Fic - Shadows of You (part 5 of 8)
Title: Shadows of You
Author: prehistoriccat
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Connor/Abby, Lester, Matt, Philip, Tom Reardon (OC)
Genre: angst, gen
Disclaimer: Canon characters not mine, no copyright intended. Dr Tom Reardon is the creation of tay_21 and I am using him with her kind permission
“I think I'm in the wrong timeline. An alternate universe to the one I belong in.”
“Here, you look like you could use this.”
Connor looked up and took the cup of steaming hot coffee from Matt. He nodded his thanks and took a sip, then promptly spat it out. “What's in that? Are you trying to poison me?”
“Irish whiskey,” Matt smiled. “Thought it might help calm the nerves.”
Connor took another sip, ready for the taste this time. He felt it warm his throat and soothe his chest as he swallowed and he began to settle. Sensing Connor's mood change, Matt sat next to him on the bed. “Do you want to talk about what happened back there?”
“Actually, yes I do,” Connor said. “And I think you're the only person that'll understand and not think I'm a complete lunatic.”
“Go on.”
Connor took a deep breath. He knew what he was about to say sounded virtually impossible and yet there couldn't be any other explanation for what was happening. “I think I'm in the wrong timeline. An alternate universe to the one I belong in.” He glanced at Matt. His expression was unchanged and Connor saw that as a positive. At least he wasn't being laughed at.
“Based on what evidence?” Matt said calmly. “If this is your way of dealing with Abby's death then...”
“No, it's not that, but if I'm right then maybe in my own time she is still alive, and the baby too.” Matt began to shake his head and Connor felt that he was starting to dismiss what Connor believed. He had to continue before he lost Matt's interest. “Philip Burton was killed when New Dawn was destroyed. The only way to stop what was happening was for the program on the main computer to be shut off, and that meant sacrificing himself to do it.”
Matt blinked and his lips pursed. “That's right, but when I drove into the anomaly with your small prototype, I found him and pulled him out. He was badly injured and spent almost a year in and out of hospital, but he's very much alive, Connor.”
“No, don't you see? That didn't happen. When the site was declared safe, the clean up team combed through the wreckage for bodies and found him, along with April and a couple of security guards that had remained in their posts.” Connor tried to decide if Matt was believing him or not, it was hard to tell. “You did read all of Professor Cutter's notes, didn't you?”
“Yes,” Matt said softly. “And I know all his theories about Claudia Brown and Jenny Lewis back to front. But I'm not the only one familiar with them, so why do you think I'll be only one who understands?”
“Did something else happen to you whilst you were inside that anomaly?” Connor saw Matt's face redden and his usually expressionless face changed to one of concern briefly before composing himself again.
“Like what, Connor?”
“You told me... at least the Matt from my time told me... he'd met another version of himself when we were called out to the anomaly at Kings Cross Station.”
“That was me,” Matt sighed. “After I'd driven into the anomaly, I saw movement. I believed that,miraculously, there were survivors and I had to do something to try and help them get out. But the person I saw was myself, and he was walking away and out of the anomaly towards you guys. I couldn't explain it, but we guessed that the energy created by putting the two anomalies together somehow split me into two. I made him come back to the site, hoping that would resolve the issue but it didn't.”
“So, you dragged Philip's body out of the wreckage and the other Matt - my Matt - came back to our time where Philip was dead and...” Connor took a deep breath, his head spinning. “Matt and I discussed the possibility of him being split into two by the energy at length. It seemed plausible enough, but without any way of testing it out, we could only theorise.”
“I never got around to actually discussing it with anyone,” Matt said. “We got caught up in what to do about Philip, and then there was your wedding and the contact from the Vancouver team... then when you disappeared, there wasn't anyone else who would even begin to understand it.”
Connor raised his eyebrows then smiled. “But suppose it wasn't you that got split into two? What if the two anomalies split the entire timeline in two? Or maybe the two have always existed in parallel but the anomalies created a temporary gateway between the two?”
“And your anomaly in Vancouver was another one?”
