Happy Go Lucky
36 weeks
Aaron Echolls takes the stand.
He explains that he was People magazine's sexiest man alive in 1987. If he wanted to do a movie, it got made. Until he got older but then he started getting cast as the father to people who didn't know who he was. Then Lilly Kane entered the picture and saw him as someone who hung the moon.
"Even if that person is sixteen and dating your son?" Mr. Lavoie asks.
"I didn't claim that it was right. It was powerful.
"Mr. Echolls, did you have sex with Lilly Kane?"
"No." Aaron says.
She scoffs and Eli tightens his hold on her.
"We fooled around but I never had sex with her."
Felix and Dick try to make sure that Logan stays seated when even they want to object.
"But you ended the relationship on the day she was killed, correct?"
"Yes."
"Can you tell us what happened that day?"
"Lilly came to the house, wanting attention..I guess. I told her that it was over and she stormed out. It wasn't until after she had left that I noticed that she had taken my Oscar. I went over to her house to get it back."
"Did you get it back?"
"No, she yelled a lot and even threw an ashtray at me. Her brother Duncan came out. He was enraged and was screaming at her about me as if I wasn't there. I know that I shouldn't have left her with him but I panicked with how crazy he was acting. I never.."
"Objection!" the prosecution exclaims.
Mr. Lavoie ignores the prosecution and asks if that was the last time he saw Lilly.
"It was the last time I saw her alive."
They walk out of the court. Aaron's fans are lined up, holding up banners.
"So if you are handsome and famous, it's okay to lie under oath." she snarks watching as Felix and Dick leave with Logan.
Glad he has them with him.
"That Oscar with Duncan's hair is going to create doubt so it's all about the tapes now. The jury needs to believe that you and Logan saw Aaron having sex with Lilly. Than they will convict."
"The best friend and the boyfriend." Eli mutters.
"Honey, when you get your chance to testify, it's important you keep yourself in check, okay? Aaron's lawyer's going to use everything in his bag of tricks to rile you." Keith says stopping them a little away from the crowd.
"Ah, but here's the thing: I'm unrileable." she says with a smile.
Eli wraps his arm around her shoulders and rubs his hand up and down her arm.
"You sure you don't want to go over your testimony with the lawyers again?" Keith asks.
"You know what I want? More than anything in the world? I wanna be there, in court, watching Aaron at the moment the jury reads the verdict. I wanna see that smirk wiped from his face. I wanna see his expression at the exact moment he realizes he'll never be a free man again."
He and her dad just smile and shake their heads.
"Get to school." Keith tells them watching as they head to her car.
She is studying at one of the cafe table when suddenly a box of cupcakes appears in front of her.
"That's for saving my life." Gia says with a smile.
"What do I have to do for a pie? I'm...kidding. They're great." she jokes when she notices Gia's face fall. "But I don't think what I did was life saving."
"Yes it was."
"Okay, I need to..." she starts to say pointing at the book in front of her.
"Want to study with me tomorrow night?" Gia asks.
"Sure." she says and Gia leaves.
"Where'd these come from?" Wallace says as he and Jackie sit down.
"Saved someone's life. Can't talk, studying." she says going back to the book.
"Well, not me, baby. I'm cruisin' through this week." Wallace says with a smile.
"Did he just call me "baby"?"
Jackie nods grinning.
"I got my scholarship to Hearst, my grades are fine, good to go."
"Do you want me to cry?"
"I'm just sayin'..."
"'Cause I'll cry. I need to ace every test and hope that Angie does awful on at least one and that doesn't guarantee that I will get the Kane scholarship."
"I thought you decided on Hearst?" Jackie asks.
"I have but unlike Wallace here I don't have a scholarship."
"I'm gonna need some milk to go with those cupcakes. Anyone want anything?" Jackie says getting up.
"Uh, peace? With a side of quiet?" she says as Jackie walks off.
Wallace goes to say something and she covers his mouth with he hand.
"Querida." Eli says sitting down.
She just whimpers and places her head on top of her book.
"You know anyone that could help me study?" he asks rubbing her back.
She lifts her head and looks at him slightly.
