Author's Note: Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Thank you once again for all the support you have given me and this story. It really does mean a lot to me. Last time, Penny, Sherman, Peabody, and John Mark witnessed the arrest of Jesus. Will they be able to find out where He's been taken? Well let's find out!

Outside the House of the High Priest Caiaphas, Friday 7 April A.D. 30, 12:00 AM

"This is where they've taken Him, I'm sure of it," John Mark explained as they walked up to the house.

"It's a palace," Penny noted. "Look at all the people."

"It's the home of the high priest of the Jewish Temple," Peabody explained to her.

"What will happen to Jesus here?" Penny asked.

"Well, they'll question Him. And then Lord willing, they'll let Him go," John Mark explained.

"Are you sure you're alright, Penny?" Sherman asked. "You took a valiant stand against that soldier."

"Not valiant enough," she replied. "I could have done better than that."

"Nonsense, Penny," Mr. Peabody said. "We were outnumbered with no weapons. You couldn't fight all of them."

"We should have done something," Penny replied.

"Maybe we still can. Come on," John Mark motioned for the time travelers to follow him. "Wait, look. There at the door. Peter and John are talking with that servant girl. That must be where they've taken the Master. She's letting John in."

"Peter's staying behind," Sherman noted.

"John's family is well known to the priest," John Mark explained. The servant girl is probably under orders. But I know this place. There's another way for us to see."

"Shhh. Listen. Peter's talking to the girl. Let's get closer," Peabody said.

"I can't let anyone in I don't know," the servant girl was explaining to Peter. "All the temple leaders are in there. It's pretty important I guess. You can go over there and warm yourself by the fire if you want. Strange happenings. Everyone dragging themselves out in the middle of the night for this, this Jesus fellow. They've never done that for anyone else that I know of." A hint of recognition appeared on her face. "You're one of them aren't you? One of His disciples."

"Uh, no, no, I-I'm just a friend of John's, that's all," Peter replied nervously.

Mr. Peabody sadly held out one of the pads on his paw and commented, "One."

"Come on," John Mark urged the time travelers. "We have to see what's happening to the Master."

"Where are we going?" Sherman asked.

"This way, up these stairs," John Mark pointed as the three followed him. "We must stay quiet. If we're caught, they'll put us out." The four listened to the trial going on below them in the courtyard where a large crowd had gathered.

"I was at the Temple, when this Man, Jesus, cause a near riot, when He said He would destroy the Temple," one of the witnesses was testifying. This caused some anxious murmuring in the crowd.

"Destroy the temple?!" One of the priests asked shocked. "Was anyone with you who also heard this?"

"I had a friend with me; Zephaniah. He's sitting right back there," the witness pointed to the back of the crowd.

"You! Come forward!" the priest commanded Zephaniah, who obeyed. "What's your story?"

"My lord, it is as you have heard," Zephaniah began. "The Man, Jesus, said uh, that He WOULD destroy the temple, yes, but He would also rebuild it in three days." This caused even more murmuring in the crowd.

"Is this true?" the priest asked the first witness.

"I don't remember him saying anything about rebuilding the Temple," the first witness replied.

"Yes, yes!" Zephaniah insisted. "He threatened to destroy it so He could build another one!"

"It wasn't like that at all!" the first witness protested. The murmur in the crowd continued to build.

"There may be hope yet," John Mark commented quietly.

"Why, what's going on?" Penny asked.

"According to the Law, the testimony of two witnesses must agree, or they cannot be used," Peabody explained.

"The important thing is that we agree about His claim to rebuild the Temple in three days," the first witness was saying down in the courtyard.

"Well, Jesus of Nazareth," the chief priest began, quieting the crowd, "Are You not going to answer the testimony these men are bringing against You?" Jesus was silent.

"Why doesn't He say something?" Penny asked.

"I don't know," John Mark replied.

"I charge You under oath by the Living God!" the chief priest continued. "Tell us if You are the Son of the Blessed One! Are You Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ?!"

"I Am," Jesus replied. The crowd went absolutely ballistic and the chief priest tore his robe.

"That's it," John Mark muttered. "He's done for."

"Why?" Penny asked, again thoroughly confused.

"Blasphemy. He's claimed to be the Son of God," John Mark explained.

"Yeah, so?

"Well, anyone who claims to be the Son of God should be…put to death!"

"Put to death? No! They can't! We have to stop them!" she almost shouted.

"Why do we need any more witnesses?" one of the priests asked the crowd. "You have heard the blasphemy, what do you think?" The crowd began chanting "Crucify Him!"

