Episode 14 "Prosecution"

Chapter 6

"Setting out on the open sea again?" Emily called out to her father from the dock.

She stood watching as her father worked atop a small sailboat, his most recent splurge from the reparations settlement he received after his exoneration the previous year. The sight of him pulling down the sails brought memories to mind, and for a moment Emily was able to distract herself from their last conversation and think only about the sacred years she remembered sharing with him as a child, sailing being one of her favorite activities to do together.

It was not the first time she had reminisced on the topic, as the past few days she had spent with Daniel gave her more than ample opportunities to think about her father, leading up to her eventual decision to reach out to him. It was a suggestion that Daniel had alluded to countless times while they walked along the beach, shared meals together, but most significantly when he accompanied her to visit Amanda's gravesite – something she hadn't done in quite some time. She expected Daniel's interest in her past would be renewed after gifting him the Infinity Box, but instead of consulting it personally, he preferred listening to her tell him stories of the past. In particular, her friendship with her namesake and sister in identity was a story that stood out the most, and in the process of visiting her gravesite, the headstone beside it that still read 'David Clarke' was a reminder that she needed to make things right before the trial. Daniel only had to prompt her gently this morning when she awoke and she gave in without protest, leaving him to work on his novel while she sought David out at the docks.

When he turned to acknowledge her greeting, it went without saying that he was eager to move on as well. He looked up from where he was working and dropped the ropes in his hand, smiling as he approached the stern of the ship. "Yeah, well my daughter hasn't spoken to me in a few days so I had to find something to keep myself busy," he explained with a grin.

Emily was ready on the defense. "Dad, it's not that I've been avoiding you," she assured him squinting up in the sun to look at him. "I know how difficult this has been …the last thing I want to do is make you feel like you have to hide anything," she looked down again, searching for the best way to put her words. "I just think it's the only way for us to put this to an end and keep you safe."

David rubbed his hands together to wipe away excess dirt, and hoisted himself to the edge of the boat so he could climb down to the dock and stand beside her. "I understand why you want me to do this, Amanda. I never questioned that," he paused to wipe sweat off his brow and pondered for a moment. "In fact I've been thinking it over and I think it's time we move past everything Victoria has done."

Emily half shook her head at his suggestion, unconvinced. "The things that Victoria has done don't merit forgiveness, you know that," she narrowed her eyes as emotion crept into her face.

"So you'd rather me pretend to have forgiven her?" David challenged his daughter, raising a good point. "Why not actually do it for real? It sure seems like you've done so with Daniel…"

"That's different," Emily clarified, shifting where she stood. "Daniel has made it clear where he stands."

"But he put you through a lot of hell first didn't he?" David countered, and an inquisitive look from Emily revealed that he had more information that she realized. "Yeah, Jack came by to help me with the boat and we talked about a few things..."

Emily rolled her eyes and looked away, mumbling under her breath, "Great, I can just imagine what you discussed—" It never ceased to amaze her how easy it was for her closest friends to remember Daniel's actions against her, despite the one year anniversary of his worst sin just passing. But she couldn't blame them for their protective spirit, especially Jack, who truthfully was the only reason she was able to remember the events at the time, and the first person she confessed to that Daniel had shot her. But as the physical wounds had healed, she found the emotional wounds faded along with them, and especially in the past months it all felt like a distant memory. She surprised herself sometimes at how little she thought about it, partially because she felt duly responsible for the massive grenade thrown into his life from the first moment she met him.

David was still in pursuit. "Why didn't you tell me what he did to you, Amanda? Were you afraid I would hate him for it?"

"Look, there are a lot of things I haven't told you," Emily rushed her response, anxious to move past the subject. "We've all done things that we aren't proud of, but Daniel? Daniel is one of the few people who actually tried to atone for his actions." She stared at her father's stony expression, and gestured off into the distance. "Victoria hasn't. Killing an officer to protect you is no excuse for her to walk."

David put his head down in partial submission to her strong allegations. "Well, based on the story I told that's what she's going to do isn't it?" he asked, before beginning to turn back towards the boat.

Seeing that the conversation was quickly dissolving, Emily reached out to him. "Dad, you have to trust me. Please? I know what I'm doing," she assured him, hoping if nothing else she could get his approval, if not his full support. Though she wanted more, she had become adjusted to accepting what she could get. A thought coming to mind she continued, "We're in this together, right?"

