InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Damn the man! Save the empire!"

Peter Kelly (nylonghorn) wrote in bellumlogs,
@ 2010-05-10 19:48:00

Entry tags:

jonathan harker

Who: Peter and Derek
When: Monday Morning, 10:30 AM
Where: D3
What: Legal advice
Warnings: None that I can think of

Peter wasn't just happy with the prospect of offering someone legal advice, he was just glad to have something else to focus on for a while. Something he actually enjoyed doing, something he knew was important. Sure, maybe this Derek guy wasn't the salt of the earth, and was definitely in a weird situation, but Peter felt almost normal again. If there was one thing he felt comfortable doing it was practicing the law. And while he felt a bit stifled working for Vlad, it was never a chore to go to work. He was good at it, and he had a good way of talking to people about the law so they didn't get too confused. Which probably explained why until he met Vlad he wasn't making those "lawyer dollars" everyone always talked about.

Peter was who he was, and he didn't try to hide that from anyone. He was dressed in a nice pair jeans and a button down shirt with a blazer, it certainly wasn't a suit, but he doubted that the man he was about to give free legal advice to would judge him based on that fact alone. Free legal advice was free legal advice no matter what it was wearing.

He took the stairs up to Derek's apartment, his messenger bag slung over his shoulder which had paperwork and a New York State family law book, just in case. He wasn't too shy to admit that he didn't always know every answer on every subject, but he wasn't afraid to look it up either. He knew he was good at what he did, and so even this odd situation didn't make him nervous. When he approached D3 he knocked and waited patiently.

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onestepcloser
2010-05-11 03:19 am UTC (link)

Except for the fact that he hadn’t left his apartment in a week, Derek thought things were going well considering. He’d called a few places, put some orders for baby-food and snuck the crib from D5 over in the dead of the night. Take-out and delivery were made use of and as a whole, he kept himself and Milo quiet. The last thing he needed was someone piecing together that the woman who tortured that kid in 1202 left her own kid with Derek.

Really, his life was hellish enough. He didn’t need a mob at his door.

The unexpected opportunity to consult Peter was a relief as a result. Getting his parents involved, while being secure would be hellish – he’d have to claim Milo was his and they’d want to know why he kept it a secret for so long. Not that Derek minded the kid – in fact, he was growing on him the more time passed – it was simply the fact that he hadn’t signed up to be a father. Hell, he hadn’t even slept with Finn. All things considered, it was a bit unfair.

When he heard the knock, Derek was already waiting. Milo was in a high chair in the kitchen – also snagged from D5 – with fruit loops dumped on the tray in front of him. He kept banging on the tray, causing the cereal to fall to the floor. Derek pulled the door open with a wince, ushering Peter inside. The coos and gurgles coming from Milo really were hard to mistake for anything else.

“Peter, right? I’m glad you could make it-” The door was shut firmly behind him and Derek led the way to the kitchen. He gave a nod towards Milo, before gesturing towards the few stools at the island. “That’s Milo, obviously.”

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	nylonghorn 2010-05-11 04:57 am UTC (link)
	Peter could tell by Derek's reaction that he seemed a little tense about having the baby here and he felt bad for the guy if he was honest. He stepped in quickly and nodded, "It's no trouble, God knows I wasn't doing anything," he said chuckling a bit. He smiled at the baby, "How old is he?" he asked Derek as he set his bag down and took a seat. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

onestepcloser
2010-05-11 05:23 am UTC (link)

Derek shrugged, not commenting on the obvious. He kept his arms crossed, looking to the kid then at Peter. "Well still, thanks. How much is this consultation anyway?" It was asked without a change in expression - no matter what number Peter named, he'd be happy to pay for it.

"I don't remember. One, two?" Derek frowned. "Maybe a year and half - what does he look like to you?"

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nylonghorn
2010-05-11 07:51 pm UTC (link)

He was honestly shocked by the question, he hadn't expected to get paid for this little meeting and he wasn't sure how to answer the question. While it was obvious that Derek wasn't exactly hurting for cash, most of the consultations Peter had done before going to work for Vlad were of the "free nintey free" variety. "Don't worry about that, if you want me to do actual work for you we can work that out later, for now let's just get the facts of this situation on the table and we'll see if and how I can help."

