Chapter 5: REVELATIONS
"Honorable Tribunal. I would like to call Hank Summers as a witness."
"Granted."
Hank walked over to the witness chair and sat down.
"Hank," Rick said, " You've heard all of the testimony said here today. How do you respond to it?"
"I don't understand it to tell the truth. I'm a good father. My daughter is a grown woman. She has made it very clear that she can take care of herself. After Joyce died, she insisted on staying in Sunnydale. She told me she could handle everything and I believed her."
"What about your career? Is that more important than your family?"
"No. I'm a very busy man," Hank continued. "But my family always has been, and always will be, the most important thing in my life. Buffy knows that, if she has a problem all she has to do is pick up the phone. Clare knows to put her through no matter what else is going on."
"And what about all of those missed birthdays and holidays? How do you respond to that?"
"I have hundreds of investors and over a hundred thousand employees who rely on me to do my job, and to do it well. That is not a responsibility I take lightly. If that means I have to miss a few birthdays and holidays, then that is the price I have to pay."
"I have one last question to ask you Hank. It is the same question that has been asked of everyone else in this court today. Why should you be allowed to live?"
"I don't deserve to die in some alley. I should live because I'm a good man, a good father, and I have a good career."
Rick signaled he was done. Hank braced himself for Lilah's cross.
"I have just one question for you Hank. It's a very simple question. Something a 'good father' like you would have no problem answering. How old are your daughters?"
"Buffy is 21 and Dawn is 15."
Lilah shook her head no.
Out of the corner of his eye, Hank noticed his children's reactions. Dawn looked worse then she did during Lilah's interrogation. The teenager was close to tears. Buffy hung her head in shame; she quietly stared at her hands as they rested in her lap.
"22 and 16?" Hank guessed.
Once again, Lilah shook her head no. "Dawn is 17, and Buffy turns 23 today. A good father would know that."
Hank looked at his children again. A single tear ran down Buffy's face. She quickly wiped it away. Dawn was openly crying now. Buffy tried to consol her little sister, she pulled her close and hugged her as she wept, holding Dawn's hand and gently rubbing her shoulder. Mike gave the teenager his handkerchief and gently padded her on the back.
Hank turned his attention back to Lilah. She was silently mouthing the words 'Bye Bye' while she waved goodbye at him.
"Nothing further." she declared.
Hank slowly rose from the witness chair. He was in shock. He did not know how old his own children were. That fact surprised even him. How did I get that wrong? he thought as he slowly walked back to the plaintiff's area. He remembered that weird look Lilah gave him during Buffy's questioning. He had no idea what that was about at the time, but he understood it now.
She set me up! Hank realized. Lilah read my mind. She knew I would get the answer wrong. That's why she stopped talking about birthdays so suddenly. She waited until I was the one in the witness chair to drop that bombshell. Damn it! She really is trying to kill me.
The reality of his situation hit Hank like a freight train. Hank knew he was not going to win this trial, and once it was over, he was going to die. No one was going to vote for him to live. Hell, he wouldn't vote for himself right now. He realized a few other things about himself.
Alcoholics talk about hitting their bottom. Criminals find God days before they are put to death for their crimes. For most of Hank's life, he has never understood those things. At that moment, they made perfect sense.
Hank had what the alcoholics and the condemned criminals call a 'Moment Of Clarity'. A Moment Of Clarity is a time in someone's life when everything comes into focus and that person see things as they truly are for the first time. It happens to people who know they are going to die. For the first time in his life, Hank Summers saw what he truly was.
He was not a good father. He was never a good husband. He was not a good friend. He wasn't even a good boyfriend. Hank realized he was a petty, self-absorbed fool. All he cared about was himself. His career; his relationships; his divorce; nothing else mattered to him.
Of course his girlfriend was only in it for the money. That was all he was good for. What else could he give her? Emotional support? Love? No. The only person he was capable of loving was himself.
Of course Charlie secretly hated him and Clare secretly loved him, he never had a real conversation with either one of them. With Charlie, Hank was always the one who did all the talking, and all he ever talked about was himself. He never wanted to know how Charlie was doing. He never asked Charlie about his life. He simply did not care.
He never really talked to Clare either. As part of their morning ritual, Clare would read Hank's horoscope to him from the morning paper. In all the years she has worked for him, Hank has never once listened to her. When she would talk about something that was not business related, he would zone her out. To Hank, Clare was little more than background noise. She was nothing to look at, so she simply was not worth listening to. In his mind Clare, just like Charlie, Tiffani, and a majority of the rest of the world, was there just to make him happy.
Of course he betrayed his best friend and took his wife for granted, they were only there to keep him happy too. Joyce would always love him and Mike would always be his drinking buddy. It did not matter to him that he did nothing to strengthen those relationships. He didn't have to. Both of them would always be around and they would always be there for him. He was the important one. Not them. Even his divorce did not teach him that lesson.
It was the same with Buffy and Dawn. He was their father and that meant instant love. They would always love him no matter what. He didn't have to do anything for them. He did not know Buffy needed his help, because he never bothered to ask. He just assumed everything was fine with her and Dawn because it made his life easier if it was. Hell, they should feel indebted to him for bringing them into the world.
