***Aubrey's POV***

"The defense rests." The Defense Attorney announced.

"Prosecutor, your witness." I proclaimed.

"Lacy, you stated that you accidentally smothered Exavier with your thighs during birth. Did you try to resuscitate?" The Prosecutor leads.

"I did try to give my son mouth to mouth. It was too late." Lacy confirms.

"Why did you discard your child? Were you trying to cover up the fact that he was murdered?" The Prosecutor continues.

"Objection." The D.A. shouts.

"Please refrain from accusing the witness." I demand.

"I was scared. I was angry. I wanted to forget that any of this happened. I didn't know what to do." Lacy admits.

"So you threw your son away." The Prosecutor scoffs.

"You can't imagine how it felt to carry him for 9 months in secret. I had no one! Not one person knew the secrets hidden below my clothes. Not one person recognized the pain I carried within the confines of my own ribs. No one! I was scared and I was alone. I didn't know what to do." Lacy cried.

"Did you think to call the police?" The Prosecutor throws in a duh tone.

"Honestly, I couldn't think. I couldn't think thru the physical and emotional pain." Lacy gives.

"How can we believe that you are telling the truth?" The Prosecutor issues.

"I don't know." Lacy breathes out in pure pain and distress.

"You don't seem to know too much." The Prosecutor argues.

"Your honor, I have an answer." The D. A. stands from his seat.

"You may proceed." I allow.

"Was there any sign of Petechial Hemorrhage?" The D.A. raises.

"No sir!" The M.E. confirms from the prosecutor's table. Her affirmation clearly stating that he had hit the nail on the head.

The courtroom fell silent as I soaked in the last shreds of evidence I could handle.

"Please explain what the absence of Petechiae indicates." The D.A. requested.

"In a case where suffocation was manual, the small blood vessels around the nose and mouth would form spots of blue or purple that would taint the color of skin. A clear indication of a struggle. In the cases where suffocation would be accidental, this would mean there would be no physical markings, because pressure was not obtained against the skin." The Medical Examiner explained.

"Would you feel comfortable in diagnosing this particular case as an accidental suffocation?" I asked the M.E.

"Yes, your honor." She confirmed.

"The Prosecution rests." The deflated Prosecutor breathes as he steps away from Lacy.

I didn't need a recess this time. I knew what I was going to do. Every cell in my body was screaming the answer, penetrating me with the compassion I would need.

"Lacy, where are your parents now?" I question the witness.

"I don't know." She states.

"Do you have anyone who supports you emotionally?" I ask.

"We do!" A couple stands.

"May I ask how you know the defendant?" I look closely at the man and woman.

"I'm her uncle and this is her aunt." The man starts.

"John and Silvia Welsh, your honor."

"Where are Lacy's parents?" I urge.

"We are asking the same question, your honor." John confides.

"Give me a moment please." I renounce.

Taking into account the lack of a support system for this young child, I completely understand how she found herself behind a wooden table in this court room. Her parents, or lack there of, sent fire licking thru my veins.

I called the uncle and aunt into my chambers. I spoke briefly with them and came to a solid conclusion to this case. I walked into a silent courtroom and dismissed the standing crowd, allowing them to follow me in taking their seats.

"Lacy Michelle Welsh, please stand." I requested.

The D.A. began to rise from his seat but, I waved him down with my hand.

"John and Silvia, please take your place next to Lacy." I announced.

The three stood before me, Lacy wringing her hands.

"Lacy, you have been accused of infanticide. You are found not guilty." I began.

Before the crowd could utter a word, I signaled the Baliff to keep them silent.

"You are guilty of several things, however. You are guilty of being abandoned. You are guilty of being unloved. You are guilty of being gifted to the wrong parents." I continued.

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"You are hereby emancipated from the custody of your natural born parents. You will, as a condition of your release, accept refuge with Mr. and Mrs. John Welsh, until you're 18th birthday. You will go to therapy and learn to forgive yourself, to love yourself and to respect yourself. Do you accept these terms?" I questioned.

"Yes, your honor." Lacy agreed.

"Lacy, please approach the bench." I requested.

Lacy stepped towards my bench, her face was a little brighter, hope appeared to bloom behind her distant eyes.

"Lacy, I want you to remember my words and carry them with you for the rest of your life." I began.

"You are not a murderer. You are a beautiful child who has lost someone very important to her. That fact will be present until your last breath. You are allowed to mourn. You loved Exavier and he would have been blessed to have you as a mother." I paused for a moment to let those words sink in.

"I pray that one day you learn to wholeheartedly forgive yourself for an unconscious mistake you made in a moment of panic. I pray that your aunt and uncle wrap you in so much love that you find it hard to doubt your own worth. I pray that someone comes along and picks up your broken spirit and has the strength to help you become whole again. I pray that you allow them to." I whispered those words in a prayer because I felt them so deep in my bones they became a song to my heart.

