Hello again. This is the final chapter. I appreciate everyone that accompanied me on this journey. I have to give a special shout out to my long lost sister, Monni2215. You are the best, and I could not have done this without you.
The police had come to arrest Danny.
"We have a warrant for arrest for Danny Desai." The officer said.
"On what grounds?" Vikram asks while staring at the officer.
"For the assault of Joe Masterson." The officer says.
They read Danny his rights while trying to handcuff him but notices the bandages on his hands.
"I think some of his fingers are broken." Judy says. "I'm a registered nurse and I think he needs x-rays and I don't think you should handcuff him."
"We'll take him for medical treatment before we take him to the police station. You're welcome to accompany him since he's a minor. He is still under arrest though." The officer says. "You can just follow us in your own vehicle."
Lacey tries to control her tears as the officers lead Danny from his house to the back of a police car. Vikram and Karen get into Vikram's car, and Judy and Lacey get into Judy's car and follow the police car to the hospital. Judy and the two officers escort Danny to the emergency room for x-rays. Vikram, Karen and Lacey sit in the waiting room where they run into Tess and Kyle.
Tess is crying and Kyle is livid. He walks over to them and just starts shouting. "Your monster of a son almost killed our boy!"
"Your monster of a son got what he deserved!" Vikram says. He doesn't want to reveal anything about the sex tape yet. He might have to use that to get Danny out of trouble. He already called his lawyer and told him to meet them at the police station.
"He's going down for this!" Kyle yells.
"And so is Joe. He isn't as innocent as you think he is." Karen says.
"Why did you come to my house looking for Joe?" Tess asks Lacey. "Did you know this was going to happen?"
"No, I didn't. I was just trying to find him." Lacey says.
"You don't have to answer her questions, Lacey." Vikram says.
The doctor comes out to talk to Kyle and Tess. He tells them that Joe is still unconscious and is suffering from a concussion, blown pupils, a broken nose and jaw. He tells them that he has a brain bleed and lost several teeth. Danny almost killed him.
Tess starts crying frantically as Kyle tries to comfort her. They just glare at Karen and Vikram. They blame them and Danny for their son being in that situation. They have no idea what Joe did to get himself into that situation.
Judy walks back out with another doctor. The doctor informs them that Danny has broken several bones in his right hand and two fingers on his left. He said that they were putting the cast and the splint on his hand and then he'd be free to go.
Judy starts to speak. "Well, I hate to leave, but we have to go. I have to go and pick Clara up from practice." Judy says as she puts her coat on.
"Mom. I wanna stay so I can see Danny and make sure he's ok." Lacey says.
Judy exhales. "Lacey..."
"We'll make sure she gets home safely." Karen says. "I promise."
"Ok." Judy says as she gives Lacey, Karen and Vikram a hug and leaves the hospital.
Several minutes later, the officers escort Danny out. They each have a grab on Danny's arms since he isn't in handcuffs. They already warned him not to try and run. Kyle and Tess glare at Danny.
Lacey tries to give Danny a hug, but one of the officers stops her. "You can't touch him, Ma'am." The officer says.
Lacey just steps back in defeat and locks eyes with Danny. He smiles and gives her a slight wink.
"You freaking phychopath! You tried to kill him!" Kyle says.
"Don't speak about my son that way." Karen says.
"Joe was like Danny's brother. Why would Danny do this?" Tess asks.
"You need to ask yourself what Joe did to get Danny to do this." Vikram says as he, Karen, Danny, Lacey, and the officers leave the hospital.
Vikram follows the police car to the station with Karen and Lacey in the back seat. They fingerprinted, booked and photographed him for his mug shot. They put him in a holding cell inside the station. They really didn't know what to do with Danny since he's still a minor. Vikram and his lawyer talk with the arresting officer and find out that Danny won't be arraigned until the morning. Karen and Lacey both hated the idea of Danny spending a night in a jail cell. The good thing was Vikram had a lot of power and the police officers respected him and that. Even though Kyle is the chief of police, they weren't going to let anything happen to Vikram Desai's son. They all know what a pompous ass Kyle's son is. They felt like he needed to be taught a lesson a long time ago.
"Well, there's nothing more we can do here until the morning." Vikram says as he gets ready to leave the station with Karen, Lacey and his attorney.
"Is Danny going to be ok, Mr. Desai?" Lacey asks with tears in her eyes.
"Yes, Lacey. I have a good lawyer and I have people keeping an eye on him. He told me to tell you he loves you and that he's sorry." Vikram says.
