The Greatest Sacrifice

[charmed60]

Aww thank you Red Ranger, Sabrina, Barbara, Carina and Zetti. I absolutely love reading your comments so thank you for taking the time. Here's the next chapter

Rachel wiped a tear from under her eye; the first happy tear she’d shed since being forced into the hell she was currently living in. Clutching the picture tightly she moved it closer so that she could study it further; every dimple, every eyelash, every freckle on her tiny button nose. A smile spread across her face as she raised a hand to her heart. “You are so beautiful little one” she breathed, “and so are you.” She traced his outline along the photograph; being careful not to leave fingerprints on the shiny paper.

“Hey darl” Barbara greeted as she popped her head around the cell wall. They only had an hour left until the inmates would be confined to their cells and so she wanted to visit her new friend; to make sure that she was coping okay. Barbara remembered those first few months; the complete loneliness and no memory of what hope felt like.

“What’s wrong love?”

“Actually…nothing” Rachel smiled, holding up the photograph; “Tony sent me a picture of his new granddaughter. Do you want to see?”

“Yes I do, I love newborn babies” Barbara gushed as she joined Rachel on the creaky bed and held the photograph carefully in her hands. “Oh look at her, isn’t he a gem, is that her Daddy?”

“No” Rachel almost shrieked, “that’s Tony, my boyfriend. Her Granddad.”

“Oh wow” Barbara blushed; “I’m sorry it’s just when you said he was going to be a grandfather I imagined he’d be much older. He’s very handsome” she giggled, nudging Rachel playfully.

“Yes he is” she smiled sadly; a wave of longing passing over her. “He was quite young when he had his eldest; Jack but…he’s an incredible Dad. He always puts his kids first.” As Rachel allowed herself to become lost in her thoughts about how much she missed him she heard a commotion occurring outside the cell. As she tucked the photograph carefully in her pillow case; her and Barbara exited out of the cell and into the corridor.

A crowd of people were surrounding the television screen in the dining hall below the balcony and so they skipped down the staircase; eager to see what everyone was reacting to. As Rachel walked towards the television her heart suddenly stopped beating in her chest, causing her to stop breathing for just a few seconds. Her vision swam slowly in front of her and she reached out to Barbara for support to stay upright.

“Turn the volume up” she whispered to her friend who ordered one of the other inmates to do it.

“Doctor Rachel Armstrong was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced for seven years however questions have been raised about the support and protection offered to the victims of rape and attempted sexual related crimes who defend themselves.”

Rachel raised her eyebrow as she tried to understand why the familiar news reporter was commenting on her case and why Tony was standing next to him. They were standing on Summer Bay beach and after the camera cut to other people she recognised Leah and Jack with clipboards in their hands; talking to random people in the area. As she felt her heart warm at seeing all her loved friends again, the camera cut to somebody she recognised scribbling something on a sheet of paper on one of the clipboards. She couldn’t work out where she knew her from but the thought soon went out of her head as she recognised Martha as the person talking to her; with little Jessica strapped to her front fast sleep. Rachel felt tears get caught in her throat at the effort her friends were going to and it made her desperately miss them even more.

“The only thing Rachel is guilty of is going above and beyond what her job requires and defending herself against one of the most disgusting crimes out there. It makes me so angry that our justice system doesn’t have anything in place to protect women like Rachel. She is the most wonderful, caring person I know and she doesn’t deserve to be in prison just for defending herself.” Rachel teared up at the words Tony was declaring to the reporter. He looked so frail and tired; not like the strong and secure man she was in love with. Dark circles loomed underneath his eyes and his skin was pale; almost transparent. All Rachel wanted to do was reach out and hold him, yet her heart ached with physical pain at the realisation that she couldn’t do that.

“So what is it exactly that you’re doing here?” Rachel heard the reporter ask, switching her attention back to the screen.

“Rachel is extremely loved by the community and she’s done a hell of a lot of good for the people here, especially in her role as a doctor you know; she’s saved lives. So my son and I thought a great way of supporting Rachel would be to ask those that she’s helped to sign a petition which we can use to back up her appeal and hopefully get her released soon. And so far it’s been a great success; everyone’s come together including patients she’s treated and if anything it’s proved how important she is to the whole town; not just to her friends. We’ve only been doing it for six hours so far and we’ve already received 150 signatures which is fantastic.”

Rachel felt her heart jump as she watched Tony smile and his eyes lit up just for a few seconds. As he shook hands with the reporter she almost screamed at the TV screen for him to stay; despite the utter impossibility. But he disappeared quickly out of sight and her heart sank. He was gone.

Rachel was so lost in her thoughts at what she’d just seen; at how despite pushing Tony away in the belief that he would move on with his life, he still wasn’t giving up on her. Whilst part of her was angry with him, that after all the sacrifices she’d made, after all the times she’d battled for hours with herself over whether she should call him or write to him or ask him to visit her and had resisted each and every time because she believed it was better for him; he still wasn’t respecting her wishes. But the anger didn’t last for long. As Rachel closed her eyes and Tony’s broken, tired expression appeared at the forefront of her mind; she couldn’t help but love him even more. In a strange way it gave her a new strength that she didn’t realise she had; a realisation that if her loved ones back home were going to dedicate their time in trying to free her, then the least she could do was to try and be strong. To keep her spirits positive.

It was only when Barbara nudged her arm that she broke away from her daydream and noticed the inmates who’d been troubling her since her first day walking towards her. A flutter of nerves ran through Rachel as she wondered why they were smiling at her and she felt herself backing away instinctively. Her new found strength was

quickly diminishing.

*******

“I really appreciate your support thank you” Tony smiled, waving off another past patient of Rachel’s who had come to tell him how Rachel’s quick thinking had saved her husband’s life. He wished that she could be here to see this. She always played down her skills as a doctor; claiming that the things she did were just part of her job but he desperately wished she could see just how much of a difference she made to people’s lives.

“Excuse me” a timid voice called as Tony felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find an older lady with thin, greying hair looking pleadingly up at him. “Are you Rachel’s partner? The doctor?”

