A/N: Thanks for the reviews. This was originally written as more than one chapter but I decided to combine it all together. Don't worry if it seems unorganized and confusing. Chapter 12 will fill in all the holes.
Disclaimer: Don't own One Tree Hill, just my original characters and the plot. Also, I don't own any songs are played or sang.
Rating: M
Chapter 11Anna stared determinedly at the corner of the DA's table. She knew that if she looked at Dan she would break down and be unable to speak. When the DA approached her she looked up at him and began to shake.
"Annabelle, I know this is difficult for you, but I would like you to answer a few questions if that's okay." All the terrified teen could do was nod. "You were recently abducted, correct?"
"Yes."
"Is the man who took you in this room?"
"Yes," Anna said, her voice cracking.
"Could you please point at him?"
Anna looked, for the first time, at Dan and felt her stomach twist into knots. Lifting an arm she pointed at him and choked back a sob. "Him. He kidnapped and raped me."
The DA stepped back to his table and picked up a piece of paper. "When you say he raped you, are you referring to the incident that occurred before the abduction?"
"Yes." Anna replied, tears beginning to fall.
"But you didn't know who he was when he raped you?"
"No. He wore a wig and a fake mustache. Plus I thought he was dead." By this point she was crying much harder and could barely be understood.
"No further questions."
The judge looked at Dan's attorney questionably. "Mr. Lambert?"
"No questions your honor."
"Okay. Miss Scott you may step down."
As Anna was escorted out by a court officer, the entire jury had sympathetic looks on their faces.
Later that day, at home, Anna lay on her bed, tossing and turning from the dream she was experiencing.
The weight of his body pressed down on her, his hand covering her mouth so she couldn't call for help. He began to thrust in and out, and Anna cried out into his hand.
Suddenly she jerked awake and sat up. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she began to sob.
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I never could've seen this far
I never could've seen this coming
Seems like my world's falling apart
Yeah
Why is everything so hard
I don't think I can deal with the things you said
It just won't go away
In a perfect world
This could never happen
In a perfect world
You'd still be here
And it makes no sense
I could just pick up the pieces
But to you
This means nothing
Nothing at all
I used to think that I was strong
Until the day it all went wrong
I think I need a miracle to make it through
Yeah
I wish that I could bring you back
I wish that I could turn back time
Cuz I can't let you go
I just can't find my way
Yeah
Without you I just can't find my way
In a perfect world
This could never happen
In a perfect world
You'd still be here
And it makes no sense
I could just pick up the pieces
But to you
This means nothing
Nothing at all
I don't know what I should do now
I don't know where I should go
I'm still here waiting for you
I'm lost when you're not around
I need to hold on to you
I just can't let you go
Yeah
Yeah
In a perfect world
This could never happen
In a perfect world
You'd still be here
And it makes no sense
I could just pick up the pieces
But to you
This means nothing
Nothing at all
Nothing, nothing at all
Nothing at all
Jamie picked up her remote and shut her radio off. Tears welled up in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She was tired of being a weak, emotional mess. When Dan's lawyer had questioned her earlier that day, she had been reduced to tears when asked to speak of her son's death.
FlashbackMiss Bradshaw, Dan Scott is your father correct?"
Jamie sighed and looked at the DA. She knew where he was going with this but it still disgusted her to admit her relation to the man sitting a mere twenty feet from her.
"Biologically, yes."
"Could you please explain what you mean by that?"
"I didn't meet Dan Scott until I was eighteen years old."
"And wasn't that the first time he learned of your existence?"
Jamie nodded, risking a quick glance at Dan. "Yes."
"Why didn't he know about you?"
"Because he abandoned my mother after getting her pregnant."
"What happened when Mr. Scott learned that you were his daughter?"
Jamie looked right into Dan's eyes when she answered. "He immediately drove to my mother's house and attempted to kill her and my unborn sister."
The DA nodded and continued his questioning. "He obviously didn't succeed. What happened to prevent him from doing this?"
