The Inheritance Clause

This story contains descriptions of graphic sex between males. If that kind of thing does not appeal to you, stop reading now.

This story is pure fiction. If this resembles something that happened to you, it must have been an incredible experience. But it's simply a coincidence.

All comments are welcome: djwarner1984@hotmail.com Please donate to Nifty: https://donate.nifty.org/

-DJ

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The Inheritance Clause - 21

The boys went into the screening room and took their seats. After a few minutes, they heard Krantz come in. The lights dimmed and the film began. The boys held hands while enjoying the movie. As they headed upstairs, the boys agreed that Dawson was Sherlock Holmes and Adam was Dr. Watson. And they also could now see why the judge thought there was a connection between them after seeing the same kind of connection that Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law exhibited playing the roles of Holmes and Watson.

The boys entered through Dawson's room because they assumed Adam's father was already in his bedroom. They went through their nighttime routines. Dawson finished first and climbed into bed. He moved over and made room for Adam. When Adam slid into bed, Dawson immediately enveloped him in his arms and covered him with the bed coverings. Dawson kept planting small kisses on the back of Adam's head as Adam fell to sleep almost immediately.

Because Dawson had a nap earlier, he wasn't ready to fall asleep. He laid awake, holding Adam, softly kissing the back of his head, gently caressing his bare chest, taking in whiffs of his manly scent.

Dawson lingered on thoughts of Adam and how he had handled his father. He was so proud of his boyfriend.

His thoughts eventually wandered to the inquiry. He kept playing different scenarios in his mind about what the judge might find in clause D and how she might rule in the morning. He finally drifted off to sleep.

Adam slept soundly in Dawson's embrace. Before sunrise, Adam woke up. He gently rolled himself so he was facing Dawson. He nuzzled his body up close. He swung his leg up over Dawson's hip and pulled him in closer. Adam's hardening penis nudged Dawson's package. He began planting small kisses on Dawson's cheek. Dawson pressed himself into Adam as he began to awaken. His cock began to harden from the stimulation. He opened his eyes and the boys looked at each other.

"Morning," Adam said softly.

"Morning," Dawson said.

Dawson pulled Adam closer and they kissed. Adam ground his now mostly hard dick against Dawson's growing penis. When Adam stopped kissing, he looked at Dawson.

"Watch the sunrise with me?" Adam said.

"Mmm," Dawson hummed in response and planted a soft kiss on Adam's lips.

Adam slipped out of the bed. Dawson got up, too. They both stretched where they stood. Their erections were unmistakable.

Dawson pulled the blanket off his bed. He wrapped himself in the blanket and opened the sliding door to the balcony. The morning chill hit him. Adam joined him, wrapped in the blanket from the other bed.

They went out onto the balcony and Dawson arranged one of the loungers to face the east. He straddled the lounger and sat down. Adam unwrapped himself and held his blanket in front of him. He straddled the lounger in front of Dawson and sat between his legs. Dawson stretched his arms, holding his blanket, and wrapped Adam up. Adam leaned back into Dawson. At the same time, Dawson leaned back. Adam nestled his head against Dawson's. Dawson began rubbing his cheek against Dawson's hair.

"Mmm, you're really hard right now," Adam said as he nudged himself against Dawson's morning wood, which was pressing against the small of his back.

Dawson didn't say anything. He ruffled the blanket until Adam felt Dawson's right hand on his chest. Dawson slid his hand down Adam's abs. He kept going until he brushed over Adam's cock.

"I'm not the only one," Dawson said as he squeezed his hand around Adam's underwear-covered erection.

"Oh," Adam gasped.

Dawson slid his hand down further and cupped Adam's ballsac through the material. The boys could see sunlight beginning to peek over the horizon.

"You're not worried about your dad seeing us like this?" Dawson said quietly.

"No," was all Adam said.

Dawson took that as permission to play. He lightly brushed his hand up Adam's cock and found the waistband. He slid his fingers under the band.

"Dawson..." Adam whispered, half in protest and half in lust.

"Hhhm," Dawson's voice whispered in Adam's ear.

Dawson found Adam's hard cock and he encircled his hand around the shaft. He began stroking... gently... slowly.

"Babe..." Adam whispered softly.

"Watch the sunrise," Dawson said softly, "Let yourself go. Don't focus on anything but how good this feels."

"Babe..." Adam barely whispered again as he reacted to Dawson's gentle handjob.

