Breaking Ties: An Ensemble Story (Read 252,082 times)

[Kpatch]

I don't think anything with the words "Widows Club" will appeal to Marlena. I hope Julie is more delicate than that. I'm glad Maggie reminded her that Jennifer is still capable of hosting holidays. Let's not skip a generation.

[heroicmuse]

Week 518 - 4
Ruby sat on her bed, looking at the instructions she had gotten from her therapist at the Horton Center.

COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT
Volunteer to do something to help others over Thanksgiving. Then write a one-page essay about what you did and how it made you feel.

“What the heck am I supposed to do?” she said to herself. “I’m barely part of this community.”

She sighed and picked up her phone. It rang twice, then went to voicemail.

This is Sydney, so if you were expecting someone else, you have the wrong number. If you were looking for me, please leave a message and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

Ruby’s heart pounded. “Sydney, it’s Ruby. Um, I have to do a community service thing over the holiday and, um, I was wondering if you were doing one and if you’d like to do it together.”

She hung up and flopped back on the bed, certain Sydney would never call her back.


It was time for closing arguments. Judge Hildebrand said to the jury, “You will now hear from the defense attorney first and then from the district attorney. Each attorney will be attempting to sum up their argument and convince you that their side should prevail. However, after arguments I will be providing you with a copy of the relevant laws, and you will be expected to make your decision based on whether or not the evidence supports the idea that these laws have been broken. I will instruct you further on these points after you hear these arguments. For now, please listen with an open mind to what each attorney has to say. Mr. Saxon, are you ready?”

“Yes, your Honor,” Saxon said. He stood and straightened his tie. Then he turned to the jury. “I know this trial hasn’t been easy. It’s been downright ugly, hasn’t it? According to two girls, Natalie Simmons is responsible for rapes and kidnappings and murders. She has unlimited power to force everyone in the universe to do what she wants. Come on!” Saxon’s voice rose. “Natalie Simmons is not nearly the monster these girls made her out to be. The prosecution’s entire case relies on you believing two girls with criminal records who would rather blame somebody else for their problems than admit that they screwed their own lives up.

“According to Hannah Martin, every criminal act she engaged in, from driving into bad neighborhoods to buy drugs to drinking an open beer on the street when she was only 18 years old, was Natalie Simmons’ fault. Ms. Martin spent a year in jail behind that open container, and if she were the one on trial today, you’d see that the police report said she was uncooperative and disrespectful and that was part of the reason the DA recommended a sentence of a year in jail instead of a fine or a diversion program. Yet instead of taking responsibility for the ugly things coming out of her own mouth, Ms. Martin claims that she wouldn’t have been arrested if Ms. Simmons hadn’t asked her to hold that open container. Preposterous And somehow, Ms. Simmons is responsible for her brother, who is no longer here to explain himself, allegedly raping both Ms. Martin and Ms. Dupree.

“Speaking of Ms. Dupree, she claims that she was forced to do Natalie Simmons’ bidding, forced to run drugs, forced to commit other crimes, even forced to kill Ms. Simmons’ brother, and that Natalie Simmons herself ordered the hit on Marcel Simmons, the only brother she’d ever known. If you believe that, I’ve got some swampland in Florida for you.

“Chanel Dupree is a career criminal. At 14, she ran away and began doing drugs on the street. She’s been arrested multiple times for possession with intent to sell, she shot Marcel Simmons in the back and framed Kenneth Hansen for it — yes, the same Kenneth Hansen that was abducted by Marcel Simmons and claimed it was his sister’s fault, but they leave out the part where his cousin framed him for murder because it doesn’t fit the narrative. Chanel Dupree should be in prison for a very long time, but she’s free today because she made a deal to testify against Natalie Simmons, and I guess it didn’t matter if what she had to sa was true or false.”

Rubin stood. “Your Honor!”

Judge Hildebrand sighed. “Let’s not claim the District Attorney is encouraging perjury,” she said. “If you want to cast doubt on the witness, fine, but you’ll have to leave everyone else out of it.”

