The Heart Must Survive
Part 4 - Justice Is Served
Disclaimer: Pokémon and its characters are property of Nintendo, Game Freak, 4Kids Entertainment, Satoshi Tajiri and whoever else I forgot. You really didn't think that they were mine, did ya?
Summary: Brock is standing trial for the murder of Ash and the attempted murder of Tracey. But, as we know, things are never as simple as they seem...
A/N: I have no idea what to say...there may be some sad stuff, but not as heavy as the other parts. And, I have never once been in a courtroom, much less seen a real trial, so if any of this sounds like it's made up, it is.
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Misty, Delia, Tracey, and Professor Oak sat across from Officer Jenny. All four showed signs that they were scared to death. What they said here could either put Brock away for a long time, or it could let him go.
Jenny looked the group over. "First of all, I should tell you that we told him about Ash's death," she said. "Fortunately, he seemed to be really upset about it. He told us that he never meant for it to go this far. But, unfortunately, that isn't going to help him out."
Misty knew that she should have been glad that Brock felt bad, but inside, she knew that he was probably only messing with the police. Brock wasn't the impulsive kind of person anymore. He planned things out. If he was the one that had done this, and they knew that he was, he knew what he was doing. He might feel a moment or two of regret for hitting the wrong person, but if what Tracey said was true, and Misty didn't doubt him at all, he wouldn't feel that bad.
"So...I'm going to ask you some questions, so our prosecutor will have something to work with. Can I call you all by your first names?"
Everyone nodded.
"All right," she said. She pulled out a small tape recorder and turned it on, reciting the date and case number into it. She placed it on the table. "First of all...Tracey, since you were there, could you tell me what happened, in your own words?"
Tracey lowered his eyes. If there was one thing that he hated, it was being forced to think about it over and over again. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and began to speak. "Ash and I were walking home at about nine o'clock at night...and it had started to rain...so I started to run...I didn't see anything on the road when I ran out onto it...and then I heard Ash call out for me to look out...and I turned just in time to see headlights coming right at me...then he pushed me out of the way...my hand hit the side of the car and I broke my wrist...but I turned around just in time to catch a couple second look at the driver..."
"And you're positive who it was?"
Tracey nodded.
"Did you see Ash go under the car's tires?"
Tracey nodded. "Not directly," he said. "I heard him scream, but I didn't see him..."
"Did you see anyone else around?"
Tracey shook his head. "No one," he said. "I looked around to see if there was anyone to help, but there wasn't...and my wrist was broken, so all I could do was call an ambulance."
Jenny checked a sheet of paper. "Well, the timing does match up. The paramedics report getting the call at just about the same time as the police reported getting a call for a hit-and-run at the same location..." She looked up. "Now, Mr. Harrison told us about a fight or something between you and him before this happened...could you tell me about that?"
Tracey silently wished that the attention would just be put on someone else. He hated this, being the center of attention, being the one person that could ensure that the case went to trial. "It wasn't anything that should have gotten this serious," he said. "We were just talking for a minute...and then he told me that he wished that Ash and Misty would break up...that Ash didn't deserve her and he thought that she should be with someone that could make her happy...I didn't get it at first, but...I told him that they were happy together and then he started to freak out on me, saying that I was trying to turn them against him...and I..." He paused, not sure whether to continue. "And he started yelling and stuff...and he tried to hit me...so...I...kind of freaked out...and we ended up in a fist-fight..."
Jenny's eyes froze up for a second. "Are you sure that he tried to hit you first?" she said.
Tracey nodded.
"I have to ask because if you were the first to throw a punch, he could come back at you for assault."
The professor cleared his throat. "I saw the fight," he said. "Tracey acted in self-defense."
Jenny turned her attention to Professor Oak. "Could you tell me what you saw?"
"I didn't witness their argument," the professor said. "But I walked in just as Brock tried to hit Tracey. I tried my best to break it up, but they did manage to beat each other up pretty good. Then I heard Brock say that he wanted Tracey dead...and he wouldn't be afraid to get rid of him himself."
Jenny nodded. "That is a threat in our books."
Misty looked over at Tracey, who had his head lowered and his eyes shut tight. She gently took his hand, half to reassure him, half to reassure herself.
Jenny looked at Delia. "So there was never any indication that this was going to happen?"
Delia shook her head. "I never knew that anything was wrong until Brock and Tracey got into that fight," she said. "And I didn't know that Brock was upset about Misty and my son until Ash was in the hospital."
"Officer, can I ask something?" Misty suddenly said.
"Sure you can," Jenny said.
"How much of a chance does he have of getting off?"
Jenny paused for a moment. "I'll be honest with you," she said. "It's word against word in a case like this...so it really all depends on the jury. All we can do is present the prosecuting evidence and let the defense present theirs. Then, it's up to the jury to decide who they believe. Plus, he could use the insanity plea, but he passed his psychological examination, so we've basically eliminated that probability. But all we can do is do our best."
"How long would he be in prison if he was convicted?"
Jenny sighed. "It really is too early to say. Like I said, it depends on the jury. They may decide that he's guilty of murder and attempted murder, they may say that he's not guilty of murder but guilty of attempted murder, not guilty of attempted murder but guilty of murder, or not guilty of both. The sentence may change if he's let off of one charge...but with what you've told me, we may also add uttering a threat to the charge...it won't do much, though."
Misty sighed. She buried her head in her hands, trying as hard as she could not to think about Brock getting away with murder...literally. This was all getting to be too much for her.
* * *
Misty kneeled in front of Ash's grave, running her fingers along the words engraved in the stone plate. "A master in spirit, if never in title," she read. She let her tears go. "Ash, this is just too hard for me...I can't do this...and to think that I'm going to have to get up on that stand and testify against someone I thought I knew so well...I thought that I could make it through...but...it's all happening too fast...I can't even sleep at night anymore...I need you here with me...I want to hear your voice...I want you to tell me that it'll all work out, that it'll be fine...I always believed everything you told me...but...what is there left to believe in?"
