On June 26, Erik awoke with severe nausea and a headache at 5:30. Court began at 8:00 A.M. Christine had somehow moved to the other side of the bed with her back turned and was hugging a pillow as she slept. It made him feel a little better to see someone who wasn't feeling sick like him. Scratching his day old stubble, he climbed out of bed and plodded to the bathroom to pee before he took a shower but the sound of muffled crying stopped him halfway. Opening the door to Charles's room, he found the boy sitting on his bed staring at his nightlight and sniffling.

"Charles? What is it?" He asked, sitting beside the eight year old. Terror was in his son's eyes as he looked up at his father.

"Dad...I don't wanna see him." He said, wiping his eyes. Erik grabbed a Kleenex and wiped his son's nose.

"I know you don't buddy, but when it's over, he won't be able to hurt any more people." He replied, putting his arm around him. "How long have you been awake Charlie?" He asked and Charles shrugged.

"All night. Got knots in my tummy. What if he gets out and comes after me?" The boy asked fearfully. Erik's stomach lurched. That man had done something to his child and ready or not, the truth was going to come out, possibly today.

"You know you can tell me anything bud...I'm your Dad." Charles let out a small sigh.

"Yeah." He said resting his head against Erik's ribs. Erik got on his knees in front of the bed and looked up into his boy's face.

"Did that man hurt you?" He asked slowly and when he got no response from Charles, his worst fears were confirmed. "Charles?" He asked after a moment of silence.

"He told me you were dead and that he was my new Daddy...he gave me a new name and told me that I couldn't tell anyone bout my old name." Charles was looking intently at the newly framed picture of he and Erik on the night stand. Erik sighed desperately. Charles wasn't giving him answers.

"Charles...did he hurt you?" Erik asked, begging. The boy cautiously looked at his father, his eyes blackened and dead.

"Yes...he did..." Came the curt reply. Erik bowed his head, fighting tears.

"What did he do to you?" He asked. Charles shook his head.

"I can't tell you." He whispered, full of terror.

"Why not son?" Erik asked, using the Kleenex to once again wipe the boy's nose. Charles sighed.

"Because when they were taking me away from him, he told me if I told, that he would know and he would come and find me."

---

"You don't understand Christine...he was trembling...he was practically having a seizure he was shaking so hard. That son of a bitch did something to my child and I am going to find out what...and then I am going to kill him." Erik's muscles had gone taut and his hands clammy. Charles had finally fallen asleep on the couch with Christine's coaxing.

"Hold on Erik...I know this man is evil...but he is sick in the head. He obviously had delusions. After reviewing the small bits of his case, I would have to say he has textbook paranoid schizophrenia. You are going to calm down and face this for your child, your wife and yourself. It's time to lay your demons to rest sweetie." She said sitting cross legged on the bed. "All of us will be there to support you. Raoul, Meg, Randi and me...Claire has to stay at home in bed because she is going to have a baby any day."

They arrived at the courthouse twenty minutes early, and Erik made sure Charles was kept isolated in the judges chambers with the detective until he was needed to testify. He shook hands with his lawyer, Tom Gracin. Tom was an old friend of Erik's and he knew he was trustworthy. As soon as the door behind them opened, a feeling of dread filled Erik as whispers erupted in the court. He forced himself to turn and look at the man, who was cuffed and escorted by two officers. To Erik's surprise, he looked nothing like he'd remembered Carl Carter to look. He was very thin and his face sunken. He was nearly bald and what little hair he had was a dull shade of gray. His eyes were lifeless and his arms bore numerous scratches, obviously self induced. Christine had been right. This man was very sick in the head and even though it was obvious he was suffering, Erik could not find any sympathy for the man who had ruined his life.

The Bailiff entered and said,

"All rise. This court will convene. The honorable Judge Mirabella Jordan presiding." The short African American lady made her way confidently to her stand and tapped her mallet, cuing everyone to be seated.

"Carl Carter is to be charged of Murder in the First Degree of Lana Evans Destler and the premeditated kidnapping of Charles Destler by the United States of America. How do you plead?" The judge asked as the Defense Attorney stood and said,

"We submit a plea of not guilty as a result of mental illness."

Erik dropped his head into his hands. If this man was allowed this, he could walk free again someday...Tom patted his shoulder.

"This isn't over yet Erik...it hasn't begun..." He said with a sigh. Tom then stood to make his opening statements.

"Your honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this is an obvious case of obsession and it's consequences. Lana Evans was a kind woman. She loved her husband and her children. That man sitting there took advantage of her kindness and stole her life as well as her daughter's life and kidnaped her two year old boy, brainwashing him to believe he was someone else. Yet somehow, this boy remembered his first name by some miracle and was found by authorities when Mr. Carter attempted to kidnap another child. He was fostered by a Mr. And Mrs. Levenstein."

