So many updates in so little time! I like it.
Okay, so this chapter will contain a lot of dialogue, just to warn you. There's a lot of speaking between Zexion and the lawyer lady.
SavvylovesYaoi: Well, you pretty much get to figure out what happened in this chapter lol
EvilLeo01: idk, the barbie knife just felt so... Kairi-ish.
nextstopparadise: thank you for the review!
youngnozomi: That was the greatest review ever lol, you commented on so many things at once, I loved it.
purewhiteshadow: Well, this brightens my day knowing someone cares for my well-being, lol. I'm pretty much over my sickness now, despite a few lasting migraines and a shattered left leg (damn soccer!), but it all just means more time to sit at home and write lol.
Kitsune Curoryu: I really think you are my number one fan lol, which is fantastic! You'll figure out quite a bit of info in this chapter, so I'm not sure if it'll match what you were expecting or not.
Kakyu Curoryu: But cliff hangers are always so fun! (Psh, not really. As a reader myself, I know how much cliff hangers suck!) lol Thanks for the review!
Notice: I finally got off my lazy ass and wrote a real summary for this story, just to let you know.
Chapter 11
Reaching Hands, With Nothing to Hold on to
"... for the death of young Sora M. Yangu." The judge read a paper, looking up over his rimmed glasses and examining each party.
"You okay?" Aerith would occasionally whisper to me, glancing sideways. I was sitting beside her in a wooden chair, my hands cuffed behind my back. Yuffie sat on her other side, sipping water and bouncing with anticipation.
Two other lawyers that I didn't know sat at the other table, giving me looks of disgust. I'd never been in a court room before, and I felt more than a little nervous. We'd just begun, though I had no clue as to what was going on.
The other side took their turn and I grimaced as pictures were shown of the body. I had to suck in a breath and bite my lip as they were flashed in my face.
"It's okay, Ienzo." Aerith told me, "You don't have to look, you don't even have to pay attention... just block it out."
I did as she said and closed my eyes, succeeding in pretending I wasn't actually there. I pretended Sora wasn't dead, the lady at the stand wasn't trying to falsely accuse me, and the entire school wasn't sitting behind me, waiting. Nothing was real.
"Water?" Yuffie whispered quietly, breaking my concentration. I blinked at her a few times before nodding my head and taking a couple sips. She smiled reassuringly and I looked away. I wanted this to be over with.
There was a sudden collective gasp from the audience as the final, and most gruesome, picture was shown. I heard someone burst out in to tears, and I figured it was Kairi or Namine. Nobody else sounded like that.
The woman sat with a look of triumph and Aerith gracefully pulled herself up, gesturing politely to the judge. My mind went blank after that. I only heard a few phrases here and there.
"Though it's true..." She began, looking like a whole new woman.
"...Ienzo was indeed good friends with Seifer Almasy..."
"...The night of Sora's death was..."
"...My client was never..."
None of the words were making any sense to me; I couldn't bring myself to piece them together in a functional sentence. Though I knew from the look on Yuffie's face that she was doing an amazing job.
Next, the other woman stood again, speaking quietly with the judge before calling me up to the stand. I froze, unsure of what I should do. The girls seemed unalarmed, probably expecting this at some point.
"Are you okay to answer questions?" They asked.
"Sure." I muttered. The cop at my side helped me to the stand rather politely, waiting behind the railing as I situated myself. The book was placed in front of me and I was told to place my right hand on top of it, repeating the words they asked me to say. It all seemed too cliche.
"Can you give us your full name?" The woman asked, stopping in front of me.
"Ienzo Jay Whitaker." I answered, swallowing.
She nodded and pulled out a file from beneath her arm, "And Mr. Whitaker, how old are you?"
"Sixteen."
"Did you know Sora Yangu?"
"Yes."
"How did you meet?"
"School. Fourth grade." I tried to look away, but her beady black eyes forced my gaze to remain fixed on her.
"Were you friends?"
"Yes."
"How good of friends would you say? Were you close?"
"Fairly close." I shrugged.
"Did you know Mr. Almasy?"
"Yes."
"Friends?"
"Yes."
"Close friends?"
"Yes."
"How close?" She asked, glancing down at her file.
"Pretty close."
She seemed unsatisfied with my answer, tilting her head a little, "Were you together a lot?"
