CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

The next day found both the Spencer’s and the Cassadines in court along with a few people that had known Lucky when he was five years old, like his preschool teacher and a neighbor. Plus the doctor that had treated Lucky for a broken arm. Alexis was all ready for battle.

"Alexis, let me testify," Lucky once again broached the subject.

"No," Laura turned. "I will not have you relive those horrible years."

Sighing in frustration, Lucky leaned back in his chair and took Elizabeth’s hand. She looked over at Beth and Nikolas. Both were going to testify also. Beth was going to tell of all the times she saw Lucky’s bruises as a child and about them beating on Laura. Nikolas was going to describe finding Lucky that night practically beaten to death.

"Is everybody ready?" Alexis whispered.

"As ready as we’re ever going to be," Luke shrugged.

"Miss. Davis please make your opening arguments now," Judge Kingston ordered.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. You have just heard the McCoy’s account of their son being taken from them. But let me assure you that all they said yesterday was a lie. If you’re not convinced by the evidence I submitted yesterday, then today’s testimony will be what convinces you that Luke and Laura are not guilty of kidnapping but of rescuing a abused child. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I call my first witness! Earl Hatfield!"

Earl takes the stand is sworn in. He takes a seat and readies himself for the questions.

"Mr. Hatfield…Earl. Tell us what your job at the McCoy’s farm had consisted of," Alexis approached the stand.

"I was their ranch hand. I fixed things around about the farm. Fed the animals. That sort of thing."
"Did you like your job?"

Earl shrugged. "It was alright. Decent pay for a ranch hand. The only thing I couldn’t understand was all their yelling at that poor child. And for nothing."

"Tell us Earl about your relationship with the five year old."

Earl smiled with pure love and affection as he looked at Lucky holding Elizabeth’s hand, a swell of pride once again raising in his chest. Luke and Laura sure did do a wonderful job raising that boy. "We were buddies. Best friends. When I didn’t have any to do, I’d let the boy come to my place and we’d play games like hide and seek, and tag…I guess with me not having any children of my own, Lucas was a surrogate son for me."

Alexis smiled, obviously touched. "What else did you do for little Lucas, especially after his parents form of discipline?"

"I’d find the boy badly beaten in places like the shed and barn. I’d take him back to my cabin and nursed him back to health."

"Tell us about the night of June 1, 1988."

Earl swallowed. "I heard Calvin McCoy there yelling at the boy, calling him all kinds of names. He had dragged poor Lucas into the barn and made him stripp off all his clothes. Poor Lucas was begging and pleading, saying he was sorry," Earl stopped and wiped at a tear. He always cried when he thought of that night. It was so hard to understand why a big adult person could beat up on a defenseless child like that.

Alexis walked up and handed him a tissue. "Go on."

"But Calvin would hear none of that. He took that there horsewhip and kept beating Lucas with it until the boy was howling in pain and was covered in blood. Finally Calvin left. I snuck out of my hiding place and took Lucas to the safety of my cabin. There I cleaned his wounds and let him use one of my nightshirts to sleep in. I kept him at the cabin. I just couldn’t let him go back to that house."

"What were you planning to do then Earl?"

"Find new parents for the boy. People that would love and take care of him. That wouldn’t lay a finger on him."

Alexis nodded. "Tell us about Luke and Laura Spencer. When did they come into the picture?"

Two days after I rescued Lucas. They were already coming for a visit and after everything that happened I had forgotten to pick them up. So they came into the cabin."

"When did you decide to give Lucas to them?"

Earl smiled. "When Laura was crying that she wanted a baby but Luke thought it wasn’t a good idea. He wouldn’t have cared if the child was older, but a infant was entirely too much work for the time. So I took them to meet Lucas. I think it was love at first sight for those three. And Laura, her maternal instincts was kicking up. She was so gentle with the boy. That’s when I knew that giving the boy to them was a good idea."

"No further questions your honor," Alexis smiled and went back to her seat.

Dara was already up, her questions ready. "Mr. Hatfield, isn’t it true that you was jealous of the boy because of your paycut?"

"What paycut? There never was any paycut, and no. I never was jealous of Lucas. I loved the boy. I only wanted to protect him."

"In fact, isn’t it true that you had threatened the McCoy’s a number of times?"

