Reckoning At Ashray
Miranda Misbehaves In Court
It was at last time to take down Drusilla Benson and Horace Tompkins.
Instead of a normal venue on Earth, the proceedings were to be conducted at a lAshray, a place that acknowledged the use of super powers such as magic.
Pippi and Ameh were there as witnesses. Cosima Brett got stuck with the task as judge since the others she had contacted were too busy to take on the case, or unavailable for other reasons. Some were simply too afraid of Tompkins to confront him, let alone dare to take him down.
Cosima didn't want young children present at the proceedings, so she had arranged it so that adults who were not testifying that either had little kids or would rather be babysitting instead of spectating run a makeshift daycare in another part of the building. Cosima also insisted that anyone under age or who was very likely to be too upset not attend unless and until it was their turn to take the stand.
Some young people disobeyed Cosima's advice and attended, but she only found out later.
Cosima began.
"First I would like to make an apology as, of all the contacts I've made who could come here today, not one of them is available to preside, so that leaves me with the...task. We are holding this reckoning here because all other means've been tried, and failed to bring Horace Tompkins an' 'is partner in crime, Drusilla Taylor Benson, to justice. Everyone whofs ever had the misfortune to be victimized by these two, know that they cannot be tried in one state for committing a crime in another, or that the statute of limitations has run out, or that some judges, witnesses, an' the like have been bought off by Horace Tompkins an' Drusilla Taylor Benson, while others have been blackmailed or mysteriously vanished. This will not be the case any longer. Horace Tompkins an' Drusilla Benson have cheated so many people out of their lives, so many years of fear, despair, waste. Although this reckoning cannot give you back those years you've lost to Tompkins an' Benson, it'll finally bring them to justice. I hope it'll help you take back your lives, as much as you possibly can."
Applause broke out, and Cosima waited for it to subside before continuing.
Then, she addressed the perpetrators, letting them know that complaints were being brought against them for everything from larceny to all manner of heinous crimes Drusilla and Horace had committed. The spectators and would-be witnesses couldn't suppress groans and other reactions as Cosima went down the list.
"Horace Tompkins's crimes go back a very long way, an' many if not most of them, he's gotten away with. He will answer for them at last. However, there is much in the way of history an' testimony, an' it will begin now."
It started with letters and documents, then testimony proving that Horace Tompkins had been a terribly spoiled child who never forgave his younger siblings for being born and taking up the time and attentions of his parents.
Horace had gotten everything he wanted otherwise, his mother had doted endlessly on him and over-ruled any discipline his father might have wanted to exercise.
Old Henry West, who had been employed as a servant by the tompkins family back then, testified to these facts, he had witnessed many a tantrum of Horace's as a young child, and testified that even as an infant, Horace had been terribly demanding.
Horace had screamed out of anger constantly, shutting up only to sleep or eat, or when he was played with. As a baby, Horace was already too much for that household to handle, including all of the servants.
As a child, he had worsened. He had not toilet trained until he was old enough to write, and had breast fed even longer, until age seven, when his brother James was born. Horace took a bottle and a passifier at night until he was twelve.
"Liar!" Miranda burst out. "Daddy wasn't a retard!"
"Miranda, enough! And no one's said that." Cosima replied with a scowl at Miranda.
"I should sue that old man for saying these lies!"
"Miranda! Shut up or I'll have you removed!" Cosima's voice raised considerably.
Embarrassed at these facts being exposed, Horace went on the defensive. "You must understand that the hired help was there for a reason. It is hardly my parents or my fault if the staff couldn't do their jobs and a few things took a little longer to accomplish."
Cosima snickered. "No one'll believe that excuse."
More information was offered.
With the baby's arrival, Horace was even worse than ever. He had to be kept out of the same room mother and the new baby were in because he was at his most violent toward them when he saw them together. The baby's room had to be locked at night, with the key hidden so Horace couldn't get in to harm little James or worse. The picture of the family when James was only an infant, showed everyone seeming to be happy except for Horace, who was seen clinging to his mother and looking with a very sour expression at James, as if he wished he could blot the baby out of the picture and out of the world.
"Of course he was upset, Grammy and Grampy liked James better than him!" Miranda again.
"Mr. McTaggert, put Miranda Tompkins in the the holding room with the monitors, so she can see and hear the proceeding but won't be here to disrupt it any further." Cosima said sternly.
