Wrong Turn
Authors Note (I don't own any of the Glee characters) I apologize for the long wait but first I wanted to finish another story and then I had writers block. Again, I have to stress idk much about murder trials, so as much as I want this to be realistic, this part may not be. For the story, I hope you can look past it and it'll still be enjoyable for you. Don't be shy, leave a review.
Guest 1: You'll have to wait and see, haha.
Guest 2: Brittany has a crush on Santana. I'm not actually a huge fan of love triangles just because how Glee handled them, so hopefully mine won't be as bad. I just have that in for a little extra drama. Why not, right? Lol.
Guest 3: Keep that in mind for the trial. Also, everyone keep in mind I don't have much knowledge on how a trial works but I'm still going to attempt to make it as realistic as I can.
Anonymous2345: It's ok, I know you're not being rude. If the circumstances were different the girls definitely would not be put on trial. If Quinn and Santana just told the truth from the beginning, they wouldn't have. But Quinn lied twice and Santana tried to lie, and it's documented. Their lawyer just can't ignore that. The state can also read those statements and see their stories didn't match up. That gave them reason to investigate the case more and a reason to question why they would lie if it was self defense. I hope that makes sense, thanks for the review.
Isabella 123: I'm glad you're enjoying the story, again, I apologize for the long wait but I hope you understand. Enjoy the new chapter.
Chapter Eleven
Maribel and José underestimated how hard it was going to be once Santana was in jail. The young Latina has been through so much already, and now she has to deal with lawyers, a trial, and the entire town judging her because of their own success in their careers, and their race.
They want to make statements to defend their daughter but Anthony advised against it. Ultimately the media could twist their words and it could cause more harm than good. The town already have made up their mind on their daughter, no matter what they say that's not going to change their minds, which will make it difficult for Anthony to remind the jury Santana is the victim during the trial.
Although it's hard to see their daughter in jail, Maribel and José still go the next day to visit, and check how she's doing. O'Brien escorts them to the visitors room then fetches Santana from her cell. Maribel has to hold tears back seeing her baby in handcuffs.
"Hi, baby, how are you holding up?" Maribel asks.
Santana shrugs. "Could be worse. The other people in there aren't actually that bad. Well, most of them. There's some asshole guy with a DUI, I think, but Veronica has my back so I'm not too worried."
Maribel and José can tell she's putting on a front for them, however, they don't acknowledge it. If this is her way of dealing with this then they'll let her.
"Did Anthony stop by?" José asks.
"Yeah. He asked me more questions and recorded it but I don't know how it helped."
"You have to trust he knows what he's doing." José continues.
Santana nods slowly. "How's Quinn?" The brunette may be disappointed her friend may not feel the same way about her, but she won't stop caring for her.
"I just spoke with Judy before we got here." Maribel says. "I knew you would ask about her." Santana blushes. "She told me Quinn seems to be more upset about you being in here than anything but she's doing her best to stay strong."
Santana seems to zone out for a moment then clears her throat. "Anthony told me the trial is going to start the day after tomorrow. He said they rescheduled it because everyone in town has been protesting for justice." She says putting justice in air quotes.
"They'll see the truth after they hear your side of the story." Maribel says.
Santsna shakes her head. "They think Ben was some poor, shy kid who couldn't make any other friends besides one kid, apparently. I'm just a brown, rich tourist who killed him. They don't give a shit about my side of the story, Mami. Those jurors, no matter who they are, already think I'm guilty. I just might die in prison."
"Don't talk like that." Maribel says getting upset.
"I have to. I have to face reality and so do you. No matter how much he deserved it, I still killed someone. It wasn't self defense. I killed a kid because I couldn't take it that he raped me." Santana continues.
"You weren't in the right state of mind." José says. "You were traumatized and that's what Anthony will show them in court. You are the victim here, not him."
Santana wipes her own tears when O'Brien returns. "Sorry, but she has to go back to her cell now." He says handcuffs in hand. Maribel and José hug her goodbye then watch as the officer handcuffs their daughter and escort her back to the cell.
"She's given up already." Maribel says. José just sighs wrapping his arm around his wife's shoulders, praying God will give his family the strength to get through this mess.
Even though she agreed to go, Quinn still isn't looking forward to the self defense class. It may be an outlet for her anger but other than that she feels it would be more useful to Santana instead.
Rachel had stopped by in the morning so Judy can drive them to class. Now Quinn is looking out the window, wondering if this was a good idea and if Santana is doing ok.
