Hey guys, I've been going through a big rough patch lately. I had a big health scare recently which thankfully turned out to be just a scare and then last week I blew out my knee in my hockey game. So not only have I been down because of health issues but I've also had a lot going on with family problems, and work issues because of my injury. But on the bright side I'm done my lectures and just have seven exams to do. I've written 3 exams so far and have one tonight but I wanted to get this posted as a way of expressing my appreciation to all my fans I wanted to make sure I got this done before the end of my exams. I did try and take my time so I hope it doesn't come off as a little rushed to you all, again this is a lead up. So here you are, read, review and enjoy!
Oh, just as a side note…I'm not really involved with any legal stuff so if what I'm saying doesn't seem right I apologize. But aside from my lack of legal knowledge, please enjoy it otherwise.
Chapter 24: Preliminary Hearing
She flicked on the light switch, lighting up the large bathroom. She walked towards the bathtub and stared blankly at the blood stains that were smeared against the bright white porcelain. She saw her bloody finger prints on the edge of the tub and saw a big smear on the white tile flooring where she had fallen. She shook her head trying to get the images of her cutting her wrists in order to escape her bindings out of her head and got up and walked out of the bathroom again.
Videl walked the empty hallways of the Satan mansion, her light footsteps echoing in the tall, bare hallways. As she walked her mind replayed the events that occurred a week ago. She felt a cool breeze go through the empty halls ways and shivered as she rubbed her bare arms in an attempt to get rid of her goose bumps. She stopped and ran her finger along a deep gash in the wall.
'That must be where he threw the knife' she thought as she continued to walk the hallways of her old home. As she walked she looked at the tile flooring beneath her, she could see blood droplets and smeared footprints on the floor as she continued to walk through it all. 'This is so…bizarre' she thought to herself as she imagined herself frantically running through the house.
She gently walked up to the grand spiral stair case, her mind once again flashing back to the events that occurred a week earlier. She looked at the once beautifully polished steps and noticed blood now stained and tainted its grandeur.
"My blood…" she said quietly as she bent down and gently ran her fingers over the stain. She shook her head and stood back up again and continued on her journey down the steps. She walked in silence, taking the sight of everything in and allowing it all to sink in. She reached the bottom of the steps and looked forwards at the door; she could see smeared, bloody hand prints on the lock at handle, then followed the blood trail on the floor and saw a bloody disconnected phone lying on the ground.
She continued towards the den where it all went down. She stopped in the door way and saw blood stained glass shards on the floor, along with what was left over of the broken lamp. "This is where it all happened" she whispered. She could feel her eyes beginning to water as she pictured each bullet she shot piercing her father's flesh; the smell the gun made when it was fired, the way her father's body jerked as each bullet hit him, it was all coming back to her.
She shook her head, "it had to be done" she whispered as tears slowly trailed down her cheeks.
"It's not over yet" She heard a deep voice say from behind her.
Videl felt her body freeze; she knew she had been alone when she entered the house; no one had been in since the whole incident happened. She recognized the voice, but it wasn't possible.
Before Videl could turn to face the person speaking when she was grabbed from behind, an arm wrapped around her throat and the other arm gripping her head tightly.
"You thought you could beat me with bullets?" a deep voice whispered in her ear, causing chills to run through her.
'It's not possible' she thought frantically as she attempted to free herself from the person who was holding her head and neck tightly. She gripped the large arms that were holding her captive and struggled unsuccessfully to free herself.
"This is over… when you die" the man seethed, his cool breath sending causing the hairs to the back of her neck to rise. "When I snap your neck…this will all be over" the man said with a deep chuckle.
Videl instantly knew that laugh; Hercule was indeed back and had her in a position where she couldn't fight back.
"You die now!" the man screamed as he gripped her neck and pulled hard.
A scream erupted from Videls lips, as her eyes searched around the room frantically, her hands instantly going up to her throat. She felt her breath get caught up in her throat as she moved her head quickly back and forth as she searched the room.
She panted as she attempted to catch her breath as she wiped cold sweat off her brow, "a dream" she muttered, "another damn dream" she said as her eyes welled up, she could feel tears threatening to spill over and run down her cheeks.
She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly. She put her head in her knees and allowed the tears to flow freely from her eyes. 'When will these dreams end?' she thought as she sobbed quietly into her knees. She felt completely defenceless, no matter what she tried, she couldn't sleep, her thoughts were continually plagued with what occurred and always ended the same way, with Hercule coming back and attempting to finish what he had started.
She jumped and screamed again as she felt something touch her back. Her body shook in response as she stared into the darkness, frantically attempting to figure out what touched her.
"It's me, relax" she heard Gohan whisper gently, "I heard you scream I just came to check on you" he said in an attempt to calm her.
"I'm sorry" she whispered in a shaky voice, tears now falling freely down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry…I just…he keeps…I don't know anymore" she sobbed as she covered her face.
"Don't apologize, it's alright" he whispered as he rubbed her back gently, only to feel her sobs intensify.
She felt Gohan come closer and pick her up gently and simply lifted her off the bed. He carried her silently into his room and laid her gently down on the bed and got in on the other side. "For the next few nights, I want you to sleep in here alright? You have nightmares when you're alone; you sleep when you're here. I want you to get a good night sleep; stay with me" he said quietly as he gave her a hug in an attempt to comfort her.
"I'm sorry" she whispered again as she quickly wiped the tears off her face.
"Don't apologize, I just want you to sleep alright?" he whispered as he gently ran his finger through her hair and held her close. "I'll protect you, I promise" he whispered, feeling her body relax now in his arms.
