Author's Note: Pretty long…only on the basis that I wanted to have only two chapters remaining- this one and the last one.
Oh, and read and review!
Disclaimer: I don't own FOP, I shall never own FOP, now stop asking me all ready! Yeesh.
Chapter Thirty-One: The Verdict Is In
Tootie drums her fingers on the table, her eyes trained on the judge presiding, a judge Daniela Padron. For some odd reason, the name Padron invokes a sense of fear in her, as though something about it states that there will be an unfair lenience towards the guilty party. It's inexplicable and completely paranormal, but she can't shake it. Weird…
"Will the parties please rise for the honorable Judge Daniela Padron?" The bailiff calls as a woman with short brown hair, a trim figure, sparkling brown eyes, and pink-rimmed glasses steps up to her place.
"I'll begin by reading the charges. Miss Vicky…oh, I can't read the last name, but she and her husband have been charged of child abuse, child endangerment, child molestation, and child neglect. There are no countercharges and we will hear the arguments of the prosecution first…"
After that, the voices drone on. Tootie pays hardly any attention to anything, barely noticing the judge calling her to the stand until her name has been uttered three times. Every eye falls on her and she jerks back to reality, realizing she has to testify now. The cold weight in her stomach descends and, as she slowly walks to the stand, every second passes like an hour.
It seems to take an eternity to reach it and her feet drag on the brown tiled floor. And, no matter where she looks, at the false smiles of her 'side' or the glares of Vicky's side, she can't see the pink hat or the tousled brown hair she longs for. Damn…Timmy's over an hour and a half late…
Clearing her throat and nearly spilling the water sitting down, Tootie feels the heated gaze of the courtroom. However, the judge smiles benevolently, indicating her sympathy. Great…so someone controlling her future cares a little.
Her nerves are already to the fraying point. Unpleasant waves of nausea course through her body and she desires to dart to the bathroom and expunge her breakfast. In fact, she can taste the apple she ate in the back of her throat.
Breaths coming in shallow gasps, she waits for the judge to ask her a question she will not be able to answer. Even if her lawyer's prepped her, she doesn't feel nearly as prepared as she thought she'd be. Maybe because this is the real thing, in front of everyone. God, she wishes she could just drop into the floor and descend to the underworld…
Pale and hands trembling, she reaches for the glass of water and sips to parch her dry throat. It's as though every drop of moisture has left her body as has her courage. The only thing rooting her here right now is her fear and their eyes, their damning eyes.
Already, despite the fact she hasn't been asked anything, she feels lightheaded and as though she'll pass out on the stand. Maybe if she does, she won't have to testify. In her delirious state, she grasps anything in the hope it'll help.
"Could you please state your name for the court?" Judge Padron intones.
My name? Well, that's easy, right? Wait, what is my name? Oh, no…I'm going to lose because I'm too stupid! Everything's left me…Timmy, people's support…and Cosmo and Wanda are mysteriously gone too…
"Well?" She presses lightly.
Tootie lowers her head and wishes this would be over…
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Meanwhile, outside, Timmy bangs on the courtroom doors to no avail. In his hands, he clutches the security surveillance tape from the hospital. Damn it, this isn't his fault! It took him this long to coerce the hospital to release it, despite it being crucial to his case.
"I'm part of the prosecution, let me in!" Timmy roars, slamming against the door. A couple of security guards appear and he presents the tape, holding it in front of him as though offering it to him.
They frown, muttering something about this being an arrestable defense. His heart sinks but, before they appear with the handcuffs, he sees a pink poster wink at him. Wanda? But shouldn't she be inside with Tootie?
Like he ought to…Tootie's going to kill him when this is over. That is, if it ever ends…if Tootie doesn't win this case, he isn't sure what he'll do, probably try to grab her and flee Dimmsdale. There's nothing keeping him here anymore.
But the thought of losing is so unfathomable, it barely registers. With this video, at least he can conclusively prove Vicky's guilt. He shudders at the thought of seeing it again, though. Maybe while it's been shown, he can explain to Toot where he was and hold her.
Okay, perhaps he can't do the second part until they're out of here...and that reminds him. He has a special night planned for them as soon as they win the trial. If he can keep his hands off her until then, he'll give her the night of her life.
Waving her wand, Wanda creates a temporary stupor for the guards and for anyone who might stop him in the room. She winks at him, but belies her nervousness by dropping her wand accidentally. None of them are certain of the outcome of this trial…and everything depends on Tootie's testimony, essentially.
Lowering his head and walking into the courtroom at long last, Timmy whispers, "Good luck, Toot."
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The defense rises, ready to cross examine her. She quakes, her fists so white, she can see the veins within. Her heart pounds in her chest and God, does she want this to be over.
"Now, Tootie, relate for the jury the night Vicky visited you in the hospital," The attorney begins, smiling malevolently. Tootie can sense his willingness to bend the truth, to twist her words as soon as they leave her mouth. If only she could prevent that from happening.