"No!"

"You say you were Lucas’s savior, but isn’t it a fact that you’re the one Lucas had to be saved from!"

"No! It was those sick people that he had to be rescued from! And I’m not sorry for rescuing him neither! I would do it all over again!"

"Tell me Mr. Hatfield…why didn’t you call child services? Or when Mr. McCoy here was mercilessly beating his son with that whip, why didn’t you step in?"

"I was in shock. I never seen the man so full of hate and rage before all directed at a defenseless little boy. I was in shock. And all child services would do was take Lucas away for a couple of days just to give him back. I saw it happen."

"So you gave the boy away to two strangers? Two strangers who by the way was on the run from the mob?"

"I figured life on the run from the mob was better than life with the McCoys who would have killed the boy eventually. Besides, Luke and Laura were no strangers. They were friends. Good and decent people that had more love to give a child like Lucas than they knew what to do with."

"The boy could have been killed in that sort of lifestyle Mr. Hatfield. It would have been all for nothing."

"The boy would have been killed by the McCoy’s if I took him back to them."

"No further questions for this witness your honor," Dara returned to her seat.

"So much for keeping that a secret," Luke whispered to Alexis.

"Keep calm. I’ll handle everything. I like to call my next witness! Laura Spencer!"

"Go get ‘em Angel," Luke whispered to his wife as she got up and approached the stand.

"Laura…tell us about the first time you sat eyes on Lucky," Alexis began.

"It was in Earl’s house. He was five years old and so small…he was practically lost in that big bed of Earl’s," Laura answered.

"Laura, tell us your need to have a child back then."

Laura smiled, and dabbed at her eyes. "I wanted to have a baby so bad. I needed someone to love and take care of. Just as Luke took care of me. Luke was saying no to us becoming pregnant because of our lifestyle on the run, but he said if the child was older, it’d be a bit easier."

"Tell us what happened when you first sat eyes on your son."

"Objection your honor! Lucas’s biological parents are right here and have the only right to call him their son," Dara stood.

"Your honor, the Spencers raised and loved Lucas as if he was their own blood. They never lifted a hand to him. Luke and Laura Spencer are more Lucas’s parents than the McCoy’s ever were."

"Objection sustained," The judge nodded. "Continue."

Alexis sighed. "Tell us about the first time you sat eyes on Lucky," Alexis threw a glare at Dara, daring her to object to the name. None came.

Laura glared over at Dara and the McCoy’s. No matter what they said, Lucky was her son. She raised and loved him and no one was going to take that away from her. "He was so battered and bruised. My heart melted entirely. When Earl asked us to take him, my answer was immediately yes. I wanted to take and protect him from those monsters."

"So you took Lucky and raised him as your own?"

Laura tearfully nodded. "Yes."

"Was his childhood happy?"

"Yes. It was very happy. He looked up to his father, he had a dog…"

Alexis smiled. "No further questions."

Dara got up and approached the bench. "Laura. You say Lucky’s childhood was safe and secure and full of love."

"It was," Laura nodded.

"Well then tell us how you let the ten year old boy make his way to Port Charles by himself, hiding out from mob henchmen?"

Laura’s mouth dropped open. "We had to split up to keep each other safe."

"Tell us how the boy got shot and was bound to a wheelchair and if I remember correctly gunmen were after the both of you."

"Objection your honor!" Alexis stood up.

"Or how about Lucky’s gambling problem? Or the computer game that led to him falling into quicksand?"

"Your honor!" Alexis declared.

How about the times he ran away from home! First he went to Arizona and the last time he left home for good at the age of fifteen! Neither you nor your husband were able to bring him back home!"

"Your honor she’s badgering the witness!"

"Objection sustained. Miss. Jensen, control yourself."

"I’m sorry your honor," Dara nodded. "Better yet Mrs. Spencer. Tell us your eldest son. Nikolas."

"What about Nikolas?" Laura asked.

"Isn’t it true that you left him on a island to be raised by his uncle? That you abandoned your son and in taking the McCoy’s you were trying to replace him?"

"No! No I was not replacing Nikolas with Lucky! I was forced to leave Nikolas or else Helena would have killed the people I loved!"

"Isn’t it true that you never once told your husband about Nikolas until your daughter had to have a marrow transplant?"