"My brothers stopped him."
"He was put in the hospital correct?"
Jamie nodded. "When my brother Lucas saw what Dan had done to our mother he lost control."
"But Dan didn't remain in the hospital for long did he?"
"No. A few days later he arrived at our house and tried to kill Lucas and me."
The DA stepped back to his table and said, "No further questions."
Dan's lawyer stood up and shuffled through a stack of papers. "Miss Bradshaw, do you believe that your father is guilty of all the charges against him."
"Dan Scott is guilty of everything he's on trial for."
"So you don't consider him to be your father?"
Jamie seethed in anger. She knew what the lawyer was trying to do, but she didn't know a way to stop him. "No. I had a father. He raised me, loved me, and never tried to kill me." She knew Dan's lawyer was going to bring up her father's death but she wasn't going to go down without a fight.
"The man you are referring to, your adopted father William Bradshaw, is dead correct?"
"Yes."
"He was killed in a car accident that was ruled as your fault wasn't he?"
The DA quickly jumped up. "Objection your honor. What relevance does this have to the trial?"
The judge, who didn't know the details of Jamie's past, shook her head. "Overruled. Answer the question Miss Bradshaw."
Jamie took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yes."
"And you were convicted of vehicular manslaughter correct?"
"That conviction was overturned. There was evidence discovered after my trial."
"What about the time you spent in a mental institution following an attempt to end your own life?"
"Objection your honor! This has no relevance."
This time the judge agreed with the DA. "Sustained."
Dan's attorney then decided to jump to the present. "Miss Bradshaw, do you blame Dan Scott for the death of your adopted son Ryan Keller?"
A pair of tears fell down Jamie's cheeks. The DA started to object but Jamie answered before he could speak. "Yes!"
"I'm sorry for your loss. The pain and grief you are going through must be indescribable. Couldn't it be said that your judgment and therefore your testimony against your father are biased in some way?"
Jamie tried to speak but was too overcome with emotion. As she tried to calm herself down, the DA stood up. "Objection. Miss Bradshaw's testimony is not suspect, and she voluntarily underwent a psychological evaluation to prove so."
Dan's attorney glanced at the jury and realized his mistake. He had been attempting to discredit Jamie, but had instead gained her a lot of sympathy. "Question withdrawn your honor. No further questions."
End Flashback
Jamie closed her eyes and started to cry. After a few minutes she picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Peyton? I know we agreed to put things on hold until after the trial but… I need you right now."
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Brooke sat down next to Jamie and rolled her eyes when the brooding blonde didn't look up. She was chewing on her bottom lip and staring at the wall.
"I guess they don't call you guys twins for nothing."
A smile crept onto the blonde's lips. "I don't brood as much as he does."
"Yeah, okay. If you say so."
Before Jamie could think up a good comeback, Nathan came hurrying up to them. "The jury's done deliberating."
The entire family took up a row in the courtroom. They had all been waiting for this moment. The trial had lasted three weeks, due to the amount of things Dan had been charged with.
"Will the defendant please rise?"
Dan stood up and clenched his fists. For the first time since his trial began, he was showing signs of nervousness.
"On the charges of kidnapping, how do you find the defendant?"
"Guilty."
"On the charges of rape, how do you find the defendant?"
"Guilty."
The charges were listed off, each with a guilty verdict, until there was only one left.
"On the charge of murder in the first degree, how do you find the defendant?"
Jamie felt her sister tense up. She knew that April desperately wanted Dan to pay for killing her father.
"Guilty."
"Very well. Sentencing will take place tomorrow at eleven a.m."
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As the rest of the family filed out of the courtroom, Lucas, Nathan and Jamie waited behind. They had agreed to a press conference immediately following the trial.
As Nathan straightened his tie, he sighed. "So much for staying out of the spotlight."
Jamie laughed. "This trial made national headlines." Her brothers looked at her in surprise and smiled. It was the first time they had seen her laugh since Ryan's death.
