Letter to a Soldier part 13

By: Hotaru

Notes: What the hell is with this stupid hook up phone lines? God, it's such BS. And what's with the lack of good infomercials these days? I was stuck watching some...thing for the "Gazelle" exercise bike. I want to see my Turbocooker dammit! Anyway, onward.

-=-

A short while later, Rebecca was led to what she assumed was a catering hall. There, she spotted Billy, and his mother. Billy caught sight of her and smiled. "Two meals together in one day, it must be some kind of record." He grinned, his voice echoing slightly. His mother turned, and eyed Rebecca judgingly. "Hey, leave her alone, Ma."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Go on, introduce me to your girl friend here." She said.

"Oh, no, we're not--I..it's kind of complicated." Rebecca stuttered, waving her hands defensivly.

"You're in prison together...you seem pretty happy to see each other, but you're not invovled?"

"Stop, you're making things weird." Billy interjected. "We're friends, first and foremost. It's my fault she's in here."

"Ah, anyway, my name's Rebecca. It's nice to meet you." Rebecca said, thrusting out her hand, hoping to get on the woman's good side.

"This is where you tell her your name, Ma." Billy said slowly.

"Sheryl." The woman said, finally shaking Rebecca's hand roughly.

"Nice to meet you." Rebecca said again.

"So when do we eat? I'm starving?" Sheryl announced.

"I don't know, go find a guard and ask him." Billy suggested. She did. "Look, I'm real sorry about that, Bec, she's not the nicest person, you know?" He whispered once she was far away enough.

"It's okay, I figured she wouldn't like me." Rebecca replied. "I'm going to call a lawyer for you and have him come down to help you, okay?"

"Aw, you don't have to. My mom said she'd find one."

"Well, I know this guy, and he's really good at getting sentances over turned."

"If you insist."

His mother returned the table and sat down. "I had them order us a pizza." She announced.

"Better than a cheese sandwich. But almost the same thing." Billy said, half to himself. His mother eyed him.

"What are you talking about? Have you lost your mind or something?" She asked.

"We got cheese sandwiches for lunch, and pizza in essense is a cheese sandwich." He explained.

"Hundreds of dollars we pay in taxes monthly and they feed you a cheese sandwich? Can we file a formal complaint or something?"

"Jeez, Ma, when the hell did you start caring whether or not I was treated fairly?"

Rebecca licked her lips and waited for Ms. Coen's rebuttal. "You know how hard I took your father's death." That was a little weak..

"You lost your husband, I lost my father. Shouldn't we have like, I dunno, been there for each other or something?" Billy continued. His mother remained silent. "You just weren't used to showing anyone affection, except him. You never showed me that you loved me when I was growing up, and you shoved me out of the house the day I turned eighteen! What kind of mother are you!?"

"You have no right to talk to me that way!" She spat back.

"Damn right I do! You get what you give. I'm finally telling you all the shit I've been bottling up for...a freaking decade!"

"You should have spoke your mind then, when I could have seen what I did that you didn't like. I can't change anything now."

"I don't want you to, and I didn't want to have to tell you how to be a fucking mother!" Ms. Coen looked shocked. "I hated you! I still hate you! I was sentanced to be killed, and you didn't have the fucking decency to even call!"

"What could I say? Goodbye? I was still mad at you for killing your father--"

"I didn't kill him, you idiot!"

Slap.

Rebecca's eyes widened a bit as Ms. Coen's hand struck Billy's face. They both looked shocked. "I hope you enjoyed that." Billy said, raising his hand to strike her back. She flinched a bit, and he lowered his hand. "Fortunately for you, I don't hit women."

"You...you're damn right you don't hit your mother. And it's your fault he's dead. You and that damn bike! I told him not to let you ride and he promised me he wouldn't let you on."

"And why'd you do that? To prevent me from having a little fun in my miserable Goddamn life? You didn't care about me. You didn't want me on in case there was an accident, and I'd be the one to live, and you'd have to live the rest of your life knowing that your spawn was alive, and your love was dead. Isn't that right, mother?"

"What are you implying?"

"That you wish I had died, and he had lived."

"...I wish that no one had died. I didn't want you dead."

"Yeah, I'm so fucking convinced. Why'd you even come here anyway? To rub it in my face that Dad is dead, and to try to blame me, while you laugh at me on the inside cause I'm getting what I deserve?"

"Billy..." Rebecca said weakly. What else could she say? Bottle up your emotions again?