Lacey starts to cry and Karen gives her a hug. "It'll be ok, Lacey. Don't worry." Karen says.
They all leave the station and get into Vikram's Bentley. He starts to drive and Karen starts to talk. "I just realized I don't know where my car is." Karen says.''
"It's at Regina's house. I saw it there when I went to get Danny." Lacey speaks up from the backseat.
"Well, we'll have to get it tomorrow. You don't need it tonight anyway." Vikram says. "Lacey, do you have to get anything from our house before I take you home?" Vikram asks.
"Yes. My schoolbag is in Danny's car." Lacey says.
They all just ride in silence until Vikram reaches their house. "Lacey, do you still have Danny's keys?" Karen asks.
"Yes, they're in my purse." Lacey says.
"Why don't you just keep them and take Danny's car? I know he won't mind. It's not like he can drive it any way." Karen says.
"Are you sure?" Lacey asks.
"Yes, it's fine. We trust you." Vikram says as they all get out of Vikram's car. They both hug Lacey and wait for her to get into Danny's car and pull off before going into their house.
Lacey drove home a little bit nervous, and a lot anxious. She was of course worried about Danny. She hated that he was sitting in jail. It made her want to scream. Any other time, she'd be ok with him being in that situation. But he had broken bones in both of his hands. He couldn't defend himself. It was like sending a declawed cat out into the world. She dreaded thinking that he really would have to spend time in jail. What he did to Joe was unbelievable. Even though he deserved it, she still felt bad. Kind of how she felt about her and Timmy. She hated to even think about him. but there was no use. She hated feeling sorry for people that didn't deserve it.
And she wondered about what her Mom would say to her when she got home. Her mother now knows for certain, that she and Danny had sex. And they were filmed. It was a hard thing for her to have to confess in front of all of them. But it felt good that the parents knew the whole story. That could work to her and Danny's advantage. But Joe being in the hospital, Danny being in jail, and Joe's father being the chief of police wasn't a good thing. She envisioned the worst.
She pulled up in front of her house, grabbed her things, and went inside. Judy and Clara were sitting in the living room.
"Hey, Mom. Hey, Clar Bear." Lacey says as she walks over to sit on the couch.
"Hey, Lace Face. What's wrong?" Clara asks. She can see that Lacey is upset, but doesn't know why.
Lacey sneaks a glance at her mother before answering. She sees from the look on her mother's face, that Clara doesn't know, and she'd like to keep it that way. "Nothing, I just had a long day." Lacey says as she smiles at her little sister.
"Clara, go up to your room, turn on your tv loud like you like it, and shut the door. Your sister and I need to talk, and I don't want you eavesdropping or interrupting us. Is that understood?" Judy says.
"Yes, Ma'am." Clara says as she heads upstairs and does exactly as she's told.
"What happened after I left?" Judy asks in concern.
"They arrested Danny and he's at the police station until he gets arraigned in the morning." Lacey says.
"Why didn't you tell me the truth, Lacey?" Judy asks.
"I didn't know how. I was hurt and embarrassed." Lacey admits.
"But you can tell me anything. I'm your mother." Judy says through tears. "You should have told me." Judy says.
Lacey begins to tear up too. "I know. And I'm sorry, Mom. It won't happen again." Lacey says.
"Now, I see why you were so hurt. You really thought he did that to you." Judy states.
"Yes, I did." Lacey says honestly.
"So, you two are having sex?" Judy asks.
"Yes." Lacey says as she lowers her head.
"I already knew that. I knew before you thought I knew. You were careful though, right?" Judy asks.
"Yes, Mom. You're not angry with me?" Lacey asks.
"I'm angry that somebody filmed you and Danny being intimate, to make it about themselves. I'm angry that you didn't tell me about that video. That could come back to haunt you and Danny, Lacey." Judy says. "I'm not letting the people that did this get away with it."
"I think they both have learned their lesson, Mom." Lacey says. She doesn't want any unnecessary attention from that video.
"Well, I'll talk to Karen and Vik to see what they want to do. But I think they are more concerned with Danny being arrested." Judy says. "I'm going to their house in the morning to be supportive and to see what happens with Danny. I'm taking a personal day at work. I'll drop you two off and then head over to their house.
"I can drop Clara off because I have Danny's car." Lacey says.
"You do? I guess they are ok with you having it. That'll make things easier." Judy says.
"Yeah. They said they would handle everything in the morning. His Dad said he had people to keep an eye on Danny." Lacey says.
