The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

So.

A few days later I arrive back in court, escorted as always by my trusty ‘friends’ from the county lockup, brought to court room 7-G, far down the hall from the previous location, which, I noted, had been sealed off for repairs. Apparently the room looked about how I felt—barren, empty, and stripped bare. Still, a little time alone in my cell helped to process my feelings about what was going on. I was numb, inside and out. But I was stable.

“Jimmy? Are you okay? How are you feeling?”

I glanced up at the voice in surprise. “Techna? Er, I mean... Megan? What... what are you doing here?” She was sitting on the bench just behind me, in the first row, next to Katie. Glancing down, she sighed softly.

“I’m here to testify for the defense,” she replied stoically. “Your father thought it might help to have a character witness speak on your behalf... someone besides a close relative or friend of the family.” She frowned slightly. “So... how are you feeling? I was, um... in attendance the other day when... well... you know...”

I swallowed, taking a small breath. “I’m... better. Thank you. And... thank you. For coming here, you know, to testify on my behalf. I... very much appreciate the gesture. I know it can’t be easy, um... being around me.”

“No,” she said simply, running a hand along my cheek briefly before returning to her seat. “It’s not.”

Katie sighed softly, giving Megan’s shoulders a little squeeze before leaning forward. “It’ll be okay, Jimmy. Dad’s going to fix everything. Trust me. You’ll be out of here in no time.” She gave me a small but earnest smile. “’Rora and Nebby are both pulling for you too. Hell, everyone is. Just... don’t give up, okay?”

I sighed and nodded. She didn’t get it. None of them did. I didn’t want my dad to ‘fix’ everything. I wanted to pay for what I’d done. Even if someone else had set the stage, I was still the one responsible. And no legal trickery would return that poor man’s family to him.

“All rise!” the bailiff called out, as the door opened, and the Judge, Prosecutor, and Defense Attorney entered the room and took their assigned places. Daryl gave me a wan smile as he stood beside me, squeezing my shoulder.

“Try not to freak out or get too excited,” Daryl whispered softly in my ear as the Judge called the proceedings to order, “but I’m putting you on the stand.”

“What?!?”

“Counselor, are you ready to proceed?” Judge Phelps asked.

“Yes, Your Honor. I’d like to call the defendant himself for my first witness.” He nodded at my bewildered look. “Go head and take the stand.”

That was more than enough to pierce through the fog. “Um, what are you doing?” I whispered to my lawyer, glancing around as the crowd began murmuring loudly. “You said before that you only EVER call the defendant to testify for himself as a matter of last resort. ‘It almost never ends well’, you said. ‘Takes days and days of preparation,’ you said. Well, this is the first I’ve heard about this. I haven’t been prepped. Heck, after the past couple of days, I’m an emotional wreck! Do you honestly want me to take the stand?”

“Oh yes,” Daryl responded with a grin. “I must certainly do. Trust me. You’ll be fine. Your father turned up some new evidence that I’m about to submit, and I want the court—hell, I want the entire country, to watch as I do.”

My dad? Glancing behind me, I saw my dad slide into a seat next to Techna, giving me a small nod. I wasn’t sure what was going on, or what he and Daryl had planned, but I had to trust that they knew what they were doing. Taking a deep breath, I walked over to the stand and was quickly sworn in. Daryl launched right in with an unusual question.

“Can you please tell the court why you decided to turn yourself in?”

“Um...” I blinked, biting my lip. “Well... after what happened to that lady and her... her kids... I panicked. I ran. I think maybe... it was because I wasn’t ready to accept the truth about what I’d done. I couldn’t face my own guilt... my responsibility for taking a life.” I sighed, closing my eyes. “Running away didn’t solve anything. It only made things worse. And... I was frankly tired... tired of everyone hunting me, chasing me, trying to take me out. Tired of being... hated.” I opened my eyes, refusing to look at the jury, focusing my gaze on Daryl’s face. “I decided it was just better to turn myself in and face the consequences. That whatever happened, whatever judgment I received, I could simply pay for my crime, and it was all be over.”

