Chapter 20
"You got that, Emmett?" Elle asked after she went over all the details she talked out with the Judge.
"Loud and clear," Emmett said with a nod. "Just remember, that you got yourself into this mess, and you're going to argue your way out of it, Elle. I'm only there to supervise. Even though you're licensed, you're still a beginner. Just watch out for the DA, alright? I have no part in this, so you have to understand that you can't begin to throw a tantrum or start crying if you don't win, got it?"
Elle gave him a look and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not a baby, Emmett. I've been through tons of these and I didn't win all of them. I got over it. That's how it goes," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Glad you get it," Emmett said. He kissed her head, then walked into the courtroom.
Elle sighed and rubbed her arms. She was going to win. She took a deep breath and just as she was going to walk into the courtroom, she felt a hand touch her shoulder.
"Hey, Elle, I just wanted to wish you luck," the voice said.
Elle grinned and shook Vivian's hand. "I thought you had work to do."
"I do, but I was hoping this trial wouldn't last long. I'm a witness, remember? You know I'd never desert you when you need the most support," Vivian said sympathetically.
"And again I'm wondering what I would do without you," Elle said with a grateful smile.
"Are you nervous for it?"
"I'll admit that I'm a bit nervous, but nothing big. I'll get through it," Elle replied then checked her watch. "I'd better get inside. It's starting in five minutes."
Vivian hugged her. "Good luck once again. I'll follow later on. Be there in maybe fifteen."
"Ok. And thanks!" Elle said, waving, then walking bravely into the courtroom and taking a seat next to Brooke.
"This trial is now in session. Will Miss Elle Woods please take the stand?" the Judge asked and hit the gavel.
Miss Elle Woods, huh? I guess some things never change. I'm always going to be Miss Elle Woods to every other Judge in America. Ahhh! What am I talking to myself about?! I have to concentrate on the trial.
Elle got up, gripped the folder in her hands tightly, and took a step forward. "First, I'd like to say that not only is an innocent little girl involved in this whole thing, but she deserves to have the parent that most loves her," Elle said honestly, then looked back at Brooke, who was pale, but smiled.
"Your Honor, this is not relevant!" the DA jumped up.
"Order, Mrs. Perry. Let Miss Woods talk," the Judge said, glaring at the DA.
"I'd like to, firstly, read the list of what Mr. DeMira has done to Mrs. Wyndham," Elle said nervously and opened her folder.
"Objection, your Honor!" Todd stood up.
Elle rolled her eyes, feeling frustrated. "Mr. DeMira, she is allowed to read the list because I already know everything that's on that list. Just as I read all your files, Miss Woods gave me all of her files to read. Please, continue, Miss Woods," the Judge said, looking at Elle again.
Todd sat back down, but Elle looked at him with a smirk. "Thank you, your Honor. Now, for starters, Mr. DeMira had signed a contract to coming to this trial, but also to admitting to his legal marriage and divorce. He deserted Mrs. Wyndham while she was pregnant and hadn't shown his face for almost two years to her. One day, Mrs. Wyndham heard a knock on the door. She opened it, but instead of a smiling face, Mr. DeMira had forced his way into her house, and kidnapped Bailey, the child," Elle said, then stopped.
"Miss Woods, you said there were policemen and lawyers with Mr. DeMira," the Judge said with a nod.
"Yes, your Honor. That is what Mrs. Wyndham told me. And I believe that I know how Mr. DeMira deceived the lawyers and policemen," Elle said, then walked to the table where Brooke was sitting, reached into another folder, and pulled out two sheets of paper. "Bailey's birth certificate and not showing the divorce file. When he showed the paper to the lawyers, they believed he was right, because without showing of the divorce file, the child was still legally both parents' and it made it look like Mrs. Wyndham kept the child to herself."Elle nodded. "Oh, and I have the divorce file right here."
Elle looked at Todd's lawyer, who looked a bit impressed. She put the papers on the Judge's stand. No one said a word while the Judge read. "You deny that you signed the birth certificate and the divorce contract, Mr. DeMira?" the Judge inquired.
"I don't deny it," Todd said simply and almost immediately.
"Well, then, Miss Woods has a point. Miss Woods, you may continue."
Elle nodded. "So he fooled the lawyers. It was easy for him to convince them that Mrs. Wyndham wouldn't allow him to see his child.. I yield the floor, your Honor." Elle sat back on the chair.
The trial lasted almost two hours. Way longer than anyone expected. There was a fifteen minute recess when both parties talked with the Judge. Brooke was the most anxious one, but both Elle and Brooke were positive they were going to get Bailey back. It was a guaranteed decision.
"The decision, according to both testimonies and witnesses, is made," the Judge said after the short recess.
"We're ready, your Honor," Elle said with a nod. Brooke grabbed Elle's hand and her nails dug into her skin.
"Bailey Julie DeMira, legally, will be of full custody of..." the Judge opened the envelope. "Mr. Todd DeMira. Case dismissed."
Elle noticed that Todd was smiling and looked at Brooke with a smirk. Brooke, on the other hand, when she realized what had been announced, fainted in her chair. Emmett caught her to avoid harming her shoulder.
