ETC:
Don't hold me accountable for any mistakes. I've got a bad memory and I'm not a lawyer, so cut me some slack.
Carli – Forty-two year old. Dyed black hair, green eyes. Pale skin. 6'1".
Jacob – Forty-four year old. Blond hair, green eyes. Tan skin. 5' 11".
-*-*-
Have Faith
Part Seven:
Touch my Soul
-*-*-
"Beth. Beth, Little One, wake up." Harm said, as he sat down beside her in the bed. She was still asleep, but when he shifted his weight to move to put his hand on her shoulder, she jumped up and ran to the corner of the room.
Realizing who it was, as her vision came into focus, she walked forward, "Sorry." She sat back down on the bed, and leaned her head onto her uncle's shoulder.
"It's okay. I guess I shouldn't have done that." He smiled at her, and touched her hair, "I still can't get over how short you cut it."
"You like it, right?"
"Yep." He leaned back, "Okay, I have to go visit Davy before we go in for the trial. I'm going to see if she can come, if you want her too."
"It's not my choice. It's my sister's."
He nodded, "Okay. Mac's asleep on the couch, but she has to go to work in about an hour."
"Okay. I guess I get to spend another day at JAG."
"Yeah. Not for much longer. This trial will only last a day or two. The lawyer representing your parents has
already tried to make a deal with me."
"What was
the deal?"
"If they give you up, we drop
the charges."
"What did
you tell her?"
"I had to talk you first."
She thought for a second, "Would it be a good idea?"
"Professionally, I want them out of the Navy. I want them locked up so they can pay for what they did. Personally, I don't want you to go through this trial. I'd rather keep you out of this. But it's your choice."
Beth stood
up and walked to one of the windows. The sun had just risen, and the sky was in shades of blue and pink and
gold. Purple blended the last of the
night sky into the brilliant royal blue. 'Davy…What would Davy want me to do? Geez, why did she have to leave me to do this? I can't do this. Yes,
Beth, yes you can. Don't let them get
away with this. They could do it to
another child. You know they've been
approved for foster care.' "Don't take it."
Harm nodded. He looked at his watch, "I'm going to wake
up Mac. I guess you should get
dressed."
"Well, that's going to be
problem. I only had two outfits. I have no other clothes."
"That is a problem. Maybe Mac has something, or else you'll have to wear something of mine." He replied, knowing she'd never agree to put on unwashed clothes so he'd have to find another alternative.
"I have a pair of pajama pants you can wear, Beth. You'll just have to get a shirt from your uncle." Mac said from the couch, sitting up to look at them.
"How long
have you been awake?"
"Since, 'if they give you up,
we drop the charges'." She got up at walked in to the kitchen.
"I'm gonna go shower." Beth announced, before jumping back up and heading into the bathroom.
Harm got up and walked down the steps. He walked over to where Mac was standing, and both were silent. Beth poked her head through the door, "Talk already!" She ducked back in.
Harm and Mac laughed.
"Sooo…" Harm said, as he poured himself some coffee.
"Harm, we need to talk."
"About what?"
"About us."
"What about
us?"
"We have problem, Harm." She
hesitated. For all her military
training and for all her fighting to just survive, nothing prepared her for
this. Her heart was beating so fast and
so loud, she swore he could hear it, and her palms were growing sweaty.
Silence filled the apartment for the thousandth time, but Beth – obviously still not in the shower yet – decided this would be the last time. She once again opened the door and looked at the two, "If you two don't say those three words, I'm gonna go insane!" She laughed, and then closed the door.
Mac and Harm looked at each other for a moment, smiles plastered on their faces, before both blurted out, "I love you."
Beth once again appeared in the kitchen – this time dressed in a gray NAVY t-shirt, gray/black plaid flannel pants, and sandals. But what Harm found to be the best part was the smile she had. For the longest time, he hadn't seen her true smile – one that was genuine and happy. But it had once again come out of the dark, and Harm's heart threatened to burst at the sight. "What?" She laughed.
"Nothing. I just didn't notice how beautiful you are before."
Beth blushed, and tugged at the necklace she was wearing.
"What's that?"
She held up the gold necklace. A cross, inlaid with an aquamarine birthstone for December, hung beside a heart-shaped charm. "You don't remember it?"
"I remember it. I gave it to you after all." He touched the heart.
Mac looked at it, "What's it say?"
Harm glanced up at her, as Beth tried to read it, "It says – Little one, I love you always. Uncle Harm. Dec. 24, 1986."
"I hate to break up this wonderful moment, but…you both better move fast, because you guys are gonna be late." Beth pointed to the clock.
-*-*-
"Prosecution, you may call your witness."
"Yes, sir. Prosecution calls Dr. Anastasia Xane to the stand." Harm called out.
The first day of court had begun without any problems. After arriving fifteen minutes late, Mac had taken off to get together some things she needed before joining Harm and Beth in the courtroom. In the galley, Beth's friends from the youth court, as well as people Harm or Mac had questioned, were seated watching every move. Glares, as sharp as Excalibur, were shot at Carli and Jacob from time to time.
Anya, upon hearing her name, stood up from her seat and walked up to the witness box. She swore to tell the truth – the whole and nothing but the truth.
"Dr. Xane, in your opinion, is Beth the type of child who would create this type of lie to draw attention to herself?"
"No, sir, in my opinion, she's looking to do just the opposite. She'd prefer to disappear rather then be the center of anyone's world."
"You have met Davadita Parkington, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"What is your opinion of her?"
"She seems to be a very depressed young woman. She has tried to be the lone supporter of her sister – her protector if you will. She's extremely smart, as is Beth, but her emotions are still very immature and fragile."
