Disclaimer-I don't own "Frasier," any of its characters, or anything else like that...
A/N-I still feel really bad about killing off Niles. I promise, I'll write a story where he lives (I have one "in the works" right now). By the way, the DUI Seattle Courtroom is made up by me, so if, by slim chance, it does exist, I don't own it either. Thanks for all of the reviews! Please keep 'em coming!
Oh, and thanks to askjeeves.com for helping me find out what happens in a court for an "Under 21" DUI case.
Chapter Four-Trial Mornings
Only a day had gone by since Niles's passing, but to the Crane family, it had felt like a lifetime. Everything seemed so different; no one to wipe off furniture with a handkerchief, no one to constantly reticule Roz....all of those little habits that Niles had possessed everyone had loved, but had never taken the time to really notice or appreciate....
So came the night before the twenty-year-old boy's trial. Everyone had taken time off of their jobs or appointments to go and see what kind of punishment this boy was going to receive.
Although no one wanted to admit it, they all hoped that the boy was going to get a very severe punishment. They all knew that what they hoped for was a cruel wish, but their pain over missing Niles overcame that guilt, and was replaced with anger and hatred towards the boy.
They had all agreed to meet in front of the DUI Seattle Courtroom at seven o'clock a.m. the next morning.
-The Next Morning-
Daphne awoke to someone pounding on her door. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" she called, standing up. As her vision cleared and the memories of the previous nights came flooding back to her, Daphne suddenly felt a sense of closure, but knew that it would take quite a long time for all of the pain to vanish, and also knew that the pain would never completely go away.
She opened the door. "Oh, hello, Frasier."
"'Morning, Daphne. Are you ready to go?" Frasier asked.
Daphne looked down at her clothes. It was the same outfit that she had been wearing the past day or so. "Not quite," she said. "I've got to change and brush my hair first. And thank you for offering to drive me there."
"Of course, Daphne. Dad's waiting in the car downstairs." Frasier watched Daphne depart into her bedroom. She seemed slightly better than she had been. Frasier also felt a little better, but was still very much angered over the twenty-year-old and the bad choices the boy had made.
Frasier assumed that the boy would either be locked up for a few years, or be suspended from his driver's license or something along those lines, but Frasier felt that any of those punishments would be too kind. He wanted the boy to have such a punishment that he would know what kind of pain the Crane family was feeling, but he knew that no judge would sentence such a young kid to a punishment such as that.
Daphne came back into the main room. "I'm ready, let's go." Frasier nodded, and followed Daphne out of the door, and down to his car.
-The Trial-
Daphne, Frasier, and Martin met Roz in front of the DUI Seattle Courtroom promptly at seven. After a long wait through security, they all sat down in the front row of the courtroom.
The room was filled with about five more people, all in the rows. One woman was crying, and a man was attempting to comfort her. Frasier assumed that they were the twenty-year-old's parents. The other three people were either friends or witnesses. The twenty-year-old sat at the defensive table along with his lawyer.
The bailiff entered the courtroom. "All arise for Judge Cline." Everyone stood up as a middle-aged woman entered the courtroom and sat down at the judge's stand, everyone else in the courtroom sitting down as well.
The twenty-year-old's lawyer, Jonathan Webb, stood up. "This is the case of 'Seattle versus Travis Lee.'"
Jonathan Webb quickly glanced over some papers before continuing. "Mr. Lee is accused of DUI and manslaughter."
Judge Cline nodded, resting her head in her right hand. "Mr. Lee, please stand up." Travis did as he was told. "Now, Mr. Lee," continued Judge Cline. "How old are you?"
"Twenty," replied Travis, his voice low.
"I see. What can you say for yourself? DUI, wrecking another car, killing another driver....can you give me one reason why I shouldn't sentence you to a few years in prison and a fine of three thousand dollars?"
