“All rise! Court is now in session, the honorable Judge Monique Sanders presiding.”

The bailiff’s bellow brought the chatter in the courtroom to complete silence as the small statured judge approached the bench to take her seat.

“You may be seated,” she stated in a voice that was both calm and firm, leaving no doubt as to who was in charge. Molly sat with the prosecution wringing her hands nervously in anticipation, waiting for Judge Sanders to deliver the punishment due the cowards who called themselves men at the defendants table.

Justin and Jennifer sat amongst the rest of the on-lookers holding onto one another tightly. Justin took a deep breath in both relief and fear. He was relieved because he thought this day would never come. Finally the animals that had caused his sister so much pain and suffering would have to answer for their misdeeds, but he also feared that the system would fail Molly yet again.

Jennifer just wanted this whole ordeal to be over so that Molly could go back to living a normal life, if that was even possible. The media hadn’t exactly been considerate of her privacy and the constant harassment had taken its toll on her emotionally and physically. It made Jennifer sick to her stomach every time she thought about how they tried to blame Molly for her own attack based simply on what she had been wearing at the time. Justin looked over at Jennifer and noticed she had gone pale, as if she had seen a ghost.

“Mom are you alright,” Justin whispered in her ear.

“Oh, I’m fine honey. I just never thought I’d see the day when these monsters would actually pay for what they did to Molly,” she smiled “Me either.’’ Justin whispered back with a wink.

Judge Sanders spent a few moments going over the briefs handed to her before turning her attention to the packed courtroom.

“Will the defendants please rise,” the four men sitting at the defendants table did as they were instructed, preparing themselves to hear their fate.

Graduation night St James Academy 9 months earlier

Molly was just coming out of the auditorium having an animated conversation with some classmates diploma in hand, when she spotted Jennifer and Justin who had been waiting by the trophy case to offer their congratulations.

“I’m so proud of you sweetheart,” Jennifer gushed with tears in her eyes. “My baby girl is all grown up.”

Justin gave her one of his biggest smiles and a tight hug and told her how proud he was of her as well. “You did it Mollusk, you survived four years of pure hell,” Molly rolled her eyes in response and smiled in return.

“Thanks Justin although you’re wrong about the four years of pure hell…it was fourteen,” she quipped causing the Taylor trio to erupt in laughter. Molly’s facial expression suddenly changed from one of excitement to one of despair as she sighed heavily “I just wish Dad could have been here too.”

Jennifer brought Molly into an embrace and whispered “I know you do honey, and so do I.”

“But enough of that,” Molly started not wanting to think about it any further. “I can’t wait to go celebrate this momentous occasion. Sarah Jacobson is throwing a graduation party at her parents’ house and I don’t want to miss a minute of it.” Jennifer and Justin couldn’t hide their amusement; neither could they resist joking at Molly’s expense.

“Well I guess we better get you home Cinderella, your chariot awaits,” Justin said tongue in cheek.

“Haha very funny ….asshole,” Molly smirked under her breath as they made their way to the school parking lot.

Once they arrived home Molly immediately ran upstairs to get ready for her big night on the town. She still couldn’t believe that she was finally done with high school and preparing to go to college. She decided such a special night afforded her the opportunity to don her hottest outfit.

She went to her closet and pulled out an Aeropostle printed tee, thigh length denim skirt, and knee high stack-heeled boots. After lightly applying her make-up and brushing her beautiful strawberry blonde hair, Molly checked herself in the mirror and was satisfied with her appearance. Molly made her way back down the stairs and kissed Jennifer goodbye, promising to be careful and to call if there was any trouble.

“Mom are you sure it’s safe to let Molly go out by herself so late at night?” Justin asked his voice full of concern. He knew from firsthand experience what dangers could be lurking in the shadows on a night like this. Six years had passed since his bashing but nightmares of his ordeal still haunted him. He didn’t want Molly to ever experience the emotional trauma he had to go through, was still going through to this day.

“She’ll be fine Justin. Don’t worry I’m sure she can take care of herself.” Justin tried to take his mother’s advice and not worry, but he still felt a little uneasy about the situation. He offered a smile in resignation and placed a kiss on Jennifer’s cheek before replying “I’m sure you’re right Mom she’ll probably be fine.”

It was really starting to get late and Justin had an early meeting the next day so he decided to head home to get some sleep.

“I’ll call and check on you and Molly tomorrow Mom.”

“Thank you for that sweetheart, I love you Justin.” Justin hugged his mother one last time before shutting the door and getting into his car.

When Molly reached the Jacobson residence twenty minutes later, she was greeted by a very excited Sarah and the pleasant sounds of Creed’s ‘My Own Prison’ coming from the large speakers in the living room turned dance floor.

“Damn Molly, I thought you’d never get here. Everybody has been asking about you.” Sarah stated as she escorted Molly through the throngs of writhing, gyrating bodies.

“Darling perfection takes time. Do you think I can just tumble out of bed and look like this?” Molly asked with and exaggerated flip of her hair. Sarah cracked up and offered to get Molly a drink.

Molly and Sarah continued to engage themselves in conversation while unbeknownst to them; they were being watched very closely. Zamani Smith, Terrence Walters, Jackie Bond, and Richard Phillips were in complete awe of the two lovely young ladies. The four high school football stars spoke candidly of all the nasty, naughty things they would do to Sarah and Molly if given the chance.

“Man that Molly Taylor is one hot piece of ass,” Terrence licked his lips as his eyes raked slowly over Molly’s five foot nine inch frame. Zamani couldn’t help but agree adding, “Yeah, and I bet her pussy is tighter than Ft Knox.” Of course Richard and Jackie couldn’t resist getting in on the fun and had their say as well.

“I bet I can get her to fuck me before the night’s over with,” Richard suggested.

“No way fucker, she’d never go for a loser like you,” said Jackie “I’m more her type and besides, no woman wants a man with a little dick.” This threw the four jocks into a fit of uncontrollable laughter until Zamani broke up the moment of mirth.

“Alright asswipes let’s settle this thing once and for all. Twenty bucks and bragging rights to the first one to get Ms. Taylor to give up her sweet little ass…deal?” The other young men seemed to be taking their time and thinking it over, hesitant to take on such an endeavor and making themselves look like fist class assholes if they failed. After a few moments of silence, the young men shook hands and agreed to the terms.

Jennifer was lying restlessly on the living room sofa occasionally looking at the clock hoping that Molly would come in soon. At 4 AM she still hadn’t shown up or called and Jennifer started to worry that she might be in some kind of trouble. It wasn’t like Molly not to call to at least say she was going to be late getting in or that she might stay over at a friend’s, that was one of the reasons Jennifer didn’t object to letting her go out in the first place. She started thinking that maybe Justin was right after all, that it hadn’t been such a good idea to let her go alone. Had Molly gone with friends to begin with, Jennifer would be sleeping peacefully in her bed instead of lying awake with the unshakeable feeling that something was terribly wrong.

“Where are you Molly?” Jennifer whispered into the darkness.

Back at the Jacobson residence

Molly sat on the bathroom floor crying, curled up slightly behind the toilet. Her body was shaking violently and her panties were still around her ankles. Her face and body were bloody, covered in ugly bruises and the pain she was experiencing was so excruciating, that she thought she would never live through it. As she began to replay the events of the last few hours, she only had one question on her mind….why? Why had they done this to her?

About an hour after arriving at the party, Molly started to notice that Zamani and Richard were paying her a little more attention than normal. Usually while they were in school the popular jocks barely said boo to her, tonight however they were especially loquacious. They spent a great deal of time waxing poetic about her looks, the smell of her perfume, and how they wish they had gotten to know her better over the years. Then there was Jackie (whom she secretly had a crush on) and Terrence, acting so fucking cavalier all night long. She had even thanked the bastards at one point for telling some guy to fuck off for getting particularly friendly with her. It was all a crock of shit, she didn’t realize at the time they had only done it because they wanted her for themselves.

Molly could still feel their cold, angry hands on her body. The smell of their liquor tainted breath lingered heavily in the air, and the smell made her want to retch. The echoes of menacing voices played in her mind over and over again.

“Shut the fuck up, and be a good little girl and do as you’re told.”