For the first time in his life, Hank saw the insanity of his thinking. He realized how much he had... It was a hard thing to admit to, but it was the only word that fit... He realized how much he had neglected his girls over the years. His family and friends don't owe him anything; he owes them everything. He is the one who should be grateful that they are in his life.
"Time for Plan B." Rick muttered to himself.
Rick did not request a new witness. Instead he just gestured toward the portal. The air burned as the portal quickly formed and another familiar face emerged from the pool of energy. It was Hank's former wife, Joyce Summers in a long, flowing, all-white dress.
"Mom!" Dawn almost shouted as she quickly wiped away her tears and stood. Buffy held her sister's hand as she also rose to her feet and stared in disbelief at her mother's form. Joyce looked over at her children and smiled.
"Joyce?" Hank was shocked out of his stupor. "What? How? She's... ?"
"Let me finish that sentence for you." Lilah interrupted. "She's dead."
"We're all dead here Lilah." Rick stated.
"I knew you were desperate Lansing, but Joyce Summers?"
"Bringing someone who is dead to this plane is a simple task. " Rick explained. "This court exists in-between life and death. Osiris can ferry souls both ways. But you already knew that."
"She is not a part of Hank's life. She is not a part of anyone's life. She is a corpse rotting in the ground. Correction, since Sunnydale became a giant hole in the ground, she isn't even a corpse anymore. She's just another dead person without a body. Get rid of her Lansing. Now!"
"Relax Lilah," Rick quipped. "Don't lose your head."
"Very Funny. Let's see what the Tribunal has to say about this."
Lilah turned to face the Tribunal. "Honorable Tribunal. I request that you censure Rick Lansing for his conduct. Mr. Lansing latest stunt is a violation of the rules of this court. There is no reason for Joyce Summers to be here. I demand she be returned to wherever she came from and that Rick Lansing be removed from these proceeding."
"You opened the door Lilah," Rick decreed. "You already admitted to orchestrating the attack on Hank, KNOWING who he was. And you are the one who requested this jury trial. You broke the rules first. I should be allowed the same leniency."
The three members of the Tribunal looked at each other for a few seconds. It was impossible to hear what they were saying; the black veils they wore covered their mouths. After a minute of discussion, the Tribunal decided she should stay.
"Honorable Tribunal!" Lilah began to protest.
"Silence!" the Tribunal decreed. "Lansing. Continue."
Rick thanked them before he turned his attention to Joyce. He asked her to sit in the witness chair, Joyce easily complied.
"Hello Joyce," Rick said in mellifluous tone.
"Rick," Joyce smiled.
Those two seem chummy, Hank thought. A little too chummy. A small pang of jealousy hit Hank.
"Talk to us about your life with Hank," Rick requested.
"Hank and I meet at college. His fraternity was holding an open mixer and my friend Susie and I decided to go. He was very charming. I was taken with him right away. We dated for a few years before he asked me to marry him."
"I assume you said yes," Rick joked.
"Not at first. It took some persuading on Hank's part, but he eventually won me over."
"Persuading?" Rick inquired.
"Yes," Joyce said during a laugh. Hank's jealousy pangs were getting stronger. "He hired a sky writer to spell 'Marry Me Joyce' over Millers Park while we had a picnic."
"Then you said yes?"
"How could I not? It was the most romantic gesture I had ever seen."
"Our wedding was magical," Joyce continued. "The flowers, the dress, the music; everything was perfect. It was the most special day of my life."
Lilah laughed for a second then quickly forced herself to stop. It was a sarcastic laugh, more like a snicker, like when you hear something intensely funny at an inappropriate time, which of course this was.
Everything came to a halt. Every eye in the makeshift courtroom stared at the evil attorney. Lilah gave a half-hearted apology and everyone's attention returned to Joyce and her testimony.
"Please continue Joyce," Rick requested.
"We went to Venice Italy for our honeymoon. It was so romantic. I loved riding in the gondolas. We would kiss every time we passed under a bridge. The day after we got back, Hank started his new job with the firm. We used his sign-on bonus for the down payment on the old house. We settled in and began our life together. Three years later we had Buffy. Ohhh! Hank was so happy when I told him we were having a baby. He jumped up and down, gave me a big hug and a kiss, and then he started dancing around the doctor's office. He looked completely ridiculous. He even hugged Dr. Chismar."
Hank recalled that fateful day. He did look like a total idiot, but he didn't care, he was going to be a father. Looking back on it now, it was the best time of his life.
"What about the day you told him Dawn was coming? What did he do then?"
"When I told Hank I was carrying Dawn. Well... That story is a little... All I'll say is that it's not a story I feel comfortable telling to strangers."
"He was happy?"
"Very happy," Joyce blushed.
" 'Dancing around the room' happy?"
"More like, 'It's a miracle Dawn is not a twin' happy."
Hank recanted his former thought. That night with Joyce was the best time of his life. He wasn't that good in the sack on his honeymoon.
