A/N: I wanted to warn you guys that in this chapter the rapes are talked about in detail somewhat. You can skip the chapter completely if you want or just the part where the rapes are talked about. It's after the line break marked with stars. Also, again I'm playing with the laws, rules of the courtroom, and what goes on in a courtroom in general but hopefully everything still makes sense.
Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns the characters while I own the plot.
"Patience is not one of your finer qualities, Rosemarie."
It's only 7 am and I'm already sick of him. The same glare I've been directing at Ibrahim since I first met him, intensifies tenfold. He gestures to my shaking legs and the fact that I've been alternating between anxious pacing and fidgeting in my chair for the last hour and a half waiting for court to convene.
"I don't understand how you can be so calm," Viktoria responds instead of me.
As usual, I probably wouldn't have said anything to him anyway. For the last two weeks it's been nothing but deadly evil eye glares and one word answers between Ibrahim and I. Mainly on my part. He seems to get a kick out of the fact that I can't stand the sight of him but I can't tell him to leave or walk away since he's our lawyer.
"We are finally back in court, going to testify today, and you look tickled pink."
Ibrahim filed a continuance, requesting a bit more time to familiarize himself with the case and prepare everything he needs. Whatever charm he has that I still have yet to see for myself, must've worked because Judge Kirova agreed to a week's extension. She added on an extra week when Ibrahim mentioned some secret plan that would convince the jury that Adrian was guilty.
None of us what he's talking about or what this secret plan is and he isn't sharing the info no matter how often Kislyak pesters him.
"It's because I live for these days, Ms. Belikov. When witnesses take the stand, cross examinations, getting the story out into the open from the victim's, or in this case victims', point of view. It's the best part about trial. Well, that and the closing arguments."
"Lemme guess. Because you get to be in the spot light?" Lissa asks dryly from her spot on the couch, rubbing her stomach.
"You've guessed correctly," Ibrahim grins, turning his gaze back to his newspaper.
Lissa, Viktoria, and I share a collective eye roll before sighing and leaning back in our seats. The anxiety we've been feeling about finally going on the stand has only worsened.
Viktoria spent the last two weeks between therapy sessions and preparing for being on the stand with Ibrahim and Kislyak with Lissa and I. Lissa's been alternating between sleeping and eating. I suspect she's also secretly missing Christian's company but she has yet to admit it.
I've been pining for Dimitri.
Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic. But I do miss him. Two weeks. It's been two weeks and I've only seen him a couple of times and each time it was for less than a couple of minutes while he was either dropping off or picking up Viktoria. We were never alone so the best we could do were a few small, sad smiles shared between us, polite greetings of 'hi', and then small sad waves of goodbye. He of course always asked how I was, how I'm doing but he asked Lissa and Viktoria the same thing.
Everyone knew about Ibrahim's "suggestion" about Dimitri and I, and Lissa and Christian, keeping our distance from each other while the trials is on going. Olena scoffed when she found out and tried her damnedest to give us privacy the one time Liss and I were at her house for dinner in these last two weeks. Lissa and Christian immediately uncomfortable at having their 'non-relationship' pointed out were suddenly as far apart from each other as they could get in that house in two separate rooms.
Dimitri and I stood alone, facing each other quietly. It's funny, only a few days had passed and yet in that short amount of time I felt like I had so much to say to Dimitri. Now that he was there right in front of me, I couldn't remember a single thing I had wanted to say and it seemed he was having the same trouble because all he was doing was looking at me the same way I was staring at him. This was one of my greatest fears realized. Only a few days separated and all of a sudden we're speechless in front of each other.
I took in a shaky breath ready to leave the room, leave this house and accept that things between Dimitri and I had changed. It took a couple of days and a bit of distance for Dimitri to realize that it wasn't a good idea for us to be together despite Ibrahim's warning. We'd been careful to avoid being alone together and I understood why: because we didn't want to face the inevitable that we'd only been together because of-
"I miss you."
My eyes, previously downcast on my crestfallen face, shot up to meet his.
I felt stupid. It'd only been a few days since Dimitri promised me that things would only change for the better and I'd already forgotten. I went all Negative Nancy, worst case scenario and forgotten how much Dimitri feels about me, nearly as strongly as I feel about him I hope.
