Guilty Until Proven Innocent Pt. 02

I felt Victoria's arm hooked around mine, but she knew I wasn't done. This had been bottled up for years, it was time for release. Off to the right in the direction we were about to walk before I was accosted, stood Terrance, Constance and the Bustoffs watching.

"But at the first test of strength, loyalty and love I learn it was for nothing. My supposedly loyal wife was having an affair with my friend. And my kids after abusing me demanded that I let the wife stealing asshole adopt them, not because I was guilty of anything, but because my parents, my siblings, my FAMILY! Demanded it. You thought I killed those girls. Did you ever try to reach out to the girl's parents?"

All of them looked away.

"I did," I said, suddenly all eyes that couldn't meet mine moment ago locked on to me. "Day after day, I wrote letters to Tina and Maisy's parents. It was the only hour every day when the guards who tormented me left me alone. They thought I was writing regret. But they were wrong. I was writing of two daughters' love for their parents."

Tears were now streaming down my face.

"I would have endured a lifetime of your abuse, your slaps and insults if it would give those girls back to their parents. I am a broken man thanks to not just two incestuous murderers, but because a family didn't just turn its back on me but it threw every punch it could at me because they couldn't get out of their own heads to ask..."

I had now sunk to the ground, my words becoming incoherent as I broke down, sobbing. Beside me, Victoria was trying to hold on for dear life as I descended into madness. I didn't notice, but there were now five security guards surrounding us blocking my family from getting to me. Terrance was standing before them telling them they needed to leave. Mary and Garlin were standing there holding onto each other crying, having heard my rant.

As reality disappeared, I fell into a waking nightmare, one I hadn't had for a couple of years. I kept walking into the dark, ominous clearing and finding the girls in different gruesome endings, the Turner brothers laughing and taunting me as the police and my family continually arrested me and took morose pleasure in torturing me. Over and over, time and again. I could not escape the nightmare.

By the time the ambulance arrived, I was convulsing, I never felt the injection that brought me sweet release from my internal nightmares or the distraught family that had destroyed me breaking down at the sight of what they had done to me.

[:::: Victoria ::::]

I rode with Mike to the hospital and despite the awkwardness of the twins tap dancing in my womb, I held his hand all night long. Even medicated, he was groaning and they had to use restraints to hold him down. Over the years he's had a few bad turns, but this one, the confrontation with his family had done something to him that I don't think Mike even knew could happen.

I knew Mike would be okay. He needed to be, I needed him to be. I could not imagine going on without him, our twins without their father.

As the sun rose, I felt someone squeezing my hand and I looked into Mike's eyes, a sad smile upon his face.

"Are you okay," came his croaky voice.

I was suddenly awake as my husband was awake. I hit the nurse call button like they told me too.

"Mike, honey, you're awake." I said, he nodded.

"Sorry Vicki, I don't know what happened, one moment Patricia was insulting you and the next I'm waking up here." He told me somewhat confused, not knowing what happend.

Before I could say anything else, a doctor and nurse came into the room and started checking Mike over. They released his restraints and told us they would return and if everything was all right they would release him this afternoon.

For the next hour, Mike and I talked through what happened. He was a lot more surprised at his total shutdown then the verbal blasting he gave his family. Then he sighed.

"I guess I'm not as over everything as I thought," he said, contemplatively.

I thought for a minute before replying. A single tiny heel pushed out of my stomach giving me focus. I was just glad it wasn't kicking my bladder.

Getting up and sitting on the bed, Mike also sat up and before long I was leaning into my husband, his arm protectively around me.

"I don't know Mike." I said as we both looked out the window to the hospital gardens beyond. "You went through a trauma that I would imagine is fairly unique to most people in the world. Sure some people certainly have had it worse. But you were abused physically and emotionally by a large group of people over a long period of time. That your body shut down the very first time that you were confronted by a group of former loving people is not that surprising if you think about it.

"If there is a next time," I said to him, looking into his eyes as he looked into mine, "And if we can help it you need to control that next time. I think it will be much easier."

