Slowly and with serious expressions on their faces Tom Kingsley and Ryan Huntley rose from their chairs to face the jury.
In her bench, Victoria balled her fists with such intensity that her knuckles turned white. She felt the anxiety and lack of sleep kicking in once more and experienced what were probably the most unbearable seconds of the whole trial. David's testimony and their silent confirmation that they were still in this together had made her forget about the seriousness of the whole situation for a moment. The look in David's blue eyes that were so different from Conrad's arctic pools had put that calm in her like it always did and Victoria had allowed herself to dream about being close to him again for a second too long. Now that the final jury verdict was only a few moments away, the severity of their words and how they were perceived by the others in the courtroom pulled Victoria back to reality and the fear she had experienced before taking the stand, began to possess her body again. What if her words hadn't been enough? Hell, what if even David's or Roger Halsted's words hadn't been convincing enough? An endless stream of doubts suddenly began to invade her mind and she wondered if maybe she had gotten her hopes up too early.
The room in complete silence, Robert Barnes' voice sounded loud and clear when he asked: "Members of the jury, have you reached a verdict?"
This was it, this was the moment they had waited for for the last four months. So much depended on the jury's answer; they alone held David's future in their hands, Victoria thought and closed her eyes praying that the hard work they had put in proving his innocence finally paid off.
"Yes, your Honor, we have." The jury spokesman's answer was confident and Robert Barnes immediately continued because he too seemed like he wanted nothing more than to finally resolve the case.
"Members of the Jury, on the Case of David Clarke vs. the United States of America, what do you say?"
Peeking through her shut lids, Victoria watched the spokesman open his mouth and say the final verdict. Her heart stopped beating for the moment of silence before she could hear his words.
"Your Honor, the members of this Jury find the defendant not guilty."
The first thing that could be heard in the otherwise completely frozen courtroom was Victoria's high pitched gasp she let out and threw a hand against her mouth while she felt the tears shooting into her eyes.
"Members of the Jury, this Court dismisses you and thanks you for a job well done." Even judge Barnes almost sounded relieved when saying those words. But he was wise and quickly continued passing the sentence officially because he knew that soon hell would break. In one corner he could already witness the Graysons getting ready to protest. The outraged look on their faces was nothing like he had ever seen before.
All Victoria could remember after the jury's verdict was that she somehow managed to stand up for judge Barnes's departure from the room. The words he said were merely a blur she recognized somewhere in the back of her mind when all she could concentrate on was what looked more like shock than relief on David's face. He seemed to struggle to believe what had just happened even when an officer released him from the handcuffs he had to wear and Ryan Huntley pulled him into a hug patting his back to confirm him that he had really made it. He was free.
On one side of the room Victoria saw Nolan storming out of the door with a big grin on his face and on the other side she witnessed how Conrad, Edward and Tom Kingsley were being taken under arrest while Eleanor tried everything in her power to calm her son down.
"This is wrong!" Edward Grayson shouted aggressively when he was being handcuffed. "You are making a big mistake and you will regret this!" Just like always he knew no other way than to threaten people.
"Victoria!" Conrad's angry voice startled her. His stare was furious mixing his rage with confusion about what his own wife had done to him. "I don't get it… what have you done?" Conrad sounded desperate not succeeding in erasing the fear from his voice. However Victoria didn't even flinch at his words and instead coldly turned her back on him which let the anger inside of him gain the upper hand. "This affects you too! You won't get away with this so easily, Victoria!" The cold metal closed around his wrists but Conrad made a last attempt to run after his wife. As a result the officer pushed him down forcing him to sit on his knees. "Victoria!" Conrad screamed repeatedly but he knew that she would never come back to him. He had never felt so powerless like in that moment – he was not only being robbed of his freedom but also of his family, of his life and his whole future. And it was Victoria who had made that decision for him. In the back of his mind he knew that it was his fault, he shouldn't have done certain things in his life and most importantly he should have asked her earlier. He should have asked his wife so much earlier to run away, to start a new life, a life that was not being determined by the Grayson legacy. It was all crystal clear to Conrad in that moment. He had set different priorities preventing him from putting Victoria and Daniel first and now she was paying that back to him. No matter how crazy it sounded, Conrad felt more like he was being taken under arrest for doing injustice to his wife than of the horrible terrorist attack he had supported.