“Yes, I see,” my attorney replied, gesturing to someone in the back of the room. “So tell me... did at any moment during the past several weeks did you suspect that perhaps you might NOT be responsible for what happened?”

The question caught me by surprise. Where was he going with this? “I... dunno... when it happened, when I saw the... the wreckage... I was mostly in shock. At first, I couldn’t believe it... couldn’t accept that what I was seeing, was real—”

“That’s because it wasn’t real,” Daryl said firmly. “Members of the court, I submit to you all that the incident of which my client is being accused of was staged... set up to make him look guilty and tarnish his reputation.” Just then, the man waved at from the back of the courtroom stepped forward with a small projector unit, wheeling it into place. “Your honor, I’d like to submit defense exhibits E, F, G, H, and K through O. Members of the court, I beg your indulgence for just a few moments.”

The judge gave his permission, and the lights were dimmed and a small screen set up. Even stranger, the prosecutor, who sat there glaring daggers at me the entire time, didn’t raise an objection. And as the video playback started, I began to understand why. Disbelief turned to horror as we watched the overcoat wearing man shoot the mother and her children, then calmly and casually soak the vehicle with gasoline. Horror gave way to anger as the court watched the man and his accomplice push the minivan back out into the street, moving into position behind the Humvee. But as deep as my own personal anger was, it paled in comparison to the icy prickle of fear I felt at the end of the playback.

“And finally, ladies and gentlemen,” Daryl said, freezing the playback on the shot of the camcorder operator’s face, “the author of this little melodrama, the ‘so-called’ innocent bystander that claimed he’d JUST HAPPENED to be in the area during the firefight. I bring your attention to exhibit N, the photograph still of the cameraman’s face, and exhibit O, a computer rendered recreation of the entire face by a copy of the FBI’s facial recognition software. Furthermore, the identity of that individual has been confirmed as Brian Chang, a registered psychic Super and criminal mastermind known to have recently have escaped from the government’s maximum security holding facility. And so, I submit to you that Chang is the one directly responsible for the deaths of the occupants of that minivan, as well as manipulating both my client and his adversary into the confrontation that they had specifically for the camera—”

“Objection!” the D.A. barked, finally, rising to his feet. “Speculation.”

“Sustained,” the Judge said with a sigh. “Just state the facts of the case, Counselor, and let the jury draw their own conclusions.”

“Sorry, your Honor.” Daryl turned back to me again. “Now, sir, following the events of that day, you were later... confronted... by a pair of registered Supers, two members of the Beautiful Gems team. Is that correct?”

“Um, yeah,” I answered, still mostly in shock, still trying to process everything. I... didn’t kill that family. I didn’t kill anyone. I was set up. SET UP! Everything I’d gone through, all the hell I’d been put through for the past month... it was all a lie. A LIE! Even after Dad’s speculating earlier that it had been a set up, that I’d been provoked into acting, I’d still believed that I was a killer... that I was responsible for taking five lives!

“We’ve already heard testimony from both members earlier concerning the incident,” Daryl continued, looking through his note pad. “As I recall, you stated during your police interrogation that you hadn’t initiated the attack, that someone attacked you first, and that in avoiding the attack, a... um...” looking through his notes, “...a throwing knife, it struck Emerald instead, causing both girls to attack you. Is that correct?“

“I... yes,” I replied, frowning. I’d actually forgotten about the knife! Well, not the knife itself, or the incident, but I hadn’t really taken the time to consider it, to put all the pieces together... but now, knowing about the set up, it all started to make sense.

“And the evidence would seem to support that claim. The prosecution entered the blade into evidence as people’s exhibit D, the blade retrieved from the site where the two Supers were... ah, um... recovered. The blade had blood on it, blood confirmed to belong to Emerald... yet there were no fingerprints or DNA connecting the blade to you. Do you wear gloves when you are in costume?”