Travis looked down at the floor for a second. When he looked up, he spoke so softly that the judge had to ask him to repeat what he had said. "I said, this is my first time getting caught-"
"'-getting caught'?" repeated Judge Cline. "Are you telling us that you have driven under the influence of alcohol before without getting caught?"
"I....umm-"
"Mr. Lee, I cannot relieve you of these charges simply because it is your 'first time getting caught.' Even if it was your first time, that does not mean that you can go out, get a few drinks, and then end up killing another person!" Judge Cline shook her head and rubbed her forehead. "Mr. Webb, how does your client plead?"
"Guilty."
The air seemed to be sucked out of the room; almost no one could believe that such a young boy would admit that he did something wrong, and be willing to face the consequences along with it.
"Mr. Lee, you plead 'guilty?'"
Travis nodded his head. "Yes, ma'am."
"And why is that?"
"Because....I knew that I did something wrong by going out and drinking before I turned twenty one...."
And what about the 'murder' part? thought Daphne. At least admit that you're sorry about that.
Travis Lee did not say another word. "Mr. Lee, I sentence you to a two thousand dollar fee and six years in prison for DUI and manslaughter." Judge Cline smacked the gavel against the table, and the decision was made. Everyone began standing up and filling out of the courtroom.
Daphne, however, continued to sit where she was. She watched Travis be taken away by the bailiff, and was filled with an anger that she had never felt before. He didn't even care that he killed someone. I can't believe that he didn't apologize for that.
Frasier noticed that Daphne hadn't moved, and came back to their seats. "Daphne, are you okay?" he asked.
"No!" she snapped. "That horrible person didn't even care that they killed Niles! All I wanted was for him to admit that he was guilt ridden about killing someone, but he didn't!"
"Daph, I'm sure he does feel bad about it; he probably just didn't want to admit it in front of his family and friends." Although Frasier was also rather upset that Travis hadn't admitted to the accidental-murder, he was rather glad that Travis had, at least, the intelligence to plead 'guilty,' and that was enough to make Frasier feel that Travis did indeed feel sorry, although he did not say it verbally.
"You're probably right, Frasier, but I can't help feeling that he should've said something."
Frasier nodded. "I know. C'mon, let's go to the car."
-That Night-
Daphne drove home from her brother-in-law's house at nine p.m. She knew that she would be returning to an empty house, and the mere thought of it pained her.
She drove past the block where the accident had occurred; workers were still trying to fix the large crack in the sidewalk where Niles's car had collided with it. As one of the workers looked up at her, she quickly turned away, sighing deeply.
She was glad that Travis had gotten a punishment that he deserved, but still felt that he should have admitted everything he had done wrong, not just drinking under the legal age.
She finally arrived at their home. She slipped the key into the lock and turned. She opened the door; a cool breeze blew out into the hall. She shivered slightly and wrapped her arms around herself: no one was there to embrace her.
She sat down on the couch. She felt at a loss; she did not want to do much of anything, and she hadn't even wanted to go to the trial, but everyone else had been so passionate about it.
Daphne yawned deeply. She switched off the light and laid down on the couch, not wanting to get up and go to her bedroom. She pulled a blanket over her and closed her eyes....and then opened them again, staring into the darkness.
Somehow, she could feel someone in the room with her. She sat upright and switched the light on....the room was empty. "I could have sworn...." she whispered, continuing to glance around the room. She shook her head. "I must have been hallucinating."
Daphne switched the light off once again and laid down on the couch. She slowly closed her eyes, and tried her hardest to relax....
There it was again; the feeling of someone's presence in the room. Daphne did not turn on the light this time, however; she simply stayed where she was. Although she never knew for sure, before she drifted off to sleep, she was sure that she could feel her husband's hand on her face, whispering Goodbye....
To Be Continued....
A/N-Thanks TVStoryGirl538 for the other idea of Niles "coming back." You keep giving me such good ideas, thanks!
Now, click that little box below and review, please!