"No! No, no, no, no, no! Keep your filthy hands off me!" Miranda yelled as the guard came for her.
"Pippi, he might need some help getting her out of here." Cosima said.
"Yes." Pippi got up from her seat and closed in on Miranda's other side.
Now, Miranda was stuck between the guard on one side and Pippi on the other.
"It's all lies! It's all bull-shart lies! Freakin stupid lies!" Miranda actually said a lot more, not fit to repeat.
"There's nothing to get so upset about, Miranda," Horace laughed, "You didn't walk until you were two-and-a-half and that was probably because you eventually got too impatient to wait for anyone to help you."
"Shut up!" Miranda screamed. you're supposed to love me, Daddy! You of all people shouldn't be saying stuff about me like that! It isn't true! It's not true! I was always smarter and more mature than any other kid my age, ALWAYS! Always, always, always!" she railed.
"Yeah, everybody can see that." Cosima rolled her eyes in disgust. Looking over at Pippi and the guard, "Get her out of here, now!"
Miranda continued pitching a tantrum to top any two-year-old's until Pippi and the guard eventually shut her in a holding room where she was no longer heard.
The morning session finished, there was a lunch break, and Miranda was let back in for the afternoon session.
As a witness finished with his testimony and documentation, Horace exploded. "That is a pack of lies, not worth the paper it's written on!"
Madonna Gale jumped, startled.
Cosima scowled at Horace. "Mr. Tompkins, if you insist on making a habit of this, I'll take measures to simmer you down! And you don't want that."
"Let him talk!" Miranda burst out."
"Miranda, shut it!" Cosima warned her.
"Horace's done enough yammering to last a lifetime!" That was, you guessed it, NT.
Cosima looked at her. "You'll get your turn, until then, you pipe down as well."
NT looked a little embarrassed and hurt, but she cooperated.
The same wasn't true for Miranda. "Right, call all the shots, just like always! He's got a right to talk, this is about him you know!"
"There's nothing worth listening to in what he says, and NT is right," said Cosima, "If we let him talk now, we'd all be sitting here, dying of extreme annoyance and boredom until hell freezes over!"
"Why you - " Horace began preparing to round on Cosima.
The Laughter broke out among the crowd, but it died away when Cosima gave them a severe look. "Quiet, you lot!" she hit the gavel to drive the point home.
"He's still gotta explain to me how he could betray me!" Miranda ranted at Cosima.
"We're not dealing with that right now." Cosima replied sternly.
"We should! It's the worst thing he's ever done!" Miranda stood up, flailing her arms dramatically. "How could you, Daddy!?"
A chorus of groans from the crowd started up, incredulous that Miranda had just told them all that their own horrific experiences at the hand of Horace were nothing compared to hers.
Rebekah couldn't hide the crushing hurt and disappointment at Miranda's calloused selfishness.
Miranda was willing to excuse Horace's violence toward each and every other person, in her mind just as in his, those people must've done something to provoke it. But she could not forgive the one thing she continued to stew over, that he had deceived and robbed her of her big chance with the pop idol.
While she had believed Horace was really him, the fantasies were so sweet. But now, The real singer turned out to be no more interested in her than a giraffe would be in a warthog.
"Worst thing he's ever done!?" NT was next to stand up. "I don't think so!"
Rebekah took out some tissues to wipe away tears. How was it that another woman's daughter could be more upset than her own over all the abuse Horace had done, especially to her?
"You shut up!" Miranda shouted, giving NT the death stare while completely ignoring or oblivious to the hurt look on Rebekah's face.
"NT, we'll get to you and your mother's experiences, and everyone else's - in time." said Cosima.
NT nodded and took her seat.
Cosima continued. "For now, let's stick with the subject at hand. And if anyone else causes a disruption, they will be dismissed, understand?"
There was a murmur among the spectators and they all began to settle down.
Miranda made a rude gesture.
"Sir," Cosima indicated the security guard, "Please take Miranda out and into the holding room with the monitor."
He tried to do as asked, but Miranda fought and screamed like a bratty pre-schooler. In the end, it took both the security guard and Pippi to get her into a holding room, where she could see and hear via computer and streaming live video what was happening, but she would be unable to cause any more disruptions.