"I need to get at least a B on my algebra test or I wont graduate. Abuela wants to see me get my diploma and since her health hasn't been the best lately."
"If I wasn't swamped with mine I would help you...I could ask Mac..." whatever else she would say is cut off when gunshots ring out.
Students begin to duck and scream as she looks around in horror.
Lucky jumps onto a table, firing another shot into the air.
Eli pulls her down and she luckily sees Hector grab a frozen Gia to hide her.
Lucky begins to rant, saying they are like animals, and someone has to clear up their mess. He says it won't be him: he got fired. He says he's good enough to serve in Iraq, but not to clean up at Neptune High.
She suddenly feels a sharp pain.
"Where's my girl, Gia? G-G-Gia." Lucky calls out.
She sees Hector cover Gia's mouth, hoping to keep Lucky from hearing any sound she might make out of fear.
Jackie, from her spot on the steps, pulls out her cell phone and begins to dial which Lucky notices.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING!?" Lucky screams at her.
"No one." Jackie whimpers out as Lucky points the gun in her face.
"Don't cry." Lucky says as she starts to tear up.
Wallace jumps up from his spot and wrestles Lucky to the ground. The gun skids away as they fight, until Lucky pushes Wallace off and grabs the gun, pointing it at him.
"No..no..no." she whimpers. Eli starts to move to tackle Lucky when Lucky pulls the trigger.
Wallace pats down himself, realizing there's no blood.
"Surprise." Lucky laughs maniacally until there is a second gunshot.
Lucky drops to the floor.
They watch Woody on the news in her hospital room.
Woody makes a statement to the press about Lucky.
Lucky was mentally disturbed and just got back from Iraq. He confirms his gun was filled with blanks.
A reporter asks what his relationship was like with him, and Woody says he didn't really have one. He explains Lucky was a bat boy for the Sharks in his teens, but they had to let him go when other players complained about his performance.
"I'm thinking about getting you some sort of...giant hamster ball, so you can roll everywhere in this protective sphere." Kieth says kissing her on the top of her head.
"It'd just draw attention to me. Nobody likes a blonde in a hamster ball." she jokes.
"Where is the doctor?" Eli says getting up to start pacing again.
"Eli, calm down." Keith says.
"Take him for a walk, please." she whispers. He nods and takes Eli out of the room.
"I couldn't do a thing." Eli mutters as they start to walk. "Lucky was waving a gun at everyone and I couldn't do a damn thing to protect her."
"You did, son. You made sure she and the baby were safe. How do you think she would be if you had been shot?"
"If there hadn't been blanks..I couldn't get to Wallace."
"You tried. Don't tell her but I got into Lucky's apartment before I came here. He sent a bunch of emails to Woody from more than one account. Most of them had attachments unfortunately Lucky deleted them."
"Keeps coming back to the mayor."
"Yeah, I need to get into Woody's computer to get access to those emails.
"Don't you need a password. I can talk to Mac, see if she can help."
"I have the password. I looked over his shoulder once when he was signing on."
"He should known better, you never log in with a Mars nearby." he jokes.
They head back to Veronica now that both of them a calmer and he feels sane.
Logan convinces Felix to stay in the car while he goes to see his dad even though he would rather be anywhere but here.
"You know, if you'd would've given Lilly the performance you gave today, she might have given you the Oscar." he says the instant his dad sits down.
Aaron narrows his eyes at him.
"I am looking forward to all the visits I am going to miss. You are where you belong."
"Logan...you might want to rethink testifying. You will be admitting to destroying evidence."
"Don't act like you care."
"Logan..."
He ignores him and leaves.
"Feel better?" Felix asks when he gets into the car.
"No."
"Want to go see Blondie?"
"She home or still in the hospital."
"According to Weevil, she is okay just had some false labor."
"That boy wanted out so that he could protect his mommy, he is so Weevil's kid."
"BOY! IT'S A BOY!" Felix yells excited.
"Shit..you did not hear that. Ronnie is going to kill me." he says hitting his head on the steering wheel.
"Where have you been?" she asks when she sees her dad sneaking into the house. She feels bad about cancelling the study session with Gia but luckily she understood.
