Chapter 148

Monday morning came quicker then Rafe was prepared for. As much as he wanted this, he was also very anxious. What if it didn't go as he hoped? What if his moms were disappointed in him? What if he was sent back to prison for some reason or another? Every 'what if' ran through his mind as he lay in his bed half an hour before his alarm was set to go off.

As if she could sense her brothers stress even in sleep, Ava woke up with a start. Sitting straight up in bed, she looked around for what could have rose her so suddenly. When she saw nor heard anything, she let her gut guide her. Getting up and slipping on a robe and slippers, she exited her room and made the few steps across to Rafe's room. She knocked softly and when she heard a quite 'come in' she cracked open the door and popped her head in. She could tell just from a look that her brother was troubled. Opening the door further, she stepped inside the room and quickly crossed to the bed, slipping in on the empty side and opening her arms for Rafe who quickly slid over to her and lay his head on her shoulder.

Ava sifted through Rafe's hair with her fingers in a soothing manner, the way Olivia did when one of them was bothered or upset by something. "Wanna talk about it?" She asked softly once Rafe relaxed against her.

For a moment Rafe didn't say anything, just tightened the arm that was thrown across his sisters waist. He took a few deep breaths to keep from crying before he finally spoke. "I'm worried about tomorrow, and my meeting with Mr. Nolan today."

Ava nodded against his head. "What exactly are you worried about?"

Rafe sat up a little but kept his head on Ava's shoulder. "I don't know. Everything."

"Define everything."

"What if they decide I need to finish my sentence? I've been out of town a lot, I know we cleared it with Mr. Nolan, but…"

"But what?"

"I don't know, I just, I don't want to disappoint the moms again and I really don't want to go back to jail."

Ava hugged Rafe tighter to her side. "I don't think they can send you back to prison. They don't have any reason to for one, and for two, this is a hearing for you to be acquitted of your charges Rafe, it's not a sentencing trial. As for mom and ma, they could never be disappointed in you. You have grown so much since I met you. I mean, it's only been a few months and you are already an executive assistant, you're hiring staff and helping sort out issues. Rafe, there is nothing you could do to make our moms not love you or have them be disappointed in you. Everything is going to be fine. No matter what happens tomorrow, you have me and our family."

Rafe had tears in his eyes as he looked at his sister's sincere face. "Thank you Ava."

"Any time. Would you like me to go with you today?"

Rafe looked away for a second, feeling like he should be able to do this on his own, he was a man after all, but he really wanted Ava to go with him. After a few minutes of silence, Rafe made a decision. "Yeah. I think I'd like that."

"Alright. Well, since it doesn't appear either of us will be going back to sleep, what do you say we go into the house and make breakfast for everyone."

"Sure, that sounds good." After sharing a long hug, the two separated so they could dress for the day and then went over to the farmhouse to begin making breakfast.

As they walked into the house through the back door, Rafe quickly turned off the alarm and then went to turn on the kitchen light. As the light came on, both siblings about fell over in surprise that they were not alone in the kitchen. There, sitting at the table with a now cold cup of tea sat Natalia. She had been deep in thought but couldn't help but smile at her startled children.

"Good morning. What has you two up so early?"

Ava brought the hand that had flown to her chest back down to her side and walked over to start the coffee pot. "Ah, you know, just thought we'd try and beat the birds awake."

"Uh-huh. Try again." Natalia said, looking from her daughter to her son.

Rafe took a seat next to his mom and kissed her cheek. "Probably the same reason you are."

"Ah. Worried about tomorrow." She stated more than questioned. Knowing that her son must be feeling a thousand times the anxiety she herself was feeling.

"A little. Ava's gonna go with me to see Mr. Nolan this morning." He stated, a little worried about how his mother would react to him not asking her to go.

Natalia wasn't at all surprised, Ava and Rafe had grown rather close over the past several months, she expected nothing less. "I'm glad. I know this has to be scary for you."

"Yeah." Rafe rubbed the back of his neck, just like Olivia did when she was nervous, and then stood from his seat. "Ava and I were gonna make breakfast for everyone if that's okay."