David reluctantly let go of his concerns and acquiesced, looking back into his daughter's pleading eyes. "Right," he finally agreed. "I guess you've been fine thus far on your own… I suppose you don't need my help now either."

Emily shook her head in disagreement, but only leaned forward to wrap him in a warm hug. Nestling her head on his shoulder she whispered, "I'll always need you, Dad." And though she couldn't see his expression, she felt his smile of relief when he returned the gesture.

When she finally pulled away she felt relaxed and could sense that while he had reserves, he really did seem to have confidence in her. He squeezed her hand in assurance and then let her leave, returning to work on the boat. Before walking back down the dock, Emily added one last assertion, running on momentum.

"You'll see soon enough, I promise."

SCENE

Carl's infectious laughter rang into the playground and Louise watched contentedly while Jack pushed him back and forth on the swings. His guess had been right – a warm afternoon at the park with his adorable son was just the pick-me-up she needed in the wake of her loss. While she admittedly did not have a close relationship with Lyman, her heart ached more so at the thought of having to face her wretched family, and accept that his was a relationship permanently unreconciled alongside the rest that remained outstanding. Combined with that, the sting of the morning's exchange with Nolan remained, one that she desperately wanted to forget, as it shocked her that he could even entertain such suspicions. But truthfully in her heart she couldn't blame him; it was only a matter of time before the mysterious body count that followed her drew the skepticism of her new friends, and even she had to admit she was often shocked by her own actions at times. No doubt the hallucinations, nightmares and occasional fits of rage were compounded by the medication she was loathe to take as needed, but Louise was determined to overcome her afflictions on her own, and desperately needed to hold out hope that she could do it without a dependency on anyone or anything.

Time with Jack and Carl was different though, and while she felt them helping her immensely, the atmosphere never felt forced. She smiled as Jack lifted Carl out of the swing seat and let him run free to play in the sandbox, and walked back over to join her on the bench where she was watching.

"You were right," she greeted him on his return. "Being here with you two is like chicken soup for the soul, honestly." She looked over gratefully at Jack while he sat down next to her, placing an assuring hand on her knee.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," he replied. "I'm really sorry about everything."

Louise didn't respond, just shrugged slightly, trying not to burden Jack with too much of heavy emotion. To her silence, he continued to try to offer comfort, taking hold of her hand while they watched Carl play from a distance.

"I won't to try to convince you the pain will go away," he began honestly. "But over time it will get easier to deal with." He paused to reflect, and as he did so Louise listened intently. "When Carl's mother died two years ago. I couldn't imagine any pain being worse... until I lost my younger brother less than two months later."

Louise's bottom lip dropped in shock and she immediately turned to face Jack, placing a sympathetic hand over his. "Jack, how dreadful," she gaped. "How did you ever get by?"

"It was hard," he admitted, taking a moment to dial back the emotions he struggled so hard to put behind him. "At first I lashed out at those around me that I held responsible," he divulged with some regret. "But in time I moved on and the memories helped….I still have the video of me and Amanda's wedding day," he met eyes with Louise, who smiled gently at his tender admission, urging him to continue. "And I had so many amazing times with Declan…"

"What was he like?" Louise asked, wishing she could have met him herself.

Jack just shook his head, full of honor and respect for his late brother. "He was a great kid. Seriously, you couldn't find a more innocent… more caring… more loyal sibling than him. And he was one of the most unselfish people I knew," he added, gazing at his son playing a few feet away, who seemed to favor his uncle at times when Jack was paying close attention.

"Sounds like he took after his older brother," Louise observed, prompting Jack to look at her endearingly. She suddenly glanced off, a bit solemn. "You're lucky, you know. You have such good memories to draw on. I don't have many of those," she admitted, a bit embarrassed. "I guess that's what makes it so hard with Lyman is that… he was terrible to me? And I feel like I should be devastated but… the feelings just aren't there?" She struggled to find the words while Jack looked on, doing his best to understand her. "It makes me feel a little guilty actually," she concluded.

Jack gave her some time to digress, while doing his best not to read too far into her sentiments. While he knew Nolan was still uncertain about her whereabouts the night Lyman died, he didn't want to add to her distress by making her feel untrusted. Instead, he continued to support her feelings adding, "I know how you feel. I went through that when Amanda passed – that same day I had found out things that made me question whether I could trust her… and just like that, she was gone." He snapped his fingers symbolically, and Louise got the point, looking for him to continue. "But in the end," he went on. "I realized I still needed to grieve… no matter what I thought about her."

