Always There

Maria certainly had her hands full a week after Halloween passed. Ben and Nate were still bouncing off the walls from the candy they still miraculously had, Olivia was in full teenagedom with her mood swings, and the trial was reaching its high point. Despite feeling scorned, Maria was trying her best to appear as a loyal wife during all this because, even though she agreed that Mitch shouldn't be let off without some punishment, she also didn't want her sons to go through the emotions of having to deal with an incarcerated father.

On Friday, November 10th, Maria was finally called to the witness stand to testify on her husband's behalf, but unfortunately for Mitch, the answers Maria gave to both the Prosecution and Defense lawyers only helped the Defense's case all the more. Everything was certainly not in Mitch's favor. He really had no chance of winning, but his mother's denial was a little something Maria tried to cling to. She didn't want to be the wife of a jailbird; a man who deceived his best friends, his family and embezzled millions.

Sitting there before everyone in the courtroom was a little strange.

"Mrs. Conner, could you please tell the court, to the best of your ability, about the relationship between you and your husband over the course of the past twelve months?" Mitch's lawyer, Carl Davies, asked.

"Uh...well, last November my oldest child's father came back into her life. They'd never had a relationship because when I was pregnant I never told the father...and, um...when I told Mitch he was going to be a part of my daughter's life from now on, he didn't like it."

"Why didn't he like it?"

"He thought that what he does for a living and all he stands for is a disgrace to the American way of life."

"Could you please state your daughter's father's name and profession for the court."

"Billie Joe Armstrong. Musician."

Davies smirked. "What kind of musician? What's the name of his band?"

Maria glared slightly; just as the Prosecuting lawyer piped up. "Objection, Your Honor. What does this have to do with the case?"

"Your Honor, I promise this is leading to a point," Davies insisted.

"Well, make it quick. We don't have all day," Judge Monroe commented.

Looking back from the Judge to Maria, Davies stepped back and looked out to the jury. "Now, Mrs. Conner...please. Answer the question."

Maria sighed. "He's a punk rock musician. His band's name is Green Day."

"Mrs. Conner was once in a relationship over a decade ago with a man who would become a very famous rock musician. A millionaire, no less. Am I correct?" he asked, directing the question to Maria.

"Yes."

"And you're pregnant again," Davies grinned slyly. "But the child isn't your husband's. You had an affair with Billie Joe Armstrong during the earlier part of this year, soon after he came back into the lives of you and your daughter. And then you found out your husband, my client, had also been having an affair, yet you kicked him out of his home. The home he had given you and the family you built when you were guilty of the same infringement of your marriage. Am I right?"

Biting her lip and looking at the microphone in front of her, she nodded. "Yes." She felt at least a few feet smaller. But she was grateful that the Prosecuting lawyer made her feel like a scorned wife than an adulteress. He took pity on her and saw no reason why bringing in her personal affairs needed to be brought out into the spotlight.

After Maria returned to her seat beside her in-laws, Ruth Conner scooted a few inches away from her daughter-in-law and looked down her nose at the younger woman. The court broke for an hour for lunch and then reconvened at one in the afternoon for the Prosecution's and the Defense's closing arguments. And, again, Davies made Maria felt like she was two feet tall.

"Mitchell Conner, is an adulterer. And so is his wife. Keeping this information to herself, Mrs. Conner filed for separation because, in her mind, she was the victim in the relationship. My client was no doubt guilty about his own affair. So much so that he admitted it to his wife. But she didn't admit her own fault until they decided to give their marriage another go and she just so happened to be three months pregnant at the time. If it weren't for the pregnancy, I've no doubt she would've never told her husband about her affair. And here was my client, redeeming himself by insisting on taking care of this unborn child as if it were his own flesh and blood, just as he'd been supporting his stepdaughter, Olivia, and his own sons, Benjamin and Nathan."

Davies finally took a breath, twirling around to face Maria, the Judge, and then back to the jury.

"Mitchell Conner knowingly deceived his partners and took funds that weren't all his to touch, sure. But he's a good father, a decent husband and provider for his family. He has always been an upstanding citizen and hardworking man all his life. Let us not forget he is just a man. To err is human, to forgive is divine. To insist on making an example of him by giving him the maximum sentence of thirty years will not just affect his life, but the life of his children."

He licked his bottom lip and smiled charmingly at the jury.