“Yeah I am” Tony smiled proudly, his eyebrow raised in curiosity. The woman was looking carefully around her as she spoke, pulling her jacket close to her chest as if it

was for protection.

“I just wanted to ask you to pass on how thankful I am to her” she coolly whispered, aware of the television cameras only a few metres away from her.

“Are you a patient of Rach’s…Rachel’s?” Tony corrected, instantly interested in this sweet yet slightly odd character.

“Not exactly, my daughter was though” she answered quietly, before requesting that they move away from the beach. She walked him towards the surf club where he noticed she instantly relaxed in the deserted surroundings. “I’m Lucy’s mother.”

Tony felt his heart plummet and his mouth instantly dried as he struggled to find the words to reply. He didn’t know whether this meant he was supposed to hate this woman and he couldn’t understand why she was being so friendly; surely she would be angry at Rachel after the lies Lucy had told?

“I know you must be really angry with me…” she started; noticing his friendly demeanour suddenly change.

“It’s not you I’m angry with, it’s your daughter. She lied…”

“I know” Lucy’s mother interrupted; her eyes diverting from his. “I saw him hit her a couple of times. I begged her to leave him.” As her voice started to break and her eyes filled up with tears she turned away from Tony and tried to subtlety wipe them; desperate to retain her composure. “Of course I was worried for her but I was most concerned for those girls; I didn’t want my beautiful granddaughters to have to grow up in that kind of environment and I was afraid that he was doing it to them to. But Lucy swore he never touched them. I just pray she was telling the truth.”

Tony wiped his forehead as he tried to comprehend what was happening. He prayed Lucy was telling the truth to and he wondered whether they would ever know if the girls had ever seen any of his violence towards their mother. “I don’t understand….why you’re here, why you’re telling me this” Tony stuttered.

“I just wanted Rachel to know how thankful I am to her for what she did for my daughter and my grandchildren. Because of her, they have their life back and as much as Lucy is not admitting that right now, I’m sure that she is so much happier without him around. He controlled her…”

“Hang on a second” Tony interrupted, trying to make sense of the situation. “If you knew this was all happening; why didn’t you try to stop it. Why didn’t you tell Lucy to be honest; if you had have done Rachel wouldn’t be in jail right now. Do you have any idea what she is going through?” Tony felt his blood boil and despite knowing it wasn’t fair to take it out on this lady when she was being so honest and genuine with him; he couldn’t help but feel completely frustrated.

“I did try to do something” she whispered regretfully. “I told Lucy I was going to the police if she didn’t leave him; for the sake of the girls; to protect them. But she was so afraid that the girls would get taken off of her that she moved house and cut me out of her life completely. I haven’t seen my granddaughters for over a year now” she cried, tears streaming down her frail, wrinkled cheeks.

“I’m sorry” Tony immediately apologised; realising how heartbroken she was. “You didn’t think to go to the police still?”

“I guess I was too afraid that there would be consequences for Lucy and the girls. That nothing would be done because he was so high up in the force…they cover up for each other you know” she explained; her teeth gritted in anger.

“Yeah I learned that very quickly” Tony bitterly agreed. He took a deep breath in and sighed out loudly. If only she had been brave enough to say something then there would have been evidence against him; Morag would have found it he was sure of that. And maybe the jury would then have been able to realise what Rachel went through was the truth. But it was too late now. Nothing could be done. Or could it?

“I do regret it though” she whispered remorsefully; “I keep thinking how the violence would have carried on and how much more pain and suffering my daughter went through because I was too scared to speak up for her.”

“Then do it now, make up for it” Tony spluttered as an idea began forming in his head. The petition would only be able to serve one purpose and that was a good chance of an appeal and a great character witness for Rachel due to public support. However Tony knew it would never be enough to acquit the charges against her. The best chance they had was to prove what kind of person Reynolds really was.

“I don’t understand.” The lady shook her head, a sudden fear in her eyes at the dramatic change in Tony’s personality.

“What’s your name love” Tony beamed, sudden excitement taking over at the idea he suddenly had.

“It’s Rose but…”

“Rose listen, please I am begging you” he paused, holding her frail hands in his. “There is a way you can make up for not letting Lucy’s husband be punished for what he did. And that is to make sure that his reputation is ruined; that people know what kind of a person he was. The sick man that beat your daughter…” Tony knew he wasn’t being fair; that he was putting pressure on Rose and reminding her of the suffering Lucy went through but he didn’t care. He was just so desperate for this to work that he wanted to remind her exactly why she should do what he said.

“Please, I don’t want to think about that…”

“I’m sorry” he apologised briefly; “I really am, I know this is a huge ask but if you can speak in court and tell them exactly what you just told me then they’ll realise that Rachel wasn’t lying and that she did truly act in self defence. It’s the perfect way to get her out of jail, to make this appeal a success.”

“I’m sorry” Rose stuttered; a fear washing over her. “I can’t do it, I don’t want Lucy to be angry with me.”

“Rose she’s not even talking to you now” Tony sighed in exasperation. “Please I am begging you. If you really want to thank Rachel for saving your daughter and your grandchildren then you need to do this. You need to.” Tony held his breath as he watched Rose’s eyes flicker back and forth; her head slowly shaking before nodding and then shaking once again.

“I’m afraid…” she mumbled; her weakness shining through. Her hands were gently shaking as she gripped onto Tony’s fingers, looking helplessly at him.

“You will not be alone through this; you will have so much support. And you know if I was Lucy then it would make me realise what an incredibly brave and selfless mother I had.”

“Rachel’s a good person isn’t she?” Rose questioned, looking desperately at Tony to ensure that it was worth the sacrifice.

“The best” he smiled hopefully; tears almost springing to his eyes at the now more realistic possibility that he could be seeing her again soon. It was almost too much to

bear.

“Okay then” she squeaked, “I’ll do it.” She let out a squeal of surprise when Tony embraced her tightly, swinging her tiny frame around before kissing her on the cheek.

“I am so glad I met you Rose. You have no idea what a difference you’re going to make here, thank you so much.” Tony’s eyes sparkled as hope appeared in them for the first time since Rachel had been taken from him. The excitement overwhelmed him so much that he began to think how he couldn’t wait to tell Rachel and see her face. It quickly dawned on his however that that wasn’t something he could do. There was still a long way to go. But at least he finally had hope.