"Yourself," a voice said.
Misty turned around to see Delia standing behind her. "I didn't hear you," she said.
Delia kneeled down. "Ash wanted you to go on," she said. "We all want to see you go on. It's hard, but...you have to try..."
Misty could tell by the tears in Delia's eyes that she was trying to convince herself as well of her words. "If it was just...if it was just Ash's death...I could make it...but with this trial coming up...it's too hard..." She bowed her head. "I never thought that I would ever want to die...but I do now..."
Delia pulled her into her arms. "Misty, please, don't talk like that! I don't know what I would do if I lost you, too. Ash wouldn't want you to die, would he?"
Misty let herself cry into Delia's shoulder. "But Ash doesn't know what it's like!" she cried. "Ash never has to feel any pain like this ever again...he left me behind...he promised that we would be together forever, and never even tried to fight death! He just let himself go!" She was surprised to realize that she felt bitter about it.
Delia held her close. "I know, Misty," she said. "But..."
"There ain't any buts anymore," Misty muttered. "There's nothing for me anymore...I hate it..." She wasn't sad anymore, she was angry. She was angry about everything. She just couldn't take it anymore.
"Misty...please...it'll all be okay, eventually. Maybe you can't see it now, but it'll work out."
Footsteps sounded behind them. Delia looked up to see Tracey approaching. "The professor's getting a little worried," he said quietly. "He told me to come find you."
"Thank you," Delia said. She helped Misty stand up. "Come on, girl," she said. "Let's go back."
Misty nodded, too upset and too tired to fight anymore.
* * *
Misty heard the shrill alarm, but didn't get up. She couldn't. Literally. Her lack of sleep had taken such a toll on her body that she couldn't even sit up. She reached out to shut the alarm off and watched her hand shaking. She felt a crushing weight on her chest, the pain of regret. She had totally trashed the room the night before, finally letting her anger out. She still loved Ash, and she still missed him, but she was letting herself remember that he hadn't tried to fight off his death at all. He had just let death consume him, and she was blinded with an incredible rage at it. She hated being lied to, and he had lied to her.
Delia knocked on the door. "Misty?" she said. "Misty, we need to go. We have to be at the courthouse at nine."
Misty let herself cry again. "I can't..." she said. "I can't...stand up..."
Delia ran to her. "Are you sure?" she said.
Misty closed her eyes. "I can't move..."
Delia helped her to sit up, noticing that her body resembled a rag doll. She had no control over her muscles. "Oh, Misty...I told you that you needed to sleep..." She touched a hand to her forehead. "You're burning up. You must be getting sick."
*Sick and mourning the loss of my soulmate,* Misty thought. *What a wonderful start to this whole trial thing.*
A knock sounded on the door to Misty's half of the motel room. Delia answered it to see Professor Oak and Tracey. "Are you ready?" the professor asked.
"Misty can't get out of bed," Delia replied. "She's really weak...and she's getting sick."
The professor stepped in and kneeled down beside her bed. "Misty...can you sit up at all?"
Misty gathered her strength and pulled herself up. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand. She managed to hold herself up for a few seconds before collapsing.
Without thinking, Tracey ran forward to catch her.
Misty felt his arms around her and burst into tears. "What's wrong with me?!" she cried.
"It's okay, Misty," Tracey said. "You're just tired. You'll be okay in a few minutes."
Tracey and the professor left so Delia could help Misty get dressed.
"Tracey, are you okay?" Professor Oak asked. "You look scared."
Tracey looked at the professor. "It's just that...this whole thing is gonna rely on me...'cause I was there...and I know what his motives were...and I'm worried about Misty..."
"She'll be okay," the professor said. "We'll just let her rest in the backseat. The courthouse is about an hour's drive from here, anyway."
Tracey nodded. "But what about at the courthouse? I can feel it...she's going to lose it when she sees him again..."
"Tracey, I always try to help you out, and all I can tell you now is worry about yourself. Like you said, most of this trial is going to rest on your shoulders. Delia and I will look after Misty. You don't have to."
They broke off the conversation as the door opened and Misty walked out, trying her best to stay on her feet.
Tracey really didn't care what the professor had just told him. He ran to her. "Are you okay, Misty?" he asked.
She looked at him for a moment and saw that he was offering to help her to the car. She gratefully draped an arm around his shoulder and let him half-carry her to the backseat of the car. He climbed in after her. The professor got into the driver's seat, Delia in the front passenger seat.
Misty didn't know why Tracey was acting this way, but she was grateful when he offered to let her rest against his shoulder.
Meanwhile, Tracey lost himself in his thoughts. Ash had made him promise to look after her, but he had never expected it to go this far. Not to the point where he was terrified to leave her alone. Not to the point when the only time he felt safe was when she was right there beside him. Not to the point where he completely forgot about what was going on as she slept in his arms. He remembered having a little bit of a crush on her when they had first met, but never anything as serious as what was swarming in his heart right now. *No, you idiot!* he scolded himself. *You are not gonna fall for her! Can't you see how upset she is over having her heart broken once already?! You are not gonna screw things up by falling in love with her!*
Misty had no clue why she was so comfortable in Tracey's arms. But she could sense that he wasn't that comfortable with her in his arms. She sat up slowly, since her strength was returning anyway, and looked at him. He was trying not to look at her. She knew that something was up, something big. But whatever it was, he was trying to avoid it, so she didn't press.
* * *
There were mountains of reporters outside the courthouse when they pulled up. They immediately swarmed the car. Professor Oak muttered a few rating-inappropriate words and climbed out, fighting his way to the passenger side to help Delia out.
Misty began to panic a little bit. "Tracey...I don't want to go out there..." she said. "I don't want to..."
"It's all right, Misty," he said. "I'll keep them away from you. Just stay close to me and you'll be okay." He opened the door, not really caring if he hit anyone with the door. They had no right to be there anyway. He turned and helped her out of the car. He heard reporters yelling questions at her. She stumbled a few times, the stress of the crowd getting to her.
