Jackson was livid when they arrived at court. On the way to court he had received a phone call from Harrison in the car, informing him that his secretary had misplaced Aaron's case notes, which he needed for that day if he were to question Darrel before the jury. He had promised him that he had gotten his secretary, himself and his trainee solicitor on to finding them straight away but so far no luck. Harrison needed to quickly whizz through everything with them both again, minutes before they were to be called into the court room for the beginning of the final proceedings.
"How could you be so careless!" Jackson shot at Harrison as they stood in a small room on the same corridor as the court room where their case was being put through.
"As I said before Jackson, I am incredibly sorry." Harrison apologized for the third time that morning. "I shouldn't have left them in my secretary's care, she can be a bit . . . ditzy at times."
"Ditzy?" Jackson fumed. "She's gone and lost the notes that you need to send that scum bag to prison! Ditzy doesn't cover it!"
"Jackson . . ." Aaron sighed, his head in his hands. This was getting them no where.
"As I said earlier we just need to quickly sketch over the finer details of dates and a few parts of what happened-." Harrison quickly explained.
"And it's that easy?" Jackson snapped. "You're just going to throw all the research you done away and rely fully on what we tell you in this room. You can't even remember what was in the notes!"
"I can remember a few things, but I'm not a elephant I can't remember everything." Harrison protested as he stood in front of Jackson, his patience wearing thin. "Now, can we get down to business? We only have a short couple of minutes."
Jackson let out an exasperated sigh and waved his hand in the air to show him he didn't care, that they should.
"Now Aaron . . . . . . ."
They couldn't believe that Aaron's solicitor has lost his case notes. Chas was fuming as she sat in the court room with Cain and Paddy either side of her. She'd watched as Aaron had entered court at the last minute whilst Jackson quietly snuck into the public gallery to join them before Harrison arrived a couple of minutes late to start questioning Darrel. Things were really not off to a good start.
"I could kill that Harrison." Chas hissed to anybody who was listening to her."If he's ruined it for-."
"Shh!" Cain scolded as he strained his ears to listen to what was being said.
". . . . . . So you were aware of the fact that Mr. Livesy was in a relationship?" Harrison asked Darrel to the whole court, starting right at the beginning.
Darrel nodded his head. "Yes."
"A stable committed relationship to Jackson Walsh." Harrison added. "However you still felt that Aaron would be interested if you were to make a pass his way, BUT only when he was alone." Harrison paused to briefly look at his notes. "Aaron gave you know signs to show he was interested towards you. So why did you feel as though you stood a chance to tempt him away from his boyfriend."
Darrel smirked, stirring a new spout of anger inside everyone. "Trust me, he was interested."
"And what gave you that impression?" Harrison questioned. "Numerous witnesses have expressed nothing of the sort."
"He was only talking to me all night." Darrel told them. "No one else, just me."
"That's him just merely being polite." Harrison corrected.
"If you want to believe that." Darrel scoffed, calmly.
Ignoring his comment, Harrison tried to continue. "Why did you continue to pursue Mr. Livesy when he clearly expressed he wasn't interested?"
"I think we've all worked out that he was." Darrel said as he sent a wink towards Aaron making the teen feel physically sick. He really didn't believe that, did he, surely?
"And how have you come to that conclusion?" Harrison questioned. "Aaron fighting you off, pushing you away, running from you they were no clues as to helping you figure out that he was not only not interested but frightened of you?"
Darrel shook his head. "He's good." He announced to them, continuing with his lies. "He's not scared of me. He wasn't fighting me off. It's all a lie to prevent his 'boyfriend' from ending it with him."
"Believe me, this is no lie." Harrison corrected. "What fear haunts him is forever real!"
Darrel scoffed.
"I can't believe him!" Chas fumed as she sat in the public gallery listening to every lie fall from her son's attacker's mouth.
"Neither can I sis." Cain muttered quietly. "He's lucky he's going to prison." He threatened.
"Poor Aaron." Chas sighed as she stared over towards the teen. He looked exhausted; the trail was really taking it out of him even if he wouldn't admit it. "How was he before?" She asked Jackson.
