Chapter 115

The judge allowed a moment for the family embrace before asking Ava to, once again, take her seat. Mr. Carter called their next witness, Lizzy, to the stand. Following Frank's orders, he tried to paint Olivia in a bad light by questioning Lizzy about when she was younger and Olivia and Phillip were together. Asking her about her kidnapping Emma to keep her away from Olivia. Lizzy answered honestly. Admitting that at the time she felt Olivia was this horrible person who would ruin her little sister. However, like all that came before her, she attested to Olivia's change and she admitted that she tried to cause Olivia harm while she was pregnant and that she knew Olivia only kept Emma from them and lied about her death because she was afraid of Emma being harmed. Doris and Mel didn't even cross examine, there was no need. Lizzy had done a fabulous job of defending her ex-stepmother.

Next Bill Lewis was called to the stand, and true to his nature, Frank demanded his lawyer continue to try and get the jury to see Olivia as nothing more than a manipulative bitch, refusing to admit defeat. Bill was asked about his marriage to Olivia. Mr. Carter tried to make him admit that their marriage was a scheme cooked up by Olivia and that having Bill adopt Emma was all a rouse thought up by Olivia just to hurt Phillip. It didn't work. Bill explained that he truly did have love for Olivia and that their marriage was as true as any of Olivia's others. He told the jury that adopting Emma was yes, for her protection, but also because he loved her and had every intention of being a father figure for her. Luckily Frank didn't know everything that occurred during he and Olivia's short marriage.

Mel did cross examine him, asking him about what happened just before Olivia got sick, when he was hired by Alan to make Olivia think that Phillip was back and trying to take Emma. Bill admitted to everything, he wasn't ashamed anymore. He knew that Olivia was aware of just how 'convincing' Alan Spaulding could be, and there were no hard feelings between himself and Olivia.

After Bill, it was Reva's turn. Mr. Carter went through their entire sorted past. Frank and spent many hours in jail digging up everything he could on Olivia and Reva's relationship. He knew the two women had gone back and forth with one another for years, long before either of them moved to Springfield. Unfortunately for Frank, to even Olivia's surprise, Reva stood up for her frenemy. Going as far as to take more than her share of the blame in their sorted past. Several objections to relevance were made by Doris and a couple went in their favor as judge Anderson grew tired of Frank's entire defense hinging on Olivia having an unsavory past.

"Ms. Shane, I will excuse you now." Judge Anderson said before Mr. Carter could go any further on his line of questioning about Reva, Josh, and Olivia's love triangle. Or about their past in San Cristobel. It held no relevance to the case at hand, as so many of the questions being asked by the defense. "Unless the prosecution wished to cross examine."

Olivia met Reva's eyes, she saw the sorrow her once friend and current frenemy held for her. Doris and Olivia had worked on what they would ask Reva, but as Olivia looked into Reva's eyes, she decided it wasn't necessary. Everything that happened with Johnathan and Emma wouldn't change what Reva had already stated, she and Olivia hurt each other plenty, but it didn't make either of them unlovable people. Olivia didn't need to open old wounds. As she gazed at Reva, something sparked inside of her, and she knew she and Reva's relationship was changing back to what it once was, a lifetime ago, on a small island. She shook her head at Doris, and as the judge excused Reva from the stand, Reva nodded to Olivia with a sad smile before rejoining Josh. She too knew that herself and Olivia were no longer enemy's, or even frenemy's, they would be friends again. They had both changed, and maybe, just maybe, they would be good for each other.

Judge Anderson turned to Mr. Carter. "I suggest you find a more relevant line of questioning for your next witness Mr. Carter. Continuing to only bring up Mrs. Olivia Spencer-Rivera's past will no longer be tolerated."

Eric turned to Frank with questioning eyes and whispered to him, asking him what he wanted him to do. He had known they wouldn't get far relying completely on making Olivia look like a bad person with a questionable past, but Frank had demanded they proceed this way. Frank whispered something to his lawyer and then smirked over at Olivia.

Eric turned back to the judge. "Of course, your honor. The defense calls, Miss. Emma Spencer-Rivera."

Anger flared in Olivia as she attempted to stand. Doris was quick to stand herself and place a hand on Olivia's shoulder stopping her. "Objection, the prosecution was not given notice of this witness, and none of her parents were informed or her obligation to be here."

"Defense is not required to give notice of all witnesses. A summons was sent to the child's place of residence last evening. A car was sent for her this morning." Mr. Carter calmly stated.