One rather gutsy reporter decided that the best way to get an answer was to try and cut them off.
Tracey wasn't exactly in his best of moods, and this wasn't helping. "Hey!" he shouted at the man. "Can't you see that she's upset enough about this? Do you really think you vultures are helping?! Just get out of here, would you?!" He shoved past the man, making sure to keep Misty close.
Finally, they made it into the safety of the courthouse. Misty dropped to her knees, or would have, if Tracey's arms hadn't still been around her waist. "Thanks, Tracey," she said, breathlessly.
"No problem," Tracey replied, pulling her to her feet.
* * *
Misty stared at her feet as the trial began. The first few stages had already taken place, and they were in the full trial. Before this thing was over, Brock would either be a free man or behind bars for a long time...
"Council," the judge, whose name plate read Judge Knowles, said. "Call your first witness."
The lawyer, whose name was Michelle Woods, that Jenny had appointed for the prosecution stood up. "The prosecutor calls Tracey Sketchit to the stand."
Tracey shut his eyes for a minute. He had, as they all had, managed to avoid looking at Brock, who was sitting on the other side of the courtroom, his expression unreadable, but that was about to change. He stood up and walked to the stand.
"Raise your right hand," the court officer ordered.
Tracey complied.
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
"I do," Tracey replied, nodding.
Woods approached the stand. "Could you state your full name?"
"Tracey Taylor Sketchit," Tracey replied.
"Do you know the defendant?"
Tracey nodded. "Yes, I do."
"How do you know him?"
"He used to be Ash and Misty's friend." He put emphasis on the phrase 'used to be'.
"Were you ever friends with him?"
Tracey thought about that for a minute. "No, not really. We hardly ever saw each other."
"Now, before the crime in question was committed, you and the defendant got into a fight, correct?"
Tracey nodded. "Yes," he said.
"And the defendant eventually threatened to kill you, did he not?"
"Well...not directly," Tracey said. He didn't want to see Brock go free, but he didn't want to lie.
"What did he say? Can you remember the exact words?"
Tracey nodded. He remembered all to well. "He said, I quote 'I wish someone would get rid of you...in fact, I wouldn't be afraid to be that person.' Unquote."
"So, it wasn't hard to understand what he meant?"
Tracey shook his head. "No, it wasn't."
"When you and Mr. Ketchum were walking home on that day, did you see anything suspicious as you crossed the road?"
Tracey shook his head. "No, I didn't. I thought that the road was clear, or I wouldn't have run out there."
"Can you tell us what happened after that?"
"Ash...he saw something coming and yelled at me to look out...and I turned just in time to see headlights coming at me...and he pushed me out of the way...my hand hit the side of the car, but I managed to get a look at who was in the driver's seat of the car..."
"Was it a 1999 Ford Taurus?"
"I'm not sure of the make..." Tracey said. "But it did look like a rather new car..."
"And did you see Mr. Ketchum go under the tires of the car?"
"No, I didn't see him go under, I just heard him scream."
"Did you attempt to move him or anything?"
Tracey shook his head. "I didn't know how bad he was hurt, and my wrist was broken, so I just went to call an ambulance..." He was beginning to choke up.
"Last question, Tracey. Why do you think that the defendant would do this?"
Tracey noticed Brock glaring at him. He looked so creepy in that prison uniform... "He wanted to run me down," he said, determined not to let Brock mess with his mind. "And he had already told me that he wasn't afraid to get rid of me..."
"But did he hit the brakes or anything when he saw that Ash was in the way instead of you?"
"No. I didn't see the car slow down at all...and I heard the engine rev up..."
"Thank you, Tracey," Woods said. She turned to the defense council. "Your witness."
The defense lawyer, a young man by the name of Garth Maudsley, stood up. He didn't look too confident in himself. But he did his best at hiding it when he walked up to the stand. "Well...on the day in question, it was raining, was it not?"
Tracey nodded. "Yes, it was."
"And it was rather gloomy out, right?"
"Yes..."
"So...could it be possible that my client didn't see you and Mr. Ketchum on the road?"
Tracey shook his head. "No, I don't think it's possible," he said.
"But do you know for sure?"
"No, I don't, but I don't believe that he could have not seen us there. And even if he didn't at first, there's no way that he couldn't have seen us on the crosswalk...and there's no reason why he couldn't try to brake..."
There was a momentary flash in Maudsley's eyes. He had heard from Brock that Tracey was rather weak and would probably shatter on the stand. But what was happening was far from that. "Now, I'd like to go back to this fight that he and you had before hand. You said that he threatened you...but could that be because you hit him?"
"Yes, I did," Tracey said. "But I was acting in self-defense. He threw the first punch."
Maudsley was quiet for a moment before he turned to Judge Knowles. "No further questions," he said. He walked back to the table and immersed himself into a brief but quiet argument with Brock.
Judge Knowles turned to Tracey. "You may step down," he said.
Tracey got to his feet and walked back to his seat, showing no sign of emotion whatsoever.
Professor Oak clapped him on the shoulder. "You did good, Tracey," he said.
Misty gave him a small smile. "Great job," she said to him.
"Council, please call your next witness."
Woods stood up again. "Prosecutor calls Professor Samuel Oak," she said.
The professor walked up to the stand, sat down, and was sworn in.
"You knew the defendant pretty well, did you not?" Woods said.
"Yes, I did," the professor replied.
"How would you describe him?"
"Well...at first, he was a great guy. He was a good friend to Ash and Misty, and they adored him...but it seemed that, after Ash and Misty got together and started dating...he changed. He became very withdrawn and very...angry. I recall having to ask him to leave my lab on several occasions."
"Did you witness the fight between Mr. Harrison and Mr. Sketchit?"
Professor Oak nodded. "I didn't witness the argument, but I walked in as soon as the first punch was thrown."