"Are you willing to put a wonderful father away for thirty years without parole? Thirty years his children will not get back? People of the jury, three decades is a harsh sentence. A sentence that should be given only to murderers, rapists and child molesters. Those who cause physical harm and damages deserve that sentence. Steven Griffin and Jonathan Goldman were not physically harmed. They are still wealthy in their own right and not lacking for anything, financially and monetarily. In thirty years, Benjamin Conner will be 38 years old and his brother, Nathan, will be 35. Grown men. Think of how their lives will be lacking. You condemn Mitchell Conner to a harsh sentence, you condemn his innocent children."

* * *

Maria returned home in tears. Olivia had already gotten back from school and was watching her brothers, knowing her mom would be late because of the trial. She immediately spotted the blur that was Maria's body walking past the living room archway to head into the kitchen. Following her into the kitchen, Olivia watched as Maria sank down to her knees before the fridge and began to sob hysterically.

Worried for her mother's sake, Olivia's eyes widened as she dropped down to the floor with her mother, hugging the very pregnant woman gently.

"It's okay, Mom," Olivia assured. "It's okay."

Maria let out a deep sob. She was so stressed, leaning into her daughter's embrace. She couldn't believe it. Even though the jury was being sequestered for the entire weekend to deliberate over whether or not Mitch should be found guilty and, if so, what his punishment should be...Maria couldn't believe this was all happening. Even if Mitch got the lowest sentence his guilt would allow, their sons would be grown men by the time Mitch would be released from prison.

She was not going to have her sons lacking a father figure.

Lifting her head, Maria wiped her tears with the back of her hand as she looked at her lovely teenage daughter.

"What happens now, Mom?" Olivia wondered.

Before Maria could respond, a familiar male voice interrupted her rain of thought.

"We become a big, happy family."

Both Maria and Olivia looked over to the kitchen doorway to find Billie Joe standing there with two suitcases and two carry-on bags in his hands, along with a thin jacket on his back. Olivia helped her mother up before running over to her dad and giving him a big hug. He set his belongings down before he kissed the top of Olivia's head and then ruffled her hair a bit. Slowly, Maria walked up to him and smiled so sadly, reaching up her arm to cup the side of his face.

"A big, happy family, huh?" she repeated with tears still brimming her eyes.

Billie Joe nodded. "I'm gonna make a life with you," he said adamantly as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her like there were no tomorrow.

Olivia looked away, sort of giving her parents a bit of privacy. When the two adults parted she looked back and smiled. "Okay, now what?" she asked with a smile.

Maria and Billie Joe looked down at their daughter, to each other, and then back.

"We start packing this house up," Maria finally replied.

Both father and daughter looked at Maria in confusion.

"What?" Olivia exclaimed. "Are we moving?"

Maria nodded. "Yep. As it turns out, Mitch paid off the mortgage on the house with the funds he stole and since my name is also on the deed, I own it just as much as he does. And I've decided I don't wanna live here anymore. I don't want this baby to be brought up in this house." She saw the initial look of horror on her daughter's face, while still wiping her own tears away. "I know it's gonna be hard to leave behind your friends, but I promise you'll make new ones."

"Mom..."

Even Billie Joe looked awestruck. "Where exactly are you planning on moving to?"

"San Diego. I already talked it over with my parents. And I'm gonna move in with them. My brother's old room is empty, and then there's the guest room and my old room. That's enough room for he boys to share. And Olivia will have her own room until the baby gets old enough. Even then my father said he was planning on remodeling the space above the garage into an extra living space. So Olivia could even end up there and the baby could have it's own room..."

Billie Joe locked eyes with Maria, understanding what she was getting at.

"And it'll be closer to the Bay Area than Long Island is so you can visit more freely and without so much flying. Just a simple, eight-hour drive."

Shaking his head, Billie Joe placed his hands on Maria's hips. "That won't do." Now it was Maria's turn to look confusion. "Because wherever you go, I'm going."

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently.

"I filed for divorce," Billie Joe replied, dropping another bomb, but this time on Maria. "I'll be moving in with you."

"But...what about your boys?"

"Oh, I'll still have them in my life. Nothing's gonna keep them away from me. Just like I won't let anything keep me away from you. Never, ever." He smirked, and placed a kiss on her lips before drawing Olivia into a group hug with him and Maria. "My beautiful girls..."