"How did you get through it?" Louise asked, still feeling a bit helpless.

"Ultimately my friends helped me," Jack acknowledged graciously. "Emily was one of them; while we didn't always agree, she stopped me from making a big mistake." He watched Louise's reaction, and seeing her acceptance sensed it might be a good time to endear her further. "And through it all… Nolan was always there." At this she looked away, still put off by their fight, but Jack continued. "Look, I know you may feel betrayed by him right now but believe me he feels terrible, and he wants to be there for you. You should let him."

Louise smirked half-heartedly but her demeanor was calm. She shook her head slightly. "The truth is, I don't hold what Nolan did against him, I mean… I do come with my share of shaded history," she confessed, and Jack's intrigue again was drawn in. But instead of jumping at the opportunity to ask, he just let her finish. "But despite that, I think it's time we ended our marriage."

With her admission, Jack showed an apparent look of concern. "You can't trust him?"

"It's not that," she assured him. "These last few days though I just realized I don't want to live a lie anymore. I mean Nolan has been more than gracious by letting me stay and looking out for me but…" She met eyes with Jack again. "It's time I looked out for myself. Honestly, the night Lyman died? I was meeting with a lawyer to draw up divorce papers."

Jack breathed an inner sigh of relief, not realizing how much he had begun to suspect her himself and felt a bit of remorse for coming down so hard on Nolan when had all but thought the same thing just a few moments ago. But her admission was reassuring for more than one reason; he was really starting to feel comfortable with her and didn't want to have to face doubts again.

"I just feel like playing house has been fun but, the summer is almost over," Louise continued, looking to Jack for endorsement. "It had to end sometime right?" She turned to watch Carl again and at the sight of him began to open up deeper. "Besides that… I think I want a family of my own someday. A real one."

Jack watched admiringly as she poured her heart out and at the same time Carl toddled over to them both, a handful of dirt packed into his grubby fingers. Louise chuckled as he lathered a mud pie squarely in her hands and ran back to the play area and Jack laughed in observation. "At least you get a glimpse of what you have to look forward to," he commented, and she shook her head while Jack produced some wipes from Carl's bag and cleaned off her fingers.

"I think it's precious," she insisted.

When he had removed the last remnants of the outdoors from her hands, Jack paused and looked up at her. "You deserve it, you know—a family of your own?" he referred to her previous declaration. He gently took hold of her hand in his and she felt a slight shiver when he brought it to his lips for a soft kiss. "And I know if you tell Nolan that's how you feel – he'll understand."

Louise nodded, realizing that his sweet gesture signaled it was time she finally talked to Nolan again, and she agreed in her heart he was right.

SCENE

"Sorry for not getting back sooner, the past couple of days I've been…ah… busy," Daniel apologized on the phone to the potential buyer for the Manor, who was surprisingly more than understanding. He could never have imagined to be swept away from work for the past few days, least of all with Emily the entire time, but he had no complaints. Not only did he feel a closer bond to her, but he felt more motivated in his own journey, and after she had given in to his suggestion to repair things with her father, he was eager to continue with his book.

He had just begun to peruse the box she had given him, finding it a source of inspiration when he checked his phone and realized he still had yet to finalize scheduling for the house viewing in the next week. Wrapping up the call, he heard the double-beep alert for another incoming call and checked to see who it was, quickly recognizing the number.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry – I have to take another call, but are we all set then?" Fortunately the buyer continued to be cooperative. "Okay – thank you."

Daniel swapped over to the other call, sitting forward at the desk in Emily's study. "Margaux?" he verified, to which her thick accent confirmed on the other line.

"Daniel?" she asked, a bit surprised. "I was… hoping to speak to Emily."

"She's ah—out right now," Daniel answered nervously, and found himself rising to his feet, not sure why he suddenly felt a bit ashamed to be answering on her behalf. "Is this about the case tomorrow?" he pressed her, his interest piqued.

"I really don't think it's appropriate for me to discuss it with you," Margaux glossed over, knowing her allusion to information would only draw him in further. "Please let her know I called—"

"Margaux, wait," Daniel insisted, walking over to the study window to stare out at the sunset, hoping that she would not end their conversation so quickly. "Look I know this has all been… difficult," he fumbled, a bit uneasy. "But you can't do this forever. I don't want to get a lawyer involved in this; I just want to be a part of my son's life."