All those words I'd forgotten before everything that I'd wanted to say to him in these last few days come rushing back all at once, building up in my throat so that nothing comes out when I open my mouth except a small barely audible gaps. My eyes suddenly feel watery and it took me a few blinks to ensure that none of them fell.
It takes me a couple of tries but I'm finally able to force a few words out. "I miss you too," I murmur.
His shoulders visibly relax as though he'd been holding his breath, waiting for my response. as anxiously as I'd been waiting for him to say something, anything to me. Automatically, we both start to reach out toward each other and each take a step forward but stop ourselves as we heard voices coming downstairs toward us.
As disappointed as I feel, it's okay because just knowing that he wants to hold me as much as I ache to wrap my arms around him, that he misses me as much as I miss him...it's enough.
I blink and Ibrahim is waving his hand in front of my face, breaking me from my thoughts. Seeing he finally has me attention, he claps and turns to face all of us.
"Let's go!" he says eagerly. He looks about ready to skip into court if he didn't have the cane.
"Ready?" I ask Liss as we trail behind Ibrahim and Kislyak.
She releases a slow breath and then nods. I turn to Viktoria at my other side and she nods too. We link our arms together and walk into the courtroom ready to see the end of this.
I hadn't noticed it when we first came in but the court audience is a lot larger today than it's ever been before.
There are even people standing at the back of the room, leaning against the wall. It's quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Everyone is listening with rapt attention while Croft paces in front of Viktoria who is on the stand toward the jury.
She'd been strong and comfortable while Mazur first questioned her but its completely different when Croft cross examines. Viktoria shares her brother's height and ability to mask emotions but up there on the stand she looks so small, her mask slipping away, and the slightest bit shaken each time Croft throws a new question at her.
"You were part of the tormenting of Ms. Hathaway, correct?"
"Yes."
"You helped initiate the spread of those crude photos of Ms. Hathaway?"
"Yes."
"Then please explain to all of us here, what made you suddenly decide that the Ivashkovs weren't your friends any more? Why is it that the girl you helped to torment, suddenly your new best friend?"
Kislyak objects, saying something about harassing the witness. Ibrahim gestures for him to sit down while Judge Kirova "sustains" him and warns Croft about his tone. Viktoria manages to get through the questions with all of the answers she'd practiced with Ibrahim these past two weeks. He'd been good about anticipating Croft's questions.
Croft asks about her "family situation" about her father, Dimitri being shot and the loss of Ivan, about her being in therapy. He asks what effect this has had on her grades and her recent behavior. He then turns to the jury and makes them questions how someone in a "seemingly understandable mental state can be trusted".
After a while it becomes just as clear as Ibrahim predicted: Croft is trying to make Viktoria, all of us, out to be unreliable or unstable witnesses. There isn't much evidence proving that the rapes happened so now it's all up to our testimony. The attempted murder charge is even being called into question because Croft successfully convinced the jury to question the mental stability and reliability of Charlie and Jesse and the note Jesse left behind.
When it was his turn to cross examine some of Croft's witness, a few teachers, family friends and town's folks that refuse to doubt either of the Ivashkov's innocence, Ibrahim humored the majority of the court, eliciting a few chuckles and smiles, by asking "Why would Camille and Adrian Ivashkov willingly spend all of their time with so many seemingly unstable people?"
It's a good question. I hate to admit it but Ibrahim knows what he's doing. He's good at it. It's been a while since I've felt like we might actually win.
When it comes to the part where Viktoria is asked to relate her "alleged" rape, the courtroom grows even quieter than it had been when we started. Everyone is listening in rapt attention while Lissa and I are squeezing each other's hands anxiously, thinking about when we'll have to go up there, sit in the spotlight with everyone's eyes on us. Viktoria begins with the first time it happened.