_________________________________________________________________
Another day started, with a very tired Cosima Brett presiding, over the Tompkins and Benson reckoning. How she wished she could've just taken the day off and slept, but that wasn't an option.
The proceeding was about to start with some letters from Mary Tompkins, Horace's younger sister being read into evidence, along with letters from Kennith, her then boyfriend at the time.
Horace and Drusilla exchanged looks, but otherwise didn't show any reaction.
The letters read into evidence were proof that Horace would stop at nothing to prevent Mary from marrying the man she loved, because he was as Horace put it, "beneath her station". There were also references to Miranda's own mother, that Horace yelled and mistreated her all the time.
"That's a lie!" Miranda shouted. "He never mistreated her!"
"I'm sorry, Miranda," Rebekah, sitting next to her said sadly, "Mary was right."
"No! Cosima's just magicked you to think he did!"
"No, Miranda, he did, long before I ever met Cosima, back when I knew Mary."
"Cosima magicked the diary too! That's got to be it!"
"Miranda, I've had more than enough of your infantile fits, now, keep quiet and act your age unless you want to be sent out again!" Cosima warned.
"Bite me!" Miranda shouted back.
"Sir, Pippi, I'm sorry to have to ask you again to - "
McTaggert and Pippi needed no further explanation from Cosima, and both stood, and went to get Miranda to take her out again.
_________________________________________________________________
Everyone was surprised and alarmed the next morning when, after about 15 minutes of waiting and talking amongst themselves, they saw Pippi take Cosima's place.
Horace and Drusilla had been gloating when everybody except Cosima had shown up. They thought they finally had everybody right where they wanted them with Cosima absent. But that gloat turned to confusion, then anger when they saw Pippi take her place at the bench.
"Court is now in session." Madonna Gale announced, and the people kept looking around questioningly and whispering until Pippi spoke up.
"My name is Pippi Longstocking. I am taking Miss Brett's place today. She is too ill to preside, and I hope she has a very speedy recovery. At this time, I'd like to request that all minors and anyone else who is likely to become too upset by today's testimony excuse themselves from the proceeding."
There were a few minutes of people getting up and leaving, murmurring softly as they did.
Pippi scanned the spectators until her gaze rested on Ariel and NT. "That means you too, NT." she said. "You don't have to be in here for this."
"She's right," Ariel added, "I'd rather you didn't stay, it would upset you too much, and then you won't be in any shape to help me or anyone else out later."
"Titania, why don't you take her out and wait with her until this is over?" Pippi suggested as much for Titania's sake as NT's.
"All right," Titania replied, glad to be excused. Though she wanted to clobber Horace, she didn't know what she was going to do with herself or for her companion. She stood up almost too quickly, walked to the end of her row and up the one right in front of hers, until she reached NT. "Come on." she said, touching NT's elbow.
Both girls walked out of the room.
Rebekah was called as a witness. She came forward, and after being sworn in or affirmed, took her seat at the witness table.
Then Rebekah recounted her horrific story of being subjected to Horace's frequent whims, extreme control, and abuse of any and all kinds.
It all had started as soon as she and Horace had married. Rebekah testified that she felt as if she was walking on egg shells every waking moment, and even her sleep was frequently interupted whenever Horace wanted her attention for any reason.
Then if she was over-tired and not looking her best for whatever function the Tompkins' were attending that day, Horace would belittle her appearance and tell her to put on make-up. If she put on make-up, it was never good enough, and if she was reduced to tears by Horace's bullying, he only did it more, often resulting in physical beatings.
When the baby came along, things were no better. Rebekah testified that Horace wouldn't even give her a say in naming the child beyond giving her a middle name. Horace had decided he would pick out the first name, and then one of the middle names, so Rebekah was only allowed to add another middle name.
Pippi looked just as incensed as anyone else by this time, but she had to continue gently encouraging Rebekah to continue. "What would you have named this child if he had 'allowed' you?"
"Samantha Jennifer." Rebekah replied.
"What did you end up naming her?
"Miranda Horacia Jennifer - and I was lucky not to end up naming her Marissa."
"You mean he gave you an ultimatum between those two names only?" Pippi asked.
"Horace wanted Marissa, for his sister Mary, who he always thought was misnamed."
"Misnamed?"