"You bastard!" Olivia shouted. "H-how dare you b-bring my little…" At the same time Natalia and Rafe were on their feet, both being held back by Mel as they tried to lunge at Frank, screaming at him.

All three were cut off as her Doris and Mel's hands clasped against their mouths. The judge banging his gavel and demanding order as the court room erupted. "Stop it Olivia. You're going to get yourself thrown in jail for contempt." Doris hissed into her ear, shooting a grateful glance at Mel for silencing Natalia and Rafe.

Phillip, who had also shot to his feet, was being pulled back down by Beth so he wouldn't be thrown from the court room.

As silence once again descended on the court room, judge Anderson turned his attention to Olivia, Natalia, Rafe, and Phillip. "You will compose yourselves or be removed from my court room. The proper procedures were followed and I believe she will be a proper witness. Bailiff, you may bring her in now."

A minute later, a nervous looking Emma came in from one of the side doors, an officer guiding her with a hand on her shoulder. As soon as she saw her family, Emma broke free of his grasp and ran to them. "Mommy, Ma!" She slammed into Olivia at full speed, causing her to gasp in pain, but Olivia didn't care. She just swallowed her pain and held her baby to her tightly and kissed her head as Natalia, Rafe, Ava, and Phillip reached for her as well.

Doris knelt and took Emma by the shoulders. "You have to go up on the stand now Emma. Just remember, it's like your daddy's trial. Okay? Mr. Carter is going to ask you some questions, and then I will. Okay?" Emma nodded and flung herself into her auntie's arms. Doris rubbed her back as Emma snuffled back tears. "You can do this Emma."

"Okay auntie Doris. I'll try."

Doris pulled back from the embrace and wiped Emma's cheeks. "Good girl." She kissed her forehead and stood, taking the girl by her hand, and walking her to the witness stand before once again taking a seat at her table. She took Olivia's hand, the one not locked with Natalia's, and squeezed. She knew Emma would do great, just like she had at Phillip's trial, but she was terrified about what Mr. Carter would ask her, and how it would effect Emma's nightmares.

Mr. Carter approached Emma with a friendly smile. "Hello Emma, my name is Mr. Carter. Can I ask you a few questions?"

Emma nodded as she played with her hands in her lap and avoided looking at Frank at all costs. "Yes sir." She quietly stated.

Deciding to ease the obviously scared child into questions he didn't want to ask, he started easy, hating his client for making him ask a child horrible questions about her mother. "Can you tell me your mommy's name?"

"Olivia Spencer-Rivera."

"And you daddy?"

"Phillip Spaulding."

"How about your other mommy?"

"My Ma?"

"Yes. Your Ma."

"Natalia Spencer-Rivera."

"And who do you live with Emma?"

"My mommy and Ma and my brother and sister." A hint of a smile came across her features as she thought of the farmhouse and her family snuggled inside watching movies.

"Do you know Mr. Cooper?"

"I know both of them." Emma said proudly as she looked for Buzz in the crowd of people behind her mommies.

"I'm sorry, I should have been more specific, do you know Frank Cooper?" He pointed to his client. "That one?"

"Yes sir. I know Frank." She said in a disgusted tone so similar to Olivia if it weren't for the child like voice you would have thought it was her.

"Good. Has Frank been nice to you Emma?"

Emma didn't know what to say. Frank had always been nice to her. He gave her free Sundays and Soda at company. She could kind of remember when he dated her mommy and he always carried her and played with her and did nice things for her. He never did anything mean to her directly, but she felt like he did because he was mean to her mommy and her ma. He hurt them and that her hurt her. She was scared of him. Scared he would hurt someone in her family, part of her was even scared he would hurt her.

"Emma?" Mr. Carter questioned after a few minutes of silence.

"I don't know." Emma finally answered in a small voice.

"What do you mean by that Emma?"

"I mean, I don't know. Frank never did anything bad or mean to me, not really, but he kinda did. He hurt my mommy and he hurt Ma. That was mean of him and it made me scared of him and scared of losing my mommy. It makes me feel hurt and scared. Then there's that time he lied to me about Ma wanting to marry him. I didn't understand cause I thought Ma wanted to marry mommy, but he told me Ma would only be happy if she married him and that hurt me because I was afraid if Ma married Frank she wouldn't be my other mommy anymore. He made me tell her I wanted them to get married and I did cause I just want Ma to be happy. So, I don't know. He was never really mean to me, but he kinda was, cause he hurt my family and that hurts me."

