Hello Friends!
I hope you all had a fabulous week. There is a hiatus coming in two weeks. Chapter 56 will end on a Sunday and then I will be going on hiatus. I WILL continue writing during the hiatus, but I am going not going to be posting until January 1, 2016. That will be when I post Chapter 57, so you still have some time, before I stop posting for a while. Please know that I am 100% dedicated to this story. I encourage you all to READ CAREFULLY! READ THE WARNINGS CAREFULLY! Again. I am PLEADING with all of you to READ the notes, warnings and character cheat sheet! YOU WILL NEED IT!
First off, MAJOR thanks to my girls Tina and Sheila - you've both been so helpful!
Now we move into the standard section. If you know this well, then please move on to the WARNINGS and NEED TO KNOW sections below!
~ THIS STORY IS NOT SEXUAL AGE PLAY! The girls are NOT little girls. They are NOT little girls. You can act young without being a little one. I work with twenty seven year old women who have three year old tantrums, on a regular daily basis, because they didn't get their way. They whine and complain and literally throw a tantrum. The girls in this story DO NOT go into a different mind set, they just act like younger girls and in this case, it's only when they need comfort. So let's go with the statement that sex or sexual games will not be used for comfort. I know this isn't making sense, but I don't know how to phrase it any other way.
~ NONE of the girls will have sex with Will or Shelby. The training they have, may result in them having orgasm, but they are NOT HAVING SEX with their Master or Mistress, BECAUSE they call them Mama and Daddy at times. Again, NO SEX between, the pets and the Master/Mistress. Any sex the pets have will be with each other or other members of the circle. Any sex Will and Shelby have, for this story, will be with each other only. For this story, Sex is defined as Consensual meeting of genitalia between two people.
~ THIS STORY IS A/U. Rachel is NOT Shelby's daughter. Again, Rachel is NOT Shelby's child. I WILL put this up in the warnings when the two of them start interacting more. She WILL eventually call her Mama, as the other girls do now, but it's a term of endearment/safety, NOT BECAUSE it's her true mother. Rachel is NOT Shelby's biological child.
~ The four girls did NOT go to school together. Quinn, Brittany, and Santana came to know each other and form a tight trio approximately a year ago. Rachel is slowly integrated into the trio as the story continues.
~ For this story, sexual orientation doesn't matter. Sex is just sex, the story is more about the lifestyle and the relations between the Masters/Mistresses and their pets, and not at all about who they're having sex with.
Need to Know:
~ This story started on a Thursday evening. It is currently Saturday night and moving into Sunday. Three weeks and two days later moving into three weeks and 3 days later. As a general reminder to everyone, it took me 16 chapters to write one full week, and I did say the story would be 6 - 8 weeks long. In simple terms it's slow!
~ Flashbacks are in italics.
~ Rachel has chosen to make herself younger. She is just above baby status under "normal" circumstances, however, at parties, she's as young as Courtney and Mackenzie. It's what's safe for her. I don't think that's changing anytime soon.
~ NONE of the girls are on Parent Time. They have however been shocked into a very uncomfortable place therefore, EVERYONE IS SLIPPING INTO TODDLER HOOD!
~ Rachel has been conditioned for bell tones. All bell tones. This has not and will not change for quite a few chapters.
~ Rachel's previous Sirs are back in jail and have been there for a while now and they aren't thrilled. We are now leading up to a trial! I am asking everyone to live in my world of fantasy law, as I am not well versed in reality law. Suspend what you know and just go with it please.
CHARACTER CHEAT SHEET:
Judge Owen Henderson - He is the judge that will be presiding over the case of Vincent London and Oliver Crane, vs. the Public
Robert "Bob" Calvary - A lawyer. He was a customer at the bank, where Rachel used to work. He was hired by Vincent London and Oliver Crane.
WARNINGS: READ THIS CAREFULLY!
~ Rachel has started her reconditioning therapy. It's NOT INTENSE YET! It's intense for Rachel, but we don't know details yet. Give me time, it's GOING TO GET THERE!
~ All the girls are flipping out. All the girls are acting as toddlers. THERE WILL BE NO SEX BETWEEN THEM AND ANYONE ELSE UNTIL THEY ARE NO LONGER ACTING LIKE TODDLERS! Again, NO SEX between Faberittana and any other person.
Again, if you have any questions at all, please PM me so I can explain anything you don't understand. I hope you all read and enjoy.
Thanks for reading the story I want to tell.
Be well friends
Shelby knelt down behind her daughters and spoke softly. "Rae and Sanny," she said, petting each of them gently. "Girls, it's dinner time, does anyone want to get up and eat dinner?" she asked. The two of them laid there quietly and very still. "I love you baby girls. When you're ready to get up, we'll have dinner all ready for you okay?" she said gently.
"Shel, come on," Karen hissed quietly and Shelby waved her off.
"Mama's in the kitchen my baby girls. I love you," she said and she stood up, kissed each of them on their temple and backed up, just watching. They seemed to have an even breath rate, syncing up with each other and Shelby sighed. Rachel was awake and clearly scared, but she wasn't admitting it and because of that, Shelby couldn't fix anything. It killed her that Quinn was so scared and acting so naughty, and that Rachel seemed afraid too for some reason. Santana was still scared of her own shadow, which was not like her at all, and Brittany seemed to be afraid for the impending weather.
"Hey," Karen said softly, taking Shelby's hand and leading her away. One they were a bit further away, Karen spoke. "I know all my children. I know that look on your face. You are not a bad mother, now let's eat and get you some energy to burn off. Clearly, you've got a lot to burn with four children, believe me, I know," Karen teased and Shelby smiled and leaned into her mother for a hug. Then she wrapped her arms around her, and hung on tightly.
"Don't leave me Mommy," she sighed.
"I'm not planning on it baby girl. Come on, dinner," Karen smiled and the two women walked into the kitchen to find Frank and Brittany setting up four plates. "Baby Bree, that looks very delicious, did you cook all this for Grandma?" Karen smiled.
Brittany blushed and Frank spoke for her. "Yes, she did. She cooked it all from scratch. She spent all day slaving over a hot stove for you so you should definitely eat it," he said.
"You're fresh," Karen laughed and she held out her arms to her granddaughter. "Can I get a hug Bree? The only one who has hugged me so far is Mama," she said and Brittany quickly moved into her arms and stayed there. "Will you share a plate with me maybe?" Karen asked. It didn't take a genius to figure out that every child in the house was stressed and that included Karen's own child. She knew Brittany didn't eat too much when she was stressed, but she would sit with someone and she would be hand fed for a while and she wouldn't find anything wrong with it, so Karen took that approach.