"Yes. He never forgave his parents for over-ruling his wish to name his little sister 'Marissa' he said it was much prettier and more sophisticated than just plain 'Mary'.
The spectators groaned, and Pippi shook her head in disbelief.
"How did you manage to settle on 'Miranda'?
"Horace said he'd always liked that name, and I preferred it to 'Marissa' but had to pretend I liked the name 'Marissa' so that he'd be more likely to decide on 'Miranda' instead."
Horace glowered at Rebekah. "You defied me at every turn!" he burst out.
"Keep quiet!" Pippi warned him.
"She was *my wife*! It was her wifely duty to - "
"Enough! One more word out of you and I will have you removed!" Pippi's considerably raised voice took a few of the spectators who knew her by surprise.
" "Whoa." Ameh whispered to Melanie sitting next to her. "He's got it coming, though."
Melanie nodded.
"You wouldn't even let my own mother name me!" Miranda burst out. "Here I thought you both named me out of love!"
"Miranda,you can yell at him all you want after this session is over - "
"And here I find out you didn't even let her do that!"
"Miranda!" Pippi raised her voice again, with a sharp glance at the high-strung, impulsive girl.
"But sheesh, Pippi, he didn't even - "
"This is what we're all here to address, but if you disrupt this proceeding again, I will personally remove you myself, now, zip it up!"
Miranda sullenly fell silent.
Pippi waited a few more seconds to make sure this was the end of the outbursts before continuing on.
"Now, Rebekah," she resumed in a much gentler tone, "did you at least get any time to be with your child without Horace watching over your shoulder every second?"
"Not really. When he was away, he had a nurse-maid taking care of her, and he'd given her strict instructions not to let me hold the baby too much, and Miranda was supposed to be fed only at this or that time, Horace made sure to keep me and my baby apart for as much as he could even while he was out of the house.
More reactions of dismay from the spectators, and from Pippi, who only indicated hers by an incensed look in her eyes.
"Was Miranda neglected by this nurse?"
"No. That woman treated Miranda as if she was her baby instead of mine!" Tears started to roll. "She talked sweetly and held and cuddled her, and so many times she wouldn't let me get close enough to try taking my baby back!"
"I'm so sorry, Rebekah." Pippi said."
"It is up to the governesses to take care of the children." Horace tried to justify his actions. "Just as my parents had staff for us, Rebekah, as my wife, needed to learn to - "
Pippi cut him off. "So, you admit this was how it was done."
"of course, my dear, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with bringing up children the right way in a home as well-to-do as ours is. When one has a station in life, one also has obligations, including the proper way to raise children."
Pippi hit the gavel. "I've heard more than enough half-baked excuses for these unconscionable misdeeds of yours, Mr. Tompkins.
Rebekah's testimony went on, and through it all, Pippi had to shush the spectators, shush Horace, and hand Rebekah several tissues while offering her kind words and regrets that she had gone through this at all, but this testimony was no doubt bringing terrible memories and old emotions back.
Finally, Rebekah's and Miranda's permanent separation had been accomplished three years later by Horace's use of magic to make the child sick, and using more magic to hide her away, and produce an illusion to make Rebekah think Miranda had died.
There was an uproar as many spectators cried out and some of them actually threw things at Horace. Pippi had to strike the gavel several times to call the court to order.
When the people were hushed again, Rebekah was next to scream at Horace. "First you made my baby sick! Then you had me think she died! And all this time, you kept her from me! You stole our lives! What have you done to my baby! What have you done to my life!?" Several more outcries from Rebekah as her anguish came rushing out with a lot of tears as well.
"Are you quite finished, madam?" Horace sneered at her.
"You took away my baby!" Rebekah only repeated.
"Aren't you going to do something about this outburst, Ms. Longstocking?" Horace looked at Pippi and then shook his head at Rebekah. "Lest you be thought of as - a hypocrite - for silencing me earlier in this proceeding."
Pippi wasn't befuddled, she was only more enraged. "Horace, if I could do to you what I'm resisting a strong urge to do right now - " she raised the gavel in the direction of Horace's head, "I'd be considered a lot worse than just a hypocrite!" she flung back, venomously.
Laughter broke out among all present except for Horace and Drusilla.
Pippi ignored it and continued. "Rebekah has a right to be outraged, you, sir, do not!" She slammed the gavel down on the desk one last time to drive the point home and quiet the spectators.