Connor nodded excitedly. The events of the last few days all made perfect sense now. He didn't belong here. His Abby wasn't dead, their baby wasn't dead and Evan's business hadn't been attacked. If he could go back to Vancouver and the anomaly site, maybe he could find a way of going back.
“Well, at least that explains why you freaked out when Philip came in,” Matt continued. “But even assuming that one of your explanations is right, it makes no difference to the immediate problem. Regardless of whether you're in the right timeline or not, if you don't pull yourself together and meet with this lawyer you could find yourself locked in a prison cell this time tomorrow.”
“Can we trust this expert that Philip's arranged?”
“He's a changed man, Connor. He has no control over Prospero any more, the company is in the hands of a government appointed manager. His only insistence was that the ARC continued to receive the same level of funding that he provided, and when he heard you'd come back and needed legal assistance he demanded that Prospero provided the finances for your case since he felt partly responsible for you getting the blame.”
Connor closed his eyes. The idea of putting his immediate future into the hands of someone paid for by Philip Burton did not sit easy with him, but he trusted Matt and he trusted Lester and if they were OK with it then so was he. For the time being anyway. “I suppose we should go back then,” he said, standing up. “Thanks for the chat. Things seem so much clearer now.”
Matt placed a firm hand on Connor's shoulder. “It's good to see you looking a little more positive. Let's focus on the case in hand eh? This discussion was just between you and I for the time being. When it's all over, I promise we'll look at it in more detail.” The two men exchanged a look of mutual understanding and then Connor followed Matt back to Lester's office.
-o-
Connor tried to stifle a yawn as Donald Carr, the legal expert, went over the details yet again. Lester scowled at him and he sat upright, took a mouthful of water and concentrated on what was being said. It was difficult though; his mind was drifting elsewhere and the fact Philip Burton was sitting almost directly opposite him was extremely distracting. It felt very uncomfortable having him here after everything that had happened, but Matt had said he had changed so he had to try and forget the past. If Matt of all people could welcome Philip back into the ARC, then he could too - eventually.
“Mr Temple, I'm not entirely convinced that you realise the severity of what may happen to you tomorrow,” Donald snapped suddenly. Connor blinked and swallowed nervously.
“Donald, it's been a very long day, and let's not forget that young Connor here only found out that his wife and baby are dead a few days ago. Perhaps we should call it a night and meet early tomorrow morning before we go to court tomorrow?” Philip said softly. “I think once we've all had some sleep, we can cover the last details more effectively.”
“I agree,” Lester said. “We're due in court at 10am, so I suggest we meet back here at 7am. I'll get Jess to arrange for some breakfast to be brought in and we can eat whilst we talk.”
“No, it's fine. I'm sorry,” Connor said. “Please continue. The more we get done today the better, right?” He glanced at Matt who nodded reassuringly at him. “I'd like to be fresh tomorrow, rather than face the court tired and with my head full of stuff.”
Donald laid out even more documents and continued talking Connor through the investigation that had taken place in the immediate aftermath of the bomb. Connor was surprised at how little evidence against him there actually was, considering that they'd been waiting for him for two years. Basically, the case against him was based purely on them finding that the bomb had been remotely triggered from a timer program on his computer.
“Of course, your wife and colleagues insisted that your computer must have been hacked,” Donald said. “Miss Parker even volunteered to demonstrate how it may have been done.”
Connor smiled, Good old Jess! He could picture her, sat in his chair and smugly clicking away on the keyboard as the police looked on.
“Unfortunately, she ended up providing more weight to the case against you,” Donald said solemnly.
“I don't understand?”
“She couldn't get into your computer,” Matt said. “After six solid days, she still couldn't crack any of your passcodes. Your system was impenetrable. Evan's lawyers concluded that if someone like Jess couldn't hack your computer with her insider knowledge, then the chances of someone else doing it were extremely remote.”