"It was the day after Adrian had broken up with Lissa..." Viktoria starts in a small voice but she flicks her eyes up once to look at where Liss and I are sitting together with the best encouraging smiles we can muster on our faces. It's a small movement but I also see her eyes shift behind. When I follow her gaze I see everyone is there, filling in the entire row: Olena, Yeva, Christian, Karolina, Stan, Tasha. I remember Viktoria saying something earlier about Sonya having to be at home for when the kids come back from school but I know she'd be here too if she could.
Viktoria's voice is stronger when she continues.
"He...Adrian," she corrects herself, probably remembering Ibrahim's words about naming them specifically. She talks about how he'd always been nice to her, how Camille had encouraged Viktoria to "go for it" and "make myself available" for him.
"I thought it was kind of weird that she was sort of pimping me out to her brother but then she'd say things like 'We'd be like family if you two got together' and...and that's what I wanted s-since, I was having a hard time with my own family." She laughs nervously. I remember feeling my own embarrassment when I'd been up there the first time, forced to talk about things that should be private and never happen in the first place.
Luckily for me, Ibrahim had come in, and interrupted but I know that unless a meteor hits this course house, there's no getting out of going up on the stand today.
She makes it through her testimony without any hitches of hiccups. She talks mostly about Camille's part in all of this, in the role she played and how she knew everything that was going on, encouraged it even, but did nothing about it, nothing to stop it.
With a few reassuring comforting glances at Lissa and I and back towards where her family is sitting, Viktoria answers each question as well as she did when she rehearsed with Mazur and I'm amazed by her strength. When it comes to the part where she describes the rape itself, she stumbles once or twice where she relates the part about where at a party, they'd been alone and "I really started to panic w-when...when he wouldn't let me up".
Her attack sounds so similar to the first time he had tried to attack me after a party. Each time I hear it I shudder, reminded of my own attacks but I force the memory away, focusing on Viktoria on the stand and how it'll go when I'm up there. I worry about Lissa up on the stand and the effect the stress will have on the baby.
Viktoria recovered quickly and answered Croft's questions directly and before we knew it, Ibrahim was calling Lissa to the stand.
She makes her way slowly, waddling slightly left and right. The crowd murmurs at the sight of her round stomach. It's the first time anyone's really had a good look at Lissa in the courtroom. After being sworn in she settles herself in the chair, sitting erect and like the perfect student she's always been despite the baby bump. I watch even Kirova's eyes subtly flick between Lissa's stomach and to where Adrian is sitting as Ibrahim begins his questioning. As he did with Viktoria, he keeps his questions simple, asking Lissa to relate her own attacks to the jury and a few questions about our friendship.
He finishes his questions relatively quickly leaving Croft to go into detail with his questions, getting the full story. Kislyak explained once that he noticed Mazur's method in the courtroom involve little questioning on his part leaving the defense to ask the big questions. As expected, Croft really interrogates with his questions, asking about the time Lissa had turned her back on me, why she pushed me away when I was trying to help her after Adrian first "allegedly" attacked her, trouble in her family after Andre died, the fact that her family isn't here, the baby…
"Does your family not support your part in this trial because they know it isn't true? There are rumors that your family believes you've tried to trap Mr. Ivashkov with this child that is allegedly his because your parents had decided to disown you, but when that failed you cried rape out of anger."
At both of these accusations, Kislyak objected. He brought the judge a sheet of paper with Dr. Odelenski's results stating the baby was Adrian's and that it wasn't "alleged". The results had been disappointing to Lissa, having to have a baby by Adrian but when she first found out she swore she still wanted to keep it and raise it on her own.
Once the judge read the results aloud for the court reporter, again she said "sustained" and warned Croft again about his tactics. He nodded but didn't seem phased by the warning, continuing just as intensely with his questioning. Lissa, tired from carrying all the extra weight and the stress of the trial, made it through the questions without faltering even once even through her recounts of her attacks. She spoke about it as though she were talking about the weather. I wonder if it even matters what Viktoria and I say because one look around the courtroom and I can see sympathetic faces. Even the hardest, most dedicated Adrian and Camille followers softening at the sight of Liss and her round bump in way that didn't soften when Viktoria had been up there.
My heart fell into my stomach and my stomach fell into my feet as Lissa was allowed to finally step down and I was called up by Ibrahim.