"You girls are so quiet back there. Are you nervous?" Judy breaks the silence.
"Kind of, I don't know what to expect." Rachel says.
"Well, I can understand that." Says Judy. "What about you, Quinn?"
The blonde just shrugs, still giving Judy the cold shoulder. Judy sighs in disappointment and continues to focus on the road. When they reach the building, Judy informs the teens she'll wait in the car until the class is over.
Walking inside, Quinn and Rachel notice the class isn't very big and they're the youngest ones there. It makes them feel self conscious and more nervous. Spotting the pair, Hank excuses himself to the woman he's talking to to greet the girls.
"I'm glad you can make it. Don't worry, though. I know it can be intimidating but I told everyone we're having some guests that want to try out, so we're going over the basics again so you girls can catch up, ok?" The girls nod in unison. Hank turns to the class.
"Alright, ladies, you know the drill. We're going to stretch and warm up first and then go over all the basics for our guests." He says clapping his hands.
The other women encourage the teens not to be scared or shy while they stretch. Once they've warmed up, Hank partners Quinn and Rachel with two other woman to help them with the basics they've learned already. Quinn is hesitant at first but then realizes how much confidence she's already gaining, and how good it feels to get her anger out.
Quinn is also surprised the other women in the class have been so nice to her considering everything that had been said to her in the news, even after her release.
"What do you think, ladies? Can we expect you to join class permanently?" Hank asks after class ended. Both Quinn and Rachel nod.
"I was skeptical but you're right, it really helps." Quinn says.
"I didn't realize how much anger I have built up." Says Rachel.
"We never do until we find a healthy outlet." Hank explains. "And I'm glad I can provide that for you." Quinn and Rachel smile. "I'll talk to your parents about joining, ok?"
"Thank you." They say in unison.
Hank winks. "Anytime."
Quinn and Rachel don't have to wait long for their parents to arrive, and when they do, Hank speaks with them as promised. The teens wait by the cars as the parents talk.
"How's Santana?" Rachel suddenly asks. "Have you seen her recently?"
"Not as recent as I'd like." Quinn sighs. "I haven't had time to see her today, but last time I saw her she seemed ok. The people in there aren't bad. I mean one guy is but I know the others will look out for her, like they did for me."
"I still can't wrap my head around all of this. Puck and Finn-" Quinn wraps her arm around Rachel's shoulder as the short diva gets choked up. "If I just stayed with him-"
"You could be dead, too." Quinn points out, cutting Rachel off. "I'm sorry, Rachel."
Rachel pulls away, confused. "For what? It's not your fault he's dead."
"I know but I haven't been a good friend." She clarifies. "I've been so worried about Santana going to prison I neglected one of my best friends."
Rachel flashes a weak smile. "You consider me one of your best friends?"
Quinn nods. "Weve gotten closer this year, and after this, I would definitely consider you one of my best friends. Other than Santana, you're the only one who gets what I've been through. I can tell everyone else what happened but you actually know what it was like to be in those woods and fear for your life. We need to support each other through this."
"You're right. I keep trying to explain how I'm feeling in therapy and she's so nice but she just can't understand. Even all of our friends. They can never understand what we went through. If you need to talk, don't hesitate to call." She offers.
"Thank you. Same goes for you."
The adults return to the car and everyone climbs in the vehicle to go back to the hotel. On the way back, Quinn notices some locals giving them dirty looks, realizing who they were at a stop light. The blonde tries to ignore it but by the time they reach the hotel, she's had enough.
"I can't wait until this is all over and we can go home." Judy says, also upset by the looks they received.
Quinn frowns. "If Santana ends up in prison, are we still going home?"
Judy sighs. "I don't know." Quinn just slowly nods then goes to her room. Judy drops on to the couch with a huff. "At least she finally talked to me." She says to herself when Rachel walks in, knocking. "Rachel? Is everything ok?"
She nods. "I just have to talk to Quinn about something. It's nothing bad, I just thought she'd like to know." She explains.
"She's in her room."
Rachel offers an appreciative smile then joins Quinn. The blonde is looking out the window and as Rachel walks in, she narrows her eyes in confusion.
"Back so soon."
Rachel sits next to Quinn. "I got a text from Mercedes. She's going to visit Santana with Tina and Brittany. The guys would go too but thought she wouldn't want to see them."
"Ok." She says still confused. "Why are you telling me this exactly?"