"There's no need for her to testify on that," a strong, clear voice rings out and everyone turns. In the back of the room, his fist clenched about a tape, Timmy strides up the aisle and hands the tape to the bailiff. Before he sits, he smiles at Tootie and mouths "I love you".
Frowning, the bailiff hands the tape to the judge, who, recalling this is part of the defense, places it inside the VCR and waits. Apparently, Timmy couldn't get just those few minutes and they must fast forward. Silence reigns yet again as the supporters for Vicky await Tootie's damnation and the reverse Vicky's.
Tootie, meanwhile, has sunk so low in her chair, only the top of her head is visible. Where's a good huge hole when you need one?
The moment starts and suddenly, she trembles badly. The bile rises in her throat and she prays she throws up, just for an excuse to get out of here and into Timmy's arms. She simply cannot endure another second of this…
Her sister's words resound in her ears and she feels lightheaded, almost giddy. Were she of a sounded mind and body, she would recognize this as a breakdown. Her body's only response to all the mounting stress, humiliation, and trauma is to faint and she struggles against an urge to.
But why? She wanted to pass out a few seconds ago and now her mind has changed. It makes no sense…until she sees a pink button on the TV wink at her. Wanda has confidence in her and, therefore, will not permit her to take the easy way out. Life is hard, she knows, and she's sick of her trying to quit.
However, just because she won't pass out doesn't mean she'll look. Instead, as if from a distance, she hears what she heard months ago.
"C'mon, I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."
She can almost hear the clockwork going in some of those attending- see? She said she wasn't going to hurt you and she was right. Drop the case now, little drip.
However, luckily, no one can speak during this and the line proceeds uncommented upon.
"Did he touch you?"
Like a caring sister, only she knows better. Damn, Wanda, keeping her from passing out. She doesn't want to relive this, damn it!
The rest of the dialogue washes over her and she thinks, Well, if I can just sit like this until they make their decision, I'm good.
Of course, they cannot and the bailiff stops the tape as Timmy walks into the room. It's probably a good thing they did, when Tootie thinks about it, because she doesn't need any negative press geared towards him. It's all she can handle with all the attention she's getting…Timmy doesn't need to share the limelight.
Turning on the lights again (the crowd strangely pale), the judge turns towards Tootie. Her face is grave and her eyes, sweeping the crowd and settling accusingly on Vicky, return to her. Once again, she longs to descend into the floor.
"Do you have any comments about what transpired during your years under Vicky and Ricky's custody?" Judge Padron inquires instead, surprising her. Perhaps she understands that video's particularly painful for her- after all, she was the only one in the courtroom not watching. Everyone's eyes were glued to the TV, as though relishing the worst moment in her life. She won't be surprised if it ends up on a tabloid cover.
Clearing her throat and damning Timmy, Tootie begins in a clear voice not her own and speaks. Her body trembles so badly, she nearly falls out of the chair, but she continues. Instead of looking at the jury, she looks beyond them, into the past.
"Yes…they worked me until I couldn't stand, sometimes beyond that. I was their nanny for three miscreants that should have been aborted before they were even conceived. They give meaning to the phrase 'a mistake'.
"I did all of their cleaning, cooking, and kept house. If something went wrong, either I would be assigned more work by Vicky or beaten severely by Ricky. In either case, I would be expected, no matter how exhausted I was by the time I crawled to sleep in the utility closet in the kitchen, to work again. Simply put, if I had complaints, I could stow them.
"Sometimes, if they were in a particularly vindictive mood, they wouldn't feed me. I know, I was the one who made dinner, but one of them always kept an eye on me, just in case they'd decided impulsively tonight was not a night I ate. If it was, I'd make dinner and serve it, but they'd steal my plate and eat it themselves.
"Dinner was the only meal I ate. My lunch period was always spent doing chores for Vicky, running errands, if you will. She'd tape a notice on my dashboard as to what she wanted and all the money my parents sent for my health and clothing would go to her personal stuff.
"I'd get new clothing whenever Vicky was through with hers…no matter how tattered it was. She'd deliberately give me baggy clothing, so no one would notice my figure. Whenever I asked her about it, she'd say something odd, like she didn't want anyone else to notice how much I'd grow or something like that.
"I had to be the one to keep her children from getting in trouble or in fights. They befouled the room that used to be mine, all the artwork I used to do. They were wild, unparented and half human, half beast.
"And they were barely toilet trained. Whenever they felt like acting up, I had to clean feces off my former ceiling and pray for it to end…
"I didn't have a bed, after they stole my room. I slept on a cold concrete floor next to a mop. I didn't have a blanket or a pillow, and it hardly mattered because if I were needed in the middle of the night, I'd have to get up anyway.