Much like the first time I'd been called to the stand, I make my way slowly and hesitantly. Ibrahim is already there and waiting, leaning on his cane. I'm sworn in and going through the motions as I had the first and through all the times we'd practiced. Soon Ibrahim is retreating to his seat and Croft is ready to start cross examining me the same way he had started the first time I'd been up here. He gets straight to the point.
"Why did you decided to report the first time Adrian had attempted to allegedly attack you only after Ms. Dragomir had been allegedly attacked?"
Allegedly.
"Much like Ms. Dragomir, your mother isn't here supporting you. We've found that your mother was employed by a couple of Ivashkov owned companies before suddenly quitting. Was this some financial scheme? Where is your mother in all of this?"
Scheme.
"Why did it take you so long to officially file a report against Mr. Ivashkov? Why did you hesitate?"
Hesitation.
"As Detective Alto stated when he was on the stand previously, you initially lied about being allegedly attacked, claiming it was a mugging. Why would you do such a thing?" he asked appalled as though it's the worst thing a person could do.
Allegedly.
"According to previous witnesses on the stand and even Ms. Dragomir and Ms. Belikov herself stated that Adrian had been the one to break off your relationship. It wasn't you. Were you planning on continuing to date him after what he allegedly tried to do to you?"
Allegedly.
I open my mouth to answer his question the same way I've been answering his questions so far but this time, he's already on to the next question without letting me squeeze a word in edgewise.
"Why would you continue to date someone who supposedly tried to harm you in some way?"
Supposedly.
Why is Croft being the hardest on me?
And then I realize.
I'm the one that started all this, that took the first step to stopping Adrian Ivashkov and putting him away. This could've been the case to make his career, as Ibrahim is always saying, but now that I'm up here, not trembling and shaking, quivering in fear, I'm putting a wrench in his plans to win this case.
On and on Croft continues, not even bothering to let me answer any more. I'm sure at this point he's somewhere at the point of badgering the witness of whatever and I can even see Kislyak ready to object yet again for about the hundredth time today and out of the corner of my eye I even see Kirova looking uncertain as to how far Croft is going to push this. It's all noise in the background, Croft, Kislyak, Kirova, the gavel...
I'm up and out of my chair shouting over all of them, finally silencing all the noise.
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT HE DID? NO YOU DON'T BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T THERE! I SWEAR TO YOU, THAT YOU WOULDN'T BE STANDING THERE, DEFENDING HIM AND TRYING TO PAINT THIS AS SOME BIG CONSPIRACY AGAINST HIM IF YOU EXPERIENCED WHAT I DID!" I suddenly realize I'm standing, the chair I'd been sitting in has fallen back and Croft is visibly surprised by my outburst but I keep going, the words, fears, and horrific images and feelings that have been rolling around in my head for the last few months breaking through the protective dam I've built up and bursting out of me.
"You seem to be under the impression that I want to be up here. You seem to mistakenly think that Liss, Viktoria and I get kicks sitting on the stand in front of who knows how many people telling a horrific story like this." For the first time since I first saw him in court, Croft looks taken aback, unsure of how to even respond. Speechless.
"Have you ever had someone force themselves on you?" The question comes out of left field. It's such an abrupt question that he struggles to even open his mouth but much like he did to me moment before, I don't let him even think about responding. "Have you ever had someone on top of you, thinking they have complete control of your body, thinking they have the right to do anything they want to do to you, even hurt you, because they can?! Have you ever felt overpowered and weak and afraid you'd never live to see the next day but also wishing you'd just die because the pain was just too much to bear? I sure as hell have."
Today must be a day of firsts because for the first time since the trial started, I look directly at Adrian who is sitting expressionless beside his sister who is showing a few signs of worry and is squirming the slightest bit in her chair.