Doris had to suppress a smirk. That girl was smarter then she knew. She also knew that Emma was playing up the young girl routine. Emma was more articulate then she was choosing to be at the moment, making herself sound so much younger then she was. She knew Emma was nervous, and she didn't like being in the same room as Frank. But she also knew that Emma was Olivia Spencer's daughter, and she knew how to play to her audience. After all, she played Olivia and Natalia like fine-tuned instruments on a regular basis.

Mr. Carter was getting frustrated. He needed Emma to appear to like Frank and she wasn't playing along as he had hoped. He didn't want to ask her the questions Frank had told him to. He was hoping that he could get the child to just say she liked Frank and take his line of questioning in a different direction then Frank had wanted. It didn't appear that, that was going to be an option.

Setting his jaw, Mr. Carter asked the first of many questions he didn't want to ask that Frank had written for him. "Emma, do you love your daddy?"

"Yup, he's the bestest daddy ever."

"Did your mommy always let you see your daddy?"

"No. He was gone for a long time and when he came back mommy was scared because he was sick in his head. He had to get better before mommy would let me see him."

"Did that make you upset? That you couldn't see your daddy?"

"Yes. But then mommy and Ma s'plained it to me, and I wasn't mad anymore. And now I get to see daddy whenever I want." Emma stated with a smile at Phillip.

Switching gears, hoping to trip up the girl, Mr. Carter stared with a new line of questioning. "Emma, has your mommy always taken care of you?"

"Yes."

"Really, she doesn't leave you with other people a lot?"

"Before, mommy had to work a lot, and I was with Jane a lot. Then when she was sick, she didn't work so much, but I was with Ma a lot, before she was my Ma. But when we moved to the farmhouse, mommy quit working so much, she's always home by dinner and she spends lots of time with me and Ma and Ava and Rafe."

"Before your mommy met your Ma, did she bring home lots of men to be your daddy?"

"Objection! My clients dating life and parenting style holds no bearing on this case." Doris shouted.

"I am inclined to agree." Judge Anderson said. "I believe I made it clear that Mrs. Olivia Spencer-Rivera's past was not to be your only line of questioning."

"I am merely trying to show the type of person Mrs. Olivia Spencer-Rivera is. Including the type of mother, she is so the jury may understand why my client felt inclined to take such drastic measures to protect someone he cares deeply for." Mr. Carter tried to defend his line of questioning.

"I think you have taken this court into Mrs. Spencer-Rivera's past enough Mr. Carter. If you have no questions that are directly linked to the events in question, then I will release the witness for cross examination."

"Yes your honor." Eric shook his head. He searched his brain for a way to question Emma on the events that occurred with Frank that would paint Olivia as the bad guy. "Was your mommy ever mean to your Ma?"

"Um." Emma shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think so."

Eric thought maybe he needed rephrase the question for the girl to understand. "Did she ever yell at your Ma?"

"Uh, back when she was sick. And when we first moved into the farmhouse. They yelled at each other a lot. They didn't think I heard them, but I did." Emma said sheepishly as she looked at her mommies.

Olivia and Natalia shared a look and shook their heads. How could they ever think Emma didn't know about their fights in the beginning. Natalia kissed Olivia's cheek and squeezed her hand and then turned her attention back to their daughter.

"Did your mommy say mean things to Natalia?"

Emma played with her hands again, she didn't want her mommy to be mad at her, but she knew she had to be honest. She nodded. "Sometimes."

"What kinds of things did she say to Natalia?"

"Um, she made fun of her for believing in God and for her faith a lot. Mommy used to hate all the crosses Ma hung in the farmhouse."

"So, she wanted your Ma to give up her faith?"

"I don't know. I don't think so, she just thought it was stupid."

"Did you ever hear Frank say mean things to Natalia?"

"Yes."

"Really? What kind of things?" He hadn't been expecting that. According to Frank he was nothing but supportive of everything Natalia wanted and liked, except for Olivia.

"He said she didn't love mommy, and that she wasn't my other mommy. And he said she didn't know what she wanted and that she was confused when she wasn't. I think that's mean cause I don't like it when people tell me what I think and how I feel. Mommy and Ma always tell me that I have a right to how I feel and no one can tell me to feel something I don't. Frank tried to tell Ma how she felt a lot."

Mr. Carter didn't know what to say after that. His plan had been to make Olivia seem like a bad mother, like a bit of a slut, and then make it appear as if she didn't except Natalia for who she was. This child was making his job much more difficult then he thought she would.