"That sounds wonderful. I'll go get dressed and attempt to raise the dead." She said with a chuckle.

"Good look with that." Ava said as she poured fresh brewed coffee into her cup.

Natalia shook her head as she left the kitchen and headed up the stairs. Knowing that Ava was right and she would have better luck actually raising the dead then getting Olivia or Emma up and moving at such an early hour. Deciding that Emma still had at least an hour before she truly needed to be up, she went past her daughters room and into her own, smiling at the sight of a sleeping Olivia sprawled across the entire bed diagonally with Natalia's pillow pressed to her face.

She moved to the bed and placed a sweet kiss to her wife's head. "I love you mi amor." She whispered before moving back around the bed and into the bathroom to shower, deciding Olivia could sleep for a little while longer.

After breakfast the family headed off in their different directions. Emma getting on the bus for school, Ava and Rafe heading down to Mr. Nolan's office, Isabel meeting up with Ashley at Company, and Natalia, Olivia, and Clara riding to the Beacon together for work.

Rafe took a steading breath as he reached Mr. Nolan's office door before he knocked. After a moment, he was told to come in and slowly opened the door. "Good morning Mr. Nolan."

"Mr. Spencer-Rivera. And…"

"Oh sorry, I forgot you've never properly met, this is my sister, Ava Spencer-Rivera."

"Good morning Miss Spencer-Rivera."

"Morning." Ava said a little shyly taking one of the seats the man gestured to for them to sit.

Rafe sat beside his sister, nervously twisting his hands. "So, uh, what did you need to talk to me about?"

Mr. Nolan cleared his throat and picked up a piece of paper from his desk. "Well, I just wanted to touch base with you before tomorrow. How are feeling about all of this?"

Rafe rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm a little nervous, but, mostly, I'm really excited. No offence but uh, it would be kind of great if I didn't have to check in with you every week, and the thought of having my record expunged is kind of amazing."

"I agree. So, tomorrow shouldn't be too rough. They are going to go over your charges, how you handled yourself while in prison, and what you have accomplished since your release. Then they will cover the reason's you have asked to have your record cleared. There is a lot going in your favor, not the least of which is having the mayor on your side. Although she is the one who initially pressed for a harsh punishment, she is now standing up to admit she was wrong and that, as a minor, you should have been shown at least some amount of leniency."

"That sounds good, I think. Mayor Wolfe has become somewhat of an aunt I guess, she's really good friends with my mom and she's changed a lot since then."

"I agree, however, with the good, comes the bad."

Ava reached over and grabbed Rafe's hand as she watched his face transform form optimistic to worry. "What do you mean?" She asked the man across from them, rubbing soothing circles on Rafe's hand with her thumb.

"Well, they are going to be looking at this from all angles. Asking for Rafael to be acquitted of his charges and his record to be completely expunged is a tall order. Accidental or not, it wasn't just anyone that he shot. It was the district attorney, a now deceased man who, although wrote a letter on Rafael's behalf before he passed, cannot voice his opinion on the matter. This may not be a criminal hearing, but, in most cases, the victim is allowed to state their feelings on the matter before a decision is made. Seeing as how that is not possible, the board, as well as a judge, will have to make a decision based solely on the facts in front of them."

"What if I spoke on the victims behalf?" Ava asked, willing to do anything to help her brother. It pained her that her father was no longer with her, but, she knew Rafe hadn't intended to shoot Jeffery and he wasn't the reason her father was dead. She knew her father would want this for Rafe.

"I'm not sure how that would be of any assistance."

"Well, Sir, District Attorney O'Neal was my father. Based on the letter he wrote for Rafe; I know he would want this. My father was a forgiving man, one who would do anything to help those in need. He told me that Rafe didn't mean to shoot him, that he was lowering the gun and it was an accident. He would want Rafe to be cleared of this, he wouldn't want a mistake to follow him around for the rest of his life. Believe me when I tell you, my father knew more than most what that felt like. He wouldn't want that for someone else." She ended softly, thinking about one of the few talks she'd had with Jeffery about his remorse for what he had done to Olivia. He hated that he couldn't do anything to take it back, to make it better. That mistake haunted him until his death, the only bright spot being Ava herself.

