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Cold and Calculated
Disclaimer: I forgot to tell you that I don't own General Hospital or any of its characters. If, in the future, I decide that I need more characters (as if there aren't enough) those will be mine but I say again that this is not. Sorry for the corny disclaimer but let it count for any and all chapters that may or may not (will don't worry) come after this one so that I don't have to write this out again. Okay bye now. I'm really going this time. Bye. Don't go away too long. I will be updating but probably not until later this week. I hate to keep you hanging but just know that I am a perfectionist so if it hasn't updated by Saturday—very unlikely—then I may be caught in a whirlwind of homework—not so unlikely. Thank you for suffering through this disclaimer. Keep reading and giving me hints about what you might want to see happen. As always remember the motto: Courtney must either die or leave soon and Jason must age very well.
"All I'm asking is that you not judge this woman too harshly for it has been made clear to this court that she is not responsible for her actions." Alexis Davis walked past the jury and resumed her seat next to her client, Elizabeth Webber. There was no sympathy in Alexis's eyes for she fully understood what her client had been charged with. In turn, Elizabeth held no remorse for her actions. Whether or not the jury believed in Elizabeth's complete innocence was almost inconsequential for the judge could overrule and send her to Pentonville.
Alexis listened half-heartedly to District Attorney Ric Lansing as he attempted to chant the audience with his strong and irrevocable words. He used big words that he, himself, probably didn't understand. Alexis would have laughed at the entire debacle if the situation weren't of such serious nature.
The testimonies from such persons as Emily Quartermaine, Luke Spencer, Skye Quartermaine, Ned Ashton, and Mac Scorpio had been heard and recorded in the back of the jury's minds. Ric had used them all to his advantage as had Alexis. The good thing about all five of these witnesses and/or experts was that they were unwavering in their testimonies. No matter what Ric said or did or didn't say or didn't do, they each breezed through the recollection of the incident.
Incident? The word brought an innocent shadow over horrific crimes that were once labeled as incidents of unforeseeable consequences. It was all one big circus to Alexis but as long as she kept the lions tamed this would go as planned.
She looked over at Elizabeth wondering what was going through the young woman's mind. This trial had been of the longest duration and it was beginning to wear Alexis down. How many people did they need to question before Ric believed that Elizabeth was innocent? She hadn't done it, couldn't everyone see that? Alexis began to wonder why she believed so vehemently that Elizabeth was innocent. She, herself, had represented "Big Bad Sonny Corinthos" some million years ago. The things he had been accused of were so hostile and unbelievable that she hadn't even believed in his innocence most of the time. Did that stop her from representing him or Jason or any other band of rouge thugs? Of course not. For some reason she couldn't see Elizabeth as a…
"Please rise." Judge Cambridge ordered without standing himself. Alexis wondered if she should move on up to Judge Davis. She would have even more control of hideous thugs than she did now. True, she represented them and got them off with little or no community service but how she would love to be on the other side of the law: the ruler.
Elizabeth stood grudgingly and stared straight ahead. Her eyes met with the judge's and though he had expected them to look pleading they looked unaffected and vigilant as if she knew exactly what she had done and wasn't the least bit sorry. Immediately he broke free of those cold, calculating eyes and watched the courtroom as a whole. Alexis Davis stood next to her client actually believing in the girl's innocence—he had heard it in her testimony. Ric Lansing stood next to his ADA, ex-Detective Taggert. The man hated Sonny Corinthos more than anything; that hatred included anyone close to him. In a roundabout way, Elizabeth was close. She was Lucky Spencer's girlfriend—Lucky's dad just happened to be in a partnership with the one and only Sonny Corinthos. There was a lot of belated anger in this courtroom. Judge Cambridge just hoped that it didn't affect the jury's decision. The last thing he wanted was to have this case retried.
Ric Lansing watched the court-appointed security officer bring the piece of paper with the jury's decision on it to the judge. His glasses fell slightly from his big nose as he read and reread the verdict. The security officer scurried back to his spot and waited. Ric wondered what the verdict would be. Both he and Alexis—how strange it seemed to put them together in the same sentence—had given excellent closing statements. Elizabeth looked his way and for a minute he thought she might say something to him. Those beautiful blue cat eyes of hers weren't the least bit sorry for the crime she had committed. This wasn't the woman he had met a year ago—not this cold, unfeeling person. She had wanted vengeance and he, in the back of his mind, hoped that she got it. Even though he was District Attorney, he could relate with the way she was feeling. She felt justified in what she had done and now she would pay heavily for it.
"Has the jury reached a verdict?" "We have Your Honor." "What say you?" "We, the jury, find the defendant, Elizabeth Webber, on the count of murder in the first degree…" There was a slight pause where the audience seemed to hold its breath. The juror was a tiny woman coming in at maybe one hundred and fifteen pounds. Her features were angelic and true—a modern-day porcelain doll. She held the paper in her shaking hands and cleared her throat. It was a little unsettling to be deciding someone else's fate; to judge them for their actions; and to punish them for doing what they thought was right. Steadying her grip she continued. "We find the defendant, Elizabeth Webber—"
Author's Notes: Well what do you think?