Dean could hardly believe their luck, as he looked incredulously first at Sam, and then at the older hunter who had miraculously appeared out of nowhere. Momentarily stunned, he traded stupefied but elated looks with Sam, before he stepped foreword and gave the experienced hunter a tight hug. One of gratefulness, one of relief. It had been a long night out in the forest by himself, having to have the sole responsibility of Sam's welfare on his shoulders. He was more than relieved to be able to pass some of that on to Bobby now, as he stepped back, shaking his head in disbelief at their good fortune.
"How the hell did you find us?" Dean demanded, still in shock as he watched Bobby silently assess them for any possible injuries they might have gotten.
"When I heard what happened," Bobby explained carefully, seeing the way Dean's face fell almost the second that he brought up any reference to where Caleb was. "And where you two rugrats," he said, giving them each a fake withering look, "ran, I realized that these were the same woods I used to hunt deer in."
"Are you kidding?"
What were the odds of Bobby knowing these woods well enough to be able to find them before anything remotely serious had happened to them? It was a genius stroke of luck, and one that he certainly wasn't arguing.
I found your sweatshirt," he added, looking over at Dean. "Nice move, idjit."
"Yeah," Dean said, lifting one shoulder in a shrug, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I learned from the best." It hurt like hell to even think about Caleb right then, especially when he didn't know when he would have the chance to see him again.
"I guess you did," Bobby said, squeezing his shoulder in a rare show of comfort, as his grizzled face showcased a rare smile. "Are you two alright?" he asked, giving them another once-over to make sure.
Apart from exhaustion, which was apparent on both of their faces, and maybe even a bit of dehydration, they didn't appear as though they had suffered too terribly much from their nighttime experience, although looks could be deceiving, and those two, especially Dean, were experts at hiding what was really going on.
"Yeah," Dean nodded, swallowing back the fresh lump in the back of his throat. "Have you talked to Caleb? Or Dawn? Is he okay?"
"I did. I spoke with Dawn this morning, and she's going to court to see if she can arrange for me to have temporary custody of you two."
"What does that mean?" Dean asked, as he watched Sam jump into Bobby's arms in pure joy of finally having an adult present.
"It means," Bobby said, as he returned the bear hug that Sam was giving him. "That until all this is resolved with Caleb, I would have custody of you temporarily."
"So we won't have to go anywhere?" Sam asked, as Bobby let him down.
"Not unless a judge denies her motion."
Bobby doubted they would. CPS always wanted to have the option of placing the children with someone familiar, someone that they knew, as opposed to shipping them off to someplace strange and unfamiliar. Until Caleb's court battle was done with, he would be the perfect candidate to help them out. Besides Caleb and Jim, Bobby knew those kids better than anyone. He knew their individual likes and dislikes, and he knew their unique and different personalities like the back of his own hand.
"Will that happen?" Dean demanded, as he turned and started the slow and arduous walk out of the forest. It was a relief to be headed back toward civilization without the immediate fear of not knowing where they would be going.
"I doubt it. Dawn seems to think the judge will prefer having me watch you for the time being."
"The time being" meaning until Caleb was either convicted or acquitted of whatever charge the police had arrested him on, and until of course, he was cleared of the ridiculous abuse and neglect charges that CPS had sprung on him.
"What," Dean said, stumbling in his words as he tried to shove past the thick wall of grief and devastation that was rapidly clouding his brain. "What did they arrest Caleb on last night?"
Obviously it had something to do with them, but Dean had no idea what, and he wasn't even sure he wanted to know. It would probably only serve to devastate him further, and he wasn't sure he could handle the emotional hell of that.
"He was charged with kidnapping."
"What?" Dean said incredulously, momentarily halting in his tracks in complete shock at Bobby's words. "He didn't kidnap us. That's ridiculous-"
"The law is clear on that issue," Bobby interjected, when Dean started moving after he had gotten over the initial shock of his bombshell. "In their screwed up rat maze of a brain, he was trying to elude having to turn over custody to them, and that constitutes kidnapping."
"But he didn't take us against our will!"
Dean knew that kidnapping had to include some kind of force or unwillingness on the alleged victim's part, and obviously there had been none of that on his or Sam's part. It was ridiculous how the law could twist things, make them impossible to understand, and the circumstances so bizarre.
"Dawn knows that," Bobby explained, as they finally reached the edge of the forest. "And that's why she's aiming for him to be charged with contempt instead of kidnapping. If the judge buys it, then the penalty will be drastically reduced."
"How long would he get if he-"
"Got convicted of kidnapping?" Bobby finished quietly for him, as he opened his car door for the boys to slide into. Dean, not surprisingly, took the front seat, and Sam, taking full advantage of the open space he had in the backseat, sprawled out to rest more.
"Yeah."
"Dean, I don't want to upset you," Bobby began, clearly sensing how completely heartbroken Dean was that Caleb wasn't there, and why he wasn't, and he knew the idea of how long Caleb could possibly get in prison would completely shatter him.
"Well," Dean said, as Bobby started driving. "That ship sailed a long time ago, so you might as well spit it out."