Molly pulled her legs tight against her chest in an effort feel a sense of comfort, sadly that comfort would never come. She sat there on that cold bathroom floor for what seemed like hours before Sarah finally found her.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!!!!” Molly screamed when Sarah tried to reach out a hand to help her.

“Oh my God Molly! What happened to you?” Sarah was in all out panic mode by this point, and in her irrational state, she was at a loss as to what to do first. After a few moments she was able to calm herself enough to call the paramedics. Again Sarah tried to offer to help Molly off of the floor only to be rejected once again.

“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!!!!” Molly cried uncontrollably.

“It’s going to be okay Molly, help is on the way.” Sarah felt helpless and her heart ached for her friend. Molly was always so strong and full of life, a fighter in every sense of the word. Now here she sat beaten and broken, the life and fight that was ever present was now virtually non-existent.

Ten minutes later Sarah heard the sirens of the emergency vehicles as they pulled up in front of her house. She didn’t want to leave Molly alone but she knew she had to go meet the emergency staff.

“I’m just going to go let the paramedics in and I’ll be right back.”

Sarah rushed down the stairs, tore open the front door almost taking it off of its hinges, and immediately pointed the way to her injured friend. When the EMT’s reached Molly and tried to start administering treatment, she fought them off with such fervor, that she had to be given a sedative so that they could safely put her IV in place. After taking her vitals and applying an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth, the EMT’s gently lifted Molly onto a gurney and rolled her out of the house and into the back of the ambulance.

Just as the door were about to shut Sarah shouted “Wait….I’m going with her.”

“Are you family ma’am?” asked a very muscular technician who looked as if he could be a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys.

“No, but I’m the closest thing she’s got right now,” she replied and without being given any further permission proceeded to get into the ambulance.

Sarah called and notified Jennifer of Molly’s condition as soon as they arrived at the hospital and had arrived a short time later. Jennifer quickly made her way through the emergency room and spotted Sarah sitting in the waiting area.

“How is she?”

“They’re still examining her, but I’m sure she’ll be just fine”

Jennifer breathed out a heavy sigh as she sat down on one of the chairs next to Sarah. She still had to tell Justin about what had happened, how would he react to it? Would he blame her for letting Molly go out alone, even after he’d told her he thought it wasn’t safe? Logically she knew that Justin would never hold her responsible for Molly’s attack, but she wasn’t thinking logically at the moment. All she could feel was guilt and shame for failing to keep her little girl out of harm’s way. Jennifer buried her face in her hands and cried softly, upset at the thought of her daughter being in so much pain, but relieved that things weren’t more serious.

Justin’s alarm had gone off at exactly the same time his cell phone started to ring.

“Damn it! Can’t a man wake up good before people start fucking with him,” he said to himself annoyed by the double wake up call. He went to shut off the alarm and searched for his phone to find out who could possibly be calling him at 6AM. After locating his phone he glanced at the caller ID and recognized his mother’s number instantly. Justin quickly answered knowing that something must be wrong in order for her to call at such an early hour.

“Hey Mom, is everything ok?”

“Justin its Molly… she’s been attacked,” Jennifer started to explain her voice and heat breaking with every word.

“What happened? Is she alright? Where are you?”

“I’m not exactly sure what happened. I’m at Alleghany General with her friend Sarah. The Dr’s are with her now and said as soon as they were finished examining her we would get the status of her condition.”

The fact that Molly had been attacked made Justin furious. He also had a feeling that Jennifer hadn’t told him everything. He wanted to know what happened, but didn’t want to push causing his mother to be more upset.

“Mom… there’s something you’re not telling me. How was Molly attacked?”  There was a long silence between them.

“Mom, tell me,” Justin demanded. Jennifer sighed and tried to steel herself for what she knew was coming as she spoke her next words.

“Justin….she was raped.” The word left a bitter taste in her mouth as she thought about what Molly had to go through. Justin swallowed the lump in his throat as he tried to process what Jennifer told him. The anger he felt only intensified at the thought that someone had taken something so precious from Molly, something she most likely wasn’t ready to give. He wanted to scream at his mother and ask her how this had been allowed to happen. He knew that that particular reaction wouldn’t be conducive to getting through this tragedy, so he chose to comfort Jennifer instead.

“Shit! Mom I’m on my way, I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

“Thanks honey, I’m sure Molly would appreciate that.”  Justin ended the call dressed quickly, grabbed his keys and wallet and left to meet Jennifer at the hospital.

Molly was feeling uncomfortably exposed with her legs in the stirrups of the hospital bed waiting for the Dr. on call to come in and do her rape kit. Never in a million years would she have ever thought she’d find herself in this kind of situation. It had to be an awful dream she thought to herself, but the pain radiating through her body was a grim reminder that it was all too real. Just as she was on the verge of another bout of uncontrollable tears there was soft knocking and a gentle push on the door.

“Hi Molly I’m Dr. Jackson and I’ll be taking care of you during your stay here.”  Dr. Jackson was a very statuesque dark skinned woman with a kind smile and an easy bedside manner. She studied Molly’s medical chart for a brief moment before she pressed on to ask all the necessary questions.

“When was your last menstrual period?”

“About three weeks ago,” Molly answered

“Have you ever had any STD’s?” Molly looked at her incredulously and answered with an emphatic no. “Why are you asking me these questions?” Dr. Jackson explained that is was just part of the procedure to ask such questions.

“When did you last have consensual intercourse?” Molly blushed and replied “Never.”

After obtaining the information she needed, Dr. Jackson began to investigate further about the previous night’s events.

“Can you tell me about what happened last night?”

Molly silently focused on the speckled tiles of the ceiling as she felt shame and embarrassment flow through her in waves at the question. The rational part of her brain wanted to scream from the rooftop of the highest building to the world what those fuckers had done to her, but how could she possibly begin to tell this complete stranger about all of the horrible things that happened to her. Molly knew with certainty that once she started talking, Dr. Jackson would begin to judge her and somehow tell her she deserved it.

“I…I was attacked while I was attending a graduation party at a friends,” Molly managed to say rather shakily.

“Do you know the person or persons that did this to you?” Dr. Jackson asked as she waited patiently for Molly to gather the strength to name her assailants. This was the hardest part of the job for her as well as for the patient. Over the years she’d cared for enough rape victims to know that often times, the fear that their attacker would come back and repeat the crime or worse, kept them from identifying the attacker.

Molly slowly nodded her head then added “But I can’t tell you who they are. They said they would kill me if I told anyone.”

“Molly I know exactly what you’re feeling right now, and I also know how hard this must be for you,” Dr. Jackson started “But by remaining silent and allowing them to go free, you’re also allowing them to win.”

Molly couldn’t believe the nerve of this arrogant doctor thinking she knew how the fuck she felt. What angered her most was the Dr.’s statement about her letting her rapists win.

“What the fuck do you know about how I feel?” Molly spat angrily “Well I’ll tell you how I feel good Dr. I feel used and dirty, like a common whore that no one gives a fuck about.” Molly laughed bitterly before saying “You probably think I did something to deserve it don’t you? Well you’re wrong…so fuck you and fuck your fake ass sympathy.” The tears she’d been holding back were flowing freely down her cheeks by this point, and she didn’t know how to stop them.

Dr. Jackson wanted to be upset with the young woman lying on the bed, but she knew Molly’s outburst was only a defense mechanism being used to try to cope with her trauma. Being a former victim herself, she recognized it all too well. Dr. Jackson cautiously moved closer to Molly’s bedside in an effort to comfort her as best she could.  She needed for Molly to understand that she was not alone; so Dr. Jackson decided to share her experience.

“I understand what you are feeling because I’ve been where you are,” she stated simply. “My own husband wouldn’t take no for an answer and his fists could be registered as lethal weapons.”

Molly looked to Dr. Jackson confusion clearly written on her face. Was she hearing this correctly? Was Dr. Jackson actually saying that she had been raped by her…husband? Molly spoke her next words carefully and quietly.

“He was your husband Dr. Jackson, how could he possibly have raped you?”

Dr. Jackson fought back the tears that threatened to spill and replied “By forcing me to have sex with him against my will. Just because you’re married, that doesn’t give your spouse the right to take liberties with your body.” Molly nodded in understanding and started to relax a bit.

Satisfied that she at least had Molly thinking about doing the right thing and calling out her aggressors, Dr. Jackson decided to let it go for now and just concentrate on completing her exam and sending the teenager home with her family.  

