In My Own Defense
"Is the defense ready to proceed?"
"Yes, Your Honor. The defense calls Adam Joseph Copeland to the stand."
Edge took his seat and was sworn in.
"Mr. Copeland. Let's go back to the beginning. You've known the recently-deceased for how long?"
"Less than a year." Adam replied "Exactly how long I don't know."
"Less than a year. Had you formulated any opinions regarding him?"
"I thought he was a nice guy. A little arrogant sometimes."
"And how about his sexual preference. Did he ever give any indication that he might be gay?" Harper asked
"Objection! Characterization!"
"Sustained. Please rephrase the question." Judge Hanson interjected
"Did Mr. Stryker ever tell you that he liked men in a sexual way?" Harper reworded his question. It still sounded like a characterization to DeSantos, but he decided against objecting again.
"Not to me." Adam answered
"So it came as a shock to you when you learned that he and Jeff hardy were together."
"A little."
"Even though you had been harboring a secret desire for Mr. Hardy for years?"
"I guess it made me realize that some things weren't meant to be. I moved on."
"So it was never your intention to attempt a relationship with Jeff, one way or the other?" Harper probed a little deeper.
"Not a chance. I haven't had the best luck with relationships, but I know when I don't stand a hope in hell."
"So, we heard testimony about statements you apparently made. Do you deny making them?" Harper queried
"Those statements were taken out of context. I was speaking hypothetically when I said, if Matt hooked up with Eric, I could hook up with Jeff. I didn't mean it. If anything, Eric made the first move."
"Explain."
Adam briefly summarized his encounter with Eric in the hotel that night in Philadelphia.
"And did you draw any conclusions from this?"
"I thought that maybe, given what had happened earlier, that Eric and Jeff were having troubles. I thought that maybe there was a chance, but I wasn't going to do anything impetuous."
"So you deny doing anything to eliminate Eric from the competition?"
"Yes." Adam answered emphatically.
"What about Hawkins and Ryder and their apparent kidnapping attempt?"
"I'm not their father! Maybe they thought they could get back into my good graces with a stunt like that."
"At no point did you tell either of them to bring Jeff to you?"
"Correct?"
"And hanging a stuffed rabbit belonging to Jeff?"
"I guess it was somebody's idea of a practical joke. We do that to each other all the time." Adam explained
"Thank-you. One last question. Did you have anything to do with the explosion that put the deceased into the hospital or the tragedy that unfolded later?"
"Nothing whatsoever." Adam said
"Liar." Jeff whispered
"Nothing further."
"Your Witness, Mr DeSantos."
"Mr. Copeland... Adam, I wonder if you can clarify one or two things for me. Did Eric suspect that you wanted his lover for your own?"
"I don't think so. I never told him."
"Why not? Don't you think it would've been better to come out and say 'Look, I don't want to cut in, but lately I've been having these feelings...' Wouldn't that have been a good idea instead of letting it fester?"
"In hindsight, maybe." Adam said "But we all know that is 20/20."
"And the explosion?"
"All I did was tell Matt to stick a sign on his steering wheel that said BOOM! How was I supposed to know that something was going to happen!"
"Just another psychotic fan, you mean?"
"Could be." Adam answered "I wasn't there."
"Or maybe it was the work of someone who wanted Eric out of the way?"
"I know what you're thinking, and I didn't do it!" Adam shouted
"And afterward, at the hospital. You deny you were there?"
"I was nowhere near the place. I spent the entire night in my hotel room." Adam stated
"It is just a coincidence that one of the nurses on-duty that night happened to be your aunt, is that correct?"
"I dunno. I haven't seen her for years."
"Admit it... you arranged this whole thing. You sent your friends to capture Jeff Hardy, in the hopes that you would be able to start something!"
"No!"
"You enlisted Matt to set up the explosion..."
"No!"
"And then you had your aunt sneak you in to the burn ward, where the lethal injection was administered!"
"No! I would never!"
"And just exactly were you trying to do when you and Matt attacked Jeff in Eric's home...? Show him how much you loved him?"
"I dunno. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly."
"I guess. It seems like a strange way to show your love for someone... attempted rape!"
"Objection! Is there a question here?" Harper stood, angrily pointing at the prosecuting attorney.
"Sustained. Save the conjecture for closing arguments, please."