"You're going to get sick of me" she whispered in a defeated tone.
"Shut up" he whispered jokingly, smiling as he felt as laugh gently against his chest.
"Good night" he whispered gently as he kissed the top of her head, still running her hands through her hair.
"Night" she whispered, realizing there was no point in fighting him. She allowed her body to give in to his calming nature and allowed sleep to slowly overcome her.
"Gohan?" she questioned quietly.
"Yea hun?" he questioned back.
"I love you so much" she whispered as she as she covered a yawn. Something about laying with Gohan just made her feel so comfortable and safe, she has never had any trouble falling asleep when she was in Gohans arms.
"I love you too" he said quietly as he pulled her closer to his body and kissed to top of his forehead. "Now get some sleep, you've got a big day tomorrow" he whispered, rubbing her back gently.
She nodded in response and relaxed completely into his arms in an attempt to welcome sleep. Gohan continued to hold her closely and ran his hand through her hair until he was sure she had fallen asleep.
'Poor Videl…I hope these nightmares will stop bothering her soon' he thought to himself as he slowly let himself relax, making sure to keep Videl as comfortable as possible before he even thought about falling asleep again. Finally, after about a half an hour of letting his thoughts wonder, he allowed himself to fall asleep.
~*~ The Next Morning~*~
Gohan yawned as he felt himself beginning to awaken. His eyes slowly opened and adapted to the light of the room and lazily cast a glance at the clock and noticed it was almost noon. He looked over to his side and noticed that Videl was still sound asleep, curled up beside him. He stared at the ceiling and debated back and forth whether or not he wanted to get up and finally decided that he would wake up and let Videl sleep a little longer before they go to court.
He kissed Videls forehead and then quietly got up from the bed and made his way to the bathroom. When he was there he splashed water on his face to wake himself up and stared blankly at his reflection as he patted his face dry with the plush towel.
He quietly padded out of the room and cast a glance back quickly at Videl and then exited the room silently. He walked silently down the hallways, as he approached the family room he could hear bickering between Trunks and a female.
"Trunks, when can I play again?" he heard Goten whine.
"Cool it Goten, I've just got to show her how it's done" an annoyed Trunks replied.
Gohan, curious as to what the two boys were talking about moved to the doorway and cocked his eyebrow at the scene in front of him.
He saw Trunks making quick movements on what appeared to be the dance, dance revolution game and a woman in a skirt and a fancy, shapely button up shirt playing with him. He gave the woman a weird look as he attempted to figure it out; her hair was in a high ponytail and her high heels were placed on the floor beside the game.
"Is…that…Karie?" he questioned quietly as he took another step forward.
"Face it kiddo you can't beat a pro!" Karie exclaimed as she moved her whole body to the music coming from the TV, instead of just moving her feet like Trunks was.
"Ha-ha I win again!" Karie exclaimed as she jumped up and down in excitement.
"You got lucky" Trunks muttered as he gave Karie a glare.
"I could beat you with my high heels on buddy" Karie said as she leaned down to his level and returned the glare.
"So could I!" Trunks exclaimed.
"Put up or shut up little man" Karie said as she handed him the four inch heels. Trunks gave them a funny look and then put them on the floor and stepped into them and attempted to steady himself.
A heavy sigh could be heard from the corner of the room, "Sweetie, don't let your father see you in those shoes" Bulma said as she walked into the room after watching her son play with her lawyer.
"Hey, I walk pretty well in these" Trunks commented as he took a few wobbly steps forwards until he was steady on his feet. "You have really tiny feet" he mused as he turned the game on and attempted to dance in the shoes.
"Trunks, I don't know what your father would do if he saw you in those" she said as she tried to contain her laughter.
"Dad's just jealous he can't do this, same with I bet you can't do this mom because your gut is in the way" he stated as he concentrated on matching the steps.
"What did you just say?" Bulma seethed as she glared at the back of her sons head.
"Dad told me you have trouble doing things because of your gut" he stated simply, again focusing on the dance moves.
"You mom doesn't have a gut little man. For a woman whose eggo is preggo, she looks mighty damn fine" she said as she gave Bulma a wink, earning a smile.
"What does eggos have to do with anything?" Goten questioned from his slouched spot on the couch.
"Uhh…I'll explain when you're older" Karie said as she gave Bulma a smile, successfully averting a mood swing from Bulma.
Gohan then walked into the room and made his presence known. "Trunks, your dad would die if he saw you dancing in heels" he said with a light laugh as Goten jumped up to greet his brother with a hug.
"You look tired" Karie mused as she observed Gohan from her spot near Bulma.
Bulma gave a sad look, "had to wake up again huh?" she questioned quietly as Gohan nodded. She then motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen and Karie followed the two, curious to see where this is going.
Gohan sat down on a chair and heaved a heavy sigh as his mother came up to him. "Sweetie, I'm proud of you" she said with a small smile and rubbed his back in a comforting manor.
"I didn't ask this time what this dream was about" he said quietly as he took in a deep inhale. "I was sleeping and then I woke up and couldn't understand it, and then I heard Videl start screaming and knew she had another nightmare. So I went into her room and didn't even really say anything, I just picked her up and brought her into my room so she could sleep. She sleeps better when she's in my room for some reason" he said as Chi Chi brought him a glass of orange juice.
"That's so romantic" Karie said with a blissful sigh as the three other people in the room gave her a funny look. "Oh please you're all in happy relationships, where I remain single. I can dream, can I not?" she questioned as she returned their funny look.
