YES! This story is finished! I've got the last chapter done and that will be up next week so this is the penultimate chapter. My Christmas story is also done so look out for that next week too!
Additional Characters
The Judge - Germania
François Bonnefoy – 2p! France
Viktor Bogdanov – 2p! Russia
Wang Yao – China
Ranjid Saddig – India
Henri Picard – Picardy
Ivan Braginski – Russia
Wang Chung-yan – Nyo! China
Ayushi Meela – Nyo! India
Enjoy!
I don't own Hetalia!
Chapter 7 : The Court of Appeal
Amelia watched as the medical staff in the theatre worked on the man who had come to mean so much to her. She had lost her brother, she could not stand the thought of losing Arthur too. Doctor Smith's hands worked like a artist's, using his scalpel like a brush as he performed his life-saving surgery on Arthur. Amelia went to brush her hair from the side of her face and then …..
Everything froze!
Matthew and Francis appeared in the operating theatre among the medical team while Kyle got a good look at the girl that had Arthur digging his heels in. Francis made his way to the head of the operating table.
"Arthur!" he called. "Arthur!" Arthur appeared from under the sheet and became fascinated with seeing his own body on the table but Francis waved at him to follow and they went to the doors and walked straight through them.
"Kyle!" Arthur exclaimed at seeing his deceased Australian cousin who hugged him. "It's good to see you!"
"Great to see you too, Arthur," Kyle replied. "You've been causing quite a bit of trouble upstairs, you know."
"I never expected to ever see you again," Arthur said. "Down here or up there!"
"You can thank Doctor Williams for that," Kyle replied.
"I commandeered him as my assistant," Matthew explained. "Now we need to talk!" Arthur indicated to the operating theatre.
"They won't notice I'm gone, will they?" he asked. Francis laughed.
"Not for a moment, mon ami!" he replied. Matthew looked through the door windows at Doctor Smith in mid-cut.
"He's good!" he said. "Very neat! You're in good hands, Arthur! Now then ….."
"I know what you're going say," Arthur interrupted him. "Yes, I'm quite sure I want you to be my defending consul."
"I could be in over my head," Matthew warned but Arthur shook his head.
"I have every faith in you," he replied, adamantly.
"If he starts spouting politics, I'm done for!"
"Tell me who wouldn't be! Say yes, Matthew! Please!"
"He has no choice, mon cher," Francis said.
"Then why are we arguing?" Arthur asked. Matthew shrugged.
"Alright!" he said. "We'll need evidence in our favour. Something that shows that this is Love and not just infatuation!" Arthur waved them over to Amelia.
"Just look at her," he replied and all of them turned to stared at the frozen Amelia.
"She looks like a nice girl!" Kyle exclaimed. Matthew huffed.
"Well, don't sound too surprised!" he said. "She's my sister, of course she's a nice girl!" Kyle gave an apologetic grin. Arthur just stared into Amelia's sky blue eyes.
"This is the girl I love," he replied. "Her accent is different to mine but I love it. We were born an ocean apart but we were always meant to meet!"
"Very poetic!" Matthew said with a soft smile. Arthur blushed.
"Sorry!"
"The language of Love, mon ami," Francis replied. "No need to be ashamed!"
"I want to kiss her," Arthur said. "Just in case!"
"She will not feel it, mon cher."
"Doesn't matter," Arthur moved forward and brushed his lips over Amelia's. Francis sighed. So English! Why kiss a girl if she can't feel it? Arthur stood back and Francis spotted something.
"Look!" he exclaimed. "The evidence you wanted!" He pointed to Amelia's face. A tear glistened by her eye and began to fall. It should not have happened while Amelia was frozen! Was this love great enough to break through the time freeze? It was compelling evidence indeed!
Matthew saw the tear as well, including the implications.
"I wish I could take it with me," he said.
"You can do as you wish," Francis declared. "It's your right as consul!" Kyle frowned.
"How can we take a tear?" he asked. Francis took the rose out of his lapel and put it gently to Amelia's cheek where the tear transferred to one of the petals.
