Cassie

Chapter Nine

Adam wheeled Hoss up the aisle of the courtoom and parked his brother's wheelchair next to the bench that the rest of the Cartwrights were sitting. He then joined his family. He was glad the room was practically empty as Hoss had requested adding the fact that there was overkill in anything….and traumatizing Patricia with a bunch of onlookers would be just that.

Cassie, who was sitting at the end of the bench, in order to be next to Hoss, looked from Hoss (who still remained legally blind) to Patricia who sat with her parents. For the first time since the prank gone bad Cassie truly felt sorry for the young girl. Hoss was right. In the long run, she'd done more damage to her own life than his.

"You don't think the judge will really put her behind bars do you?" Cassie asked Hoss as they prepared to go to the hearing.

Hoss, who still had another week in his cast, looked at his adopted sister and tapped the side of the wheelchair he was using. "I hope not, reckon we'll find out today."

"Can't you and pa just drop the charges?" Cassie asked.

Hoss couldn't help but start smiling wide. It seems like all their talks had softened Cassie's revengeful heart. His face then grew serious once more. "We'd like to only the whole idea was to knock some sense into the gal. If we drop the charges, the full impact of that attempt won't be felt. However," he said as he laid his hand on her shoulder, "Pa and I are gonna ask the judge to consider givin' her the lightest judgment he can. After all, she is sorry and has been without the freedom to do as she wishes for the past five weeks."

While Cassie had her mind on the talk she had with Hoss, Patricia, who had glanced towards the aisleway when Hoss was wheeled in, now sat with her eyes slightly downwards. Her own mind on the past five weeks, and what it had been like to have either her mother or her father with her at all times…except for when she was in school…even then one of her parents were outside waiting for her. And, when it came to the lienency in her home, whatever Adam had said to her father and mother had done something. She had learned early on that she could no longer play her father and mother against each other. Then, for the thousandth time, she thought on Hoss and what had happened to him because of her stupidity. She prayed like mad what people were saying, the fact that since Hos' vision remained fuzzy he would be blind for the rest of his life, was wrong.

"All arise…" the words from the court bailiff brought both girls out of their thoughts. Soon they were watching the tall (he was actually only five feet five, but to the girls he seemed much taller) white haired judge sitting down. Only when he had sat down did the judge look at both parties, addressing Patricia's attorney after he was through.

"Is it my understanding that Miss Beaver is pleading guilty to the charge brought against her?" the judged asked as he looked at the young girl before him, mentally shaking his head as he did so.

The attorney stood up. "She is sir, but we ask for some leniency as not only is she truly remorseful for what has happened, but for the fact that she had, in essence, been in a jail of another kind since the accident took place."

The judge said nothing at first, having talked to Ben and Hoss before, he too wanted to drive the point home just how serious things were. After what seemed like an eternity to both Patricia and Cassie, the judge gave his response. "I don't like it when youngsters are sent to any correctional facility where grown men or women are kept. So, since this is a first offense, I will not send her to the prison I could." A huge sigh of relief could be seen and felt as both the Beavers and the Cartwrights let out a breath they did not realize they were holding. "However," the judge's face turned hard and his voice took an almost frightening tone; well, at least Patricia and Cassie thought it did. "Miss Beaver will spend the next two years doing at least ten hours a week of community service on a regular basis, along with checking in with Sheriff Coffee on a weekly basis when school is not in session. When school is in session Saturdays can be used for seven of the ten hours if necessary. As long as there are no more incidences and I do not find her in my court again, she will remain in the custody of her parents and not have to worry about ever seeing the inside of any prison. And," he looked from Hoss to Patricia, "At least five of those ten weekly service hours are to be done on the Ponderosa until Mr. Cartwright's eyesight fully returns, if it ever does. Is that clear, Mr. Day?" The judge asked Patricia's attorney, but he looked at Patricia.

"It is, sir." Mr. Day smiled, relieved that things had gone the way they did.

"Good," The judge then dismissed everyone and excused himself, saying he had other things to do. Once he had left, Cassie asked Ben if she could go talk to Patricia, promising him she'd behave herself.

"Go ahead," Ben smiled as he then watched Cassie walk over to the Beavers, who looked a bit uncomfortable as Cassie approached them. However, looks of relief replaced that look as Cassie and Patricia talked. Ben smiled even more when the two girls smiled and shook hands. It might not be the start of a wonderful friendship (it wasn't) but at least the two girls had made peace with each other. Once Cassie was through she made her way back to the Cartwrights and Hoss.

"May we please go home. This place is makin' me uneasy." Cassie looked at Ben with a pleading look in her eyes.

"You bet we can." Ben said as Adam turned Hoss's wheelchair around. Ben, Little Joe and Cassie then followed Adam and Hoss out of the courtroom.

A/N I originally planned on putting the epilogue with this chapter. However, I get the feeling the epilogue may be a chapter in itself. So…either I'm right or the next installment is going to be extremely short?