Well, I first want to say, the response from the last two chapters was amazing :) I'm so happy! Haha, well, I'll probably be able to upload faster now that I'm done with school, for now, so yay!
haha, well you know the drill, Law and Order:SVU belongs to Dick Wolf, not me :/
On to the story
An hour later, Olivia and Avery arrived at the court house, dressed and ready for trial. Avery knew she was going to have to testify, so she had decided to dress semi-casual, in a pair of black jeans, a white blouse, and a grey vest. Her hair was left down, and straight, so that if ell just above her shoulders. Olivia, who was dressed in her normal attire, a pair of black slacks, a red blouse, and a black blazer, placed her hand on Avery's shoulder and brought her toward the courtroom.
"Olivia!" The two turned to see Elliot rushing up to them, his face serious. He stopped a few feet away from the two, and waved for Olivia to go the extra distance. He obviously did not want Avery to hear what he had to say.
"Elliot, what's wrong?" she asked, when she reached him, trying to fix his tie.
"Sara had her arraignment this morning."
"And?" she asked, finishing his tie. She was eager to know what had happened to Avery's mother, and Elliot seemed to know the outcome.
"She posted bail fifteen minutes ago. $50,000."
Olivia rubbed her forehead and sighed, a little disappointed that Sara's bail had been paid. "Well, with all that cocain, I'm sure she had plenty of money laying around."
Elliot nodded, as he watched Olivia join Avery. He joined the two, walking up quietly. To be honest, he felt a little awkward, and slightly ashamed with himself, that he had yelled at Avery and did not trust her. "Hello Detective Stabler" she greeted, when he had finally joined the two ladies. Elliot looked up, confused as to how Avery was not mad at him for not believing her. He looked up at Olivia, who had a hand on Avery's shoulder, holding the teen close to her body.
"Hello Avery" Elliot said with a smile. She returned the smile, and it was at that moment that he realized exactly how different she was than any other victim the two had delt with. She was so much more happier, and much more trusting. "I think I owe you an apology" he said, as he extended an arm toward her, ready for a handshake. Olivia looked at Elliot, then down at Avery. It was a very rare thing for him to apologize, let alone to someone that was less than half his age.
Avery looked up at Elliot, a smile on her face. She ignored his outstretched hand, as she gave him a hug, wrapping her arms around the detective, a silent gesture of graditude. Elliot let his parental insticts kick in, as he hugged Avery back, patting her back to show he truely was sorry. Looking over her shoulder, he saw Olivia, with her hands on her hips, smiling at the sight in front of her. The moment seemed too perfect to ruin, but they were in a crowded courthouse, and their trial was just about to start.
"Looks like he's finally warming up to her." Olivia looked over her shoulder and saw Alex, briefcase in hand, standing behind her, gazing at Elliot and Avery hug.
"I think he's getting attatched to her" Olivia said with a laugh, winking at Alex, who only chuckled in response. Avery, who noticed the two women laughing, pulled away from Elliot, and smiled again.
"Hi Alex" she said, not caring about the fact that she had just called the A.D.A. by her first name.
Alex, who didn't seem to care either, considering the circumstances, only smiled and nodded before speaking. "Are you ready to go Avery?" Avery nodded and walked down the hall with Alex, into the courtroom, stopping only to make sure Olivia and Elliot were walking behind them, while they talked amongst themselves.
"Miss Taylor, when did you see my client, if at all?" D.A. Trevor Langan walked up to the witness stand, looking teenage Avery Taylor in the eye.
She had been called to testify, sworn in, and now she was being questioned by both Trevor and Alex, having to relive her nightmare over and over again. "Monday night" she responded, catching Mr. Langan's eyes with her own.
"And where were you, when you claim you saw my client, Mr. Osborne?"
Avery sat up in her chair and cleared her throat. "I was at the victim, David Ramirez's apartment" she said with a straight face. She knew she was going to be asked why she was there and she knew it would kill her to see the look of Bentley's mother's face, when she found out her ex had cheated on her, and that her son's best friend was the product of that adultery.
