Out Of The Past

"ME?" Sammy said in shock and surprise as I sat up saying "Alan?" 

"There's not much I can do Mike" Alan told me reluctantly 

"Dad?" Sam asked looking at me 

"It'll be ok honey" I told him as I adjusted the controls placing Sam front and center on the screens in the courtroom. I made sure that all the microphones were off except for mine to Alan and Sammy's as I watched him be sworn in.

Jennings approached the camera and said to Sammy "hello there young man, do you prefer to be called Sam or maybe Sammy?" 

Sammy looked at him flatly and then with a big friendly smile on his face said "actually sir I prefer Samuel, from you" in a sweet voice that sent shivers down my spine. 

Jennings was oblivious as he just smiled back at him while there were snickers from the other boys as I shot them looks that did nothing but result in innocent expressions being plastered onto their faces as they tried to stop their giggles.

"So Samuel you are 11 years old I understand?" Jennings asked him.

"Yes I am sir" Sammy replied still with that same sweet voice and smile.

Oh shit! I thought as I watched with a combination of dread and fascination as the events before me began to play out.

"I understand you were adopted by Mr. Reynolds, is that correct?" Jennings asked next "yes sir" Sam replied.

"Very good, and you love your dad very much don't you?" Jennings asked of him.

Sammy gave him one of those patented kid's 'are you stupid or something' looks but replied just as nicely "yes sir I sure do" with a big smile on his face.

"And I know this must be hard for you right now having to testify against him and all" Jennings told him.

"Oh no sir. I just have to tell the truth and that won't get him in no trouble" Sammy said in response with a wide eyed innocent look on his face now. 

This was getting worse and worse "aahh... I see...well yes you have to tell the truth..." Jennings was saying when Sammy broke in with "Of course! This is a court and you're s'posed to tell the truth in a court" with a big smile and radiating pure innocence before adding in the same voice "not like those women who was lying before"

This had clearly surprised Jennings who had his mouth open to respond after the initial part of Sammy's statement and it had been open until just moments ago as Sammy's statement concluded and it had snapped shut with a click which was even audible over the speakers as he looked at the epitome of innocence which Sammy was projecting still with that great big smile on his face.

In the meantime the rest of the bunch was giggling and snickering quietly and Eric had mysteriously started choking on something non-existent.

Apparently Jennings had decided that Sammy had said this in all innocence as he politely told Sammy, "Well...ahem...actually Samuel those women were telling the truth before" as the look on Sammy's face rapidly changed to one of incredulity and disbelief.

The he said "but sir, no grown ups are that stupid are they?" in his best innocent voice with a tone of voice reflecting his facial expression and one that clearly said 'tell me it ain't so'." 

I noticed the judge had placed his hand over his mouth, I thought, to cover a smile as Jenning's mouth opened and closed several times and he seemed to look around as if seeking help from someone.

He couldn't very well attack such a sweet and innocent young child who was so obviously perplexed but on the other hand this innocence was killing him.

-----Don't say a word------

Finally he seemed to decide on something as he began "well Samuel it may be difficult to explain but sometimes adults...er grown-ups think different things about the same subject. Those women did tell us what they honestly believed to be the truth" he finished with a smile on his face thinking he had solved the problem but I had been watching Sam Sam through all of this and I could see the gears turning in those eyes as an intense look of concentration came over his face as if he was thinking real hard about what the prosecutor had just said.

Oh no

Then Sammy, with a smile on his face, looked at Jennings asking "but sir can I ask you a question?" still radiating innocence in full measure.

Still trying to be nice to this seemingly naive sweet (remember no comments) child, the prosecutor said "well that would be fine with me if it's ok with the judge" he told Sammy smiling at him.

The judge meanwhile was staring at the image of Samuel and merely nodded his head as Sam looked at Jennings and said "well sir, I don't understand. Everyone knows playing with your dick feels reeeaaly good" with his smile growing and somehow a cute blush staining his cheeks as several people including the judge and Eric started choking and Jennings once again played fish.

I also was choking while the boys just giggled. 

Just as things seemed to be back under control Samuel spoke up again with the sage wisdom only a child can have "guess theys never must a played with one before then" he said just as with that utterance Eric and unfortunately the judge were taking sips of water which now sprayed out in front of them as they once more began choking. 

