Chapter Twenty
**Two weeks later**
Kerry was standing outside the door of the courtroom, staring at a potted palm tree and trying to stop fidgeting.
"Kerry, you have to chill out." Nick said, massaging her shoulders.
She turned around to face him, saying, "He's going to be in there... like six feet away from me.. I'm sorry, but that makes me a little nervous!"
"Yeah, but I'm gonna be there, like six inches away from you- you have nothing to worry about. He's not worth it anyway- he's nothing. The only he ever did that meant anything was help make Miah." He wrapped her up in a hug and kissed the top of her head.
"You're very smart, you know that?" Kerry asked, standing up on her tiptoes to kiss him.
Nick laughed, "Actually, that may be the first time I've heard that one." He took Kerry's hand and lead her into the court room up to the table near the judge's bench where the case counselor was waiting.
"Hi, I'm Samantha Abram." the counselor said, holding her hand out for Kerry to shake. "Every case like this is appointed a counselor because there's no need for you to have a lawyer yet. All that's going to happen is Mr. Johnson will come in here, enter his plea and the judge will determine whether or not he goes to trial, which there is no doubt in my mind he will. So, really you didn't even have to be here, but it's probably best you are, looking like you care what happens definitely helps."
"I do care, I want him to spend the rest of his natural life in prison." Kerry said.
"The charge is first degree sexual assault- rape and bodily harm, which will put him in prison for a maximum of 35 years, but anything is better than having him out running around." Samantha replied.
Josh was escorted into the room, wearing handcuffs, by two officers, who stood on either side of him at the table where his lawyer was sitting.
Judge Marks was introduced and entered the room, then the case announced and the charges explained. She looked over at Josh, "How do you plead?"
Josh's laywer stood up and replied, "My client pleads not guilty on the basis of temporary insanity. Ms. Collins was trying to prevent him from seeing his child and her obstinate refusal provoked him to act in uncharacteristic voilence."
Kerry's jaw dropped. "That is the most unfuckingbeliveable thing I have ever heard!" she mumbled.
Nick grabbed Kerry's hand. "Calm down, the judge doesn't look like she's going for it either."
Judge Marks looked at Josh's lawyer over the top of her glasses. "You're kidding, right?"
Kerry couldn't help but snicker at her and the lawyer's shocked expression as he squeaked, "No, ma'am."
Judge Marks shook her head slightly, "Two months from today, I will see you all back in this court room." She pounded the gavel and got up to leave.
Samantha turned to Kerry. "There you go. Two months, get a laywer and get your case together, even though with her you're not going to need much. She has no toleration for people like him, as you can well see."
"Yeah, and I like her already." Kerry said, smiling.
Nick and Kerry went to her parents house for dinner to discuss what happened in court and what was coming up. Kerry was glad that her whole family had taken such a liking to Nick. She liked being able to look around the table, and have everyone that she really loved there- Haley on one side, Miah on the other- having placed herself between her mom and Nick, and her parents across the table.
After dinner, while Kerry was talking to her dad about a lawyer that a client of his had recommended, Nick pulled Haley into the other room to talk to her.
"What's up?" Haley asked, flopping onto the couch.
Nick sat beside her, "Are you doing anything Saturday afternoon?"
"No... need me to munchkin-sit?"
"No, Miah's going with Kerry to some mother-daughter thing at school." he said.
"Then what's going on?"
"I want you to go shopping with me..." he said, lowering his voice.
Haley's eyes got wide, "Is this for what I think's it's for?!?"
Nick laughed a little, "What do you think it's for?"
"Are you gonna ask..." Haley didn't want to finish just in case she wasn't right.
Nick nodded, 'Yeah... so when Kerry and Steve are done talking, I want you to get her, like upstairs or somewhere for a little while so I can talk to your parents."
"AHHH! That's SO CUTE!" Haley shrieked.
"SHH!"
"Sorry!" she clamped her hand over her mouth and squealed again. "Ohmygod, I'm so excited! Of course, I'll go with you!" She impulsively threw her arms around Nick. "I'm so glad she's got you."
"I'm glad she had you to take care of her 'til I got to her", Nick laughed, returning Haley's hug.
"I'm gonna go see if they're almost done talking!" Haley jumped off the couch and stuck her head in the kitchen. "You guys about finished?"
Kerry looked up, "Uh, yeah, why?"
