A/N- okay so because I can't think of anything else to put down we will skip right to during and after the trial. I really think this is probably one of the chapter that I don't want to right but for the story to go along it has to be written. If it doesn't seem any good then sorry it just that I hate having to do boring chapters.

Chapter 8- Bartender in the court

Bones pov

Three weeks had passed sense the day Shuichi had been arrested for the murder of Tachi Aizawa, somewhere around April 25th or 26th and finally the court date had come. I watched as the room was brought back to order as the trial began. Shuichi's hair was dyed back to it's natural raven color and he wore a black suit. Tomha had personally volunteered to defend him but in all truths I really didn't see how it was going to help. Besides Shuichi was already pleading guilty. When I told him this he just shrugged me off and said that he needed to do it for a precious loved one.

I was actually surprised by that. Was he really so close to Shu? As the courts settled the first person to give his testimony was young boy or so I thought when I first saw him go up to the stand. His face became serious however when he stood before the court and only then did I actually realize who he really was. Ryuichi Sakuma stood before the judge and jury with no fear.

A man approached him with a bible and read of the usual statement asked him to swear upon it and the first question was asked, "How much do you remember from that night?" He answered simply and with little information. He was drunk at the time so it's no surprise.

Ryu pov (flashback)

Shu had been really depressed all month. With each passing day it became more and more noticeable but I chose to ignore it. I didn't want to be reminded that nearly a year ago something terrible had happened. Something that had scared him enough that though he acted the same I could still see the fear in his eyes every time he walked home alone. I had even started walking with him everyday just so I wouldn't have to see that look anymore. Yuki hated it.

That night Tohma had given Shuichi time off. He wouldn't have to come in for the next week or so. All in all I was happy about it but by the end of the day I already missed my little Shu-chan.

when Tohma said we were going to go see Shuichi I was thrilled even more so when I found out that Yuki wasn't going to be there. There was no doubt about it, he was going to be so pissed knowing that I had been spending time with Shuichi! I was so happy when I walked into the bar….but once I stepped through the door and my brown eyes came and rest of the boy that I had long ago decide was the only one truly like me, my heart sank.

His shoulders were hunched and he looked more depressed then he had been all week. I only watched as Tohma walked over to him and started speaking. When he came back he had a nasty smelling drink with him. He had told me to 'dispose' of it so of course I had to chug it! The rest of the night isn't really clear. It's sad really, I had always thought I had a high tolerance for drinks. Curse all forms of foreign alcohol.

The only things I really remember from that night are dancing like an idiot in a huge crowd and then Tohma & me getting into a taxi. He kinda had to lead me in cause….well I was stumbling around like crazy and I couldn't see straight. Guess he was mad at me for twisting his words around just so I could get a drink. Tohma doesn't exactly let me do that much. He stayed silent the entire ride to my apartment or at least he was quiet until I fell asleep in the car.

Bones pov

Many of the accounts were like that except most of the other had actually stayed longer and seen Mr. Shindou leave the bar with Taki. With each passing minute he looked more and more guilty. Tohma tried hundreds of defense tactics but not one stuck. In the end he only had two left and even then there was little to go on.

His only defense was that Coora could have somehow attacked on her own or the fact that the boy had been drunk at the time and would have never done anything like that while sober. When Shuichi was brought up to the stand he couldn't lie and admitted that there was no way that the German shepherd would have done it on her own. That however wasn't the thing that destroyed any chance of him being let off. When the bar tender was brought to the stand everything went from bad to worst.

The man put his hand over the bible and swore upon it, "Now tell me sir, what is your name?"

"Leoches P. Maldrea."

"You work at 'The Club'?"

"Yes sirry, I do, finest place you could ever go!"

"And you were there the night that Shindou came in right?"

The man stared at Shuichi for several seconds before answering, "looks a little different now but it was the same kid."

"Can you tell me a little bit about that night…anything really?"

Leoches paused, "….He came in and started buying a whole bunch of soda….anything from pepis to sprite. Didn't buy any beer which was weird cause he looked miserable. When he finally bought some heavy liquor I was almost relieved….sorry if that sounds strange but I was because that at least made it seem a little bit more normal. Then this blonde guy, Tohma I think, came over to Shu's table and took the drink away from him…wasn't even a fourth of the way gone, and handed it to the this really young looking guy, didn't look old enough to drink it…I'm glad he wasn't really a minor but at the time it didn't matter to me.

