Stephanie gets her chance

Angie and Ella made sure that Stephanie looked her best this morning, from her French braid done by Angie to the pencil skirt, blouse and jacket bought by Ella with her ballerina flats. She was a vision to behold.

In her hand, clutched tightly in her fist was a new present, two dog tags…one had Carlos' name, birth date, and his blood type. The other dog tag had the initials of all the people that were important to her life and well-being.

D for daddy

M for momma Angie

G for grandma

T for Tank

L for Lester

B for bobby

Everyone was on there, including Hector, Manny and Binkie right along with Hal and Woody. Once they met the little girl for the first time and saw her incredible smile. There was nothing they wouldn't do for her. *including being cell mates of one Joseph Morelli*

Once Melissa called her to take the stand, she stood up and held her head high, clutching those dog tags, which would get her through the day.

On her way to the stand, Joe couldn't keep his eyes off her at all. She was a true vision to him, to drink her beauty in. As she was sworn in to 'tell the truth, the whole truth, so help her God.' Morelli shifted in his chair as he listening to her talk about what happened that night not so long ago.

'Stephanie, in your own words, can you tell the court what happened that night,' Melissa asked.

She took a deep breath, looked at Carlos and started her testimony.

How Joe came to her job, locked the door and told her," she was his going away present." How he ripped her clothes off, her shirt was in tatters lying on the floor. She said she screamed at him 'no no no stop please dear god stop, no no, I don't want this' over and over to him. All the while, he held her down, pinning her to the floor with his larger body. He pounded into her repeatedly, he wanted her in the worst way and nothing was going to stop him. He knew he was leaving on the next flight out, he wanted this moment and nothing was stopping him. Not her screams or her scratches. He was claiming his woman, as he knew he was entitled to.

She had fought back, scratched his face and back, trying to get away. Morelli was just too damn strong. She felt the blood between her legs and saw it dripping from his face where she marked him. He had left her in a huddled ball, crying on the floor. She saw him turn around and smile, he called her 'my cupcake' then picked up his duffel bag and left.

Stephanie did the one thing she always did, in good times or in bad. She called her daddy; he would rescue her from 'the hell' she found herself in. If anyone could help, it was her daddy, Frank Plum.

She had the rape kit done. 'Thank heavens I got the shot to prevent pregnancy' and blood was taken to make sure no diseases were transmitted. (After all Joseph Morelli was a man who always got a girl. Whether or not they wanted him was the question.)

She told about not being able to go to school anymore. That she was scared to leave the house. Taking hot showers, trying to scrub away the memory. Living somewhere else after what had happened. How her mother wanted her to recant and say, 'it didn't happen,' that she had 'asked' for it. Her mother was no longer a part of her life. She kept nightlights on, has been in therapy ever since and she was being home schooled now. Since everyone now knew, she was the victim of rape, by the accused. Tears were falling down her face as she told it all.

Stephanie kept direct eye contact with Carlos the whole time she was talking, he was her anchor, her rock in good times and bad, and she was finding out they needed each other, for the balance in their lives. He gave her a soft smile and was encouraging her to go on and let it fly as he said to her the other night, 'be my wonder woman, babe'.

She saw her daddy give a small smile to her, encouraging her to keep going. Angie winked at her as well, with Ella giving her a thumb up. For the words needed to be said. It was cathartic for everyone to hear all this once and for all. Finally getting it out in court and on the record. Looking at her grandma, she saw her wipe her eyes, hearing all those words and emotions about what happened to her 'baby girl' and Edna was enraged all over again, at the attack of course but mostly due to her own daughter, Helen and her evil ways of manipulating Stephanie for all these years.

Edna had tears pouring down her face, as Stephanie remembered and when hearing about Helen not being a part of their lives anymore, nothing was made of the fact that she was in a hospital, Edna just chuckled at the thought of the old name of the hospital, and 'lunatic' asylum fit Helen perfectly.

Stephanie told of having guards wherever she went now, scared of someone saying or doing something when she did go out, she finally felt protected for the first time in her life, thanks to those men and her daddy.

Joe grabbed at Vinnie's arm wanting to say something, everyone saw it but Melissa kept her going on, until finally it happened. What everyone was holding their breaths for and couldn't wait for her to do it.