Dawson knew the stress of dealing with his father was a lot. He wanted to help Adam relax.

Dawson was stroking Adam's penis slowly. He had a firm grip on Adam's meaty cock. He wanted to feel every inch of Adam's member. Adam was so horny for Dawson that he was the hardest he'd ever been.

The top of the sun began to crest over the horizon.

Adam found Dawson's other hand under the blanket. They intertwined their fingers. Adam gently grasped Dawson's stroking arm with his right hand.

"Oh, babe..." Adam moaned as he got lost in the sensations.

"You're so hard...," Dawson said softly, "I love the feeling of your cock in my hand."

Adam watched the sun rising through squinted eyes. He was panting softly as Dawson's manipulations were getting to him.

Dawson's hard penis was pressed into the fabric of his shorts against Adam's back. Adam's musky smell was filling his nostrils. But Dawson ignored all that.

"It's just you and me right now," Dawson whispered, "No one else exists."

"Babe," Adam managed to moan.

Dawson could feel how rigid Adam's cock was. He kept going up and down Adam's shaft with a very slow, deliberate stroke. It was building Adam up to his orgasm.

"All of our worries are gone," Dawson whispered, "We can finally be alone together."

"Oh," Adam whimpered.

Adam could feel the beginnings of his orgasm. It wasn't like when he masturbated and forced his muscles to tighten to bring himself over. He felt it come slowly, like a wave. It was glorious. He couldn't stop it even if he wanted to.

"That's it, babe," Dawson whispered, "Let go..."

Adam gripped Dawson's stroking arm tightly, forcing him to stop stroking. Dawson simply gripped Adam's cock tighter. That was enough to put Adam over the edge.

"Hhh... hhh... hhh... hhh... hhh... hhh..." Adam gasped as he came.

Adam tilted his head back and dug it into Dawson's shoulder. His eyes closed and his cock pulsed in Dawson's hand as he shot his load into his boxer briefs.

When Adam finished, Dawson slipped his hand out of Adam's shorts. He managed to swipe off what little cum got onto his fingers as his hand brushed the boxer briefs. He wrapped his arm across Adam's bare chest. Adam tried to catch his breath as more of the sun was coming up over the horizon.

"Go back to sleep, babe," Dawson whispered as he gently caressed Adam's chest hairs.

Spent from his orgasm, Adam leaned into Dawson and drifted back to sleep. Dawson looked toward the horizon as he drifted back to sleep, too, holding Adam gently against him.

Dawson woke first. He leaned slightly to look inside at the clock on the side table. With Dawson's movements, Adam began to stir.

"Sorry, babe... Go back to sleep..." Dawson whispered.

"Hmmm... no... it's ok..." Adam said groggily.

Dawson nuzzled his cheek into Adam's hair. They stayed in the same position for a bit. Eventually, Adam sat up. He looked off into the distance and absentmindedly rubbed Dawson's thigh under the blanket. He started to snake his hand toward Dawson's crotch. Dawson reached down and intercepted his hand.

"It's ok, babe," Dawson said, "you don't have to."

"But... I want to..." Adam started to protest.

"It's ok," Dawson said.

Dawson reached out and gripped Adam's shoulder.

"I know you're worried about how your mom is going to react when you tell her you're gay..." Dawson guessed.

"Yeah," Adam said as he turned toward Dawson and then lowered his head.

"I can be there with you, when you tell her, if you want..." Dawson offered.

"Maybe..." Adam said as he thought about it.

Dawson looked at Adam with sympathy.

"I can shower first. Do you want to take some time to yourself," Dawson said.

Adam nodded. Dawson leaned forward and kissed Adam's cheek. Adam turned his torso and gripped the back of Dawson's neck. He kissed him softly.

"You're so good to me," Adam said when they broke their kiss.

Dawson planted a soft kiss on Adam's cheek in acknowledgment. He grabbed his blanket and stood up. Dawson swung his leg over and headed back inside. Adam sighed. He pulled his blanket over himself as he fell back onto the lounger. He stayed there, covered in his blanket, basking in the warmth of the newly risen sun.

After a while, Dawson appeared in the doorway, freshly showered, wrapped in a towel. Adam got up and draped his blanket over his shoulders like a cape. He moved toward Dawson and kissed him on the cheek. He went into Dawson's closet. Dawson followed him and waited in the doorway. Adam came out, holding the dark blue necktie. He handed the necktie to Dawson.

