Last chapter, let's do this
The portal opened in the middle of the street, as Scarlett, Biggie, and Cooper walked out Scarlett realized where they was, downtown, at night time, still a good fifteen minutes away from the courthouse if one obeyed the speed limit.
"How are we going to get to the courthouse in time?" Scarlett panicked "They could convict my dad any minute."
It was right then that a taxi driver drove in front of them. Scarlett screamed and Biggie jumped in front of the car, not sure if his powers would work in the real word but was willing to take the chance. Luckily there was no need to find out because the taxi skidded to a stop a few inches from where Biggie stood.
"Hey are you crazy?" The taxi driver yelled getting out of his cab. "Get out of the middle of the road?"
"We need to get to the courthouse now!" Scarlett pleaded, walking in front of Biggie.
"Whoa aren't you the dead girl whose father is on trail?" The taxi driver realized, recognizing her picture on the news.
"Yes and I need to get to the courthouse now!"
"Hop in!" The driver replied. Scarlett, Biggie all jumped in the cab and the driver sped off.
"Okay, I have a lot of questions," The driver replied "How are you still alive? The cops found your shirt covered in blood floating in the river."
"It's a long, story, one that will be explained once I get to the courthouse."
The driver suddenly slammed on his breaks and looked out of his mirror. "Blasted road construction, causing a line of cars a mile long. I'm afraid we are going to be ting a while getting there kid."
"No," Scarlett cried, "We don't have that long, my dad could be convicted by then."
"Well there isn't anything I can do."
"Yes there is," Cooper replied taking out his wand. "I will suggest however that you hold on to the wheel."
"Why, what are you talking about?"
Suddenly Cooper waved his wand and suddenly the cab grew wing and a turbo engine and blasted off into the air. Everybody screamed as the driver tried anxiously to steer the cab to the court house.
"Cooper, what are you doing?" Biggie screamed
"Getting Scarlett to her dad!"
"Watch out!" Scarlett screamed as the cab went flying through the toy store, it crashed through the left side window and out the right, by the time they was out the cab window was torn off, and Scarlett was holding the pink troll doll she was wanting for Christmas.
"Oh my troll doll!" Scarlett squealed, hugging the doll tightly. She then screamed again as long as every else as the cab flew straight into a costume store, once again entering through a side window and exiting the other side.
This time as the cab came flying out of the costume shop Biggie and Cooper was dressed as Santa and a elf.
"Haha, your Santa Clause!" Cooper laughed, that's when he noticed the green suit and hat with jingle bells on that he was wearing and growled.
"Yep, and you're a elf." Biggie replied.
"Incoming!" The driver screamed as they all noticed that they were all about to crash into the courthouse.
Inside the courthouse, Branch was being led back in as the jury had reached a verdict. Reby, patted Branch on the shoulder trying to calm Branch's nerves though they did little good.
"Has the jury reached a verdict?" Smidge asked
"We have your honor, we the jury find the defendant Branch Timberlake guilty of murder."
Poppy broke down in tears at that verdict, Branch buried his face in his hands.
"With the guilty verdict, I sentence you Branch to life in prison with no possibility of…"
Suddenly the sound of loud screaming from outside caught everyone's attention, then a taxi cab came flying, bursting through the door and landed right in the middle of the room. Everyone stared at the cab confused as the driver got out of the cab and ran out of the room screaming. It was who walked out next that had the rest of the room screaming.
"Dad!" Scarlett got out of the car and ran towards Branch, who jumped up in utter shock.
"Scarlett?"
"Scarlett, my baby!" Poppy ran out of her seat and towards her daughter as the three of them wrapped themselves in a big and tearful hug
"What?" Smidge gasped dropping her gavel.
"Oh my god Scarlett, where have you been?" Branch asked "We have been worried sick!"
"I got lost," Scarlett cried "I ran away then I got lost, I am so, so sorry."
"Scarlett?" Creek walked up confused. "But, this is impossible, your dead, your dad killed you?"
"My dad would never lay a hand on me." Scarlett replied harshly.
"Well, she's looking pretty lively for a dead girl." Reby replied, nudging Creek, "Though I think we all deserve to here this."
"We can explain," Suddenly Cooper and Biggie walked out of the cab, everyone screamed again considering they looked like Santa and a elf.
"Santa?" Harper, gasped. Biggie looked down at his outfit and decided to go with it. It would be a whole lot more believable if they said they were Santa and a elf instead of make believe creations of Scarlett's come to life thanks to a wishing star and taken her to another world.