"Good. I know you're hungry." Judy says.
"Yes. I haven't eaten since lunch." Lacey says.
"Well, I bought a rotisserie chicken and fixed rice and string beans. I already made you a plate." Judy says.
"Thanks, Mom." Lacey says as she gets up and walks over to kiss and hug her mother.
Lacey didn't sleep well that night. She thought about Danny the whole night, wondering if he was ok, and if he would spend more time in jail. She awoke that morning and really didn't want to go to school, but she knew she had to. She showered and dressed and headed downstairs with her mother and Clara. Judy fixed waffles and sausages with fruit. Clara was excited when she found out Lacey would be taking her to school in Danny's car. They all left the house at the same time, with Lacey heading to Clara's school and Judy heading to the Desai house. Lacey dropped Clara off and dreaded going to school. She pulled into the parking lot and parked. Lacey noticed that people were whispering and pointing. It must've gotten out that Danny had been arrested. Lacey walked into the school and Phoebe was waiting for her at her locker.
"What the hell happened, Lacey?" Phoebe asks in wonderment.
"What did you hear?" Lacey asks.
"I heard that Danny beat up Joe, Danny got locked up and Joe is in the hospital." Phoebe says.
"Well, that's what happened. Who told you?" Lacey asks.
"Jill Thomas. Her dad is a cop. It's not completely around school yet, but it will be." Phoebe says.
"I don't even care. I know it's not gonna stay a secret forever." Lacey says.
"Why did Danny beat up Joe?" Phoebe asks. She still doesn't know what Joe did.
"Joe was the one that recorded me and Danny." Lacey says.
"What?! Why would Joe do that?" Phoebe asks.
"I don't know." Lacey says honestly.
Cole and Rico walk up to Lacey and Phoebe.
"We heard they arrested Danny." Cole says.
"Yup," Lacey says as she nods her head. "I can't believe this is happening." Lacey says.
"I hold my sister responsible. And Joe. I don't understand why they did all of this." Rico says.
"It just doesn't make sense." Phoebe says.
"I can't believe she still hasn't learned her lesson." Rico says. "She knows I have dirt on her." He says.
"Yeah, you do." Cole says.
"What are you two talking about?" Lacey asks.
"We're talking about this." Cole says as he reaches into his backpack and pulled out Sarita's diary.
Phoebe's eyes get huge. "What are you going to do with her diary? Show it around?" Phoebe asks.
"Well, we just want her to know that we know her dirty little secrets. And Lacey, since she invaded and violated your privacy, you can find out the things Sarita doesn't want anyone to know. If you want to let it out, you can." Rico says.
"I don't know if I want to read her diary." Lacey says.
"She did worse to you. And me." Cole says. "Read it. It will blow your mind." Cole says as he hands Lacey the book. She just tucks it into her bag. She'll decide what to do later.
Suddenly, Sarita walks by. She avoids eye contact with them. The only one she'd dare speak to is Phoebe, but she just keeps walking.
When Vikram, Karen, Judy and their lawyer arrived at the police station, they found out that Danny would be arraigned very early. They charged him with first degree assault. The prosecutor wanted them to throw the book at him, through Kyle's insistence. He wanted the bail set at $1,000,000. That was a totally ridiculous and unrealistic bail. He recommended that Danny serve two years in a juvenile detention center, or until his 18th birthday. The judge rejected every argument that the prosecutor tried to make. Kyle and the prosecutor were livid because there wasn't anything they could do. The judge made the calls. He lowered Danny's bail to $500,000, put Danny on house arrest for 60 days, ordered him to take anger management classes, and pay Joe's medical bills. Judge Walter Mills banged his gavel and court was adjourned. They had to take Danny to get fitted with his home monitoring device, and he was free to leave with his parents. Kyle was pissed that Danny wasn't rotting in jail for what he did to his son. Danny got off too easy in his eyes.
The truth of the matter wouldn't be made known to anyone. As unfair, wrong, and as illegal as it was, Vikram paid off the judge to go easy on Danny. He wasn't going to allow his son to spend another night in jail.
Lacey took the time in Music to read the diary. Mrs. Stevens wasn't there, so the class pretty much did what the wanted. She hid the diary between one of her textbooks. She felt it was a wrong thing to do, until she thought about what Sarita did to her. She couldn't believe the stuff she read. Her obsession with Danny was mind-blowing. Lacey even read about herself in Sarita's diary. And then she read the stuff that really messed her up. She couldn't believe what she read. Sarita is without a doubt, a truly disturbed and fucked up individual. How she wasn't actually in an asylum was beyond Lacey.
