I couldn't face a life without your lights

But all of that was ripped apart when you refused to fight


"I can't believe it," Tai whispered, still sitting on the bench just outside the courtroom. Despite being called a "lunch break" not many had found the strength to eat. His hands were resting on his cane, gripping it tight enough to practically crack the aged wood. He looked into the golden shine of his wedding ring, suddenly missing Izzy. The redhead had wisely decided to take Jaciru and Nakayama to his parents for the rest of the afternoon. Jaciru had been getting agitated, picking up on her father's discomfort and Tai was worried the spunky little girl would curse out the judge. His younger twin, Nakayama, had left the courtroom asking Izzy what Sora had meant by "molested". Tai certainly wasn't envying his husband right about then.

"I know, right?" There was a soft sigh and Mimi sat heavily next to Tai, kicking out her legs. Her son, Russell, had long since gone to get lunch with his "Auntie Kari" and probably continue to bug her about her missing son. She gave a tired sigh as she thought about her son which led to thinking about Matt. "I always knew something was off when we were kids, but not anything like that..."

Nothing like what had happened to her. She thought back to that night, eleven years ago, when she woke up. Blood between her legs, pain so deep inside she wanted to throw up. She'd been crying as she picked up her phone, calling the first person that came to mind.

"Matt, I... I think I was just raped..."

His silence then made so much sense now. What had her words triggered in his mind back then? What had her trauma made him relive? Mimi wrapped her arms around herself, glad that she was a woman. Glad that she could be on the receiving end of such love and support for "overcoming" her ordeal. It was obvious, now, that her dear ex-fake-boyfriend had never been given such warmth.

Tai sat back, smiling at his old friend who had long since learned to mask when she was thinking of her manager and what he'd done. The woman had grown, sure, but she had never changed from the strong-willed girl that had faced three Trashmon without fear. "He's strong, but an idiot." Tai shrugged as Mimi fixed him with a glare. "He knew he could have come to any of us and what did he decide to do? Go be a drunken whore and escape to space? Man, after this trial, I'm going to beat the hell outta him."

Mimi was able to laugh then, a warm noise that had made the world over swoon. Even Tai could admit that she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, at least until Izzy came back. "I'm sure that bastard will appreciate it."

There was a soft noise from the end of the hall, and Tai looked up to see his husband returning, Kari and Russell at his side. Tai gave his once-brunette friend a smile and she shooed him away.

"I can't ever win when it comes to boys," Mimi said with a wry smile. "So go, go be with your family."

She waved at Tai as he limped away, catching his husband in a hug that betrayed how worried he really was for his friend. She leaned back against the bench and sighed, looking to the ornate ceiling of the courthouse. There had been some reporters, breakaways from Matt's trial who had tried to interview her, but she refused them all. There was nothing for her to add, this was all about Matt.

"Mimi..." came a familiar voice, soft and yet with a peculiar edge to it. The woman blinked and looked back down, meeting Sora's troubled, fearful eyes.

For a moment, the actress wondered what to do. This girl, woman now, had been such a wonderful friend when they were kids. How could she do what she was doing now?

"Yes, Sora?" Mimi decided on. It was polite, but not unfriendly.

Sora swallowed hard and extended her hand. There was a blue paper in it and Sora said with a soft blush, "Here. It's from Gabriel."

Mimi barely had time to grab the paper, much less read it before Sora hurried away to a tall, pierced redhead who looked incredibly familiar. She blinked honey brown eyes and was just opening her delivery when the bailiff emerged from the courtroom, announcing that lunch was ending. Russell hurried to his mother, hugging her tight and asking, "What's that?"

"I don't know yet," Mimi answered, but she went with the crowd. Matt was at his desk again (or was it still? Had he left for lunch?) and Cody seemed rather agitated. She found her seat next to Davis and pulled Russell close, wondering if he really knew what "molested" meant. Sure, he'd played the part of an abused boy on a made-for-TV-movie once, but she wasn't sure if anyone had properly explained the term to him aside the director telling him it was "a bad thing that makes you sad". It was then that Judge Catherine had Gabriel announce her next witness.

"I call Mimi Tachikawa to the stand."

At the sound of her name, Mimi looked up sharply, realizing suddenly that the paper Sora had handed her was a subpoena. There was a pause, the courtroom quiet, and it was when Gabriel twisted her lips into a smile that Mimi understood. There was no point to her being called other than to continue to destroy Matt. Well, she wouldn't let that happen. No matter whose side she was called up for, she wouldn't drag Matt down any further than he already was. She patted Russell comfortingly and strode to the stand with all confidence.

