The chief raised his eyebrows "Oh really, come on now Justin I know better than that" he said clearly skeptical.

Justin felt tears coming to his eyes. He wanted someone to pinch him, wake him up from this horrible nightmare. He wanted to be in bed with his wife, listening to romantic music as they had been! "I was trying to keep him from coming into the police station because he would have been trying to make it sound like Kevin and Nate were lying. Kevin was attacked! Nate was shot!" He sank back into his seat. His phone rang. It was Maralyn. He pleaded, "It's my wife. Can I please answer it?"

"Three minutes" said the cop bluntly... he grabbed the cell phone and put it on speaker Then handed it back to Justin.

Justin tried to find his voice. "Hello?"
He heard an excited Maralyn blurt out, "Justin, great news! I'm pregnant!"
Justin took a deep breath. This was good and bad news at the same time. "Uh, Maralyn. I won't be home tonight." He grimaced for teh right words. "I might be going to jail."
Maralyn yelled, "What?!"
Justin said, "Calm down. Getting stressed out is not good for the baby. I will talk to you about it at the hospital and explain everything! Go to Jen's and tell Peter. He and Jen are working on a project." As the police pulled the phone away, he called out, "I love you, Maralyn!"

The cop grabbed the cell "Wow Justin I'm impressed you finaly got married how did the parents take it" he said with a smirk.

Justin tried not to glare at the officer. "They thought I was the best guy their daughter ever met. That's what they told me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maralyn hung up the phone and asked God to perform a miracle. She rubbed her tummy and wondered how they would survive if Justin wa sin jail. WHen she got to Jen's, she rang the doorbell and tried fighting the tears. His sweet, adorable cousin answered. She had been so hard on him, but now he seemd so innocent. She swooped him into a big hug. SHe stroked his thin curls. "Your cousin got arrested."

Peter gapsed, "What? Which one?"

Maralyn cried, "Justin! And I'm with child!"

Peter held her in his arms. He was sure this did not equal Justin's touch, but that was the least he could do. He was still shaking himself. He blurted, "I'm sure it's all a big misunderstanding!"

"Oh wow!" the chief almost cracked up laughing. "You... the best man?" he hit his head on the stearing wheel. "Now that just made my day" he said.

Ally turned the corner and finally saw the cop car she had heard as she walked. The people in the back seat looked familiar, she decided as she tried to peer in nosily. HEYWAITAMINIT! Ally nearly spun around backwards. Was that the youth pastor and the Nate kid? Who was the ugly guy next the him? She stared and then started to run back.

----------------
"Two days," said Brad. "It's only about 40 minutes away."

"Why not?" said June, leafing through a magazine.

Justin snapped, "Hey, why don't you just watch the road?"
He sulked back into his seat, asking God for help, mercy and forgiveness. He tried to think of a happy memory. His wedding day. When everything was right with the world. Peter and Jen were together and allowed to be with no restrictions. His bride was so beautiful, a symbol of the purity he wished he was. Miley and Johnny were there and happy. Susan was there being Susan, but that was not unusual. He looked down at his hands and saw blood. He tried wiping it on his shirt. He looked out the window, feeling the opposite of his happy self. He ran hand through his hair, shuddering at the thought of it being almost gone in a few hours. He put his hand down and tried to focus on more important things. Just sitting in the car with this guy was torutre. He wished he could be in the car with Kevin and Nate. He wanted to tell them how brave they were. Looking straight ahead, he saw that there was no star in the sky. It was just pure darkness. At this time, he would normally be hungry. After what he saw, he was sure he would not have an appetite anytime soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maralyn slumped onto the couch. Peter got some pillows, pulled her up, then had her lay back down on them. "We will find you help with the baby, okay?"
Maralyn asked, "How can you, when you're not allowed to be with each other, except for this rare moment?"
Peter suggested, "You can stay with Miley."
Maralyn said, "Thanks, but I am not planning on Justin staying in jail."
Peter sighed and plopped next to his cousin in law. "I will help him in whatever way I can. This has to be a misunderstanding!"
Feeling hungry, Maralyn asked, "Do you kids want me to get you something to eat?"
Peter's eyes brightened. "I'm starving."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Ryan got there, Amanda said, "Let's get something to eat before we go to the hospital. She looked at Miley, who still looked pale and shocked, like the shell of the girl she once was. She put an arm around Miley and stroked her long, brown hair. Miley looked up, with tears. "I don't want Justin to go to jail! I'm sure he was just trying to protect Kevin!"
Amanda held her close, trying to stop her own tears. The girl's loyalty to her brother was beyond what most people had towards a good friend.
Miley said, "He's probably freaking out right now. He's probably scared."
Amanda wanted to tell Miley her brother was a strong man and will pull through this, but didn't know how. She took teh younger girl's hand, as teh whoel group headed towards a restaurant in the mall."

