The last few chapters have been dealing with the events in the past. Yes there has been an excess of the family fluff but it is necessary for future/past events, the family dynamics established are important.

This story will now have two separate but interlinked arcs, the events in the past that preceded the murders and the present dealing with the aftermath of the trial and sentencing.

The past explains the how events developed, whereas the present deals with the effects of a life on death row for all concerned - with a fair amount of artistic license.

There's far more angst and despair to come rather than fluff or hope - you have been warned

Bye the way - I still definitely don't own them.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Jeff just sat there watching, unable to move, as Scott was lead from the court after the death penalty sentence had been passed.

He saw the total shock and disbelief in his son's eyes as well as the pain of abandonment when his brothers all turned their backs to him.

Jeff thought that they were being harsh to Scott, he was still their brother after all, but they'd decided that Virgil needed their support more than Scott.

He didn't miss the fact that if the two guards hadn't been holding him up Scott would have collapsed, the shock of the sentenced rendering him almost incapable of standing unaided.

How was he going to tell his mother that her grandson had just been sentenced to death, she'd taken the news of the conviction hard enough, the death penalty sentence could be more than she could bear to hear.

"Mr Tracy"

Jeff looked up, startled, to see Scott's lawyer, Michelle Gallagher, standing in front of him. It looked as if she'd been trying to get his attention for some time but he'd been too lost in thought about the ramifications of Scott's sentence to be fully aware of his surroundings.

"What happens now?" Jeff surprised himself with how calm he sounded, maybe all those years of business meetings had been in preparation for a situation like this.

"First you take your family home and let everyone know what's happened" she paused before continuing "as bad as the news is it's better for them to hear it from you rather than the press"

Jeff started at that, his mother could not be allowed to learn about Scott from the press, as hard as it was going to be, he knew that he had to tell her himself.

"But Scott.." he couldn't bring himself to continue his question but he had to know.

"That's a discussion that we can have another day, your family have to be your immediate concern and there's nothing that you can do for Scott at this point in time"

"But.." Jeff didn't know what to do but he knew that he had to do something.

"Mr Tracy trust me, there's absolutely nothing that you can do for Scott at this point in time, but you can be there for the rest of your family." Michelle paused for a moment as if gathering her thoughts before continuing "allow me to set up a meeting with the entire family so that everyone is aware of the current situation and all available options. I'll ask the psychologist appointed to work with Chloe if she can look after the children whilst the meeting is in progress."

Jeff thought about what Michelle was saying, he could understand her logic, but it went against his nature to stand back and do nothing.

"I have to do something" he insisted

"You will be doing something, helping the rest of your family try to deal with this situation" Michelle insisted, she glanced up and recognised John, one of Jeff's other sons, approaching them.

"Dad, we need to go"

Jeff barely acknowledged John's presence, he just stood and looked at Michelle.

"Arrange the meeting, as soon as possible" he said before allowing his son to escort him out.

"I'll let you know when everything is in place" Michelle called, John acknowledged her statement as he focused on helping his father.

Michelle just stood there, thinking, as she watched her client's family leave the courtroom. She knew that getting them to fully understand the new reality of Scott's status would not be easy but she somehow had to try. It would be several days before she'd be able to speak to Scott, the protocols of how the state would deal with him had to be followed no matter what, she just hoped that he'd find a way to hold onto himself through the whole degrading process that was in his immediate future.

Maybe his experience as a prisoner-of-war, however horrific it had been for him, could actually help him get through the coming ordeals that he would be facing.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Scott, still in a state of shocked disbelief from the death penalty sentence that he'd been given, was escorted from the courtroom with only the grip of the guards on either side of him keeping him on his feet.

He was unceremoniously pushed into the holding cells of the courthouse to wait for the prison transport which would be returning him to the county prison, his 'home' for the last 18 months.

On arrival at the county prison he was taken to the booking area for his new status to be processed.

You'd think that as long as he'd been in custody he'd have become used to the procedures by now but this was different.

He just followed the instructions given, not thinking, just obeying and definitely not resisting.

Removing his clothing (item by item) as ordered first one shoe then the other, each item being carefully searched before being placed into separate bags.

It felt like the whole process was designed to remove all aspects of his humanity and decency but he had no choice, he was going to be stripped and searched no matter what, he could either submit or resist but the end result would be the same.

The body search was next, from his hair to the soles of his feet, not even his genitals escaped inspection for any contraband.

Any possible hiding place (even those that he'd believed impossible) was searched, the gloved hand that ensured that nothing had been secreted in his rectum was the most physically painful part of the whole process.

After over 3 hours of searches and processing he was finally given some clothing, item by item, and instructed to put each item on. He noticed, almost absently, that there was no belt and the sneakers had no laces.

One he'd been processed, to the guards satisfaction, he was taken to his new 'home' a 6ft by 9ft cell in the suicide watch part of the county prison.

The walk to his new cell took him past several other cells where, once they recognized the significance of his white clothing, the many occupants were taking great delight in shouting "Dead Man Walking " as he was led by.

Although it felt like forever, it wasn't that long before he arrived at his new cell. The first thing that he noticed was that the cell that only a single bed as well as the obligatory steel toilet and sink.

It was a single occupant cell, that was going to be strange for him. He'd miss his cell mate, the conversation hadn't been brilliant but it had been another human being to interact with.

The news that he'd never have another cell mate, that he'd be spending the rest of his life alone, he hadn't really heard.

He'd be closely watched to ensure that there was no suicide attempt, although he'd been sentenced to death, he was not allowed to take his own life that was for the state to take.

Beyond the many instructions to him no-one had actually spoken to him, nobody had questioned how he was coping (or not) with the sentence that had been passed.

Even his time as a prisoner-of-war had not made him feel so degraded. Despite the brutality of the treatment there he still felt that his captors had treated him like a human being, albeit one that they wanted to erase from existence in the most painful way possible, whilst extracting whatever information they could get.

What little he remembered of the months before the murders, that although he hadn't committed, he'd been convicted of was a fragmented drug induced haze but his captors had treated them 'moderately' well.

The prison guards, some of whom he had once held a grudging respect for, now treated him as if he was some sort of rabid animal and not a person who had any rights.

It had been made painfully clear to him that he now had no rights except what the state chose to grant, the state that now wanted him dead.

"Scott?"

He looked up, in confusion, at the man standing outside of his cell, why was someone trying to talk to him?

"Scott?" the man tried again to get his attention.

"Leave me alone" Scott's reply was so quiet that the man almost missed the words but he didn't miss the flat emotionless delivery.

"Why?"

Why won't this man go away, Scott thought to himself, I just want to be left alone.

"Please talk to me, Scott"

Scott just ignored the request and got to his feet. Making absolutely no effort to even acknowledge that man standing outside his cell he just went over to the bed and laid down.

The man, finally admitting defeat in his attempt to get Scott to respond, just walked away sadly.