"I was afraid of what Luke might do…"

"What? Kill your son? Hurt Lucky? What?"

"Objection your honor, the prosecution is leading the witness."

"I was afraid that Helena Cassadine would hurt my family."

"Objection overruled!"

"How about the time you faked your death? Leaving the son you claimed to love alone to be raised by your husband or all that time in the Carolina’s? Away from Lucky and Port Charles. If I’m not mistaken Lucky was living with Bobbie Jones at the time. The fact of the matter is that you are a terrible mother and you knew it. You failed with your first son so you take someone else’s hoping to try again and…"

"Shut up! Stop it! You don’t know anything!" Nikolas got to his feet.

"Order in the court! Order in the court!" The judge again demanded. "Mr. Cassadine control yourself or you’ll have to leave."

"But she can’t just stand there and say that to my mother!"
"Mr. Cassadine I’m warning you!"

"Nikolas please…," Beth grabbed his arm.

"She was a good mother. She was just scared that’s all," Nikolas mummbled, letting Beth comfort him by rubbing his arm.

"I’m a good mother! I love my sons! Both of my sons! So what if I’m not perfect! Not all of us are June Cleavers! Tell me Miss. Jensen, if it was you that had come upon a beaten little boy that needed help what would you have done?"

Dara stood up face to face with Laura. "Call child services. Not take it upon myself to remove the boy from the home and raise him as my own. No more questions for this witness your honor," Dara returned to her seat.

"Your honor, I’d like to move for a one hour recess. My clients need to regroup after Mrs. Jensen’s butcher job."

Judge Kingston nodded. She too saw the tears in Laura’s eyes. Tears of a mother. "Recess! Meet back here in one hour!"

"Mom," both Lucky and Nikolas ran to Laura .

"It’s ok. It’s ok," Laura kissed them both.

Alexis approached Dara who was straightening some papers. "How can you live with yourself doing those people’s dirty work."

"I don’t have time for this right now," Dara tried to ignore Alexis but the other lawyer wasn’t to be ignored. She grabbed Dara’s arm and turned her to face them.

"Can’t you see that the McCoy’s are lying? That Laura’s telling the truth up there?"

"They should have called child services."

"For goodness sake Dara! You’ve known these people for years! You’ve watched Lucky grow up and stand by the side of Elizabeth Webber after the rape. Be a good friend to Emily Quartermaine!"

"I also saw Lucky Spencer run away from home, refusing to go back. I saw a boy staying in a deserted boxcar and sleeping on park benches!"

"You are such a cold hearted witch. I hope you wake up and open your eyes to real life before it’s too late," Alexis shook her head before walking away, leaving Dara to her paperwork.

*

The trail has resumed and it’s Luke’s turn on the stand. Luke sat in his chair, leaned back, keeping his eyes on his son, who was looking more and more worried by the second. He wished there was something he could do to calm Lucky, make him see that everything was going to be alright.

"Luke, what was your first thought when you met Lucky?" Alexis approached the stand.

"I who beated the boy so badly. He was black and blue, covered in cuts and slashes…he was in pretty bad shape. My friend Earl…he asked if we would take the boy away from the situation. At first I was reluctant, but then I remembered my past as a abused child and knew I couldn’t leave him to those monsters."

"How was Lucky’s life from there on out?"

"Happy. The boy was a true Spencer. I taught him everything I know. He looked up to me at the time and I loved him. I never even thought of him not really being my son because to me, he was. He was a part of me, the best thing I’ve ever done."

Alexis smiled. "No more questions your honor."
"Mr. Spencer, you say your relationship with Lucas was so grand, tell me, why was it when he was fifteen did he run away from home? In fact, he was living in a boxcar wasn’t he?" Dara crossed her arms, approaching the bench.

"When Lucky became fifteen, we did hit a rough patch in our relationship, but we worked it out."
"Well then why didn’t Lucky return home? In fact, the boy was arrested a number of times and you and your wife were both called to the station, but you could never keep him home. Why?"
"I didn’t believe in forcing the kid into doing something he didn’t want to do at the time."
"In fact you left town during that time if I do recall…"

"The kid didn’t need me there at the time."

"Isn’t it true that you once kidnapped Lucky when it became clear h e wasn’t going to come around as easily as you hoped?"
"I was desperate…."