"I will speak with the board and see if they feel that your speaking is necessary or beneficial in any way. However, that is not the only thing that will hinder a decision in this case."

"What else?" Rafe asked, already pretty sure he knew the answer.

"Mr. Spencer-Rivera, you, and I both know that this was not your first offence. Being that you were a minor when this incident occurred, it is completely reasonable that your previous juvenile record be brought to light. The mugging of Joshua Lewis when you first came to town will not be looked upon lightly. It shows that you have a pattern for destructive behavior."

Ava shot from her seat, rage coursing through her as she looked down at the parole officer with all the fire in her eyes of a pissed of Olivia Spencer. In that moment, there was no mistaking exactly who Ava's mother was. "Destructive behavior are you fucking serious. A poor kid in a new town did something stupid and served his time for it. And yeah, he shot my dad, by ACCIDENT, and only after he found out that Jeffery was going to ruin his own recently deceased father's name as a good cop. He is not a destructive person. He's fought really hard to change and to do better. He's built a career for himself and is instrumental in the running of our families business. I will not let you or anyone else claim any different." She spat at the man in a huff.

Rafe looked at his sister in shock, he would have expected such an outburst from Olivia, but he never dreamed Ava would jump to his defense like that. Especially since it was him shooting her father that they were discussing. He placed his hand in hers and tugged gently to get her attention. "It's okay Ava, he's just trying to make us aware of what we will be up against tomorrow. He's not the bad guy here."

Ava blew out a breath of hot air as she retook her seat. She knew she was being overly dramatic, but she hated for anyone to speak badly of her family. "I know, I'm sorry Mr. Nolan, I didn't mean to explode like that. I'm just very protective of my family."

"I understand Miss Spencer-Rivera. But, as Rafael stated, I'm only here to make you aware of how the proceedings tomorrow are going to go. Rafael, as well as mayor Wolfe, will have to prove, without a shred of doubt, that he will not repeat any of his past mistakes. The state and the board do not like to admit mistakes on their part. By agreeing to expunge Mr. Spencer-Rivera's record, they are ultimately doing just that."

"So, what do I need to do?" Rafe asked.

"Not much. You need to be dressed appropriately for court, not that I believe that will be an issue." He said, looking over Rafe's pressed suit. "You will be asked questions about the incident, as well as the mugging. They are going to want to know that you are remorseful for both events, and that you have no intention of continuing on that path in life. They are going to try and make it appear to the board and the judge that you are a petty criminal deserving of the punishment you were handed as well as the lifelong sentence of having it on record. You will need to hold your composure, as well as your family." He looked pointedly at Ava. "It's important that the judge especially see a levelheaded man and not a quick-tempered boy."

"I can do that. Is there anything else?"

"Nope, you just need to stay calm and answer any questions honestly. Other than that, it will be up to the state to prove you don't deserve this. If you ask me, I think you do, and I believe you have a fairly good chance of this going in your favor tomorrow."

"You really think so?"

"Yes Mr. Spencer-Rivera, I do. You have grown a great deal in the short time I've known you. You are no longer the anger filled young man I first met. You have achieved a lot in both your personal and professional life. I see now, a driven man, ready to own his mistakes but not let them hinder his achievements. You are diving into life headfirst, moving up in your families business, and, from what I've heard, quite protective of your family. That goes a long way in these types of hearings. The events your family endured in January and the way you handled them will go a great deal in proving that you are no longer the revenge seeking adolescent you once were."

"Thank you sir. That means a lot."

"Alright then, unless either of you have any further questions, I'll see you bright and early in the morning at the courthouse."

Rafe stood and extended a hand. "Thank you again sir. We'll see you in the morning."

"You're very welcome Rafael." He shook Rafe's hand and then Ava's before the two left his office, shutting the door behind them.