"How did it make you feel when you were served the restraining order? Angry? Annoyed? Betrayed?"
"Yeah, sure."
"But you were angry, weren't you?" DeSantos softened his tone. "I mean, here's a guy you've lusted after for years, and now you can't even touch him, right?"
"I guess. I never actually read it."
"I have here a copy of the restraining order I'd like to introduce into evidence as people's next in sequence."
"So entered."
"Please read the highlighted portion aloud."
"The defendant, Adam Copeland is hereby ordered to maintain a minimal distance of 500 feet from the complainants, and shall not endeavor to make contact with, or by any means thereof, including letters, electronic mail, or any other means of communication unless under the guidelines set forward by this court, unless in the presence of two (2) witnesses acceptable to both parties..."
"And who signed this?"
"Jeffrey N Hardy."
"I guess he really wanted to get with you, huh? Nothing further." DeSantos stood down
"The witness is excused."
Adam stepped down, looking defeated, as did his lawyer.
"Does the defense have anything else to offer?"
"No, Your Honor. The Defense rests."
"Anything further, Mr. DeSantos?"
"The state calls Carol Copeland to the stand as a rebuttal witness."
The onlookers gasped in surprise. Adam went white when his aunt, trying to look unaffected, took the stand and was sworn in.
"Mrs. Copeland, you are the defendant's aunt, correct."
"That is correct." She replied
"And what do you do for a living?"
"Right now, nothing." She responded "I am currently incarcerated."
"Well, what did you do before that?"
"I was a registered nurse."
"And you worked here, in town, at St. Bethany's, correct?"
She nodded.
"You'll have to answer for the record, please." Judge Hanson looked down, solemnly.
"That is also correct."
"And did you work all over the hospital, or were your duties primarily in one area?"
"I was primarily in charge of the burn unit."
"And what would your duties entail, typically?"
"I would be responsible for changing dressings, and generally making sure that the patients were made as comfortable as possible."
"Did that include the administration of drugs?"
"Routinely, yes."
"On the night in question, were you in charge of a patient by the name of Eric Stryker?"
"Yes, I was. He came in with burns to his arms, hands, and face, shortly after my shift began." She answered
"When did you first come in contact with him?"
"After his wounds had been cleaned and wrapped, he was brought into the recovery ward."
"And what did you do then?" DeSantos asked
"My instructions were to make the patient as comfortable as possible."
"Were his medications discussed?"
"Yes. As I recall, he was to receive intra-venous fluids as well as morphine as required."
"What was the recommended dosage?"
"20 c.c. every four-to-six hours." She replied
"Did anything else unusual happen during your shift?"
"Yes. My nephew called."
"Why was this unusual?" DeSantos gestured
"Because I hadn't spoken to Adam in over a year." Carol answered "My sister and I were never really close."
"And what was the subject of the conversation?"
"He wanted to know if I knew anything about a friend of his that had come in with serious burns."
"And what did you say?"
"I said he had just come back from having his burns cleaned."
"Then what?"
"Then he asked if he could come see him right away. I told him that it wasn't visiting hours yet."
"What was the defendant's reply?" The prosecutor looked cursorily at Adam, who was getting more nervous with each statement.
"He said that he had to fly out later that day and could I make an exception."
"Did you?"
"I did. Adam came into the room just as I had finished giving Mr. Stryker his morphine."
"And then what happened?"
"He said 'thank-you'. I thought he meant for letting him visit. I was wrong."
"Go on."
"He grabbed the empty syringe from me and stuck Eric, I mean the deceased, with it." Carol began to weep openly.
"And then what..."
"He ran."
"What was your reaction?"
"I immediately called the code. I knew what was going to happen. If that air bubble hit his heart, heart attack. If it went to his brain, stroke."
"Thank-you. Your honor, I am finished with this witness."
"Re-cross, Mr. Harper?"
"Of course. Mrs. Copeland, you said you were incarcerated. Why?"
"I plead guilty to accessory to murder, with a sentencing recommendation."
"In exchange for your testimony, correct."
"Yes." Carol dabbed at her eyes with a kleenex.
"So basically, you'd be willing to sell your Nephew up the river in exchange for leniency, is that correct?"
"No. I told the truth!"
"We'll leave that for the jury to decide. No further questions."
