Author's Note: Hi everyone! Short note today to go along with, what I'm afraid is, a short chapter. This and the next one were originally one chapter but I decided to split it. It just worked better creatively. I hope you are enjoying my "May Sweeps" event. Love everyone who has been sending reviews! You really are making a difference :)
~JP

True North
By Jaclyn Parker

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth."
- Buddha
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Upon resuming court, there was no time for any sort of defensive preparation as Polk stood up from the prosecution table.

"We'd like to call Ms. Carly Tenney to the stand." Polk said, looking over his shoulder at Carly with a gleam in his eye that made her very nervous.

"Your Honor, we have to object to this. Ms. Tenney is in the third trimester of her pregnancy with a high volatile condition known as pre-eclampsia. She cannot be subjected to any unnecessary stress." Richardson staid standing and placing his palms on the table firmly.

Judge Miller glanced down at the papers in front of him and then back up. "Is this the woman who is carrying Dr. Reynolds's child?"

"Yes, your Honor." Polk said before anyone else could speak.

The judge looked closely at Carly and then frowned, shaking his head slightly.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have allow it." Judge Miller said but sent a look to the other lawyer. "But tread lightly, Mr. Polk."

Then looking back to Carly he motioned to the seat next to him.

"Ms. Tenney, please take the stand."

Carly felt Molly squeeze her hand and she looked over at her. Her eyes traveled down the row from Mattie and Parker's troubled faces to the same looks from her friends. Then they landed on Jack who very subtly sent her a wink and smile.

Even though it immediately calmed her nerves, Carly wanted to cry at his sign of support. Especially when she felt that deep down she didn't deserve it.

Once Carly was standing in the witness box and had been sworn in, she gently lowered herself in the chair.

"How are you feeling today, Carly? May I call you Carly?" Polk asked as he rose from his seat.

"Can I say no?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Polk frowned and looked at Judge Miller, who tried to hide a smile.

"Ms. Tenney, try to be a little less…surly." Judge Miller said and Carly nodded.

"Yes, your Honor. I'm sorry." Carly said and gave him a tiny smile. Then she twisted back to Polk and the smile turned into a small defiant stare.

In the public gallery section of the courtroom, Parker turned around slightly to motion to his dad over his shoulder. Jack tore his eyes away from the scene for a moment and Parker gestured to the witness area where his mom sat fuming.

"The way Mom is looking at him, I hope this guy has someone to walk him to his car tonight." Parker whispered and Jack bit back a smile, shushing him. Then he nudged J.J. when the younger teenaged boy tried unsucessfully to cover his laugh with a loud cough.

Since they were surrounded by their friends and family, they had all heard Parker's comment and small snickers had escaped several of them, including Emma. At the noise, the judge banged his gavel quietly and they all stiffened up, sending apologetic looks his way.

Polk made a noise in his throat and then continued.

"So, Carly, how are you feeling today?" Polk asked again, ignoring the glare since he was used to getting them in his career.

"I've been better." Carly said shortly.

"It must have been hard out in L.A.; creating your own fashion line, being pregnant, and taking care of four kids." Polk said, glancing down at his notes.

"We were doing just fine. Molly was there when I couldn't be and Lee came out every weekend. It was only a summer thing anyway." Carly said and Polk's eyes went to her face.

"For now. But I understand that your line is creating a lot of buzz already. What happens if you get asked to stay out there? Then Dr. Reynolds would have to continue flying out to visit the child that you're carrying extremely often, either dragging Matilda with him or leaving her behind."

"I'm not staying in L.A." Carly said firmly, her jaw ticking at Polk's insinuations that either she or Lee would neglect Mattie.

"Really? Isn't it your dream to have your own fashion line? I mean, you did work at Barbara Ryan Originals several times over to try and get your career started. Sadly, it didn't work out then, but now you have a great opportunity. Are you saying that you are willing to give that up to stay here in Oakdale?" Polk asked, his eyes wide in artificial surprise.

"My children come first and their home…our home is in Oakdale." Carly said, and shook her head. "Besides, I am co-owner of a very lucrative business in Oakdale."

"Ah, yes, Club Metro. Isn't it true that you and Dr. Reynolds took Matilda there for a New Year's Eve party when she was only 15?" Polk said, frowning at her.

"It was birthday party for my son! There was no alcohol in their area and they were monitored very closely the whole night." Carly said and she felt her blood pressure rising. Taking a deep breath she tried to calm herself down, placing a hand over her stomach protectively. She couldn't afford to let this man rile her up.

"Ah, so you say. But isn't it also true that a…" Polk looked down at his notes again and then back up to Carly's face. "…James Morris got drunk at that same party?"

"What?" Carly exclaimed at the accusation. Then thinking back she just rolled her eyes. "Oh, for God's sake. Jimmy Morris is an annoying little twerp who grabbed a Jello shot as he was leaving the club with his parents. The bouncer and I caught him and his parents grounded him for three weeks."

Polk frowned, re-reading his notations. He now saw that his "source" was really just a boy who had snitched as a way to get back at Carly for getting him in trouble. Kicking himself mentally for not checking the story out better, he forced himself to move on.