As the morning rolled on, both Terrance and Constance along with Mary and Garlin turned up and were glad to see that Mike was doing well. Both Constance and Mary enjoyed feeling the twins kick and in the end we agreed that they would fly out to 1770 in a month or so for a small baby shower that would also include my mother and Silvia.

The charity board meeting had been postponed a couple of weeks and everyone agreed that Mike and I could attend via video conference to save us flying again. When Mike was released in the afternoon, Terrance drove us to the airport and we got our chartered flight home. Mike slept almost the entire flight and most of the next day. I would have been worried with the exception that the doctors told us he would be tired for a week or two after this incident. I felt further relief that when he was awake he was alert and hungry.

The baby shower went off without a hitch, my friends descended on our home and we had a wonderful afternoon playing a few silly games, opening gifts and talking about motherhood. Being the only one yet to have children I was appalled with some of the stories even though I knew it was coming.

"Just leave your dignity at the door when you go in and Mike will make sure you pick it up when you leave." Constance joked at the process of going through labour.

Mike, Terrance, Garlin and Doug ended up going on a Deepsea fishing charter for the day, and when they got home Mike was extremely proud of a Red Emperor he caught that was almost four feet long.

All in all we had a great weekend, I was surprised after the events in Perth, that I had never seen Mike so happy to be around people. After everyone left Sunday evening, Mike and I sat out on the veranda, I noticed he was crying.

"Honey, are you okay?" I asked.

He nodded and smiled, the tears still streaming down his face.

"Yes Vic, it's been a long time since I have felt this, 'okay'. He told me laughing slightly.

"This weekend with everyone around has been amazing. If you had asked me two years ago if I would ever have been happy again, I would have told you, you're dreaming. Instead, I have a wonderful wife about to give birth to two little miracles, I have friends that visit me for no other reason than just hanging out. I have a wonderful place on the beach, I'm in the best shape of my life... It's just... good." He sat sitting back.

That night we went to bed and even though I felt fat and round, Mike made such sweet and gentle love to me that I had four orgasms before my husband cried out in his own ecstasy.

[:::: Mike ::::]

I have been through the birth of three children in the past. So I thought I was ready for this. When Victoria's water broke at two am on a Thursday morning, wet sheets was the last thing on my mind as I grabbed the birthing bag, my keys and ran for the car. A moment later I stopped, then ran back into the house and helped my wife to the car as well, blushing that I almost forgot her.

I don't think we set a land speed record to the hospital, but I did give it a try in our Jeep. It takes a little over an hour to Bundaberg hospital, and by the time we arrived, Victoria was already having some strong contractions. A nurse met us at the door and Victoria was quickly admitted.

After a quick examination, the doctor recommended that we do a C-section to ensure the health of the babies. Victoria and I had spoken about this and quickly agreed. With the decision made, I kissed my wife as they prepared her for surgery.

My other kids were delivered naturally, so this was new for me. Sometimes they allow the father to stand behind a curtain in the operating room. However, due to the early morning and room availability, I wasn't going to be able to do that, so I would have to wait outside.

A little over an hour later I was sitting in a nondescript waiting room when Doug and Silvia showed up, looking a little dishevelled by the hour, but a lot less nervous that I am sure I looked.

I got hugs from both of them and we sat down and I explained that Victoria was still in the operating room. They both knew I was nervous and spoke to keep me calm. It was perhaps twenty-minutes later as we could just see the sun rising outside when a labour ward nurse came out of the operating room.

"Mr Masters," she said suddenly seeing Doug and Silvia with me gave her pause. "I'm sorry Mr Mayor?"

"It's alright, we are good friends of Joel and Victoria's," Doug said referring to my alter ego.

The unnamed nurse nodded and returned her focus to me.

"Sorry, Mr Masters, I just came to let you know that your wife and the twins are doing incredibly well, Mrs Masters will be in surgery a little longer and your girls will be brought out to see you soon.

"Girls?" I asked, almost whispering the word.

"Yes," the nurse said smiling, "you have two adorable twin girls."

I sank to the ground at the news, Doug looked at me, but Constance instantly got it. She hugged me smiling.

