Between the Lines: If I Only Knew Then
Chapter 2: The Trial
Someone mentioned the stalker storyline, so I decided to follow that in this chapter. Don't worry. It's not without its J/A goodness. The second vignette in the series.
I still own nothing. ABC, Callie, et al, do...
Enjoy and let me know your thoughts on this chapter.
It was yet another case of really bad timing, something that Juliette could swear followed her like a dog wherever she went. The release of "Take Me With You" was scheduled for the same week as the trial of John A. Smith. There was no way to change either date, despite best efforts. Both challenges would have to be faced head on. And then there was, of course the issue of her rapidly growing baby bump. She could have sworn it had grown overnight the night before.
The long lens cameras and the video equipment lined the sidewalk at the entrance to the downtown courthouse. They had been amazed at the interest in the case and Juliette's name had been in the news for days leading up to it. The single had dropped to radio just two days before and was doing extremely well... far better than her most recent efforts. She knew it was best to just accept success rather than question the motives of the radio programmers who may have just used the single to have the DJs talk about the trial.
Bo opened the door of the SUV and helped Juliette down from the back seat. She turned around, away from the flashbulbs that had all gone off simultaneously, and watched as Avery stepped out of the vehicle behind her. Her eyes went wide at the mob scene around them and he could tell that it was unsettling to her. It was to both of them, really. He had been under constant scrutiny as the victim of the brutal attack and his life had been disrupted on more than one occasion by reporters calling him for interviews, which he adamantly refused to do. It had gotten to the point where Glenn was basically running interference for him as well.
As the bodyguard, along with Glenn and their team of expensive lawyers led them inside, shouts of their names and intrusive questions could be heard from the crowd. Somehow, amongst the chaos, they heard someone, a sharp-eyed reporter or paparazzi, shout out the question they had been dreading and anticipating but had hoped to avoid through the trial that was expected to last two weeks. "Juliette are you pregnant?!"
They all knew that it was a matter of time before Juliette's secret came out, but she had dressed to hide the bump and was surrounded by the others, so as to avoid a close up. So the question came as a surprise. As she tucked the large navy coat around her a little more securely, they all kept walking, ignoring the question. But it had been said loud enough that the others in the crowd heard it and the murmurs and the flashbulbs began to increase immediately. Juliette glanced at Avery as he gently placed a hand on her back and they climbed the steps that lead inside the courthouse.
The doors to the building closed behind them and as the lawyers immediately headed into the courtroom, Juliette froze. "Oh my God," was all she could whisper as a look of panic spread across her face.
Avery looked in her eyes and could tell that she was shaken. "Are you okay?" His stare met hers and he was worried that she might pass out.
"I thought we could keep it hidden," she said, shaking slightly.
"We don't know who it was that asked. It could be someone who got tipped off," Glenn responded, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and ushered her over into a hallway away from the large windows of the entrance.
With Avery following silently behind, Juliette followed her manager. She was shaking like a leaf. "We've done such a good job at keeping it quiet, though. Is Rayna here?"
The click of heels against tile were heard approaching. "I'm right here." They all looked over to find Highway 65's top executive, dressed in a sleek grey suit, walking toward them. "What happened? Bo came and got me."
Glenn glanced down at Juliette with concern, like a father would for his daughter. "Someone asked if she was pregnant. The whole crowd heard."
Rayna was silent but nodded, clearly thinking through the next steps that would have to be taken to protect Juliette, the baby and Avery. "Okay. We can handle this. We'll be here in the court room all day. No cameras are allowed inside, so we've got time to get Bucky, Ellen and the rest of the PR team on this. They can try and track down how this got out and finalize how we handle it. We've already got plans in place. You know that. It's going to be fine."
The younger woman looked up, and Rayna could see her eyes brimming with tears. "Yeah, but we thought we'd have more time."
"Unfortunately, the media wasn't informed of our timetable. It's out there and the media will be speculating no matter what. We can't change that now." She looked at Juliette, then over to Avery briefly, as she put a comforting arm around her protege. "Look, honey, we've got to deal with one challenge at a time. Right now, for you, it's this trial. Let Bucky and the team deal with the media right now. You cannot let yourself get stressed out about it. That isn't good for you and it isn't good for that baby. So trust me, we will handle it. Do you trust me?" Juliette nodded, still fighting the tears. "Okay. Let's go."
Rayna led the way into the courtroom, where Avery's parents, Emily and Deacon were already seated on the second row. Juliette, Avery and Glenn followed Rayna to the front row of seats directly behind the District Attorney's desk. The room was filled with reporters, but no cameras were permitted inside the room and no media questions were allowed. It was clear that the reporters in the audience weren't gossip columnists, but Juliette was fairly certain that the legal reporters in their stuffy suits had been informed of the chaos outside. She could tell by the way they looked at her when she had walked in. It was probably all over Twitter by now. Or maybe she was just self conscious. She shook the thought away as movement drew her attention to the side of the room.