Once the judge had recovered enough to speak a little he called "recess 15 minutes" and quickly exited the room to the sounds of laughter.

I could still hear that laughter as I quickly reached over and shut off all the outgoing video and audio feeds except Alan's as I lost it and broke down laughing when Sammy, after making sure I had turned everything off, asked with the same wide eyed innocent look on his face "Whaaat?" 

It was just too much. He was so good I was beginning to half believe it, until after that comment, he began giggling hysterically which quickly turned into full laughter as he kept saying "and did you see the look on..." picking a different name each time.

All the kids were laughing as well and it took us some time to recover.

The worst thing was seeing Alan and Eric trying to keep some semblance of control over themselves in the courtroom so as not to give everything away. 

As I regained control of myself Alan remarked "that kid is really something Mike"

I looked over at Sammy fondly which brought his eyes to mine and a small smile as I responded "don't I know it, he sure is" looking at the object of the conversation with love

I told everyone to hit the bathroom if they needed to and a couple ran out coming back a few minutes later just as the bailiff called "all rise"

We stood for the judge who came back in apparently recovered although as he took his seat he did shoot Sam a rather speculative look on the reactivated monitor before settling himself in and looking at Jennings asking "are you ready to proceed?"

"Yes your honor" he replied as the judge said "very good then" 

"Now Samuel where were we..." then realizing what he was saying quickly said "ah never mind" as Sammy had opened his mouth to tell him exactly where they had been.

It was funny to see the blush on his cheeks as he tried to recover while Sammy just shrugged his shoulders, all smiles.

Jennings then asked "so you've had a bit of excitement lately I've heard?" 

Sammy looked at him for a moment with a perplexed expression on his face before answering "umm...not really. Except of course for those bad people who were trying to take us from our daddy" all the while with a sad, serious look on his face. 

Jennings was once again standing there with his mouth open trying to figure out how it had happened again.

"Well Samuel actually they weren't bad people at all they just were trying to protect you and the other children" he finally told him.

Sammy looking more and more incredulous by the second snapped back "from what, why would anyone want to take a kid from his daddy who loves him and takes care of him?"

"That's wrong!" he added with a wounded look on his face. 

"Samuel it is their job to find that out" Jennings told him "but they just coulda asked" Sammy said back

"Well it doesn't work like that Samuel..." Jennings started to say but Sammy interrupted him "then somethins wrong then cause you shouldn't try to take kids away from mommys and daddys who love them and ain't hurting them none" 

Sammy told him leaving Jennings at a loss for a moment.

He wisely decided to change the subject.

"I meant that I understand you helped save two children recently" he said I guess hoping to steer the subject back on to what he wanted Sammy meanwhile still had an indignant look on his face but grudgingly said "yeah, they're my brothers now" which put a happy smile back on his face.

"Well that's what we're here to determine" Jennings answered which got the first response that showed Sammy's true feelings although he didn't scream or go crazy or anything just said in a very cold chilling voice "They ARE my brothers now" and nothing more.

Jennings was obviously taken aback by that and Alan had went to attention but settled back when Jennings seemed to ignore it and moved on "Well anyway...umm lets take a look at how you met them shall we?" he asked Sam.

"Ok" he replied.

"Your father started chasing Peter's father with you in the vehicle, correct?" he asked. 

"No" Sammy replied.

"No?" 

"No we never chased him" Sammy told him once again friendly "ah well; ah the report I have says you did" Jennings told him.

"Then I guess your report is wrong" Sam smiled and said to him.

"Well I don't think so..." Jennings started to say when Sammy interrupted and said.

"You don't understand, my father wrote the report and he wouldn't lie. We never ever chased him" Sammy finished looking directly at Jennings and not breaking his gaze clearly challenging him to call his father a liar.

"Son, I don't want to argue with you but this report here says you did" Jennings repeated to which Alan spoke up "objection, asked and answered." 

"Overruled Mr. Jennings, he has repeatedly answered your question." 

"Your honor I have here a police report that says Sgt. Reynolds chased the suspect with Samuel in the vehicle, he's denying it" Jennings said plaintively as Sammy said "cause we didn't" while the judge just looked on.