A court officer approached them and said the press was waiting for them. When they stepped into the room, cameras began to flash and the noisy chatter died down a little.
Jamie, who had done this more than her brothers, stepped up to a microphone. "Thank you all for coming here today. I'm sure you all have questions so why don't we begin."
"Are you satisfied with the jury's decision?"
Lucas stepped up to answer this. "Justice was found here today. I think I can speak for my entire family when I say that we are glad to see Dan Scott where he belongs, behind bars."
Forty-five minutes later, the trio walked outside and got into the waiting limo. Lucas and Nathan had been against the fancy car but Jamie insisted it was the best thing to do. She had said that the press would have a field day if three of the richest people in Tree Hill drove themselves home from the courthouse.
Lucas sighed and loosened his tie. "God I hate being famous."
Nathan and Jamie both laughed. They had much more experience with the press than their brother, and his slight embarrassment amused them. Soon they were all laughing and talking about the past.
When the limo stopped in front of Nathan's house, Jamie leaned over and gave him a hug. "I'll see you later. Go be with you wife and kids. After the last few months, it's time to be happy and enjoy the little things in life."
When they got to Lucas' house, the older twin pulled his sister into a side hug. "Are you sure you don't want to come in for a while?"
"I'm sure. I think I need some time alone."
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Anna walked into Tric and looked around. With the exception of the one person on the stage, the place was empty. As she silently approached the stage, she listened to the song Jamie was singing. The blonde musician was sitting with her legs hanging off the stage, playing an acoustic guitar.
"I am what you see
I am not what they say
But if I turned out to be
Could you love me anyway?"
She stopped when she saw Anna. "Hey."
"I can go if you want to be alone."
Jamie smiled and shook her head. "Nah. Have a seat." Once Anna had hopped up onto the stage she spoke again. "What's on your mind?"
"I don't know, exactly. It's kind of hard to explain."
"Well, we've got this place to ourselves for the next…" She paused to look at her watch. "six hours. Take your time."
Anna nodded. "I feel sort of… detached. Like everyone else is walking along one path, and I'm walking along another. Does that make any sense?"
"It makes a lot of sense. I used to feel like that a lot. I think it comes from going through something that nobody else around you can understand."
"Is that how you felt after the accident?"
A small frown crept onto Jamie's lips. "Yeah. It was… pretty awful. But, I learned something when I left. I realized that I had been growing more and more detached from who I was. All the fame and money was great, especially for raising a kid, but it just wasn't me. When Ryan was gone I didn't know who I was anymore."
"So that's why you left? To find yourself again?"
"Well, that's what happened, but the real reason I left was just being scared. I didn't know how to get on with my life, and I was scared of asking for help. The funny thing about it all, is the person who gave me the advice that allowed me to let Ryan go and move on."
Anna leaned back so that she was resting on her elbows. "Who helped you?"
"An old homeless man. I had pulled off the road into this little area and he had a tent set up there. Common sense told me to get the hell out of there before he killed me in my sleep, but instead I stayed. He listened to my story, and at the end he asked me a question. He asked me what the most enjoyable part of music was."
The short brunette nodded, immersed in the story. "What did you say?"
"I said that the thing I loved the most was just sitting there playing an acoustic guitar, singing a song that's full of emotion."
"But I thought you were into all that hard rock and stuff."
Jamie laughed and shrugged. "I am. What I mean is… the music I played for my band, I had very little influence on. It was awesome music and really fun to play, but it didn't allow me to express myself. That's what writing music is all about."
Anna sat up and pulled her legs up to her chest. "So what did the old man tell you to do?"
"He said that I should just do what I said. Play my acoustic guitar and do what feels right. So I did. I decided to leave all the fame and money behind. I took my backpack, a duffel bag and my guitar, and hitchhiked to the nearest bus station."
"What about the rest of your stuff?"