All fell silent once again, but only for a few moments.
"First I find out you pretended to be somebody else," Miranda shouted, "And then I find out you made me sick!?"
"Enough!" Pippi said. She knew that of everyone present, Miranda and Rebekah were rightfully even more outraged at this than anyone else. But Miranda was still obnoxious about it.
"Right, everybody else is allowed to scream and carry on, I'm supposed to keep quiet like a good little girl!" Miranda yelled back at Pippi.
"Miranda, you will be called to testify in a few minutes, I suggest you get control of yourself." Pippi said firmly.
"You didn't answer me! Why is it that you and Cosima are always telling me to shut up and no one else!?"
Pippi didn't know whether to laugh or show disgust. "Well, Miranda, you obviously haven't been paying attention or maybe you were sent out during the times we had to quiet the others, but it doesn't matter. If you'd stop interupting to shout your head off, you wouldn't be told so many times to shut up." She heaved a sigh. "Now, Ms. Harlan," she addressed Rebekah to continue with her testimony.
As it went on, Rebekah explained that with the help of another mage, she got away from Horace. As it turned out, the mage was related to another set of family that Horace had victimized.
Never satisfied with taking revenge on one person, Horace always saw to it that all the family and friends of whoever he was mad at, would be "taught a lesson" or "punished" as well.
"Thank you, Rebekah, you may step down. And, I know it took all the courage you have, to stand up and testify today." Pippi gave her a compassionate look, and Rebekah nodded, and returned to her seat next to Miranda.
Horace glared, wanting nothing more than to teach Rebekah another lesson.
"Court calls Miranda Tompkins."
Miranda went up, and Pippi asked her general questions about her childhood.
This part of the testimony went fine, Miranda didn't have any outbursts of anger while recalling her life of privilege. She told the court that her daddy had told her Rebekah had run off, abandoning her when she was little, and had later sickened and died. Miranda had seen and learned from her daddy that the people around them were there to be treated and used as they saw fit. She also said that school was a breeze, no matter what she did, it was hilariously amazing how everybody excused her when other students earned detentions, suspensions and other forms of punishments.
"And why do you think that was?" Pippi asked her.
"My daddy always said he would make them see reason,and he always sent me back to school with no problems." she smirked.
"Was there anything you and your father ever disagreed about?"
"Not really when I was little. Just a couple years ago."
"And what were these disagreements about?"
"Oh, nothing important, just some stupid guys that liked me."
"And did you like them back?"
"Of course. Well, not like I wanted to marry them or anything." Miranda sneered, "They were just - you know."
"No, I don't, what is 'you know'?" Pippi questioned.
"Wild, liked to party, really sexy. You know, the kind of guy any girl would die to be seen with. It was so sweet whenever I got one of them to myself, especially if he just dumped some stupid girl."
"Oh?" Pippi wasn't surprised by this, she was rather disgusted. But she was also confused about something. "I'm surprised your father had any problem with that."
Miranda smirked. "Daddy didn't think I should be 'associating with the riff-raff'. "Maybe he was right, but some guys are just so hot, you know..."
"I see." was all Pippi said.
Horace cast an embarrassed look at Miranda. He was ashamed that his own daughter would show such an attitude, so publically.
As for Miranda, she was so angry at him by now that she didn't care, and was very tempted to spite him any way she could.
_________________________________________________________________
Late that night, a mysterious sickness hit, people were falling ill in droves, and Pippi and the doctors were working hard trying to get to the bottom of it.
Ameh was having troubles of her own. Something was making her feel unsettled, uneasy, and she couldn't quite put her finger on what or why.
So, she thought she would take a walk around and check to make sure things were as they should be. She knew that with Cosima out of commission, Drusilla and Horace could very well try to make a break for it, and perhaps Miranda as well. It hadn't escaped Ameh's notice how Miranda had seemed to be sneaking around and conversing with Horace when she thought nobody was there to see her.
Ameh wasn't sure somebody hadn't deliberately done something to poison Cosima in order to stop the reckoning. She had uncovered some extremely damning evidence when looking over computer contents from the mansion and it implicated Miranda as much as it did her father. So it could be any or all of these people who had something to hide and wanted it to remain hidden who might've tried to harm Cosima.
But there was something else.
