Port Charles Police Department-
Damian sat there in silence, in the interrogation room. He had been there several times before, and each time was just as uncomfortable as the time before. He didn't like the scrutiny, and he certainly didn't like that each time he was brought into the room it was based entirely on something that he had nothing to do with.
It was a long car ride, not because of the distance, but because of the feeling of disdain that he felt for what was going on. He was innocent, wasn't the law supposed to protect the innocent?
Earlier-
Scott Baldwin had made certain that he was in the car with Damian. He had chosen to sit in the front, which was a show of some restraint. The thought should have made Damian a little bit more comfortable with the situation, but it didn't. A part of him felt like shedding a tear due to the injustice that was committed upon him, but he would not show such weakness, especially around someone like Baldwin. No doubt, Scott would use that against him in some way. He wasn't even talking at all, which is something that the District Attorney did indeed take note of. "You know," Scott started, "If you have anything to say at all about what happened on the docks... I'm all ears. I promise that I won't hold it against you."
"I don't believe you," Damian muttered.
Scott smiled, "You're smarter than you look. You should never trust anyone in this town, especially those that have power over you. That includes your father, you know."
"I trust my father fully," Damian said defiantly, although he wasn't entirely sure how much of the statement was true in his heart. He did trust Sonny, and he loved him as well... but Sonny had let this get out of hand, and he wasn't supposed to do that. Damian wouldn't ask that Sonny sacrifice himself for his son... but would Sonny do it anyway? Damian would have, if he had been the father. Was Sonny really as moral as he claimed to be? Damian wanted to believe that he was, but he wasn't entirely certain one way or the other.
"That's only going to get you hurt in the end, kid," Scott mused. "Trusting people in this town always gets you hurt..."
"I'll choose to take the risk."
"Don't say I didn't warn you." Scott looked at Damian through the mirror, "I'd almost feel bad about making you take the blame for this, Damian, but I've seen you people get away with too much since I've been here and I am going to make sure that it ends one way or the other."
"Don't start showing that you have a heart now, Baldwin, it's bad form."
"I didn't always used to be like this," Scott admitted.
"Well I guess I'm just not blessed enough to be around someone who is actually a decent human being, am I?"
"Another word of advice, don't irk the person that can send you to jail for a very long time."
"I'll take my chances," Damian stopped talking. He had no reason for idle chit-chat with such a person like Scott Baldwin.
Present-
He shouldn't have even let anything that Scott Baldwin told him have any effect on how he was thinking, but it did. Damian was more afraid now than he had ever been before in his life. Even when the possibility of death at the hands of Faith was very likely, he wasn't as afraid. It would have been quick and painless had she just shot him. Damian was now looking at years in prison, if not the death penalty. That was what scared him, rotting away in some cell while life went on around him. He had just gotten a family, he had just started to actually care for most of the people in that family in the same way that he cared for his family in Los Angeles... he couldn't just be taken out of their lives. He'd never see Michael grow up, he'd never hear Morgan talk or walk for the first time. He'd have to leave Maxie... and she might end up being with someone like Kyle again if he wasn't there to be her foundation. Damian couldn't stand the thought of Maxie being with someone that would hurt her, but he couldn't do anything about it if he was dead or in prison.
He was only 21 years old... he shouldn't have been worrying about such things. He should have been laughing and making sure that his family life wasn't falling apart at the seems. Jason was right, he had helped a lot of people by coming to Port Charles, but in a very big way it was a one way street. All that he seemed to have for all his troubles was a lot of pain, both physical and emotional, although there was certainly more of the latter. He thought that it outweighed his pain, but as he sat on the cold metal chair, his hands leaning on the lifeless square table, he was beginning to reevaluate his position on the situation.
He was also beginning to wonder if he should really look into getting an attorney. He didn't think he needed one, even when Ric was constantly telling him that he did. He was very foolish in that regard, living in the world of optimism, thinking that it did work the way he wanted it.
Ric had been watching Damian since a few minutes after he came in. His heart went out to his nephew, and, regardless of what some people thought of him, he did have a heart. Damian hadn't looked at the window, he had spent some much time with his head buried, looking at the ground. It was obvious that he was in so much pain. He needed to help. Ric went for the door handle.
"What happened to being too emotionally involved in the case, Lansing?" Scott asked, watching Ric watch Damian.
"I've since changed my stance on the situation," Ric countered, not giving Scott a look.
"Don't give me that."
"I'm going to see my nephew regardless of how you feel about the situation, Scott. Don't even try and stop me."
"Fine, have fun." Scott watched Ric walk in and grinned, "I know I am."
Damian looked up as he heard the door open. He wanted to believe that it was his father coming to get him out of the situation as he had done before. When he saw Ric, though, his hopes were instantly dashed. "What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I came to offer you some support."
Damian snickered, "How do I know that you aren't the one that tried to do this, Uncle Ric?"
"I promise you, Damian, I had nothing to do with this entire situation. I know that Scott is trying to frame you for something that you didn't do."
"Then get me out of here!" Damian demanded before toning himself down a bit, "Please... Uncle Ric... I didn't do anything."
"It's not that simple, Damian," Ric said. "Scott's got some evidence, both circumstantial and fabricated that pins both you being at the docks on the night of the massacre and holding one of the weapons that was found there."
"I'd never touch a gun!" Damian pointed out. "They go against everything that I believe in."
"I don't believe the forensics report anymore than you do," Ric said. "Scott's crafty, he knows how to make something look real when it isn't. I think that's what he's doing right now."
"I can't get out of here, can I?"
Ric shook his head, "I don't think so."
"I don't even have an attorney."
"I told you to get one the last time you were here."
"Could you do it for me?" Damian asked. "Could you be my attorney?"