Suddenly Molly found herself bombarded with camera flashes and directives for her to turn to the left, turn to the right, pull her gown up, bend over, show her legs, etc.

She had her fingernails scraped, mouth swabbed, and pubic area combed for foreign hairs and she had never felt so humiliated in her life. At that moment she wished she could just fade away and disappear.

When the physical exam was complete, Molly was told to shower and douche and that a counselor from the rape center as well as the local authorities would be in to speak with her. Molly really didn’t think she had the strength or patience to keep reliving the grievous acts perpetrated against her. All she could think about was going home and putting this whole ugly incident behind her.

“Why can’t this be over already,” Molly complained to no one in particular as she got out of bed and followed the Dr. out of the room to get showered and changed.

Justin arrived at the hospital shortly after talking with Jennifer about Molly’s situation. He rushed into the emergency room frantically looking for his mother desperate to find out what was going on. After quickly scanning the waiting area he noticed Jennifer sitting with Sarah near the triage desk.

“Mom what’s going on? How is Molly?” Jennifer was feeling emotionally and physically overwhelmed as she stood up and buried her face into Justin’s chest and cried.

“I’m not sure honey, but we should hear something very soon,” she managed to choke out when she was able to calm herself.

“How long have you been waiting?”

“About an hour and a half now,” Sarah said with a yawn. In his haste to get as much information as he could, Justin had totally overlooked the fact that Sarah had been there with his mother the entire time.

“I’m sorry Sarah. Thank you for being here for Molly and for my mother as well.”

“Hey it’s no problem,” Sarah assured him. “I’m sure she’s going to be okay. That sister of yours is a fighter.”

Justin gave Sarah a quick smile and a kiss on the cheek before heading in the direction of the admitting station.  Just as he approached the desk, he heard a voice calling for the Taylor family. Dr. Jackson explained that with the exception of a few contusions and bruises, that Molly would be just fine.

“When can we see her Dr?” Sarah asked breathing a sigh of relief.

“You can go see her now if you’d like.  But before you go, I just want to let you know that Molly knows who her attackers are.” Everyone stood there stunned by this bit of information. Justin was even more pissed than he had been before, he wanted to know the names of these sick bastards and he wanted them now.

“Who were they? Did she give names?” Justin asked angrily. Dr. Jackson let out a heavy sigh before answering “No. I wanted to give her time to get over the shock of it all before pressing her too hard for all the details.”

“Thank you Dr,” Jennifer offered

“You’re welcome Mrs. Taylor. She’s in room 227.”

Justin, Sarah, and Jennifer rode the elevator up to the second floor in relative silence. As they exited the elevator, Jennifer started preparing herself for the worst so she held Justin’s hand tightly while they made the short trip down the hall to Molly’s room.  Halfway down the corridor, the threesome was stopped by someone calling out to them trying to get their attention.  

“Excuse me,” a man’s voice boomed causing the trio to simultaneously turn around.  “Are you here to see Molly Taylor?”

“Yes we are,” Justin answered acting as the spokesperson for the group. “Who wants to know?”

“Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Detective Carl Horvath and this is….” He tried to continue but was effectively cut off by his companion, “And I am Assistant D.A. Brian Kinney.”

Detective Horvath and A.D.A Kinney spoke briefly with Molly and got her version of the evening’s events while Jennifer, Sarah, and Justin waited in an empty staff lounge. They sat and quietly sipped the swill coffee that had been left for them as a courtesy, and while the two women had managed to remain calm, Justin found himself getting a bit anxious.

“What the hell could be taking them so long?” Justin groused as he stood up and paced back and forth across the small room. “I swear if they’ve upset Molly any more than she already is….”  Justin’s voice trailed off and Jennifer could hear all the pain and worry behind his words, and she wanted nothing more than to be able to tell him that Molly would get through this ordeal unscarred.  She walked over to Justin and reached out to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder in an effort to ease some of the tension, but Justin wasn’t having any of it and shied away from the contact.

“Please try to relax Justin.” Jennifer sighed “I don’t like this any more than you do sweetheart, but we have to let them do their job.”

Sarah offered Justin a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes and added “They’re just trying to help find whoever is responsible for doing this to her.”

Justin knew they were right, but still he couldn’t help feeling out of sorts about not being able to see Molly or take her home. He was just getting really fucking sick and tired of having to hear from random strangers that his sister was alright, he needed to see it for himself before he would truly believe it.  Patience was the name of the game here though, and it wouldn’t benefit Molly in the least if he was a total emotional wreck when he was finally allowed to see her.

A few moments later, the two authoritarians returned with the good news that Molly was finally ready to be discharged from the hospital.  They further went on to explain the Molly had indeed divulged the names of her vicious assailants. Jennifer closed her eyes and clutched her chest in relief and softly whispered “Thank you God,” although both Justin and Sarah were momentarily stunned by the revelation. Up to this point they could only hope that Molly would be strong enough to try to face her demons.

“So what happens now that you know who these monsters are?” Sarah asked

“Each suspect will be issued an arrest warrant as well as warrants to search their personal property for evidence.” Detective Horvath stated.  “We will also want to question each of you individually….at your convenience of course.”

All parties were in agreement seeing as they had nothing to hide, and if  it would help to put the bastards who hurt Molly away they would walk through fire if need be.

“In the meantime, I can begin preparing her case with the information I’ve obtained thus far.” Brian said. “I will warn you though that I don’t like surprises, so it’s imperative that you be as forthcoming as possible.”

Justin didn’t like the accusatory tone in the brash counselor’s voice.  Never mind that the brunet happened to be the most beautiful man he ever saw. No, he wouldn’t give a second thought to the fact that he had the body of an Adonis with the most soulful, haunting hazel eyes he’d ever seen. Fuck that, just who the hell did this prick think he was anyway? He took a tentative step toward the mouthy attorney and fixed him with a menacing glare.

“And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Justin asked incredulously.

Brian raised an eyebrow deliberately studying the fiery young blond. And he had to admit that although the little twink wasn’t his usual type, he was very well packaged indeed.

Brian couldn’t help being fixated on the full luscious lips and delicious bubble butt adorning the towheaded tiger. His cock began to awaken just thinking about Justin’s lithe frame spread out for his pleasure. He could clearly see himself possessing and claiming the young blond over and over again. Alas, he would have to curb his libido; at least until after Molly’s case went to trial that is.

He stepped further into Justin’s personal space; until they were practically nose to nose and curled his lips under before responding. “It means don’t bullshit me and I’ll see to it that your darling sister wins her case,” he stated matter-of-factly. Brian continued to hold Justin’s gaze in an unspoken understanding that he was not to be intimidated.

The make-shift interrogation room suddenly became eerily quiet as the two men engaged themselves in a silent battle of wills. Not knowing what would happen next, Jennifer and Sarah looked to each other a little apprehensively; while Carl decided it was time to diffuse the situation before things really turned sour.

“Alright, let’s all settle down here. I’m sure Mr. Kinney didn’t mean any offence by his statement….isn’t that right Mr. Kinney?” Carl said in a tone that brooked no argument.

“Right….Detective,” Brian replied, his voice dripping with more than a hint of sarcasm.

After a few more moments of silence, Jennifer lightly rubbed Justin’s back telling him that it was time to retrieve Molly and go home.

The trio said their goodbyes and made their to Molly’s room. Once the young girl’s family was out of earshot, Carl turned to Brian and practically shouted,

“You want to tell me what the fuck that was all about Kinney?” Brian looked to Carl full of indignation and said “You want to tell me what the fuck you’re talking about Horvath?” Carl however, was not in any mood to involve himself in a pissing contest with the self-righteous A.DA.

“You know damn well what I’m talking about! Don’t fuck this up by trying to stick your dick where it doesn’t belong.”

Thinking that the middle-aged detective knew him too well, Brian tried to deny his attraction to young Mr. Taylor.

“That’s the last thing you need to worry about Carl, and why do you care where I stick my dick anyway?” Brian retorted just before leaving Carl standing in the middle of the room with his mouth open.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Jennifer hugged Molly gingerly after seeing her for the first time since her incident.

“Oh honey, I’m so glad you’re okay.” She said as she looked at her daughter though tear filled eyes.

Justin was unable to keep his emotions at bay upon seeing how bruised and worn out his sister seemed to be.

