AN: See chapter 1 for story notes and summaries.
Ships: Snowing, Rumbelle, Swan Believer, eventual Swanfire, and a delightful Golden Mad Charming BroT3. :)
Please consider leaving a review. Feedback is much appreciated.
Thanks for awesomethe reviews. Here are individual responses:
Saberius Prime: I know, Damon needs to get his and soon! Glad you liked it!
Barratta Jennifer: Glad you enjoyed it!
Ragsweas: Glad I had you on the edge of your seat! I did my job as a writer then. As for August, he's up to something for sure.
BooksinMyDreams: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
AshGreg: Wow, thanks! Glad you think so. I think you'll find the rest of the trial as thrilling as the first chapter! Glad you're enjoying the story so much!
Guest: Thanks! Yeah, Damon needs to go down for sure.
Number Ten: Yes! Lots of courtroom drama.
Izzypirelli: No, things aren't looking too good for David and Mary. You're right, Mitchell and George are too manipulative to let this thing be fair. Glad to know the flashbacks worked seamlessly with the chapter and I conveyed those emotions well. Yes, good always wins. Sometimes there's just a lot of fighting to get there. ;) Glad you're enjoying it!
Cassie: Glad you thought the chapter was thrilling and interesting! Such great compliments. Yes, the outcome of the trial with either be a blow to good or evil. I think I'll surprise you with the outcome in the next chapter too. Glad you liked the wedding stuff. It's much lighter with all this heavy stuff going on. Yes, we will see people like Mitchell eventually reacting to how they acted during the curse, more than we did in the show. Glad you liked it so much!
Beth1980: Yep, Law and Order Once Upon a Time! Glad you liked the flashbacks during the trial. And you know August, the truth is just not his thing, lol. Glad you like the wedding stuff too. As for Emma telling here parents about their counterparts, I hope to work in a dreamscape scene again soon. We haven't had any for a while with all this heavy story line. Glad you're enjoying so much!
Sara K M: Yep, some of Blue's behavior is because of the curse. Yeah, the thing with Neal is all speculation. As for Henry, I can tell you that he was talking about Emma in that particular scene, though you'll see in this chapter that August is on Regina's radar as well. Glad you liked the trial and that it translated well into words. I know how it's going to come out, but it's not until the next chapter that we find that out, so my lips are sealed for now. Glad you're enjoying!
Dreaming Out Loud
Chapter 29: Trial By Fire, Pt 2
Mary paced a bit, as they waited in the lobby of the courtroom. None of them were very hungry, so they sat on the benches at the park nearby. David felt a bit helpless, since he knew there was only so much he could do to ease her nerves. He grabbed her hand and she looked at him.
"I'm sorry," she said. He smiled gently.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. I just wish I could protect you from all this," he said.
"I know...but if I don't testify, Damon walks. And even if I do...he could still walk," she fretted.
"I know...I wish I could promise you that he'll pay for what he did. I hate that I can't," he said, as he gently pulled her toward him and then down into his lap.
"But I can promise that he will never hurt you...I'll do everything I can to make sure of it," he promised. She smiled.
"I know you will, my love," she replied, as she kissed him tenderly.
"I wish you didn't have to testify and relive that night," he said.
"Me either...but I can do this, because I know you're there," she said confidently. He smiled.
"That's another thing I can promise. Us...we're going to be together, no matter what. We're going to get married and be a family forever," he said, as he laced his fingers with hers and then kissed her again, this time in long, passion filled pecks to her lips. She kept her eyes closed and she relished being close to him, as he pressed his forehead against hers. And they stayed that way for several moments, until it was time to go back to the courthouse.
Regina glared at them from the window of her office, which had a perfect view of the park. Her hatred for them burned inside her just as passionately as ever.
Too many things had changed and even the bright spot that these two idiots could lose the trial wasn't enough to put her at ease.