Damian sat there in silence, in the interrogation room. He had been there several times before, and each time was just as uncomfortable as the time before. He didn't like the scrutiny, and he certainly didn't like that each time he was brought into the room it was based entirely on something that he had nothing to do with.
It was a long car ride, not because of the distance, but because of the feeling of disdain that he felt for what was going on. He was innocent, wasn't the law supposed to protect the innocent?
Earlier-
Scott Baldwin had made certain that he was in the car with Damian. He had chosen to sit in the front, which was a show of some restraint. The thought should have made Damian a little bit more comfortable with the situation, but it didn't. A part of him felt like shedding a tear due to the injustice that was committed upon him, but he would not show such weakness, especially around someone like Baldwin. No doubt, Scott would use that against him in some way. He wasn't even talking at all, which is something that the District Attorney did indeed take note of. "You know," Scott started, "If you have anything to say at all about what happened on the docks... I'm all ears. I promise that I won't hold it against you."
"I don't believe you," Damian muttered.
Scott smiled, "You're smarter than you look. You should never trust anyone in this town, especially those that have power over you. That includes your father, you know."
"I trust my father fully," Damian said defiantly, although he wasn't entirely sure how much of the statement was true in his heart. He did trust Sonny, and he loved him as well... but Sonny had let this get out of hand, and he wasn't supposed to do that. Damian wouldn't ask that Sonny sacrifice himself for his son... but would Sonny do it anyway? Damian would have, if he had been the father. Was Sonny really as moral as he claimed to be? Damian wanted to believe that he was, but he wasn't entirely certain one way or the other.
"That's only going to get you hurt in the end, kid," Scott mused. "Trusting people in this town always gets you hurt..."
"I'll choose to take the risk."
"Don't say I didn't warn you." Scott looked at Damian through the mirror, "I'd almost feel bad about making you take the blame for this, Damian, but I've seen you people get away with too much since I've been here and I am going to make sure that it ends one way or the other."
"Don't start showing that you have a heart now, Baldwin, it's bad form."
"I didn't always used to be like this," Scott admitted.
"Well I guess I'm just not blessed enough to be around someone who is actually a decent human being, am I?"
"Another word of advice, don't irk the person that can send you to jail for a very long time."
"I'll take my chances," Damian stopped talking. He had no reason for idle chit-chat with such a person like Scott Baldwin.
Present-
He shouldn't have even let anything that Scott Baldwin told him have any effect on how he was thinking, but it did. Damian was more afraid now than he had ever been before in his life. Even when the possibility of death at the hands of Faith was very likely, he wasn't as afraid. It would have been quick and painless had she just shot him. Damian was now looking at years in prison, if not the death penalty. That was what scared him, rotting away in some cell while life went on around him. He had just gotten a family, he had just started to actually care for most of the people in that family in the same way that he cared for his family in Los Angeles... he couldn't just be taken out of their lives. He'd never see Michael grow up, he'd never hear Morgan talk or walk for the first time. He'd have to leave Maxie... and she might end up being with someone like Kyle again if he wasn't there to be her foundation. Damian couldn't stand the thought of Maxie being with someone that would hurt her, but he couldn't do anything about it if he was dead or in prison.
He was only 21 years old... he shouldn't have been worrying about such things. He should have been laughing and making sure that his family life wasn't falling apart at the seems. Jason was right, he had helped a lot of people by coming to Port Charles, but in a very big way it was a one way street. All that he seemed to have for all his troubles was a lot of pain, both physical and emotional, although there was certainly more of the latter. He thought that it outweighed his pain, but as he sat on the cold metal chair, his hands leaning on the lifeless square table, he was beginning to reevaluate his position on the situation.
He was also beginning to wonder if he should really look into getting an attorney. He didn't think he needed one, even when Ric was constantly telling him that he did. He was very foolish in that regard, living in the world of optimism, thinking that it did work the way he wanted it.
Ric had been watching Damian since a few minutes after he came in. His heart went out to his nephew, and, regardless of what some people thought of him, he did have a heart. Damian hadn't looked at the window, he had spent some much time with his head buried, looking at the ground. It was obvious that he was in so much pain. He needed to help. Ric went for the door handle.
"What happened to being too emotionally involved in the case, Lansing?" Scott asked, watching Ric watch Damian.
"I've since changed my stance on the situation," Ric countered, not giving Scott a look.
"Don't give me that."
"I'm going to see my nephew regardless of how you feel about the situation, Scott. Don't even try and stop me."
"Fine, have fun." Scott watched Ric walk in and grinned, "I know I am."
Damian looked up as he heard the door open. He wanted to believe that it was his father coming to get him out of the situation as he had done before. When he saw Ric, though, his hopes were instantly dashed. "What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I came to offer you some support."
Damian snickered, "How do I know that you aren't the one that tried to do this, Uncle Ric?"
"I promise you, Damian, I had nothing to do with this entire situation. I know that Scott is trying to frame you for something that you didn't do."
"Then get me out of here!" Damian demanded before toning himself down a bit, "Please... Uncle Ric... I didn't do anything."
"It's not that simple, Damian," Ric said. "Scott's got some evidence, both circumstantial and fabricated that pins both you being at the docks on the night of the massacre and holding one of the weapons that was found there."
"I'd never touch a gun!" Damian pointed out. "They go against everything that I believe in."
"I don't believe the forensics report anymore than you do," Ric said. "Scott's crafty, he knows how to make something look real when it isn't. I think that's what he's doing right now."
"I can't get out of here, can I?"
Ric shook his head, "I don't think so."
"I don't even have an attorney."
"I told you to get one the last time you were here."
"Could you do it for me?" Damian asked. "Could you be my attorney?"