Stephanie looked at Morelli and said ' I hate you, I hate you raped me, I hate you took everything from me, my childhood, you made me become a woman that night, instead of a sixteen year old girl. I hope you go to prison and become someone's back door bitch, I hope you feel my pain because you sure in the hell deserve it.'

Carlos thought how moving Hector into prison for a short while would be worth it for both of them actually, Hector told him of a" major crush he had on the extra hairy man, anything for his Estephania," he said with a grin.

Melissa said 'I have nothing further your honor,' and Vinnie said 'I have no questions,' for Vinnie remembered Frank Plum in the bathroom catching him masturbating, what a nightmare that was.

'The prosecution rests' were the last words from Melissa's mouth before the gavel came down.

Judge Sharpton suggested a recess and gave everyone a two-hour lunch break. Stephanie was out the door with her family, wanting to get far away from that 'room of horrors' as she could, having to face down Morelli took almost all of her emotional strength she had. She needed to recharge in the worst way.

What if Morelli did get up on the stand?

Melissa was hoping he would. Vinnie didn't know how he could not take the stand, he needed to be redeemed. If that was even possible, he thought.

A moment of truth had happened as Morelli was being escorted back to his cell, would he testify, tell what happened. Or would he be silent and let Vinnie's only witness the psychiatrist says he was sane and knew right from wrong be on the stand?

'We can't have the Doctor on the stand, saying I knew what I was doing, or could we?' Joe thought to himself 'hell yeah I did it and would do it again, and one more time for myself.'

He couldn't be sure just WHO it was that attacked him when he got to his cell, the night before. A pillowcase was thrown over his face, his attackers said not a sound or word and punches had been thrown his way. He was relieved to see it was just Binkie there. Binkie always had a smile on his face, having Joe think he had found a friend. The other two men had always looked at him as if he was the devil himself.

The men never knew Binkie wanted to vomit at the thought of being in contact with Morelli. How repulsed he was at this part of his job. Like everyone else though, he adored Stephanie, so 'taking one for the team' was all right in his book after all.

After Court had ended for lunch break, Manny and Hector were in the Chief's office watching the cameras and seeing Morelli looking around in his cell, nervous maybe. Looking for the other cellmates, relief was showing on his face at not seeing them, his body language was evident of how frightened he was just coming back to his 'home'.

Morelli sat on his bunk, his hands cradling his head and he was thinking to himself 'why not get up there and tell them, how much I do love Stephanie? Everyone knows I did it, maybe the judge will have mercy on me, and throw the case out, or maybe I can get probation, something has to go my way here, no way will Stephanie beat me in this case. I WONT LET HER WIN!'

That's what made his mind up; it came down to winning it all. In his mind, she was his girl and although she had told all his secrets. He still had her first; who knows what could happen if he told her, 'he was sorry.' It wouldn't hurt to apologize; no one would be able to tell that I loved every minute of it, right?'

Joe never realized he WAS TALKING OUT LOUD TO HIMSELF. Sure, he knew he was mumbling. He didn't know about the microphones that Tank made and installed in the cell. They picked up the slightest spoken word, never mind everyone heard the beating last night or him groaning in pain as it was going on. Now they had heard he was going to say 'I'm sorry?' And to have mercy on him via the judge?

Melissa heard every word spoken by him, taking notes furiously. This changed her strategy all the way around. Now she had to ask just a few simple questions instead of her file folder of notes, she only had two questions for the accused.

Heading back into court, his lunch forgotten, Morelli was standing tall and walking straight, his head was up, thinking he had this in the bag. The leg and arm shackles didn't bother him at all; he would be free very soon.

After telling Vinnie what he wanted to do, he noticed the look from him about this strategy, but he knew being his attorney, he was for the accused; he had to explore every option and since Joe was going to be on the stand and throw himself on Judge Sharpton's mercy. Well here goes nothing.

"Defense calls Dr. Osborn to the stand.' Vinnie said, looking around the courtroom, feeling the heat from Frank Plum's eyes boring in on him. He flashbacked to the bathroom 'incident'.

All of a sudden, Vinnie wasn't feeling so good.

A/N not ours….since no one is really reading and or reviewing this wonderful piece of work, I assume you won't care that we post mon-fri, starting today.

Tsk Tsk, too many cupcakes I'm afraid… (laughter)