"I know it was about Hercule" Gohan said quietly.
"Sweetie I'm sure these nightmares will stop soon, it's perfectly normal with post traumatic stress disorder" Bulma said offering a sympathetic smile as she absentmindedly rubbed her belly.
"As bad as it may sound, this actually works well in our favour" she said as Gohan gave her a dirty look. "Calm down" she said as she waved her hands defensively in front of her, "you be straight trippin' boo" she said.
Gohan gave her a weird look, "…what?" he questioned as he attempted to understand what this weird lawyer was saying.
"This works in our favour. As awful as it is, if they do an exam on her, this will show she is psychologically effected by what occurred, proving she's not a psychopathic killer, but indeed an abuse victim who was pushed to the point where killing her assailant was the only way she could save herself. We've got this in the bag" she said with a smile. She looked over at Bulma and put her hand on her large belly.
"Karie…what are you-" she was cut off by Karie shushing her.
"I feel kicking, that's a sign. We're going to kick their ass!" she exclaimed excitedly.
Gohan stared blankly at the young lawyer who pumped her fist in the air in excitement, he was seriously beginning to have his doubts about Karie, far as he could tell she seemed a little eccentric and didn't really show any typical lawyer qualities you'd expect to see. He tried to have confidence in the fact that Bulma said she was her best lawyer, but he was seriously having his doubts
"Oh before I forget, I sent a copy of that new year's video to the prosecution as evidence of Hercules abuse. Gohan if they ask to question Saiyaman we're going to tell them that Saiyaman and the gold fighter are the same person…I'll make sure the gold fighter and you don't speak on the same day so we can avoid them catching on to your super abilities" Karie stated as she got up and grabbed herself a glass of juice. "I saw what you did for her…I cried a little, I wish I could have a superhero boyfriend" she said with a sigh.
Gohan spat his juice out on the table, "you know my secret?" he questioned loudly as Bulma gave him a dirty look for spitting on her counter.
"One time I ruffled Vegetas hair and called him 'little man' and he freaked out and went super saiyan on me. From then I've seen Trunks and Goten do it in the past, and that gorgeous father of yours as well. When I saw you in the news I just assumed you were associated with Bulmas core group" she said with a smile as she took a sip from her glass. "Sorry buddy" she said, again flashing a smile.
"Wow…you must really trust her" Gohan mused as he stared at Bulma.
"With my life" she said as she received a thumb up from Karie as she proceeded to chug her orange juice.
"That's some might fine juice Mrs. Son" Karie said as she placed her cup in the washing machine and wiped her mouth off on her forearm. "Gohan, while we've got some time I just wanted to brief you on questions the prosecution might ask you during cross examination" Karie said, moving to sit across from Gohan.
"Alright, they can't be that hard can they?" Gohan questioned as Karie shook her head.
"The questions aren't hard at all, but you've got to watch your wording; they're going to look for every way to manipulate it. Be clear and precise and only answer the questions asked, don't go into details unless they ask you to elaborate. For instance, he may ask you when you first thought Videl may have an abusive home life. Don't tell them you never noticed it much, they'll argue then Hercule wasn't abusive, and don't mention how bruised Videl can get when fighting crime because they'll use that as a scape-goat. If they ask you that question you should say something like about two years ago around Christmas I noticed she had a large black eye, and her behaviour and when you questioned her she seemed distance and unwilling to answer. Then if they press further you tell them Videl has always been open about injuries she received while fighting crime and even took pride in them, but now she was being distant and even a little depressed. Something like that alright?" she questioned as Gohan nodded slowly.
"Yea, I think I get it" he said quietly.
"Alright good. They'll probably ask how long you've known Videl, what led you to believe she was being abused, why she moved in; boring stuff like that" she mused as she grabbed a large green apple out of the bowl in the middle of the table.
"I love apples" she mused as she stared at the apple she had just taken a bite into.
Gohan bit his lip as he cast a worrisome glance at Bulma, "when do we need to leave?" He asked, trying to calm his disbelief in Karie.
"About an hour, I just came over early. Anyways, I'm gonna go show those kids how you dance, so if you'll excuse me, I'll come back in a while. Oh Gohan, you may not want to let Videl sleep too much longer, she should try and make herself look professional. That's why I did my laundry last night" Karie said with a wink as she walked out of the room to go and join Trunks and Goten.
"She seems nice" Chi Chi mused as she watched Karie's small frame exit the spacious kitchen.
"Bulma…I'm having my doubts about her" he said quietly, making sure Karie wouldn't hear him.
Bulma gave a small smile, "Gohan, I know you don't see it now because you're stressed out, but Karie is actually a lot like Videl. I'm not just saying that they're actually a lot alike, I really do mean it. I've had a few heart to hearts with Karie, she may not have had the same kind of abuse that Videl has gone through, but she has lived an abused life, and was also on the verge on an eating disorder, she still has lapses, but anyways. Karie just lets her more childish side come out once in a while because she never got a proper childhood. But I assure you sweetie, she's going to take you by surprise, she's a hell of a lot smarter then she acts sometimes and I'm completely confident in her abilities to win this case" Bulma said, as she rubbed his hand gently in an attempt to provide reassurance.
"Gohan I think you should trust her, even just seeing her talking with you briefly you can tell she's got a lot of determination in her eyes, and she is actually a lot like Videl. Have faith sweetie, just have faith" She said as she gave her son a hug.
