In the often unpredictable and dangerous hunting world they lived in, Dean had come to trust the intuition that it had given him. Especially when it concerned something potentially serious, and even though it was a skill he had honed well over the few years he had actively been involved in jobs, it still never failed to shock him when his intuition, which had served him well on several occasions, failed him. The entire morning, he had been cautiously optimistic that Caleb would walk through the door with Bobby, after the jury had rightfully declared his innocence. Even though it had been slightly confusing not to see his face, Dean summed it up to Caleb finalizing some last minute details with Dawn, but had never actually considered something else going on.
"What's going on?" Dean asked, twisting the phone cord around his finger, as he let his body lean back against the wall, needing the extra support as he tried to breathe through the steady incline of panic.
The jury, Caleb said deliberately, as though he was trying to keep himself under control from further emotional strain. They acquitted me on those abuse and neglect charges.
The charges that had been absolutely ridiculous to Dean. Ut had been one thing to accuse him of fraud and even murder when there had been evidence to support it, but when they had come up against the kidnapping and abuse charges, it made zero sense to Dean, even though his brain had tried to rationalize it.
"Yeah," Dean said, as though that made perfect sense to him, and it did. "So where are you?"
If he had been found not guilty like he knew Caleb would be, then where was he? Why hadn't he walked through the door with Bobby? And why weren't they celebrating acquittal?
Dean, Caleb said carefully, and Dean could tell that he was trying to keep his voice under control so it wouldn't freak him out. They found me not guilty on the abuse and neglect charges, but they convicted me on the kidnapping charge.
For a split second, time suspended itself, as Dean tried to wrap his mind around what Caleb had just told him. It seemed impossible to him that a jury who heard the same evidence that the prosecution and defense had put out, would choose on the side of the prosecution, and choose to convict him.
"They what?" Dean whispered brokenly, feeling a sob build in the back of his throat, but he choked it back.
It wasn't real. This was a terrible nightmare he would wake up from soon. The jury would still be out, and when they came back, they would find him not guilty. There was no logical reason for them to find him guilty. However, Caleb's voice soon brought him back to reality.
They found me guilty, Dean. The jury, somehow, believed the lies that the prosecutor told them.
"But I don't understand-"
I don't, either, Caleb said, with a shaky laugh. For some reason, the special circumstances didn't seem to matter to them too much, and they sided with the people that have absolutely no idea what they're even talking about.
Dean shook his head in devastated incredulity, as he tried to draw breath through the sobs that were coming forcefully by now. It was the worst possible outcome that he could have imagined, and it was the one that had happened to them. After all the loss they had suffered through, especially with losing Jim, they would now be faced with losing Caleb to an all too human fate.
"So what's going to happen now?" he asked, as he tried to ignore the anxious looks that Sam was passing his way, no doubt wondering where Caleb was, and why his brother was absolutely crushed while on the phone with him.
I don't know. Dawn is telling me that there's a chance that if everything goes according to plan, I might be able to get out on probation. It would be a long probation but it would nothing compared to serving more time.
Dean certainly couldn't argue against the logic, but how long would they have to wait for that decision to be handed down? And what would happen if the judge denied Dawn's request for probation? Those devastating thoughts all contributed to the intense feeling of nausea that he was feeling, as he traded horrified looks with Bobby, who had the added burden of hearing the verdicts live and in person that morning.
"How long will you be in there now?"
It had already been so long, nearly two months since that horrible night he had been arrested, and now he would be faced with yet another long separation from the guy that was his guardian (no matter what the courts said about it), his mentor and his confidante.
Two months or so. Dawn's hoping to pull off another miracle, and get me in front of another judge who might look favorably upon me. She's going to argue the other judge erred when he denied me bail, and if the jury was everything it was supposed to be.
"O-Of course he did," Dean said, as his voice broke completely. "You're innocent, Caleb, and how could they not see that for themselves? Don't they know how much we've lost already-" as his posture completely crumbled, he tried to look on the bright side of things, but couldn't.
It was too much to lose Jim only five or six months previously, and then have to go through this heartbreaking piece of news. It was something that Dean had tried to prepare himself for, but had somehow never actually thought would happen until now.