"Why don't you show Sam the report where it says they chased the boy's father and he can respond to it" the judge said to Jennings.

Jennings looked through the report and then walked over to Alan and handed it to him. Alan placed it in the scanner and moments later the page in question was being printed on my machine.

I handed it to Sammy after glancing at it and was surprised to see it was my report.

Sam looked at it and read it and then looked up saying "ok"

"Now you can see the report there in front of you that your father wrote and it clearly says that he and you chased the suspect and you were in the car" Jennings said triumphantly!

Sammy just looked at him for a moment before saying "but it doesn't say that" with a small smile on his face as well as a look of confusion which I was sure was feigned.

Jenning's mouth dropped open and then moved opened and closed several times before walking back over to Alan and picking up the paper in question where he looked at it closely and then asked.

"Samuel do you see the part where it says 'I entered the freeway'?"

"Yes" he replied.

"I would like you to read that section where it says right after that your father and you began chasing the suspect" Jennings said.

"I am reading it but it doesn't say that" Sammy replied again with the same confused look on his face.

"You are reading this page?" Jennings asked holding up the offending document.

"I guess, the one you sent me anyway" Sammy replied "but it doesn't say that" he added.

Jennings face was beginning to turn red now as he said clearly losing patience 

"What exactly do you think it does say then if not that?" 

Sammy looked at him and rather than get nasty said with a perplexed look on his face "this one says we saw the suspect vehicle and began following it." 

Jennings face was beyond beginning to turn red now as he said in disbelief "following, all this obfuscation has been about the word following vs. chase?" 

Sammy just smiled and said "what?"

I could see the judge had a hand over his mouth again as Jennings finally said "never mind, it's the same thing..." as Sammy quickly interrupted him.

"No, it's not. Following is very different than actually being in pursuit. When you are following a suspect you are doing exactly that. The suspect doesn't know you are there and you just drive normal like you would always do. A pursuit means high speeds with your lights and siren on. It is very, very dangerous while following isn't really" he finished smiling and the tone of his voice had clearly been one of teaching something simple to someone stupid.

Jennings face returned to one of redness as his mouth once again played fish as he looked from Sammy back to the judge and then around trying to come up with something to say to that. 

I was fighting to keep a straight face and the judge had lost the battle even with his hand over his mouth still while the boys were snickering non-stop.

After a minute or two you could see Jennings clenching his jaw as he said "fine, you were following the suspect and apparently you don't see that as dangerous but..."

"I told you it's not" Sammy interrupted again with a look that basically said 'are you deaf or something' in his voice.

"Young man could you please stop interrupting me in every sentence" Jennings asked clearly losing his patience with this as Sammy looked at him with a smile and said "yes sir, I could..." and just when Jennings started to breathe sigh of relief continued "…cept you keep getting everything wrong." 

Jennings sigh of relief turned to one of sputtering as Kendall actually laughed along with a lot of others and even I joined in.

Sammy though kept the innocent cute look turned on looking very earnestly at the prosecutor who in turn looked like he wanted to reach through the monitor and strangle him but finally settled on looking to the judge who quickly schooled his face into somewhat impassivity as Jennings asked him.

"Could you please do something?" almost begging.

"I'm not sure what you want me to do Mr. Jennings he is answering all of your questions quite thoroughly and honestly from what I can see" Kendall told him in obvious glee as Jennings sputtered "but he's...he....nothing is getting answered" 

Kendall just shrugged his shoulders leaving Jennings to stew. 

He turned to Sammy and said "Fine! Then you were following the subject and at some point in this non-dangerous activity you came to be at a gas station, is that correct?" he asked with a mixture of hope and a feeling of it better be combined in his tone.

Sammy just smiled beatifically and replied "yes."

I hadn't realized that Jennings had been holding his breath until he let it out with an audible sigh then continued "Once you got to the gas station your father had you do something that resulted in placing you at great risk, correct?"

"No" Sam replied.

"Please, this is in the report also. It clearly says you were in danger" Jennings half begged him.

"I guess, but daddy didn't make me do it or nuthin" he said to him.

"He didn't?" Jennings asked.

"No" Sam replied.

"Then how did you get involved in it to the point that you were in danger?" Jennings asked.