"Look." Billy said, sounding a bit calmer. "I'm glad that your here. It's nice to know that there's more than one person who cares whether I live or die. But I can't be sure if you even do care, Ma. You treated me like I was a disease when I was younger...am I expected to believe that being cooped up alone all these years has softened your heart?"

"You...are all I have left of Dante. You took his bike, although I was kind of grateful to see the damn thing gone. He hated being in pictures, so I only have a few where his face is obscured. You're it, Billy. I see him in you...you have the same mysterious eyes, and that strong jaw..."

"So you decided to stop hating me cause I look like him?"

"No, jackass. I'm trying to stop blaming you. I can't hate my son, it isn't right. He's sitting alone in a prison, innocent, and he needs his mother."

"You think you're ready to give him what he needs?"

Sheryl took his hand and squeezed it. She still wore her wedding band. "I'm sorry, Billy, I really am. I realized that when they called me and said they found you that...this was it. This might be the last chance I had to find my son. No one could find you for five years. I sat at home, alone, wondering if you were dead, wishing that you would show up one day. If I let you stay here, without coming to see you, I would regret it for the rest of my life."

/I can tell she's trying to be earnest, but she still sounds selfish. She hasn't mentioned his feelings at all. Just about herself../ Rebecca thought.

"Pizza's here!" A guard announced, carrying the white, square box into the hall.

"I'm afraid it's a couple years too late." Billy muttered, moving his arms so the pizza could be placed on the table. The guard tossed some paper plates and napkins onto the table. "There's some soda in that refrigerator over there." He said, motioning to the corner. "Enjoy."

"Um..someone mentioned that you'll be going to trial, most likely. I guess that's a good thing." Rebecca said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Depends if that lawyer of yours is as good as you say." Billy answered, pulling the pizza box open.

"I said I'd get you a lawyer.." Sheryl interrupted.

"Bec offered me one. She knows a guy." Billy said curtly, biting into a slice of pizza.

"I...my friends and I have experience with this guy, and I thought he'd be helpful to Billy, that's all." Rebecca said, hoping not to anger Ms. Coen. /She woudn't think twice to slap me, I bet./ She took a piece of pizza at ate it quietly.

"So how'd you two meet?" Sheryl asked.

"Train." Billy replied before Rebecca could take a breath to answer.

"We were on the same train when it...derailed or something." Rebecca offered. She imagined that the woman had no idea about Raccoon, considering she hadn't even talked to her own son in five years at least.

"Oh. You were planning on going to New York or something when they found you?"

"Yeah, to stay with some friends of mine. Billy needed a place to stay."

"So you offered him a place to live, and he was willing to live with you, but you're not involved."

Billy rolled his eyes. "Would you get off it, already Ma? She likes this other guy." He said finally.

"No I don't." Rebecca answered, a little too quickly.

"What?" Billy asked, shifting his eyes toward her.

"I..I..I've given up on him, and decided to move on. That kiss..." Her cheeks turned a rosy pink.

"You kissed her?" Sheryl questioned.

"Yeah." Billy sighed, taking a huge bite of pizza.

"Aw, look at the poor thing, she's blushing. She likes you." That only caused her to blush further.

"Ma, you're embarassing her. And she doesn't like me. Besides, I'm old." Billy said, trying to wave his mother off his back.

"Well, you aren't that old. We should be talking about this in private anyway. Anyone thirsty, I'm parched!" Rebecca jumped up from the table and ran to the refrigerator.

/God, I'm such an idiot! I almost admitted that I was starting to like him! That stupid kiss...my first kiss...I don't even know if he meant it. I could have seriously embarassed myself here. In front of his mother, and there are probably guards watching us from every angle. Jeez, Rebecca, you're such a idiot./

Grabbing three cans, she walked back to the table. Billy and his mother were silent. "Sorry about that." Billy apologized, pushing the box of pizza in her direction. "I...It's okay." She stumbled, grabbing a piece of pizza and digging into it.

--October 25th 9:00 p.m.--

They had just finished eating when Jonas entered the room. "Well, well, well. Look who's here." Billy sneered as he lounged across two lunch tables.

"What do you want?" Sheryl questioned, turning to face the man.

"It's been decided that you'll have a re-trial. We'll be bringing in your former commanding officer to speak on his behalf, and on yours." Jonas answered.

"Don't bother. He's just going to say the same shit he said last time!"