"'Cause there's .. uh.. something.. I wanna... show you. Upstairs." Haley said.
"Haley Elizabeth, what are you up to?" Marie asked, coming back into the kitchen.
"Nothing, Mom." Haley replied, smiling innocently.
"Yeah right." Kerry said, pushing the chair back and standing up. "What do you have to show me, Space Case?"
"Upstairs, I said!" Haley ran up to her room, with Kerry right behind her, trying to think of something she could show Kerry or some question to ask her to keep her occupied.
Nick chuckled at the girls charging up the steps and went into the kitchen. He sat down at the table with Kerry's parents and told them what he wanted to do, and asked for their permission.
Marie started crying and saying how happy she was and Steve said of course he could, they'd be honored to have him as part of the family.
"So, what do you think? Shoulderblade, hip, or ankle?" Haley asked, pointing to each spot as she named it.
Kerry rolled her eyes. "Why are you asking me where to put ink on your body?"
Haley hadn't really even thought of getting a tattoo, but it was the first thing that had come into her head to ask Kerry about. "You're my sister, I ask you these things."
"Mom and dad would, like, hang you from the ceiling by your toenails if you get a tattoo." Kerry said, laying back on the bed, hoping Nick wasn't being tormented by her parents downstairs.
Haley jumped on the bed next to Kerry, "Would you get one?"
Kerry shrugged. "Maybe... if I could find something that meant alot to me..." she said, feeling sort of guilty she'd never told Haley about the one she had. But it was something between her and Nick now, and she liked it that way.
*****
** Two months later **
Kerry had been sitting on the edge of the bed for 30 minutes, staring into the closet, hoping something would jump out at her to wear. The trial had started a few days ago, and she'd been relatively calm about things. She had to take the stand today, and testify- talk about the rape again, and then talk about past incidents with Josh to prove he had a history of being voilent. She hated the idea of having to tell a room full of strangers all these things, especially with Josh sitting right in front of her, staring hatefully at her the entire time. She heard music come on, a song she normally liked, but she was not in the mood for it now. She turned around to ask Nick to turn it off, or at least down and about fell off the bed laughing when she saw him, sporting his best 'hip-hop' look.
Nick knew she was scared and had thought a distraction was in order. He'd found a song she liked and decided a few word changes and give her something to take her mind off the day ahead. He started to rap, "Girl, in my eyes you the baddest, one of the reasons I love you, you don't like me for my status... Whatever you need girlfriend, I got the whole enchilada. Just the way you like it, Nick gonna be your propa'. I can tell you were meant for me, I can tell by the way you was sent to me... I don't mind doin' these things for you- You did things for me I wouldn't believe you did. That's why I always want to keep you here. In a year or two girl, I can see you with my kids. Girl, you make a guy wanna get a normal gig. It's only right we spend our lonely nights gettin' crazy biz 'til we awake the kids.... Everybody love you girl, not just me..." ("Tell me what you want", Ma$e)
Kerry got off the bed and jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. She kissed him deeply, then said, "I love you so much."
He slipped his arms around her to hold her against him. "I love you, too. Couldn't have you gettin' all nervous.. so I wanted to do something fun for you."
"That was very fun!" She kissed the tip of his nose, "See me with your kids?"
He smiled and kissed her softly on the lips. "Yeah... perfect combination... you and me."
****
Four hours later, Kerry was sitting in the witness stand answering the questions her lawyer, JoAnne Lawson, the one her father had found, and she liked very much, was asking her. She'd already talked about the rape, and had now moved on to the past, dredging up memories she'd wished she could have allowed to stay buried. She kept her eyes on Haley who standing at the back of the courtroom to give Kerry something to focus on.
"Did Mr. Johnson have visitation rights with your daughter, Ms. Collins?" Mrs. Lawson asked.
"No, I had a restraining order against him." Kerry replied.
"And why did you have the restraining order against him?"
"He was abusive throughout our entire relationship, and he tried to choke me to death when I was seven months pregnant, and I was not about to let him get near my child out of fear for what might happen to her."
As Kerry continued to answer Mrs. Lawson's questions and then those of Josh's lawyer, Haley began thinking back, remembering the times Kerry was talking about, what it had been like to live through them. It seemed so long ago, now, the way things had changed. She was going to school soon, and no longer felt like she had to worry about Kerry and what was going to happen to her.