"Wear this," Adam said as he patted Dawson's naked pec.

Adam headed for the bathroom. Dawson smiled as he looked at the tie in his hand. He got dressed and came into the bathroom. Adam was showered and wearing a towel around his waist, brushing his teeth. Dawson came over. He leaned down and looked at Adam's bruise. He touched it.

"It almost gone," Dawson said as his fingers lingered on Adam's flesh.

Adam spit the foam out of his mouth.

"It doesn't hurt anymore either," Adam said.

"Good," Dawson said.

Adam rinsed his mouth. Without either of them saying anything, Adam did Dawson's hair.

"You're so gorgeous," Adam said when he finished.

Dawson looked at himself in the mirror while Adam washed the gel off his hands.

"How do you get my hair to do that?" Dawson mused as he checked out Adam's handiwork in the mirror.

Dawson went back into his bedroom. He opened the balcony door. He stood in the doorway and leaned against the doorjamb as he looked out over the lake. He ran through all of the scenarios in his mind that could happen today.

Eventually, Adam came up behind him, looking handsome in his suit. He slipped his arms under Dawson's, leaned his chin on Dawson's shoulder, and hugged him from behind.

"Do you think there's a chance the judge could give everything to my father?" Adam said.

Dawson took a deep breath and sighed.

"I suppose there is a chance," Dawson said, "I guess it depends on what's in clause D."

"Mmm," Adam responded.

Adam was surprisingly calm about the possibility of Artie getting the inheritance.

"Hey... no matter what the judge rules... I love you," Adam said.

Dawson leaned back into him.

"I love you, too," Dawson said, "And I will be right by your side, no matter what."

"Eventually, you'll be under me..." Adam said playfully.

"Oh, you want me on my back, so you can ride me... Got it!" said Dawson with a devilish grin.

"No... no... Don't twist what I said," Adam chuckled as they separated.

Dawson laughed as he turned and came back into the room. He closed the sliding door. They both stepped out into the hallway and then realized they hadn't checked for Artie. But he wasn't there, so it wasn't a problem.

They started bantering back and forth, chuckling, as they went down to the dining room. They were the first ones there. Krantz poured them coffee and juice. They sat down and prepared their coffee.

Artie came in. The boys ignored him. Artie ordered Krantz to pour him a coffee as he went directly to the service table where the food was.

"Judge Lynch has already had breakfast. She requests that the three of you wait in the library at 8:45. You'll be escorted into the ballroom at 9:00," Krantz said.

The boys looked at each other.

"What about our directive for the day?" Dawson asked.

"The judge said not to give you today's task," Krantz said.

"Did she say why?" Adam asked.

"No," Krantz said with a neutral tone.

The boys contemplated what that meant. Dawson got the sense that Krantz knew more than he was letting on, but he didn't want to pursue it in front of Artie.

"Oh, one other thing," Krantz said, "The scanner you wanted is on its way. It should be here shortly. Where would you like it set up?"

"Can you bring it up to my granddad's office? You can just leave it in the hallway outside the door," Adam said.

"Of course," Krantz said.

"Thank you, Krantz," Dawson said.

Adam and Dawson got up and got some food. The boys and Artie had breakfast without saying anything to each other. When Artie was done, he left the dining room. The boys went out to the terrace. They draped their suit coats over a couple of patio chairs.

"Let's go down to the lake," Adam said.

Adam took Dawson's hand and they made their way down to the lake. They wandered around on the shore, listening to the morning birds, throwing stones into the water, enjoying the warm sun.

The boys stayed out there, enjoying the lakeside, until it was time for them to go. They picked up their suit jackets as they passed through the terrace, heading for the library.

When they got there, Artie was already in the room, drinking what was left of a glass of bourbon. The tension in the room was thick. No one spoke. The boys simply ignored Artie. Artie poured more bourbon and quietly sipped his drink. The only sound was the ticking of the grandfather clock.

Shortly before 9:00, there was a knock on the door. A court officer opened the door and escorted them to the doorway of the ballroom. Niven and Krantz were there, waiting. Judge Lynch, dressed in her judge's robe, suddenly appeared behind them.

"Ok, let's go," she said.

