Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron or it's characters.
Chapter 53,
"So, you're back." Tavon said, and Libby's lawyer turned to see him.
"What are you doing here? Aren't you suppose to be in JAIL." She said emphasizing that last word.
"Sammy, they allowed me to attend the trial, because she is my daughter, and I have been good." Tavon said and the Lawyer groaned.
"How many times have I told you not to call me 'Sammy' it sounds so boyish, and my name is perfectly sound. So call me Samantha, ok? Samantha." Sammy said and Tavon rolled his eyes.
"You think after all of this time, I don't remember your name?" Tavon asked and Samantha shook her head.
"According to what I hear, you got so drunk that you couldn't remember your name." Samantha said and Tavon sighed.
"I'm not drunk you know. Besides, I can't believe some idiots actually allowed YOU of all people to represent Libby." Tavon said and Samantha turned her head which flipped her hair back.
"I'm good at what I do. Maybe you should have thought about that when you were going to trial." Samantha said and Tavon rolled his eyes.
"As if I was going to ask you to help me." Tavon said and Samantha scoffed.
"Please, do you think so little of me? Do you honestly think I would have let you go to jail when you were raising Libby?" Samantha said and Tavon rolled his eyes.
"I didn't think that you cared about Libby anymore." Tavon said, matter-of-factly.
"Of course I care about Libby. I care about her, and I still care for you." Samantha said, and Tavon glared at her.
"Don't feed me that bullshit, Sam." Tavon said and she sighed.
"It's not bullshit, Tavon, I love the both of you, and I don't want you two to get hurt-"
"If you didn't want to hurt us, then you shouldn't have abandoned us!" Tavon shouted, and the policeman made Tavon step away from Samantha.
"I left because I couldn't stand how our lives had gotten." Samantha said as her eyes watered.
"The point of family was to have people to rely on when you are going through a rough patch." Tavon said gruffly, and Samantha sighed.
"You became a drunk, honey. You slipped into depression, and became distant. And Libby started to get pissy at everything I said, and I couldn't connect to her like I use to." Samantha said and Tavon straightened his back, and sighed.
"When you left, we fell apart." Tavon said and Samantha shook her head.
"I figured that out, hon. When I left, I hoped that the two of you would snap out of it and bond closer then ever. But I was wrong." Samantha said.
"I'll say." Tavon uttered and Samantha tapped her foot.
"Listen, I can't help you now." Samantha said and she looked down at her feet.
"You're locked way, the old house is nothing but ashes, and the two of you don't have a thing left. Except me." Samantha said.
"So does that mean that you're gonna raise Libby?" Tavon asked.
"I... maybe." Samantha said and Tavon hands curled into a ball.
"What do you mean, 'maybe'? You're her mother, Sam, and you said that you are all that she has left in the world, and you're not gonna raise her." Tavon said and Samantha sighed.
"I don't know, hon. I was never that great at being a mother. It might be better if I put Libby in the foster system." Samantha said and the policeman pulled Tavon back right as the man lunged at his wife.
"You bitch!" Tavon shouted and Samantha blushed.
"You need to stop screaming, or they won't allow you to stay." Samantha said and Tavon took a few deep breaths.
"You really are a bitch." Tavon muttered, trying to keep quite, and Samantha's eyes fell.
"I know that you don't agree with me. But perhaps that would be best for her." Samantha said and Tavon bit his lip.
"You don't even know your daughter any more." Tavon said softly, and Samantha stared at him.
"Do you?" Samantha asked Tavon and Tavon looked at her.
"I hope that you're going to do a plea bargain." Tavon said.
"Taking the cowards way out, please." Samantha said, and Tavon sighed.
"Sammy, I know you are a good lawyer. But I heard that if she takes the plea bargain, then Libby can get out in two years, like me." Tavon said and Samantha's eyes widened.
"Are you kidding? When I prove her innocence, she will get out of jail immediately." Samantha said and Tavon took a step closer to her so that he could whisper.
"But she isn't innocent. You'll probably lose this case." Tavon said in his hushed way, and Samantha sighed.
"I know that, but I can sway the jury." Samantha said.
"This is our little girl, hon. Not some random person from the street or a business man." Tavon said.
"I know, I was there for the birth." Samantha said and Tavon took a deep breath.
"Listen, Samantha. With the rape, and attempted murder, and the abuse, Libby is looking at about 22 years of jail, and that's if the courts are kind. I beg you, please. If you love your daughter, you will take the plea bargain, and settle for the 2 years." Tavon said and Samantha crossed her arms.
"Just think about it, Samantha. In two years we both get out of jail, and then we can all be a family again. Maybe we can rebuild the old house to the way we always wanted it to be. You always wanted to have a book nook with a window in the corner. And Libby could soundproof her room so we would have to suffer hearing her loud music anymore. Or better yet, instead we could soundproof our room and we could tangle like we use to." Tavon said and Samantha didn't say a thing. Particularly because what Tavon was saying sounded so nice.
"Hon, if you fight this, and lose, imagine how Libby's life would be. Losing 22 years, at least, she will miss out on so much. Prom, graduation, college, her first job, discovering her passion in life. I mean, well, there is a chance that she can figure out that passion in prison, but it's not the same. And do you really want to risk Libby's life by trying to prove you were right?" Tavon said and Samantha sighed, and she opened her mouth to speak.
"Mrs. Folfaxthe trail is getting ready to start. You should probably go see your client now." A young intern said to her and she nodded.
"Thank you." Samantha said and she took a look at Tavon, and walked away. Tavon sat in the pew while they got ready. The jury sat down, and they brought in Libby all chained up like he was, and Samantha sat next to her, and the judge walked in, everyone stood, and everyone sat back down.
"How does the defendant plea?" The judge asked and Tavon's breath hitched as Samantha stood up. Was she going to take his advice, or was she gonna try to prove her point?
"We plea..." Samantha hesitated as she contemplated what to say. Most people knew that she was Libby mother, but even though it's a possible conflict of interest, she was the only one willing to work with a child who was a killer rapist. All eyes were on her, and then she took a deep breath and followed her gut.
"We plea not guilty, your honor." Samantha said and the air grew thick at her words. One could hear a pin drop in the farthest corner of the room.
"That bitch."