“Um, no, I don’t. Er, didn’t anyway...”

“So, if that knife had come from you, it would have had either your DNA or fingerprints on it, wouldn’t it?”

“Objection! Speculation!” the prosecutor yelled again.

“Sorry, your honor,” Daryl replied, raising his hands in supplication. “Let me rephrase. Was the knife that struck Emerald during your confrontation yours?”

“No,” I replied, succinctly. I was really starting to dislike the prosecutor.

“Okay,” Daryl said, nodding again. “And now, finally, concerning the incident with State Trooper Baker on the Utah State border. She testified earlier that her vehicle was trashed in the altercation... that it was shot full of holes. By you. Is that true?”

“No, it’s not.” For which I was thankful. I’d finally get the chance to set the record straight. “All the holes came from the Trooper’s own weapon. She was trying to shoot me at the time, and her car made a rather effective shield.”

“So... you’re saying that you didn’t cause the damage to the State Trooper’s vehicle?“

“Objection! Asked and answered, your Honor!”

The judge sighed. “Sustained. Let’s try and move this along, Counselor.”

“Yes, your Honor.” Taking a deep breath, Daryl continued. “So, let’s say for the moment Officer Baker was responsible for the damage to her own vehicle, and that the holes were not caused by any weapon you yourself were carrying, or your own special powers. Why would the Trooper lie about it?”

“Objection! Your Honor, really!” the prosecutor complained. “Is Defense Counsel now asking the accused to speculate on the inner workings of State Trooper’s mind?”

“Interesting choice of words, Mister Harrison,” Daryl shot back. “Your Honor, my clients powers and abilities as a Super have already been stated, including his ability to temporarily subvert another person’s will. So yes, actually, I AM asking my client if he can answer why Miss Baker would tell the authorities that he attacked and tried to kill her.”

“Overruled, Mr. Harrison,” Judge Phelps said with a smirk. “The accused will answer the question.”

So, I’m not an expert in legalese or anything, but I think my lawyer was trying to get me to expand on my answer. The general idea was that I wasn’t responsible for what I was being accused of... a novel idea, one that I myself was still trying to wrap my head around. I think he’d pretty much proven me innocent of the first two charges, but with the State Trooper it was still more of a case of my word against hers, unless I gave them a reason to disbelieve her testimony.

As it turned out, I actually HAD such a reason. So, I told them the truth.

“I stunned her with a shadow tendril strike,” I replied, “which, as you surmised, allowed me to... as you put it, ‘subvert her will’. I was running a little short of time. She’d already spoken to her dispatch over the radio, and backup was on the way. So... I basically told her to forget what happened, convinced her that after she made me get out of the car, I broke free, got back into my car, and escaped, and to make sure the officers coming after me headed east, instead of west.” I sighed ruefully. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have a lot of time for details, the police arrived within seconds of my departure. So... no longer remembering exactly what occurred, her mind simply filled in the blanks from what she DID remember, and the evidence on hand. Her car was shot to hell. She remembered chasing after me, and somehow getting knocked unconscious, and waking up still in the driver’s seat.” I shrugged. “It’s only natural to believe that she was fired upon, and that a stray shot caused the accident that knocked her out.”

The rest of the trial concluded swiftly after that. My attorney called a few more witnesses to collaborate my testimony, including an attractive young woman, a Dr. Stephanie Brooks, to confirm the authenticity of the video data. Both lawyers made their closing remarks, and the jury retired to make their deliberations. Apparently Daryl did a good job on my defense, because they returned only fifteen minutes later with a verdict.

“We the jury,” their foreman stated, “find the defendant... NOT guilty, on all charges.”

The sweetest words I’d ever heard! At which point I changed my mind about the criminal justice system. Court is most definitely NOT boring! And, strangely enough, all the people in the court room, the people that had looked on me with such hate, and anger and disgust a few hours ago, actually clapped and cheered at the verdict.