"You see, we found Scarlett alone in the woods ." Biggie started, he winked at Cooper and Scarlett advising them to go with it as he continued "She was injured after cutting herself on a low hanging tree limb," Biggie grabbed the blood stained shirt that was on the evidence table. She had cleaned herself up in the lake and put on another shirt, leaving her destroyed one there, but she was still injured. Me and my little elf partner here took her back to the North Pole to heal her up and recover.
"But that don't make any sense," Creek argued picking up the cutting knife that was found "The cops clearly found a knife in the same lake that the blood stained shirt was found in.
"Was there any fingerprints found on the knife?" Reby countered,
Creek groaned "No,"
"You know, that looks like a pretty common knife that you can find at any Walmart." Scarlett replied causing Creek to scream in aggravation.
"But one thing I don't get," Branch asked Scarlett. "Why did you run away in the first place?"
"Because you was trying to control my life," Scarlett cried, tears flowing from her face in shame. "You never supported what I wanted to do with my life, called it childish, and pushed me to hard in school. I was just so angry after that last fight, I'm sorry."
This time Cooper was the one who spoke up, turning towards Branch. "Your daughter, is one of the most talented kids I have had known, smart, gifted, you need to let her choose her own path, she is going to anyway rather you approve of it or not. And you got to take advantage of her being a kid while she still is one. She is not going to be a kid forever and one day she is going to leave to be on her own, go make memories with her while you still can. You want to still have a relationship with your daughter when she is grown and out of the house."
Realizing what Cooper was saying, Branch knelt to Scarlett. "I am so sorry how I made you feel. I now that I can't force you to be anything you don't want to be. I promise I will be a much more supporting dad from here on out, one that will be there for you, and not just lost in his work."
"That was all I ever wanted in the first place." Branch and Scarlett wrapped themselves up in a hug.
Reby was in tears watching the emotional moment unfold before realizing there was still one order of business that needed to be done.
"Your honor," Reby turned to Smidge, "Based on this new evidence I rule that my client's murder conviction be thrown out and all charges against him be dropped."
Creek sighed in defeat, "The prosecution agrees," Creek then walked towards the exit. "I'm going to get me some hot soup as I try to figure this one out." He then turned to Biggie who was still dressed like Santa. "How come you never got me that toy train set I wanted for Christmas when I was seven?"
"You was on the naughty list."
"I knew it," Creek replied with a sad sigh
"With this new evidence dropped to the table, it is clear that not only did Branch not kill his daughter Scarlett, a crime never happened in the first place. The murder conviction, as well as all charges against Branch is hereby dropped."
Poppy and Scarlett cheered as they hugged Branch tightly.
The three of them walked towards the exit of the courtroom when Branch's boss Mr. Kaplin stopped them.
"Well, looks like you are a innocent man after all. You know since you won't be going to prison you can have your job back if you want."
"Well gee thanks Mr. Kaplin," Branch replied as he stared down at Scarlett who was wrapped around his waist. "But I think I am going to pass."
"Your kidding?"
"No, I'm not. If there is one thing I have learned from this experience it's that I need to focus more on the important things in life, like spending more time with the ones closest to you."
"You won't get another job that pays as good as I do."
"Maybe not, but if more money means sacrificing important time with my family, than I would rather have less money."
"Suit yourself." Kaplin walked away disappointed as Branch, Poppy, Scarlett, and Reby walked to the exits, where there was a wave of reporters and TV camera's rolling in his direction.
"And while this was definitely not the twist any of us saw coming in this case, we are just happy that Scarlett is indeed alive and well." A female reporter pointed her microphone in Branch's face. "Branch how are you feeling right this moment?"
Reby was the one who stepped up and spoke in the microphone. "My client is just happy that the truth has come out," Reby then gave one last look at Scarlett's direction, "No matter how strange it may be." Even Reby didn't quite understand how all of this happened, she was glad though that she was able to get Branch off.
As Scarlett walked outside she saw Harper standing on just off the front steps, her face looking downward with a look of guilt on her face.
"Harper, what's wrong?" Scarlett asked
"I was the one that went to the cops," Harper admitted, "With all that you said about him, when you disappeared I thought for sure your father did something bad to you. I have betrayed our friendship. I hope one day you will forgive me.
Scarlett sighed as she took Harper by the hand. "A lot of it is my fault. I did think really bad about my father for so long, I said many bad things about him around you, that I can understand if you thought he was a evil person."
"So you don't hate me?"
"Oh Harper, I could never hate you." Scarlett and Harper wrapped themselves in a giant tear filled hug. Scarlett then noticed Biggie and Cooper walking away, suddenly breaking up the hug.
"I'll be right back." Harper looked confused as Scarlett ran towards the direction of Cooper and Biggie.
"Wait where are you going?" Scarlett asked, grabbing Cooper's arm.
"We have to go back my child."