"Adrian, Ralph, and Jesse saw me walking home, they dragged me into the car, they drove to Adrian's backhouse, they held me down and they raped me! Do you have ANY idea what it's like to feel someone on top of you, forcibly holding you down?! Do you know what it's like having not one but THREE DIFFERENT GUYS FORCING THEMSELVES INSIDE OF YOU? Do you know what it's like to shower over and over and over again but you just can't get the feeling of ever feeling clean, feeling sore, feeling your own blood running stickily down your legs or someone else's saliva on your skin, that feeling just won't go away? You don't know what it's like having to lie to your mother about the bruises shaped like handprints, the black eye and busted lip so she won't feel guilty about not being able to protect her own child or what it's like having people telling you that you're lying and made it up. Do you know what it's like not being able to look yourself in the mirror, hating yourself for not being able to protect yourself, being disgusted with yourself?
"You have no idea what's its like feeling like your body isn't yours, that it doesn't belong to you and you can never feel comfortable in your own skin again! There isn't a moment, not a second that goes by where I'm not actively trying to stop myself from thinking about it, from remembering their hands on me and hearing the sound of my clothes being torn off of me and their laughter! I spend more nights awake than I do sleep because when I close my eyes all I see is their faces, Adrian's especially because he didn't do it once but twice! I can't even breathe sometimes when I think about it and my biggest fear is that the rest of my life will never be normal because in the back of my mind I know I'll always be afraid and I'll always remember! And I hope and pray every second of every day that something terrible enough happens to me so that I can forget!"
"I honestly don't know what's worse. Being raped and knowing it happened or having someone like you fighting to convince the entire world that it didn't happen."
Croft visibly swallows.
For just a moment, I think that everything I've just said doesn't have the slightest affect on him, that he's just going to poke holes or question my "story" and continue with his interrogation. It feels like an eternity passes before he gives the slightest of nods, a nod that he's understood and heard everything I've just said, a nod that indicates he is at least a bit human with the smallest amount of decency to have listened to me. Hands in his pockets he slowly makes his way back to where his clients are sitting. Camille leans over and asks him something but he doesn't seem to make any move of responding to her. She looks even more worried. She flicks her eyes to me once and then looks away quickly.
Adrian still sits expressionless.
He's always been easy to read, arrogant, confident, sure of himself, always in search of some sort of fun, and easily amused and just as quickly angry.
Another first to add to the list of firsts for today: I can't read Adrian's expression.
And you know what? I don't need to. He knows what he's done. Whether there's guilt or some sort of remorse, whether he holds more hatred for me because I'm the one that decided to end this, I don't know and I don't care.
All I know is that I want to get out of here.
I've done everything I possibly could to tell my story, the truth, to gain enough strength to even go to the police in the first place, to convince Liss and Viktoria to press charges, to talk about my nightmare in court and hope the jury has heard everything I've said.
Through this ordeal, I've lost so much. My mom, my sense of security, innocence, naivety, normal high school experiences...
But I've also gained a lot. Friends, a makeshift family, maybe a future to look forward to where I'm surrounded by people who care about me, a new sense of security, Dimitri…
I'm ready. I'm ready to stop being so afraid and start living. I'm ready to do whatever I can to move on from this and live the rest of my life with as little fear as possible.
Judge Kirova is the first to speak. "Mr. Croft…"
"No further questioning."
Relief floods through me.
Even if he had continued questioning me I don't think I'd have been able to do it. These last few weeks of barely eating and sleepless nights without Dimitri are catching up with me. With all of my anxiety and nervousness gone, I suddenly feel weak.
"Mr. Mazur?"
Ibrahim is sitting as calm as he'd been sitting this morning "cool as a cucumber" as Viktoria had described. This was what he'd been waiting for. This was what he was banking this entire case on, the secret weapon he'd been planning to use. Me.
He gives a slight shake of his head by way of an answer.
"Alright then. You may step down Ms. Hathaway."
On shaky legs I make my way down from the stand. My legs are trembling so hard that I worry I won't make it but I remember my new resolve, the weight lifted off my shoulders from finally having spoken in court and putting all of this behind me. I take a deep breath. My new resolve fills my body and steadies my legs enough for me to make it back to where Liss and Viktoria sit beside Kislyak and Ibrahim.
I let my hair curtain my face as I sit down. I can't face the audience. I don't want to see what my words have done to affect everyone here. I can't face Dimitri. I spare a longing glance at the courtroom exit but I sit down anyway knowing that we'll be adjourned soon.