"I urge you to find yourself. I implore you to discover the woman you want to become and run full force without restraint towards achieving your goal, because you, Lacy, are worthy. You deserve to know everything that is good and whole in this world, because you are important and necessary. Never doubt that."

"I release you to go to your new home and begin your journey of self discovery. I will check on you. I will follow you. And, if you ever need one single thing, you will contact me and we will work together to get you what you are lacking. I cannot wait to see the woman you become, because I believe in you." I closed.

I stepped down from my bench and walked over to where this broken child still stood. Her face betrayed her emotions of shock and awe.

I pulled her into me by my hands that rested on either side of her face.

I kissed her forehead and then I engulfed her in my loving embrace.

I released her and walked out of that courtroom feeling power radiating off of my form.

The power did not come from the weight of my decision. No, it came from the heavy saturation of love that I felt in that moment while breathing words of life into a broken spirit.

I was born to do this. I was born to encourage.

I left my place in the human world, thankful that I was chosen to deliver that message. Being in that moment filled a portion of me that I did not realize was empty. I needed to induce love. I craved the effects of being an uplifting light in a dark world.

I realize now why Persephone thought I could carry out this task and any other she chose for me.

Compassion and Love were my strengths. I would only grow stronger by nurturing others.

In this moment I felt worthy.

<<<<<<<

***Persephone's POV***

We watched all day in the The Great Fountain. We watched as Aubrey took in the details of her case. Her reactions to the evidence that could prove her most distraught fears, laid before her. We witnessed every minute that Aubrey stood firm in her determination to make the right the choices.

We were not disappointed.

Pride!

Aubrey was everything we hoped her to be. Her moments where her face reflected the anguish that she was reliving were minuscule. She was exactly what was needed.

"She's impressive." Katerina affirmed.

"Aubrey is so much more than she could imagine." Serriphina pronounced.

"I believe you have done well." Mekhal encouraged me.

"We, we have done well." I clarified.

"Who would have believed that 18 years ago a broken child laid before us?" Alejandro whispered.

"Looking at Aubrey today, I can't believe it myself." Katerina exclaimed.

"This is just the beginning." I promised.

We met with Aubrey soon after. We spoke briefly and allowed her to express any discontent in the types of tasks she would be requested to perform. We wanted to measure her feelings and state of mind. Exactly as we predicted, she handled everything far better than expected.

Aubrey informed us that she was ready to continue moving forward in her new life. She explained how this journey in particular gave her confidence and a deep desire to fulfill her role in our world.

We couldn't be more proud.

Aubrey was born to be a chosen one. She proved that relentlessly.

<<<<<<<<>

***Darius POV***

I missed my Aubrey so much today. It was the first day in months that I had spent so many hours without her. Her presence brought a joy that was indescribable and her absence did little to console the missing parts.

My angel came home absolutely beaming. Her smile filled our Pack House with so much happiness. It was tangible.

Aubrey spent hours explaining the things she had seen and heard. Many of us cringed at her explanations.

However, within minutes she had soothed all the discomfort by describing how she encouraged the defendant.

Aubrey kept a small amount a privacy to the case, leaving all names unveiled. She expressed the disgust she felt on behalf of the missing parents. Everyone could agree with her choice.

Then, as Aubrey is always Aubrey, she baffled us all with her last words for the night.

"I'm ready." Aubrey stood tall and announced.

"What are you ready for parvulus?" I requested.

"Everything! Anything! I'm ready to take place by your side as your queen." She smiled.

The smile she gave was blinding. Her confidence rolled off of her in waves. I matched her smile with a dazzling one of my own.

She was already my Queen!

"I'm very happy to hear that baby." I confirmed.

"I'm also ready to start a family." Aubrey admitted.

My heart swelled to the size of a planet. Every portion of my body felt alive with her words. Aubrey was going to give us pups. I couldn't contain my elation.

"Are you sure?" I gawked.

"I'm ready!" She squealed.

"Oh goddess, this is gonna be a shit show." Claire laughed.

"It already is." Bryan chuckled.

"I'm so excited" Luce clapped.

"We can have our own pups" Bryan rolled his eyes.

"We can, when you grow out of being one yourself." Luce laughed.

I was laughing at this.

"Looks like you will be needing to buy some cats." Aubrey joked.

"Fuck you Aubear." Bryan whined.

"Exhibit A" Jackson bellowed.

That was about all we could handle before roars of laughter filled the air.

Soon, I would get to share one of life's greatest gifts with my Queen.

Pups!

Lots of pups.

A fucking pack of pups.

I couldn't wait!