Elle felt she couldn't breathe anymore. She wasn't sure what to begin doing. To cry or to have a heart attack, or to throw a tantrum. She stood up and ran out of the courtroom...and out of the courthouse. She leaned against one of the large white pillars and began to cry. She was a failure. She let down everyone. She kept a daughter away from her mother.
"Elle..." Vivian's voice came into Elle's head and she turned around with tear-stained cheeks. "I'm sorry," Vivian whispered.
Elle began to cry again and Vivian embraced her. She cried into Vivian's shoulder and held tightly to her friend. "It's my fault. Brooke's going to hate me. And Bailey's going to never see her mom again. I ruined two lives," Elle said shakily.
"Oh, Elle, no you didn't. You did the best you could. You said your honest opinions and you argued fair," Vivian replied, fixing Elle's blonde hair. She looked at Elle with sad eyes. "It's not your fault that some judges in America have no hearts."
"But I let her down. I-I-" But she couldn't go on. Tears were rolling down her cheeks again. Over Vivian's shoulder, she saw Emmett coming out with an extremely pale Brooke.
The second they reached them, Emmett held on to Elle tightly. "I'm so sorry, Emmett. I did everything I could to get Bailey to Brooke," Elle sobbed.
"Elle...shh. Don't cry. You said you did everything. You did your best. It's all over. There's nothing you can do about it," he said softly and kissed her head. Emmett put an arm around each of the two women, and nodded a goodbye and thank you to Vivian. "Let's get you two home, and in bed."
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Elle heard a knock on the door. "Go away," she replied.
"Elle, come on, open the door. You can't stay locked in there forever," Emmett said to her.
"Yes, I can and I will," she said in a chocked voice. She was trying hard not to cry, but she wanted silence to think about what happened and try to get over it.
"No, you won't. Come on, sweetie, please. We'll talk about it," he tried coaxing her.
Elle thought for a moment, then nodded. "Ok." She got up to unlock the door, but sat back on the bed just as Emmett opened the door.
"Honey, you can't mourn the rest of your life. What happened isn't your can't blame yourself," he said softly.
"Then who do I blame? Brooke, for giving birth to Bailey? Or Bailey, for coming into this world?" Elle cried out.
Emmett sighed. He knew she was hurt. Her heart was aching because she was thinking of their child too. "No one's to blame. You did perfectly fine in the courtroom, and if the Judge knew what a real case was, she'd have given Bailey to Brooke. Everything you said was against Todd and he was completely guilty. No judge is that stupid to not realize what the truth was."
"I know! But it's not our decision. It's the judge's," Elle said with a sigh.
"Think about how Brooke feels, Elle. You know she never shows her true feelings to anyone unless she can't keep it inside. You know how hardcore she is. I know you don't know, but she's been stressed and nervous ever since the trial had been suggested," Emmett said.
Elle didn't know this. She knew Brooke was hardcore, but she just thought Brooke wasn't mature enough yet and still acted young. "So...what's Brooke doing now?"
"Well..."
"Yeah, I know. She's crying. I would be too, but I can't cry anymore. I've been crying for the past four hours. I'm never going to understand how these stupid court cases, though obvious, end up so disastrous because the judges have no lives or hearts," Elle said, sounding a bit angry, but then winced. "That was mean, but it's true."
"I know it is." Emmett hugged her. "You can't change this, Elle. We can't turn back time, or change people's minds."
Elle pulled back and had on a serious face. "No. But I can fight for what is right. And that's just what I'm going to do," she said determinedly and got up.
"Elle..." Emmett groaned, knowing that she wasn't going to stop until Bailey was safely in the arms of Brooke, or at least have a reasonable and fair response to why the judge had decided what she did.
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"Hey, Elle, can I...ask you something?" Brooke asked with tears in her eyes as Elle passed in the hallway.
Elle dreaded this moment. She secretly hope that Brooke would just cry forever, even if Elle couldn't bear to see her any longer. "Sure, Brooke," Elle said with a forced smile.
Elle walked into Brooke's room and sat down on the bed next to her. "Well...so...am I really never going to see my baby again?" Brooke asked slowly.
Elle thought her heart would shatter. She then felt really upset again. Brooke would never stop thinking about Bailey until she was in her arms again. Only a good mother would ever act how Brooke was acting. "I'm so sorry, Brooke," Elle said softly.
Brooke nodded, biting her lip. "It's not your fault."
"Oh, Brooke, I told you I'd do anything to help you. I said I'll do anything to get Bailey back for you. I don't-"
"Elle, it's ok. I said it's fine."
"Listen," Elle told her. "I don't want to see you like this forever, and if I don't do something to help you, I will see you like this forever. I'm going to get her back, Brooke. I promise. One way or another, I will."
Brooke forced a smile. "But you're pregnant. You can't really do anything now. Elle, you're due in almost three weeks!"
"So? Who says a pregnant woman can't do the impossible?" Elle asked. "I'm going to do this. I have to. For your sake and for that little girl's sake. She needs you, and you need her, I know it."
Brooke felt a tear wet her cheek. She sniffed and hugged Elle. "Oh, Elle, I wish I could believe that. I really would do anything to have Bailey."
"This time, I'm going to do what I had to do the first time," Elle said, then looked at Brooke. "Brooke, I'm going to find out why that judge didn't follow the rules of the law."