"I'll try" he said quietly as he rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
"Sweetie, how about you go and wake Videl up and go and shower; separately please, and come back down stairs and you guys can eat something before you go. You've both slept in pretty late" Chi Chi said as she pushed her son in an effort to get him to get up off the chair.
Gohan gave a nod and silently walked out of the room, leaving the two older women to themselves. "You really have that much faith in her?" Chi Chi questioned quietly.
"I do, would I really pick an idiot to protect Videl?" She questioned as Chi Chi shrugged her shoulders.
"I suppose that's true" Chi Chi mused as she mixed an egg batter for her son and Videl.
"I told Videl I would get my best lawyer on the case and I more than assure you that I have. Yes, my other lawyers are more experienced and they are older, but Karie just has a certain spunk to her that makes her stand out. I choose her because she gets so under estimated and she's always risen to the challenge. Besides, she is very much like Videl when you get to know her, I think they could become friends" Bulma said with a smile as she got up and helped Chi Chi in preparing some food.
"I sure hope you're right Bulma" Chi Chi said quietly as she continued to work.
"Uh dude, when have I ever been wrong?" She questioned, earning a weird look from Chi Chi.
"Did you just call me dude?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow at the pregnant woman.
"I must be spending too much time with these young people" Bulma responded with a light laugh.
Before Chi Chi could respond to her friends comment, a yell erupted from the living room.
"Woman fix your boy!" Vegeta screamed from the living room.
Bulma heaved a sigh, "Trunks, I told you not to let your father see you in high heeled shoes" Bulma yelled from her spot in the kitchen, earning a laugh from Chi Chi.
"That's it boy, we're training" Vegeta yelled angrily.
"Ugh great, he's going to be in a good mood all day" Bulma muttered, shaking her head as Chi Chi continued to laugh.
~*~ Elsewhere~*~
Videl was still sleeping soundly in Gohans bed. Gohan gave a small smile at how peaceful she looked but wondered whether she was really just having a nightmare again and not showing it outwardly. He felt awful not being able to stop these nightmares for her, he felt it was her job to protect her and now it was as though herself conscious was bullying her and there was nothing he could do to help her. He felt helpless.
He hated the thought of disturbing her, but knew she really should get ready for court soon and that she should eat something ahead of time. He slowly crawled onto the bed and wrapped an arm around her and gently kissed her forehead. He watched as she slowly started to stir.
"Morning" she mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the natural light pouring into the room.
Gohan gave a small laugh, "I wouldn't quite say it's morning, more like good after noon" he said, as he earned a funny look.
"Afternoon?" she questioned quietly as she leaned up and rubbed her eyes to get the sleep out of them.
"Yep, we have to leave in like an hour to go to court, I was told to go wake you so you could eat and get ready" Gohan said as Videls eyes opened wide.
"Holy crap, I can't believe I slept in so late" she said, now feeling fully awake.
"It's understandable with the nights you've been having. Now you better hurry, I'm going to go shower now so you can take your shower, then we'll met up in 15 for something to eat, sound good?" he questioned as he helped pull her to her feet.
She gave him a nod, "you got it" she said as she leaned up and gave him a peck on the lips and quietly left his room so she could go and shower in hers.
Videl walked numbly into her bathroom as she turned the water on, making sure it was nice and hot, stripped and silently stepped in. Her thoughts swirled around the concept of being tried for second degree murder. She kept trying to convince herself that it was in self defence, as everyone kept telling her, but in the back of her mind, something continuously called her a murderer.
She knew if she was going to overcome this she knew she had to try and shake these negative thoughts out of her head. 'Bulma wouldn't give me an idiot for a lawyer, obviously there's more to Karie then I can see' she thought to herself as she tried to calm the knot in her stomach.
As she massaged shampoo into her hair she shook her head gently, she knew she had to try and get these negative thoughts out of her head, so she did as she usually does, she started singing. She hummed the tune to the song that was stuck in her head at that particular moment and then allowed the words to leave her lips.
I leave the gas on
Walk the allies in the dark
Sleep with candles burning
I leave the door unlocked
I'm weaving a rope and
Running all the red lights
Did I get your attention
Cause I'm sending all the signs and
The clock is ticking
and I'll be giving my 2 weeks
She inhaled deeply as she closed her eyes and allowed the water to rinse the shampoo out of her hair. She continued to hum as she worked conditioner into her hair then once again started singing as she allowed the hot water to wash over her body.
Pick your favourite shade of black
You'd best prepare a speech
Say something funny
Say something sweet
But don't say that you loved me
She smiled as she sang, she loved singing such a sad song, and she felt it mirrored her mood. As hard it was to accept, she felt it almost mirrored the relationship she had with her father and the amount of time growing up she thought suicide would have been the only way to escape her father.
Cause I'm still breathing
Though we've been dead for awhile
This sickness has no cure
We're goin down for sure
Already lost a grip
Best abandon ship
She gave a small smile, she was still breathing, and she couldn't believe that she was. She thought of all she had overcome and allowed her small smile to grow a little. Gohans words of courage rang through her mind as she made sure she had rinsed any remaining conditioner and soap off of her and hummed the rest of the song as she wrapped a towel around her small frame and wrapped her hair into a towel.
She grabbed her mascara and applied it lightly to her already dark, long lashes, simply to emphasize them. She stared at her reflection blankly and noted she looked a little pale, realizing just how big a toll the recent events had taken on her. She shook her head lightly and stepped out of the bathroom into her bedroom. She went through her closet and decided to go for a simple, but classy look; she grabbed a navy blue pencil skirt and a short sleeved white button up, with matching navy blue jacket.
