"this maybe the night that my dreams might let me know, that all the stars are closer."
special victims unit is no joke. but, when ella meets sonny, her world turns in a way she never expected it to.
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sonny ended up being the last person rafa called to the stand as one of the a prosecution witnesses.
he thought the M.E. and everyone else's testimony should be done before sonny's.
sonny wasn't entirely thrilled about being the last prosecution witness because he wanted to be with me through the whole trial, but buchanan still had his witnesses to call up so he could be there for me during that part, which he was glad about.
"you were the arresting officer, isn't that right?" barba asks sonny finishing his direct.
rafa sure took his time to established every fact of the case with sonny. he did that with everyone on this case. it's what makes him an amazing prosecutor.
"yes."
"thank you detective. no further questions."
at that point, buchanan had gotten up and i mentally rolled my eyes.
"detective, you're in a relationship with the victim?"
"objection, asked and answered."
"your honor, i'm entitled to ask this as part of my questioning."
"i'll allow it."
"yes i am in a relationship with the detective."
"so, you deliberately had something against my client assuming he did something wrong? based on what? detective russo's outcry?"
"objection!"
"overruled, witness may answer."
"no, all the evidence pointed to him. it fit what a friend of his eventually described to us of what the defendant was planning when he was arrested for the attempted murder of an officer. the arrest i made on your defendant was based on the facts of the case. i did what i had to do."
"and would you have done the same thing if say, it was someone else? not your girlfriend?"
"objection, your honor,"
"sustained. mr. buchanan, is there an actual question then both detective's personal life?"
"yes, your honor i do." he replies before continuing. "detective, what you want to do is make sure you put him in prison for a crime you assume he committed?"
"all evidence pointed towards him."
"i see and the evidence you believe is because he made a mistake fifteen years ago, he made that same mistake now, right after he got out of prison? are you sure maybe she didn't want it rough? that she wanted to tied down and be moved to location and teased- "
"objection! counsel is badgering the witness." barba basically yells.
"withdrawn. nothing further."
"redirect?" barba stood up.
"i'll allow."
"do you believe that the defendant was the one who kidnapped, tortured, beat, and raped detective russo?"
"yes. i do. all evidence from her, the cars, and in the warehouse supported it and her testimony."
"thank you." barba says before he sits down.
"you may step down detective." the judge says.
he came and sat next to me as the judge announced we were adjourned for today.
when we stepped outside the courthouse, barba commented on buchanan's terrible cross and how his questions were utterly ridiculous, which they were.
when we got home, i was hysterical because he just asked sonny all those questions and i was worried they would let benjamin off. sonny kept reassuring the that the jury seemed to be on our side and it was still early in the trial. sonny cuddled me in our shared bed as he told me multiple times that everything would be okay, that i was going to get through this, and how much he loves me before i slowly fell asleep in his arms.
~~~~~
the trial went on for days.
eventually, the defense called their last witness, which was of course, benjamin.
of course buchanan made him looking like a freaking angel, but barba absolutely made sure to show the jury what type of man he was. benjamin started screaming in the court room so barba had definitely showed the jury what we capable of.
after closing arguments, it was adjourned and now we had to wait to see what the jury decides.
we left the courtroom after what felt like forever and met with barba in the hallway as the rest of both mine and sonny's family waited with us, along with the squad and lucille barba, rafa's mom.
"you got him barba." nick says.
"i know i did but, now we wait and see if the jury agrees he's the type of man they just saw him to be." barba gives me a concerned look as sonny keeps me close to him, by wrapping an arm around me and kissing my head.