While Karen took alternating bites of food with Brittany, Shelby poured everyone a glass of red wine and even put some in Brittany's blue cup that she pulled out of the cabinet. Brittany looked at her with a shocked face when Shelby handed it to her. "Baby girl, we have all had a very stressful evening last night and the day today, it's okay to use this to calm down a little bit. I know you're under age, but you're a responsible young lady, and it's controlled. You're drinking with food, not on an empty stomach. You're not solely using this to destress from your life. You don't have to drink it, if you don't want to, but I think it'll help you a little bit. It'll at least calm your nerves. I can very clearly see that you are all nervous about something, so until you're ready to talk to me or Daddy about it, for tonight, we can all have some wine. I promised you a long time ago, Daddy and I will never force you to tell us something, you aren't ready to tell," Shelby said.
"And your Mama never breaks a promise to her children," Karen smiled and Brittany snuggled in close.
"You don't have to drink it if you don't want to baby," Shelby reminded her.
"Some Mama," she said and Shelby smiled.
"I love you all so much sweetheart, and thank you for trusting me," she told her.
Upstairs, Quinn was in Will's lap. Her naked body was being restrained in his protective embrace, as she continued to fight him, and beg to not "go side", even though, no one was truly sure what that meant. "Quinnie, you need to stop struggling and listen to Daddy," Will said seriously. She was quite hysterical tonight, and had been for a while. They hadn't remembered seeing her this upset in the past, especially when it came to wearing clothes. That was the oddest part for Will. Not only did Quinn fight to get naked, but she stripped Brittany of her clothing as well. "Quinnie, when you are calm, we will talk, and we will talk, you need to communicate much better," he said.
"No side, no side, good girl," she pushed out and then her chest started to rattle. She was getting more anxious as time passed and that was what was going to send her into an asthma attack.
"Quinnie," Will said kindly. "Quinnie, calm down and listen to Daddy, I promise no side, but you need to breathe and we need to talk," he said. "No side, I promise," he told her and he truly meant it. Whatever that was, they weren't going to do it until proper communication was established, if at all. It took three minutes, to calm down and they were the longest three minutes of Will's life. He waited for her to stop and once she did, he took a moment to talk to her. "Quinnie, you are not Sanny," he told her calmly and she put a perplexed look on her face. "You aren't, but when Sanny is upset, she let's me put my hand on her chest, just under her collar bone, will you let me do that, so I can feel your lungs?" he asked. "Daddy has to make sure his Quinnie, Sanny, Bree, and Rae are kept safe and healthy. If I check your lungs, then I'll know you're healthy and we can sit calmly and talk, because clearly, we need to do that," he told her.
"No side, good girl!" she insisted, but this time as she said it, she sounded young and timid and she wasn't struggling anymore.
"No, I promised you, no side," Will told her. "Now, can I touch you below your collar bone?" he asked and she didn't answer him. "Let's do this. Daddy will show you first. Daddy is going to take Quinnie's hand and guide it and Quinnie is going to check Daddy," he said. He was treating her very young, but she needed it and she didn't seem to mind at the moment. He very gently took her hand, spread his fingers over hers to give her an open palm and then put her hand on his chest, just below his collar bone. "See, that's all Daddy wants to do with Quinnie, do you think we can do that? Do you think you can guide me, the way I guided you?" he asked her.
"No side, Daddy," she whimpered.
"No baby, no side, just Quinnie guiding my hand to her chest," he assured her and very slowly, she did it. When his hand was on her chest, she gasped in fear and very quietly began mumbling the words, no side, over and over and over again. It almost looked as if she was praying.
Will noted that her chest didn't seem tight anymore. She appeared to be fearful still, but not so fearful that her body started to fight itself. "That was so good Quinnie, thank you for trusting me," he told her and with those simple words, she broke down into tears. She realized she hadn't trusted him, or Shelby, and she realized how scared she actually was, something she hadn't been able to admit yet. "Come on baby girl, we're going to go into Daddy's room and sit in the special chair and talk about getting you into pajamas at least," he told her.
"No side," she wailed.
"Shhh, no baby, no side, I promise, just Quinnie and Daddy in the rocking chair," he said and he carried her naked, goose-bumped body, in his warm strong arms, into the bedroom and sat down. He gathered her close, held her tight, and rocked steadily, while humming some random tune to her, to try and get her to calm down. After a few moments, she was much calmer, but still curled up tight and shivering slightly. It was not the warmest of nights. "Quinnie, you're freezing and naked baby, and I want to change that," he told her and she simply whimpered. "Okay," he sighed and he pulled a blanket off the bed, wrapped it around the both of them and sat there, rocking his little girl. Right now, they were all little girls, and this was most likely not the worst part. Rachel still had be informed about her change of lawyer, and his other three girls needed to deal with the change of weather. It took a while, but she calmed down completely and was just resting quietly against him. "Now, my little love, let's have a talk. We're going to get our communication working again and then we'll take it from there," he told her and she nodded, mumbling a yes Sir to him. "Good girl, so then this is the first question. Who is sitting in this rocking chair and who is in my lap?" he asked her.
"Sss, um, Da," she started and Will felt anxiety course through her body, so he quickly changed the subject for a moment.
"Breathe baby girl. You are in control of the answers. My name, right now, is whatever makes you feel safest. There is no right or wrong answer. The answer comes from you feeling safe. What word that describes me, makes you feel safe? That's the word you say," he told her.
"Sir and Daddy," she said touching his chest lightly, pointing to him, "is in the chair and Quinnie, is in his lap," she said pointing to herself.
"What is good about me having two titles?" he asked her curiously as he began to comb through her hair with his fingers, knowing it would help relax her a little more.
"I wanted to be a pet, because pets are said to have great lives. They get to be useful, and they are loved, and they are used, but not badly. It's a good use. They please people sexually, and they show the world how much they love their Sir or Miss and that they would do anything to please them, and the Sir or Miss does all of that back to them. They pleasure them, and love them, and show the world how proud they are to have a pet," Quinn said, "even if people don't know that's the role they have," she added. "Daddies and Mamas just love you and protect you and teach you right from wrong, and show you that you might be worth something if you really work at it," she said.
Will wasn't thrilled about the might part of her statement, but he was fairly sure, she wasn't talking about him. "What if someone has two families?" he asked her and she shrugged. "What happened with Quinnie and her first Miss?" he asked gently.
"Very bad," she said shrinking into herself. "Mean woman. Torture. She didn't do any of those things that Misses are supposed to do. No lovely words, only mean ones. No kisses, no cuddles. She told everyone we were terrible," she said tears falling down her cheeks. "He did too. He said I wasn't his. I was someone else's brat. I was the reason he left. No one wanted a brat with as many imperfections as me. I had to learn to be perfect, and I was very bad at it," she said sadly.
"What about in this house my Quinnie? What do the Sir and Miss say in this house?" he pressed gently.
"We're good, and we try, and perfection doesn't exist, and we aren't pets, we are equals and their children, and loves in training," she said with a faint sound of hope in her voice.
"What about the Mama and the Daddy of this house? Do they say anything different?" he asked.
"No, they say we are their children and their loves, and their perfect little girls, and they tell people we are their daughters," Quinn said and the faint sound of hope was a little bit stronger now.