“I’m so sorry this happened to you Molly. I wish I could have been there to protect you.”

Molly pulled Justin into a hug and whispered to him “It’s not your fault. There wasn’t anything you could have done so don’t beat yourself up about it…okay” She then looked to Sarah who seemed to revert back into shock, and thanked her for staying with her family and getting her the help she needed.

“Anytime kiddo…anytime,” she replied rather shakily. Following the short conversation, the nurse came to give Molly her discharge papers along with a prescription for medication to manage her pain. Jennifer gratefully accepted the documents, signed for Molly’s release and guided her out of Alleghany General after Justin promised to come around to check on her the following day.

They dropped Sarah off at home and thanked her again for all she had done for Molly before finally heading toward their destination.  Molly was in no mood for her mother to fawn and fuss over her, so when they arrived home she immediately went up to her bedroom and locked herself inside.

Jennifer wanted to protest, but given the circumstances she thought it best to let Molly have a little time to herself. She let a couple of hours pass by before she went to knock on her daughter’s door to see if she needed anything.

“Are you sure I can’t get you something to eat honey? I’m sure you must be hungry?” Jennifer asked as she stood in front of the closed door.

“No mom, I’m fine really,” came the raspy reply.

“Alright dear,” Jennifer said sounding defeated. “I’m right downstairs if you need me.” And with that she turned and walked away.

Later that evening, Molly lied in bed trying not to think too much about how much her life had changed in the last twenty-four hours. It was all so bittersweet to see all that she had accomplished being overshadowed by what a few ignorant idiots tried to take away from her.  She cried until the tears just wouldn’t come anymore and had decided to try to get some sleep. Unfortunately for her, sleep would not come easy as every time she closed her eyes she could see their faces, the voices of her tormentors echoing in her head over and over driving her mad with frustration.

Molly instead turned on her radio letting the music keep her company. Mary J Blige’s My Life began to play and as she listened to the lyrics, she couldn’t help thinking the song described how she was feeling perfectly.

Life can be only what you make it

When you’re feeling down

You should never fake it

Say what’s on your mind

And you’ll find in time

That all the negative energy

It will all cease

And you’ll be at peace with yourself

You won’t really need no one else

Except for the man up above

Because he will give you love

The song was all about a troubled young woman who seemed on the verge of giving up on all she believed in. She felt she had no self-worth, that her life had no meaning and was incapable of being loved. She felt dirty, damaged and hopeless, a broken spirit that was unable to be put back together. How she had to learn to trust herself to heal and let every negative entity around her dissipate without looking back.

Molly felt every word like a tug on her heart. It was like this soulful woman somehow found her way inside Molly’s very being; and put her feelings out there for the whole world to hear. Molly envied this troubled souls courage, because she knew it was the one thing she may never have again.

“That’s it….you like it, don’t you, little bitch? Teasing us all night long in that fucking mini skirt and tight tee-shirt …. just begging to be fucked,” Zamani growled in between ragged breaths as he steadily thrust in and out; his face changing from that of a handsome young man to a hideous monster, while Molly was pinned down and forced to watch in horror.

“No, Mani, she doesn’t like it….she loves it,” Jackie taunted, licking a path from the side of her neck to her ear and whispering, “Now shut the fuck up and take it like the dirty little slut you are,” as he covered her mouth with a strong hand to muffle her screams. Terrence and Richard were standing by watching and laughing maniacally sounding almost demonic to her ears as they awaited their turn. Molly tried desperately to fight back, but the more she resisted the harder they fucked her and the beatings became worse; until she found herself being completely consumed by the now sub-human creatures surrounding her….

________________________________________

“NO!......NO!.....NO!” Molly screamed over and over again as she tossed and turned fitfully in her sleep. Jennifer was getting ready for work when she heard her daughter’s distress, and immediately ran into her room to discern if Molly was in any pain. When she reached out to brush away a patch of sweaty hair from her face, Molly sat up with a start, panting heavily as she tried to get enough air into her lungs. After she’d managed to steady her breathing a bit, she grabbed a tight hold on the front of Jennifer’s dressing gown and buried her face in her mother’s chest and cried hysterically.

“Shhh…it’s alright, Molly, I’m right here….everything is going to be alright,” Jennifer tried to soothe her as she rocked her daughter back and forth like a newborn child.  Her eyes filled with tears as she heard her daughter's sobs wracking her body and causing her to shake violently.

“Don’t you get it, Mom?” Molly said, lifting her head to look at Jennifer with a tear-stained face “Nothing is ever going to be alright again. They took that away from me and I can never get it back!”

Jennifer’s heart broke for her daughter because she knew Molly was right in a way. The individuals responsible for Molly’s pain didn’t just strip her physically of her innocence; they also took away her self-confidence and emotional stability as well. These nightmares were becoming more and more frequent, and she wished like hell she knew how to make them stop.

“Oh, baby….I wish I knew how to make it better,” Jennifer cried softly. “Those bastards are going to pay for what they did to you, Molly, one way or another.”

________________________________________

Zamani, Jackie, Terrence, and Richard had been arrested and charged with rape and aggravated assault. Both Jennifer and Molly cried tears of joy at the news, but the joy soon gave way to panic and fear when Detective Horvath requested that Molly come down to the station for a line –up. Sitting there staring into the two-way mirror watching as various young men held numbers up to their chests, never knowing if and when her assailants might recognize her, was almost Molly’s undoing.  If not for Carl and Brian being there to reassure her that the possibility for her to have to endure further harm was next to zero, she might have fallen apart completely.

________________________________________

“I know Mom,” Molly whispered softly, and allowed herself to relax into the comfort of her mother’s gentle touch until she was able to fall comfortably back to sleep.

Meanwhile, Brian was at his desk, meticulously going over every detail of the medical and police reports that he’d received days prior. He viewed each photo the hospital staff had taken and read every sworn statement given, trying to find something that would aid him in building a solid case against the former high school jocks.  He knew building Molly’s case was going to be quite a daunting task.  Even though there was a house full of people inside at the time of the incident, there still wasn’t one eyewitness that could corroborate Molly’s story. Brian furrowed his brow in confusion, thinking to himself that somebody had to at least have heard something, or at the very least had to have noticed something was amiss.

Brian knew most would argue the fact that it was a party after all, and the music could have been playing a little on the loud side, hindering everyone’s ability to hear anything. He was also pretty sure that alcohol played a big part in the night’s festivities, so of course no one would notice anything out of the ordinary going on. Even if by some chance they did happen to hear any type of moaning, they would probably just assume that it was just some horny couple who’d snuck away to get their rocks off. Brian was brought out of his musings when he heard a light knock on his office door.

“Come in,” he said gruffly, his irritation showing clearly in his voice

His assistant, Cynthia Preston, walked into his office and placed a fresh latte on his desk before reminding him that he was due to be in court within the hour.

“Brian you need to get a move on; you have to be down at the courthouse for those boys' arraignment in forty-five minutes.” Having given him the warning, she quickly made her exit without waiting for a reply.

________________________________________

In less than an hour, Brian would be going before the judge trying to convince him of a good reason to keep the suspects behind bars. Even with the evidence and information he had at his disposal, he feared it still wouldn’t be enough.  These young men came from families with deep pockets and strong ties to the community; if the judge granted them bail, which he could very well see happening, he shuddered to think what that would mean for Molly.

“Fuck, there’s got to be something here that I can use to keep these little assholes in custody,” Brian muttered to himself as he continued to read and re-read the documents before him, searching for anything he may have missed. Brian groaned in frustration as he looked at his watch, realizing that his investigation would have to cease for now. Brian reluctantly gathered his thoughts and necessary materials and left for the courthouse.

________________________________________

“Does the State plan on even bothering to attend our proceedings today?” Judge Gregory Matthews bellowed from his place behind the bench as he glanced down at his watch.

“Well, I don't know about the D. A.'s Office, Your Honor, but we're ready," the head of the defense team, Thomas Adams, pronounced confidently.  Adams was the best known of the six-man defense team, having been in the limelight frequently over the years in connection with some of the most notorious and highly-publicized trials in the city.  He was loud, brash, intelligent, and an excellent orator; just the type of person who enthralled a jury and consistently came out victorious as a result.