“Order!” The judge yelled, banging his gavel. “Order in the court.”

Suddenly, I was surrounded by well-wishers, slapping my back, shaking my hands, everyone congratulating me on the verdict. Not that I wasn’t happy about it myself, but I found it hard to share their enthusiasm. On the one hand it was nice not being the source of their hatred and scorn any more. It was a lot harder on me that I wanted to admit. I wasn’t exactly much of a ‘social animal’ per se... but no one wants to be disliked.

On the other hand... it was also a little hard to feel empathy for a bunch of people that had considered me their mortal enemy just a few hours ago. I mean, yeah, public opinion tends to blow with the wind, and that’s fine. But to go from one extreme to the other? And... did I really want to slip back into the spandex and cape role and risk my life on a daily basis for a bunch of people that had had so little faith in me?

“Congratulations, Jimmy!” Daryl said, shaking my hand once the crowd had thinned out again. He was joined by Judge Phelps and D.A. Harrison “I’m glad we were able to prove your innocence. Don’t worry, everything is going to be okay from now on.”

“Thanks,” I replied with a sigh. “And I mean that. Just knowing that I wasn’t the one that hurt that mom and her kids...” I shook my head. “Still... everything isn’t really sunshine and roses. The ones that really were responsible are still on the loose.”

“Aye,” Eugene Frasier commented, coming up behind me with Katie, placing a hand on my shoulder, “but we’ll find them eventually. At the moment, my son, you’re the main priority.” Glancing up at the judge, he sighed. “Your Honor, I’d like to make sure that all the information revealed during this trial, particularly my son’s name and secret identity, is sealed, locked away as privileged information.”

“That would be too little, too late, I’m afraid,” the D.A. said with a knowing smirk. “Even if the defendant’s record was sealed, this entire trial has been televised nationally. And of course, there’s the news and media coverage that has been running non-stop since the incident. Trying to stop your son’s identity from leaking out now would be like putting a band-aid on a gunshot wound.”

“Not so,” Eugene said, taking out a small device from his pocket. “As a matter of fact, I have been somewhat... proactive... in securing my son’s identity. As ye already know, I’ve used my contacts in the media to limit the information being broadcast these past few weeks. I agreed to let this trail to be televised, as you insisted, Mr. Harrison, but with the condition that I provide the equipment. This little device digitally filtered every image of my son’s face during the entire trial, replacing it with a digitized version of young Jimmy in costume, including the eye mask. I made doubly sure that his name and face would be kept out of the limelight, so I’m afraid that your attempts to divulge my son’s identity to the world have fallen a bit short.”

A familiar blonde woman suddenly appeared out of thin air, dressed in a stylish brown pants suit with a cream yellow blouse instead of her usual all white garb. “I believe you mean that I made sure his name was kept out of it, don’t you, Eugene?“

The Scotsman chuckled. “Aye, well, I knew ye’d make your presence known soon enough.” Turning back to the D.A. he continued. “Allow me to introduce Ms. Evangeline Snow. My friend here is a psychic, and a rather skilled one at that. While she’s not physically here—this is only a psychic projection of her—she was able to scan the minds of everyone in attendance today. No one who witnessed these proceedings will have any real recollection of who young Jimmy is, or what you looks like unmasked.“

“Wh... w... you can’t do that!” The D.A. protested. “You can’t tamper with people’s minds just to protect your son’s identity! What’s next? Altering the transcripts of official testimony taken during the trial?”

“There’s no need of that,” Eugene said dismissively. “After all, there was no mention of Jimmy’s name throughout the entire trial.“

“It was you,” I interjected suddenly, glancing at Aunt Eva. “I thought it a bit strange that no one called me by name. Since I was first sworn in, I was either called ‘the accused’ or ‘the defendant’... and even Techna and the other witnesses referred to me as ‘him’ or ‘that guy’ or ‘the defendant’. At the time, I thought it kind of strange, but it didn’t seem worth mentioning until now.” She smiled grandly, taking a slight bow.