"Just some breaking and entering, honey. Nothing to worry about." Keith says turning on her computer.
"Listen to this." Kieth says playing them a recording that he found.
Two voices are talking about Woody, talking about what Woody did to them. They call him sick and a pervert and say they were just kids. That some fo the Sharks had to have an idea what was going on.
"Didn't he say 'three of us'? There are only two voices on the recording." Eli says.
"The gaps. Someone edited it." she says. "Send it to Mac maybe she can do something with the gabs."
"Lucky's emails. Anything about Woody molesting him or something?" Eli asks.
Keith nods. "I haven't found anything useful yet but I will."
She goes to gab one of the emails and starts to yawn.
"Come on, querida. You need to get some sleep." Eli says helping her off the couch and pulling her into the bedroom.
"Want some help?" Eli asks when he comes out of the room less than an hour later.
"Thanks but why don't you go join Veronica. She's going to need you when she gets to school tomorrow."
He nods and goes to get some sleep.
She swears in on the Bible. Logan and Keith sit next to each other. Both praying that she is able to keep her cool.
"You find wealth and fame attractive, don't you Miss Mars?" Lavoie asks with a smirk.
"Not really." she says grimacing at the false labor pain she has been having most of the morning.
"Really? Your ex-boyfriend is Duncan Kane who fits that. You are also friends with Logan Echolls, my clients son."
"Duncan Kane and I ended over two years ago, he is my past."
"Really, who are you 'dating' now?"
"Not that it's any of you business but I am currently seeing Eli Navarro."
"Yes, Eli Navarro. A known member of the PCHers. How long have you been seeing him?"
"Objection, what does Miss Mars relationships have to do with this?"
"I'll allow it but do get to the point Mr. Lavoie." the judge states. "Answer the question Miss Mars."
"Eli and I have been together for a year and a half."
"Lilly Kane was your best friend, right?"
"That's correct."
"Didn't she have a relationship with Mr. Navarro?"
"Yes." she says clenching he jaw, thankful that she convinced Eli to go to school. Logan sat up straighter wondering whee the hell this guy was going.
Lavoie smirks. "You looked up to Lilly, tried to emulate her."
"To a degree." she was winching.
"You dated her brother and are involved with someone she was involved with. Sure you ween't trying to be just like her?"
"I'm sure."
"Really, than why did you proposition Mr. Echolls upon discovering the tape of Lilly and my client kissing?"
"You mean naked kissing? With Aaron on top gyrating? That tape?"
"You found the tapes but told Aaron he had to earn them back."
"Nope. I never said that. I didn't 'proposition' him. He hid in the back seat of my car."
"How old are you?"
"I'm eighteen."
"Really, how far along are you in your pregnancy?"
"OBJECTION!"
She feels another flash of pain, only this time something else happens. She grits her teeth and stats breathing heavy, gripping the arms of her chair.. Now...You choose now. You are so my son.
"I'll allow it." the judge states.
She doesn't say a word just tries to concentrate on her breathing.
"Miss Mars, how far along are you?" Lavoie asks again with a smirk.
She clenches her jaw. Logan and her dad are nearly standing.
"Miss Mars...you need to answer." the judge says.
"How about my water just broke." she says before crying out as a pain hits her.
Logan and Keith rush to her.
"This is pointless." Eli states as Mac tries to help him.
"Okay, just remember F-O-I-L. First, outside, inside, last. All algebra, it's just the formula."
"I get that..Sorry, Mac I would just rather be at the courthouse with V."
"She wouldn't let you would she?"
"No. She knows how important graduating is to me and to abuela."
"Than that's what we do. Make it so you can pass this test." she starts to explain when both of their phones start going off.
"WEEVIL!" Dick yells coming over to them. "RONNIE IS IN LABOR!"
"GO!" She says pushing him. "We wont be that far behind you."
He runs off to the parking lot. The PCHers not that far behind him.
Keith paces the waiting when Eli runs in.
Logan sits in one of the chairs, his leg going a mile a minute.