Ryan gave Miley a hug. "It'll be all right. I'm sure once Justin explains his story, he'll be able to go home."

Miley sniffed, and nodded. She hated the thought of seeing her brother all cooped up in a jail celll, with his hair cut off and bruises and cuts on his face from the other prisoners. His hair was really short as it is, but the police would probably want to cut more off. He was probably beating himself inside. He was probably telling the cops it was an accident, but they won't believe him because of his dark past. "He's a great brother."

"Yes, he is," Chrissa said, patting Miley's shoulder. "Try not to worry, Miley. Remember, God works all things together for good. Justin is an honest man, anyone can see that. I'm sure everything will be all right."

Miley slumped into her seat at the restaurant. "He was trying to protect me , then he heard gunshots and thought they were shotting Kevin, so he went to help. I wish people would give him a chance!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Justin decided that he will not tell the policeman he was a youth minister. He did not want to bring a bad name to his church or to anyone else trying to serve Christ. He felt the air in his lungs suffocate him and found it hard to breathe it out. He closed his eyes, to stop anymore tears from coming out. The night grew colder and it brought back horrible memories of drunken fights and drunken romances. When they got to the hospital, he waited for the cop to let him out o fthe car.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After they finished their meal and got to the hospital, Miley saw the police car with her brother in it. He looked so broken, that light gone from his eyes and his face stained with tears. No. She rushed out of the car, towards the police car and opened the door. "Justin!" She fell into his arms, gave him a hug and wept. She felt his warm arms around her. She could feel him shaking, as if trying to hold back some crying himself. She rubbed his soft, dark hair. The gel from earlier had come out, causing his hair to fall around his eyes. She swept it to the side, and kissed his forehead. "Oh Justin."

He tucked a strand of long hair behind his sister's ear. He whispered, "I'm sorry, sis." His poor baby sister had been through so much in one night. He wished he coudl do anything to make her feel better. Of course if he hadn't killed a man, then she may just be a little better. He tried to push the horrible memory out of his head, but it persisted in staying there. He let himself cry into her shoulder and let her cry into his.

Miley's heart melted at her brother's apology. She rubbed the dark hair on the side of his head, grimacing at the thought of it not being there in a few hours. She rubbed his soft, pale face and wiped the tears from his eyes. She decided she was not going to tell the cops he was a youth minister. He did not look like a youth minister now. He looked more like a frightened eight -year old boy and cried like one. She heard him mutter, "I'm a failure."
She rubbed his back, which felt like nothing more than a shell of what it once was. Then again, he looked like nothing more than the shell of the strong, brave man he was. She put her hand to his chest and saw that his heart was beating rapidly. No! This is killing him! "Calm down, Justin, or you'll die."
Justin mumbled, "I wish I was never born."
Miley sobbed, "Justin, stop it! What about Peter? What about Maralyn? What about me? Do you think our lives woudl have been better without you in it?"
Justin answered, "You have Johnny. He was always the good one anyway."
Miley said, "And Susan was always the mature, pretty one. You don't hear me wishing I'd never been born."
Justin said, "But you don't ruin lives. Besides, what if someone else had been your brother? You would not have been able to go through all that bullying up to the age of twelve. You would not have had to live in a house that smelled like booze. You would not have had ot wake up in the middle of the night to our mom crying because her younger son had been drunk from partying for the millionth time, or because he's been arrested for drugs again, or because he's been in a stupid fight."
Miley's eyes grew fierce. "Please stop it! People wake up in the middle of the night just to go bathroom!"
Justin asked, "What about the time we almost got kicked out of our neighborhood because of the loud partying?"
Miley groaned. "Justin!"
He ignored her. "Or when we were in debt because i kept using our parents' money to buy illegal drugs and alcohol."
She yelled, "Justin! Shut up for once! It's in the past. You've been forgiven. When you, with a repentative heart were baptised in the name of Christ, He washed away your sins."
He said, "It's coming back to haunt me, Miley."

The cop drew his gun and pointed it at Miley "Remmember me?" he said flashing his teeth "Now out!"
---
Nate was being carried into the hospital the young cop flashed his badge "get this boy in now!" he yelled.

Miley whimpered, then ran into the hospital to catch up with Nate. "Nate! Are you okay? Please tell me what happened! Justin is in so much trouble!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Justin asked, "Why did you threaten my sister like that?"