"I hope this is enough," Matthew said. "It's the only real evidence we have!"
Arthur returned to unconsciousness on the operating table while Matthew, Kyle and Francis hurried back to Heaven to get ready for the trial. It was a full regalia affair and Francis was garbed in eighteen century court dress as he gently put the rose down on the evidence table on the defence platform.
The seating in the Heavenly court room went on into the distance but there was not an empty seat anywhere. Nurses, soldiers, sailors, airmen, people from every century, some hoping for a favourable decision for the Records Department but more than a few were on Arthur's side, the romance of it all appealing to many.
On the other side of the courtroom was an identical platform where the prosecuting consul would stand and, between these two platforms was a third one with two levels. On the first level were six seats, before which four people of differing nationalities from differing centuries stood and on the top level was a single chair, square and made of white marble, ready for a special occupant.
Everyone stood up as a figure in robes made his way up to the top level. He had long blonde hair with a thin braid on each side. He sat in the chair and arranged his robes as everyone else sat down as well.
"The Court of Appeal," the judge announced, with a German accent but it was old German from centuries ago. "Is here to consider the case of The Department of Records vs Squadron Leader Arthur Alfred Kirkland of the British Royal Air Force! He claims negligence and superior rights and responsibilities arising from said negligence. He's appealing for remission of the date of his term on Earth and for his case to be examined. It has been decided to allow this appeal and it is up to the jury to decided if it should be successful." He looked down at the jury.
"Members of the Jury," he ordered. "Consider only the facts and be lead only by your conscience. The Consul for the Prosecution will take his place!"
All eyes turned to the platform for the prosecution as men in robes filed into view. They separated and another man came from behind them. Jacob Blake was a tall man with black hair and deep blue eyes but the thing that really stood out was he was wearing the blue uniform of the Revolutionary War.
The judge turned toward the other platform.
"The Consul for the Defence will take his place!"
Matthew stepped out alone and stood beside the table bearing the rose, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves. He just hoped he did not let Arthur down.
Jacob Blake looked across at his opponent. It made sense that the Canadian doctor would defend the Englishman. They were, or had been, friends, the young American girl the Englishman claimed to love was Williams's half-sister, Canada still had connections with Britain and the two countries were allies in the current conflict as was America but his last moments on Earth were still clear in his mind. The sight of British uniforms, the sound of the shot, the pain of the bullet, his death!
The Judge turned back to Jacob.
"I call on the prosecution to open the case!"
Jacob took of his hat in respect, giving it to one of his attendants and stepped forward.
"Your Honour!" he began, looking at the Judge and then the Jury. "Members of the Jury! There are three points to this case. Arthur A Kirkland, an Englishman, should have died on the 2nd of May. Due to an error, which I must say is not typical of a great service." And he bowed to the representatives of the Records Department. "The defendant did not die! Therefore, point one! Who is responsible? When informed that he must report some twenty hours later, he refused, claiming that, in the borrowed time, that he had taken on new and permanent responsibilities. He claimed that, in those twenty hours, he had fallen with a young lady, of good American stock, and that she had fallen in love with him. So, point two! Are we to believe this? And he also states that in these twenty hours which he had borrowed …..." Matthew decided to intervene.
"Your Honour," he interrupted. "I object to the word borrowed! To borrow is to be given temporary use of something without being the true owner! My client wasn't given this time without being the true owner, he was the true owner of his own life." The Judge nodded to acknowledge this point which pleased Matthew. The borrowed comments were subtle attempts to convince everyone that Arthur was on Earth when he should have been in Heaven. A way of swaying the Jury.
"The next points," Jacob continued. "Are, is this young Englishman in love with this young lady of good American stock and, more importantly, is she in love with him?" Matthew decided to bring up another issue.
"Why do you stress their nationalities?"
"Because it is relevant, sir," Jacob replied. "We are talking about Love!"
"It can happen between an Englishman and an American girl," Matthew pointed out. In the audience, an American airman who was sat by the stairs between sections, looked across at a young woman in a British Army uniform and said, "And visa versa!"