"She okay?" he asks out of breath stopping in front of Logan and Keith. PCHers, Mac, Dick, Wallace and Jackie all enter after him.
"Her water broke..on the stand." Logan laughs.
"Well that's one way to get out of testifying and finals." Dick tries to joke only to be hit in the stomach by Mac and hit upside the head by Hector.
"Mr. Mars?" a nurse asks coming into the room.
"Yeah..."
"You can come in now." the nurse says motioning them forward. "Oh, only family." she says seeing everyone try to follow.
"Lady, we are all her family." Thumper says annoyed.
"Okay...Eli and I will go in fist to see how she is doing." Kieth says as the two of them follow the nurse. Everyone else finds a place to sit, to wait for their turn.
Since his daughter kicked him out of her room, since the doctor told them it would be hours before the baby would be born, he decided to run to the office and try to get a hold Rick Pickett.
"Mac?" he calls thankful that the young hacker came with him to help go through Lucky's emails.
"Yeah?"
"Can you fly to New York, stop by NYU real quick, find Rick Pickett, and see if he was one of the batboys Woody molested?"
"Sorry Sheriff, I don't fly coach."
"I can go Mr. Mars. First class all the way." Dick tries to joke. He had followed them when they left and Keith had given him the task of helping Mac with the emails.
"There were only two other bat boys. One is backpacking through Europe, and the other is at college."
"I'm not having much luck going through Lucky's emails. I know he had problems but I'm having a hard time making sense of everything."
Keith takes one from her and begins to jokingly read out a line.
"Oh Fuck." Dick says understanding slowly sinking in.
"Richard." Keith says sternly.
"No sir. Lucky liked to show off this scar that he got from a present. A roadside bomb. He called bombs presents."
Keith grabs his coat and leaves quickly, swearing as he goes.
Keith bursts into Woody's office.
"We need to talk."
"I'm a little busy right now." Woody says ignoring him.
"Well I can start just yelling and everyone will hear our conversation if you want."
Woody sends the woman in his office out.
"You need to evacuate your home and call Lamb to comb the place over for bombs that Lucky left for you."
"Lucky is dead. How did you even know..Most adults don't have their children doing espionage work for them."
"I didn't. Most adults keep their hands off of other people's children."
"Get out." Woody says tuning from friendly to twisted. "I will ruin you and your daughter if you keep this up."
"I'm not a fifteen-year-old boy and you don't scare me." he says leaving the office.
Logan sneaks into Ronnie room when the nurse and Eli leave for a bit.
"Hey." she says with a soft smile. "Been to any good murder trails lately?" she jokes.
"I have and you, my dear, give a very eye opening testimony. How you feeling?"
"Good. It's going slow but this little guy is getting anxious to make his appearance." she says rubbing her stomach.
"Oh, you most be on drugs right now because you are smiling all goofy like."
She just nods.
"Am I interrupting?" Eli asks coming in.
"Don't worry Paco. Just checking on your..."
"Logan." she says sternly.
Logan just smiles. "Come on. I seriously can't wait anymore." he pouts.
"Couple more hours, Opie."
"Hey, I'm actually glad that you are here. I want to ask you about something." she says.
"How unlike you. You never come to me out of the blue with some random question." Logan snarks.
"I know my boys are trying to keep me out of it but did Lucky ever mention Woody or the time he spent with the Sharks at all when you were ...whatever?"
"Never mentioned Woody or the Sharks but once I caught him wearing a catcher's mask, scrubbing his feet with bleach saying that 'they' were doing something to him. Why?"
"Remember when Woody freaked you out?" Eli asks.
He nods.
"There is a possibility that he...that he is a child molester." she says softly.
Logan just pales and looks at Eli who confirms it with a nod.
Eli intertwines his finger with her and lifts his hand to his mouth and starts speaking softly to her in Spanish.
Logan sneaks out to let them have some time to themselves.
Keith tries not to look at his watch while he explains what happened the night Veronica found the tapes.
"She was late coming home, so myself, her boyfriend and a good friend went the route she would have gone and I got there first and found her car. I went looking for her only to be jumped by Aaron."