"And Mr. Harrison was the first to throw a punch?"
"Yes, he was. I'm positive of it."
"And you heard Mr. Harrison's threat?"
"Yes, I did."
"What did you do?"
"I told him that I thought it best that he leave."
"Thank you, professor." Woods smiled. "Your witness."
Maudsley stood up. "I have no questions," he said.
Tracey raised his eyebrows as Professor Oak sat back down. "Hey, you did a great job!" he said.
Misty shut her eyes, knowing that she was next.
Sure enough, Woods cleared her throat. "Prosecutor calls Misty Williams to the stand."
Tracey grabbed her arm for a brief moment. "Don't let him get to you. Answer with your heart. He'll try to glare you down, but show him that you're a strong woman."
Misty nodded and took her seat at the stand. She was sworn in, just like the others.
"You and Mr. Ketchum were close, weren't you?" Woods asked.
"Yeah, we were," Misty replied.
"How close?"
"He was my fiancé."
"And what about you and Mr. Harrison?"
Misty sighed. "He was one of my best friends," she said truthfully.
"What changed?"
Misty noticed Brock glaring at her. He was trying to break her down. But she wasn't about to go down that easy. Not for him. "He became really mean towards Tracey...and he started acting really jealous around Ash and I..."
"Did you ever talk with him about it?"
"No, I did not."
"Did you witness the fight?"
Misty shook her head. "I was there when the threat was made, though," she said.
"And did Mr. Sketchit retaliate in any way?"
"No," Misty said.
"Thank you, Misty." Woods once again turned to Maudsley. "Your witness."
Maudsley stood up, looking more confident. Brock had told him that she was emotionally unstable because of this whole thing and that attacking her relationship with Ash would break her down. "So..." he said. "You say that you and Mr. Ketchum were engaged, right?"
"Yes, we were," Misty said.
"And you never had any feelings for my client?"
"Never in my life," Misty said, disgusted at even the thought.
"And you were always completely faithful to your fiancé?"
Misty knew what was going on, and she wasn't about to play along. "Completely," she said.
"You never went to my client when things went bad between you and Mr. Ketchum?"
"No, I did not," Misty said, staring defiantly at Maudsley. "If things ever did go bad between me and Ash, I went to Ash's mother with my problems. I never went to him, or to Tracey, or anyone else."
Maudsley was surprised by Misty's strength. "Well, then, did you ever give my client any clue that you wanted to be with him?"
Misty mentally rolled her eyes, wishing that this loser would just give up. "Never," she said.
Maudsley decided that Misty wasn't going to give in. "No further questions, your honour."
Misty walked back to her seat and accepted congratulations from everyone.
Hours passed. Witness after witness testified against Brock. Nothing new was discovered until Woods stood up. "At this time, I would like to present exhibit A," she said.
Misty and Tracey shared a glance. "What could that possibly be?" Misty said.
Tracey shrugged.
Woods continued as she pulled a video tape out. "As you know, your honour, Pallet Town has recently had a bit of a problem with car accidents, so the City installed video cameras in each and every traffic light in town. This video shows the hit-and-run taking place. With your permission, I would like to play this tape."
Judge Knowles nodded. "Proceed," he said.
Every eye in the room was on the TV screen as the image came on. It showed a calm street before two figures came into the range of the camera. Misty's heart began to race as she recognized Ash and Tracey. The time in the corner read 9:05pm. They watched as as Tracey, on the video, began to run out onto a perfectly clear street, dotted only by the rain. They heard an engine and they saw a black Ford Taurus come zooming into range. They watched as Ash ran out and shoved Tracey out of the way and was immediately knocked to the ground.
Misty watched as her fiancé was pulled under the car and she felt tears in her eyes.
Tracey had to look away. He couldn't bear it.
Misty was trying her hardest not to believe it when Woods paused it on a frame that clearly showed that Brock was in the driver's seat. "As you can see, it was the defendant in this car."
* * *
The court was in recess, waiting for the jury to make a decision. Professor Oak was trying to comfort Delia, who was in hysterics after watching the video. Tracey was staring at his feet. Misty had her head in her hands and was crying softly. In a way, she was glad to see the video, because now she knew what had happened. But she was mostly devastated by it.
Everyone looked up as the jury filed into the room. All twelve of them looked sure of themselves as they sat down.
Judge Knowles looked at them. "Jury, have you reached a decision?" he said.
The foreman stood up. "Yes, we have," he said.
"Please tell us your verdict."
The man took a deep breath. "We find the defendant not guilty of uttering a threat," he said.
Tracey noticed a smile crossing Brock's face.
"On the charge of attempted murder, we find the defendant guilty."
Brock's smirk disappeared.
"And on the charge of murder, we find the defendant..."
The whole room was silent. You could have heard a pin drop. Misty and Delia held each other's hands tightly. Everyone knew that the video had shown it, but still, anything could go wrong.
"Guilty," the foreman said.
A cheer erupted from the room as Brock started to argue with his lawyer. Misty and Delia threw their arms around each other. Tracey dropped his head into his hands, crying in relief, thankful that it was all over.
Misty turned around and looked at Tracey. "It's over," she said.
"Thank god," Tracey said.
Neither of them heard the judge pass Brock's sentence, they were too happy.
As the bailiff handcuffed Brock and began to lead him away, Misty's eyes locked with his. She knew that he was still the girl-crazy idiot that he had once been, somewhere deep inside, but now, he was someone she hated. As he mouthed an apology to her, she turned away. That part of her life was over. Now it was time to move on. Justice had been served, and Ash's death had been avenged.
TO BE CONTINUED...
A/N: Whew, that was a long one! I don't think I've ever written a chapter that long before! Oh, well, I wanted to get the whole trial out of the way. And yeah, there's more. I can't just leave it there! Misty deserves to be happy again, don't she? Anyways, stay tuned for the final chapter! (Always wanted to say that ^_^!)
