Paper Moon

Chapter Fifteen

(Continued from chap. 14 part 1)

The Tiger and the Cage

Sora

"What is the accused being charged of?" Judge Mathis asks as she leans forward, her hawk-like eyes looking over both Roxas and I, and landing on his parents. Neither of them flinch away, challenging her stare.

"My clients are being charged for child abuse, harassment, and violence against a minor." The man in the suit says, standing up.

"And why does the child not have an attourney?" She asks, clipping her words. (A.N.: I forgot the term for the one accusing the person. Sowwi) Roxas looks at her, eyes unwavering.

"Because when you use the truth, you shouldn't need one. And I have my adopted brother, who is more than enough for the job, your honor." He says evenly. Her eyes seem taken aback by the stoic facade he's putting on, but I'm proud of the fact that he's managing to show everyone else he isn't scared.

"Very well. Then we shall start with your testemony, Roxas, was it?" She asks. His eyes waver a moment, but he nods and stands. (A.N.: Look, I've never been to court, so I dunno how the procedure goes. I'm just wingin' it. Sorry once again. Serious moments are not my forte.)

He goes to sit at the little cubby thing beside where the Judge sits, and his parents' attourney stands.

"Mr. Strife," He starts in a voice that makes me grit my teeth, as if he knows Roxas can't win. "Can you explain to us what went on at your home?" He asks, stopping in front of Roxas. Camera flashes are coming from the back, the journalists and reporters doing their jobs. He looks down to his hands.

"It was the same thing every day." He starts in a low voice. I long to hold him and take him away from everything he's experiencing, but I stay where I am, gritting my teeth and hands clenched into fists on my lap. "I avoided my parents as best I could. Sometimes my father would come find me in my room, drag me out, and beat me using either his own hands and feet, or sometimes it was a book, the side of the counter, a bottle, a lighter to my hair. I could never make any sounds without having it be worse for me. And sometimes I'd walk by on my way to or from school, and he, already drunk at seven in the morning, would push me onto a wall and hit me until he either passed out or saw enough blood come out of my mouth. My mother, she was often out of the house, and would come home smelling like she'd taken everything offered to her, looking like she'd slipped herself a roofie."

"And what have you to back this up? A buise, a scar...?" He asks. He looks up a moment.

"All of my wounds are gone. Sora would treat them." He says, and his eyes are just daring people to think he's lying, for they show nothing but pure honesty, albeit he is very unguarded. "I only have two scars now."

"Do you own any piece of evidence to support this?" He asks. I stand up. My cue.

"Actually, I do." I say with a grim smile, fishing a CD case from my shirt pocket. I wave it in my hands. "Video recording of when my maid treated his wounds." (A.N.: Sneaky sneaky Sora. Security footage XD o.o I just got the highest sense of deja vu... have I ever written something with a surprise tape? o.o Oh, well)Grumbling the man comes and takes it from my hand reverently, and I sit back down with a knowing smile. Roxas is dismissed back to his chair, and he smiles at me. We were always prepared. I mouth to him. He nods.

A tv is rolled into the room, the cd put into a DVD player. Gasps are heard around the room as people see the sight of the blonde boy that was the Roxas before I knew him, all battered and bruised as he removes his shirt and sits down warily on the chair. I turn my eyes away from the video, unable to see Roxas in such a state. He notices me looking away, and I can see he can't look at it, either.

"I've seen enough." The judge says briskly, and the tv is rolled away. I can see a small, well-worn book in front of her, open to a certain page. Roxas' book. "Jury, you may leave to discuss the verdict."

The people lined up at the front on two rows of chairs file out of a door. People start to talk behind us, which I guess may be the norm. Roxas laughs once dryly under his breath.

"Even when I don't have it on me, that book will always follow me around." He says. I shake my head, and he looks at me.

"It won't if you don't let it." I tell him. He nods, and we fall into silence, into our own thoughts. Angry voices meet my ears.

"This is bullshit!" I hear a man shout, and Roxas sighs in exasperation as I look to my left, where his parents are seated. His father is on his feet, and much as they try, the guards can't stop him before he knocks them down. He stalks his way towards Roxas and I, fear making my heart beat once. I stand up and quickly put myself in between the two, making Roxas look up in surprise, a protest coming through his lips. Much as the judge tries to gain order, she can't get him to calm down. "Get out of my way, kid." He growls.