Connor sank his face into his hands. Why did he have to be so paranoid about his computer being hacked? He'd gone way over the top protecting it, but at the time he'd actually enjoyed the challenge of making it seemingly impossible to crack. It would take someone with incredible skills to break down his system, though he was a little surprised that Jess hadn't got into it. Perhaps it was even better than he thought. There was only one other person he believed could do it; a person he had thought to be dead until a few hours ago.
He looked up and made eye contact with Philip as the discussion continued. What was going on in his head? Had Philip set him up as some kind of revenge for New Dawn? Philip smiled at him, then turned away to look at something Donald was showing Lester on his laptop. It had to be Philip, Connor was certain of it. The problem was proving it. Then a thought hit him.
“You guys knew about the CCTV cameras at mine and Abby's flat didn't you?” If Philip had somehow got into their flat and hacked into his computer, it would have been captured on the security cameras he'd had installed when they first moved in.
“Yes, the recordings were handed over to the investigating team by your wife,” Donald said. “I believe they couldn't find any evidence of an intruder in your flat.”
“But how thoroughly did they check?” Connor felt his heart racing and he stood up, banging his fist on the desk in front of him. Something had to be there; evidence that would prove his innocence and show that Philip couldn't be trusted.
“Becker had copies made before Abby handed over the originals,” Matt said calmly. “He personally reviewed hundreds of hours of footage, several times over.”
Connor sank back down onto his chair and suddenly felt incredibly tired. He pinched the bridge of his nose and screwed up his eyes. They had well and truly stitched him up and he couldn't see any way out, other than to hop on a plane to Vancouver and go back through the anomaly to the Devonian era.
“So what happens tomorrow?” he finally said, not looking up. “They've already decided I'm guilty, so I'm guessing it's just a formality and I'll be thrown into prison for the rest of my life.”
“No, tomorrow is the preliminary hearing where the case will be read out and you'll plead guilty or not guilty. The judge will then decide what to do with you until the main trial. Generally, pleading guilty will lead to a more lenient sentence and the judge will remand you in custody until the trial. Hopefully, I can arrange a suitable bail agreement for you so that you don't have to spend that time in prison.” Donald shuffled his papers.
“But I'm not guilty, why would I plead guilty if I didn't do it?”
“No-one's suggesting that you are, I was merely ensuring that you are armed with all of the facts before you go in front of the judge tomorrow.”
“Good, because I'll be pleading not guilty..” Connor resisted the urge to pout and fold his arms like a teenager. He had to remember that this was serious. He glanced at Philip then said, “I'm sure there are some people in this room who would like to see me locked up, but I'm not going to let that happen. I'm going to fight this and I'm going to find out who is responsible. I owe it to Abby.”
Philip's mouth twitched, then he smiled and suggested that they called it a night. They agreed to meet in the morning, have a brief meeting over breakfast and then make their way to the court. Finally, Connor watched as Philip left with Donald, and then Lester began to clear away everything on his desk. Connor's head was spinning. He was certain Philip was the one; he just had to make sure he got through tomorrow and hoped he didn't have to go to prison until the trial. It would give him time and access to the resources he needed to prove his innocence and expose Philip Burton.
“I'll walk you back to your room,” Matt said.
“I'm fine, I don't need an escort.”
“I don't mind. I'm going that way anyway.” The look on Matt's face was telling Connor to be quiet and follow him because they needed to talk in private. Connor nodded, said goodnight to Lester and left with Matt.
Once in the corridor and well out of ear shot of Lester, Matt spoke. “What was all that before? 'I'm sure there are some people in this room that would like to see me locked up'. Connor, you have to believe that we're all on your side.”
“You don't understand, Matt!” Connor hissed. “There's only one person with the skills needed to get into my computer and that's Philip Burton. He's the one that did this, and he tried to frame me as some kind of revenge for...”
“Stop there, Connor. You couldn't be more wrong.” Matt stood facing Connor and placed firm hands on both of his shoulders, looking him straight in the eye. “When it happened, Philip was still in a coma. By the time he was conscious and aware of anything happening around him, Abby was already dead.”
