- So, I only have one chapter for you this time, but it's a whopping 15 and a half pages, so hopefully that makes up for it. (PS: I don't purposely make things long or add extra chapters just to make more content. If I do something, it's because it makes sense at the time. So, sorry if it's too long. If you need to pause, there's a few breaks you can easily stop at.)

The Trial Begins (Day 58: Monday Morning)

"I just thought it would be a good way to get everyone into the school spirit. It's always so hard, you know, coming back from the winter holidays. Everyone just gets so stressed after those first few weeks. It's hard to adjust back. I thought a manicure would be the perfect thing to help reduce stress and get back our school pride."

"But this event of yours was interrupted?" Audrey's lawyer comments.

"Yes," she confirms.

"What happened next?" he inquires.

"She came at me. She accused me of stealing water," Audrey hysterically responds. "And then—" She looks down for a mere second, before she lifts her head back up and slightly nods, "And she pushed me up against the wall. Grabbed me." Her voice squeaks, "The grip was so tight." as a couple tears run down her face.

"And then what happened?"

Audrey tries to recompose herself, but her breaths still shake, "She used some sort of magic on me. Her eyes glowed, and when she told me not to fight it, suddenly I couldn't do anything. It was like I could register my arms were there by my sides, but they weren't moving. I really wanted them to, but they wouldn't. I was paralyzed."

"Is there anything else?" the black haired lawyer prompts.

"She threatened me, and... She—" Audrey looks away from the audience and her parents, focusing on the man in front of her, "She tried to kiss me." before more tears escape her eyes.

"And after your assailant was taken from the room, what happened after that?"

Audrey takes a moment, before she says, "I was sent to the hospital. It took an hour for her spell to wear off. After it did I was examined, and there were bruise marks found."

The lawyer moves towards the projector and places an image over it, and Mal watches as the image is enlarged on the side wall. There's no mistaken it. That's Audrey's hair, and those fingerprints are bruises. "Are these the bruises that were found on you that night?"

Audrey nods and softly speaks, "Yes."

Mal whispers, "I swear, I didn't know about this." before she turns to look over her shoulder, Ben meeting her eyes with concern."

"Don't stress," Mr. Droit whispers back. "We still have a few strong points." After Audrey's lawyer returns to his seat, Mal's lawyer stands, "Permission to approach the plaintiff."

The judge nods, "Permission granted."

Mr. Droit walks up to the podium, "You say that my client tried to kiss you. May you clarify that for the court?"

Audrey hesitates, "She was leaning towards me, but her friend was begging her not to do it. By the time she had the chance to do it Ben showed up and stopped her."

"So, the kiss didn't actually happen?"

Audrey's lawyer stands up, "Objection. Leading."

"I will rephrase," Mr. Droit quickly comments, before he takes a second and asks instead, "How far did this presumed kiss go?"

"She was only an inch or two away. I could feel her breath on my face."

"I see," he slowly nods. "And you say that she grabbed you. Can you tell me where that was? Was there any other spot other than your arms?"

Audrey's frown deepens, "No. There wasn't."

Mal's lawyer turns towards the judge, "That will be all."

The judge nods in return, "The plaintiff may return to her seat." and after Audrey is safety seated he stares down at Mal. "The defendant will now take the stand."

Mal slides her chair out from the table and then stands, before she walks up to the podium and clasps her hands over her legs. "State your name for the court."

"Mal Bertha," she answers, but then she looks into the audience, as a few girls behind Audrey begin to snicker.

"Can you tell me what happened the night of the accused crime?" her lawyer questions.

"I don't remember much," Mal honestly replies. "I know I was cold, so I went to run a hot bath, but the water wasn't hot enough. So, I went to search for who took it."

"What else do you remember?" he questions.

It takes a moment for her to answer, "I vaguely remember talking to a girl in the hall. She told me that Audrey took the hot water. That's when I went to find her."

"Do you remember anything else?"

Mal slightly shakes her head, "No. Just Ben." before she looks down and remembers. "And Evie." She returns her sights to the lawyer. "Everything else is just flashes of pictures."

"Do you know what could have caused you to forget what happened that night?"

"Yes." She forces herself to look straight forward, "When I get cold I run more on instinct. I wasn't thinking clearly at the time, and for some reason the images I do remember didn't have an emotion attached to them like they normally would."

"So, you don't remember doing what you did?" he questions.