"Wait a minute, Billy. What he says isn't going to affect his prison term, is it?" Rebecca asked Jonas.

"No." He answered bluntly.

"Well then, he should tell the truth! If he's not gaining or losing out because of it, then he should tell everyone that you didn't kill anyone."

"Keyword there is should. He was a selfish bastard when I knew him, and he's probably bitter about me being out and free for years while he rotted away in a jail cell. He'll lie." Billy sighed.

"This has to be illegal, lying in court! If he isn't going to help my son, don't bring this guy in." Sheryl said, getting angry.

"Has anyone talked to him, even? Or are you just going to drag him out here to testify?" Rebecca asked.

"What does that matter?" Jonas retorted.

"...I..if..." Her mouth flapped open a bit. "If this guy has nothing good to say, then why bother bringing him here?"

"To incriminate Coen."

"But why? You have no proof! There's hardly a chance that he'll be prooved innocent because everyone is out to get him!" There were tears in her eyes now.

"C'mon, Bec, don't worry about it. I'll be alright." Billy said, trying to calm her down.

"No, it's not alright! I can't just stand here and take this!"

"Hey...even if it ends in tragedy, I'm glad I met you."* Billy said, shushing her in a hug.

"Alright, that's enough." Jonas said finally, pulling Rebecca up.

"Hey! What the hell?" She exclaimed.

"You have to get to sleep, so you can leave tomorrow morning. Tanaka, take Coen back to his cell. Ms. Coen can follow you."

Billy's ears perked up. /Tanaka.../ He studied the Asian man's face, before his eyes widened. Swiftly, Tanaka shook his head and winked. Billy raised an eye brow as the man cuffed his hands behind his back and led him down the hall.

"I know you." Billy whispered.

"Yeah, good seein' you, Billy. I've got something to give that that friend of yours. It'll help you out, trust me." Tanaka whispered back.

"What? You looking to testify for me?"

"I wish I could. They'd kick me out in a heart beat and I need this."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"It's kind of like a confession on paper."

"Won't that be inadmissable?"


Tanaka shook his head. "What are you talking about?" Sheryl asked, catching up with the two.

"Nothing, Ma. You staying here or what?" Billy asked.

"They haven't offered me a room, so I don't think so. But I'll be back." Sheryl replied. She kissed Billy's forehead before turning and heading to the right. Tanaka and Billy went to the left.

"They might have your room bugged, so we can't talk there." Tanaka said.

"So where can we talk?" Billy asked.

"The bathroom. I checked it before I came to get you, it's bug free."

They got to the bathroom, and Tanaka locked the door and removed Billy's handcuffs. "It's been awhile." He said, crossing his arms.

"Sure has. I thought you would have moved up in the ranks in five years." Billy replied, staring into a mirror.

"Yeah. There were some disciplinary problems awhile back. So if I screw up even a little bit, I'm out of here."

"Where were you during the trial, Rick? I could have used you, man."

"I know. I just...I didn't have any money, no house, no car, nothing. I had like...fifty bucks on me when I first joined, and this was the only choice I had. Believe me, I wanted to get up there and piss on Hatcher's filthy face, but I couldn't. I didn't think they'd actually find you guilty, though. That suprised me."

"You too?" Billy asked sarcastically. He turned on the faucet and splashed some water onto his face.

"Last I heard, Hatcher was at a minimal security prison in like..Montana or something. He's living it up there, Bill. And I don't know how far the corruption goes in here. If I try to talk to one of the higher ups...shit, they could kill me."

"It'd be like the Shawshank Redemption all over again. But I don't think I want to hide out in Mexico. Where's this confessional you have?"

Rick took a envelope out of his pocket and handed it over. Billy pulled a piece of paper out of it and skimmed through it. "Ooh, excessive cursing, nice." He commented.

"Sealed with my chop, I figured that would keep it anonymous but be like a seal or something." Rick mentioned.

"Your chop?" Billy questioned.

"Yeah, the red stamp at the bottom. You can't be Japanese and not have one."

"Oh. Well, I hope they buy this shit. I just wish you had a camera or something. You're supposed to be tech-savvy."

"Gettin' stereotypical on me?"

Billy just shook his head and chuckled. "Man, I wish we could joke around like this and not have to worry about going back to a damn cell."

Notes: * There I go using translated J-pop lyrics again. ^o^ that was from Neo Universe by L'arc~en~ciel. That's a real cool song. Get it. Now!