Part 4 - Justice Is Served
Disclaimer: Pokémon and its characters are property of Nintendo, Game Freak, 4Kids Entertainment, Satoshi Tajiri and whoever else I forgot. You really didn't think that they were mine, did ya?
Summary: Brock is standing trial for the murder of Ash and the attempted murder of Tracey. But, as we know, things are never as simple as they seem...
A/N: I have no idea what to say...there may be some sad stuff, but not as heavy as the other parts. And, I have never once been in a courtroom, much less seen a real trial, so if any of this sounds like it's made up, it is.
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Misty, Delia, Tracey, and Professor Oak sat across from Officer Jenny. All four showed signs that they were scared to death. What they said here could either put Brock away for a long time, or it could let him go.
Jenny looked the group over. "First of all, I should tell you that we told him about Ash's death," she said. "Fortunately, he seemed to be really upset about it. He told us that he never meant for it to go this far. But, unfortunately, that isn't going to help him out."
Misty knew that she should have been glad that Brock felt bad, but inside, she knew that he was probably only messing with the police. Brock wasn't the impulsive kind of person anymore. He planned things out. If he was the one that had done this, and they knew that he was, he knew what he was doing. He might feel a moment or two of regret for hitting the wrong person, but if what Tracey said was true, and Misty didn't doubt him at all, he wouldn't feel that bad.
"So...I'm going to ask you some questions, so our prosecutor will have something to work with. Can I call you all by your first names?"
Everyone nodded.
"All right," she said. She pulled out a small tape recorder and turned it on, reciting the date and case number into it. She placed it on the table. "First of all...Tracey, since you were there, could you tell me what happened, in your own words?"
Tracey lowered his eyes. If there was one thing that he hated, it was being forced to think about it over and over again. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and began to speak. "Ash and I were walking home at about nine o'clock at night...and it had started to rain...so I started to run...I didn't see anything on the road when I ran out onto it...and then I heard Ash call out for me to look out...and I turned just in time to see headlights coming right at me...then he pushed me out of the way...my hand hit the side of the car and I broke my wrist...but I turned around just in time to catch a couple second look at the driver..."
"And you're positive who it was?"
Tracey nodded.
"Did you see Ash go under the car's tires?"
Tracey nodded. "Not directly," he said. "I heard him scream, but I didn't see him..."
"Did you see anyone else around?"
Tracey shook his head. "No one," he said. "I looked around to see if there was anyone to help, but there wasn't...and my wrist was broken, so all I could do was call an ambulance."
Jenny checked a sheet of paper. "Well, the timing does match up. The paramedics report getting the call at just about the same time as the police reported getting a call for a hit-and-run at the same location..." She looked up. "Now, Mr. Harrison told us about a fight or something between you and him before this happened...could you tell me about that?"
Tracey silently wished that the attention would just be put on someone else. He hated this, being the center of attention, being the one person that could ensure that the case went to trial. "It wasn't anything that should have gotten this serious," he said. "We were just talking for a minute...and then he told me that he wished that Ash and Misty would break up...that Ash didn't deserve her and he thought that she should be with someone that could make her happy...I didn't get it at first, but...I told him that they were happy together and then he started to freak out on me, saying that I was trying to turn them against him...and I..." He paused, not sure whether to continue. "And he started yelling and stuff...and he tried to hit me...so...I...kind of freaked out...and we ended up in a fist-fight..."
Jenny's eyes froze up for a second. "Are you sure that he tried to hit you first?" she said.
Tracey nodded.
"I have to ask because if you were the first to throw a punch, he could come back at you for assault."
The professor cleared his throat. "I saw the fight," he said. "Tracey acted in self-defense."
Jenny turned her attention to Professor Oak. "Could you tell me what you saw?"
"I didn't witness their argument," the professor said. "But I walked in just as Brock tried to hit Tracey. I tried my best to break it up, but they did manage to beat each other up pretty good. Then I heard Brock say that he wanted Tracey dead...and he wouldn't be afraid to get rid of him himself."
Jenny nodded. "That is a threat in our books."
Misty looked over at Tracey, who had his head lowered and his eyes shut tight. She gently took his hand, half to reassure him, half to reassure herself.
Jenny looked at Delia. "So there was never any indication that this was going to happen?"
Delia shook her head. "I never knew that anything was wrong until Brock and Tracey got into that fight," she said. "And I didn't know that Brock was upset about Misty and my son until Ash was in the hospital."
"Officer, can I ask something?" Misty suddenly said.
"Sure you can," Jenny said.
"How much of a chance does he have of getting off?"
Jenny paused for a moment. "I'll be honest with you," she said. "It's word against word in a case like this...so it really all depends on the jury. All we can do is present the prosecuting evidence and let the defense present theirs. Then, it's up to the jury to decide who they believe. Plus, he could use the insanity plea, but he passed his psychological examination, so we've basically eliminated that probability. But all we can do is do our best."
"How long would he be in prison if he was convicted?"
Jenny sighed. "It really is too early to say. Like I said, it depends on the jury. They may decide that he's guilty of murder and attempted murder, they may say that he's not guilty of murder but guilty of attempted murder, not guilty of attempted murder but guilty of murder, or not guilty of both. The sentence may change if he's let off of one charge...but with what you've told me, we may also add uttering a threat to the charge...it won't do much, though."
Misty sighed. She buried her head in her hands, trying as hard as she could not to think about Brock getting away with murder...literally. This was all getting to be too much for her.
* * *
Misty kneeled in front of Ash's grave, running her fingers along the words engraved in the stone plate. "A master in spirit, if never in title," she read. She let her tears go. "Ash, this is just too hard for me...I can't do this...and to think that I'm going to have to get up on that stand and testify against someone I thought I knew so well...I thought that I could make it through...but...it's all happening too fast...I can't even sleep at night anymore...I need you here with me...I want to hear your voice...I want you to tell me that it'll all work out, that it'll be fine...I always believed everything you told me...but...what is there left to believe in?"
