Mind of a Fanatic

Chapter 23

"Horatio, will you stop fussing at me please?" Calleigh cried in frustration, swinging her legs off the bed and standing up. "I can do it myself. Don't baby me; I don't need it anymore."

He held out his hands to her anyway. "I just don't want you to fall. Humor me – please?"

With a sigh, she gently swatted his hands away and walked to the wheelchair on her own. Walking was mildly uncomfortable, but not unbearable and the extra few steps would do her good. Carefully using both her arms, she lowered herself in. "If I fell, I would have picked myself up again. Look, Dr. Webber wouldn't have released me if I couldn't take care of myself. She even cleared me to be back at work as long as I don't go chasing anyone down. Why would she do that if I wasn't ready?"

Horatio smiled down at her. She was right and he knew it, but he wanted to baby her, take care of her just a little longer; just until the trial was over. He had to admit to himself, though that it was nice to have his Calleigh back; bubbly, feisty and full of life. "Alright, Sweetheart; are you ready?"

Calleigh's smile was nearly blinding in its joy. "Did Elvis wear a white jump suit? Closing arguments are in an hour and I don't want to miss a second; I want to be there when Sam slams the lid on Dupree's coffin. There's no way he's getting off on this. Y'all have built an amazing case against him. He'll be lucky to get LWOP."

"Not with your testimony in place. You told...I have to admit, I still am having a hard time with knowing what he put you through," Horatio said quietly. Seeing her as she had been when they burst into the scene was still very fresh in his mind - painfully so. "That you haven't been destroyed-

"Is testament to pure stubbornness on my part. Hey, I'm a Duquesne. We're a lot tougher than we look." Calleigh said brightly, full of her normal spunk. "Now are we going to sit here all day or are we going to go see justice done? Push or I'm walking out of here!"

Horatio let out a low chuckle. "Glad to have you back."

Closing arguments done and the jury sent of to deliberations found Sam, Duke and Calleigh sitting in the hallway. The team had been called in to roll out on a triple homicide and while Horatio wanted to turn it over to the swing shift, Calleigh insisted that he take the team and fight for someone else. She'd call him after the verdict was read. Reluctantly, Horatio agreed and took the team with him.

Sam glanced at his client and noted the amount of tension that she was carrying. It seemed to him that she held the weight of the world on her shoulders. "Hey, why don't we go across the street for an early lunch? Juries can take hours deliberating."

"I can't, Sam." Calleigh shook her head. She was afraid that if she tried to eat anything she'd throw it back up. "I'm just too nervous. What if …"

"Nuh-uh, Lambchop," Duke shook his head decisively "Don't you go thinking like that. No 'what ifs'. The case is air-tight and the jury would be foolish to let him go after what he did to you and all those other women. He's not walking." Duke put his arm around his daughter and pulled her into him. She rested her head on his shoulder as he placed a light kiss on her head. "He's not touching anyone ever again."

"Excuse me, Duke, but could I speak with your daughter?" Steve Powell asked carefully. He was clearly unsure of his reception. "It won't take long, I promise."

"Look Steve, she not dropping the charges or interested in a plea bargain …" Duke said protectively.

"It's ok, dad. The trial is over except for the verdict," Calleigh said, loving this new relationship with her father. "What did you want to see me about, Mr. Powell?"

He sat next to her as the other two men moved a short distance away to give them some privacy. "Ms. Duquesne, I just want to make it abundantly clear that anything I threw at you wasn't personal. I wasn't trying to upset you or hurt you in any way. My job …"

"Is to defend your client I know; I'm a lawyer's daughter. I do understand, Mr. Powell. If it wasn't for the fact that my father and I have the same last name, he might have been handed the case." Calleigh said. "Listen, I understand that you were only doing your job and anything that you could to to that end was fair play. My job was to make sure that you couldn't do that. It was mental chess and we'll see who wins when the jury gets back."

"Good," Powell smiled at her. "Since my job with this case is nearly over, I just want to let you know that I think you are amazingly courageous to have made it through what you did and come out on the other end just fine. I know your dad was beside himself with worry over you once he knew what had happened."

Calleigh set him with a very measured look. "Are you saying that you think your client is guilty Counselor?"

"Former client once the verdict is in," he replied. "It doesn't matter what I believe. The evidence is there as well as his confession. You've been through something unimaginably horrible and I'm sorry that it happened to you." Powell said kindly. "I'm not apologizing for him I just wanted you to know that I'm not …"

"A horrible rat bastard? Please, I know that. You wouldn't be friends with my dad if you were. He wouldn't give you the time of day." Calleigh said as the Bailiff stuck his head out the door.

They all looked up as he spoke. "The jury has a verdict."

Calleigh's stomach had tied itself into an entire macramé piece by the time that Judge Garcia asked the jury for its verdict. She felt sick and light-headed and reached for her father's hand. He took it and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Madam Foreman, would you please read your verdict?" Judge Garcia asked pleasantly.

"On two counts of assault on Miami-Dade police officers we find the defendant, Father Peter Dupree guilty on both counts," The African-American woman said. She continued, leveling her warm brown eyes on Calleigh anxious green ones. "On the count of the abduction and torture of a Miami-Dade police officer, we find the defendant guilty. We, the jury, find the defendant, Father Peter Dupree guilty all counts."

"Thank you Madam Foreman, the Court thanks the jury for its service." Judge Garcia said. "Sentencing is tomorrow morning at 9a.m. Until that time Father Dupree will remain in the custody of the Miami-Dade Correctional Facility. Court is adjourned."

Corrections officers took Dupree by the arms and began to lead him away. As they passed Calleigh, she deliberately stood and looked him in the eye. "You're never going to do to another soul what you did to me; I promise you that. Every time you're up for parole, I'll be there to make sure you stay put in a 6 x 6 box." Her voice was steely "No hurricane will make me forget and the records won't be lost this time. Get him out of my sight." Calleigh said as her legs began to buckle from the pent up emotion coupled with relief. Duke helped her to sit.

"That was no Lambchop. I think I might have to change your nickname," He said, noting how hard she was shaking. He pulled her into an embrace to help still her trembling. "I'm proud of you, you know that? It's over now, baby. You've lived through it and come out the other side stronger for it. Why don't we go across the street for a celebratory lunch? It's on me."

Calleigh pulled away from him, feeling the weight of the world fall from her shoulders. "It's a deal; I'm starving!"