The next morning, Vanessa had already gone to work and Emma had gone to school. Alexis was holed up in her room, working on her assignments. Sebastian didn't have preschool today, and Francisco was being pretty chill. Lin sat on the couch next to his son and did a Google search for adoption lawyers. They figured the whole process should be pretty straight forward. They already had legal guardianship and it's not like there would be a legal battle between them and the biologicals or the foster care system.

Lin looked through some of the ratings and reviews of several lawyers. Vanessa had given him a short list of adoption lawyers she'd heard of through her profession. She'd had to patiently explain to him that there were all types of lawyers; that she didn't specialize in adoption. Plus, it would be a conflict of interest.

Lin made a couple phone calls. One of them was too busy to take the case, but the second office was willing and able. Lin gave them the basic run-down of the case and he made an appointment for the next day to go meet the lawyer.

"Daddy, can I have a cookie?" Sebastian asked his father hopefully. He was still dressed in his pajamas, bed head galore.

"No, buddy, it's too early," he told him. "Plus you didn't finish your cereal."

Getting the kid to eat regular meals was a struggle. Inevitably, he became hungry between meals and wanted junk food. During his last doctor's visit, they reported he was slightly underweight for his age and height.

Sebastian whined and jumped on his feet hard in frustration. He took off towards the kitchen and Lin heard him pushing things around. A few moments later, he heard the step stool being dragged around inside the pantry.

"Sebastian," he warned his son. "Get out of the pantry."

The little boy ignored him and proceeded to climb the stool. This had become a bit of a problem lately, so they'd started putting the cookies on the top shelf, out of his reach even with a step stool. Lin didn't want to take yet another trip to the emergency room, so he put his laptop aside and walked into the kitchen. He opened the pantry door all the way to find Sebastian about the climb the shelves.

"No, sir," he told Sebastian, grabbing him under the armpits to get him down. The boys started kicking and struggled to get out of his father's grip. Once he was set back on the ground, he hit Lin on the thigh in frustration. That was a deal breaker.

Lin picked him up and carried him towards the hallway, picking up the time-out chair on the way. "No hitting, Sebastian."

"I want a cookie!" He screamed as his father set him down in the chair.

"I told you no," he said, stepping back. "Time out."

Sebastian began sobbing, but didn't get up. Being three was hard. He had little choice in what happened in his life. Lin walked away and busied himself in the kitchen. After about five minutes, Sebastian seemed to have calmed down, so he dried his hands on a towel and walked back to the hallway. He knelt down in front of his son so he could look him in the eye.

"Sebastian, do we hit in this house?" He asked.

"No," he said, his voice still upset.

"No, we don't," he agreed. "You're allowed to get upset and angry, but you're not allowed to hit. What do you say to daddy?"

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, looking at the floor. Lin gently tapped his finger underneath his son's chin.

"When you apologize, you look the person in the eye so they know you mean it," he explained gently. "Try again."

Sebastian looked up at his father reluctantly. "Sorry, daddy."

"Thank you," he said. "I forgive you. Now, if I let you out of time out do you promise to stay out of the pantry?"

"Yes," he said.

"Okay," Lin told him. "Go play nicely. If you're hungry, finish your Cheerios."

Alexis walked out of her bedroom, wanting to take a break. She was still in her pajamas – sweatpants and a t-shirt, her hair pulled up in a messy bun.

"How's studying going?" He asked her as he moved the time-out chair out of the way.

"Crappy," she said. "Whoever invented fractions needs to die."

Lin chuckled. "Want any help?" he offered.

"No, I think I've got it. It just sucks," she said as she poured herself a glass of water. "Can we go to the park in a while?"

Lin nodded. "Sure," he said. "Sebastian would love that."

About an hour later, Lin packed up Francisco in his carrier and they walked across the street to the park. Sebastian happily ran towards the playground and started climbing. Lin found an open patch of grass off to the side of the playground and set Francisco's carrier down. He positioned himself so he could keep an eye on Sebastian and still play catch with Lexi.