"Yourself," a voice said.
Misty turned around to see Delia standing behind her. "I didn't hear you," she said.
Delia kneeled down. "Ash wanted you to go on," she said. "We all want to see you go on. It's hard, but...you have to try..."
Misty could tell by the tears in Delia's eyes that she was trying to convince herself as well of her words. "If it was just...if it was just Ash's death...I could make it...but with this trial coming up...it's too hard..." She bowed her head. "I never thought that I would ever want to die...but I do now..."
Delia pulled her into her arms. "Misty, please, don't talk like that! I don't know what I would do if I lost you, too. Ash wouldn't want you to die, would he?"
Misty let herself cry into Delia's shoulder. "But Ash doesn't know what it's like!" she cried. "Ash never has to feel any pain like this ever again...he left me behind...he promised that we would be together forever, and never even tried to fight death! He just let himself go!" She was surprised to realize that she felt bitter about it.
Delia held her close. "I know, Misty," she said. "But..."
"There ain't any buts anymore," Misty muttered. "There's nothing for me anymore...I hate it..." She wasn't sad anymore, she was angry. She was angry about everything. She just couldn't take it anymore.
"Misty...please...it'll all be okay, eventually. Maybe you can't see it now, but it'll work out."
Footsteps sounded behind them. Delia looked up to see Tracey approaching. "The professor's getting a little worried," he said quietly. "He told me to come find you."
"Thank you," Delia said. She helped Misty stand up. "Come on, girl," she said. "Let's go back."
Misty nodded, too upset and too tired to fight anymore.
* * *
Misty heard the shrill alarm, but didn't get up. She couldn't. Literally. Her lack of sleep had taken such a toll on her body that she couldn't even sit up. She reached out to shut the alarm off and watched her hand shaking. She felt a crushing weight on her chest, the pain of regret. She had totally trashed the room the night before, finally letting her anger out. She still loved Ash, and she still missed him, but she was letting herself remember that he hadn't tried to fight off his death at all. He had just let death consume him, and she was blinded with an incredible rage at it. She hated being lied to, and he had lied to her.
Delia knocked on the door. "Misty?" she said. "Misty, we need to go. We have to be at the courthouse at nine."
Misty let herself cry again. "I can't..." she said. "I can't...stand up..."
Delia ran to her. "Are you sure?" she said.
Misty closed her eyes. "I can't move..."
Delia helped her to sit up, noticing that her body resembled a rag doll. She had no control over her muscles. "Oh, Misty...I told you that you needed to sleep..." She touched a hand to her forehead. "You're burning up. You must be getting sick."
*Sick and mourning the loss of my soulmate,* Misty thought. *What a wonderful start to this whole trial thing.*
A knock sounded on the door to Misty's half of the motel room. Delia answered it to see Professor Oak and Tracey. "Are you ready?" the professor asked.
"Misty can't get out of bed," Delia replied. "She's really weak...and she's getting sick."
The professor stepped in and kneeled down beside her bed. "Misty...can you sit up at all?"
Misty gathered her strength and pulled herself up. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand. She managed to hold herself up for a few seconds before collapsing.
Without thinking, Tracey ran forward to catch her.
Misty felt his arms around her and burst into tears. "What's wrong with me?!" she cried.
"It's okay, Misty," Tracey said. "You're just tired. You'll be okay in a few minutes."
Tracey and the professor left so Delia could help Misty get dressed.
"Tracey, are you okay?" Professor Oak asked. "You look scared."
Tracey looked at the professor. "It's just that...this whole thing is gonna rely on me...'cause I was there...and I know what his motives were...and I'm worried about Misty..."
"She'll be okay," the professor said. "We'll just let her rest in the backseat. The courthouse is about an hour's drive from here, anyway."
Tracey nodded. "But what about at the courthouse? I can feel it...she's going to lose it when she sees him again..."
"Tracey, I always try to help you out, and all I can tell you now is worry about yourself. Like you said, most of this trial is going to rest on your shoulders. Delia and I will look after Misty. You don't have to."
They broke off the conversation as the door opened and Misty walked out, trying her best to stay on her feet.
Tracey really didn't care what the professor had just told him. He ran to her. "Are you okay, Misty?" he asked.
She looked at him for a moment and saw that he was offering to help her to the car. She gratefully draped an arm around his shoulder and let him half-carry her to the backseat of the car. He climbed in after her. The professor got into the driver's seat, Delia in the front passenger seat.
Misty didn't know why Tracey was acting this way, but she was grateful when he offered to let her rest against his shoulder.
Meanwhile, Tracey lost himself in his thoughts. Ash had made him promise to look after her, but he had never expected it to go this far. Not to the point where he was terrified to leave her alone. Not to the point when the only time he felt safe was when she was right there beside him. Not to the point where he completely forgot about what was going on as she slept in his arms. He remembered having a little bit of a crush on her when they had first met, but never anything as serious as what was swarming in his heart right now. *No, you idiot!* he scolded himself. *You are not gonna fall for her! Can't you see how upset she is over having her heart broken once already?! You are not gonna screw things up by falling in love with her!*
Misty had no clue why she was so comfortable in Tracey's arms. But she could sense that he wasn't that comfortable with her in his arms. She sat up slowly, since her strength was returning anyway, and looked at him. He was trying not to look at her. She knew that something was up, something big. But whatever it was, he was trying to avoid it, so she didn't press.
* * *
There were mountains of reporters outside the courthouse when they pulled up. They immediately swarmed the car. Professor Oak muttered a few rating-inappropriate words and climbed out, fighting his way to the passenger side to help Delia out.
Misty began to panic a little bit. "Tracey...I don't want to go out there..." she said. "I don't want to..."
"It's all right, Misty," he said. "I'll keep them away from you. Just stay close to me and you'll be okay." He opened the door, not really caring if he hit anyone with the door. They had no right to be there anyway. He turned and helped her out of the car. He heard reporters yelling questions at her. She stumbled a few times, the stress of the crowd getting to her.