*****

“Oh my…oh darl” Irene gasped tearfully as she slowly sat down opposite Rachel in the visitor’s room; taking her thin, bruised hands in hers. “What have they done to you?”

“Irene” Rachel mumbled. “What are you doing here?” It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate seeing her friend, but she hadn’t expected it at all. Morag sat down opposite her, a flicker of shock in her eyes before she quickly brushed her head aside and looked down at the file in front of her.

“Tony wanted me to come and see how you were doing love, I know you didn't invite me but I managed to sneak in as Morag's assistant” Irene explained, her voice shaking as she took in Rachel’s form. Her cheekbones were prominent where she’d lost so much weight, tinted with dark, probably old bruising. One of her eyes were bloodshot and the other half of her face was covered by her long, frizzy hair. Irene dreaded to think what she was trying to hide.

“You can tell him that I’m fine” she smiled weakly; her heart racing at the sound of his name. She forced herself to think of something, anything other than him and quickly changed the subject. “I saw the news; that’s why you’re here I guess? Have they allowed an appeal?” She held her breath optimistically as she turned to face Morag, desperate not to look at Irene. She didn’t want her talking about Tony; it was too hard, brought back too many memories making it impossible for her to move on. She felt tears burning at the back of her throat and so swallowed hard, forcing herself to concentrate on the pen in Morag’s hand.

“It’s not a definite yet but our chances look optimistic” Morag positively answered. “I wanted to just ask a few more questions to prepare for it but I’ve just got some paperwork to look through so you and Irene carry on talking while I do that.” She looked knowingly at Rachel, giving her a subtle nod as she watched the hesitation on

Rachel’s face.

“It’s okay darl…” Irene began, flashbacks of her own experience hitting her as the smell of the dusky room seeped into her senses.

“I’m sorry I don’t mean to be rude” Rachel shakily apologised, pulling her hands gently away before tucking them under the table. “It’s just really hard…”

“You don’t have to explain it to me, I know” Irene smiled sadly; “I’ve been there. I tried to be strong to, tried to push away everybody I loved because I thought it would be easier but trust me it is the worst thing you could do.”

“It’s not fair on him” Rachel whispered, her eyes clouding over with hot tears. She didn’t need to mention his name; she knew exactly who Irene was talking about.

“Do you honestly think that because you won’t let him have contact with you that he has just forgotten about you? Darl he is absolutely heartbroken, that man has not stopped since the day you got put in here” Irene emphasised; praying she could get through to her.

“Is he okay” Rachel tearfully asked, her eyes pleading with her old friend.

“He’s just really worried about you. It’s driving him mad not being able to see you or at least talk to you. I really think you should let him come visit; for both of your sakes.”

“You really think I should let him see me like this?” Rachel weakly shrugged. She hadn’t seen her reflection ever since entering the prison; apparently mirrors were a health risk for those who wanted to end it all; but she knew it wasn’t good. “I’m a mess.”

“Who is doing this?” Irene winced; unsure of how to respond. She’d been so sure that Tony visiting was the best thing for her but a tiny part of herself couldn’t help agreeing with Rachel. Seeing her like this would only make Tony worry more.

“Just some girls” Rachel brushed off, running her finger gently over the corner of her swollen bottom lip. “They found out I’m a doctor and so are trying to force me to get someone to sneak some drugs in for them. I haven’t been very successful so far” she smiled sarcastically.

“Oh love….” Irene soothed, her heart aching with sympathy.

“You don’t happen to have any morphine in your coat pocket do you?” she lightly joked; desperate not to see the pity in Irene’s eyes. She hated people feeling sorry for her.

“Remind me and I’ll bring you a whole case of it next time” she winked, taking delight from Rachel’s genuine smile. “You’ve got a man out there who loves you so much Rachel that he would do absolutely anything for you. He’s dedicated his life to trying to get you out of this place and it would mean the world to him just to hear from you. Start there; write to him. It’s just a letter. Don’t carry on trying to be strong or brave. Let the people who want to love you do exactly that.”

Rachel nodded slowly as a single tear that she’d been desperately holding onto escaped onto her lap.

“Sorry to interrupt your emotional moment here but…why did you park outside of the hospital car park again Rachel? You said your card didn’t work?” Morag questioned; looking over her old, scribbled notes.

“Umm yeah, I put it in the machine but it said that it was rejected. I never got a chance to go and speak to the people in the office to find out why.” Rachel took a deep breath as her mind was filled with thought of Tony; of how she could even begin a letter to him after all that had happened.

“Well I guess I’ll just have to go on your behalf then won’t I” Morag smiled brightly; as a flicker of hope presented itself to her.

Preview:

Rachel is granted an appeal; but will Rose talk?

[Zetti]

Aww my heart breaks for Rachel especially the scene with her holding Jessica's photo. It has to be so hard for her wanting to see Tony but not wanting him to see what she is going through in terms of being attacked for drugs. I hope Rose is genuine and really will support Rachel at the appeal & not change her mind at the last minute. Looking forward to reading more

[Red Ranger 1]

I love how Tony and the others are supporting Rachel and trying to get her released.The chat between Tony and Rose was nicely written, hopefully she'll be able to help them.Liked the conversation between Rachel and Irene as well.Looking forward to more!

[Sabrina]

Poor Rachel I felt so bad for her when she was looking at the photo of Jessica.

I love what everyone's doing to help Rachel. I hope it will work.

I hope Rose is able to help Rachel.

Looking forward to the next chapter.

[HighwayUnicorn]

The amount of support that Rachel is getting is just amazing. And I really hope that Rose will help out too.

I loved the emotions in that update. Absolutely fantastic and I really look forward to more. Well done.

Carina xxx

[charmed60]

Thank you so much Zetti, Red Ranger, Sabrina and Carina - your support as always is invaluable! Sorry for the delay and I hope you enjoy - apologies in advance for the cheese!