"Not really," Mal accidently looks down, before she takes a frustrated breath and looks back up again. "Up until I was told I did it, I thought Audrey and I just talked. But that's all. I don't remember anything else. I don't even remember any words."

Mr. Droit nods as he slowly paces, "You say you don't remember, but you did see the video. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

He turns back to her, "You know yourself better than anyone. If you had to take a guess as to what your true intentions were, then what would you say they were?"

It takes her a second to answer, "My main objective would have been to find heat. Since Audrey took the hot water, she would have been my focus. She stole my heat source, so I found her to get that heat back."

"The plaintiff accuses you of attempting to kiss her," the lawyer informs. "If that were the case, then why would that be?"

"Heat is gotten through contact," Mal easily answers. "A kiss would have just made it easier and faster to get that heat."

"So, you had no sexual intention with the girl?"

Mal almost laughs, "My boyfriend's ex-girlfriend is one of the last people I'd want to hook up with." She shakes her head, "Absolutely not."

Mr. Droit takes a step back and nods at the judge, "That will be all Your Honor." before he takes a seat, but soon enough Audrey's lawyer walks up to her.

"All of this talk of heat," he recounts. "Wouldn't it just be easier to find a blanket?"

Mal continues to frown, "All a blanket does is insulate someone's body heat. Because I can't make my own body heat, that wouldn't work for me."

He clasps his hands behind his back, "You can't generate your own body heat. That's right." before he smirks. "How do you get your heat, then?"

Mal glances at her lawyer before answering, "Since I arrived here I've been dependent on hot baths, and since that night with Audrey I've also been given a heat lamp."

"But prior to that?" the lawyer coaxes. "When there's no heat lamp or hot water around, what do you do then?"

It takes a minute for her to answer, "Things like fire and hot surfaces like stoves can help." The lawyer waits for her to continue. "When those things are also not around, I have to find other direct heat sources."

"Like people," he insinuates. "Tell me, do you often resort to physical contact with people when these other heat sources of yours aren't readily available?"

"Objection," Mr. Droit stands. "Leading."

"Dismissed," the judge orders, before Mal's lawyer slowly sits back down.

Mal looks back at the black haired lawyer in front of her, "If those other sources aren't readily available, then I usually have someone I can go to for heat instead."

"Was that person not available for you that night?" he questions.

"No," Mal softly answers as she looks to where Ben and Evie sit. "She was."

"She," he lifts his eyebrows in surprise. "You couldn't be talking about that girl who tried to stop you from assaulting the princess, could you?"

"Evie," Mal evenly answers. "She's my best friend. She would do anything for me."

"She would offer heat to you?" he clarifies.

"Yes."

He smiles, "So, you forced yourself onto the princess, when you already had someone willing to give you heat?"

It takes Mal a minute to whisper, "Yes."

"I don't think they heard you," he comments. "Can you say that a little louder?"

"Yes," Mal hisses at him. "I had someone willing, but I didn't have her." She closes her eyes, "I'm so sorry." before she looks over towards Evie. "I would take it back if I could."

"What about the victim?" he prompts. "Do you feel sorry for her?"

Mal looks back at him, "It shouldn't have happened." before she looks at Audrey. "And even though I don't remember it, I do regret it. Even if all I did was touch her arms, I hate seeing the impact it has had on her because of what she thought I was attempting to do."

The lawyer backs off, "I'm finished Your Honor."

The judge nods, "We will now have an intermission. Be back here in thirty minutes." before he pounds his gavel and the people start to disperse.

"I messed up," Mal places a hand to her head as she and the lawyer sit across from each other at the black table.

"It's not your fault," Mr. Droit comments. "The judge wasn't being fair, and that other lawyer was just trying to get a confession out of you." It's quiet for a moment, but murmuring from the people outside the room can still be heard. "You did one thing right." She looks at him. "You didn't admit to the crime. When he asked if you were sorry for what you did, you phrased it in a way that makes it look like you know you are innocent."

Mal lets out a breath, "I can't believe I'm doing this to her." and then she gulps. "After this entire thing is over— if we win—" She shakes her head, "She will be the girl that was hurt and who no one believes. I can't do that to her. I can't make her feel that way."

"Look," the lawyer tries to reason. "Audrey is a princess and a very vocal member of her church. When all of this is done, when we win, there's a good chance that a lot of people will still believe her and will still be on her side. You're the one with the disadvantage here."