"Fuck you." I spit back, which is probably the first swear word I've ever said in my life. His eyes narrow, and Roxas' protest increase in volume right as he clamps a hand over my throat, squeezing the air right out. Screams and cries come from all around, but the lack of oxygen already has my head spinning as I struggle against his hand.

"What did you say?" He hisses as I see cops try to burst through the crowd.

"I said-" I gasp, my air very limited. "Fuck you."

"Let him go you bastard!" Roxas cry pierces through the confusion as he grabs his father's wrist and jerks it back violently, and I hear a snap. His fingers let go of my throat and I fall to my knees, gasping with my hand to my throat. Roxas doesn't bother with his father, he kneels beside me and removes my hand from my throat, looking for any marks, his eyes that were once full of vulnerability now only full of worry. He sighs in relief, fingers gently massaging where it hurts the most. "God I was so scared." He says lowly, the commotion letting his words reach no one but me.

"I couldn't let him come near you, I-"

"Do me a favor?" He cuts me off.

"Anything. You know that."

"Promise me you'll never do that again. And there's no need to apologize. Remember?" He points to his chest with his thumb, making me smile. I put my own thumb to my chest.

"I'll try, but you know very well I can't swallow the idea of anyone hurting you on my watch - or at all, really." The commotion starts to die, so he helps me up by holding my hands. Still a little light-headed, he helps me sit down and sits down beside me, a hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you."

"There's no need." I say, just as the jury comes back in. Roxas' father is now handcuffed to the railing behind him, splitting the witness from the rest of the court.

"Has the jury reached a conclusion?" The judge asks, closing Roxas' book. A woman in the jury nods, standing and holding a piece of paper.

"Yes, your honor. We find the defendants guilty of the crimes they are accused of." She says, sitting back down. Judge Mathis looks to Roxas' parents.

"Very well. I sentence you both to a lifetime in prison. And as I've been told before the session, I grant Roxas the wishes he'd desired."

I swear my heart litterally floated up and out of my skull. Roxas looks up at the judge in surprise with a smile as she slams her mallet down.

"Court dismissed."

And then I know only a blurr of bodies and confusion as people all around, going towards the exits, to his parents, and to us as Roxas wraps his arms around me and holds me tightly against his chest, laughing in my ear. I return the embrace with much enthusiasm, not at all caring towards the crowd gathering, some people looking at us oddly, some people going 'aww' a little. An old book is placed on the table, but neither of us can care.

He stands now in front of the fireplace, holding that old book. He'd offered to let me see it, but I told him no. I'd let him tell me himself when he was ready to do so. As the fire burns in the fireplace in my room, I sitting on the ground beside him, he gently throws the book into the fire, watching the embers fly up.

"I won't let it follow me." He says with a smile as he sits down beside me. I immediately wrap my arms around him, and we lie onto the ground, he resting on top of me, head resting sideways on my chest.

"I'm proud of you." I tell him with a smile. He sighs, relaxing into my arms. "For being able to let it go."

"I can only do that because of someone." He tells me.

"Who?" I ask, smiling as I look at the top of his head, one of my hands playing in his hair idly.

"The one person who means more to me than anything else out there." He says, nuzzling his cheek on me.

"I gotta find this person." I say, trying to keep the laugh out of my voice. "He's proving to be competition."

He sighs as I laugh to myself.

"I'll prove to you someday that it's what I feel." He says, propping himself onto his elbows and looking at me.

"Well, you have forever to do that." I tell him with a smile, now both of my hands playing in his hair. "An angel and a demon."

"Forever." He smiles, leaning in until our lips meet in what is, in my opinion, the gentlest and sweetest kiss we've had thus far, his hands on either side of my head to hold himself up, his happiness leaking out of him like water from a cloud.

"I'll prove it to you too." I tell him as he pulls back an inch. "But only when I feel the time is right."

He smiles.

"I'll be waiting for that day." He leans back in and we meet again, and I can feel the tears I'd kept inside out of pure pride in the court room flowing down my face. I feel a drop of water fall onto my cheek, and when I open my eyes, I see that he's crying, too. I wrap my arms around his head this time, both my hands resting on the top of his head.

And now, all that remains is my own father. But I am willing to put that aside for now. If it means being happy with Roxas, than I am more than pleased to do so.

Well, as I was writing this chapter I got to thinking that I didn't want to stop here. I want to add more. So I will. THE SHOW WILL GO ON! Plus I gots me a new idea =3 I won't post a sequel, I'll put the chapters in here. I'll see if I can get another one posted up tonight.

BOB is now trying to figure out how to take over Cellular phones. Please stand by.