter, Ethel, in tow.
"Uh, I'm Pinkman. What's your name?" Still unfamiliar with everyone, Pinkman noticed Ethel also looking out of place. He approached her.
"I'm Ethel," she said with a sweet smile.
Pinkman blushed slightly at her smile.
"Is that your little brother?" he asked, pointing to the child in her arms to make conversation.
"No, that's my son," Ethel replied.
"Oh, your so—wait, son?!" Pinkman was stunned. Ethel looked barely sixteen or seventeen, and her child looked two or three.
Though it was a lot to process, after a few beers, Pinkman loosened up and started enjoying himself. Surprisingly, he got along very well with Carl.
"I'm gonna go see Sheila," Frank told Fiona as night fell and the kids began to drift off to bed.
Fiona had already told Frank how much Sheila had helped them while he was gone.
Even though the rumor of Frank's death had started with Sheila, she still deserved some thanks. And Frank also wanted to check in on Karen—his beloved goddaughter.
After glancing at Pinkman, now passed out on the couch, Frank headed out and drove to Sheila's house.
"Frank!!" Sheila cried, opening the door and seeing him standing there. She gasped in disbelief and covered her mouth, tears spilling from her eyes.
(End of Chapter)