Trials of the Heart

Chapter 13

The two teens held on to each other in the darkness of their cell. It had been a very long week and the two of them were exhausted. They had not testified at all but had to sit there through the prosecution's case.

The trial had gone on all that week with the prosecution presenting its case. As Hans had expected, the prosecution had relied on the fact that the two of them were in the country illegally, that they attacked the government facility and that they attacked a number of government officials. The one thing that Hans found very interesting was the fact that the prosecution barely mentioned Drakken or Shego's name throughout their presentation. They had a lot of video from the remains of the lab that showed Kim and Ron breaking in and taking out several guards with the knockout gas.

The prosecution called their knockout gas a weapon of mass destruction. Additional video showed them going directly into the room where Drakken and Shego were. The audience watched as Drakken jumped around and dropped the two beakers, starting the disaster. The prosecution had called in several of the guards and lab workers all of whom testified as to how Kim and Ron attacked the facility with extreme prejudice and no warning. The tapes were shown again and again replayed from different angles and played again. Another video showed the remains of the lab and a line of bodies. Kim and Ron sat through all of it as did their families. The days turned to a week and then the prosecution finally rested.

Hans had done the best he could, but he was limited by the government as to what he could present in their defense. He challenged the fact that Kim and Ron had entered the country illegally, with the reason that they had global clearance to enter a country if they had information of an ongoing crime. All of their intelligence had shown that. Hans used their "Save the World" status in an attempt to convince the judges that Kim and Ron had every reason and right to enter the facility just as they had any of the lairs that Drakken and Shego had previously used. It was not until later that the two heroes realized that the facility was a government one.

Hans turned the idea of mass destruction against the court when the video showed the damage done by the gas that Drakken and Shego had been making. Kim had been impressed by what he presented. After three days of presentation, Hans rested his case. The final arguments were presented and the court recessed to deliberate.

And now, lying on the old rumpled couch, Ron softly stroked Kim's hair as she leaned against him with her head on his shoulder. Neither wanted to be alone right now, and all they could do was wait. There was a knock at the door and Hans entered.

"Kim, Ron, the court had returned their judgment. We need to return to the courtroom."

Anne Possible walked out onto the veranda of the American Embassy. She stepped over to where Jean Stoppable stood as she looked out over the city. Anne stopped and simply stood next to her friend. The day had been hard on both of the mothers. The Vietnamese government had been nice enough to let them stay in the country and attend the trial, and they were told those privileges could be revoked if there were any problems.

Jean's hand slipped over from gripping the handrail and took Anne's in a tight grip.

"Anne, what do you think will happen?"

Anne struggled to keep her voice from quivering.

"I don't know Jean. I just don't know. Those two have been through so much. But now, the one thing I feared could happen has happened. Circumstances have gone against them. I really think that I could have handled it if they had actually been killed on a mission. But this? This is worse. It's like I am watching them slowly die day by day. Hans is nice and he is working hard, but I think even he knows he is fighting against the tide. We can only hope that the judges will be merciful and maybe, just maybe… give them prison sentences and let them go in a few years. But..."

Jean tightened her grip on Anne's hand and spoke.

"When Ron started helping Kim around town, I thought it was cute. They enjoyed doing everything together and really seemed to have fun doing it. Then, the real missions started up and they were going around the world. I didn't know what to think.

Ron... I knew he was scared, and knew that he had messed up as many times as he helped, but he didn't want Kim going alone. I wanted so many times to put my foot down and tell him that he was not going. But, I just didn't have the heart to. Kim, she was his world. I know he had some other friends, but Kim was his best friend. Then I noticed that he was speaking about her and looking at her in a different manner, and I knew that something deeper was happening. But I don't know if even he understood. He has such low esteem that he just didn't seem to want to take that chance."

Jean paused for a moment to collect her thoughts before continuing.

"Then that time came before the Diablo's, and Kim started seeing that other boy. I thought Ron was going to fall to pieces. But I was never prouder of him than when Kim needed him when James was kidnapped. He dropped everything to help. Then the Diablo's came. That night, when he came home after the prom? I saw the look on his face, and I knew something had changed… And I guess we both know the rest of that story."

Kim sat on the edge of her cot staring at the wall. Under the fresh coat of paint that that been placed there she could make out the remains of etchings in the concrete. The names were completely unfamiliar to her but they were no doubt the names of previous American occupants of the room. There was little noise except for the air coming from the air vents. At least that was one upgrade that had been made for them. The government had installed air conditioning, yet they didn't want the two teens to have access to any windows. The air grilles were armored, and the ducts were too small for them to get into.

After the verdict was read, the room had been in chaos for a few moments. After the room had finally quieted down the sentence was not long in coming. It was exactly as they had been warned; death by hanging.