Lissa extends a hand out to me and beside her, Viktoria reaches around to touch my arm reassuringly. The best I can manage is the barest of smiles to let them know I'm alright, before turning back to face the judge as she speaks.
"Mr. Croft, do you wish to call any more witness? Your clients perhaps?"
"No."
The judge and everyone but Ibrahim seems surprised by this but the judge nods and accepts it, continuing.
"Jury, you've heard all witness statements today, all the evidence has been produced and shown. It's been a long day for all of us and I'm sure everyone is tired. However we still have to hear closing arguments first from the prosecution, the defense, and then a rebuttal from the prosecution if they have one. We'll reconvene in two hours."
She slaps her gavel down, adjourning the court.
Everyone is in a buzz, bristling about for the first time in the last four hours able to stand and move around. It's stifling being surrounded by so many people. I'd been hoping we could just call it a day, my outburst having worn me out. Beside me, Liss is waddling slowly while Viktoria is trying to wade through the crowd to lead us to the exit.
I need to get out of here. I need fresh air. I need to get outside. I need to breathe.
I feel selfish thinking only of myself. Liss obviously needs help making it through the crowd and who knows how much stress has been put on the baby, Viktoria's had a lot to deal with being reminded of what her father did and the mistake she made…
I just need a second. One quick moment to myself and then I can be there for them for as long as they need me. Through the crowd where everyone is sparing long sympathetic glances and stares at us, I can see Olena, Yeva, Christian, Tasha, Stan and Karolina making their way toward us and I feel even more smothered and a little embarrassed at the thought of everyone having heard what I said. I can't face it. I can't face any of them.
For the moment, new hopeful resolve for the future be damned, I have to get away for a moment.
One moment.
I feel a tap on my leg. Looking down, I see it's a cane, Ibrahim's cane. I follow the length of the cane with my eyes up to meet his where, for the first time, I notice and accept that they look a lot like mine. A soft, sympathetic brown, eyes that have seen and been through so much.
He says something to me that nearly makes me rethink everything about him. I've heard these words before but somehow it's different this time, more true, more assuring because he says it for my ears only.
A day of firsts where Ibrahim Mazur gives the first reassuring words since I met him.
"It's almost over."
No one really says much during lunch.
We all eat in understandable silence.
I don't know about everyone else but I'm sitting here thinking of when I can leave. I contemplate just saying "to hell with it" and leaving any way. It's not like the court needs me for the final arguments.
Lissa and Viktoria keep me from leaving though. I'm grateful they're sitting on either side of me. I can't just leave them here to deal with whatever outcome there is on their own.
I poke at my salad without taking even a bite, focusing my eyes on the amazingness of the lettuce in my bowl, counting down until court is reconvened and then we can leave.
I don't even want to go home where I'll feel confined, where anyone can find me...
I want to go where no one can find me just for a little while. I just need time. A couple of moments to breathe. A few seconds on my own.
As I think about where I want to go after court ends today, a conversation starts about a school play that Paul is in and sports and I'm grateful for the attempts at normalcy. Without looking up I listen to the voices that have become comforting and familiar to me these last few months. I even hear Dimitri's softly accented voice a few times. Out of everyone here, his voice is the voice I need to hear the most, wrapping around me like a warm blanket.
I still can't look at him. I can't look at anyone right now. I'm grateful for everyone giving me time in my own bubble.
Thankfully, time flies and soon we're all gathering back into the courtroom and if I'm not mistaken, there are more people in here than there had been this morning.
Ibrahim is the first to give his closing argument. He keeps it succinct, reminding the jury of why we're here. I guess that he's going to give a longer more impactful rebuttal because after Croft's closing argument about "everyone being a victim in their own way" and how "no one will really win in the end no matter the outcome", Ibrahim stands up, and makes his way to the jury, facing them directly in a way he hadn't the first time around.