Carol was visibly distraught as he left the courtroom to return to her cold cell.
"Any more witnesses?"
"The prosecution rests." DeSantos sat down, triumphantly.
"Mr. Harper."
"The defense rests." Slightly less confident-sounding, but still arrogant.
"We will take a fifteen minute recess, then I will hear closing arguments."
The spectators filed out of the courtroom for a much needed breather.
"What do you think, Mr. DeSantos?" Jeff asked
"I've learned never to make guesses until the verdict is read, but if I were a betting man, I'd say that we got him cold!"
"Yesss." Jeff high-fived his brother, then embraced him.
"Easy, Jeff. It ain't over yet." Always the level-headed one, Matt didn't want to see his brother let down again.
"Listen to your brother. Stranger things have happened. But I wouldn't worry."
...
"Closing arguments. Mr. Desantos?"
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. The State has proven that beyond a reasonable doubt Adam Copeland did cause the death of Eric Stryker, a rival for the affections of one Jeffrey Hardy. Just the fact that he took the time to enlist the aid of Jeff's brother shows how calculating he is. Everything was set, down to the last detail. The one thing he didn't count on was Eric surviving the car blast. This is where he made his mistake. He waited until the moment was right and then, with the help of his aunt, fatally injected him with an air bubble. You know what you have to do, ladies and gentlemen of the jury. Send a message. Convict Adam Copeland of murder in the first degree and sentence him to the maximum sentence allowed. Thank-you."
DeSantos sat down, beaming.
"Mr. Harper?"
"Thank-you Your Honor. The prosecution had made a good case. Not a great one, by no means open-and-shut, but a good case. There is however one or two unanswered questions. Did my client really inject the deceased with the lethal dose of air or was it his aunt, who I might remind you, sits in a jail cell as we speak? Did my client plant the explosives or was it a jealous brother, who already admitted to participating? The prosecution talks about 'beyond a reasonable doubt'. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, unless you can say for sure that my client did those two things I just mentioned, then by definition we have reasonable doubt. And if we have reasonable doubt, then you might find Adam Copeland not guilty of the crime of murder. Can you really have the blood of an innocent man on your hands? Because that is what will happen if you find this man guilty. Thank-you."
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you are excused to begin deliberations. Court is adjourned."
While the courtroom emptied, Jeff caught Adam's attention, before he was taken away. Gone was any indication that they had once been close friends. All he regarded the young Hardy with was hatred.
Jeff ran from the courtroom. Matt, who had also seen the looks they had exchanged, followed.
"Jeffro, y'okay?" Matt asked
Jeff looked up. "I don't know who that was, but that wasn't the Addy we knew. It's like something possessed him, dude."
"I saw it too. And frankly, it scared me." Matt replied
"What do we do now?" Jeff asked
"Not much we can do here. Let's go."
Matt and Jeff hurried back to their hotel room for a night of movies and Chinese.
"Matty?"
"What, Jeffro?"
"What if that lawyer guy is wrong? What if Edge gets away with it?" Jeff looked at his plate of food.
"Aw, Jeffro. Don't you worry about it. There is no way that Edge is not gonna pay for what he did to you." Matt wrapped his arm around Jeff, and held him tight.
"But..."
"No buts, Jeff. Edge took away the one thing, next to bunny, that means a lot to you in this world. If they don't put him away, I will." Matt looked into Jeff's eyes and Jeff could tell that his brother meant it. There was a fierceness that Jeff had only seen a few times before.
"I really miss him, Matt. When I wake up, and he's not there, it's like a part of me is not there either." Jeff said
"So do I. Jeff, I'm sorry for putting you through all this crap. Maybe if I hadn't been such a pushover, Adam wouldn't have gone this far." Matt finally put into words his nagging guilty feelings. "If I could do it over..." Matt's voice broke.
"Shhh... don't start. Matty, you know what I think of you. And you know that no matter how hard I try, I cannot stay angry at you." Jeff's turquoise eyes met Matt's dark ones. "So, let's try to forget the past and focus on this yummy food."
"I thought I was supposed to be consoling you." Matt replied "When did you become the strong one and I become the emotional one?"
"Beats the fuck outta me. Let's eat."
They spent the rest of the night eating and talking and talking and eating. The next morning, they were summoned to a meeting with the entire WWE crew.