There was further pandemonium as the respective families and the world media, at least those allowed in the room, reacted to the news. Mrs. Stoppable fainted into her husband's arms as Mr. Possible had to physically restrain his wife from vaulting over the chairs to attack the judges. Needless the say her language was quite colorful. The judge had told the guards to clear the courtroom and take the two of them back to their cell.

That had been just a couple of days ago. They had been allowed to see their parents for a few hours that morning. Their parents seem to age several years in just the hours they were together. Little was said at first, then they began to speak of past times like the Halloween when Kim dressed up as the cowboy and Ron was the ballerina. They spoke of the different missions and times at school and their lives. Then they spoke of the two of them getting together with high hopes of the future.

Soon it was time for the parents to leave, and that was the hardest part. Just before they left, James grabbed Ron in a fierce hug and held on to him for several moments. He turned his head and whispered something to Ron. Ron, with tears in his eyes nodded and hugged his other father that much harder. Mrs. Stoppable held on to Kim for just as long. The two women whispered to each other for a few moments, then as she drew back, Jean gave Kim a kiss on her forehead. The guards lead their parents out and the door closed behind them. Each of them had gone to their own rooms to think for a little bit to collect their thoughts.

In a few hours this would all would be over. Kim's hands came up to cover her face but no tears fell, as the crying had long since passed. She worried over her parents and her brothers. What world would they face after this?

Then there was Ron's family. They were losing their only son. Team Possible, heroes to so many, and had experienced what many in the limelight had experienced. But their fall from grace was now complete. They had been the darlings of the jet-set, honored by governments and heads of state. They were personas nongrata. Before now, they had stood as heroes of the world, now they sat as convicted criminals. The fact that they had been literally thrown to the wolves by so many of those they had protected hurt even more.

"KP?"

Kim lifted her eyes to see Ron standing there at the door to her room. She got up and settled into his arms.

The steel door to their main room clanked open and the measured tread of feet approached their private rooms. A number of guards appeared as well as Gen. Tri. Two other guards motioned for Kim and Ron to exit the room and stand in the central room. As the two walked out, they noticed four armed guards on each side of them, their rifles leveled at both of them.

Kim turned to face Tri. "Are you still afraid of us even now?"

Tri stood impassive. "Laugh if you want Miss Possible, but soon it will be I who will be laughing."

Tri motioned for the two guards to approach the teens. In their hands were restraining belts. Ron put up a hand to say something. The guards hesitated and their rifles came up to point at Ron.

"Dude, do you think you could give us a couple of minutes? Then do what you want to us." Tri thought for a second, and then motioned for the guards to move to the other side of the room.

There was only one way in and out so the two teens were not going anywhere. Ron took Kim into his arms and held her to his chest. She burrowed her face into his neck and sighed. Here she was at peace. Ron lifted her chin and caressed her lips with his. The two teens held the kiss for but a moment then broke apart.

The guards then stepped up to the teens and pulled their arms behind them. The belts went around their waists and cinched tight, their hands placed in the cuffs attached to the belts and strapped down. Another strap was taken around their upper arms and around their chests pinning their arms to their sides. The first two guards led the way, with Kim first and Ron following. The other guards fell into place behind Ron.

The two teens walked up the hall and made the turn down the main hall. They shuffled down the hall several feet and made a turn into the gallows room. There Kim lifted her head to see the steps in front of her. Above her, hanging over the platform, were two nooses. Kim slowly mounted the steps with her knees shaking. If she hadn't felt Ron's presence behind her giving her strength, she would have collapsed right then and there. But together, they would show everyone that Team Possible would face any sitch with utmost courage.

Finally both of them reached the top of the stairs. The guard pulled on their arms guiding them across the platform to stand on the trapdoors. Tri gave an order and another guard picked up two more straps. He pulled Kim's ankles together and wrapped the strap around them and cinched it down. He then repeated the process on Ron.

Tri jerked a piece of paper from his coat and began to read. "Kimberly Ann Possible, Ronald Dean Stoppable. You have been found guilty of the crimes of entering the country illegally, entrance to a restricted area, attack of a government facility and the attack on government officials. The sentence for said crimes is to be hanged by the neck until you are dead. Do you have anything to say?"

Ron spoke first. "What do you want to hear? You want us begging for our lives? Not going to happen. KP and I have faced death with a smile more than once, and from a lot worse men than you." He then turned towards Kim the best he could with his feet strapped together. "KP, I have one question for you. I know it's not going to happen, but your answer would mean everything to me. Will you marry me?"

Kim twisted her head around so she could see her boyfriend and look into his eyes. His face was all aglow while he waited for her answer.

"Yes Ron, with all my heart… yes." Ron's look of apprehension immediately turned into a grin.

"That's all I wanted to hear. I'll see you on the other side Kim."

Tri then waited to see if Kim or Ron had anything else to say. When Kim shook her head he motioned for the guards to proceed.