“You can’t do this!” Harrison insisted angrily. “Tampering with people’s minds... tampering with evidence! Your Honor, you can’t honestly intend to let something like this go unpunished! This makes a mockery of the entire trial! Who’s to say she didn’t tamper with the jury’s minds to make them delivery a not guilty verdict?“

Eva’s smile turned into a scowl. “I am right here in earshot, Mister District Attorney, so if you are making an accusation, kindly address it to ME. As to your question... I am to say that I did not tamper with the jury, or anyone else in this court room, in any way other than was suggested. Yes, I have a personal vested interest in the defendant, being a friend of the family. However, I am also an officially registered Super, registered as part of both the local city, and state law enforcement agencies. As Jimmy was proven innocent of all charges, his identity as a Super is supposed to be guaranteed secret under the Vigilante Registration Act. You violated his rights when you released his information to the news media, and invited them to broadcast the court proceedings. And don’t bother to deny that the information was leaked to the public by your office. I am a psychic after all.” She grinned evilly. “My... ‘tampering’ as you call it, was simply my leveling the playing field again.“

Harrison swallowed deeply, loosening his tie. “I see. Well... I suppose I’ll simply have to accept your word on the validity of this trial,” he stated, packing up his briefcase, “but I still intend to file a formal protest about your involvement in this case.” Closing the case, he grabbed it and his coat. “You can expect to hear from my office again soon. Good day.” And with that, he turned and walked out of the room.

Katie sighed deeply. “Yanno, I really don’t like that guy,” she stated, vocalizing my sentiments exactly.

“You’re not alone in that sentiment,” Judge Phelps remarked with a shake of his head. “Still, I have to say, as a judge, he has a point. It does feel as if this trial was more than a bit staged, despite your assurances. I mean, who is to say that your family friend didn’t use her abilities to change the jury’s decision in your favor?“

“Ach, well, if ye think that way, who’s to say that EVERY unfavorable decision a jury delivers wasnae unduly influenced by outside forces? Ye need not be a telepath to influence someone’s behavior.” Eugene sighed. “But, for what it’s worth, the good doctor did nothing more than what she said. As it stands, removing all trace of my son’s face and name from everyone’s mind and from public record was extremely hard, delicate, and time consuming work!”

“You have no idea,” Eva murmured softly, rubbing her temples, her image wavering slightly. “Believe me, Your Honor, simply slipping into the jury member’s minds and making them vote ‘not guilty’ and making everyone simply accept the decision would have been MUCH easier than simply removing a single name and image from their minds. And if that were the case, we certainly wouldn’t have told you or the DA about it.” She sighed, looking at me for a moment before looking down at the ground. “If I were so dead set on helping my nephew, I’d have used my powers just after the incident to make the crowd forget and cover it all up. But... I respect the law. If James had turned out to be truly guilty for what happened, then I would have been sad. I would have cried and stood by him. But I would not have used my powers just to help him escape justice... just as his parents didn’t.”

“Aye,” my dad replied with a nod. “All of the evidence I presented was legitimate. I love my son, and have tried to raise him to know the difference between right and wrong.” He slapped a hand gently along my back. “I’d give up everything to save my son.” he said, looking at me, “or my daughter,” he added, giving Katie a smile. “I’d give up my company. I’d give up my life.” His eyes focused on mine. “But I wouldnae lie for them. Part of growing up is learning to take responsibility for your own actions.” He smiled, ruffling my hair. “Which is why, once this whole thing is over and done with and we get back home, my son will be grounded for the next three weeks.”

Catching me completely out of left field. “WHAT!?! Grounded? Why?”