“Knock knock” Rachel called out brightly as she stuck her head around Barbara’s cell; wishing that there was actually a door she could knock on. It was strange the things you missed. Her stomach did flips as she took deep breaths and tried to calm her nerves. Everything had gone far quicker than she thought it would. She smoothed her sweating palms doing her newly pressed black skirt which hung off of her and put on a smile for her friend.

"Hello love, come and have a seat” Barbara smiled slightly; putting her pen and paper to the other side of the seat.

“What’s wrong?” Rachel questioned, taking her friend’s hand in hers as she noticed her glazed eyes. She’d never seen her like this. Even throughout all of Rachel’s bad nights when she’d sobbed into her shoulder about how much she missed home; Barbara had never shed a tear. Rachel always figured her time in prison had toughened her up.

“Oh don’t worry about me sweetheart, I’m fine. I’m just being silly” Barbara brushed off, dabbing her eyes with a dirty handkerchief.

“Talk to me” Rachel insisted; “you’ve been there enough for me, let me be here for you.”

“You’re toughening up Miss Armstrong” she laughed lightly; “I think I might have been a bad influence on you.”

“A good influence” Rachel corrected; her mind flashing back to three days ago when she’d finally stood up to the girls who’d been hassling her. They hadn’t touched her since. “So what’s up?”

“Oh, I don’t know what to do, I’m so scared for Savannah” Barbara finally broke, clutching Rachel’s hand tighter as the fear took hold of her.

“Why? What’s happened?” Rachel rambled, running her hand comfortingly over her friend’s back.

“My friend that’s caring for her…she just found out that she’s having another baby” Barbara stuttered, choking back heavy sobs. “She can’t afford to keep Savannah and she needs her room so she’s having to give her back to the home to find another temporary foster carer for her. She’s already been moved so much and she’s only a little girl” she continued, her voice becoming high pitched. “It’s going to make her feel so unloved and so unwanted.”

“I’m so sorry” Rachel apologised, her heart breaking for the little girl she’d heard so much about but still hadn’t met. She remembered Barbara showing her the picture she’d been sent off her; such a beautiful girl but an evident fear in her eyes that shouldn’t exist at such young an age. “Do you have any other friends that could take care of her?”

“None that I trust” Barbara shrugged immediately; the thought had already crossed her mind.

“Let’s just hope she finds a foster carer who is going to love her just as much as you do” Rachel smiled encouragingly; knowing her words weren’t going to make any difference.

“If I don’t believe that I’m going to lose my mind with worry” Barbara smiled back; lifting her eyes up to look at Rachel in gratitude. Her eyes fell. “Why are you dressed like that?”

“I’ve been her for about ten minutes already and you’ve only just noticed” Rachel rolled her eyes, straightening her shirt. “They managed to get a cancellation for my appeal; I’m going to court today.” She held her breath; a rush of nausea passing over her. Today was either going to be her saving grace or the final, ultimate life sentence.

“Well that’s wonderful” Barbara smiled hesitantly. “I was going to tell you I found a book in the library the other day on….now let me think what it was called…clinical procedures in emergency medicine…something like that. I thought it would be good for you to take your mind off of this place. You were saying how you were worried you’d lose your skills and I thought it would be the perfect way to keep that smart brain of yours ticking” she winked. “Although I guess you won’t be needing it now.”

“Do you honestly think I’ll be getting out of this place?” Rachel suddenly turned serious; daring to hope.

“If you don’t then I have absolutely no hope in our justice system” Barbara smiled, “I will miss you though.”

“Don’t be saying goodbye yet” Rachel smiled, wrapping her arms tightly around her friend. “Tony will take one look at me looking like this and ask them to put me back” she chuckled, her head snapping up towards the door as a prison guard beckoned her to go with him.

“Take care, I’ll see you soon. Everything’s going to be okay” she promised Barbara. She didn’t know if she should be saying goodbye; she didn’t want to tempt fate and end up back in her cell in a couple of hours.

*****

Rachel shifted uncomfortably on the rigid wooden seat as Morag sat next to her; her eyes focused as always on the file in front of her. She looked subtlety behind her at the galleries – they were empty.

“He’ll be here soon Rachel don’t you worry” Morag bellowed out, causing Rachel to jump in her seat.

“I wasn’t…I was just…I wondered what the time was” she stuttered, embarrassed to have been caught. Part of her was deeply afraid that he wouldn’t turn up. The other part didn’t know what she was going to say to him if he did.

“The clocks in front of you” she whispered quietly, winking at her before turning back to her notes. Rachel stifled a laugh as she glanced around at the room. Her nerves were running so high that she felt violently sick. As she took a deep breath and swallowed hard, she tried to imagine what Tony might be wearing; what aftershave he would use; would he have chosen his favourite? Or maybe he had a new favourite, she’d missed so much. A door opened behind her and her heart skipped a beat. She hesitated to look back, to see his face; if it was him, for the first time in six months. She watched Morag turn in the corner of her eye before looking at directly at her.

“Go on then” Morag insisted.

A tear trickled down Rachel’s cheek as her hands shook beneath the table. Biting her lip gently she slowly turned; the nerves increasing with every movement she made.

He beamed at her, his fingers shaking as he gently waved. “I’ve missed you so much” he mouthed to her, causing a further few tears to escape from Rachel’s eyes. She moved her hand up to wipe them away before leaning her elbow on the chair.

“I love you” she mouthed back, her heart lifting as he blew her a kiss. The judge slammed his gavel harshly on the block of wood; breaking Rachel’s gaze immediately.

“This court is now in session.”

*******

Rachel struggled to concentrate; knowing that Tony was only a few feet behind her. She blinked her eyes heavily and forced herself to concentrate on the speech the judge was making; a conversation about law and legal rights and mumbo jumbo that she didn’t understand. She turned slightly and caught Morag’s expression; how the passion and sparkle she was receiving from her job was shining through. Rachel was sure people would say the same about her; working as a doctor wasn’t just her job, it was her life. She couldn’t imagine herself doing anything else; she wasn’t good at anything else. But it was something she knew she might have to face; the realisation that she most likely would never be able to practice again.

“Miss Bellingham; would you like to speak?” the judge offered; causing Rachel’s ears to prick up as she cleared her throat.