"So, what?" Mal half laughs.

"So," he evenly responds, "I think you should be more worried about yourself. These things, they happen, and most of the time it's a grey area. Most of the time it is because there was a misunderstanding of communication— or the lack thereof. Even under these special circumstances, the law will say that this wasn't a purposeful crime."

"Who cares if there was a lack of communication?" Mal breathes in disbelief.

"If the person accused of the crime didn't mean to hurt the other person," he tries to reason, "then there's no reason for such a harsh punishment to be given."

"Some people deserve punishment," Mal mumbles.

"Not in a case like this," the lawyer disagrees. "A punishment isn't going to change anything. All it's going to do is hurt more people. If no harm was meant—"

Mal widens her eyes, "I don't care if no harm was meant. It doesn't change what he did." before her expression softens and her mouth gapes at the realization." She shakes her head, "Uh, I've— I'm just tired."

It takes a moment for him to speak, "I understand you must have gone through a lot." before she looks back up at him. "But that's in the past. This is the here and now. You need to focus on your current situation, and if you've somehow been wronged… you shouldn't be punishing yourself for it."

"Why not?" Mal tiredly responds. "It's my fault it happened."

"You can't take a punishment for a crime you did not commit," he insists.

Mal hears the door open but ignores it, "And if I did do the crime, if I was given enough time to do it?"

Ben closes the door, "Then I would still be right here with you." before he turns to the lawyer. "What's going on here?"

"She's afraid of hurting Audrey," he simply says.

Ben cracks an uneasy smile at Mal, "Really? You spend your entire life being taught how to hurt people, nearly overthrow me even though you did care about me, but now you can't put your feelings above someone else's for one case?"

Mal lets out a breath, "You don't know how it feels like to be hurt and have no one believe you. I can't do that to her."

"No," Ben frowns, glancing down at the floor for a moment, before he takes a step forward. "I do." He sits down in the chair between them. "But Audrey will make it through this, okay?" He takes her hand, "She has more friends, community, and support than anyone I know. Even if she loses this case, they're all still going to be there for her. But if you lose this case…" He squeezes her hand, "Mal. You will lose everything if you don't win this." Mal stays quiet, looking away for a moment. "But you know that already, don't you?" Mal looks back up with a sorrowful expression. "Mal." He wets his lips, "I don't know about you, but if I were ever… unpleasantly treated by someone, winning a case wouldn't mean anything to me. Because, it still happened. And nothing you do is going to change that."

"You don't think Audrey wants to win," she doubts.

"In her interview she said all she wanted was to make sure you didn't do this again, for you to recognize the wrong that you've done." He slightly moves his head down but keeps eye contact with her, "Now, I'd say we've achieved that. Wouldn't you?"

Mal moves her eyes away from him, "If I were ever hurt, I would want that person to pay for what they've done." before she looks back again. "You can't say that Audrey doesn't want some kind of justice too."

"Sometimes what a person really needs," Ben tries to reason, "is help, not punishment."

Mal scoffs, "Right."

The lawyer glances at his watch, "There's five minutes left." before he looks at Mal. "After what you said there's a good chance that they're going to call your friend to the stand. If that's so, then I need to speak with her."

"She should still be with my parents," Ben informs.

He nods before standing from the table, "Okay. I'll give you two some privacy." before he exists out the door.

Ben places a hand to Mal's cheek, before she lets out a breath, "What are you doing?"

"I won't be able to see you before you leave," he explains before moving forward to kiss her. "When you're sent back to jail I won't be able to visit. If you need my heat, then this, these intermissions, will be the only time you can have me." He places his other hand on her arm, "And I don't want to have to see you back at that hospital again."

"My nails are cut," she attempts to reassure.

"But you still have your teeth," he acknowledges.

She sees his sad expression, "Ben."

"I don't want you to hurt yourself again," he tenses.

Mal is quiet for a second, before she promises, "I won't be sent to that hospital again."

"Good," Ben relaxes some before moving in to kiss her again.

After the video is done playing Audrey's lawyer questions Evie, "You're the girl trying to prevent Mal from harming the princess, is that right?"

"Yes," she confirms.

He nods before taking a step forward, "The words were a little hard to make out. Can you tell the court what it was you were telling her?"