"Emma, do you think your Ma is really happy with your mommy, like she was with her husband?"

"I didn't really know Ma when she was married to Uncle Gus. I only saw them together a few times when mommy was sick. She always played with me while Uncle Gus talked to mommy. But I think she's happier now. She smiles more now, and she laughs a lot, and her and mommy make lots of loud and happy noises and tell each other not to stop when they go to bed at night."

Natalia buried her blushing face in Olivia's neck and Olivia turned beet red and swallowed a small laugh. Leave it to her daughter to bring up her and Natalia's sex life in the most innocent of ways, to the entire town, in the middle of a criminal trial. Rafe and Ava both turned a bright shade of red and hid their faces in their hands while the rest of the town present in the court room suppressed giggles and Phillip gave Olivia an 'at a girl' slap to her shoulder, making Olivia glare back at him.

Mr. Carter was also red as flashes of the two beautiful women he was defending his client against flashed in his brain. He looked back and saw that Frank was red as well, although his redness was definitely from anger and not from picturing Olivia and Natalia in the throes of passion. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and turned back to the child in front of him.

Clearing his throat, he chose to end his questioning. It was clear he wasn't going to get what he wanted out of the girl. "Thank you Emma. I have no further questions."

Doris stood and walked towards Emma before the judge even asked her about cross examination. She didn't really need to question Emma, but she wanted to see if she could really drive Frank crazy. She knew it was petty, but she had to get her kicks in somehow.

"Hello Emma."

"Hi Auntie…I mean, Ms. Wolfe."

Doris smiled at her friend's daughter who had truly become her niece. "You can call me Doris if you want Emma."

"Okay Doris."

"You are doing so good Emma. I just want to ask you a couple of questions. Is that okay?"

"Yes."

"Do you think you're mommy is happy?"

"I know she is."

"How do you know that?"

"Cause she smiles and laughs all the time, and she does the silly voices and silly dancing all the time, the ones she used to only do in front of me and not a lot."

Doris had to smile at how innocent Emma still was, even with all the hell she's lived through. "And why do you think your mommy is so happy now?"

"Cause she has a family now. She has Ma, and me and Ava and Rafe, 'stead of just me. She has friends now too, like you."

Doris had to smile at that. She and Olivia really were the very best of friends, more than that, they had become family. "Why do you think it's different with your Ma then with anyone else your mommy dated?"

"Cause. Ma knows that mommy isn't really as mean as she 'tends to be. And Ma never lets mommy tell her what to do. Ma even tells mommy what to do, and mommy always does whatever Ma says. And cause Ma never gave up on mommy, not ever. Even when mommy yelled at her, and even after Ma left and mommy didn't want to talk her when she came back. Everyone always leaves me and mommy. But Ma never did, not really. She left for a little while, but she came back, cause she loves us. Nobody has ever stayed with mommy before. And no one else that left ever came back."

Doris glanced at Frank and noticed his anger was building to an exploding point. "I think you are absolutely right Emma. Do you remember when your mommy dated Frank?"

"A little."

"Was she happy then? Like she is now?"

Emma shook her head. "No. I don't think so."

"How about Buzz? Was she happy then like she is now?"

"Umm, kind of, but it was different."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, I was little, and I don't remember a lot, but mommy wasn't silly then like she is now, and she still worked a lot. I think she was happy with uncle Buzz, but not like with Ma."

"Is there anybody that made your mommy happy like Natalia does?"

Emma thought for a second, then shook her head again. "No, only Ma makes mommy this happy."

"What about Natalia? Do you think your Ma is happy?"

"Yes." Emma stated excitedly, as if anyone should be able to see her Ma's happiness.

"Why?" Doris asked, with just as much excitement as Emma had said yes with.

"Cause, she smiles and laughs like mommy, and she dances in the kitchen when she cooks. She told me once that she had butterflies so big in her tummy for mommy that she thinks they might be bats. She hugs and kisses mommy a lot too. And even though I didn't see her a lot with Uncle Gus, I never saw her hug and kiss him, and she never looked at him like she looks at mommy."

Frank was becoming more and more peeved by the minute. He didn't want to hear about Olivia and Natalia's happiness. He didn't want to believe that Olivia made Natalia happy. Natalia was his, no one could make her happy the way he could. And he couldn't get Emma's words about the two of them in bed together out of his head, it was taking all his will power not to jump from his chair and strangle the life from Olivia.