"Quinnie what does it mean, if the Mama of this house says you were naughty?" he asked her.
"Time out, or spanking, or lines on the board or paper, or nap," she said and Will smiled slightly. She pouted as she spoke that response, because she did not like any of those punishments and she had experienced all of them.
"What does it mean if the Sir of this house says we have to go to the store?" he asked.
"We have to be good girls and stay close and follow directions. We help gather items from the list. We're sent away to get things and asked to return with only those things and we have to take our time and be careful," she said and she sounded really proud of herself, which was something that made Will happy.
"What about Quinnie's other house? What if the Daddy of Quinnie's first house said she was naughty? What would happen?"
"The woman would give her cold showers and have her recite rules and make her freeze and the man would slap her sometimes or maybe push her around, or tell all the company she was an ungrateful little wretch, even though she didn't know what that meant as a little girl," Quinn explained.
"He sounds very mean, and if I ever saw him near any of my daughters, I would have to restrain myself from doing some very mean things to him in return," Will said. "Do you know how many daughters I have?" he asked and she nodded and held up four fingers. It hurt to speak it. It was too scary. To speak that she was one of his daughters, that he truly claimed her as such, and loved her, and still did all the pet things with her that she had wanted for so long, was too much. Speaking made it true, and when the truth stopped, she knew it would hurt that much more once it was all gone. "What about the Miss of Quinnie's other house?" he asked gently.
"Made side," she said softly. "Side, or naked. Two blankets, three girls, very small. One time," she started and Will braced himself, because this didn't sound like it was going to be good at all.
"You didn't make enough money this week. I can't pay the electric bill on your salary, so I shut down your side of the house. The beds needed to be stripped so I was kind this time and did it for you. However, since it's not my job to do the laundry, your sheets aren't clean. I will not have my pets in dirty sheets. I'm feeling kind, so you'll be able to handle everything tomorrow. None of you are working on Sundays. The shower still runs. You have ten minutes to shower, and then I want the lights out and all of you asleep," Kate said and she left the room and locked the door behind her.
"Quick, move," Santana said seriously and she hurried everyone into the bathroom and dropped her voice to a whisper. "We're going to be quick before she cuts the power. Don't do our hair, just very quickly wash the important parts," she said and the three of them got into the shower together, washing each other, working together to get it over and done with as fast as possible. They were all out of the shower in two minutes, which was good, because three minutes later, the power went out and the girls all froze. Quinn very quickly put on a loud act, crying about how they just wanted to please this woman, and make her happy, and they had to do better, and now God was punishing them, because they hadn't done it. They all knew, she was right outside the door, listening to them. This wasn't their first time and Quinn said everything she could think of to make Kate happy, so she didn't come in and torture them further.
They left the bathroom, dry, and managed to get into underwear and bras as pajamas, but that was all they had. "Body heat," Brittany whispered. They were in her room and in her room was a radiator, that Kate hadn't figured out how to control yet. They laid down next to it, and very carefully, Santana began to peel back the carpet. She'd found a loose seam while vacuuming one day and she was able to sneak in a thin blanket. She was working on finding a way to sneak in a heavier one, but she hadn't figured it out yet. Quinn and Brittany put a make shift bed on the floor, with pillows and the three girls curled up and laid together quietly. "Sanny," Brittany whispered. "How much more money do we need?"
"About a month's worth. We can do it Bree, we just have to hold on," she told her.
"I'm working on getting more too Bree. I asked for a raise," Quinn said softly and the girls nodded, holding on to each other and falling to sleep as best they could.
"But just before dawn, she barged in, and hit us all with a belt for not being up to make her breakfast in time. She pushed us side and sprayed us with the water hose. She said we weren't clean. I had an attack," Quinn said recounting the incident.
"Quinnie baby? Where is side?" he asked and she went stiff. "We're not going, and we're not doing, we're just talking baby, can you point?" he asked knowing she was too far in her head. She'd remembered too much and now she was scared, but she did follow directions. She pointed to the window and started to cry softly.
"No side," she pleaded.
"Shhh, no baby, no one is going outside," he told her and he simply sat there with his little girl. He felt terrible for making her remember something so painful, but he wasn't sure how else he was going to truly figure out, what side meant. Now that he knew what it meant, he knew he could keep his promise. He could also feel her getting heavy in his arms, so he did what any good Daddy would do. He stayed in that chair and rocked his little girl for as long as she needed hopefully letting her sleep.
Twenty five minutes later, they were still in the chair and Shelby was at the doorway with Quinn's pajamas in her hand. Her footed sleeper, that she needed to wear, because it was going to be a cold tonight, and while the house would keep them warm, Shelby knew her girls, and they needed to be kept warmer. Kate's torture had messed with their minds and their bodies, so she did what she thought was going to work. She held up her hand to Will and sat in front of him, smiling when she peaked under the blanket to reveal a still naked Quinn. She held a finger to her lips and he nodded, then she pointed two fingers down and made a motion to indicate he should keep rocking. He nodded again and finally she began to speak.
"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful little girl named Quinn Lucy Corcoran Schuester," she started and Will smiled and shook his head. It amazed him that Shelby always knew when to treat their girls as super little girls, rather than nineteen year olds. "On a bright, sunny day in October, she asked her Mama and Daddy to go play in the park with her but they told her it was too cold and she needed to get dressed properly. Quinn Lucy Corcoran Schuester needed to be protected from the weather at all times. Quinn did not like that she had to wait, but her Mama spoke kindly to her. 'Quinnie, my little love, we will of course go play in the park, but first you need socks,' her Mama told her," and as Shelby told the story, she started slipping the feet of the pajamas onto Quinn's body. "First the right and then the left," she told her. "Little Quinn Lucy Corcoran Schuester was now dressed in her underwear and her socks and was ready to run out to the park and play. 'Mama, the sun is going to go away, and I want to play now,' she complained but her Mama knew better. 'It's not going away now my little Lady Bug. It's going to be out for a while. You will be able to play on this beautiful day once you have on more clothes. I can't send you outside in just your underwear. The wind is blowing and if it blows you away, what am I going to do? I need my daughter with me,' her Mama told her. So little Quinnie gave an adorable pout and finally nodded her agreement. 'I think we should put on pants now,' her Mama told her," Shelby said continuing the story and as she spoke she slid the pajamas up Quinn's leg and even moved the zipper just so far, in order to make it sound like jeans being zipped up.
Will noted that as Shelby continued the story, Quinn seemed to get heavier and her face seemed to ease. There wasn't as much pain written all over it, and he wondered if she saw herself and Shelby in her dream, playing out this little scenario that Shelby was describing. As the story went on Shelby got Quinn into her "shirt", and a "hoodie", using that to zip the sleeper up the rest of the way. "Now my little Quinnie, you are all safe and warm, from the weather. Now we can go out to the park and play in the beautiful day,' the Mama told her," Shelby smiled.
"Yes Mama, please," Quinn said softly in her sleep and Shelby beamed. It had worked.