Nick could barely stand listening to her answer the questions, retell the horror stories, but at the same time, he was proud of her, the way she was handling all this. If she was scared, she wasn't showing it. He wanted the trial to be over, Josh to be in jail, and for their lives to go on- together.
The next day was Josh's turn at defense. As soon as Kerry walked into the room, the first thing she noticed was Lauren standing near the table, waiting for someone.
"Bitch!" Lauren hissed as Kerry and Nick walked by.
Kerry stopped to look at her, "Excuse me?"
"Just because you're jealous doesn't give you the right to try to destroy Josh's life and mine!"
Kerry couldn't help but laugh. "Jealous?!? Of what?? Being pushed around? Slapped? Told I'm worthless??"
"He's not like that. You're lying and you need to knock it off." Lauren said, glaring at Kerry.
Kerry grabbed Lauren's wrist and pulled her arm out to her side, fully exposing a bruise that had been peeking out from under her sleeve. "And I suppose this is just a hickey?" Kerry dropped Lauren's arm and brushed past her, taking her place between Nick and Mrs. Lawson.
"Very impressive, angel." Nick said, leaning over to kiss her cheek.
The afternoon dragged on as Josh took the stand to try to defend himself and Lauren testified on his behalf- saying he'd never been violent with her and had often expressed wishes of wanting to see his daughter. Kerry thought it was amusing that Josh's parents hadn't shown up for the entire trial, when they were usually stepping up right away to bail him out.
Two days later finally arguments and defenses were held. Kerry and Mrs. Lawson felt sure that the jury was on her side, there was really no way they couldn't be. Judge Marks announced an hour recess for the jury to deliberate on a sentence.
Nick, Kerry, and Haley went out for a quick lunch with Mrs. Lawson, who said that Judge Marks must have had a pretty good feel of what the decision would be to only allow an hour of deliberation.
Kerry's foot was tapping loudly on the tile floor as she fidgeted, awaiting the judge to return. She grabbed Nick's hand and held it tight when he reached over to try to get her to hold still.
"Calm down, angel. They're gonna be hauling his ass to jail in a matter minutes... relax." Nick said.
"I know, I know." Kerry replied, jumping up as Judge Marks re-entered the room and sat at her bench.
"Has the jury reached it's decision?" Judge Marks asked.
The foreman stood up, "Yes, Your Honor. We, the jury, by unanimous decision find the defendant, Josh Johnson, guilty of first degree sexual assault and recommend the maximum sentence as punishment."
Kerry's hands flew to her mouth to keep from screaming so she could hear what Judge marks had to say.
"Jury's recommendation is upheld. Sentence stands at 35 years at a state penitentiary with no parole and a $10,000 fine." Judge Marks said, and slammed the gavel down. She smiled at Kerry and walked out of the room.
Nick stood up, pulling Kerry up with him and grabbed her in a hug. He could hear Josh cursing and Lauren crying over Kerry's squeals. He lifted her up to kiss her. "I told you." he smiled.
Kerry threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, still shrieking. She let go after few moments, and turned to thank Mrs. Lawson.
"It was my pleasure, Kerry. I enjoy helping with cases I believe in." she said, shaking Kerry's hand.
Haley waited patiently and finally hugged Kerry. "He's gonna have so much fun in jail..." she said, grinning.
Kerry grinned wickedly, "God, I hope he drops his soap in the shower."
Mrs. Lawson tried to stifle a laugh, and said, "He's a pretty boy... it's not going to matter if his ass is in the air or not."
Kerry laughed at hearing usually conservative Mrs. Lawson say that. "Payback's a bitch."
Nick chuckled and grabbed Kerry's hand again, "Let's get out of here."
Kerry followed him out the door, "Why are you in such a hurry?"
"We have packing to do." he replied, stopping on the courthouse steps to kiss her.
"Pack? What?" Kerry asked, confused.
Nick slipped his arm around her waist and hopped down a step to be closer to eye level with her. "You and me. We're going to celebrate." he said, before pulling her close and kissing her slowly and deeply.
Kerry pulled away from him a few moments later and rested her forehead against his, looking into his eyes. "Ohhh, I like that idea. And I know exactly what I want to do whenever we get wherever we're going."
"And that would be?"
"Go straight to bed." she said, and kissed him again.
"I knew this was going to be a good idea." he mumbled against her lips.