The court officer escorted them into the ballroom. Artie was led to the table on one side where his wife and lawyer were seated. The panel and Carmen were seated on the other side of the room from them. Niven, Krantz, and the boys were escorted to the table in the center of the room, where they were seated before, facing the judge's platform. The stenographer was sitting next to the judge's platform. Nathan Insoka, the digital forensics analyst for the FBI, was seated next to her.

Dawson looked at Nathan Insoka to try to see if he could detect anything regarding what he might say about the flash drive. But he couldn't read anything on his face.

Artie and his wife were seated under the newly hung paintings of Clayton and Sarah. The panel and Carmen were facing the paintings. Members of the panel kept glancing up at them.

"All rise. The inquiry into the will of Clayton Arthur Jameson IV will now continue. The honorable Judge Brenda Lynch presiding," the court officer at the front of the room announced.

Everyone stood. The judge walked purposefully to the judge's platform, carrying a manilla folder, and took her seat.

"Be seated," Judge Lynch said.

There was noise as everyone took their seats.

"Good morning," the judge said, "The guidelines I put in place in the previous session are still in effect. Does anyone need me to review them?"

There was quiet in the room as a few people looked around to see if anyone needed a review.

"And," Judge Lynch said with a slightly louder voice, "I will remind you... You are all still under oath."

She looked down at the folder as she opened it. She shuffled her papers and then began.

"Let's proceed," the judge said, "When Mr. Clayton Jameson submitted his will to the probate court, a number of questions surfaced. First, why did Mr. Jameson purposely omit his son and make his grandson a beneficiary? Second, why did he include a member of his legal team as a beneficiary? And third, why did Mr. Jameson essentially force his grandson and his paralegal to stay in the lake house and follow directives for six months?"

The judge paused and looked out over the room. Everyone was listening.

"These questions were closely intertwined with Mr. Arthur Jameson's claim that the will was not legitimate and that he should be the sole beneficiary of his father's assets," the judge continued.

"This past weekend, I stayed here, at the lake house, with the parties involved, to see if I could not only gain some insights into the characters of the individuals involved, but also to discover hard evidence to answer those questions. I am now prepared to enumerate my findings and to declare a ruling," the judge said firmly.

With that last statement, both boys sat up straighter. Dawson could see a certainty on the judge's face that he didn't see the night before.

"I will remind everyone we saw a video of Mr. Clayton Jameson, for which the digital forensic scientist reported an inconclusive determination as to its authenticity. We heard testimony from Mr. Nathan Insoka that there were bad sectors on the flash drive. And Mr. Insoka testified that there were three suspicious points in the video where manipulation may have occurred," Judge Lynch summarized, "All of which, led to an inconclusive determination on the legitimacy of the contents of the flash drive."

She paused and looked around the room.

"New information about the flash drive came to light this weekend," the judge continued.

Carmen immediately looked toward Dawson. She knew Dawson had a unique talent for spotting details. She suspected he may have been the one who found something.

"Mr. Insoka, please explain this new information and what you investigated," the judge said.

Nathan Insoka stood.

"Well, you contacted me yesterday with a theory. Namely, that the stutters or skips we saw in the video were not intentional, but rather the result of corruption due to the bad sectors. After investigating further, I confirmed that there were four equidistant anomalies in the video. While this could be caused by the bad sectors on the flash drive, I could not confirm that. However, due to the nature of these anomalies, I was able to rule out that these anomalies were caused by someone directly altering the video," Nathan Insoka explained.

There was still some confusion on the faces of people in the room.

"I consulted with my colleagues and they also confirmed my conclusions. I can now confidently state that the video and the accompanying copies of the will are legitimate," Nathan Insoka said.

There were murmurs amongst the panel. Adam grinned as he watched the judge glance toward Dawson. Dawson tried to dampen any expression of excitement as he heard the good news. Carmen smiled to herself as she looked at Dawson. Artie stared at Nathan Insoka with a blank expression.

"In addition," Judge Lynch said with a slightly louder voice to stifle the murmurs, "I reviewed all of the information I had available to me. And then, last night, I was presented with the realization that I had not examined all of the evidence," the judge said.

She momentarily glanced at Dawson who was trying to keep an even demeanor on his face.

"Ms. Castillo, when did you receive the boxes with the contents of clause D?" the judge asked.

Carmen was staring at Dawson when the judge called on her. She grabbed her reading glasses and stood.

"On the day Mr. Jameson signed his will, September 18, 2012, your honor," she replied.

"Are these the clause D boxes?" the judge asked.