"At the victim's apartment?" Trevor looked over his shoulder at Olivia and Elliot, seated in the benches behind the prosecutor's table. He raised his eyebrow, as he turned back to face Avery. "You sound quite formal Miss Taylor. Are you sure you didn't recieve any, coaching, from anyone?" he asked, obviously referring to Detective Benson.
"No" Avery responded.
"Miss Taylor" he began, walking up to where Avery and Judge Donnelly sat. "Let me remind you that you are under oa-"
"No one coached me counselor. I know enough law to talk formally in court."
Trevore looked at Avery and nodded, slightly impressed at her answer, as Elliot grinned, and Olivia gave her a small smile.
"Counselor, could you please continue on with your questioning" Judge Donnelly said, looking at Trevor with raised eyebrows, obviously wanting to finish the trial as soon as possible.
"Yes your honor." He turned back to Avery and continued to question her. "So, why were you, a sixteen year old, at the victim's apartment, Monday night, where you say you saw my client?"
Avery took a deep breath and searched the courtroom for Bentley and his mother. "David Ramirez" she began, making eye contact with her brother, "is my father." There were a few gasps heard among the people in the court, most of them from David's family.
"Isn't it tur that you lied to Detectives Benson and Stabler, when asked your connection to the victim?"
"Yes" Avery said, her eyes never leaving Bentley, who was sitting the row behind Olivia and Elliot. She watched as Bentley's mother quietly got up and left the room, her son, who was still new to the fact that his bestfriend was his sister, got up, and quickly followed her out of the courtroom. Avery focused her attention back on Mr. Langan, who was looking at Alex, but soon looked back to the teen.
Trevor walked by the jury, looking each person in they eye, before continuing, hoping to find a crack in Avery's story. "So, how can the jury be certain that you are not lying now-"
"May I remind you counselor, that I am under oath" Avery said, cutting off Trevor, repeating the words he had told her a few minutes ago. Trevor looked at Avery, shocked and wide-eyed. He saw Judge Donnelly give a herself a small smile, amused at the teen's comment, as he walked back to where his client sat, looking at Alex, who smirked, glad someone had finally shut him up.
"Nothing further, your honor" he said, sitting down, slightly embarrassed that a sixteen year old had used his words against him, and showed him up in court.
Avery looked over at Olivia and Elliot, who both sat behind Alex. "She's got balls" Elliot whispered to Olivia, impressed that someone had finally put Langan in his place. Olivia looked up at Avery, and smiled, letting out a small laugh as Alex stood up from her chair.
"Miss Taylor" Alex began, addressing her formally, as she walked up to the front of the court, "will you please explain what you saw on Monday night, regarding the victim, David Ramirez."
"I went to David's house, to tell him I was his daughter. The defendant, Mr. Osborne, barged through the door, and shot Mr. Ramirez in the head, right in front of me."
Alex leaned agains the prosecutor table, and sighed, quietly, knowing what she was about to ask was going to be painful. "And what happened after that?"
Avery shifted in her chair, as her eyes met with Olivia's. She nodded, telling the girl that everything would be alright.
"He turned to me and-"
"Avery, will you please specify who" Alex said, inturrupting Avery's story, knowing fully well who she was talking about.
Avery simply pointed at Jeffrey Osoborne, sitting at the Defense table, as she spoke. "He did."
"Let the records show that the witness has pointed out the Defendant, Jeffrey Osborne." Alex nodded to Avery, telling her to continue, as she walked to where the jury sat.
"The defendant turned to me, and mumbled something to himself, it sounded like he said 'easy money'."
"Then what happened?"
Avery took a deep breath. "He grabbed me, and put the gun to my head. He told me that if I didn't do what he said, he would kill me. He dragged me to the bedroom, threw me on the bed, and climbed on top of me. I knew he was going to rape me, so I begged him to stop. I tried fighting him, and that's when he hit me in the head with the gun."
"The same gun that was used to shoot and kill the victim?"
"Yes."
Alex retreated back to her table, grabbed the evidence bag that held the gun, and returned to where the jury sat. "People's 10" she said, showing the jury the gun. "What happened after you were hit?" she asked Avery.