I know, Caleb said softly. I know this is hard, Dean-
"It's impossible!"
I know that, Caleb said, as his own voice broke briefly, before he wrestled back control. We still have each other, Dean. You have still me, Dean, even if I can't physically be there right now, and you still have Bobby and Sammy.
"It's not the same," Dean reminded him.
No, it's not, but at least this is a hell of a lot better than last time. At least we can still talk, right?
Dean nodded. "Yeah, I guess. It would be better if I could see you, though."
I know, but maybe we can arrange something, or maybe if Dawn works her freaky magic, I can actually come home. At least until sentencing.
"Do you think it's possible?"
I have no idea. If the appeal that she filed, goes through, it'll be in front of a new judge, who will determine whether or not I can be trusted to be out on bail until everything is resolved.
Even though sentencing was on the forefront of Dean's mind, at least he would be granted some peace if Caleb was allowed out on bail until the next hearing. Though, knowing their luck and how it had continually betrayed them, he wasn't feeling too hopeful about their chances, although he kept those thoughts to himself.
"How long will it take for an appeal to go through?"
I don't know.
"I still feel like-"
Dean, Caleb said firmly. I know what you were about to say, and don't. This is not your fault, none of it is. I made a choice because I believed it was the best option at the time, and that is not on you, do you hear me?
"Yes," Dean said miserably, "but-"
But nothing. Don't put crap on your shoulders that doesn't belong there, Dean.
"What if this family," Dean said, having to pause momentarily until his sobs quieted down. "What if this family isn't ever together again?"
When they were at their best, when their family was at their strongest, they were unbreakable. The bonds they had all formed with one another, had served them well, had enabled them to forge ahead through the most impossible circumstances, and while Dean knew all of that from experience, he had no idea how he was supposed to solider on ahead when he and Caleb had always shared the closest relationship with one another.
We will be, Dean. No matter what, this family will remain intact.
"How?"
I don't know, Caleb admitted, but I do know that we'll find a way. We always do, right?
Dean nodded, as a few tears slipped past his carefully constructed walls, and into his mouth. "Yes," he barely whispered.
Dean, it's going to be okay. I promise it will be-
"Don't make promises you can't keep."
I'm not, Caleb said, without hesitation. We will figure this out somehow. Even if-
"Even if what?"
Nothing. I can't talk about it here.
"Okay," Dean said, figuring he would interrogate Bobby about whatever it was later.
I have to go in a few, okay?
"Yeah, do you want to talk to Sam?"
Sam hadn't left his side since knowing that Caleb was on the phone, and was undoubtedly eager to finally converse with his beloved guardian.
I do. Can I call you tomorrow?
"Sure."
I love you, Dean.
"Hey."
"Hi," Caleb said, as he stared across the table at Dawn. "Please tell me you have good news. I don't know if I can handle anything else right now."
"I do, actually, the new judge, the one that would be hearing the appeal hearing if it went through?"
"Yeah?"
"He's agreed to hear some of the evidence that was presented at the trial, and look it over with a completely fresh perspective and have a completely new take on it."
Caleb nodded, trying to feel excitement in that, but he couldn't. He had been through the appeals court before when he had tried to get bail, and it had been flat-out rejected. It was hard to feel any sort of optimism when time and time again, he had been screwed over because of the prosecution and their sick vendetta against him.
"Is there going to be an actual_ hearing?"
"It will be an informal one."
"So this appeal-"
"If it goes through, you'll be able to get out until sentencing."
"You can't do anything to change the conviction?"
"Not right now. I filed an appeal for that too," she added, "but that will take longer to go through all the right channels."
"Right, so this is a hearing solely for-"
"Solely to see if you will be able to get out on bail until the sentencing. I have to warn you, even if you do, there will be a ton of conditions attached to it."
Not that any of those would matter to Caleb in the least.
"I don't really care," he said, shaking his head. "If I can be with those boys, at least for two months, I'll take it."
"Alright," she said, "the hearing is scheduled for tomorrow."
"When?"
"In the morning."