"Really. My client states that Veronica lost control of the car, and she and Aaron knocked on the door of the nearest house, asked the man to call a tow truck, and waited on the porch. You turned up, caught Veronica in a compromising position and began to fight with Aaron. This has been confirmed by the owner of the house."
"I object. The owner has disappeared and never answered his subpoena." the prosecution states.
"Has you daughter ever lied to you." Mr. Lavoie asks.
"Ever found a teenage girl that hasn't lied to her parents?" he snarks back.
"The two of you are close?"
"Yes."
"So she would come to you with the big stuff."
"Yes."
"Were you aware that Veronica had been caught breaking into the Manning's home."
"Yes, she and Duncan broke in trying to help Meg, who was in a coma, with a child abuse case." he tells him enjoying making Lavoie stutter.
"I see. Did you know that Veronica was named in Deputy D'Amato's disciplinary file, after she was able to get access to the records room while he was on duty."
He is starting to get annoyed.
"In fact you, yourself reported that the missing tapes were destroyed by Logan. I suspect that your daughter did what she had learned from Lilly. Manipulated an older man into giving Logan the tapes. She knew the tapes wouldn't show what she wanted them to show so she convinced one 'friend' to give them to another 'friend' to help yet another 'friend'." Lavoie states walking towards the stand.
Keith yanks Mr. Lavoie towards him by the tie. "Make one more air quote and I'll break your fingers off."
Keith walks into the hospital room.
"Hey daddy." she says softly.
"How are you doing and whee is Eli?"
"Someone will be making their appearance in a few more hours according to the doctor. Everything is going at the right pace. Eli ran home to get a change of clothes and update Letty. I heard you lost your cool on the stand."
"Who told you?"
"Hector. Since Eli is sticking close we wanted someone there for you and Logan. I found something out today."
"Really, what?"
"Logan once found Lucky in the janitor's closet in a catchers mask, scrubbing his feet with bleach."
Keith turns he laptop towards him and pulls up the surveillance tape from Woody's house, pointing out the painting behind the table has a catcher's mask on it.
He calls Inga, suggesting that she might want Lamb to check Woody's house since there might be a bomb behind a painting.
She watches the tape and notices that it concentrates on the pictures of the baseball teams for a good amount of time.
She pauses it on a Little League team called the Sharks. Oh God.
"Dad...you need to see this." she calls to him as he hangs up with Inga.
"That is Peter and Marcos, who died in the bus crash. They were on Woody's little league team which was called the Sharks."
He tuns and starts dialing.
"Owe..." she whimpers. "Might want to get the doctor."
While police and the bomb squad surround Woody's house, she goes into full blown labor.
At three the next morning, Gabriel Axel Navarro comes screaming into the world.
Only his dad, mom and granddad were there to welcome him but his dad sent out a mass text to all of the family and knew that the small family would only have a few hours alone before everyone descended on them.
"Oh mijo." Letty says softly as she sits down slowly next to V's bed. "He looks like you." she tells him he eyes watering.
"You should be home sleeping." V says softly, watching Letty hold her great-grandson.
"Nothing could keep me away." she said raising her head to look at Eli and V, who were sitting on the bed cuddling as much as they are able.
"You two get some sleep." Letty says rocking the newest member of her family, signing softly to him as his parents fall asleep watching her.
Lamb listens to the tape Keith brought in.
"The voices are Peter and Marcos, who died in the crash. I confirmed the voices with Peter's teacher and recording of Marcos."
"Okay." Lamb says unimpressed.
"Woody molested them, and they were going to come forward, so he put a bomb on the bus to kill them." Kieth says knowing he would rather be at the hospital with Veronica and his grandson.
"So Woody blew up the bus then put a phone-activated bomb on his own car. You were right, Keith. Lucky planted the car bomb. Lucky even blew off work the day of the crash."
"This isn't about him. Lucky wasn't responsible for the bus crash."
"I think you want me to arrest the mayor and make me look like a laughingstock."
"Is your ego is so big that you can take the murder of eight people and make it about yourself. If you don't act on this, you won't be a laughingstock... You'll be the guy that let a child molester and murderer get away." he screams before storming out of Lamb's office.