Connor sighed and dropped his shoulders dejectedly. He had no more arguments or theories to offer and it all seemed hopeless. Even if he did plead not guilty, he'd probably get convicted in a few weeks time. He shrugged off Matt's hands and turned away, silently walking towards the door to his room. He didn't hear Matt wishing him a good night; his mind was reeling. There was someone out there who had such a grudge against him they had framed him for a crime that carried a long prison sentence. He had no idea who that someone could be now, and no idea where to even start looking for proof.
As the door clicked shut behind him, the emotion finally got the better of him. He slumped to the floor, leaning against the door and let out a cry that seemed to echo around the room for several long minutes. He'd never felt as helpless as he did right now, and all he wanted was Abby's comforting arms around his shoulders and her soft voice telling him it would be OK.
-o-
Connor stood in the dock and blinked as he waited for the proceedings to begin. The navy pin-striped suit he'd borrowed from Tom Reardon felt too restrictive, and the tie felt like a noose around his neck. It may as well have been a noose. He could practically hear the single toll of a church bell at his funeral. As far as most people were concerned, he'd already been tried, convicted, sentenced and executed.
He'd had a rough night. For a brief few hours yesterday things had seemed more positive. He believed himself to be stranded in the wrong timeline; one in which Philip Burton was not only still alive, but had framed him for an act of terrorism on Evan Cross's company. All he had to do was prove it was Philip, get himself cleared of any charges and then he'd have the freedom to go back to Vancouver and return to the anomaly that was some kind of gateway between two parallel worlds. Then Matt had dealt him that cruel blow - Philip had been in a coma so it couldn't possibly have been him, and there was no other evidence of anyone else being involved. He was going to be stuck here for the rest of his life,all alone in a prison cell and in a world without Abby and the baby he'd been so looking forward to arriving.
“Can you confirm your full name for the rest of the court?” A voice said.
“Connor James Temple.” He blinked again, forcing his eyelids to stay open. He half listened as the charges against him were read out; there were no surprises thanks to Donald Carr being so thorough yesterday and for that he was grateful. There was no way he'd be able to digest everything the way he felt at the moment.
“Do you understand the charges, Mr Temple?” He nodded. “I need you to actually say it, Mr Temple. You're being recorded. Do you understand the charges against you?”
“Yes, your honour.” He had no idea if that was the correct address to use but he'd seen enough detective shows on TV with his mum and that sounded right. No-one corrected him, so he swallowed the lump in his throat and waited for the next question.
“And how do you plead? Are you guilty or not guilty?”
“Not guilty, your honour.” His stomach churned even though he knew he was speaking the truth. He could see from the twitches on some of the faces of the legal teams that they didn't believe him and that made him even more nervous. When he looked up into the public gallery he saw Lester, poker faced as always, and Matt, who nodded reassuringly at him. It was always hard to read Lester, but he supposed he was being supportive by being there at least.
There was a lot of whispering and conferring; words being used that Connor didn't understand. Donald Carr was clearly arguing with the man who had been introduced as a representative of Evan Cross. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know what it was about or not. Finally, the group parted and the judge who had spoken before announced that the trial had been set for six weeks time to allow time for the Vancouver team to make arrangements to come over. During that time, Connor would continue to be held at the government facility under the supervision of James Lester.
“What does that mean?” Connor asked when Lester and Matt finally made their way down to him once the court had been dismissed.
Lester rolled his eyes. “It means that you remain at the ARC until the trial.”
“They were trying to have you remanded in custody at the prison, but I pointed out that you were currently being held at a government owned facility and that James Lester had already agreed to be responsible for you, pending the result of the trial.” Donald Carr said. “What that means is we have the freedom to come and see you whenever we need to, rather than have to make an appointment through the prison system.”
“And it also means we have six weeks to find that evidence you need, right?” Matt smiled at Connor and went to place his hand on Connor's arm, but then he noticed Connor swaying. “You OK?”
Connor couldn't answer. He felt a wave of overwhelming nausea sweep through him, then his head felt odd. He hit the floor with a heavy thud before Matt or anyone else could catch him.
