James Harper Junior gave some smile to Jenny as they enjoyed a bit of lunch at rather new restaurant in Moon Lake, and he had to admit it made rather good pizza. He was glad that Jenny had found happiness, and from what he could figure out, Harry Jenkins seemed to be a good person, which gave him some assurance Jenny would be safe and happy. Of course the large legal envelope of instructions that would be needed to be followed reminded him of the more detailed things that would need to be done with regard to his younger siblings, Janice and John.
It had been Jenny's idea to float the transfer of custody of them to her and Harry here in Moon Lake rather than anything else. James Junior ultimately supported that with the knowledge that with him being away at college and Jenny being here in Washington, even if their mother was more assertive and independent, their father James Senior could well give them all a lot of grief. Of course with Elizabeth Harper seeming to realize where she'd gone wrong in raising the Harper children and going along with the preliminary steps here in Moon Lake to transfer the custody of Janice and John, and the local lawyer, Aberdeen Aredale helping with that and providing the instructions once they got back Alabama, that part seemed like it would function well enough. In fact in taking a stand at the hospital, Elizabeth had even managed to get James Senior to sign the initial documents that the Moon Lake court had recognized.
Much of that might have only been because of the legal and medical fees that James Sr. and Elizabeth would have to pay, and the likelihood that James Sr. had MORE medical needs in the near future that had gotten all of that agreed to. James Sr. went along with it because it would save him money with regards to everything else that he'd have to pay. James Jr. accepted that, as it might be enough to help things move along with regard moving things forward, though he also knew that there would be a lot to do to finalize things.
"This pizza is great!" Janice declared as she bit into the slice that had been placed in front of her as they sat at a modest sized table that the group had sat down at.
"Yeah," Harry chuckled as he looked down to her and John, "it's fairly new... but I've heard a few good things from some of the other guys at college... rather amazing in how well some guys can manage to do well."
"Especially with a New York style of pizza," Elizabeth Harper spoke from her seat between Jenny and James Junior.
"So... what will happen next?" John asked over to James as he looked across the table to his elder siblings, "Will you be coming up here too?"
"I may come to visit in the future," James Junior assured him, "but I still have college and a lot on my plate back at home... including making sure that all the legal proceedings are handled to make sure you and Janice can stay here with Jenny and Harry."
James Junior watched as they nodded and took another bite of their pizza. And inwardly he sighed, as he knew there was a lot of that that would be difficult. Despite Jenny saying that she would count as the "Harper family were" if he decided to move with Celeste to Moon Lake, he thought he remembered hearing from someone that that technically wouldn't qualify for him because of his age and thus technically counting as a "separate" family. Though a part of him figured that if weres were as healthy as Jenny and Harry, that wouldn't be that much of a problem, but that issue wasn't even the biggest issue that would have to be faced.
Between him and Celeste there was a lot that related to what their long term plans were. Both he and Celeste had potential future careers lined up in Mississippi with him with a company that did some computer repair and programming and Celeste as a para/teacher's aide in the local school district where that computer company had its offices. A move to Moon Lake would mean massive changes in those plans, and James Junior couldn't say for sure that Celeste would go for that. For the moment, he couldn't even hazard a guess on what she would prefer on that front and figured that for the moment there would be plenty of other things to work through.
Those other things included getting caught up on his own school work and making sure that his father didn't somehow manage something underhanded that would potentially take a lot from his mother, which he had little certainty on. The only one who could change his father's will was his father, which would mean there would have to be a massive change of attitude on his part, which was unlikely. He might have begrudgingly accepted the change of custody of John and Janice to Jenny and Harry, but that was ONLY because of Elizabeth's warning that he was already looking at large medical costs and that some legal fees that would have the potential to grow should he truly fight for the points he wanted. That helped in the short term, but much of the rest would be a long term thing...
James Junior also knew that the long term thing would relate to their father's health. The doctors in Moon Lake said he needed a heart valve replaced after a series of heart attacks had stopped his rant at Jenny's wedding, though his insurance demanded someone in Alabama look at him. If he was able to get that, James Jr. figured he could get his parents to either rent a cheaper and easier apartment to maintain or at least buy a new place that would be easier for them and have it be in both James Senior's and Elizabeth's name so that James Senior's will wouldn't come into play... assuming dealing with that would have the same success that James Junior had had at trying to both defend his younger siblings and reform his father over the years. But for the moment, they could only take one thing at a time...
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They eventually dropped John and Janice back off with the Jenkins to let them look after the youngest Harpers before heading down to the hotel to pick up what parts of James Junior and Elizabeth's things that they were able to keep after Dieter Wilhelm's last scheme came undone and then heading to the hospital. Harry and Jenny continued to drive James Junior and Elizabeth as they had some moments with regard to their class schedules, though the court appearance was wasn't much more than a formalized hearing to confirm what had already been signed, they had had to take some time out of school as well. They arrived at the hospital to find it rather quiet, though a black SUV was parked near the front exit to the hospital. Standing near the front of the vehicle were Taro and Sora Tachibana.
"I wonder what's this...?" Elizabeth asked.
Before Jenny or Harry could answer, Sora, who was the closest to them, turned and bowed respectfully before he spoke.
"Since Dieter Wilhelm's dishonorable actions have left you without means of transport to return home, it has been arranged that transport to Seattle's airport and airline tickets to Alabama have been provided," Sora spoke, "as you should not have to pay for a criminal's wrong doing."