Kim turned her head to look forward and swallowed as the guard pulled the black denim hood over her head. The large front and back flaps fell down her chest and back. The smell of clean denim came to her nose, and thoughts of helping her mom with the laundry came to mind. Then the times she and Ron would just lay out in the sun in Middleton Park and let the sun warm them. Their jeans would warm in the summer sun and give off that wonderful clean denim smell as well.

She then felt the hood shift as the noose slipped over her head. The fabric pressed against her face as the rope passed by. It lay against her chest for a moment and then tightened, making her gasp a little. The hood's fabric chafed at her skin as the rope was pulled tight around her neck. The weight of the noose then shifted around to her left ear, indicating that it was time.

The loud clanking of the safety bar supporting the trap door made the wood vibrate beneath her feet. Now the only thing holding her up was the trip catch to the trapdoor. Soon that would open. She knew that she would fall nearly eight feet before she reached the end of the rope.

Eight feet… maybe two seconds of free fall. This would be her last free fall. How many times had she and Ron jumped out of planes and free fell for seconds, maybe even minutes, when they went on a mission? Kim then remembered a conversation they had the evening before.

The doctor had come by to explain what would happen. How their weight, combined with their height, would determine how far they would drop until the rope would snap their necks. Then she had heard Ron giggle at something.

"Ron, what is so funny?" She had asked with an almost horrified look on her face.

Cocking his head sideways with a grin Ron said, "Well KP, I guess this is where we really find out that it's not the fall that hurts, but the sudden stop at the end."

Kim remembered sitting there with her mouth open looking at her boyfriend. Then she had giggled as well. Leave it to Ron to find humor, even in this sitch. She leaned over and gave him a kiss as she whispered in his ear.

"You are getting too morbid for your own good."

Kim was snapped back to the present when the trapdoor beneath her vibrated again as the safety catch was engaged and disengaged again. For a few moments it was completely silent. The air under the hood was getting stale. A familiar odor came to her nose, the scent of her shampoo. A smile crossed her face, knowing that was one thing she knew Ron loved about her, her smile. Then there were several loud buzzes behind her, and then several yells and the movement of feet. Then Tri started screaming something. Next, she heard another clack and the wood slipped from beneath her feet. Kim closed her eyes as she fell.

Jean, Dean, Ann and James stood in front of the American embassy. The worst moment in their lives had come as they awaited the arrival of the ambulance from the prison. The vehicles would be carrying a very precious cargo.

The sound of several sirens came to their ears as they glanced up the street. The marine guards at the gate pulled the gate open, came to attention and saluted as the ambulance entered the embassy grounds, escorted by two Military Police vehicles. The sirens died as the vehicles came to a stop in front of the embassy. Two groups of Marines in dress blues marched up to the ambulance and opened the rear door. The parents of the two teens watched as two steel gray coffins were pulled from the rear of the ambulance.

Before the coffins were moved any further, an American flag was draped over each. An Honor Guard snapped to attention as the two coffins were then carried into the Embassy. The parents followed the coffins as they were carried into the embassy and laid on biers that waited for them in the entry way of the Embassy.

The American Ambassador approached the parents. "The flight is ready when you are. We already have clearance to leave. All we have to do is take off."

James turned to the Ambassador. "Thank you. We would like to leave as soon as possible. We want to get our children home."

The Ambassador solemnly nodded.

Jean stood and walked around a little as soon as she was able after take-off. By now they had been in the air for about fifteen minutes or so, and all she could do was sit there and stare at the flag draped coffin that held her son. After another few moments, she stood and walked over to the coffin and pulled back the flag. Fumbling with the lid she tried to pull it up.

Dean jumped to her side. "Dear, I don't..."

Jean turned to him. "I want to see my son, I want to see Ronnie."

Dean stopped for a moment and looked over to James and Ann. They stood up and joined them.

Anne took Jean's hand and turned to James. "And I want to see Kimmie."

James nodded and turned to the officer that was the head of the detail with them. The officer pulled the key to the coffin lids from his pocket. He walked over to each coffin in turn and unlocked the lids. Then, he turned and nodded to the honor guard standing in the room. He motioned them out of the room. Then they all left the parents alone in the room with their children.

James reached down and pulled the lid of Kim's coffin open. Anne grabbed his arm as she stepped to his side and both gazed down at their daughter. Kim lay in the midst of the satin interior. Her eyes were closed and her hands lay across her chest. Her porcelain skin appeared to glow in the light of the cabin of the plane. There was the hint of a dark bruise around her neck under the collar of her shirt.

Dean and Jean opened the lid of Ron's coffin and gazed down at their son. His head lay on the pillow as a small smile crossed his face. His hands lay crossed on his chest as well. Reaching down Anne caressed Kim's face. She sobbed as she continued to stroke her daughter's features.

Without realizing it, both Anne and Jean spoke the same words at the same time. "My baby, my poor little baby..."

To be concluded

Conclusion coming in one day.