With that, two court officers came into the room carrying two metal boxes. They were the size of standard legal document boxes. They had flapped lids which were closed. Everyone could see there were locks on the boxes. And you could see the remnants of tamper resistant tape on both metal boxes. When they placed them on the table next to the stenographer, everyone could see there was a large letter A on the side of one box and the letter B on the other.

"Yes, your honor," said Carmen.

"Describe what happened when you received possession of these boxes," the judge said.

"After the will was signed and notarized, Mr. Jameson produced the boxes and handed them over to me. He gave the keys to Mr. Krantz. I then delivered the boxes to Judge Andrea Thompson's office at the probate court," Carmen explained.

"Did you see the contents of the boxes?" judge Lynch asked.

"No, your honor," said Carmen.

"Why not?" the judge asked.

"They were sealed and locked when I received them," explained Carmen.

"What do you mean by sealed?" the judge asked.

"There was tamper resistant tape sealing the lids. You could only open the box by removing the tape. And you cannot remove the tape cleanly. It would be obvious that the box was opened," Carmen replied.

"Thank you. You may be seated," Judge Lynch said, "Judge Thompson..."

Carmen sat down. Judge Andrea Thompson rose from her seat at the table with the rest of the panel.

"I have here," Judge Lynch said as she held up a piece of paper, "the trail of custody for these metal boxes, from the time they arrived at your office at the probate court on September 18, 2012, to the time they were delivered here to this lake house on March 4, 2013. Can you confirm this is accurate?"

One of the court officers took the paper from the judge and delivered it to Judge Thompson. She looked at it.

"It's accurate, your honor," Judge Thompson replied.

"And at each handoff point from the time the boxes arrived on September 18, 2012, to the time they left on March 4, 2013, there is a description of the boxes. What does it say at each handoff point?" the judge said.

"It says, 'both boxes are locked and sealed', your honor," Judge Thompson said.

"Thank you, you may be seated," the judge said.

"Mr. Krantz..." the judge said.

Krantz was already anticipating his name being called and he immediately stood up.

"It says on the trail of custody document that the boxes were delivered by the court to you at this house on the day of the reading of the will, March 4, 2013, one week ago, is that correct?" the judge said.

"That's correct, your honor," said Krantz.

"When you received the boxes with the clause D documents, were they still sealed and locked?" the judge asked.

"Yes, your honor," Krantz said.

"Describe for the court when you first opened the boxes and what you found inside," the judge said.

"Well, Niven and I opened the box marked A on the morning of the will reading, when it arrived. Inside was a single page with instructions and a large number of sealed packets, all numbered with a red sharpie. The instructions indicated we should open one packet each day, based on the corresponding number of days that had elapsed. We were then to follow the instructions in the packet for that day, which included telling Mr. Jameson and Mr. Stewart what the directive was at breakfast time," Krantz said.

"And you followed the instructions?" the judge said.

"Yes, your honor," the judge said.

"And did you open the second box, the one marked B?" asked the judge.

"No, your honor," Krantz replied.

"Why not?" asked the judge.

"The instructions were very explicit. We were not to open the second box until we had opened all the packets in box A," Krantz said.

"Thank you, Mr. Krantz," the judge said, "You may sit now."

She waited for Krantz to be seated.

"Let the record show, that this morning I observed only box A was unsealed and unlocked. And only the appropriate packets were opened. In other words, I can corroborate Ms. Castillo's, Judge Thompson's, and Mr. Krantz's statements," Judge Lynch said.

Some of the panel members were confused as to where this was all going.

"I deemed it necessary to gather all evidence to make a determination in this case. So, this morning, in the presence of two court officers, Mr. Krantz, and Mrs. Niven, I ordered Mr. Krantz to open the box lettered B - the second box. I have sworn affidavits from the four of them stating that box B was, in fact, sealed before it was opened. Inside were the remaining numbered packets. There was also an additional packet," the judge explained.

Adam's and Dawson's mouths opened slightly. Everyone was on the edge of their seats.

"This additional packet contained evidence explaining, in detail, why Mr. Clayton Jameson named Mr. Adam Jameson and Mr. Stewart as his beneficiaries and why he set his will up with clauses C and D," the judge said.

Before anyone could react, the judge continued.

"Mr. Adam Jameson... Mr. Stewart... Mr. Arthur Jameson... please stand," the judge said in a firm tone.