Rafe and Ava drove to the hotel in silence, both lost in their own heads. Rafe thinking about what was to come the following day, and Ava caught in the past that collided with the present. She remembered the day her father was shot, remembered the anger she felt towards the young man that was now her brother. She smiled inwardly as she thought of just how alike the two truly were. There were differences of course, Ava had had an amazing childhood with her adoptive parents while Rafe's was one of struggle with only he and Natalia. Until they had died, Ava's adoptive parents had been everything a child could ask for, attentive, interested, and doting.

She had not even known she was adopted until that fateful day when Frank was arresting Olivia, it was a hard pill to swallow, but one she was grateful for now. After her adoptive parents had pasted, she was alone in the world and somehow made her way to Springfield. Although it had been a rocky start with her birth mother, she was glad to have her. She enjoyed having Jeffery in her life, for the short time she had him, but her relationship with him had been very different from her relationship with Olivia. While Jeffery was her father, he was more of a big brother then anything and they had never had the chance to become very close.

While Rafe had always wanted a father, he never felt that Gus was truly a dad. He felt that Gus was only in his life out of obligation. The two never bonded the way a father and son should. Rafe was too busy with Daisy and Gus was far too caught up between Harley and Natalia to give Rafe the attention he really needed, and then fate stepped in and took any chance they had away from them.

Ava's relationship with Olivia was different. Once they got past the events that took place before finding out they were mother and daughter, Olivia and Ava had built a tentative friendship, a great deal of it happening while Olivia was trying to steal Gus from Natalia and facing death. After the transplant, their relationship shifted. Olivia became her mother in every sense of the word. Although mistakes were still made, especially pertaining to the Bill debacle, Olivia did all she could to make up for giving Ava away and then for having her almost killed. The two grew to be mother and daughter in every way, particularly after Max's death. Although Ava had moved across the country, she and Olivia still talked almost daily. She called Olivia for advice and Olivia called her just to 'mother' her. Asking her about her day and if she was eating and sleeping properly.

After Jeffery died, Ava and Rafe's lives seemed more alike. They were both children without fathers and only their mothers to lean on. Ava and Olivia also had Emma, and there was a vast difference in economic status, but, emotionally they were in the same place. Both filled with anger and resentment at what they had lost. Both had lost a child, Ava due to complications, and Rafe due to Daisy and himself being too young and Daisy's decision to abort the baby. The situations were different, yet the same. Rafe had wanted his child, wanted to be the father he never had, and the choice was taken from him, not that he blamed Daisy for it in the least. Ava had wanted her son with every fiber of being, but, according to Natalia, God needed him more.

As they neared the hotel, Rafe looked over at Ava, he could tell she was deep in thought and wondered what she was pondering about. He gently shook her arm as he pulled into a park spot. "Ava, hey, you okay over there?"

Ava shook her head bringing herself back to the present. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I was just asking if you were okay."

Ava gave her brother a warm smile. "Yeah, I'm good."

"What were you thinking so hard about? You seemed a little lost in thought."

"Oh, nothing, just lost in the past I guess."

"You sure you're good?"

Ava squeezed the hand that was resting on her arm. "Yeah, I'm great little brother. Let's go tell the moms how it went. I'm sure they are both going crazy waiting to hear from us."

"Yeah. I bet Ma is just about pulling her hair out and I'm sure mom is screaming at the staff to cover up her anxiety."

Ava chuckled. "Most likely." She grabbed the door handled and opened the door but was soon pulled back by a hand on her shoulder and enveloped in a tight hug.

"Thank you." Rafe whispered into her ear before letting go and getting out of the truck himself.

The two made their way up to Olivia's office, knocking on the closed door and waiting for an answer. They had opened the door a few too many times to witness a make out session between their mothers. Just ewe, no matter how old they are, no kid ever wants to witness that.

"WHAT!" Olivia grunt/shouted from her desk, not bothering to move. She was nervous waiting on Rafe and Ava to return, and she had entirely too many emails to catch up on to be bothered with her staffs trivial problems.

Ava cautiously opened the door and peaked her head in. "Can we come in mom." She said with a sly smile as she opened the door more for Rafe to be seen as well, knowing her mother's foul mood was mostly due to worry.

Olivia's face quickly transformed to one of glee as she rounded her desk and embraced her two eldest children. "Hey you two. How did it go?" She asked, pulling back from the group hug.