"It would be my honor little Quinnie," Shelby smiled. "Let's go play in the park my love," she said and she held her arms out to have Quinn gently transferred into them. "Mama would love to be with her little Quinnie, to see wonderful things outside," she said carefully carrying her to her bedroom, "to look at a beautiful day, with my beautiful daughter so she knows that I will always keep her safe, warm, loved, and protected. Nice and warm in a house of love, where nothing has to be scary for her anymore," Shelby said and Quinn simply held on to her Mama. She was laid down very gently in her bed and with a soft lullaby, Shelby was able to leave the room while Quinn slept in her bed, in her warm footed pajamas, under her blankets, tucked in lovingly, and dream about being with her parents.
"How did you manage to come up with that?" Will asked.
"Dad suggested it," she said and Will raised an eyebrow. "Well not the little story part. I came up with that on my own when I saw her sleeping. His suggestion was to tell Quinn Lucy Corcoran Schuester that she had to wear the clothes, because her parents need her safe, warm, and protected at all times," she said.
"What about dropping Fabray?" he asked.
"She doesn't need to be reminded of that part of her life right now. Did you find out what side was?" she asked.
"Side, refers to outside, and I believe that if she is naked she knows we won't make her sleep outside," he said.
"We are going to have a very long winter with very young girls aren't we?" Shelby asked.
"One day at a time baby," Will smiled as he pulled her close and kissed her. "Where's everyone else?" he asked.
"Right now, my parents are watching tv with Rachel and Mom is feeding her whatever she'll eat. Sanny and Bree are sleeping, and I gave Bree some wine to calm her nerves."
"Well then, I think you and I should go take a bath together, we have some important things to discuss," he smiled.
"Date night in the tub, I like it," she grinned.
Rachel was snuggled between Karen and Frank and Santana was curled up on the couch on Frank's other side. "Will you have some more potato Rae?" Karen asked and Rachel nodded and opened her mouth to be fed. She took all the bites cleanly being sure that there was no mess involved and then shook her head no at the offer of more chicken. "No?" Karen asked and Rachel shook her head no again. "Okay, we won't push, you tell Grandma when you want more okay?" Karen asked and Rachel nodded her agreement. Karen was extremely patient with Shelby's girls for a number of reasons. The main one being that these girls had such a tortured past, she didn't know what would trigger them. She set the plate down and happened to glance over and see Santana was waking up. She sat back and smiled. "Thank you for eating some dinner Rae, your Mama and Daddy will be very proud of you," she told her and just as she finished speaking, Santana bolted up to a seated position and began gasping for breath.
Rachel moved like lightening. She got onto Frank's lap, sat back on her heels and made sure that she was in Santana's personal space. "Me, Sanny. Rae," she said quickly holding her hands and then forcing herself to put her forehead to Santana's. "Breathe," she said softly and she felt tears drip onto her hands as Santana cried softly. Rachel wanted to cry too, because her body was screaming at her for moving so fast, but it dulled quickly and she knew she was just supposed to help her sister.
"Sanny, it's okay baby, it's Grandma and Grandpa and Rae," Frank told her rubbing her back gently and she started to shake. Shelby was gone, this was it, and it was all her fault, and her tears came faster.
"Breathe Sanny, breathe," Rachel whispered to her, gripping her tightly and pushing a little more forcefully. She wanted Santana to feel something and holding hands was a comforting thing. Bumping foreheads was a sign of trust as far as Rachel was concerned. It was an invasion of personal space, with little to no movement, just sitting and being together.
"You're okay baby, it's Grandma and Grandpa," Frank repeated. "Rae is touching you and Mama and Daddy are upstairs, do you want us to go get them?" he asked and she whimpered in response and started to cry harder. Everything felt wrong somehow. Kate was going to rush in and take her away. Rachel's Sirs were going to come and take Rachel. Something was going to go wrong, she was sure of it and she didn't know how to fix it. What she did know was that she still wanted her Mama and she couldn't have her. She was being punished. That had to be what was happening. Everything was so backwards and mixed up for Santana. It was even harder to handle the pain that was shooting across her stomach from the bruising a few days ago.
"Sanny baby, can you hear Grandma?" Karen asked, wanting to try and talk to her to get her to open up. She didn't know that Santana had been practically mute for the last twenty four hours. She saw her at dinner the evening before, but she didn't realize how intense a situation it was. Santana just nodded and she gasped when Rachel gripped her hands tighter.
"Is juss Rae, Sanny," she said softly. "Breathe an' hear me. Breathe like Mama. You know how. We do it lots," Rachel smiled and she closed her eyes and started breathing loudly to try and get Santana to focus and calm down.
"Rae my love, are you alright sweetheart?" Karen asked kindly and Rachel nodded. "Okay, I just want you to tell me, if something is wrong, because your breathing very loudly," Karen said kindly.
"Sanny, hear me," she said quickly and then she went back to breathing, waiting for Santana to copy her. After a moment, she felt Santana start to lean back into her and she smiled a little bit. She continued to breathe and eventually Santana fell in sync with her, getting her breath under control and Rachel nodded a yes. She quieted her own breathing and the two breathed together for a good three minutes. Everything was slow and even, and Frank noticed Santana wasn't shaking so much anymore, but she still seemed pretty rigid. Neither he nor Karen were very sure on what to do. The girls were very tense at the moment and they hadn't had to handle that on their own before. When one of the girls got this tense, Shelby or Will were usually always around and lead them away from the situation to calm them and talk them through it. They felt very lost, and in that moment Karen and Frank realized how special and talented their daughter was. "Sanny, I help. Tell me?" Rachel said softly.
"Pain, Mama," she pushed out carefully.
"Are you in pain Sanny?" Frank asked her kindly, but she didn't answer. She was focused on two things, Rachel and breathing. Her grip got tighter and her breathing got louder. She was holding on to what was real, what she could feel; beyond the pain in her stomach.
"Mama," Santana pushed out carefully, but loud enough for Karen to hear her.
"Why don't I go upstairs and tell Mama that you're ready to be awake and spend time with her," Karen suggested and she very simply stood up and left the room. She wasn't sure how she or Frank could help the girls, it had to be Will and Shelby. Karen carefully went upstairs and then began calling softly for her daughter, not wanting to wake Quinn who was sleeping peacefully in her bedroom. "Shelby, I'm standing in the bedroom, and the bathroom door is closed, so I'm not coming in. Are you in there?" she called through the door.
Will sighed and whispered in Shelby's ear. "We're grown ups in our own house," he said kissing her neck and she giggled and pinched his inner thigh, sitting straight up in the tub.
"I can hear you Mom, what's up?" she called out, her stomach immediately dropping when she heard her mother's voice. This was about the girls.
"Santana is awake and asking for you, and she and Rachel are doing some very loud breathing exercises," Karen explained.
"I'll be there in three minutes," she said and then she heard Karen walk away. "I can take care of you in one of those minutes," Shelby grinned wickedly.