"It all sounds so wonderful. What happened? What went wrong?"
"After a while... Hank and I... the short version is, we just stopped communicating with each other." Joyce was a mask of painful emotions as she talked. Everyone could clearly see this was a troubling topic for her. "I was busy taking care of Buffy and going to school, and Hank was spending more and more time at work. Some days we didn't see each other at all. I would fall asleep before he got home and he was off to work before I got up. All of that time apart just wore away our relationship. Every time we talked, it would start off as a discussion, and end up an argument."
"So you chose to end it?" Rick inquired.
"Ending our marriage was a mutual decision. We were both unhappy, and all we were doing was making things worse. All of the yelling and screaming was rough on the girls. We both felt we were better off apart. Later that year, Hank got the partnership he always wanted. He became the head of the firm's San Diego offices. Then all of the craziness with Buffy and the high school gymnasium happened. When Mike who told me about the job in Sunnydale, it was the perfect excuse to move the girls out of L.A. The largest art museum in Sunnydale had a very hard time holding on to their employees. I know why now."
"How would you describe your relationship with Hank after the divorce?"
"It was better in a lot of ways. We still loved each other. We just weren't 'in love' anymore. We lost the passion we once shared, but a good friendship took its place. After the divorce, all of the pressure we put on our relationship was gone. We were able to just be friends again."
"So you harbor no ill will toward Hank?"
"Why would I hate Hank? He and I had a lot of wonderful years together and he gave me two of the most wonderful gifts in the world."
Hank remembered why he fell in love with Joyce. She was the most compassionate, and beautiful, woman he had ever met. He wished he could say that about himself. Instead of enjoying his memories of their life together, Hank was almost overwhelmed by intense feelings of jealousy.
Rick signaled he was done and returned to Hank's side. You didn't have to be a mind reader to know what Hank was thinking. It was written all over his face. The 'little green monster' was practically pounding on the vein in his forehead.
"Granddaughter," Rick calmly declared.
"What?"
"Joyce. She's my daughter's second child. My granddaughter. She's got Silvia's eyes..." Rick mused. "Silvia was my wife."
Hank's feelings of jealousy abruptly ended. They were replaced by a strong sense of stupidity. Rick and Joyce, he chastised himself. God What An Idiot I Am!
Lilah began her cross.
"Did you know about Hank's affair with Sarah?"
"I know everything that was said before I got here."
"Let me rephrase the question then, did you know about Hank's affair before this trial?"
"Yes I did."
"How did you find out?"
"Sarah and I were still friends after the split. She told me she was sleeping with Hank at lunch one day. Before you ask, no I never told Mike." Joyce looked over at Mike and said, "I'm sorry Mike, but I didn't want to ruin your friendship with Hank. I knew you would blame him for everything, but the truth is Sarah was just as guilty."
"And you forgave him?"
Joyce turned her attention back to Lilah. "It happened after we were divorced."
"What difference does that make?"
"Like I said, it happened after we separated. Hank was a single man at the time. He could do whatever he wanted."
"Even if what he wanted was to destroy yet another family?"
"Just like me and Hank, Sarah and Mike were irreconcilable. Sarah was miserable in her marriage. Mike took her for granted just like Hank did me. She told me she seduced Hank just to get back at Mike."
"And that was OK with you?"
"Again. Hank was a single man at the time. He could do whatever he wanted to do."
"Let me get this straight. Your former husband was sleeping with your best friend, and you're telling me that it didn't bother you at all? You had no anger whatsoever?"
"Yes. It bothered me. But it wasn't my place to interfere."
"Then let's talk about something that should bother you, Mrs. Summers. Let's talk about how Hank treated your wonderful gifts. While both of your daughters were going through the most difficult time of their young lives, Hank did nothing. He completely ignored your children because it wasn't convenient for him."
"Buffy never told her father about her troubles. She has certain... secrets that she keeps. I love her, but my daughter can be incredibly stubborn when it comes to asking for help. As part of her calling, she feels she has to bear the weight of the world alone and do everything herself. Because of this she rarely, if ever, asked me, or her father, for help. She just puts it all on her own shoulders and handles it herself. If Hank knew about her and Dawn's troubles, he would have been on the first plane to Sunnydale."
"How do you know that? You're not a part of Hank's life anymore. As I pointed out earlier, you're not a part of anyone's life anymore. You're dead."
"That is not true," Joyce answered. "I see Hank everyday. I look down on him and I guide him in ways only I can. Hank is a good man with a good heart. He deserves to live a full life."
Lilah did not want to end her cross at that moment, but she had no choice. The Tribunal ended her questioning when they bellowed their command.
"Enough Testimony!" The Tribunal declared. "Summers, Joyce, Go To The Waiting Area. It Is Time To Vote."
Hank thought he would feel a wave of panic when he heard those words. Surprisingly, he did not. An odd calm came over him instead. The end of this crazy ordeal was near. That alone was cause for celebration. He realized something else too. For the first time in the last two days, he did not crave a cigarette.
End Chapter 5