Without wasting another thought on Conrad's threats, Victoria shook her head blocking out his voice and finally managed to free her body from the paralyzed state it had been in to run over to David who still couldn't grasp what was happening.
"David." Victoria whispered out of breath stopping right in front of him and met his puzzled gaze. He scanned her from head to toes as if he had to check if it was really Victoria standing only a few inches away from him.
Not being able to bear the tension between them anymore she closed the gap between their bodies throwing her arms around his neck and pulled him close.
"I'm so sorry." She whispered into his ear while David was so surprised he didn't know how to react properly. "For everything. I'm so sorry." Victoria repeated worried that he might be angry at her since David didn't hug her back. She simply couldn't suppress the sob that escaped her lips when the familiar feeling of comfort overwhelmed her body. She leant her head against David's chest something she had once taken for granted but had learnt to cherish all the more during their time of separation
"Victoria." David uttered gaining control of his mind and body again. He instantly closed his arms around Victoria's slim body pulling her against him. So this was real. It was really happening. He didn't just dream that he had been declared innocent. As if to assure himself of the situation he rested his head on Victoria's taking in the familiar scent of her hair. Slowly he let his hands roam over her back cherishing every inch he touched while he felt how Victoria relaxed into his embrace and gripped his neck as if she never wanted to let him go again. It had been so long since anyone had showed him affection, since anyone had genuinely embraced and comforted him. And now it was not just any person holding him close, it was Victoria, it was the love of his life, the woman he had risked everything he ever had for. She held him close and in that moment all of the doubts he previously had about their relationship vanished into thin air. With her in his arms he felt at home and at peace being overwhelmed by his feelings so that a single tear dropped from his eye. Words couldn't even begin to describe the chaos inside of him and the relief that began to fill his body after all those months of fear for his life and his future.
"I love you, Vee." Was all David could say and put his hand in the back of her neck gently keeping her close to his chest.
"I love you too." Victoria smiled raising her head to look him into his eyes and take his face between her hands. He looked really worn out and exhausted and he had shaved his slightly curled hair which she had always adored. She wondered what he saw in her when he stared back at her – a liar? A selfish person? Or maybe even a traitor? But all she could find in the look of his eyes was his always-present genuine affection for her and she asked herself how she could possibly deserve that after everything that she had done.
Tenderly she traced the lines on his face with her finger noticing every little new wrinkle and every bone structure that was now clearly visible making his face look harder than before. She felt the stubble of his beard beneath her palm and let her hands wander down his neck to let them rest upon his shoulders. She stood so close to him that she could feel his breath in her face noticing how it grew more regular the longer she touched him. When she stopped and looked him in the eyes instead David's lips turned into a smirk. She didn't realize until then how much she had missed his smile. It was pure and it was honest making the butterflies in her stomach go wild. She had no other choice but to smile back at him. It was the simplest of gestures but in that moment it meant everything to her making the world around them stop to exist. With a racing heart Victoria closed her eyes in anticipation when David leant forward to meet her lips in the first kiss they shared in over four months. The sweet feeling of his lips on hers, the taste of his skin and the eagerness behind his gesture but also the restraint he showed allowing her to decide how far she wanted to go made her stand on her toes with a tingling feeling in her stomach deepening the kiss. It didn't matter to them if people were watching, this was their moment and they both realized that they had waited far too long for it.
"Sorry, Victoria, David, but we have to go now." Ryan Huntley felt uncomfortable interrupting the intimate moment of their reunion and he couldn't imagine what it had to feel like for both of them to reconnect. But he also knew that all of their problems wouldn't just simply disappear all of a sudden. The Graysons were still a threat and they now had to do everything in their power to make sure that they would go to jail for good.
"There's still a lot to do." Ryan explained when Victoria and David reluctantly separated and turned their heads into his direction taken by surprise. They seemed like they had forgotten that other people still existed in the room and although he was still nervous, Ryan also had to smile to himself.