“Yes I’d like to turn everybody’s attention to exhibit A” Morag introduced as a screen appeared at the front of the courtroom and a CCTV video began to play. Rachel squinted her eyes as she tried to make out what was happening; the film was grainy and the black and white colour was making it difficult to differentiate. Suddenly she saw a male figure appear at the side of the screen although she couldn’t quite work out who it was; until he turned around. Rachel’s heart began to race as he looked directly into the camera; it was almost like he was looking at her. She gagged and placed her hand quickly in front of her mouth; squeezing her eyes shut tightly as she tried to remove the image of his face from her mind. It was only when a sudden whisper of voices swept throughout the courtroom that she forced herself to look up; her blood running cold as she began to piece together the events that led Reynolds attack on her.

“As you can see from the CCTV image retrieved from the car parking office at Northern Districts Hospital” Morag began, pausing the recording. “Superintendent Reynolds can clearly be seen removing Miss Armstrong’s access rights from the staff parking bays on the computer technology for which he’d illegally gained access to. Now if Superintendent Reynolds was indeed attacked by my client as has been insinuated and accused; then for what reason would he need to remove her parking access, which ultimately led to her parking a few streets away from the hospital emergency department on the night that the incident occurred?”

“Is that all?” the judge queried; giving nothing away in his expression as to whether this new piece of evidence might sway his decision.

“No that’s not all” Morag smiled positively; “a new key witness has agreed to contribute to the personal character which has been offered for the late Superintendent Reynolds. I’d like to invite her to the stand.”

“By all means” the judge nodded, eyeing up the witness as he always did as she stepped behind the wooden structure; her hands tucked tightly in front of her.

“Mrs Welling, you are a relation to Superintendent Reynold’s wife is that correct?” Morag began, a fizz of excitement growing in her belly as she knew the impact this woman’s testimony would have on the case. It took all her might not to just blurt it out and so she pulled her shoulders back, professionalism at the forefront of her mind.

“Yes I am her mother” Rose timidly smiled as she kept reminding herself over and over in her mind why she was doing this. She glanced around the courtroom and noticed that Lucy hadn’t turned up; part of her was relieved, the other part heart-wrenchingly disappointed.

“And so I think it is fair to say that you know Lucy rather well” Morag questioned, noticing the tension building up in the room. She hadn’t told Rachel about Rose, partly incase she didn’t turn up but also because she wanted her to be surprised.

“Of course” Rose replied, “I know her better than anyone else.”

“Did Superintendent Reynolds ever hit your daughter Mrs Welling?” Morag immediately questioned.

“Yes” Rose replied glumly; as tears caught in her throat. The gasps and hushed mummers she heard in the courtroom frightened her and she prayed she’d done the right thing.

“How do you know” Morag pushed, pleased that Rose had been honest like she’d promised. She remembered when Tony had come to her to tell her; he had such excitement and hope in his eyes. It satisfied her that she was able to keep that hope going and hopefully make a contribution to that hope becoming a reality.

“Because I saw him do it” Rose began to quietly sob, “I came over to see her once unexpected. She always used to make me call first but this time I’d been in the area and just wanted to pop in for a cup of tea so didn’t think she’d mind. I could hear screaming coming from inside the house so I looked in through the letterbox, calling out her name. That was when I saw his hands all over my beautiful daughter. One he had round her neck and she was struggling to breathe and the other he was pulling her hair with and yanking her neck back.” Rose was unable to hold back the tears anymore and they were freely falling down her slightly wrinkled cheeks. “I’m so sorry” she apologised, the quiet in the room intimidating her.

“That’s quite alright” Morag replied; “thank you for being so honest Mrs Welling, I know this must have been very difficult for you.”

“Rachel…she’s the reason my daughter managed to escape from that life. I will always be in debt to her; I wanted you to know how thankful I am. You’ve saved her life and my dear grandchildren” she smiled tearily; speaking directly to the woman she’d been longing to meet ever since she heard about her involvement in Reynolds death.

Rachel smiled hesitantly back at her, nodding gently as a way of acknowledging her gratitude. Morag hadn’t told her they had a witness to speak for her; it was a complete shock that she was having trouble comprehending. As Rose stepped down from the stand she walked past Rachel and wrapped her arm around her, holding her tightly as she cried on her shoulder.

“I hope you get the justice you deserve” Rose whispered to her before a police officer came over and gently asked her to leave.

“Thank you so much” Rachel sniffed, wishing she could have hugged Rose back but her hands were cuffed tightly together. There were no words to describe how grateful she was; she wished she could let her know. Even if her statement didn’t win the appeal for her; just the fact that someone had finally stood up for Rachel and admitted that what she knew was true meant the world to her.

“There have been many events today which I will have to consider greatly before delivering my verdict on this appeal. Therefore this court is adjourned for three hours to allow me to do this” the judge ordered as he stood up and exited the room through a door behind his seat.

“I can’t believe this” Rachel muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. “How did you track her down Morag?”

“I didn’t” Morag admitted, taking delight in the joy in Rachel’s face. “She came to see your Tony, to pass on her thanks. He was the one who persuaded her to speak for you today.”

“He was” Rachel beamed, her heart skipping a beat. She turned her head around again to find him chatting excitedly to Jack with his arms wrapped tightly around Leah.

“Can I go and see him?” she asked hopefully, wanting nothing more than to be up there with them; sandwiched between the people she loved most in the world.

“Not yet” Morag replied regretfully, noticing the immediate sadness cloud over Rachel’s face. “I’m sorry.”

*****

It had only been an hour and a half before the judge had called for the court to be back in session. Rachel nervously shuffled back into the room; a sickening, growing nervousness in the pit of her stomach which was taking her mind off of the throbbing pain in her wrists from the handcuffs. Morag told her she’d have to be standing when the verdict was being read but she wasn’t sure that her legs were going to be able to hold her weight. She took a deep breath in as the court began to fill up and placed a hand on her stomach; hoping subconsciously it would stop her from feeling so sick. In a few minutes, it could all be over. The hope she’d been holding for so long. It hurt her so much to think that she’d only be allowed to see Tony from the distance she could and they would take her away and put her back in that dingy cell. That she wouldn’t even be allowed to talk to him, to tell him how sorry she was or how much she appreciated that he hadn’t given up on her. She just wanted to feel his arms around her, holding her tightly and making her feel safe like he used to. It was a feeling she’d been trying to remember but had lost months ago.

