I'll Catch You

Chapter 1

"Come on, Kenny, hurry up." Mae shouted up the steps. "I can't be late today."

"I'm coming." He replied, throwing his book bag down the steps, with his toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. "Ellie took too long in the bathroom!"

Mae picked up his bag and headed toward the front door to drop it with Ellie's. "I'm going to give you two money for lunch, okay? I didn't have a chance to make them last night."

"Awesome! It's taco day."

"I didn't have taco day. We had the same old crap every day."

"That's because you're old." Kenny said with a smirk, the same his father wore, as he joined the girls.

"Yeah, you're probably right." She pointed to the door. "Let's go, off to school you go."

"Mae?" Ellie asked a few blocks before being dropped off. "Can we see my dad this weekend?"

Mae smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'll take you two up to see him soon. Promise."

-

Meeting Tara and the others at the courthouse Mae felt her anxiety jump from manageable to almost suffocating. She and Opie, through short phone calls, decided not to tell his kids in case it didn't go the way they all hoped.

"Lowen still hopeful?" She asked as they paced outside the courtroom.

"She's cocky, that woman is never cocky so I feel good." Shaking an tin of mints Tara offered Mae one. "I think we'll be okay."

"They can't go away, Tara."

"And they won't." Gemma said staunchly as she came behind Mae. "Trust me. They'll be home tonight."

--

"Your honor, I understand the photos were falsified." The DA was grasping and Lowen had to look away to hid her delight. "But these men are criminals and the evidence we've uncovered points to that."

Mae and Tars kept their eyes on their guys, coy, excited smiled on their faces, and waited patiently for the judge to tire of the DA's stalling.

"I'm sorry," the judge truly was too, "The fact the photos are fakes sullies the entire case. No judge could even allow you to bring any of it to trial simply because of the photos which started the investigation."

"Your honor." Lowen interrupted quickly. "I've filed dismissal paperwork, my clients are willing to wait until a hearing but you can see how their rights are being trampled. Who is to say DA Patterson didn't falsify them herself? She sat on the evidence for longer than she should have, it's all questionable."

The judge looked at Patterson and shook her head. "I'm afraid I'll have to dismiss the charges and release these men; Jackson Teller, Harry Winston, Robert Munson, Juan Carlos Ortiz and Alexander Trager, from custody."

--

It was surreal. Waiting outside the courthouse while the guys were given their personal effects by the guards who had accompanied them to the hearing.

"I feel like I haven't seen him in ages." Mae admitted.

"Seven weeks is a while."

"Better than seven years."

The side door opened, away from the main entrance and practically hidden, and out came the guys with cheesy, wide grins. When Mae saw him, his face lit up like she'd never seen before, she opened her arms knowing he'd be anxious about overstepping bounds.

"My Opie." She gazed up at him with so much love in her eyes and heart that Mae feared her chest would burst. "I love you."

"I love you too." Palming the back of her head, Opie moved in for a kiss but waited just inches from her lips.

Mae nodded and reached on her tiptoes to kiss him. His fingers and rings tangled in her hair as their lips and tongues crashed together.

"Let's go home, we have to talk, Ope."

--

Shortie to get us started!

Hope no one is getting bored of Mae! Thanks for the support! You all rock! Xox