Author: prehistoriccat
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Connor/Abby, Lester, Matt, Philip, Tom Reardon (OC)
Genre: angst, gen
Disclaimer: Canon characters not mine, no copyright intended. Dr Tom Reardon is the creation of tay_21 and I am using him with her kind permission
“I think I'm in the wrong timeline. An alternate universe to the one I belong in.”
“Here, you look like you could use this.”
Connor looked up and took the cup of steaming hot coffee from Matt. He nodded his thanks and took a sip, then promptly spat it out. “What's in that? Are you trying to poison me?”
“Irish whiskey,” Matt smiled. “Thought it might help calm the nerves.”
Connor took another sip, ready for the taste this time. He felt it warm his throat and soothe his chest as he swallowed and he began to settle. Sensing Connor's mood change, Matt sat next to him on the bed. “Do you want to talk about what happened back there?”
“Actually, yes I do,” Connor said. “And I think you're the only person that'll understand and not think I'm a complete lunatic.”
“Go on.”
Connor took a deep breath. He knew what he was about to say sounded virtually impossible and yet there couldn't be any other explanation for what was happening. “I think I'm in the wrong timeline. An alternate universe to the one I belong in.” He glanced at Matt. His expression was unchanged and Connor saw that as a positive. At least he wasn't being laughed at.
“Based on what evidence?” Matt said calmly. “If this is your way of dealing with Abby's death then...”
“No, it's not that, but if I'm right then maybe in my own time she is still alive, and the baby too.” Matt began to shake his head and Connor felt that he was starting to dismiss what Connor believed. He had to continue before he lost Matt's interest. “Philip Burton was killed when New Dawn was destroyed. The only way to stop what was happening was for the program on the main computer to be shut off, and that meant sacrificing himself to do it.”
Matt blinked and his lips pursed. “That's right, but when I drove into the anomaly with your small prototype, I found him and pulled him out. He was badly injured and spent almost a year in and out of hospital, but he's very much alive, Connor.”
“No, don't you see? That didn't happen. When the site was declared safe, the clean up team combed through the wreckage for bodies and found him, along with April and a couple of security guards that had remained in their posts.” Connor tried to decide if Matt was believing him or not, it was hard to tell. “You did read all of Professor Cutter's notes, didn't you?”
“Yes,” Matt said softly. “And I know all his theories about Claudia Brown and Jenny Lewis back to front. But I'm not the only one familiar with them, so why do you think I'll be only one who understands?”
“Did something else happen to you whilst you were inside that anomaly?” Connor saw Matt's face redden and his usually expressionless face changed to one of concern briefly before composing himself again.
“Like what, Connor?”
“You told me... at least the Matt from my time told me... he'd met another version of himself when we were called out to the anomaly at Kings Cross Station.”
“That was me,” Matt sighed. “After I'd driven into the anomaly, I saw movement. I believed that,miraculously, there were survivors and I had to do something to try and help them get out. But the person I saw was myself, and he was walking away and out of the anomaly towards you guys. I couldn't explain it, but we guessed that the energy created by putting the two anomalies together somehow split me into two. I made him come back to the site, hoping that would resolve the issue but it didn't.”
“So, you dragged Philip's body out of the wreckage and the other Matt - my Matt - came back to our time where Philip was dead and...” Connor took a deep breath, his head spinning. “Matt and I discussed the possibility of him being split into two by the energy at length. It seemed plausible enough, but without any way of testing it out, we could only theorise.”
“I never got around to actually discussing it with anyone,” Matt said. “We got caught up in what to do about Philip, and then there was your wedding and the contact from the Vancouver team... then when you disappeared, there wasn't anyone else who would even begin to understand it.”
Connor raised his eyebrows then smiled. “But suppose it wasn't you that got split into two? What if the two anomalies split the entire timeline in two? Or maybe the two have always existed in parallel but the anomalies created a temporary gateway between the two?”
“And your anomaly in Vancouver was another one?”