"Let's get going." He motioned for them to follow him and Victoria determinedly took David's hand leading their way out of the courtroom.
On their way out they had to fight their path through the mass of people who all seemed to stare at them with disbelief and fascination in their eyes. They had been present for their emotional confessions during the trial and had witnessed their previous romantic reunion. It had been foreseeable that the public interest in them would only rise after the trial had taken the turn of becoming a tragic love story, but they hadn't expected to have reporters already waiting outside of the courtroom. Luckily most of them were already preoccupied with getting a good shot of Conrad, Edward and Tom Kingsley who were just being escorted out of the building in handcuffs.
"This way." Ryan Huntley whispered and led Victoria and David into the other direction as soon as journalists had caught wind of them.
"Mrs Grayson! Mr Clarke!" One man shouted and ran after them so that others followed his lead and practically chased them down the hall. "How are you feeling right now? What will you do next?"
David wanted to turn around wondering how he had transformed from one of the most hated men in America to probably one of the most admired due to what Victoria and he had gone through, but just in that moment Victoria pulled him to the side and into a room locking the door behind him.
"Well, I'm glad we've all made it." Ryan Huntley announced and chuckled while people began gathering outside of the door and banged against it. This was by far the most spectacular case he had ever been a part of.
"What are we doing? Why are we not leaving?" David asked confused letting his gaze wander between Victoria who seemed very much out of breath sinking down onto a chair, and his lawyer who swallowed a whole bottle of water in one sip.
"I want to see Amanda. I can't sit here hiding from everyone. I need to see her." At the mention of his daughter's name the previous victorious atmosphere became more serious. Victoria and Ryan exchanged a knowing gaze communicating silently on how to proceed. "Talk to me or I will go back out there again and go find her myself." David was annoyed with their lack of response not understanding how they could ignore his fatherly concern about Amanda.
"David, we…" Victoria's voice broke when she addressed him because the exhaustion she was experiencing. The outcome of the trial and the contact to David had given her new energy but she still couldn't overestimate her abilities. Finding comfort in David's arms had been easy but as soon as she thought of the rest of their situation Victoria's head began to ache. It was not all as easy as kissing him.
"Victoria, are you okay?" David asked concerned sitting down on the chair next to her. He took her hands into his and noticed that they were cold and sweaty. Suddenly he felt guilty for not asking about her well-being right away. It was obvious that she was far from fine. He just couldn't wrap his head about the complex situation. His head was spinning and he didn't know about whom he should think first – he loved Victoria but Amanda was his daughter and being separated from her was surely the worst part of the whole experience of being arrested. At the same time he didn't want to be unfair to Victoria or make her feel like he didn't worry about her – and his other daughter he had no idea how he could have forgotten about for a second. He had to blame it on the shock and confusion he was currently going through.
"I'm okay, don't worry." Victoria forced a smile reveling in David's touch as he tucked streaks of her sweaty hair behind her ear.
"I, I don't know why, I didn't…I'm sorry… but how…" He stammered and Victoria could see the chaos that was going on in his brain written on his face. "How is our daughter? How is Charlotte?"
Hearing her name from his lips made Victoria release a sob once more. It sounded beautiful, just like she had imagined, it sounded right.
"She's fine, too." Victoria said with a shaky voice and smiled genuinely.
"Good." David returned the smile and took Victoria's trembling hands into his. "I want you to know that I am so proud of both of you. There was never a moment when I didn't think about you and about our baby. When I heard what happened, I went mad, I just wanted to be there for you, but I was so powerless and felt like I let you down. I am so sorry."
"None of this is your fault." Victoria assured and leant closer to David. "And you have to be proud of the three of us. Amanda went through a lot, too. And she handled it all so well; she is the strongest girl I know."
"Yes." David felt the tears rising in his eyes when he thought about his little girl and what she had to endure. "She is. All of you are." He pulled Victoria into a hug feeling how she inched closer to him burying her face in his neck but immediately pulled back.
"What is it?" He asked irritated and was relieved to hear that guards had obviously taken control of the situation outside summoning the reporters to leave the building and wait in front of the courthouse.
"You sort of smell." Victoria stated matter-of-factly pursing her lips critically like David knew only she could.