"True," Jacob acknowledged. "But what are these feelings of Love in another country, Doctor Williams? Men and women away from their homes and families, homesick and longing for companionship. Bright brief sparks instead of enduring flames! The Love of the Moment, Doctor! Is that Love or merely infatuation? How many of these end in lasting marriage? Maybe one in ten thousand!"
"And that is my case, sir," Matthew declared. He had to admit, Jacob made good points so Matthew had to make to the point that, since True Love was so rare, they should be careful not to throw it away without careful consideration.
"That, sir, you have to prove!" Jacob declared. "When our men and women came to Britain to be allies, it was not to be subjugated!" Matthew snorted. This man was clearly still stuck in the Revolutionary War, the world had moved on. As Jacob pointed out, Britain and America were now allies.
"May I point out," Matthew replied. "We are living in the twentieth century, not the eighteen!"
"May I pointed out," Jacob retorted. "We are not alive at all!" Matthew had to admit Jacob had him there.
"Good point!" he conceded.
"And I am aware of the changing times," Jacob disputed. "I've been watching Britain from up here! The wars, politics and activities! Would you say that Arthur A Kirkland is a good English man?"
"Yes. I would!" Matthew said with conviction. One of Jacob's assistants brought a box and he took out a glass and held it up.
"This is the glass from which Benedict Arnold drank the health of George III," Jacob announced and let it drop to the floor where it smashed. "Does it break because it's damaged or just glass?" He took a sheet of paper and tore it in half. "Can I tear this paper because it's defective or just paper? We are as we were made but our ancestors have had influence in shaping us too."
"The Jury will note that I quite agree," Matthew replied. "May I ask where Mr Blake's grandfather was born?" Jacob stayed silent.
"Could it be England?" Matthew asked with a slight smile. Jacob's lips tightened.
"He left because he didn't like it!" he replied. "He would not have liked it any better today!" Another assistant brought a radio to Jacob who turned it on. A man was droning on about a cricket match and Matthew had to admit it sounded very boring.
"The voice of England in the present day!" Jacob declared, interrupting the boring commentary. "Is this an English voice, sir?" Matthew did not know what to do to counter this tactic until Francis appeared at his side, also with a radio and Matthew smiled.
"The voice of America in the present day!" he announced and turned the radio on.
Shoo, shoo, shoo baby!
(Wah!)
Shoo, shoo, shoo baby!
(Wah!)
Bye, bye, bye baby!
(Wah!)
Your Papa's off to the seven seas!
Jacob just looked at the radio, perplexed. What was that? Was it really American?
"I don't understand a word!" he admitted. Matthew turned off the radio and smiled.
"Neither do I!" Matthew replied. "But for England, I'm willing to call Pope, Wordsworth, Shakespeare …." Matthew rhymed off the greatest of English writers and poets, all of whom were acknowledged even in America. Jacob waved his hand.
"I conceded your point," he said.
"And Arthur Kirkland!"
"Is he a poet?" Jacob asked.
"He's made a beginning," Matthew replied. "So he could be, given the chance!"
"That is what we are here to decide!"
"I can't argue with that!"
The anaesthetist watched carefully over the anaesthetising equipment as it kept Arthur unconscious while Doctor Smith worked on the man on the operating table. Amelia watched as a nurse mopped Smith's brow then suddenly, the pump on the anaesthetiser began to work faster. Smith looked over at his anaesthetist who was checking the machine. Amelia's heart jumped into her mouth as the drama unfolded. Then the machine went back to normal rate and the anaesthetist nodded to Doctor Smith who resumed the operation while Amelia breathed a sigh of relief.
"Arthur Kirkland's character, just like everyone else's, has been formed by circumstances," Jacob declared. "By many connecting circumstances. Benjamin Franklin said For want of a nail, the shoe was lost. For want of the shoe, the horse was lost. For want of a horse, the rider was lost. For want of a rider the message was lost. For want of a message,the kingdom was lost. And all for the want of a horse shoe nail! I take you've heard of Benjamin Franklin?" Jacob smiled, smugly.