"Throughout this case, has anyone noticed a pattern here? The Ivashkovs, they have a preference, a certain type of victim they aimed for. They used this preference in their search for friends and for victims. Preferably weak, from unstable family backgrounds, low in class—with the exception of Ms. Dragomir, willing to be dominated and do any and everything to win their favor. The Ivashkovs deliberately went out and hunted for people, students, their peers that fit this description. And who did they find?" Ibrahim turns, leaning on his cane and gestures to where the three of us are sitting. "They found Vasilisa Dragomir, Viktoria Belikov, and Rosemarie Hathaway. The victims that couldn't be here today, Meredith Badica, Avery Lazar, Jesse Zecklos, Ralph Sarcozy. Some many victims, so many young lives..." he trails off.
"Mr. Croft was right in saying that everyone here is a victim because it's true. Camille and Adrian Ivashkovs are victims themselves. They won't walk away from this scot-free even if they aren't found guilty. Their home life has been affected, their reputations called into question. But they can always escape or hide or change someone's perception of them. Those three girls over there, barely at the start of their lives can't change what happened to them. They can't escape or hide from what happened to them. They will always lives with what happened to them no matter how much they wish they didn't have to. They were each raped, some of them multiple times, some of them by multiple people. They were victimized, attacked, and then terrozied afterward, each of them left with emotional and physical scars. Lissa has been left with a baby, and the horrific memory of how that baby was conceived. Viktoria is in therapy, and Rose...I think she made it pretty clear the impact the attack has had on her."
For a moment there is a murmur among the audience and a few nods among the jury before Ibrahim continues.
"Teenagers...mere children, this isn't what they should be forced to endure at this point in their lives. Suicides? Attempted murder? Rape? Bullying? Pornographic pictures of minors? Yes, the Ivashkovs are victims in their own way but they are also the catalysts for all that has happened. With their accomplices behind bars, willing to testify against them, some of them dead, the Ivashkovs are the only two left to take the fall and they need to face the consequences of their crimes."
He walks away, leaving the jury with those last words. If I was a jury member, I'd find the Ivashkov's guilty right then and there based off of Ibrahim's speech alone. He may be a crappy father but he's a damn good lawyer. And believe me, it kills me to say so. Whether or not we win this case, I can't say he hasn't tried.
"Now is the time for the jury to think about all they've heard here, take everything into consideration. Deliberate and then you'll notify us if more time is needed for deliberation," the Judge says with finality giving her gavel one last slam down before court is adjourned once again. No one leaves except for the judge and jury though.
The audience is anxious as everyone is waiting.
Waiting.
Waiting.
Waiting.
Patience is not one of my finer qualities.
I think about all those movies where it takes hours, days, weeks for a jury to reach a decision. I think about all those Law and Order, SVU moments where it takes a few mere hours and the music starts to play. I guess our lives are more Law and Order: SVU than anything because it's a mere two hours before the jury is back and the judge I settled in her chair again. One glance at Camille and Adrian and I know it's over. Everyone knows it's over. Croft seems unfazed as though he expected nothing less, Adrian is impassive as though he's come to some decision scribbling quickly on some paper in front of him, and Camille breaks out into silent tears, expecting the worst.
"Has the jury reached a decision?"
"We have your honor," one member of the jury says, handing the bailiff a sheet of paper that he hands to the judge. She reads it and the paper is handed back.
"And how do you find the defendants?"
"On the count of conspiracy to commit murder, we find the defendants, Adrian Ivashkov and Camille Ivashkov, guilty. On the count of rape, we find Adrian Ivashkov guilty. On the count of…"
The charges go on. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.
Those in the crowd that vehemently refused to believe the Ivashkovs could do any wrong actually cried out while the majority of the court cheered, satisfied by the outcome and the jury's decision. Beside me I feel Lissa shudder, crying while Viktoria just smiles and releases a slow, long breath that I'm sure she's been holding since this all started. Kislyak does a complete fistpump in his chair while Ibrahim nods, pleased, as though he expected nothing less.
I don't feel anything.
Both Ibrahim and Croft's words float around in my head.
No one really wins in the end.
I don't feel any different.
Is it because I resolved so long ago that no matter the outcome, I'd be alright? Will I be alright? This trial, this case, is what my life revolved around these last few months. What do I do now? Do I go back to school? Do I go look for work? What about my mom? Will she come back now that it's all over? Or will the town continue to turn against us and we'll be forced to move? What about Liss, the baby, Victoria?