"Quinn, I know how you feel about Santana. I can see it in your eyes whenever you talk about her."
Quinn avoids her gaze. "What do you see?"
"Love. It's the same way I used to look talking about Finn."
Sighing deeply, Quinn shrugs. "I still don't see why you're telling me this."
Rachel rolls her eyes. "I also know that Brittany has a crush on Santana. It's why she freaked out on you about not protecting her. She just apologized so everyone wouldn't gang up on her." She explains.
Quinn is quiet for a moment. "Santana could be going to prison. It doesn't matter who has feelings for her, she can't date anyone behind bars." She says getting choked up.
"I know, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Rachel apologizes rubbing Quinn's back for comfort.
Quinn wipes her eyes, collecting herself. "It's ok."
"Do you mind if I hang out here for a while?" Rachel shyly asks. "Sometimes my dads can get overwhelming and they haven't stopped asking what we did in class and how it made me feel." She explains. "I need a break."
"Sure. I could use the company." Quinn easily agrees. She's been feeling kind of lonely lately and it doesn't help that she doesn't want to talk to her mother.
At the police station, Santana had just finished eating lunch when O'Brien returned. At first the Latina thought she would have to be questioned by the state representatives again but was pleasantly surprised to find out she has more visitors, and is even more surprised to discover it was Brittany, Mercedes and Tina.
Before O'Brien could even get the handcuffs off her, Brittany is the first one to hug the brunette. Santana flashes a weak smile and even starts to think maybe Quinn was right about the tall blonde's feelings for her after all.
"Sorry, it just feels like forever since the last time I saw you." Brittany apologizes breaking the long embrace, blushing.
"It's ok. I missed you, too."
"You did?" Brittany asks clearly surprised.
Santana nods, now knowing for sure the blonde has a crush on her. "Of course, you're my best friend." She emphasizes to be clear they're only friends before greeting Mercedes and Tina, then takes a seat across from the girls. "So how are you guys?"
"Alright, but we should be asking you that." Mercedes answers for them.
Santana shrugs. "Alright."
Although, they're not convinced she's telling the truth, Mercedes says she's glad to see the Latina hasn't hit anyone yet, trying to lighten the mood.
"We just came to see how you are." Mercedes continues. "And to let you know we plan on going on the stand in court for you."
Santana flashes a weak smile. "You don't have to do that."
Brittany shakes her head and holds Santana's hand. "We want to. You don't deserve to be in here. You were traumatized and scared, you shouldn't be punished for that."
Santana pulls her hand away, missing the hurtful pout Brittany is wearing. "I can't believe you think I shouldn't be punished for killing someone."
"He raped you, Santana." Brittany continues. "If you didn't kill him, he would be siting in prison right now. Death became his punishment instead."
"Enough." Mercedes says. "No one can change what happened but you have us, San. I can't imagine what you're feeling or going through but you can help us understand. We want to help you any way we could." Tina and Brittany nod in agreement.
Santana groans. "I don't understand what I'm feeling myself. I hate that asshole for what he did to me but then I feel so guilty for taking his life away. He was so young, if he got some help he could of changed his whole life around, and I took that from him."
"You're a good person, Santana." Tina says, earning a scoff from the brunette. "I mean, you have your moments but at the end of the day I know you would take care of the ones you care about. If roles were reversed and it was Quinn in your position, you would do everything you could to be sure Quinn didn't feel guilty for hurting the same person who hurt her first."
Santana flashes a weak smile. "Of course I would. I would even take the blame for her, like she did for me."
"You shouldn't feel guilty." Mercedes says. "We don't know how that kid's life would have turned out, but use this to turn your life around. My mom always said you could find a silver lining in anything. If you go to prison, work hard to get your GED. And if you don't, work your ass off in school and prove to everyone you're not a criminal."
Santana takes a deep breath, feeling more hopeful. "Thank you. I really needed a pep talk. I'm glad you guys came."
"Of course." Tina says. "We're family."
Santana snorts. "A very incest family." The girls laugh anew suddenly the brunette remembers something Quinn told her. "Guys, do you mind if I talk to Brittany alone for a minute?" Tina and Mercedes shrugs as Brittany looks hopeful. Santana waits for Mercedes and Tina to be out of ear shot when Brittany cuts her off.
"What do you wanna talk about?"
Santana sighs. "I'm not going to beat around the bush so I'm just gonna say it." Brittany nods. "Do you have feelings for me?"