As he stood there in front of the judge, he felt confident that his clients would not only be granted bail today, but that ultimately he would come out victorious in the trail the followed.  After all, the young men being accused had been model students in school and well-known, popular athletes. They had never been in trouble before, and it would be their word against the alleged victim's.  And besides, the word 'lose' wasn't in his vocabulary.   

But he had to admit – he was very familiar with the assistant district attorney who was in charge of the State's case, and he had a grudging respect for the young man who had replaced the old codger before him who had retired.  In his prior dealings with Brian Kinney, he had found him to be hard-edged, dogged, and thorough in everything he did, as well as inventive in the presentation of his evidence and very knowledgeable about case law.  He considered him much more competent than his predecessor, and he wasn't naïve enough to think that he wouldn't have to stay on his toes if he were to win his clients' freedom today.

"Glad to hear that, Counselor," the judge replied dryly as he turned his attention back to the present.  "I'll give them five more minutes," he decided rather impatiently as Adams nodded from his place next to his clients who were grouped at a wooden, rectangular table, all wearing the customary, orange garb of jail inmates.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Jackie whispered incredulously within earshot of Adams, feeling the metal of the handcuffs biting into his wrists. “The nerve of that little bitch! She wanted it and we all know it.”

“Hey, calm down, Jackie,” Terrence chided. “We’ll have plenty of time to concentrate on little Ms. Taylor once we get out of here.”

Jackie smirked.  "Well, that's a done deal already," he snickered as the other defendants grinned over at him smugly.  They had all undertaken an acting job worthy of an Academy Award regarding their parents to convince them that Molly Taylor had simply been a willing, consensual partner in their activities at the Jacobsen's house, and that SHE was the liar regarding what had happened. As expected, all of their parents had believed them completely; after all, they had their own family pedigrees to uphold, and no child of theirs would ever commit such a horrendous act.  As a result, they had spared no expense in providing each of their children with the best possible defense team money could buy.

"Shh," Adams warned them under his breath.  "Keep your opinions to yourself!"  He had to force himself not to roll his eyes over his clients' immaturity and arrogance; nothing was ever set in stone, and if the judge even caught just a hint of their attitude, it could mean the difference between being granted a reasonable bail, or being charged such a high amount that even with their parents' deep financial pockets they would remain behind bars.  The four boys glared over at Adams, but thankfully did as he asked.  He sighed, thinking no amount of money was probably worth having to put up with such snot-nosed smart asses, but knowing he was committed to seeing it through to the end.

________________________________________

A couple of rows back, Jennifer and her son sat silently on one of the wooden benches reserved for observers; both of them unable to keep from staring at the four boys who had so dramatically changed Molly's life literally overnight.  As the boys' chief attorney rose to address the judge, Jennifer reached to tightly grasp her son's hand for support.  "I wonder where the Assistant D.A. is," she fretted.

"Yeah, me, too," Justin replied, keeping his voice down in the crowded chamber.  Practically every spot in the room had been taken, mainly due to the publicity that had been generated since the attack. The main Pittsburgh newspaper, in addition to all the local television stations, had been providing extensive coverage regarding the incident, and as a result the chamber was presently filled to capacity with either media personnel, the boys' families, or just plain gawkers who had come to observe the arraignment proceedings.  Justin personally found the whole spectacle disgusting and sickening.  "I'm sure they'll be here any minute," he reassured his mother, although secretly he was concerned as well.  They seemed to be waiting until the last minute to show up.  Why?  Was this going to be an indication of their competency?  He had already decided that the Assistant D.A., Brian Kinney, was arrogant and overly confident.  He only hoped that his skills matched his superior opinion of himself.  This wasn't helping to convince him of that, however.

As they waited for everyone to arrive, he couldn't help thinking about his sister.  Both he and his mom had been afraid to leave her alone today at the house, so they had thankfully taken Sarah up on her offer to stay with her while they were gone.  Molly had still been in bed when they had left, even though it had been mid-morning when Sarah had arrived and they had left the house to come here.  That concerned him.  Everything about his sister's demeanor since the attack worried him – the spunky, confident young woman he used to know and love had been replaced with someone who was reclusive, frightened, withdrawn, and skittish.  The Molly he used to know was not there any longer.  He sighed sadly.  He wondered if she ever would be.

Just then, the back door opened and he observed Kinney, along with another man and a woman in business attire entering the courtroom; he watched them hurriedly rush down the aisle, each carrying a black briefcase in their hands as they pushed back the wooden, swinging door separating the spectators from the front of the room and took a place at the table opposite the defense team.

"Nice of all of you to show up," the Judge commented.  "Two more minutes and I would have ordered a postponement."

"Sorry, Your Honor," Brian replied politely, sounding slightly out of breath as he stood to address the judge.  "The freeway was shut down due to an accident, and we had to take another route."  Inside, he fumed; he hated any event that might reflect poorly on his competency, and while he and the others had left more than early enough, the unexpected accident had caused them to almost arrive too late.

"Very well," the judge responded.  "Let's get this proceeding under way."  He turned to stare down at the four boys peering up at him somewhat nervously.  "If the defendants will please stand, the Bailiff will read the formal complaint."

A middle-aged, bald-headed man began to read off details of the alleged crime that was committed, in addition to the charges as the crowd of people quieted noticeably:  several counts of first-degree rape and assault were leveled for each boy.

The judge nodded as he eyed the four boys standing in front of him.  "Counselor, how do your clients plead?" he asked Adams.

"Your Honor, all four of my clients wish to enter a plea of Not Guilty," he advised the judge as a murmur rose among the crowd.

Justin shook his head in disgust as his mother's grip on his hand tightened perceptibly.  He couldn't say he was surprised by their plea, however; he had actually anticipated that would be the case.  Still, it left a distinct, sour taste in his mouth, though.  "Unbelievable," he muttered in disdain.

A few feet away from the judge's dais, Brian forced himself to keep a neutral expression on his face as the pleas were entered; he had expected the same as Justin, and had, in fact, already warned both Molly's brother and mother earlier that he fully anticipated all of them would enter precisely that plea.  Now, he had the formidable task of trying to persuade the judge to set at least a high enough bail so the accused would remain in jail, rather than being set free.

"So noted," the judge intoned.  "Before I set bail, does either the defense or prosecution have anything to contribute?"

"I do, Your Honor," Brian replied quickly as he stood; the four boys to his right at the other table began to turn their heads to glare over at him, but one firm look from Adams and they faced straight ahead instead.  "Your Honor, these defendants are charged with a heinous crime. They are accused of gang raping a young, defenseless woman in such a manner that she required hospitalization due to egregious injuries sustained, and is still experiencing nightmares and symptoms of PTSD as a result.  She is fearful for her safety should these defendants be released from bail.  While I realize total revocation of bail is not an option in this case, due to the grave nature of the offenses presented, I would like to respectfully request a higher-than-typical bail of one millions dollars be assessed for each defendant."

A loud gasp of shock filled the room over the high amount requested as Judge Matthews pounded his gavel to regain control of the chamber.  "Quiet!" he sternly admonished the spectators.  "I will have quiet in the courtroom!"  He bestowed an unblinking stare across the room until the visitors quickly grew quiet once more.

"So noted, Mr. Kinney," the Judge addressed Brian as the younger man sat down next to his co-attorneys; he had encountered him numerous times before.  He turned his gaze upon the defense table.  "Mr. Adams?  Do you wish to speak in regards to this issue?"

"Yes, Judge," Adams firmly replied, precisely what the judge assumed would happen.  "Your Honor, my clients all derive from well-established families in the Pittsburgh area," he began. "They are recent graduates of St. James Academy; a prestigious, college preparatory institution from which their parents – and their parents before them – all attended with high honors.  In addition to participating in varsity sports, they also performed several hours of community service this past year."  What Adams neglected to tell the courtroom or the judge, however, was that the 'community service' had actually involved mandated volunteer work as required by the school in order to graduate; they were no different than any other student in that regard.

"Your Honor," Adams continued as he peered over at the four boys sitting side by side.  "Each of these young men have never been in trouble with the law; not even a speeding ticket.  Their families have deep roots in the community, and each of my clients was born and raised here, presently a miniscule flight risk." He glanced over at Brian, who was sitting at attendance nearby, his mouth drawn into a tight line and his body rigid.  "With all due respect to the assistant district attorney, Your Honor, his request for a one-million-dollar bond is quite excessive.  For the reasons I have outlined, therefore, I respectfully ask that you consider a much lower bond in the amount of $50,000 instead."