“Sorry, your Honor. I misspoke. What I meant to say was, Chanel Dupree would say anything to get that deal, so you can’t trust a word she says, especially when she’s convinced that Natalie Simmons is some sort of omnipotent goddess who has absolute power to ruin lives.

“Look, the witnesses for the prosecution were playing games. I have no doubt horrible things happened to them, but I do doubt that Natalie Simmons was responsible. The prosecution simply has not made that case, and if you think they did, just remember: both of these girls were supposedly under Natalie’s thumb for years, yet neither of them joined the FIre Lions or got a Fire Lion tattoo. If she really had that kind of control, wlouldn’t she have forced these girls into the gang she allegedly runs? Think about that, and then vote to acquit, because there is no case here. Thank you.”

Saxon sat down. Rubin got up and said, “I’ve been a prosecutor for 25 years, and I can count on one hand the number of times I thought a case was a slam dunk. Most of the time, I know that someone is guilty and that I have the evidence to prove it, but I have to also counter a defense that makes some sense. Maybe the evidence is circumstantial or the defendant has an excuse that might resonate with the jury. But this time… no. This time, the defense has nothing. You’ve seen for yourself Natalie Simmons’ behavior, in real-time, during this trial. If you had any doubt that the things Hannah Martin or Chanel Dupree or Kenneth Hansen said about Natalie Simmons were 100% accurate, all you need is your eyes, your ears, and your memories.

“The court transcripts will show that Natalie Simmons undermined her defense at ever turn, that she threw temper tantrums every time a witness said something she didn’t like, that she threatened officers of the court, that she played dirty tricks to get the case thrown out… if you had any doubt that she intimidated her witnesses so much that they had to testify remotely from a safe house, you saw your evidence. If you doubted that she would scream and yell and threaten if they tried to walk away from her criminal enterprise, you saw that in real time too.

“But as distasteful as Natalie Simmons’ behavior has been in court, I don’t want you to convict her based on disliking her childish antics in front of the judge, in front of all you. She wasted your time, she disrespected you as well as the judge… but that’s not the basis to convict. No, you have to make your decision based on the law.

“The law says that you cannot offer an impressionable 14-year-old an incentive to engage in illegal behavior. That is called contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and the evidence showed convincingly that Natalie Simmons committed that crime over and over with both Hannah Martin and Chanel Dupree.

“The law says that if you assist somebody with an abduction, you are as guilty of kidnapping as they are. In this case, it would be aggravated kidnapping because Marcel Simmons used a weapon to subdue Kenneth Hansen and Natalie Simmons helped her brother hold Kenneth prisoner. It doesn’t matter that she was a kinder, gentler kidnapper who insisted her hostage be fed. She held Kenneth hostage and she demanded that Hannah Martin surrender to her in exchange for his freedom. That makes her guilty of kidnapping, and we have proven that too.

Natalie Simmons bought drugs and resold them, and you’ve heard evidence demonstrating that crime happened. Or more specifically, that those two crimes happened, because drug trafficking and possession with intent to sell are two separate charges and we have proven beyond a reasonable doubt that she is guilty of both.

The defense has no answer for any of this. The defense has not shown you that there is any reason to doubt that Natalie Simmons is a gang leader who thrives on terrorizing young women who are in dire situations and forcing them to do her bidding. I know that all of you take your obligation as jurors seriously. I know that you want to weigh all the evidence and make absolutely sure that you have it right so that you don’t send an innocent woman to prison. And I know that when you do that, when you look at everything we have shown you and everything the defense has NOT shown you to counter it, you will come back, confident in your belief that this woman is guilty of every one of the crimes in that lengthy indictment the judge is about to explain to you. Natalie Simmons thinks she is untouchable, that she can create all sorts od chaos and destruction and nothing will happen. Show her that she’s wrong. Find her guilty on all charges. Thank you.”

Rubin sat down so that the judge could give her final instructions before the jury went into the jury room. Natalie Simmons was staring into space instead of giving her dirty looks, so she guessed that she had won and that Natalie knew it, but still. She couldn’t be sure until the jury came back with the right verdict.

[André DiMera]

Hopefully Sydney will call Ruby back.