"He ripped my shirt open, and started..." Avery took another deep breath. "He started to unzip his pants. He, he exposed himself to me, saying if I was a good girl, he would reward me. When he got back on top of me, I started screaming. That's when the door was kicked open."
"Who was at the door?" Alex asked, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Detectives Benson and Stabler." Avery looked up and caught Olivia's eyes with her own, once again, and knew, that things would truely be alright.
"Thank-you" Alex said, returning to her table, the evidence bag still in hand. "Your honor, at this time the people would like to call Detective Elliot Stabler to the stand."
"Detective Stabler, what was the state of your third victim, Avery Taylor, in when you and Detective Benson found her?" Elliot looked up at Alex, knowing she was only calling him to testify to reassure the jury that the defendant was, in fact, guilty.
"She was pinned under Mr. Osborne. Her shirt was torn, and she was screaming."
"And what did you do?"
"I pulled him off of her, as my partner, Detective Benson, rushed to her aid." Elliot sighed, remember how he had found Avery, imagining how distraught he would be if that was one of his daughters.
"Do you think he would have raped her, if you and your partner hadn't shown up?"
"Objection" Trevor yelled, standing up, causing everyone to look his way. "The prosecutor is leading the witness."
Judge Donnelly looked at Trevor, then back at Alex, sighing, as if annoyed. "I'll allow it." Everyone returned their attention back to the witness stand, where Elliot still sat, waiting for his response.
"The defendant had himself, exposed, to the victim. I've been a cop for long time. If we hadn't stopped him, he would have definitely raped Miss Taylor."
"Thank-you Detective" Alex said, sitting at her table, as Trevor stood up and walked over to Elliot, carefully thinking of a different tactic.
"Detective Stabler, is it true that Detective Benson almost attacked my client during an interrogation?"
"Objection!" Alex said, "relevance?"
"Sustained" Judge Donnelly said, as Trevor's face fell, ruining his chance at winning any kind of sympathy. "Move on counselor."
"Nothing further." Trevor returned to his client, who whispered something in his ear.
Judge Donnelly turned to Elliot, her face straight, and serious. "Thank-you Detective. You may step down." Elliot got up and joined the people in the benches, sitting on the other sid of Avery, so that she was sitting inbetween in and Olivia. "Call your next witness Miss Cabot." Alex looked up, wide-eyed, realizing there was only one witness they had left, and they were never actually considering using his testimony.
"Your honor, the people request a short recess." Alex said, trying to quickly sort through papers in her briefcase.
Judge Donnelly nodded, and gathered her things. "Ten minute recess" was all she said, as she hit the gavel and headed out of the court room.
Olivia grabbed Avery's hand, and followed both Elliot and Alex out of the room, stopping at a bench, letting Avery sit while she went to talk to Elliot and Alex.
"Why did you call a recess?" Olivia asked, walking up to the two, glancing at her phone. "The jurying is going to think that it's a little odd that he confessed to Rachel Anderson's rape and murder, but deny ever knowing both David or Avery."
"They're going to think someone's setting him up" Olivia said, finishing Alex's unspoken thought. Alex nodded, even though she knew she had more than enough people willing to testify that Mr. Osborne was the man who was guilty. "Alex," Olivia began, looking over her shoulder at Avery, who sat on the bench, quietly, rubbing her eyes with the palm of her hand, "you know what you have to do." Alex looked up at Olivia and nodded, slightly, comprehending what she was hinting at.
The three walked back to Avery and had her join them in the courtroom. Olivia and elliot each took a seat on either sid of Avery, like before, as Alex and Judge Donnelly returned to their respected spots. "Do the people want to call any other witnesses?"
"We do your honor." Alex opened her briefcase and pulled out a folder, quickly placing it on her desk.
"Very well, proceed."
Alex stood up, looking at Trevore, before continuing. "The people would like to call Jeffrey Osborne to the stand."
Dun dun dun!
Why did Alex call Jeffrey to the stand? What is going to be the verdict? What the heck are Alex and Olivia hiding! Will Elliot start acting nicer to Avery? all will be revealed later...if you reveiw haha