Until the Very End

Chapter 64

It was hard for Don and Meryl to leave the babies with Liz and Maggie as they screamed when Don and Meryl handed them off to their aunt and grandmother. Don knew he needed to be the strong one, and told Meryl that they would be fine. Liz and Maggie both tried to put Meryl's mind and heart at ease saying they would be fine and Lily would help distract them. Don led Meryl out of Larry's office and into the courtroom where they hugged Larry, Mike, Henry, Suzie, Grace, Mamie, Third and Maeve who had all come to support Don and Meryl. Meryl didn't want Dana there, and he honored that. Meryl apologized to Henry for how she reacted earlier to his comment about Don, and Henry assured her everything was fine and he understood. Almost as soon as they entered the courtroom, Meryl grabbed Don's hand as it was time for the trial...again!

***

"I love you." Don whispered to Meryl as Larry stood up to make his opening statement. "Don't EVER forget or doubt that."

"I never could." Meryl smiled softly at him as she flashed him her wedding rings. "I love you, my Don Man."

Larry took a deep breath as he stood up to make his opening statement. He would do anything for his brother from another mother as he called Don, and their family, he just hated that they all kept having to go through this and Jane was being Jane as usual. He knew that today would be a little different in that his father was joining him at the prosecution table where he was sitting with Don and Meryl, and that Mike would take over questioning so that Larry could be called as a witness. "Your honor, to be honest, I don't even know why we are here today. With all due respect. This really is an open and shut case. Mr. Raymore broke out of jail and targeted Mrs. Gummer and her family. He then got away from the police MULTIPLE times, which then led him to trespass on Mr. and Mrs. Gummer's property. The police have statements saying they saw him threaten Mr. and Mrs. Gummer. Security footage shows him knocking out Mrs. Gummer and drugging her, breaking into the Gummer estate in Maine, stabbing Mr. Gummer and threatening both Mr. and Mrs. Gummer with a gun. Not only all that, but it has been proven he pretended to be Ms. Grace Gummer to lure Mrs. Gummer and their infant twins to a hotel which also brought him up on charges of kidnapping. The prosecution will prove that Mr. Raymore is a threat to all of society and deserves the maximum sentence in a maximum-security prison. There really is no more to be said."

"You did good, son." Mike smiled at Larry as he sat down; this was an incredibly important case to both Mike and Larry. "He WILL be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Raymore's newest attorney, Preston Blake, stood up and looked at Raymore. "This is a man who was simply meeting the love of his life at her request."

"Don, son, don't." Mike's hand immediately grabbed Don's arm when he could feel him tense before him, and knew he was about to stand up and explode. "You'll make it worse. Don't."

Meryl was on the other side of Don, rubbing his chest soothingly, and whispering in his ear. "Please, baby, don't. A week ago we were terrified you were going to be sent to jail because of that mad man. Please don't make that fear a reality." Meryl saw Don soften at her words and he nodded his head in agreement, though she could tell that he was still incredibly pissed off and she wouldn't expect any less from the true love of her life. "Thank you."

"Mrs. Gummer's MANY affairs are widely known." What Raymore's lawyer didn't see was that it was Don who now had to hold his wife down from exploding at that statement. "Which will be proven."

Judge Allers was surprised when Raymore's lawyer sat down. "That's it? What's your opening statement?"

"Yes, sir." Blake said as he sat down. "We will prove my client's innocence in the cross-examinations."

Mike winked at Don and Meryl. "Translated to mean that he has no case."

"DA Larry Brown." Judge Allers looked at the prosecution table. "You're up."