He gave Milo the once over again complete with giving the baby a goofy face and he chuckled a little, "I'd say a year and a half," he took out a legal pad and started writing a note to get a copy of the kid's birth certificate. "Do you know his full name, and where he was born? That would make this a whole lot easier to find his record of birth and we can start from there."

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onestepcloser
2010-05-11 08:06 pm UTC (link)

Derek gave him a long look before shrugging. His loss then. All Derek cared about was getting his taken care of - if Peter wasn't naming it up-front, then he was the only one that could get hurt. Or at least, that's what he thought. "Alright then."

He watched him write, answering with what he could. "He's Milo Worthington. Finn never said where she was before now and I didn't pay much attention to the gossip." He shrugged. "His father is Arthur Worthington, you know?" He figured Peter would recognize that - the name was on enough things these days. "I think she was hiding from her hsuband though; he isn't a good guy...but you might find something about where he was born through that trail."

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nylonghorn
2010-05-11 09:56 pm UTC (link)

Peter was writing notes down as Derek spoke, it didn't sound good on any level. He didn't know exactly what Derek wanted to hear from him, he didn't even know entirely what the other man wanted from him. In fact, he wasn't entirely convinced Derek knew.

"Derek I'm going to be completely honest with you here. If she was married when he was born, especially if she's still married, and her husband is on the birth certificate and her husband is Arthur Worthington, this isn't going to be easy," he said frankly.

"And when you say he isn't a good guy, what exactly do you mean? I get that she was hiding from him, and it's alright if you don't have all the information; but as far as the laws of the state of New York are concerned what we have here is a case of this woman abandoning her child with a stranger and a biological father who you say isn't a good guy, but the majority of the world is going to see someone more than capable of taking care of what is, essentially, his kidnapped child." He was speaking upfront and honestly about what he saw as a very tricky situation. He did hate delivering bad news, but at the same time he needed to find out what direction to move this conversation in before he could help.

"So I'm asking you, what do you want to accomplish? Do you want to try and fight for custody of Milo? Do you want to take him to the department of child services and say his Mother dropped him with you and you don't know who is Father is or where she is? Do you want to carry on like you have been shut up in the apartment hoping no one finds out? I want to help you, I don't want to see a kid getting hurt because grown people can't get their shit together. I appreciate the situation you've found yourself in, and I know it isn't ideal, but do you want to parent this child? Honestly?"

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onestepcloser
2010-05-11 10:08 pm UTC (link)

He crossed his arms, frown deepening with every word Peter said. He somehow had expected a miracle, a way to get this off of his hands without there being any issue. But everything seemed wrong and he shifted where he was, looking to the still happy and playing kid before at Peter.

"He hasn't even looked for the kid," Derek said, referring to Arthur. "And - I don't know if I want to keep him. I didn't ask for this. I mean..." he trailed off, shaking his head.

"There's people in this building who would have killed his mom. She hurt someone downstairs. I'm worried someone's going to make the connection too..." He frowned and then let his shoulders slump. "I'd like for him to be safe. And I don't exactly hate the kid." Just the fact that he was suddenly chained.

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nylonghorn
2010-05-12 12:43 am UTC (link)

Pete wished he had a miracle, but the only miracles he could think of were highly illegal and he wasn't going to start spouting off illegal remedies. Then again, with everything that went on in this building he was pretty sure no one "outside" would care or raise a fuss. Except Milo's father who apparently wasn't exactly missing him.

"It's a huge responsibility, Derek. I know you didn't ask for this but it's what got put in your lap. I have a way out if you want it, but I don't think you want it. I could be wrong, I could take him to child services right now and be done with it, but I don't think you'd let me."

He furrowed his brow at the mention of people who would have killed Milo's mother and that worried him. "Derek, if you don't mind me asking, what happens to you during the full moon? I mean...Is it safe here in this apartment for Milo? I mean, for all I know there are people here who eat babies when the full moon hits. So I don't know if this building by itself is a safe place for a child at all. And his Mother is gone, any enemies she had should be glad she's gone and leave it at that. But hiding out in here with him isn't good for either of you."