"This birthday party was for your son? Is this the same son that Matilda is now dating?" Polk asked and Carly frowned.

"Yes, my oldest son, Parker."

"So, let me get this straight. You were dating Dr. Reynolds, became pregnant, broke up with him, set him up with your cousin who he's now engaged to, and Matilda is dating your son? I've heard of things being kept in the family but isn't that all just a little much, Ms. Tenney?"

"I don't…" She started to say, bristling at his mocking tone, but Polk kept going.

"How normal do you think your son is going to feel when his new sibling is also his girlfriend's cousin? Wasn't it true that he had a hard enough time adjusting last year when his father was engaged to the mother of his previous girlfriend, who was also his cousin by the way?"

"She was only his cousin by marriage on his adoptive father's side." Carly said, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "And you know what? You can just leave my son alone; he's fine."

Jack and Lee noticed her aggravation at the same time and just as Jack tapped Lee on the shoulder the doctor nudged his own lawyer.

"Your Honor, I object. The past non marriage of Parker Snyder's father has no bearing on the custody case at hand." Richardson said, standing and looking at Polk like he was crazy.

"It goes to emotional well being of my client's daughter, your Honor." Polk said and Judge Miller frowned.

"Maybe on another planet it does, but not here in my court room. Objection sustained. Move on, Mr. Polk." Judge Miller said leaning forward to cross his arms over his desk.

"Yes, your Honor." Polk said and paced a moment before turning to Carly again. "Ms. Tenney, are you sure you're okay with Ms. Conlan marrying Dr. Reynolds?"

"What? Of course I am. They're very happy together." Carly said, startled by the new line of questions.

"Please, Carly. You're telling this court that you are okay with your cousin marrying the man who is the father of your child? The man who abandoned you when you were barely pregnant and fell in love with your cousin instead?"

"Lee didn't abandon anyone! It was a mutual decision and I'm glad that Molly and Lee found each other. In fact, I encouraged it!" Carly said, shaking her head.

"If this was a mutual decision, then why was even your ex-husband under the impression until a few days ago that you were still with the good doctor?" Polk asked and Carly's eyes darted to look over at Jack before swinging back to the lawyer.

"I, uh…" Carly started to say, but found herself, instead, wondering how he had obtained his information.

"I find it hard to believe that you would perpetuate this charade unless there is something for you to hide." Polk said, tapping the side of his chin.

"No, we…" Carly tried to talk again but Polk cut her off.

"Is it because you were jealous of Dr. Reynolds and Ms. Conlan or because they really weren't ever engaged?" Polk said and Carly glared at him.

"I wasn't jealous." Carly said firmly.

"So they weren't engaged?" Polk jumped in and Carly shook her head again, glancing the way of her friends and family once more.

"No, that's not… what I mean is yes but…" Carly tried to get her thoughts together but all she could see was Jack's confused face looking back at her.

Carly looked away and towards the rest of the group. Parker, J.J., and Mattie were wearing matching worried frowns while Lee and Molly shared the same mixture of concern and fear as to where this line of questioning was going. Even Lily, Holden, and Emma were biting their lips in apprehension.

"Ms. Tenney, do I have to remind you that you are still under oath?" Polk said and moved swiftly towards her. "Was your cousin engaged to the father of your child before today in this courtroom?"

At his words, Carly's eyes were brought back to Mattie's innocent face and the obvious fear she wore that she was going to ripped away from the only family she had left. In that moment, Carly knew what she had to do and just prayed silently that they would all forgive her when it was done.

"No, she wasn't." Carly said softly and everyone gasped quietly. Polk started to walk away, an ugly sneer of satisfaction on his face. But Carly's words stopped him in his tracks.

"Because Dr. Reynolds isn't the father of my baby."

A person could have heard a pin drop in the following silence that reigned in the courtroom and Polk turned on his heel to stare at Carly.

"Would repeat that please, Ms. Tenney?"

Carly drew a deep breath and stared into his face.

"Lee is not the father of this baby."

"Then who is? Again, I remind you that you're under oath." Polk asked and the gleam was back in his eye.

"My ex-husband, Jack Snyder." Carly said slowly, looking down and twisting her hands in her lap.

It was the moment she had been both longing for and dreading for seven long months and now that it was here all Carly could do was wait for the inevitable fallout.

She didn't have to wait long.

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On The Next Chapter of True North:
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"Jack Snyder is the most amazing father I have ever seen. He loves our kids more than his own life. Where the hell do you get off suggesting that he would ever hurt them?"

"Well, obviously he's not that amazing if you felt you couldn't tell him that he was going to be a father to this child!" Polk said and Richardson stood up.

"Objection, your Honor. He's badgering the witness."

Judge Miller looked at Carly a moment before shaking his head. "I'll allow it."

"So how come, Ms. Tenney, if Detective Snyder is so great, did you hide your baby's paternity?" Polk asked forcefully.

Carly shook her head and it tore her up inside to know that at that same moment, Jack was probably thinking the same question. All she could was answer it as honestly as she knew how and pray that he would understand.

TBC