Evie takes a second before saying, "Mal wasn't in her right mind at the time. It didn't matter that the hot water was already used. She still wanted to get that heat back from Audrey. In the video I was just trying to convince her that she didn't have to do it."

"What else?" the lawyer prompts.

"Just that I was there for her," Evie softly responds. "That she could have me instead."

"But she didn't accept your offer, did she?"

"No," Evie frowns in response. "It was almost like she didn't even know I was there."

"You seemed really upset about it," he notes. "Why is that?"

It takes a moment for her to answer, "Mal's my best friend. If she can't come to me when she needs something, then there's obviously something wrong."

"Is that all?" he questions.

"Yeah," Evie answers. "Of course."

"Need I remind you that you're under oath? Perjury— lying on the stand— is a crime in of itself." He stares at her again, "Now. Tell me. Are you sure that is all?"

Evie hears whispers as she takes a minute before confessing, "On the Isle I was Mal's heat source for the last few years. Every time she asked for me, I gave myself to her. Even when she refused to ask for help, I was there for her." Evie feels the tears intrude her eyes, "Seeing her try to get heat from some other girl, it felt like betrayal."

"A few years," the lawyer repeats. "How many is that exactly?"

"Three."

He nods, "Right. And how would you give her heat exactly?"

"Objection," Mr. Droit hurries. "Relevance."

"Denied," the judge immediately responds.

The grey eyed lawyer interrogates, "In which ways would you give heat to the defendant? Did you two ever, let's say, kiss, for instance?"

Evie glances from Mal back to Audrey's lawyer, "At first it did start with kissing, but eventually it could have been as simple as just having a sleepover and have her hold me when we were asleep, no kiss required."

"What prompted that change?" he inquires.

She looks down for a second, "It was partly due to my mother's disapproval. She was convinced that if I continued that kind of relationship with Mal, then I would never be able to get a boyfriend."

"And the other part?" the lawyer coaxes.

Evie looks at Ben for a moment before eyeing the man again, "At the time it was really easy for Mal to hook up with someone and then pretend like it never happened. I had a hard time with that, and because she is such a great friend she accepted my condition to not be kissed by her again."

"So, to be clear, you two have not kissed since then?"

"Uh," Evie hesitates in response. "There may have been a few or more times since then." She glances down, "It's complicated."

"Then let me ask something simple," he calmly comments, and when she looks back up at him he continues, "It has been justified that the defendant only attacked my client because she was in charge of the event that used the hot water, but with you sitting here I now wonder… Aside from you, has the defendant been with any other girls?"

Evie gives a questioning look, "No one of significance that I know of."

"But she has, hasn't she?" the lawyer asserts.

"Yes," Evie slowly answers.

"So, she does have homosexual tendencies, does she not?"

Evie's mouth is gaped as she's quiet for a moment, "What does it matter? It's not like Mal did what she did because Audrey is a girl." Her eyebrows rise, "In case you didn't notice, there are like a hundred girls at our school." before she points to herself. "Me included."

"But isn't it probable," the lawyer interrupts, "that those homosexual inclinations of hers would have made it more likely for her to commit this crime?"

Evie gives him a look, "If Mal likes both guys and girls, then that means that what happened happened regardless of Audrey's gender, not because of it." She sees the lawyer about to speak, "And even if she were a hundred percent straight, that wouldn't have kept her from getting mad about the hot water being missing. There most likely still would have been a confrontation. It just probably wouldn't have looked like this."

"Has the defendant ever had sex with another girl before?" he probes.

"No," Evie loudly defends. "Just because she needs contact to get heat, that doesn't make her a whore. Believe it or not, Mal doesn't have sex with every single person she gets into some kind of relationship with. And, another thing, she doesn't hook up with just anyone she sees. She needs to be able to trust them, so she's not about to kiss some rando in the hall."

"Order," the judge yells as he pounds his gavel onto the wood, before he looks down upon the lawyer. "Do you have any other questions you wish to ask the witness?"

The lawyer stares at Evie for a minute, before he takes a step back, "No. I think that will be all Your Honor."

Mr. Droit stands, "Permission to rebuttal."

The judge nods, "Go ahead."

The dark-brown haired lawyer walks up to Evie, "First off, I would like to ask you: what is the job of a heat source? When it comes to a person, what are the requirements to give heat to my client?"