Lexi threw him his baseball glove and walked away to give them a good distance. This had become somewhat of a routine for them. Most days, they ended up at the park playing either basketball, soccer, or catch. It was a good study break for Lexi, and it forced Lin away from his work on the computer. Sebastian was always game for a trip to the park.

As they tossed the ball back and forth, Lexi let the feel of the sunshine wash over her. This whole home-school thing had turned out pretty well for her. She didn't have to deal with annoying kids and she worked at her own pace. As long as she kept on top of her work, Lin and Vanessa left her alone. She was pulling straight B's, apart from one C+ that she was working on.

After a good 20 minutes of catch, Lin caught the ball for the last time and told Lexi he needed a break. They walked over to the bench, taking Francisco with them. Both of them got out their water bottles, which they chugged down.

"So, have you thought any more about the whole adoption thing?" he asked Lexi, glancing over at her.

"Uh-huh," she said, wiping her mouth with her forearm. "I already told you I wanted it to happen."

Lin nodded and took another sip. "I just wanted to make sure. It's a big decision."

They both observed Sebastian laying down on the astroturf, letting the sun shine down on him. "I mean, are you sure you want that guy as your little brother?"

Lexi giggled a little. "He's hilarious."

"Yeah, he's a good kid," Lin admitted. "Are you still happy doing homeschool?"

"Yes," Lexi said quickly. "Thank goodness for the Internet."

"Summer's coming up," he pointed out. "Are there any camps you wanna do?"

"Maybe a volleyball camp at SUNY," she said. "I've never done an overnight camp before."

"It'll be a good chance to make some more friends," he pointed out. Because she didn't go to school, he and Vanessa both thought she was missing out on some social interaction. She was a bit of a hermit when she wasn't playing sports.

"Why do you keep talking about me making more friends?" She asked him.

Lin shrugged. "I just want you to be happy," he said. "You're still adjusting to the move and that's okay. I just don't want you to lock yourself away in your room all the time."

"I don't," she said.

"Do too," he countered. Lexi twisted her lips to the side, supposing he had a point. Being in her room by herself was definitely easier. Making friends wasn't easy for her. Other kids just didn't seem to get her. She'd always been a bit of an oddball.

___

Later that afternoon, Emma returned home straight after school, since she wouldn't have ballet practice for a while. It felt wrong to her to just come home and do nothing. Her day just didn't seem complete without dance. School had gone reasonably well, but she was depressed when it was time for ballet class. All she could do was sit and watch and work on her homework. Because of her two extra periods, she was able to get most of her homework done.

"Hey, Em," Lin greeted her, wondering how her day had gone. He knew it had probably bugged her that she couldn't participate in dance.

"Hi," she said, dropping her backpack on the floor. She headed straight for the couch and took off her splint to give her leg a break. Lin joined her on the couch.

"Did you do okay today?" he asked gently.

"It went fine," she said. "Except people kept asking me how the competition went."

"There will be others," he reminded her. She was only 16. There would be plenty of other opportunities, but that was hard for a teenager to think about.

"I know," she mumbled, not wanting to be pacified.

"So, just wanted to let you know I made an appointment with an adoption lawyer," he told her. "Lexi decided she wants to go ahead with it as well."

"That didn't take long," she commented. Just as she'd predicted, after a little coddling, her sister had come around.

"No, it didn't," he agreed. "Have you talked to her at all?"

Emma shook her head no. "I will tonight. Just to make sure she's okay with it all."

"Thank you," he said. The sisters had a bond that no one else had. They shared experiences none of the rest of them had, including losing their parents horrifically. If there was anyone who'd be able to drag bottled-up feelings out of Alexis, it was Emma. They didn't get along perfectly as sisters, but they definitely loved each other.

___

That evening, after the dinner dishes had been cleared away, Lexi disappeared into her bedroom. Emma took the opportunity to see if she wanted to chat. She knocked on her sister's door and was invited inside. Emma closed the door after her and laid down on the bed next to her.

"Hey," she said simply, letting her head fall against her sister's.

"Hey," Lexi replied.

"So, I heard from Lin that you want to go ahead with the adoption," she began. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Lexi shrugged. "Seems logical."