Sammy looked at him a moment before saying "Peter was in danger and I could do something bout it so I did" shrugging his shoulders as he finished.

Jennings had an incredulous look on his face as he said "you decided, on your own, to do something so foolhardy?"

Now anger replaced the smile on Sam's face as he said "It wasn't foolhardy. I knew what needed to be done and I did it. I was the only one there who could do it and I did" 

"Ah I see, you being an 11 year old boy, decided all on your own, without any help from anyone, like your father, to run into murderer in an attempt to rescue a small child who was being held hostage by said murderer, is that what you want this court to believe?" he asked snidely.

Once again shrugging his shoulders he answered "yeah although I don't really care what you believe." 

Jennings face was once again on the red side as he said "why don't you tell us then just how you, an 11 year old child, reached such a momentous decision without help?" 

"Cause you got to do what's right, daddy taught me that and I did it. You don't have to be a grown up to know that" he said looking directly at Jennings.

"So your daddy taught you to do something stupid like that?" Jennings asked

"Objection your honor" Alan called

"Mr. Simpson normally I would sustain it but in this case I would really like to hear the answer to that question if you don't mind, overruled" he said.

Jennings looked surprised and not a little wary now as Sammy sat up straighter and with the look of pity for Jennings lack of understanding changing to one of pride Sammy began.

"I am sorry you think that doing the right thing is stupid Mr. Jennings. Maybe that is why this world is in the shape it's in now, because of grown-ups like you who think that way and won't do it. My daddy told me that you have to do the right thing even if it means putting yourself in an uncomfortable or even dangerous situation. He didn't want me to do it and it scared him real bad that I did but I had to because it was the right thing. Peter's father was holding him real tight and close to him. Daddy couldn't pull his gun or do anything without putting Peter in a lot of danger. I could. It was that simple. I could act like a bratty kid and the man would never think anything of it. That's what I did, running from my angry father cause I wouldn't listen and wait for him to go to the store when he was done getting gas. Only I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and ran into the poor man and his little boy knocking him down. The man never knew what happened as my dad came up screaming at me for knocking the poor kid down and then pulled his gun and held it to the guys head. The thing is after I knocked the kid over and fell on him I didn't get up and I didn't let Peter get up either until Dad had his gun on the man and then I grabbed Peter and took him to the truck where we got in and I put him on the floor in the backseat and called for help on the radio. The man never realized anything and what could have been very bad ended up very good instead although I am sorry I scared my dad so much. He was crying cause I scared him so bad" Sammy finished with a fire in his eyes as Jennings just looked on in amazement

Gone was the innocent child who seemed so young and in its place was an extremely confidant young man who just put him squarely in his place.

Jennings was at a complete loss and clearly had not been expecting anything like this. 

There was dead silence in the courtroom to the point that the judge finally asked "Mr. Jennings are you finished with this witness?" causing Jennings to turn clearly startled to the judge before saying "ah...not quite your honor...ah just a moment" and walking quickly back to his desk and looking through some papers before going back to the monitor and saying "Samuel was it doing the right thing that caused you to actually give your life at the mall?" 

"Yes" Sammy answered quietly.

"I see and again because of how your father raised you?" 

I was surprised and apparently so was Jennings when Sammy said simply "yes" and nothing more.

He quickly regained his footing and said "so you admit your father raised you in such an irresponsible manner as to cause you to do something so foolhardy that you actually were killed trying to do it?" he attacked.

"No I do not. Didn't you hear a thing I said before? I went to help someone who was going to be hurt real bad, I didn't intend to get stabbed, it just happened. My father has never raised me to be irresponsible and your an asshole for saying that" fury clearly evident in his voice.

Jennings cried "objection your honor" as the judge asked rudely "to what?" causing Jennings to say "to what? he...he called me an.....a..." before sputtering into silence

The judge just looked at him and then turned towards the monitor and said "Sammy please try to refrain from swearing in the courtroom in the future if you would?" causing Jennings to look daggers at the judge who hadn't said anything about what he had been called

"Yes sir, I'm sorry sir" while Jennings turned purple.

I turned off Sammy's microphone for a second and told him "SamSam don't let him get to you like that" and he replied "I'm tired of him saying shit about you dad" which made me so proud "I know son but that is what he wants to do, get you angry" I told him as he nodded his head.