“For running off the way ye did without telling anyone!” my dad shot back, letting a bit of the obvious anger he felt show. Under the onslaught, I wilted like a three month old flower bouquet. “Ye left a one word note taped to the refrigerator door, saying only ‘goodbye’. Did ye honestly think tha’ would suffice? Are ye daft?” I opened my mouth to reply, but a raised eyebrow from him and I closed it again. He sighed, shaking his head. “Ye ken, I have half a mind to put ye over my knee right here and now...” His tirade was only cut short when Katie, Eva, and the judge, unable to restrain themselves any longer, burst into laughter. I glared at my sister, who merely shrugged.

“Sorry, bro, but he has a point. You’ll get no sympathy from me on that one. You’re on your own.”

“Um, Judge,” I said sheepishly, blushing hotly, “any chance you might reconsider and throw me back behind bars? I think I’d actually be better off in jail right now...”

Despite the joking around, I really was happy to be going home again. Overjoyed, actually. I’d spent more than six weeks on the road before deciding to turn myself in. I’d been held for two weeks while a judge and jury were selected. And the trial itself had lasted for six days. Had it really been only two months since I’d left? It seemed a lot longer.

A crowd of reporters stood just outside the court room, waiting to swarm me, each of them wanting a statement, blurb, or sound bite they could use. As the media wasn’t exactly number one of my welcome list at the moment, my attorney decided to handle things. “You guys go on out the back entrance while I field a few questions. I’ll check in with you in the morning, Sir, if there’s nothing more pressing you need?”

“Aye, Daryl,” my dad responding with a nod. “That’ll suffice. Say hello to young Barbara for me.”

“Barbara?” I asked as we made our way down the empty hallway.

“His eight year old daughter,” dad replied softly. “He’s had the raising of her since his wife died a year ago. Never have I seen a more devoted parent! Ach, you should see the way he dotes on her. It’s part of the reason I chose him to represent you.” He sighed softly... and I could tell something was wrong. “I’ve been keeping him away from her far too much as of late. But... hopefully he’ll have more time to catch up with her in the future.” And then, it hit me.

I’m not a dullard, I’m really not. It just sometimes takes me a while to put all the pieces together. “Oh. Oh... dad! Dad... your company! I’m sorry!”

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Dinnae fausch, my son. It’s not your fault. You had nothing to do with my losing Frasier Industries... nothing whatsoever. But... I thank you for the sentiment.” As we stepped out into the alleyway behind the court house, he paused again, looking at me. “Ye ken, lad... I just wanted to say that I am verra verra proud of ye for choosing to stop running and turn yourself in. I meant what I told the judge earlier. It takes a lot of character to admit when yer wrong and to face up to yer mistakes, even when they’re not yer own! I only wish ye’d thought to ask for help... to come to me or your sister... or even young wee ’Rora! Lucky ye were that SHE ran into YOU when she did!” He chuckled again, no doubt recalling her account of events in Midas. “For all of her problems and the issues she’s dealing with right now, the lass had the right of it. Family first, Jimmy lad. Family takes care of its own.“

“Yes,” Lacie Frasier replied softly, dropping down from the sky to stand a few feet away from us. “It does. Hello, Gene, Katie... Jimmy.”

I blinked in surprise. “Mom? You’re finally back! How...” I stopped, frowning, a deep scowl crossing my face. “How did you know to come here to find us?”

Her lips creased in a sad smile. “I’m sorry, baby. I... I saw what happened.” She shook her head, a tear running down her cheek. “I was so caught up in searching for Sarah.... trying to find any trace of Silver Girl’s missing thread that... that I forgot to keep a watch over your threads.” Another tear ran down the other cheek. “I’m sorry... sorry I wasn’t here for you. For ANY of you.”

I didn’t plan it. I sure as hell didn’t mean it. But before I’d even realized what I’d done, I’d grabbed my mom by the shoulders, and pressed her hard against the side of the building, cracking the stonework. “SORRY!?!” I yelled, my body going ebony, darkness flooding out of me like a river. “You’re SORRY you weren’t here?!?”

