It was finally here. The day that everyone's worries would end. The day that an innocent man would become free.
The night before, Division DRS had to leave to go to a station in Montana, and had to say goodbyes. So, all that who was left was the original group, with a few surprise guests.
It was only an hour that everyone was up, but it had looked as though they were all up for a lot longer than that. Everyone was ready for the battle of innocence. Everyone… except Elise.
Elise was still in her room, looking at the papers for the case. Incoherent babble could be heard from hr mouth as she looked at the papers. Constantly, she would look over every paper, to make sure not to miss anything. The group looked on at her, but said nothing. Apparently, this was one of those signs of nervousness from the great Agent Colonel Elisabeth Webster.
After about an hour and a half of this, Elise finally exited the room. She looked at everyone. The men had suits on and the women were dressed in a casual-dressed up sort of way. But, Elise? She was looking like an agent/attorney. But, how she dressed, was it going to matter to the Supreme Court? No. No… the Supreme Court wouldn't look at her clothing, but her face. Elise's face was all that they had to see to be scared mindless.
Elise lead their way out the door, where she saw a bunch of agents standing outside, with two limousines behind them. Lincoln had to be cuffed before going into the car, and Elise looked at the agent cuffing Lincoln.
"You're cuffing an innocent man."
"I know, but I still have to obey the law."
Everyone filed into the cars, Elise going into the car that held Lincoln, Veronica, Nick, Desmond, Kellerman, Terrence Steadman, and Pope.
Elise then looked at Lincoln.
"Todayt's the day, huh?"
Lincoln said nothing, and looked out the window. He would have to go through it again. He would have to go through the day of torture again. But this time… there was more hope. He smiled out the window, thinking of being innocent once again.
Meanwhile, in the other car that held Michael, Sucre, C-Note, Westmoreland, T-Bag, LJ, Olivia, Lorena, and Bellick, everyone was the opposite of the car in front of them While Lincoln's car was quiet, Michael's was loud. And they weren't even talking about the case, either.
"So, tell me again, you are one of Abruzzi's hitmen?" Sucre asked Lorena.
"Yes. I was one of the best."
"How did you and Elise become friends?" LJ asked, sitting next to Olivia and Michael.
"We became friends after she had joined the FBI. I was part of the FBI, before they fired me, and that's when I joined John Abruzzi."
"My mother never told me that you were part of the FBI, Lorena." Olivia said, looking at Lorena astonished.
"Well, your mother always has a lot on her mind. The question I'm wondering is how she and you, Mr. Theodore Bagwell, came to become an item?" She looked over at T-Bag, who smiled.
Olivia looked at T-Bag also. Most girls her age would be afraid to even speak of him, let alone look at him. But, she was like her mother, and was entranced be the sight of him.
"Well, it all started with a fight, then a reconcilation, and then… you know. A friendship."
Michael made a noise, and everyone looked at him, and then back at T-Bag. He was still a bit jealous, but he was also being a bit selfish. Elise wanted to be happy. So, sacrifices had to be made.
T-Bag continued.
"I never really thought that I could be friends with someone like her. I mean, we all know about my past, but…" T-Bag looked down, and his hands were on his knees. He then saw a pale hand slide on one of his hands, and looked up to see who it was.
Olivia smiled at T-Bag.
"I believe that becoming friends with my mom gave you the redemption you had been seeking for. Anyway, how often do you come across a woman who can scare the bejeebles out of so many people?"
Everyone laughed at her last comment. But it was true. How often would you come across someone like her? It was a miracle she was sent to Fox River, it really was. She had changed so many lives, not even knowing it. Well, she probably knew about it, but said nothing.
Before everyone knew it, they were at the Supreme Court.
Everyone had got out of their cars and walked into the building. They were allchecked for any concealed weapons, and once that was all done with, they continued on.
Elise turned to the others.
"You guys go into the audience. We have to go to get ourselves checked again."
They went into courtroom and sat down in the first and second row, on the defendant's side. They talked amongst themselves as they waited for the case to start. The only ones not talking were Michael, LJ, Olivia, and Lorena. Then, they hear the bailiff starting to talk.
"All rise for the Supreme Court Justices of the U.S."
Everyone rose to their feet as the ten Justices came out and sat down. Olivia looked at the one who was right in the middle. He was the oldest of them all, but seemed to be the most unsympathetic of them all. This one, she thought, was the one that her mom really had to convince.
The audience then sat down, and one of the Supreme Court Justices went on with what the case was about, and then, introduced the plaintiff, who was Caroline Reynolds with her lawyer, and then, Lincoln, who was followed by Veronica, Nick, and Elise. The middle judge noticed Lincoln having three attorneys and spoke up.
"Is there a reason why you have three attorneys, Mr. Burrows?"
Lincoln looked at the man, and looked at Elise. Elise looked at him, and then looked up at the judge.
"Your honor, I am allowed to be Mr. Lincoln Burrow's attorney."
"On what grounds?"
"On the grounds that I am Agent Colonel Elisabeth Webster, and I am the one who was able to get sufficient proof of Mr. Burrows' innocence." Elise looked at him, and stared into his eyes. He looked back, looking unmoved, but then, said:
"Very well, then."