Emma let out a little huff through her nose. "Logical? Allowing yourself to be adopted isn't exactly something that should be logical. Is it what you want?"

"I figured it would be something Mom and Dad would want us to do," she said wisely, surprisingly. "They wouldn't want us to be orphans, not part of a family the rest of our lives."

"Wow, that was deep," Emma told her, causing Lexi to grin.

"What do you think?" Lexi asked her older sister.

Emma sighed out. "I guess it was Sebby that got me," she admitted. "He asked me if I was his sister the other day. And really, I am."

Emma turned on her side to get a better look at her sister. "I know I'm a pain sometimes," she admitted. "But you and I, we have a special bond. We're sisters. We're bios."

Lexi took her hand and they shook it a bit. She turned on her side as well. "Bios," she agreed.

"We'll always be part of our family with Mom and Dad," Emma went on. "But the Mirandas...they're our family now. They love us."

Hours later, Lin was wondering where the girls had gone. He checked Emma's room and found it dark and empty. When he pushed Lexi's door open, he found them both asleep on the bed, facing each other. He grinned at the sight of them and walked to the bed. He pulled the quilt off the foot stand and gently draped it over the sisters. As he got to the door, he turned out the lights and let them sleep.

___

The next day, Lin sat in the waiting room at the law offices of Keller & Franklin in downtown Manhattan. Vanessa was supposedly on the way, trying to make it between meetings. A few minutes later, she came in, looking slightly frazzled. She never understood could be so cool and relaxed. He juggled a million things and made it look so easy. His laid-back demeanor helped calm her down. She plopped down next to him, trying to organize her things. Lin put his hand on her knee to calm her.

"You okay, babe?" He asked.

"Just swamped," she admitted and sighed. "I'm exhausted."

"Well, you should get an early night tonight," he said.

"Not with the way Sebastian's been lately," said Vanessa. The little boy had suddenly become deeply opposed to bedtime. It had begun to be a battle every night. They'd put him down and he'd call out, asking for water or a snack. They were trying to be consistent, only bringing him water and not giving in to other demands. On top of that, he'd also had a couple nightmares lately.

"I'll take care of him tonight," Lin offered. Vanessa took his hand and squeezed it. She was lucky to have a husband who was so willing to take on extra work just to give her a break.

"Mr. and Mrs. Miranda?" The receptionist called. "Mr. Franklin is ready to speak with you."

They were lead back into a very nice office and had introductions with the lawyer and his assistant, presumably.

"So, you're wanting to adopt a pair of sisters," he began, looking at his notes. "Emma Elizabeth Parker, aged 16, and Alexis Nicole Parker, aged 11?"

"That's correct," Lin said, holding his wife's hand.

"And how did you come to know the girls?" He asked as his assistant took notes.

"We're their godparents," Lin explained. "We've known them both since birth. Their parents died in a car accident in January."

The lawyer nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that. So, you're legal guardians currently?"

"Yes," Lin said.

"So, adoption is really a formality in this case, but it will make it an official change. In New York state, there's a few procedures involved. You've gotten in contact with us, which is the first step. Then there's paperwork to fill out and a home study."

"What does the home study consist of?" Vanessa asked.

"It would be a series of interviews with both you and the girls, separately," he said. "They're pretty thorough. There will be questions about your income, your lifestyle, your approach to discipline. Since the girls are the age they are, they'll be interviewed about their desire to make this adoption official. They're on board, I assume?"

"Yes," Lin told him.

"Some adoptions require supervised visits, but that won't apply to you since you've already had them for 4 months or so," the lawyer went on. "Then, as long as everything checks out, you'll have a day in court with a judge to make it official."

"Great," Vanessa said, feeling good. "How long does this process usually take?"

"Sometimes 6 months or more, but since you already have custody of the girls, it shouldn't take that long. A couple of months I imagine. Any questions for me?"

Lin and Vanessa got into some more details, such as fees and more about the timeline for the home visits. All in all, it looked like the process would be pretty straight forward. They left the office in good spirits, already thinking about starting the application process.