"It went good, I think." Rafe answered. "Is Ma around? I kind of only wanna have to say it all once."

"Yes, yes, of course. You two take a seat and I'll go get her." Olivia quickly left the office and went across the hall to her wife's not bothering to knock before opening the door. "Hey there beautiful. You got a few minutes?"

Natalia looked up from the mountain of paperwork she was working on to help distract herself while waiting on Rafe. "Not really, I swear this paperwork had a night out and made babies while we were in St. Louis, I'm pretty sure there is triple what I had when we left."

Olivia walked around the desk and bent to kiss her wife's lips. "I'm sorry honey. I know what you mean. I don't think my email box has ever been so full, but, I really do need you, it will only take a few minutes, I promise." She smiled at her love and assisted her in standing.

"Have you heard anything from Rafe or Ava yet? I didn't think it would take this long."

Olivia side stepped the question as she led them across the hall. "I'm sure everything is fine." She said as she opened her office door to reveal the two in question.

Natalia smiled wide at seeing how relaxed they both looked. There was still worry in Rafe's eyes, but she could tell that their talk with Mr. Nolan couldn't have been all bad. "My babies." She squealed, hugging first Rafe and then Ava. "How did it go?" She asked anxiously as she, Ava, and Olivia took a seat on the couch with Rafe in a chair across from them.

"It went pretty good Ma. I think anyways." Rafe answered.

"What do you mean you think?"

"Well, Mr. Nolan thinks it's very likely that it will go in my favor tomorrow."

"That's great Rafe."

Olivia placed a hand on her wife's arm. "I hear a but in that sentence son."

"Um, he said they will probably bring up my juvie record and that we have to prove without a shadow of a doubt that I won't continue on that path."

"That shouldn't be hard since you've already turned your life around so much. I am so proud of you mijo." Natalia said with a smile.

"Thanks Ma. But that's not all."

"What else?"

"He said it will be a little more difficult because Jeffery can't voice his opinion. He said that usually when trying to get a record expunged in a case like this, the victim is able to voice their feelings on the matter and it's taken into consideration by the judge."

Natalia bristled a little at the mention of the man. She knew Olivia and Ava had forgiven him, and she never voiced her feelings about him out loud for her wife and daughter's sake but knowing now what he did to Olivia made her stomach churn at just the sound of his name. "But he wrote that letter before you went to prison. Shouldn't that be enough to show his opinion? He didn't want you in prison for this, I'm sure he would agree with expunging your record."

"Mr. Nolan said it will be taken into account, and I even offered to speak on my father's behalf." Ava cut in. "He said he would speak with the board and get back to me later today on whether or not that would be necessary of helpful."

"Thank you for offering that Ava." Natalia said, patting her daughters hand. "You are such a good big sister."

Ava blushed at the comment. "Thanks Ma, but, I know Rafe would do the same for me."

"Bet your ass I would." Rafe stated.

"Rafael! Language." Natalia chastised.

"Sorry Ma. So, anyways, that's pretty much it. Dress nice, keep myself in check while the state tries to tear me apart, and be honest. Other than that, it's in the judges hands, and I guess the boards opinion will be taken into consideration too."

"Well, it sounds like Mr. Nolan believes that this will go well, so, let's not worry ourselves sick over it and instead, go grab some lunch. I'm starving." Olivia said, standing from her position on the couch and holding out a hand to her wife.

"I second that." Rafe agreed. "Can we see if Clara, Isabel, and Ashley want to join us?"

"Of course, we can. Why don't you and Ava go get Mrs. Rivera and Ma and I will call Isabel and see where her and Ashley are at and meet you at Ma's car."

"Sounds good." Ava said as she and Rafe made their way down to the laundry room.

Olivia turned to her wife and brought her into her arms. "It's all gonna be fine baby. You'll see."

Natalia snuggled into her neck. "I hope you're right."

"I am." Olivia said confidently as she leaned down to claim her wife's lips in a sweet kiss. This kiss was for the hope that tomorrow would go in their favor and they could truly begin to move on from the past and into their bright future. Together, as a family.