"I thank you all for getting up this early." Vince said "And for those of you who are not awake yet, YOU'RE FIRRRRREEEEEEEDDDDDDD!"
Several sleepy heads snapped up.
"Now that I have your undivided attention, let me just say that the past few days, weeks, months, have been trying for all of us, but we're gonna pick up the pieces and move on. To that end, I have been informed that it is no longer necessary for us to remain here any longer. I have taken the liberty of posting the itineraries for each particular brand We are back on our regular schedule effective immediately."
"But what about the trial?" Matt asked, reading Jeff's worried glance.
"When a verdict is reached, we will be told."
"But..."
"I know what you are going to say... and I've taken care of that as well. I know that there are some of you will close connections to this case... Matt, Jeff, John Cena, and a few others. Anyone who wishes to remain here until the outcome is known is quite welcome to do so, but it could be tomorrow, next week, or next month before the verdict is rendered. Is there anyone who wishes to stay behind?"
The WWE superstars and crew looked at each other nervously. Eventually, three hands went up.
"I expected as much. As I said, that is fine. I do expect you to rejoin your brands as soon as possible. That's everything. Check-out time is eleven a.m. for those of you who are going."
The other wrestlers talked idly amongst themselves while leaving, some of them stopping to pat Jeff of the shoulder or offer encouragement. While being allowed to remain did seem to lessen Jeff's worry, he was still shaken up. The room was almost empty by the time they got to their feet.
"What are you gonna do, bro?" Matt asked
"Prob'ly just go back to my room. We still got some Chinese left." Jeff replied
"Works for me." Matt answered "Let's go!"
"Yo, yo, yo, hold up!" The third raised hand, John Cena, ran up to them in the corridor.
"What's up?" Matt asked
"I just wanted to let you both know that if there's anything you need, just let me know."
"Thanks for the offer, but I think we got everything cool now. You really don't have to stay behind if you don't want to." Matt stated
"Nah, it's cool."
'Ya wanna join us for leftover Chinese?.. it'll just be the four of us again." Jeff offered
"I dunno, man. I don't think I can spend another night with that rabbit." John snickered
"Bunny likes you, though." Jeff responded
"Can you tell bunny that I like her too, but this is only our second date. I'm not like that." John answered, a juvenile gleam in his eyes.
"Ewwww!" Jeff whined "You and bunny... that's gross!"
Matt just laughed. With each passing day, Jeff got better and better.
"Anyway, I'll see you guys later."
Suddenly, a rumble shook the hotel.
"What was that?" Jeff asked
"Look outside." Matt pointed
From where the trio stood, they could see that it was the weather that was causing the noise. It reminded Matt of the storm that had chased him halfway across the country some time ago. Jeff just cringed every time there was thunder.
"We'll see you in a few minutes?" Matt asked
"Yeah, just let me grab a few things from my room."
"Can we go Matty? Bunny will be scared?"
"Okay, Jeffy. Let's go."
To be safe, they took the stairs. Storms were bad enough, but getting stuck in an elevator with Jeff during one was worse. If the power decided to blow, oh Lord, that was something he didn't want to think about. He still had a hard time figuring Jeff out on some things. Twenty foot Swantons, cool. Storms, not cool. TLC matches, cool. Octopus, not cool. Sometimes he wondered if Dr. Phil could even make some sense out of this.
Without incident, the Hardys made it to their hotel room. Good thing, too, because the power did go out not more than a minute later.
"Dammit... where's the flashlight?" Matt barked his shin against a table.
"Who cares about the flashlight... where's bunny?" Jeff tripped over his bag and went face-first onto the floor.
Both of them ran around the room, Matt looking for his flashlight, which was attached to his key ring, Jeff looking for his cuddle toy.
"Found it." Matt turned on the light, right into Jeff's eyes.
"Thanks, bro. Now help me look."
"Maybe she hid under the bed?" Matt suggested
Jeff squatted down. "Nope. Bunny, where are you?"
"You know that thing can't hear you." Matt stepped over to Jeff.
"Bunny!" Jeff wailed
Three sharp raps on the door stopped them both.
"It's probably just John." Carefully tiptoeing around the luggage and other furniture, Matt got back to the door. It was indeed John, whose arms were full of bottles from his room's wet bar.