First, that woman, Stephanie Kore, had come to town and practically taken Mary Margaret under her protective wing for reasons Regina wasn't able to discern. She had Sidney dig up all the records on this Ms. Kore that could be found. What he had found has been perfectly ordinary and well ordered records, professionally anyway. All the necessary credentials were in place. A teaching degree and a PHD in Botany, both from prestigious schools in Boston. But her personal life was generic. Her records provided vague information, like that she was born and raised in upstate New York, before moving to Boston for college. She never married, had no children, and seemingly kept to herself, despite being supposedly gifted in her field. And Regina was convinced it was all fake. She just needed to figure out how to get that information.
Then there was the new stranger that had rode into town on a motorcycle. She knew even less about this August W. Booth and that irked her to no end. Sidney's research on him had turned up even less. A sealed juvenile record, no documentation that he had ever graduated from any school, and no IRS records of him...which was just bizarre. Someone who was off the grid was a dangerous thing. Even the people of Storybrooke all had IRS records. When the curse had dropped them in this land, it had seamlessly inserted their curse identities into the records systems. For all intents and purposes, if a government agency happened to look at records for someone in Storybrooke, those records would always appear legitimate and in order; a perk of the curse being so intricate and efficient, on the surface anyway. If someone were to ever look closer at Storybrooke from outside, oddities would appear. But Regina was not too concerned. For twenty-eight years, they weren't given any thought, much like any other small, unassuming town. But these strangers did concern her, as did all the changes.
Her intense glower on her step-daughter and her idiot Prince didn't dissipate, as she watched them kiss.
When David had proposed to her a week ago, in front of all, she had been enraged. No matter what she did, it seemed that separating them was impossible. Even her plot to give Belle false memories had backfired on her, for Gold seemed just fine with having Lacey on his arm as he did Belle. Lacey seemed drawn to the darkness in Gold as well, which she had not anticipated. Jefferson seemed a bit more sane too, as it seemed having people in his life kept his demons at bay and Henry continued to pull away. Despite these other interlopers, it all stemmed back to Emma Swan.
If Damon was acquitted, that would be a blow to the two idiots and she could assuredly find new ways to torture the others. A few ideas about that sprang into her mind and she smirked deviously, as she looked back across the street. And she caught sight of something red. Taking out a pair binoculars, she looked through them and spotted Stephanie, several feet away, talking to a woman with red hair. Regina gasped, as she suddenly recognized her.
"The mermaid...what the hell is she doing here?" she growled.
"How the hell did she get here?" Regina wondered, as she knew the mermaid didn't get swept up by the curse, nor did she come over the town line, which meant it was probably by sea and would have required magic of some kind. And she was deep in conversation with Stephanie Kore. Perhaps there was a way to find out the truth about Ms. Kore, after all. Regina smirked and picked up the phone.
"I have a job for you," she said, once the person on the other end answered.
"So...things are good?" Stephanie asked. Ariel smiled.
"They are. This land is strange, but the filing job in the cannery office is fairly simple. And I get to be close to Eric. Thank you again for convincing the manager to give me the job," Ariel replied. Stephanie smiled.
"You're very welcome, Adrianna Brooke," Stephanie replied, using the curse name she had come up with for the redhead. Ariel smiled and saw Snow in the near distance.
"It must be so hard for you...that Snow doesn't know," Ariel mentioned.
"It is, but I'm hoping being friends first will help her accept me. The curse will not last forever and she'll remember. So will Eric," she assured. Ariel nodded.
"I can't wait...especially for Regina to pay for all she's done to everyone," the former mermaid replied.
"Regina has already lost a lot of ground. Anything she does now just delays the inevitable. Emma will break the curse," Stephanie promised, as she checked the time.
"I have to go. Take care," she said.
"You too," Ariel replied, as she started back for the cannery.
As she rounded the corner, someone grabbed her from behind and put a cloth over the redhead's mouth, forcing her to breathe in the chloroform. She collapsed and was dragged away to a van nearby.
Court resumed and the judge was seated again.
"Mr. Gold...you may call your next witness," the judge stated.