One rather gutsy reporter decided that the best way to get an answer was to try and cut them off.
Tracey wasn't exactly in his best of moods, and this wasn't helping. "Hey!" he shouted at the man. "Can't you see that she's upset enough about this? Do you really think you vultures are helping?! Just get out of here, would you?!" He shoved past the man, making sure to keep Misty close.
Finally, they made it into the safety of the courthouse. Misty dropped to her knees, or would have, if Tracey's arms hadn't still been around her waist. "Thanks, Tracey," she said, breathlessly.
"No problem," Tracey replied, pulling her to her feet.
* * *
Misty stared at her feet as the trial began. The first few stages had already taken place, and they were in the full trial. Before this thing was over, Brock would either be a free man or behind bars for a long time...
"Council," the judge, whose name plate read Judge Knowles, said. "Call your first witness."
The lawyer, whose name was Michelle Woods, that Jenny had appointed for the prosecution stood up. "The prosecutor calls Tracey Sketchit to the stand."
Tracey shut his eyes for a minute. He had, as they all had, managed to avoid looking at Brock, who was sitting on the other side of the courtroom, his expression unreadable, but that was about to change. He stood up and walked to the stand.
"Raise your right hand," the court officer ordered.
Tracey complied.
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
"I do," Tracey replied, nodding.
Woods approached the stand. "Could you state your full name?"
"Tracey Taylor Sketchit," Tracey replied.
"Do you know the defendant?"
Tracey nodded. "Yes, I do."
"How do you know him?"
"He used to be Ash and Misty's friend." He put emphasis on the phrase 'used to be'.
"Were you ever friends with him?"
Tracey thought about that for a minute. "No, not really. We hardly ever saw each other."
"Now, before the crime in question was committed, you and the defendant got into a fight, correct?"
Tracey nodded. "Yes," he said.
"And the defendant eventually threatened to kill you, did he not?"
"Well...not directly," Tracey said. He didn't want to see Brock go free, but he didn't want to lie.
"What did he say? Can you remember the exact words?"
Tracey nodded. He remembered all to well. "He said, I quote 'I wish someone would get rid of you...in fact, I wouldn't be afraid to be that person.' Unquote."
"So, it wasn't hard to understand what he meant?"
Tracey shook his head. "No, it wasn't."
"When you and Mr. Ketchum were walking home on that day, did you see anything suspicious as you crossed the road?"
Tracey shook his head. "No, I didn't. I thought that the road was clear, or I wouldn't have run out there."
"Can you tell us what happened after that?"
"Ash...he saw something coming and yelled at me to look out...and I turned just in time to see headlights coming at me...and he pushed me out of the way...my hand hit the side of the car, but I managed to get a look at who was in the driver's seat of the car..."
"Was it a 1999 Ford Taurus?"
"I'm not sure of the make..." Tracey said. "But it did look like a rather new car..."
"And did you see Mr. Ketchum go under the tires of the car?"
"No, I didn't see him go under, I just heard him scream."
"Did you attempt to move him or anything?"
Tracey shook his head. "I didn't know how bad he was hurt, and my wrist was broken, so I just went to call an ambulance..." He was beginning to choke up.
"Last question, Tracey. Why do you think that the defendant would do this?"
Tracey noticed Brock glaring at him. He looked so creepy in that prison uniform... "He wanted to run me down," he said, determined not to let Brock mess with his mind. "And he had already told me that he wasn't afraid to get rid of me..."
"But did he hit the brakes or anything when he saw that Ash was in the way instead of you?"
"No. I didn't see the car slow down at all...and I heard the engine rev up..."
"Thank you, Tracey," Woods said. She turned to the defense council. "Your witness."
The defense lawyer, a young man by the name of Garth Maudsley, stood up. He didn't look too confident in himself. But he did his best at hiding it when he walked up to the stand. "Well...on the day in question, it was raining, was it not?"
Tracey nodded. "Yes, it was."
"And it was rather gloomy out, right?"
"Yes..."
"So...could it be possible that my client didn't see you and Mr. Ketchum on the road?"
Tracey shook his head. "No, I don't think it's possible," he said.
"But do you know for sure?"
"No, I don't, but I don't believe that he could have not seen us there. And even if he didn't at first, there's no way that he couldn't have seen us on the crosswalk...and there's no reason why he couldn't try to brake..."
There was a momentary flash in Maudsley's eyes. He had heard from Brock that Tracey was rather weak and would probably shatter on the stand. But what was happening was far from that. "Now, I'd like to go back to this fight that he and you had before hand. You said that he threatened you...but could that be because you hit him?"
"Yes, I did," Tracey said. "But I was acting in self-defense. He threw the first punch."
Maudsley was quiet for a moment before he turned to Judge Knowles. "No further questions," he said. He walked back to the table and immersed himself into a brief but quiet argument with Brock.
Judge Knowles turned to Tracey. "You may step down," he said.
Tracey got to his feet and walked back to his seat, showing no sign of emotion whatsoever.
Professor Oak clapped him on the shoulder. "You did good, Tracey," he said.
Misty gave him a small smile. "Great job," she said to him.
"Council, please call your next witness."
Woods stood up again. "Prosecutor calls Professor Samuel Oak," she said.
The professor walked up to the stand, sat down, and was sworn in.
"You knew the defendant pretty well, did you not?" Woods said.
"Yes, I did," the professor replied.
"How would you describe him?"
"Well...at first, he was a great guy. He was a good friend to Ash and Misty, and they adored him...but it seemed that, after Ash and Misty got together and started dating...he changed. He became very withdrawn and very...angry. I recall having to ask him to leave my lab on several occasions."
"Did you witness the fight between Mr. Harrison and Mr. Sketchit?"
Professor Oak nodded. "I didn't witness the argument, but I walked in as soon as the first punch was thrown."
