Saving Ma

Summary: After Frank proposed to Natalia, Rafe Ave and Emma team up to help their moms.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and I do not make any profit from this.

A/N: I am so sorry for the delay in updates but I am back and here is the next chapter in this story.

Chapter 62

The rest of the week went by in a blur. Natalia finished her testimony as did Olivia, Rafe and Ava. It was rough for all of them but the upcoming week had them all sick. It was now Monday again and they had Marisol and Mateo set to testify. Mateo was nervous and they didn't think he really understood completely what would happen.

Now they sat in the courthouse waiting for the trial to start. Mateo looked over to Mel. "Do I have to see the bad mans?"

Mel smiled sadly and grabbed his hand. "Yes you do buddy but you don't have to talk to them and they aren't supposed to talk to you. Just their lawyers and I will."

He looked to his mothers. "You will be there the whole time?"

Olivia pulled him into her lap and hugged him tightly as Natalia kissed him and rubbed his back. "We will be there the whole time, Rafe and Ava too. All you have to do is tell them everything you remember happening, just the way it happened and answer the questions they ask."

Mateo burrowed into her. "Ok mommy. Then can we go get ice cream? Rafe said we could."

Natalia chuckled. "Of course we can mijo. Let's just finish everything here for the day then we will pick up Emma and Natalio for ice cream. Maybe even buzz burgers."

Mateo whooped and jumped up grabbing both his mom's hands pulling them over to where Ava and Rafe were waiting for them with Marisol.

They all moved into the courtroom when they were called to and sat. Mateo climbed into Olivia's lap and eyed the door warily. When Frank, Alan, and Miguel came in he burrowed his head into her neck and started shaking.

Olivia rubbed his back soothingly. "It's ok sweetheart. They can't get to you or us. The police men in the room protect us from them."

He snuck a look around at the police men placed throughout the room then burrowed back in. When the judge came in she had to stand with him still in her arms because he wasn't letting go. Natalia molded into them helping take some of his weight off of Olivia and whispering in his ear.

"It's ok mijo. That's just the judge, he's nice." She said hoping to calm him.

Rafe moved closer and whispered to him. "Hey buddy. The judge is a good guy; he helped me once and has helped Ma and Mom a lot of times."

Olivia kissed his head. "Yea baby, he's the one that helped us make you and Natalio Spencer's and helped us with the papers for you guys to come live with us."

Mateo looked up at the man. "He did?"

"Yes son, you can trust him."

They all looked up at the judge when Mel nudged them to get their attention because they had called Mateo to the stand. "Is there a problem?"

The others moved to the side as Olivia put Mateo down beside her. "Mateo was a little scared to talk to you but I think he is ok now."

Judge Watkins nodded. "Ok, you can walk him up to the stand if it would help Mrs. Spencer."

Olivia grabbed Mateo's hand. "Come on son."

Mateo followed her and hid his face in her side as they passed the three men on trial. Once they got to the stand he pulled on Olivia not letting go and stood in the chair motioning for the judge to come closer. Once the he was close enough Mateo whispered in his ear.

"Can my mommy please stay with me Mr. Judge? I'm really scared of the bad father and the bad Frank man and mommy always 'tects us. Please Mr. Judge."

Mateo was close to tears so the judge nodded. "Yes she can, but she has to stand outside of the box. You can still reach her to hold her hand if you need to."

Mateo gave a watery smile. "Thank you Mr. Judge," then sat as Olivia move to the outside of the box but stayed close.

The judge spoke again as the bailiff came over to swear him in. "Ok Mateo, I need you to promise me with your hand on the bible and swear that you will tell me the truth and not lie to any of us as we ask you questions."

Mateo eyed the bible. "May I see the bible sir?" with a nod they handed him the bible. He looked it over and opened it then handed it back to the bailiff. "I can't promise with that, it's not the right one. The words aren't right."

The judge gave Olivia a questioning look. "May I see it?" the bailiff handed it to her and she looked at a few passages and chuckled softly. "It's not the version he's used to. We read the King James at home. This is the New International."

Mateo looked to Natalia. "Ma, can I use yours?"

Natalia leaned forward taking her bible out of her purse and handed it to Mel. "Is it ok your honor?" Mel asked.

Judge Watkins smiled and nodded. The bailiff took the bible and handed it to Mateo. "Ok thank you. I promise to tell the truth Mr. Judge."

With a chuckle he waved the bailiff off and Mateo held the bible close. "Ok young man, just answer whatever questions they ask you unless I tell you that you don't have to."

Mateo nodded and looked at Mel. Mel moved forward and leaned on the front of the box. "Hello Mateo, can you tell me what happened the day that you and Natalio got sick and Mr. Frank came to your house?"

"I didn't feel good so the camp people called Jane to come get me. She took me to Ma and mommy and Ma took me and Natalio home 'cause we didn't feel good and I threw up." He looked to Olivia for a moment and she nodded for him to continue. "We went to the store then home and I fell asleep. I woke up later when the bad Frank man was yelling at Ma."

Mel smiled to him. "Is the Frank man here Mateo, can you point at him if he is?"

Mateo nodded and pointed. "Yes, he's right there."

The judge spoke to the stenographer. "Let the record show that the witness is pointing at the defendant Frank Cooper. Continue."

"What happened after you woke up?"