"If the judge considers the circumstances surrounding the 'abduction', he said, using the term loosely, "to be serious enough, he could get a minimum twenty-year sentence. At worst, it would be life."
"In prison?"
"Yes."
Dean shook his head, bowing his head against the fresh torrent of pain, as he tried to take a few deep, steadying breaths to calm himself, but it was all in vain. They had already been through that once before, the threat of a life sentence hanging over their heads, and they had been lucky enough to escape out from under that the first time.
Dean didn't know if he had it in him to survive through something like that again, being cut off from his guardian and confidante and not know if he would ever see him again, or if he was alright or not. It was all too much for him, and as he leaned his head against the cold window, he tried to think of anything but what Bobby had just told him.
"He didn't do anything," Dean whispered brokenly, forcing a cough to stop the tears from making their appearance. He would not scar his little brother by allowing him to see the agony he was going through. "He doesn't deserve this crap."
"I know that, Dean," Bobby said carefully, "and hopefully a judge or jury will see the same thing that we do."
"If he has to stay in jail," Dean said, "can I see him this time?"
Last time Caleb had been in jail for an extended period of time over a murder charge, Jim had barred his attempts to visit Caleb while he had been housed in the detention center, fearing that the emotional trauma from such a visit would trump the positive of seeing Caleb.
"Why don't we take that one day at a time?" Bobby suggested, instead of delivering an outright no to Dean's request.
"Fine."
"If you go, can I go?" Sam asked.
"I don't think so," Dean replied, giving Sam a watery smile. "It will be too upsetting for you, I think."
"I'm not a baby!" Sam argued, his chest puffing out in characteristic indignation.
"It's not about that," Dean said, rolling his eyes. "It's about the fact that-"
"It will be very upsetting," Bobby interjected. "You might see things that really make you sad, Sammy."
"Like what?"
"Like nothing," Dean said firmly, wanting to protect his little brother from what he knew to be true about the jail system they had.
Much to Dean's relief, Sam seemed to get the message and dropped the issue with a quiet "okay."
"So where are we going?" Dean asked.
"The safe house."
"Good."
It was the only place on planet earth that was safe for them at the moment. The house had pure iron surrounding it, as well as on most of the fixtures inside the house, and had holy water running through the sewers, as well as salt bags placed strategically in every room in the place. It was a genius idea for hunters to have a place like that to retreat to, and they had taken full advantage of the one Bobby had secured for them, especially with the threat of YED still out there, still as present as ever.
"We should be there soon."
Dean nodded, chewing on his thumb to numb the pain that Caleb's arrest had brought out in him. "So what's going to happen now?"
"Until the judge decides where you two will go, you'll be allowed to stay with me, and then that way you'll already be with me if the judge decide to go ahead and grant me temporary custody."
"Okay, cool."
It would be comforting to Dean to be with someone that he trusted with not only his life, but with Sam's, as well. Bobby wasn't Caleb, but at least he had all the knowledge of the supernatural that he needed, in order to make sure they were properly protected.
"Can we get pizza?" Sam asked. "I'm hungry."
"You and that stomach, boy," Bobby said, shaking his head. "I think we can arrange something."
Caleb was, of course, denied bail before his arraignment. It didn't come as a surprise to him, although it was disheartening to realize that he would be subjected to more hell behind bars while he waited for his day in court. For the most part, he was left alone, for which he was grateful. The only times he had to look foreword to, were the times that Dawn came to see him. The last time she had come had been to inform him that the boys had been missing. Since then, he hadn't heard another word from her about them, and that had driven him crazy with worry, and desperation at not being able to escape from his cell, and go seek them out.
"Hi," Dawn said, once she had finally come to see him again. "I have some news?"
"Are the boys okay?"
"They are. Bobby actually managed to find them. He knew the area well, and was able to go in and locate them."
"And they're not hurt?" he pressed anxiously.
"No, not at all."
"Good. So what comes next in terms of them?"
"Well, I have a hearing in family court with Bobby, and I will try my hardest to secure him temporary custody of them, at least until we can get you out and have you back in that position."
"Good."
One thing Caleb loved about Dawn, was how she worded things to him. Whenever there was a serious life and death issue at hand, she never said "if" she always said "when" and that always, somehow, rose his spirits with the hope of things working out.
"So your arraignment is coming up tomorrow morning," she said, studying him closely.
"Yeah," he said. "What should I expect from that?"
"Well, you know the drill by now," she said. "You need to plead not guilty to the five charges against you right now. The abuse, neglect and now the kidnapping rap."
"Right. So how stiff is the penalty if a conviction happens?" Caleb wasn't stupid. He knew that sooner or later his luck with avoiding conviction, was bound to end sooner or later if the DA kept coming after him for bogus charges.
"If it happens," she warned, "I'll do everything I can to avoid that."
"What are you talking about?" he demanded, feeling his heart soar into his throat.
"The penalty for kidnapping generally, is either life or twenty-years, and the four other counts of abuse and neglect, will probably be thirty years combined."
