Author's Note: My story, "Accidents Happen," is based on the wonderful "Gilmore Girls" television series and the amazing characters created by…not me! Here is another long chapter. I apologize for how long it took for me to post.
Accidents Happen
Chapter Sixteen: The Verdict is In
"Rory," Jess called upstairs from the living room of the Gilmore house to where Rory was arguing with her mother about the location and ownership of a missing sapphire blue cardigan. "Hey, Rory, your phone's ringing!"
"Can you grab it for me? Take a message, please!" Rory shouted down the stairs. "Thanks, Jess!" she called as an afterthought.
"No problem," Jess said, smiling up the stairs, listening to bits and pieces of a typical fast-paced Lorelai-Rory argument. He glanced at the caller id on the phone and recognized the name and number flashing on the screen.
"Rory, it's the DA!" Jess yelled up the stairs before he answered Rory's phone.
"Rory Gilmore's phone. This is Jess. Can I help you?"
"Hello, Jess. This is Jennifer Oliver from the District Attorney's office. I've just been notified by the courthouse. The jury has reached a verdict. The judge has scheduled us for nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Can you tell Rory for me, please?"
"Of course I will. Do you need to talk to her? She's just upstairs."
"No, that's okay. Have her call me, though, if she has any questions or wants to talk about tomorrow. I'll be in my office until at least six tonight."
"Alright, I'll tell her. Thanks, Ms. Oliver."
"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow, Jess."
"What's wrong?" Rory asked quickly. "What did they want?"
"The jury's in and they'll be delivering the verdict tomorrow morning at nine."
"Really?" Rory said quietly.
"Already? Man, that was quick!" Lorelai said, grabbing her phone and heading to the kitchen. "Don't worry. I'll rally the troops," she said. Rory and Jess both knew that meant she was calling Luke, Christopher, her parents, Sookie and Jackson, Lane, and everyone else in Stars Hollow, if not Connecticut.
"Quick is a good thing, right?" Rory said, talking even faster than her normal speed. "I mean, the jury only deliberated for a day, if that. A day! That's nothing! They must not have had a lot of questions about what they heard. You don't think the Huntzbergers paid them off, do you?"
"Whoa, Rory!" Jess said, trying hard not to laugh at the panic and borderline delusions Rory was stressing about. "Babe, you've gotta slow down." Jess pulled her into his arms and hugged her close to him. "You're jumping way ahead here. We don't know what the verdict is yet. Besides, I don't think Mitchum Huntzberger would risk trying to buy off a jury, especially when he's being investigated for tampering with evidence and obstruction of justice."
"I can't help it," Rory continued as she pulled away from Jess and started pacing around the living room. "I just know that Mitchum and Logan would both stoop that low both to keep Logan out of jail and to keep the Huntzberger name out of the tabloids."
"A time machine or mass memory modification, like that flashy-thing from Men in Black, is the only thing that will keep the Huntzbergers out of the tabloids," Jess said. "The damage has already been done. I don't think he'd risk further charges of jury tampering, either! Plus, I'm sure that the DA has already thought that Huntzberger might put his money where his mouth is, so I bet that they're watching their finances."
"Okay, everyone's planning on being at the courthouse tomorrow morning at 9 sharp," Lorelai said as she came into the living room to jump back into the conversation. "Luke's coming over after the dinner rush tonight and Sookie's making all your favorites for dinner tonight."
"Why?" Rory asked, confused.
"Why? Rory, have you met Sookie?"
"Sorry," Rory replied, forcing a smile. "Just wasn't thinking, I guess."
The next morning, in pure Rory Gilmore fashion, Jess and Rory arrived at the courthouse at quarter after eight, and that was even after a stop at Luke's for coffee and breakfast. Rory was nervous when she woke up, so she moved very quickly, ate hardly anything, and dragged Jess along with her. They sat in Jess' car for a while quietly before Jess broke the silence.
"Are you okay?"
"Huh?" Rory said absently. "Oh, Jess, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you. I'm just preoccupied."
"That's obvious," Jess said. "And it's completely understandable, Rory. It'll be okay," he insisted and he hoped with all of his heart that he was right. Jess knew that it would crush Rory if Logan wasn't convicted for what he did to her, and Jess knew that he would be just as crushed. He wanted Logan to pay for what he did to Rory as much, if not more than, Rory did.
"Come on," Rory said. "I want to get a good seat."
"I don't think that will be a problem, Ror," Jess said, yet he willingly followed Rory into the court house.
"Where is everyone?" Rory asked after they waited inside the courtroom for about five minutes.
"They're not here yet. Don't worry, Rory. They'll be here soon. Court doesn't start for another half hour."
Almost as if they were on cue, the prosecution team came into the courtroom. ADA Oliver smiled and gave Rory and Jess a sly wink as she walked past them.
"She looks confident," Rory said.
"And that's a good thing," Jess reminded her.
"I know. I just wish I could be that confident, but I'm scared!" She bit her bottom lip and barely kept herself from crying. "If this goes bad, it's just a blip. It'll be one loss out of many, many cases she'll have in her career and it'll hardly mean anything. For me, it's my life, my whole universe. If this goes bad, I don't know what I'll do."