Justin's brow furrowed in disbelief. No amount of money would bring the Molly he knew back to them. But was that all her pain and anguish was worth? Fifty thousand, lousy, fucking dollars apiece?  He held his breath as the judge considered each side's request.

"I have taken each of your arguments under careful consideration," Judge Matthews responded after several seconds.  "And while I concur that the nature of the charges is quite severe, I must weigh that against the lack of previous criminal activity on the part of the accused, as well as their likelihood of being a flight risk and their level of support."  He paused for a moment before he rendered his decision.  "Bail will be set for each defendant at $100,000 each.  In addition, I will require that each defendant wear an ankle monitoring device and stay away from the plaintiff.  This hearing is in adjournment."  He banged his wooden gavel against the top of the dais as the bailiff intoned, "Everyone rise!" as the judge turned and exited the room, leaving the defendants gratefully shaking Adams' hand as Brian shook his head in resignation.

He had tried his best, but it had been a foregone conclusion on his part that Adams would manage to get the bond lowered somehow.  Now he had the unpleasant task of discussing what had just transpired with the Taylor family, who he had observed sitting a few rows back.  As Adams and his defense team began to filter out of the courtroom to assist in the preparations for bonding out their clients, Brian peered over at his colleagues.  "Go ahead.  I'll be out in a few minutes."  They shook their heads affirmatively as they turned to exit out of the courtroom, the media having rushed out the moment the decision on bail had been announced and they were free to go; the rest of the spectators slowly headed out the exit door, leaving Justin and his mother sitting quietly together a few rows back.

Taking a deep breath, Brian walked over to join them, sitting down next to them in the now mainly-vacant space.

"100,000 dollars?" Justin growled.  "That's only $10,000 a piece!  Those pieces of shit will be out on the streets again before we can barely exit the parking lot!  Why?  They've practically destroyed my sister's life!"

Brian let out a heavy breath as he brushed his hands through his hair.  "You have to realize they have no prior criminal records. And their mommies and daddies no doubt contributed to that judge's reelection campaign.  Money talks," he told them simply with a shrug.

Jennifer shook her head sadly as Justin replied in disbelief, "How can you be so cavalier about all this, Mr. Kinney?"

Brian's eyes flashed in indignation.  "I am NOT being cavalier, Mr. Taylor.  I'm merely being realistic and telling you the way it is.  I don't agree with the bond amount, but I would be lying if I said I was surprised by it. At least he did require they be monitored; that will help to ensure your sister's safety while they are free on bond."  He paused as Justin scoffed at his response.  "The important thing is that we convict the bastards. They're all legally considered adults now; that will mean once convicted they will go to jail for a long, long time.  And trust me; everyone in the pen loves a pretty face."

Justin scrunched up his nose at the thought; while it was somewhat abhorrent to him, in a way it would give him an immense sense of satisfaction if they eventually received the same sort of brutal treatment that they had given to his sister.  "What makes you think they'll even be convicted?" he challenged Brian.  "It's going to be their word against Molly's, and there're four of them all in cahoots together.  None of them will ever rat against one of the others."

Brian raised his eyebrows.  "Oh, you might be surprised," he told them.  "If they are afraid enough that they might actually do some serious jail time, you'd be amazed what a little plea bargaining might do."  He patted his thighs with the palms of his hands as he told the two of them, "In fact, I have a meeting in a little while at the D.A.'s office to go over all the evidence in the case with the opposing parties – and to see if they are willing to play ball a little with me.  If not, I plan on using everything in our arsenal to see that all four of those assholes are convicted to the fullest extent of the law."

Jennifer finally spoke up as Brian's words registered in her mind.  "You mean you would actually consider making a deal with them?" she asked incredulously.  "Do you not understand what my daughter has been through, Mr. Kinney?  She's been through hell and back!  And she's STILL not back to normal; she may NEVER be back to normal!  You would actually be willing to negotiate with them?"

Justin stared at Brian with much the same look on his face as Brian sighed.  "Look, Mrs. Taylor.  This is not the first rape case involving a young girl that I have worked on.  I fully understand the gravity of what occurred here, as well as the horrific ramifications involved. But you yourself realize what this has already done to your daughter; if it meant not having to subject her to testifying on the stand and reliving the entire event all over again, in exchange for a slightly reduced sentence that would still involve jail time, for instance, wouldn't that be worth at least considering?"

Jennifer looked over at Justin as if to find an answer, but he remained just as conflicted as she was.  "I don't know," she finally answered.  "Maybe. But look at what she's been through!  I don't want her to think we have taken this whole thing too lightly; that what happened to her was in any way her fault, because I can assure you, Mr. Kinney, there was no way my daughter would have led those boys on!  She...she wasn't even...experienced...before this happened!"  Her eyes filled with tears as she whispered painfully, "All this time she kept telling me she wanted to save herself for when that one, special guy came along. She wanted her first time to be so special."  She sniffled.  "And now...this."

Brian swallowed hard.  Yeah, that had to hurt – a lot. While he himself found that hard to understand, he could still realize the significance it would have to a young woman like Molly.  He nodded.  "I understand," he told them both softly.  "And I won't forget that when I speak to my opponent.  I won't let what they did go unpunished – or unacknowledged.  Whatever happens, as the victim Molly will have to approve whatever plea deal that is reached.  And if she feels that she's not willing to do that – and wants to actually GO to trial – I will certainly honor her wishes.  But at the same time, it won't hurt to meet with the other counsel team to discuss possible alternatives.  Agreed?"

Justin and his mother looked into each other's eyes before they both nodded slightly in agreement.

"Yes," Jennifer reluctantly concurred.  "I suppose that makes sense."

Brian nodded back at them.  "Good. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to catch up to my colleagues and head back to the office.  I'll call you later and let you know what happens."  Just before he could leave and head up the aisle, however, Justin reached out and clamped his hand onto his wrist, causing him to turn around and gaze down into the troubled, blue eyes.

"Mr. Kinney?"

"Brian," the D.A. corrected him softly, thinking "Mr. Kinney" made him feel like he was more like seventy.

Justin nodded.  "Brian.  Brian, do you have a sister?" he asked unexpectedly.

Brian frowned slightly, but nodded.  "Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do."

"Are you close to her?"

Brian shrugged.  "Not as close as we could be," he admitted.  He and Claire had certainly had their share of ins and outs over the years, but at least he could finally say that their relationship was more of a cordial one at last.

"Well, when you talk to those boys' attorneys, remember how you would feel if this had happened to her at Molly's age."

Brian's estimation of this young man rose incrementally as he nodded back at him.  "I will," he promised, before he finally turned to go.

Justin exhaled heavily as he turned his head to peer over into his mother's teary-looking eyes.  "We'd better go," he told her.  "I'm sure it won't be long before those creeps are out on bond and Molly's back home alone with Sarah.  I only hope they haven't been listening to the news and found out about this already. I think she needs to hear it from us."

His mother nodded.  "Yeah, let's get going," she agreed as the two of them stood to go, now the last two left in the courtroom.  "Justin?" she called to her son quietly as he turned around.

"Yeah?"

She smiled for the first time today; a tender sort of smile as she grasped his upper arms and leaned in to kiss him briefly on the cheek.  "Thank you for being her with me today.  I don't know how I would have been able to manage everything if you hadn't been here with me to face it."

Justin nodded, a sympathetic smile on his own face.  "I'll be here as long as you need me," he promised, before they headed up the aisle toward the rear exit door, both wondering how they were going to prepare Molly for the news that her attackers would soon be free to roam the streets again.

________________________________________

Brian sat in a small conference room a short time later, laying out the documented photographic evidence of Molly’s injuries for the defense team’s viewing while discussing possible ways to keep the controversial case from going to trial. Brian made what he felt was a generous offer of Rape One with a two-to-five year sentence and the possibility of parole after eighteen months with good behavior. Peter Fairfield, a thin-framed man in his sixties and co-counsel for the defendants, stated unequivocally that his clients would only plead guilty to a charge without a sexual element. He argued that each boy was at the top of their academic game and were still quite young; that a charge carrying a sexual element would be forever damning to each of their futures.