Caleb was sure he was going to be sick. He could not imagine having to sit in a tiny cell, endure degrading restraints when he was out of it, and the worst part, having to watch the boys grow up without him there. If he hadn't cried all the tears he had, he was sure the waterworks would be flowing.
"Yes. But," she said, seeing his body crumble completely with that terrifying knowledge. "In regards to the kidnapping case, there are mitigating circumstances that any judge will consider before passing on that harsh of a sentence."
"Like what?" he asked, his voice weak.
"Well, with kidnapping, the laws in Minnesota are very clear in those regards. The kidnapper has to have taken the child or children for a malicious reason. You know, for ransom or to cause bodily harm to them. None of those apply to you."
"Hell no."
"And the victim or victims, had to have been unwilling to go, they had to be forcibly taken."
"And that certainly doesn't apply to this case," Caleb said. "Hell, put that cop on the stand and he'll tell you that Dean lost it when he told him that I had been arrested."
"Exactly, but I'm actually going to request that the judge throw out the kidnapping charge altogether."
"What do you mean?"
That was good. It gave him the slightest glimmer of hope that if Dawn played her cards right, she could score another miracle for him.
"What happened in this case, it doesn't really define kidnapping," she explained. "I'm going to ask that the judge replace it with contempt of court, and if the judge actually agrees to that, then the amount of time you'll probably end up serving, is very small."
"Like what?"
"Contempt cases are notorious for resulting in lighter sentences for the accused. A few days, if that most likely."
Even though Caleb had been through this all once before, he evidently hadn't gotten used to the embarrassing process of being cuffed and shackled for transport to the county courthouse. As he winced when the restraints were slapped on, he tried to imagine a good outcome for today.
Even if the most severe charge of kidnapping wasn't dismissed that morning, he still had hope that he would be granted bail, and would be allowed to wait out whatever trial happened from home. And even if the judge barred him from having any contact with Sam or Dean like Dawn suspected he would impose, he knew that all he had to do was go to the safe house, which no one except for them knew about, and hunker down with the boys and Bobby until the trial happened.
It was a long-shot. Because he had tried to run once, the judge would probably consider him to be a flight risk, and would probably deny him bond just for that reason. It made Caleb sick to even think about that, and he tried not to, as the guards led him through the halls of the courthouse until they reached the right door.
Grateful that the restraints came off right before he walked in, he automatically spotted Dawn at the defense table, and let the guards lead him over to her. Giving her an anxious glance, he fought to control his breathing, as he and the rest of the courtroom rose when the judge entered, before sitting back down again.
"Your Honor," Dawn began. "I know that this is an arraignment for the charges that my client is facing today, but I wanted to know if there was any possible way we could address something else first?"
"No. We have limited time this morning," the judge replied. "He has to plead right now."
"I'm sorry," she whispered to Caleb, as she sat back down.
"It's okay."
The judge started off the proceedings by naming each charge, and the date and time they allegedly happened. After that, it was up to Caleb to either pledge his guilt or innocence as they pertained to the charges against him.
"As to the charge of count one, first degree abuse of a child, how do you wish to plead?"
"Not guilty," Caleb said.
"As to the charge of count two, first degree abuse of a child, how do you wish to plead?"
"Not guilty.
"As to the charge of count three, first degree neglect of a child, how do you wish to plead?"
"Not guilty."
"As to the charge of count four, first degree neglect of a child, how do you wish to plead?"
"Not guilty."
The last one was the most serious one, and Caleb hated the fact that the judge hadn't given Dawn a chance to get the charge either reduced or thrown out entirely.
"As to the charge of count five, kidnapping, how do you wish to plead?"
"Not guilty."
When the issue of bail came up, the prosecutors immediately raised the fact that he had tried to flee with the boys, and was therefore considered to be a "flight risk" and should be denied bond until the trial happened.
"Your Honor," the prosecutor said. "Mr. Rivers not only tried to flee with the boys, he did. He was caught outside of this state, in South Dakota. He has the means to do it again, he has a history of similar incidents, and he has the tools to hide himself. Last year, he was convicted of credit card fraud, and who's to say that he won't resort to those means again in order to hide himself?"
"This is no excuse," Dawn said, as she finally got her turn to speak. "But my client was and is scared. For nearly eight years, he has forged deep, profound bonds with those children, and they are his life, they are everything to him, and he did not want to lose them.
After that, it was up to the judge to decide.
"Let me be clear on one thing," he said, addressing everyone in the courtroom. "I don't know what happened in Mr. River's previous cases within the legal system. I don't know. I want everyone to know that this decision is not meant as punishment, or retribution for anything that happened before."
Caleb bowed his head, shaking his head, as tears came to his eyes, as he tried his hardest to lift his head back up to listen to the rest of what he had to say.
"I do not know Mr. Rivers' character. According to the prosecution, he has a history of fraud and could certainly fall back on those means in order to flee the country." Caleb shook his head, as a tear slid into his mouth. "The fact that he made the choice to run in order to escape having to turn the boys over, is also troubling, it really is. I can't be sure of the fact that he won't try this again to avoid prosecution in this case."
"Your Honor-" Dawn began, seeing how devastated Caleb was.
"Bail is denied."