Evie lets out an easing breath, almost smiling, "When it comes to people Mal's heat sources can either be considered primary or not primary. A primary heat source would be giving heat in more direct ways, such as a kiss or… a cuddle. But then there's secondary heat sources. Those are people who are there for her, but they may not be able to offer as much heat as fast, because they would have limited physical contact."

"So, not every person who acts as a heat source has to kiss her?" he questions.

"That's correct." Evie answers. "All it really is is skin to skin contact. A sexual or even romantic relationship isn't required for that."

"And just to make another thing clear," the blue eyed lawyer questions, "what is the relationship between you and my client?"

"We're best friends," Evie simply says.

"And the two of you have never dated?" he questions.

"No," Evie laughs. "Mal's never dated anyone before." She partly smiles at Ben, "Ben truly is her first real relationship."

Mr. Droit takes a step forward, "Can you tell me, is Ben one of Mal's heat sources?"

It takes a second for Evie to answer, "He wasn't at the time that the event took place. Their relationship had only started, and she didn't want to risk it by telling him about her."

"Is he her heat source now?"

It takes another moment for her to answer, "Yes. He started to take up that role prior to her being held in jail."

"So, if she were to ever need direct heat from a person again," he slowly comments, "would that mean that she would now have another person to go to if she needs it?"

"Yes," Evie confirms.

The lawyer nods and then paces a few steps, before he speaks, "What about prior to Ben, prior to you? How did Mal get her heat then? Was it from several random people, as the opposition seems to claim? Or was it more like long-term steady relationships?"

"Mal's need for heat has been a thing her entire life," Evie carefully explains. "From what I was told, when she was younger she didn't need as much. At that point in her life Jay was her main heat source. Probably her first, actually. But when that wasn't enough anymore she had to find heat somewhere else. That eventually led her to a brothel, where she did have to pay to get heat from prostitutes. There were a few she would regularly go to, but she tried to stay with the same ones if she could help it."

After she silences the lawyer questions, "So, my client does prefer to keep to the same people? She doesn't like to get heat from just anyone?"

"That's correct," Evie answers.

"And based on that fact and how well you know her," he continues, "how likely would you say it is that she would have done the crime accused of her?"

"Very unlikely," she immediately answers. "What Mal may have attempted to do, it was not something she has ever done before. And even if it weren't for this trial, I doubt she would have ever attempted anything like it to anyone else in the future."

The lawyer grins in response, "One last thing." and it takes a second for him to continue. "My client was accused of using magic. Do you have anything to say about that?"

"Well, for one," Evie starts, "it wasn't magic. Mal's eyes don't glow when she does magic. You can ask any of the girls she hairstyled. They can confirm it."

"Can you tell me what it is, if not magic?" he asks.

She nods, "It's from her dragon heritage. The glowing eyes allow her detect heat, see in the dark, and hypnotize animals or humans to do as she wishes. That's all it can really do, though. It doesn't have the range of capabilities that magic does." She looks up in thought, "It would pretty much be the equivalence to the staff Jay's father Jafar once had. Pretty low grade if you think about it."

"And this ability of hers," the lawyer continues. "Is it something she has complete control over or is it more of an instinctual response?"

"It is very much tied to her biology," Evie evenly answers. "She does have a little control over it, but it can happen even when she doesn't want it to. Like when she's stressed, scared, or angry, for instance. It's not always a purposeful thing. It can happen by accident."

He nods before taking a step back, "Finished Your Honor."

"Do you have a final witness you would like to present to us today?" the judge asks.

"Yes," Mr. Droit answers before turning towards the audience. "I would like to call Carlos De Vil to the stand." Carlos stands up and heads to the podium, and when he sits the lawyer continues. "Please state your relationship with the defendant and how long you have known her for."

"I'm Mal's friend," Carlos uneasily says as he eyes around the room. "I've known Mal for about two or three years now."

"And you were present at the event Audrey hosted, is that correct?"

"Yes," Carlos says, trying to keep his attention away from all the stares. "Jane, uh, my other friend, she invited me."

"So, you saw what transpired?" Mr. Droit asks.

"Yes," Carlos confirms.

"Can you tell what you saw and what you thought of it?"

He nods, "Yeah. Uh, there was a lot of people, but Jane pointed Mal out to me. I saw how panicked Evie was, and I watched as Mal went after Audrey." He takes a deep breath and looks down for a moment. "I was surprised. Jane had asked me what Mal was doing and why, and I was just speechless. I couldn't say anything. It was just so odd."