"Is Davadita capable of making up these charges?"
"No. Not in the slightest."
"Dr. Xane, during you evaluation of Beth, did you notice any…abnormalities of a child her age?"
She nodded, "Yes, I did. A child her age is usually very trusting, friendly. She seemed to be fearful that I would hurt her. She refused to allow me to shut the door all the way or to turn the lights down. She sat at the other end of the office, and if I came close, she would close her eyes."
"Was there indication of abuse?"
"Yes, sir." She sighed, "I noticed while I was talking to her that she held back. Some children with histories of abuse hold back or try to say only the right things for fear of punishment. Beth would only speak when spoken to. I also noticed that when I mentioned her father's name she curled up. It was as though she were protecting herself."
"Thank you. No further questions."
-*-*-
The defense was scrambling. Three witnesses later, even the judge was convinced that Carli and Jacob were guilty – and one of the lawyers for them was faltering.
Carli leaned over and whispered to Jacob, "I told you we should have killed her."
"Don't worry about it. I have a plan."
"Prosecution. Call your next witness."
"Giovanna P. O'Connell."
Gio stiffened for a second and then stood up. She'd hoped she wouldn't have to go up – truth was, she wasn't entirely over what her parents had done to her, even though it had been almost nine years ago. 'Giovanna Padraigin! Just go! Beth needs you now!' She walked forward and followed the same procedure as the other witnesses, before sitting down. "Gio, I'm going to ask you some questions, but if you don't want to answer some, I'll understand, okay?"
"Okay."
Harm prayed he knew what he was doing, "How long have you known Beth?"
"About eight years now."
"Is it true that your parents abused you and your brother?"
She nodded, closed her eyes, and then spoke, "Yes, sir."
"So you know what the effects are?"
"Yes."
"How often would Beth exhibit one of those effects?"
"Everyday, sir."
"Like what?"
Gio looked at Beth, who was watching her, "She'd get sick a lot. She always had some infection. And bruises. She has tons of scars."
"When I talked to you, you mentioned an incident to me during questioning. Could you tell the court?"
Gio faltered, "I need Beth's permission to tell, sir." She looked at Beth, who wistfully nodded, "Two years ago, Beth and I were at the mall, she was tired but hungry so we stopped. When we sat down, she mentioned something about being pregnant."
Harm was beginning to wonder what she was saying – this wasn't what Gio had told him. At least, not at the questioning.
"I naturally wanted to know further so I asked. She explained that she thought she was pregnant and that she didn't want to go home. That's when she told me about her parents. I immediately told Wendy what Beth had told me, who told Davy. I don't know what Davy did for Beth, but there wasn't any baby so she wasn't pregnant."
"Thank you Gio. No further questions." Harm returned to the table and looked at Beth, "Are you alright?" She was flushed and hyperventilating.
Beth broke out in tears and reached for him. He sat down, and began to rock her, before looking up at the judge, "Sir, may we request a break?"
"We'll break and return here in thirty minutes." He banged the gavel.
Harm immediately carried Beth out of the room and sat down on the nearest bench. He tried desperate to comfort her, until Mac appeared and sat down beside the teen. Beth immediately reached for her new friend, who took over, as the lawyer for Carli and Jacob approached. "Cmdr., may I have a word?"
"Can you
handle her?" Harm asked, before standing up.
"Yeah." Mac replied.
He walked over to a corner of the hall, and looked at the woman, "Another deal?"
"They've agreed to give up Beth and leave the service, in exchange for you to drop the charges."
"I have to talk to her."
"Of course." She smiled, and walked away.
Harm returned to the bench, where Beth was sitting up and wiping her eyes, "I guess that was another offer."
"Yep. I said I had to talk to you."
"What was the offer?"
"If we drop the charges, they'll resign and give you up."
"No." She said.
-*-*-
As everyone flowed back into the courtroom, the lawyer re-approached Harm, "Cmdr. Rabb, what's the answer?"
"She doesn't want to take it."
The woman nodded and walked to her table – ready and willing to lose a case she knew was lost already. One she knew was true.
The judge re-entered the room from his chambers and sat down. The trial continued, as he once again told Harm to pick a witness.
"Staff Sergeant Davadita Parkington."
Beth gasped, and turned around to see Davy walking in the courtroom. Wendy was beside her until they reached the partition and the marine kept walking, while the naval doctor sat down behind Beth. Davy sat down in the witness box, and turned her eyes to her uncle, who'd sat down.
Mac stood up, and walked over. There was no way in hell Harm could handle questioning Davy and he wouldn't be able to do it with Beth either, so she was taking over.
"Davy, the same thing goes for you that went for Gio, okay?" Mac told her.
"I understand."
"When was the first time your parents…" She hesitated and then spoke, "sexually abused you?"
Davy looked at Beth and then nodded, "I was fifteen, ma'am."
"When was the first time they physically abused you?"
"I was six."
"Why didn't you tell anyone?"
Davy thought, and then tried to form an answer, "I…I was scared. They used to say that if I told they'd kill themselves or they'd kill Beth, but that came after she was born."
"They threatened your life and that of your sister's?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"And you believed them?"
"I had no reason not to. My dad kil…" She froze, as the look of contempt she knew so well rose in her father's eyes. Jacob mouthed something at her, and she immediately looked back at Mac.
"What did Jacob do?" Mac questioned.
Davy searched every face in the room, before the judge ordered her to answer. She looked down at her feet, "He killed my baby."
With that, all hell broke lose in the courtroom – and no one noticed as Jacob slipped away.
-*-*-
Cassie Jamie
Part Eight will be up soon.