Ameh couldn't shake the feeling that there was some kind of bad magic at work here as well. She only hoped it was just that Iona woman or maybe some young inexperienced mage, because the other idea of it originating from Drusilla was too dreadful for her to want to think about.
Ameh was met with darkness wherever she went, but did hear people talking quietly behind closed doors, which somehow made things even more eerie.
An interesting stop for Ameh was the main court room. There was light coming from under the door!
Figuring it had to be unlocked, Ameh tried the door and walked in.
There, standing at a shelf with some videos on it was Miranda.
"What are you doing with that stuff?" Ameh hurried over to confront her. "And how did you get in here?"
Miranda jumped, startled out of her mind. "Oh, Ameh --"
"I know I'm Ameh," said the fairy, "That's not what I asked you."
"I just - uh, must've been sleepwalking." Miranda mumbled.
"Sure, right into a room full of evidence and stuff for the reckoning, what a coincidence."
"Oh, give me a break."
"Get your paws off that stuff and start haulin arse out of here before it's too late." Ameh warned her.
"Okay okay, I'm going!" Miranda put back a video she had been holding and fled the room for dear life.
Ameh took some time to check over the tapes to make sure those which were going to be shown at the proceedings in the future were still all there.
It appeared that way, but she didn't get the chance to play them to be sure they worked or were really the right tapes.
"There you are!" Pippi came rushing in, "Ameh, we have a serious problem."
This caused Ameh to shudder violently as her feeling of dread returned. This did not sound good at all, especially coming from Pippi, who didn't usually alarm easily. But there was no mistaking the urgency in her voice this time.
"We're having a meeting at the hospital, Ameh, several more people have fallen sick - and I'm sure it's no natural occurance or accident."
Pippi and Ameh met Cosima in one of the waiting areas of the hospital.
"There wasn't much time for me to explain it all back at the complex, but since I believe this is both a magic attack and biological warfare waged by none other than Drusilla Benson, we need to do what we can to stop it before it gets any further." Pippi said worriedly to Ameh and Cosima.
_________________________________________________________________
A couple of days went by, giving everyone time to recover, and then the reckoning resumed, much to Drusilla's and Horace's chagrin.
Now it was time for some video evidence.
Cosima put the tape in and turned on the machine.
Madonna dimmed the lights, and everyone waited anxiously, many were afraid of what they would see. Cosima herself was not looking forward to seeing it, she'd come in on the scene after Horace, in the impersonation of the young man had already managed to hurt Ariel.
No one was prepared for what happened next.
The tape rolled on for about half a minute, the screen was blank.
Cosima shook her head, took out the tape, checked it over, and saw that it seemed to be all right. Placing it back in the machine, she pressed play again.
Still nothing.
Cosima ran it on fast forward, then rewind, and found that it seemed to be blank.
Miranda felt a flood of relief. It was just lucky for her she had managed to switch tapes before Ameh had actually caught her.
"I'm sorry, there seems to be some problem with the tape." Cosima informed the court. "Pippi, could you get Ameh back in here, please?"
Miranda's heart sank. She hoped Ameh wouldn't say anything.
Pippi nodded, stood up and left. She returned a few minutes later.
"Ameh, come up here, please." Cosima requested.
the short blonde did, and she understood from Cosima's expression what she might be thinking. She nodded back. "If this tape's been tampered with, Ameh will restore it." She glared at Drusilla a moment.
Drusilla looked back indignantly. "Oh, please, I didn't touch your precious tape!" she muttered.
"Yeah, right!" Ameh shot back.
"Right, Dru..." was all Cosima said, rolling her eyes at the evil woman.
In a second, "Done." said Ameh.
"Good, now, let's try this again." said Cosima, and Ameh left the room.
But Ameh's restoration didn't take, for what was supposed to be showing, what was supposedly taped over, was still not there.
"Crap." Cosima muttered under her breath. "Hmmm." This upset her, but she couldn't let on or waste any more time on the setback. "All right, we'll have to skip this, but I'll have the people involved, testify about what happened on that tape. Ariel, could you bring NT back in here to testify?"
Once again there was a few moments of waiting while Ariel left, then returned with her daughter.
Ameh had come back in with them, but took her time while she tried to seek out Miranda in the spectators to get a look at her expression.