Connor nodded excitedly. The events of the last few days all made perfect sense now. He didn't belong here. His Abby wasn't dead, their baby wasn't dead and Evan's business hadn't been attacked. If he could go back to Vancouver and the anomaly site, maybe he could find a way of going back.
“Well, at least that explains why you freaked out when Philip came in,” Matt continued. “But even assuming that one of your explanations is right, it makes no difference to the immediate problem. Regardless of whether you're in the right timeline or not, if you don't pull yourself together and meet with this lawyer you could find yourself locked in a prison cell this time tomorrow.”
“Can we trust this expert that Philip's arranged?”
“He's a changed man, Connor. He has no control over Prospero any more, the company is in the hands of a government appointed manager. His only insistence was that the ARC continued to receive the same level of funding that he provided, and when he heard you'd come back and needed legal assistance he demanded that Prospero provided the finances for your case since he felt partly responsible for you getting the blame.”
Connor closed his eyes. The idea of putting his immediate future into the hands of someone paid for by Philip Burton did not sit easy with him, but he trusted Matt and he trusted Lester and if they were OK with it then so was he. For the time being anyway. “I suppose we should go back then,” he said, standing up. “Thanks for the chat. Things seem so much clearer now.”
Matt placed a firm hand on Connor's shoulder. “It's good to see you looking a little more positive. Let's focus on the case in hand eh? This discussion was just between you and I for the time being. When it's all over, I promise we'll look at it in more detail.” The two men exchanged a look of mutual understanding and then Connor followed Matt back to Lester's office.
-o-
Connor tried to stifle a yawn as Donald Carr, the legal expert, went over the details yet again. Lester scowled at him and he sat upright, took a mouthful of water and concentrated on what was being said. It was difficult though; his mind was drifting elsewhere and the fact Philip Burton was sitting almost directly opposite him was extremely distracting. It felt very uncomfortable having him here after everything that had happened, but Matt had said he had changed so he had to try and forget the past. If Matt of all people could welcome Philip back into the ARC, then he could too - eventually.
“Mr Temple, I'm not entirely convinced that you realise the severity of what may happen to you tomorrow,” Donald snapped suddenly. Connor blinked and swallowed nervously.
“Donald, it's been a very long day, and let's not forget that young Connor here only found out that his wife and baby are dead a few days ago. Perhaps we should call it a night and meet early tomorrow morning before we go to court tomorrow?” Philip said softly. “I think once we've all had some sleep, we can cover the last details more effectively.”
“I agree,” Lester said. “We're due in court at 10am, so I suggest we meet back here at 7am. I'll get Jess to arrange for some breakfast to be brought in and we can eat whilst we talk.”
“No, it's fine. I'm sorry,” Connor said. “Please continue. The more we get done today the better, right?” He glanced at Matt who nodded reassuringly at him. “I'd like to be fresh tomorrow, rather than face the court tired and with my head full of stuff.”
Donald laid out even more documents and continued talking Connor through the investigation that had taken place in the immediate aftermath of the bomb. Connor was surprised at how little evidence against him there actually was, considering that they'd been waiting for him for two years. Basically, the case against him was based purely on them finding that the bomb had been remotely triggered from a timer program on his computer.
“Of course, your wife and colleagues insisted that your computer must have been hacked,” Donald said. “Miss Parker even volunteered to demonstrate how it may have been done.”
Connor smiled, Good old Jess! He could picture her, sat in his chair and smugly clicking away on the keyboard as the police looked on.
“Unfortunately, she ended up providing more weight to the case against you,” Donald said solemnly.
“I don't understand?”
“She couldn't get into your computer,” Matt said. “After six solid days, she still couldn't crack any of your passcodes. Your system was impenetrable. Evan's lawyers concluded that if someone like Jess couldn't hack your computer with her insider knowledge, then the chances of someone else doing it were extremely remote.”