The case went on, with Veronica and Nick showing some of Elise's proof to the judge, but then, Caroline's lawyer would interject with some statement, saying that the evidence was fraudulent. Nck and Veronica would bring up witnesses that were alive, and examine them, and think that they had the court. But then, Caroline's would cross examine the witnesses, and it seemed like the case was lost.
The case was obviously running in Caroline's favor, and Elise was on the verge of punching her out. There she was. The vice president sitting there, with a grin like a Chesire cat. This case was fixed. Elise knew it. Suddenly, she stood up.
"Your honors?"
"Yes, Miss Elisabeth."
"I can see that the few witnesses that have come up to the stand have been cross-examined by Mrs. Reynolds' lawyer before."
"How do you know?"
"I know because I can see that Mrs. Reynolds is mouthing the exacts words that the witnesses say."
"That is ridiculous!" Reynolds' lawyer, Daniel Hartigan, shouted, getting up and slamming his hands on the desk.
"No it is not. She is. I can see her mouth moving from all the way over here. You people think you are so sneaky, but you're nothing but rats. And you know that, Daniel." Elise shouted to him.
"Ms. Elisabeth!" The middle judge roared, getting up, and receiving her attention directly, though she didn't look afraid of him.
"You are getting out of line."
Elise breathed in deeply, looked at Hartigan, and then, looked back at the judge.
"I have a witness I would like to call to the stand."
"Yes, and who would that be?" The head jusge asked, not seeming interested. Elise could see Caroline whispering something in Hartigan's ear, and they both laughed. She then smiled to herself.
"I would like to call… Agent Paul Kellerman to the stand."
Caroline's smiled disappeared when she heard that Elise wanted Paul Kellerman to go to the stand. Elise smiled wickedly at her, and then, walked over to witness stand, where Paul was seated.
"Agent Paul Kellerman…"
"Elisabeth."
"I have a few questions for you."
Kellerman nodded.
"First off: I know that this is all a conspiracy. Can you tell who started it?"
"Well…" Kellerman was stumbling over his words, and judging by the look in Elise's eyes, he was about to be smacked.
"Well," he started again, "Vice President Caroline Reynolds and her brother, Terrence Steadman, started this conspiracy."
"Do you know why?"
"No, I don't."
"Well, can you at least tell me why they wanted Lincoln dead?"
"No, Ms. Elisabeth. I cannot."
"Why not?"
"I don't know the answer to that."
"Then, why did they include you in on it?"
Kellerman looked at her.
"Because they told me that a certain someone wouldn't do the job. That's why."
"And who was this certain someone?" She asked him, knowing what the answer was and just waiting for the audience's reaction.
"This certain someone was you, Elisabeth."
The audience gasped. Everyone except the group of cons, kids, and support.
"Did they tell you what your assignment was, that was supposed to be mine?"
"Objection! She's leading him."
Elise looked at the judges and shook her head. They all said, even the head judge:
"Overruled."
Elise smiled.
"Kellerman, did they tell you what the plan was was? I mean, there was a plan, right?"
"Yes, there was a plan. And it was to get rid of anyone who was going to expendable."
"What do you mean by 'going to be expendable?'"
"I mean, anyone who was going to reveal the plan to anyone outside the conspiracy."
Elise nodded and continued.
"Is it true that you and Agent Danny Hale killed both of Lincoln Burrows, Jr.'s parents, Lisa and Adrian Rix."
Kellerman looked down and nodded.
"Is it also true that you killed Leticia Barris?"
Again, Kellerman nodded.
"So, you killed those who were expendable to the conspiracy, or as you thought?"
"Yes."
Elise nodded.
"Thank you, Paul."
Kellerman got up and went back over to the audience. Olivia looked at him, and he looked at her. She shook her head at him, and a sad look crossed his face.
Elise remained in front.
"So, so far as we know… Caroline Reynolds and her brother, Terrence Steadman, did in fact form a plan to have Terrence killed. But, the question is, did Lincoln just seem to stumble into the picture, or was he just set up? Well, Lincoln says he was set up, and I know that Caroline won't want to admit that he was, so I'll have to ask the next best thing."
The court looked at her. Caroline and Hartigan looked worried, and the judges were baffled.
"I would like to call Terrence Steadman to the stand!"
The audience all gasped and noticed that the doors had opened. In walked Desmond Webster, holding onto a completely shackled Terrence Steadman. Caroline looked at her brother in complete shock. He only looked at her, with no expression. Apparently, Elise must have had said something to him before the case.
The judges looked at Terrence Steadman as he walked to the witness stand. They couldn't believe it. This was proof enough that Lincoln was innocent.
"Hello, Terrence."
Terrence just smiled at Elise.
"Will you just tell the court about what this conspiracy is all about and why did you do it in the first place?"
"Well, that's easy. Caroline wanted to get everyone, who she thought would be expendable to her reign of tyranny, out of the picture, which included Lincoln Burrows."
"Why Lincoln, though?"