She squeezed her fists shut and breathed in deeply again before turning to look behind her. She stifled a giggle as Tony, Leah, Jack and Irene lifted their linked hands up, their fingers crossed in optimism. Tony mouthed something to her but she couldn’t work out what he was trying to say and just as she scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, the judge ordered silence in the court.

“This case has brought up some interesting questions for me on moral dilemma and ethics. Should we allow ourselves to stand up for a cause we believe in; despite knowing it could have damaging consequences for someone else? Is it okay to hurt someone in order to protect yourself? And should the law defend those individuals? I think there’s no denying that the late Superintendent Reynolds did intend to get Miss Armstrong in a situation where she was alone with him; there would be no reason for him to restrict her access to a public car park otherwise. Coupled with Mrs Welling’s confessions, I cannot believe that she would have anything to gain by falsifying the character of her late son in law. However it could be argued whether his intentions were as sinister as Miss Armstrong claimed and that is where the difficulties surface. As Superintendent Reynolds is not able to give his side of the story; where does the truth lie?”

Rachel felt the creases of her palms become sticky and sweaty as conflicting emotions span through her body. Her heart was thudding in her chest and she could hear the blood pumping in her ears. A looming sense of disappointment overcame her with the fear that the judge didn’t believe her story.

“Miss Armstrong, you come across to me as a very skilled Doctor, someone who cares a lot about your patients. However sometimes you allow that to get in the way of your professional behaviour and the boundaries which are set out clearly for your own protection and that of your patients. That, I believe was your first mistake.”

Rachel nodded gently, her breathing becoming raspy and delayed as she focused on each and every word the judge was saying to her. She was trying to figure out whether he was going to say what she wanted to hear, sentences before he said anything. But he wasn’t giving anything away.

“There is no doubt that the taking of another man’s life is an unforgiveable act and something which I am sure you are going to live with for the rest of your life. However there is also no doubt in my mind that the incident with Superintendent Reynolds was a result of your own protection of your body, your life and your dignity and that you did not intend for it to end in the way it did. You have suffered a great deal both emotionally, physically and mentally and having served six months so far in prison confinement I believe you have been given a punishment that does not match your crime.”

Rachel’s hands were shaking controllably, she didn’t know if that was in a good way or bad way. She desperately wanted to turn around and look to Tony for support but

her body felt like lead and she had to place her hands down on the table in front of her; just to keep herself upright.

“It is therefore my decision to upturn the previous sentencing and all charges will now be dropped. Miss Armstrong, you’re free to go.”

Screams of delight erupted from the gallery as Tony jumped up from his seat; his hands behind his head in shock as Leah wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. He called out in elation to Rachel, desperate to reach out and hold her like he’d been longing to for nearly half a year, but she had her back turned to him; frozen in shock. He watched her body trembling and wanted nothing more than to be with her and make her feel safe again; to stroke her hair and kiss her cheeks in order to soothe her and take away her pain.

“Rach” he called out again, desperate to get her attention. It was the moment he’d been longing for and now that it was becoming a reality; he didn’t want to delay it any further. His heart skipped a beat as she turned around; a tearful smile on her face. As he motioned for her to come over to him; knowing there was no access for him to the main court; a police officer placed his hand on Rachel’s shoulder, causing her to jump. As he began unlocking the chain on her handcuffs, Tony felt a tear choke in his throat. It broke his heart to see Rachel so afraid and untrusting when she used to be incredibly strong and confident. This experience had totally torn her apart, leaving Tony to wonder if she was ever going to recover.

As he watched Morag guide her towards a door at the back of the court room he turned around and exited the gallery, taking two steps at a time as he made his way to the ground floor. His breathing was erratic and his heart racing fast as adrenaline pumped wildly through his body; he was sick with nerves. Tony tried to think of what the right things to say would be; he didn’t want to do or say anything that might make her feel uncomfortable and as she hadn’t replied to any of his letters he wondered if she would even want to be with him anymore. Prison changed people. He knew that.

“Morag where is she?” Tony almost shrieked when he saw the lawyer standing alone, removing her wig whilst shaking hands with a fellow colleague.

“Calm down she’s just through there” Morag smiled, directing him towards a side room which was separate from the rest of the courthouse. Tony didn’t even look behind him to see where everyone else was before he strolled over towards the room and paused slightly before entering the room.

“You’re finally here I…” Tony choked as Rachel rushed forward, gripping him so tightly he could hardly breathe. The words that he’d planned to say completely disappeared from his mind as the exhilaration of being able to hold her so close to him completely took over. As her fingernails dug tightly into his back and neck and she began sobbing

on his chest he nestled her into his shoulder and began stroking her hair soothingly. “Shh sweetheart, it’s okay. It’s all over now. I’m here.” Tony bit his lip in an effort to stop himself crying but it was no use; tears began pouring down his cheeks and it wasn’t long before he couldn’t tell hers from his.

“I missed you so much” she choked, gasping for breath as her sobs intensified. She pressed her forehead into his chest and held him tighter to her; enjoying this feel of his arms wrapped protectively around her.

“I can’t tell you…” Tony began but he couldn’t complete his sentence as the reality hit him that Rachel was finally free. That she was going to be coming home with him and he was going to finally be able to take her away from the bullies and emotional torture she’d been facing every single day for the past six months.

Rachel paused as she allowed her breathing to calm down. She wanted to be able to hear Tony’s heartbeat and feel his breath tickling her forehead as a way of reminding her that this was really happening. That he was really here. “You’re still wearing your aftershave” she muttered tearfully, a slight smile creeping on the side of her face.

“Of course I am” he answered hesitantly, amused at her random ramblings. “You bought it for me.” He lent down slightly and kissed her softly on her cheek; relieved that her tears had finally subsided.

“I’m really sorry for not writing back to you” she cried, her bottom lip quivering with regret. “I just didn’t want you to get dragged into this mess.”