"No! You can't!" Now Penny WAS shouting.

"Penny, quiet!" Peabody admonished her, but it was too late.

"There, you four!" one of the Temple guards pointed to them. "You're not supposed to be up there! Get down to the courtyard with the others!"

"But He hasn't done anything wrong!" Penny continued to protest.

"Of course He hasn't," the guard replied sarcastically. "Now get down or I'll come up and get you!"

"Come on Penny," Sherman motioned for Penny to head down the stairs.

"What about Jesus?" Penny asked him as they made their way down the steps.

"Listen. They're taking Him to Pilate," John Mark explained to her. "There may still be a chance."

"What, what?!" Penny asked anxiously.

"The Master has broken no Roman law. I'm just not sure," John Mark replied.

"Sure about what?" Sherman asked.

"Do you see Peter anywhere?" John Mark asked.

"He's over there by the fire," Peabody pointed him out. The four made their way over to him.

"Peter, there may still be a chance," John Mark explained. "They're taking Jesus to Pilate."

"Well…what of it? What is that to me?" Peter replied.

"Don't you care about what happens to the Master?" John Mark asked shocked.

The servant girl from earlier walked up. "Master? Then you ARE one of Jesus' disciples!" she said.

"I-I told you I'm not. I-I don't know what you're talking about, I swear it!" Peter snapped at her.

"Peter!" Penny was shocked.

Mr. Peabody sadly held out two of the pads on his paw and commented, "Two."

"Come on, you must be! You're a Galilean, by your accent, I can tell!" one of the bystanders commented as a small crowd started to gather.

"I tell you I don't know the Man!" Peter was now furious. "I've never laid eyes on Him! Why don't you all just leave me alone!" As the last syllables of Peter's sentence left his mouth, the crowd heard a rooster crow loudly in the distance. Peter's face became pale and he took off running.

Sherman sadly held out three fingers and with a tone of finality simply said, "Three."

"What's the matter with him?" Penny asked.

"Oh no!" John Mark exclaimed.

"What's the matter with you?" Penny asked again.

"Don't you remember the Master's words at supper last night?" Mr. Peabody asked.

"He said that before the rooster crowed…" Sherman continued.

"Peter would deny Him three times," Penny finished, realizing what had happened. "Shouldn't we go after him?"

"No," John Mark replied. "Look, they're bringing the Master out."

One of the Temple guards made an announcement, "Let it be known that Jesus, son of Joseph, by His own admission stands guilty of blasphemy, and is condemned to die by the sentence of this Sanhedrin. He will be taken to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, whom we hold responsible to carry out the sentence." He then motioned for the other guards to bring Jesus out.

"Come on, we have to stay close to Him," Penny urged the other three.

"Penny, wait," Mr. Peabody held Penny back.

"Come lads," one of the guards was saying to his comrades. "Shall we have a little fun with our Messiah here?"

"What are you doing?" Penny demanded of them as she squirmed free of Mr. Peabody's grasp. "Why are you blindfolding Him?"

"Because we want to see Him prophecy!" the guard said with a laugh. "Tell us, Jesus, who hit You?" And with that, two or three of the guards punched Him in various parts of His body.

"Stop it!" Penny made a feeble attempt to pull one of the guards away from Jesus.

"Get back, girl!" the first guard commanded.

"Penny!" John Mark called out to her. Penny continued her struggle.

"Stop hitting Him!" Penny shouted at the guard.

"I said, GET BACK!" the guard shouted as he shoved her to the ground.

"Ooph!" Penny grunted as she landed on her back.

"Penny!" Sherman yelled as he ran to her and slowly helped her up.

"Come on, men. Let's go!" the guard commanded his troops who led Jesus away.

"Penny, are you alright?" Mr. Peabody asked as he and John Mark walked up.

"Oh, yeah," she replied slightly dazed. Then completely regaining her faculties, she said, "We gotta go after Him! We gotta stop them!"

"No, there's a better way," John Mark replied. "It's what I tried to tell Peter. My mother is a woman of some influence in Jerusalem. She knows Pilate's wife, Claudia!"

"So?" Penny asked, not understanding the significance.

"It's the governor's custom at the Passover feast to release a prisoner chosen by the people," John Mark explained. "My mother may be able to talk Claudia into persuading Pilate to let the Master go!"

"Well what are we waiting for?!" Penny asked as the four made their way to find Mary.

Author's Note: Will Claudia convince Pilate to let Jesus go? You know the only way to find out: keep reading! In the meantime, keep the reviews coming and God bless!