Law of Love

26

Lilian Rebecca Buckingham was born on May 30th, at approximately five in the evening. She weighed about five pounds and she was eighteen inches long. But barely a week later, on June 9th, both Lindsey and Stevie were walking into court. Stevie wearing a pair of loose flowy black pants to accomodate the hospital provided pads that she was given after giving birth and a tight red blouse. She really didn't want to wear the tight red blouse as she still looked relatively pregnant, but mostly saggy in the stomach area, but it was the only thing that made her feel like she was dressed up enough to be in court. 

This trial was different though. Stevie, Lindsey, Tom Petty, and Elliot were sitting at a table directly across from the jury on the opposite wall. They were here for Carol's hearing. Obstruction of Justice and all of that. 

The judge was sitting at his post, and there was no audience. He stood up, and the lawyers and the jury followed suit. 

"Please bring the defendant Carol Ann Harris, represented by Craig Felicity in." The judge states. 

Carol walks into court her head tucked down to her chest and she and her lawyer sit at the defense bench.

"Please bring in the prosecution. As this is a civil offense dealing with the State of California, we loaned in District Attorney Michael Fleetwood from Phoenix Arizona." 

Mick walks in and when he sees Stevie and Lindsey his eyes go wide.  

"Alright, let's begin Mr. Felicity we're allowing you to call your first witness." 

"Defense calls Mrs. Stephanie Buckingham to the stands." 

Stevie swears in and she shifts uncomfortably in the chair. "So, Mrs. Buckingham you are on Maternity Leave or you were on Maternity Leave?" 

"I AM on Maternity Leave, my daughter was born on May 30th." 

"Barely a week old, I'm sorry you have to be here. You look great, and congratulations, what's her name?" 

"Lily, Lilian." 

"Lilian, so sweet. Is it true that Ms. Harris was handpicked by you to cover for you while you were on maternity leave." 

"Not handpicked persay. I was given a list of new-coming DAs, to cover for me. Tom Petty, the hed district attorney wanted me to choose one who I thought would be able to handle my cases. I deal with a lot of murder, and I go against some of the best defense attorneys in the greater Los Angeles, Santa Monica, area. She had the most accolades from her graduating class at Stanford so I chose her in a heartbeat." Stevie explains. 

"So since you're on Maternity Leave, when are you returning to work?" 

"End of July beginning of August." 

"So who's covering your cases right now?" 

"Tom Petty is." 

"No further questions." 

"Mr. Fleetwood?" 

"Yes, um...I am going to apologize because I may slip. Before Mrs. Buckingham transferred here, she worked with me in the DA's office of Phoenix Arizona. So, if I call her Steph or Stephanie, I do sincerely apologize...Um, Mrs. Buckingham, in your own words what went down during this case? I was giving a briefing but I don't know the whole story." 

"Um well, I was closing out my cases that were already open and, every new case that was to be opened under my name was to be transferred over and assisted by Ms. Harris. I was called at two-thirty in the morning in mid-March, I was to go to an interrogation of Mr. Elliot B, he was accused of killing his daughter's lover. Ms. Harris was going to take the case from me and Tom wanted me there to supervise, guide, and lead. Elliot refused to answer any questions until his Lawyer arrived. His lawyer, being Mr. Buckingham. We at the time had three kids, the oldest fourteen the youngest five, so since I was already in the jail, Lindsey had to take care of calling childcare and waiting for them to arrive. I kept my mouth shut during the interrogation and just let Ms. Harris handle it. We went about our lives. I took care of my already open cases but I sat through arraignment and the trial with her in the audience. I approved the witness list and I looked through her notes, but I never went to the scene of the crime with her, I didn't directly involve myself in the case. Elliot was proven guilty, but I just. I felt like something wasn't right but I couldn't place my finger on it. But, she had won her first case period, and not to mention her first case against world-famous defense attorney Lindsey Buckingham. Anyway, I threw a party for her as a congratulation. Before she arrived a man showed up Peter Vanna, he said he had a drink with her at the Briarcrest Country Club. Which just so happened to be where Elliot had a golf tournament, where a substantial piece of evidence was from. My instincts told me something wasn't right so I called Lindsey and we took a drive out there together, and the two of us figured out exactly what happened. We poured for hours that night in bed piecing everything together and making a case against her." Stevie explains. 

"So Stephanie after that what happened?" 

"Well, Lindsey brought it to the judge and when he proved it enough, I stepped in and took the case back over and requested a withdrawal of the verdict and the trial was over," Stevie explains. 

"So you had absolutely nothing to do with the tampering of evidence?" Mick asks.

"No, nothing." Stevie nods.

"No further questions." 

"You may step down." The judge says. 

Carol is the last one on the stand and Mick is the only one allowed to question her. "So, what the hell happened? I mean if what Stephanie says is true, top of the class in Standford many accolades, you of all people should know that what you did was wrong." 

"Of course I knew it was wrong. I was just tired of guilty men going free." Carol explains. 

"But he wasn't guilty. You made him guilty, why did you do it?" 

"I...I don't know, I adore Stevie and I look up to her so much and I prayed that she'd pick me to work with and cover for her. But I also love Lindsey Buckingham, I wrote my junior thesis on him. I knew that he rarely lost and I just wanted to be the one to prove him wrong, but it didn't help that I was so nervous about going against him." Carol shrugs. 

"But you weren't. I did a case about oh... ten months ago against him and I was just as scared. Yes, I did lose the case but my point is. He had lost cases. One to Stephanie, and several, back in the seventies and eighties." Mick explains. 

"I know, but I just...I don't know." Carol shakes her head tears in her eyes. 

Carol was dismissed from the District Attorney's office and as the Buckingham's were leaving the courtroom, Mick approached them. 

"Um, congratulations on your baby. Lilian is a really pretty name." Mick says sadly.

"Mick, just so you know...Sara will always be in my heart. I'll never forget her and yes what happened was unfortunate and in a lot of ways it was my fault but I love her just the same." Stevie says grabbing his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. 

"I know," Mick smiles before pulling away and leaving.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lindsey asks wrapping his arms around his wife. 

"No, I want to go home and see our kids." Stevie smiles kissing him.