"You're terrible!" Will laughed.
"No, I'm very horny," she corrected and she leaned in and kissed the hollow of his throat as she reached her hand down to his groin and began pulling and tugging on his already semi erect member. "I am your wife, your mistress, your equal, and your partner in crime," she said softly and seductively. "Anything and everything I do to you, is because I love you, and we both want it. So right now, you take this, because I don't know when this cowgirl will be going for a ride again," she said and as she spoke, she worked her hand expertly causing him to have his orgasm in the tub. She let him sit for a minute, in the now 'contaminated' water, and moved herself to the standing attached shower. She quickly rinsed off, before getting into her own onesie. "Clean up the tub please?" she asked him.
"And then I will rinse off. I'll be down soon," he smiled and then playfully slapped her ass. "Hey!" he said and she turned to look at him. "I love you too," he told her and with a beaming smile, she went downstairs. She was going to sneak in any extra little bit of playtime she could with her husband. They both needed it.
Shelby made it downstairs and looked at her father, looking very unsure of himself; a picture she'd never seen before in her life. "They aren't snakes Daddy," she laughed and very slowly both girls turned to look at her. Santana's bottom lip quivered and Shelby knelt down. "I'm right here baby, you don't have to cry. Everyone is safe, I promise you," Shelby told her and Santana leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Shelby's neck. Shelby pulled Santana into her lap and cuddled her close. "I love my Sanny hugs," Shelby whispered and Santana smiled slightly and hiccuped softly. "Come on baby girl. Why don't we get you and Rae into a nice warm bath, and into nice warm pajamas, and then we can cuddle down here and watch a movie with Grandma and Grandpa," she suggested.
"Mama," Rachel said softly and smiled when Shelby laid a gentle hand on her cheek. It was such a simple and comforting feeling and the look on her face was one of a mother's love, something Rachel had honestly never experienced before meeting this family. "Sanny breathe," she said and then she started doing some breathing exercises and Shelby smiled.
"Yes, Rae was very helpful in getting Sanny to relax a little, because she woke up very scared," Frank offered.
Shelby smiled and looked at Rachel. This was a transition. This was the little girl, looking for love, praise, and acceptance from a parental figure, because the little girl never got it. The big girl didn't get it either, but Rachel wasn't ready for the full onset of adult life, so Shelby talked to her like a little girl. "You helped Sanny to breathe baby? That was so smart of you. I bet Sanny is really glad that you helped remind her of breathing exercises, and that you care so much about her," Shelby said and she noticed a smile cross Rachel's face. She looked so proud at that comment.
"Mama, Sanny ouch," Rachel said.
"Why don't we let Sanny tell me that baby," Shelby said kindly and Karen smiled. Rachel was the baby, the little informer of the group. Karen smiled, because as a mother of four, with Shelby being the youngest, Shelby was often the informer growing up and many times, Karen had to remind Shelby to not speak for her brothers. This was the same situation.
"Mama, ouch," Santana said softly.
"Will you show me where?" Shelby asked gently and she very carefully shifted her daughter in her lap and Rachel carefully scrambled to go sit with them.
Santana reached out her hand and took Rachel's, then she pushed her shirt up with her free hand, and Karen closed her eyes and the massive bruise that was on Santana's stomach was now visible. "Sanny, you didn't tell me you were a war hero," Frank teased her and to Shelby's great relief, both her daughters giggled softly.
"Say I'm the best war hero ever Grandpa," Shelby coaxed. She'd play along with any game as long as it made her daughters smile.
"Well did you know that war heroes get a big dinner when they come back from battle?" he asked and Santana smiled. "They do, but they have to get all cleaned up first," he said knowing Shelby wanted the girls ready for bed.
"I think that's a great idea," Karen said. "I think that my two granddaughters should go get ready for bed and I will fix them both a war heroes dinner," she said and the girls nodded their agreement. Shelby helped them both to their feet and they all shuffled upstairs to get ready for bed passing Will on the way.
"Talk to Mom and Dad," Shelby said and he nodded before kissing all three girls and going to see his in-laws. They needed to be informed of what was going on, at least legally.
"I'm so sorry we can't give you date night Will," Karen told him once Shelby had all the girls out of the room.
"It's okay Mom, you brought us dinner, that's still very good," he smiled.
"Well I couldn't let Mom out do me," she teased and he laughed happily. It was a great comfort to know that his mother and Shelby's parents got along so well, he knew that was not always the case with families.
"So, I want to tell you and Dad what's happening, while all the little ears are out of the room," he told her and Frank shook his head and pointed to Brittany, who was still sleeping. "Guess the wine was a good idea," he smiled and once she was tucked into a throw blanket, the three of them went into the kitchen.
"Good, I'd like to know why my granddaughter has six inch black and blue on her stomach," Frank said protectively.
"You know why," Karen scolded. "We all know why, and we all know how scared she was, but I didn't think they were all so young about it," Karen said and Frank rolled his eyes but looked to Will.
"Well, as Shelby told you, Rae's Sirs went to the diner where Sanny works, they pulled her over the counter by her hair and that's that. Terri has checked her out and our friend's sister is the doctor who worked on her at the hospital. Sanny is gong to be fine, the bruising, thankfully, did not hit any internal organs. The reason Rae is so young, is by her own doing. She feels safer in a younger state of mind so we're letting her do what is safe for her," Will explained, keeping it simple for Karen and Frank to follow. "The other girls are scared due to the cold weather. They have not had good experiences with cold, they are all preconditioned to have cold mean very bad things based on their history and so until they realize we are not going to torture them, they're going to be acting a little younger than normal."
"I will never hold that against them, do they know that?" Karen asked with concern.
"Your granddaughters know that Grandma and Grandpa love them and want to protect them and that's really all they need to know. As long as you show them that, they will be comfortable around you and things will be calm, which is what we need more than anything because the shit is about to hit the fan," he sighed.
Karen fixed him a plate of food and then served it to him, so that he would be able to eat and talk. Karen knew her children very well, even her children through marriage. She set the plate in front of him, put the fork in his hand and after he had a few bites, he finally began to talk. "I had a talk with a lawyer today," Will said.
"Who recommended the lawyer? Shelby was telling us about your friend Hailey who is a judge," Frank said.
"Actually, the lawyer contacted me. He's a member of the bank, Rachel used to work at, and he has been swindled by the very same men who tortured your granddaughter, well granddaughters," Will explained and then had a few more bites of food. "Beyond that, he's not legally allowed to represent them, because he was originally hired by the terrible men," Will said. "All he wants to do is help coach them in examining and cross examining," he explained.
"If she knows him, she may not say anything though," Karen offered.
"That's what Shelby is afraid of, and it's what I'm concerned about. I think more than convincing Rachel, I have to convince Shelby, because she is in full Mama Bear mode and it's really hard to snap her out of that, even when it's me," Will said.