“Mr. Kinney, considering that our clients have no prior records, I was thinking more along the lines of say…..reckless endangerment.”

Brian looked over at him as if he were an alien from another planet.  “Mr. Fairfield, is that supposed to be some kind of sick, fucking joke? Rape One," he repeated emphatically.

“What would you say to simple assault?” Mark Brown, the youngest attorney on the team, asked.

Brian glared at the young attorney indignantly. He couldn’t believe this Brown character had the unmitigated gall to think that allowing his clients to cop to such a flimsy charge would serve as justice for what Molly had suffered through. He intended to make it more than clear that these young men would be punished to the fullest extent that the law would allow.

“I would say go fuck yourself, then,” Brian quipped sarcastically.  “And stop trying to bullshit me around.”

Brian ran a ragged hand through his hair as he stood up and began to pace the length of the confined space. He was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain control of what little patience he had left as he listened to the ridiculous offers being bantered back and forth.

“Gentlemen, I would advise you to consider your options wisely. Keep in mind that what you have before you the jury will see as well, so if we can’t come to a reasonable agreement and go to trial you WILL lose,” Brian warned them, further stating, “And when you do I will ask for 15 to 25...AND I’ll get it.”   

And with that Brian packed up his visual aids and walked out, leaving them to decide their clients' fate.

Mother and son walked through the courthouse doors with their arms tightly linked with one another, only to be greeted by a drove of overenthusiastic reporters all of whom were bucking for jockey position for the privilege to cover the next big story and possibly skyrocketing their careers. Jennifer’s eyes widened in horror and the grip she’d been maintaining on Justin’s bicep increased in intensity as the large crowd circled around them like vultures hovering over decaying flesh, watching and waiting for the right opportunity to swoop down and claim their lifeless prey.

“My God, do these people have any fucking scruples at all?” 

Justin was outraged by the insensitivity of these blood-sucking media maggots. His family had endured enough trauma without the added stress of potentially making the front page of the morning newspaper, or becoming the lead story on the 6:00 news. Justin protected Jennifer as best he could from the barrage of camera flashes, and microphones being thrust into their faces while they unceremoniously elbowed and pushed their way through the sea of onlookers. 

“Mrs. Taylor, how do you feel about the defendants being released on bail? Do you fear for your daughter’s safety? Is she stable enough to take the stand should the case go to trial?”

Continuing to power-walk through the masses to the safety of their awaiting car, Justin answered the rapid fire questions over his shoulder with a definitive "Fuck off!" He was in no mood to deal with this crap; even though they had been warned about the possibility of this kind of cluster-fuck ahead of time.

By the time the twosome finally made it to the parking garage, Jennifer’s face was once again drenched in a fresh batch of tears. Each tear that ran down his mother's face added to Justin's anger at the boys who did this, the justice system that seemed bent on making everything more difficult for Molly and the media that just egged everyone on for the sake of the drama. He wanted to lash out at something, someone, but didn’t really have any target for his anger so it just seethed inside him and kept growing.

“Why can’t they allow us just one moment of peace? Was it really necessary for them to immediately attack us like that?” Jennifer managed to speak in between sobs. Jennifer was feeling extremely overwhelmed by the whole experience, and wanted nothing more than to get back home to Molly. The concerned mother’s biggest fear was that the news of Molly’s attacker’s release had reached her before Jennifer had a chance to talk to her daughter about the stunning turn of events. 

Justin hated seeing both the physical and emotional toll this process was taking on his mother. He wished with every fiber of his being, that there was something he could do to make this easier. If he was being honest with himself, he was barely keeping it together. But he knew for Molly and Jennifer’s sake, he couldn’t afford to break down at least not now. When he was alone or had time to clear his head and think, he might allow himself the needed space to release all of his frustration. 

“Forget about them Mom, let’s just go home and we’ll deal with the rest as it comes,” Justin spoke softly as he ushered Jennifer into the passenger seat of their silver sedan. Walking around to the driver’s side of the car, Justin quickly slipped inside and started the engine, and was soon on a set course toward suburbia.


Molly stayed in bed for about another hour after Jennifer had gone off to work, but was awakened by the pleasant smell of bacon and eggs being prepared and coffee brewing down in the kitchen. This made her furrow her brow in confusion because to her knowledge, she was at home alone and would be for quite sometime. Molly quietly got out of bed grabbing her robe from the bedpost and padded to the door. She stepped into the hallway looked in both directions to make sure her earlier assumptions were correct. Molly slowly tip-toed downstairs, her eyes nervously shifting left and right as a soul numbing fear took over her body. 

Molly hated this fear that always seemed to overtake her ever since being raped. She especially hated how people tip-toed around it and used words like “attack” or “the incident”. She just wished things would just go back to being normal again. Hated feeling this way. Trying to calm herself, she quietly moved towards the kitchen. Taking a peek around the corner she was able to determine that it was Sarah making breakfast.

A cold sweat broke out over Molly’s skin at the overwhelming relief of finding Sarah in the kitchen and not some lawless intruder. Molly felt herself sag with relief against the wall, sweaty palms holding herself up. Taking a deep breath, Molly walked into the kitchen. Sarah was standing at the stove with her back to Molly, so she didn’t hear when Molly came up behind her.

“Sarah, you scared the shit out of me.” Molly called out causing her friend to instantly turn around, and return the sentiment.

“Molly! I’m glad you’re finally up and joining the ranks of the living,” Sarah said teasingly with a smile. “But I think I’m the one who should have been scared out of her wits. I didn’t even hear you come down.”

“What are you doing here anyway?” Molly asked as she shuffled over to the counter, pouring herself a cup of coffee before sitting at the table. “Don’t you have anything better to do than spending the day babysitting an emotional cripple like myself?”

Sarah’s brow furrowed in confusion at Molly’s questioning response. She had just assumed that when Jennifer called her the previous night, that Molly knew she was going to be spending the day with her, obviously her mother hadn’t disclosed this information. She didn’t want to cause a rift between the Taylor women, but she felt it was only fair that she be honest about the reason for her little home visit.

“Uh...that’s exactly the reason why I’m here,” Sarah stated trepidatiously “Not because you’re an emotional cripple, but because your mother asked me to come over and keep you company today while she was out. She didn’t want you to be left alone.” Sarah bit her bottom lip slightly as her face turned a deep shade of crimson in embarrassment of her admission.

Molly did her best to hide her anger at the words Sarah had spoken, but was unsuccessful in pushing it down far enough not to be noticed.

“My mom did what?” Molly asked incredulously as she stood and slowly stalked over to where Sarah was standing. “She actually asked you to come over here and babysit me like I’m some fucking weak, helpless child? Just tell me this, when did she ask you and why didn’t you at least try to call and ask ME if I wanted your company?” 

Sarah tried not to take the slight personally, but she still felt her chest tighten at Molly’s angry words. It was never her intention to alienate Molly or to cause her any further emotional stress. 

“I’m sorry Molly, I thought you knew,” Sarah told her softly. “I never would have deliberately deceived you...you know that right?”

At the moment Molly wasn’t sure what to believe. On the one hand Molly knew that she shouldn’t be too angry with Jennifer for having Sarah come to stay with her. Truth be told, she wasn’t really all that keen on being alone these days...although she’d never admit it aloud. In fact she was actually glad that Jennifer had thought enough about Sarah to trust her with her well being given how close they were.

It still angered her though that Jennifer just assumed that she couldn’t handle anything by herself these days. Everything Molly did lately was so orchestrated and micromanaged and Molly couldn’t stand being so suffocated. It seemed like the consequences of the rape would never go away. First she’d been forced to do things against her will by those monsters. Now, even the people who loved her seemed to think that they could order her around and control her life without her consent. Just because some assholes attacked her, it didn’t mean that everyone had to infantilize her, treating her like child who couldn’t make any decisions on her own. Why couldn’t her mother have just asked her if she wanted Sarah to come over? No, instead, she just arranged it all without asking or even thinking about what Molly wanted.

Molly’s anger at her mother wasn’t going to get her anywhere, though. The woman wasn’t even here right now and complaining to Sarah wasn’t likely to help. Molly would just have to internalize that little piece of anger along with all the rest. In the meantime, she and Sarah finished a tension filled breakfast then moved into the living room and turned on the television hoping for a bit of a distraction, while her friend cleaned up the dishes.