Margaux huffed, a bit surprised Daniel would even begin to threaten with legal action when her own experience at representation clearly gave her the upper hand in that regard. But instead of flaunting it in his face, she cleverly chose to dolly out enough to keep him satisfied. "We're doing well, Daniel," she confessed. "My check-up went well this week. The doctor just wants me to start getting more rest now that I'm getting closer to my due date."

"Don't you think that includes taking some time off from the trial?" Daniel suggested, glad to hear that someone besides him had advised her to take it easy.

Margaux sighed. "If that was an option, believe me, I would." Her intensity grew and she saw an opportunity to follow through on Victoria's admonition with Daniel on the line. "But things have accelerated beyond my control and it's time to see justice rendered."

Daniel challenged her with a snort. "Justice? My mother should be doing life right now. Instead she's got you and David Clarke wrapped around her finger doing her dirty work for her—"

"Don't be so quick to defend Emily's father, Daniel," Margaux interrupted him, acknowledging that they both knew her true identity. "You have no idea what he's guilty of. Your loyalty to your self-righteous ex has clearly clouded your judgment—"

It was Daniel's turn to interrupt. "What are you talking about?" he hissed, his voice raising.

"I'm telling you this for your own good, Daniel," Margaux prefaced her declaration, attempting to placate him with the exposure to truth. "I wouldn't want you to feel betrayed when the truth comes out tomorrow."

"What truth, Margaux," Daniel continued to prod, rubbing his brow in exasperation.

"The thugs they caught for your father's murder," she began, taking her time as she slowly divulged what she knew. "They were fake– staged by Emily to cover the tracks of the real killer… David."

Daniel froze for a moment, unable to register what Margaux was actually saying. He turned around, looking back towards the desk where the box sat that Emily had given to him, full of her father's journals and her life's work to clear his name. "You're lying," he whispered.

"I have no reason to fabricate any of this," Margaux replied sternly. "After David's escape he murdered Conrad. He confessed everything to Victoria – the timelines align exactly."

"I suppose she just happened to give you this information," Daniel alleged, leaning on his last shred of doubt.

"I'm the only counsel she has, Daniel," Margaux confirmed, and despite his hesitancy, she knew it was all beginning to make sense to him.

"I think I know my mother well enough to know when she's holding information over someone," Daniel countered, but Margaux was ready.

"Be that as it may," she agreed. "Emily knows this information too. And from your reaction I'm guessing it's something she has yet to disclose to you? No doubt, a part of her devious plot to destroy your entire family, while she and her father emerge unscathed."

Daniel was silent and for the first time since he had confronted Emily when he discovered her true identity, he felt a sudden twinge of betrayal. His mind raced as he slowly began to question all that they had shared in the past two months, dissecting each interaction with uncertainty as to whether she really had been playing him all along, again. As much as he had sympathized with her and still agreed that Victoria deserved to be prosecuted for her sins, it worried him that she would go to measures to protect those of the same magnitude in her father's case. Even if she felt justified, was her judgment clouded by her partiality? Or was Emily just one side of two adversaries that had both racked up an equal share of accountabilities in this war of revenge?

"Perhaps I've said too much," Margaux responded to his silence, lacking sincerity. "I should let you go."

"Yeah," he muttered, still sorting through his thoughts. He managed an abrupt goodbye before ending the call, setting the phone down on the desk while his focus remained on the box. He came around to return where he was seated and opened it again, hoping that in some way its contents would bring him confidence in his newfound relationship with Emily. He struggled to ignore Margaux's allegations, reminding himself again how deceitful his mother could be. And further, that the woman he loved today was different from the girl that beguiled him years ago during her return to the Hamptons. But for all his attempts, the seeds of doubt had already been planted, and once again he found himself at a loss for what he could believe and anxious to learn the truth...

END OF CHAPTER

Author's Note: Thank you for returning again faithful readers! So yeah, things are about to take a little turn… fear not though, Demily has survived worst! But be prepared Are you worried? It seems like this episode saw more than just Victoria getting prosecuted, poor Louise was 'on the stand' so to speak a few times and as you can see, Daniel will have a few of his own questions for Ems when she returns. How did you like the latest update? Looking forward to your thoughts! Thanks much and stay tuned in the next installment, coming soon! PS. It will also include a preview of the next story! ~Love and Reven8e~ MothToANewFlame86