"I say in George Washington's words," Matthew responded. "Labour to keep in your heart, that little spark of celestial fire called conscious!"
"That could never have been said by a Englishman," Jacob claimed.
"What was George Washington?" Matthew pointed out. Born in an English colony, George Washington would have been considered originally English, something Jacob could not argue with.
"Are you saying that there's something wrong with my conscious?"
"Yes, I am!"
"Your Honour, I protest!" Jacob exclaimed. "I'm merely trying to give a true account to the Jury!"
"You're trying to prejudice the Jury against my client!" Matthew accused. Jacob just smiled.
"I don't need to!" he announced. "They're already prejudiced against Britain and they have good reason! Look closely at the members of the jury, Doctor!" Matthew looked toward the Jury. Each stood up to introduce themselves.
"François Bonnefoy, French!" The first one who bore a resemblance to Francis announced. Francis almost groaned, François was an ancestor of his.
"Has there ever been a century when England and France have not quarrelled?" Jacob sounded smug. The next stood up.
"Viktor Bogdanov, Russian!"
"The Crimean War, Doctor Williams!"
"Wang Yao, Chinese!"
"The English attack on China in 1857!"
"Ranjid Saddig. Indian!"
"India's interaction with the British Empire, Doctor!" Jacob said. "Need I say more? Choose a new jury from anywhere, they will always be against England!" Jacob smiled, smugly but Matthew surprised him
"Your Honour!" he said. "I wish to take the consul's advice and request that a new jury be chosen!"
"From where, Doctor Williams?" Jacob asked.
"You said from anywhere," Matthew replied.
"Not England!"
"Why not from England?" Matthew demanded, since Jacob had already made the case that people from any other country would let past grievances cloud their judgement, thereby making a fair trial for Arthur impossible. "Where else have the rights of the individual been valued?"
"In America!" Jacob declared. "Where these rights are held inalienable!"
"There's just as much freedom in England as in America," Matthew replied. "An Englishman think as he likes, in politics and religion!"
"An American lives in freedom from the moment he's born," Jacob declared. "He sups it with the milk from the beast of his mother! He see more from the top of Boston State House than from the top of anywhere else in the world. He sees no smoke or fog. A clear view from the sea to the New Hampshire mountains. America is the only place where man is full grown!"
Americans began to applaud this speech and Matthew wondered if they were ever going to get to the real issue of Arthur's life, rather than English culture vs American! The man's entire view was clearly coloured by his experience and death in the Revolutionary War but the world had moved on. Matthew gave Jacob another shock!
"Then I choose a Jury of Americans!" Now Brits began applauding. They did not know what the Canadian was doing but they suspected he had some plan. Jacob had not been expecting that but Matthew was not finished.
"Of Americans!" he clarified. "From every walk of life! But if one has fought in the War of Independence, I want one who has fought, as our ally in our current conflict! If the second has a mind entrenched in the past, I want the fourth to be looking to the future! I believe, no! I know that this Jury will judge this case, unprejudiced by past wrongs long forgotten by the modern world and will come to the right judgement!" Applause came from various nationalities at Matthew's passionate speech. "For I am fighting for the rights of the Common Man against the system!"
"But you are fighting against the law too, Doctor Williams," Jacob had to admit to being impressed by the Canadian's speech but he would not let it deter him from winning this case. "The Eternal Law of the Universe. Nothing is stronger than the law! On which the Universe is built!"
"This is not a Court of Law!" Matthew refuted. "It is a Court of Justice!" He turned to the Judge. "Your Honour, I ask for a Jury of American citizens!" The Judge turned to Jacob.
"Do you agree, Mr Blake?"
"It's a jury I would welcome, Your Honour!" The Judge looked down at the present jury.
"The Jury will please retire!" The Jury stood and vanished to be replaced by new jurors.
The Frenchman was replaced with another man brown hair and green eyes.
"Henri Picard, American citizen!" he introduced himself with a trace of a French accent. The next man stepped forward.