The boys and Artie stood. Artie adjusted his tie and licked his lips. Dawson took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Adam glanced over to look at the paintings of his grandparents and then faced the judge.

"In Mr. Clayton Jameson's video, he said of you, Mr. Stewart, you are quote - 'a most compelling young man'. He said of the two of you, Mr. Adam Jameson and Mr. Stewart, quote - 'the character of these two young men is stellar. It's beyond reproach'," the judge said.

"Mr. Stewart and Mr. Adam Jameson, I found Mr. Clayton Jameson's characterization of you two in the video to be entirely accurate," the judge said.

Adam grinned. Dawson smiled. Niven managed a slight grin as well.

"In my opinion, you are both men of fine moral character," Judge Lynch said.

She paused as she looked at them.

"And Mr. Arthur Jameson," the judge said as she looked at Artie, "In his video, your father called you a distasteful word, which I will not repeat here," the judge said, "then he characterized you as a 'greedy, uncaring, selfish bastard'."

Artie winced slightly as he heard his father's words repeated to him.

"I found your father's characterization of you in the video to be inaccurate," the judge said and then she paused.

The smiles dropped from the boys' faces. Artie got a huge grin. She paused to let her words linger in the room. Then she spoke.

"In my opinion, you are much worse than he described," Judge Lynch said.

Everyone in the room reacted audibly with surprise. They all knew this about Artie. They were surprised the judge actually said it out loud.

"Your behavior makes it easy for others to dislike you. But you should not be disliked. You should be pitied. I think you were seriously damaged by trauma in your childhood. And you need professional help," Judge Lynch said.

Artie began to look very angry. His wife tried to hide a grin. The judge immediately pivoted back to the question of the inheritance.

"Because of the clear trail of custody and the secure contents of the boxes, there is no doubt that what was contained in those boxes came from Mr. Clayton Jameson and was not tampered with in any way. Furthermore, I found the evidence contained in the additional packet to be a sufficient explanation for why Mr. Adam Jameson and Mr. Stewart were named his beneficiaries and why he set his will up for them to carry out the conditions of clauses C and D," the judge said.

There were a couple soft gasps in the room. Dawson and Adam looked at each other. Artie looked down at the floor, a despondent look on his face.

"Therefore, I have no doubt that Mr. Clayton Jameson's will reflects his true wishes," the judge continued.

Dawson and Adam both held their breath.

"It is the ruling of this court that Mr. Arthur Jameson's claim is dismissed without merit. The beneficiaries named in Mr. Clayton Jameson's will, as filed with the probate court, stands," the judge said.

The judge banged the gavel once after her declaration. The boys exhaled in relief at the same time. There were some happy sighs in the room. Carmen smiled. Niven nodded her head. Dawson and Adam were smiling at each other.

Artie clenched his jaw tightly in frustration. It will never be clear why Artie thought things would turn his way. He had no hard evidence to present. And he knew how his father felt about him. Yet, he naively thought there was some way he could win. He stood there in bewilderment. He had lost all the money he thought he was going to get.

"I further rule that the conditions of clauses C and D are hereby satisfied. There is no further need to have these two young men held hostage in this house any longer," the judge declared and then banged the gavel again.

Both boys' mouths dropped. They looked at each other in astonishment. Krantz looked stunned. Niven pursed her lips in satisfaction. Adam's mother smiled. She clapped her hands together once and laughed softly, just like Adam had done at the will reading. Artie scowled from where he stood. There was movement and murmuring in the room as the news swept over everyone. The judge banged her gavel a few times to quiet the room.

"Quiet down! Quiet! I'm not finished yet," the judge said.

She waited while the noise quickly died down.

"I also rule that the contents of the clause D boxes remain confidential, to be revealed only to Mr. Adam Jameson and Mr. Stewart. And in my last ruling of this inquiry, I order the clause D boxes be handed over to Mr. Adam Jameson and Mr. Dawson Stewart."

Judge Lynch banged her gavel to confirm her ruling. A big smile swept across Dawson's face. Adam looked over at Dawson in shock.

"This inquiry is concluded," Judge Lynch said.

She banged her gavel one final time, set it down on the table, gathered up her papers in the manilla folder, got up, and quickly left the room.

Adam and Dawson looked at each other in stunned silence because of the suddenness with which everything was concluded. The noise in the room swelled as people stood up and began talking. The boys came together in front of Niven and Krantz. They embraced. An overwhelming feeling of relief swept over both of them as they finally felt a huge weight lift off of them. Neither of them said anything. They simply held each other with Niven and Krantz grinning at them.