"Some weather, eh guys?" John said, setting his bottles down on Matt's bed with several small clinks.
"Yeah. Just be careful."
"Okay." John watched Jeff make a mess of his side of the room, pulling sheets off the bed, tossing his gear all around. "Whassup with him?"
"Can't find bunny." Matt replied. Under some circumstances it would be funny to watch a thirty-one year old ransack his room looking for a stuffed rabbit. This was not one of those times.
"Bunny! Where are you?" Jeff sounded anxious, almost frantic.
"Calm down, Jeff... where did you last see her?" Matt asked
Jeff thought, his tongue playing with his lip ring while he did. Suddenly, he gave a cry of remembrance and ran into the bathroom.
"Found her!" He exclaimed, holding her above his head. "Bad bunny! How many times do I have to tell you not to hide in the bathroom during a storm?"
John opened his mouth to correct him, but Matt stopped him with a simple shake of his head. "Don't bother." It said
Eventually, they sat down to eat, but every time there came a flash of lightning outside their window, Jeff jumped.
"You really don't like storms?" John had heard from the guys that Jeff didn't like bad weather, but this was the first time he'd experienced just how badly it affected Jeff.
"Nuh-uh." Another flash of lightning and another nervous twitch from Jeff.
"Jeff, why don't you do what you used to do as a kid... build a fort." Matt suggested
"Hell, you've got a head start."
"You two gotta help." Jeff said, beginning to drag his mattress into the center of the room.
It was a little awkward, first cleaning off the beds, then taking all four mattresses into the seating area, all by keylight. Using one of the walls of their room as a base, they stacked the two box springs on either side, then put the other mattresses on top for the roof. Finally, they draped enough blankets across the structure to completely shut out the rest of the room. Then the real fun began.
"We have to get all our stuff in here before the monsters come!" Jeff solemnly announced
"Monsters! What monsters?" John asked
"Play along." Matt mouthed "Okay, Jeff, what do we need and how long do we have?"
"Five minutes. And whatever we can save. Go!"
John felt like a total dork running around the dark room looking for things to put in the fort. Matt grabbed the food, Jeff began getting things to do, and John started carefully gathering the booze.
"Four minutes!" Jeff squealed
"John, help me with the roof. We have to make sure it doesn't collapse and that nothing can get in." Matt shouted
"This is ridiculous." John thought
"Three minutes." While Jeff started stockpiling games and stuff into one corner of the fort, Matt and John made sure that it wouldn't collapse and it was dark enough inside.
"I think we're good?" John asked
"Two minutes!" Jeff grabbed Bunny and clamored inside. "Pass me the supplies."
Matt and John took turns handing the bottles and the Chinese to Jeff.
"One minute."
Matt scooted inside, and found a comfortable spot in the middle.
"Are you coming?" John was still standing outside, looking decidedly stupefied.
Like he was abandoning ship, John quickly looked around for anything else that might be needed. Seeing nothing, he crawled under and pulled the blankets that were the "door" down.
"Damn, it's dark in here." He said
"Spooky." Jeff whispered
"Considering you're the one who's afraid of monsters."
Matt turned on his light. It was powerful enough that it illuminated the entire fortress. It wasn't really that tight of a fit. Everyone had their own space and since Jeff had thrown their pillows and the one heavy comforter inside, they could probably stay the night if the power didn't come back on.
"So, now what do we do?" John asked
"I dunno, but I need a drink." Matt broke into one of the bottles. Jeff and John joined in. Between the Chinese and the liquor, they had a great time.
"Now don't take this the wrong way, but I can you a question Jeff?" John looked at his comrade.
"One minute." Jeff had been putting his bunny to bed. All the excitement must've been too much for her. "Sure, dude, what?"
"Don't take this wrong, but are you gay?"
Apparently Jeff was used to being asked this question. "Sex is not about what equipment you have, to me it's about a connection on a deeper level. Male, female, whatever, it doesn't matter. If I feel like I want to share myself with someone like that, as long as I am honest to myself, that's all that really matters to me."
John nodded. It seemed to make sense, at least to Jeff. "So, that day in the storage room...?"
"Dude, I just wanted to make you feel good." Jeff answered, grabbing some egg rolls.
"You looked like you needed it."