Connor sank his face into his hands. Why did he have to be so paranoid about his computer being hacked? He'd gone way over the top protecting it, but at the time he'd actually enjoyed the challenge of making it seemingly impossible to crack. It would take someone with incredible skills to break down his system, though he was a little surprised that Jess hadn't got into it. Perhaps it was even better than he thought. There was only one other person he believed could do it; a person he had thought to be dead until a few hours ago.
He looked up and made eye contact with Philip as the discussion continued. What was going on in his head? Had Philip set him up as some kind of revenge for New Dawn? Philip smiled at him, then turned away to look at something Donald was showing Lester on his laptop. It had to be Philip, Connor was certain of it. The problem was proving it. Then a thought hit him.
“You guys knew about the CCTV cameras at mine and Abby's flat didn't you?” If Philip had somehow got into their flat and hacked into his computer, it would have been captured on the security cameras he'd had installed when they first moved in.
“Yes, the recordings were handed over to the investigating team by your wife,” Donald said. “I believe they couldn't find any evidence of an intruder in your flat.”
“But how thoroughly did they check?” Connor felt his heart racing and he stood up, banging his fist on the desk in front of him. Something had to be there; evidence that would prove his innocence and show that Philip couldn't be trusted.
“Becker had copies made before Abby handed over the originals,” Matt said calmly. “He personally reviewed hundreds of hours of footage, several times over.”
Connor sank back down onto his chair and suddenly felt incredibly tired. He pinched the bridge of his nose and screwed up his eyes. They had well and truly stitched him up and he couldn't see any way out, other than to hop on a plane to Vancouver and go back through the anomaly to the Devonian era.
“So what happens tomorrow?” he finally said, not looking up. “They've already decided I'm guilty, so I'm guessing it's just a formality and I'll be thrown into prison for the rest of my life.”
“No, tomorrow is the preliminary hearing where the case will be read out and you'll plead guilty or not guilty. The judge will then decide what to do with you until the main trial. Generally, pleading guilty will lead to a more lenient sentence and the judge will remand you in custody until the trial. Hopefully, I can arrange a suitable bail agreement for you so that you don't have to spend that time in prison.” Donald shuffled his papers.
“But I'm not guilty, why would I plead guilty if I didn't do it?”
“No-one's suggesting that you are, I was merely ensuring that you are armed with all of the facts before you go in front of the judge tomorrow.”
“Good, because I'll be pleading not guilty..” Connor resisted the urge to pout and fold his arms like a teenager. He had to remember that this was serious. He glanced at Philip then said, “I'm sure there are some people in this room who would like to see me locked up, but I'm not going to let that happen. I'm going to fight this and I'm going to find out who is responsible. I owe it to Abby.”
Philip's mouth twitched, then he smiled and suggested that they called it a night. They agreed to meet in the morning, have a brief meeting over breakfast and then make their way to the court. Finally, Connor watched as Philip left with Donald, and then Lester began to clear away everything on his desk. Connor's head was spinning. He was certain Philip was the one; he just had to make sure he got through tomorrow and hoped he didn't have to go to prison until the trial. It would give him time and access to the resources he needed to prove his innocence and expose Philip Burton.
“I'll walk you back to your room,” Matt said.
“I'm fine, I don't need an escort.”
“I don't mind. I'm going that way anyway.” The look on Matt's face was telling Connor to be quiet and follow him because they needed to talk in private. Connor nodded, said goodnight to Lester and left with Matt.
Once in the corridor and well out of ear shot of Lester, Matt spoke. “What was all that before? 'I'm sure there are some people in this room that would like to see me locked up'. Connor, you have to believe that we're all on your side.”
“You don't understand, Matt!” Connor hissed. “There's only one person with the skills needed to get into my computer and that's Philip Burton. He's the one that did this, and he tried to frame me as some kind of revenge for...”
“Stop there, Connor. You couldn't be more wrong.” Matt stood facing Connor and placed firm hands on both of his shoulders, looking him straight in the eye. “When it happened, Philip was still in a coma. By the time he was conscious and aware of anything happening around him, Abby was already dead.”
