Baby Pogue // JJ Maybank

46. ten minutes

"We gotta figure out a way to get JJ out of there." Pope sat on the couch of the chateau as he rubbed his knees in distress.

"He's innocent. I can't believe someone would frame him for something like that." Kie stated with her face scrunched up in disgust.

"I think it was Luke." Avie looked between all her friends. Riv was laid in her arms nursing from her mother and, of course, using JJ's shirt as her blankie. It had been two days since JJ's arrest and Avie could tell Riv had been off and extra whiney.

John B raised an eyebrow.

"You think Luke, who is dead, framed JJ?" Pope asked.

"It could make sense. Luke was miserable with his life; he saw JJ following in his footsteps having a baby so young, but instead of wallowing in self-pity, he's been turning his life around." Sarah insisted.

John B nodded in agreement, "Luke probably wanted JJ to go down with him."

Avie sighed and looked at Riv in her arms. She stared at the innocent look in her daughter's eyes that looked deep into hers. She hated that she's had such a messy start to her life but Avie knew that everything was going to work out. She had faith in JJ. He promised a safe, healthy life for his family and she needed to trust that.

Pope shrugged, "I don't know guys. How do we prove that a dead man framed his own son?"

"He probably used the gun that JJ used last week when they were shooting... Somehow didn't smudge JJ's fingerprints when shooting himself in the head." Avie looked back to her friends.

Sarah looked at Avie sadly, seeing the sadness in her eyes. She could tell Avie was worried and stressed about the whole situation.

Sarah stood up from the floor and sat next to Avie on the couch, "We're gonna get him out of there."

Kie nodded and sat on the other side of Avie, "Riv's not growing up with her dad in prison. She'll have other problems to worry about growing up around us."

Avie chuckled and shook her head.

Sarah smiled and played with Riv's tiny fingers. She unlatched from Avie and turned her head to look at Sarah.

"Hi, Rivvy. It's Aunt Sarah." She cooed at the baby. Riv gave her a half smile before turning her head back to nurse.

"I mean do they even have solid proof he did it?" Pope interrupted.

Avie shrugged.

"Fingerprints are enough." John B stated and bit his nails as he thought for a plan.

"He's technically still in holding until they have his trial." Avie replied.

"And they're obviously going to find him guilty." Kie added and rolled her eyes.

Avie looked back down sadly.

John B noticed the look on her face, "We gotta delay that trial."

Pope nodded, "Once it's delayed we'll have more time to find proof JJ is innocent."

"And how are we going to delay it?" Avie titled her head curiously.

John B and Pope exchanged a look that Avie couldn't read.

John B looked at Avie seriously, "We're gonna need your brothers."

~~~~

Avie took a deep breath as she waited outside the front door of her parents house. Her hands were shaking; she couldn't tell if it was nerves or the cold but either way, she was dreading her brothers' reactions.