She quickly got dressed and left her hair in the towel as she walked out of the room. She saw Gohan completely ready dressed in black dress slacks and a white button up shirt with a dark tie.
"You look great" Gohan said with a smile as he came and embraced her, "the towel is a nice touch" he said with a laugh.
"Well thank you darling, ha-ha yea well my hair isn't completely dry yet so I'll get something to eat and then I'll go dry it before we leave" she said as she grabbed Gohans hand and walked with him towards the kitchen.
"So what are your thoughts on Karie?" Gohan questioned as they walked the long hallways of the Briefs mansion.
"I'm not sure, I'm a little sceptical, but Bulma said she's putting her best girl on the job. I think there may be more than meets the eye to her. She seems kinda odd…but I suppose I'm the same way when you first get to know me. I feel like I can relate to her in a way…I'm hoping Bulma isn't wrong about her" she said as she stared blankly in front of her. "Why do you ask?"
"I can't make a decision on her; she seems so…out there, then other times she seems so focused and determined. Her eyes show this playful innocence but this hard determination at the same time; it's weird. Bulma said one of the reasons she picked her was because she felt you two could relate to each other well" he said, earning a look from Videl.
"Why would she say that?" she asked curiously.
"Apparently Karie had a rough childhood and has lived a life of abuse, and also has been on the verge of an eating disorder as a result. Now that I kind of think of it, I guess I can see similarities between her actions, and your own" He mused.
"I hope Bulma is right about her" Videl said quietly, earning a squeeze from Gohans hand.
"Bulma is always right" he said with a small smile.
They reached the kitchen and were about to say to hello to everybody but their interests were brought to the voice coming from the room beside the kitchen.
"Goten you have the hips of a dancer!" they heard Karie exclaim.
Intrigued, they moved to the door and saw that Karie and Goten were still play dance, dance revolution. "Now, put your hip movements into the foot movements and you'll be a pro" she said as she pushed the button and a beat started playing loudly in the room.
"Once you get the movements down add the words, then you're an official super star" she said as she moved her hips and arms to the beat of the music playing and then started belting out a song.
Hey Pretty Baby With The
High Heels On
You Give Me Fever
Like I've Never, Ever Known
You're Just A Product Of
Loveliness
"Your turn Goten!" she shouted as Goten jumped in.
I Like The Groove Of
Your Walk,
Your Talk, Your Dress
I Feel Your Fever
From Miles Around
I'll Pick You Up In My Car
And We'll Paint The Town
After Goten sang that part, the two joined together in singing and belted out the next few lines together.
Just Kiss Me Baby
And Tell Me Twice
That You're The One For Me
Goten sang the main lines for the next part and Karie sang the backup lines
The Way You Make Me Feel
(The Way You Make Me Feel)
You Really Turn Me On
(You Really Turn Me On)
You Knock Me Off Of My Feet
(You Knock Me Off Of My Feet)
My Lonely Days Are Gone
(My Lonely Days Are Gone)
Karie paused the music and gave Goten a high-five. "Nice work little dude!" she exclaimed as Goten beamed with pride. "How'd you get so good at singing and dancing?" she questioned, taking her high heels off again.
Goten allowed his smile to grow, "I dance with Videl all the time at home. It's kinda stupid to try and ignore her because she'll just make you sing anyways. I've actually sung this song before with Videl; she's a really good singer" he said happily.
"Wow…" Gohan said from their spot at the door frame, "she really is a lot like you; I've seen you do that exact same dance" he said in an amused voice.
Videl gave a laugh, "Goten you're a natural!" she exclaimed drawing the attention from Karie and Goten, earning a grin from both.
"I hear you're quite the dancer" Karie said as she turned the game system off.
"I do what I can" Videl said with a shrug and a small smile.
"We'll have to do a duet sometime" Karie said with a wink as she walked towards them, "but for now…mangi, mangi!" she exclaimed, moving her hands to encourage them to go into the kitchen.
"What does mangi mean?" Goten questioned in a confused voice.
"It mean eat in Italian, which these two should do then we can go to the court house" Karie said as Gohan gave her a nod and the two moved to the kitchen and started to eat the delicious food that his mother had prepared for them previously.
"Oh Videl," Karie called drawing Videls attention, "That towel on the head look? I'm a little turned on" she said with a wink causing Videl to laugh
"My hair takes awhile to dry and if I try and blow dry it too soon it just looks so…" Videl trailed off trying to think of the best adjective to use.
"Frumpy?" Karie suggested receiving a nod from Videl, "my hair is the same way and it takes forever to dry either way" she said as she once again motioned for Videl to go into the kitchen and start eating.
Everyone ate in relative silence, Karie reviewed her notes while Bulma helped Chi Chi with cleaning and Gohan and Videl simply enjoyed the silence while eating.
"Where is everybody?" Videl questioned after swallowing her food.
"Around I guess. I'm not sure what everyone is doing. I know your mom and Goku and a few others were talking about going to the pool, Vegeta took Trunks to train because he was dancing in high heels, I think 18 wanted to go shopping and brought Krillin and Marron…so yea, they're just off keeping themselves occupied I guess" Bulma mused earning a funny look from Videl.
"Wait…why was Trunks dancing in high heels, better yet, where did he get them?" she questioned in an amused tone.
"I can answer that," Karie answered before Bulma got the chance, "I kept beating him at DDR and he told me I was lucky and I told him I could beat him with my high heels on. Attempting to prove me wrong he said he could as well…so I simply told him to put up or shut up…and then Vegeta caught him" she said, laughing as she replayed the images in her head again.