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onestepcloser
2010-05-12 02:35 am UTC (link)

He raised a hand to his hair, disliking his options more and more. "You'd have to say who he really was." It wasn't a question and if there was one thing Derek wasn't ready for it, it was handing the kid over to Arthur - he was sure that wouldn't be 'taking care of him' as Finn had asked.

Derek almost could have laughed when it came to the moon. He managed a tight grin, crossing his arms once more. "I'm the prince from The Little Mermaid. He gets obsessive and goes hunting for her voice...but I know where she is now. And I think he'd take the kid along with him." At least, if there wasn't a servant around. He paused before adding, "Someone already tried to take him once - The Snow Queen up in P1."

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nylonghorn
2010-05-12 03:15 am UTC (link)

Peter furrowed his brow a bit, "I'm a lawyer, Derek. I know how to bend the truth in my favor. But that's not saying that they couldn't eventually find out who he is."

The Little Mermaid's Prince...That was a new one. He really needed to get out more, his life was slowly being consumed by "What's your name? Oh what do you turn into on the full moon?" His life used to be so normal too.

"The Snow Queen tried to take him once already, of course she did. The penthouse folks seem really eager to take things that don't belong to them," he said before he could even stop himself. Immediately realizing his slip of the tongue he rolled his eyes, "Sorry," he said a bit lamely.

"In any case, I think we've established that we can't just go to court and insist that the child be given to you. Legally we don't have a leg to stand on without bringing this to the attention of...Everyone, Milo's biological father included," he said seriously. "The options we have are stupid at best, and incredibly risky at the worst."

He sighed, really unable to believe that he was really about to say what he was about to say, "In the meantime, if you have some way of contacting Finn, I'd suggest that you do so and get her to sign this paper," he opened up his bag and pulled out two copies of a form, "It's a legal document that, if we can get her to sign, says she is granting you temporary guardianship of Milo. There's a space there for dates, All I have to do is file that on your behalf and it buys some time. It's kind of like putting bubblegum on an oil leak, but it's something."

There was the matter of not being able to find Finn, and Pete had no idea how he was going to do it, but looking at Milo who was clearly well cared for, gave him a soft spot. "So what I'm going to do," he said giving him a serious look, "Is go back to my apartment, you're going to get hold of his mother, and I'll come back to signed forms. I'll even find someone to notarize them." Pete always felt uneasy about breaking the law, and it wasn't a very good start, but from what he could tell no cops coming here were interested in abandoned children. The worst part was that if he was going to find someone willing to notarize forged documents he was going to need to talk to Vlad. He was feeling sick just thinking about it.

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onestepcloser
2010-05-12 03:27 am UTC (link)

He nodded throughout, until the mention of what the penthouse people did. There was a small smile and he shook his head. "Nah, it's fine. I'm not a big fan of the guy in P3 myself." He still hadn't forgotten what was in the apartment after all - he'd just had more pressing matters on his hands.

He took the forms, examining them as Peter explained what they could do. Derek's brows furrowed and he soon began to shake his head, not interrupting as much as finding it impossible. He dug out a piece of paper from his own pocket, the note Finn had left him simply asking for 'skeptic' to take care of the baby, signed by cute. He passed it over and shook his head.

"This is all I've heard from her since I left the States. I don't have a way to contact her..." He trailed off. It wasn't that Derek was overly fond of the law - rules were made to be broken after all - but there was something risky about it. "If I just got a signature, would that work?" It was a tentative question, said without any specific pronouns on purpose.

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nylonghorn
2010-05-12 03:44 am UTC (link)

He chuckled a little at Derek's comment, that was a conversation to be had over beer not over breakfast. "He's a winner," was all he said, the sarcasm evident in his voice.

When Derek handed over the note Pete took it and his own brow furrowed a bit as he read it. People here were weird, but that didn't surprise him. "I wouldn't use this as back up documentation if I were you, Derek." He said seriously.