“Hey, look at me” Tony soothed, releasing his arms from around her and cupping her face gently. “It was torture Rach” he winced, the heartache and pain still clear in his mind. “And as long as you were in there, away from me; I wasn’t going to give up on you. I missed you so much it physically hurt, every single day. I really wish you’d have let me talk to you or at least written back, I felt like you didn’t even want to hear from me…”

“Your letters are the only thing that got me through” Rachel interrupted; gripping his shirt in her bruised fists. “I know we have a lot to talk about…”

“Let’s not worry about it now, all that matters is that you’re here” Tony smiled, kissing her softly on the lips. In that moment he didn’t care about what had happened, that she had pushed him away so much. All that mattered to him was that she was safe in his arms. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again” he laughed, despite the feeling of absolute seriousness.

“I don’t want to be out of your sight ever again” she smiled back, wrapping her arms tightly around him as he kissed her forehead.

“Let’s get you home” he whispered, trying to ignore her almost skeletal frame. “I’m not the only one whose missed you.”

Preview:

Rachel struggles to adapt to life outside of prison and a misunderstanding leaves her wondering whether her relationship with Tony is strong enough to survive.

[Red Ranger 1]

I found that unbearably tense, waiting for the judge's decision, and I'm glad he realised Rachel was telling the truth and dropped the charges, I literally breathed a sigh of relief when I read that. Looking forward to seeing what happens now.

[Zetti]

Aww..I actually thought for a second that Rach wouldnt get out....but so glad that she did. I hope that Rach does adapt to life on the outside..

Looking forward to more..

[HighwayUnicorn]

I'm so glad that Rachel is free now, but it's definitely going to take some time for her to adapt again.

I look forward to more.

Brilliantly written once again.

Carina xxx

[charmed60]

Thank you so much Red Ranger, Zetti and Carina for continuing to read and comment on my lonely Tachel fic

"Do you like being tickled?” Rachel cooed as Jessica giggled out loud, throwing her head back as her eyes sparkled.

“She’s excited to have you home Rach” Martha smiled as her daughter kicked her legs in excitement before burrowing her head in Rachel’s shoulders; her gummy smile stealing everyone’s hearts.

“Well I’m so glad to be home to finally meet her” Rachel breathed, her eyes captivated on the little girl on her lap. She felt Tony’s hand lightly rested on her shoulder; comforting her during the sudden rush of people who had turned up to welcome her home. He hadn’t let her go. Rachel stifled a yawn as she watched Jessica’s eyelashes slowly flutter, causing a wave of relaxation to finally wash over her. However as the guests began to chatter amongst themselves, a hum of noise pierced through her and she couldn’t help feeling slightly irritated. All she wanted was to be left alone with the man she loved and her closest friends, not questioned about how she feels or what she went through. A knock at the door caused Rachel to jump and Jessica stirred in her lap before starting to cry.

“Oh sweetheart did that scare you” Martha cooed as she reached down and picked her daughter up, bouncing her on her hip as she tried to soothe her tears.

“Oh Rachel, it’s lovely to see you home” a neighbour smiled as she reached forward and enveloped her in her arms. Rachel didn’t even know her name. “Tell us all about it, did you have a hard time in there? It’s so awful what happened to you, what that man tried to do with you.”

“I erm, it’s really nice of you to come round” Rachel began, trying to hide the embarrassment she felt. The thought that everyone in the room knew what had happened between her and Reynolds made her cringe and all she wanted to do was run away.

“I’ll get you a drink” Tony offered, his hand firmly planted on the small of Rachel’s back. “What would you like?”

Rachel resisted the temptation to scream at him and beg them to leave but she knew she couldn’t do that; it would be wrong of her to be so rude to people who were trying to welcome her home. But small talk and pleasant conversation wasn’t something she’d done much of recently and suddenly the realisation that the time alone she’d become so accustomed to wasn’t her reality anymore frightened her. She felt like she couldn’t breathe.

“So Rachel, tell us from the beginning” the neighbour with no name began…” what was it like being in prison?”

“I’m really sorry I just need to pop to the bathroom” Rachel excused as she backed away, no longer able to plaster a smile on her face. She turned into the corridor and paused slightly; it took her a while to remember where anything was. Tears sprung to her eyes as she realised she didn’t even need to use the bathroom and so instead she crept into Tony’s bedroom; their bedroom she corrected silently. Crawling onto the bed, she leant back on the headboard and allowed her eyes to close as sleep washed powerfully over her. It didn’t even feel real to her, that she was here now in Tony’s home, what had been starting to become her home. The one thing that frightened her was that it didn’t feel like that to her. It was like she’d come back to visit her childhood house; a place that had so many happy memories but was from a different lifetime that didn’t exist anymore. Even more frighteningly enough was that the place she longed to be in right now was her own private cell, where she could hide away from the world and pretend that no-one knew the shameful details of what had happened that night. Where no-one even bothered with her and acted like she didn’t exist.

“Hey Rach, there you are” Tony shook her as she snapped her eyes open, brushing her hair off of her face.

“Oh sorry” she croaked, “I wasn’t asleep I was just…resting.”

“Well why are you hiding out in here?” he questioned, his eyebrow raised in confusion. “There’s a whole room of people that have turned up to see you.”

“That’s the problem” Rachel bitterly replied, regretting it immediately as she saw the shock on his face. “I’m sorry, I do appreciate it Tony this is all just really

overwhelming. I don’t how to feel.”

“Well you should feel grateful” he answered quickly, “this whole town’s been behind you right from the start Rach; I think you should be making more of an effort to thank them.”

Rachel paused as she swallowed back tears. She thought Tony would understand that she just needed to be alone and hadn’t been expecting this reaction at all. “I want to I just…I can’t explain it Tony but…I don’t feel like I thought I would” she stuttered, desperate to explain it to him. “And that scares me.”

“Well what do you mean.” Tony raised his voice and his eyes widened as his mind raced with fear over what she was trying to say to him. “Aren’t you happy here is that it?”

“I am happy but…”

“But what” he interrupted, pulling his hand away from hers.