"Oh…alright then" Videl said, covering a laugh as she took another bite from her pancakes.
"Videl, do you mind if I come with you three to the court house today?" Bulma questioned.
"No, that's fine" Videl said quietly. After Videl answered Bulma the room filled with a tense silence, no one was sure of what to say. Shortly after the meal was over and the couple was clearing the mountain of dishes from the table.
"Let's get this over with" Videl muttered as Karie gave her a grin.
"Cheer up sunshine, I think with that towel turban going on you'll win them over" she said as she gave Videl a wink.
"Ha…my bad I'll be back in a few minutes" Videl said as she ran out of the room, pulling the towel off her head as she moved up the stairs. True to her word five minutes later she ran back into the room with high heels in hand. "Ok…now let's get this over with" she said sheepishly as they made their way to the door.
She leaned her hand against Gohan and braced herself as she put the heels on her small feet. She was about to say something but was caught up in a tight embrace.
"You just remember you're innocent sweetie, don't you forget it" Chi Chi said as she gripped Videl tightly.
"Chi…I…breathe" she stuttered out as she felt the air being squeezed out of her.
"My bad" she said sheepishly as she gave Videl a gentler hug, "good luck hun" she said as she gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks Chi, can you tell my mom I'm gone whenever you see her please?" She said as she watched Gohan give his mom a hug.
"No worry Mrs. S we'll be back soon" Karie said as she gave Chi Chi a salute and a smile as she opened the door. "Innocent people…away!" She yelled as she pointed her finger out the open door and ran outside.
"Gohan…I'm scared" Videl whispered.
"I know sweetie…me too" Gohan said as he heaved a sigh.
"Just go!" Chi Chi said as she gave the two a push out of the door and closed it behind them.
Videl bit her lip as she watched the lawyer move towards the limo. As Karie walked down the driveway she was pointing her pointer finger on each hand in the air and danced as she sang loudly.
"I'm walking on sunshine ohh I'm walking on sunshine!" she sang loudly as she laughed a little and stopped mid walk and struck a pose. "And don't it feel good!" She yelled as she did her attempt at a disco pose and laughed as she walked quietly to the limo doors.
"Maybe I was wrong about her" Videl muttered as she heaved a sigh and quickened her pace towards the limo.
The ride to the court house was almost in complete silence. After Karie's dancing to the car, Videl had no idea what to make of her, she though Karie was a little weird, but at the same time she completely envied her for being so care free and was even a little jealous.
As they got neared the court house, Karie sensing the tension made light conversation. "So Videl, I heard you played hockey before, what position?" she questioned, effectively breaking the silence.
"I played centre, or I doubled as defence" Videl replied quietly.
"That's pretty awesome, I play goalie. What level did you play?" she questioned again.
"I played rep, highest I got up to was A so I guess I was alright" she responded once again.
"You should come out with us sometime. My team is always short players, but they're a great group of girls!" Karie said excitedly, happy at being with this potential prospect.
"I don't know…it was a long time ago I played" Videl replied hesitantly.
"Well, we play shinny every Sunday morning, you should come out sometime. Gohan you're welcome to come as well" Karie said flashing the two another smile.
"We'll think about it" Videl said, giving the lawyer a small smile in return. A large building quickly came into view with a statue of a blindfolded woman holding a scale in her hand standing proudly in the centre of a wide set of stairs leading up to the court house doors.
"Alright, let's do this thing" Karie said as they reached the court house. Karie opened the door and motioned for everyone to follow her.
They walked silently up the stairs, Gohan and Videl held hands as they walked up the stairs. She felt Gohan give Videl a reassuring squeeze of her hand. Videl gave Gohan a smile and was about to speak but was caught off guard by Karie speaking.
"Hello Drew" She said in a stern tone of voice.
The couple arched an eyebrow in surprise, in the two days that they've known this woman they've never heard her voice so stern, it's always been so bubbly, this definitely caught their interest.
"Ah Karie how are you" A man in a suit replied.
"Delightful, and you?" she replied drily as she started as her long nails in uninterested.
"Just peachy. You're looking well" he replied in a smug tone.
"I am, aren't I?" she replied as she smoothed out her a crease on her shirt.
Videl was more than confused, twenty minutes ago this woman was doing the disco and singing how she was walking on sunshine as she made her way to the car, and now she was being sharp and to the point with this man now named Drew. She took a glance at him, he was cute; he was about six feet tall, brown messy hair; he gave Karie a smug grin, one crooked tooth was prominent in his smile, Karie rolled her eyes and flipped her pony tail off her shoulder as Drew smiled at her.
"Been awhile darling" He said as he gave her a wink.
"Yea I definitely it has, it's too bad…I was hoping it would be longer" Karie said giving her best smile.
"Awh I thought we buried the hatchet" Drew said giving her another smile.
"Only if I get a clear shot to your groin baby; another pathetic attempt to boost your career. Poor guy, I guess some of us just get all the luck" Karie said as she gave him a big wink, earning an unimpressed look from Drew.
"You got lucky" he muttered as he gave Karie a dirty look.
"And you didn't, which is why you're still taking shots in the dark" she said smiling sweetly; seeming to know it was only making him more annoyed.
"You don't stand a chance" Drew said, quickly changing the subject.
"That's funny…I think I said that to you not long ago" Karie mused.
"Keep this attitude out of my court room please" a tall thin woman said as she brushed a strand of short red hair out of her face.
"Judge Novak, Drew and I were just-" Karie was cut off by the tall woman.