Of course there was something risky about it, but that was the whole point. In a situation like this nothing was ever simple, and it certainly wasn't legal. At his question Pete just nodded once, "That's all you need," he said hoping they were both on the same page. The whole point of getting something notarized was so that the notary was attesting to the fact that it was signed by both parties in the notary's presence. It wasn't going to be easy to find someone who would bend that rule. But this was New York, and Peter knew people. Not very many, but he knew people. Lena was a notary, but it had been a while, she would do it. He was sure of that, but if she couldn't he was going to need to ask Vlad.

He pointed out certain lines on the form, "Your signature goes here, the other signature goes here. Now, it's going to need to be dated for some time before the mother actually left. This where you put the name of the child, this is where you put the dates of care, I wouldn't recommend going beyond three months for now. Questions get raised if it's a long amount of time. If you plan on taking the baby out of the country for any reason, don't do it until you've talked to me, there is more paperwork involved. Stay out of trouble, stay off the radar, don't bring any attention to yourself, but stop hiding out in here." He had no idea was he was risking everything his life and future was built on to help, but help was few and far between in this building. If he could do a little bit of good, then maybe it was worth it.

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onestepcloser
2010-05-12 06:00 pm UTC (link)

He was still inspecting the forms when Peter commented on P3. There was a rueful grin, filed away for another time, before he returned to matters. He looked at the form once more before shaking his head, "It might make good evidence though."

Matching handwriting might be difficult, but he figured he could bother Rosalie if his own results on another sheet weren't good enough. He knew she'd keep quiet and there wasn't anyone else he could fully trust.

"I'll leave you a message on the forums when I've got it taken care of," he said, with a nod. The sooner the better. "And my parents are sick of me at the moment. Doubt they'll want me to go home-" He paused. "I've got dual citizenship, but my legal residence is here, because of the apartment. That's not going to change this is it?" He never could tell when it came to the law and it was better to be safe then sorry.

He put the papers on the counter, moving to shake his hand. A bit business like as his father had taught him, but the look in his eyes was a bit more relieved than the usual Madden grin. "Thanks," he said honestly. "Thanks a lot."

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nylonghorn
2010-05-12 08:48 pm UTC (link)

Pete wasn't convinced that a cryptic note would make good evidence at all, he was more concerned about whether or not the handwriting would match up in an emergency.

He shook his head, "No your citizenship remains in tact, but since Milo isn't yours and this form doesn't give you permission to take him out of the country, and we haven't got a passport or a birth certificate for him, it will raise questions."

"Let me know if you need more forms," he said knowing that he might need a few practice sheets. He tore off a piece of paper from his pad and wrote his name and mobile phone number down, "Also, I'm in 1104, don't hesitate to call or stop by." He said shaking Derek's hand and hoping to God that he didn't make him regret this decision.

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onestepcloser
2010-05-13 03:19 am UTC (link)

"Good to know," Derek said. Milo let out a happy yell and he turned, before moving to pick him up from the high chair. He put him on his hip, bouncing him slightly, before turning back to Pete. "And I can say he's Finn's in public. Just to be sure."

He nodded, taking the number with his free hand. "You'll be my first call." Maybe after Rosalie. Derek supposed that it did depend on the situation.

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nylonghorn
2010-05-13 04:54 am UTC (link)

Peter grinned and nodded, "Yep, it'll be fine. If you run into any trouble, please call me. I'm a little concerned about this whole situation, I won't lie. But I'm sure it's nothing compared to how concerned you are, so anything at all, just let me know. And if it gets to be too much...Just let me know. Alright?" he said as he headed toward the door and sincerely hoping Derek would take him up on it should the need arise.

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	onestepcloser 2010-05-13 06:11 am UTC (link)
	He walked him to the door, still keeping Milo up on his side. The kid kept gurgling, a sweaty palm reaching out as they got to the door. "I should be fine," Derek said, with a tight smile. As his eyes moved to Milo the expression became a bit softer and he adjusted him on his hip. Opening the door, he said, "I will, thanks again." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

nylonghorn
2010-05-13 07:33 am UTC (link)

Peter leaned over to grin at Milo and shook his little hand and chuckled, "Cute kid," he said seriously. Pete was a fan of kids and he was hard pressed not to pick him up and start making baby noises at him. But he doubted that would be too professional. Then again neither was helping Derek break the law.

He looked back to Derek, "Take care." He said before leaving. It had been an interesting day already.

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