"Call your mother," Frank grinned. He knew that even though Shelby was his daughter, his blood, Rose was able to snap her out of that protective state, faster than anyone. No one was sure how she did it, but it didn't matter. Everyone in their family had a special tactic for some task that no one else was able to do and they all used it to their advantage whenever possible.
Will smiled and nodded his agreement. "Well unfortunately I have to take several steps to get my girls, all of them, to cooperate, and then I have to get them to agree to go to court," Will said.
"They're putting them on the stand? In front of a jury? In their fragile states of mind? Are you sure you should be doing that?" Frank asked protectively.
"No Dad, I'm not, but I know that without their testimonies, those bastards are going to end up walking away. A jury will not see them as the terrible people they are unless Rachel, Santana, and Brittany testify," Will sighed.
"What about Quinn?" Karen asked.
"They didn't get to her. She's seen them and she saw what they did to Brittany, but they never physically touched her," Will said.
"You're going to have a hell of a time convincing them that this is the right thing to do Will, and Dad and I will help where we can, but I don't know how much help we're actually going to be," Karen explained.
"Just knowing that we have you, is really all that's important," Will said honestly and Karen smirked.
"You just like the free food we give you," Karen teased and Will smiled.
Shelby was seated in the living room with four girls crushed upon her. Santana and Quinn were lying on either side of her with their heads on her shoulder, while Brittany stretched out across Santana's lap, resting her head on Shelby's thigh, and Rachel took the same position over Quinn's lap. Will was in the kitchen, finishing up with Karen and Frank and they were quiet enough that the girls were not at all disturbed. Shelby chose the Disney channel as they were playing Wreck It Ralph.
"Mama, can'eye has a Golden Hammer?" Brittany asked with a sleepy smile on her face as Shelby played with her hair.
"Why Bree?" Quinn asked.
"Cause it fiss'es stuff an' I wanna fix Rae an Sanny's belly, an Quinnie's lu'gs an' my head," Brittany said.
"Well that is very kind of you Bree, and I'll look into it, okay?" Shelby asked and with big yawn, Brittany smiled and started to drift off. By the time, Will, Karen, and Frank came into the room, all the girls were sound asleep and Shelby motioned for everyone to be quiet, and so they all sat down and watched the rest of the movie.
When it finished an hour later, Karen looked over at her daughter and smiled. "You look very content," she smiled at her daughter.
"Cuddle time is always very special," she smiled and Karen nodded her agreement.
"Do you promise to ask for cuddle time of your own, over the next few weeks?" Karen asked and Shelby raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Will explained to us about Bob, and everything that will need to happen in the near future. Now it doesn't have to be us, but I strongly recommend that you look out for yourself as well. I want you to know that asking your mother or father, or mother in law for help is a not a crime. Preparation is going to be key in helping my granddaughters take the stand to testify when the trial comes. I also know that it's going to be stressful and you need time for yourself as well."
"I'm afraid to ask how much you know," Shelby smirked.
"I know enough to know that my daughter, my son, and my granddaughters are going to have their work cut out for them," Karen said. "I also have a suggestion for you. If you do this one at a time, you both need to be there and it'll be four separate trips with your girls, because they're only going to be able to last for so long. You may not get everything in that needs telling in one trip. Your best option is to go all together and have each girl prepare for what I assume with be an angry cross examination with the support of everyone in the room. It'll be a long drawn out day, but at leastyou will all have each other to lean on," Karen said.
"I don't want anyone tearing my babies apart," Shelby said calmly, but protectively.
"No one wants that love," Karen said, "and yet, from what I gather it's already happened. You are all incredibly strong women, your husband is an incredibly strong man, and you'll get through this storm, because you have support, but you have to know what to tap into your support system. I'm concerned you will forget to do that. You can be more prepared than any person on the planet, and yet you're still going to have your work cut out for you. The other side is going to want to discredit them, and it will take a tole on them, and you. I want you to know that we want you to come to us when you feel the need for more support. It doesn't have to be just you and Will and the girls," Karen said.
"They're just so little," Shelby sighed.
"They are," Karen agreed. "Look at me please," she told her daughter and Shelby turned her head to truly look at her mother. "I tell people I have four children, who are all married and have given me wonderful grandchildren," Karen said. "They ask how old they are and I tell them, I'm an old woman who doesn't like to be reminded how old she is," Karen said and Shelby smiled happily. She liked her mother's sense of humor. "I will always claim your girls as my grandchildren, and I will always do what I can to protect you, even when I think protecting you, will make you hate me," Karen said.
Shelby sighed and took the hint and then changed the subject slightly. She hadn't informed her parents, or Rose yet, about Rachel's new reconditioning therapy, so now seemed as good a time as any. "Rae started therapy," she said and Karen waited for Shelby to continue. "She couldn't get out of the car. I mean she did eventually, but she fell back inside and we held therapy in the car," she said. "I'm telling you this, to explain to you why I'm so protective of them and why I don't want them on the stand. I don't want them to be torn to shreds when they're cross examined," she said.
"Nobody else in this house wants them torn to shreds either baby," Karen said and she leaned over and gave her daughter a kiss to her forehead. Shelby was stubborn and right now, getting in a heated discussion was not going to help the situation, so Karen smartly dropped it and Frank smiled his approval. "Come on Frank, we'll leave the kids to sleep," she said and Frank stood up, quickly followed by Will. While the boys did that Karen leaned in and kissed her daughter again.
"I could never hate you Mommy," Shelby told her.
"I know exactly how you feel about me my love," Karen told her and she stood back to see the boys hugging each other and Frank was looking like a very protective father. It was an image, that always made Karen love him just a little bit more.
Will hugged his father in law tightly and thanked him for the company and support, before doing the same with his mother in law. Frank moved over to Shelby and kissed her cheek gently. "I have a daughter with four daughters of her own," he told her. "You are a very good Mama Bear Shel, and I love that you are so protective of your girls," he told her.
"But?" she asked.
"No sweetheart, and," he corrected. "And I want you to remember that protecting your children in the grand scheme of things, means sometimes doing something you don't want to do. It seems mean and cruel to put them through it, and yet in the grand scheme of things, it's what will help them best," he told her.
"Just because it's the easy option, doesn't mean it's right," she sighed parroting her mother and Frank smiled. It was a phrase Karen had said for as long as Shelby could remember.
"You do listen," he teased her and she laughed softly. "I love you baby, and I love all your girls. You'll tell them we said that later please," he stated and she nodded and watched them walk out the door.
Will locked up behind them and then returned to his wife, who was still crushed under the four sleeping girls. "You're thinking very loudly," he smiled at her and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He knelt in front of her and spoke gently. "What are you so scared of my love?" he asked her honestly.
"I know they need to be on the stand. I know it's what's going to do the most good, and yet, I feel forcing them to do that, is only going to lead to trouble," she said honestly and Will nodded at her to continue. "Sanny says no more than five words. Every other question I asked her while she had a bath, that required something more than yes or no, she simply said my name and reached for me. She has never been this young, for this long. Then we have Rae, who is in diapers and embarrassed about it, who is torn between running away to protect us, and staying with us to heal, and she really isn't doing well in her reconditioning therapy," Shelby said.