"I became withdrawn, sullen in school. I just wanted to get there, get out, and live the hell that had become my life. I didn't care about anything, excluding one thing…"
Here, after returning to herself, she breaks off. Broaching the subject to Timmy neither pertains to this nor is something she wishes to discuss. The lack of intimacy between them distresses her and she'd rather the entire court didn't know about it. Timmy and she are a separate item all together.
"Except for?" The judge presses, noting how her face is now extremely white and her hands are clammy. In due time, they'll break for a recess, because the strain shows on Tootie's face. This girl cannot be pushed too hard or else she'll shatter.
"My current boyfriend," Tootie replies through gritted teeth, hoping no more questions will follow suit.
Judge Daniela Padron nods sternly. "Break for recess and the defense."
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"I wasn't sure you were going to show," A.J. snaps crossly, grabbing an ice cold water Tootie eyes enviously. If she isn't afraid of it coming back up, she'd grab one herself. Instead, she thinks she'll abstain.
"The hospital was giving me a hell of a time releasing that tape. They apparently have a policy against giving out security tapes," Timmy murmurs, pulling A.J. aside. There's something he wants to discuss with him, something he doesn't want Tootie to be privy to. She glances over at them, hurt. He hasn't said a word to her yet today…
"What do you want?" A.J. hisses, alternatively speaking and gulping down his water. Timmy glances again to make sure Tootie is out of earshot before proceeding.
"I wanted to ask Tootie to marry me as soon as we got out of high school," Timmy murmurs frankly and A.J., about to take a sip, nearly chokes. What? Marry her? But when did this come about? He can't have gotten her pregnant that quickly, right?
And why's he asking him of all people for permission? He lost her heart before he even had a chance at it. She's his through and through. It makes utterly no sense to him.
"So ask her to marry you. It doesn't affect me-" A.J. begins, but he cuts him off.
"It does because I want you to be my best man," Timmy replies simply.
Here, he fumbles and produces a small engagement ring, nothing too ornate. In fact, it is a mere gold band, their initials and the date he plans to give it to her carved on the outside. Yes, it's cheap, but he earned the money to buy it and that means everything to him. It's his last fifty bucks.
"You're serious about this?" He can tell this…but by marrying her, he's forever lost the chance. He must resign himself to the fact he'll never have her. More than ever, he hopes Tootie wins- if he cannot make her happy, at least Timmy can.
But when they graduate, he's getting out of this city. He'll turn his attention to other things, other places. The world will be his…and maybe, just maybe, he'll forget what almost was.
For now, however, it is a pleasant thought, nothing more. He must give Timmy an answer, even though he has no intention of attending the wedding. Leaving Dimmsdale means leaving everything else behind, including them. If he's so inclined, he'll send them a check.
Timmy blathers on about how much he loves Tootie and how perfect they are, but he blocks him out. This recess may be more painful than the trial…and having to see Vicky sexually molest her sister. (Which, bear in mind, had to be pretty horrid for Tootie).
"So…will you be my best man?" Timmy asks hopefully, finally reaching the end of his diatribe.
"No." Shaking his head, his gaze falls upon Tootie, half listening to people come up to her and offer their condolences (that she had to endure Vicky). She looks like a small child again and her hands wrench in her lap. Once again, he realizes he has to leave, before the fact Timmy often ignores Tootie for other people really grates on his nerves.
"Why not?" He whines, but his lament is cut off. The recess is over…it's the defense's turn to speak.
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Although Vicky and Ricky have no damaging evidence, they do have the contract Tootie was blackmailed into signing. She only hopes it won't hold up, even though she recognizes contracts to be legal and binding. Perhaps the judge will see she was forced into signing it…
Their testimony is tantamount to a series of lies, all spoken in such certain tones and with such conviction, she realizes she'd vote them not guilty if she were on the jury. They had to have bribed the jury and the judge beforehand…she has no shot in hell…
Finally, after listening to about an hour and a half of lies and falsehoods all aimed at proving Tootie to be either insane, delusional, retarded, or a combination of all three, the judge proclaims closing statements. These she scarcely listens to, although she's aware they will leave a lasting impression on the jury.
Her side speaks first, beseeching the jury (and the audience, in part) to identify Vicky for what she really is- a child molester, her husband a child beater…etc.
Then, in another attack, this time on her sanity, the defense speaks. Timmy's face grows taut, his fists clench. These are lies and he knows it.
The court adjourns for their last recess. She'll know her fate soon enough. And soon, this will all be over.
Now, she just has to wait for the jury's decision….
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"We have a verdict," The jury announces and Tootie, sitting between A.J. and Timmy, only the former touching her, tenses. Well?
Unfolding the piece of paper, the judge reads aloud to an entire courtroom with bated breath, "We find the defendants Vicky and Ricky guilty on all charges.
"Vicky and Ricky, you two are sentenced to separate jails (male only and female only) for ten years and five years respectively, no parole. Afterwards, you will serve twelve months community service and pay the prosecution every dollar of hers you squandered."
With that, she bangs the gavel and proclaims, "Courtroom adjourned."