That night, they let the girls know about the meeting. They wanted to keep them as involved and informed as possible. They were 16 and 11, old enough to understand what was going on.

"They might not let you adopt me if they find out I don't have my own phone," Lexi tried. "New York City can be dangerous."

Lin laughed at her effort. "Nice try, Lexi."

"Can I make a list of demands?" She asked. "I feel like I should have a list of things I'd like in an adoptive family."

"How about we put a roof over your head and food in your belly," Lin pointed out.

Lexi knew she was luckier than most kids. She was only joking about the list of demands, of course. She had everything she needed – food, clothes, a computer, volleyball and softball teams. And the most important – they loved her.

"So..." Vanessa moved them along. "Final decision. We're gonna go ahead with this?"

Lin and Vanessa looked back and forth between the two girls. Emma and Alexis exchanged a look and smiled.

"Yes!" they said.

___

The next afternoon, Lin was going through the mail when he came across an envelope from the state of New York. He figured it was part of the adoption process, so he immediately opened it. As his eyes darted over the first few lines, his heart dropped. He never saw anything like this coming.

"What?!" He read, exasperated. He immediately picked up his cell phone and called Vanessa. It wasn't often that he called her at work. Usually, he'd just shoot her a text, so when Vanessa saw her husband on her caller ID, she knew it must be important.

"Yeah," she answered, typing on her computer in her office.

"I just opened a letter from the state of New York," he said, looking at the letter. "Emma and Alexis's grandparents are seeking custody of the girls."

"What?!" she asked, shocked. She immediately shut her laptop and gave Lin her full attention. "What does the letter say?"

Lin tried to summarize, his heart pounding. They hadn't even heard from the girls' grandparents since the funeral. They lived in Italy and had had little contact with the girls growing up.

"Basically, they think the girls should be with family, not us," he told her, a sick feeling in his stomach. Could they lose the girls? They were doing so well now.

"That's bullshit," Vanessa said. "They haven't even contacted us this entire time. The girls barely know them!"

"I know," he said. "What should we do?" At that moment, he was glad his wife was a lawyer.

Vanessa breathed out. "Get in touch with Mr. Franklin right away," she told him. "They shouldn't have a legal leg to stand on, since Phil and Melissa specifically said the girls should come to us in their will."

"Why would they want to do this to the girls?" Lin wondered. "Uproot them from the country they grew up in? They know zero Italian."

"I know," Vanessa said. The law didn't always make sense. "Should we tell the girls?"

Lin sighed out loudly. "I think we have to," he said. "If there's a possibility this might happen. I just wish they would have contacted us first so we knew their intentions instead of just going through lawyers. They could have been talking to the girls this whole time. Could've visited Italy."

"That would all be logical," Vanessa agreed. "Let's talk to them tonight after the boys go down."

___

Dinner was uneventful and lighthearted. It only further convinced Lin and Vanessa that the girls were theirs now. This was where they belonged.

After Lin finished putting Sebastian down, they called the girls into the living room. The girls had no idea the bombshell that was about to hit them.

"Girls, we have some news," Vanessa began, sitting down.

"Is it about the adoption?" Lexi asked hopefully.

"Yes," Vanessa began. "But it's not what you think. We got a letter today." She wasn't sure how to continue so she let her husband take over.

"You know your grandparents on your mom's side?" He asked.

"Nonna and Nonno?" Lexi asked.

"Yes," Lin said. "They've contacted the state of New York, and they would like to consider you living with them."

The room was silent as the girls took in the information. Lexi looked at her older sister for how she should react. This couldn't be good.

"But...why?" Emma asked.

Lin shrugged. "Beats us," he said. "They haven't contacted us directly. I think they want you to be with family."

"But we don't even know them," Emma pointed out. "And they live in Italy."

"That's all very true," Lin agreed. "We're not worrying too much about it just yet. In your parents' will, they specifically said they wanted you to be with us. We don't think they'd really have a good argument, especially since they live out of the country."