"They are a blessing Mike. You have two beautiful daughters. Be proud," she said.

A few minutes later, another couple of nurses brought my girls out and I got to hold them for the first time. I had forgotten how small they were and while tears streamed down my face, my smile was a mile wide, I was so proud.

After asking about Victoria for the fifth time in as many minutes, one of the delivery doctors came out smiling and asked if I would like to take the girls and go see their mother as she had been moved into recovery.

The nurses wheeled my girls in their little blanket-laden carts through a couple of hallways until we were taken to a private room. I invited Doug and Silvia with us, to which we got a brief frown from a nurse, but nothing was said.

"Hey," I said quietly as we walked into the room. Victoria looking a little out of it, but smiling as her eyes locked with mine.

"Hey..." my wife replied quietly, I could tell she was tired. The nurse handed me one of the girls and I helped lay her into Victoria's left arm, I then did the same with my other infant daughter on the right. I looked closer at them and while very similar I could see they weren't identical.

"Do you know their names?" Silvia asked standing at the foot of the bed with her phone and taking some photos as I tentatively sat on the edge of the bed with Victoria placing my hand on hers.

My wife looked in my eyes and nodded.

I leant in and kissed my girl on the left and said the name, "Tina."

I heard both Doug and Silvia gasp as they heard the name. I moved around the bed being careful not to disturb Victoria and kissed my second daughter. "Maisy."

I heard a sob and Silvia was crying. She knew the significance of the names.

Victoria and I purposely didn't find out the sex of our twins before the birth but had talked about the names if they were girls beforehand. We had very privately asked Garlin and Mary if they would be okay if we honoured their daughters if it worked out this way.

When we sent the photos a few minutes later with Victoria holding Tina and Maisy, we had a reply within moments about how proud they were. We even had a very tearful video call later that morning as we asked Garlin and Mary to become the Twins Godparents. They accepted with more tears and a lot of smiles.

The girls grew and we grew so much as a family. Victoria, originally so hesitant to become a mother, took to it naturally, she was perfect, never too firm or too lax. And she always made time for me. If anything our love making increased once Victoria got the all clear.

[:::: Mike ::::]

My girls were three years old when I had the dream. For the first moment it felt like every other time I ended up here. However this time it was also different. It was the same clearing, but in place of the gloom and despair that I always felt looking at the centre point of the clearing, this time it..., no now it looked more like a glade, and the 'glade' was bathed in a strong, bright moonlight. It was like the brightest rays of the sun were bouncing off the moon and coming directly into my dream.

In the centre was a large wrought iron table, powder coated bright white so it shone with the moonlight coming down upon it. Situated around the table were a half dozen chairs all in the same style. Around the ground in place of the dirt and twigs that I had sat in with the sisters all those years ago was a field of lush green grass and a spattering of little white flowers making the entire location feel like a relaxing space to just lay on the ground and feel at peace.

I took a hesitant step forward, feeling the coolness of the grass on my feet. I looked at myself, I was dressed casually in shorts and a T-shirt like I did so often these days, not in my old work clothes. I walked further towards the table looking for signs of struggle, waiting to find the dying Bustoff sisters. But there was no one to be seen.

I walked around the table a couple of times, touching the cool texture of the metal, wondering what was happening. This dream was so different to the others over the years.

"Hi Mr Mike," I heard a voice from the past say.

I spun around and there they were. Tina and Maisy Bustoff were standing right there in front of me holding hands. In place of the broken clothes and mortal injuries they had when we met, they were dressed in pretty white dresses, and both had white ribbons in their hair and massive smiles on their faces.

I dropped to my knees and opened my arms to which both sisters didn't hesitate to step in and hugged me with the same ferocity that I was giving them. I could feel their hot tears on my chest just as I knew they could feel mine. The moment stretched on for what could have been hours, who knows in this dreamscape it may have been. I just knew that I didn't want this to end.

"Hi girls," I said at last as we broke the hug leaning backwards to look at them.

They had huge smiles on their faces, and I could see a lot of love in their expressions.

"You did really well Mr Mike." Maisy told me.

