Sam could practically feel her heart beating out of her chest as her and Freddie nervously waited in a small room at the courthouse.
They had just finished up nearly six hours of final touches on the case, and now the judge was in her chambers, reviewing the evidence to make her final verdict.
"What's taking her so long?" Sam asked, nervously playing with the hem of her shirt. "She's been in there for almost an hour now! If this was as easy of a decision as everyone said it was, why hasn't she come out by now?"
"I don't know," Freddie said honestly. "Maybe she has to do some legal paperwork or-or she might've had to take a phone call, or-"
"She's probably going to come back and say that because Marshall never hurt the girls, he-he can't have his rights taken away," Sam said slowly.
Before Freddie could reply, the door opened and Theodore walked in with two coffee cups.
"Here, I thought these would help calm your nerves," he said, setting a cup down in front of both Sam and Freddie. "It's decaff, Ms. Benson."
"Thanks," Sam said, taking a sip. It did seem to calm her.
"I was just told the judge should have the verdict ready to hand out in a few more minutes," Theodore told the couple.
"Okay," Freddie said, putting a hand on Sam's knee.
"It's a clear decision," Theodore said.
"Then what's taking so long?" Sam moaned.
"Believe it or not, this is how long it usually takes, no matter what the case," Theodore said.
Sam sighed as she leaned back in her chair. She thought back to the apartment, where she had packed up a single suitcase of the family's more important belongings…ready to leave at a moment's notice if they needed to.
"Mr. Breslin?"
A court officer stuck his head into the room. "Judge Willson is ready to deliver her verdict. Please bring your client into her office."
"Alright," Theodore nodded. He turned to Sam and Freddie. "This is it."
Sam felt as though her legs were numb as her and Freddie followed Theodore into the office.
Marshall and his lawyer were already present, as well as the judge.
"Alright, I've reached my decision on the custody arrangements for Leah and Kira Puckett," the judge said as Theodore and Sam sat down at the table once again. She cleared her throat. "Due to the biological father's violent tendencies in his past that resulted in him stabbing Samantha Benson and being sentenced to ten years in prison, I have reached the conclusion that Mr. Pewter is a danger. I understand that ten years has passed since Mr. Pewter has demonstrated any violence towards Ms. Benson or the two children in question, however when dealing with the well-being of children, the law does not take the absence of violence as an indicator that the violence will not at some point occur. Because of this I am going to rule that Samantha Benson will continue to have full custody of Kira and Leah Puckett. Mr. Pewter, you are not to come within five hundred feet of neither the girls nor Ms. Benson or any member of her immediate family. You are not to contact any of them in anyway including, but not limited to phone calls, emails, social networking and written letters. If you are caught within five hundred feet of them or contacting them, you will be arrested. Are you clear about these terms, Mr. Pewter?"
"Your-Your Honor, those are my girls!" Marshall said, getting to his feet. "I have a right to see them."
"Mr. Pewter, please, take a seat!" Mr. Motonson hissed.
"Do you or do you not understand those terms?" the judge asked again firmly.
"She can't keep me from my kids!" Marshall yelled, glaring at Sam.
At once Sam was taken back to thirteen years ago, when she first saw Marshall's true colors lash out at her.
"Mr. Motonson control your client or he will be escorted out!" the judge said sternly.
"She just wants my daughters to hate me!" Marshall yelled. "That's been her plan from the beginning!"
"That's it, bailiff? Please escort Mr. Pewter out!" the judge said to the court officer standing in the corner.
The officer nodded, grabbing Marshall's forearm and pulling him from the room.
As he was forced out, though, Marshall managed to lock eyes for Sam for a fraction of a second, giving a look that she had seen him wear so many times before.
"That's it, baby!" Freddie said softly, helping Sam to her feet as Theodore shook Mr. Motonson's hand. "It's done…the girls will never see him again!"
Sam could hardly believe it. It was really over. The court had sided with her, just as everyone had told her all along.
"Mr. and Mrs. Benson, it's been great," Theodore said, smiling as he extended his hand to Sam.
