I had this and the next chapter originally as just one but it was just way too long so I cut it in half. Review and I'll upload the next one :)

Alex

The room was suddenly filled with pandemonium. Mom and Dad had started to cry, Justin and Max shouted and Mason started to shake. In a matter of seconds, he'd transformed and was attempting to bullock through the jury. I broke away from behind the desk where I sat to step in front of the podium as he made for Professor Crumbs. He skidded to a stop, growling loudly as his lip curled back over his teeth.

"Mason, stop," I begged him softly.

Everyone in the room had gone still, even the guards. They were waiting to see if I could talk him down before they moved in.

Mason edged closer as he slipped from a full werewolf into the 'in-between' stage. "I'm not losing you again."

"You're not going to lose me," I said and he let out a soft noise that sounded kind of like a laugh, like he didn't believe me. I wouldn't have believed me either considering I was lying point blank to him.

"Don't die for me," I told him firmly, squeezing his hand. He closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them again, he was all Mason.

The guards moved in and forced him onto the floor. He yielded, keeping his eyes on me as they slapped handcuffs on him. They yanked him back up and started to pull him away. I stared up at Professor Crumbs.

"You kill me and you don't hurt him, understand?"

"You don't get to decide terms in a trial Ms Russo."

I planted my feet in the sides of the pulpit and pulled myself up to his face. "Do we have a deal?"

"He won't go without complete punishment-"

"But you're not going to hurt him, right?"

Professor Crumbs nodded slowly. "Yes."

I leapt down and let them take me away from the uproar in the court as Mom and Dad started to protest. Justin caught my eye and I nodded at him. I saw a lone tear slip from his eyes as I left.

They took me to back to the cell and threw me down. I winced but didn't open my mouth to complain as I hit the cement.

I looked into the cell next door and found Mason was no longer there. They must have taken him somewhere different; away from me.

I lay down on the uncomfortable mattress they called a bed and stared up at the ceiling. Despite the looming death sentence on my head, I found myself drifting into sleep, until loud footsteps woke me up with a start. I peered out to see a tall, curly haired blonde man, thin-rimmed glasses on his face.

"Hey Alex, how are you doing?"

"Hugh? Hugh Normous? Is that you?"

"The very same," he said with a grin. "How are you?"

"Not great," I replied, flinging myself off the mattress. I hadn't seen Hugh since he'd gone to live with his real parents, which was in 2009. I couldn't imagine us having kept in touch in the last ten years. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here now. Junior Vice President of the council."

"Wow, that's wonderful Hugh. Congratulations."

He shrugged modestly. "Thanks."

I couldn't help but notice he'd given up with the tiny stuff like the glasses and clothes and I smiled at that.

"I can't believe you've landed yourself in jail Alex."

"Is it really that big of a surprise?" I said wryly, copying the earlier words of Professor Crumbs and he laughed.

"No, not really but you've made a complete mess when you've only been here….."

He drifted off, not finishing his sentence and suddenly looking very nervous but I passed this off. He always had been a weird kid.

"Do you know what's going on back there?" I asked in a hushed whisper.

"Your parents are really upset. There's a lot of yelling going on."

I clenched my fists. "Do you know where Mason is?"

Hugh nodded. "He's in a special cell downstairs. They're keeping him under heavy security in case he tries to run for it."

I started to pace up and down, only managing six steps in the tiny, claustrophobic cell. "When is it happening?"

I didn't have to say what; he knew I was asking when I was due to be killed.

He didn't answer as I continued to walk, trying to control the frustration and anger boiling up inside. Finally I snapped.

"Hugh!"

"Monday."

I had to sit down; I was having trouble breathing. "Alex? Alex?"

I heard his voice imploring me to answer him and the sound of the cell door sliding open and reverberating slightly as he rushed in to see me.

"Alex, answer me."

Monday?" I choked out. "As in the day after tomorrow."

I'd been all in gung-ho in the court room, knowing with every fibre in my body that I would do everything I could to protect Mason, even if it meant dying. But I hadn't been ready for such a deadline. In two days, I would cease to exist. There was so much I wanted to do, so much I wanted to change. And now I'd never have the chance.

"Calm down Alex, breathe."

I did, or at least I tried but I was still having difficulty. "I'm okay; it's just…just a lot."

He patted my back and then slowly got up and walked out, reaching to pull the door shut and seal it with a spell.

"I'm sorry Alex, I really am."

I didn't look up as he walked away.

I didn't sleep that night. I kept tossing and turning, constantly thinking about the upcoming price I would pay. Every hour, minute, second that passed was closer to a time when it would be all over, when I wouldn't be breathing, walking, living. I'd never been really scared in my life but this completely freaked me out beyond belief.

Morning didn't arrive soon enough. I was up well and truly before the sun was, just a sign of how out of sorts I was. No one came around until eight o'clock when they shoved a tray full of slop that was supposed to be breakfast towards me. I turned my nose up at it and refused to touch it; I might be in jail but I still had standards.