Saxon’s last speech was as disgusting as I expected. Rubin’s was great! Hopefully the jury will make the right choice!

Great chapter, heroicmuse!

[heroicmuse]

Week 518 - 5
Rafe met Justin in the conference room next to the courtroom. Justin told him, “This is how it’s going to go. Sloan Petersen will come in here and she’ll make an offer, which we’ll probably reject because, knowing her, it’s going to be ridiculous. Then we’ll go into court and the judge will ask if we reached an agreement and set a trial date when he learns we haven’t.

“Right,” Rafe says. “And at trial… what do you think our chances are?”

“Well, this is Sloan we’re talking about,” Justin said, “so if there’s a way to screw up her case, she’ll find it. But the fact that you lied about who shot that gun doesn’t bode well. The rest of the case, the jury won’t care about. But that, my friend, suggests you are guilty of orchestrating a coverup.”

Rafe swallows hard. “You can’t do any fancy lawyer stuff to make up for it?”

“The best bet would be if that wasn’t allowed into evidence, but I see no real argument for that. Your statement was given freely, and it would be really hard to argue that you didn’t know your rights at the time, given that you’ve been in law enforcement for over a decade. The good news, however, is we can probably get Roman’s comments about your past excluded since the judge excluded them at the PC hearing, so at least your previous stupid attempts at protecting someone you care about won’t come up. I honestly think our best bet is to put Kate on the stand and dare them to cause trouble over a grandmother defending her kidnapped grandson.”

“I guess,” Rafe sighed. “So if we lose… and I’m not sayin’ we are, but it’s startin’ to look like a possibility… then what?”

“You’d probably get 25 years to life. But that’s not the end of it. We can appeal and have your sentence stayed until the appeal is settled. However, in the end, if you are convicted, you will likely face significant prison time. So, if we are going to go to trial, let’s make damn sure we win.”

Rafe nodded slightly, trying to hide his fear.

“All right,” Justin said. “You ready to face the vipers?”

“Ready as I’m gonna be,” Rafe said.

Justin opened the door and said, “You can come in now.”

Sloan came in, holding a large file folder and smirking. “I have a very generous offer for you, Mr. Hernandez, and if your attorney is worthy of the money you’re paying him, he’ll advise you to take it rather than wasting any more of the court’s time on pretending you’re innocent.”


At home, Eve said to Eric, “I think I may regret letting Erica stay with that nanny Paige hired. Oh, I’m sure the girl means well, but she’s Australian and doesn’t understand how things are done around here.”

Eric frowned. “What happened? Did she not take proper care of Erica?”

“Nothing like that. It’s just, she let her spend the whole time we were at the memorial drawing. That girl must have killed three dozen trees with the number of pages she used.”

“And?” Eric crossed his arms. “I feel like I’m missing something here, because that doesn’t sound like a serious problem.”

Eve lowered her voice so that Ericka wouldn’t hear. “An artist is no career for her when she grows up. I’ve been trying to discourage it, but now this stranger comes along and lets her draw for hours.”

Eric put his hand on Eve’s wrist. “I understand how you feel, but I think you’re overreacting. Children enjoy drawing. That doesn’t mean she plans to make a career out of it. And if God does intend for her to use her gifts that way, I have no doubt He will also ensure that she is provided for.”

“I suppose you’re right. But still, a career in the arts is not easy, as I well know, and I just don’t want her to end up so desperate for money that she…”

“That she turns to selling her body like her mother did.” Eric’s voice is soft.

“Or like I did. You can say it. It’s all right.”

Eric squeezed her hand. “You know I don’t judge you,” he said softly. “But I also think that you are reading far too much into our nine-year-old having a hobb¥ she enjoys. And even if she does grow up to have an interest in art as a career, it doesn’t have to be as a starving artist. You may recall that I was pursuing photography when we met. So just let her draw if she likes to draw, and leave the rest to God.” Eric’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it. “That’s Julie. It might be something about the Horton Center. Excuse me a second.”