"And Mr. Harrison was the first to throw a punch?"
"Yes, he was. I'm positive of it."
"And you heard Mr. Harrison's threat?"
"Yes, I did."
"What did you do?"
"I told him that I thought it best that he leave."
"Thank you, professor." Woods smiled. "Your witness."
Maudsley stood up. "I have no questions," he said.
Tracey raised his eyebrows as Professor Oak sat back down. "Hey, you did a great job!" he said.
Misty shut her eyes, knowing that she was next.
Sure enough, Woods cleared her throat. "Prosecutor calls Misty Williams to the stand."
Tracey grabbed her arm for a brief moment. "Don't let him get to you. Answer with your heart. He'll try to glare you down, but show him that you're a strong woman."
Misty nodded and took her seat at the stand. She was sworn in, just like the others.
"You and Mr. Ketchum were close, weren't you?" Woods asked.
"Yeah, we were," Misty replied.
"How close?"
"He was my fiancé."
"And what about you and Mr. Harrison?"
Misty sighed. "He was one of my best friends," she said truthfully.
"What changed?"
Misty noticed Brock glaring at her. He was trying to break her down. But she wasn't about to go down that easy. Not for him. "He became really mean towards Tracey...and he started acting really jealous around Ash and I..."
"Did you ever talk with him about it?"
"No, I did not."
"Did you witness the fight?"
Misty shook her head. "I was there when the threat was made, though," she said.
"And did Mr. Sketchit retaliate in any way?"
"No," Misty said.
"Thank you, Misty." Woods once again turned to Maudsley. "Your witness."
Maudsley stood up, looking more confident. Brock had told him that she was emotionally unstable because of this whole thing and that attacking her relationship with Ash would break her down. "So..." he said. "You say that you and Mr. Ketchum were engaged, right?"
"Yes, we were," Misty said.
"And you never had any feelings for my client?"
"Never in my life," Misty said, disgusted at even the thought.
"And you were always completely faithful to your fiancé?"
Misty knew what was going on, and she wasn't about to play along. "Completely," she said.
"You never went to my client when things went bad between you and Mr. Ketchum?"
"No, I did not," Misty said, staring defiantly at Maudsley. "If things ever did go bad between me and Ash, I went to Ash's mother with my problems. I never went to him, or to Tracey, or anyone else."
Maudsley was surprised by Misty's strength. "Well, then, did you ever give my client any clue that you wanted to be with him?"
Misty mentally rolled her eyes, wishing that this loser would just give up. "Never," she said.
Maudsley decided that Misty wasn't going to give in. "No further questions, your honour."
Misty walked back to her seat and accepted congratulations from everyone.
Hours passed. Witness after witness testified against Brock. Nothing new was discovered until Woods stood up. "At this time, I would like to present exhibit A," she said.
Misty and Tracey shared a glance. "What could that possibly be?" Misty said.
Tracey shrugged.
Woods continued as she pulled a video tape out. "As you know, your honour, Pallet Town has recently had a bit of a problem with car accidents, so the City installed video cameras in each and every traffic light in town. This video shows the hit-and-run taking place. With your permission, I would like to play this tape."
Judge Knowles nodded. "Proceed," he said.
Every eye in the room was on the TV screen as the image came on. It showed a calm street before two figures came into the range of the camera. Misty's heart began to race as she recognized Ash and Tracey. The time in the corner read 9:05pm. They watched as as Tracey, on the video, began to run out onto a perfectly clear street, dotted only by the rain. They heard an engine and they saw a black Ford Taurus come zooming into range. They watched as Ash ran out and shoved Tracey out of the way and was immediately knocked to the ground.
Misty watched as her fiancé was pulled under the car and she felt tears in her eyes.
Tracey had to look away. He couldn't bear it.
Misty was trying her hardest not to believe it when Woods paused it on a frame that clearly showed that Brock was in the driver's seat. "As you can see, it was the defendant in this car."
* * *
The court was in recess, waiting for the jury to make a decision. Professor Oak was trying to comfort Delia, who was in hysterics after watching the video. Tracey was staring at his feet. Misty had her head in her hands and was crying softly. In a way, she was glad to see the video, because now she knew what had happened. But she was mostly devastated by it.
Everyone looked up as the jury filed into the room. All twelve of them looked sure of themselves as they sat down.
Judge Knowles looked at them. "Jury, have you reached a decision?" he said.
The foreman stood up. "Yes, we have," he said.
"Please tell us your verdict."
The man took a deep breath. "We find the defendant not guilty of uttering a threat," he said.
Tracey noticed a smile crossing Brock's face.
"On the charge of attempted murder, we find the defendant guilty."
Brock's smirk disappeared.
"And on the charge of murder, we find the defendant..."
The whole room was silent. You could have heard a pin drop. Misty and Delia held each other's hands tightly. Everyone knew that the video had shown it, but still, anything could go wrong.
"Guilty," the foreman said.
A cheer erupted from the room as Brock started to argue with his lawyer. Misty and Delia threw their arms around each other. Tracey dropped his head into his hands, crying in relief, thankful that it was all over.
Misty turned around and looked at Tracey. "It's over," she said.
"Thank god," Tracey said.
Neither of them heard the judge pass Brock's sentence, they were too happy.
As the bailiff handcuffed Brock and began to lead him away, Misty's eyes locked with his. She knew that he was still the girl-crazy idiot that he had once been, somewhere deep inside, but now, he was someone she hated. As he mouthed an apology to her, she turned away. That part of her life was over. Now it was time to move on. Justice had been served, and Ash's death had been avenged.
TO BE CONTINUED...
A/N: Whew, that was a long one! I don't think I've ever written a chapter that long before! Oh, well, I wanted to get the whole trial out of the way. And yeah, there's more. I can't just leave it there! Misty deserves to be happy again, don't she? Anyways, stay tuned for the final chapter! (Always wanted to say that ^_^!)