Hugh visited again, around eleven, to tell me that I would get the day to have last meetings with the people I cared about. I wanted to ask him which people, to make sure he'd gotten everyone but he seemed quite assured that everything was alright so I chose to trust him.

My parents were first, and when I saw them, I almost lost it. I walked in to the greyish room only to be swamped in a hug from them both. But I didn't mind the suffocation because this might be the last hug from them I ever got. After a minute, the guard barked at them to let go. They did with teary faces and sat opposite me at the only piece of furniture in the room, the table.

"Alex, honey, why are you doing this? You know I think Mason's a wonderful young man but-"

"It's the right thing to do," I responded mechanically with a slight smile. "You were always telling me to be more kind and think of others so I am. I haven't over the past ten years but I'm trying now. This is the way is has to be."

The pre-rehearsed words came out perfectly but they made Mom burst into more tears. Dad reached across the table to squeeze my hand. I offered him a smile but he just shook his head.

"I'm so proud of you Alex for doing this but I just…I just can't imagine….you not living…and-"

"I know Dad, I know," I said, interrupting softly; he was having trouble getting out a fully functional sentence. "I love you guys, and I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you over the years. None of what I did had anything to do with you. They were my own actions, not yours. You guys were the best parents ever and I didn't deserve you."

They leaned over and again, smothered me in a hug and I wished I was in my teenage body again, so they could protect me. But seconds later, they were forced out of the room and I was on my own.

My next guest came over an hour later and although I didn't know how she got here, I was so glad to see Harper.

"What have you done Alex?" she whispered as she hugged me tight. I just gave a soft laugh and unravelled myself from her.

"Never mind," I said with a forced smile. We sat down and didn't say anything for a while. I was trying to avoid staring at her in case she was crying.

"I don't see you for a couple of days and you end up in jail."

I shrugged. "You know how I am. At least I'm not dying for nothing."

"Aren't you scared?"

"Terrified," I admitted. "But it's for Mason." Telling myself this was the only way I could get through it.

She reached across and held my hand. "I can't believe I'm losing my best friend." She wiped away a few tears and I had to do the same. Seeing other people cry made me cry.

"At least you won't have any more drama."

She smiled through her shiny tears. "It won't be the same without it, or you."

"Don't make me cry Harper, it was hard enough to get through this morning with my parents."

"I'm sorry," she said with a dry laugh. She lowered her voice, "You're not going to get back to your own time, are you?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so."

I'd already given the matter some thought. If by some miracle, we could convince the council that we'd been accidentally sent here into the future, we could be sent back. But they were extremely unlikely to believe someone on death row. They would be giving us an escape by sending us back through time.

They didn't know how to reverse the spell either; the one that had to be cast in order for our teenage souls to take over our older bodies and send our older selves god knows where. Whoever had done this really liked to see us suffer.

"Does that mean I'm going to lose the memories of our last ten years?"

I nodded. If I died in this body, I died, period. There would be no soul to go back to my teenage body. Which would mean we'd never have the competition the way it happened, I'd never leave my family or hook up with Dean. Only the possibility of the last one never happening made me happy.

"Time's up," snapped the guard in the corner and Harper immediately got up from her chair and if it was even possible, squeezed me harder than my parents had.

"Love you sis," she murmured to me.

"Back at you," I replied, holding her for a few brief seconds before she was once again torn away.

Max

"What are we going to do Justin? We can't just sit here."

Justin ignored me and started to pace around the room. Man, he reminded me of Alex. They always claimed they were nothing alike and yet I could see the similarities, plain and simple.

"I don't know Max," he finally answered. "The council might have believed us before but now Alex is a criminal. There's no way they're going to send us back in time."

"They would send us back in time."

That got his attention; he stopped moving and stared at me like I'd sprouted wings. "Are you serious?"

"Look I don't like the idea either but-"

"I can't believe you're suggesting that we let Alex die and then go back to our own time like nothing ever happened."

"We don't have a choice right now. If we get back, we'll have powers and we could work out a plan to save her."

He started to consider it before defiantly shaking his head. Yep, he had been hanging around with Alex way too much.

"No, it's too risky," he said, biting his lip. "We could still lose her."

"We're going to lose her anyway. It's not like we can break her out."

Justin's eyes lit up. "Why not?"

My jaw dropped. Since when did I become the rational Russo sibling and Justin the crazy kid with ideas that could never work? My older brother had lost it.

"Since when do you suggest plans like that?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

"Since I realised that we were sent here for a reason. We've been here barely three weeks and I've found out that I hated my sister, that my wife was cheating on me and that I killed someone. I am not going to let that be my future and I'm not going to let Alex's be ruined either."

He finally stopped his speech and stood with his arms crossed, as if waiting for the verdict.

I smiled. "What's the scheme chief?"