Artie began angrily arguing with his lawyer. Adam's mother got up and went over toward Adam and Dawson, who were still embracing each other.

"Adam... Honey..." she said.

Adam separated from Dawson. Adam's mother embraced Adam and held him for a while. They ended the embrace and Adam's mom looked at him. Joan Jameson stood a few inches shorter than her son. She had straight brown hair, which hung to her shoulders. She wore round, black glasses. Her face had worry lines that made her look older than she was. She dressed very plainly.

"I'm sorry about Vickie," she said.

"It's ok, mom. Really, it is," Adam said, "She wasn't right for me, anyway."

Dawson was standing near them. Adam gestured for him to come closer.

"Mom, meet Dawson Stewart," Adam said.

They said hi to each other and shook hands.

"Joan!" Artie called angrily to his wife from where he was standing.

Artie had just finished talking with his lawyer, who was now heading toward the door. A court officer was handing Artie his cell phone, which had been confiscated when Artie was ordered to stay at the house for the weekend.

Adam grabbed Dawson by the wrist and pulled him as he put his other arm around his mother's shoulder. He guided them both over to where his father was standing. He removed his arm from his mother's shoulder.

"I have some news," Adam said.

His mom turned to look at him. Artie just stood there stone faced. Adam subtly slipped his hand into Dawson's. When Artie saw them grasp their hands, his mouth opened slightly.

"I'm in love with Dawson. We're a couple now," Adam said bluntly.

His mom smiled. She put her hands together and pulled them into her chest.

Artie looked at the boys' hands clasped between them. He looked at Adam's face. He moved his eyes to look at Dawson's face. It looked like he wanted to kill Dawson.

"That's disgusting!" Artie said loudly as a bit of spittle flew out of his mouth and landed on the floor in front of him.

The tone and volume of Artie's voice caught everyone's ear. They all stopped talking and turned to look at what was happening. Adam took in a breath and sighed loudly. He looked directly at his father.

"Go upstairs... Pack your things... And get out of my house," Adam said in a loud, commanding voice.

Artie straightened his suit jacket.

"How dare you speak to me like that! Let's go Joan, we don't need to listen to this!" Artie barked.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. I'm leaving you, Art. I've had enough," Artie's wife said.

"What?" Adam said.

Dawson gripped Adam's hand tighter. Joan turned and spoke to Adam.

"When he said he wanted to sue for the inheritance, that was the final straw. I decided I would divorce him," Joan said and then turned toward Artie, "I'm not putting up with you anymore. It's over. You can find your own ride home."

The boys stood there in stunned silence. Artie adjusted his tie and cleared his throat. He made another attempt at being in control of what was happening.

"Krantz, collect my things. I'm leaving!" Artie ordered Krantz, who was standing with Carmen and Niven several feet away.

The whole room was looking at Artie. Adam let go of Dawson's hand and went up to his father. He got right in his face.

"Krantz doesn't work for you. He doesn't need to do anything for you. Neither do any of the rest of us," Adam said with controlled exasperation in his voice.

Everyone else in the room stood there and watched as the scene unfolded.

"Granddad had infinite patience where you were concerned," Adam said as he pointed at his grandfather's painting, "and he put up with your bullshit for years. Well, I don't have to stand for any of it. Neither does mom. Neither does Dawson," Adam said with controlled anger.

Adam gritted his teeth and then spoke.

"Now... get... out... of... my... house," he said as he punctuated each word.

He finished speaking, stepped back, and slipped his hand into Dawson's. Artie didn't move. He was stunned by the situation and didn't know what to do. Adam turned toward the court officer near the door.

"Sir, would you please escort this man out of my house?" Adam said to the court officer as he dismissively swept his hand toward Artie.

The court officer nodded and came toward Artie.

"I will send your things to you. Just get out," Adam said.

Artie looked at the court officer and then at Joan. Joan shook her head with disappointment as she looked at Artie. Adam slipped his arm around his mother's shoulder. He started to turn Joan and Dawson away from his father. Artie finally moved toward the door, with the court officer at his side. Adam didn't turn back as his father left the ballroom.

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If you like this story, tell me: djwarner1984@hotmail.com And then donate to Nifty: https://donate.nifty.org/

-DJ