Brittany flashes a shy smile. "Well, yea. I mean, we've always been so close."
Santana slowly nods. "But nothing can happen, especially now. I can't have a relationship with anyone, let alone the one person I want to most."
"I can wait."
Santana shakes her head. "You didn't let me finish. I mean-"
"Times up, ladies." O'Brien lets Brittany say goodbye to Santana before taking Santana back to her cell.
"Did you get a visit from your girl?"
Santana blushes. "No, just some friends."
"Then why the long face? If I had people who actually cared enough to visit in a dump like this, it would definitely make being in a dump like this a hell of a lot easier."
"If I could see my family, this would be much easier." Nicole agrees.
"If you could see your family you wouldn't be in here." Keith says.
"Shut up." Veronica and Nicole say in unison. "Talk to me." Veronica continues. "Why did visiting your friends upset you?"
Santana shrugs. "I didn't get a chance to tell my friend Brittany that I don't feel the same way about her as she does me. I tired but then I had to come back in here."
Barbra Jennings has lived in Kentuky all her life. She's watched the town grow and the people, however, she's not happy with how they've treated their tourists. Particularly Santana Lopez and Quinn Fabray. Barbra has been following the case on the news and she's also personally seen the dirty looks locals have been giving Quinn.
Despite being an older woman boxed in with the generation to be known for being closed minded, Barbra isn't one of those people. She doesn't judge someone by their sexual orientation, gender or skin color. If she thinks you're a good person, she treats you like family. That's how she was raised and that's how she raised her own family.
Ever since Quinn, and then Santana, have been arrested and charged with the murder of Benjamin Walsh, Barbra has been thinking of ways to help. Recently, she has called her grandson, Spencer, one of the judges in town, what she could do. Spencer suggested if she was lucky enough to get on the jury of the case, it would help the most.
However, Barbra couldn't just hope she was picked to be on the jury, so the older woman made a few phone calls to old friends that owed her a favor. Now she's waiting if they pulled through for her.
"Grandma, are we going to make a cake for mommy's birthday now?" Her grandson, Caleb, Spencer's son, asks.
"Of course we are. I just had to clean up the kitchen first."
Barbra gets out everything they need for a chocolate cake then helps Caleb on to a step stool so he can help. She lets the seven year old with pouring the ingredients and mixing the batter. Then the pair put it in the oven. Caleb watches the cakes as she cleans when her husband arrives home from work.
"Smells good in here. Is that chocolate cake?"
"We're making it for mommy." Caleb informs his grandfather.
"Cool, I'll bet she'll love that." Howard walks over to his wife to greet her with a kiss. "Here's the mail you've been waiting for." He says handing her the small pile. "I ran into the mailman pulling into the driveway."
"Thank you." Barbra says looking for the envelope she's been waiting for.
"Buddy, why don't you watch some cartoons? I'll let you know when the cake is ready for icing." He adds. Caleb shrugs then runs into the living room. "So?"
Barbra smiles. "I got on the jury." While Barbra is happy, her husband sighs in concern.
"Are you absolutely sure about this? You know how they'll respond once they find out you're on the girl's side."
Barbra nods. "More than sure. I don't care what they say that child shouldn't have the rest of her life ruined. They haven't even heard her side of the story."
"Ok, just making sure. You know I support anything you do."
The woman smiles and kisses her husband. "Thank you. Let's just hope I can make a difference in that court room."
"There's not a doubt in my mind."
After watching a few movies on Netflix, Rachel has fallen asleep on Quinn so the brunette goes to the living room to see what her mother is doing, and to ask when super is. Judy is also watching TV, however, she seems to be day dreaming.
"Mom, when is super?"
Judy sighs looking at the time. "Oh, right." She says as if she had forgotten. "How do you feel about take out?"
Quinn shrugs. "Fine."
Judy flashes a weak smile. "It's nice to hear your voice again."
Quinn looks guilty. "I'm sorry, mom. I was just so upset to see Santana in cuffs like that and you didn't seem to care."
"I know, I'm sorry, too. I just got caught up in being happy that my baby wasn't behind bars anymore. But I shouldn't have said what I did. Can you forgive me?"
Quinn sighs deeply. Judy has been so patient with her and although she still doesn't like what her mother did or said, she understands her reasons. "I forgive you."
Judy breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank you, baby."
Suddenly Rachel rushes into the room, cell phone in hand, surprising them both.