"Well, they probably don't wash this prison uniform with your favorite detergent." David replied acting offended when he was more than happy to see that Victoria obviously still was the woman he knew and loved.
"I'm not sure if they really wash it all." She added and got up. "Ryan, could you please hand me the bag I brought."
The lawyer who felt awkward to witness the situation but at the same time was very amused by the couple's exchange, turned around to hand Victoria the huge black leather bag.
"That's why I got you this, just in case you might need it today." The brunette pulled a brand new dark blue suit out of the bag followed by a white and shirt and grey tie. "I'm not sure about the tie though, it might be a bit much for the occasion."
Standing there in front of him in her navy blue dress and black stiletto heels critically eyeing the men's clothing she was holding in her hands, David was sure once and for all that the old Victoria would always be there no matter what they went through. He reached for his forehead in disbelief shaking his head.
"You're not serious about this, are you?" He asked her almost laughing at how ridiculous it was to think about his clothing when his freedom had been endangered only a few minutes before.
"Oh, trust me I am serious about this." She put down the clothing and stepped forward standing in front of David who still sat on the chair looking up to her with a mixture of admiration and incomprehension on his face. "When we go out there, we have to show them that we are strong and that we are prepared. And most importantly when you meet Amanda. Do you want your daughter to see you in this with that smell on you?" David shook his head surprised how this woman could always amaze him. "No? That's what I thought. So what we do now is we get you out of that horrible thing, change you into the suit and go out there showing everyone that we are in this together and then meet Amanda. I promised her you would be with her tonight so you can be sure I'm keeping this promise." Victoria revealed her plan to him putting her hands on her hips.
"Yes, Ma'am." David answered her reminding himself that he shouldn't have questioned her earlier. Victoria always pulled a plan out of her sleeve.
"Good, so get up so I can get you out that." The fact that Victoria had managed to turn their previous mood into an almost playful one within a matter of minutes was only proof of how confused they both were about what they should feel.
"Okay, I'm leaving now." Ryan Huntley announced fearing that he might have to see more than he was comfortable with. "I'll meet you two in the entrance hall and we'll step in front of the press together. Rub our victory in their faces." He excused himself and left right before Victoria began to open David's prison uniform with determination.
"You're crazy, Vee." David remarked not wanting to interfere with her mission since she obviously knew what she was doing.
"I think well-prepared is the word you were looking for." She said drily freeing David of the uniform so that he stood before her with only his shirt and underwear on.
"Take your shirt off." She didn't even flinch when she said those words, while David found it hard to decide on what exactly they were doing. But like she had demanded he freed himself of his shirt waiting for her next instructions.
"Now put this on." She reached for the white shirt she had bought helping him to put it on and quickly buttoned it choosing to ignore how David's confusion had turned into him enjoying her treatment. He hadn't had any kind of real privacy during his time in prison and all of a sudden he was alone in a room with not just any woman but with Victoria. It had taken him some time until he had come to that realization and it certainly didn't help to focus on what was important. David caught himself thinking about ripping the dress off of Victoria's body but immediately scolded him for the thought when he knew that it should be the least of his concerns in their current situation. Still he also knew that it had been far too long and he was only human.
"Vee." He whispered into her ear letting his hands wander downwards her body. He already felt guilty for straying from what really mattered but he also didn't have it in him to stop.
"Hands off." Was Victoria's harsh response to his advances although of course she was fully aware of the effects of her actions.
"Victoria, what the…" David complained but instead of giving in to him she interrupted him and stepped back to hand him the suit trousers and jacket so that he could put them on.
"Now you look presentable to the world and your daughter." The brunette smiled confidently at her work adjusting the shirt's collar and combing his short hair with her fingers. "I think you don't need the tie. You look handsome just like that, Mr Clarke." She finally smirked at him before reaching into her purse. Much to his surprise she pulled out the engagement ring he had given to her and handed it to him.
"We need to look authentic, too." Victoria held up her hand so that David could slide his mother's ring on her finger with shaking hands.
"I totally agree with you." David smiled at her contently and reached up to loosen Victoria's chignon causing her hair to fall down. For a moment she was shocked that he had dared to interfere with her carefully done hairstyle but quickly forgot about that when she remembered how he loved it when her hair was wild.
