234's Lifelines

67. Punishment

Song: Invincible - David Archuleta 

***

They return to the courtroom after thirty minutes and the judge reappears.

"All rise," 

They all rise.

After the Judge seats, they all seat.

"Zane, you never got to finish your statement, would you like to do that now?" The Judge asks.

"Yes your honor," Zane says getting up. He faces Jess.

"You asked for a reason that makes sense as to why Shakespeare should be taken away from her mother and given to her father? The simple fact that she wants her father and her father wants her. For five years he was deprived the joy of knowing his daughter, he never knew he had a daughter, he never got to see his now dead son or even know about his existence,"

"When he finally had the chance to meet his daughter, to be a father to her, her mother snatched that from him, from them. Today you all watched a mother cry in remembrance of the memories she shared with her daughter but you all forget, she has them, the memories, he never had that chance. It was all ripped from him,"

"Do you know what it feels like to wake up one day and realize your life for the past five years has been a lie? None of us, but my client does. That you've been living in a dream weaved by those who claimed to love you for their own selfish gains?"

"To remember the little girl who once cried holding onto you begging for her dad, whose mum refuted her pleas and claims is actually truly your daughter? To remember that heartbreak in her eyes and know that you are her dad but had to deny knowing her because her mum was part of the play that was being acted to stop your coming to a realization? To find out that you lost a son and never had the chance to even see him once? To hold him, to protect him? To have done all you could to help ensure his safety? To have never seen your childs birth? Her first walk, her first speech, to have no record or memory of it? To know that even though you could have had a chance to be in your daughters live, her mum tried to take that away from you? My client does, he lived through it,"

"All he ever did was love Hera, all he ever did was protect her and fight for her, but what did he get? Lies, his life stolen form me, stitches, pain, sepration from his daughter,"

"Today you all see a mother crying but do you think simply because he is here with no tears in his eyes he hurts any lesser? Do you think because he is not bawling with tears running down his cheeks he is in any less pain than she is? My client and friend Alexander Black, has never been one to show universally accepted standards of emotions. He laughs when in pain, he smiles to hide his pain. He grew up without the love of parents, the love of a father, and because he knows firsthand just what it's like to grow up without a fathers love and protection, he wants to ensure his daughter never experiences that either."

"Why can't custody be shared? Because she cancelled and threw that option out the door when she decided to run away with his daughter to a different country. What makes this court certain she won't do the same again?  Why should my client be punished by losing his child for sins committed by Hera and his family? These and my previously listed reasons are why he needs to be granted sole custody, to ensure no one ever has the ability to hurt Shakespeare. That's all your honor, thank you," Zane says seating down.

The Judge nods quietly letting out a sigh. Holding a mini discussion with her aides. After which the Judge turns to face them.

"I shall now read my verdict of..."The Judge starts but is interrupted by the doors being flung open as a voice calls out,