"Okay, those points are very valid, and in Rachel's case we need to give her a little more time. It's been a little more than three weeks and she's been much more rushed along a healing path than anyone else who has ever come into our circle. She also just started reconditioning therapy yesterday," Will pointed out kindly and Shelby sighed heavily. "Go on," he encouraged her.
"Quinnie wants to run around naked in the winter time, because after being with us for a little longer than six months, she's convinced we're still going to torture her with the cold, and my poor Baby Bree, is afraid to watch television now, because hearing about the weather is terrifying her," she said.
"We have a lot to handle babe, and we are in it together," he reminded her. "I'm very happy you shared all of your feelings with me," he offered and she blushed. "You don't have to fight it babe, if you want to see Tom, we'll make that happen," he assured her. He could see her fighting her feelings. He was just at the club a few days ago and was able to get the relief he could see she was craving.
"I can't be young right now. I have to be their strong Mama," she said. Before the girls showed up, when they were feeling overwhelmed, Will and Shelby would revert to a younger frame of mind and go spend time with Hannah and Tom, to get the care and love and affection they needed. They still had their parents and they definitely called on them, but sometimes they wanted to spend time with 'parents', rather than the biological parents who used tactics like logic and reason. It was easier to go to Hannah and Tom, thrown their tantrums, be punished, and then move on.
"You're always their strong Mama, and you are allowed to have your own break downs every now and again. I have them," he said honestly. "And we have them, because we have so much emotion in us, we don't know what to do with it, and you and I have that because we love these girls more than anything in the world," he reminded her.
"Well then I want to know your opinions on what we should do next. I know we have to talk to Mr. Calvary, and that is who he will always be to our girls. They will not call him Robert or Bob," she said.
"You're very serious about this, tell me more please," Will smiled. He was glad she was talking, but she was one hundred percent a Mama Bear right now so he needed to tread carefully.
"Making him anything other than part of their legal counsel on some level, means he's safe and I'm sorry, but I don't trust him, and I have a feeling Rae may not trust him either. He is Mister Calvary, all the time, and he does not practice cross examinations without one of us in the room with him. I do not want him coming here. We will go to neutral territory of some kind," she said and Will nodded along his agreement.
"I've been thinking about it too, and while I agree with everything you're saying. I also want to point out that our girls, find strength in each other. We've seen that, when it was just three and I think it's stronger now that there are four of them. You saw Rachel in the hospital. Santana got the orders but Rachel followed along as well. I think they will do well with each other," he said.
"I don't disagree, but this is more of an attack type situation and they can't talk for each other. That won't be allowed, because when we eventually move this to court, it'll be one girl at a time, no parents to console them while they're being cross examined on the stand, no Miss or Sir to hold their hand and reassure them when they're frightened, all of that will be gone. It's going to be just them up there, and they are going to have to work hard to tell their stories. It's going to be harder than whatever Mr. Calvary gets them prepared for," Shelby said.
"Shelby," Will said kindly. "You're jumping the gun baby. You're way too far into the future, let's just work on today," he said kindly. "Right now, as their Mama, as their Miss, what is the best thing for our four girls right now?" he asked.
"Sleep," she answered and he nodded his agreement.
"So then that's what we do. The house is locked up, and I will join you as best I can and cuddle my girls. You and I will have a movie night, rather than the proper date night we had planned on," he said.
"Are you mad?" Shelby asked.
"That my wife is crazy protective of our children?" he asked and she rolled her eyes. "No," he continued. "I'm super proud that my wife is so protective, and I'm not mad that we missed date night, because we're having it right now," he grinned and with one last, sweet kiss, Will and Shelby began watching whatever movie was on tv. It really didn't matter. They just needed to be with each other.
Sunday morning found the town of Lima Ohio with pouring rain and howling winds. "Men! I need everyone up, or you're going to drown!" a guard yelled banging on the bars of the cell.
"Piss off," Oliver groaned and tried to roll over and go back to sleep as he felt someone shoving his shoulder.
"Hey! Up!" Vincent said smacking his ass to get him going and when Oliver still didn't move, Vincent climbed on top of him, pinned him on his stomach and began pinching his ass to get his attention. "You will get up right now you lazy slut," he whispered in his ear. If they were home, he would have pulled down his pants and shoved a finger or two up Oliver's ass, but the jumpsuits they were wearing prevented that. The only time they got to play like that was in the shower and only if they were relatively alone.
"Vin, I really don't want to, please, let's just go to sleep," he begged.
"We have to get up and help so we don't drown. You heard the guard," he said gently and then he began to bite Oliver's earlobe. "You know that I'd rather sleep in," he whispered softly and then he bit and sucked to give Oliver a tiny bruise.
"Ow," Oliver grinned. "No fair," he pouted, trying to be cute.
"We have to help. If we don't help, we drown. If we drown, we don't get to go to trial. If we don't go to trial, we can't convince the judge that we were simply looking out for our little slut and if we don't convince them of that, we won't get her back, and I want her and those two adorable blonde girls we saw too," Vincent said convincingly.
"Hey! Love birds! Get up!" a guard shouted.
"Do the thing with the knife Vin," Oliver pleaded. "Scare the guard," he told him.
"Not now babe, but I'll be sure to make someone shiver at breakfast okay?" he asked him and Oliver happily agreed.
The guards opened up all the gates on the cells and the men were brought out into the hallway. Big guards with bigger guns, followed in close behind and the men were given rain ponchos and boots. They were brought out to the yard where they had to pile sandbags up against various walls to prevent the leaks that were already happening. The prison hadn't finished all the repairs in time for the rainy season, but it was much less than what it used to be and having the men do the work, made things much easier. In twenty minutes everything was accomplished and all the men were escorted back into the building, to their cells, removed of their rain gear, and were ordered to breakfast.
"I really don't like this place Vin, how come we can't post bail?" Oliver asked softly as they walked along the cafeteria line. "We haven't done anything to be in a maximum security prison," he whined.
"We're not allowed to, although I have asked Bob to get us a meeting with the judge today. We'll see what happens with that. Maybe, if you let me do all the talking I'll be able to get us out of here okay?" he asked.
"Are you two married," some man asked them.
"And if we were?" Vincent asked.
"Nothing," the guy said casually. "Just trying to figure out who gave up their balls for the marriage," he said and everyone who heard laughed.
"I did," Oliver said quickly. He thought that if he admitted to the fact that he was the "weaker" of the two men, this guy would be thrown off by the confession and leave them alone and they could carry on about their business. However, he was wrong. The other man, grabbed Oliver, pulled him up against him, and snaked his hand down to his crotch. He squeezed hard and Vincent just stared in shock.
"Nope, still there," the man said and then he shoved Oliver forward and the line continued as a guard stepped forward with his gun drawn.