She felt Avery tense up beside her as the deputies escorted John Smith into the courtroom. They had seen the man's mug shot, as it had been plastered all over the news. He didn't look like an obsessive, homicidal stalker. The tall, lanky redhead looked more like a clean cut insurance salesman in his cheap tan suit and glasses. But when his striking green eyes met Juliette's, she couldn't suppress the shiver that made its way through her body. It was as if pure evil somehow inhabited this otherwise unassuming body.
The deputies sat the defendant in the chair across the room next to his court-appointed attorneys. Juliette could hear Diane behind her softly sniffling as she was taken back to the fear of that night, of possibly losing her son forever. She glanced over at Avery, who sat stone still, staring directly ahead. He hadn't been able to even look up at the man who had so brutally and violently attacked him. She subtly reached for his hand squeezing it when their fingers linked. She could almost feel the fear coursing through him as he gripped her palm tighter.
The prosecution presented its opening statements first, and they had been warned that this would likely take the entire morning. The defense would present in the afternoon. The DA has also warned them that it would be then that the evidence, namely the photographs found on Mr. Smith's hard drive, would be shown to the courtroom for the first time. Toward the end of the statements, a projector was turned on and the lights in the courtroom were dimmed. On the screen, the most damning of the photos were presented, originals side-by-side with the images the defendant had edited.
Both Avery and Juliette could only look for a moment, both devastated at the invasion of privacy. The intimacy of the moments in the photographs was obvious to all in the courtroom. And now they would be described in minute detail on every website, in every newspaper and magazine across the country.
The judge immediately called a break for lunch after the photographs were presented, and Rayna rushed them all up to a room that Teddy had secured for them to again ensure privacy. No one could really eat, and only small talk was being made. Anything to avoid the topic of what had just transpired in the courtroom. Juliette quietly excused herself to the bathroom down the hall, unable to take the near silence for much longer. Walking back, she glanced into what appeared to be some kind of library. Shelves of books lined the wall and two sturdy wooden tables sat parallel in the middle of the room. A familiar figure stood next to the window, looking out the third story over the courthouse entrance.
"Are they still out there?" she asked, voice at barely more than a whisper.
Avery turned to find her standing in the middle of the room. "Not as many. Still some though."
She scoffed, rolling her eyes at the predictability of the media. "Of course they are." She moved closer and leaned against the other side of the large window so she could face him. "So ... that was decidedly uncomfortable."
"No kidding. I'm never going to be able to look my parents in the eyes again," Avery said, shooting a wry smile in Juliette's direction. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine. I mean, having a room full of reporters and friends and your family seeing me naked isn't exactly how I like to spend my free time, but whatever. If it puts him behind bars for the rest of his life, then it's okay by me." She was met with silence. She knew her joke fell flat, but it was more than that bothering him. She could tell there was something weighing heavily on his mind, and had been all day. "Avery, what's wrong?"
"I don't know. I guess I'm just worried about how all this will look to her ten or 15 years from now," he said pointing to her belly. "I just hate that it's gotten so much public attention. It's dumb, I know."
"No, it's not dumb. I've been thinking about the same thing. I'm certainly no expert, but I think that's what it means to be a parent. You're worried about how your choices, your circumstances are going to impact our daughter one day. It's a scary thought. I'm terrified of having to explain why there is a video out there of me stealing nail polish or why her grandmother killed a man. I think it comes along with the territory."
"That doesn't make it any easier."
"Nope." She smiled up at him, subconsciously rubbing her belly. Her back straightened when she felt the movement against her palm. "Give me your hand."
He raised an eyebrow at her command, but held out his hand toward her. She took it and placed on her belly. For a moment, Avery felt nothing and awkwardness was beginning to set in. But then suddenly, a soft flutter moved below his hand. He looked up from the spot to her eyes. "Was that her?"
Juliette nodded.
Their eye contact held and there was a spark, something electric between them that they both felt. They both knew they could blame it on the stress of the trial or the emotion of him feeling their child move within her, but it was bigger than both of those things. It was that intangible connection they had still, even after their heartbreaking split and the harsh realities that followed. Neither knew it still existed until that moment.
"Juliette!" Emily's voice was heard just a few seconds before she appeared in the doorway. It was just enough time for the former couple to jump apart from each other. "There you both are! The judge gave a ten minute warning. Time to head back down."
"Okay, thanks," Juliette responded.
And as if the last two minutes had never happened, they followed her back downstairs, both trying to forget. Neither could.
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