Eric walked off to talk to Julie. Eve shook her head slightly. “Let her do it and leave the rest to God,” she said. “I’m sorry, Eric, but I just don’t think I can do that.”

[André DiMera]

I’m sure Sloan’s offer is anything but generous. Hopefully Rafe won’t have to go to jail, though.

I agree with Eric on this. Too bad his advice fell on deaf ears.

Can we please have previews, heroicmuse?

[Kpatch]

Eve is being ridiculous. If she wanted the nanny to do something different with Erica, she should have left instructions.

I sure hope Justin can help Rafe beat this rap.

[heroicmuse]

Thank you André DiMera and Kpatch for your comments this week!

Next week is one of my favorite times of the year: the lead up to Thanksgiving! Read on for spoilers.

Coming Up on Breaking Ties...
Julie's plans for a small gathering of widows seem to be falling apart, as Eric tells her that he thinks Marlena should have Thanksgiving with her family and Jennifer has to decline her invitation as Thanksgiving is also when they are celebrating Mariposa's birthday. Julie admits that she is dreading the holiday because it's the first one without Doug, but with plenty of family in town, he is sure she will find a way to enjoy the holiday.

Meanwhile, the rest of Salem gets ready for the holiday, but when JJ runs into Daniel, he's worried that Daniel is sad because Parker is doing Thanksgiving with Philip and Chloe and will not visit him until the day after.

Elsewhere, could the safe house residents get good news in time for the holiday when the jury returns with a verdict in Nat's case? And after Rafe rejects Sloan's offer, will he be able to enjoy Thanksgiving despite the trial hanging over his head?

[André DiMera]

I’m sure Thanksgiving will be rough for Julie and Marlena. Hopefully this gathering goes well.

Can’t wait to see everyone else’s Thanksgiving!

Hope the jury makes the right decision and everyone can leave the safe house in time for the holiday!

Thanks for the previews, heroicmuse!

[heroicmuse]

Week 520 - 1
Jennifer leaned her phone on her ear. “I appreciate you inviting me, Aunt Maggie,” she said. “But my granddaughter’s birthday is right before Thanksgiving. In fact, this year… let me see…” She hit the speaker button so she wouldn’t lose Maggie while she checked her calendar. “No, it’s the day before, but no matter. She’s going to be three right before Thanksgiving, and we always celebrate her birthday on the holiday. Besides, Mike really needs cheering up with Jeremy gone, and I think having a little Thanksgiving party is just the thing.”

“I understand,” Maggie said. “I usually have a bigger Thanksgiving myself. But Julie thought it would be nice for all the women who have lost their husbands to spend time together.”

“It’s a nice thought,” Jennifer said, “but why not just invite Marlena to a regular Thanksgiving?”

“I’d be happy to have her, but I just don’t know that she’s ready to face a big crowd. It could be too overwhelming for her. Victor died right after Thanksgiving that year, as you know, and Christmas was so very awkward for me. I felt like everyone was looking at me as the fragile old lady who no longer had her husband, and the more people told me they were sorry for my loss, the worse I felt. That’s why I wanted to keep things small for Marlena, so that she wouldn’t have the same miserable experience.”

“I understand,” Jennifer said. “Well, I’ll miss having Thanksgiving with you but hopefully I’ll see you Christmas.”

“Of course,” Maggie said. “Listen, I’m going to give Julie my order for new Christmas ornaments as soon as Thanksgiving is over. I just think that if we do it right, we can speed along the Christmas miracle that Mike has been waiting for.”


In the meantime, Eric was talking to Julie on the phone. “Oh, it is a nice idea. But to be honest, I think my mother might be more comfortable having a quiet Thanksgiving at home with me, Eve, Belle, and Sami.”

“I don’t think Sami and Eve are going to help her relax, darling,” Julie said. “Those two can’t go a minute without trying to tear each other’s throats out.” She sighed. “To tell you the truth, I need this Thanksgiving as much as she does. My darling Hannah is still MIA. Her parents tell me she’s safe but they can’t tell me more than that, so I’m guessing they put her in some sort of guarded home to make sure that horrible Natalie doesn’t get to her. Anyway, maybe she’s safe, but I’m beside myself with worry, and I don’t like being separated from her for Thanksgiving, especially the first one since Doug passed away.”

