Chapter 47
Ana
As we pull up outside the courthouse I grip tight to Christian's hand. The media storm at the car and their cameras and hands bang against the windows and I hear them all shouting questions at us.
"I didn't think there would be so many press." I say shakily as Christian pulls me closer to his side. If I had done I probably wouldn't have come here today.
"That's why we have so much security." He replies before gently kissing the back of my hand. "No one will get to you." He adds and I nod.
Today is the big day. For the last two weeks, I have been preparing to come here to give this statement to the court and I'll be damned if I let the media vultures stop me now. A week ago Luke and Taylor helped me conquer the fear of stepping through the front door and today I'm here to make sure Stephen Morton is put behind bars for what he did to me.
"Are you ready?" Melissa asks turning to me from the front. I nod as our security start pushing the press back. We've got plenty of them with us today and I know we'll be safe. "I'll come round to the door to get you ok." She says and I nod before she opens her door allowing the noise to flood into the vehicle for a moment before it shut behind her.
"I'm scared Christian." I say weakly as he runs his fingers through my hair.
My hair. I think I may have broken Christian's heart when he found out I cut it. He can't stop running his fingers through it but there's a sadness there when he does.
It's even shorter now than it was when I cut it. A hairdresser came by yesterday to style it for me and due to the poor way I cut it another inch or so had to be cut from it. It's not quite a bob but it isn't much more than that either. It will grow back though so I'm not worried.
Melissa swings the door open on Christian's side and he leans over and kisses my head before climbing out. He and Melissa both take my hands as I climb out and they shield me between them. A safe Ana sandwich.
We hurry into the courtroom and I can't even stop to take a breath until we're sitting on the mahogany benches.
"You ok?" Christian asks gently once again stroking his fingers through my hair. I think it brings him as much comfort as it does me.
"I'm ok." I reassure him.
I'm not ok though. That was horrendous and the press are taking a huge interest in this case. I know that usually, rape victims get anonymity but I know in this case it just hasn't been possible. The press involvement in Amaya's disappearance and my connection to her and finding her means that short of publishing my name everyone knew who I was anyway. So I consented to wave the anonymity in a press release thanking the public for their love and support.
As our family arrive in their seats I'm pleasantly surprised to see my Mom with Grace and Carrick. They slip into the bench behind us and Grace leans over and kisses both Christian and I on the head. Mom just gives me a pensive and hesitant smile and I reach over, take her hand and give her a little squeeze.
There's a lot of noise here which falls silent when Stephen Morton is bought into the room. I feel a chill crawl up my back as my eyes fall on him. He walks in, in his cuffs and jumpsuit and I feel almost sick to know he will only serve twenty to thirty years for this.
"He should get life." I don't mean to say this out loud but it slips out and Melissa looks at me momentarily surprised before she leans into me.
"If you don't agree with the sentence you can tell the judge." She says. "You can tell him you're accepting this only because it's the only way Hyde will go to trial." I nod. I'm aware of what I can and can't tell the judge I had a list of instructions from the DA's office of things I could and couldn't say.
"Please rise!"
Christian
Ana shivers as we all stand as the Judge enters the courtroom. This is such a huge deal for everyone involved but none more so than for Ana. She is about to address the court as well as Morton himself and I don't know how she feels strong enough to do it.
I didn't think we'd make it here and I feel awful for doubting my incredibly strong wife. That night a week ago when she was dancing in the rain, I'll never forget finding out it was because she was scared of going out that she did that. I hadn't realised that the thought of going out the front door was an issue I just thought she had no need to go out right now.
Tamara and Jamie have worked hard with her this last week to mentally prepare her for what's to come but there's only so much preparation they could do. Despite all of that all manner of things could affect Ana today. I know she's anxious and scared and I hate that there's nothing that I can do to make her feel any better.
"Good morning everyone." The judge starts. "Please be seated." He says gently and we all sit down. The prosecutor spins in his chair and nods towards Ana and she gives a gentle nod back. She's ready for this.
"I believe that the victim would like to address the court?" The judge asks towards the prosecution.
"Yes your honour; Mrs Anastasia Grey." The prosecutor responds.
"Mrs Grey the floor is yours." The judge says gently. Ana takes a huge breath as she stands and I watch as she steps out of the bench and goes to the gates so she can stand properly in front of the judge just like the prosecutor prepared her with Melissa a couple of days ago. She shaking so much in her pinstripe skirt suit and heels. My beautiful Ana. I wish I could take all this pain and suffering away from her. Make her ok again just so she doesn't have to feel the way she feels. But I know I can't and I must let things run their course with Jamie, Tamara and John.
"Whenever you're ready Mrs Grey." The judge says gently and Ana nods and steels herself a moment.
"Your honour." Her voice is stronger than I anticipated but shaky. "On July 22nd of this year, I took my twin daughters Amaya and Amelia shopping..."
Grace
How Ana is strong enough to do this I don't know. Her voice is shaking but there's a strength there that I hadn't anticipated. She's standing tall, her head high as she faces the judge.
"Every parent knows that stomach-dropping feeling when they turn around in a store and their child is gone. I have four children and believe me when I say it's a familiar feeling. But usually and far more often than not calling their name and looking behind something is enough and there's that sudden relief that they're ok and they didn't go far. That is not what happened in this case. Minutes quickly turned to hours where my youngest daughter was nowhere to be found."
Of course, it's often easy to forget in the midst of all of this where this all started. Amaya has been amazing and working with a child psychologist has done wonders to her psych. She knows she safe and taken care of and that nothing will hurt her again. However, Ana's behaviour is having an impact on her like on all the kids but Amaya more than anyone. Amaya wants normality but with Ana having to deal with what she is Amaya is as far away from Normal right now.
