"Please, Jake!! You have to do this!" Jen begged, that night, at home. Tears were streaming down her pale face, she felt like throwing up... she felt like fainting. She hadn't eaten in a long time and she hadn't slept in even longer. "I don't understand!! I don't understand why you won't speak out!! Don't you care for our daughter at all?!?! I don't understand," she wailed as more tears broke through and she buried her face in her shaking hands. Suddenly she lifted her head and a shout rose from deep in her throat, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!! YOU SAW HER TOUCH OUR DAUGHTER, JAKE! YOU SAW HER HANDS ON OUR DAUGHTER!!! YOU SAW HER TAKE PART OF HER INNOCENCE!! AND YOU DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT?!?! Her hands were on her!!!"
"SHUT UP!!" Jake suddenly screamed, his voice wavering as he dug his fingers deep in his hair. His shoulders then began to shake.
Jen's eyes were wide. She'd never seen her husband show much of any emotion, let alone cry.
"JUST SHUT UP! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! Yeah, you're right - I did see her touch our daughter!! But you... you don't know what it was like to see... to see that!! AND I CAN'T TALK ABOUT IT!"
Jen's breath came out unevenly as she watched her husband fall apart. She reached out and wrapped her arms quickly around his shoulders, kissing his forehead. "I'm so sorry, baby... You're right. I don't know. I'm so, so sorry..."
~ * ~
Jen took a deep breath as she knocked on the Carter's front door. It was at least 10 o'clock at night, and she hoped she wouldn't be waking any of them up, but she had to talk to Kindlin before the court readjourned the next morning.
Kindlin opened the door and smiled lightly when she saw Jen, "Hi, come in..."
Jen walked inside, tightening her jacket around her body even though the house was nicely warmed, "Kindlin, I need to talk to you... Um... Jake's not gonna testify. And I don't think he should have to... I mean, I was talking to him, and he was right when he said that I don't know what it was like to walk in on her touching our daughter. But I can only imagine. And it must've been horrible, and if I had seen that - I don't think I'd wanna be talking about it either. So... um, I mean, the sentence that they'll give her isn't THAT bad, is it? I mean, at least it's something, right?" she looked down, knowing that even she didn't believe the words she was saying.
Kin looked at her in disbelief, "Jen, what happened to you over the past few hours?? I can't believe you're doing this," tears filled her eyes as she scoffed. "It's not only your daughter... there were more than a few families that have said that Wendi Kross touched their child. We have an opportunity to give this woman a real punishment, and you're gonna take that from them?? From all those families, from me, from my son, from my husband, from YOUR daughter?! Y'know, I don't know what it was like for your husband to walk in on her touching your daughter, but I can imagine it too. And I can imagine how horribly traumatizing that would be. And I don't think I'd wanna talk about it either, but I would PRAY that there would be somebody out there that would make me. Because when she walks off with a punishment that isn't going to make her think about what she's done, later on down the road you and your husband are going to regret the decision you've made."
~ * ~
Kindlin stepped into the bedroom and sat down on the end of the bed. Nick was sleeping soundly. Every now and then he'd move around, but other than that the room was quiet. She couldn't keep it inside any longer, she began to cry, she began to sob... she practically began to convulse until Nick's arms wrapped securely around her... and then she knew as long as her and her family were safe, and together, everything would be okay.