"Most of the time."
"So, you could say you were a bit closer than just 'pretty close', right?"
"Yeah, I suppose."
She still seemed frustrated and held up her file, "It says here that Mr. Almasy admitted last week to you and him having a sexual relationship... is that true?"
"Yes."
X.
"You're getting too skinny..."
"Am not." I curled in to the pillow and turned away.
A warm mouth kissed along my side, making me shiver.
X.
"Was it an actual relationship, or physical only?"
"I... I don't know. A little of both, maybe."
"How would you not know?"
"We never talked about it."
"And how did you meet him?"
"Through my friend Selphie."
"I see." She shuffled through the folder some more, nodding her head. I waited nervously.
"Would you say you loved him?"
X.
"Eh, love is overrated. Not the feeling, I mean... but the actual saying it part. It's just a waste of breath."
"It's a sign of compassion." I argued.
"It's just words... you can tell somebody anything you want, but that won't make it true. I think you have to show it."
X.
"Mostly."
"Would you have done anything for him?"
"I'm not sure. That would depend."
"On what?"
"What it was." I hated these questions.
"Did you know that it was Seifer who dropped your name and turned you in?"
I hesitated, a little surprised. I hadknown already, seeing as Tidus had told me, but she said it with something akin to glee. She was enjoying this and it sickened me.
"Do you know where your boyfriend is now, Ienzo?" She leaned forward, an unnerving grin on her face.
"..."
"Waiting in line on death row." She told me, "Electric chair."
My eyes squeezed shut and I instantly forced all mental images out of my head. I heard Aerith jump up, "Your Honor!"
Words were exchanged and I took a deep breath to calm myself. Getting upset would solve nothing.
"So, then..." She continued, "were you with Seifer the day of Sora's death?"
"Yes."
"What did you do?"
"Hung out in the tunnels."
She nodded, "Was Sora there?"
"No. We didn't see him until later."
"And what were you doing in the tunnels?"
My face turned scarlet, and I looked down with embarrassment.
"Can you answer me?"
"We..." I began, my eyes darting around, "we were fooling around."
She smiled and glanced at the crowd. She was just trying to stress our relationship.
"When did Sora come in to the picture?"
"Well, we sparred in the sandlot a little later, and that's when Sora came walking through."
"Did Mr. Almasy and Mr. Yangu have a bad score with each other?"
"Seifer didn't like Sora."
"Why?"
"Because it angered Riku when he bugged him, and Seifer hated Riku a lot."
"Why hate?"
"I don't know. Childhood grudge, I think."
She nodded and began to pace, checking the file. I gathered the courage to scan the crowd, spotting many people I knew. My old friends were sitting in a group near the front and I saw Leon up in the balcony. Axel and Roxas were close to the back, sitting next to no other than Demyx.
The blond's eyes were settled on me, looking completely emotionless, and lacking their usual sparkle. I wanted to cry out and run to him, tackle him to the ground and hug him at the same time.
"Were you present as your friend killed Sora?"
"Yes." I whispered, closing my eyes a little.
"Did you try to stop him?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I was confused and afraid."
"Did you call for help?"
"Not right away."
"So you stood and watched as your boyfriend steadily killed your close friend?"
"I was in shock."
"Who did you seek help from?"
"Riku Jou."
"Why not the police?"
"I don't know. I didn't think of it."
"Did you help Mr. Almasy at all? In the killing?"
"No." I insisted, my eyes pleading for everyone to understand.
"But you didn't stop it?"
"I was scared!"
"And you allowed the murder to take place."
"..."
"And why did you run away?"
"Afraid I'd get in trouble."
"Even though you supposedly didn't do anything? Sounds highly suspricious to me."
I let out a shaky breath.
"I just don't understand why you'd run from a crime that you didn't help commit. Unless you did help, and were scared someone would figure out." She nodded, moving back towards her table.
I wasn't sure how to reply, so I didn't at all. The lawyer sat in her seat with a wide grin and Aerith rose to question me next.
Her questions were simply and to the point. She didn't ask anything unnerving about Seifer, and she didn't unsettle me with her sly talk. The interview was over in a matter of minutes, much to my pleasure. The same cop helped me stand and escorted me back to the table.
"Your Honor, I have someone I'd like to call to the stand." Aerith remained standing. The judge nodded and told her to bring them in.