Elizabeth Harper blinked and looked to Jenny and James Junior. Jenny was quiet and glanced weakly to Harry with a shrug. James Junior was quiet but glanced between his mother and Sora. Jenny could probably guess that Moon Lake's Skulk had taken some steps to track Dieter Wilhelm's activities. The most legal means likely related to their security services, which Yamato and Daisuke Tachibana headed, cooperating with the police and exercising some means of surveillance between Dieter Wilhelm and his agents. This then meant that when Dieter Wilhelm told them when they would arrive in Seattle it would include things like the flight number and from which airport they'd taken off from. In that it wouldn't be too hard for them to then arrange for a flight back to Alabama
The real thing that Jenny really couldn't be sure on was how to explain it to her mother. Even if Elizabeth Harper had somehow regained some of her original will to act on her own, which she did seem to after Jenny's last session with Doctor Twist, that didn't mean she'd fully understand Moon Lake's were society and how many of the were-species functioned. Of the Harpers present, only James Junior was aware that Jenny had become a werefox, which would then mean that explaining the Skulk's sense of debt for what Yvette Smith had done wasn't going to be possible, as Elizabeth Harper was kept in the dark as to Moon Lake's secrets.
"You work for the hospital?" Elizabeth wondered after a few moments of silence, taking the mental guessing game on what to explain that Jenny and Harry were going through.
"More a taxi service than anything else," Taro spoke as he came around the front of the SUV, "my Uncle called and said a patient was to be discharged today to return Alabama... talks with him, the town's police... and some other law enforcement agencies confirmed who and where all were to go. Our company is extremely thorough."
"Oh," Elizabeth said simply.
Jenny and Harry gave some sigh of relief. Much of this was probably to make sure that any and all lingering business the Harpers had in Moon Lake was finished. James Junior and his future wife might be allowed in future, but given James Senior's behavior, both at the wedding and in the hospital were enough that Moon Lake in general and the Skulk in particular wanted at least James Harper Senior gone. However, with how it was explained, it at least was explained in a way that came off as polite. It was then that the front doors to the hospital opened and out came James Harper Senior. He'd been put back in the clothing he'd been wearing when he tried to stop Jenny's wedding, though he was also supporting himself heavily on a pair of canes that Moon Lake's hospital had provided and with Doctor Tora Tachibana and one nurse assisting in escorting James Harper Senior.
"How is he?" James Junior asked the doctor as he noted his father's frown and rather grumpy look.
"He's good enough to travel," Doctor Tachibana answered with a frown, "though... I'd still prefer it that we did the heart valve replacement here... because otherwise... he's a LONG way from healthy."
"Like you're right!" James Senior grumbled sarcastically, though he privately did wonder, as while he could move, which was more than what he'd managed earlier, he did feel rather feeble and dependent on having the canes just to keep himself balanced.
"Once we get back to Alabama, we'll see to it that he sees a specialist down there," Elizabeth assured him and then glanced to her husband and spoke, "after all, it doesn't hurt to check and make sure."
James Senior glared back but said nothing. He simply managed to walk forward. The nurse opened the door and slowly helped him into one of the SUV. Jenny heard a few small grumbles and grunts as he managed to get into a seat, but that seemed to more at the equipment that made up the seat and the seat belt. Jenny then turned back to Doctor Tachibana, who actually looked a bit relieved to be seeing James Senior go.
"He's still been difficult," Tora said slowly, "though... oddly... since you stood up to him, Mrs. Harper... he has been a bit more reserved."
"Reserved?" Elizabeth blinked, noting how soft the Japanese-American doctor spoke.
"Not as aggressive as before and not as blatant as before," Tora answered, "which could provide some hope for change... or at least recognition on his part that he can't bully his way to success."
"Good," Jenny spoke.
"My son and I will see to it that he gets medical care once we get back to Alabama," Elizabeth spoke, with James Junior nodding beside her, "it may delay some of the other things that will need to be done... but it will be done."
With that, Elizabeth moved to climb into the SUV as well where she sat down on the opposite side of the seat from her husband. James Junior turned to follow for a moment before he turned back to Jenny and then moved to hug her. He felt some warmth when she returned it.
"And we'll make sure Ms. Aredale's instructions regarding transferring John and Janice are followed," James Junior promised the oldest of his younger sisters, "it may take a few days, depending how things turn out medically... but we'll get it done."
"What about dealing with your father's will?" Harry asked softly so that only James Junior could hear.
"That COULD be trouble," James Junior sighed, "but there will be ways around that even if dad won't change his will. A new home... or apartment... can be managed. If bought, both mom and dad's names should go on the lease. That would protect mom as she would have joint ownership and the church can't claim anything dad gives them in his will until after she dies... If it is rented, then dad doesn't own it and his will doesn't apply. It could be trouble... but it'll be something that will take a LOT of time to wrestle with or find loopholes through..."
"Don't forget to call if you need or want any advice," Jenny told him.
James Junior nodded and then made his way into the SUV, eventually taking a seat in the middle seat, just to make sure that James Sr. couldn't decide to lash out with the canes he was still clutching. Sora and Taro nodded to Doctor Tachibana as the doors were shut and it soon after drove off on the way to Seattle.