Alright, here's the latest. Thank you lipamo, Bookworm and Indigo for the reviews! I hope my 'courtroom drama' is somewhat up to par. The bulk of my knowledge of the U.S legal system comes from watching too much Law & Order. Anyway, more to come soon. :)
"Motherfucking shit..."
"Miss Mathison!", the judge growled, slamming his gavel again as Carrie jumped, turned to face him.
"Carrie, we talked about this!", Erin hissed.
"Judge Mayer and expletives...remember?"
"I apologize your honor, I just-"
"Miss Mathison, please let your attorney you've appointed speak for you!"
"My client apologizes, your honor.", Erin sighed.
"Oh now I wouldn't take that as an apology, judge. I don't think Miss Mathison there has ever been sorry about one thing in her life, including threatening me with my own goddamn gun!"
"Excuse me, sir?!", Judge Mayer snarled, looking enraged.
"The name's Jon. And I thought I was pretty clear! That crazy bitch sitting over there.."
"HEY!", Brody growled, as Frank stepped in, held him back.
"I want to file a complaint. Make a statement. And I plan to represent myself."
"Well I don't plan on hearing another word from either of you until this chaos is settled. I'm calling for a twenty minute recess!", Judge Mayer spat, banging his gavel as everyone shakily stood up, watched him exit to his chambers.
"Meet me outside as soon as you get her settled.", Erin snapped, storming out of the courtroom.
"I'm getting this prick out of here if I have to knock him unconscious first."
"Danny..."
"It's fine, Mags. I got this."
After watching Danny and the guards escort Jon out, relieved, Maggie turned her focus to Carrie, now standing shakily in the corner next to Brody.
"Carrie, it's alright..just take deep breaths okay? Deep breaths.", she soothed.
"This...this can't be fucking happening, Maggie. He can't just..."
"Shhh. Shhh. C'mon let's go outside, get some air..."
"What about Farrah?!", Carrie asked, her eyes wide and darting around right as the girl ran up.
"Carrie!"
"Farrah, sweetheart stay here with Brody, okay?", Maggie insisted, knowing she and Carrie had to speak to Erin and that there was a chance Jon was still outside.
"But..."
"Hey, brat. It's alright. Carrie and Maggie just have to.."
"No!", Farrah cried, running off and calling after Carrie before Quinn blocked her path, picked her up before she could get out the doors.
She was squirming, hitting at him but he calmly let her as he carried her over to one of the benches.
"It's alright, Farrah. Everything's going to be fine. Remember, I don't break promises."
"But man..with boots...he..he here! He hurt, flowers, guns..Carrie, he..he hurt!", Farrah cried, clinging onto Quinn tighter as Brody knelt down, rubbed her back.
"Farrah he's not going to get near you or Carrie. Danny and the guards took him out of here. You don't have to worry, okay?", Brody assured, then stood when Virgil cleared his throat, waved him over.
"Well our good buddy Jon's out there sitting pretty between two armed guards. He's staying put for the next fifteen minutes."
"What about Carrie?"
"Reconvening with Erin. Maggie and Galvez and Frank are there too. Now it's time for you to fill me in. What's this shithead's story?"
"The prick is bad news. He's had it in for Carrie since she embarrassed him at this pool hall a couple of years ago."
"Do I want to know?"
"She found out he was white nation, asked him if there was such a thing as a supremacist fist bump?"
"Holy shit.", Virgil laughed in disbelief.
"She was drunk, but it didn't stop him from trying to take a swing at her. We retaliated, got the hell out of there. After we laughed about the whole thing. But she crossed paths with him and a few of his buddies in a clearing near her cabin a few weeks back."
"How ugly did it get that time?", he asked warily as Quinn stood, draped his jacket over a half asleep Farrah before approaching the group.
"More importantly how did Farrah get involved?"
"She and Carrie were taking a walk and they ran into Jon and his friends in the woods. Farrah ran up, yelled at them for crushing flowers under their boots and they scared her. One of the fucker's grabbed her by the arm. Needless to say Carrie went on the offensive."
"Understandable given the goddamn circumstances."
"Well I'm guessing the judge isn't gonna see it that way.", Brody said bitterly.
"This Nazi asshole saw the press conference. He knew enough to come here today to make his case. Gets to torment Carrie and get some fucking payback at the same time."
"Makes Carrie out to be a vicious lunatic who attacked him unprovoked. Watches more time get tacked to her sentence. He can even drag Farrah into it if he wants. Paint Carrie as an unfit parent who lets her kid run wild."
"Son of a bitch.", Virgil sighed, leaning against one of the benches as Max frowned, spoke up.
"Hold on though. If-"
"Max shut up! Now's not the time for-"
"You shut up!", he retorted.
"For Christ's sake, guys. Grow up.", Brody scolded.
"Just let your brother talk, Virgil.", Quinn said.
"Judge Mayer was already pissed about all the disruption. What's to say this bigshot coming in making claims without his lawyer isn't just going to piss him off more?"
"He makes a good point.", Brody acknowledged, right as the judge reentered and everyone began filing into the courtroom.
Quickly Max wrapped Farrah up more in Quinn's jacket before scooping her up. Bringing her into the hallway right as Carrie came through the doors.
"How is.."
"She's okay. Just taking a nap."
Blinking back tears Carrie smoothed a stray hair off Farrah's face, kissed her cheek before Maggie walked her back towards the bench.
"Hey..", Brody greeted, meeting her and Maggie halfway and slipping an arm around her shoulders.
"It's gonna be fine, I swear it."