Leaning back to the best of my abilities, I sighed and waited patiently as the doors opened and a subject was brought in. My eyes stared down at my feet.
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
I nearly laughed as this was asked. I hadn't been paying attention as I swore, but hearing those words humored me. They really used that line in real life?
"I do."
The other woman stood to talk to him first, "What's your name then?"
"Riku."
I looked up, confused.
"Riku... Jou?" She was searching her file again. She remembered me mentioning his name.
"Yes."
"Did you know Mr. Yangu?"
"He was my best friend."
"And did you know Mr. Whitaker over here?" She gestured to me.
His vibrant eyes looked up at me, "Yes."
"How well?"
"We were friends."
"Were you with Sora on the day of his murder?"
"No, he was on his way to my house."
"How did you found out about this horrible tragedy?"
"Ienzo came to get me."
"What happened? What did he tell you?"
"He said that Seifer took it too far, he didn't know what to do, and I needed to help Sora."
She nodded slowly, seemingly looking like she was trying to think, "When you got there, what happened?"
"Well, Seifer was already gone and we found Sora laying on the ground."
"Do you think Ienzo had anything to do with what took place?"
"No."
She frowned, and I knew things weren't going as she had planned, "Even though... both boys admitted here in court that they were in a relationship," She held up a paper, "you don't think that this boy," Next she gestured to me, "would do anythingfor Mr. Almasy?"
Riku's eyes narrowed in confusion and landed on me. He never knew about us; I'd always kept it a secret.
"You still think he wouldn't have helped?"
Riku glared at the woman, "No, he wouldn't have."
There was an over dramatic gasp from the crowd.
The woman cursed under her breath and shook her head, "That's all." She landed in her seat in a huff.
"Hello Riku." Aerith smiled as she approached the stand.
He nodded to her.
"Tell me, when Ienzo ran away, what was your reaction?"
"I was confused."
"Can you elaborate?"
"I knew he hadn't done anything."
"So why do you believe he took off?"
"He was scared. I would have been." He shrugged.
"And you, who is Sora's best friend, and mostly likely wanting revenge more than anything, think Ienzo is one hundred percent innocent?"
"I do." He stared at me.
"That's all." Aerith smiled and returned to the table. Yuffie whispered a few words to her and together they chuckled. More people were called up and questioned throughout the session. A lot of them were lies, but quite a bit was true. I wasn't sure which way the court would decide.
"That went very well." Aerith smiled, patting my back. I nodded, not sure how you could even tell. Next Yuffie rubbed my arm, "You did a very fine job answering those questions."
"I hope so."
X.
There's was a two-day wait for the jury to decide, and I was sent back to my bland room with a heavy heart. I spent the first night in agony, my mind reeling and my muscles twitching. I was so scared.
I woke the second morning with a feeling of shock. When had my life gotten to this point? Why had Seifer killed Sora, and there after, dragged me in to it? I was innocent!
"Sora..." I found myself whispering, folding my hands in my lap, "...I'm sorry."
"Zexion?" Aerith was suddenly above me, her hand on my shoulder, "Are you okay?"
I stood without replying to her, taking the clothes from her hands and turning away. She left a second later, giving me privacy to change. I was still straightening my tie when she walked back in, "We have to go."
--
"Day Two of the Yangu murder case." The judge announced some things aloud before turning to the tribunal and waiting, "Has the jury reached a verdict?" My heart stopped, I had to look away.
"We the jury..." A man stood, his hand on his heart, "have found the defendant..
"Sorasorasorasora..." I whispered the name fiercely under my breath, "help me out."
It was as if every person in the room was holding their breath.
"...notguilty... for the murder of fifteen year-old Sora Yangu."
"Yes!" Yuffie cried out, flinging herself across the table to hug me. I lay frozen in shock as the entire courtroom burst in to talk and began clapping. The girls congratulated me over and over, while speaking amongst themselves at the same time. The cop behind me uncuffed my hands and patted my head before stepping aside.
"Ienzo!" I heard someone shout out from behind. Kairi dove over the railing seperating us and tackled me to the floor. I let out a short laugh as we were helped back up and I spotted my parents behind her.
We embraced in a tight hug, seeing as I hadn't seen them in over a year.