"Bickering; I think you should just use that passion in the court room" The woman said as she motioned for the group the follow them.
"What the hell just happened?" Videl questioned. She realized that this must be the judge Karie had mentioned earlier. She stood about 5'9 with small heels on. She had a long thin frame, with plain features and little make up. She had dark red hair framing her slim face; she wore a tight pant suit and gripped a coffee her in hand as she started making her way up the stairs with the two lawyers in tow.
"I had been curious if this was the guy she had been talking about" Bulma said as she shook her head, drawing the attention of Gohan and Videl. "Apparently the two of them dated for awhile; he's a few years older than her. Back when they were in school, he was a big party guy and dumped Karie because she wouldn't get high or get drunk. Karie told me she always really liked him, but the fact that those were his reasoning's for breaking up with her she never forgave him…and here they are" She said, leaving Gohan and Videl with surprised faces.
"Wow…I pictured Karie as a total party girl" Gohan said as the small group walked behind the lawyers', speaking in hushed voice.
"Not at all, Karie is actually very shy…I know I was surprised too, she's been getting over it since being on my team. But she's not a party girl at all; she's very much a homebody who has never been drunk and or high. He, at the time, thought she was a young attractive party girl, but she wasn't a party girl at all. She told me she believed that he broke up with her because she would have forced him to grow up unintentionally and challenged him intellectually; he likes them not so intelligent apparently" Bulma whispered, completely shocking the two.
"Wait…so Karie is smarter than the city's district attorney?" Gohan questioned surprise clearly evident in his voice. The followed the professionals as they stepped into the large court house and followed them down a large hallway.
"Told you she doesn't get the credit she deserves" Bulma said as they noticed that the lawyers and the judge stopping in front of large wooden doors.
The tall woman opened the doors and motioned for everyone to step into her office. Everyone filed into the office and sat down silently. Videl stared at the city's DA; he seemed so cocky and smug. Videl mused on the information that she had just been told by Bulma. It blew her away that Karie was smarter than the district attorney and now she was more than curious to see if this bubbly girl could really crack down. She was quickly jarred out of her thought as the judge started speaking.
"Hello everyone, for those of you who don't know I am judge Casey Novak, I will be presiding over this trial" She said as she extender her hand and greeted Bulma, Gohan and Videl.
"Miss Satan I'm sorry for your loss. Mister Bailey, please state your requests" she said as she leaned back in her plush leather chair.
"Your honour, we propose that Miss Satan be put in jail until the trial and undergo a psychiatric evaluation to prove that she was in good conscious mind when she brutally murdered our wondrous mayor" Drew said.
Videl felt as though her stomach jumped into her throat and was at a loss of words when Karie quickly piped up.
"Your honour Miss Satan is a victim, not a brutal killer, we have more than enough sufficient information to prove many times over that Mister Satan, although the mayor had a past of violence and the prosecution is more than aware of this. She is a victim, she's been having nightmares of how her father tried to murder her…your honour he tried to slit her throat, how can the prosecution even attempt to declare my client a murderer and demonize her. My client is also in no way a flight risk so there's no reason for her to be placed in jail" Karie said quickly and sternly.
Videl couldn't help but be surprised at how quickly Karie jumped to her defence, she was completely taken back by the seriousness in her tone of voice; maybe there as more to her then she originally though.
"Mister Bailey, I agree with Miss Scollick, I do not believe for an instant that Miss Satan is a flight risk. I do agree I feel she should go to a psychiatric exam; get the full facts and details before you make faulty accusations" Judge Novak said as she eyed the two lawyers'.
"Your honour, with all due respect only a psychopathic killer would want to murder a wondrous man like Hercule-" Drew was quickly cut off by Karie.
"The prosecution is attempting to play off Hercules image and glorify him without bringing forth any fact to support his claims" She said as she gave Drew a glare.
"I agree with Miss Scollick, Mister bailey, I have reviewed the evidence and the fact that you're imply that I haven't and that I'm allowing the media to influence my decision is both appalling and insulting" Judge Novak said as she tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear.
"My apology your honour; however Miss Satan is known for her violent behaviour-" he was once again cut off.
"She's known for defending those who cannot defend themselves. There are absolutely no accounts of my client using excessive force against anyone while defending the public. Your honour my client is not a bad person and she's been through a more then traumatic event, again, and does not deserve to have the prosecution try and bully her and try and make her into a monster" Karie said, earning a glare from Drew.
"I agree, Mister Bailey, unless you have sufficient evidence to support the claim of Miss Satan's violent behaviour, I strongly suggest that you bite your tongue. From everything I have reviewed, you do not have sufficient evidence to make that claim. Do not make me repeat that" she said as Drew bit his lip and inhaled deeply to try and calm himself down.
"Your honour, how can we trust the words of the defendants client, the evidence has been tampered with by the defendants" he stated, catching Karie off guard.
"Mr Baileys, you better have evidence to support this claim" The judge said sternly.
"They have hospital responds saying Videl suffered extensive injuries, including a twisted ankle, a black eye, a swollen knee and a fractured wrist. She was only discharged a few days ago and yet here she is clearly in perfect health" He said pointing to Videl to prove his point.
"Your honour we have signed documentation from both the hospital and Mrs. Briefs showing she has been working on a highly advanced regeneration chamber which allows for an incredibly speedy recovery. We are more than willing to show these documents to the prosecution and allow them to test out Mrs Brief's ingenious invention" Karie stated, surprising everyone in the room.