“I understand,” Eric said. “What about Rory, though? Surely he’s a comfort to you.”

“He is, but he’s got plans with that Marissa. They were off for a while and now they’re sort of half back together, half not, and he has some idea that taking her out on Thanksgiving will seal the deal.”

“You never know,” Eric said. “God works in mysterious ways. Listen, you’re welcome to have Thanksgiving with us if you want.”

“I appreciate that. I’ll think about it,” Julie said.

After she hung up, she sighed deeply. “I used to love Thanksgiving,” she said to herself, “but now that Doug’s gone… I just don’t see how I’m going to get through this holiday.”


Nat paced the tiny holding cell she’d been put in while they awaited the jury verdict. “It’s been a minute,” she said to Saxon. “That’s a good sign, right? I mean, if it was a slam dunk like the DA lady said, they’d be back already.”

“I certainly hope you’re right,” Saxon said. “It was hard to read the jury as they filed out. I just hope they took the judge’s instruction to heart that they are not to rush this in order to get home before Thanksgiving.”

Nat scowled. “They could just decide to find me not guilty and then we can all go home and have our turkey dinners.”

“I certainly hope that’s what happens,” Saxon said flatly. “If for some reason they don’t…”

Nat’s eyes narrowed. “What am I paying you for if you’re going to be so negative?”

“I’m not. I’m just saying IF. Don’t worry, I have a plan. In my opinion, Judge Hildebrand overstepped her bounds over and over and we have plenty of grounds for appeal.”

“Including grounds of incompetent counsel.” Nat’s eyes were so narrow they’d turned into slits. “You should have known how to handle that judge so that I wouldn’t be locked up while we’re waiting.”

“Perhaps you should have been more respectful,” Saxon said, “and not tried to ruin the DA’s career with lies.”

Nat glared at him. “You’d better hope I’m acquitted. If they find me guilty, you will pay.”

Saxon’s jaw tightened and he tried not to show his fear. His phone buzzed and he glanced at it.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” he said. “Jury’s back.”

[André DiMera]

It’s understandable that Jennifer has her own Thanksgiving to go to. Glad Maggie was understanding.

I’m sure this Thanksgiving is going to be hard for Julie.

Wonder what the jury decided!

Great chapter, heroicmuse!

[Kpatch]

I'm not sure Julie and Maggie have the right idea, but we'll see. They should ask Marlena to make sure she's willing to go along with it. It would be nice if Jen could pop over after dinner just for a little while.

[heroicmuse]

Week 520- 2
Sloan pushed her hair behind her ear. “After the case we put on against you at the probable cause hearing, which, by the way, was a complete waste of time that you can thank your lawyer for…”

“All right, all right,” Justin said. “How about we avoid grandstanding and get to the point? What are you offering?”

“It’s clear I hit a nerve. I hope you’re doing this pro-bono, because that’s about what your legal advice is worth to your so-incredibly-guilty client.”

“So you got nothing,” Rafe said. “That what you’re telling me? You don’t have anything to offer and are just wasting my time?”

“Let me handle this,” Justin told him. He turned toward Sloan. “You have 30 seconds to give us an actual offer before we go to the judge and tell him you did not bargain in good faith as required before we go to trial.”

Sloan’s eyes narrowed. “Like he’d believe that.”

“When you come to the bench with no offer, what choice will he have? Now, if you have something, which I’m starting to doubt, spit it out.”

“Okay, fine,” Sloan said. She crossed her arms. “As I was saying, if you rolled the dice with a jury you’d lose not only the case but your life. 25 years is a long time, especially for an ex-cop. So. You plead guilty to obstruction of justice, you do 5 years in a minimum security federal prison where you’re less likely to get stabbed for your previous occupation.”

“Little problem with that,” Rafe said, forgetting he was supposed to let Justin do the talking. “I’m not guilty, and I’m not gonna do a day behind bars for something I didn’t do.”

“He’s right,” Justin said. “Convert it to five years probation and we have a deal.”