"It is too early for trouble men!" the guard announced and Vincent took Oliver's hand, drawing him a bit closer.
"I'll check you over in the shower, are you okay?" he asked and Oliver grunted and gave a brief nod. "Well we're even now," Vincent smiled. "I've got my gun shot recovery and you're recovering from blue balls," he said and Oliver just smiled. Somehow, Vincent made him feel better.
"I just want to talk to the judge and leave this place Vin," Oliver said.
"Me too Oli," he told him and they moved over to the breakfast table.
The rains were coming down hard for so early in the day, and Judge Owen Henderson was seated at his breakfast nook, sipping his coffee, and staring at the pouring rain, through the bay window next to him. The cat jumped in the window and he smiled, petting him. "Hello Whiskers, did you come to talk to Daddy this morning?" he said stroking the cat gently, causing him to purr.
"You're talking to the cat again dear," his wife said and then she took her seat and looked at her husband. "What are you thinking so hard about?" she asked him.
"I have a trial coming up, that I'm not sure how to handle. It has to go to trial, because there are charges being pressed. There is no option for a mediator," he explained. "The problem is, that this is not like any trial I've ever come across before, and I feel as though a jury, while legally enforced to be there, they are not going to be open minded at all," he said.
"Okay, without breaking your judge code, tell me basics, and I'll tell you my point of view," his wife said.
"I met with and sort of spoke to, one of the people pressing charges. The person I met with shall be called Jack. Jack came in and had a very tough time even speaking to me. Jack has very faulty language," he said.
"Faulty?" she asked.
"Jack is legally an adult, however Jack acts as though the most comfortable age for them is between four and six years old," he said.
"Jack is into age play?" his wife asked. She had great knowledge of all things sexual.
"I don't know if Jack is into age play or feels safest there. Remember all the research you did for John a few weeks ago?" he asked.
"Yes. John goes much younger though. John is into infantilism, mainly because John seems to not care about being in charge of John's own life. Does that seem like the case here?" she asked.
"No, my colleague has informed me that Jack chose a life style, did not do the proper research, or didn't know to do research, fell in to some very bad hands and was tormented in ways I don't want to talk about," Owen explained.
His wife smiled kindly, took his hand and spoke gently. "As a psycho-therapist, I'm going to give you advice. Your colleagues know the people on trial very well. My advice to you is to have a meeting with your colleagues, to gain knowledge. All that knowledge can be presented as facts that you will lay out for the jury. You are very good at not swaying things one way or the other. You hand out facts, the jury hears the trial, and then they make the decision. You do your job very well," she praised him.
"Well I wish I felt that way with all these tough cases," he said honestly.
"You, are a very good man," she told him, and with a quick kiss, she put her things away and went into her office to work for a few hours and Whiskers followed after her.
"Maybe she's right," Owen said softly to himself and then he got himself ready for something he really didn't want to do. He took himself upstairs, got dressed into work clothes, and then went down stairs. He grabbed an umbrella from the stand, slipped on his shoes, call an I love you to his wife and then ran through the rain to his car. Getting inside, he put the lights on, the wipers on high, and very slowly motored off to the prison where he'd been requested for a meeting.
Upon his arrival, he walked through four sets of metal detectors, down a long hallway, and then was lead to an investigation room, where an officer stood by with him. Moments later two more officers entered the room, with Vincent London and Oliver Crane. The men were escorted to their chair, sat down and cuffed to the table and floor, so they could not leave. The officers stood back, but did not leave the room. "Can we get some privacy please?" Vincent asked the officers.
"Twenty minutes remaining," the officer said and Vincent took a deep breath. He had to stay calm and collected throughout this, or it wouldn't work. He could manipulate anyone, he'd been practicing for years.
"Judge Henderson, it's lovely to meet you and I apologize for my state of dress and Oliver's too. I thank you for coming to see us and listen to us," he said.
"Yes, well, it's not every day I do this, so please, tell me what you have to say," he said. He left out the part where the only reason he agreed to be there was to confirm Rachel's story to some degree. If he could get parts of their stories to converge and make sense, then maybe he could get a better understanding of the entire picture.
"We took in one of our employees, her name is Rachel Berry. She was homeless and abandoned by her fathers most of the time. She's a confused girl that comes from a home with no mother. She didn't know how to be sexual and asked us to teach her. We began teaching her how to please a man, so that when she eventually did find a husband, she would be a good wife. We were doing what she asked us to do. Oliver and I were reluctant to teach her at first. We didn't think it was our place, but she practically begged us," he said smoothly.
"And how often did you give these teachings?" Owen asked.
"Her lessons were every day," Oliver said.
"Yes, indeed, sometimes, for hours at a time. After work, we would go home and we'd teach her how to mix drinks, or cook a meal, or tidy up a room in the house. Everything a good wife needs to know," Vincent said thinking this sounded like a good road to go down.
"Would you gentlemen please write down for me, on this paper, what the five biggest lessons you taught her were?" he asked handing it over to them and he wasn't at all surprised when they jumped at the chance. Vincent took the paper and wrote, Cooking, Cleaning, Intercourse, Personal Hygiene and Sodomy. Owen looked it over and worked very hard on keeping his face calm and relaxed. Sodomy was something Rachel had talked about. "I trust you practiced safe sex?" the judge asked.
"Yes, we did," Vincent said.
"There was one scare your honor," Oliver started. "But in her panic to run and tell us about how she might be pregnant, she fell down the stairs and then there was a lot of blood. It was all very quickly handled, and there was no baby ever involved," Oliver told him.
That was not the same story Rachel told and Owen worked hard to control himself. "Don't question him, you're not the lawyer," Owen said softly to himself and then nodded. "Is there anything else you'd like to inform me of?" he asked.
"Well you see, Rachel has taken ill. She was in a horrific car accident and it left her hospitalized and under someone else's care. Now I know she's nineteen, but she is our girl. We feel responsible, and we want to help. We had customers at our bank wondering where she was, how they could help. Oliver and I are very worried that she has become brain washed now that she is in the care of new people. We don't know how she came into contact with these new people, we assume it's from the hospital staff," he said.
"Well I thank you for your time, and I will be sure to have this put into my fact finding sheet," he said.
"What's that?" Oliver asked.
"It's a list of statements I've gathered throughout time before the trial. Then when the trial occurs I will put my list of facts with the narratives from both sides of counsel, and the jury will review everything," he explained.
"Be sure to put on your list that she was in the hospital," Vincent said and Owen nodded.
"Two minutes remaining," a guard called out and Owen nodded. He was thrilled to be leaving that place. These men were giving him the creeps.
"Is there anything else?" he asked Vincent and Oliver.
"Do we have a trial date yet?" Oliver asked.
"No, not yet, but I assure you, it will be a lot sooner than you would think," the judge said and with that, he bid both men goodbye and left the room.
"We got this Oli. He's on our side and we have Bob, who is the best lawyer we know. We're going to get out of here and get Rachel back," he said sounding determined and hopeful.