Connor sighed and dropped his shoulders dejectedly. He had no more arguments or theories to offer and it all seemed hopeless. Even if he did plead not guilty, he'd probably get convicted in a few weeks time. He shrugged off Matt's hands and turned away, silently walking towards the door to his room. He didn't hear Matt wishing him a good night; his mind was reeling. There was someone out there who had such a grudge against him they had framed him for a crime that carried a long prison sentence. He had no idea who that someone could be now, and no idea where to even start looking for proof.
As the door clicked shut behind him, the emotion finally got the better of him. He slumped to the floor, leaning against the door and let out a cry that seemed to echo around the room for several long minutes. He'd never felt as helpless as he did right now, and all he wanted was Abby's comforting arms around his shoulders and her soft voice telling him it would be OK.
-o-
Connor stood in the dock and blinked as he waited for the proceedings to begin. The navy pin-striped suit he'd borrowed from Tom Reardon felt too restrictive, and the tie felt like a noose around his neck. It may as well have been a noose. He could practically hear the single toll of a church bell at his funeral. As far as most people were concerned, he'd already been tried, convicted, sentenced and executed.
He'd had a rough night. For a brief few hours yesterday things had seemed more positive. He believed himself to be stranded in the wrong timeline; one in which Philip Burton was not only still alive, but had framed him for an act of terrorism on Evan Cross's company. All he had to do was prove it was Philip, get himself cleared of any charges and then he'd have the freedom to go back to Vancouver and return to the anomaly that was some kind of gateway between two parallel worlds. Then Matt had dealt him that cruel blow - Philip had been in a coma so it couldn't possibly have been him, and there was no other evidence of anyone else being involved. He was going to be stuck here for the rest of his life,all alone in a prison cell and in a world without Abby and the baby he'd been so looking forward to arriving.
“Can you confirm your full name for the rest of the court?” A voice said.
“Connor James Temple.” He blinked again, forcing his eyelids to stay open. He half listened as the charges against him were read out; there were no surprises thanks to Donald Carr being so thorough yesterday and for that he was grateful. There was no way he'd be able to digest everything the way he felt at the moment.
“Do you understand the charges, Mr Temple?” He nodded. “I need you to actually say it, Mr Temple. You're being recorded. Do you understand the charges against you?”
“Yes, your honour.” He had no idea if that was the correct address to use but he'd seen enough detective shows on TV with his mum and that sounded right. No-one corrected him, so he swallowed the lump in his throat and waited for the next question.
“And how do you plead? Are you guilty or not guilty?”
“Not guilty, your honour.” His stomach churned even though he knew he was speaking the truth. He could see from the twitches on some of the faces of the legal teams that they didn't believe him and that made him even more nervous. When he looked up into the public gallery he saw Lester, poker faced as always, and Matt, who nodded reassuringly at him. It was always hard to read Lester, but he supposed he was being supportive by being there at least.
There was a lot of whispering and conferring; words being used that Connor didn't understand. Donald Carr was clearly arguing with the man who had been introduced as a representative of Evan Cross. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know what it was about or not. Finally, the group parted and the judge who had spoken before announced that the trial had been set for six weeks time to allow time for the Vancouver team to make arrangements to come over. During that time, Connor would continue to be held at the government facility under the supervision of James Lester.
“What does that mean?” Connor asked when Lester and Matt finally made their way down to him once the court had been dismissed.
Lester rolled his eyes. “It means that you remain at the ARC until the trial.”
“They were trying to have you remanded in custody at the prison, but I pointed out that you were currently being held at a government owned facility and that James Lester had already agreed to be responsible for you, pending the result of the trial.” Donald Carr said. “What that means is we have the freedom to come and see you whenever we need to, rather than have to make an appointment through the prison system.”
“And it also means we have six weeks to find that evidence you need, right?” Matt smiled at Connor and went to place his hand on Connor's arm, but then he noticed Connor swaying. “You OK?”
Connor couldn't answer. He felt a wave of overwhelming nausea sweep through him, then his head felt odd. He hit the floor with a heavy thud before Matt or anyone else could catch him.