For the briefest of moments, Erik turned to see a couple around the same age as himself sitting near the back of the room. The woman smiled briefly at him and gratitude filled him. Tom went on.

"The court appointed him to a child psychiatrist, a Ms. Christine Daaé, graduate student. She made the discovery, knowing Mr. Destler himself and paternity tests proved that Derek Carter was indeed Charles Destler, under which circumstance, he was placed back into the custody of his father."

Once the opening statements were made, Christine was asked to testify exactly what had happened, since Erik had signed forms allowing her to break confidentiality.

"He was my fourth foster case. As he was first telling me how he was taken into foster care, it seemed all routine, but then he told me that his name wasn't really Derek Carter and that he had dreams about a woman screaming. He said he was told his parents were dead but he had vague memories of them, which is fairly normal for a child that age. He told me he remembered his first name but not his last because of a necklace that he had. That name was Charles." She stopped for a moment, looking at Erik.

"I stopped the session immediately, suspecting that I was personally involved in the case, seeing as Mr. Destler and myself were roommates at the time, so my boss and I contacted the authorities and Mr. Levenstein and his wife came in. They were extremely gracious and wonderful, giving me more insight into the situation with Charles. Apparently, there were some signs of..." She trailed off, closing her eyes a moment. "Abuse." She finished softly, unable to look at Erik now.

Erik's heart felt like it was going to beat through his rib cage. So, it was true. Charles had been abused. But why had she hesitated? Why was the look on Christine's face so tortured when she said it? Something wasn't right...Carter stared straight at the back wall in an almost catatonic state. As if his soul had already left the body. Christine was excused from the stand and went back to her seat looking straight ahead. The Judge called order as the courtroom had erupted into mumbles.

"This court will recess until tomorrow morning at 9:00 A.M. so that both parties may regroup. Court dismissed." She said, and left the stand, as Erik rushed into her chambers to gather Charles. He made sure Carter had been taken away before he took him out and home.

Christine was already waiting there with Raoul and Meg. Randi had gone on home to make sure Claire was okay. When they'd left and Charles had been put to bed, he found her on the couch and offered her a cup of coffee.

"Thanks." She said softly, guiltily. "I'm sorry Erik...I wasn't allowed to tell you until now..." She said and he nodded.

"I know...I'm not angry at you sweetie. I just wish someone had said something to me. I mean, it explains why he sometimes flinches when I hug him and maybe why he's afraid of taking a bath. I just...the thought of Carter doing something to him...I mean...what if it was...sexual?" He nearly whispered the last word and her face paled.

"Oh God...don't say it...that's almost too awful." She pleaded, sipping her coffee. He nodded.

"It happens every day in this country. Maybe every minute...the man is sick...I am just dreading talking tomorrow...and then hearing Charles's side. Christine, I don't know if I can handle the truth...does that make me a coward?" He asked, laying his head in her lap. She stroked his hair and shook his head.

"Of course it doesn't..." She replied softly. "What parent in their right mind would want to know that their baby was hurt...especially in a sexual or any physical way really? You're not a coward at all."

"We named her Elizabeth you know." He said staring at the ceiling. Christine frowned.

"Who?" She asked and he sighed.

"The baby...her name was Elizabeth Rose. She was buried with Lana." Christine shuddered at the thought.

"God...I wish things had been different...even though things wouldn't have come out this way, I so wish things could have been different for you. No baby should ever die." She said and he nodded.

"I know...it was the worst thing I have ever lived through, even my mother wasn't as bad as losing Lana and the baby. But...It's time for me to move on. I can't keep dwelling in the past." He replied and Christine nodded.

"Did they show her to you?" She asked and he looked up in surprise.

"The baby?" He asked carefully. Her grim expression told him he was right. "Yes...she looked just like her mother...so tiny though. Still, it was almost easier to see her than to imagine what had happened to Charles and not know for six years..." He stopped, ashamed. "I thought about killing myself so many times...and truthfully the only thing that stopped me was my work and Raoul. He moved in shortly after that to go to college...I never thanked him for that." He said. Christine brushed through his thick hair with her fingers.

"I'm sure he knew you were grateful. He did ask you to be his best man after all..." She said, leaning to kiss his forehead. "Come on...let's get some sleep..."

Court reconvened exactly at 9:00 A.M. the next day and the judge took her stand as she had the day before. After a bit of chatter, she tapped her mallet and called for order. The Bailiff spoke then, sending chills through Erik's spine.

"The Court calls, Mr. Erik Destler to the stand..."