"I thought you were sleeping?" Quinn asks.
"I was then my dad called. The judge is moving up Santana's trial."
"What?" Both Quinn and Judy ask in shock.
"My dad was talking to José. Santana said the trial is being moved up to the day after tomorrow because locals have been protesting justice for Ben's murderer." There's a short silence.
"This is actually good news." Says Judy.
"How?" Quinn asks.
"The sooner they have the trial, the sooner we can put this all behind us. Especially Santana. I can't imagine how she's feeling siting in that cell not knowing what will happen." She explains.
The next two days seem to fly by for everyone with the exception of Santana. Although, she doesn't have to be on the stands, the Latina is a nervous wreck waiting. As a group, Santana's friends, along with some of their parents, arrive at the courthouse together.
The stairs are crowded with locals and new media outlets. Cameras and reporters are everywhere to cover the most popular story for the small town in years. While walking through the crowd, in a small path the police have provided, Quinn tries to ignore the locals screaming in her ears. She's also hoping Santana didn't have to go into the courthouse through the front door.
Inside they're directed to the courtroom the trial will be held in. Benjamin's family are already siting on their respective side of the room, behind the lawyer representing the state, with some locals behind them for support. Their group sits behind the table Santana will be siting along side Anthony.
Quinn notices two woman and a boy she doesn't recognize siting on their side as well, in the back. She looks professional, like a lawyer. The other seems to be the boy's mother, dressed for work. However, despite not knowing who they are, she's glad to see some more people on Santana's side.
The media won't be allowed into the room, so the next to enter are the jurors. Twelve locals in two neat lines take their assigned seats. Quinn tries not to judge a book by its cover theses days, however, she can tell instantly by a few jurors who already think Santana is guilty and Benjamin innocent.
One man is dressed in cameo, and another is giving their side of the courtroom the most dirtiest looks Quinn has ever seen from a local. There is quiet chatter in the room until the door opens as on older man walks in. Quinn expected him to sit with the other locals, however, she's surprised when he sits behind them.
"Leave it to Howard to sit on the Mexican's side." A local sneers with disgust.
Quinn does her best keeping her mouth shut and opts to clench her fist and count to ten in her head instead. This will be hard enough for Santana as it is, she doesn't need her to start a fight with a local. However, Brittany can't seem to control her anger. Mike and Sam have to hold the blonde down from storming over to the man.
After a few minutes pass, the plaintiff closes the door then walks to the front of the room as Anthony walks in along with the lawyer representing the state. For a moment Quinn wonders when they'll let Santana in when O'Brien emerges from the same door Anthony had walked out of. Still in cuffs, the officer guides Santana to her seat.
While Brittany, and the other girls greet the Latina and offer words of encouragement and support, Quinn is distracted by how absolutely terried and small her best friend looks. Quinn just wants to jump out of her seat and wrap Santana tight in her arms.
"All rise for Judge Coleman." The plaintiff announces. The people stand as the judge enters the room and takes a seat. Then the judge gestures for everyone to sit.
"Before we get started, I like to make one thing clear. No matter what is said or happens in this trial, I will have order in my courtroom or you'll be held in contempt, understand?"
Everyone in the room either nods or mutters yes.
"Counselor, your client is being charged with first-degree murder. How does she pleed?"
Mr. Davis stands clearing his throat. "Not guilty, your honor."
Judge Coleman nods in acknowledgement. "Defense, your opening statement."
Lawerence Birch, born and raised in the small town, has always wanted to be a lawyer since he was a teenager. Being a witness to his own family members unjustifiable arrest, he made a goal for himself to become a lawyer and fight for what's right, and his entire career he always thought he was doing the right thing. However, in this case, a small part of him wants to lose.
When he went over the evidence in the case in the beginning, he assumed both Santana and even Quinn were guilty. He knew someone was lying so it had to be premeditated. However, as he went over statements, the murder is clearly self defense. The only thing keeping him from admitting it is the pile and pile of his mother's bills he promised he would pay off for the older woman to prevent her from being evicted.
Birch glances in Santana's direction before quickly looking away, unable to look at her in the eyes. The attorney wipes the perspiration from his brow then walks around the table to stand in front of the judge and jury.
"Santana Lopez, murderer or victim? That's what you, as a juror of this courtroom, have to ask yourself during this trial. And it's my job to make sure you see it's the latter. Santana Lopez knew what she was doing when she put that knife to Benjamin Walsh's throat. She knew it was wrong to sink the metal into his skin until he bleed to death.