"What was odd about it?" the lawyer questions.

Carlos thinks for a second, "It was just… well, Mal. I'd never seen her like that before. She was so—" He lets out a breath, "Desperate. It was like her world had fallen apart and she was grasping for strings, but… she had it all. She had friends— and people, people who love her. She could have gotten heat from any of them. Going after Audrey like that, it just didn't make any sense… not unless it was out of vengeance or something."

"So, like Evie, do you too believe that this occurrence was out of the ordinary for Mal?"

Carlos is quiet for a second, "I will admit that I don't know Mal nearly as well as Evie or Jay do, but what I can say is that from what I've seen is that Mal is very practical and strategy oriented. She has a plan and reason for everything. Doing something this reckless…" He shakes his head before nodding, "It's definitely out of character for her."

"Why do you think it happened?" he inquires.

Carlos glances down, "I don't know… Maybe it was just instinct, her need for heat making her completely irrational in that moment." He half laughs, "It's simple, isn't it? For some simple, dumb animal? The dragon saw the hot water, a key to her survival, as hers. In Mal's mind, Audrey took that water. Therefore, the dragon Mal finds Audrey to get the stolen item back and to deal with the thief accordingly." After a moment of silence and a glance around the room he shrugs, "Or something like that."

It takes a minute for the lawyer to note, "A minute ago you said that the defendant was your friend, but now you're comparing her to an animal."

"It's what she is," Carlos doubles down, "and it doesn't make me like her any less. She's a great person to have on your side if you need someone to have your back. But because of what she is, that makes her more powerful and fierce than any human."

The lawyer hesitates, "So, do you see her dragon heritage as a bad thing?"

"No. Of course, not," Carlos grins. "You know, hybrids practically rule the Isle. If you're something more than human on the Isle, then you're practically guaranteed a job. Hybrids have power. That's a good thing. The only thing I hate is when they waste it on stupid things." The lawyer doesn't speak. "And, plus, I can say that I'm friends with someone who's part dragon. You know who else can say that? No one! Because Mal is the only one there is."

Mal tenses, as she feels all of the stares, before she glances around in worry and meets Ben's concerned eyes. He whispers, "I thought you said Carlos was smart and quiet."

Mal lets out a breath, "Well, apparently when he has something to say, he says it."

As Mr. Droit sits down, Ben worries, "Mal. If they know you're the only one—"

"I know," she whispers back, before she turns back around and watches as Audrey's lawyer approaches Carlos.

"In your first statement," the black haired lawyer comments, "you said you didn't understand why the defendant would attack Princess Audrey, unless it had been out of some kind of vengeance. Is that what you think, that the defendant could have done this on purpose?"

Carlos watches a couple judges from the panel straighten up, clearly interested, before he looks back at the lawyer, "Mal isn't stupid. She's very smart. There's no way she would have publically sought revenge had she been in her right mind."

"But had she not been in her right mind, had she been taken over by this more instinctual, animalistic part of her," the lawyer counters, "then is it possible that she would have sought vengeance on the princess even in that public setting?"

Carlos frowns and slowly states, "I suppose it's a possibility."

He takes a step back, "That will be all Your Honor."

"Okay. You haven't said anything the whole way home," Carlos speaks up, as they enter their dorm. "What gives?"

"What gives?" Jay nearly shouts as he turns around. "You're such a bigot, you know that?" He frustrates, "Calling Mal an animal. Seriously?"

"It's what she is," Carlos uneasily defends.

"No," Jay denies. "She's—" He lets out a shaky breath, "She's practically my sister. What does that make me?"

Carlos gives him a look, "It's not about you." before he watches Jay place a hand to his head. "Look. Like I said on the stand, what Mal is, it doesn't make me like her any less. In fact, I might even like her better the way she is."

Jay slightly shakes his head, "You know how much danger you just put her in?"

He looks at him unsurely, "What do you mean?"

Jay nearly laughs in stress, "You just told the whole world that Mal is the only dragon hybrid in existence. Now, forget about her mother, because she might as well not even be one anymore anyway, but Mal… The humans might think that a very easy solution to this whole problem might be just to kill the only hybrid dragon left."

"They can't do that," Carlos informs. "The death penalty doesn't exist here anymore."