"Thank you, Your Honor. The prosecution calls Mary Margaret Blanchard to the stand," he stated, as the raven haired beauty stood up. David squeezed her hand and she approached the bench where the Bailiff swore her in. Mr. Gold approached and rested his weight on his cane.
"Miss Blanchard...we have heard about the events of that night from Mr. Nolan. Is it true that Mr. Tromera came to the Toll Bridge that night?" Gold asked.
"Yes," Mary answered.
"Was Mr. Tromera armed?" Gold asked.
"He had a shiny metal device on his hand. I was later told that they were brass knuckles," Mary stated. Gold held up an evidence bag.
"Are these what Mr. Tromera was wearing on his knuckles that night?" Gold questioned. Mary looked at them and shuddered slightly, as they were still stained red. Red that she knew was David's blood.
"Yes," Mary answered. Let the court reflect that Ms. Blanchard has identified this weapon as one Mr. Tromera was sporting on his knuckles on the night in question," Gold said.
"So recorded," the judge agreed.
"Now, Miss Blanchard, tell the court in your own words about the events of that night," he requested. She took a deep breath and flashed back to that frightening night.
"Mary...run…" he pleaded. But instead, she spied a large stick and picked it up. David's head swam in pain after another punch and Damon backed away. He turned his attention toward Mary Margaret and was beamed across the face with a stick. He growled in pain and held his face, as she scrambled to help David to his feet.
"Mary...you need to run! I'll just slow you down," he groaned.
"David...I am not leaving you behind," she repeated, as they trudged through the muddy forest. It was dark now and rain was coming down in sheets. They could barely see anything and she yelped when David cried out, as Damon hit him from behind.
"No!" she cried, as they went rolling to the ground. David saw black spots in his vision, as Damon buried a fist in his gut, knocking the wind out of him. But he fought the urge to pass out, as the monster stalked toward Mary and shoved her against a tree. She sobbed, as he put his large hand around her slender neck and forced her to look at him.
"So fair...even soaking wet in this rain. I can't wait to finally have you," he hissed, as he used his free hand to fumble with the rope in his bag. Mary growled and kneed him between his legs. He groaned and she tried to push him away, but he pinned her with his weight.
"You'll learn you place, Mary. I'm going to teach you," he growled.
"Did you enjoy my handiwork at your lovely little garden today?" he questioned.
"It was you," she uttered. He smirked.
"Yes...but that was your blood. I swiped a bag of it from the hospital. And you know when I was smattering those stupid little flowers you love with it, I had this insatiable urge to taste your blood. So I did...and I found it to be the sweetest nectar I've ever tasted. It left me wanting more," he whispered in her ear and her skin crawled at the feeling of his hot breath on her neck.
"You're sick..." she spat. He chuckled at that.
"Yes...I suppose I am," he replied.
Mary was practically shaking when she finished recalling the memory.
"So...he admitted to vandalizing your flowers earlier that day, using a bag of your own donated blood, which he stole?" Gold questioned.
"Yes," she answered.
"Objection...this is hearsay, Your Honor," Mitchell interjected.
"No, Your Honor...Sheriff Swan recovered a security tape of Mr. Tromera visiting the hospital wing where the donated blood is kept," Gold argued.
"Which is circumstantial at best. I have viewed this tape and Mr. Tromera did visit that room, but there was no indication he took anything," Mitchell protested.
"Your Honor, a lab test done later on the flowers confirmed that it was Miss Blanchard's blood and the discarded bag was found at the scene," Gold countered.
"Which does not definitively prove that my client did it," Mitchell objected.
"He is correct, Mr. Gold," the judge agreed.
"Your Honor, he admitted it," Gold stated.
"So says Miss Blanchard. It's hearsay," Mitchell countered.
"Mr. Herman is correct. The jury will disregard this," the judge ordered. But the jury had still heard the disturbing account and Gold hoped it stuck with them.
"Miss Blanchard...please tell us what happened once you and David reached the cabin," Gold requested. Mary nodded and continued recalling the events that night.