Miranda had been greatly relieved the tape hadn't played, but she turned and pretended to get something out of her eye when she realized Ameh was looking right at her from the aisle on the way to her seat. The other night had been too close for comfort and Miranda wasn't sure Ameh wouldn't or hadn't yet told Pippi about it.
Ariel, NT, and Pippi all testified, and Horace just glared the whole time.
Once again, Miranda had been hauled out for calling everyone names and saying how her daddy really hadn't done any of it.
_________________________________________________________________
Finally the day everyone but Tompkins and Benson awaited, arrived. Take-down day.
Then The latest batch of crimes committed by the dreadful duo were the subject of the reckoning. Regarding the multiple abduction of Jesse Lein, Titania Ross, Rebekah, and the attempt at getting NT, Ariel and others as well.
Pippi was first to testify, and she read out the threatening email Tompkins had sent her along with NT and Cosima, telling them to join his other hostages to become vamped.
When Iona exploded again, Cosima had her removed.
All of the people involved in the vampire plot came forward to testify about the details...The collars, the painful shocks, the bad magic, the message Jesse was forced to convey by way of tompkins's collar, the beatings, a minor being forced to use the collars. Everyone testified that Tompkins had planned to have a vampire come and turn him into one, then he planned to turn the others into his own special subserviant underling vampires to punish them forever.
Then, Iona was brought back in. If she flatly refused to believe anyone else, she was going to hear it from Horace Tompkins himself.
Then it was time to get Tompkins to confirm his motive for trying to become a vampire. But getting him to give a straight answer was difficult, and an exercise in frustration and extreme annoyance for Cosima.
"Mr. Tompkins, what was your motive for this scheme?" Cosima looked him squarely in the face, she was not going to put up with any longwinded jabber from him.
"You are well aware of that, woman."
"I did *not* ask you about awareness - what was your motive?"
"Since it amuses you--"
"Wrong! I didn't ask about 'amusement! What was your motive for the hostage taking on Feburary ninth of this year!"
"I was coming to that, madam!"
"You are not to 'come to that Madam'. If you don't answer me correctly, I will shut you up permanently - now...For the last time... *What* *was* *your* *Motive*!" Cosima struck the gavel down forcefully with the last demand. Was it so hard to answer a simple question? Horace sure loved to hear himself talk, and he thought himself terribly witty, but he was obviously completely oblivious to the fact that no one else did except for Drusilla and Iona.
"I wish to become vampire, and immortal." Horace finally replied.
Cosima opened her mouth to say something, but before she got the words out, there was yet another terrible outburst of screaming from Iona.
"How could you! I trusted you and all this time you actually wanted to be a blood-sucking murderer!"
Cosima understood Iona's apparent revulsion and completely agreed with it, but she couldn't let her lose it again. "Cool it or you'll be in contempt!" she warned.
"Holy crap!" Ameh whispered to Pippi. "I thought she'd be thrilled about her 'herof wanting to be vamped."
"Evidently not." Pippi whispered back to Ameh.
"You really were going to become one of those, so you could turn Drusilla into one so you could be with her forever!" Iona ranted. "I thought you cared about me!"
"Grow up, Iona!" Drusilla said scornfully.
Horace only stared coldly back and shook his head. "I am quite aware of your...animosity...towards vampires, Iona."
"You shut up!" NT shouted.
Cosima pounded the gavel.
The horrid old buzzard continued droning on. "But there is so much more to be gained with them than against them." He was warned to shut his mouth but ignored it and babbled on. "In any case, you had a specific purpose--and one in which you failed me."
*Pound pound pound!*
"This releases me from any obligations I may have had to you."
Cosima's patience was completely gone by now. She stood up abruptly and whirled to confront Horace. "You!" she roared, "Shut your demn mouth!"
There were several nods, hisses, and tsks of agreement from the spectators.
Cosima wasn't sure this outburst was even for real. For all anyone knew, it could very well be just a ploy from Iona, who, by throwing enough of a hysterical fit, might get everyone's attention on herself so Horace and Drusilla could slip out during the chaos.
Unwilling to let that happen or more time be wasted on the shout-show, Cosima turned to the security officer, "Remove her." she directed.
The man nodded, approached Iona, and did what he was asked.