"I wanted you to see the earrings." Victoria explained already holding her hair brush in her hand to take care of her dark mane.
"I did. It was very sweet of you." David acknowledged appreciating how easy it was for them to be in this casual situation again.
"Ready to go?" Victoria then asked putting all of her things back into her purse.
"Whenever you are." David assured her taking the hand she offered to him while she reached for the door knob with the other.
"Amanda will be so happy to see you." Victoria paused for one moment taking in the importance of the situation. They would step out as an official couple for the very first time and they would also be a family for the very first time. "And Charlotte of course." She added feeling how her determination to simply carry out their plan began to fade at the thought of David meeting her newborn daughter.
"And you can't even imagine just how happy I am about that." David squeezed her hand giving her a kiss before they finally left the room.
The sound of their quick steps echoed at the wooden walls of the now empty corridors in the courthouse. When some hours before Victoria had still been holding Conrad's hand reluctantly standing by his side, she couldn't have imagined that when she glanced to the side now, she would be holding David's hand – not reluctantly but proudly. She was not proud of herself for giving the testimony and freeing David, but rather ashamed because it had taken her so long. No, she was proud to be finally seen together with David, as a couple and as a team, strong enough to win this fight for justice.
"What is it, Vee?" David asked when he noticed how her brown eyes rested upon him attentively.
"I'm just thinking about us." She smiled brightly although she was also afraid of what was coming at them the second they stepped out of that door.
"Mrs Grayson, Mr Clarke, Congratulations!" A short man with big glasses on his face stepped in their way causing them to sop abruptly. "It is such a delight to finally see you together."
Victoria and David both scanned the man from head to toes in surprise coming to their own conclusions. While David intended to continue their way outside and simply ignore the reporter with a notebook in his hand and a camera hanging around his neck, Victoria didn't move.
"Mr Treadwell, hello." She uttered being very much out of breath because she was forced to relive a memory she had tried to forget so hard.
"…we'll let that Leo Treadwell person write a book about the whole story." The words coming out of the mouth of that horrible woman replayed in her mind over and over again. The picture of a beaten up Patrick came rushing back to her, the fear and the desperation of the situation paralyzed her. So the time had come. The plan the Initiative's leader had revealed to them was being set in motion after all. Like David, she wanted nothing more than to simply walk away and ignore the annoying journalist, but she knew that she had no choice –s he was trapped by the promise she had made and it would catch up with her sooner or later.
"Victoria, come on let's go. He's not worth our time." David explained not understanding why Victoria was talking to the man and why she knew him. All he knew was that Leo Treadwell had promised him to listen to the true story and write about it, but he had never stayed true to his words. He had never even come back a second time to talk to him.
"David." The brunette pulled him close to her taking his face between her hands. "I know that right now is not the best time to start thinking about it, but we have to tell our story to the public at some point. We have to tell the truth first because Conrad can spin a different version of events and people begin to be confused. We have to step forward and be open about what happened, especially in the beginning so maybe this is our chance."
David didn't like the idea of exposing his private life to the public but he also knew that he had involuntarily become a figure of public interest already and that it was probably better to have control over how they would be perceived than having other people tell fake stories about them.
"Okay." He agreed seeing how Victoria's tense body seemed to relax a bit more. "Let's do it together."
Quickly she pressed a kiss onto his lips being relieved that David trusted her enough to make it so easy to convince him. Personally she had an extremely bad feeling about the whole matter because she knew that the Initiative was behind all of this and that she was allowing them to have control of her life to a certain degree. However she also didn't want to test what it meant if she didn't work according to their plan.
"That was just perfect!" The couple turned their heads when they heard the click of a camera.
"If we agree to this, Mr Treadwell, I want to be clear that we are the ones to decide when you take photos of us and when you don't." Victoria announced in a serious tone narrowing her eyes at the short man.
"Oh, of course, Mrs Grayson. I am sorry. I simply couldn't miss my chance on capturing that beautiful moment between you two." He lurked from behind his glasses with an apologetic smile that Victoria thought looked extremely fake. "But this means that we have a deal? That I get the exclusive rights on covering your story?"