“This just doesn’t feel like home” she sobbed, hurt at his rejection of her. “I thought I would get out of that place and just be able to spend time with you and settle in straight away but I don’t feel like I can, everything’s just so overwhelming and I feel like I can’t breathe.” Rachel wiped tears away with the back of her palm, hoping that Tony would soften towards her and understand where she was coming from but his expression remained the same. “Tony please understand” she begged, reaching out for his hand. “I’ve just spent so long being on my own…”

“That you want to go back?” Tony interrupted, his voice shaking.

“No…” Rachel shrieked.

“Rachel I dedicated my whole life to you, to making sure you got out of there and this is how you’re going to repay me? By wishing I hadn’t bothered?”

“Tony that’s not what I’m saying” Rachel cried, her heart breaking that he’d misunderstood her so much.

“Then what are you saying Rachel” he screamed, pulling away from her and pacing around the dark bedroom. “Because it looks to me like you don’t even want to be here with me” he choked, bringing his voice down until it was almost a whisper. “Maybe this relationship just isn’t going to work like it did before.”

Rachel felt her breath catch in her throat and everything spun in front of her. “I’m going to go” she whispered tearfully in defeat, unable to bear the tension in the room any longer. She couldn’t even look at Tony and could only imagine the anger he was feeling towards her. It made her feel sick. They’d never even had a fight before. As she closed the door behind her and wandered into the living room everyone’s eyes turned towards her. She’d forgotten they were here.

“Thank you for coming, I really do appreciate all your support” Rachel shook, her eyes focused on the concerned expression on her best friend’s face. “I need to go though but thank you” she rambled as she heard the bedroom door open. Afraid of seeing Tony again she raced out of the house and down the steps to the veranda, making her way down the drive towards the pavement. However as a car raced past, Rachel jumped, her heart racing with fear. After six months locked behind bars, the open spaces and unfamiliar sounds frightened her and she struggled with the desire to run back into his house where she knew she was safe. But remembering the disgusted look in Tony’s eyes, she knew there was no way she could go back.

******

“What a day” Jack breathed as he struggled to reach for a blanket draped over the kitchen chair whilst balancing his sleeping daughter on his shoulder.

“Do you think Tony and Rachel are going to be okay?” Martha queried, reaching for the blanket as she wrapped it tightly around their daughter. Her heart did a small flip as

she watched Jack tenderly cradling her, his hand protectively over her back.

“From what Dad was telling me about what happened it doesn’t sound good” he hesitated, kissing Jessica’s thick, dark hair softly. “But I’m sure they’ll be fine, it’s going to be a huge adjustment for Rach. It’ll take her some time.”

“Yer you’re right” she smiled, kissing Jack as he offered to put their daughter to bed. “I wonder who that is” she spoke to herself out loud as she heard a tap on the door.

“I know it’s late, I’m sorry” Tony apologised as he appeared flustered at the door, “it’s just Rach hasn’t come home and it’s dark now; I’m getting worried.”

“Well have you called Leah? Maybe she went to see her” Martha suggested, a slight fear growing in the pit of her stomach.

“I’ve called Leah, I’ve driven around the block about four times now, maybe five. I’ve been to the beach, the surf club. She’s nowhere…she hasn’t contacted you at all?”

“No she hasn’t” Martha replied, unsure of what to suggest. “Why don’t you come in?”

“No I need to go and look for her” Tony shook his head, guilt flooding over him. “I was so horrible to her” he shuddered, his eyes clouding with fear.

“Tony she’ll be okay she probably just needs some space” Martha replied optimistically, smiling as reassuringly as she could.

“Hey did you know Rach was here” Jack’s voice echoed down the corridor as he entered the living room.

“She’s here?” Tony sighed, “oh thank you God.” He breathed a sigh of relief and wiped his arm across his forehead as his body began to shake gently from the adrenaline pumping around.

“Yeah I went to move some boxes of Jessica’s old baby clothes into her old room, she’s asleep on the bed” Jack replied; “you okay?”

“Yeah I just need to go and talk to her” Tony replied, straightening his shirt.

“Dad maybe you should let her rest, she’s been through a lot today” Jack suggested, placing his hand lightly on his arm to stop him. “We’ll look after her.”

“No I should be” Tony replied sadly, “I just want to make sure she’s okay.” He smiled thankfully at his son before moving towards Rachel’s bedroom, opening the door gently in an attempt not to scare her. His heart broke as he saw her curled up in bed, the sheet draped lightly over her gaunt body. There was only some light filtering in from the table lamp outside the door but it was enough for him to see her red, blotchy eyes where she’d obviously been crying. He sat himself carefully on the bed and reached over towards her, sweeping a stray piece of hair away from her eyes and tucking it behind her ear. “I’m so sorry Rach” he whispered, choking back tears. He placed his hand gently on cheek and stroked her forehead tenderly with his thumb before removing it quickly as she began to stir.

“I’m sorry sweetheart, I didn’t mean to wake you up, I was just checking you’re okay” he apologised, smiling sadly as she lifted her heavy eyelids momentarily to look at him.

“I’m okay” she mumbled sleepily, before closing her eyes again.

“I know we’ve got a lot to talk about but we can do it in the morning. I’m going to let you sleep” he hushed, kissing her softly on the forehead. “I’m really sorry about earlier.” He paused to look at her peacefully sleeping before heaving himself off of her bed.

“Are you going to stay tonight?” she whispered as he began to close the door.

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable” he replied, his heart jumping in his chest at the idea.

Overcome with tiredness Rachel couldn’t muster up the energy to speak and so instead lifted up the sheet so he could slip in beside her, smiling tentatively at him as he grinned back at her.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time” he gushed as he lay next to her and took her in his arms, wrapping them protectively around her back as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“Me to” she breathed, overcome with a feeling of safety that she hadn’t felt in a long time. Despite what had happened earlier with Tony, she didn’t care about it right now. It was a mess that she would deal with in the morning. All she wanted was for one thing to happen just the way she had been dreaming about and that was to fall asleep in the arms of the man she loved. As she pressed her head onto his chest and felt comforted by the sound of his heartbeat; it wasn’t long before she’d drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Preview:

Tony and Rachel discuss their future