"Is there something we should know" the judge was asking as I turned the microphone back on

"Ah no your honor" I told him while he nodded his head

"Samuel, you have now relayed two instances where you 'did what was right' as you say and were put in serious danger and yet you don't think there is something wrong with a child being raised to do that?" Jennings tried again.

Sammy looked totally disgusted now and made no effort to hide it as he answered.

"No, I don't. Those kids were going to rape a 10 year old boy if I hadn't stopped them and you say I should have let them do it, you are so worried about a couple of kids jacking each other off but you don't seem very worried about one getting raped, you're sick and if you think being like you is the way to raise a kid then I'm real glad I'm not yours and I hope you don't have none" Sammy fired with both barrels while Jennings had been screaming objections for some time now.

"Overruled" was all Kendall said to an obviously furious prosecutor.

"Really, well I'm sorry you feel that way. You don't seem to understand the seriousness of what we are talking about here today but..." Jennings started and Sammy let loose again.

"Oh I understand Mr. Jennings, I understand real well. Just cause I don't agree with your bullshit doesn't mean I don't understand everything you have been trying to pull here" 

I thought Jennings would scream another objection but instead he just smiled nastily and said "I guess you have been trained real well..."

"Yeah to think for myself" Sammy interrupted and added.

"As I was saying it looks like you have been trained real well so tell me if this was a part of your training. I have a report that you told the suspects in the altercation that Brian was your boyfriend, is that true?" he asked.

"Is what true that I said something to focus their attention on me and away from Brian or that I might have a boyfriend?" Sammy asked smiling again.

"That he was your boyfriend?" Jennings replied.

"Yeah I said that" Sam responded "and is he?" 

"What my boyfriend?" Sammy asked.

"Yes is Brian your boyfriend?" Jennings asked.

"Maybe, I don't know" Sam replied honestly.

"It's a simple question is he or isn't he?" Jennings pressed.

"He's my brother. I don't know if I'm gay or not so I can't tell you the other" Sammy said.

"The idea doesn't seem to bother you much, is that how you were raised?" Jennings sneered.

"Yes it is and no it doesn't. My dad always told me to look at the person and decide if they are good or bad. Who they might be screwing doesn't say nothing about the person don't you know that?" he asked

"Oh I know a lot of things young man. You are saying that you father encouraged homosexuality in your house just like he did with the Perry boys?" Jennings asked.

"Could have fooled me, remind me never to go to school wherever you did" which got snickers in and out of the courtroom.

"My dad doesn't encourage it but he taught me there is nothing wrong with it either. You are who you are and the most important thing is to be happy with that" Sammy said.

"Did he also teach you that you should try to change things which are wrong with you?" Jennings asked.

"Of course he did but that doesn't mean changing who you are to make others happy just yourself and being gay doesn't mean there's something wrong with you needin changin" Sammy shot back.

"He taught you that nothing was wrong with homosexuality?" Jennings asked.

"Kinda more by showing me than saying it but yeah" Sammy said with pride in his voice.

"You seem to think that's a good thing" Jennings said.

"Yeah it is, why, you don't like gay people?" Sammy said.

"My views are not at issue here" Jennings fired back.

"They should be" Sammy said smartly.

"Well they're not, those of your father are" Jennings told him.

"Why because you don't like em?" Sammy questioned him.

"Because he has children under his care that are obviously being adversely influenced by his...views" Jennings replied with the last word clearly being said in distaste.

"Better his views than those of people like you" Sammy said bluntly.

"Move to strike your honor" Jennings asked the judge.

"Denied" he said

Jennings jaw worked for a moment but then he said "so your father teaches you that deviant sexuality is acceptable..." 

"Objection" Alan said

"Mr. Jennings we are not going there again and I would strongly advise you to drop this line of questioning."

"Your honor the moral environment that these children are being raised in is extremely important to be shown to prove harm to the children" Jennings told the judge.

"Mr. Jennings all you have managed so far is to show they are being raised in an extremely moral environment with a great deal of love, respect, honor, tolerance and self sacrifice. Is there any further questioning that is going to show differently because so far I'm not seeing it?" Kendall asked.