Lexi began to cry, so Vanessa moved to sit next to her and put an arm around her. "Oh, sweetheart, don't worry. We won't let it happen."

"But what if it does?" She asked, her mind immediately thinking of the worst. "What if we have to move to Italy? I don't speak Italian. I don't even like Italian food that much."

"Also, you have to remember that you're both at an age where the legal system is going to listen to you," Lin pointed out. "With older kids, they want to know what you think. If your grandparents who barely know you want to take you out of the country and away from everything you've ever known, I think the state of New York would be very unwilling to let that happen. It's not in your best interest."

"So what happens next?" Emma asked.

"We're in touch with our lawyer," Lin told her. "And tomorrow, we're gonna give your grandparents a call. To find out where all this is coming from."

"Will you keep us up to date?" Emma asked.

"Absolutely," Lin told her. "That's why we told you about this right away. We don't want to hide anything from you."

The girls were glad they were being so open and honest with them. They didn't try to hide the facts, even if they were hard to take in. Emma still looked worried. Lin walked over and put an arm around her, giving her a reassuring squeeze and a kiss to the temple. "Don't worry, sweetheart. We're not going to let anything happen."

"Why don't they call us?" Emma asked. "If they want us so much, why don't they at least get to know us?"

Lin had a hard time understanding how they had such a small role in their lives. His parents and Vanessa's parents were in contact with them constantly. Their sons knew their grandparents very well and spent time with them on a regular basis. Even if they were overseas, he knew their parents would make every effort to be part of their grandchildren's lives.

"Well, I think that's a good question to ask them," Lin said. "And even though they've decided this is the way they want to come back into your lives, maybe it's a good chance to reconnect with them. Maybe even pay them a visit."

After the girls had gone to bed, Lin and Vanessa went into their rooms to check on them before heading to bed. The air had been let out of their sails a bit. They'd all been so excited about the adoption process and this had really taken them all by surprise.

___

The next morning, Lin took deep breaths as he looked through Phil and Melissa's will. It had listed many of their family members, including Melissa's parents. He carefully dialed the country code, then the phone number. The female voice on the other end of the line had a heavy Italian accent.

"Hi, is this Sofia Romano?" Lin asked, carefully checking the name listed on the petition.

"Yes, who is this?" She asked, not overly friendly.

Lin paced around his bedroom. The door was closed so Alexis wouldn't overhear anything. "This is Lin-Manuel Miranda. Your granddaughters Emma and Alexis are currently living with me and my wife. I just received a petition in the mail yesterday. You and your husband are considering adoption?"

"Yes," she said confidently. "The girls don't have any family over there and we think they need to be with us. They deserve to be with family, not strangers."

Lin scratched his goatee, choosing his words carefully. "Well, we're not strangers, actually. We've known the girls their whole lives. We saw them constantly growing up. They're settling in really well with my family and I'm not sure uprooting them would be the best idea at this point."

"Where are they living?"

"In New York City," he told her.

"That's no place for children to grow up," she said. "They need fields, outdoors, nature. Not a crowded, polluted city."

"Well, Mrs. Romano," he said respectfully. "Phil and Melissa asked for the girls to be with us in their will. That was very clear, so legally, I'm not sure if this is something you'd want to do. We're happy to let the girls come visit you this summer when they're off school."

"No, we're adopting," she said bluntly.

Lin was speechless for a moment, not sure how to go about responding to her statement. "When was the last time you talked to them?"

"At the funeral," she said.

Lin shook his head. Their parents had died and they'd made no effort to get into contact with their granddaughters afterwards. Now this? It didn't make sense.

"They were having a really hard time after their parents passed away, and my wife and I have been working really hard to help them work through that," he said. "They have a wonderful life here with us, and we're actually in the process of legally adopting them ourselves."

"Well, you should stop," she told him. "Surely you understand the importance of children being raised with their family, with their own culture. I will have my lawyer contact you."

The phone clicked, indicating he'd been hung up on. Lin tossed the phone on his bed, exasperated. Sofia had seemed completely unreasonable. He could tell this was something that was not easily going to just go away. Soon after, he made a phone call to his lawyer, who'd already been made aware of the situation. Lin updated him on his phone call with the girls' grandmother.