Matt couldn't even look up as the words invaded his mind. He was still reeling from Sora's announcement of his molestation and the pull he could feel from Cody ever since that damn rape kit had shown up. He wanted to get up, to scream that he had done nothing, but it was slowly turning into his mother's trial. He wouldn't be believed, again, and the woman he was growing to hate would get away with everyone's sympathy. It wasn't until this woman, hair long and pink once more, passed by him to be sworn in that he could even being to think about the present. Mimi? But if Gabriel called her... She's testifying against me?

Every eye was on her as she sat, but Mimi was used to an audience. She was also used to fighting for what she believed in. None of this phased her. She had seen the fear in Sora just moments ago, and that only proved Mimi's assumption that this entire thing was one giant hoax.

As she waited to be sworn in, she thought about her tour with Matt and all the things she had gone through with him... suddenly why he couldn't speak to anyone and his actions, as inexcusable as they were, made sense to her.

If Sora had seen him hurt TK, Mimi knew she would have known. In the early days, she spent more time with the kid than anyone else. If anything, he worshiped his brother... before it was replaced with someone's twisted interpretation of God's word.

Gabriel was up first. Mimi put on her poker face and tossed her hair back.

"Your name." Not even a question, just a mere statement. As though Gabriel was already bored with her. Well, Mimi wouldn't let herself be shaken.

"Mimi Tachikawa."

"Tell us, how do you know the defendant?"

"We originally met at..." Mimi frowned. Well, Sora had given them an excuse... "Summer Camp and became friends. Later, after he formed the band Teen-Age Wolves, we toured together. During that time, we were dating."

"Dating..." It was as though Gabriel had to think. The "anniversary" of Matt and Mimi's "break up" had been in the papers as recent as yesterday. And then Mimi understood. Gabriel was trying to make her unimportant – not a famous actress, but just some girl that happened to know Matt. "Wasn't that just a publicity stunt?"

Mimi smirked, "To my manager, sure."

This surprised Matt. Never had he gotten the impression that their tiff had meant anything more, except in his own head. Maybe Mimi was just being nice. Things couldn't be proved one way or the other... and then his mind drifted to Yutaka, realizing the man was sitting next to Sora, taking over what had once been TK's spot. What the fuck was he doing here? Surely, he was going to testify, biasedly, but... to be so close to Sora? Something else was going on.

"How did Yamato act when you met him?" Gabriel remarked, checking her nails. She almost didn't feel like bothering with questions.

"He was just your average kid. A little quiet, but fine."

"...and as an adult?"

Mimi closed her eyes, her long lashes hiding the pity and shame she felt for her friend. "Not well. He was a mess. Drank a lot. Slept around a lot. He flaunted it, too." Damn, Mimi chastised herself when she realized Gabriel was smiling. She had let that slip. Damn my big mouth.

"You toured together. How was he then?"

Mimi considered lying, but heard herself admitting, "The same, if not worse. Self-centered. He wasn't sleeping much and was taking sleeping pills."

The lawyer's eyes lit up and she asked eagerly, "Abusing them?"

"No." Mimi shook her head. "Yamato isn't like that."

"Yet he clearly has an addictive personality. Smoking, fighting, drinking, children."

Mimi snorted. "Hardly."

"Oh, really? How old were these people, because let's clarify it didn't matter what he slept with..."

"I didn't ask. No one looked underage to me."

"Did he ask for their ID?"

"I don't know. Who does that?" Mimi blurted. Gabriel was making Mimi's blood boil with that oh so smug smirk as she sat back down. She hoped things with Cody would be easier. He approached her with a look she had never seen before. One of worry and hate. She couldn't read him and Mimi was an expert at it.

"How old were the patrons of the concert?" His voice was clipped, angry about something and Mimi pouted as she thought.

"I'm not sure."

"Let me rephrase: what was the age limit to enter?"

That was easier. She remembered her bastard manager complaining about everyone being "too old" for their concerts, and she tried to hide her disdain for him, not wanting it to be taken wrong. "Eighteen and up. You couldn't get the tickets otherwise and they checked ID at the door."

"When you two dated, did he act any different?"

Mimi blushed, remembering the day she broke Matt's heart. "He... promised to never treat me badly or hurt me, and he kept that promise."

"No more questions."

"Redirect," Gabriel announced quickly. She stormed from her seat. She had seen the way the hardened eyes of the jury softened, new mothers falling for the sappy love story that had been in all the papers recently. If she wasn't so sure of her win, she might be worried. "If he was so good to you, why did you end up in the hospital on several occasions during said tour with the defendant?"

"It was one time," Mimi insisted. "I was exhausted. Being a pop idol is all business and glam. In fact, Matt, uh, Yamato drove me to the hospital."

"So, he was with you when you fainted?"

"Yes." What was Gabriel's game with these questions?

"According to a police report filed by the hospital, he assaulted a nurse."

"He was worried about me."

"Or wanted to get in and hurt you further," Gabriel remarked.

"Objection..." Cody growled.