Evidence will prove Ben just wanted to help these girls out of the woods, out of harms way. Santana Lopez had a plan brewing in her mind before stepping in that shed. Now, Benjamin was no saint, but in the end he wanted to help and his life was taken away short by a teenage tourist, looking for revenge. I hope you'll find it in your heart to seek justice for this young man." Lawerence then returns to his seat.
"Counselor, your opening statement."
Anthony has put together multiple options he could take this case and his argument for the rest of the trial. In the end, he chose to go with what he originally decided for Quinn before Santana confessed to the crime, self defense. Despite what may have happened in the shed, ultimately Anthony realized Santana still acted in self defense.
Mr. Davis adjusts his tie, a nervous habit, then stands in front of the judge and jury before clearing his throat to better make his opening argument.
"You may have heard many false allegations against my client, however, I'm here to give you the truth, the real Santana Lopez, the real reason she's siting in that seat." Anthony pauses for dramatic effect. "I'm here to remind you who the true victim in this case with not only testimonies, but evidence as well. I also want you to ask yourselves throughout this trial what you would do in Santana's shoes, how would you react?"
This time Anthony pauses to see if he can read what the jury is thinking, however, besides one older woman, he's staring at expressionless faces and moves along.
"Would you risk continue running for help in an area you weren't familiar, or would you defend yourself? The district attorney will argue this crime is premeditated, however, I will provide evidence and statements that can prove this is justifiable homicide."
With that, Anthony returns to his seat, the courtroom so quiet a pin could drop. José and Maribel are pleased with Mr. Davis' opening statement and they feel slightly relieved he could pull this trial in their daughter's favor.
"Defense, your witness."
Lawerence stands to his feet, reading over some notes. "I call Lucy Fabray to the stand."
Quinn's heart jumps into her throat. She knew she would have to take the stand when Anthony called her the day before but she didn't imagine she would be first. Despite recording a statement on camera, it was decided last minute at least one of the girls had to take the stand so Quinn volunteered so Rachel wouldn't have to. The blonde looks to her mother for encouragement then walks over to the stand. For a second she flashes a weak smile towards Santana before the plaintiff swears her in.
"Lucy, what is your relationship with Santana Lopez?"
"I prefer Quinn, and she's my-my best friend." She says looking at Santana.
"And how long have you known her?"
"Since we were kids."
The D.A nods. "So would you say you know a lot about her?"
"Yes. Why do you ne-"
"I just want the jury to understand how close you two are." He interrupts the blonde. "Now, you were the only other person to witness what happened in the shed, correct?"
"Yes."
"At first you claimed you were the one who killed Benjamin Walsh, not Santana, correct?"
"Yes."
"Why? Why admit to a crime you didn't commit if it was self-defense?" Normally he would feel a sense of pride for cornering a witness but this time he doesn't feel the satisfaction at all.
Quinn's heart is hammering against her chest. "I didn't want her to go to jail or worse."
"Why did you think she would got to jail or worse? It was self-defense, right?" Now he's just putting on a show for the sake of doing his job as he usually would. If the jury or judge didn't believe he thought Santana is guilty, he would lose and lose the money for his mother's many bills.
For a moment Quinn is at a loss for words. "She had been through enough. Ben already hurt her, then I made her spend the night with him, and if I didn't make him go into that stupid shed, none of this would of happened. I felt guilty enough for forcing her to go along with it, she didn't need for someone not to believe all she did was defend herself."
"What exactly happened in that shed, Ms. Fabray?"
"I forced Ben into the shed at gun point."
"Where did you get the gun?" Lawerence interrupts once more.
"I found it in the shed the day before. They had a lot of hunting gear and weapons in there. That's why I wanted to take Ben there, and it was hidden."
Lawerence narrows his eyes. "Did Santana know what you were up to?"
Quinn shakes her head. "No. She knew I had a plan but I didn't tell her what I was going to do." She explains.
Anthony is siting silently next to Santana. So far it seems the district attorney is helping with his argument instead of helping himself, and the people of Kentucky. Lawerence continues to ask questions and Quinn continues to explain what happened in the shed.
"What was Santana doing through all of this?"
Quinn shrugs. "Just watching, I guess."
"Just to remind the jury, you would know Santana pretty well given you've known her since she was a child, correct?"
"Yes." Quinn is confused but answers anyway.