"In fact, it wasn’t the McCoy’s that were abusive! It was you! You and your wife were the ones that beat up on Lucky!"

"No! No! I never once lifted a hand to my son! Never!"

"No more questions for this witness your honor," Dara went back to her seat.

"You may step down Mr. Spencer," The judge ordered.

For the next two hours all the witness went up and testified on the Spencer’s behalf. It was the last half hour of the trial for the day and so far no change in the jury had occurred, the sympathy still went to the McCoy’s.

"Alexis please let me testify. I can turn this thing around, please," Lucky once again pleaded with the lawyer.

Glancing at the jury, Alexis nodded. She knew that the case was a lost cause if she didn’t do something fast. Lucky was the Spencer’s last hope.

"Ok. Fine. Judge, I’d like to call my last witness! Lucky Spencer, A.K.A Lucas McCoy!" Alexis announced.

"Good luck," Elizabeth kissed him.

Lucky stepped up on the stand and kept his eyes on both his parents who were looking up at him with concern and love.

"State your name," Alexis questioned.

"Lucky Spencer. My biological name was Lucas McCoy."

"Lucky tell us, how far back can you remember?"
"All the way until I was four. I remember living with the McCoys."

"What all do you remember?"
Lucky closed his eyes, as if remembering something painful, "The beatings. The endless beatings. If it wasn’t for Earl…"

"Tell us about some of them."

"One time Calvin blackened my eye because I broke a glass. Another time he kicked me in the stomach for spilling grape juice on the carpet. The worst one was when I was five. It was a couple of days before I left with Luke and Laura. I had walked in on them making love. Calvin dragged me out to the barn and made me strip all my clothes off," Lucky forced hot tears to spill from his eyes, not bothering to wipe them away. "Then he took a horse whip and kept hitting me with it. Calling me names and saying I was worthless…that no one would ever love such a bad boy..." Lucky again choked up.

Laura had tears in her eyes while Luke sat back, a small grin on his face. He knew what Lucky was doing. He was playing the jury. Glancing to his right, he saw the tears in the juror’s eyes. The pitiful glances and even a few glares thrown the McCoy’s way. Lucky was indeed a Spencer through and through. He knew what buttons to push.

"I still have nightmares about the night," Lucky’s face was tortured, tears spilling from his blue eyes. "After he was finally done beating me with the horsewhip, he spitted on me and left, not bothering to carry me back to the house or anything. I guess he was hoping I’d stay there and die."

"Then what happened?"

"Earl came. It was like a Angel had come to Earth to look after me," Lucky threw a glance at Elizabeth, wondering if she remembered saying the same thing about him. "He picked me up and carried me back to his cabin. He kept me safe and warm and nursed me back to health. Then the Spencers came and rescued me. I never had to worry about the McCoy’s again until they showed up here in Port Charles."

"Tell us about Laura McCoy Lucky."

"My sister. When the McCoy’s arrived in town, they showed me her picture to get me to leave with them. She was beaten black and blue. So I went back."

"And then what happened?"

"The first day I got there, they locked Laura in this small dark shed for breaking some kind of doll. I went out there and kept her company that night. She was so terrified of the dark. There were other times when they beat her and I took her over to Beth’s house so she could be nursed back to health. Finally my brother Nikolas arrived and we got Laura out of there. I thank God each and every day for Luke and Laura Spencer and Earl Hatfield. They saved my life."

Alexis smiled, "No further questions your honor."

"Miss. Jensen?" The judge looked at the prosecution table.

"No questions for this witness your honor."
"Anymore witnesses Miss. Davis?"

"No your honor. The defense rest."
"Recess for the rest of the day. We shall resume tomorrow for the closing arguments and for the jury to reach a decision. Case dismissed!" The judged banged her gavel.

"Good going cowboy," Luke whispered to his son, hugging him tightly. "They were eating out of the palm of your hand."

"Let’s just hope it was enough," Lucky replied, placing a arm around Elizabeth.

"Don’t celebrate yet Spencers. This isn’t over," Calvin snorted escorting his wife towards the exit.

"As far as I’m concerned it is," Luke growled before leading his family out of the courtroom.

HOME

CHAPTER INDEX

CONTINUE