"You think that's going to matter," Jay counters, "to the other million people you just told? At least one of them has to be thinking that standing up for their princess by murdering quote 'some animal' is a good thing, even if they do get punished for it."

"You don't have anything to worry about. Mal can protect herself."

"You think so?" Jay questions in disbelief.

"She's a hybrid," Carlos points out. "She's powerful and strong, and she can do anything. She can protect herself. That's better than…" He slightly shakes his head with a shrug, "Well, than being weak and hopeless like me."

Jay lets out a breath, "You wouldn't want to be a hybrid. It creates just as many problems as it fixes, maybe even more. And being treated as some outsider, whether it's as some god or some monster of an animal—" He shakes his head, "Believe me. You're better off just being human. It causes less problems."

It takes a minute for Carlos to comment, "I have to disagree."

Jay responds in frustration, "You know what I bet the real problem is here?" before he leans forward a little. "You're just too young. You're young, impulsive, and ignorant."

Carlos's frown deepens as he quietly replies, "Jay—"

"You know what age of consent is? It's the age that someone can legally consent to sex. Until then, they're considered too emotionally immature for it. And you know what that age is here?" Carlos doesn't speak. "Sixteen," Jay stresses. "I shouldn't even be with you."

"Then it's a good thing we're not dating, then," Carlos retorts, but he sees it doesn't decrease Jay's anxious concern. "And what about Chad? He's fifteen and Audrey's sixteen."

"Yeah, but they never had sex, did they," Jay points out. "And even if they did, they're royal. Audrey'd probably get off with a slap on the wrists. But me? Technically, we're all ex-prisoners. That makes it worse for me."

"It was consensual," he tries to reassure.

"That doesn't matter," Jay denies. "You're still just a kid. And I'm older. That means the decision falls on me." He lets out a shaky breath as he places a hand to his head again, "A fucking fourteen-year-old. What was I thinking?"

"You were thinking," Carlos comments in annoyance, "that I'm only two years younger than you. Besides, this whole thing started before you turned sixteen. Remember?" Jay doesn't speak. "I seriously don't think it's as big of an issue as you're making it out to be, but even if it is—" He shakes his head, "So long as no one finds out, does it really matter? I mean, that was your plan, right? That no one finds out, that this is just some fling that no one can know about?"

Jay shakes his head, "I can't deal with this right now." before he heads for the door. "I've got to get down to lunch and find Ben."

"Why?" Carlos questions.

"Mal," Jay irritably answers. "What do ya think?"

After Jay shuts the door Carlos whispers, "Well. That went well." before he waits a few minutes and then heads down to the cafeteria himself.

- RadioDog77 Thank you for your input. I really wasn't sure what to think of Ben's knowledge (or lack of) of the situation, but now I think I know how he should react to the information. Also, really glad your friend is doing better now. There was a time when someone said they'd kill themselves if I didn't kiss them, and for a long time afterwards I felt like lighting my lips on fire. I can only imagine how much more horrible it would be for someone who experienced an actual assault. So, I really do hope that your friend is doing better and that they continue doing better.

-So, something that occurred to me as I edited this: does Mr. Droit talking with Evie count as witness tampering? I know that court is probably a lot more structured than I have portrayed here, but because court is bad... I guess, I try to avoid it and therefore don't know a lot about the inner workings of how a case transpires. Honestly, my view on court and police is probably skewed a lot from being from a lower income and having a family who has gotten into just enough legal trouble, but that's besides the point. If there are predetermined witness lists, then I could see how talking with a witness from the opponent's list could be seen as tampering, but Mal's lawyer doing that can't be much worse than Audrey's lawyer constantly using her title. I couldn't put it in this chapter. I'll have to see if I can put it in the next, but basically to reduce the chances of unfair sentences royals would have to be treated like everyone else on the stand and therefore have the title of their name to be dropped... Also, for those confused on how Carlos could have told the whole world that Mal is the only dragon hybrid in existence, because Audrey is a royal her kingdom has the right to know what's happening to her in court. So, there's a news camera in the audience... Like I said, I just really need to find a good spot to put this information. It's a little frustrating, really. I keep running into this trap where I know pertinent information to what I'm writing but that sometimes I really can't find a good way to fit it into the story. It's annoying. Hopefully you guys haven't been too lost. At the very least these notes should be helping, even if it does make me look insecure and unsure (which I may or may not be).