"Thank you so much," Sam told him, beaming. "So he can really never see us again?"
"Not without getting some serious jail time," Theodore replied. "And because of this case and Marshall's little outburst in front of a court official, the court won't be able to hide behind the excuse of you having a vendetta against him. If he ever approaches you or your girls, you call it in right away and he will at least be picked up just on your word."
"Thanks again," Freddie said.
"I'm glad to have helped," Theodore said. "And I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I do hope I won't be seeing you all in the near future."
"Sam, this-this is fantastic," Freddie said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her as Theodore left the office, leaving the couple alone. "We can officially start our lives fresh now without him hanging over us."
"I know," Sam smiled. "It feels so…nice. We're finally free."
…
"I brought some scotch over to celebrate," Caleb said later that evening as Sam let him into the apartment. "Oh, and sparkling cider for you."
"Sweet," Sam grinned. "The food's in the kitchen with Freddie."
"So it's all done now?" Caleb asked as he followed Sam. "No more court dates?"
"Nope," Sam said happily. "The only time I'll have to step foot into a courthouse again is to bail out someone from my family."
"Thank God to that," Freddie said, putting his arm around his wife. "Help yourself to the food, Caleb. I decided to have a feast of all of Sam's favorite things…so basically everything here is either covered in barbecue sauce or deep fried."
"Nice," Sam said approvingly, helping herself to a wing.
"The girls on their way back from Seattle yet?" Caleb asked.
"Not yet," Sam replied. "Carly's going to fly them home this weekend. They're both having a lot of fun up there so we figured we'd give them a couple more days. It makes up for them having to be cooped in for the past few months."
"And it will make up for them having to start doing some serious packing when they get back too," Freddie added.
"Oh that's right," Caleb nodded. "You're buying that dream house of yours."
"I'm going down tomorrow to sign the papers," Freddie replied.
"We'll be moved in by next week," Sam said, squeezing Freddie's hand.
"Wow," Caleb said, handing the couple glasses. He held up his own. "Well, I propose a toast to the life that you two will finally get to have. Cheers!"
"Cheers!" Sam and Freddie echoed as the three clinked their glasses together.
….
"That was Theodore," Sam said, hanging up her phone and tossing it on her and Freddie's bed as Freddie walked into the bedroom. "All the paperwork has been submitted. Marshall officially can't have any contact with the girls, just like it should be."
"I'm so glad we're going to put this behind us," Freddie smiled.
"Yeah, but I'm still happy we're moving," Sam said. "I never liked the idea that he knew where we lived."
"Well I'm on my way down to meet the realtor to officially make our dream house our own house," Freddie said, leaning down to give her a quick kiss. "I should be back in an hour. What are you gonna do while I'm gone?"
"I'll try and pack up the bedroom I guess," Sam shrugged. "That way when the girls come home tomorrow I can help them pack their room otherwise that won't get done."
"Don't do anything too straining," Freddie told her. "You're eight months pregnant, remember?"
"Really? That's what this giant bump on my stomach is?" Sam smirked. "Thanks for the update."
"Cute," Freddie chuckled. "I'll see you later."
As Freddie left the bedroom, Sam grabbed a nearby empty cardboard box and began piling in some of her clothes.
She couldn't wait until her and Freddie and the twins moved into the new house. It really was going to give them the fresh start they all desperately needed. And of course, after they moved in, they would begin the wait for the baby to come.
Sam rested a hand on her abdomen, feeling a few gentle kicks from her unborn son.
Her and Freddie would begin setting up his nursery while they tried to find space for all the items Carly had already purchased for him. They would finally sit down and find the perfect name for him, a task that had been pushed to the side in all of the chaos.
Kira and Leah would finally have their own rooms…Sam wondered how they would handle that. They had been together in their small room their entire life.
Sam sighed as she continued to fold her clothes, a million other thoughts about their life circulating through her head.
"Hello, Samantha," a cold voice said suddenly from behind her.
Sam dropped the sweater she had been folding and slowly turned around to see Marshall standing in the doorway with a gun pointed right at her.