For Mary, she didn't remember a time seeing him like this before and this man terrified her to her core in a way she was sure nothing ever would. She didn't have to wonder about the things he wanted to do. She was extremely clear on everything he had planned for them. She feared for them both; for the horror that awaited her at his hands, but she feared for her beloved more. This monster had every intention of murdering the man she loved and she was beside herself with so many emotions that it nearly made her faint. But she kept her feet rooted to the ground and her grip on David, for she feared him disappearing if she let go even just a little.
Her heart hammered in her chest, as the malicious man limped inside and her head hurt in a way that couldn't just be a headache. It was more like someone was screaming at her inside her subconscious to do something, to protect her love; to fight for him. How she was supposed to do that against this animal of a man, she did not know, but she found her eyes searching for anything that could be a weapon.
David gripped the poker and raised it before them.
"Do yourself a favor and step aside and maybe you'll live to see another day," Damon threatened.
"Like hell I will. If you think I'll let you hurt Mary, then you have another thing coming," David threatened back.
"Mary...unless you'd like to have his blood on your hands, then you should save yourself that pain and come with me," Damon said.
"She's not going anywhere with you," David growled. He smirked and made a show of his considerable strength by breaking a wooden chair over his knee so he could use one of the legs as a weapon. Mary yelped when he did, never imagining someone could have such strength. It was almost inhuman. As David circled the monster before them, Mary noticed a sculpture on the mantel. It was a wooden likeness of a spinning wheel and she picked it up, ready to spring in at the right moment to use it.
David swiped the poker at the other man, but he dodged and made his own strike, narrowly missing David's head. The monster of a man brought the wooden stake down on him again and David blocked in a high arc with his weapon. But Damon kneed him in the stomach and hit him on the back of the neck. Mary cried out, as he went down and their tormentor hovered over him with a devious smile.
"You should turn away, Mary. This is going to get messy," he hissed, but felt excruciating pain, as she hit him in the head with a blunt object. He held his head and fell to his knees. How it didn't drop him completely, Mary didn't know.
"That was a very big mistake, Mary," he growled, but they didn't waste any time and she helped David up, as they started toward the door. But Damon reached out and grabbed her leg, tripping her. David shoved him away and tried to go to her, but Damon hammered his fist into David's gut, tossing him away again. Mary watched the monster fearfully, as he lit the chair leg on fire and then tossed it onto the rug nearby, quickly igniting it.
"What are you doing?!" Mary cried.
"Making sure lover boy can't escape this time," he growled, as he grabbed her arm. She dug her heels and tried to stall him.
"That's it...you've left him no choice. I didn't want to do this, Mary, but you will be taught your place," he screamed at her, before angrily backhanding her. She fell to the floor in a painful daze and David saw red like he never had before.
"You must have been terrified," Gold stated.
"I was...I thought he was going to kill David," Mary answered.
"But you were also scared for yourself. What did you fear from him, Miss Blanchard?" Gold questioned. She swallowed thickly and Damon's eyes were shooting through her.
"He said he was going to take me back to his club against my will," Mary revealed.
"And did he tell you what he was going to do to you?" Gold asked. She took a sharp breath.
"He said he couldn't wait to have me and that I would be taught my place," she stated.
"Have you," Gold repeated.
"I know this is difficult, Miss Blanchard, but what do you think he meant by that?" Gold asked. Mary closed her eyes and a tear slipped down her cheek. Mr. Gold graciously offered her a tissue.
"I think he meant to...rape me," she uttered in a trembling voice, causing rumblings through the court room
"Objection!" Mitchell protested and the judge slammed the gavel down.
"Order," he demanded.
"Your Honor, the witness is speculating!" Mitchell cried.
"The witness is recounting the events and how she felt," Gold argued.
"Sustained. I have to agree with Mr. Herman. The jury will disregard Miss Blanchard's speculative statement," the judge ordered.
"The court may negate your speculation, but it does not change the things you felt that night and how that fear was caused by Mr. Tromera, is that right, Miss Blanchard?" Gold asked.
"Objection!" Mitchell exclaimed.
"Withdrawn...no further questions," Gold replied, as he took his seat.