"Ivan Braginski, American citizen!" The silver haired, violet eyed man showed his Russian heritage. The next juror was a Chinese girl.
"Wang Chung-yan, American citizen!" Matthew could see where this was going as the next juror stepped forward, another girl from India.
"Ayushi Meela, American citizen!" Jacob looked smug while Matthew wondered if his tactic had backfired but he was still hopeful about the new jury's impartiality.
"The new jury may sit," the Judge ordered and they sat down. The Judge turned to Matthew.
"Begin your case, Defence Consul!" Matthew indicated to the rose on the table beside him.
"Here in this flower is my case!" he announced. "I must agree with the Prosecuting Consul. Has Arthur Kirkland fallen in love in the allotted extra ….."
"Borrowed, Doctor Williams!"
"Disputed extra twenty hours," Matthew clarified. "Or hasn't he? Has someone fallen in love with him? These two people would never have met, had a mistake by Higher Powers had not been made! They are being punished for doing something very natural! They fell in love! In the tear on this flower are love, truth and friendship! Those traits can create a new world and build a better one and that's what I'm fighting for and demand that Arthur Kirkland's life continue!" The jury huddled together to confer with each other. Ivan Braginski, who seemed to have become the spokesperson for the group, stood up.
"Your Honour!" he addressed the Judge. "The Jury feel that this girl and the defendant should be allowed to speak so we can hear this case from their respective!" Matthew felt hopeful at this turn of events. Amelia just might be able to convince them.
"Nothing's impossible," he said. The Judge and the rest of the Jurors stood up.
"The court will adjourn!"
And it was arranged to take the trial to Earth!
Having Ivan called himself an American citizen gave me a twisted little thrill X) There were no human names for Picardy and India that I could find so I made up my own! As much as Jacob insists that he had been keeping up with what had been happening on Earth, he still seems to be very much stuck in the past :( but, as he died at British hands he was bound to have a lingering resentment toward Arthur. We just have to hope he doesn't get in the way of True Love! :3
To Normandy – Oddly enough, 'cheeky' isn't a word I use that often! It was in the film and I liked it :) Ah! Cork! I love the Irish accent, it has a charm all its own! :D I could never get into Monty Python myself but Doctor Who, Red Dwarf, those I love, even Horrible Histories is fun! XD I was a big reader myself, so much so that one teacher didn't believe I read so much and quizzed me on what I read. I got everything right but still he had trouble :( The Luci of the group, is she? Should I be worried for you? XP
To takuya – I know! When I started writing the story I knew that was going to be Mattie's fate! :'( but, as the saying goes, he was headed for bigger things! Unfortunately, it was Matthew's time so the Universe is still demanding Arthur. Or, having heard about Matthew's death, Arthur's sub-conscious made Matthew a part of his hallucination as his Defence Consul. As for the identity of the doctor, you'll find out next week! ;)
To ArtemsisIsis13 – No problem! I've had to put Hetalia Tales 5:5 on hiatus for a while due to time commitments (Life, the Universe and that weird Christmas stuff) The weather has settled now so I'm not about to go out a buy a gondola! ;P Yeah! Writing that bit broke my heart but, as you see, it was a necessary part of the sorry but still, poor Mattie! :'( And poor Amelia, she's really gone through the mill! First Mattie and now the possibility of losing Arthur too! T_T Life is cruel! Blake's death has made him biased to the point he can't believe that a Brit and an American can be in love! :3 It's up to Matthew to convince him otherwise! I think you now know that the Doctor is not Germania, you'll find out next week if you are right. Strangely, despite the film taking place in WWII, the war doesn't really feature much and is just more of a back drop than an actual event in the story. So Beilschmidt means Axe Smith! You learn something new every day! XD
Well, that's that for another week. Next week is Christmas Eve so I'll be updating on my birthday (Ugh! I hate being a Christmas baby!) The Court is taking the case to Earth! Can Arthur and Amelia convince them that they are in love and that Arthur should be allowed to live? Wait and see! I'll also be posting my Christmas story! I won't say the title, it'll give it away ;)
So, till next week,
Hasta la Pasta!