"But if you go back you will no longer exist, me coming back home wiped your world out of existence."
"My dear child," Cooper put a comforting hand on Scarlett's shoulder. "One thing Chef was wrong about, as long as you continue to believe in us, we will always exist. It might not be in the flesh like you see before you, but as long as you always keep that child like wonder, and continue to write stories about us, we will always exist. Promise me you will continue to write about us, so that kids around the world will fall in love with us and keep us alive even when you are gone, because you are creating something special Scarlett, and when your older, the future generation on kids will see it too."
"I promise."
With that Cooper and Biggie turned and walked into the darkness, Scarlett watched as a bright light appeared, and then Cooper and Biggie faded away into the light, out of existence.
Harper walked up to Scarlett, having seen the whole thing. "That wasn't Santa and a elf was it?"
"Nope."
"Wait? Was those really…?" It suddenly dawned on Harper just who those was, having read all of Scarlett's books. "You have to explain me everything that went on when you was gone."
One year later Scarlett and Branch prepared to get on the auditorium stage as her school through it's annual Christmas talent show. The past year had been the best for Scarlett and Branch in years. Branch got a new job doing the same type of work, but at a much smaller company and working less hours. He didn't make as much money but it did allow him to spend more time with Scarlett and Poppy.
And as a result Branch was able to be a part of Scarlett's Christmas talent show. Doing the same song with her he was supposed to do the year before.
"Branch, Poppy, your up next." Ms. Suki replied behind the curtains.
"You ready Scarlett?" Branch asked
"Let's show them what we are made of," Scarlett laughed.
As the music started Branch and Scarlett ran onto the stage clapping to the beat as Branch sung the next part.
"We've been waiting all year for this night, and the snow is glistening on the trees outside.
And all the stockings are hung by the fire side, waiting for Santa to arrive.
And all the love will show, Cause everybody knows, it's Christmas time
And all the kids will see the gifts under the tree, it's the best time of the year for the family."
The whole audience was clapping to the beat as Scarlett danced around the stage singing. As Branch took over to sing the chorus, Scarlett saw all her creations joining her on stage. Cooper was playing the keyboard and all the rest of her creations was dancing with her on stage. She was the only one who saw them of course but she knew they were there with her, just like Cooper said they always would be.
"It's a wonderful feeling, feel the love in the room, from the floor to the ceiling,
It's that time of year, Christmas time is here.
And with the blessings from above, God sends you his love, and everything's okay. Merry Christmas Happy Holiday.
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays."
Branch stepped backwards to let Scarlett take back over on the second verse. Cooper was playing the keyboard with one hand, pumping the other in the air with the beat while T.G shredded the floor with his tapdancing skills.
"Bells are ringing, it's time to scream and shout."
"Scream and shout" Branch echoed as Scarlett continued.
"And everyone is playing cause school's out
Celebrating this special time we share, happiness cause the love is in the air.
And all the love we show, 'cause everybody knows, it's Christmas time,
And all the kids will see, the gifts under the tree, it's the best time of the year, for the family."
"Take it daddy!" Scarlett cheered as Branch stepped up to sing next.
"It's a wonderful feeling, feel the love in the room, from the floor, to the ceiling, it's that time of the year, Christmas time is here,
And with blessings from above, God sends you his love, and everything's okay, Merry Christmas Happy Holidays.
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays."
Scarlett took over net "No matter what your holiday."
Branch joined Scarlett on the next line, "It's a time to celebrate."
"And put your worries aside."
"Worries aside" Branch echoed.
"And open up your mind."
"Open up your mind" Branch echoed.
"See the world right by your side it's Christmas time."
"Sing it with me everybody!" Scarlett shouted as her and Branch jumped off the stage. Several students including Harper formed a mosh pit around Scarlett and Branch jumping up and down and clapping as everyone sang together.
"Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays.
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays."
The audience stopped singing as Scarlett and Brach took over the singing the final chorus together, as they sang Scarlett looked back at the stage at her creations still dancing on the stage and sent a "thank you" nod to Cooper. While still playing the keyboard, Cooper noticed Scarlett's nod and nodded back.
"It's a wonderful feeling, feel the love in the room, from the floor to the ceiling, it's that time of year, Christmas time is here.
And with blessings from above, God sends you his love, and every things okay, Merry Christmas Happy Holidays.
The Crowd joined in again, still jumping, and clapping as they formed a mosh pit around Branch and Scarlett.
"Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays.
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays.
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays."
Everybody cheered as the song ended and Scarlett wrapped herself in a warm hug around Branch, who gladly returned the hug.
"Love you dad."
"Love you to Scarlett."
That's it everybody, hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I had fun writing it, see you later