Jennings looked ready to kill someone and ground out between gritted teeth "well if those are your views and you feel that children being raised in a harmful en..." but he never got to finish.

"MISTER Jennings! I sincerely hope you are not suggesting what it sounds like you are. I will caution you that I am getting very tired of your line of reasoning in this trial. Do you have anything else for this witness, yes or no and be very careful" he told Jennings coldly.

"Just one more question then your honor since I am not being allowed to establish the unsuitability of the home environment" Jennings told him.

The judge just glared at him and Jennings turned to the monitor where he asked Sam.

"Has your father ever engaged in any sexual activity with you?" 

I watched as Sammy's eyes got big and I thought he was going to explode but he just looked at Jennings for the longest time before shocking me and everyone else in the courtroom by breaking out in laughter.

Jennings was turning bright red and his mouth was working even though no sounds were coming out as Sammy finally slowed down with the laughter.

"You find something funny in that question?" he asked coldly with fury in his voice.

"Yeah" Sammy replied still chuckling "for someone who hates sex so much you spend an awful lot of time thinking about it" he said.

Jennings just looked at him and said "you didn't answer the question" 

"I thought you lawyers were supposed to check up on things. The day I met my dad I tried to blow him and he said no, and he hasn't said yes yet" Sammy told him which left Jennings looking shocked along with the most of the courtroom although it didn't stop him from asking.

"You still haven't answered the question" Jennings said.

"Well try listening" Sammy said "and just so you can understand NO HE NEVER HAS DONE ANY SEX STUFF WITH ME" he then told him very slowly and very loudly as if speaking to an imbecile whose face was turning red once again.

"I think that will be all" Kendall broke in causing Jennings to glare at him and then stalk over to his seat

"Thank you Sammy for your testimony that will be all" Kendall told Sam but Sammy asked him "Your honor I'd really like to know something if I can?" 

"Sure Sammy, what is it?" 

"What church does the...umm prosecutor belong to?" 

"That's none of your business" Jennings shouted as the judge glared at him and told Sammy "I'm afraid that is not something I can ask him son" 

"That's ok, I can guess" Sammy replied with a grin as Jennings shouted "objection"

"To what Mr. Jennings, to what? Common sense" Kendall said with obvious weariness in his voice

Then he continued "I have heard more than enough ladies and gentlemen to make a ruling" he paused and I watched a very shocked Alan sit up straight in his chair. He had not been allowed to present anything in our defense and was clearly worried

"After...." Kendall started but Jennings interrupted him "objection your honor" he shouted

"Mr. Jennings I have sat through yesterday and today in this courtroom listening to you and frankly I don't think there is anything else that you could add to make the slightest bit of difference in this case since you haven't added anything yet to it" Kendall told him

"Your honor I have several witnesses that just came forward that can directly testify to child molestation and the unsuitability of the Reynolds home" Jennings said as I sat up in shock.

There was no way there could be any such thing because I had never done any such thing. 

This didn't make any sense.

"Mr. Jennings I really don't want to hear anymore of what you and your friends consider child molestation. Over..." Kendall was saying but Jennings interrupted

"Your honor please this is direct testimony from victims and their parents to witnessed acts proving the unsuitability of Mr. Reynolds to be in contact with children" 

Kendall looked at him for a minute and then said very carefully "Mr. Jennings I am very reluctant to continue this. I sincerely hope that you are confident in the assertions which you have made because I will hold you to them. If it turns out that these witnesses are more of the same as before I will throw you in jail sir. Do you understand me?" he asked.

Jennings looked decidedly unwell but said "yes your honor." 

"Are you sure you wish to proceed?" he asked him.

"Yes your honor" Jennings replied.

"Very well then, I am putting off my ruling at this time, you may call your witnesses Mr. Jennings" he said clearly not happy.

Jennings stood and said in a loud voice "I would like to call Kathleen Reynolds" 

As he said the name all the air left my stomach as if I had been punched and all I could say was "Oh fuck" as Alan screamed "Objection" 

For me all I could do was mumble "Kat, my little kitty Kat" as Sammy jumped up crying "daddy" but I didn't really hear as the memories from so long ago washed over me; Ah Kat why, why.