"It was three days where I had no idea where my baby was. Three days of pure hell wondering if she was even still alive. The police told us that homicide detectives were now working the case with missing persons because they now anticipated that she was no longer alive but I would not give up. I needed my daughter home safe." Ana gasps a little at air and the judge puts his hand up to stop her.
"You have plenty of time. Please don't feel you need to rush." He reassures her kindly and Ana nods before dropping her head and taking a second to compose herself. I can't believe how strong she is doing this.
"I was led to a house..." she says as I know she is not allowed to go into any detail about Hyde's involvement so as not to poison his trial. "I went inside praying that my daughter would be there and the first room I entered there she was sleeping on the couch." I can hear the small smile on Ana's face even if I can't see it. The relief she must have felt at that moment to know Amaya was safe.
"The defendant then entered the room." She says and I see the chill crawl up her spine and she stiffens once again. " I knew him immediately as he was once married to my Mother."
Carla shakes beside me and I slip my hand into hers and give her a reassuring squeeze. This is hard for everyone involved.
"I hadn't seen him in over twenty years but the minute I heard his voice, your honour, I knew who it was. The last time I had seen him he'd come into my bedroom with a belt in his hand and made it quite clear what his intentions were. But my mother arrived home before he had the chance and I left before he had a second chance."
Carla's head shakes softly and I know she harbours some self-blame over this but I don't think Ana blames her. She didn't know what Morton did to Ana before Ana left.
"Stephen Morton proceeded to rape me that day. First, he violently beat me with a belt and I will carry those scars for the rest of my life. Then he took something from me he had no right to take, something I had reserved only for my husband." Ana is struggling now. I can hear the strain of her cries in her throat and as she lifts her hands to wipe her eyes I think we're all surprised when she turns to Stephen Morton.
"Thirty years is not enough for what you did to me and my family. The damage you have done goes beyond the physical act of kidnap and rape. But you will never yield power over me again. My family and I will recover from this safe in the knowledge that you're locked up behind bars where you belong. You're an Animal Stephen, a sick, perverted animal and I hope karma comes back to bite."
She turns back to the judge and takes a deep breath.
"I don't agree with the sentence proposed by the DA's office. It is not enough for the trauma my family has endured. However, I accept it as a means to an end. A way in which I can avoid one painfully long trial and protect my family and I can put his co-conspirator to a jury. Thank you for allowing me to address the court this morning your honour as I do believe it is an important part in the healing process for me and my family."
"Thank you Mrs Grey." The judge says and the gate is opened again for her to resume her seat which she does, meeting my eye briefly as she sits down. My girl. Such an incredibly strong girl.
"Mr Morton, I have accepted your guilty plea and you have responded that you're have accepted the plea agreement knowingly and intelligently. You have done this if your own free will, you know that you lose your right to a jury trial and to appeal your conviction and sentence. You have submitted an allocution statement which I have accepted. It is also your right to be heard by the court before we proceed to sentencing. Would you like to address the court." The judge asks and before the final word is out of his mouth Morton is on his feet.
"I took the Grey brat." He says and a shiver runs down my spine. "I took her and made sure I got her mother. I said I would and I never back down on my word." I feel sick to my stomach. There's no remorse there whatsoever. The arrogance rolls off him in waves. "I got Ana. I always said I'd get Ana. She came to that house knowing exactly what would happen and she didn't say no." The hair all over my body is standing on end and I grip tightly to Carrick's hand.
"I've got nothing more to say except. See you in thirty years princess." He says turning to look directly at Ana with an ugly and evil smirk on his face.
Ana squares her shoulders in response. Her way of trying not to show fear or intimidation and as Morton sits down I think we're all ready for this to end.
"Mr Morton I am under no illusion here. You kidnapped Amaya Grey with the sole purpose of assaulting and raping Anastasia Grey. Your crime was well thought out with pre-planning and you fully intended on assault and rape. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to put you behind bars for the rest of your natural life." He looks angry, almost sickened at what he now has to do. I feel for the judge in this case he obviously is unhappy with the plea deal in place.
"However, the immense bravery shown here today by Mrs Grey reminds me that justice sometimes isn't sweet. That we must make decisions that we may not necessarily agree within the pursuit of justice. In this case, an agreement has been reached in order to secure testimony against your co-conspirator. Therefore I sentence you to thirty years for the kidnap of Amaya Grey and the Rape of Anastasia Grey. You will serve twenty years before you will be eligible for parole." The gavel bangs making me jump and I sigh knowing that this part is at least over. Twenty to thirty years just isn't enough.
"Mrs Grey," the judge starts pulling our attention to him once again. "You May feel incredibly let down by the justice system today. That what happened to you, your daughter and your family has been summed up to a mere thirty years. Please do not be mistaken and believe that this is just how it is. There are many flaws in the justice system and you are a victim of those flaws. I can only sincerely apologise for that. I do hope that you and your family recover from this and may God bless you all." He is very sincere and I can tell he's just so unhappy with the way this has panned out. Ana nods her head gently and he gives her a sad smile.
"Take him down." The judge says knocking his gavel.
We watch as Morton is taken out of the court to be locked away and I feel the breath leave my body that I'd been unaware of holding. The judge is the next to leave and we all rise until he's gone. Then I see Ana turn to Christian and wrap her hands around his neck before kissing him softly. Quiet words pass between them and for the first time since all of this started I'm pretty sure we'll all be ok.