As Molly flipped through the channels not finding anything interesting on the idiot box. She skipped over a really annoying talk show where the host was talking about the latest in celebrity plastic surgery, some cooking show doing an ungodly thing to eggplant, and the shopping channel where she could buy a cubic zirconium tiara for only five payments of $89.99. Molly wasn’t sure exactly why anyone would watch daytime television. Then, suddenly, her channel surfing brought her to a local channel and came to rest on the afternoon news. What she heard during the broadcast caused all the color to drain from her face.

“We take you now to our correspondent, Susan Holloway, reporting live from the Allegheny Court of Common Pleas, with the latest on the controversial case of several prominent young men who have been accused of the rape of a fellow classmate during a graduation party. Over to you, Susan,”

“Thank you, Matt. This morning the courtroom was packed for the arraignment of Zamani Smith, Terrance Walters, Jackie Bond and Richard Phillips, all of whom are charged with the sexual assault of an as yet unnamed young woman at the post graduation celebration of St. James Academy. With their families present for moral support, the young men in question, who are all being charged as adults in this case, anxiously awaited Judge Gregory’s decision in response to their collectively entered pleas of Not Guilty. In a stunning turn of events, all parties involved were released on bail until either a plea bargain is reached, or a trial date is set in the near future. This is Susan Holloway reporting live...now back to you Matt.”


“What the fuck…they can’t be fucking serious about this,” Molly said in a mere whisper. 

Sarah was dumbstruck, staring at the television screen long after the newscast had switched to detailing somebody else’s horror story.

“How the hell can those monsters possibly have been set free? What if they commit those same vile acts on some other unsuspecting girl?” She continued, her voice getting icier, and harder with each word. It was at that very moment she knew exactly what she needed to do. She would fight not only for her own justice, but for those who might have the misfortune of enduring the same fate. 

“I’m so sorry Molly. I wish there was something I could do.”

“There is something you can do,” Molly stated after taking a moment to think about it.

“You can help me by standing beside me while I prepare to take the stand at trial.”
Sarah didn’t quite think that Molly was emotionally stable enough to live through a trial, and was ready to tell Molly just that, but was cut off in the process.

“Look Sarah, I know what you’re thinking, and I’ll have you know that I plan to do this with or without your help or anyone else’s for that matter. So put your notions of poor little Molly aside and tell me if you are going to help me or not!

The color seemed to completely drain from Sarah’s face in the split second that it took for Molly to suggest that she walk arm in arm with her in this seemingly losing battle. She watched nervously as Molly rose from the couch and tossed the TV remote angrily aside. From the look on Molly’s face, the girl was no longer feeling cowed or depressed. She was furious. It was a good change, as far as Sarah was concerned, although she was more than a little worried that Molly’s abrupt change of mood was just as unhealthy as her previous numb state had been. 

“Those limp dicked, half witted motherfuckers! Just who the fuck do they think they are?” Molly grumbled, as she paced agitatedly from one end of the room to the other.

“If they were really expecting me to just sit idly by and accept this bullshit, they have another thing coming. I WON’T let them get away with this. I’m going to take that fucking stand and look each and every single one of those assholes in the eye and dare them to lie. I know them - they’re all fucking cowards at heart. There’s no way they will be able to lie to my face enough to convince a court that I asked for what happened to me.”

Molly’s pacing became more frantic the angrier she got. Every time she glanced at the television news program - even though they were no longer showing footage from the courthouse regarding her case - her fury ramped up another notch. Sarah wanted nothing more than to support her friend, but at the same time she didn’t want to give Molly any false hope. Sarah wasn’t quite as sure as her friend professed to be that the boys would cave. It wasn’t that she didn’t have faith that Molly could handle the situation at large, her uncertainty came from a place of profound guilt. 

She asked herself, not for the first time since that night, why hadn’t she noticed something was wrong? Anybody who was present knew firsthand that she and Molly were practically joined at the hip for a good portion of the night. She should have curtailed her drinking during the party so that she would be lucid enough to know that Molly had been gone too long. Or maybe she shouldn’t have let the other girl out of her sight at all. She would never forget the sight of Molly cringing on her bathroom floor-bloodied, beaten, and broken. Sarah didn’t understand how Molly could ever forgive her for letting this happen...moreover, she didn’t think she even wanted her to.

“Molly are you absolutely sure about this? Putting yourself out there like that? I mean...everyone’s going to be watching you. They’ll all know. . . And there aren’t any guarantees that the boys will even receive proper punishment for their crime. Can you deal with being exposed like that a second time if they get off scot free? Will it be worth it to you?”

“And just what the hell is that supposed to mean Sarah? Do you think I should just give up and take whatever crumbs they’re willing to throw my way? FUCK YOU if that’s how you feel.”

Jennifer and Justin had silently come in right about the time Molly had launched the big “Fuck You” at her friend and hastened to break up the exchange. Neither of them had ever seen Molly so enraged and it was both a scary and welcome sight to see - at least she was feeling something again. They couldn’t help but feel the tension. It was so palpable that one could swear it had it’s own heartbeat. In fact, Molly was so wrapped up in her own tirade that she didn’t even hear her mother and brother approaching. 

Jennifer reach out a tentative hand “Molly…” 

Molly visibly jumped about six inches off the ground at the unexpected touch on her shoulder and spun around in mid-air.

“I’m sorry, Sweetheart. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Jenn quickly apologized, internally cursing herself for being so thoughtless as to alarm her admittedly jumpy daughter. “I guess it’s safe to assume you’ve already heard about what happened today?” 

“Yeah. I can’t believe the judge just let them out of jail. It’s not fair, mom. Doesn’t that asswipe judge get it? These fuckers could do it again and now that they’re free to roam around at will there’s nothing to stop them from hurting some other girl,” Molly’s voice was becoming increasingly more unsteady, the anger in her tone rapidly fading as despair took over once again. 

Justin had seen the tigress unleashed in Molly today and he was so damned proud of her for having the temerity to stand up and let it be known in no uncertain terms that she intended to hold her attackers accountable. He wasn’t quite ready to put that beast back in the cage just yet. Instead, he intended to encourage the ferocity whenever possible.

“Don’t worry Mollusk, if I have my way, I will personally see to it that the bastards get exactly what they deserve for what they did to you,” Justin reassured her, reaching out to hug the brave young woman but withdrawing from her when he noticed the slight flinching as he approached. It physically hurt him to see his sister reacting that way but other than stand with her through the rest of this hateful experience, share the pain of the trial and be her buffer or occasional whipping post for whatever else they might have to endure, there was nothing else he could do to help her heal.

“Thanks, Jus, but…”

“No buts Molly. This is only the beginning and we’re going to do whatever it takes to make it through this. Those fuckers getting out on bail doesn’t mean dick because we’ll still kick their asses in the end.”

Molly smiled softly at Justin as she cupped his cheek gently. Even though she and Justin had had their fair share of disagreements in the past, and lord knows they could get pretty epic, it was times like this that she felt blessed to have a brother like Justin. It was comforting to have not only his love but his unwavering support in this fucked up mess. Tears involuntarily made their way down Molly’s cheeks and she finally allowed herself to be encased in her brother’s arms.

Jennifer’s heart warmed at the sight of her children bonding in a way she never thought possible. Only it was such a dirty damn shame that this unspeakable tragedy was the catalyst for bringing them closer. She was still boiling inside thinking about those home-grown little terrorists roaming the streets with some semblance of freedom while Molly virtually remained a prisoner within her own home.

Mr Kinney’s words played over and over in her mind about trusting him to get proper justice for her daughter, but that was easier said than done. These days Jennifer didn’t trust anyone. The justice system itself had failed her daughter proving once again that money does indeed talk , and bullshit walks. Still, something about the recent precedings didn’t sit right with her. How could those monsters get such a slap on the wrist after what they had done? 

She also pretty damn sure Molly wasn’t their first or only victim. Maybe she ought to do a little background checking of her own to see if her suspicions held any merit. Jennifer knew she couldn’t have been imagining things when she saw the sly look that passed between Jackie and the good judge. The world in which the country club set moved was small but leaden with powerful alliances. It was definitely a possibility- an avenue should her suspicions prove right, she’ll be happy to bring crashing down around their ears.

For now though, she would focus her attention where it was needed the most, and that was on her children.