"What do you mean? What do you mean that you don't know what you'll do, Rory?" Jess asked, taking Rory's hand.
"He'll win. The truth about what happened, it'll be like I lied. Like I was wrong, and I hate being wrong and I haven't lied."
"I know you didn't lie, Rory, and from the looks on those jurors' faces, I don't think they think you lied, either. You are a trusting person by nature, Rory, and, for some reason, that part of you has evaporated. I know it's going to seem impossible, but you've got to try to trust in the system. Don't write it off just yet, okay?"
"You guys got here so early," Lorelai said with a smile, but Rory could read the shadows that were hidden behind that well-rehearsed smile. "Ah, your grandparents must not be here yet. I don't hear Emily berating anyone."
"Lorelai," Luke warned in a hushed voice as he took her hand.
"Have you heard from your dad? I thought he'd be here by now," Lorelai said, glancing at her watch and looking around.
"I talked to him last night. Dad said he'd get here as soon as he could. He has to drop Gigi off at the sitter before he got on the road. I doubt he'll be here by nine."
Just then, Richard and Emily arrived with Chris.
"I thought you had to drop Gigi off," Rory said.
"I did. Really, really early this morning," Christopher said as he hugged his oldest daughter. "Gigi sends her love to her big sister."
"Well, send my love right back to Gigi," Rory said. "How is she?"
"She's fine," Chris said. "She misses you and would love a visit when you get a free moment."
"We'll plan a weekend soon," Rory said. "I promise."
The happy family reunion was interrupted when the Huntzberger defense team entered the courtroom followed by the Huntzberger family flanking Logan. As they entered the room, Logan slowed as he passed Rory and her family.
"Rory, can we talk?" Logan said quietly. "Just for a moment."
"Logan, please," one of the attorneys said. "This is not the time."
"I just want to talk to her," Logan said. "Rory, please."
"Back off, Huntzberger," Jess said, glaring and furrowing his eyebrows.
"I want to talk to Rory. I swear, Rory, all I want to do is talk."
"I'm having an odd sense of déjà vu," ADA Oliver stated. "You did this on the first day of the trial, Mr. Huntzberger. It was inappropriate then, and it is inappropriate now."
"I just want to talk Rory," Logan pleaded. "Just five minutes. Please, Rory!"
"No," Rory said. "No way, Logan. It's way too late for that. I'm not going to talk to you. Please, just leave me alone!"
"Come on, Rory," Logan started, but Jess cut him off.
"She said no, Huntzberger. Let it go. Take no for an answer and back off."
"Mr. Mariano is right," ADA Oliver said. "Mr. Huntzberger, please join your attorneys and leave Miss Gilmore alone."
"I just want to talk to you, Rory."
"Enough, Logan!" Mitchum Huntzberger said. "Please, excuse us." Mitchum grabbed Logan by the arm and pulled him across the courtroom. "What the hell is the matter with you?" he muttered.
"All rise!" the bailiff announced to the courtroom, calling the court session to order as the judge and jury filed in.
The judge called upon the jury foreman to deliver the verdict, who handed a folded piece of paper to the bailiff, who in turn handed the paper to the judge. The judge unfolded the piece of paper and quickly read it. He then folded the paper and handed it back to the bailiff, who returned it to the foreman.
"The defendant will please rise," the judge instructed and the entire defense team rose to their feet. "The jury foreman will read the verdict for each charge."
"We the jury find the defendant, Logan Huntzberger, guilty of assault with a deadly weapon in the second degree, a Class B felony. We the jury find the defendant, Logan Huntzberger, guilty of reckless driving in the first degree, a Class D misdemeanor. We the jury find the defendant, Logan Huntzberger, guilty of leaving the scene of a crime in the first degree, a Class B misdemeanor."
Rory felt tears of relief pour down her face. Jess squeezed Rory's hand tightly and Rory felt her mother's arm squeeze around her. There were sighs of relief from the prosecution side of the courtroom while there were murmurs of disbelief from the defense.
The judge thanked the jury for their assistance in completing their civic duty. Once the jury had been dismissed, the judge informed Logan and the defense that sentencing would be later that afternoon at three o'clock. The judge reminded both sides of the courtroom that the gag order was in effect until after sentencing. After court was called into recess, the defense paraded out of the courtroom while the prosecution joined Rory and her family.
"Congratulations," Rory said, shaking ADA Oliver's hand. "Thank you so much for everything you've done, but especially for believing in me."
"Thank you, Rory, for helping me win the biggest case of my life! Now, I need to go back to my office. We're preparing to file charges against Mitchum Huntzberger for hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence, plus now we've got the perjury charges to consider."
"Come on," Lorelai said, wrapping an arm around Rory's shoulders. "We've got some time to kill before sentencing. We should get some food or something."
"Here here," Christopher agreed. "This is the perfect time to celebrate!"
"I'm okay with the killing time part, but I don't want to celebrate right now," Rory said. "But I am hungry."
"As always," Luke said with a smirk. "Come on. I'll close the diner for a private gathering."