"She heard about him being a drug addict and decided that since he wasn't a form of her "dream", as you would say, she wanted him out of the picture. And she would stop at nothing to do so."
"Oh, really?" Elise looked at Caroline, who gulped and looked down.
"So, tell me, Terrence… Do you really think it was a smart idea to leave behind a letter to your sister a day after you were supposedly killed?"
"No it wasn't. I knew that someone would find it, sooner or later. I feared it was gonna be you, but now…"
"Now, we know it was me, but, we'll skip over that. Thank you for your time, Terrence."
Terrence nodded at Elise, and then got off of the witness stand, and was escorted back to the door with Desmond.
Elise looked at the judges, and whispered something to them.
"And you thought I wouldn't amount to anything.'
All of the judges cringed, and then, the head judge got up.
"We will take an hour recess, and then, the verdict will be heard."
Elise was sitting on the banister of the witness stand and was staring at Caroline. She stayed that way for a few minutes, before she noticed someone walking over to her. It was Lincoln.
"Hey, Linc."
"Hey, I wanna thank you for everything."
"Oh, don't mention it."
"No, I'm serious. With you helping with the case, somehow protecting my son…just being there for me and Michael. I don't know why I never trusted you before. I was wrong back then." Tears were in his eyes.
"Oh, don't cry, Lincoln. You're gonna make me cry." She started to cry, and then hugged Lincoln. Although she was crying she was laughin, which caused Lincoln to start lauhging.
"Come on. We have one more hour before the verdict. And this time, you need this hope."
Lincoln nodded. He followed Elise, who walked over to the group, who were all congratulating her on just scaring the living daylights out of everybody. They all talked for awhile, and then, most of them went outside, for some fresh air. Elise stayed in the courtroom, sitting alone in one of the rows. She looked out of the corner of her eye and she saw Pope coming in and sitting next to her.
"Hello, Pope."
"Hello, Elisabeth."
"Have any news about us going back to Fox River?"
"Yes, I do. You'll have to return, unfortunately."
Elise's face fell, and she looked down at the floor.
"What about my request to release us all on bail?"
Pope looked at her in a serious way. She looked at him, and covered her face with her hands. But, a smile crossed his face and he put his hand on her shoulder.
"It went through."
Elise looked up at him, eyes wide, and a smile across her face.
"Really? Oh my God!"
"Yes. You will be leaving, however, after tomorrow, in a month and a half."
"So, I guess we'll have to get reaccustomed to the big house, huh?"
Pope nodded, and smiled. Elise thanked him again, and as he left, someone else walked in. It was Olivia. Olivia sat down by her mother.
"Mom? Can I ask you something."
"Sure."
"You know that man, T-Bag?"
"Yes?" She looked at her daughter, "Please don't tell me he has done anything to you."
"Well, no, but he did tell me something."
"And what was that?" Elise asked, getting a bit heated up.
"He told me that my mom was the best thing that happened to him, and he hopes that this entire thing ends soon, so he could live with you in peace."
"He'll have to live with you, you know that?"
"What do you mean?"
"That entire group of guys that were with me? They were in prison with me. And they became my best friends. So, I made a request that we get out of prison as soon as possible."
"And?"
"And we are." Elise looked at her daughter, and she saw her crying. Olivia hugged her mom really tightly, and didn't want to let her go.
"I'm coming home, Olivia."
The hour had past, and everyone had come back into the courtroom. Elise was sitting at the table with Lincoln praying for the verdict to be innocent. Lincoln put his hand on her back, and she looked up at him.
"Have a little faith," he told her.
Elise smiled, and noticed the judges coming back in. Elise, Lincoln, Nick, Veronica, Caroline, and Hartigan all stood up, awaiting the verdict.
The head judge stood up and looked out to the courtroom. Of all the faces, his eyes landed on Elise's. She had finally proven herself. It would've been horrible for her if verdict was guilty. But, that was only if. Well, here goes.
"We have found, that in the case of the alledge murder of the very much alive Terrence Steadman, we find that Lincoln Burrows is innocent on all charges."
The crowded roared. But no one was happier than Elise. Although she stood there silently, with a smile on her lips, she looked up at the judge who called out the verdict. He caught her eye, and a trace of a smile graced his lips. Elise nodded her head to him, and he returned it. She then turned to Lincoln, and gfave him a huge hug.
"I have eve greater news."
"What is that?"
"In a month and a half, we'll be free. All of us."
"How?"
"I made a request to the head judge about letting us go, and he accepted it. We're almost free!"
Lincoln hooted and hollered and was soon rampaged by the guys and the others.
Everyone congratulated Elise, but no one gave her more praise than Michael. He walked over to her, and kissed her on the cheek.
"I don't know what I would do if I never knew you."
"I guess it was a kinda good thing you left me 16 years ago. Because if you didn't, this wouldn't have happened."
"No, it wouldn't have."
Elise laughed, and joined the group. They all were chatting idly, and Elise's eyes were glued on Lincoln. He was so happy. Maybe there was something else that she could give him., He deserved it anyway. But, it would have to wait a little while more.
At last, the battle of innocence was over.