all rise

[self_composed]

No plea bargain is struck. The jury is picked, and Lucinda asks a few random ones whether they have accepted bribes and sees who looks nervous: no one, as it turns out, so she strikes people who are too young to have children and one fellow who looks like he hates the entire world for her picks. Paul strikes a grandmotherly type and someone who admits when asked that they don't think much of rich people.

"All rise," comes the command as Judge Roberts walks in.

Comments

[self_composed]

A bailiff seizes Mr. Hammond before he can go anywhere.

"No further questions," Lucinda says, looking with a vaguely pitying expression at Mr. Hammond.

And that's it.

Off the jury goes.

[Nicely done,] Bella remarks to Alice.

[edgeofyourseat]

[Thank yooou,] he singsongs, looking mildly shaken for the benefit of any backward-glancing jurors.

[self_composed]

The judge allows that everyone else may enjoy a recess - for fifteen minutes. He obviously doesn't expect it to take very long.

[I think we're pretty safe,] Bella opines. [He did not play that well, even accounting for his poor lawyer.]

[edgeofyourseat]

[Yup.]

Nevertheless: does a recess mean Bella can hug him? Because he would kind of like Bella to hug him.

[self_composed]

Bella's not sure, so she doesn't risk asking, just gets up and hobbles in his direction and flings her arms around his neck.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Thanks," he murmurs aloud, leaning into her arms and closing his eyes. He doesn't need to say that he loves her. She's reading him; she knows.

[self_composed]

Bella winds up hugging him for pretty much the entire recess, then limps back to her seat when it ends. The jury has already reached a verdict, apparently. [What do you want to bet they spent one minute going around the room announcing that yep, dude's guilty, and spent the rest of their deliberation exchanging phone numbers with any fellow jurors they find cute and talking about the weather?]

[edgeofyourseat]

[No bet,] he says cheerfully. [Alternately: bet you a hex.]

[self_composed]

[Pft.]

"Has the jury reached a verdict?"

"We have, your honor. We find the defendant guilty on all counts."

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice lets out a breath, visibly relieved.

There is still, however, the matter of the sentence.

[self_composed]

The judge terminates all of Mr. Hammond's remaining parental rights, and gives him fifteen years in prison. Also, he awards three million dollars in damages to Alice.

[edgeofyourseat]

[Well, that's nice,] he says to Bella, idly wondering if she would like him to pay her way through college.

[self_composed]

[That would be very kind of you, and under the circumstances not particularly suspicious,] Bella replies happily.

[edgeofyourseat]

[Awesome. Done deal.]

[self_composed]

[Well, unless I get full-ride scholarships, but barring that.]

[edgeofyourseat]

[Yeah.]

So, does everybody clear out now? Because for once Alice has a very solid picture of his desired immediate future: he would like to be in Bella's room, sitting on the floor beside her bed, being petted.

[self_composed]

"Dad, let's go home. Can we bring Alice?" Bella says.

"Don't see why not," Charlie replies.

The courtroom is emptying, slowly, and Bella files out with Alice as soon as Lucinda's done shaking his hand.

After a drive in the cruiser (Bella's car is still in the shop; they have to order parts) Alice's vision comes to pass.

[edgeofyourseat]

Yes. Perfect.

[I love you,] he says happily. [Holy shit, we did it.]

[self_composed]

[Congratulations,] Bella says, encountering a tangle in Alice's hair and picking at it absently. [What's next for you, d'you think?]

[edgeofyourseat]

[Might move back into the house,] he theorizes idly. [Some of the time, anyway.] His lair is spotless and beautiful and he intends to keep it that way, and he also loves spending time there; but, on the other hand, now he can hang out with Hilary doing domestic things whenever he wants. Awesome.

[self_composed]

[So you expect your mom's going to keep Hilary on, then?]

[edgeofyourseat]

[Yeah, they get along pretty well. Dunno about Theo. Nobody really likes Theo.]

[self_composed]

[I would be pretty surprised if Theo kept his job, at least presuming your mom knows how to drive.]

[edgeofyourseat]

[Hell, Hilary can drive. And Mom can learn. Maybe I will, too.]

[self_composed]

[Hilary had better get a raise,] Bella remarks. [If she's going to take Theo's job.]