"Withdrawn."

"Remind the jury again. Why did you faint?"

Mimi looked to the sea of eyes. She just prayed they believed her. "Exhaustion. There should be a report about that, too. Did you look that up?"

"No more commentary out of you, Miss Tachikawa, or I'll hold you in contempt," the judge snapped, getting tired of this back and forth.

"Why were you exhausted?" Gabriel pressed. She looked just as bored as she had been, but there was an urgency in her voice. She was trying to draw something out of Mimi, and for the life of her, the woman couldn't figure out what she wanted.

"I told you. Being a pop idol is stressful."

"Yet, Yamato was with you when you fainted. What was he doing at your residence?"

"He..." Mimi started. She looked to the blonde. He was staring at the grain in the wood of the stand, looking as out of it as he had that night she was now remembering. "I let him stay at my place."

"Did you two have intercourse?"

"No," Mimi yelped, blushing.

"Did you fight?"

"No!" Mimi was getting frustrated.

"Then, did he do anything to add to your stress?" Gabriel questioned with a grin.

"He attempted to leap from my balcony!" Mimi covered her mouth with her hand, realizing she'd fallen into Gabriel's trap. Her face burned and she glared. If it hadn't been open court, Mimi was certain Gabriel would be laughing at her.

Matt felt a wave of heat wash over him. What would be the next secret spilled? What other nightmare of his past would be dragged up and rubbed in his face? He was a fucked up piece of shit at this point. He felt his breathing pick up, but he remained so motionless, so dead inside. Mimi resisted the urge to cry.

"Do you know why he tried to kill himself?"

"No." Mimi glowered and despite the judge's warning, she snapped, "He just broke up with Sora at the time, so maybe she had something to do with it."

"No more questions!" Gabriel snapped. This doe-eyed routine the actress had been pulling was making all her hard won women turn, loosing themselves in the romantic fantasy that Mimi and Matt had lead. Cody shook his head when Catherine looked to him, and the judge banged her gavel.

"We're ending for the day. We'll reconvene tomorrow at eleven A.M."

Matt couldn't look up as he stood obediently, the cuffs quickly on his wrists. He could feel Cody seated next to him, and yet at the same time a million miles away and Matt knew he'd lost a friend. First his brother, then his wife. Yolie, and now Cody... Who would be next? Tai had been poking him the whole day with his cane, jabbing him in the spine and ass as comfortingly and annoyingly as possible. And Joe had been silent behind him, what could he be thinking now? He kept his head bowed as he was led back into the courthouse, to the jail cell that had become his home.

Sora hurried from the courtroom, unknowingly mirroring her husband as she looked to her feet and nothing more. She didn't want to be near the other Children any more, didn't want to see their accusing faces. How could they still not believe her? Even after everything that had happened? How could they still think of her as the monster when Matt's DNA was sitting in a paper bag...

She didn't even realize she was running until someone reached out and grabbed her shoulder. She jerked to a stop and raised her head, ready to yell. But when Yutaka's caring face was the only one peering at her, she allowed her hidden tears to fall.

"Sora? You ok?" the drummer asked, biting one of the studs in his lip. He'd always cared for the woman, and seeing how far Matt had pulled her down was nothing short of infuriating to him. How could he damage, not just his children, but this precious being before him?

"Yutaka, I..." Sora sniffled and pulled a tissue from her purse. She wanted to just wipe her nose on her sleeve, but her mother would never allow it. Her mother wouldn't allow a lot of things... "I'm so alone, right now, Yutaka..."

"Hey, hey, don't worry." The redhead wrapped his arms around Sora's shoulders, pulling the shaking woman close to him. He could feel the front of his suit already becoming damp with her tears and he frowned. "Don't cry, Red..."

Sora giggled, a tiny smile curving her lips. "You haven't called me that since..."

Since The Tour. The one that ended the Wolves and her relationship with Matt. Sora remembered spending hours on the tour bus while Matt was off doing something (or someone, she thought now) else. Yutaka was the only one who had taken the time to talk to her, to be her friend while she waited for the right time to finally be with Matt. How had she not seen it back then? The warmth that Matt never had, the gentle eyes that bared his soul to her and not just a shield to keep her away?

Sora reached for Yutaka's hand, holding it gently. She felt his fingers intertwine with hers and just as she was leaning into him with a sigh, he pulled away. "Yutaka, what are you...?"

"Not while this is here," the man growled. He took Sora's hand and, with a mocking smile, he twisted her wedding ring off and asked softly, "Will you un-marry, Yamato?"

Sora looked at the too-small silver band. It had left an indent on her finger, her flesh and her life warped by Matt's callous uncaring for her needs. She took the ring and tossed it carelessly across the hallway, listening to the clink with happy tears streaming down her cheeks. "For you, Yuta? Of course."