"How does she look at your mommy?"

"Like mommy is the only person in the world. She watches her all the time. Sometimes, when we're talking, mommy will walk in the room, and Ma just watches whatever she's doing and forgets we were even talking. I have to shake her to get her attention again. 'Specially if mommy is doing the stretching stuff she does sometimes. Yo, yo…"

"Yoga?"

"Yeah yoga. If mommy is doing yoga when we walk into the living room, Ma just stops and stares at her. I don't get it. Adults are silly sometimes."

Doris kept her chuckle from escaping her throat. As serious as this trial was, Emma was finding a way to embarrass her parents and make the mass of people in the court room chuckle. Something everyone desperately needed, even if it was at Olivia and Natalia's expense. Doris had never seen anyone as red as Natalia was at the moment, and she could assume that whatever Olivia was whispering to her wife, was only making it worse. It was nice to see them smile, even if it did only last a mere few seconds before the somber mood retook the court room.

"Emma, I have one more question for you, and it's a serious one. I need you to make sure you think really hard before you answer, can you do that?"

"Yes aunt…Doris. I can do that."

"Good girl. Do you think that there was a time, even in the beginning, that your Ma needed someone to save her from your mommy? That she didn't want to be with her?"

Emma looked at her mommy and Ma. She thought back to when they first met Natalia, at her seventh birthday. She thought about Natalia coming to play with her when her mommy was sick, and about the yelling she heard after her mommy's heart transplant when Natalia took care of both of them. She thought about when they first moved to the farmhouse and her mommies fighting over everything. She thought about that first Christmas, when her mommy said they were gonna move out and she ran away to see Rafe cause she didn't want to have to leave the farmhouse or Natalia. She thought about Natalia giving her mommy a key and asking her to stay. Then she thought about her school report. How she knew they were a family before anyone because she had watched her two mommies for a long time and knew they helped each other and made each other happy, even if they did fight sometimes.

Emma was a very smart girl; she knew that all adults fought sometimes. She figured adults were just dumb sometimes and forgot how to just talk to each other. As she thought about everything they had been through since meeting Natalia, she knew one thing perfectly clear, Natalia had never wanted to be away from her mommy. Even when they screamed and yelled, Natalia always stayed. She knew Natalia had left for a few weeks, but when she came back, she had talked to her and explained that she didn't leave her or her mommy, she just needed to think and make sure she did things right so they would always be a family. That made sense to her. She never wanted to not be a family with Natalia and she was glad that Natalia left for a little bit to make sure they were never not a family and didn't just leave forever like everyone else.

Emma smiled at her mommies and then looked at her auntie. "No. Ma always wanted to be with mommy. Even before either of them knew it. Even when they screamed and yelled, if Ma did leave, she would come back the same day cause she needed to make sure me and mommy were okay. Ma wants to be with us. Even when she left for a few weeks, she did it so she could make sure we never had to be apart again. That's why she married mommy, so we would always be a family."

"Thank you Emma. No further questions."

Frank was seething. This entire trial was not going at all how he had pictured it. He only had one trick left up his sleeve and all he could do was pray that it would be enough to keep from a very long stay in prison. He knew what he did was the right thing. Natalia just couldn't see it. Olivia was an evil no one should be with, especially not sweet innocent Natalia. He had to save her. He needed to stay out of prison and protect her. He knew he could make it happen, he just needed to make sure the next part of the trial went according to his plan, and it would. Olivia was not going to beat him again.

The judge smiled down at the sweet child. "You may step down now Emma."

As expected, the girl ran to her mommies and hugged them tight. Her brother and sister doing their best to join them. The judge knew it was coming. This family was unbelievably close. Any fool could see how much love the Spencer-Rivera family held for one another. He decided to give them a few minutes before he called the room back to order and dismissed them for lunch before hearing from the defenses final witness.

Emma was squished between her mommy and her Ma with Rafe circling the three of them and Ava reaching over the side to join the family hug. Eventually they separated and Olivia ignored her pain to kneel down at her daughters level. "You did s-so good b-baby. I'm so p-proud of you. I l-love you E-Em."

"I love you mommy."

Olivia hugged her baby girl tight to her chest and peppered her head and face with kisses. These kisses were for the wonderfulness that was Emma and the joy she felt that her youngest didn't seem to be too effected by having to testify. She was grateful for that. She wanted nothing more in this then to protect her family, especially Emma, her brave and sweet baby.