"What do you mean sweetie?" I asked the little girl who would now be leaving high school if she was still alive.

"You never gave up," she said as she touched the side of my face in a gentle caress. "You never let them overcome you."

I looked at her for a moment then at Tina, who nodded.

"Even in those moments of doubt, when you wanted the pain to end, you fought. We're proud of you Mr Mike." Tina said.

"I sense a but?" I told the sisters.

Both girls laughed then, dragging me by the hand to one of the seats around the table.

"Yes there is, however this time the 'but' is for you." Tina continued.

"For me?" I asked.

Both girls nodded.

"Yes Mr Mike," Maisy said. "It's time for you to forgive yourself, it's time for you to truly move on."

I felt a crack in the moonlight, almost like a shadow descended over the clearing, but as quickly as it came the moonlight appeared again, stronger this time.

I felt both sister's hands on mine.

"It's alright Mr Mike," Tina said. "You have so many people who love you now." Maisy nodded in agreement.

"That's right," said a surprising voice behind me.

I turned in my seat and standing there was Victoria and my three year old daughters. I was instantly on my knees again as my twins flew to my arms much like the sisters of their namesakes did earlier in the dream.

"Daddy!" they squealed in delight.

I hugged and kissed them like I hadn't seen them in weeks, when in reality I had only kissed them good night a few hours earlier. I held them in my arms, and felt Victoria place her hand on my shoulder as I turned back towards the Bustoff sisters.

I wasn't sure what was going on, but I took the initiative in this dream to connect the most important parts of both my past and my future together.

"Tina and Maisy, I would like you to meet the brave girls that you are named after." I said and introduced the four of them. They hugged like they had known each other for years, causing me to smile and wipe further tears from my eyes.

"Tina and Maisy, I would also like to introduce you to my wife..."

"Victoria," Tina said smiling, her eyes bright. "Thank you for looking after him."

Victoria smiled and bent down to hug the sisters then bent in and kissed me. "Love you," she said.

As we turned around the table was suddenly filled with a moonlight picnic, perfect for a girls birthday party. Fairy bread, custard tarts, tubs of sweets you name it was there.

For what felt like the next few hours the six of us laughed and joked, I smiled again and again, feeling a lightness of my soul that had not been there since that night. We played games that suddenly appeared, danced to music that played without speakers and told stories that everyone laughed to.

Eventually though the dream had to end, and we all said goodbye with happy hugs and lots of tears. The Bustoff sisters hugged me so tight and surprised me with kisses telling me they loved me like a father bringing even more tears to my eyes.

As the scene faded I was determined to wake and remember the dream forever.

As I opened my eyes I found the eyes of my wife, tears streaming down her face. Instantly her hand was cupping my cheek as I felt the warm happy tears on my own.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," I mouthed back as she we moved together wrapping my arms around her.

Moments later, the twins came screaming into the room, both telling us of the amazing dream they both had.

"Daddy, you were there, Mum too." Little Tina said. Her twin sister nodded.

"And the girls we're named after were there too." Maisy said wanting to say something before her sister got the next word in. They told us of the midnight picnic, playing games and how much fun it was.

As the girls described the scene exactly as my dream occurred, Victoria and I looked at each other in amazement, it was just a dream, wasn't it?

Whatever the case, I knew that the old nightmare of finding the Bustoff sisters broken was gone, it wouldn't haunt me again.

[:::: Victoria ::::]

After that night, Mike and I often spoke about the dream, getting the girls to settle down about it was also difficult. In the end, they said something to Garlin and Mary, while they were visiting and we had to tell them the story. There were of course more tears and it was compounded when Garlin and Mary announced that they were pregnant, and everyone ended up dancing to silly tunes for the afternoon. I could see Mike's face a few times as he smiled, I know he was picturing the same thing I was, The Bustoff sisters dancing in the moonlight in that clearing.

I know that dream changed me forever, seeing and 'meeting' the girls, had affected all of our lives so much. And I know as much as I was affected by it, Mike was affected a lot more, but in a positive way. His demons were so much further in the distance now, and the man I loved came alive so much more making me fall in love with him even more if that was possible.