"Tohma came over to me and ordered some classy drinks that I don't even know why they stocked. I set two glasses of it on the bar table and he leaves for God knows how long just to made a phone call, the drinks just sat there going to waste….I'm surprised someone else didn't take them, there was enough people at the table to do so, some even started to play a game where they had to slide the glasses around on the table back and forth, back and forth! It was rather annoying actually.

"Finally he came back and I handed them to him, and he walks away with his back turned towards me….kept fiddling with this stupid bendy straw that some person had put in it while he was gone. Anyway he passes one of the drinks off to Shindou and they talk for a few minutes and then the blond and brunette leave I think, he just finished off the drink, staggered over and settled himself onto one of the stools. He just sat there and didn't order a thing….the boy was pretty out of it, like he was deep in thought or something.

"So a couple minutes later a black haired kid, Taki, comes walking along cautiously and slowly like he was afraid to approach Mr. Shindou. Finally he just sat down next to the kid and ordered a drink for the boy. When I set it down Shuichi asked why I had done it and I just pointed to Taki. Shuichi fell out of his chair and told the poor guy that he'd kill him if he touched him again.

"When Shindou finally got back into his chair, him and Taki had a little conversation….wasn't really paying much attention to it but by the end of it I did see that Taki was crying and he kept apologizing. When he was about to leave Shuichi grabbed a hold of his jacket sleeve….and again fell from the chair and nearly brought Taki down with him. After that Taki helped Shuichi up and he left saying that he was going to help the guy home. As they left Coora followed behind quickly…..and well that's all I remember actually. Wait! Wait! He didn't finish his whisky either! Took a few sips and left it there."

I was a little taken back by the account…it wasn't quite as emotional as what I had heard but it was detailed. The last fact caught the questioners attention, "So….if I am listening correctly you said he only had three drinks that night….two of which he only had a few sips of?"

The man nodded, "Yes."

And with that last statement the trail was over for the time being. The jury started to whisper this to one another and finally they just left the room. I expected it to take hours for them to decide what would happen for the boy but when they came back only a half an hour later a chill when down my spine. This couldn't be good. One of the members of the jury stood up and read from a white piece of paper, the fate of a man they barely knew…a terrible fate.

"We find Shuichi Shindou of Tokyo, Japan guilty of first degree murder and we have sentenced him to…." Everyone one froze….this trial was only suppose to decide whether he was guilty or not….this wasn't good. "….to death on April 30th at 7:00 am."

Shuichi went pale and Tohma stood up abruptly, knocking over his chair in the process, "YOU CAN'T DO THAT! THAT TRIAL HASN'T COME AROUND YET! AND THAT'S NOT EVEN A WEEK…..THAT CAN'T BE!"

"Sit down….the jury has already decide…." The judge hesitated for a moment. "That is a set date."

"They can't do this though…this was not the sentencing trial…you can't do that!" Tohma repeated halfheartedly.

"When the right higher up wishes it…then anything's allowed," the man said coldly. "Dismissed!"

People started to walk out of the room slowly but some were just stuck there. Tohma had his arms folded on the table with his head set against it's cool surface, Shuichi was crying harshly saying that he didn't want to die, Yuki held him, and I just stood there watching them. Slowly Yuki released the crying boy from his grasp, walked over to me, and grabbed my arm as he dragged me out the door. He stood facing me for a moment with his usual cold expression….but then it changed and tears streamed down his face.

"What?" I asked as I stared at him a tad bit bewildered my this new behavior.

His voice cracked as he spoke, "He didn't…I know he didn't…he just didn't! Shuichi wouldn't do such a thing…he almost got mugged a couple months back and he still didn't use Coora than….he's hasn't used Coora as a guard dog at all! He couldn't have killed Aizawa. Please you have to do something…you just can't let him die!"

He had dropped down onto his knees and he was blowing his head to me, "Please….just please don't let them take away the only thing that I really love! Just please…please?"

I hesitated for a moment. Even before the trial I had my doubts about what had happened that night and now I was even more curious about what happened and even more determined to find out what was really going on. I pulled him to his feet and whispered something in his ear, "I'll do my best…he will not die if I can help it."

A/N- okay hope you liked it…I don't much care for the chapter really but still. Oh and if you were wondering…Tohma really doesn't care about Shuichi all that much at the moment….he was mainly talking about doing it for Yuki at the time. Okay I'm just going to do some advertising now….if you like Gravitation and A Nightmare on Elm Street then read my fan fiction Dreamer's Nightmare.