"Would you be able to tell us if you think while you were beating Benjamin Walsh, yelling at him every bad thing he's done, something may have snapped in your best friend?"
Quinn deflates in defeat. This time it's much more difficult to lie so the blonde shoots an apologetic smile towards Santana before answering. "She may have gotten angry."
Again, Lawerence doesn't feel the satisfaction he usually does but puts on a show and continues on. "She may have gotten angry." He repeats for emphasis. "Do you think she could have gotten angry enough to slit his throat?" Quinn is silent, not knowing what to say. "Well, Ms. Fabray?" He presses.
"N-No."
Lawerence arches his brow. "You didn't sound too sure."
"Santana has a temper but I never thought she would kill anyone." She says more confidently this time.
"How long did Santana just watch you beat Benjamin?"
Quinn shrugs. "A few minutes."
"What happened leading up to Ben getting his throat slit?"
"I-I beat him then suddenly Santana was next to me with the knife in her hand. She told him how scared she was to be in the cabin with him all night, then Ben asked why she wouldn't just kill him already so-so she slit his throat."
The attorney nods slowly. "Are you saying there was enough time for Santana to realize what she was doing, and what she was doing was wrong?"
Quinn huffs knowing what he's doing. "I think Santana had been through enough tragedy for it to get the best of her."
"That doesn't answer my question, Ms. Fabray."
"No. I don't think in that moment she knew what she was doing, or what she did was wrong." She finally answers.
Lawerence sighs deeply. "That's all the questions I have."
"Counselor, do you have any questions for Ms. Fabray?" Anthony shakes his head, feeling Quinn would just have to repeat herself with the questions he wanted to ask. "You may step down now, Ms. Fabray." Quinn returns to her seat, receiving praise and support from her mother and friends, along with their parents. "Your witness, counselor."
"I'd like to call Dr. Sherwood to the stand."
The woman Quinn noticed earlier approaches the stand then is sworn in before taking a seat. Anthony looks over his notes before asking his questions.
"Dr. Sherwood, you had one session with Santana Lopez, correct?"
She nods. "Yes. Although I would've liked to have more but she was arrested before I could get the chance."
"So you felt she needed to see you on a regular basis?"
"Absolutely. I think all of the girls should seek psychiatric help."
"Objection." Mr. Birch almost shouts to continue his slightly dramatic show. "She can't possibly make that assumption without at least speaking with the girls."
"Overruled." The judge says.
"How can you make that assumption, Doctor?" Anthony asks looking in Mr. Birch's direction, trying to prove a point.
"I've been siting in the back this whole time and it's allowed me to observe everyone in this room, including the girls. I noticed how they flinched or held back crying as Santana talked a little of what happened, and I noticed how they unconsciously reached comfort from their fathers' and mother." She explains.
Sure enough as Quinn looks down at her hand, it's tightly clutching Judy's. Rachel is also holding both fathers' hands just as tightly.
"So what you're saying is these girls are traumatized."
Santana squirms in her seat. She doesn't like to be talked about like she's not in the room, and the Latina hates to hear she needs psychiatric help either. It makes her feel even more weak than she already does, and crazy.
"Yes. They witnessed very traumatic events. A friend being killed or raped. They were running from their lives in the woods as they were being hunted like a deer or bear. They have a very long road of recovery a head of them. Something as small as seeing another hunter or just a cameo jacket or jeans at the mall could be triggering for them."
"Would you say Santana's state of mind at the time of Benjamin Walsh's murder was not in the right place to judge whether or not what she was doing was wrong?"
"Absolutely. She had to spend a night in close proximity with the same person who violated her. Santana would have been scared, angry, and ashamed. Then afterwards she would have felt guilty. Despite what he did to her, I can see she still has guilt and even some remorse for Benjamin. She's not a killer, just a scared young woman."
Maribel and José nod in agreement. Both feel grateful they chose to get Santana help when they did. The doctor's statement could help keep their daughter out of prison.
"Thank you, Dr. Sherwood. That's all the questions I have."
With that, Anthony returns to his seat. Lawerence then questions the doctor and attempts to not only discredit her previous statement, but her ability to assume Rachel and Quinn are also traumatized as well.
"You claim the other two girls are traumatized yet Quinn nor Rachel killed anyone."
"From what I saw on the news, Quinn badly beat Ben and stabbed his hand. If Santana didn't kill him, Quinn may have."