Sloan shook her head slightly. “No can do, Justin. Sorry. The district attorney’s office doesn’t look kindly on cops who abuse the power of the badge. He has to do jail time. There’s no getting around it.”

“Abusing the power…” Rafe glared at her. “You know how I got that FBI job that you so casually torched? Cause I helped rid the Salem PD of some corrupt cops who were after JJ Deveraux cause his dad almost exposed them. That’s who is a disgrace to the badge. And by the way, you’re a disgrace to your profession too.”

Justin touched his arm and shook his head hard. “Don’t antagonize her,” he said under his breath. “No good can come of that.” He turned toward Sloan. “I think what my client means is no deal. You want jail time so bad, sentence him to one day and credit him for time served.”

“That can’t happen and you know it,” Sloan said. “Come on, five years is really 18 months because of overcrowding. Is he not tough enough to serve his time?”

Rafe’s eyes flashed, but Justin said, “We’re not dignifying that with a response. Come on, Rafe. Let’s go tell the judge we have not reached an agreement so that you can go home and get ready for Thanksgiving.”

“You’re making a big mistake!” Sloan said. “This is the best deal you’re going to get!” Rafe and Justin ignored her and she threw her phone down as they left. “How do I get him to accept my offer? Or do I just let him go to trial and hang himself?” She leaned forward, thinking.


JJ was in the grocery store, pushing one of the big wagons even though he only needed a few items because it had a place for Mariposa to sit. Mari kept pointing and saying, “I want!” as they passed by each aisle.

“First let’s get what we need for Thanksgiving,” JJ said, “and then maybe I’ll buy you a treat.”

Mariposa’s face trembled. JJ shook his head slightly, hoping she didn’t begin to cry. “Paige was right,” he said to himself. “I should have left her with Harlow and done this myself.”

“JJ!” Daniel called. JJ turned and saw that Daniel had a cart filled with stuff: vegetables, bread crumbs, pie shells.

“Thank goodness I ran into you,” JJ said. “I don’t know how I’m gonna get through my shopping with Mari wanting everything she sees.”

“Sounds like she takes after her dad,” Daniel said. “Nothing wrong with dreaming big.” He squatted so he was eye level with Mari. “I heard that someone is gonna be three tomorrow,” he said.

“That’s you, in case you were wondering,” JJ added.

Mari smiled uncertainly. “Birthday party!”

“That’s right,” Daniel said. “We’re gonna have a little party as part of Thanksgiving. And I bet you’ll get presents then. So I know it’s hard to wait, but you gotta, just a little bit, okay?”

JJ doubted Mari understood half of that. She said, “Want choc’let.”

“We got a chocolate turkey with your name on it at Thanksgiving,” JJ told her. “It’s only one more day, see?” He took out his calendar and showed her.

“Phone?” Mari said. “Game?” She held out her hand.

JJ opened a game for her on the phone and gave it to her. “I know screen time’s not the best thing for her,” he said, “but sometimes it’s easiest.”

“No judgment,” Daniel said. He smiled sadly. “Seeing you with her reminds me of when Parker was that age. Course, we were first getting to know each other then but…”

JJ patted his hand. “Parker coming for Thanksgiving?”

“Philip and Chloe are doing something with him, but he’s gonna come see us the day after.” Daniel sighed deeply. “I’d better get this stuff rung up before your mom sends out a search party. See ya over there tomorrow?”

“Yeah, sure.” JJ shook hands with Daniel and said to Mari, “Say bye to Grandpa.”

Mari smiled and waved, but JJ had a concerned look on his face as he watched Daniel walk slowly away.

[André DiMera]

I figured Sloan’s offer wouldn’t be worth anything. Glad Rafe and Justin didn’t take it.

Glad Daniel helped with Mari. I think J.J.’s right to be concerned about him.

Great chapter, heroicmuse!

[Kpatch]

Good chapter! Daniel hates having to cede time with his son to his other parents.

It's much better that JJ took Mari than leaving her with Harlow. It's normal for her to want everything she sees. He needs to learn patience. The phone game will be a good distraction.