Logan takes the stand.
He describes the tapes, clearly saying Aaron and Lilly were having sex. That Aaron smiled at the camera at one point.
"Are you sure that they were having sex?" the prosecution asks.
"Yes."
Mr. Lavoie gets up and starts of by pointing out that Logan destroyed the tapes, which is a federal offense.
"Where you given immunity for giving you testimony?"
"I was."
Lavoie smirks and sits back done next to Aaron.
He notices the jury whispering to each other.
"Mr. Navarro, what are you doing here?" Clemmons asks when he walks past heading toward his algebra class to take his final.
"Finals, sir."
"Eli, I understand that you had a very long night."
"Yeah."
"And you still came to do you finals."
"Yes sir."
Clemmons motions for him to continue.
"Oh Eli." he turns around. "Congratulations on your son."
He quickly gets to his seat. He takes out one of Gabriel's hospital bracelets and after a quick pray, starts his test.
A teacher marks his exam as he hovers nearby anxiously.
She hands it to him and he's very happy to see he got a B.
"Well..." Mac says joining him in front of the classroom.
"I passed." he smirks.
"Baby photos, dude, where are the photos." Dick says as he and Thumper join them.
He smiles and takes out his phone. "You know you are going to see the baby in a few hours."
"WEEVIL!" they all yell.
He laughs. "Meet Gabriel Axel Navarro." he says showing them the photo of V holding him against her chest.
Keith rushes in with a piece of paper.
"Lucky was in a padded cell in a hospital the day of the crash." he tells Lamb.
Lamb calls Sacks over to pick Woody up.
Sacks tells them they reached a verdict on Aaron's trial.
"I just took my last high school test ever. Done. Over." Wallace says walking into V's hospital room. "Oh!" he unfortunately turns quickly blushing. "I though you were bottle feeding?"
"Letty talked me into at least trying to breast feed. Going with my first thought and bottle feeding." she says laughing. "So you decided to celebrate by torturing me?"
"What are you doing about finals?" he asks sitting down.
"Clemmons set it up so the one I have left can be down here tomorrow."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah." she says looking down at her son. "You want to hold him?"
At his nod he stands and slowly takes him out of her arms.
"Damn, supafly..you're a mommy."
"I know." she says with a smile
"I'm only gonna say this once so you better enjoy it cause this is as nostalgic as I get. I just wanted to say...it was worth getting taped to a pole."
"Figured I would find you here." Eli says as he,Mac, Thumper and Dick enter the room. Mac is holding a stuffed bear on a bike.
"Bond, he is so cute." Mac says as Gabriel starts to whimper.
"Okay that is my clue to leave. Gonna go get Jackie." Wallace says handing the baby to Mac.
"See you later, supafly."
Mac sits down and they start to chat when her and Eli's phones go off.
"The verdict is in." Eli says looking at the text.
"Call Felix, he's there. See if he will put the phone on speaker for us." she asks as Mac hands Gabriel to her.
Wallace knocks on the door, and Terrence answers.
"Jackie left, Wallace." He gives Wallace a letter and closes the door.
Lamb crouches next to Keith. "Woody in custody?"
"He's gone. Took his private jet and there is no flight plan."
The judge tells them to all rise, and Lamb leaves Keith's side as they all stand.
Felix sits next to Logan and both have their phones open.
"Has the jury reached a verdict?" the judge asks.
"We have." the foreman confirms.
Eli wraps his arm around her and she rubs Gabriel's back, leaning into him.
Thumper paces the room while Dick sits down next to Mac.
"On the count of murder, in the second degree: not guilty."
Logan hangs his head and drops his phone.
"On the count of aggravated assault: not guilty."
Eli clenches a fist and tightens his hold on her.
"On the count of sex with a minor: not guilty."
Mr. Lavoie and Aaron hug in celebration.
Tears fall down her face.
Dick gets up, looking torn on what to do.
"Dick...go.. Logan is there." Mac whispers to him. "If she is like this..."
Aaron turns to gives Logan a smug look only to find Keith glaring at him before he walks out of the coutroom.