I said that at the end of this trial, I'd be alright but...will I be? Will any of us?
The juror has finished reading the charges and judge Kirova sets a date for sentencing in two weeks. The courtrooms stands and everyone is abuzz with the outcome. I can even hear the clicks of news cameras outside.
"Let's go," I hear Ibrahim say as the bailiffs move to escort Adrian and Camille out of the courtroom. Camille is silently crying and fighting the bailiffs a bit who are trying to force her out of her seat and out of the courtroom.
"No...No! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?! NO! LET GO OF ME!" she starts shouting. Beside her Adrian willing stands, allowing the bailiff to pull him up. There so much noise, so much movement, so many reactions. It's so loud I have to will myself not to cover my ears.
It's moments like this that I've seen in movies and on TV or read about in books or online.
The guilty defendant is hauled away seemingly accepting his sentence but at the last moment makes a grab for the bailiff's gun…
Slowly, as if moving under water, and suddenly, so suddenly I can barely see the motion...
Slowly the bailiffs are escorting the Ivashkovs away...
Suddenly Adrian makes a grab for the bailiff's gun...
Slowly Camille stops her struggling long enough to watch what her brother is doing...
Suddenly someone shouts "HE'S GOT A GUN!"
Slowly the bailiff's react...
Suddenly Adrian is aiming...I've only seen his green eyes so dark, so angry, so lifeless one time. When he raped me.
Slowly...one...two...three…
Suddenly I'm on the ground with the strangest thought running through my head, a memory of Jesse, Ralph, Charlie, and Adrian joking around and being excited about Adrian's dad taking them to the shooting range again...
Slowly I watch from my spot on the ground as feet scatter hurriedly out of the courtroom, shouting, screaming…
Suddenly, from my spot on the ground, I have the perfect view…
Slowly...one...two...three…
Suddenly, I remember how strong Adrian really is, how powerful he can be when he wants.
Slowly the bailiffs are elbowed, punched, knocked down…
Suddenly Camille stops screaming, crying, she's on the same level as me on the ground with a whole directly in the center of her head.
Slowly, out of everyone in the courtroom, out of everyone he could have locked eyes with, he finds me in my spot on the ground, meets my eyes, slightest of smiles, and pulls the trigger...
I assume almost everyone has left the courtroom because not many people cry out after Adrian's fallen to the ground. There's shouting, cries from some people to get help, the stomping of bailiffs feet against the floor as they storm into the courtroom. In my peripheral I see shadows hovering over me. I kind of feel hands shaking me, willing me to give them my attention but mostly...I'm numb.
Suddenly, I want to run away. I want to be anywhere else but here and sleep.
Slowly, I remember that it's all over and I can at least sleep now, right here, and runaway, escape later. For the first time in a long time I can breathe and I can sleep.
It's finally quiet...
Silence.
A/N: To the anonymous reviewer, I couldn't message you back personally so I'll just post it here. Your post really touched me. When I started tis story, honestly it was just 'why not write a very dramatic fanficition-y dark story just for the heck of it'. I didn't think it'd really affect anyone until I really realized what I was writing might reflect the experiences of some of my readers. I felt guilty and thought about taking it down but then I realized I should make a serious spin on this story, still keep going with it's soap opera fan fiction-ness, but also make a point to give any affected readers that there is still hope if something like this happens. Not just with a boyfriend but in general (having someone like Dimitri is just a bonus XD). Anyways, your post was really amazing. Especially since it answered my question of if any one reading this story endured something similar to what Rose did. I wish you all the best and I'm happy you have a happy ending.
To the rest of my readers, wanted to apologize for lack of update but now that I have a bit of a steady schedule again I am doing my best to update regularly and then post one of the other stories I've been working on that's a bit more light hearted than this one but some of them are also a bit dramatic. I'm thinking of posting the summaries and letting you guys choose.
The rest of this chapter was actually longer but I thought it best to end here because I thought it'd be better written in Dimitri's POV. It took me a few tries to get this chapter up but I hope you guys liked it and that ti tied up a few, couple of loose ends.
You guys are awesome and I'm glad you're loving the story.