"Your witness, Mr. Herman," the judge stated, as Mr. Herman approached the witness stand.
"Miss Blanchard...how long have you volunteered at the hospital?" he asked. Her brow furrowed in confusion.
"For many years...I guess I'm not exactly sure how many," she replied.
"Many...many years, ladies and gentlemen," he stated.
"Objection...I fail to see what relevance any of his has, Your Honor," Gold protested.
"Sustained. Mr. Herman...where are you going with this?" the judge questioned.
"Oh, I have a point, Your Honor," he assured.
"Then make it," the judge said shortly.
"You happily participated in the volunteer program, a program which Mr. Tromera funds, yet how many times did you reject him?" Mitchell asked.
"Objection...Miss Blanchard's love life has no bearing on this case," Gold protested.
"Overruled, but tread lightly, Mr. Herman," the judge warned.
"Mr. Tromera asked you out numerous times, but you rejected him each time, didn't you?" Mitchell asked.
"Yes...I wasn't interested in him and did not appreciate his continued advances," Mary replied.
"Or perhaps you enjoyed stringing the poor man along," Mitchell countered.
"Objection!" Gold hissed.
"Withdrawn," Mitchell said quickly.
"How many times did Mr. Nolan ask you out before you agreed to a date?" Mitchell questioned.
"I said yes the first time," Mary replied confidently.
"Then perhaps you can understand how Mr. Tromera might have felt. After all, a person can only take so much cruel rejection," Mitchell hissed.
"Objection! The witness is not on trial, nor is she responsible for Mr. Tromera's hurt feelings," Gold growled.
"Sustained. You are out of line, Mr. Herman," the judge admonished.
"I apologize, your Honor," Mitchell stated, as he picked up an evidence bag.
"Do you recognize this object?" he asked.
"It's a stick," Mary answered.
"Yes, this is the stick you used to bludgeon Mr. Tromera on the night in question...isn't it?" Mitchell asked.
"He was attacking David!" Mary exclaimed.
"Your Honor, please advise the witness to answer with a yes or no," Mitchell said.
"He's correct, Miss Blanchard. Please provide a yes or no answer," the judge advised.
"Yes," Mary answered through clenched teeth.
"You claim that it was self defense, but perhaps you saw an opportunity to rid yourself of my client for good. After all, you yourself said you were tired of his constant advances," Mitchell stated.
"Objection!" Gold protested.
"Withdrawn...no further questions," Mitchell replied, as he returned to his seat.
"If there are no more witnesses, then we will hear closing arguments," the judge stated. Gold rose from his seat and approached the jury.
"You have heard clear testimony today about the events that took place on that stormy November night. Mr. Tromera sought out David Nolan and Mary Margaret Blanchard. His plan required a tranquilizer dart to eliminate the obstacle of their dog, which most certainly suggests per-meditation on his part. He attacked them, chased them, and intended to harm them. They fought him in self defense for their lives, as any person would and there is little doubt that Mr. Tromera intended to kill Mr. Nolan and force himself on Miss Blanchard. He has stalked her for years, proving without a shadow of a doubt that he is a predator and should be locked up for what he did. As conscious citizens, who care about your fellow townspeople, I know you'll make the right decision," Gold stated, as he took his seat and Mitchell approached.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the question is not did Mr. Tromera act rashly and inappropriately on the night in question...because he did," Mitchell began.
"But the question is...does he deserve to go to prison for it? And the answer is unequivocally no. Years of rejection has taken a heavy toll on my client. And the events of that night were escalated by Mr. Nolan's hot temper and Miss Blanchard's continued rebuking. They want him to go to prison. But my client needs counseling instead. So don't deny him that, because he is a generous and valued member of this community. Make the right decision and acquit. Sentence him to counseling and community service if you must. But not prison. Thank you," Mitchell stated.
"At this time, the jury will be sequestered until which time they reach a verdict. Until then, we are adjourned the judge ordered, as he slammed the gavel down.
David squeezed Mary's hand. All they could do now was hope...