Chapter 2.28: Fighting for Love

     "So your Sienna is the Bridgeport Black Widow," Dad started the discussion.

     Ochre snorted, "Start off by tying me with the widow, why don't you?  Yeah.  And it seems she was at Emrys's parents the day they were attacked."

     "What?  How do you know this?" Mom looked at Emrys.

     "I remembered seeing her when I arrived home from school," Emrys said.

     "You think she had something to do with their deaths?" Dad asked her.

     "I can't think of another reason she would have been there," Emrys answered.

     "We wanted to talk again about protecting us from her claim that the child is mine until we know for certain if it is or not," Ochre looked at his mom.

     "What are you thinking of," Mom asked.

     "You said that we would be in a similar position with any of my exes if we asked them to act as a shield from Sienna.  That's because they would then have a claim to our family," Ochre said, thinking aloud as he put his idea into words.

     "That's right.  Your ex would have the same claims Sienna does and if she isn't trustworthy she could take advantage of the situation."

     "So if my ex is trustworthy it could work," Ochre said glancing at Emrys.

     She looked at him before turning back to his mother.

     "Of course Emrys is trustworthy," Rachael said, "but the problem with her claim is the fact she didn't tell any of our family until now.  Sienna could argue that she is only claiming Amy is your daughter to usurp the baby's rights due to the break up of your relationship with her."

     "What if Ochre and I were married?"

     Ochre looked at Emrys, surprised by her suggestion.  She met his gaze and lifted a brow in question.

     Mom was silent for a moment, thinking about her suggestion.

     "You want to get married before we even go on a date," Ochre asked.

     "I want to protect our family," Emrys said and turned back to his mom.  "Wouldn't our claim be stronger if we were an official couple?"

     "The claim would be stronger," Mom admitted, "but we would never ask you two to marry just for that reason."

     "No one asked Aunt Ray, I volunteered.  We could sign papers at city hall and start the process for Amy's paternity test.  It's possible that by the time Sienna does get around to bringing her case to the courts we could cut off her rights to the family fortune.  She might still get some of Ochre's money because she's claiming the child is his but the rest of us would be protected."

     Ochre glared at her, "there was no mention of dating anywhere in that statement."

     Emrys rolled her eyes, "you and I are not going to date."

     "We will," Ochre stated.

     He looked at his mom when Emrys turned to glare at him.

     "Will Em's idea work?" he asked.

     "I honestly don't know.  The situation is almost unheard of in past cases.  Paternity testing is a recent practice.  It used to be that the word of the mother along with corroborating witnesses would decide paternity in such disputes.  It just might work like Emrys is suggesting to at least insulate the family's money from Sienna's reach."

     "We can sign the paperwork and start getting it processed tomorrow," Emrys said.

     "Ahem," Hunter coughed behind them, "there is still one slight potential problem."

     Ochre looked at his brother.

     "What do you mean," Dad asked.

     "Living arrangements.  Civil papers like Em is suggesting require that the couple live in the same residence.  One of you will have to move," he said looking at Emrys and Ochre.

     "I can move back to the house," Ochre said first.

     "Amy's lived here most of her life," he said when Emrys looked at him, "she shouldn't have to move to my house.  Besides it's not set up for children yet."

     "Then that's settled.  We can sign the papers tomorrow morning and move Ochre's things here in the afternoon," Emrys said.

     "Great," Ochre sighed.  As great as it would be to live with Em and Amy he knew she would be twice as determined to keep him at arms length.  Well, he thought, no one ever said fighting for love was easy.

                                                                                         

Random Rambling

   So the story is winding up for the final chapters.  Who has any guesses how it will end?  Besides the standard everyone (mostly) lives happily ever after.