"Oh, honey!" My mum sighed, messing up my hair.
Tidus, Hayner, Olette, and Pence also joined in on a hug, and I felt overwhelmed to be home.
"Hey, look out! I realize you knew him first, but let others share the love!" Axel's voice carried out. Everyone pulled apart in alert, waiting as the redhead, followed by little Roxas, smiled and punched my shoulder, "Well, look who's a free man."
"Where's Dem?" I immediately asked.
The redhead pointed over his shoulder towards the back, and I recognized the familiar mohawk next to the door. Pushing my way through the crowd, I managed to grab his arm before he could escape.
"Congratulations." Was all the blond said, smiling just barely and turning to leave.
"Wait Demyx!"
He shook his head and slid through the door, not looking back. Axel quickly flew out the door after him, and Roxas passed by a little more slowly, "We'll call you up." He said as he followed.
I swallowed thickly and hung my head. I always knew Dem would hate me if he found out.
"Ienzo!" A quiet, but stern, voice attempted to call out to me. I recognized it immediately.
"Leon."
He smiled a little and patted my cheek, "I'm going to miss our sessions." Was all he said before turning and heading out the door.
X.
"We haven't touched it since you left." Mum smiled and gestured inside my room. I followed her motions and stepped in, reaching blindly to turn on the light.
"See?" She stood in the doorway.
I glanced around, knowing she was right, and nothing had been moved. It was still all dirty and cluttered from when I left in a hurry, and a lamp was shattered on the floor.
"Yup." I replied, moving to lay on my bed. She stood there a moment longer before turning and heading back upstairs. My cell phone vibrated from my pocket, and I sat up in hurry, knowing there was only a few people who knew this number.
"Hello?"
"Hey Zexion-, I mean... Ienzo."
I sighed and relaxed back on my bed, "Hey Ax."
"What are you doing?"
"I just got home."
"Really? What'd you do all afternoon?"
"Had dinner with Aerith and Yuffie."
"Oh, I see..." He trailed off. "Demyx didn't say a word the whole way home, you know."
"..."
"He just moped right up to his house."
"Hmm..."
"Right... well, maybe I should just let you go..."
"Sure."
"It's weird having you so far away."
"Axel... you just saw me a few hours ago."
"True, but still. I can't just come over and pest you in the morning any more."
"Oh dang."
"Jerk!"
"I thought you were letting me go?"
"You know you're going to miss me!"
"Hmm..."
"Wow, you really are a meanie! I'm hanging up now."
"Yup."
"See ya!"
I flipped the phone shut without saying bye, and rolled to my side. The bed was lonely without the blond beside me.
X.
With a slight groan I sat up and rolled my neck around. It cracked a few times with a slight pain, then instantly felt better.
"That can't be good for you."
"Ah!" The voice scared me and I flew backwards, hitting the wall. "What the fuck Riku?" I asked, placing a hand on my heart.
"I came to check on you."
"Well, I'm fine." I pulled myself out of the bed and searched my drawers for something to wear. I couldn't remember what I owned anymore.
"Seifer's sentence is up in two days..." He began, watching my reaction, "I wanted you to see him a final time."
"What?" I was shocked, "Why?"
"He was important to you."
"Yeah, and Sora was pretty damn important to you, so why would you wantme to see Seifer?"
He winced at the mention of Sora's name, "Well, apparently he's more important to you than I originally thought."
I paused in my actions, remembering he'd only found out about the two of us the other day.
"When the hell had that happened?"
I swallowed and continued dressing, shrugging my shoulders, "Right after we met."
"That long ago!" Riku was on his feet, "You were thirteen!"
Shrugging again, I turned away, "Doesn't matter."
"Christ..." He mumbled, running a hand through his silver hair, "now we really need to get you a visitation."
"I... I don't want to see him."
"Yes, you do, don't lie to me." He grabbed a fistful of my shirt and pushed me towards the door. I tried to fight back, but I knew he was right.
I did want to see him.
You're probably wondering why I chose to make this story part Zexion/Seifer, since it's pretty random. And that's exactly why I picked Seifer, I wanted someone very random that I've never heard of him with. Plus, I already used all the organization members in the first part, so I couldn't use any of them. I'm not exactly for the Zexion/Seifer thing, so it was a bit different writing about them.
-Jaspen