"I know..I...I know.", Carrie jerkily nodded. Leaning more into his touch as he kissed the side of her head, then sat beside her and twined their hands.
"All rise."
Doing so, Carrie turned to look across the aisle and saw Jon smirking at her across the way. Eyes narrowing, when she felt Brody's grip tighten on her hand she looked away, bowed her head.
"I'm okay.", she said under her breath, just loud enough for him to hear.
"I know you are.", he said at an equally low volume. Still holding her hand as Erin cleared her throat. Shot them a warning look.
"I'm calling for a twenty four hour recess in light of the latest developments, and disruptions." Judge Mayer said, glaring at Jon and Carrie both.
"Mr..."
"Guster, sir. Jon Guster."
"Mr. Guster. During the recess I suggest you appoint an attorney to make a formal statement against the defendant. Your barging into my courtroom unrepresented, in informal attire, and using foul language is certainly not helping your cause.", Judge Mayer said sternly.
"And during the recess she what, just walks? Gets to attack me again, turn my own weapon on me and beat me up!", Jon sputtered as Quinn scoffed. Rolled his eyes at him.
"As for the defendant, Miss Mathison, I'm remanding you to the psychiatric facility for the length of the recess."
"What! Your honor, is this some kind of goddamn joke?!"
"Dad!", Maggie hissed before looking to Erin.
"Your honor, permission for my client to be supervised by Dr. Mathison for the length of the recess?"
"Permission denied. Court will reconvene in twenty four hours.", Judge Mayer said firmly, slamming the gavel once before standing.
"All rise."
Shakily Carrie did so, using the back of the bench ahead of her for support as Brody slipped an arm around her. When he heard Jon snickering he went tense but didn't acknowledge him.
"Brody.."
"Ignore him, just ignore the fucker.", he coached as an officer approached him and Carrie.
"Miss Mathison, I'm here to transport you to the facility."
"We can take her over ourselves.", Maggie hissed.
"I'm sorry ma'am but she's been remanded by the court. It's my job to transport.", he said sympathetically.
"Just give us a minute, okay?", Brody asked as the officer nodded, stepped off to the side, along with Frank and Maggie who went to consult with Erin.
"Look, we'll get this straightened out.", he assured, taking hold of her shoulders.
"You pled guilty, Carrie. You came forward. Whatever this asshole says isn't going to add on to what you already signed onto."
"It already is., Brody." Carrie hissed.
"I have to wait a goddamn day for this all to be decided. My stay could be extended, elongated, exponentially! All thanks to this slow-witted subhuman shithead not seeing past his self centered, cracked moral compass to conceive the idea that I've confessed! I..I came forward on my own! I'm committing myself but does the cunt care? No he wants to twist the knife, knowingly wound. All because I threw his weapon in the woods and he's too thick witted to track it himself. He...he's furious. He wanted to start a fire under me but Farrah's the only one who fucking felt it...she..."
Chin quivering she bowed her head as Brody moved his hands to her face, thumbed a tear off her cheek.
"She's so frightened, fragile. I...it's not fair! She should never fucking have had to...it's not right! It's not..."
When her voice broke and she trailed off Brody pulled her tight against his chest, forced himself to keep from breaking down entirely.
"Shh. She'll be okay. We'll all be here, we'll help her.", he assured. Pulling back his hand went to her hair.
"When you say all, you mean.."
"I'll make nice with Quinn and everyone else, the best that I can. Who knows I might actually need their help.", Brody shrugged.
"Farrah's not that much of a handful.", Carrie lightly laughed.
"I didn't say we'd just be helping her. Don't think for a second that asshole Guster is gonna spout bullshit about you and get away with it."
"It's not all bullshit, Brody. If he wants to he can-"
"I don't give a fuck what he wants! What we want is this prick to crawl back into whatever hole he crawled out of."
"What happened to you not liking that word?"
"Hey, so long as it applies to him...", Brody scoffed as the officer cleared his throat.
"Just a few more seconds, okay?"
Leaning in, his lips briefly playing over her's, Carrie pulled back but he kept his hands on her face.
"I'll make this right, I swear."
"I know. I..I know.", she sniffed.
"Do you believe me? 'Cause that's all I-"
"All you care about. I..I know that too.", she lightly laughed, blinking back tears before biting her lip, then speaking again.
"I also love..."
"I know. I love you too.", Brody sighed, hugging her again as the officer approached them.
"We'll work this out, and Farrah will be fine. Just...you promise me you'll take care of you and..."
"I will. I.. I will.", Carrie promised, forcing herself to pull back for real right as Maggie and Frank approached.
After hugging, saying goodbye to both of them, she saw the officer reach for his cuffs out of the corner of her eye.
"Those aren't necessary.", she hissed as he nodded. Motioned for her to follow him out through the back entrance of the courthouse.
After watching her walk away, swearing under his breath Brody stormed out of the courtroom, looking ready to punch a wall in. Before he could attempt doing so though he heard Quinn come up behind him. Along with Danny, Virgil and Max.
"What are you all doing here, who's with Farr-"
"Farrah's fine. She's with Maggie and Frank.", Danny assured.
"That didn't answer my first question."
"We are all going to get a drink, and figure out what the fuck to do about a certain Nazi. You in?", Virgil asked.
"I sure could use that drink but, Carrie asked me to take care of-"
"Farrah's fine. But if this fucker gets his way tomorrow, Carrie won't be. I'd have thought you, more than any of us wouldn't be okay with that happening.", Quinn said knowingly. Chewing his lip, Brody nodded.
"What's the plan?"
"Buy the first round and we'll tell you.", Danny said as they all exited the courthouse, made their way to his car.