Jackson shrugged his shoulders. "Okay." He told her. If was a lie but they didn't need Chas worried even more.
". . . At what point did you think it was okay to pin Aaron to the bed as you began to force his clothes off of him?" Harrison bluntly asked as the teen tried to block the questioning and answers. But he couldn't. He couldn't stop his curiosity in what lies Darrel would come up with next.
Darrel let out a small laugh. "Like I said he's good at story telling." He said before answering. "I think it's disgusting for anyone to force themselves upon anyone and even more so for someone to make up something like that! I would never do that. I was under the impression he wanted to."
"You're sick!" Aaron blurted out before he could stop himself. He couldn't block it out any longer. He was lying he was out of it. Making it all seem as though it was him that was in the wrong, it was him that made it all up. He was wrong. He did attack him!
"Please!" The judge scolded, irritated.
Harrison shot Aaron a warning look, if they wanted to succeed in sending Darrel behind bars they could do without outbursts.
"The evidence we've collect state otherwise." Harrison said confidently. "I can't see how Mr. Livesy would obtain such horrific injuries if he wasn't being sexually attacked, forced to fight off a man much bigger than himself!"
"If that's what you want to believe." Darrel said. "but I 'obtained horrific injuries' also."
"I can't see how that excuses the attacks you led against Mr. Livesy?" Harrison shot back.
Darrel liked his lips, starting to feel the pressure. "Let's just say . . . things get a little 'rough'."
Aaron fought back the urge to be physically sick. How could Darrel think that people would believe such things? How could he say anything like that? It was sick, vile, disgusting!
"Anyone would be foolish to believe the lies you seem unable to stop yourself from telling." Harrison said calmly, unlike the anger he was facing inside. People like Darrel were the main reason he became a solicitor, to send people like him to jail away from those who were unfortunate to suffer at their hands.
"Object!" Miss Xanders exclaimed as she stood, receiving a nod from the judge.
"If I could continue?" Harrison began. "Whilst on probation you saw fit to sneak into the home of Mr. Livesy where he feels safe and protected to violate those securities to attack him for a third time!"
"I just wanted to talk." Darrel explained.
"Talk?" Harrison argued. "Breaking in and pushing him down the stairs of his own home is your idea of 'talking'."
Darrel shook his head. "I went there to talk to him, the front door was open so I walked in when he didn't answer me." He lied. "He wouldn't here what I had to say. He was too caught up in his story against me to protect his relationship with his boyfriend."
"How did you end up, upstairs then?" Harrison pushed, waiting for him to trip over his words.
"I shouldn't have followed him upstairs but I needed him to see that he was ruining his life." Darrel explained. "He can't go on throwing story's around like that. Once upstairs, he just flipped, started attacking me."
"Attacking you?" Harrison found that hard to believe.
"Yes." Darrel answered. "He was out of control. I couldn't calm him down. I tried to push him off of me gently but he must have lost his footing and tumbled down the stairs."
Chas flew her to feet. "That's not what happened and you know it!" She exclaimed pointing her finger towards the piece of scum that attacked her boy.
"If I have to tell anyone to remain quiet again in this court, they shall be sent out." The judge ordered.
Harrison let out a frustrated sigh. Aaron's family wasn't helping matters. Lost track of where he was taking things, Harrison took another look towards the quick notes he had put together a couple of minutes before court.
"If the court would take into account the stories this 'man' is spinning us all." Harrison announced. "You will see that they are in fact LIES and see the truth. You will see that he is in fact not a man but a monster, who has caused pain and distress not only to my client but those who support him also."
"Thank you Harrison." The judge said. "If the jury could now go away and discuss the outcome of this case" She ruled before continuing once the jury stood and began to file out of the court room. "Court is dismissed until the Jury has come to a conclusion."
A/N – Sorry for the wait! Thank you for all the great feedback once again! I don't feel as though I'm writing it for my own benefit. And thank you to those who are still reading this fanfic sixty-one updates later and hopefully more. . .