Thrashing wildly in the security officer's arms, Iona blurted out that some of her family were killed by a vampire that'd also enslaved her until she'd managed to escape, and since then, her life was totally messed up until Horace had come along, promising to help her.
Cosima figured as much, but there was nothing she could do about that, and wasn't about to hold up the proceeding over it. At least there was finally an end to Iona's sickening pandering to Horace.
Cherie of all people stood up. "Please, she's really, really frightened! Maybe if we listen to her story, and I could help to visualize it - "
"No!" Cosima said firmly. "We have got to move on now."
She noticed McTaggert seeming to hesitate, taken aback by Iona's revelation.
Miranda, who was so self-absorbed and still too angry at Iona for betraying her, shouted out coldly, "Well Iona I'm sorry for you but that doesn't excuse what you did to me!"
"Can it, Miranda!" Cosima scowled and shook a fist at her. All of this was getting on her very last nerve. She turned back toward McTaggert and said firmly, "Take her out of here, then come back an' remove Miranda Tompkins."
"Yes, your honor." the man replied, and went on his way.
"No!" Miranda cried. "I won't do it again Cosima, please let me--"
"You bet you won't, you're dismissed!"
"I just lost it, please, let me stay!"
"You're always losing it, Miranda, and I'm sick and tired of it! You can darn well learn some self-control and stop trying to be center of attention all the time!"
"Yes, miss high and mighty!" Miranda blurted out as her defenses went up and her attitude reared its ugly head once again.
Instead of waiting for McTaggert to come back, Cosima caught pippi's eye. "Pippi, please get her out of here."
"Yes." Pippi said, looking relieved at Cosima, for she was equally tired of the girl's brattiness.
Miranda cussed, whined, ranted and whimpered as pippi dragged her out of the area and into a separate room.
"Fifteen minute break everyone!" Cosima stated, hitting the gavel once more. She watched the others file out, glad for some quiet time to herself.
When it continued, things seemed to be moving along nicely again. Everyone was naturally outraged, but they knew better than to lose control and risk having Cosima remove them for disruptions. She had assured everyone that they would all get their chance to confront Horace and Drusilla before sentencing.
Miranda had been brought back in, and she sat smouldering during the whole thing.
She was still angry at her father for fooling her with that rock star impersonation, and because he couldn't disprove what Rebekah, Jesse, Titania, and the others had said. Miranda still hoped there was some mistake about that but even Horace continued to confirm there was none.
The reckoning continued until everyone was through testifying and confronting Horace and Drusilla, and it was time to put an end to the deadly duo's reign of terror.
Drusilla was turned into a carousel horse by Ameh, who thought it poetic justice considering Drusilla's phobic aversion to carousels, carnivals, circuses and anything of that sort.
Then it was Horace's turn.
Without warning, Cosima walked out among the spectators until she got to Miranda. "You don't need to be here, I'm dismissing you." she said quietly, looking sadly at Miranda.
The girl barely registered it, she was so upset at her father for playing her for a fool, so humiliated that he'd gotten himself caught, so unhappy that Ariel's claims and others had been proven right and were even confirmed in the end by Horace and drusilla. She was so enraged that her life had been turned upside down. She couldn't figure out why Cosima was now standing before her, speaking so gently. Nothing made any sense any more.
The scene faded from view, and for a while, Miranda felt herself being shifted to another scene.
In a few more moments, Miranda found herself back in Pippi's house, all alone.
Back at the court, Cosima turned Horace into a chalkboard, and just as with Drusilla's situation, this was irreversable. He was donated to a classroom in a third world country in need of better schools and supplies.
Drusilla was donated to a carnival, doomed to an existence of carnival music and the happy laughter and chatter of kids of all ages.
That spelled the end of Horace Tompkins and Drusilla Benson. Never again would they torment another living soul except perhaps in dreams and bad memories.
_________________________________________________________________
That night, Miranda took off again, still too self-centered, hateful and cowardly to stay at Pippi's and patch up that relationship and build a new and better one with NT. She didn't even give a second thought to her own mother, Rebekah, except for changing her surname from Tompkins to Harlan, Rebekah's maiden name.
Melanie Benson traded email addresses and phone numbers with her newly found relatives and with Ameh. Many other families who had once been fragmanted by Drusilla and Horace did the same. The Reckoning couldn't erase the past, but it had given so many people a fresh start with the potential for a lot more promise.