Author's Notes: (groan.) I'm not at all confident with this opening at the end of the chapter.
Anyone who knows more about court stuff than I do, please try not to be picky. I'm doing my very best to make this realistic. It probably won't be all that close. So let me wither and moan over how terrible this is in comparison to how the REAL court room works, and just try to enjoy it.
Finally, things begin to wrap up.
Someone asked about the contest again. Yes, the fanart has to be of this story, because that's what the contest is, silly. ;) So pick one of your favorite scenes and send it in to me. By e-mail. Just in case anyone asks again! And it's in my profile...just in case anyone asks again! Ha ha ha.
Enjoy the chapter. Sorta short, but oh well.
EDIT: Thank you SO much, Echo! I've fixed the beginning of the court portion in this chapter to be a little more set to real life. My GOD, that really WAS an eyesore. See, what did I tell you?
Chapter 48
"Justice Sentenced"
Cloud looked up when the phone rang again, and he sighed. Damn tabloids, why wouldn't they ever give up? He threw the covers off of him, grumbling, and adjusted the oversized robe he was wearing. (I really should get rid of this, he thought.) He stomped into the kitchen and picked the phone up off the receiver.
"You're not getting any interviews from me, so if you bastards are still outside on my front lawn, you better get back into your fucking cars and leave before I call the cops!"
"...I feel sorry for the poor bastards who must be outside on your front lawn."
The fired model blinked. Then the voice registered in his head, and he resisted the urge to gasp. "Shit...Leon! I'm sorry, I thought you were those stupid newspaper fuckers..."
"Are they bothering you again?"
Cloud sighed. "Constantly. Apparently wanting to know how long I'll be living off my bank savings before I go broke and when I'll sell the house."
Leon scoffed on the other end of the line. "Did anyone look at it yet?"
"It only just went up for sale. I started cleaning up to make the place look nice for any possible clients."
"Are you kidding? That place actually needs cleaning?"
Cloud groaned. "Well, I just gave back all the kids that used to live in it..." he paused, and an awkward silence followed that. That's right, he thought, they're not going to come back...
He thought he could hear Leon swallowing. "How are you doing with that?" He asked.
"You mean...with the kids?" Cloud chuckled weakly. "It's...very...quiet." He shifted his weight to one side, his hips swaying, and ran his fingers through his hair. "Seifer's gone, even. And Fuu and Rai. Everyone but me..." he sighed. "It's very quiet," he said again.
"It must have been hard, sending all of them back to their agencies."
Cloud managed to smile. "They raised up such a fuss." He chuckled, "The little ones were hanging onto my legs like monkeys. I almost had to pry them off with a wrench or something."
"...Are you going to be okay?"
Cloud blinked. "Okay? What do you mean by that?"
Leon waited a moment before responding. "I saw what you were like with those kids. I think you must have loved them more than anything...so...I'm wondering if you're going to be alright with it. Living without them."
Cloud furrowed his brow and sighed, exhaling through his nose. "I'm sure I'll get over it," he said sadly. He cast his eyes to the side somewhere.
"You don't sound so sure."
"Well, I'm going to miss them." Cloud tucked a loose blond strand behind his ear. "I really loved those kids..."
Flash, flash, flash.
Cloud blinked at the blinding lights and turned to the window. The curtain was open, and there were the tabloids, snapping photos of him like he was a trophy on display. He narrowed his eyes and a deadly glare was sent their way, and he hissed, storming over and closing the curtains. Even when I'm not a model, they insist on invading my privacy!
"Something wrong?"
"Listen, Leon..." Cloud shook his head. "I'll have to call you back."
"Why? What happened?"
Cloud grumbled, "Those fuckers really are on my front lawn."
"Hmmm," grunted Leon. "I understand."
Cloud was about to hang up when a thought crossed his mind. Should I...? He frowned, creasing his brow as he considered it. What if there was a wire tap on?
...Aw, hell. Why did he even care anymore?
"Wait a minute—Leon!" He didn't hear the other hang up, but he wasn't entirely sure.
"Yes?"
Cloud swallowed the nervous lump in his throat, and sighed. I really shouldn't be going this fast. I should be taking some time to settle down first. But...
"...Would you, uh...would you like to schedule a lunch date...sometime?"
When there was silence on the other end, Cloud didn't know if Leon was surprised, or curious, or what. It was difficult even for him to picture the look on the other's face. When he'd met Leon in person, finally, he'd realized just how hard to read the other was.
"...I'm free on Tuesday. Is that a good time for you?"
Cloud smiled.
"I think that would be good. Where should we meet?"
"I don't know. Depends on what city we're meeting in."
The blond winced. That's right, I forgot how far apart we are...
"Well, uh..." he racked his brain. Where would be a good place? He didn't want to make either of them drive all that way. Then it hit him. Ooh, that would be good!
"There's this little place downtown here that's pretty good. It has a bar and the food is good...it's called the...uh...something-or-other Garden. Radiant Garden?"
Leon paused. "...Cloud...Radiant Garden is a titty bar."
Cloud felt the record scratch on his brain and stamped his foot frustratedly, cheeks burning red. "E-Er, I mean, uh...shit! What's it called...aagh!" Then he gasped. "B-Balamb! Balamb Garden! That's the place! I'm sorry..."
He heard the other snickering. "So, Balamb Garden, not Radiant Garden?"