“JAMES IAM MACKENZIE FRASIER!” My dad barked, more in surprise than anger. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“She LEFT us, Dad!” I yelled still trying to reign myself in. I was shaking, shuddering. Pain warring with sadness, warring with guilt. A stop light across the street exploded, and several car alarms went off. “When we needed her the most! When YOU needed her the most!!” I glared back at her as she stood there, completely passive, just looking at me. LOOKING at me. “Forget about me... forget about what I just went through... I don’t care! And even, forget Kate... and what she recently went through. But your HUSBAND? His company, his life’s work...” I shook my head, fighting my own tears now. “Everything he worked for his entire life, his legacy... was being taken away from him, little by little... all those sleepless nights... all the nights I’d walk by his bedroom or his study, before my problems even started... and find him just sitting there... just... alone... calling your name,” A surge of blackness poured out of me, and ALL the street lights across the street began blinking, as sparks began to shoot out of the large grey electrical box.

I wanted to hit her. Hard. My own mother. Fuck! She hurt dad, hurt me, by not being here... but she was still my mom... STILL the person I turned to, to somehow make everything right.

I knew what despair felt like. I’d felt it a few days ago, when I’d unwittingly destroyed court room A-1. I knew what my father felt as he watched the company that he’d built from the ground up when he was MY age torn to pieces by a bunch of stinking bureaucrats with a ‘special agenda’ while he was helpless to do anything to stop it. I knew that feeling well, the feeling that no matter what you do, no matter what you say, you can never, NEVER, make up for a mistake you made—

The same feeling that was practically pouring off mom in waves.

Oh God.

“Mom... I...” I began, loosening my grip. “I didn’t mean... I just... I...”

“It’s okay, son,” she said softly, pulling me close, clutching me tight. “It’s okay, really. I understand. It’s no less than I deserve.” My shoulder felt wet, and despite the calm steady voice she spoke with, I could feel how much she was crying. “You’re right. I should have been here. I should have... I should have... when I came back out of the well, and checked, I saw... oh goddess, I saw...what you endured... what you faced... what my neglect had caused—“

“Enough,” Eugene cut in softly but firmly, stepping up to both of us. “Lacie, love, it’s fine. I understand. It’s not as if you were off gallivanting across the globe, or lying on a beach in Malibu or some such! You were trying to find and save Sarah... a dear beloved friend whom we BOTH owe more than we could ever repay.” He sighed. “Aye, ’twould have been nice to have you here as a comfort, a shoulder to cry on... and I cannae deny that I missed you, that I didnae think of you every single day that ye were gone. But... were ye here with me, the end result would have been the same. There is nothing you could have done to stop it from happening.”

He sighed softly, resting his learned gaze on me. “And you, son. Aye... I understand your feelings as well. But again, had your mother been here, she could not have stopped the events that shaped the path your life took these past several weeks either.”

A truth I’d finally figured out for myself moments before, starting into mom’s eyes. Eyes that reminded me so very much of the poor man from the trial... not totally devoid of life and hope, but filled with so much pain that joy and hope had to be a distant memory.

“Yes, it would have been nice to have you here, love,” Eugene said softly, wiping the tear tracks from her cheeks, “but as I just stated moments before, family comes first. And Sarah LaSilvas IS family. We needed you for emotional support, but her situation could be life or death. We owe it to her, and her family, to do whatever it takes to find her.“

“For all the good it did,” Lacie replied softly, looking down. “After all the time it took to actually find her...” She shook her head. “Being able to find a person, and being able to actually rescue them are two separate things...“

“This is not a time for blame, recriminations, or feeling sorry for ourselves,” Dad growled. “This is a moment of triumph... of victory. My son was proved innocent, and is a free man once again. And my wife, and love, has returned home. And... if nothing else, you know that Sarah is alive. That’s more then we knew before. Ye have to take life’s victories where we find them. For now... let’s go home.” A small smile creased his lips. “If nothing else, you’ll be able to bring some hope to two very sad and lonely young girls that their mother is still alive. And if there’s one thing we’ve all learned today, it’s the value of hope.”