A/N: Dear readers, thank you for taking a look at this. To be honest: I am not sure when I will update this story and the only reason why I put this online already is because I want to see what you think of it. If it is worth writing.

As always: Much love and many hugs for my beta Torry-Riddle.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Veronica Roth does.

Prologue

I lean back against the headboard of my bed, legs crossed at the ankles, whiskey glass half-full resting in my hands in my lap. Its three am in the morning but I can't find sleep, the TV my companion throughout the night. My hand searches for the remote in the depths of my sheets, thumb easily finding the button to switch channels and I start to zapp through them because my brain is too educated and still to wide awake to longer put up with the talk show currently playing.

I thought listening to other people's problems could rescue me from my own thoughts and the bitterness I feel. And from the freaking uselessness in my bones, dammit. I hoped that listening to their problems would make me feel better about mine, would make mine appear to be not as important or not as heartwrenching. The only thing it did though was make me scowl at the stupidity of the people living on this planet and clarify that yes, my life is fucked up ready to be taken.

When I stopped hoping for the alleviation of my problems with others I started to hope that their mindless chatter and monotone voices would lull me to sleep, bore me out of my mind and all it did was make me get up and search for alcohol. I take a gulp from my glass again, emptying it for the third time. I would give anything for a joint now.

"You are still up?" I hear someone ask from my door and see my roommate clad only in his boxershorts, hair messy and marks from his pillow on his left cheek.

"I am still partying hard, what do you think." I answer him, taking the bottle from my nightstand and refill my glass. Seriously, I could just drink right from the bottle but I am still too civilized to do that. But not too long from it a part of me thinks. I look to my roommate again and envy him. The life he has with the person he wants. Bullshit feelings, I think and gulp down more whiskey. The cheap sort, burning the throat.

"Eric.." He says again and I feel my hands clench.

"Don't," is all I can say, jaw squared, teeth gritted painfully. My eyes are fixed on the screen, zapping through channels, pictures rushing infront of my eyes.

"Its just... could you please stop this behavior? I don't know you anymore..." He sounds desperate and worried. I feel that a part of me is sorry that he has to put up with me like this. Another part argues that I had to do much more for him at one point in his life and he could be fucking grateful for just one moment. I tune out this part because its unfair – he is my friend and its not his fault. None of it. And it isn't my fault as well. I wish there would be a person I could blame.

I halt in my movements when I see her face on display in the news. I press the button to turn up the volume and stare at her eyes. The picture doesn't do her justice one bit and I grit my teeth.

"Its the third week in the process of the murder of Jeanine Matthews and signs are good that the jury will come to a decision soon..." Without thinking my thumb presses down on the power button. Hard. I hear the remote slowly breaking in my hand. Signs are good... Fucking idiots.

"She will die. They will find her guilty." I hear myself say, voice rough.

"You don't know that." He answers and he seems to know just like I do that he could have saved the breath. Empty words and meaningless phrases won't save her.

"Please. I am a detective and so are you. I know what they will see because its what we saw." I answer him anyway to not stay in silence. The silence will be dangerous.

"You saw her innocence right from the beginning." He says and all I can do is hang my head.

"It doesn't matter anymore. In not more then five days, they will sentence her to death." And my own innocence that I thought was lost long before I met her will be put to death as well.

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