Mateo looked to Natalia. "Natalio started crying so I went to tell Ma. The bad Frank man pointed his gun at me and Ma pulled me to her then she gave me a bottle for Natalio and told me to give it to him and stay with him, so I did."

He continued on and told them all that had happened and how he counted on the road all the way to where the little house in the woods. He described the room they stayed in them told them about waking up again when Natalia pulled him to her and covered him with her body.

"That's when the bad father came to take me away. Ma told me I had to go 'cause the bad Frank man was pointing his gun at me again and I was supposed to find a phone to call my mommy when the bad father wasn't watching so she could save me."

"And who is the bad father Mateo? Is he here?" Mel asked.

Mateo nodded and took Olivia's hand before pointing. "Yes, right there." He turned to Olivia and whispered as the judge told the stenographer who he was pointing at. "I'm scared mommy."

"You don't have to be scared honey. I'm right here and your Ma, brother and sister are right over there. We are here and you are safe." Olivia ran a hand through his hair to calm him.

He took a deep breath and looked back to Mel. Mel smiled. "Are you ok Mateo? Can you tell me what happened next?"

Mateo smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes ma'am. The bad father tried to take me away and I cried. Ma tried to get me but the bad Frank man hit her head with his gun and she fell down. I tried to help her but the bad father punched me in my stomach and smacked my face then picked me up and took me to a car and made me leave Ma."

Gasps were heard from the crowd. Rafe and Ava hadn't known that Mateo had been hit and were not happy about it. Mateo only told Olivia about it and she told Natalia. Natalia moved to sit between them and they melded into her shaking.

Mateo looked up to Olivia not liking that they were upset. Olivia nodded to him. "They're ok honey. Keep going baby."

Mateo nodded and looked back to Mel. "We drove in the car for 129 counts and went to the bad house. He made me go into the room with the small bed to sleep but I didn't. I waited for him to start snoring and went to find the phone like Ma told me to so I could call mommy. The grandma lady found me and called for me so she could tell mommy the address. Mommy came later and took me with her."

He paused for a moment and looked to Olivia who just nodded to him to continue. "I told her how many counts to find Ma then we went back to where the little house was and got her but she and mommy was hurt, so we had to go home to get Natalio and Emma and go to the hospital. It took Ma and mommy a long time to get better but they are ok now."

Mel smiled. "Thank you for talking to us today Mateo."

Mateo shrugged. "You're welcome Ms. Mel. Can I go back to my Ma now?"

"Not yet buddy. You have to talk to the other lawyer, remember?"

With a sigh he looked to the defending lawyer.

The lawyer representing Miguel stood and walked closer. "Hello Mateo. When you were with your father at his house you were finally home. How did that feel?"

Mateo shook his head franticly. "I wasn't home I was in the bad house. I feeled scared and wanted my mommy."

Mel stood, "Objection your honor. What is the meaning of these questions? Mateo is in the custody of Mrs. Olivia and Natalia Spencer. Mr. Rivera lost his rights to him 6 years ago and has no claim on him."

"Watch where your line of questioning is going counselor or I will pull the witness from the stand." The Judge was not amused.

The lawyer looked down at his notes and addressed Mateo again. "Mateo, do you feel ok having two mommies instead of your mother and father?"

Mel stood pissed. "Objection your honor."

"Counselor you are out of line once again and I am inclined to remove the witness from the stand. You are asking a child irrelevant questions designed to upset the child and his family." He turned to Mateo. "Thank you for talking to us today Mateo, you can go back and sit with your family now."

After nodding to Olivia he turned back to the room. "We are taking a 2 hour break for lunch then we will be reconvening with the next witness."

Olivia was seething as she took Mateo to Natalia. He burrowed into her and shook as the courthouse cleared out. "Ma, can we leave now please? I want Emma."

Natalia stood and went straight into Olivia's arms as Rafe picked Mateo up to carry him. "Let's go get our little sis buddy and get some ice cream and lunch."

Olivia nodded for the kids to go out and leave them for a moment then held Natalia tighter and pulled her up to look in her eyes as the doors closed. "He's ok princess. It's over."

Natalia took a shaky breath. "I know I just hate him having to talk about it again and for that man to ask him those questions and talk to him that way. It just hurts my heart for him."

Olivia kissed her softly. "He's fine baby, give him Emma, ice cream and a buzz burger and he is good as new. That kid is so strong baby. He knows he is loved and is home with us. All he needs is our love and a stable home. Once this is all over we will go home, open our new hotel and never have to think about all this crap again. We just live our lives and raise our babies."

Natalia wrapped her arms around her neck and sighed. "That sounds like heaven to me baby. Can we skip to the part where this is all over?"

With a chuckle she kisses her again deeper. "It won't be long now princess. All we have left is for your mother to testify and James. I think a few other professionals or so too then it should be done. We should be done with all this a week before the opening of the hotel. Now let's go feed our babies before the boys start chewing on Ava."

They both laugh and head out arm and arm to find the others and go to lunch. Once Jane arrived with Natalio and Emma, Mateo was completely calm and finished his day with them after lunch and the others went back to the courthouse.

A/N: Well there it is I hope it was worth the wait. I'm hoping to be able to update a lot more often now that my fairy is being nice to me again. We are pushing to the end now and it will be wrapping up in the next few chapters. A sequel is definitely in the works. I have finished the overall outline and will start writing it when Saving Ma is complete. Thank you all so much for your support and patience with me and my fairy.