"And you Matt?" John remembered that it wasn't just one Hardy Boy who'd been on him.
"I'm bi." He replied "Some people may think that is a cop-out, but it's true. I've found attraction in members of both sexes, and, like Jeff, it has nothing to do with equipment."
"Must be something in the water in Cameron." John said
"Must be." Jeff smirked, winking at Matt.
"So, John, what about you?"
"Ya know, I never had a lot of exposure to that sort of thing growing up." John replied "Hell, I'm sure there were some people like that aroundme, but I never paid much attention."
"You probably had girls all over you." Matt added
"Honestly, no. I was too much into the hip-hop thing to notice." John answered, which was true. He'd spent so much time focusing on the music and the working out, he'd never really noticed them until College, and even then he only rarely dated.
"Well, I declare. I think he's shy!" Jeff said in his best Scarlet O'Hara impression.
"Shy... what do you mean?"
"With girls. Maybe he's playing for a different team, whaddaya think Matt?" Jeff looked slyly.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, did I say that?" John was tempted to leave the fort, monsters or not.
"Well, have you ever fooled around with a guy before?" Matt asked
John thought about it. It had been a long time ago.
"Once. But it was nothing. Just some male bonding." He snapped
"Story! Story!" Jeff clapped his hands.
"You know I've never had a problem with nudity, right...?" He commenced
...
It was a normal day for John. Normal in the sense that he was walking down the corridor wearing nothing but a jock strap and gold shoes, and only the shoes were in the correct place. Today, however was different. He'd convinced one of his running buddies to join him in his exhibition. There they were, two muscular well-built, well-hung young men, strutting down the hall, heading for either the shower or their first class.
"Oh, shit! Here comes that softy Miller." John gasped
Duane Miller, a senior on their floor, and the only person who seemed to get angry with their antics was walking towards them. For months he'd been threatening to get the expelled for what he called loutish behavior. He'd brought out the heavy artillery this time. Striding alongside him was the Dean himself, who was ever more stuck up than Miller.
"Quick, in here!" Cena pushed Tyler into the nearest room. It was a broom closet. There was barely enough room for the both of them to squeeze inside and still close the door.
"What's your problem, Cena... it's not like the Dean's gonna expel us." Tyler whispered
"Shhh!" Cena's heart was already pounding. Expulsion was the last thing he needed if he wanted to pursue his career choices.
Tyler and John stood in absolute silence. They could hear the commotion in the hall as the Dean demanded the whereabouts of the pair.
"We might have to stay in here a while." From the sounds of things, the dean was going room to room.
"What do we do?" John asked
"I have an idea." Tyler said
"What..."
"This." To John's surprise, Tyler reached down and grabbed his limp member. A few quick strokes was all it took to make John hard.
"Are you fuckin' nuts... what if someone hears us?" John gasped
"Only if you scream when you come." Tyler responded, picking up the pace.
Cena's knees started to go weak. That explained why he always lay down when he jerked off.
"You like? If not, I'll stop."
"Stop and I'll knock your ass on the floor." John gasped, enjoying the contact. It had been a while since his last girlfriend.
Tyler didn't stop. In fact, he quickened his pace.
"Oh man, I can't hold it much longer." John groaned, holding onto Tyler.
"It's just a door. Go ahead."
John looked down. The sight of Tyler's hand, now a blur, moving up and down his shaft was enough to send him off. Moaning loudly, maybe a bit too loudly, he coated the back of the closet door with the force of his orgasm.
"That was..." Tyler quickly stuck his hand over John's mouth. There was someone just outside the door.
They both stared in horror as the doorknob slowly turned...
...
"Then what?" Jeff asked, breathless.
"Nothing. The Dean found us, and bitched us out again. It went on our records, but that was it." John responded
"What about you and Tyler?" Matt asked
"What about us. We're still friends, but not in a homosexual way, that's for sure." John replied
Matt looked at Jeff, who looked back, nodding slightly. This time, when they kissed Cena, he didn't push them away. And when the Hardy's went to remove his clothes, he didn't fight them, and when they asked if he wanted to do this, he didn't say no.
TO BE CONTINUED
Some of you wanted a Matt/Jeff/Cena hookup... sorry it's a little weak, but Hardycest is not my forte.
Coming soon to a computer screen near you... the verdict!