"Well, Lin," the lawyer began. "It's pretty solidly written into the will that the girls be with you. I think the only way this would happen is if the girls chose to go with them. As we talked about before, the girls are of the age when the courts will listen to their opinions."

That offered Lin a bit of relief. The girls had seemed pretty opposed to the idea. "Great, so how do we get them to back off? She seemed pretty gung-ho."

"Well, if they decide to take this to court, it might involve Emma and Alexis publicly stating their wishes in court. It would need to be a formal thing."

Lin shook his head. "That's not what they need right now," he said. "They've been through enough."

"Just letting you know what it might come to," the lawyer said.

"I appreciate the honesty, thank you," Lin told him. "Is there a way to speed up the adoption process? If they're already adopted, then they couldn't do anything, right?"

"Now that the state of New York has two petitions for adoption, I'm afraid that will put a stop to it until it can be worked out. What I recommend you doing is to be honest with the girls and let them know living with their grandparents is an option. If the court system thinks you've actively trying to keep them away from family, that might not work well in your favor."

Lin nodded, taking it all in. His heart was pounding. They exchanged a few more words and then hung up. He heard the baby crying, a welcome distraction. Lin walked down the hall and pushed the door to Francisco's room open.

"Hey, buddy," he greeted his son, who was wailing in his crib. Lin scooped him up and planted a kiss on his head. "Let's get you all cleaned up."

Lin took him over to the changing table and got him a fresh diaper, then began to carry him to the kitchen, figuring he was hungry. Francisco began to calm down now that he was clean and safe in his father's arms. Soon, the bottle was ready and Lin made his way to the couch. He laid his son down against the armrest and positioned his head in the crook of his elbow. Francisco began drinking from the bottle hungrily.

Alexis wandered out, looking more disheveled than usual. Her hair was a complete mess.

"You okay, babe?" Lin asked.

"I don't feel good," she complained, kneeling down next to him, then setting her head on his legs. With his free arm, he stroked her hair, then felt her forehead.

"You're burning up, sweetie," he told her. "When homeboy's done with his bottle I'll take your temperature."

A few minutes later, Lin extracted himself from underneath Alexis, and brought his son up to his shoulder for a burp. "Lay down, Lex," he instructed her, and she climbed onto the couch where Lin was just sitting. He found the thermometer in the bathroom and walked back out.

"Open," he told her, and he placed it under her tongue gently. As the thermometer did its job, he gently bounced Francisco in his arms while patting his back. The boy let out an impressive burp. The thermometer beeped and Lin took it out to read.

"100.7," he announced. "Back to bed," he told her. Lexi groaned, knowing that meant no softball practice tonight. She pushed herself up to go back to her bedroom.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty?" He asked her, and Lexi shook her head.

"It's important to stay hydrated, so I'll bring you some water. Go get comfy," he said.

Lin washed his hands as he went back to the kitchen. With a baby in the house, they needed to be careful with germs. Keeping Lexi quarantined in her room would be important. He set Francisco down on his play mat and then took the water to Lexi's room.

She was already curled back up in bed, cuddling a stuffed animal. Lin set the glass down and sat on her bed. "Are you feeling nauseous at all?" He asked gently, stroking her hair.

"A little," she admitted.

"Mmmkay," he said. "I'll get you a tub just in case. Just relax and try to sleep."

She nodded and snuggled in. "Lin?"

He turned around as he got to the door. "Yeah, sweetheart?"

"Are you sure I won't have to move to Italy?"

Lin walked back over and knelt down in front of her. "Vanessa and I won't let that happen," he assured her. "You're staying with us."

"Even if I throw up on you?"

He grinned and gave her a little boop on the nose.

"That might be a deal breaker," he teased, then gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Now go to sleep."

Reassured, the eleven year old pulled her stuffed bunny a little tighter and closed her eyes. As Lin closed the door, he let out a breath, wishing he was as confident of the outcome as he sounded.

A/N: Please vote and comment!  Pretty please :-)