"I didn't need it. I had clothes, money for food and a place to sleep, and my guitar. I'm sure the homeless man got a nice surprise when he woke up though."
Anna was deep in thought. Jamie could tell she was working up to saying something so she sat in silence. "Did it work? Did you start to feel better?"
The blonde musician laughed and nodded her head emphatically. "More so than I ever would have imagined. At first I felt guilty. But I eventually realized that Ryan would want me to move on. That kept me going. I was getting better, not just for myself, but for him as well." She picked up her guitar again and strummed it a few times. "But I'm not recommending that you take a trip across the country."
Anna laughed and nodded. "I was thinking… maybe I could write music too. I mean, I can sing, so…"
Jamie nodded. "Sometimes music allows you to express your feelings in a way regular words can't. So you say you can sing huh?"
"Yeah. I can show you, if you want."
"Okay. Now we just need a song for us to sing." Jamie chewed her bottom lip for a few moments before smiling. "Do you know any songs by the band Nickelback?" Anna nodded. "Well there's this one song that is really inspiring, and I think it kind of fits this situation. It's called 'If Everyone Cared."
Anna's face lit up. "I love that song. Yeah, let's sing that."
Jamie nodded and went to the d.j. podium. She selected the song from the karaoke files and started messing with the settings. Thanks to the new computer program, she was able to set it up so the vocals and one guitar part wouldn't be played. Picking up an electric guitar she had been playing earlier, she set it to the right tuning and motioned for Anna to come over and get a microphone. "I'll sing Chad's part. Is that cool with you?"
"Sure."
The tall blonde then pressed play and took her place in front of a microphone.
From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you'd be mine
But here we are, we're here tonight
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
And I'm singing
Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We'll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day when nobody died
Jamie stopped playing and clapped her hands. "Wow. I had no idea you could sing that good."
The brunette blushed and shrugged. "I used to sing with my mom when I was younger."
"Why'd you stop?"
"I don't know. I think it reminded her too much of what she gave up."
"Hmm. Maybe you should ask her to start singing with you again."
Anna shrugged. "I was kind of hoping that maybe you and I could do this."
Jamie set her guitar down and led her niece down to the bar. "Listen… I don't have a problem with that, but this is probably something you should do with your mom. I can tell you and your parents have been growing apart, and that's a problem that shouldn't be ignored."
Sitting down on a stool, the short brunette rested her chin in one hand and stared at the counter. "I know. It's just hard to talk to them. Ever since I… you know… in the pool…. It's like we don't know what to say. The blame isn't all on them, because I've been doing it too, but I can't fix the problem on my own."
Jamie sighed. "Do you want me to talk to them for you?"
"No. I think it's best if I do it. But will you please reconsider the music thing?"
"Okay. How about you come by the recording studio tomorrow after school. If you're serious about writing music, you should learn more about what goes on."
Anna smiled. "I'll be there." Jamie was a little surprised when her niece hugged her. As she watched her walk away she shook her head and sighed again. She understood the kind of pain the girl was going through, and she also knew how difficult it was to let people help.
Walking back onto the stage, she began to pack up her instruments. "You can come out now."
Haley stepped out of a doorway and walked over to her sister-in-law. "I guess you were right. But this feels like I'm spying on her."
"It was the only way I could show you what she's like when she lets her guard down. She puts on a pretty good act at home doesn't she?"
"Yeah. I don't know how things got so bad. What am I supposed to do?"
"Be there for her, but don't push too hard. She just needs to feel that she can talk to you without having her defenses up. It's not going to be easy, for anyone, and it's going to take time."
Haley nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. "Thank you. It means a lot that you're helping her like this. I know it can't be easy for you."
Jamie shrugged. "Just because I'm going through something difficult doesn't mean I have the right to turn a blind eye to other people's suffering. I'm happy to help, any way I can."
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A/N: Let me know what you thing. I know I need to involve the other characters more, but I'm having trouble coming up with ideas.