"She's lying" Drew said nonchalantly
"Mister Bailey I suggest you conduct yourself in a more proper manor while attempting to argue your case" Judge Novak said sternly, seeming to grow annoyed with Drew's attempts to win her favour.
"Yes your honour" he said quietly.
"Although I am aware of Mrs Brief's technological advances in the medical field, I would like to see these documents to verify Miss Scollick's statement." She said as both lawyers' nodded in response. She took a sip of coffee from her glass and heaved a sigh.
"Although I feel this is an open and shut case, I do fear for Miss Satan's life if this trial were not to be followed through. I feel as though the truth should be exposed in order to ensure Videls safety. We will hold the trial a week from now. Miss Scollick your client is required to endure a psychiatric exam; not only to check if she was in the right state of mind at the time, but also because I want to make sure your client is emotionally stable enough to go through with this trial" Judge Novak said as she once again leaned back in her plush chair.
"We are more than happy to have Videl undergo an exam and I will fax the hospital documents to your office as soon as we return to Mrs Brief's residence" Karie said confidently.
"Your honour, I think you're showing the defendant's client too much compassion; a hero was murdered, and it should not go unpunished" Drew interjected quickly.
"As well as a hero was brutally beaten to the point of near death; your honour the prosecution is neglecting the evidence and is attempting to over play Hercules career in order to win over your favour" Karie said quickly.
"Mister Bailey I will repeat myself once more, if you attempt to overplay Mister Satan's career and reputation in the public eye to win over my approval I will throw your case out in an instant." She said as she gave Drew a disapproving look, "we will meet once again in my chambers in a few days and then proceed with the trial a week from today" judge Novak said.
"Your honour-" Drew was once again cut off.
"Mister Bailey, you will respect my ruling; have one of your doctors perform a psychiatric exam on Miss Satan and we will resume discussions later. Do not neglect the evidence and proceed as you would with every other case; don't let Mister Satan's reputation be the only thing used to boost your case." Judge Novak said as she stood up and motioned for the rest of them to follow her act. "I will see you all next week. Mister Bailey, Miss Scollick, we will met in my chambers in a few days." She said as the two lawyers' gave her a nod in response and silently walked out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind them.
Videl looked at Karie and noticed she wore a smirk on her attractive features; she was clearly satisfied with how that went.
"What kind of deal did you want to make?" He questioned.
Karie snorted in response, "You've got to be kidding me! We are not making any sort of deal; we will take the clear win. You know just as well as I do you don't have enough sufficient evidence to support your claim for second degree murder" she said, standing her ground confidently.
"Alright, don't say we didn't try and offer you a plea bargain" he said as he shook his head for effect. "Your client is a murderer Karie, and you're clearly too stupid to realize that" he said nonchalantly, smirking as he noticed he hit a nerve with Karie.
"Drew, I swear to god you utter one more word about my client without sufficient evidence to support it I promise you I will make sure that the judge knows it and I will also inform her of how you're allowing our past to cloud your judgement and resorting to petty insults to try and intimidate me. I promise Drew, I will have you thrown off this case so fast you won't even get the chance to attempt to utter a petty defence. That won't be much good for boosting your career, eh?" Karie said, giving a glare to Drew that even caught Bulma off guard.
"I will call the doctor who will be responsible for the psychiatric exam when I get back to my office and will let you know when and where your client needs to be for the examination" he said as he gave Karie a dirty look.
"I look forward to it" she said, a smirk gracing her face once again.
There was silence between the two as they stared at each other, and then the two started walking in opposite directions silently, leaving Bulma, Gohan and Vide standing in front of the judge's chambers.
Before either of the three could say something they noticed that Drew was no longer in their sight and Karie was waving to them while standing a few feet away. They stood in awe of what just happened, even Bulma was completely caught off guard by the glare that Karie had managed to give Drew and the way she spoke her words.
Gohan couldn't get past how well Karie stood her ground, all this time she spoke in such a bubbly voice and came off as a little ditzy. He was amazed at how well she composed herself and how well and quickly she articulated and supported her arguments in Videl's defence.
"Hey guys, I've got a wicked craving for chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, let's go get some before we head back to the mansion and like totally pig out. Oh hey, let's do some karaoke or something; I'm in the mood for singing! Videl are you a Katy Perry fan, let's sing one of her songs, maybe hot and cold?" Karie yelled as she excitedly moved to the door of the limo.
Karie quickly turned around, "what are you guys waiting for, let's go!" she exclaimed as she opened the door and motioned eagerly for them to follow her.
Silence once again fell between Bulma, Gohan and Videl. All three were surprised what had just transpired over the short period of time.
"What just happened?" Gohan questioned dumbly.
"Karie… just kicked his ass" Bulma said with a big smile, a look of pride on her face.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Well that is chapter 24 as I said earlier I'm not a law student and I never have been. So if you thought my attempt at writing courtly matters was awful, I do apologize and if you're willing to offer any advice I'd be more than willing to hear it and try and integrate it. Again, I really hope I was too off balance with writing the preliminary hearing and if I was, I apologize.
But other than that I really do hope that you enjoyed my chapter and I really hope I get to hear from those of you who will actually read my chapter. I absolutely love hearing your reviews and suggestions and enjoying know what you all think of my work.
I'm not sure when my next chapter will be out, probably towards the end of April maybe early May. I say this simply because I have three more exams next week and I desperately want to do well on the so I'm going to put all my focus into studying.
But anyways I'll stop babbling. I hope you enjoyed my chapter and please review, I'd love to hear from you all!!