"It does." Victoria shook hands with the reporter already regretting this decision. David blindly followed her lead trusting her instincts in this situation completely.
"Perfect! I am so excited already! I have to say that I am so happy for you two. You truly deserve this happy ending." Leo Treadwell fumbled with the pockets of his jacket. "Here take my card so we can schedule a date for a longer interview. I don't want to keep you waiting for too long right now and would like to just take a few photos."
"Mason?" Victoria raised an eyebrow when she read the business card and detected the name change.
"I consider this my fresh start. New name, new chance for me." The reporter explained and caught side of the ring on Victoria's finger when she was holding his card. "Is this what I think it is?" He grabbed Victoria's hand staring at the ring with gleaming eyes. The brunette flinched and pulled her hand back from his touch.
"I gave her the ring when I proposed." David interrupted the interaction and stepped forward for he noticed how Victoria began to feel uncomfortable.
"This is even better than I thought! So you're engaged already? This makes such a great story! I will ask you about it in detail some time later but right now I need to have that ring shown in the photo! Could you please go over there? Right in front of that wall. Just be natural. I need to capture you two in shock but also in love…" Mason Treadwell kept on rambling and positioned Victoria and David like he thought would be perfect for the first official photo of them together that would go with his exclusive article. Meanwhile the couple had silently agreed on just letting Mason to his thing with the aim of getting out of the courthouse as quickly as possible.
Once they had got rid of a satisfied Mason Treadwell, they met up with Ryan Huntley who had already organized a small set up so that they could face the press in an organized manner. Like Victoria he was of the opinion that it was better to directly step forward and answer everyone's questions before Conrad could interfere and spin a different story. They needed to keep the public's sympathies on their side.
"Don't forget: this is your moment." Ryan Huntley looked at them approvingly when he watched Victoria and David holding hands. "Are you ready?"
Both of them nodded because the lumps in their throats made it impossible for them to speak. It was what they had fought for the whole time: to be together and to be free. Still the mass of people outside scared them to their bones.
The moment Ryan opened the doors for them and they walked outside of the courthouse hell broke loose. Cameras flashing, people screaming at them and four police officers who escorted them safely to the small platform where they should give their impromptu press conference.
"This is madness." David leant down and whispered into Victoria's ear with a shaky voice. He squeezed her hand tighter for reassurance.
"We'll get through this. Just think of Amanda and stay strong." Victoria replied looking up to him with a smile on her face.
Taking her advice David pictured the face of his daughter in his mind the whole time they had to answer the journalists' questions. He couldn't wait to see his little girl, to take her into his arms and promise her that he would never leave her alone again. Luckily Victoria was well-trained at delivering the answers people wanted to hear wrapping the public around her little finger with ease. David occasionally agreed to what she was saying or answered himself when it was absolutely necessary. But most of the time he felt like standing beside himself not bearing to wait another second until he could go see his daughter.
"That is enough for today." Ryan Huntley stepped forward and motioned for Victoria and David to take the chance and leave quickly. "You have to understand Mrs Grayson and Mr Clarke now need time for themselves and their children after this most difficult time. "
"Come on." Victoria pulled David away from the crowd and hurried down the stairs of the courtroom angling for the street. Immediately people went after them and when she stopped on the sidewalk desperately glancing form side to side, she was convinced that they had been to slow. However, Victoria suddenly saw a car with screeching tires rushing towards them until it came to a halt right next to them.
"Get in!" Victoria opened the door of the black vehicle pushing a dumbfounded David inside and then letting herself fall into the back seat afterwards. "Go, go, go!" She screamed before she had even managed to close the door and the car sped up immediately.
First of all I apologize for making you wait so long for the new chapter! Life has just gotten extremely busy and there are many exciting things lying ahead of me in 2018 which require a lot of planning that takes up my time. Thank you for being patient with me, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!
I appreciate all of your support, your messages and your reviews. I can't say often enough how much that all means to me! This fanfic is always on my mind and I'm constantly planning new chapters in my head, I simply can't find the time to get it all down... Hopefully I'll see you all very soon with a new chapter!