Suddenly the judge hits his gavel. "We're not here to discuss what may or may not have happened. I want that statement to be dismissed. Continue, Mr. Birch."
"That's all the questions I have."
Anthony and Lawerence continue to question witnesses back and forth. From O'Brien, Ben's mother, to Santana's friends, to the doctor's that treated Quinn and Santana in the hospital. Even Hank testified on behalf of Santana. Now, Anthony is down to his last witnesses, Benjamin Walsh's only friend.
"I'd like to call Tyler Higgins to the stand."
Zoe gives her son some encouraging words before he takes the stand, and along with the other witnesses, he's sworn in before taking a seat.
"Tyler, you were Benjamin Walsh's only friend, is that right?"
"Yes, sir."
"So would you say you knew a lot about him?"
Tyler shrugs. "Yes."
"What kind of person was Benjamin Walsh? Shy, outgoing, introverted?"
"He was kind of shy, I guess. He always said he didn't need anymore friends than me."
"So you were inseparable?"
Tyler nods. "We pretty much did everything together, except go hunting."
"You didn't hunt with Ben and his father?"
"No. Ben didn't even hunt with them often. He said he didn't want to be like his dad. I just thought he didn't want to kill any deer but one time they took me with them to the woods where his dad hunted with his friends. It creeped me out."
Anthony arches his brow then looks to the jury. "Why?"
"I've been hunting once with my uncle. The traps that they had weren't used for hunting. I had a hunch they were for something else so I told Ben I didn't want to go there anymore." He explains.
"Did you tell anyone?"
"No, sir. It was only a hunch and I wasn't sure anyone would believe me. I didn't have anything to prove they were for anything more than hunting."
"Do you think Ben was capable of hurting or killing anyone?"
"Yes, sir."
"What makes you think so?"
"One night Ben snuck into my room, saying he wanted to do something really bad but stopped himself. And he kept saying he didn't want to be like them over and over. But as he was saying it, he had this far away look in his eyes. Like he was trying to convince himself he didn't want to be like his dad and his friends." He explains.
"He's not the Ben the news have been reporting about. He was nice to me and his family, but to other people, he wasn't always nice. Especially when he was mad."
Anthony is intrigued. This didn't come up when he questioned the boy the first time.
"He had a temper?"
"Yes, sir." He confirms. "He had a pretty long fuse for the most part but the times he was mad, it was pretty bad."
Cindy is mad herself. Her son was always hanging around Tyler and the woman always thought it was Tayler who was the hot head, he was the bad influence on her Ben.
"Could you give us an example?"
"We had our own tree house in the woods behind the playground at the elementary school. A couple of kids found it one day and destroyed it. I was kind of bummed but Ben was super angry. He tracked down one of the kids and broke his arm. Ben made him promise to tell his parents he fell off the slide."
Suddenly Cindy stands up, unable to control her anger. "He's lying! Ben would never do something like that, he was the one who hurt that little boy, not my Ben!"
The judge hits his gavel. "Order in my court!" He shouts. "You only have one warning Ms. Walsh and then you'll be put in contempt." Reluctantly, she sits down quietly.
"Were you shocked by his behavior?" Mr. Davis continues.
"Yes, sir. I was scared, I didn't talk to him for a week. Then during lunch at school, Ben apologized. He said he was just so angry, he blacked out, and promised he would never hurt me or get that angry again. But he did. I would have told someone and even stopped hanging around him but I wasn't sure what he would do to me."
"Thank you, Tyler. That's all the questions I have."
Anthony takes his seat then turns to Lawerence, expecting him to ask Tyler questions but he looks flustered and nervous. As the judge asks the defense attorney if he has any questions, Santana taps Anthony's shoulder then whispers something in his ear.
"Are you sure?" Santana nods.
"Tyler, you may return to your seat." The judge says.
Anthony then stands up, clearing his throat. "Your honor, I'd like to call Santana Lopez to the stand."
Authors Note
Thoughts, concerns, questions? Let me know.
I hope I didn't piss anyone off with that ending, lol. I already planned on having the rest of the trial in the next chapter, I just thought that was the right spot to end it, sorry guys, lol. I'm thinking if the story doesn't end in the next chapter then it might in the one after that. So maybe two more chapters until it's finished.
Btw, idk if any of you are also following Coincidence or Fate? but for some reason it seems like there was a new chapter but all I did was delete the authors note responding to an anonymous review. I don't know why the website made it seem like I updated it but I didn't, sorry, guys.