Thirty minutes passed as everyone waited for Di, Bri, Maurie, and Julius to decide on what to do regarding Sly and Boss Cass. Sly had stopped crying, but was still resting on Betty. He had cleared his head of whatever worries were on his mind; he was just happy to be reunited with his sister for the moment. He wanted to further patch things up with Ty, however.
Bri finally emerged from Julius' lab, looking for Sly. He finally spotted him with Betty a few yards away. "Sly," he called. "Come here, son."
Sly straightened up and walked over to the lab with his head hanging down. He didn't know what the verdict would be, but he also knew he wasn't about to get off so easily.
He entered the shack. His parents were standing next to Julius' rang machine, looking at him in slight sadness. Julius was standing in front of the computer in the middle of his lab. Sly noticed that a Tasmanian devil had entered the room as well.
Maurie, perched on the rang machine, spoke. "Sly, this is Ranger Ken. Julius called him in to help him make our decision. He's the only real law enforcement out here at the moment." Sly nodded towards Ken, who returned his greeting with a nod. Sly could tell by the look on his face that he didn't want to do this, and that made him a somewhat apprehensive about what he was about to hear.
"Well, Sly," Ranger Ken started, "under normal circumstances you'd be imprisoned for life, probably in maximum security." Sly ears dropped when he heard that. "However, it's my understanding that at the last minute, you helped Ty take down Boss Cass." Sly nodded. "Alright then. Because of that, the sentence I mentioned earlier won't be given to you. However, because you were assisting Cass for crimes against wildlife and Australia, you will most likely be imprisoned."
"Most likely?" Sly asked, confused.
"Yes, my boy," Julius responded. "After we explained your situation to Ranger Ken here, he wasn't sure quite what your sentence would be since there are different laws for these types of circumstances. So I did some research about Australian laws. Apparently there a court case back in 1979 known as Jayden versus Outback that created the New Leaf Act."
"What's that?"
"It's a law that allows criminals who have not completely followed through with their crime or have aided the law enforcement in any way to have their sentence lightened."
"How'd that happen?"
"Well, back in the year 1979, a dingo named Jayden was partnered with Angus Aidan, that skink outlaw who tried to take over Southern Rivers by infiltrating the law enforcement with his henchmen. Jayden wasn't aware of this at first, and once he knew of Aidan's plans, he put a stop to them. Jayden was still convicted for working for Aidan in the first place, but his punishment was lightened because he stopped him."
"So, you're saying that applies to me?"
"Exactly."
Ranger Ken chimed in, "According to this act, your sentence can be waved. But you'll still have to stand trial for it to be determined."
Sly nodded. "Alright."
"You'll have to come with me, though, Sly," Ken continued, "for the time being."
Sly nodded again. He knew that he would be arrested and imprisoned for his crimes, possibly even given the death sentence. But to have his punishment lightened? It seemed too good to be true, and he believed it was. He knew Julius and Ken weren't lying to him; he just didn't believe that he would get off any easier, even if there was a law that could.
He started to walk over to Ranger Ken when he felt someone grab his arm; it was his mother, desperately trying to fight back tears in her eyes. It broke Sly's heart to see her like that, and it showed on his face. She pulled him in for a hug, still trying with all her might not to cry. He tried to comfort her through the hug; neither of them could speak.
Di finally pulled away from her son, forced a weak smile, then turned and walked out of the lab. Then Bri walked up to his son. Sly looked up at him, nervously. Bri then put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a small half smile. Sly just hung his head; he knew that he had let his family down, and the guilt was beginning to gnaw at him again. Bri saw this and pulled him in for a hug as well. Sly clinged to his father; it was the embrace he had longed to feel again for so many years, and now he may never feel it again.
Bri knew his son was guilt-ridden. It depressed him to see how broken Sly was now. He had never seen this in any of his children, and he had hoped that he never would. Knowing that the hug would eventually have to end, Bri sought to comfort his son. "Sly, I want you to remember who you are, and never forget where you came from. Everyone's got a past; that's a fact of life. But not everyone has a future; that's a choice. And you made the right one, son. Never forget that."
Sly's voice was choked with tears; all he could do was nod. Bri patted his back: his signal that the hug was over. They released each other, and Bri walked out to comfort Di. Sly hung his head and walked over to Ranger Ken. "He was right, you know."
Sly looked up at Ken. "About what?"
"Making the right choice."
Sly weakly smiled and nodded. For the first time that day, he felt a small peace inside him. In his mind, the worst was over.