When Lacey got to lunch, she decided to have a conversation with Sarita. It seemed only fair.
Lacey walked up to the table and with the diary in her hand. She placed it on the table in front of Sairta. Sarita's eyes grew huge. She tried to reach for it, but Lacey snatched it away. Phoebe looked on with huge eyes. Regina was nowhere to be found.
"Follow me." Lacey said as she walked away. Sarita was scared to follow Lacey and too scared not to. She got up out of her seat and followed Lacey into an empty classroom. Lacey shuts the door and walks up to Sarita. Sarita instinctively stepped back out of fear. "Why so jumpy, Sarita?" Lacey asks.
"No reason." Sarita says.
"So, I take it you know what this is, right?" Lacey asks.
"Yes. It's my diary." Sarita says quietly.
"Normally, I would never read a person's diary because of how private it is. But in this case, you don't deserve privacy. You invaded mine when you put out a video of me having sex with Danny. And judging from what you wrote in here, you liked and hated the things you saw Danny do to me and what I did to him." Lacey says as she paused to further fuck with Sarita. "And I see just how crazy and fucked up you really are. But I never needed to know any of this. And I would not have had you just moved the hell on. You and I could have been friends, well maybe not. But you tried me and underestimated me. I know you won't make that mistake again."
"No, I won't. What are you going to do with my diary?" Sarita asks.
"Oh, I'm going to give it back to you. But you should know that I made copies. And I know. I know what you did to Rico. Repeatedly when you guys were younger. I know you tried to have sex with your own brother. I know that you think that made him gay. I know. And I won't say anything, because of Rico. Not you. And if you ever step out of line, or fuck with me, or anyone I love ever again, everyone will know your dirty little secrets. I trust you and I will never have another problem ever again. Am I right?" Lacey asks.
"Yes." Sarita stammers. Lacey felt the need to make her feel small. Lacey walked up to her and gave her the diary. Then Lacey left the room and left Sarita to again wish she had never gotten involved in that scheme with Joe in the first place.
Joe had finally woken up from being unconscious since the beating he relieved from Danny. He looked like hell, but not as bad as he did when they first brought him into he emergency room. He had his jaw wired shut, his nose was broken and he had two black eyes. Danny really did a number on him. Tess was sitting at his bedside and jumped up when she saw Joe stirring. She pressed the call button when Joe opened his eyes. The nurse came in and called for a doctor to come. They did a neurological exam on him. He explained that they still needed to watch Joe closely because of his concussion and brain bleed, but he would be fine. He had to be on a liquid diet until the arch bars were removed from his jaw. They wanted him to stay in the hospital another night, and would probably release him the next day.
Tess asked the dreaded question when the doctor left the room. "What did you do to make Danny do this to you, Joe?" Tess asks.
Joe just looked at his mother. He couldn't believe he thought he'd get away with it. Tess handed him a pad. Joe just wrote.
I'm sorry.
He meant that in more ways than one.
Lacey drove to Danny's house to talk to Karen. She hadn't heard anything, and wanted to know if Danny was still in jail. She pulled into the driveway and saw Karen's car. She guessed they went to Regina's to get it. She rang the doorbell and Karen answered with Sadie in her arms.
"Hi, Ms. Karen. What happened?" Lacey asked as she walked into the house. "Is Danny still in jail?"
"No, he's upstairs. I'll let him tell you what happened." Karen says as she smiles at Lacey.
Lacey practically ran up the stairs and went in Danny's room. He was sitting on his bed watching tv. Lacey ran over and gave him a hug and a kiss. The tears rolled down her face and wet Danny's face also. "I'm so glad you're ok. What happened?" Lacey asked as she sat on the bed next to him.
"Well, I got out on bail and I'm on house arrest for two months. I have to take anger management classes." Danny says. "I'm sorry I snuck out to go find Joe." Danny says.
"That's all? That's great. But I just realized you won't play in the championship game this weekend." Lacey says. "And I know you're sorry."
"I know. It's ok though." Danny says. "I'm just glad I'm home even though I'm stuck in here for two months."
"I know. I'm just glad you aren't sitting in jail. I doubt they'd allow conjugal visits." Lacey says as she smiles at him.
"Well, you do know my hands are broken. I think you'll have to give me baths until they heal." Danny says as she smirks.
Lacey leans over to give him another kiss. "I think I can handle that." Lacey says.
The End
That really is the end and there is an epilogue to follow.