Cloud groaned again, still feeling his cheeks burn red from that slip-up. That would've been a disaster for sure! "Yes...Balamb Garden..." he added hurriedly, "I-It should be a little closer to where you are, because, you know, I live in the northern part of the city. So you won't have to drive as far...that's good, right?"
"It's fine," Leon said. "So Tuesday at the Balamb Garden...say around eleven?"
Eleven? That's a little early...
Leon seemed to be reading his thoughts. "Or noon, if that works better for you."
"Uh...how about 11:30?"
"Okay."
Cloud blinked. Wow, he's really easy to work with.
"Okay...so, Tuesday at 11:30."
"I'll see you then, Cloud."
The blond could feel the blush in his cheeks beginning to dissipate, and he nodded. "See you then," he said, and then he hung up.
Auron sighed and checked his watch. It was about eleven right now. All he could think was that he couldn't wait to get out of this court room. Not that he was as eager to serve up a sentence as the attorneys were—that was his job as a judge—but today he was just especially restless, so he was doing his best not to sound agitated. He fixed the long black robes on his arms and rubbed at his bad eye, which had been scarred some time ago in an accident. He could barely open it, and he had a tendency to squint.
He was looking at a dark-skinned man who was being accused of rape and abuse, and a teenage kid with silver hair. The opposing lawyers were a man with blond hair, whom he recognized as Luxord, and a woman who looked like a shark. Her hair was pulled back in a jet-black bun, and she wore a business suit with long, dark-blue sleeves and a matching skirt that reached her knees. She had on a pair of high-heels and her bust was thrust out with pride. She looked rather confident in herself. Auron wasn't sure who she was, but she appeared to be a new face. Lulu Sykes, wasn't it?
Auron looked over the papers in front of him, squinting like he often did. "People versus Ansem Atercor; the Defendant is pressed with charges of child abuse, negligence, and rape." I can only imagine how ugly this is going to be, then, Auron thought. He looked up and peered at Ansem and Luxord. "How do you plead?"
"Not guilty, Your Honor." Luxord said cooly. Auron grunted and took his reading glasses off the bridge of his nose. I'm getting too old for this, he grumbled.
"Bail is set at?" He questioned.
"The People advise that bail for the Defendant be set at ten thousand dollars."
"Objection, Your Honor." Luxord argued. "My client has already been charged with a restraining order against the Plaintiff. He is under constant surveillance to be sure that order is upheld."
"Your Honor, with all due respect," Lulu said, "The Defendant has been abusing my client for four years, and God only knows what he's done to all the other children he's adopted prior to my client's negligence under his care—though you could hardly call it that."
"Is there any relation to the case in this, Your Honor?"
"My point is," Lulu continued, "The Defendant is a danger to the community. There are several young children and teenage boys living in his neighborhood. He should not be allowed to walk freely if there is the danger that he will rape another child."
Auron held back a sigh. "The Defendant is already under a restraining order against the Plaintiff, you say."
"Yes, Your Honor," said Luxord, "At the request of the Plaintiff's mother."
Auron grunted. "The People raise a point. Mister Atercor is a liable danger to the children in his community."
"Your Honor, the People cannot prove that my client has raped or abused any children prior to the Plaintiff."
"Objection." Lulu held up a thin stack of papers. "Several of the children who were previously adopted by Ansem have recently stepped forward to confirm his alleged abusive and pedophilic tendencies. One little girl even described how he allegedly made her, quote," she read this from the paper, " 'Drink his 'milk' semen out of a pet dish.' End quote."
At this point, Ansem was glaring death at Lulu, and Riku was glaring back at him. The sparks were flying, and Riku was barely able to stand waiting there in his suit. He hated the suit. It was dark-blue, like Lulu's. ("Blue makes you look truthful," his mother said.)
"I think that's enough, Miss Sykes." Auron groaned, looking a little disgusted at the quote. He raised up his gavel. "The proof is void. Mister Atercor may have a personal history of sexual abuse, but he has never been charged of those claims previously; therefore, it is not an official history. Bail will be set at ten thousand dollars. Should the Defendant be granted bail, he is under court order to keep his word against the restraining order. Court Date is set on Friday, September twentieth." He smacked his gavel down, and the crowd in the court room rose up to disperse. It wasn't very many people—hardly anyone came to see Ansem, for his side of the court room was nearly empty. However, Riku's mother was present, as were some of his close friends and their family.
Ansem was escorted out by the police, and was still glaring over his shoulder as he left.
Sora got up from his seat in the court room as Riku began to finally relax. He walked back into the crowd, and Sora met him with an almost crushing hug. Riku hugged him back, and Tidus and Roxas watched as they bit back the urge to tease them. Lisa just looked on with a sort of quiet smile on her face, while Sora's father just seemed confused.
"Man, it's on a Friday." Sora grumbled, looking up at him. "That would've been a good night to meet up."
"I'll be free any other time, you know." Riku said. "Oh, and I'm going back to school tomorrow. Mom's making me."
Sora laughed. "Yeah, mine too. So maybe I'll see you at school."
"For sure," Riku agreed, nodding his head. He ruffled Sora's hair and kissed his forehead. "So I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay," Sora said. He waved at Riku as he watched him leave, and then looked at his parents. Then he frowned.
"Sora," his father said cautiously, "Did Riku just kiss you?"
Sora blushed. Uh-oh. I forgot they were there...
"Honey," Lisa said gently with a smile, "I don't mean to sound angry, obviously. But I think that when we get home, you'll have a bit of explaining to do."